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Countries Covered: Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, German, Italy, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom.
Publication Date: 22/11/2022
Questions covered in the report:
- How many mobile wallets are forecasted to be in use in Europe by 2025?
- What are the most preferred B2C E-Commerce payment methods in Europe?
- Which were the most popular financial service brands in the UK?
- What were the top payment methods offered by online stores in Germany?
- What were some of the problem area highlighted while using mobile payments in France and Poland?
The appeal of mobile payments in Europe is seen to be increasing, with a forecasted surge in the number of mobile wallets between 2020 and 2025.
Digital payments to gain a further momentum in Europe, with mobile wallets being one of the most preferred payment method
The COVID-19 pandemic led to a shift in the traditional shopping habits of the consumer, wherein they moved from offline to online shopping as well as payment channels. Consumers in Europe were also seen leaning towards card payments, mobile wallets, payment via mobile apps and so on, as revealed by the new yStats.com report. Although Western Europe is forecasted to lead in terms of the growth of mobile wallet users by 2025, it is Central and Eastern Europe that is expected to see a significant rise in the growth between 2020 and 2025. In terms of the most preferred B2C E-Commerce payment method, Western European countries such as Belgium, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and the UK, were seen using debit or credit cards and PayPal or Similar in 2021. Despite this trend, the usage of cards and PayPal or Similar differed greatly in these countries. For instance, more than half of the online shoppers in the UK, Spain, France, and Belgium were seen preferring debit/credit cards, while PayPal or Similar was more popular in Germany, and Italy, as spelled out in the new yStats.com report. Contactless payments also started gaining momentum in the UK, with most of the consumers inclining towards contactless means of payment in 2022, as reported in the new yStats.com publication. The trend towards using mobile for payments was mainly attributed to safety and security concerns in the UK, with nearly two-third of surveyed respondents paying via mobile due its heightened security features. A similar trend was also visible in France as of 2021, with more than half of the French adults trusting mobile in order to make payments. Furthermore, contactless bankcard, followed by digital platforms, and mobile payments were among the most trusted payment methods in France. According to the new yStats.com report, the value of digital payments in Italy saw a double-digit growth rate between 2020 and 2021, with value reaching a certain billions of Euros in 2021. Additionally, with the rise in digital payments in Italy, mobile and wearable devices also sparked a keen interest among the Italian consumers. In light of this trend, the value of mobile and wearable payments doubled between 2020 and 2021.
Mobile wallets such as PayPal, Google pay, and Apple pay, were heavily used for B2C E-Commerce purchases across countries in Europe
More than one-third online shoppers in the UK placed a heavy weight on PayPal, or a similar form of digital wallet while making their B2C E-Commerce purchases, as revealed by the new yStats.com report. Furthermore, PayPal also had a substantial presence in the German B2C E-Commerce payment market. Furthermore, it is estimated that Paylib, followed by Apple pay, and Google pay would be the most used payment applications in France in the future. In Spain, PayPal was among the top three payment methods used by more than half of the online shoppers, displaying a growth of certain percentage points between 2020 and 2021, as highlighted in the new yStats.com report. In Italy, too PayPal was used by half of the shoppers involved in online shopping, with Apple pay being used by an exceptionally low percentage of surveyed online shoppers. A contrast can be seen in the emerging countries of Europe such as Czech Republic, where Google pay and Apple pay were the most used mobile payment applications in 2021.


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Wanis International Foods, a leading East London based, food wholesaler has been honoured with a by the Business Champions Awards for its community and charity work. They won the Business Community Award, presented by BBC news legend Huw Edwards.
Trading for nearly six decades, Wanis has been recognised for their strong record of charitable and philanthropic work locally, nationally and internationally which includes;
- Supporting food banks across London.
- Donating fresh water pumps in Pakistan.
- Supporting Birmingham based charity, Prison Link.
- Supporting schools in Central Village, Jamaica.
- Partnering with the NHS Blood Service to encourage blood and organ donation within Black and Asian communities.
With over 800 applicants to this year’s awards, Wanis had to beat off stiff competition to snag the prestigious gong. Having grown from humble beginnings the company was founded in 1964 as small retail outlet by Tulsidas Wadhwani (aka Mr. Wani), who was asked to source hard-to-find foods from ‘back home’ by his customers, many of whom were members of London’s new immigrant communities from South Asia, Caribbean and African communities.
Wanis is now a leading importer and distributor of food and drink from around the world; operating from two sites and with annual revenues in excess of £100m. Still a family-owned company, Wanis supplies brands such as Tropical Sun to supermarkets, independent retailers, wholesalers, restaurants and take aways throughout the UK. They also export to more than 35 markets across Europe, West Africa, the USA and the Middle East and were recognised for their work in international trade last year when they were awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise.
Paul Harrison, Head of Community said: “It’s an honour and a privilege to receive this amazing award and be recognised for the work we do in all the communities we serve. As a food company, we’re in a unique position to make tangible change; we strive to harness the power that food has to bring people together.”
Wanis Director, Kapil Wadwani said: “We’re all really thrilled to receive this award. Our community work means a lot to all the Wanis family, so it’s amazing to be recognised.”
Saira Begum, the founder of PL84U, an interfaith charity that Wanis supports said: “Congratulations to Wanis on their well-deserved Community Award. Their support has proven invaluable to PL84U AL-SUFFA and the wider community and we look forward to our long and fruitful partnership.”

domain: news


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What you need to know
- Russia has passed a law banning the sale of devices that do not come pre-installed with Russian software.
- The new law will come into force in July 2020.
- It covers smartphones, computers, and televisions.
A report today has revealed that Russia has passed a law banning the sale of technology devices that do not come pre-installed with Russian software.
According to the BBC, the legislation will come into force in July 2020, and covers smartphones, computers and smart TVs. Backers of the legislation say it will help promote Russian technology, and make it easier for Russians to use the tech they buy.
Importantly, the law will not prohibit companies from including their own, normal software:
The law will not mean devices from other countries cannot be sold with their normal software - but Russian "alternatives" will also have to be installed.
A co-author of the bill, Oleg Nikolayev, said:
"When we buy complex electronic devices, they already have individual applications, mostly Western ones, pre-installed on them... naturally, when a person sees them... they might think that there are no domestic alternatives available. And if, alongside pre-installed applications, we will also offer the Russian ones to users, then they will have a right to choose."
Distributors and manufacturers in Russia have criticized the move, claiming that installing Russian-made software on some devices will be impossible and that many international companies may simply leave the market as a result. Perhaps more worryingly, concerns have also been raised that the Russian-made software may be used to spy on its users.
The report notes that the government is yet to compile a list of all devices affected. The list of software that requires pre-installation will also be determined by the government. There are no specifics yet, but as the law covers smartphones and computers, no doubt Apple, Google, Samsung, and HTC could all fall foul of the move, as well as computer manufacturers like Dell and Lenovo. Tim Cook may well have convinced President Trump to grant Apple relief from US tariffs in China, but he'll probably struggle to get out of this one...
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Here's every U.S. city with 5G coverage right now
5G deployment is moving fast and the list of cities with coverage is growing all the time. See if your U.S. city has coverage yet by Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, or AT&T.
The Last of Us Part II has been delayed again, will launch at a later date
Today, Sony issued a statement confirming that The Last of Us Part II and Iron Man VR have been delayed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. There are no new release dates and the games will become available at a later time.
How to turn an old Android phone into a security camera
Have an old Android phone lying around that you don't know what to do with? Here's how you can repurpose it and turn it into a security camera!
Get most of Plume's benefits without the required subscription
If you want a Wi-Fi system with plenty of extra security features and great support there are more options than ever. eero Pro offers fast 802.11ac performance with the option of eero Secure and eero Secure+ for those that want to take the guesswork out of internet security.


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Bitcoin on Tuesday, December 6, opened with the minuscule lack of 0.39 % to commerce on the worth level of $16,973 (roughly Rs. 13.9 lakh). BTC additionally failed to interrupt out of the value mark of $17,000 (roughly Rs. 14 lakh) on worldwide exchanges reminiscent of Coinbase and Binance as nicely. BTC has been displaying a range-bound motion for at almost over a month now. The crypto worth charts, for the longest occasions, haven’t been in a position to mirror a streak of income or losses.
Ether adopted Bitcoin to commerce in losses. After a worth dip of 1.40 %, ETH opened buying and selling on Tuesday on the worth level of $1,258 (roughly Rs. 1.03 lakh). Like BTC, ETH has additionally not been in a position to see a considerable hike in its worth.
The general crypto market declined by 1.38 % within the final 24 hours to presently stand at $852 billion (roughly Rs. 70,15,818 crore).
Because the crypto market is displaying no indicators of leaping again to a considerable restoration anytime quickly, increasingly more crypto platforms try to regain the belief of traders following the collapse of the FTX exchange.
In gentle of the at the moment prevailing, fairly unfavorable market sentiment, Vitalik Buterin has suggested individuals to concentrate on advancing the know-how and take a break from investor circles.
I might suggest rising your distance from buying and selling/investing circles, and getting nearer to the tech and utility ecosystem. Study ZK-SNARKs, go to a meetup in Latin America, hearken to All Core Devs calls and browse the notes till you have memorized all of the EIP numbers…
— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) December 3, 2022
Buterin is the co-founder of Ethereum.
Cryptocurrency is an unregulated digital foreign money, not a authorized tender and topic to market dangers. The knowledge offered within the article shouldn’t be supposed to be and doesn’t represent monetary recommendation, buying and selling recommendation or every other recommendation or suggestion of any type provided or endorsed by NDTV. NDTV shall not be accountable for any loss arising from any funding primarily based on any perceived suggestion, forecast or every other data contained within the article.


