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WATConsult and Motilal Oswal come together to launch new campaign #TheOnlyTIP
WATConsult, India’s leading and most awarded digital and social media agency, part of Dentsu Aegis Network along with Motilal Oswal, India’s leading financial service company has launched a digital campaign called #TheOnlyTIP.
The campaign features famous stand-up comedian Mallika Dua and the Man From Motilal Oswal (MFMO) Manav Kaul. In the video, Mallika Dua plays multiple characters who have fallen victim to unsolicited advice. The benefits of TIP (Target Investment Plan), a goal based investing platform are also highlighted in the video.
Link to video : https://youtu.be/RIuJWDKRg8A
Speaking about the campaign, Rajiv Dingra, Founder and CEO, WATConsult said, “Humour has emerged as an effective medium in recent years. Keeping this in mind, the team conceptualised this campaign with a humorous twist to break the pattern of serious marketing done by most financial brands. With a renowned personality like Mallika Dua as a part of the campaign, we are sure that the message will reach out to many.”
Speaking on the same, Ramnik Chhabra, Marketing Director, Motilal Oswal said, “Our Target Investment Plan, i.e. TIP, is a unique product that helps people fulfil their investing goals by creating the ideal mix of investing amount, investing horizon and fund to be invested in. The film helps present this in an engaging way.”
WATConsult, which recently completed 10 years, is India’s leading and most awarded digital and social media agency founded by Rajiv Dingra in the year 2007. A part of Dentsu Aegis Network, it has received more than 100 awards and recognitions in the field of digital media marketing. It has won 7 Agency of the Year awards over last 4 years which include ‘The Most Progressive Digital Agency Award’ at CMO ASIA Singapore, ‘The Social Media Agency of the Year 2014’ at Socialathon Delhi, ‘Boutique Media Agency of the Year’ at Media Ace Awards, Mumbai, TheCampaign Agency of the year India (Bronze) at the Campaign Asia Awards, Digital Agency of the year at DOD awards 2016, the most recent Digital Agency of the Year at Delhi Ad club awards 2017 and Marketing Agency of the Year at MCube 2017.


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Imagine hearing from extremely successful companies like Fat Brain Toys, Yahoo, and Constant Contact all in the same day. You can do just that June 12th at this year’s MarkeTECH conference in Omaha hosted by GROW Nebraska. Connecting Marketing and Technology is the theme with a full agenda of presentations and networking opportunities to help you integrate technology into your marketing plan.
Additional information at the conference will be made available from Volano Solutions, Maly Marketing, and Affordable Social Media – more highly successful Nebraska companies who will share tips and ideas to help you grow your business through technology.
MarkeTECH – Connecting Marketing and Technology will be held at the Thompson Center at UNO from 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 12th. Registration is $50 for GROW Nebraska and Omaha Chamber members. Non-member rate is $99 with a special student rate of $25. This year the conference is co-hosted by the Omaha Chamber of Commerce and the Nebraska Lottery is helping sponsor this outstanding educational opportunity for businesses.
For more information about MarkeTECH or to register, go to www.grownebraska.org/marketech
For additional information, contact GROW Nebraska at email@example.com or Janell Anderson Ehrke at (308) 962-6767.

domain: news


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Latest news about Bitcoin and all cryptocurrencies. Your daily crypto news habit.
In a bid to launch a new yen-based digital currency in 2022, about 70 Japanese companies have come together to form a consortium. The association which has some of the country’s biggest financial institutions joining in, is sending a strong signal that the private sector may have just started embracing blockchain-based payment systems too.
70 Japanese Companies To Launch DCPJY
The CEO of crypto exchange DeCurret, Kazuhiro Tokia may have issued a statement saying that the new digital currency dubbed ‘DCPJY,’ will be supported by bank deposits and would rely on a common platform to facilitate large fund transfers and settlements between the member companies.
DeCurret is leading the consortium, which includes banks like Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, and Mizuho Financial Group. Other companies participating in the consortium include Kansai Electric Power Co Inc., Japan Post Bank Co Ltd., East Japan Railway Co, and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp.
Meanwhile, Mizuho, Mitsubishi, Sumitomo, and Japan Post Bank are 4 out of the 5 largest financial institutions in Japan, in terms of total deposits.
According to Reuters, the 70 Japanese companies have been consistently holding meetings since 2020, to deliberate on ways of creating a new settlement platform for digital payments.
BOJ’s CBDC Still On Schedule
In all of this however, the Bank of Japan BOJ is still very much focused on the development of a central bank digital currency (CBDC). As earlier reported by Coingape, the CBDC pilot tests should be completed by March 2022. The BOJ aims to provide seamless payment channels between electronic payment services and the so-called digital yuan. But even though the BOJ is at the forefront of this effort by the public sector, the ultimate plan is to incentivize private-sector acceptance of a CBDC.
Also to according to DeCurret adviser Toshihide Endo, the infrastructure being built by the 70 Japanese companies consortium, is in sync with the BOJ’s CBDC framework.
The post 70 Japanese Companies Form Consortium to Launch Yen-based Digital Currency appeared first on Coingape.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not reflect the views of Bitcoin Insider. Every investment and trading move involves risk - this is especially true for cryptocurrencies given their volatility. We strongly advise our readers to conduct their own research when making a decision.


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3 May 2013
26 Mar 2013
Engagement ring, loose diamond, and fine jewelry shoppers around the world now able to purchase from Ritani.com.
New York, NY March 26, 2013 — Los Angeles PR Firm P3R Publicity‘s client, Ritani (www.ritani.com), a leading designer of engagement rings and fine jewelry, today announced international shipping capabilities to 12 countries around the globe through its partnership with FiftyOne Global Ecommerce. International consumers will be able to take advantage of Ritani’s free insured express shipping and no cost 30-day returns on any purchase from Ritani.com. International shoppers will be able to transact in their local currency and payment methods.
“Ritani attracts customers from around the globe looking for the perfect engagement ring, loose diamond, or piece of fine jewelry,” said Brian Watkins, president of Ritani. “With our new international capabilities, we’re able to provide the same seamless online buying experience to Ritani customers around the world as we do with US-based customers.”
Ritani, through its partnership with FiftyOne, will initially support shipments to Canada, Japan, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Macau, Singapore, Sweden and Switzerland. The company expects to add countries rapidly, eventually servicing customers in over 40 countries around the world.
Ritani launched e-commerce capabilities in the United States in October 2012, uniquely offering direct-to- consumer shopping as well as complete integration with local jewelers so Ritani product can be sent to stores locally for a free in-store preview. Internationally, Ritani will initially focus on direct-to-consumer shopping.
“Ritani launched with FiftyOne in just under 40 days, extending its ecommerce capabilities to tap customers in new markets; we are thrilled to see their global sites go live so quickly and seamlessly,” said Michael DeSimone, CEO, FiftyOne. “At FiftyOne, our understanding of global markets combined with our adaptable technology platform creates an international ecommerce solution best suited for Ritani’s goals for growth and expansion.”
About Ritani Ritani (www.ritani.com) is a premium jewelry brand modernizing the way consumers purchase engagement rings and fine diamond jewelry. Founded in 1999, Ritani marries the online shopping experience for handcrafted and custom-made engagement rings, loose diamonds, and other fine jewelry with a network of trusted local luxury jewelers in one seamless transaction. Ritani is headquartered in New York with e- commerce operations in Seattle. Jewelers interested in becoming a Ritani retail partner can contact Ritani at partner(at)ritani(dot)com.
About FiftyOne New York City-based FiftyOne Global Ecommerce is the recognized market leader in international ecommerce, operating a technology and services platform that enables U.S. retailers to transact with customers more than 100 countries and more than 60 currencies worldwide. FiftyOne manages all aspects of international orders including multi-currency pricing and payment processing, landed cost calculation, customs clearance and brokerage, international fraud management, international logistics orchestration, and customer-experience parity. For more information, visit www.fiftyone.com
14 Mar 2013
12 Jun 2012
It’s less than a week until Father’s Day and if you’re still trying to find a gift for the dad that has everything, we’ve rounded up a few easy accessories that every dad will adore. From the new dad to the golfing addict to the tech savvy father, we at P3R selected some of our favorite budget friendly pieces for all of the men on your list for easy, stress-free gift shopping this Father’s Day. Plus all are available online so you don’t even have to leave the house!
D&Y has great classic hats for those fashion forward men or for dad to add a little spice to his wardrobe. Straw fedoras for summer or golfing caps come in a variety of neutral colors and are available at shopdavidandyoung.com. JuJuBe carries lifestyle bags perfect for the man on-the-go. A favorite of new dads and techies, JuJuBe bags are multipurpose and also retail online at ju-ju-be.com. Remember simplicity is key and you’ll be certain that these will become dad’s favorites!
Are you a procrastinator or did you already buy Father’s Day gifts?
P3R Publicity is a full-service PR firm based in Los Angeles servicing fashion, hospitality, consumer goods, non-profits, talent and lifestyle brands. Visit us at www.myp3r.com.


