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The Blooming of the Baltics
It's just eight o'clock on a sunny spring evening. But the dance floor is already heaving at the vast Lido Mills, just two or three kilometers down the Daugava riverfront from central Riga. Built from wood in a rural Latvian style, the three-floor complex of self-service restaurants and bars can seat 1,500. And it's usually packed. Locals and tourists alike find it hard to resist the allure of low-priced smoked fish, blinis, and beer served in a friendly, and, to be frank, kitschy atmosphere.
Lido Mills is the biggest of an eight-restaurant chain that local entrepreneur Gunars Kirsons has built up since Latvia won its independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991. Kirsons' cheap-and-cheerful formula -- a beer costs 70 cents -- has earned him millions and turned him into one of Latvia's most popular businesspeople. Successful at home, Kirsons is expanding abroad, with a self-service chain in Moscow. "He's the ultimate success story," says Modris Leshiskis, who owns a souvenir shop and eats regularly at Lido Mills with his girlfriend, Irina Sturainis.
Latvia and its Baltic neighbors -- Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south -- are full of similar achievers. The three countries' combined population may be tiny, at just 7.3 million, and much of their economic growth is driven by investment from Swedish and Finnish companies attracted by their low wages and taxes. Swedish clothing manufacturer Snickers and Finnish packaging firm Pakenso are just two of the many Nordic firms that have bought into Estonia.
(The Finnish and Estonian economies are now so closely intertwined that Tallinn is effectively an integral part of Greater Helsinki.) But the Baltic states also have more than their fair share of home-grown entrepreneurs. Indrek Kask, CEO of Asper Biotech, founded an Estonian genotyping research and services company that has become a world leader in its field. Ignas Staskevicius, general director of the VP Market retail chain in Vilnius, is the brains behind one of the most successful marketing schemes in the Baltic region: People who turned out to vote in Lithuania's referendum on European Union membership the weekend of May 10-11 were rewarded with coupons to buy heavily discounted snack foods at his stores. The referendum passed, his shops were filled to bursting, and sales rocketed 35%.
Thanks to such entrepreneurial vigor, the Baltics are already the fastest-growing and most economically dynamic of the EU's 10 future members. Together, they clocked an average growth rate of 6.1% in 2002. Growth will dip to 5.4% this year. But compare that with the euro zone, which will be hard-pressed to expand by 1%. "We're optimistic for the future," says Estonian Prime Minister Juhan Parts. When they join the EU next year, the Baltics, which not long ago were oppressed members of the Soviet Empire, will add a heavy dose of free-market ideology to the union.
To be sure, growth rates in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania look good partially because they are starting from a much lower base than Germany, France, and the other mature economies that make up the existing EU. They also get a boost from bargain-hunting Scandinavian tourists and Russian companies that ship their exports via Baltic ports. But since they threw off the Soviet yoke, the three tiny countries have embraced change with a relish that puts Old Europe to shame. Almost all of their industry has been privatized. Most markets have been deregulated. Capital controls have been abolished. Their economies have been opened up to foreign competition. Estonia even introduced a flat income tax and abolished tax on reinvested corporate earnings, a move that sparked an investment boom. "We moved almost overnight from the Communist past to the free-market future," says Siim Raie, director general of the Estonian Chamber of Commerce & Industry. "Maybe that explains our energy."
It hasn't all been smooth sailing. The Baltic states plunged deep into recession in 1998 -- after the Russian financial crisis broke and the purchasing power of their big neighbor to the east evaporated almost overnight. Poor infrastructure is holding back development, especially outside the big cities. Some manufacturers, particularly in the food sector, have been hit hard by foreign competition. Wages have been creeping up, eroding one of the region's key competitive advantages. "Imported pork [from the EU] is cheaper than mine," says Vaidotas Cekuolis, who runs a small meat- processing plant not far from Vilnius.
Most companies are responding well to competition from abroad, however. Rigas Piena Kombinats, Latvia's largest milk processor, has invested heavily in modern machinery. It has also brought in Finnish milk company Valio to help it develop new products. Other companies have cut costs, redesigned their products, and honed their marketing skills. Labor productivity in the Baltics has risen more than 5% a year over the past five years. Some have become ace exporters. Latvian lingerie and textile manufacturer Lauma sells half its $30 million output to the EU.
If there's one thing that has helped the Baltic states transform their economies, it is their commitment to sound government finances and strong currencies. The three countries have their budget deficits well under control, something that France and Germany seem incapable of doing. The budget shortfall in each country is no higher than 3% of gross domestic product. Estonia's deficit will be just 0.3% of GDP this year, and its entire government debt is only 5.1% of GDP. Germany's deficit is above 3% and its national debt is more than 50% of GDP. The Lithuanian and Estonian currencies are tied to the euro, and all three countries will meet the criteria to adopt the euro by mid-2006 if they keep up their current pace. Most tariffs between the EU and the Baltic countries have already been swept away, and more than 70% of their exports already head west. When they become members, trade is expected to increase further.
EU membership has some drawbacks. Baltic businesspeople fear it could bring more bureaucracy, slower decision-making, and attempts by the high-tax countries of core Europe to push through rules requiring all EU members to synchronize their tax rates. If that happens, the Baltic states would probably be forced to increase their corporate taxes. Competition from EU companies, already sharp, would intensify. That's why Parts says it is vital for Estonians, Latvians, and Lithuanians to redouble their efforts to add more value to their products and develop a more advanced, knowledge-based economy by investing heavily in higher education and improving links between universities and business. Given the eagerness with which most Baltic citizens adopted the Internet, that may not prove too difficult. More than 90% of bank transfers are now made online, three times the portion in France or Germany. Express trains between Tallinn and Estonia's second city of Tartu now provide Internet access. Old Europe will certainly learn a thing or two from its neighbors to the East.
By David Fairlamb in Riga


