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Microsoft: Apple wanted 'Laptop Hunters' ads pulled
It should come as no surprise that Apple isn't a big fan of Microsoft's "Laptop Hunters" ads, but some may be surprised to learn the Mac maker's lawyers reportedly called a senior Microsoft executive and demanded the ads be removed.
The topic of the TV ads, which feature prospective buyers comparing the prices and features of Apple laptops and Windows-based laptops, came up at Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference in New Orleans on Wednesday. Kevin Turner, Microsoft's chief operating officer, was at the conference to announce that Microsoft was planning to open its first stores this fall, with at least some of the locations likely to be right near an Apple store.
But the most intriguing part of Turner's speech was when he recounted a telephone call he says he got from Apple's legal department demanding that Microsoft remove the ads. Here's Turner's tale, according to Microsoft's official transcript:
And so we've been running these PC value ads. Just giving people saying, hey, what are you looking to spend? "Oh, I'm looking to spend less than $1,000." Well we'll give you $1,000. Go in and look and see what you can buy. And they come out and they just show them. Those are completely unscripted commercials.
And you know why I know they're working? Because two weeks ago we got a call from the Apple legal department saying, hey -- this is a true story -- saying, "Hey, you need to stop running those ads, we lowered our prices." They took like $100 off or something. It was the greatest single phone call in the history that I've ever taken in business. (Applause.)
I did cartwheels down the hallway. At first I said, "Is this a joke? Who are you?" Not understanding what an opportunity. And so we're just going to keep running them and running them and running them.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but it may have good reason to be upset. Since Microsoft launched the ads, which are a response to Apple's "I'm a Mac" ads, there is evidence that the campaign may be radically altering value perceptions of PCs. According to a report in AdAge, BrandIndex says Microsoft's so-called value perception has risen steadily since the campaign began in March, while Apple's has fallen.


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Google announced the launch of Estimated Total Conversions for search ads in AdWords. This feature is designed to show advertisers the conversions they see immediately, like online sales, in addition to an estimate of conversions that will likely take multiple devices to complete.
“Estimated Total Conversions will provide you with a holistic view of all of the conversions driven by your Google search advertising that can be used to make important decisions like how much to bid and how to assign budget across your various marketing channels,” says Sridhar Ramaswamy, SVP, Ads and Commerce at Google. “For the last few years, many sophisticated advertisers have been using their own analysis to get to these insights. Today, we are beginning to bring this level of insight and measurement to all advertisers.”
Google is kicking off the feature by rolling out estimated cross-device conversions globally. Google says it will eventually add other conversion types (like phone calls, store visits and conversions from ads on the search and display network).
Google says it has analyzed data across thousands of advertisers looking at cross-device conversion patterns. Here’s a look at some of the data for a few verticals:
This is just the latest in a series of AdWords feature releases designed to give advertisers better insights into conversions.
In August, Google launched cross-account conversion tracking and search funnels, enabling advertisers with multiple AdWords accounts to measure across accounts with a single tag and combined reports. Last month, the company launched the AdWords “conversion import” feature, making it easier for advertisers to measure and optimize events that happen away from their sites.

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Nowadays, even regular web surfers know some of the things to avoid when designing a website for fast performance. Cut the number of requests to the web server. Shrink JPEG sizes. Employ a content delivery network vendor like Akamai Technologies or Limelight Networks. The problem is, according to Steve Souders, steps like these aimed at optimising the web server make only a tiny impact. "We used to tear apart the Apache [web server] code to figure out what Yahoo was doing," said Souders, who was Yahoo's chief performance engineer for several years before moving to Google in the same role.
But after performing a detailed analysis, Souders discovered something startling: only 10% to 20% of the time it took to load a website could be attributed to the web server.
That may have made sense a decade ago, but in today's era of PCs powered by dual and quad-core CPUs, it doesn't. And the cost of the delays created can be high.
Google has found that a 500-millisecond delay results in a 20% decrease in web traffic, while Amazon.com has seen a 100 millisecond delay cutting its sales by 1%, Souders said.
Doing so helped one Google site that Souders declined to name speed up its initial page rendering by 60%.
Also, users tend to stay on certain sites, such as their web mail, all day. These sites will re-render constantly throughout the day, incurring a delay from over-elaborate CSS files each time, Souders said.
"When I look at it, I feel like the teacher who hands out very severe grades," he said. Search engines with minimal content on the page, such as Google.com and Microsoft's Live.com, are among the rare sites that get an A from Yslow.
There are other tools besides Yslow for diagnosing performance bottlenecks. Microsoft offers the Visual Roundtrip Organiser, while AOL developed a now-open-source tool called PageTest. All these tools judge website performance by a set of rules, though none of them matches YSlow's 22 criteria.


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Crackdown on energy suppliers hiking bills ‘beyond what is required’
Kwasi Kwarteng announced in a tweet that Ofgem had launched a crackdown into direct debit pricing.
He said: “I can confirm Ofgem has today issued Compliance Reviews. Suppliers have three weeks to respond.
“The regulator will not hesitate to swiftly enforce compliance, including issuing substantial fines.”
It comes as billpayers face record price rises for gas and electricity, after the regulator increased the energy price cap from £1,277 to £1,971 on 1 April.
The energy price cap is in place to regulate pricing and it applies to the 22 million billpayers on variable rate tariffs. Yet, these bills increased 54% in April and are expected to rise again in October.
For those with a prepayment energy meter, prices were hiked further, from £1,309 to £2,017, a yearly rise of £708.
The increase to bills was blamed on rising global gas prices and the war in Ukraine has also impacted prices of fuel.
Many major energy providers have hiked direct debit payments sparking controversy among campaigners and consumer champions, including Martin Lewis.
The founder of Moneysavingexpert.com told the business select committee in March that suppliers should face a crackdown over direct debit increases. He said some price hikes were unjustified and were a move by providers to improve their cash flow at the expense of customers.
Along with price hikes, over 4.3 million customers have been moved automatically with their credit balances to alternative energy providers when their supplier failed.
‘Troubling signs’ from energy firms
Ofgem said in April it was seeing ‘troubling signs’ that some companies were reacting to the market by allowing levels of customer service to deteriorate.
Jonathan Brearley, Ofgem chief executive, said at the time: “Concerns have been raised that some suppliers may have been increasing direct debit payments by more than is necessary, or directing customers to tariffs that may not be in their best interest.
“We have also seen troubling stories about the way some vulnerable customers are being treated when they fall into difficulties.”
Ofgem has commissioned a series of market compliance reviews to make sure energy providers are ‘fulfilling the licence conditions they require to operate’.
These include stricter supervision of how direct debits are handled, investigating how much firms are able to hold in credit balances, and making sure companies are adhering to high standards of customer service.
“Where they fail to do so, we will not hesitate to take swift action to enforce compliance, including issuing substantial fines,” Brearley said.


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Thousands of Toys R Us jobs on the line as crunch vote looms
The fate of 3,200 Toys R Us jobs is hanging in the balance ahead of a crunch vote on the firm's future, with the retailer facing collapse unless a rescue deal is agreed.
Creditors to the beleaguered retailer will today (Dec 21) vote on the firm’s proposal for a company voluntary arrangement (CVA), a scheme that will allow it to jettison under-performing stores but keep the company afloat.
However, if it is rejected, then it is understood Toys R Us could collapse into administration on Friday, just days before Christmas.
Complicating matters is the Pension Protection Fund (PPF), which is also a creditor and has so far refused to back the retailer’s rescue plans unless Toys R Us agrees to pay £9 million upfront into its pension fund.
The PPF is demanding that Toys R Us makes the payment to secure three years’ worth of funding upfront for its defined salary staff pension scheme, which has a shortfall of between £25 million and £30 million.
But it is believed Toys R Us does not have enough cash to meet the PPF demands.
The PPF’s voting intention means the CVA may not go ahead, as Toys R Us needs the backing of 75% of creditors.
The PPF’s proportion of the creditor vote accounts for 31%, effectively giving it the power to veto any deal.
Toys R Us UK has made last-minute concessions over its pension deficit in an attempt to push through a deal, offering to reduce its deficit recovery plan to 10 years from 15 years and offer a larger payment than the £1.6 million planned for its pension scheme in January and March.
Talks are still ongoing.
Other creditors include the firm’s landlords, who will be asked to stomach rent cuts as part of the restructuring proposal.
Even if the CVA is voted through, at least 26 loss-making UK stores will shut, putting up to 800 jobs at risk.
The retailer, which is owned by US-based Toys R Us Inc, trades from 84 stores in the UK and has 21 concessions.
Toys R Us said on announcing its CVA plans that trading has suffered as its warehouse-style stores opened in the 1980s and 1990s have proved “too big and expensive to run”, while it is also understood to have struggled to keep up with online competitors.
The announcement comes just months after the US-based retailer filed for bankruptcy protection in the US and Canada as it battled mammoth debts and increasing competition online.