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There has been a lot of discussion around Elden Ring recently. From Software has been quiet since initially announcing the game, but the leaks are starting to come in this week. Insiders are already teasing that a new reveal is coming soon and this afternoon, clips from an unreleased trailer leaked.
The leaked trailer was recorded off-screen with a phone rather than captured directly. It looks like the recording took place during an internal meeting, as we can see by the watermarks on the trailer while its playing. The full version of this trailer has not leaked yet, but small clips of it are circulating across social media.
— Shpeshal Ed (@Shpeshal_Ed) March 1, 2021
As we can see in the tweet above, the trailer shows some gameplay, with an open-world horse-riding and combat section. This is the first footage of Elden Ring that we've seen since its announcement in 2019.
Commenting on the leak, GamesBeat reporter, Jeff Grubb, confirmed that they have seen more of the leaked trailer in question, confirming its legitimacy. Apparently, this trailer was made in 2020, so From Software has been holding off on revealing it for quite some time.
KitGuru Says: There are no more leaks just yet, but given that trailer clips are popping up online, we can expect an official trailer drop soon. Are many of you looking forward to Elden Ring?


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When Dropbox began searching for a second location in the U.S., they probably got wind of Austin's culture, music, barbecue, and the new hotspot everyone's talking about, H-E-B. Whatever they heard, the company is moving in later this year. That doesn't really change the way we use the online repository of all our electronic stuff, but the company will host a free soiree to talk about the latest initiative called Dropbox for Business. So RSVP online (www.dropbox.com/austin) for the event on Wednesday, Aug. 28, at 7pm at the Belmont (305 W. Sixth). VP of business Sujay Jaswa will be onhand to talk ... business.
Copyright © 2013 Austin Chronicle Corporation. All rights reserved.


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This holiday season beware of internet fakes
November 20, 2012
Online shopping can be convenient during the holiday season, but those who use the internet to buy gifts should be aware of sites selling fake goods.
About one in five online shoppers in the U.S. and Europe have mistakenly shopped for counterfeit goods on the internet, according to a study from Nielsen and MarkMonitor, coming across fakes as they search for the best deals on legitimate products.
The study showed that encountering counterfeit goods online can happen to anyone; the demographic profiles of those who search legitimate sites only compared to rogue sites are very similar.
For example, within the panel the study analyzed, 37 percent of those who searched for products on legitimate sites had an annual household income below $50,000, compared to 38 percent of those who found themselves on rogue sites.
Likewise, 41 percent of legitimate site shoppers had an income between $50,000 and $100,000, similar to the 39 percent of folks who visited rogue sites.
Yet those who tend to visit rogue sites appear to be more active online. Consumers who searched sites selling fake goods browsed twice as many shopping sites overall versus those who visited legitimate retailers only.
For more findings from the study click here.
Tags: consumers, counterfeit shopping, deals, europe, holiday, holiday season, household, internet, nielsen, nielsen study, online, online counterfeit shopping, online shopping, shopping, studies, study, Study One, U.S.
Study: Hostile couch potatoes at risk of injury
The scoop on Millennials’ viewing habits
Big surge for ‘Señor de los Cielos’
New from Hulu, commercial-free viewing
Rebekah Brooks back at News Corp. Really.
NFL pushes further into streaming
Mobile’s chunk of ad dollars soars
A look at summer’s new hits and misses
A shift for the ‘Video Music Awards’
‘Arthur & George,’ no Holmesean zip
Catch the next big wave: Hispanic media
For ‘Mr. Robot,’ a new type of hit
Pandora: We’re going advertising-free
- Kerri Clark rises to VP at Turner Content Distribution
- Amol Jadhav becomes VP of global expansion at The Weather Co.
- Michelle Harper rises to VP of sales at Cox Media Group
- Tom Betts rises to chief data officer at The Financial Times
- Julie Shapiro becomes executive producer at PRX's Radiotopia
- David Hill and Reginald Hudlin producing ABC's Oscars telecast
- Alex Kingston appearing in BBC America's 'Doctor Who' Christmas special
- Eric Stoltz guesting on CBS's 'Madam Secretary'
- Ross Partridge joins the cast of Netflix's 'Stranger Things'
- Sarah Carter joins CBS's 'Hawaii Five-0'
- Ronny Chieng, Desi Lydic and Roy Wood Jr. join ‘The Daily Show’
This week’s top movies, songs and books
This week’s daypart ratings
This week’s broadcast ratings
This week’s cable ratings
This month’s new media traffic data
This week’s younger viewer ratings
Interactive media buyer job in Cedar Falls, Iowa
Junior media planner wanted in Austin
Assistant media planner job in Atlanta
Local marketing specialist wanted in Greensboro
Part-time media buyer job in Lake Bluff, Illinois


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Portal and Portal 2 are celebrated classics, but after the release of the latter developer Valve steered away from game development, instead focusing on hardware like the HTC Vive virtual reality headset and its digital platform Steam. A console version for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One will follow in "early 2018". Bridge Constructor Portal combines the standout gameplay mechanic of Portal with engineering bridges to make some truly interesting creations!
Valve's Portal series has a new entry - sort-of - in the form of a Bridge Constructor spin-off.
Airline Profits to Keep Rising in 2018
In its latest forecast, Iata also hoisted its 2017 global profitability forecast for the second time this year. Airlines are on course to increase profits again in 2018, a major industry body has said.
If you're wondering how all of this will work, ClockStone and Headup launched a trailer that you can watch at the top of this story. During The International, it was revealed that a card game based on Dota 2 would be coming out and now we have Bridge Constructor Portal. Players will explore never-before-seen areas of the Aperture Science Labs and be reunited with GLaDOS, the occasionally murderous computer companion who guided them through the original game.
For the previous year we've been working in our underground labs on the next iteration of the million-selling Bridge Constructor series. Is this a great use of the Portal world? I honestly couldn't tell you.
Rep. Trent Franks is resigning from Congress
The lawmaker has not yet confirmed or denied the resignation rumors, but Franks is expected to make a statement later on Thursday. Trent Franks (R-AZ) is expected to resign from Congress, multiple outlets reported Thursday, citing unnamed sources.
Bridge Constructor Portal is set to be released on Windows, macOS, Linux, and mobile on 21 December 2017.
Bridge Constructor is a series that tasks players with-you guessed it-constructing bridges in order to move the flow of traffic from one end of the level to the other.
Austria makes same-sex marriage legal
Helmut Graupner, a lawyer for the two women who brought the case, wrote in a Facebook post that "today is a truly historic day". Australia also voted in November to legalize same-sex marriage in a non-binding vote , which will likely become law.


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surrendered herself to the police Monday and was charged with assault and reckless endangerment in connection with a fight this year at a strip club in Queens. Hours later, the rap hitmaker was spotted heading to Barneys New York with her husband, Offset, while sporting an ultracozy look.
Carrying a large black leather Balenciaga logo bag and a pink baby blanket, the 26-year-old “Invasion of Privacy” rapper hit the streets of the Big Apple in a long gray bathrobe featuring a subtle pattern throughout and Louis Vuitton’s plush Bom Dia mink fur mules in pink.
The luxe slipper style retails for $1,090 and also comes in blue. Cardi’s toenails perfectly matched her fluffy playful mules.
Meanwhile, the Migos rapper donned a black hoodie paired with gray track pants and dark blue Nike high-top sneakers.
When the former Steve Madden collaborator turned herself in to the 109th Precinct in Queens, she showed off a khaki skirt featuring a thigh-high slit with a white blouse, a tan blazer over the top and white slingback pumps.


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Last year was a record breaking one for StockX, and several sneaker brands emerged as major players on the platform.
In its latest “Big Facts” report, StockX confirmed that the fastest-growing sneaker brand on the marketplace was Salomon. StockX revealed in the report that Salomon experienced 2,277% trade growth in 2022 over 2021. Following Salomon was Hoka, which experienced 713% trade growth.
The three remaining brands rounding out the top five were Rick Owens (522%), The North Face (388%) and Puma (326%).
Although not in the top five, StockX also highlighted Louis Vuitton in the report due to its 141% trade spike in sneakers.
StockX stated the aforementioned brands, and all others, needed at least 200 trades in 2021 to be considered.
There were several other sneaker-related highlights listed in the report. According to StockX, the sneaker with the most trades on release week was the Air Jordan 11 “Cherry,” the top-traded silhouette was the Nike Dunk Low and the Off-White x Nike Air Force 1 Low “Brooklyn” had the highest price premium at 912%.
Aside from sneakers, StockX stated in the report that several company records were broken in 2022. StockX, according to the report, hit more than 12 million lifetime buyers last year, and also eclipsed 40 million lifetime trades and 1.5 million lifetime sellers. What’s more, StockX stated roughly 50% of trades on the marketplaces were from international sellers.
StockX also offered several sneaker-related predictions for 2023 in the report. A greater focus on soccer was included in the outlook for the year, as well as more women-centered luxury collaborations and the further rise of late-2000s running shoes.