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Despite having five Australian internet service providers under its belt already, regional business internet company Asia Online is still on the lookout for prospective local partners.
John Hayden, spokesperson for Asia Online said the company has $30 million to spend on Australian acquisitions over the next financial year. In the last month, it has acquired five ISPs for an undisclosed amount.
This week, the company announced it had purchased Brisbane Internet Technology, The Message eXchange of Sydney (TMX) and Adelaide's Dove. In late September, Asia Online acquired Internet Access Australia in Melnourne and Interact Technology Group of Canberra.
"The whole scheme is to build a pan-Asia Pacific network facilitating the internet and business use of the internet," Hayden told ComputerWorld.
Hayden said Asia Online is looking at other Australian companies which will offer complementary services to niche markets.
"[Asia Online] is certainly talking to other companies," he said.
In addition, Hayden said Asia Online is also eyeing companies in Asian countries including Japan, Korea and China. Investments have already been made in the Phillipines and Hong Kong, he said.
In terms of branding and integration of the new acquisitions, Hayden said Asia Online has no plans to separate each company from its established market.
"We do not intend to separate the brand or name from the marketplace. But the long term approach . . . is that companies have their own brand in their marketplace but are also branded as Asia Online.
"We are saying if [companies] want to do business with Asia [in addition to locally], this is the company to do it with," Hayden said.

domain: news


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News by Topic
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Report: Mobile commerce, search show strong growth
Look for more ad dollars to push into mobile search and retail, that as new data out from The Search Agency shows strong growth for each sector through Q1 2013. Their data shows that overall ad spending for smartphones increased 68% Year over Year (YOY) while ad spending on tablets increasing more than 100%.
Click volume was also strong via smartphones, increasing 86% YoY. Another indicator that mobile growth will continue: Q1s are historically weak as consumers pay off loaded credit cards from the previous holiday season. But, The Search Agency's report show retail click share (via smartphone) increased more than 80% YoY and nearly 70% Quarter over Quarter (QoQ).
Tablet click share increased more than 70% (YoY) and 13% (QoQ); retail showed the highest click share among mobile verticals.
"2012 was a strong year for search advertising, and mobile and tablets helped drive this growth exponentially. Bing has been ferociously working to grab market share from Google, particularly battling it out on tablet devices," said Keith Wilson, vice president of agency products at The Search Agency. "The study also showed tablets continue to be a driving force - consumers are hitting the tablets to shop and buy, with tablet performance steadily increasing over the past five quarters. I don't see this slowing anytime soon."
Back to search, the report shows that clicks on the product listing ads (PLAs) increased 100% across mobile devices (YoY) and nearly 60% (QoQ). Paid search, meanwhile shows impressions have decreased by about 4% YoY while click-thurs have increased 15%; CPCs have increased more than 8% with the spend across Google and Yahoo/Bing up more than 20%.
The Yahoo/Bing collaboration, especially, is showing strong growth; the Yahoo/Bing share of advertising is more than 20% (smartphone) more than 15% (tablet) YoY.
- Ecommerce Roundup: As digital increases, so does fraud
- Survey: Health Lifestyle grabs consumer interest
- Alibaba forms alliance with big brands to fight counterfeiting
- Expert: What marketers need to know about RegTech
- Mobile 'click injection' fraud forecast to become prevalent in 2017
- Less than half of consumers satisfied with retail app experience
- Study: Order struggles a problem for B2B
- Ad Roundup: Solution expansions, investments
Featured White Papers
- How to Deliver Content Your Employees Will Love to Share
Your employees are your greatest asset. It makes perfect sense that companies would double down on their own talent, empowering...