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The 6th person listed in the Forbes 2020 African billionaire rankings is Issad Rebrab (and family) from Algeria. As the founder and CEO of Cevital – Algeria’s biggest privately-held company, Issad Rebrab has a net worth of $4.4 billion.
Born on May 27, 1944 (age 76), Rebrab founded Cevital 54 years later in 1998. The company is currently one of the largest sugar refineries in the world with the capacity to produce 2 million tons a year. Initially focused on the food industry, Rebrab diversified the privately-owned company into automotive, household appliances, transport (road, sea), float glass production and large-scale retail, to become Algeria’s largest conglomerate.
Cevital has distinguished itself in recent years by employing over 18,000 people and owning a number of European industrial companies such as French home appliances maker Groupe Brandt, an Italian steel mill and a German water purification company.
Being the only Algerian to grace the Forbes African billionaires list for some years now, Rebrab believes that “We [Algerians] have great potential; we can make up for lost time.” He is the son of militants who fought for Algeria’s independence from France and helped finance a biopic on Algerian resistance hero Larbi Ben M’hidi, who was executed by the French in 1957.
Following a corruption probe in 2019, Rebrab was incarcerated at the prison of El Harrach on the public prosecutor’s orders in April. He was however released on January 1, 2020, after having been sentenced to six months for tax, banking and customs offenses. Although Rebrab served a total of eight months in jail, He denied any wrongdoing but paid the fine of 1.383 billion dinars (more than $11.6 million).
A total of 20 billionaires were featured on Forbes 2020 African billionaires with the combined wealth of $73.4 billion, up from $68.7 billion a year ago. Forbes magazine solely tracked the wealth of African billionaires who reside in Africa or have their primary businesses there. Calculations of the net worths were made using stock prices and currency exchange rates from the close of business on Friday, January 10, 2020.
In addition, to value privately-held businesses, Forbes couple estimates of revenues or profits with prevailing price-to-sales or price-to-earnings ratios for similar public companies. Some list members grow richer or poorer within weeks—or days—of our measurement date.


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The official launch of a one-of-a-kind line of designer underwear ‘Still Broke’ has gathered some of the industry’s biggest names as they deck out in style to witness a momentous shift in the world of fashion at Oasis Medspa Ikoyi, Lagos on the 13th of May, 2018.
Hosted by OAP-comedian Ushbebe, the launch was a star-studded affair with an ambiance filled with renowned fashionistas, artists, actors and media personalities; including afro-pop star Solidstar, veteran 2face, ex-reality TV star Bassey, Mavin’s first lady Tiwa Savage, music producer Pheelz, American-Nigerian actress Osas Ighodaro Ajibade and several more.
The brand of designer underwear, introduced by esteemed business mogul Michael Uyi Agho; fondly called Godson had managed to gather a considerable amount of buzz ahead of the launch – with several high-profile names spotted rocking the underwear; including Starboy head honcho Wizkid, Annie Idibia, Lilian Esoro, among others. They also enjoyed celebrity favourite Luc Belaire and Craft Rum Bumbu provided by Belaire.
Still Broke is now available for purchase worldwide. Visit www.stillbrokeofficial.com for more information.


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NEW DELHI: The budget tablet category seems to be getting hotter. The last few weeks have seen a slew of tablets launched in the category, the latest entrant is Spice Mi-720.
Spice Mi-720 runs on Android platform and is available for purchase with online retailer Letsbuy. The device is priced at Rs 11,990.
Spice Mi-720 has a 7-inch display like most of the new affordable Android tablets in the Indian market and is powered by an 800 Mhz processor. Additionally, the Spice Mi-720 includes a 2 megapixel rear camera, a secondary front facing VGA camera, 512MB of RAM, 3G connectivity and a 3240 mAH battery.


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Southampton container port is to open on Sundays for the first time ever.
DP World Southampton will now operate seven days a week in anticipation of a surge of demand over the Bank Holiday and in the run up to Christmas.
The move is initially for businesses to play catch up during the four-day week but is also aimed at helping supply chain operators already gearing up for the festive period.
Traditionally August is one of the quietest for business, but the container terminal operator is encouraging customers to pick up cargo seven days a week as hauliers try to cram five days of deliveries into a four-day working week.
But the Bank Holiday also signals the run up to Christmas with a surge of containers arriving as retailers begin stocking up their shelves ahead of The festive season.
It will give customers a head start by opening from 7am on Sundays.
DP World Southampton operations head Steve McCrindle said: "By opening up for the full seven days for our customers, we believe we are providing more flexibility and opportunity to collect cargo which will assist the supply chain with their import deliveries.
"Traditionally there has not been the demand for weekend opening, but with the August Bank Holiday and the peak session. Upon us we will see an increase in volume and by extending our opening hours we can reduce the pressure on everyone in the supply chain."
He added: "often the container terminal feels the pressure of the bank holiday for a few weeks afterwards but it doesn't have to be this way.
"We are a 24 hour operation. We service ships 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so there is no reason why we can't service our land side customers too."
From Saturday it will open from 7am on Sundays and an extended three hours on Saturday's from midnight until 6pm.


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With a lawsuit around australia diminished for Epic Game, the company took its legal conflict on nation’s regulator into the February 4 . They advised the brand new ACCC that Apple’s “unrestrained market energy” try suppressing battle and you will advancement, which can be artificially enhancing the cost of new iphone and you may apple ipad software https://datingmentor.org/womens-choice-dating/.
The newest forced “30% Apple Taxation” emphasize the latest costs, Unbelievable told you, insisting the genuine percentage will likely be nearer to single digits.
“Apple’s conduct try diagnostic out-of unrestrained market strength one to results in high problems for Australian customers therefore the aggressive procedure. On lack of these types of anti-competitive restraints, software designers would have a greater ability to dispersed their applications, leading to enhanced competition and innovation on the advantageous asset of Australian consumers,” Epic’s distribution checks out.
Epic’s choice introducing a payment running choice to “Fortnite” are premeditated, Impressive Video game Chief executive officer Tim Sweeney affirmed into the a february 10 interviews. Weeks have been allocated to a fight plan, originating in .
The planning enabled Epic to have good sixty-page lawsuit at ready, plus a parody video clips, as to what was understood inside because “Venture Independence.”
“Epic’s outrage with Apple particularly, and you may Yahoo to some extent, was accumulating for around three-years,” said Sweeney. “Since Fortnite became to own a huge audience, i believed stifled by several anything.”
Sweeney continues on in order to allege the hassle should be to encourage totally free places, and this the firm is prepared to dedicate greatly throughout the you will need to alter the software business. He did not tell you how much cash from inside the court charge or shed conversion your panels keeps rates up until now, however, performed admit it costs “tons and you will loads” off senior leaders big date.
Impressive Games lobbyist-crafted App Store statutes refuted when you look at the North Dakota
An expenses during the North Dakota who have pushed Fruit towards allowing option percentage mechanisms and you will application downloads outside of the Application Store was allegedly made up of the assistance of Epic Games, it looks. For the February sixteen, it had been stated draft laws getting Senate Statement Zero. 2333 was presented with so you’re able to lawmakers by an effective lobbyist rented from the Impressive Game.
Lobbyist Lacee Bjork Anderson, hired from the Impressive plus the Coalition for Software Fairness, is alleged to own considering Northern Dakota State Senator Kyle Davison the draft statutes of the expenses. It actually was frequently equated as a way to “stop Apple and you may Google of pressuring organizations about county to help you pay a share of the application conversion.”
The bill is actually relatively crafted so you’re able to harm Fruit many in the event the voted when you look at the and enforced. Eg, it omitted online game units of being affected by they, just like the Bing Enjoy Store already lets alternative app markets in order to exist.
Although it failed for the Northern Dakota, the battle more than app store laws and regulations are from more. The fresh new York Moments accounts that lawmakers in Georgia and Washington are thinking about nearly identical regulations. Your state user when you look at the Massachusetts said he was considering releasing an excellent comparable statement, and application store regulations is additionally being forced during the Wisconsin and you can Minnesota.
Impressive Game documents antitrust issue facing Apple during the European union
Just after Northern Dakota declined the fresh anti-Fruit bill, registered a keen antitrust problem with the Eu against Apple, persisted the two companies’ dispute along side Application Shop. Despite in disagreement having one another Fruit and you will Bing, Unbelievable Game singled out Fruit into grievance, that the “Fortnite” creator says have eliminated race.
“What’s at risk this is actually the extremely future of mobile programs.” claims Epic Games Ceo Tim Sweeney from inside the a family article regarding grievance. “People feel the right to set-up applications regarding sources of its opting for, and developers have the right to compete in the a good marketplaces.”


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Ever since it released last March, Animal Crossing: New Horizons has been an absolute juggernaut for Nintendo. The game has consistently been appearing atop all sorts of sales charts for months at this point, and as such, it should come as no surprise that it had an incredibly successful holiday season to close out 2020.
Nintendo today announced the latest sales total for Animal Crossing: New Horizons and unveiled that to date, it has sold 31.18 million units around the globe. This total is retroactive to the end of Nintendo's last financial quarter which wrapped up on December 31, 2020. In the holiday quarter as a whole, New Horizons ended up selling a little over 5 million copies worldwide.
At this point, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is rapidly approaching Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as the best-selling game on the Nintendo Switch. Mario Kart still has about a 2 million copy lead on Animal Crossing, but considering the latter's quick gain over the past few months, it seems like only a matter of time before it becomes the top-seller on Switch. As a whole, Mario Kart and Animal Crossing are also the only two games on Switch that have topped the 30 million mark. The next closest is that of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate which is closing in on 23 million.
Moving forward, Nintendo will likely continue to capitalize on the strong sales of Animal Crossing: New Horizons by releasing more updates for the game. The most notable new piece of content for New Horizons, which is being called the Festivale event, is set to arrive two weeks from today on February 15th and will contain a number of new seasonal items to purchase. It should be one of a number of new updates that will likely roll out over the course of 2021.
If you somehow still haven't played Animal Crossing: New Horizons for yourself, you can pick up the game on Nintendo Switch right now. And if you'd like to keep up with all future updates on the game, you can keep following our coverage right here.