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Consumer electronics group calls for broad FCC set top box review
It’s been more than six years since federal regulators looked at competition in the market for video set-top boxes. And in that time, the video landscape has dramatically changed. Telecom companies AT&T and Verizon have joined cable companies in bringing shows and movies to U.S. living rooms. They are also joined by satellite companies such as Dish Network and Direct TV.
So the Consumer Electronics Association wants to make sure the Federal Communications Commission looks at the broader market for video service as it begins its review of set-top boxes.
As reported, the FCC said it is looking into competition in the video set-top box market as it figures out how to blanket the country with access to affordable high-speed Internet. The agency sees the television set--which can be found in virtually every American home--as a vehicle for delivering broadband access. As television and Web converge, the set-top box could become a medium for bringing more people online, the FCC believes.
“We think it is high time the FCC reassess the market, taking into account the current retail market and fragmented nature of pay TV platforms,” said Jamie Hedlund, vice president of regulatory affairs for CEA.
The group met with the head of the FCC’s media bureau, Bill Lake, last September to ask the agency to take a harder look at the video set-top box industry and the control the cable industry has over it (here's an exparte of the meeting.)
They see potential for the market to be structured like the mobile phone industry – an analogy made by Lake in the FCC’s national broadband plan report issued last week. There were about 14 video set-top boxes on the market in 2008, including those leased by cable, telecom and satellite providers. That compares with nearly 900 mobile devices.
Public interest groups say there is no reason why the set-top box can’t be a slimmed down device with scores of applications for videos, movies, games, and Internet content. There are currently two main set-top box makers – Motorola and Cisco – though many more device makers have expressed interest in getting into the industry, particularly as more people spend time in front of the TV (Nielsen reported recently that television viewing is at an all-time high with U.S. households spending an average of nearly five hours a day in front of the tube.) and videos become easier to get online.
In 2009, cable companies will ship about 15.8 million set-top boxes, up from 14.7 million last year. That number will continue to grow to about 16.3 million next year, according to research estimates, the CEA says.
Cable companies argue that the FCC’s criticism of the set-top box market rests with manufacturers, not them.
"We were the first in the industry to publicly propose that consumers should be able to access the video offerings of cable, telco and satellite providers with any device purchased at retail," said Kyle McSlarrow, chief executive of cable trade group National Cable and Telecommunications Association. "Such a solution would spur the kind of innovation at retail that we and the commission believe would meet consumer demand. In that regard, we welcome the opportunity to explore repealing the counterproductive rule that requires a cable card to be inserted in all leased set-top boxes which impose unnecessary costs on consumers."
But the agency says that because the majority of boxes are leased by cable operators, companies like Cox, Cablevision, Time Warner and Cox essentially control the market.
”It’s been a long slog,” Hudlund said. “Cable operators have been loath to give up control.”
November 24, 2009; 9:26 AM ET
Categories: Comcast , Consumers , FCC , Online Video
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As part of a new business briefing
we learned that Sony has big plans for expanding its reach beyond consoles. With the success of Horizon Zero Dawn, Days Gone, and God of War on PC the company has plans to ensure half of all its first-party launches cover PC and Mobile devices by 2025.
“PlayStation Studios historically has executed wonderfully in the delivery of a strong portfolio of narrative rich, graphically beautiful single-player games, but it’s certainly the case that we have restricted ourselves to a rather narrow portion of the gaming market,” PlayStation president Jim Ryan said. “By expanding to PC and mobile, also to live services, we have the opportunity to move from a situation of being present in a very narrow segment of the overall gaming software market, to being present pretty much everywhere.”
As depicted in the slide, PlayStation presence on PC and mobile is set to grow substantially. In terms of releases on the horizon Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection is still on track for a PC debut this year. It gets interesting when you factor in live service games though, with PlayStation looking to release up to 12 "live service games" in the next few years. It's definitely a big push into the space for Sony, with Jim Ryan adding that even if only a few are successful the impact will transform it's overall business structure.
Of course as of now when you think about first-party PlayStation Studios titles you think about epic single-player games. And with God of War: Ragnarok, Marvel Spider-Man 2, Marvel Wolverine, and more on the horizon that perception won't really change anytime soon.
Interestingly the briefing gave us a look at how PlayStation games have been selling on PC - and the results are certainly impressive.
And then there's mobile, which is definitely new territory for PlayStation. Mobile-wise the company is calling its stategy "aggressive" with plans for studio partnerships, first-party expansion, cross-platform functionaly, and more led by a team consisting of talent from "top mobile companies".


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Evan Schouten Participates in Bundling Panel at Spring 2013 ABA Antitrust Section Meeting
April 24, 2013
Analysis Group Vice President Evan Hoffman Schouten outlined economic concerns related to product bundling -- the practice by which a firm may sell two or more products together at a price that is different from what the sum of the prices would be if the products were sold separately -- in a panel discussion at the Spring meeting of the ABA Antitrust Section. The meeting was held April 10--12 in Washington, D.C.
In the session "Little Joy or Guidance for Bundling Discounters," Ms. Schouten discussed the reasons why companies may adopt this common approach to pricing -- for example, to reduce costs, obtain preferred distribution, price discriminate, or foreclose rivals -- and the desire of courts, regulators, and businesses to identify a bright-line test to provide safe harbor to product bundles that do not harm competition. "The problem with the proposed safe harbor tests is that even when a bundle is procompetitive, it may fail the test, indicating a possible problem where there is none," Ms. Schouten explained. "In such cases, companies may be reluctant to offer the bundle -- even when it enhances efficiency or benefits consumers."
The panel also featured attorneys from Microsoft Corporation; Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP; Hilliard Shadowen LLC; and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP.


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The Consumer Electronics Show (aka CES) is one of the largest technology trade shows in the world. Taking place every January in Las Vegas, Nevada, CES is chock-full of interesting gadgets, toys, drones, and much more. It is the event to follow for all the latest news and announcements from the tech world. Hundreds of major and emerging brands presented on the show floor, and visitors had the opportunity to be among the first to test their latest products.
credit: John R. Hutchinson, Jr. firstname.lastname@example.org
Tags: 2017, Biggest, CES, ces-2017, Hybrid, las vegas, Nevada, Show, Tech, tech news, tech show
The Consumer Electronics Show or CES 2013 in Las Vegas, is one of the largest showcases of new technology in the world. For four days companies like LG Electronics presents the latest computers, televisions, cameras, phones and more. LG unveiled a new hight-end products during their press conference. For example LG showcased a 55-inch, 4mm thick OLED TV with a price tag of US$ 11,999 and more.
Tags: 2013, 84 inch, 9.1, all-in-one, CES, CES 2013, ea83, ea93, et83, full hd, hecto, higher resolution, International Consumer Electronics Show, largest oled tv, Las, las vegas, lg, lg cinema 3d, LG Electronics, lg oled tv, Panorama Note, panoramatic monitor, panoramatic tv, Showcase, smartbox, ultra hd tv, Ultra lineup tv HD, ultra wide monitor, USA, Vegas


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In recent years, brick and mortar retailers have found themselves at a disadvantage to their online counterparts. While online retailers can literally track consumers through every site click, it’s difficult to translate this into the offline world. So, what’s an offline retailer to do in order to get a more holistic look into their customers’ journey?
A recent New York Times article explores some of the latest techniques that these stores—including well-known brands such as Nordstrom’s, Family Dollar, Benetton, and Warby Parker—are using to try and even out the playing field. While reading about these methodologies may raise a few eyebrows, some are considering them to be par for the course in today’s society where we are coming to accept that Big Brother or, in this case, Big Data is always with us.
From the moment Jane Doe opens the store doors to the right turn she takes to get the make-up counter and the 20 minutes she spends trying different samples, someone at Nordstrom’s is there to track her every movement through Wi-Fi signals emitted from her smartphone. As they collect information on everything from her gender to her mood (yes, facial recognition is in full effect) and her shopping habits, they are using this data to send her customized deals and figure out more efficient ways to layout the store, among many other purposes.
With the right mix of quantitative and qualitative methodologies, including shopalongs, ethnographies, online communities, and survey research, much of the customer journey can be pieced together…in an ethical manner that doesn’t require peering into the lives of consumers without their consent. While there are concerns that traditional market research is biased when respondents know that they’re being monitored—it is even more concerning to think that we are all opting into being research participants just merely by taking a trip to the local store. While there is no perfect solution, it is crucial to ensure the integrity of all data collection by gaining participants’ permission. Panel providers are starting to evolve their offerings to the point where consumers can opt in to be tracked via their smartphone while in-store…so there is little excuse for retailers to make consumers feel as if they need to look over their shoulder (or shut off their phone) when they walk into their establishment.


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The LA County Fair Starts Today! Go Eat Something Battered! And Deep-Fried! On a Stick!
Photo by Elise Thompson for LAistPut on your sneakers and suncreen! Fill your pockets with Tums! Today marks the opening day of the LA County Fair, which will run from Sept. 5-Oct. 4th this year, a week longer than usual.
You can sample 300 "culinary delights" at the Fair. This year the ever-popular Chicken Charlie is creating the "Zucchini Weenie". It's a zucchini hollowed out, stuffed with a hot dog, then battered and fried. This year also sees the debut of the horrifying yet fascinating "Meat Lover's Ice Cream" - soft serve ice cream with dark chocolate deep fried bacon. Yes, we said bacon.
Watch for "The Outlaw Grill," which is 83 feet long bumper to bumper and can cook 1,500 turkey legs at once. For a massive dessert, try newcomer "The Colossal Gelato" a full pint of gelato ice cream in a 16-inch waffle cone or giant CBS Cupcakes from their distinctive white, black and pink trailer.