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Nest's wise doorbell can only be installed in homes with the right kind of doorbell wiring. As a result, in order to make the product available to others, we began selling adapters that could plug the doorbell into a home outlet.
It is not the most elegant solution in the world. If you want to feed the wire inside the house to the doorbell outside, you must drill a hole through the door frame. But it's at least some sort of solution, and an office in a big building might want to see their porch.
The adapter has not been created. It was developed by a company called Ninety7, not by Google. Ninety7 is famous for making ridiculous battery adapters for smart speakers. But it is being sold through the Google online store. It is being sold for $ 29. Many other power adapters from other companies can find more affordable options on Amazon, but this is the first time that Google has sold them directly.
Another company released a battery-powered smart doorbell to solve wiring problems. Ring's two most affordable doorbells are battery powered and last for six months to a year.
Creating a battery-powered doorbell can cause some problems. In August, we recently released a doorbell due to a lack of batteries, which was released in connection with the connection in just a few weeks after its launch. It's not clear what went wrong, but battery-powered smart devices can cause problems because they must limit the use of battery-drain features such as Wi-Fi.


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Palm Pre 2 Headed to Verizon?
Verizon may be getting the rumored-but-highly-likely Palm Pre 2, if an image sent to Engadget is in fact from the company’s so-called VZLearn internal training portal. It is not clear from the image when Verizon plans on releasing the unannounced device.
Several days of rumors have made a second-generation Pre more and more likely: first we saw what appeared to be an official article about the handset on French carrier SFR’s website, and then alleged pictures of this model showed up on French site MobiFrance. According to the SFR post, the Pre 2 will feature a 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, and ship with the unreleased webOS version 2.0.