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NEW YORK (AP) — Michael Kors is so over leggings and sports bras. He used Wednesday’s fall collection as a reminder that staying in and cozying up by the fire can still be chic and glamorous.
Blake Lively, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Issa Rae and Anna Wintour sat in the front row at the star-studded event held on the final day of New York Fashion Week.
The collection was all about dressing for a country getaway and unplugging from busy life with a strong equestrian feel, heavy on camels, grays and blacks with sparse hits of red and orange. Everything was draped with a cape, hood or cozy cowl neck — even a chunky tan sweater was complemented with a matching sweater tied around the neck for extra snuggles.
The ubiquitous and often naked athleisure wear is “not sexy, it’s not alluring,” Kors said during a backstage interview with The Associated Press.
“I like casual clothes. We’re American. We invented it, but now we’ve got to reel it back.”
Lively, who came dressed in a menswear inspired look in a plaid vest, wide-leg trousers and white button down, said Kors brought her to her very first fashion show nearly a decade ago when she was the new girl in town.
“I didn’t have any friends and then I get a call from Michael Kors saying, ‘do you want to be my date to some fancy fashion show’,” said Lively, who gushed about the designer’s kindness. “Sometimes we think of fashion as very standoffish, but my experience is that it’s been very warm and welcoming.”
Several young stars also attended the show, including actresses Dove Cameron and Olivia Holt and singer Kelsea Ballerini.
“I love the menswear vibes. I’m very into suits at the moment,” said Cameron, who wore a an oversized black striped suit jacket. “It’s so sexy. Everything he does is so tailored.”
Holt said it was her first time attending Kors’ show.
“I don’t spend a lot of time in the fashion world so to be able to be here and take it all in and embrace it and soak it all up is a really special experience,” she told the AP.
The fall collection showed very little skin except for a handful of evening looks, which still kept with the relaxed chic vibe paired with sweaters, turtlenecks and capes. A long, gold pleated skirt was paired with a military jacket. A thick, alpaca fringed scarf was paired with a gunmetal sequined pleated dress.


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KL Bans Liquor Sales In Kedai Runcit & Convenience Stores From 2021 Onwards
Certain businesses wont be allowed to renew their liquor licenses after 30 September 2021.
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Kuala Lumpur will be implementing a new set of rules and regulations to control the sale, availability and consumption of alcoholic beverages in the city, beginning 1 October 2021.
The new guidelines, provided by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s (DBKL), will effectively ban the sale of hard liquor beverages at all kedai runcit, grocery shops and convenience stores in KL.
The liquor ban will also extend to traditional Chinese medicine or herbalist stores – except for “pure” or “mixed” liquor products that are used for medicinal purposes.
According to DBKL, these businesses won’t be allowed to renew their liquor licenses past 30 September, next year
DBKL explains that the guidelines would ensure the safety and health of KL and its inhabitants.
- Grocery shops, convenience stores and Chinese medicinal shops still allowed to sell beer.
- Hard liquor beverages still allowed to be sold at supermarkets, hypermarkets and trading complexes.
DBKL’s new rules on alcohol sales from 2021 onwards
- Grocery shops, convenience stores and Chinese medicinal shops will only be allowed to sell beer between 7am – 9pm, placed separately from other non-alcoholic beverages and closed off once the time limit expires.
- Wholesalers can only sell alcohol between 7am – 9pm.
- Bars, pubs, lounges, restaurants and beer houses are only allowed to sell alcohol between 10am – 12am. However, an extension can be given for premises to remain open until 2am.
- Premises selling alcohol are not allowed to operate in front of police stations, places of worship, schools and hospitals.
- Businesses must display their liquor license at all times – a blue license means that customers are allowed to drink at the premise, while a yellow license only allows for “take-away” purchases.
- Alcoholic beverages strictly cannot be sold or served to Muslims and customers below the age of 21.
- Businesses must encourage their customers to have designated drivers while out drinking or use e-hailing services.
- Businesses are banned from selling alcoholic beverages in the form of “sachets”.
- Starting 15 December 2020, the sale and consumption of “samsu” or cheap liquor will be banned in KL.
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Typing out trending topics and walking the fine line between deep and dumb.


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Karachi, July 09, 2013 (PPI-OT): “Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s 10th International My-Karachi Exhibition successfully concluded while achieving the desired objectives to promote Pakistani products and business integration with foreign exhibitors/business persons who participated from Thailand, Indonesia, Korea, China, Turkey and Afghanistan. Inaugurated by the Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah, the exhibition received overwhelming response and various prominent business personalities and diplomats of friendly countries Russia, Germany, U.K., USA, Switzerland, Turkey, Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, China, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia visited and acclaimed the efforts of KCCI to provide a Business-to-Business (B2B) and Business-to-Consumer (B2C) platform to the Pakistani businessmen as well as the foreign participants.”, This is stated by President KCCI Muhammad Haroon Agar in a note to press and electronic media.
Haroon Agar apprised that eminent personalities from the Government and the Diplomats appreciated the efforts of KCCI’s “My-Karachi Exhibition” to promote commerce. They congratulated the Leadership of Businessmen Group, Office Bearers and the KCCI team for featuring the exhibition regularly since 2004. They focused that KCCI’s My-Karachi Exhibition had proved as a successful forum to portray the real image of Karachi as peaceful city and a commercial and industrial hub of Pakistan. They lauded the efforts of KCCI to organize the event and felicitated all the international and domestic exhibitors for their participation.
President-KCCI, expressed cordial gratitude to all the national and international exhibitors, visitors, participants, supporters and Karachiites to make the 10th edition of My-Karachi another successful venture. He said that the My-Karachi Exhibition 2013 proved as another milestone to project and portray Karachi as hub of commercial, financial and industrial activities of Pakistan and a vital forum to promote brands “Made in Pakistan”. He said that this year KCCI set another significant example while acquiring all the six halls of the Karachi Expo Centre and organizing dedicated International Pavilion wherein more than 70 foreign exhibitors participated.
He articulated that foreign and domestic companies received very encouraging response from the visitors including the local buyers. International participants maintained successful B2B and B2C interaction from their Pakistani counterparts. This year over 900,000 people including businesspersons and families visited “My-Karachi, Oasis of Harmony Exhibition”, making it another success story for KCCI.
President-KCCI voiced that “My-Karachi” was not just an exhibition and a showcase for promoting brands, it was also acted as family forum for shop-in-style with entertainment. KCCI ensured appropriate security measures in the Karachi Expo Centre and visitors very satisfactorily witnessed the whole event.
He was also pleased to share that “My-Karachi Exhibition” also created awareness and conveyed a message to the Karachiites to own their great city Karachi and the homeland, whether the person belonged to trade, industry, entrepreneur, education, services sector or any sphere of life.
He conveyed heartfelt gratitude to the exhibitors, supporters and visitors of My-Karachi Exhibition to make the event fruitful. He also expressed thanks to the Leadership of Businessmen Group, particularly, the Chairman BMG Siraj Kassam Teli, Office Bearers and the Managing Committee Members of KCCI for their best support and cooperation to organize the event.
He also conveyed cordial gratitude and warm compliments to Sindh Government, especially to the Chief Minister Sindh, Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Chairman Sindh Board of Investment Zubair Motiwala and to all other public and private sector high dignitaries, diplomats, businesspersons and Karachiites for their appreciation to participate/recognize/visit to My-Karachi Oasis of Harmony Exhibition 2013 and making it a flamboyant success.
He stated that the Exhibition as usual proved as an active and vibrant platform to promote trade and industry and an effective forum for the marketing of products “Made in Pakistan”.
For more information, contact:
M. Shafiq Baig
Public Relations Officer
Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI)
Tel: +9221 9921 8001 -09
Fax: +9221 9921 8010
Email: email@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.org


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The launch of the iPhone 13 line should take place next Tuesday (14) and the market is eagerly awaiting the Apple event. Commenting on the matter, the well-known and trusted Ming-Chi Kuo has published a new report highlighting his expectations for the presentation of smartphones.
According to the market analyst, Apple will also use the event to announce the AirPods 3 headphones. In addition, this will be the first time the Cupertino maker will launch an iPhone with 1TB of internal storage.
Starting with the simplest models, the iPhone 13 Mini and 13 should abandon the 64 GB of memory and will be sold with options starting at 128 GB.
Devices must be standard 128GB model and 256GB and 512GB variants.
The iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max models go much further and will be sold with 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB of internal storage. For Kuo, this change should be reflected in the price of the devices, but it won’t be the only relevant factor.
The analyst says that iPhone 13 production continues to be affected by the chip shortage.
We believe the current iPhone production challenge is the scarcity of components. As a result, production of legacy models was cut by around 5–10% in 3Q21. Shipping iPhone 13 in 4T21 may have a potential toppling hazard due to missing components. However, this disadvantage has a limited impact on iPhone 13 shipments. We believe iPhone 13 shipments in 2021 could grow by more than 10% A/A (compared to iPhone 12 shipments in 2020).