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Move over, Zoella! Will in-store make-up tutorials recorded on Google Glass for you to replay at home spell the end for YouTube beauty stars?
- YSL make-up artist will film makeovers on Google Glass in-store
- They send the full tutorial to customer's email within 20 minutes
- Glasses have been trialled backstage at fashion week already
In an age where looking picture-perfect in an Instagram selfie is all the rage (thanks, Kim Kardashian), it comes as no surprise that women are brushing up on their beauty techniques.
However, rather than devouring beauty manuals or picking up tips from their mothers, two fifths of British women are now watching their way to better beauty skills.
A recent survey revealed that 41 per cent of women view beauty videos on YouTube or dedicated blogs - an industry that's garnered 700m hits a month worldwide, according to Pixability.
Scroll down for videos
YSL make-up artists will treat customers to a 45-minute makeover while wearing the Google Glasses and filming their every brush stroke so that customers can replay the close-up tutorial at home
But with a new year comes new trends and beauty bloggers like Zoella and Lisa Eldridge may find their viewing figures dwindling.
Taking heed of the popularity of online make-up and skincare tutorials, French style giant YSL is helping beauty buffs create their own personal tutorials with the help of Google Glass.
Make-up artists in store across the UK will treat customers to a 45-minute makeover while wearing the Google Glasses and filming their every brush stroke.
The make-up artist will take before and after pictures on the glasses and wear them throughout the entire make-up application to capture the techniques and products used.
The resulting video will be seen through the eyes of the professional and is designed to help customers recreate the look when they return home.
The bespoke tutorial, which costs £30 and is redeemable against product purchase, is emailed to you within 20 minutes of being filmed, along with before and after shots.
The make-up artist takes a 'before' and 'after' picture on the glasses and they are worn throughout the entire make-up application to capture the techniques and products used for a film emailed directly to the customer
The concept has just launched in Selfridges, London, and will be being rolled out nationwide in 2015.
This isn't the first time that the smart specs have been used in the beauty realm.
In February this year, Max Factor's lead make-up artist, Mel Arter, created a raw nude look for the Emilia Wickstead show using the computerised eyewhere.
Mel told MailOnline at the time: 'Being backstage is an exciting time for a make-up artist. It’s a prime opportunity to get really creative and use the latest products for the first time.
Popular: Zoella, who regularly posts beauty tutorials, gets millions of hits from women looking for tips
41 per cent of women watch beauty video tutorials by vloggers such as Lily Pebbles and Vivianna Makeup
'By using Google Glass this season, you’ll be able to see exactly how I’m creating the look; a make-up artist view on camera that has not been seen before.
'Women can then follow this process and create all or parts of the look themselves at home.
'I think we are going to be seeing them a lot more in the world of make-up artistry. I am chuffed to be pioneering it.'
Pioneering: In February this year, Max Factor's lead make-up artist, Mel Arter, bottom right, created a raw nude look for the Emilia Wickstead show and filmed the entire thing by wearing Google Glass throughout
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The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) has committed $10 million into food fortification in Nigeria, Kenya and Tanzania, in line with its fight against malnutrition in Africa.
The grant, which was received by TechnoServe, a nonprofit consortium of world class food companies, is aimed at strengthening the ability of food processors to comply with fortification standards, and supporting the fortification enabling environment.
The stakeholders highlighted that one in three children in Nigeria are stunted, while two out of three are chronically malnourished, due to lack of essential micronutrients.
According to them, lack of essential nutrients diminish productivity, reduce IQ points by 10-15 percent, cuts gross domestic product (GDP) by two to three percent.
To tackle this, the initiative will support about 40 food companies in Nigeria to achieve the goal of standardised food fortification
According to the BMGF, the four-year initiative will help food companies in Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania to improve competitiveness, while increasing availability of fortified foods.
The Nigerian portion of the initiative for strengthening African processors of fortiied food was launched at the Oriental Hotel in Lagos on Thursday with major stakeholders in attendance.
Speaking at the launch on Thursday about the motive behind the initiative, Shawn Baker, global director of nutrition, Bill Melinda Gates Foundation, said
“To set the context; undernutrition is the cause of 45 percent of underfive mortality. Many children, almost half of children that die, die because of undernutrition, and we also know that good nutrition is essential for children’s physical and cognitive development.
“There are many ways too tackle malnutrition, but one fundamental way to ensure that the food the people eat has essential vitamins and minerals; vitamin A, iodine, folic acid, zinc. And the way to get that is to do large scale food fortification.
“It is really an important way that private sector food producers can make sure that the food thet are producing contains the nutrients that consumers need.
“What we have seen is that Nigeria has really been a pioneer in Africa, having mndatory fortification of cooking oil, sugar and flour. But there’s a disconnect between what the government mandates and what the industry is producing because compliance is not meeting standards.
“This is to help fill that gap to provide technical assistance to companies so they can meet the standards, but also work with the government to make sure that government continues to provide a level playing field so industry has the right incentives to fortify foods to standards”.
The launch was also attended by representatives of the ministers of Agric, health, trade and investment and budget and national planning.
Donors at the event included USAID, DFID, UNICEF, EU, ECOWAS, World Bank and the Aliko Dangote Foundation.


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Europe’s tech start-up scene is giving Silicon Valley a run for its money.
Europe is home to more than twice as many tech initial public offerings (IPOs) as the U.S. so far this year, while newly-listed European companies are outperforming their American counterparts, according to a report by venture capital firm Atomico.
The research, released Tuesday at the Slush tech conference in Helsinki, Finland, suggests investors could reap big returns from Europe’s technology start-ups. Citing data from the London Stock Exchange, it found 69 tech companies have gone public in Europe so far this year, compared to 28 in the U.S.
European tech companies that went public in 2018 saw their share price increase by an average of 222 percent. By contrast, U.S. tech IPOs had average gains of 42 percent.
“This year has been an incredible year for the European tech ecosystem,” Tom Wehmeier, partner and head of research at Atomico who authored the report, told CNBC.
The fourth annual report surveyed 5,000 respondents across Europe. It said one reason the continent outpaces the U.S. in the tech IPO market is that European exchanges are more supportive of smaller companies that want to go public. Sixty-two out of Europe’s 69 tech IPOs had a market cap below $1 billion.
The research also highlighted a growing number of European unicorns, or companies valued at more than $1 billion. Atomico reported 17 new unicorns in Europe this year, double the number added last year. Among them were U.K. fintech companies Revolut and Monzo and Estonian ride-hailing start-up Taxify.


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Rockwell Automation and Accenture announce partnership
Rockwell Automation has announced a partnership with Accenture. Blake Moret, Chariman and CEO, announced the partnership at Rockwell’s Automation Fair earlier this week.
“This morning, we announced the signing of a new agreement with Accenture,” he said during his opening address.
“We love the open innovation approach,” explained Mike Sutcliff, Group Chief Executive, Accenture Digital. “The collaboration will allow companies to look across supply chains in addition to in the plant. It enables optimisation across the factory, the supply chain and the enterprise.”
The collaboration will enable clients to leverage the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and has already yielded, among other early-stage successes, a prototype for supply chain management designed to deliver supplier cost optimisation and an improved ability to track the exact movements of products.
Rockwell Automation will provide industrial automation technology and domain expertise, including FactoryTalk InnovationSuite IIoT software, and analytics solutions. It will also bring network services and operational technology security, as well as application development, installation, integration and support. Accenture will provide enterprise business and technical capabilities, including consulting, analytics, application development, systems integration, change management and support.
“Our collaboration with Rockwell Automation will offer digital solutions and services that will go a long way in helping our clients achieve this enterprise transformation,” said Sutcliff.
“By teaming up, we reduce complexity, reduce risk and achieve better results with comprehensive, enterprise-wide expertise,” explained Moret. “We’re combining technology and domain expertise to deliver the best possible outcomes. We’re applying technology to save time and money in industrial company processes. Simplification drives productivity.”
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Feedzai: Half put fraud prevention on merchants' shoulders
With the recent Target data breech security is top of many retailer, financial institution and business owner minds. And that is good because new data out from Feedzai indicates consumers are placing the responsibility for data security directly on merchants' shoulders.
As for how shoppers are looking at data breeches most (58%) of those between the ages of 18 and 34 believe data breeches are 'part of' the online shopping experience while only about one-third (38%) of those over age 55 believe the same. Other interesting findings include:
• 52% of those aware of data breeches believe shopping in-store is safer than shopping online
• 22% say they changed shopping behaviors because of recent breeches, 38% say they've 'stopped shopping' at affected retailers
• 40% say they're using cash more now than before the breeches
• 55% say data breeches are the responsibility of merchants
"Fraud prevention is now a matter of predicting complex consumer behavior based on changing sentiments," said Dr. Pedro Bizarro, chief data scientist of Feedzai. "These findings show that consumers believe it is the merchant's responsibility, but really it is a collective problem that the industry needs to understand in order to distinguish customers from criminals and keep payment data safe."
Meanwhile about 20% say losing cellphones or getting the flu are more aggravating than credit card theft; Americans also say being stuck in traffic or going to the DMV is more frustrating that having a credit or debit card stolen.
Image via Shutterstock
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- 170% rise in ad requests containing location data
- Brexit, Trump leave marketers skittish about targeting
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Latest from Michael Lee
Who wants to be a hacking millionaire?
Google is well known for rewarding those that provide information that will help the company make its products more secure, but after no one stepped up to try their hand at a US$20,000 hacking challenge last year, Google has upped the ante to up to US$1 million.
Oz is the start-up's sandbox: Google Sudo
Google has kicked off its first in a series of "Google Sudo" events, aimed at helping Australian entrepreneurs kick start their own businesses by getting the opinions from a venture capitalist (VC), a start-up and an angel investor on what Aussie start-ups should be doing.