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In an experimental sodium-ion battery technology, a vial of clear sodium-ion electrolyte provides the circulating "blood" that keeps ions and energy flowing.
Researchers at the Department of Energy (DOE) have achieved a major breakthrough they believe may be the solution by which sodium-ion batteries could be a viable replacement for lithium-ion batteries.
The Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has tweaked the composition of the liquid cores of sodium-based storage devices to dramatically extend their lifetimes and address performance issues that have plagued them so far.
"Here, we show in principle that sodium-ion batteries have the potential to be a durable, environmentally friendly battery technology," said one of the lead researchers, Jiguang Zhang. The paper was published in the journal Nature Energy.
Scientists have long viewed sodium-ion batteries as the best option to replace lithium-ion batteries in the future, for a few reasons. Sodium, in abundance, is far cheaper, more accessible, and more ethically mined than lithium, an expensive and finite resource that is exploitatively extracted in underdeveloped parts of the world.
Sodium-ion batteries are also likely to maintain a high capacity of energy at any given weight and volume, while lithium-ion batteries can get heavier as energy density increases, making sodium-ion batteries replacing lithium-ion batteries less likely, the researchers said. more attractive.
Specifically, the PNNL team used the battery's liquid electrolyte, which is formed by dissolving salts in a solvent. The electrolyte is the part of the battery where charged ions flow between the positive and negative electrodes. Any battery becomes sluggish over time, which limits the number of times a device can be recharged and still remain charged for optimal function.
A major disadvantage of sodium-ion batteries is that the charge decays faster than lithium-ion batteries, which would hinder their viability as a commercial replacement for lithium-ion batteries.
Led by scientists Yan Jin and Phung Le, the PNNL team tackled this problem by creating a new electrolyte formulation that switches the liquid solution and the type of salt flowing through the battery to address a key issue that typically arises in this part of the device question.
The electrolytes currently used in sodium-ion batteries tend to dissolve the protective film on the anode or negative electrode in the device. The protective film is a critical part of the battery because it allows sodium ions to pass through the anode while maintaining battery life.
To solve this problem, the researchers stabilized the protective film of the anode while adding an ultrathin protective layer to the cathode (positive electrode). According to the researchers, their improvements to the device made the battery more stable overall, maintaining 90 percent of its battery capacity after 300 cycles at 4.2V in experimental tests.
Although sodium-ion batteries have higher performance than previously developed sodium-ion batteries, they are not yet on a par with lithium-ion batteries. However, the researchers say this is one of the most promising efforts yet to advance sodium-based battery design.
High voltage performance
The battery developed by the PNNL team also demonstrated an improvement over current lithium-ion battery designs in the ability to operate at high voltages, which have been a challenge. In fact, lithium-ion designs can short-circuit and even fire when their energy density is too high, which is one of the key reasons why scientists are looking to replace them.
On the other hand, the new sodium-based battery uses a natural extinguishing solution that is not affected by temperature changes and can operate at high pressures, the researchers said. The ultrathin layer formed on the anode is the key, providing overall device stability.
The researchers said they also measured the amount of cathode gas vapor produced and found that the amount produced was extremely small. This will provide new ideas for scientists to develop stable electrolytes for sodium-ion batteries that work at high temperatures.
The PNNL team aims to continue its work by improving current battery designs and conducting trials with other companies to reduce and possibly eliminate the use of other problematic materials commonly used in batteries. One of them, they say, is cobalt, which is toxic and expensive if not recycled or recycled.


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Bidders eye rescue of Meghan Markle dressmaker Ralph & Russo as firm collapses into administration
Bidders are circling the A-List dressmaker whose designs were showcased by the Duchess of Sussex in her official engagement photos.
Ralph & Russo, which also counts Beyoncé and Gwyneth Paltrow among its fans, fell into administration on Wednesday after it was hit by the collapse in balls, weddings and red carpet events, smashing sales of its luxury dresses, which start at £2,500. It is hunting for fresh investment so it can bounce back when events restart.
Fan: Ralph & Russo was showcased by the Duchess of Sussex in her official engagement photos
A former investor said it had already attracted fashion houses, sovereign wealth funds and private equity houses, as well as some of the world’s super-rich.
Candy Ventures, owned by property tycoon Nick Candy, said: ‘There will now be a very quick solution to secure the future of the business.’
The jobs of around 130 staff remain at risk. This week 100 were still on furlough, and those who were at work were not paid full wages last month.
Ralph & Russo, founded in 2010, rocketed to global fame when Meghan Markle wore a £56,000 sheer long-sleeved gown in 2017 to mark her engagement to Prince Harry. At the subsequent Royal wedding, Candy’s wife Holly Valance also wore a Ralph & Russo dress.
In good company: Nick Candy’s wife Holly Valance also wore a Ralph & Russo dress at Harry and Meghan’s wedding
The firm has been beset by claims of financial mismanagement, including the signing of a pricey lease on a New York store which never opened.


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The demand for gold in the country was strong Wednesday, but with limited supplies were forcing jewelers to pay a premium near record high.
The actively traded gold February futures on the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) rose 0.12 percent to Rs 29,096 per 10 grams at 0945 GMT.
Rupee plays a major role in the determination of landed cost of the U.S. dollar quoted yellow metal. The rupee rose on Wednesday.
Overseas gold reached a new five-month low on Wednesday as investors awaited more U.S. financial data later this week to assess the outlook of bond buying by the Federal Reserve that have driven bullion’s appeal as hedge against inflation.
Silver March futures delivery on the MCX was 0.56 percent at 43,890 rupees per kg.
To alleviate the trade deficit, the country that is the world’s largest consumer of gold, has done what on the more expensive gold, the largest non-essential imports. The government has established the import duty at a record level of 10 percent.
“Nobody are giving us shares, all exporters will,” said Harshad Ajmera, proprietor of JJ Gold House in Kolkata. He added that premiums were traded at over $ 130 an ounce.
Government has tied the quantity of imports and exports, so it needs to import agencies to meet export orders before ship any bullion for local use.
Reported: Economic Times