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Mumbai: Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) applauds the pro-reform and export growth-oriented budget by Hon. Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman under the visionary leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. The supreme trade body thanked Hon’ble Minister of Commerce & Industry Mr. Piyush Goyal for his continuous support and guidance to the industry.
In the first Budget of Amritkaal, Hon. Finance Minister has listed 7 priorities as she outlined people-centric agenda of ease of living and doing business to take on global challenges as well as for stimulating exports.
GJEPC also thanked the Government for accepting its recommendation to promote indigenous manufacturing in the emerging Lab-Grown Diamond (LGD) sector by providing Research Grants to IIT for 5 years.
GJEPC welcomed the reduction of Customs Duty on LGD seeds to zero from 5%. It will ensure India’s end-to-end world leadership in rough to finished lab-grown diamond and jewellery manufacturing. In addition to that Govt. has also accepted to have clear segregation Customs (IT HS) codes for Silver and Platinum studded Lab grown jewellery for better differentiation and identification at consumer level.
Another positive pro-growth move is that the conversion of physical gold into digital gold will not attract capital gains tax.
The increase in the allocation for the Interest Equalization Scheme from Rs. 2,376 crore in 2022-23 to Rs. 2,932 crore in 2023-24, up by 23%, will help in supporting exports particularly by MSMEs and may result in increasing the subvention support as demanded by the exporters in view of rising interest rates.
The ₹13.7 lakh crore investment for infrastructure by the Government is a big positive step for the country. This will unleash the potential of Indian Economy.
GJEPC welcomes the move to increase the duty on articles (jewellery) of precious metals such as gold/silver and platinum from 20% to 25% (+Nil AIDC+2 SWS). However we are clarifying on the import duty on findings which are raw material in character for manufacture of jewellery. Union Finance Minister has also rationalised the import duty on silver by proposing to increase the import duty on silver dore, bars and articles to align them with that on gold and platinum. However that will have a net effect of increase of around 5% duty at import level for silver resulting in increase of price for silver products domestically.
The industry had recommended Reduction in Import Duty on Gold/Silver and platinum which has not been considered in the Budget. Council will continue to pursue the same with the Government for the overall welfare of the industry.
The enhancement of Income Tax limit to Rs. 7 lakh will benefit workers in the gem & jewellery industry. Reduction in surcharge in the highest Income Tax slab will reduce maximum tax rate to 39% (from 42.74%) will benefit jewellers.
We hope PM Vishwa Karma Kaushal Samman package of assistance for traditional artisans and craftspeople will be extended to the 5,000 year old indigenous gem & jewellery industry.
The body appreciated emphasis on exports, which are a key growth magnet in growth of the economy. GJEPC welcomes the revamped Credit guarantee scheme for MSMEs and the Government’s assurance of returning 95 per cent of forfeited amount to the enterprises in event of contract failure during covid-19 by MSMEs.
The Union Budget for FY24 reflects its long-term vision to spur the country’s march as a leading global economy all the way till India@100.
Saiyam Mehra, Chairman, GJC:
“We thank Honourable FM Shri Nirmala Sitharaman ji for presenting a well-balanced Union Budget 2023-24, focused on the spirit of Amrit Kaal. Key announcements such as Income tax- rebate extended on income up to Rs 7 lakhs in new tax regime, increase in outlay of PM Awaas Yojana is a big relief for the middle-income group. However, the Gems & Jewellery Industry’s critical concerns are not addressed in the Union Budget 2023-24. While the Research and Development grant will be provided to one of the IITs for the development of Lab Grown Diamond seeds and machines, the other sectors of the industry have been ignored.
The reduction in Gold Custom Duty in this Budget was our big expectation, which has severely hampered the industry and encouraged smuggling and grey market. GJC has been actively representing the reduction in customs duty of Gold over past many years. However, the Silver Dore Bars Custom Duty has been brought at par with Gold and platinum in this budget. This move will adversely affect the masses. GJC will continue to represent this important issue of the Industry. We are having a meeting with Honourable FM on 4th February at Mumbai, in which we shall once again stress upon the important concerns such as reduction in custom duty, EMI on Jewellery, Relief in Capital Gain tax and Gold Monetisation Scheme etc.”
Rajesh Rokde, Vice Chairman, GJC:
“While the Honourable FM has presented a well-balanced budget and revision in Income tax is a welcome move. The Gems & Jewellery Industry is deprived of their key budget recommendations such as Reduction in Gold Custom Duty, EMI on Gold Jewellery, Reduction in credit card commission levied by banks and many more issues are not highlighted in the Union Budget 2023-24. Gems & jewellery industry plays a very pivotal role in our nation’s GDP and we shall continue approaching the Ministry as this industry needs special attention towards our concerns and provide reliefs for the progress of the Industry.”
Somasundaram PR, Regional CEO, India World Gold Council:
“While the reduction in custom duty on gold from 12.5% to 10% is a step in the right direction, the hike in the Agriculture Infrastructure & Development Cess has brought the overall duty to 15%, same as before. High taxes will impede efforts to make gold an asset class, particularly at a time when gold prices have risen globally. Moreover, the thriving grey market has diluted efforts to reduce cash transactions and penalizes organised and compliant players.
On a positive note, the budget also announced that the conversion of physical gold to Electronic Gold Receipt will not attract any capital gains. Thus, providing an overall digital boost to the industry and promoting investments in electronic equivalent of gold. Directionally, this year’s budget can be considered positive for the industry.”
Amit Pratihari, Vice President, De Beers Forevermark
“The overall budget has a positive sentiment. In fact, under the new tax regime, the budget has made room for more disposable income and purchasing power of consumers will increase. For natural diamonds, we’ve seen an encouraging trend over the past few months where consumers are purchasing items which hold meaning and value. Natural diamonds continue to be sought after due to their inherent preciousness. Pricing has also remained steady, and we are optimistic it will become stronger. As customers continue to value what is natural and genuine, diamonds will always be in demand.”
Colin Shah, MD, Kama Jewellery:
“It was a mixed budget for the Gems and Jewellery industry as the FM did acknowledge the potential of the Lab Grown Diamonds for exports, and to create employment. An R&D grant for five years will help in creating local manufacturing capacities, thereby reducing our dependency on imports of machinery in the years to come.
The move not to impose any capital gains on the conversion of physical gold to electronic gold receipts and vice versa will help further gold monetization. This announcement may help in reducing the import of gold.
The hike in basic customs duty on articles made from gold bars and import duty on silver will lead to a rise in the final price of locally made jewelry and maybe challenging for the local refineries.
There was no announcement for the natural diamond industry in terms of duties and our SNZs. Not having a repair policy will also be damaging for our DTA Jewellery exporters.”
Dr. Saurabh Gadgil, Chairman & Managing Director, PNG Jewellers:
“This year’s budget is as expected a populist budget given the run up to 2024 elections. For the jewellery industry, the biggest disappointment is that the budget did not address the concerns over reduction in import duty on gold and the creation of a level playing field in prices between the regular market and grey market. In fact, silver has been brought on parity with gold and platinum at 15%. The focus of the government continues to focus on supporting new technologies and the nascent lab grown diamond industry is seen as a potential high employment space, hence the grant proposed. The government has also placed impetus on promoting Lab grown diamonds as it is seen as a green initiative through the reduction in basic customs duty on seeds required for lab grown diamonds. What kind of impact this will have on consumers over all as well as the natural diamond industry remains to be seen.
The government has also announced that conversion of physical gold into digital gold will not attract capital gains tax which is likely to promote digital gold initiatives. Besides that, there is nothing major for the jewellery industry.
With the implementation of the revised Income tax slabs, there will be more disposable income for people and will ensure that consumption further increases this year, thereby propelling GDP growth. This budget is laying a foundation for India once again reaching double digit growth again with a little bit of every sector.”
Kalpesh Patel, Director – Corporate Ratings, CareEdge:
“Globally annual sales of Lab Grown Diamond (LGD) jewellery are estimated at around USD 10 billion and the same is expected to reach to about US 20 billion by 2030, reflecting annual CAGR of ~10%. In similar line, export of LGD from India has reported significant jump y-o-y and during 9MFY23 overall LGD exports was ~USD 1.3 billion marking a growth of 44% over 9MFY22.
Growing demand in the global market and impetus for domestic producers in the Union budget 2023 through allocation of funds for research and development and reduction in customs duty for import of seeds for manufacturing of LGD would augur well for increasing the production capacity of LGD in India and LGD exporters.”


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Ticketmaster has launched its annual Black Friday sale, with 50% off select tickets. But that’s not all, Ticketmaster is also offering 2-for-1 deals on select concerts, theatre shows, stand-up, and more. Finally, some shows will no longer have fees – another saving for gig-goers!
In total, Ticketmaster is offering Black Friday deals on 55 events around the UK. Find the full list of Black Friday events from Ticketmaster here.
Ticketmaster – the biggest ticket seller worldwide – rarely offers discounts, discounts, or buy-one-get-one-free offers on its tickets. That’s usually because Ticketmaster only earns a small processing fee on the sale of each ticket, with the biggest portion going to the venues and performers. So, discounted tickets are something you’ll rarely see from the US firm.
However, Black Friday – the blockbuster sales event that started in the United States, but has since become a worldwide phenomenon – is the exception to the rule.
Ticketmaster always slashes prices of some of the most sought-after gigs, shows, and talks taking place in the coming months for its limited-time promotion.
Included in the Black Friday sale, you’ll find Aled Jones & Russell Watson concert tickets, seats for the upcoming Cirque du Soleil: Kurios show, West End tickets for My Fair Lady, Bonnie and Clyde, and the Great British Bake Off Musical. Alter Bridge, Black Stone Cherry, The Darkness, Coma Cose, Dodgy, Skinny Lister, Status Quo, The Joy Formidable, and Vinicio Capossela concerts are also bundled in the Ticketmaster Black Friday sale.
The Black Friday deals comes as Ticketmaster broke records with Peter Kay tickets.
The stand-up comedian recently announced a new nationwide tour – including the first residency in the UK’s largest indoor venue, the London O2 Arena – after 12 years of absence from the stage. The creator of Phoenix Nights and Car Share was forced to add dozens of new dates to keep-up with unprecedented demand.
Ahead of the general sale, O2 Priority – which allows mobile customers to access some of the most sought-after tickets before the release date – went offline due to the colossal demand.
In the United States, Ticketmaster was forced to postpone the general sale of Taylor Swift concert tickets due to overwhelming demand during the pre-sale period. It’s unclear when tickets for the tour, dubbed Eras, will be back on-sale for fans.
Ticketmaster isn’t the only brand embracing the Black Friday sales, with thousands of deals available from the biggest retailers. We’ve rounded up some of the best Black Friday deals below, so you won’t miss out on a single bargain!