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Big trouble on the horizon spurs a biofuels initiative
Carlo Luri, general manager of Bently Biofuels, tells of the day in 2002 when Don Bently met him in the company lunchroom and said, “We’re going to have big trouble.”
As a new hire, Luri wasn’t happy to hear that. But it turned into an opportunity to make operations more cost efficient when Bently continued, “Oil is going to go up to $100 a barrel.”
Luri, who studied chemical engineering at Cornell in New York and environmental science at Rutgers in New Jersey, concludes the story: “Here we are four years later and we’ve got a working biodiesel plant.”
The fuel is used on the ranch to run farm machinery and to transport cattle.
Most biodiesel fuel is made from soybean oil, says Luri. “Here, we make it from used soybean oil. After restaurants are done cooking with it, we bring it back here and make it into fuel.”
The company picks up some oil from local restaurants, for which it pays 40 cents a gallon. Previously, restaurants had to pay to have it hauled away. But not enough cooking oil is generated locally, so the company also uses a collection service.
The fuel is created when methanol and vegetable oil combine and react to create methylester the chemical name for biodiesel.
A heavier solid byproduct, glycerin, drops out. And naturally, that gets composted.
The ranch even has its own filling station where local residents are welcome to fill up. The company sells about one-third of its total production; the rest is used on its own property.
Luri lists the benefits of biofuels: It’s nontoxic and biodegradeable. It’s safe to store and won’t ignite until 400 degrees Fahrenheit. It has fewer emissions than does gasoline. It’s low in sulfur, which causes acid rain.
“Seed oils are both renewable and recyclable,” says Luri. “It’s a resource that can be grown anywhere in the world. Any country, no matter how poor, can grow its fuel.”
Northern Nevada pet stores see demand for supplies – and for animals themselves – rise in age of COVID
More than a third (34%) of pet owners have increased pet-related spending since COVID hit in March; and, nearly half (47%) of pet owners have pet-related debt, up from 36% in 2019.


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Not everyone wants to hear when they just go through security at the airport. However, this is exactly what I said when I repacked my luggage at London Heathrow Airport before a long trip. I turned
Bronco's customization potential is unparalleled.
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There are different types of refrigerators, the price is less than 80,000 naira. In addition to the beverage cooler, you can also get a mini refrigerator, double door, single door, box freezer. Jud
Comment-If you have ever wanted to customize your crafts or objects with artwork or even just your initials, you may have considered buying an engraving machine. Today I want to show you the Dewall
Nissan has prepared something for everyone at the 2021 SEMA show.
At this time of the year, automakers will showcase their craziest and most bizarre concepts for the SEMA aftermarket. Nissan


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Chicago attorney files lawsuit against Uber
- Staff Chicago Business Journal
The complaint, filed Oct. 1 in the Circuit Court of Cook County, charges San Francisco-based Uber, a taxicab service that uses a smartphone app to book a sedan or taxi, with false price advertising and deceptive use of wording in communicating how Uber makes a profit from each booking.
Travis Kalanick, Uber’s CEO, told The New York Times it rejected any criticisms that the company violated city rules. He told The Washington Post that the city's concern his service needed additional oversight could put an end to his business.
The lawsuit states Uber violates Section 2 of the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act through the "misrepresentation or the concealment, suppression or omission of any material fact." That is due to the passengers being told they will be charged a meter rate and a gratuity before they book, and at the end of the ride, are being charged the total rate without knowing how much of the gratuity goes to the driver's tip, according to a press release.
Specifically, Adams' lawsuit challenges Uber's use of the word "gratuity," which the complaint alleges includes a driver's tip, but also the company's fee and a credit card fee. The lawsuit states the company does not disclose its fees nor how that gratuity is spent. Chicago taxi ordinances, which prohibit taxi companies from charging anything more than the regulated meter rate, according to the release.
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Waterstones is seeking alternative premises for its Camden branch after failing to agree a new lease with the landlord, forcing the shop to close at the end of the month.
Staff at the High Street store were locked out for a day last month in what the chain called "unprecedented" action by Concise Property Management over its lease negotiations.
On Monday (17th February), Waterstones announced it would now have to close the two-floor store completely but would be looking for new premises in the area.
It said staff at the Camden shop would be given work in other branches until a suitable location could be found.
A spokesman said: "We have been unable to agree a new lease for our Camden shop and will therefore be closing later this month. This is greatly regretted.
"We are actively looking for a new site in Camden and hope to reopen soon. All booksellers will be redeployed in the meantime."
Concise Property Management declined to comment.


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Enables developers to rapidly train AIs with synthetic data for next-gen Smart Home use-cases
Customer AI applications include home security, home automation and home safety
CES, Las Vegas, 5 January – Mindtech Global, developer of the world’s leading end-to-end synthetic data creation platform for training AI vision systems – has released a new application pack for companies developing Smart Home solutions.
The smart home pack is available on Mindtech’s Chameleon platform which has been designed to create synthetic training data to help computers see, understand and predict human-to-human and human-to-world interactions – essential for next-generation Smart Home applications.
The new Smart Home pack is ideal for the rapid development of in-home AI vision systems focused around home security, home appliance safety and smart gesture recognition. Using synthetic data to train AI systems lessens the dependance on real-world data which is scarce, time consuming to annotate and involves complex challenges around bias and data privacy.
Chameleon’s ‘no-code’, ‘self-serve’ platform allows for the automated creation of high-quality, precisely annotated and privacy-compliant synthetic data – more than 50 times faster than sourcing and annotating ‘real-world’ data.
Customer Smart Home use cases for the platform include:
- Training a robot home help device such as a lawnmower or vacuum cleaner to better identify, anticipate and avoid children, pets and objects
- Training an AI-enabled door camera to automatically distinguish between delivery person and a would-be intruder or thief and sound the alarm
- Training a home monitoring camera system to identify incidents such as an elderly person falling from bed or a child playing with something dangerous in the house so it can sound the alarm
- Training smart devices in the home to recognize complex hand gestures and take their user interface to the next level
Using the Chameleon platform, customers developing AI vision systems can quickly build unlimited scenes and scenarios using photo-realistic smart 3D models. Chameleon’s new Smart Home application pack includes typical home scenes, a wide range of assets and sophisticated automated behaviors relevant to home use-cases.
Watch a video of the Smart Home application pack in action here:
The pack also leverages the Chameleon’s latest features including attractors to change the default behavior of an asset and skeleton keypoints to allow for gesture and action analysis.
Chris Longstaff, VP Product Management at Mindtech said, “Smarter Homes can make our lives safer, more intuitive and convenient. But that will require intelligent vision systems, trained on large volumes of precisely-annotated, high quality and privacy-compliant data. Chameleon’s new Smart Home application pack allows developers to solve data scarcity with self-serve synthetic data and rapidly address this growing market with innovative AI solutions that better understand the way humans interact with each other and the world around them.”
Mindtech’s Chameleon platform is in use for data generation at tier 1 companies in the home automation sector, and is available for immediate licensing.
Mindtech will be exhibiting at CES 2022 at booth 61516 in Eureka Park from Jan 5 – 8.
About Mindtech Global
Mindtech Global is the developer of the world’s leading end-to-end ‘synthetic’ data creation platform for the training of AI vision systems. The company’s Chameleon platform is a step change in the way AI vision systems are trained, helping computers understand and predict human interactions in applications ranging across retail, smart home, healthcare and smart city.
Interviews, media images and demos available on request.


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Toshiba today announced an 80GB version of its 1.8-inch hard drive that should eventually find its way into Apple’s iPod range. The company, which makes the drives found in current iPods, said the 80GB units would ship in the third quarter of 2005. “The Japanese manufacturer didn’t mention any customers by name of course, but having supplied Apple with micro hard drives to date, it seems likely the relationship will continue with the new, higher capacity,” reports The Register. A thinner and lighter version of the company’s 1.8” 40GB hard disk has also been introduced, and is likely to find its way into digital music players.
New Toshiba drives pave way for 80GB iPod, thinner 40GB
By LC Angell
LC Angell was a senior editor at iLounge. Angell is known for her work on various aspects of the Apple ecosystem, including iPhone, iPad, and iPod. In his role at iLounge, Angell was responsible for a wide range of editorial content, including reviews, buyer's guides, news, and features.


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As restaurants throughout Los Angeles pivot to takeout or delivery-only models during the novel coronavirus pandemic, Guerrilla Tacos just announced an offer that could only happen in Southern California: tacos and toilet paper — all in one. Chef Wes Avila created an emergency taco kit for his Arts District restaurant that not only includes all the necessary fixings for a four-person taco dinner, it also comes with four rolls of toilet paper, a nod to the runs on grocery stores and hoarding that has been going on across the country.
The $150 kit can be ordered from the Guerrilla Tacos website and picked up through a window at the restaurant. Every order includes four rolls of toilet paper, five pounds of roasted chicken, five pounds of carne asada, a quart red salsa, a quart green salsa, tortillas, onion, cilantro, rice, beans, and 30 eggs.
Avila’s taco kit arrives within hours of Los Angeles County and City of Los Angeles officials announcing a countywide closure of restaurants and bars, except for takeout and delivery. This directive impacts over 10 million residents and businesses across 88 incorporated cities and countless unincorporated areas outside of the city of Los Angeles. For those who decide to try to ride out the pandemic by offering delivery and takeout — instead of just closing, as many are — the move may be to continue to think of innovative ways to make, sell, and market their food. Last week, West Hollywood’s Employees Only created a cocktail making kit via delivery, and Four Cafe in Eagle Rock is also adding toilet paper to delivery orders.
UPDATED: Guerrilla Tacos cut down toilet rolls to one per order and is now $149 per kit. The toilet paper came from its distributor, not from grocery stores.