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| Apr 3, 2014
| 4:46 PM
FORT BELVOIR, VA. -- Steve Smith signed a three-year, $11.5 million deal with the Ravens about three weeks ago, but the task of acclimating himself to a new organization will accelerate tomorrow morning.
Smith is planning to drive to the Ravens’...
| Mar 31, 2014
| 4:11 PM
Under Armour CEO and founder Kevin Plank and celebrity judges will pick from six finalists Friday in the annual Cupid's Cup national entrepreneurship competition.
The annual competition, designed to foster interest in student entrepreneurship, is...
| Mar 26, 2014
| 8:00 AM
Email sports copy to firstname.lastname@example.org by 9 a.m. Monday.
The Volleyball House in Elkridge is hosting spring camps on April 21 and April 24. Camps are from 12 to 5 p.m. Participants must be ages 9-18. The cost is $60 for one...
| Mar 22, 2014
| 1:29 PM
Under Armour liked the work Karl-Heinz "Charlie" Maurath had done for one of its competitors when the brand tapped him to lead its international growth.
That was nearly two years ago, when Maurath left Adidas, where he'd held senior executive roles in...
| Mar 24, 2014
| 3:00 AM
Earlier this General Assembly session, we joined together to announce a transformational economic development commission, a part of a joint economic development agenda that builds on the strategic investments Gov. Martin O'Malley and the legislature...
| Mar 21, 2014
| 3:46 PM
Under Armour paid CEO Kevin Plank almost $3.2 million last year, more than double his compensation in 2012, the company disclosed Friday.
It was a high-flying year for the Baltimore sports apparel company, which saw its stock price rise 80 percent. It...
| Mar 21, 2014
| 12:37 PM
(Reuters) - Borderfree Inc's shares rose as much as 33 percent in their debut on Friday, valuing the e-commerce technology provider at about $648 million as the company focuses on adding clients outside the United States and cutting logistics costs for...
| Mar 17, 2014
| 4:04 PM
Timber Creek running back Jacques Patrick announced Monday night he will play in the 2015 Under Armour All-American Game, changing his prior commitment to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
The Under Armour game is played at St. Petersburg's...
| Mar 17, 2014
| 8:59 AM
Under Armour announced a two-for-one stock split Monday of its outstanding common stock.
Shares of the Baltimore-based sports apparel and footwear maker have skyrocketed, climbing nearly 35 percent this year to $117.35 Friday. Shares were trading up...
| Mar 13, 2014
| 1:28 PM
Orlando Timber Creek junior running back Jacques Patrick has been invited to the 2015 Under Armour All-American Game, which is scheduled for early January at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.
Patrick, however, has already committed to the 2015 U.S....
| Mar 12, 2014
| 9:31 AM
Under Armour is launching sales in Brazil, part of the Baltimore-based sports apparel maker's goal of spreading the brand globally.
Under Armour apparel and footwear will be sold in more than 70 locations or e-commerce hubs, the company said.


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Friday, June 05, 2015
News this week: Earlier this week, the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) released its index report on the first quarter performance of the U.S. exhibition industry. The U.S. exhibition industry grew 4.6% year-on-year to record an eight year high.
All four metrics of CEIR’s index, net square feet sold, number of exhibitors, number of attendees, and revenues, recorded growth. Growth of revenues led the index recording an increase of 7.3% year-on-year. This was followed by growth in net square feet sold of 4.1%, number of attendees by 3.7%, and a 3.3% growth in number of exhibitors.
CEIR President & CEO Brian Casey, CEM, was quoted, “We are very encouraged to see that the exhibition industry is continuing its upward climb. While industry growth has been moderate, the strong performance of Q1 is certainly offering positive indicators for the near future.”


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Amid fall within the new variety of coronavirus (Covid-19) instances in Gujarat, the Meals and Drug Management Administration (FDCA) on Tuesday mentioned the demand for oxygen and medicines like Remdesivir has fallen.
Gujarat has been including lower than 1,000 instances in its each day Covid-19 tally because the final week. On Friday, 954 recent instances and 6 extra associated deaths had been logged which pushed the tally and demise toll to 175,633 and three,734 respectively, the state’s well being division confirmed.
The lively instances have climbed to 12,451 whereas practically 160,000 individuals have recovered from Covid-19 thus far.
In response to information company PTI, FDCA commissioner H G Koshiya mentioned the demand for medical oxygen decreased to 135 tons per day in October in comparison with 240 tons per day in September.
“Instances of coronavirus within the state are declining and the demand and consumption of medical oxygen, Remdesivir injections and Favipiravir tablets, that are helpful in its remedy, has seen a giant decline,” Koshiya added. Each Remdesivir and Favipiravir are getting used to fight the illness.
In September, 26 lakh Favipiravir tablets (200 mg) which had been prescribed for gentle instances had been consumed. Their consumption additional got here all the way down to 4 lakh in October.
Additionally the consumption of this pill at 400 mg declined to 2.eight lakh in October as in comparison with six lakh in September.
Koshiya highlighted that the variety of Remdesivir injections bought within the open market got here all the way down to round 83,000 in October from1.80 lakh in September and its use in authorities hospitals within the state additionally got here down from 30,000 in October from 40,000 in September.
(With PTI inputs)


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Now with the growing debate on Net Neutrality, SMEStreet reached out to industry and found some interesting insights on this hot topic of Net Neutrality.
Manav Sethi, Group CMO, Askme said on the “Internet is an essential service and should be provided without any discrimination, zero rating platforms can seriously affect the freedom and growth of the billions of entrepreneurs, quite against the ‘Make in India’ and ‘Digital India’ vision of our government. Any violation of internet neutrality can have a serious bearing on effective and fair competition in the market place. We feel it’s the government’s responsibility to ensure a level playing field for home grown entrepreneurs and at the same time protect the interests of netizens.”
In the brouhaha around the introduction of the ‘Zero Plan’ by a Telecom major, there may be a need to step back and rationally assess the pros and cons of what was supposed to be a breakthrough move in encouraging data access & usage by consumers. Tito Vatapilly- CEO & Co-Founder, Node Technologies shared his views on the issue of net neutrality by saying, “While it seems to be at variance with the net neutrality concept, the fact that it ultimately benefits the consumers can also not be ignored. For instance, the existence of toll-free numbers provided by certain companies does not limit one’s thoughts to availing those services only. The quality and service of any product is enough to attract its target customers. Free access to a particular service, doesn’t wholly limit the buying options available, more so, when it is quite affordable otherwise. It is ultimately the want of a particular service which makes one avail it, thereby making buying more of a choice than chance. There is a need for a sane debate before digging in of heels by all, so a synthesized view can emerge that factor in concerns of all”.
Node Technologies is a Bangalore based Indian start-up focused on mobile sales enablement solutions through their ‘SalesGo’ App.


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Create an Account - Increase your productivity, customize your experience, and engage in information you care about.
By Trevor Anderson, Spartanburg Herald-Journal
A local manufacturer with German roots recently celebrated its 15th year in Spartanburg County.
Koeberlein & Seigert, at 7461 Highway 11 in Campobello, has carved out a niche in North America with its lineup of custom feeding machines for industrial parts, and company leaders believe they are on the cusp of great growth during the next few years. A feeding machine sorts industrial parts while delivering them to a specific point on a manufacturing or distribution line.
Koeberlein & Seigert was founded in Germany 1969 by Bavarian businessman Josef Köberlein. In 1977, the company introduced its first feeding system, which led to solid growth in Germany.
“2015 was a banner year for us,” said Frank Reinhard, president of Koeberlein & Seigert. “It's validation of the potential we saw (in Spartanburg County) when we decided to locate here. We're looking forward to building on that through quality, innovation and customer service.”
The company made the decision to expand into the United States in 2000. Reinhard said the company looked at several sites but saw the greatest potential in the 45,000-square-foot former Pettit Textile Machinery facility off Highway 11 in Spartanburg County.
Melanie Reinhard, vice president of operations for Koeberlein & Seigert, said the company's machines have been used in the production lines for some of the biggest names in the world, including Audi, BMW, Bosch, Ford, Honda, Mercedes, Porsche, Toyota, Volkswagen and others.


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Team Schwabentruck, powered by Iveco and competing in the FIA 2016 European Truck Race Championship, is to feature the “OK Trucks” brand on its new livery – a brand dedicated to sales and marketing of pre-owned vehicles certified by Iveco
Iveco continues its support and sponsorship of Team Schwabentruck for this year’s FIA European Truck Race Championship with two Stralis race trucks. Iveco is also set to sign a two-year contract with the team for 2016/2017 as its main sponsor.
Germany’s Gerd Korber – triple European Truck Race Champion (1996, 2001 and 2003) – and teammate Markus Altenstrasser will be behind the wheel of the competition-ready Stralis 440 E 56, which offer an impressive 1,150 hp, weigh in at 5.5 tonnes and come equipped with an Iveco Cursor 13 engine. These trucks are specifically prepared to reach maximum speeds of 160 km/h.
For the current season a new Stralis has been developed for Korber, featuring the latest technical and aerodynamic solutions. These are underlined by a new look developed by the Iveco Style Team, which has defined a particularly attractive aesthetic layout.
In preparation for the first round in May at the Red Bull Ring circuit in Austria, the team has been putting their competition trucks through an intensive testing programme at the Most circuit in the Czech Republic and the Magirus test track in Ulm, Germany – the location of Iveco’s engineering centre for developing its heavy truck range.
FIA European Truck Race Championship 2016
|30 April - 1 May||Spielberg||Austria|
|28 - 29 May||Misano||Italy|
|2- 3 July||Nurburgring||Germany|
|27 - 28 August||Hungaroring||Hungary|
|3 - 4 September||Most||Czech Republic|
|17 - 18 September||Zolder||Belgium|
|8 - 9 October||Le Mans||France|
The season finale will be a 24-hour race held at the famous Le Mans circuit in France.
The Iveco brand will not be limited to on-track competition, and will also have a strong presence in the paddock, with a product display, merchandise shop and hospitality structure.
Pierre Lahutte, Iveco Brand President, says: “We are proud to continue our strong association with Team Schwabentruck. This is a great opportunity for Iveco to showcase the quality, durability and performance of our product, as well as to connect with the brand’s fans across Europe.”
Team Schwabentruck is also supported by the “OK TRUCKS” brand, which is dedicated to sales and marketing of pre-owned vehicles certified by Iveco.
A new website, oktrucks.com, has been launched to offer vehicles from all brands, and is aimed at customers looking to purchase pre-owned vehicles that are safe, reliable, guaranteed and certified by Iveco.
Turin, April 29, 2016
Sara BuosiEurope IVECO Press firstname.lastname@example.org+39 011 00 72965+39 335 799 5028