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The Government rolled out the new e-commerce policy on February 1 with severe restrictions. While Flipkart didn’t face any major disruptions, Amazon pulled out thousands of products under various categories due to the new e-commerce policy. This includes Amazon Echo, Amazon Basics and Solimo products. The other products which fall under private labels are also removed from the catalog. After the rollout of the e-commerce policy, customers took to various online forums and shared their anger stating that they are unable to find any deals on Amazon.
Even though Flipkart had a seller with equity stake named WS-Retail, the company slowly sold the shares and inducted new sellers without any stake. The worst affected were Cloudtail and Appario Retail in which the company had equity stakes. The Government is now considering to bring a new e-commerce policy, which incorporates the guidelines of the new FDI rule. The sources revealed to us that they won’t be a separate regulator for the e-commerce sector but will incorporate the new draft rules.
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) will hold a series of meetings with the various stakeholders before drafting the new e-commerce policy. This includes executives from various companies and other groups who are supporting and opposing the new FDI rules. It is to be noted that the Department has turned down the plea by Amazon and Flipkart to extend the January 31 deadline.
There are reports that the new e-commerce policy will include all the new rules including fresh amendments to check any loopholes. Going forward, it will be difficult for both Flipkart and Amazon to carry out business as in the fast. They have to adhere to the rules and regulation. The business should be between sellers and marketplaces should only provide warehousing and logistics support.
Even though Amazon Echo products were out of shelves for a few hours after the commencement of the new e-commerce policy, the company managed to sell them via other sellers. Amazon is currently looking at a possibility to appoint Cloudtail and Appario as B2B partners to continue business with them. If this happens, then sellers can buy products from them and sell on the platform. If you navigate to Amazon, you will see the presence of new sellers with fewer ratings. We learned that customers are disappointed since Cloudtail and Appario was trusted sellers for a very long time.
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BANFF PORK SEMINAR
David Hughes: Consumers demand more from meat
Date posted: January 10, 2019
The first day of Banff Pork Seminar 2019 kicked off with an energetic and informative presentation by David Hughes, Emeritus Professor of Food Marketing at Imperial College London, and Visiting Professor at the Royal Agricultural University, U.K. The topic, "Global Food Industry Developments - Implications for the Pork Industry in Canada," took a hard look at food trends from around the world, demand for all kinds of protein in diverse forms and where the opportunities lie.
Most western or developing countries have experienced static or declining per capita meat consumption, with the exception of the United States. But Hughes sees the major battleground in meat protein taking place between chicken and fish, as consumers develop a preference for white meats.
Hughes looks at meat consumption on a continuum. He believes that while the number of vegans or vegetarians grows, the confirmed meat eaters will remain, and possibly look at higher-end cuts of meat. The middle is where it gets interesting with "flexitarians" people looking for good sources of protein who are willing to have a mix of plant and animal proteins.
In the UK, Hughes sees numerous examples of catering to this group in items such as pork or beef sausages and patties being mixed with haricot or red kidney beans. These consumers are making choices for health reasons, perceived benefits for the environment and animal welfare. Flexitarians are often women between the ages of 25 and 35 and have relatively high incomes. "Not only will we see more vegan and vegetarian options, but products like pizzas, lasagnas and pies will replace a proportion of the meat with plants," says Hughes.
Faux meat is also a growing trend, with large food companies investing in this product line. He points to Quorn as a case in point. The UK product mimics chicken and was recently purchased by a large Philippine company to serve the Asian market. "In my mind Quorn will be the first billion dollar global brand of fake meat," says Hughes. Today in UK grocery stores, Quorn has more space in the meat case than any meat protein. "There is a tsunami of veg protein on English shelves and other countries, like Iceland, are following suit."
Additionally, the growing world demand for protein isn't only focused on meat. Hughes terms it "the retreat from meat" and dairy, plant and alternate protein sources such as algae and insects are gaining traction. Animal activists aren't the only ones driving this shift. Mainstream media such as The Economist and McLean's are focusing on alternatives to meat proteins. There is increasing social pressure on consumers to ask about where their food comes from, and how it was made.
Younger, more affluent consumers are driving this shift. Marketing initiatives need to look at new criteria when speaking to the public- the traditional four Ps of Product, Price, Place and Promotion have changed to Purpose, Pride, Partnership, Protection and Personalization. These criteria encompass consumer needs for shared values, a pride of purchase, building a relationship, safe and responsible products, and products that meet their specific needs. "I want to eat food that's good for me and my family and that I feel good about eating," says Hughes of today's consumers.
And they want all of that right now. These needs are consistent around the world. "Striking to me is the extent that global trends are driven and converging through social media...I am seeing young people in China with similar views to their counterparts in the US," says Hughes.
"While kids used to come home and say 'What's for dinner?', young people may be saying 'What is dinner?'," says Hughes. He spoke of a growing trend towards 'snackified' food and ready meals. Meat and fish jerky, small portions, bite-sized protein options, with sushi as a prime example. Easy to eat, whenever, wherever.
These trends and counter trends are driving innovation and hybrids in the protein space. "In North America in the last five years all the growth in food manufacturing is coming from smaller companies (while the big companies have generally seen declines). I have never seen a better opportunity for small scale companies to do well, and what's more, to seek financing from big food companies. They are interested in these products," says Hughes.
There are significant opportunities for the pork sector to adapt and meet the expectations of the modern consumer but Hughes sees this as a critical time. "The meat industry must substantially up its marketing game or it will haemorrhage quickly."


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Here at Henkaa, we’ve been keeping a big announcement under wraps for a while now, and we’re finally happy to share that the Henkaa Collection will be carried at Kleinfeld Hudson’s Bay!
Kleinfeld Bridal in New York is the premier destination for the best designer bridal gowns on the market and is the location and focus of the TLC show “Say Yes to the Dress”! Kleinfeld Canada is opening in May 2014 exclusively at Hudson’s Bay in Toronto and is looking to be an equally epic bridal experience. With a 20,000 square foot space in the works, we are so excited to announce that Henkaa will be a part of history along side some of the biggest names in the bridal industry!
This new chapter is so exciting for Henkaa, because we’re not just joining forces with Kleinfeld, but also with the legendary Canadian retailer, the Hudson’s Bay Company. We’re so happy to have had the opportunity to have met and trained the future Kleinfeld Bridal Consultants and welcome them to the Henkaa Family! In the photo below, it’s clear that they’ve already got the hang of the Sakura Convertible Dress and are ready to help make some future happy bridesmaids (and happy brides)!
Kleinfeld will be opening in May 2014 but there are already 1600 appointments lined up! Have you made your appointment yet? If so, be sure to keep an eye out for our rainbow of colours, and say yes to the Henkaa dress!


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The FTC has introduced stronger regulations that require a parent's consent before websites and online services can collect personal information from kids under the age of 13.
The revised rules prohibit websites from gathering several forms of data, including location and photographs, as well as some videos and audio.
"I am confident that the amendments… strike the right balance between protecting innovation that will provide rich and engaging content for children, and ensuring that parents are informed and involved in their children's online activities", said FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz.
The new Children's Online Privacy Protection Act regulations, released on Wednesday, are an attempt to keep pace with new technologies like mobile apps, smart phones and social networks.
The rules are designed to prevent advertisers from targeting kids with behaviour-responsive materials based on their Internet browsing activity.
It is also a way to keep parents more informed of what their kids are doing online.
The proposal drew hundreds of comments, including some who feared Facebook could be held liable if it unknowingly allowed young children to hit the "like" button without getting a parental OK.
Senator Jay Rockefeller said the new rules are as strong as the law allows.
"The FTC really went as far as they could", he said.


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The company said that the move comes as part of broader plans to grow the business globally following the acquisition of Best Doctors Insurance in 2015.
According to Now Health International, its WorldCare Advance, Excel and Apex insurance plans, which are currently available in all other parts of the UAE, are now compliant with the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi (HAAD), and are available to group customers with a minimum of 10 employees.
The company said that the move will allow it to offer its WorldCare plans to groups based solely in Abu Dhabi, in addition to the large number of groups based in other parts of the world, but with a proportion of their employees resident in Abu Dhabi.
“We are thrilled to be able to offer our award winning products and services to customers in Abu Dhabi, and this expansion of our operations is testimony to our commitment to the region. By completing our presence across the UAE, we are now able to add value to our distribution partners by offering a single IPMI solution for their clients across the region,” commented Zahir Sharif, managing director of Middle East and Africa at Now Health International. “Our operations in the UAE have grown from strength to strength since we launched almost six years ago, and we are continuing to tailor our offer to meet the needs of the local market.”
Martin Garcia, CEO of Now Health International/Best Doctors Insurance, explained that the launch is part of a global service proposition. “Today’s launch marks the next step in our journey to expand our offering across the Middle East and Africa, as we work to create a truly global service proposition for our customers,” he said. “I am confident that our new Abu Dhabi offering, combined with our innovative products and customer service, make us well placed to capitalise on the rapid growth the IPMI industry has seen in recent years.”