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ISLAMABAD: The ‘peak factor’ of popular online cab services has become a continuous annoyance for customers forcing them to pay double or triple bucks for regular users.
“The cab services are using peak factor as a tool for getting more money from citizens during office or rash hours and also in harsh weather”, Naema Nasreen a daily commuter said.
These companies are trying to squeeze money from customers while claiming to provide them with better services, she commented.
“I usually pay Rs 200 to Rs 250 to go reach my university but in peak factor, I have to pay Rs 450 to Rs 500 which is totally unjustified”, she complained.
She said earlier, the peak factor ratio ranges between 1.2 to 1.5 but now it has jumped to 1.8 to 1.9, which is not affordable especially for students.
She shared that the online service is a good and secure facility and parents prefer it for girls but these cheating tactics by the companies are now getting on our nerves.
Shabana Parveen another frequent user said the service was convenient comparing to local transport or yellow cab but since they started peak factor, she was paying around Rs 15,000 to Rs 18,000 as cab fare costing around half of my salary.
She said on special occasions like Eid or national days their peak factor touches sky high prices which were obviously out of reach.
She said, “Cab services take undue advantage from people through peak factor.”
When contacted an official of online cab service, she said peak factor means when the demand for cabs increases and its supply is limited. Automatically fares are increased to manage the commuters demand, she added.
She said in future they would try to reduce the peak factor as they focus to facilitate the commuters with ease and comfort.


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ALLOUEZ, Wis. (WBAY) - "It's like gambling. You don't know when it's going to fail," says Captain Joe Gabe with the Green Bay Metro Fire Department Fire Marshal's Office.
Dehumidifier blamed for Allouez house fire on March 26, 2017 (Green Bay Metro Fire Dept. photo)
A dehumidifier caught fire in Allouez Sunday morning, causing an estimated $10,000 in damages.
That fire is now prompting a lot of questions from fire investigators.
They're trying to figure out if the machine was on the massive nationwide dehumidifier recall list or if it should have been.
Action 2 News has been telling you about the recall of Gree dehumidifiers for more than three years, with the latest warning from the federal government issued just four months ago.
This most recent fire is prompting investigators to contact the Consumer Product Safety Commission again.
"We had the occupants of the home woke up to the smell of smoke," describes Gabe.
Seconds later, they found the dehumidifier in flames.
Gabe says the family is lucky.
"The guy hit it with a fire extinguisher right away or it could have been worse," he says.
Gabe says the machine burned almost exactly like other recalled units.
"It was typical that the majority of the unit was burned from the inside out," he says.
But there's a big question of whether it was even on the recall list, based on when it was manufactured.
For now, Gabe doesn't know.
"At this point, it is suspicious that is is a dehumidifier and fits the brand name. It's just right now we don't know the year, make and model because the numbers are burned off the unit," says Gabe.
He contacted the Consumer Product Safety Commission first thing Monday morning, trying to find out more.
As we've reported many times, the CPSC originally recalled Gree dehumidifiers, sold under a variety of brand names, in 2013.
The agency has expanded and reissued the recall multiple times, as recently as this past November, trying to take all 2.5 million units out of service.
Gabe says the vast majority are still unaccounted for.
"In the residential units, like I said, there's probably still millions out there being used, and unfortunately we're running across them when we get called to a fire," he says.
He says inspectors continue finding recalled units still in operation in local businesses.
"I believe we found one in the basement of a local nursing home, which concerned us, so that was taken out of service immediately while we were there," says Gabe.
Even if you've checked the recall list in the past, he's urging everyone do it again.
"They still keep happening, and they shouldn't," he adds.


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Kanye West Is Reportedly Worth More Than $6 Billion Thanks To Yeezy Sneaker Business.
West’s net worth is estimated at $6.6 billion, in large part due to his Yeezy sneaker business, which Bloomberg places between $3.2 billion and $4.7 billion after reviewing private documents. Bloomberg also reports that West’s upcoming Gap collab could be worth as much as $970 million, with additional income coming from his music catalog, cash, stocks and business investments such as estranged wife Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS underwear brand.
Considering the rapper claimed to have been $53 million in debt less than half a decade ago, his feat is worth the recognition. However, it still remains a mystery as to how West’s billion-dollar company was eligible for a loan of $2 to $5 million under the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program.


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HOTEL and retail group Meikles Limited wants $50 million in damages from the stock exchange for suspending its shares over claims it overstated a debt owed by the central bank, court papers showed.
Meikles suspension was lifted on Feb. 23 after the group, which owns two hotels in the capital Harare and the resort town of Victoria Falls, filed a court challenge.
In papers filed at the High Court dated Feb. 26 and seen by Reuters on Monday, Meikles said its reputation suffered and the firm’s share price had fallen as a result of the suspension.
Shares in Meikles were unchanged at 13 cents on Monday.
In court papers seen by Reuters, Meikles is seeking $50 million, including interest, for what it cited as “potentially irreparable” consequences of its suspension.
Alban Chirume, the stock exchange chief executive did not respond to emailed questions from Reuters, but an official from the bourse confirmed receiving the court papers on Monday.
The exchange had said Meikles reported in its 2014 full year results that it was owed $90.8 million by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, compared with $40.51 million owed by the bank in 2013, without giving an explanation for the sharp increase.
Meikles has insisted that the figures were accurate.
The central bank has declined to comment on the matter.
Last week Meikles said its suspension had put uncertainty into expansion plans by the company, which also runs the biggest supermarket chain by branches, TM Supermarkets.
South Africa’s Pik’n Pay Stores Ltd has a 49 percent stake in the supermarket chain.Reuters


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Fourth Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Statement 2015-16 announced; Repo rate cut by 0.50 percent
The reduction in repo rate is expected to boost decelerating merchandise exports and investor confidence.
Fourth bi-monthly monetary policy statement 2015-16 was announced on 29 September 2015 by Raghuram Rajan, the Governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
The monetary policy cut the repo rate, the rate at which RBI lends to commercial bank, by 0.50 percent from 7.25 percent to 6.75 percent with immediate effect.
As a result, the reverse repo rate, the rate at which RBI borrows from commercial banks, stands adjusted to 5.75 percent, and the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate to 7.75 per cent.
However, the cash reserve ratio (CRR) of scheduled banks was kept unchanged at 4 percent of net demand and time liabilities (NDTL).
Further, RBI will continue to provide liquidity under overnight repos at 0.25 percent of bank-wise NDTL at the LAF repo rate and liquidity under 14-day term repos as well as longer term repos of up to 0.75 percent of NDTL of the banking system through auctions; and continue with overnight/term variable rate repos and reverse repos to smooth liquidity.
The RBI lowered the repo rate against the backdrop of deflationary tendencies-lowering inflation and decelerating nominal GDP-in the economy.
As the headline consumer price index (CPI) inflation reached its lowest level in August 2015 since November 2014, except high prices of onion and pulses, and is expected to reach 5.8 percent in January 2016 the RBI shifted its focus to augmenting supply side economic activity.
As a result, the repo rate was decreased by 50 basis points or 0.50 percent to give boost to the decelerating merchandise exports and increase the investor confidence on the Indianeconomy amidst sluggish growth trends across the world.
Now get latest Current Affairs on mobile, Download # 1 Current Affairs App