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A ground-breaking new funding model for social entrepreneurs launches today, developed by School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) with the support of pioneer partners Lloyds Banking Group and National Lottery Funding through the Big Lottery Fund.
Match Trading™ incentivises social entrepreneurs to grow their business through trading, so they become more sustainable. Match Trading grants match, pound-for-pound, an increase in trading income. Lloyds Banking Group is the first financial institution to support this type of innovation to help social entrepreneurs to sustain and grow their businesses, through providing crucial funding and business mentoring support. Through supporting social entrepreneurs, the partnership delivers a key target within the Group's commitment to help Britain prosper.
Match Trading grants empower social entrepreneurs to double their income from trading (up to the amount of Match Trading grant on offer). Match Trading has already run a successful pilot with a cohort of social entrepreneurs on the Lloyds Bank Social Entrepreneurs Programme, run in partnership with School for Social Entrepreneurs, and jointly funded by National Lottery Funding through the Big Lottery Fund. The social entrepreneurs achieved on average 92% year-on-year increase in trading income, when offered a Match Trading grant of up to £7,000, and supported by a 14-day learning programme. Match Trading will support at least 500 more social entrepreneurs over the next five years.
Match Trading helps social entrepreneurs to increase the viability of their organisations by incentivising them to explore new markets, test out new trading methods and diversifying income streams. This more entrepreneurial approach to their business sees less reliance on traditional grant funding and encourages sustainable business behaviours.
Fiona Cannon OBE, Group Director of Responsible Business and Inclusion, Lloyds Banking Group, said:
"We are proud that Lloyds Banking Group is leading the way in supporting social entrepreneurs. We know that funding can be a real challenge for start-up businesses and this pioneering new model will allow us to help drive entrepreneurial behaviours, while increasing business sustainability and trading income. Through helping them to deliver for their community and the wider economy, we can also deliver on our commitment to helping Britain prosper."
Alistair Wilson, CEO of School for Social Entrepreneurs said:
"We have worked in partnership with Lloyds Banking Group for over five years and it is fantastic to have them on board as we launch Match Trading. Lloyds Banking Group provides the crucial support we need to deliver this innovation in grant-funding to hundreds of social entrepreneurs. We have developed Match Trading to bolster the sustainability of social enterprises – organisations that are a vital lifeline for the most vulnerable in society, and that positively impact communities and the environment."
Lloyds Banking Group already supports social entrepreneurs through the Lloyds Bank Social Entrepreneurs Programme, run in partnership with SSE and jointly funded by Big Lottery Fund. The programme supports entrepreneurs starting or scaling a social business for the benefit of their community through the provision of a 14-day learning programme with SSE, a year-long Lloyds Banking Group mentoring support and grant of up to £10,000 to support their business. Through the programme, Lloyds Banking Group will support 2,350 social entrepreneurs to start and scale a social business by 2020.


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According to a new IBM survey, the majority of consumers in developed nations are willing to pay more for eco-friendly energy. The study also reveals a paradox: consumers clearly want more choices about the type of energy they buy, but are unaware of the range of options available to them.
Although nearly half of consumers surveyed across the globe would pay more for environmentally friendly non-energy products, when it comes to purchasing “green” energy, two-thirds of consumers are willing to pay more for power that could be definitively shown to have lower emissions of greenhouse gases. Australians are most willing to pay a premium for green power, but Americans are most willing to pay a sizable premium, up to an additional 20 percent or more.
“The emergence of climate change as broad public concern has galvanized people to an extent seldom seen for issues involving their energy providers,” said Michael Valocchi, Global Energy and Utilities Industry Leader, IBM Global Business Services. “Historically, consumers didn’t care about energy. This survey suggests that they want to engage and make a more personal connection to it.”
Overall, consumers want to be more active in their energy decision-making; however, they do not appear to have enough awareness and knowledge to do so. While carbon footprints and other analyses of personal environmental impact have attracted widespread attention, 75 percent of consumers surveyed outside the U.S. have not performed one — and only 15 percent of US consumers have done this. Most consumers want the option to choose their electric or gas utility provider (83 percent of those surveyed), but the majority reported either they cannot or do not know they can. Finally, a full one quarter of consumers who have renewable power options available to them actually purchase renewable power, and most of those who do not have renewable power options (65 percent) said they would like the option to do so.
The survey also found that the promise of reduced energy costs would impact how and when consumers heat and cool their homes, do their laundry and cook their meals. Of those surveyed, 84 percent said that a 50 percent reduction in energy cost during off-peak hours was the most important. Sixty-one percent would change their energy-consuming behavior in response to claims that there would be a positive environmental impact from such changes, and this would rise to 65 percent if such benefits could be demonstrated.
These survey results are part of a new report, recently released by IBM Global Business Services, titled, “Plugging in the Consumer: Innovating utility business models for the future.” The report forecasts how the change in energy customers’ expectations will impact the utility industry’s business model in the next five to ten years, and predicts a steady progression toward a Participatory Network where consumers actively “plug in” to their energy decisions to a degree not seen before.


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»8minutenergy Renewables« changed name to »8minute Solar Energy«
Post date: 13/06/2019 - 17:15
8minutenergy Renewables, LLC, US independent solar and storage developer, has launched a new corporate brand identity and changed its name to »8minute Solar Energy« (8minute). Along with the new name, the company announced a new logo and simplified domain name (www.8minute.com). The origin of the name is that energy from the sun, reaches the earth in just 8 minutes.
»The new name reflects the developer’s belief that large-scale solar power plants with integrated energy storage will dominate the future of energy generation,« says the company, and it comes on the tenth anniversary of the company’s formation. In December 2018 the company’s co-founder Tom Buttgenbach and the 8minutenergy management announced to purchase the company’s shares of founder Martin Hermann. With this ownership change, Hermann transitioned out of his CEO role and shareholder, and Buttgenbach transitioned to President and CEO.
8minute has over 14 GW of solar and storage under development in California, the Southwest, Texas, and the Southeast, with more than 2 GW of solar power plants now in operation.


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BANGKOK — November 18, 2021 — Radianza™ fibre, the flagship acrylic fibre brand of Thai Acrylic Fibre Company (Aditya Birla Group), is now “bluesign® APPROVED” – making it the first and only acrylic fibre to get this certification. This bluesign® APPROVED certification is another feather in the cap for Radianza™, which is now the only acrylic fibre which has Higgs MSI scores, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study and digital tracking & tracing facility.
The gel-dyeing technology behind Radianza™ is the key driver for its superior sustainability performance. Water pollution and water consumption are two of the biggest environmental problems facing the fashion industry and conventional dyeing processes contribute immensely towards these two problems. In gel-dyeing, the dye is absorbed in the fibre within 4-5 seconds with close to zero discharge of unused dye and minimum requirement of water. The LCA study as well as the MSI scores show significant reduction of environmental impact while using Radianza™ fibre in place of conventional acrylic fibre and processes.
bluesign® APPROVED articles go through a rigorous certification process by Bluesign Technologies ag – the organization behind the certification – and it certifies that these articles are produced in a resource conserving way with a minimum impact on people and the environment. “We are very proud of getting the bluesign® APPROVED certification for Radianza™ fibre. It gives even more assurance to both our direct and downstream customers of a sustainability index of their products made with Radianza™ fibre. It also shows our commitment to not only come up with more and more sustainable products for the industry, but also the length at which we will go to ensure that our customers can safely claim the better environmental impact of their products”, says Thomas Varghese, Business Head – Textiles – Aditya Birla Group.
Thai Acrylic Fibre Co. Ltd., is also the only acrylic fibre company to be a bluesign® SYSTEM PARTNER.
Posted November 18, 2021
Source: Thai Acrylic Fibre Co. Ltd. (Aditya Birla Group)


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Analysts expect Apple CEO Steve Jobs to unveil smaller, cheaper, iPods at Macworld San Francisco in January.
Rob Enderle, principal of market research firm the Enderle Group, told Reuters: "Odds are it's a Flash-memory-based player, something to position against the low-cost offerings from Creative and Rio."
Mac rumour site Think Secret suggests that in addition to the lower-cost iPods,
expected to cost $100 (£63) and hold up to 800 songs, Apple will introduce different coloured cases. It is also expected that iLife will be enhanced.
Reuters says the digital hub concept that Apple has been pushing for the last two years "is a vision of the convergence of home computing and entertainment".
Regarding this Creative Strategies analyst Tim Bajarin said: "He's been proven basically correct that the Mac has evolved to become much more important as a productivity and creativity tool."
Bajarin added: "One of the things we'll be looking for is how does Steve embellish on and extend the Mac into the living room, because Microsoft is already there with the Media Centre PC. I'm anxious to see how Apple builds upon iPods' functionality, expanding beyond storing music, photographs and voice recordings."


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The Ghana Trade and Livelihood Coalition (GTLC) has launched a multi-stakeholders post-harvest management platform in the Upper West Region charged to promote inclusive technologies towards cutting down post-harvest losses.
The platform, which consist of government agencies and institutions, private organisations, agriculture value chain actors, civil society organisations and the media, would work together to create conditions for better post-harvest management.
It was established through the Voice for Change Programme (V4CP) implemented by the GTLC with support from Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) and International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
Speaking at the launch on the theme: “addressing post-harvest losses (PHL) for sustainable food value chains in Ghana,” Mr Ibrahim Akalbila, Coordinator of GTLC, said the platform was to create awareness on the best post-harvest management practices aimed at addressing challenges of PHL.
He added that the members of the platform would be expected to be in a position to work towards achieving the overall goal of government’s Planting for Food and Jobs programme and Ghana Beyond Aid agenda.
Dr Hafiz Bin-Salih, the Upper West Regional Minister, said Ghana lost 3.2 million metric tons of food valued at $8.9 billion in 2013 to post harvest losses.
“The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) estimates of post-harvest losses across the country are in the range of 10-20 per cent for dry cereals and 10-40 percent for vegetables, perishable fruits and roots”, he added.
It should be appreciated that post-harvest losses were real in terms of quality and quantity of products and are therefore a matter of concern to all stakeholders in agriculture.
The Upper West Regional Director of Agriculture, Mr Emmanuel Sasu Yeboah, said about 80 per cent of upper west population were farmers and the need for management to collectively tackle the challenges facing agriculture productivity and profitability.
The major food commodities produced in the region includes; cereals, legumes, root and tuber crops, fruits vegetables and others, farmers experience high levels of post-harvest loss.
But Mr Yeboah attributed the main causes of PHL along the value chains of the food commodities to poor harvesting and handling, poor storage facilities, poor preservation among others.
Mr Mohammed Sibaweihi, Chairman of the Platform called on stakeholders to join hands to reduce post-harvest losses in Upper West.