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You’ve likely heard the news of the recent global Samsung Note7 recall. The company announced that every Note7 sold before September 15 is included in the recall and must be replaced or returned due to faulty batteries prone to overheating when charging. However, despite the setback, Samsung acted swiftly to ensure that users are taken care of during the recall. Here are a few examples of the measures they've taken:
How to Return
The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission and Samsung both say that owners of the recalled Note7s should promptly power the devices off, box them up and return them. Samsung states that Note7 users should return the phone to the original place of purchase. Additionally, Samsung offers a list of Note7 providers on its website, including contact information for the retailers to make it easier for consumers to make the exchange at the original place of purchase. Providers include: Best Buy, Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, U.S. Cellular and T-Mobile.
Information About the Recall
Throughout the time of the recall, Samsung has remained transparent with its customers. One way the company has done this is by providing up-to-date information about the state of the recall and upcoming plans on its website and social media platforms.
Marking All New Note7s
In order to avoid any potential confusion, all new and safe Note7 models are marked as “safe” right on the box, making it easy for consumers to differentiate defective devices from functional ones. Any box that does not have the “S” mark or the black square on the label, the phone is not safe and should not be purchased.
Check If Devices Are Safe
Customers who are unsure if their phone is affected can rest assured, as Samsung provides helpful tools directly on their website that point users in the right direction. Customers are prompted to enter the IMEI or serial number on their current Samsung Galaxy Note7 in a easy-to-use search bar. After the number is typed and entered on the site, consumers can click the “check” box to see if their phone has been recalled. Samsung even offers instructions on how to access the serial IMEI code.
T-Mobile, for example, is going the extra mile for Samsung Galaxy Note7 users. The retailer is offering consumers the option to call a number to start the return process without stepping foot in a store until it's time to pick up the new device. Consumers simply call the phone number provided and T-Mobile will quickly ship out a new, safe phone to the preferred T-Mobile location. Consumers will then receive a message when their phone is ready for pickup.
An Added Perk
In order to ease some of the frustration that customers may be experiencing, Samsung has softened the blow by offering a $25 gift card to all consumers returning the Galaxy Note7. This gift card can be applied as store credit, in-store accessory credit or can even be used as bill credit with some retailers.


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Beckham and his manager, Simon Fuller, will be involved in developing the Haig Club Single Grain Scotch Whisky brand, its strategy as well as the positioning.
David Beckham will also lead the promotion of a responsible drinking programme for Haig Club, which is at the heart of the brand. Haig Club is described as an innovation from the House Of Haig, Scotland’s oldest grain whisky dynasty.
David Gates, Diageo’s Global Head Of Premium Core Spirits, said: “David Beckham and Simon Fuller are renowned for breaking boundaries and shaking up markets in every sector in which they work. We are immensely proud to partner with them on our first large-scale grain whisky innovation.”
Diageo said it was planning a global launch for Haig Club later this year, with prices starting at about $US65 ($70) a bottle, a company spokeswoman said. The brand will be part of Diageo’s House Of Haig, Scotland’s oldest grain whisky distiller.
Diageo has already teamed up with Sean Diddy Combs to buy up-market tequila DeLeon, while George Clooney and Justin Timberlake have also put their names on tequila brands.
By associating with celebrities, drinks companies hope to widen the appeal of spirits categories, which traditionally have had a relatively narrow customer base.
“I am proud to be working at the heart of a home-grown brand which has built an incredible heritage for over four hundred years. Working closely with Diageo, we look forward to collaborating on Haig Club, valuing and treasuring the Haig traditions while reinventing this whisky for years to come.” stated David Beckham.
However certain sections of people have expressed disappointment over David Beckham endorsing a scotch whisky brand. According to them, the decision of Beckham to promote the product would send mixed messages to children.


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The Apple Store Reuse and Recycling Program is expanding to Canada in the coming weeks according to a source with knowledge of the initiative’s expansion, as reported by 9to5Mac. Retail employees in the country are set to receive training on the program this week.
The iPhone Reuse and Recycling Program launched in the USA in August last year and expanded to the UK just over a month later. The expansion to Canada is notable as the country is Apple’s largest retail market, host to 29 Apple Retail stores, without the program.
The Apple Store trade-in program allows for iPhone users to trade in their device (iPhone 3G or newer) for store credit that can be used towards the purchase of a new iPhone 5s, 5c or 4s. The amount of credit received depends on the model traded-in and its condition.
In the US and UK, Apple works with recycling partner BrightStar and it will work with the same company in Canada. Apple is also believed to be working with BrightStar and others to bring the program to other major markets like France and Germany in the near future.


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Jean-Philippe Imparato announced at the end of the week that the Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio platform will not be extended to any future generations of these two models.
Alfa Romeo is currently focusing on its future offspring, the Tonale. This small SUV, which is based on the same platform as the small Jeeps, has seen its presentation date postponed due to a development that has not convinced the new CEO of the brand, Jean-Philippe Imparato. The technical part, and more particularly the hybridization, will have to be reviewed and corrected before its revelation, the date of which is still unclear. But this small setback does not prevent the Italian manufacturer from thinking about the future of some of its models, since we learned at the end of the week that the Giorgio platform, on which the Giulia and the Stelvio are based, will not be renewed. .
A billion euros had been invested in the development of this platform, which then allowed Alfa to take its head out of the water and relaunch itself in the sedan market. It was therefore the first Giulia, a sedan available in all-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive, whose Quadrifoglio version had hit the mark by coming to titillate the queen M3 as no other car had succeeded in doing. This same platform was subsequently used by the Stelvio SUV, which had also given color to the brand.
If we already know that it will not be renewed at Alfa Romeo, Jean-Philippe Imparato has also declared that it would still be used by other brands of the Stellantis group, with the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the future Maserati Grecale. But the discontinuation of the Giorgio platform at Alfa raises the question of the future of Giulia and Stelvio, since no platform capable of accommodating a rear transmission exists on the side of PSA. Will these two models be entitled to a second generation? And if so, with which platform? Unfortunately, we have no answers to these questions, so we will have to wait to learn more. The current generation of the Giulia is quietly approaching the end of its career, BMW is holding its breath.


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Israeli delivery logistics company Bringg has announced it’s launching BringgNow a new delivery solution for smaller restaurants, grocers, and convenience stores as they scale and manage for unprecedented demand.
Initially scheduled for release later this year, Bringg has accelerated development in order to aid small and medium business for free, especially those who are experiencing demand for delivery as the world grapples with the coronavirus pandemic. This comes as more people avoid leaving the house to obey social distancing recommendations that hope to slow the spread of the virus.
Using BringgNow business owners can quickly load incoming orders, dispatch deliveries to their own drivers and crowdsourced fleets, and deliver items to customers with a “real-time Uber-like experience.”
A simple dashboard simplifies the process of creating and managing orders. The service is “a ready out-of-the-box with no onboarding necessary.” Though, there are normal delivery charges from third-party fleets if the business chooses to fulfill orders with them.
Since most smaller businesses don't have their own drivers, the platform also integrates with DoorDash and Postmates’ third-party delivery platforms. The Chicago-based company’s system also provides route optimization, real-time tracking, and reverse logistics. Arcos Dorados, Panera, Just Eat, and Walmart are just some of Bringg’s clients.
“The world is facing a crisis, and we are seeing businesses across every sector and market look to new solutions in order to adapt to the new normal everyone is experiencing,” said Guy Bloch CEO of Bringg. “In seeing the tremendous rise in demand around the world for delivery, we felt a community obligation to accelerate the release of this solution to provide businesses a free and easy tool to enable them to start, grow, and manage online delivery.”
Bringg’s free offering is the latest in a burgeoning movement of tech companies providing free or discounted solutions as small and medium businesses weather the storm of the outbreak.
Presto recently announced it’s giving away Presto Kiosks to restaurants, while Sevenrooms revealed a new feature on its platform called Direct Delivery that existing customers can add at no extra cost. Others, like Ordermark, Chowly, and Toast have reduced or waived fees for restaurants as they pivot to off-premises and no-contact models for the foreseeable future.


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TV anchor Anisha has been arrested in the fradulent case at Chennai. Anisha threatend AC shop owner without giving money. She and her husband bought 101 ACs in the shop it seems.
Story first published: Wednesday, July 25, 2018, 18:01 [IST]


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Tesla released its latest software update (v7.1 2.12.22) for the Model S and X yesterday. You can read the full release notes here, but the main improvement is the ability to activate the Summon/self-parking feature from inside the vehicle before exiting, and we now have a video demonstrating the improved feature. expand full story
Tesla released today its latest software update pushed over-the-air to Model S owners. The new update (v7.1 2.12.22) includes the fix for the small safety concern uncovered by Consumer Reports during testings of the new ‘Summon’ feature last week, as well as new customization options and improved Autopilot features. expand full story
The Model S owners reporting on forums having received the update with new Autopilot restrictions have quickly removed their posts. We now learn through sources with knowledge of matter that Tesla started testing the new version 7.1 of its software with a select group of Model S owners this week.
The new update includes UI improvements, a new self-parking feature, ‘Driver Mode’ and Autopilot restrictions. expand full story


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GTFO devs 10 Chambers Collective has revealed a new enemy type in their latest gameplay trailer that should up the already high tension presented in the game. The Shadow enemy can only be seen when illuminated by light sources such as a flashlight. In fact, this makes it almost impossible to see from static screenshots. The skittering around is definitely not something you expect (or want) when you’re trying to barricade yourself against other monsters.
Also of note is that GTFO will be available and playable at Gamescom in Germany next month, where they’ll be showing off the game at the Unity booth. The game is still slated for release later this year, but there’s no definite release date yet.