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Cisco’s Webex videoconferencing software now lets you set virtual backgrounds
As it tries to catch up with the popular features offered by some of its younger competitors, Cisco’s Webex has unveiled virtual backgrounds for its videoconferences. Users can either apply a “blur” effect to mask their background or replace with one of Webex’s preset background images.
Zoom, the most popular videoconferencing app of the moment, and rivals Google Meet and Microsoft Teams all allow users to upload their own custom images for background displays.
Webex is one of the oldest players in the videoconferencing space. It was founded in 1995 and acquired by Cisco in 2007 for $3.2 billion. It’s primarily used as a business application and has a focus on companies, rather than personal customers, but has increased the features available on its freemium version during the current surge in demand for remote meetings.
In recent weeks, Google and Microsoft have started to catch up to Zoom; Microsoft has grown its Teams app to 75 million daily active users, the company said in April. And Google said Meet recently surpassed 100 million daily meeting participants.
Like its rivals, Webex has seen a sharp increase in usage during the coronavirus pandemic with more people working and schooling at home. The company said in April it tripled its average number of meeting minutes to 25 billion.


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Indonesia, treasure trove for pay-TV operators
With a population of over 250 million, Indonesia is the world’s fourth largest country by population and also the largest archipelago in the world.
According to Nielsen based on a gross rate card that excluded digital, it showed ad spend to have reached Rp 118 trillion (US$8.77billion). Early 2015 saw a deep slowdown in the market but advertising expenditure recovered at over 7%, being only slightly slower than 2014.
Zenith Media expects the global advertising market to grow by US$77 billion from 2015 to 2018, with Indonesia in fourth place contributing to 5% of this extra advertising expenditure. A slight change is also expected in the ranking of the world’s largest advertising markets from 2015 to 2018, where Indonesia is expected to replace Canada as the 10th largest advertising market.
Among Indonesian e-commerce startups, online marketplace Tokopedia and online ticket-booking platform Traveloka were found to have spent the most on TV advertising in 2015, with Tokopedia reportedly spending Rp 559billion (US$40.2million) while Traveloka spent a total of Rp 553billion (US$39.8million). Both companies were placed ninth and tenth position in the general top 10 list of companies that were the biggest spenders in TV advertisements in 2015.
CASBAA found that Indonesia had the lowest pay-TV penetration rate of TV households in Asia-Pacific in 2013, with a percentage of 9. However, it has the highest projected pay-TV subscriber growth in the Asia-Pacific, at 15%. A forecast for 2016 shows for the penetration of pay-TV subscribers to grow by 2% and for the number of pay-TV subscribers to be 6.3 million. 2017’s forecast also sees a 2% rise in penetration and 7.1 million pay-TV subscribers.
Celestial Tiger Entertainment’s Miao Mi made its debut on PT MNC Sky Vision network in January this year. Miao Mi is the first pan-regional Mandarin kids channel, created specifically to entertain and educate pre-school children regardless of their language background.
Turner International Asia-Pacific’s Oh!K also extended its service to Indonesia this year, offering an OTT deal with first-run, localised and high quality video on mobile devices and online via Tribe.
Twitter has had many successful initiatives in Indonesia since the opening of its office in March 2015. Some of these include Peta Jakarta with the Jakarta city government, the Ramadhan campaign that managed to garner 20% of global conversation from Indonesia alone. Another initiative by Twitter Indonesia was the Independence Day campaign, Nyalakan Indonesia, which resulted in more than 440,000 tweets using the hashtag #R170.
CNN Indonesia began broadcasting in August 2015 for the first time from Transmedia broadcast centre in Jakarta. The start of CNN Indonesia follows the launch of its website, CNNIndonesia.com in October 2014.
It offers a mix of local and international news and the latest in business and sports, all in Bahasa Indonesia. CNN Indonesia is part of a strategic effort by CNN International to explore ways to reach consumers more locally, regionally and internationally by partnering with other leading media organisations.
Beln Sports acquired the Indonesian English Premier League (EPL) rights for US$75 million from 2016 to 2019. Returns on EPL distribution have shown to be challenging especially for pay-TV in Indonesia. Packaging is the key in increasing the value of EPL for Beln on pay-TV platforms in Indonesia.
Zee Entertainment’s Zee Hiburan channel has successfully completed its first year (as of March 2016) in Indonesia. It ventured into Indonesia to consolidate their position and market share, which is one of the fastest growing pay-TV markets in the Asia-Pacific region. The channel is currently available on five platforms in Indonesia – viz.ICTA, K Vision, Orange TV, First Media and Dili Timor Leste ETO Telko.