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Verizon Wireless Offers Easy Way to Recycle Old Phones
Verizon Wireless has launched a wireless device trade-in program that offers customers from any wireless carrier an easy way to recycle old devices and earn a gift card if the product retains any value, reports Computerworld.
Under the Verizon Wireless Trade-In Program, customers submit their devices for appraisal online at www.trade-in.vzw.com and receive a postage-paid envelope to mail in the devices.
In exchange for trading in their devices, customers may receive a Verizon Wireless gift card by mail depending on the value of their old wireless devices. The gift card can be used toward the purchase of phones and accessories or to pay Verizon Wireless bills. Devices that have no appraised value will be recycled.
Customers also have the option of donating old devices to Verizon’s HopeLine initiative, which has collected about 7 million phones of which 90,000 have been distributed with free wireless service to victims of domestic violence, reports Computerworld. The wireless company also has donated nearly $8 million in cash grants to organizations working to prevent domestic violence.
Sprint is another major carrier with a recycling program. As of May 2009, the wireless company has diverted more than 16 million units from landfills for reuse or recycling since 2001.
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By John Helmer, Moscow
War, devaluation, and recession aren’t usually something to drink champagne to. So it was inevitable that Abrau-Durso, Russia’s only champagne house listed on the stock exchange, would suffer.
When President Vladimir Putin told the leadership of the Federal Security Service (FSB) on Thursday that “the situation cannot remain like this forever. It will change, for the better I hope,” he wasn’t exactly raising a toast in bubbly. The situation, added Putin, “will not change for the better if we succumb and yield at every step. It will only change for the better if we become stronger.”
Abrau-Durso has an anti-crisis strategy. This is to expand its vineyards; substitute home-grown for imports of wine-making materials from South Africa, Chile, and southern Europe; reduce costs and the sale price of each bottle; sell more wine at a lower margin of profit; combat what Abrau-Durso executives regretfully call “contempt for Russian wine.”
“Our anti-crisis strategy is quite simple, and can be described in a single sentence,” says the spokesman for Abrau-Durso, Daria Domostroyeva, – “ spend less, sell more. We are actively working to reduce foreign exchange costs, and reduce in our production base the costs of euro components — label, cork, foil, bottle — for our sparkling wine.”
There is no comparable Russian plan for winegrowers in Crimea – that’s to say, there is a plan on paper, but in practice it isn’t operational. Since the territory’s accession to Moscow last March, the Crimean vineyards have suffered from disinvestment, water shortage, capital cutoff, and the much heavier hand of Russian excise taxation and regulation compared to the previous Ukrainian regime. For them, there is no Russian bailout. “Abrau-Durso, said a cautious spokesman last week, “is ready to consider the proposals of Crimean farmers for purchase of their grapes. But investment in the acquisition of vineyards in Crimea now is an open question. As far as we know, the project is up to the coordination of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry for the Development of Crimea, which are contributing their additions to the project.”
In short, nothing. The Moscow plan to pump at least $20 million of federal funds into Crimean winemaking, which was drafted by Boris Titov and leaked to the press last August, has failed to materialize. For details of the Titov plan, read this.
Abrau-Durso, based in the Krasnodar region near Novorossiysk, was owned through a Cyprus holding by Titov. When he was appointed by the Kremlin to be ombudsman for entrepreneurs’ rights in mid-2012, Titov transferred the company to his son Pavel, who is also chief executive. In his official capacity, Titov senior (below, right) has been meeting Putin annually, and this year’s meeting is almost due.
In April of 2012, Titov had arranged an initial public offering (IPO) for the wine company, explaining his purpose was to start fixing the market value of the business before he tried selling it to foreign investors. The launch price was Rb53. It accelerated past the rate of the MICEX index until August of 2014, when the share price peaked at Rb145. It then dropped sharply, and is now at Rb94.
In the year to date, the share has seesawed within a 30-rouble range, and is now more or less where it started. For the first time in its market history, Abrau-Durso is trading worse than the MICEX index as a whole, which is up 13% since January 1. The volume of shares traded is tiny; the free-float outside the control of the Titov family is unknown, but small.
ABRAU-DURSO SHARE PRICE TRAJECTORY SINCE 2012
The audited financial report for 2013 showed Abrau-Durso’s revenue at almost $152 million; earnings (Ebitda), almost $54 million; and net profit at $20 million. Compared to the year before, all the indicators were gaining robustly; so was debt at $80 million (net). The latest report for the first half of 2014 showed sales and profit numbers more or less stable.
Three years ago, at IPO, Titov’s market pitch was that Abrau-Durso would prosper as Russian consumption of wine would rise, in line with the movement of Russian gross domestic product per capita towards European levels, and as wine as a proportion of alcohol consumed grew from around 1% in 2010 to the European level of 25%. In theory, Russian drinkers would either substitute wine for vodka; or the vodka drinkers would die early deaths, and be replaced by younger but just as thirsty winos. Titov believed that for foreign investors the share market takeoff of Abrau-Durso would be as unidirectional as bubbles.
Timur Nigmatullin, an analyst at Finam Investment in Moscow, says the liquidity of the share issue is too small: “I would not judge Abrau-Durso by the dynamics of the shares. The negative economic situation is the reason for such a deep fall in the share price. In general, the alcohol market is now under intense pressure, if you look at the statistics for 2014. Manufacture of table wine in Russia decreased by 5.3%; sparkling wine and champagne fell by 9.4%, brandy by 7%; beer by 8.6%; vodka by 22.3%. This to say that production and sales are in decline because of reduced demand, increased government regulation, including excise charges and restrictions on advertising. Together, this makes a complex of negative influences.”
According to Vadim Drobiz (right), director of the Centre for Federal and Regional Alcohol Markets (TsIFRRA), this is a war effect and it is temporary. “First and foremost, the decline in stock prices reflects the political pressure on Russia of the EU and the United States. The effect has been seriously underestimated. Secondly, the [share price] decline may be associated with a reduction in the profits of the company. But today the company’s policy is aimed at gaining market share by increasing volume of sales. If we compare the activities of the company in 2014 with those of 2013, they produced and sold 5 million more bottles (that’s 15% more). At the same time, they seriously lost profits. This might have happened too because they did not raise their prices in the wake of the rate of inflation and devaluation of the rouble. I think they have a policy of market penetration. This may be related to the reduction in profitability.”
Drobiz believes the negative impact will be overcome within a year. “In 2008-2009, there was a widespread crisis. But that did not close the path to credit institutions from the west. In the current crisis the main negative feature is the denial of Western money. By comparison, Russian money is expensive. The Russian economy needs a year to fully adapt to the new conditions. Already we are getting used to them psychologically. In 2015 the crisis will grow as we look for ways to survive. We will find them in 2016, and by the second half of the year at least, we will improve – in the alcohol industry, too.”
A few days ago Titov junior (below, left) spelled out Abrau-Durso’s new strategy. He concedes that the devaluation is forcing the company to accelerate its efforts to increase its domestic plantings. It currently harvests from 4,000 hectares of vineyards (right). To be self-sufficient, it needs to harvest 7,000 ha. That’s a relatively slow process. In the meantime, the company must hold its bottle price down by lowering costs, and spend more on marketing the brand.
Operationally and financially, last year was a good one, Titov junior claims, conceding that the annual financial release is running late. “we have had a new record in sales. Most importantly, the whole year has been fairly stable; there were no dips in sales. Everyone knows there is a summer lull that in the market of sparkling wine, but in 2014, we reached [a record] of 2.1 million [bottle sales]. Our sales plan was exceeded. But financially, the situation has been the same as for everyone else. The lion’s share of profits was wiped out by revaluation of foreign currency and other risks.”
Titov claims that by holding down price and increasing sales volume, Abrau-Durso has already increased its market share to between 12% and 13% for sparkling wines overall, and for what Titov calls the “sub-premium” market, the share is between 60% to 70%.
To support this market penetration, Titov says Abrau-Durso must spend more on marketing and on distribution. “In 2012 we realized that we were going to have to work against falling demand for sparkling wine. We need to understand a lot of time and effort is required to market the brand. These things can be quite subjective, but if you do it methodically, the results show up sooner or later.” This month the company announced the opening of its first brand-name wine shop in Chelyabinsk, with a plan to extend these outlets by franchise across the country.
“Abrau-Durso has its turnaround plan,” Titov is emphatic. “We must work on cost – that’s key. The consumer will not be able to compensate for all the extra charges. But this isn’t to say that we are not going to raise prices. In each of the components of our wine packaging there is a [hard] currency component. The labels are printed in Russia, but all the paper comes from Europe. Even the wire in the capsule comes through the Amadon plant in Rostov from Italy.”
“The crisis for us is not a catastrophe, but rather a long pause in what has been a fairly rapid rate of development. We have stopped several projects; for example, a new winery for production of still wines. To purchase equipment for the euro now – that’s suicide, although in mid-2014 the project was absolutely profitable.”
He is also hopeful that the crisis will combat “the common enemy – contempt for Russian wine in general. Despite the hard work, there are still diehard sommeliers who do not want to work with Russian wine with the argument of ‘how can I sell it?’ In the past year [we have made] a qualitative breakthrough. At least, we can see that in Moscow. Another problem is the large margins in the restaurant business. I hope that this year the restaurants will wake up to reality.”
Yury Yudich, an analyst and project manager at alcoexpert.ru, is optimistic. “Abrau Durso is the most successful project to date on the Russian wine market. It is now number 1 in branding. The number of federal wine brands is small. Here is a situation where we have a unique Russian brand based on the historical heritage. In my opinion, their capitalization will grow. This is one of the rare cases where the brand is valuable.”
For Titov, the precondition for expansion of the area of Russian vineyards, in order to replace imported wine materials, is comparable support from the Russian state budget as other wine-growing countries provide. In Bulgaria, the per-hectare allocation is €31,000. “We’d have enough with half that amount. Of course, the vineyard area in Russia has increased, but only by means of mergers and acquisitions among existing vineyards. In practice, new growing areas have not appeared. In Crimea, there are interesting places, particularly in the Sevastopol area where we are already eyeing the wine materials. Starting this year we hope to buy from there. But there are huge logistical problems.”
This is an under-statement. From the Crimean winemakers’ point of view, the economic losses over the year since accession currently outweigh the political gains. According to the Ministry of Economic Development of the Crimea, quoted in this Moscow report last week, the grape harvest on the peninsula fell 26% to 70,000 tonnes; production of wine fell by more than 20%; and sales of Crimean wine – previously concentrated in Ukraine – failed to shift to the Russian market, not least of all because Russian licensing and retail regulations are much tougher and costlier to meet than the Ukrainian rules. Ukrainian excise taxes were correspondingly lighter. The Crimean vignerons failed to receive their money from the previous harvest, and they were cut off from bank financing for the new season. Water supplies from Ukraine were reduced; plant diseases increased; pesticides and fertilizers were cut off. Financial subsidies from Kiev for new plantings have been more generous than those from Moscow.
Until last year, roughly half of the wine produced in Crimea was consumed locally in the tourist trade, and the remainder in the Ukraine. The surge of patriotic spirit in the Russian cities has led to stocking of Crimean wine, but the price has shot up by 50% or more, and the revenue benefit has not returned to the winegrowers or shippers.
The Crimean industry is hoping that a combination of grower support and financing from the Russian Agriculture Ministry, and import substitution at the Russian frontier, will reverse last year’s losses and promote sales of Crimean-branded wine (below, left). Rouble devaluation has sharply cut the flow of competing low-priced wine from Georgia. This (right) returned to the Russian market in 2013 after sanctions were imposed at the time of the August 2008 war. But in the first two months of this year, imports of Georgian wine to Russia are down 85% compared to the year before.
According to Drobiz, the impact on the Georgians’ market share in Russia will take time to materialize. “In January and February there was a twofold drop in imports of alcoholic beverages and wine products. Absolutely all countries, which were focused on Russia, have suffered. However, even if exports from Georgia stopped entirely, for another six months there will be enough… The fact is that between mid-summer 2013 and the same time in 2014, there was a saturation of Georgian supplies, so in the [Russian] warehouses there should still be a lot of products.”