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Informa plc has agreed to sell several media brands from within its Life Sciences Group to New Jersey-based healthcare publisher MJH Associates for “just over $100 million,” the two companies announced Friday. The deal—which includes over 20 print and digital brands serving the healthcare, pharmaceutical and veterinary spaces and spread across six U.S. offices and one in the UK—signifies a major expansion for the 20 year-old MJH Associates, essentially doubling its portfolio of media brands and swelling its overall headcount to more than 600 employees, an increase of around 50 percent according to a company statement. Click read more below for additional detail.
Primarily smaller merchants doing business in Canada are scrambling to get product out the door and set up contingency plans as workers for Canada Post may be on strike as of July 2, according to various media reports.
On that date, Canada Post workers will be in a legal position to walk off the job, or be locked out by the government-run company, the Toronto Sun reported. Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers have been locked in contract negotiations since January, but have failed to come to an agreement.
Jerry Hempstead, principal of Hempstead Consulting, said there is a different set of rules in Canada vs. the U.S. Postal Service when it comes to collective bargaining, “so it’s possible there will be a real work disruption.”
Hempstead added there is a robust set of alternatives to Canada Post because the vast majority of Canadian citizens live in a select set of metropolitan areas.
One main service option may be Purolator, although there is a question to whether workers for the Canada Post-owned carrier would have to honor a work stoppage. UPS and FedEx also have substantial networks in Canada, as does DHL through a contractor.
“Because the Canadian business is so concentrated in certain locals there are a myriad of messenger and courier firms that one can drop ship into,” Hempstead said. “So there are sufficient resources to keep shippers doing business there satisfied.”
The effect would mostly be felt by small-to-medium-sized ecommerce shippers, Hempstead said. “But there are lots of great options, especially regionally, to continue operations in Canada,” he added.
Tim Geiken, a principal in supply chain consultancy Platinum Circle Partners, agreed that Purolator remains a question mark. “They don’t have the capacity to pick up the slack, but if their operations are somehow affected or targeted it would be a bigger impact on U.S.-based shippers,” Geiken said.
He added that any postal hybrid operator using Canada Post, the country’s so-called “crown corporation,” for last-mile delivery is going to be directly affected as well by any work stoppage.


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OFFICIAL: Fondling of Apple's slab declines – iPad sales DOWN in Q3
Pile 'em high, sell 'em cheap' vendors blamed for decline
Global Q3 2014 iPad sales of have fallen by almost 13 per cent, year on year, against a backdrop of worldwide fondleslab growth, according to analyst figures released on Friday.
However, Apple still owns the lion's share of the market, with iPads comprising nearly one in three tablets sold, said IDC.
Shipments sank by 12.8 per cent to 12.3m in the third quarter of 2014, compared with the same period last year. Meanwhile, the global tablet market grew by 11.5 per cent to 53.8m.
Jitesh Ubrani, senior research analyst at IDC, blamed the fall in iPad sales on 'pile 'em high, sell 'em cheap' vendors moving into the space. "Although the low-cost vendors are moving a lot of volume, the top vendors, like Apple, continue to rake in the dollars," he said.
"A sub-$100 tablet simply isn't sustainable — Apple knows this — and it's likely the reason it isn't concerned with market share erosion," he added.
Although Apple recently expanded its iPad lineup to include the iPad Air 2, IDC said it expects iPhone sales to dominate in 2014.
According to the figures, Samsung is the second most popular fondleslab manufacturer, with sales up 5.6 per cent to 9.9m in the third quarter, comprising a 18.3 per cent market share.
Meanwhile, Asus leapfrogged Lenovo to the number three spot, shifting 3.5m and a market share of 6.5 per cent. Much of this gain was fuelled by Windows-based two-in-one devices, said IDC. ®
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Haven’t finished your Christmas shopping yet? Yeah, me neither. If you need to round out that shopping list and were hoping to avoid the crowds and madness at the malls by shopping online, there’s still time. And lucky us, today, December 17th, is the third annual Free Shipping Day.
Free Shipping Day is a one-day event when consumers can shop online from their favorite brands and receive free shipping with delivery by Christmas Eve.
Free Shipping Day features hundreds of retailers and popular brands, making it a perfect reason to wrap up your Christmas shopping without leaving the house. If you’re like me, and just have those last few people on your list to cross off AND already know what to get, Free Shipping Day was created for busy people (and procrastinators) alike.
Big retailers like Macy*s, Toys ‘R’ Us, JC Penney and Barnes and Noble are participating in Free Shipping Day, and smaller specialty stores are included in the list, too. In many cases, today, December 17, is the last day that retailers can ship to get products out in time for Christmas, but be sure to pay attention to the fine print, as some stores require a minimum purchase.
Happy Free Shipping Day!


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Nutritionists have been hyping the health benefits of eating nuts for years — and for good reason. Numerous studies have found strong evidence of the ability of nuts (and seeds) to lower the risk of chronic conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes. Besides disease prevention, nuts also provide plenty of nutrients which the body needs to stay healthy.
In a 2017 study, researchers from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University found that 45 percent of the more than 300,000 deaths linked to heart disease, diabetes and stroke in 2012 were due to eating too much or too little of certain nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids, which can be found in nuts.
An earlier study by Harvard researchers also reported that people who eat nuts regularly tend to live longer and healthier lives than those who don’t. This, the researchers discovered, is because nut-eaters are 20 percent less likely to die from serious diseases like cancer, heart disease and respiratory diseases. The researchers also found that regular nut-eaters are more slender than their counterparts, meaning nut consumption does not lead to overweight.
In a recent study, researchers at Iran University of Medical Sciences found more evidence supporting the idea that eating plenty of nuts can reduce weight gain. In fact, studies conducted over the past decade suggest that long-term nut consumption lowers the risk of obesity considerably. The researchers discussed their findings in a review published in the journal Nutrition Research.
Eating nuts is better for your metabolic health in the long run
According to the researchers, nuts are not only rich in essential dietary nutrients, they are also great sources of bioactive compounds that promote metabolic health. But because they are high in calories — most of which, however, come from heart-healthy fats — some people have raised concerns that nuts may contribute to unwanted weight gain.
To determine if this is indeed the case, the researchers looked for prospective cohort studies, which investigated the relationship between consumption of nuts or nut subtypes (e.g., pistachios, walnuts and pecans) and changes in body weight, body mass index (BMI) waist circumference (WC) and risk of overweight or obesity.
They found six papers that met their criteria and had a follow-up duration of at least one year. Four of those studies showed an inverse association between nut consumption (at least one to two servings per week) and weight gain, as well as overweight/obesity risk. Of the remaining two studies, both of which evaluated the association between nut intake and changes in WC, one reported a significant inverse association.
Based on these findings, the researchers concluded that long-term nut consumption helps reduce weight gain and decreases a person’s risk of overweight or obesity. (Related: Give your digestive system a quick boost by eating sprouted nuts.)
Which nuts (or seeds) are good for your health?
Nuts are known as rich sources of monounsaturated fats. These are the healthy fats that support heart health by reducing bad cholesterol levels. Nuts also contain plenty of fiber and protein, which can help curb your appetite by making you feel full for longer. Fiber- and protein-rich foods like nuts are beneficial for people with metabolic syndrome, as these can help with weight management, which is essential for controlling risk factors for serious diseases.
There are plenty of healthy “nuts” — some of which are technically seeds of drupes — that you can add to your diet. Here are nine of the best ones that offer a lot in terms of nutrition: (h/t to Healthline.com)
- Macadamia nuts
- Brazil nuts
Nuts are nutritious and versatile foods that you can use in a variety of ways in the kitchen. To enjoy their health benefits without worries, choose only raw, organic nuts and eat moderate amounts of these convenient superfoods regularly.


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After Christmas overspending, debt-ridden consumers swap valuables for cash
FTER a long December holiday of over-spending and poor planning, pawnshop and second-hand dealers are expecting an influx of people desperately short of cash in January.
Meanwhile, debt rescue service providers say they see a dramatic increase in the number of people requesting their help at this time of year.
Tom Fuhri, CEO of the secondhand dealers and pawn board, said the problem was the long break between December and January salaries, and that people don’t properly plan and budget for their holidays.
“The people who end up in trouble in January, selling stuff, are the people who are spending money they don’t have,” he said.
“It really is a yearly phenomenon. Over December our shops are quiet because people go on holiday, but come January and February people find themselves in a difficult position and come to sell goods. Usually it is the small things like electronics and jewellery,” he said.
Over-spending and poor budgeting is nothing new, but Roy Peretz, a pawn shop and secondhand dealer, says there is a simple way to avoid having to meet him in January.
“It is very simple. Don’t use credit. If you don’t have money, don’t spend. So in other words, spend what you have,” said Peretz, the owner of Cash Inn, a well-known second-hand dealer and pawn shop in Johannesburg.
He said it is very common for people to come into his shop after the holidays and sell or pawn any valuable items.
This can range from rich clients selling the Ferrari they can no longer afford, or middle- class people selling off electronic devices and jewellery.
“The poor sell the small things, while the rich sell the more valuable things,” he said.
Neil Roets, CEO of Debt Rescue, said debt counsellors usually see an increase in people approaching them for help after in January.
“After the December holidays, we see a dramatic increase in applications, due to over-spending in that period,” said Roets.
“This is largely due to a combination of a few factors, which includes a lack of planning for this time, the need to ‘keep up with the Joneses’, self-gratification, and throwing caution to the wind,” he said.
“Add to that a combination of school fees, stationery and uniforms, as well as annual subscription renewals, it makes for a difficult start to the new year.
“Many people max out their credit cards during the holidays and have no other means to cover their living expenses as well as repaying their debt instalments,” said Roets.
Roets said people can avoid the embarrassment of selling their goods in January or making use of a debt counselling service by preparing better.
“Budgeting is the best solution to keep track of your spending. Once you know how your money is spent, it is easy to take corrective action.”