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Data center News
Antonio Neri On Why He Is ‘Proud’ Of HPE’s Financial Performance In Light of Dell, Nutanix Quarterly Results
“I am proud to say that Hewlett Packard Enterprise in the grand scheme of things has done very, very well,” said Neri. “The results of Dell and Nutanix yesterday bring even further context on our performance.”
Hewlett Packard Enterprise CEO Antonio Neri Friday told partners that the most recent quarterly results show that HPE’s focus on “attractive” high-margin, high-growth segments is paying off particularly in light of the results from Dell Technologies and Nutanix.
“I am proud to say that Hewlett Packard Enterprise in the grand scheme of things has done very, very well,” said Neri in a call with HPE’s top Platinum and Gold partners on Friday. “The results of Dell and Nutanix yesterday bring even further context on our performance.”
Neri’s comments came with Dell Technologies shares closed down 10 percent or $6.86 on Friday to $59.55 after the company reported a nine percent drop in its server and networking business in part due to the China tariffs. Dell Technologies shares were down an additional five percent in mid-day trading Monday to $56.48.
[RELATED: Antonio Neri: 5 Innovation Advantages To Look For At HPE Discover]
Nutanix’s shares, meanwhile, dropped 14 percent or $4.60 Friday to close at $28.07 after the company reported a one percent decline in sales to $287.6 million, down from the $289.4 million in the year ago quarter, and down from its prior guidance of $290 million. Nutanix shares were down nearly four percent in mid-day trading Monday to $27.03.
HPE’s shares were down four percent on Friday or 50 cents to $13.72. HPE shares were down slightly in mid-day trading Monday to $13.68.
Dell and Nutanix declined to comment.
Although the global economy and geo-political situation are a factor, Neri said HPE’s results are showing a pronounced shift to high margin growth segments of the market. That shift includes a 25 percent increase in high performance compute sales; a 78 percent increase in Synergy composable cloud sales; a 25 percent increase in SimpliVity hyper-converged sales; and a five percent increase in storage sales.
“When you look at our financial performance and the pivot it is working,” said Neri. “We can do better, but obviously we need to understand what is going on in the market.”
HPE’s GreenLake pay-per-use model, which provides a public cloud consumption experience on-premise, meanwhile, had its largest quarter ever with a robust 39 percent sales growth. “We have been on a journey for the last six quarters to transform our portfolio and pivot to areas we believe are relevant to our customers and ultimately are relevant for our partners to continue to accelerate profitable growth,” Neri said.
HPE profits, in fact, are on the rise. In the most recent quarter, HPE reported a 31 percent increase in non GAAP diluted net earnings per share of 42 cents per share, six cents higher than the Wall Street consensus. What’s more, HPE raised its fiscal 2019 earnings outlook to $1.62 to $1.72, up from a range of $1.56 to $1.66 per share .
“From a profitability perspective it is just amazing what we have done here,” said Neri. “That is because we are pivoting the portfolio on the mix side and continuing to be more efficient in everything we do. We improved earnings per share by 31 percent. There is a lot of work to do, but we are on a journey, and when I reflect on that journey we are doing the right things in the context of where the market is going.”
Excluding hyperscale server sales to tier one service providers -- a business HPE began exiting 18 months ago -- HPE’s net sales when adjusted for currency were up one percent in its second fiscal quarter, ended April 30, said Neri. Overall HPE’s second fiscal quarter sales were down two percent when adjusted for currency and four percent on a constant currency basis to $7.2 billion.
In contrast, Dell’s infrastructure solutions group -- which includes storage, servers and hyper-converged infrastructure -- reported a five percent drop in sales to $8.2 billion for the quarter ended May 3. After many quarters of strong storage sales growth, Dell storage sales, meanwhile, were down one percent to $4 billion.
Nutanix, meanwhile, reported a one percent drop in sales for the quarter ended April 30 to $299.41 million compared with $287.62 million.
Even NetApp – which reported quarterly sales on May 22- reported a four percent drop in sales for the most recent quarter to $1.59 billion compared to $1.64 billion in the year ago quarter.
Neri credited HPE and its partners for shifting to the high-margin, high-growth markets. “Because both of us have been focused on that for several quarters, it is paying off,” he said.
HPE’s $1.1 billion proposed acquisition of supercomputing pioneer Cray – which is expected to close in HPE’s first fiscal quarter fiscal 2020 – will further boost that high-margin, high-value profile, said Neri.
In fact, he said the blockbuster deal positions HPE as the “undisputed” leader in a high-performance compute segment that is growing at nine percent over the next three years from $28 billion to $35 billion.
During the quarter, HPE’s sales through partners grew three percent compared to one percent for HPE’s direct sales route to market. “Our channel business is growing faster,” Neri said. “That is a reflection that we continue to do more business with you, through you, than our own direct coverage. That is a reflection of our strategy.”
Neri stressed that HPE has been and will continue to be a “partner-led” company. “We are partner-led and will continue to be partner-led in the future,” he said.
HPE Worldwide Channel Chief Paul Hunter, who hosted the call with Neri, said on the call that partners are at the vanguard of the pay-per-use transformation, with GreenLake channel sales accounting for more business in the recent quarter than in all of 2018.
Over 120 GreenLake channel deals have closed and more than 500 partners have a GreenLake sales pipeline, said Hunter.
“There is terrific velocity in the partner-led GreenLake business,” said Hunter. “I am really confident that we will over-deliver against our second-half aspirations and budget.”
If HPE delivers on its ambitious GreenLake sales forecast, more than 50 percent of sales growth will come from partners by the end of the current fiscal year, up from less than three percent of the business originated by partners some 18 months ago. “We have been in the market a long time, and we know how to sell this,” Hunter said. “We know how to enable the partners.”
GreenLake was not the only area where the channel delivered strong sales growth. In the Nimble all flash storage market, HPE partners delivered 20 percent sales growth. In the composable cloud Synergy business, partners delivered more than 80 percent.
In the hyper-converged market, partners delivered 40 percent sales growth. “That has been put into to context by the Nutanix performance,” Hunter said. “We are taking share in the hyper-converged market space.”
Paul Cohen, vice president of sales for New York-based PKA Technologies Inc., one of HPE's top Platinum partners, told CRN his sales team has won big deals recently against both Dell and Nutanix. “PKA’s high-level consulting combined with HPE’s innovative SimpliVity hyper-converged product is a winning combination,” he said. “When you combine SimpliVity with (HPE) Plexxi (composable network fabric) it’s a very attractive solution. HPE is providing us with great support and air-cover in the field.”
Overall, PKA’s HPE sales in the quarter were up more than 20 percent, said Cohen.
Neri’s focus on higher value segments of the market and differentiated innovation is paying off for partners, said Cohen. “We’re focusing on solving customer problems by either lowering expenses or increasing customer revenues, and we’re bringing HPE innovation to the table to get it done,” he said. “HPE’s value products are solving customer problems.”
Among the biggest points of innovation resonating with customers, Cohen said, are HPE’s InfoSight artificial intelligence predictive analytics platform and HPE’s Gen10 Servers with root trust security.
Raymond Tuchman, CEO of Experis Technology Group, one of HPE's top Platinum partners, told CRN he expects his HPE high-value segment business, including SimpliVity, 3Par and Nimble, to be up about 15 percent this year.
“We’re bringing value to our clients with HPE software-defined and intelligent storage offerings,” said Tuchman. “That is helping our clients grow their business, which means I’ll grow my business.”
SimpliVity’s instant recovery and backup capabilities are striking a chord with customers, said Tuchman. “It’s the No. 1 reason customers buy SimpliVity,” he said. “You can restore a VM in a second, restore a backup in less than a minute, and even get out of a ransomware breach in 10 minutes. Every customer that we have sold SimpliVty to loves it. It’s been a big hit for us.”’
Neri said he is looking forward to seeing partners at HPE’s Global Partner Summit and HPE Discover, which run from June 17 – 20. “You will be amazed at the innovation we are going to bring to Discover,” he said.
Neri said the biggest innovation will be to a pivot to the as-a-service model with HPE GreenLake. “GreenLake is an unbelievable innovation that we must capitalize on,” he told partners. “My goal over the next three years is to turn everything we do in this company and deliver it as a service. That is a massive opportunity. We believe that business for Hewlett Packard Enterprise can represent 20 percent of the entire company.”
That “massive pivot” to the pay per use model with a focus on making it “simple to sell and manage” represents a unique opportunity for HPE and its partners, said Neri. “With our workload optimized solutions, cloud-enabled and consumption driven we have a unique opportunity to really provide a true end to end experience for our customers,” he said.
Additional reporting from CRN's Mark Haranas.


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Local stylists say 360 lace wigs for black women started to become popular here within the a year ago. In the beginning, stylists resisted the requests as salon owners want to be noted for promoting healthy hair on their clients’ heads rather than attaching someone else’s mane. However Mary J. Blige hit the cover of Essence magazine having an article having said that she wore them. Tyra Banks admitted she wore them on her show, and Beyoncé released her B’Day CD, featuring eight singles that showed her moving, grooving and shaking all that reddish-blond hair.
Immediately the salons started getting calls. Olivia Hughes, owner of Shapes -N- More, says she fields at least five requests for lace-front wigs weekly. Karen Wilson, who owns Simplicity, a Germantown salon, says she has five or so regular customers with the wigs, in addition to walk-ins every day who ask about them. “I just started doing them this coming year,” said Wilson, who charges $900 for your wigs as well as the application. “People are seeing them and they would just like them.”
It’s not only the celebrity influence that’s drawing customers for the wigs. Women struggling with alopecia (hairloss) and those who have lost their hair from chemotherapy can also be interested in the wigs’ realism. But not many are satisfied with lace-front. Some stylists point out that this wigs have the potential to be really damaging to skin and hairline.
Anika Thompson, who owns Ryan Foster Inc. in Germantown, refuses to perform the applications in their salon. The bonding adhesive can be damaging for the skin and scalp, and sometimes, Thompson says, once the wig comes off, the hairline comes off as well. But even more damaging than losing hair from a bad application is the loss of self-esteem that can come from wearing someone else’s hair on the head for months at the same time, Thompson says.
“These women arrived at me with high density full lace wigs they have got removed. … [now they have got] no hairline,” Thompson said. “Your skin on their face is broken out of the adhesive as well as their own hair is matted and broken off from rubbing against the stocking cap.” Still, you will find people who say the lace-front wig presents them courage to show themselves.
Tuere Brown, 37, enjoyed a miscarriage she said caused patches of her hair to drop out. The Southwest Philadelphia mother wanted a glance that wouldn’t stress out her hair and would appear natural. So she chose an off-black bob with chestnut-brown highlights that falls just above her shoulder. “I feel great by using it on,” she said. “It seems the way i utilized to wear my own hair. I adore it.”
He stores it in plastic bins and cardboard boxes, opposite the fishing supplies. “Got grays, got browns, got blonds,” he stated. “Got everything.”
Inside one bin, shiny brown bundles nestled around one another like snakes. He picked two thick braids and lifted them through the bin. Uncoiled, they were three feet long and nearly reached the ground. “This is perhaps all Russian hair cut right off people’s heads,” Mr. Piazza said.
Mr. Piazza, 69, is definitely the grandson of Sicilian immigrants, the son of any detective, a tournament fisherman. He will not look like a guy who will have an exotic hair collection in his garage. But also for decades, Mr. Piazza was probably the most sought-after wigmakers in New York City. He made custom wigs and hairpieces for Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Brooke Astor and Lena Horne at Kenneth beauty salon. Also, he made the nearest thing the entire world has seen to mermaid hair, creating the long tresses Daryl Hannah wore in “Splash.”
A lot of his hair has come from this stash, sourced from around the world, and which eventually outgrew his studio. “I couldn’t close my closets,” he explained. “I had more hair than I knew what to do with.”
Mr. Piazza is one of the last Old World wigmakers making wigs for the public inside the city, men and women trained mostly by Italian and Jewish immigrants inside the centuries-old trade of silk top full lace wigs hidden knots, a fussy affair that sykkcc the patience spectrum falls approximately tailoring a jacket and counting the stars.
These are generally not the new-pink bobs at Halloween stores. They are produced from human hair and also have intricate hairlines that blend into the skin. To make one requires weaving hair, several strands at any given time, to some lace mesh cap using a small needle, a procedure called ventilating. Ventilating a lace wig, which might have as many as 150,000 knots at its roots, takes about 40 hours.