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Ouya left indie game developers in the lurch, but Razer is trying to help.
On July, 27th, game hardware company Razer confirmed that it had bought former Kickstarter gaming sensation Ouya.
It's a lifeline for Ouya, which will be spun into a publishing service for Razer's own Android console. It's a boon for Razer, which is getting access to 1,500 Android TV games and said publishing platform. But for some developers who bet on the console, it might be a disaster.


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Toyota revealed the refreshed 2016 Land Cruiser; Mercedes-AMG previewed the 2017 C63 Coupe; and Honda pushes a fast future. It's the Week in Reverse, right here on Motor Authority.
After numerous leaks Toyota finally showed the Internet the refreshed 2016 Land Cruiser SUV. The big off-roader is indeed coming to the U.S. market this fall and it has an updated front and rear end, new tech inside the cabin, and an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Design house Icona showed off the second iteration of its Vulcano supercar at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Dubbed the Vulcano Titanium, the latest version drops the hybrid system previously touted for a supercharged V-8. Naturally, given its name, the construction of this supercar includes some titanium along with carbon fiber and other metals.
Honda has a new ad, and while we don't usually make much ado over ads, this one brings the heat. The automaker's clearly trying to prove a point here, showing that it's serious about performance and its upcoming lineup, from planes and supercars to race cars, proves it. Welcome back, Honda.
After what feels like months of teasing, Mercedes-AMG took the wraps off the new 2017 C63 Coupe before its formal debut in September at the Frankfurt Auto Show. Looking like a mini S-Class, the car is gorgeous. Naturally, it's powered by the same twin-turbo V-8 engine as the four-door sedan sibling. We look forward to seeing this car in the metal next month.
BMW continues to build excitement for the upcoming 2016 M6 GT3 race car by releasing photos and videos of a camouflaged car. It's clear, the new race car will be fast, gorgeous, and we can only assume, sound terrific. All will be revealed on September 15 in Frankfurt.


text: Tyra Banks is leaving her own talk show, Tyra Presents FABLife, after only two months. The former supermodel released a statement to The Hollywood Reporter saying that she has decided to focus more time on expanding her cosmetics line. "This is a very difficult decision, but necessary," she said. "I will be devoting more time to my new, growing cosmetics company, TYRA Beauty, which is expanding faster than anticipated, as well as overseeing my company's other entertainment ventures. I will, however, continue to support the growth and success of FABLife and greatly admire my fellow cohosts and the talented production team behind the show." FABLife, a.k.a. "fun and beautiful" life — which also features model and food writer Chrissy Teigen, fashion expert Joe Zee, interior designer Lauren Makk, and YouTube DIY star Leah Ashley — premiered in September of this year. Last month, Page Six reported that the series was in ratings free fall; THR asserts that its success has been "modest." As for how its star's absence will affect the fate of the series: Only time will tell. But we're venturing a guess that it won't be good.


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Apple has launched a new version of its wireless earphones that allows users to activate the virtual assistant Siri by voice alone.
The world.edu network focuses on education, science, innovation and the environment.
Here you can submit and vote on the best content from the world’s leading organisations and websites.
Google has unveiled a new digital gaming platform called Stadia which will stream better-than-console-quality games that have traditionally had to be either downloaded or purchased on disk.
Global action is required to tackle the web's "downward plunge to a dysfunctional future", its inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee has told the BBC.
It may look like a giant robotic bug but the MooAV could be the car of the future.
Since the scorching hot summer of 2006, almost 3,000 archaeological artifacts have appeared from the melting ice in Oppland, Northern Norway. Among them, an Iron Age tunic, a 1,500-year-old arrow and a 3,400-year-old shoe.
Microsoft has a new version of its augmented reality headset, which now detects where its users are looking and tracks the movements of their hands.
Peking University Expert Pictures Urological Disease, a medical science book series, has won China's highest award in popular science publishing.
Government regulation of social media and the internet could have "unintended consequences" for victims of sexual abuse, a charity has warned.
Google has acknowledged that it made an error in not disclosing that one of its home alarm products contained a microphone.
A new artificial intelligence system is so good at composing text that the researchers behind it said they won't release it for fear of how it could be misused.


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This might still sound like science fiction to many people, but the race for flying-taxi dominance is on and is gaining fresh fuel as the new decade looms. The results of this race in the sky could impact not only mobility services in various cities but retail delivery efforts.
In a new PYMNTS interview, Florian Reuter, CEO at Volocopter, talked about this company’s role in this potential new ecosystem — the firm makes flying taxis, which look, at first glance, like massive drones — and what’s coming next for this particular technology. The news came as the company raised some $55 million in new funding — capital that will go toward the development of new, commercially viable flying taxies, he told PYMNTS.
So when can people expect that?
“It might be fewer years than people expect,” Reuter said, adding that he is working toward a 2022 goal. That might mean, he said, a commercially viable flying-taxi operation in places such as Singapore and Dubai, where density would support such a business and which could appeal not only to locals but also to tourists. Even if a flying-taxi operation captured only a small sliver of transportation or mobility business — a single-digit percentage — that could still prove profitable over time given the high populations of the world’s largest metro areas, he said.
Of course, Volocopter is not the only player in the flying-taxi game. Boeing and Uber are among the other companies getting one step closer to their vision of flying taxis. According to a report in CNBC, Boeing Chief Technology Officer Greg Hyslop said in a statement that the company thinks it is on the right path to creating air taxis that are self-driving and can be called upon on demand. “In one year, we have progressed from a conceptual design to a flying prototype,” he said in a statement from earlier this year.
Both Boeing and Bell have inked partnerships with Uber, the ride-hailing app company that is already in the planning stages for its Uber Air taxi service, noted the report. At the same time, Airbus (a Boeing rival) and Volocopter, a startup out of Germany, are in the throes of creating their air taxi prototypes. Uber has a target date of 2023 to launch Uber Air, while others in the market think it will take far longer for flying taxis to get the blessing of the Federal Aviation Administration.
As for Volocopter, it is also busy building an infrastructure for a potential flying-taxi ecosystem. That company and Skyports recently announced that they are teaming up to build the first mobile Volo-Port for air taxis. The Volo-Port will be the physical landing pad for electric take-off and landing (eVTOL) — the more technical term for the flying taxis. The partners plan to build it in Singapore for scheduled public flight trials in the second half of 2019.
The prototype will allow real-life testing of the full customer journey; showcase planned customer services, including pre-flight checks, passenger lounges and boarding procedures; enable practical testing of ground operations and services, including battery swaps and charging, maintenance, safety and security; and give authorities and industry regulators the chance to interact with the infrastructure, and provide feedback, before approving the final design.
The story is still being written when it comes to flying taxis, but as Reuter told it to PYMNTS, one possibility is that the vehicles could be used for some types of retail delivery. He said he does not envision competing with the likes of Amazon or Uber drones on small package deliveries — that is, deliveries for packages of, say, 10 pounds or less. “We can carry a much larger payload than that,” he said. “We consider ourselves a heavy load transition vehicle.”
That is still in the future. For now, technology testing awaits, as do more regulatory approvals that will clear the air for flying-taxi services. However, don’t be afraid to look up — the flying-taxi race is undoubtedly underway.