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The iPhone can do most anything. But is it powerful enough to turn gay folks straight? That’s the question that infoMania’s “That’s Gay” correspondent, Bryan Safi, tackles this week in examining the new iPhone app issued by Exodus International. The Christian group seeks to curb what it considers to be the scourge of homosexuality, and is now doing so on the hippest smartphone around. As Bryan notes, who knew all that hatred could fit in your pocket?
Watch the video


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Hulu has formally launched its premium online video subscription service Hulu Plus after a preview period. Subscribers will be able to stream TV shows from ABC, FOX, NBC, and more to computers, internet-connected television sets and Blu-ray players, set-top boxes, mobile phones, and tablets.
Pleasant surprise for those who are interested: the monthly subscription price has dropped from $9.99 to $7.99, a 20 percent cut. Pleasant surprise for those who already signed up for Hulu Plus: early adopters will get a credit for the difference from the $9.99 preview price to be applied automatically to their next billing cycle.
Starting today, all new subscribers to Hulu Plus will also receive a 1-week free trial.
In addition, Hulu has announced that its premium streaming service will be available on more devices (the company claims that, combined, all supported devices boast an installed base of over 50 million in the U.S.).
Here’s the list, from the press release:
– Connected TV and Blu-Ray players: Samsung, Sony BRAVIA® HDTVs and connected Blu-ray Disc™ Players, and coming soon: LG Electronics, Panasonic, VIZIO
– Connected Set-top Boxes: Roku, Sony Network Media Player, and coming soon: TiVo Premiere DVRs, Western Digital’s WD TV Live Hub Media Center and WD TV Live Plus Network Media Player
– Gaming Consoles: PlayStation® 3, and coming soon: Xbox 360
– Mobile Devices: Apple iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
– Other network appliances: Sony Dash
HD-available programs will stream to users in 720p on capable devices.
Hulu says it will continue to announce additional supported devices and platforms (Android, anyone?) in the coming months, as well as grow its library with more content continuously.


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From the hands thrown to cheeks at Rupert Murdoch's announcement that he's looking to put paywalls up around his newspaper properties online, you might think that they're the unicorns of the online world, spoken of but never glimpsed.
In fact, they're all over the place – and working well for their owners, though hardly any are simple, "pay to get in" walls. In fact, that's the least common of paywalls. Far more common are forms of the "freemium" model, where some content is free but others items are walled away for premium subscribers.
And freemium seems to work. The US sports network ESPN uses it for its "ESPN Insider" site, which offers video and extra reportage on upcoming games. You can also find it at the science journals Nature and Science, the science magazines New Scientist and Scientific American, the Lancet and similar medical journals, the Spectator (on its iPhone app). Even in the computing world – which, given that it deals with the internet, might seem like the proving ground for the failure or success of paywalls – there is charging for certain forms of content. The very popular Ars Technica site has a "premium" version, which offers "exclusive access to insightful Ars Technica content … live chats with Ars editors, industry innovators, and a seat at the editorial roundtable ... ad-free layouts, single-page article options, downloadable PDFs and access to full-text RSS feeds." (An RSS feed is the essential text of a page, such as this story, rather than its "furniture" such as the design.)
Similarly, Slashdot, one of the most popular sites among the cool and the nerdy programmers, has been offering a "subscription" service since 2002 that lets buyers view 1,000 of its pages without ever seeing an ad for $5. True, it's not much – and some Slashdot denizens would pride themselves on being able to prevent ads being shown by entirely programmatic, rather than financial means. But the move prompted a predictable row between those willing and unwilling to pay, which included one person who decided he'd filter out the ads and also pay the $5. Clearly, if people value a site, they will pay for it, and Slashdot's power is in its community.
The Gigaom blog, which covers developments in computing and the internet, also offers "premium" content which it bills as "a revolutionary approach to market research" for $79 a year. And then there's LWN.net, a website offering news about the free open-source software market, which offers some content free, and other content for $5 a month. Similarly for Apple fans, there's Macjournals.com, which is delivered as an ad-free newsletter daily or weekly for $39.95 and $14.95 a month respectively.
Yet there have also been failures in the paywall struggle. In September 2005 the New York Times set up TimesSelect, which cost $49.95 a year (or $7.95 a month) and put its commentators and archive content behind a paywall; exactly two years later it dismantled it, having determined that advertising growth was larger than subscription growth. But it was not an outright "failure"; the New York Times says it got 227,000 paying subscribers – out of 787,000 overall – and generated about $10m a year in revenue.
The difference now is that advertising growth isn't looking so rosy. And that is believed to have driven the New York Time's executives back to their spreadsheets to see whether TimesSelect, or some descendant, might not be at least a partial answer to its troubled finances.
So – paywalls are not a mirage; nor are they a unicorn. They're out there and they work. The question that remains unanswered – until Rupert Murdoch implements something for his papers – is whether they will work for general newspapers. The real solution is "freemium": you offer a lot to lots of people for free (with ads), but you entice those at the high end with paid-for stuff. Never rule out freemium. It's incredibly powerful.
To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email firstname.lastname@example.org or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000.


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September 26, 2019
Eight Companies Signed Up To Freight Procurement Framework As UK Department of Transport Launches Competition For Brexit Capacity
- 8 firms signed up to freight procurement framework, creating a list of approved operators to provide freight capacity: Brittany Ferries, DFDS, Irish Ferries, P&O Ferries, Seatruck, Stena, Air Charter Services and Eurotunnel.
- Competition launched allowing firms to bid to bring vital medicines into the UK after Brexit on 31 October 2019
- Combined expertise of the high-quality firms appointed guarantees long-term national resilience after Brexit, says Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.


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Micron Technology (MU) - Get Micron Technology, Inc. Report shares jumped higher Wednesday following reports that its main rival in memory chip production has suspended operations at a key factory in China amid an accelerating Covid outbreak.
Samsung Electronics is 'temporarily adjusted' operations at a manufacturing facility in Xi'an, which the government locked down last week amid a series of Covid infections that ripped through the western city of 13 million people. According to multiple media reports, Xi'an accounts for around 40% of Samsung's NAND, or flash memory chip output, and 15% of total global production.
Micron could be a major beneficiary of any prolonged shutdown of the Xi'an factory, just as the global semiconductor market begins to recover from its year-long component shortage trigged by the 2020 pandemic.
Micron, which makes chips across an array of sectors, including PCs, mobile phones, data centers and autos, said earlier this month supply chain issues should start to ease over the first half of the year, helping current quarter revenues rise to around $7.5 billion, plus or minus $200 million with adjusted earnings in the region of $2.16 per share.
The group said it sees NAND bit demand growth of around 30% for its current fiscal year, which ends in the fall, and a prolonged shutdown by Samsung could boost average selling prices and improve margins for Micron in its quickly developing memory division.
Micron shares were marked 2.5% higher in early Wednesday trading to change hands at $95.52 each, a move that would extend the stock's six-month gain to around 15%.


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Facebook Live takes on Twitter with star power
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Facebook Inc. is the latest Silicon Valley tech company to jump into the original programming game, hosting a live talk with Star Trek celebrities J.J. Abrams and George Takei tonight at 5:30 p.m. PST.
Facebook Live is the brainchild of CEO Mark Zuckerberg's sister, Randi, who created the platform in 2010. Facebook Live streams talks and offers users a platform to discuss videos in real time and post questions. Moderators can then choose from submitted questions and pass them on to celebrities.
But today's chat with Star Trek celebs kicks off a more frequent pace of videos, according to TechCrunch.
While Facebook Live won't feature original programming along the lines of Netflix's House of Cards, the site can help the company attract more users by featuring popular celebs and squeezing more original content from said public figures by offering them a high-traffic platform that reaches potentially 1 billion people.
As TechCrunch points out, however, the most important takeaway from Facebook Live is that it cements the social network as a "live events discussion platform," which has traditionally been the realm of Twitter via second screen users and its real time newsfeed.
Facebook wants in on that action, and hopes that today's Trekkie discussions will fuel future conversations about the upcoming Star Trek TV show on its site rather than on Twitter.
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US-based Microsoft is suing high-tech manufacturer Kyocera for patent infringement over technology used in the Japanese company's cellular phones.
Nokia made a net profit of 443 million euros ($502 million) in the fourth quarter and sales grew nearly 10 percent, but its share price fell Thursday as the results were offset by a poor performance in some regions, higher ...
Microsoft is poised to use India as the launch pad for its first post-Nokia smartphone, the budget-priced Lumia 535.
Nokia is back in the fray. Just months after selling its ailing handsets business to Microsoft, the Finnish company is planning to go back into the consumer market with a new tablet.
Microsoft has unveiled a cheaper smartphone, costing about 110 euros ($135), as it eyes emerging and other low-cost markets for growth.
Microsoft is set to reveal what may be its first smartphone offering since announcing it was ditching the Nokia brand in favor of Lumia for its flagship Windows Phones.
Microsoft said Friday it was dropping the Nokia name from its Lumia smartphones, rebranding following the acquisition earlier this year of the Finnish group's handset division.
Finnish telecom equipment group Nokia said Thursday its third quarter profits more than quadrupled from a year ago, helped mostly by a one-off tax-related gain.
Nokia is showing signs that it has turned around its fortunes following the sale of its ailing cellphone unit to Microsoft.
Finnish telecom equipment group Nokia said Tuesday it was halting production in its Indian factory near Chennai and that a dispute with local tax authorities was hindering finding a buyer for the facility that employs 7,000 ...