Eccho Rights has also signed a new deal with Indonesian broadcaster SCTV for its Turkish drama Elif. In the first run of its first season, the show became number one in the timeslot, consistently scoring over a 20% share of audience as compared to the channel average of 10%.
In March this year, iflix announced the completion of a large new round of funding led by Sky PLC. Emtek Group also participated in the round through its subsidiary Surya Citra Media, one of Indonesia’s leading television and content companies.
Being Asia’s largest video-ondemand service, HOOQ debuted in Indonesia with over 35,000 hours of international and local titles. A startup venture between Singtel, Sony Pictures Television and Warner Bros., it aims to drive the entertainment revolution and change the way Asians consume entertainment, particularly in the emerging markets.
Ideal Systems took the lead to design and build CNN Indonesia’s new turnkey newsroom solution. The launch was the result of collaboration between CNN International and CT Corp Indonesia. The groundbreaking channel is a first of its kind for CNN in Southeast Asia, which delivers CNN’s unique brand of high-quality news. CNN Indonesia also plans to acquire licensing for free-toair broadcast in the upcoming DVB-T2 switchover in Indonesia.
Media innovation in Thailand
W ith a population of 71 million and a TV penetration of 96.5%, Thailand ranks as Southeast Asia’s largest TV market due to its size and longevity in the business. New digital platforms for terrestrial, satellite and broadband distribution are dramatically reshaping industry dynamics. NBTC licensing brings greater clarity with DTH, cable TV and DTT platforms being licensed. An IPTV service is also operated by a telco, under its telecom operator license.
Thailand’s digital advertising forecast is expected to rise by 23% this year, according to DAAT. An estimate of THB 9.9 billion (US$280 million) is expected to be spent on digital media advertising. Advertisers are surpassing traditional straight to digital media, with cost-effectiveness in mind, even though the first quarter of 2016 saw a 6% drop in overall advertising spend. This is also encouraged by the ascension of online video consumption and active mobile Internet users.
2015 saw a huge decrease in mobile subscriptions across all operators, especially DTAC. However, 3G penetration is still growing strongly with over 90% of subscribers now on 3G networks.
Even though pay-TV growth is limited due to free satellite and digital terrestrial, TrueVisions has managed to grow by repackaging its products effectively. Much of its pay-TV growth is being driven aggressively with broadband bundling.
For OTT services in Thailand, there is no economic regulation of internet-based content services. However, there are some restrictions on advertising certain goods and services online (e.g. firearms, medicine, food, fortune-tellers) and content (e.g. obscenity, offending the monarchy). Enforcement of content restriction is stricter in respect of local services as opposed to offshore OTT services.
Magine TV’s first step into the Asian mobile TV market in October 2015 ended up in a partnership with Thailand-based cable network CTH. Magine TV will power CTH’s OTT offering, distributing their entertainment and sports channel including the Barclays Premiere League coverage across Thailand. Netflix arrived in Thailand in January this year. Since then, only Thai censorship was incorporated leaving Thai subtitles and other support for later. This was the result of a global expansion by Netflix to 130 new countries overnight. Netflix is offering a free, no-obligation trial of its services for a month, with the option to switch between three payments plan then after.
GRB Entertainment clinched programming deals for 18 factual entertainment titles with Thailand’s Next Step Company. Many extreme nature and wildlife titles were sold, such as Expeditions to the Edge and I Cloned My Pet.
Smoke & Mirrors (S&M) launched a new joint venture with Oriental Post, a subsidiary of leading Thai entertainment company, Kantana Group. The new venture saw S&M take its first step into the ASEAN region with the launch of Smoke & Mirrors Bangkok. The newly established company is a full service post-production facility offering onset supervision, colour grading, online compositing and finishing, CG / 3D animation and a comprehensive visual effect department, employing leading creative talents globally.
In April, AIS partnered with Turner to carry five of its channels on the AIS Playbox OTT service and the Play mobile app. This led to almost 40 million AIS mobile subscribers being able to live-stream the five linear channels and to watch catch-up content. Turner is the first international broadcaster to offer content on the AIS platforms. This is also the first time HLN and the World Heritage Channel were made available in Thailand. The five channels are Warner TV, Toonami, World Heritage Channel, HLN and Boomerang.
AIS switched on commercial voiceover- LTE (VoLTE) service across Thailand. It gives users with the proper device with ‘crystal clear’ HD voice quality, reduced background noise, faster call connection and the ability to access the Internet simultaneously while on a VoLTE call.