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Expo 2020 launches Dhs50 season pass tickets
Enjoy the last 50 days of ‘The World’s Greatest Show’…
If you haven’t yet made it to Expo 2020 or you are just the world’s biggest fan of ‘The World’s Greatest Show’, there’s one more reason to go as Expo 2020 has launched a Dhs50 Season Pass Finale for the final 50 days of the exhibition.
The Season Pass Finale launched today, February 10 and from today, that and the Dh275 Premium Experience one-day pass will be the only tickets available. There’s also a ‘bring a friend’ deal, which is available from February 14 to 18, which allows Season Pass or Season Pass Finale holders to bring a guest for free, for one day only. It’s valid until February 28.
If you opt for the Dh275 Premium Experience one-day pass, you’ll experience a whole host of cool extras. These include gate fast track entry to Expo 2020, dedicated concierge, valet parking and a Garden in the Sky voucher, entry to the premium lounge and priority access to select business events.
Known to some as ‘The World’s Greatest Show’, Expo 2020 has been an unrivalled success, with 192 countries coming together to exhibit their feats in science, technology and more at their own pavilions. There is also entertainment, live performances and over 200 food and beverage outlets at the super-sized exhibition.
British music group Coldplay will be jetting into Dubai to Expo 2020 on February 15 for a live concert. It will take place at the stunning Al Wasl Plaza at the heart of Expo 2020 Dubai at 9pm.The concert is part of Expo 2020 Dubai’s iconic Infinite Nights which, in the past, has seen Alicia Keys and Black Eyed Peas performing at the world’s greatest show.
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You can buy your Season Pass Finale or Premium Experience one-day pass here.
Images: Expo 2020


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Instead of throwing or trading in their used iPhones, consumers now have the option to donate them to the elderly at any SingTel retail shops.
As part of Project Silverline, SingTel refurbishes the phone with senior-friendly mobile apps. The phones are then given to senior citizens at voluntary welfare organisations, Lions Befrienders and Willing Hearts.
The apps include prompt access to emergency phone numbers, simple reminders for taking medicine and inspiring quotes. These apps were developed in partnership with technology consultancy Newton Circus and advertising firm Ogilvy & Mather.
For every used iPhone donated, SingTel sponsors the talk time and data plan for one year.
Since Project Silverline started in October last year, at least 25 used iPhones have been donated.
Newton Circus also launched a crowdfunding campaign on Tuesday afternoon. By contributing at least $19, people can download the current Silverline apps to share these with their family members or relatives.
Funds collected from the campaign will go to Silverline Mobile which hopes to develop more apps specifically designed for senior citizens.
Source: The Straits Times


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Current± caught up with Lane to find out what her first impressions of the industry are, the impact of the green recovery, and what’s next for NewMotion.
NewMotion has teamed up with Osprey Charging as the duo sign a new roaming agreement.
A new service supporting communication between chargepoint operators with roaming agreements has been launched by Renewable Energy Assurance Limited (REAL) and the Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA).
A new electric vehicle (EV) charging payment interoperability service has been launched by Zap-Map.
The Hubject interoperability platform is expanding to offer financial settlement services between chargepoint operators and e-mobility service providers, with Enel X chosen to enable this.
Current± spoke to Alan McCleave, NewMotion’s UK general manager, to determine what the key features of its recent report are and to discuss the company's interoperability goals.
Octopus Energy has added a new electric vehicle (EV) charging network to its roaming service Electric Juice.
The UK Electric Fleets Coalition has called on the government to bring forward the 100% electric vehicle (EV) sales target to 2030.
NewMotion has published a new report examining the electric vehicle landscape, identifying the key features of the future.


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Starting next week, Ford will air a series of 40 15-second ads in which drivers praise gee-whiz features like capless refueling, the Sync entertainment system, built-in refrigerators and ambient lighting.
The ads will air in prime time and on late-night cable and sports programs through the first quarter of next year. Ford also hopes to build buzz by asking employees to forward the ads to their friends through social networking sites.
At a forum for several hundred employees Tuesday, Ford showed off future products, like the 2010 Fiesta small car, and shared some good news. Mark Fields, Ford's president of the Americas, said Ford expects to gain U.S. market share in 2009, a feat it hasn't accomplished since 1995. Ford had a 14.7 percent share of the U.S. market in September, up 2.5 points from the same month a year ago, which was the largest increase of any automaker.
Fields told The Associated Press that Ford was satisfied its "Drive One" campaign, launched 18 months ago, had convinced consumers to consider Ford.
"Now we need to inject more emotion and get to the cool factor," he said. "This adds more personality and sizzle."
Ford didn't say what it's spending on the campaign, but its third-quarter ad spending was up 10 to 15 percent compared with the same quarter last year, in part because of new products like the Taurus, Ford spokesman Mark Truby said.
James Bell, an executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book, said Ford is benefiting from the goodwill customers have toward the company for not taking government bailout money, as General Motors Co. and Chrysler LLC did.
"They're seen as the safe domestic bet," Bell said.
Bell said Ford also is luring buyers from import brands. In Kelley Blue Book's October report of new car shoppers, import brands experienced a 13 percent slip in traffic compared with last October, while Ford's models saw a 20 percent increase.
Fields said 25 percent of people buying Ford's Flex crossover are trading in a foreign brand.


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Some iPhone X Orders Were Canceled Due to “Fraudulent Charges”
The iPhone X frenzy continues now that Apple is getting ready to start shipping the device to customers across the world, but problems keep being reported by those who pre-ordered the new model on October 27 at midnight.
A number of Apple customers took to reddit to complain that their pre-orders were canceled after their banks blocked the payment for a new iPhone X due to what they considered to be “fraudulent charges.”
This made Apple unable to complete the payment for the ordered iPhone X and, naturally, the order itself got canceled completely – this could be one of the reasons shipment times are increasing for some customers, though it’s not yet clear how widespread the problem actually is.
While protection against fraudulent charges helps protect accounts from hacks, it could also block payments for more expensive goods, as it’s the case of the iPhone X, unless the bank is… (read more)


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The Dublin Bike Scheme (DBS) is set to expand to UCD within the next five years. Students’ Union Campaigns and Communications Officer Brendan Lacey has been lobbying the National Transport Authority (NTA) since the start of the summer to ensure that service would expand to UCD, “I have a commitment from them now that it will be at the gates of UCD in five years time”.
The scheme will not be able to be implemented any earlier due to the excessive costs that setting up a pop-up system in UCD would incur, “everyone would just leave the bikes here in UCD then you have to ferry them back so that’s why they’re saying [the DBS] has to grow naturally”.
Lacey is also investigating setting up a bike scheme compatible to that of the DBS in the nearer future, which would then be able to merge with the official system once it had expanded sufficiently.
“I’m trying to investigate whether it’s feasible for us in UCD to co-pilot a scheme that would just be a UCD bike scheme where we get our own stations but it would be compatible with the DBS … it would basically be for cycling around campus or just home for lunch or whatever, it could work off the UCard system; it’s something that I don’t yet know [whether] it is feasible or not.”
However, Lacey has encountered problems with the alternative idea, “I’m trying to find out who made the original bikes – for some reason it’s a nightmare to find out. What we’re trying to do is try and get the same bikes and stations that the DBS uses or ones that are compatible so when the bike scheme arrives, they could still use what UCD has, it would be interchangeable”.
If the idea of setting up UCD’s own bike scheme was to come to fruition, the Students’ Union would seek the University’s financial aid as well as external funding, “finances and budgets are tight this year so we can’t afford to build a bike scheme; my idea would be to seek funding from the likes of advertising space, very similar to how the DBS originally worked; also, through the use of the bikes, there would have to be a small charge for the maintenance of them but hopefully over time it would come to cover itself”.
The initiative to push for the implementation of a bike-scheme in UCD was “born out of frustration with the parking problem … we’ve got over 20,000 people to try and fit into 3,000 parking spaces, it doesn’t matter what scheme you come up with … it’s not going to solve the problem … what I want to do is try and encourage people to use alternative methods to get here”.


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TechnoServe's blog highlights the lessons and successes from our work with enterprising people in the developing world to build competitive farms, businesses and industries.
In the face of increasingly dynamic and challenging coffee production, small farmers in Guatemala are training to boost their skills and improve their yields and coffee incomes.
In honor of Coffee Day, we are celebrating the stories of farmers like Blanca Rosa, who helped her community to overcome leaf rust and to create more profitable and sustainable coffee livelihoods.
TechnoServe’s Country Director in Nicaragua shares important lessons learned from our work creating inclusive and productive coffee value chains in Central America.
A newly released report by Emory University and TechnoServe shows that carefully designed accelerator programs can facilitate revenue growth.
How TechnoServe supported a long-time family business in the transition of ownership from father to daughter


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The New Meadowlands sports complex has once again proven that a gigantic stadium also requires a gigantic IP network. In less than two-weeks, when the New York Giants inaugurate the New Meadowlands stadium
Digica Solutions of North Toronto has brought in two new executives to handle North American sales and its DigiCare services offering. In the position of director of North American sales is Chris Notley.
He's just 10 days into the job as NetEnrich's senior vice-president and general manager and, already, Justin Crotty admits the company needs to do a better job of marketing and branding itself.Crotty came
Symantec (Nasdaq: SYMC) is helping its SMB partners improve their speed and efficiencies when it comes to marketing campaigns with the introduction of a new program and an enhanced marketing tool.The new program
In an effort to make it simpler for resellers to sell and implement digital signage solutions, ViewSonic has announced three new products that are designed to make things easier.Gene Ornstead, director of DTV
After releasing results from its 2010 Information Management Health Check Survey this month, Symantec (Nasdaq: SYMC) is encouraging its channel partners to help Canadian businesses shape up their information retention plans and policies.The
Two weeks ago, the CIO of Texas penned a seven-page letter outlining the "chronic failures" of the state's nearly four-year outsourcing relationship--a deal the Texas governor had briefly suspended in 2008 citing service
Broomfield, Colo. – They say our biggest challenges are also our biggest opportunities. Asked to identify each for distributor Avnet Technology Solutions (ATS), Jeff Bawol said the answer for each is cloud computing.
The phrase “managed service provider” (MSP) may conjure images of large data centres with 24-by-7 support, a daunting proposition and expensive investment for many solution providers. Particularly when a long-term customer with whom