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The team at Plymouth Albion cannot wait to try on their new kit.
The National League One side lined up for their team photo this week ahead of their first league game.
Only one thing was missing … their new kit!
Making the best of the situation, the adaptable team instead posed in branded aprons so that main shirt sponsor Bond Timber did not miss out on gaining maximum coverage for their support.
Plymouth Albion commercial manager Mike Scott says: “We have taken a fresh and exciting approach with our kit this year but it has unfortunately meant that a late brokered deal has resulted in a slight delay.
“Our players really wanted top quality kit and, naturally, we wanted to give our team the very best. For that reason, for the first time, we are working in partnership with one of the world’s largest online rugby stores, Pro:Direct Rugby, and industry-leading manufacturers of rugby clothing and equipment, XBlades.
“The official team photo at the start of the season is always a high spot for players and staff at any rugby club, so we wanted to make sure it went ahead. Fans can rest assured, however, that the team will be fully clothed for their first league game!”
Joining Bond Timber as sponsors featuring on the new kit are Brunel Recycling, Need a Cab Taxis, Nuffield Health, B&G Haulage, Paramount 21, Tolchards and Newton Abbot Races.
Mike adds: “We have been blown away by the support of our commercial sponsors and can’t wait to see the new kit in all its glory.”
One of the leading timber processors and suppliers in the south west of England, Bond Timber supplies both trade customers and the general public.
Bond Timber Sales and Purchasing Manager Emma Haley says: “As a local South West business, we are delighted to be supporting Plymouth Albion as main shirt sponsor this season. As good as the team look in their branded aprons, we can’t wait to see them in the new kit and wish the club every success this season!”
Albion’s National League One campaign starts with an away trip to Blackheath on Saturday, September 2, followed by their first home fixture – and Albion Family Day – on Saturday, September 9, at the Brickfields vs Esher.
Back row: Joe Snow, Jordan Gott, Robin Wedlake, Harvey Skinner, Marcus Street, Eoghan Grace, Matt Shepherd
3rd row: Will Norton, Cameron Setter, Luke Chapman, Ricky Cano, Dan Pullinger, Matt Crosscombe, Jon Dawe, Setareki Raumakita
2nd row: Claudia Serien, Ben Bowen, Alicia Parsons, Sean Lonsdale, Todd Prisk, Dan Collier, John Kelly, Dan Swain, Sam Daly, Jack Owlett, Lauren Eames, Adam Murch, Gareth Jones
Front row: Shaun Getson (Bond Timber), Jack Arnott, Jamie Salter, Rupert Freestone, Dan Mugford, Kieran Hallett (Head Coach), Herbie Stupple (Captain), Dan Powell, Dean Squire, George Mills, Beth Aston (Bond Timber).


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HTC’s 8X and 8S Windows Phones priced in the UK, should be launched in November
The first two Windows Phone 8 handsets from HTC – the HTC 8X and HTC 8S – can be pre-ordered in the UK as of now. Unlocked Mobiles lets customers order them both, SIM-free.
The high-end HTC 8X has been priced at £398.98 (about €497, or $646), and is expected to ship starting November 5. You can pre-order it here.
The HTC 8S is significantly cheaper, costing £224.98 (about €280, or $364). It should be available starting November 15.
Of course, the two smartphones will be also available on monthly plans through various UK networks – although for the moment only Three confirmed it will offer the 8X and 8S.
In the US, the HTC 8X will be released by AT&T and T-Mobile.


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PB Global, the logistics arm of water and energy company PB Group, has promoted Sharon Busuttil and Dorita Micallef to Operations Manager and Sales Manager respectively, a strategic move to support its rapid growth agenda across all industries it operates in.
Both Ms Busuttil and Ms Micallef enjoy long years of experience in the shipping and logistics sectors, having worked with major players in the market. Ms Busuttil in fact, started working in the freight forwarding sector in 1995, gaining experience across various departments from import to export to sales, also obtaining an IATA certification.
Ms Micallef joined PB Global three and a half years ago, following a 20-year career with a major shipping company where she gained vast experience in import and export operations, customer service and sales.
“The shipping industry is going through very challenging times and as a logistics company, our ongoing challenge is to meet clients’ tight deadlines whilst keeping them satisfied by negotiating the best rates and transit times. This secures healthy long-term relationships that help us operate in a profitable and more sustainable way,” said Donald Naudi, Managing Director of PB Global.
“Ms Busuttil and Ms Micallef joined PB Global at a very challenging time when the company was already experiencing very fast growth and the market was going through a lot of interesting shifts. They proved themselves and today, they are a fundamental backbone to our company,” added Mr Naudi.
PB Global’s business proposition is built on assisting importers and exporters through its extensive international network of partners and suppliers to cater for the unique requirements of its customers. It also services Libya, with its own fortnightly groupage service, together with full-loads, certificate of origins, weekly trailer services, courier, airfreight, sea freight, project cargo, customs documentation amongst other services.
“PB Global can be defined as a leader as we meet our clients’ business needs, we are able to negotiate directly securing some of the best rates in the business and pass on this value to our clients. Customer service is always a top priority for our company, continuously improving our core-values,” concluded Mr Naudi.
Photo: From left:- Dorita Micallef, Sales Manager and Sharon Busuttil, Operations Manager at PB Group


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With only a few weeks until the end of the year, many tourism reports are coming out, as well as companies going into full drive to end the year of well. We start of this week's industry news with the disparity between most visited locations, and most instagrammed locations. Sam's Club foray into the travel industry, and while India is trying to grow international tourism Russia is stifling it.
It is no secret that the global tourism industry is cash cow for a country’s economy. International tourism generates more than $1 trillion in revenue each year, and continues to grow. With the year coming to an end and many set to go on holiday vacations, MasterCard Worldwide Insights is releasing the top tourism spots for international tourists in 2014, they use the number of overnight stays by international visitors to determine this list.
The list is dominated by Asian and European countries, with 8 countries from those regions in the top 10. New York the only US city on the list came in 6th place. This is a slight contrast from locations that are geotagged on Instagram. The top Geotagged locations of 2014 is scattered with American locations, with 5 out of the top 10 being US cities. The Geotagged locations are all specific tourist destinations like New York's Times Square and Anaheim's Disneyland.
A lot of retailers want to cash in on the growing travel industry, one of them is Sam’s Club. The Walmart affiliate is following in the steps of Groupon and launching its own standalone travel app. Groupon launched an app called Groupon Getaways for iOS and Android users in the US and Canada, a month ago.
The app gives users a chance for same-day bookings, and access to flash deals. Sam’s Club app is very similar, powered by Tourico Holidays it is only available to Sam’s Club members. The app will offer 40,000 hotels as well as vacation homes, flights, car rentals and activities. App users get an additional 5 percent savings when booking. And they will also have a call center to support users with cancellation. Cant wait to see other mass retailers jump into the foray.
In an effort to improve their international tourism numbers, India is expediting their visa application process. India has a well documented history of having long overdrawn process when it comes to applying for a visa. The Indian government twice last year switched the company that was overseeing all the visa applications.
The long transitional phase both times added to the bureaucratic red tape one must endure when applying for a visa. India says that is no more. The Indian government launched a “tourist visa on arrival” program for nationals of 43 countries traveling to India for 30 days or less. All applicants need to do is apply online, provide some necessary documentation and a pay a small fee and everything should be processed.
Travelers can come only for “recreation, sightseeing, short duration medical treatment, casual business visit, casual visit to meet friends or relatives.” Hopefully this new initiative spurs tourism growth in the country.
In a bold move a bill was submitted to the Russian parliament that may impose bans on foreigners trying to enter the country. The United States and European Union imposed sanctions against Russia earlier in the year for their involvement in the conflict in Crimea.
The sanctions have made it harder for a lot of high profile Russians and businessmen to travel around. Many see the new proposed travel ban by Russia as a payback to the sanctions levied against them. "The draft’s aim is to reach “balanced relations” with foreign countries" said Rizvan Kurbanov, a member of the ruling United Russia party. With a decline in travel and international tourism, Russian travel companies are in for a tough time if this bill passes.
Written by Nelson Oduro
Nelson was part of TrekkSoft's marketing team in our New York Office for three years, paying particular attention to the growth of our digital marketing strategy.


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As Microsoft celebrates its 25th anniversary this month, the company is unlikely to call attention to another formative event 25 years ago: the day someone stole Bill Gates's software.
But the heist, now shrouded in equal parts mystery and industry folklore, gave an early glimpse of the hard-nosed approach Mr. Gates, Microsoft's chairman, has long taken to the software business. And the fierce debate that the theft ignited a quarter-century ago remains relevant today, as the industry engages in a war of words and lawsuits over whether computer software and digital information should be bought and sold or freely shared.
Even today, there is disagreement over who actually stole the software. But computer industry lore has it that on June 10, 1975, at a demonstration room set up in a Silicon Valley hotel suite, someone's stealthy hand reached into a cardboard box and removed a long roll of paper tape punched with holes. The tape contained Altair Basic, the programming language for the machine that heralded the birth of the personal computer era.
Written by William H. Gates and Paul G. Allen, the software, which would soon be renamed Micro Soft Basic, was one of the earliest programs of practical use for the first personal computer aimed at the hobbyist, the MITS Altair. The program had been adapted from the educational programming language invented for mainframe computers by the Dartmouth mathematicians John G. Kemeny and Thomas E. Kurtz. Mr. Gates, who would drop out of Harvard the next year, had rushed to develop the program with a friend from his high school days in Seattle, Mr. Allen, after seeing a picture of the Altair computer on the cover of Popular Electronics magazine.
The maker, MITS, initially provided no software with the machines, assuming users would be willing not only to assemble them from kits but also to program the devices. It was Mr. Gates and Mr. Allen who exercised the impulse that would eventually make their soon-to-be-founded company, originally named Micro Soft, one of the world's most powerful corporations: create software that put computing power in the hands of everyday people.
Their creation also almost immediately set off an ideological debate among the community of computer hobbyists and hackers: should software be a freely shared utility or a commercial product? The issue created a deep and lasting chasm in the computer world that is spreading to virtually every aspect of today's information economy -- including video games and digitally rendered music and movies. ''This set the stage for the debate that continues even today over whether software should be free and how you deal with a technology where copying costs nothing,'' said Steven Levy, the author of the book ''Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution.''
Back in 1975, MITS was a company in transition. It had started out as maker of control systems for model rockets, and its original name had been Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems. Now it was trying to promote a new concept -- personal computing -- and the company sent a van known as the MITS-mobile around the country to show off the Altair, using the Gates-Allen software to demonstrate the machine's capabilities.
While demonstrating the Altair in a packed hotel conference room at Rickeys Hyatt House in Palo Alto, Calif., a MITS employee was having trouble loading the software on the machine, which was performed by pulling a paper tape through a mechanical reader to install a program. Distracted by his efforts, the employee and his audience paid no attention to a nearby box containing copies of the tape.
Although no one has ever claimed to have seen the thief remove the software, the tape -- or a copy of it -- somehow reached Dan Sokol, a semiconductor engineer at the Silicon Valley chip maker Signetics.
Mr. Sokol was a member of a small band of computer hobbyists who had recently formed the now legendary Homebrew Computer Club, which before it disbanded in 1986 was a seedbed for the personal computer revolution. The club's members founded some of the most influential companies of the first wave of the PC era -- including Cromemco, Processor Technology and Apple Computer. (Despite its historic role, MITS soon ran into financial difficulties and was acquired in May 1977 by Pertec, a maker of computer disk drives and tape drives.)
Mr. Sokol recalls having few qualms about being in possession of a free copy of the Gates-Allen program. In his view, MITS was cheating hobbyists by charging $500 for buggy software. He took the tape to work and used a high-speed paper-tape machine to make 50 copies, which he carried to the next Homebrew meeting a few days later. The principle of sharing software was already a tenet for many members of the Homebrew club. Several members, for example, had collaborated on their own program for the Altair, called Tiny Basic, which they gave to anyone who wanted it.
''This was something we were doing for the community, and anybody who added to it was welcomed,'' recalled Dennis Allison, a microprocessor designer who was a co-author of Tiny Basic and who founded Dr. Dobbs, an early programmer's journal.
Lee Felsenstein, a Silicon Valley computer designer who became the club's first moderator, established a system in which rolls of paper tape were donated by placing them on a skewer-like pointer.
''I would say, 'Remember to bring back more copies than you take,' '' Mr. Felsenstein recalled.


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Nutrient Technologies Celebrates 35 Years in the San Joaquin Valley
By: Nutrient Technologies, Inc.
"Our company is celebrating thirty-five years, but I feel like we are just getting started," says Chris Reimche, Production and Facility Manager of twenty-five years. "We are genuinely proud of the innovations that went into TECH-FLO and have continued our rigorous R&D protocols to launch new classes of products. This is a really exciting time for Nutrient Technologies and our customers."
Teamwork and employee contributions remain the backbone of the company, and the in-house plant nutrition expertise and chemistry knowledge have quickened the development and launch of new bio-based fertilizers like NERI and ROOTERRA.
"We have always focused on products that are safe, effective, and easy to use. Our new biostimulants and soil health products have been received well in the market because we make sure the products are backed by science and are of the highest quality," says Dan Skoczylas, Director of Sales and Marketing. "In the end, we are still here because of our customers. We are fully vested in seeing them succeed, knowing that our success will follow."
For more information, visit NutrientTechnologies.com or visit us virtually at the World Ag Expo Feb 9-11, 2021 https://wae21.mapyourshow.com/


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MILAN — Sales at Italian fashion group Aeffe SpA grew 10.2 percent in 2007 thanks largely to advances in Europe and Russia.
Aeffe, which operates the Alberta Ferretti, Moschino and Pollini brands, and produces collections for Jean Paul Gaultier, on Monday reported 2007 full-year sales of 293.2 million euros, or $401.9 million at average exchange rates for the period. The figure excludes revenues from a stake in the Narciso Rodriguez brand, which Aeffe sold to Liz Claiborne Inc. in May.
Aeffe's sales in Europe were up 11.2 percent on 2006 to 182.7 million euros, or $250.5 million. In Russia, they increased 68.8 percent to 22.1 million euros, or $30.3 million, compensating for declines in Japan and the United States. Moschino continued as Aeffe's mainstay with sales of 136.9 million euros, or $187.6 million — a 9 percent hike — while Alberta Ferretti was the best performer, leaping 19.4 percent to 63 million euros, or $86.4 million.
The company did not break down geographically sales figures by brand.
"We are extremely satisfied with these results that comply with all our objectives at the beginning of the year, despite the actual uncertainty of the global economy," said Aeffe chairman Massimo Ferretti.
Shares in Aeffe, which listed on the Milan Stock Exchange STAR segment for small companies in July, closed down 3.2 percent Monday to 1.85 euros, or $2.70 at current exchange — less than half of their initial IPO price.
Also Monday, Aeffe said it had signed a seven-year licensing deal with Elite Group SpA for the production and distribution of eyewear for Alberta Ferretti. Elite already has a license for the Pollini brand. Alberta Ferretti's first collection of 16 eyeglasses and six sunglasses will be unveiled at the Mido eyewear fair in Milan in May.
"The focus of the collection is on shape, material and color, but it's quite minimal because I find that excessive primping has had its time," the designer Alberta Ferretti said.
The annual Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic in Pacific Palisades this weekend drew Kate Hudson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Laura Dern and more. See pictures of the star-studded event on WWD.com. (📷: @chelsealaurenla) #wwdeye
In his new book “Hollywood Royale,” Andy Warhol’s Protégé Matthew Rolston celebrates the Eighties revival of Hollywood glamour. Featuring more than 100 portraits taken by Rolston from 1977 to 1993, the book contains photos of icons like Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, and @drewbarrymore, pictured here in 1991. “Hollywood Royale,” out today, will be accompanied by an exhibition opening at Los Angeles’ Fahey/Klein Gallery on March 1. #wwdeye
"Nowadays when life is not so happy with everything going on in the world, I think people come to me for a little bit of whimsy and color and fun." - Designer Rebecca De Ravenel on her cult-favorite jewelry line. (📸 : @vsteves) #wwd40
“Everyone is talking about how the retail industry is struggling, but I think it’s an incredible time because brands who are doing something different and innovative are setting themselves up for the future,” said @adamgoldston, who founded the luxury athletic brand @apl with his brother @ryangoldsten. The Goldston’s are part of WWD’s 40 under 40: a group of industry notables. See the rest of the list on WWD.com. (📷: @vsteves) #wwd40
@eyeswoon blogger Athena Calderone debuted her first-ever cookbook, “Cook Beautiful,” which is heavily centered on the presentation and visual expression of food. Pictured here are her miso glazed carrots from the book. Get the recipe on WWD.com. (📷: @johnny_miller_) #wwdeye
“It’s passion that helps get anybody to a certain point and it’s what’s propelled me,” said Kith founder @ronniefieg, one of WWD’s 40 under 40: a group of industry notables who are changing the face of retail, fashion and beauty. Fieg, who opened a Manhattan flagship on October 7, began his career at age 13 as a stock boy and salesman for footwear chain David Z. “I think staying true to [my] beliefs, hard work and passion have gotten me to where [Kith] is today.” See the rest of the 40 at WWD.com. (📷: @vsteves) #wwd40
25-year-old @samweaving is about to break out this fall, starring in Netflix’s horror film “The Babysitter,” fittingly out today on Friday the 13th. That’s not the only place you’ll be seeing her, though — Weaving’s got a role Showtime’s “SMILF” and another alongside Frances McDormand and Woody Harrelson in “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.” Though she’s got a full plate at the moment, there’s one role she’s got her eye on: Marilyn Monroe. “I’m a little too young at the moment, but it’s on my bucket list,” the actress told WWD (📷: @dandoperalski) #wwdeye
BFF's Poppy Jamie and Suki Waterhouse celebrated the launch of their bag line Pop x Suki at Nordstrom last night. "The line is really about our friendship, and how we are so different but complement each other," said Waterhouse. 👯 (📷: Katie Jones) #wwdeye
After designing the new @louisvuitton and @bulgariofficial flagships and a @chanelofficial boutique opening in Japan, @petermarinoarchitect has another project on his plate: The Lobster Club. Located in the Seagram Building, it’s the famed architect’s first restaurant project in New York, serving up modern Japanese brasserie-style cuisine. Bronze hues, bespoke material detailing, blush and chartreuse tones and a heavy emphasis on Picasso can be seen throughout. Mark your calendars for Nov. 1 for the much-anticipated opening. (📷: @clint_spaulding) #wwdeye