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Acura Adds a Special Edition TL
Although there have yet to be announcements of the future of the popular Acura TL, the 2013 model is still going strong, and the automaker has recently revealed a special edition trim level that includes new features and will be available soon at Chicagoland Acura dealers. Be sure to visit soon before all of the Special Editions have disappeared.
What’s in the Special Edition?
As of right now, there are just two options available to TL drivers: the basic model (pictured) and the TL SH-AWD (for Super Handling-All Wheel Drive). With Technology and Advance packages available for upgrades, drivers were able to customize the TL to fit their needs, and the Special Edition trim level slides right in between the standard model and the TL with Technology Package.
Features found in the Special Edition include:
- Keyless entry with push-button ignition
- Rear spoiler
- 18-inch wheels
These are in addition to amenities already found on the TL, like dual-zone climate control, a 276-watt audio system, a 10-way adjustable driver’s seat, and the impressive 3.5L V6 with its 286 hp purring under the hood.
For drivers that were already looking to add an Acura to their garage, upgrading to the TL Special Edition adds a bit of convenience and style onto an already impressive auto. It’s especially appealing to those that want to drive a step up from the basic model but aren’t particularly interested in all of the amenities offered by the Technology or Advance packages.
Visit a Chicagoland Acura Dealer for a Test Drive
Drivers looking to check out the new Acura TL or eager to learn more about the options available, contact a Chicagoland Acura dealer today. A sales expert will be glad to help out with any info on the current Acura lineup and set you up with a test drive to see just how great it feels to get behind the wheel of one of the world’s leading luxury autos.


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Location data specialist Blis has announced a strategic partnership with African mobile marketing firm Mobiclicks that will bring its location-based ad products and solutions to the sub-Saharan African market.
With the location technology market in Sub-Saharan Africa growing fast and the number of unique mobile subscribers predicted to reach 725m by 2020, the partnership presents a huge opportunity for brands and agencies looking to reach an African audience.
While location advertising is relatively new to the African market, approximately 15 to 25 per cent of campaigns are location-driven and this is growing fast. With smartphones considered the primary way to get online in many African markets, the opportunity for location tech is substantial.
"There is a lack of education in Africa about location and the opportunities and possibilities it offers," said Shaun Rosen, CEO and founder of Mobiclicks. "But the opportunities brands and agencies can achieve by using location is outstanding. Mobiclicks is ready to fulfill this role and educate the market."
Mobiclicks was founded in 2007 and has become one of the leading players in the African media industry, and one of the largest mobile media buyers on the continent.
"Mobiclicks has had a relationship with key Blis executives over the past few years and has already worked together on various campaigns," said Harry Dewhirst, president of Blis. "With a background in performance-based marketing, Mobiclicks has a strong team of mobile specialists that have gained proficiency in real-time optimisation, ensuring that clients' KPIs are met and optimal ROIs are delivered.


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In the second quarter of 2023, the number of 5G subscriptions reached close to 1.3 billion globally, according to a recent update to the Ericsson Mobility Report. About 260 communication service providers have launched commercial 5G services and around 35 have launched standalone networks.
Interestingly, with 7 million additions, India had the most net addition of mobile subscriptions in the second quarter of 2023, followed by China (5 million) and the US (3 million). The total number of mobile subscriptions globally reached 8.3 billion, with a net addition of 40 million subscriptions during the second quarter. The number of unique mobile subscribers is 6.1 billion, according to the report.
The global mobile subscription penetration was 105% and the number grew by about 100 million in this quarter, totalling 7.4 billion, showing an annual increase of 5%. Mobile broadband now accounts for 88% of all mobile subscriptions.
Mobile traffic also increased by 33% from last year’s second quarter to this year’s. Moreover, 4G subscriptions also increased by 11 million, totalling about 5.2 billion and accounting for 62% of all mobile subscriptions
Currently, mobile broadband now accounts for 88 per cent of all mobile subscriptions. WCDMA/HSPA subscriptions reduced by 85 million and GSM/EDGE-only subscriptions decreased by 59 million during the quarter. Other technologies fell by about two million, the report explains.
In June, the Ericsson Mobility Report predicted that 5G subscriptions will reach 1.5 billion in 2023 and by the end of 2028, they are expected to reach 4.6 billion, accounting for over half of all mobile subscriptions. The report also stated that India will have 700 million 5G subscribers by 2028-end, which will be 57% of its mobile-subscriber base, as reported by Mint. It also forecast that as 5G connections increase, 4G subscriptions will decline from 820 million in 2022 to 500 million by 2028.
“Mobile networks continue to play a pivotal role in driving social and economic inclusion in the country. The strong digital infrastructure being established in India will help the country bridge the digital divide, create jobs, drive entrepreneurship and boost the economy,” Nitin Bansal, Head of Ericsson India and Head of Network Solutions for Southeast Asia, Oceania and India, Ericsson, said in a press statement, according to the Mint report.


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Connecticut Grown online store now in operation by state
The state Department of Agriculture has launched an online store offering Connecticut Grown-themed clothing and other functional items.
T-shirts, polo shirts, baseball hats, coffee mugs, insulated tote bags and other merchandise featuring the Connecticut Grown logo are being offered for public sale for the first time through the website, www.ConnecticutGrownStore.com.
“The Connecticut Grown logo represents a diverse array of food and other farm goods raised and made in our state,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steven K. Reviczky.
“I have witnessed an increasing number of people wanting to visibly demonstrate their support for locally-sourced products and producers, and this store will give them the opportunity to do so,” Reviczky said.
Shipping available on most items
All major credit cards are accepted, and most items can be shipped. On-site pick up at the Department of Agriculture offices at 165 Capitol Ave., Hartford, also can be arranged by appointment.
All proceeds from the online store will be put back into inventory to help make the store a self-sustaining venture.


text: India’s leading private banks stated that they will charge a minimum of Rs 150 for cash deposits and withdrawals after four free transactions in a month, reviving charges that were kept in abeyance briefly after the government scrapped high-value notes in November. HDFC, ICICI and Axis banks will calculate the fee aimed at reducing cash dealings at the rate of Rs 5 for every Rs 1,000 transacted or Rs 150, whichever is lower. HDFC and ICICI sources said the fees will be applicable to transactions outside of home branches. The charges, introduced in July last year in the case of ICICI, resumed from January 1 though the free transactions varied from four to five between banks. In case of several banks, including ICICI Bank and Axis BankBSE 1.28 %, these charges came into effect early in January and are same as they were before the demonetisation move announced on November 8, while there is an increase in such fees in case of some others, including HDFC Bank, today onwards. Both banks define home branch differently HDFC defines it as the branch where an account was opened while ICICI defines it as any branch within the city of the account.There was no clarity on whether the charges will be applicable to ATM withdrawals. These charges are for cash transactions in the branches, and not through ATMs. The move was seen in some quarters as aimed at discouraging cash transactions and furthering the digital payment drive.


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Local Resort Makes CNN Top Christmas Decoration List
This week, CNN Travel.com released a list of the Top 15 hotels that go all out, decorations wise, for Christmas. They compiled the list because they have found that a lot of people travel over the holidays, so if you have to be away from home and want to be surrounded with Christmas decorations, you might wish to check these places out.
9 of the 15 hotels are in the United States, with New York State having the honor of two hotels making the list. The Plaza Hotel in New York City made the cut as did a local Hudson Valley favorite, The Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz.
Here is what CNN said you can look forward to at Mohonk during the month of December:
- The 1869 Victorian castle resort is hosting its first-ever Ugly Sweater Weekends on the weekends of December 7 and 14. Cookie-decorating and cocktail tastings are capped off with an ugly sweater contest and dance party.
- The Hudson Valley Gingerbread Competition will be hosted at Mohonk on December 9.
- On Christmas Eve, breakfast with Santa, a yule log hunt and cookie-decorating are on the agenda, followed on Christmas Day by a lessons and carols service and a reindeer-tracking expedition.
Have you ever been to Mohonk Mountain House around the Christmas holidays? Do you agree with the CNN that it should be on the list of the Top 15 Hotels that Go All Out for the Christmas Decorations?


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LONDON — “Lucy in the sky with handbags” may not have the poetry of the original lyric. But the Beatles unveiled on Monday a high fashion bag collection in a collaboration with Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons.
Patterned with apples and polka dots — the first a homage to Apple Corps, which controls The Beatles’ legacy; the second a favorite symbol of the iconic Japanese designer — the collection of bags and shirts looks more basic than inventive.
“I want to develop the ‘Beatles by CDG’ collection in a strong conceptual way,” said Ms. Kawakubo through an interpreter. “Instead of making many unnecessary items that may come to resemble a Beatles souvenir shop, I think it is better to concentrate on one strong idea.”
The 10 bags — all nonleather — are divided between embossed polyurethane and printed PVC material, with the designer describing the graphic patterns as “deliberately undesigned” and “prototypical shapes.”
“The graphics and visuals will be the creation, as this can best express the spirit of The Beatles,” said Ms. Kawakubo, who has given the collection pride of place in her new Omotesando store called The Trading Museum. It is to be launched next week in Tokyo, and at London’s Dover Street Market on Nov. 27.
An international roll-out of this “one image, one concept” collection will start in the new year, with the travel bags selling from around £320, or $530, shirts at £220 and T-shirts from £70.Continue reading the main story