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With the arrival of Epic Games Store to the roster of digital game retailers, PC gamers now see a new era that might drag Steam down from the Ironbed of PC games’ market. Like it or not, Epic Games Store force players to use its platform by all the exclusive contracts that has signed so far with different publishers and developers. Now, Epic Games attempts to take a step forward by attending at E3 2019 and revealing more of its upcoming exclusive titles and services.
While the developer of Fortnite won’t hold its own event at E3, the company will sponsor PC Gaming Show press conference to unveil new details about its exclusive upcoming games and also announce new partnerships with developers.
Thanks to the collaboration of Epic Games Store, its being said that this year’s PC Gaming Show event will feature more announcements and trailers than ever. Evan Lahti, editor in-chief at PC Gamer said:
This year’s live stream will present more announcements and new trailers than any previous PC Gaming Show. From brilliant indies to studios that have shaped PC gaming for decades, we’re excited to showcase what’s next for the world’s most vibrant gaming platform.
While PC Gaming Show has always been a brilliant place for indie games to show up and make a name for themselves, this year we can also hope to see more of some AAA titles in the show.


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Second 5Linx founder sentenced to 14 months for fraud, false tax returns
A federal judge Wednesday sentenced another founder of the 5Linx company to 14 months for fraud and false tax returns.
Sentenced was Jeb Tyler, who, along with company founders Craig Jerabeck and Jason Guck, admitted to defrauding investors by pocketing $2.3 million in 5Linx revenue.
U.S. District Judge David Larimer last week sentenced Jerabeck to 14 months, the same sentence he imposed Wednesday on Tyler.
Guck is scheduled to be sentenced next week.
Tyler, 45, apologized for his crimes and vowed to work to pay restitution to the investors. He also owes almost $450,000 in taxes because of the falsified filings.
A so-called "multi-level marketing company" which used sales representatives to sell a vast array of products, 5Linx was once of the region's success stories. The founders created the company from nothing, but Jerabeck admitted last week that its success — and the riches it brought the founders — clouded his judgment.
Tyler said he aches for what happened to 5Linx, which still exists as a shell of its former self.
"It was more than just a job," he said. "It was more than just something I did. It was a part of me."


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In honor of Earth Day this past April 22, Holland America Line unveiled their new environmentally sustainable seafood program, an extension of their 3-year-long environmental conservation project dubbed “Our Marvelous Oceans.” The sustainability program is the cruise line's way of ensuring responsibility for the health of the seas they sail upon. Partnered with Marine Conservation Institute, a Washington-based aquatic environmental group, Holland America's new strides help secure an onboard seafood selection that is more environmentally conscious. The company predicts that the new menu will satisfy their customers by offering the same quality gourmet fish, while allowing those fish species to be present and prolific in their biologically natural environment.
Marine Conservation International evaluates each seafood item to determine its general abundance, how the fishery is managed, and what harmful effects fishing and farming have generated to the contiguous oceanic ecosystem. After these three factors have been evaluated, Holland America makes a more eco-conscience choice as to what seafood from what fishery the cruise line will serve onboard. The sustainability program starts with Holland America’s 2011 Alaska and Europe cruises, while it will spread throughout the 15-ship fleet by next year. The Marine Conservation Institute hopes that Holland America will become a role model for other cruise lines to follow.


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Insiders sell stock to diversify assets and is highly regulated and scrutinized. Insiders can only sell shares at certain times during the year, and when they do, they must acknowledge that they are not in possession of material, nonpublic information. Many insiders use planned selling programs as a means to ensure they do not violate insider-trading laws. Recently, various executives have taken part in insider selling activity for the stocks of GoPro Inc (NASDAQ:GPRO), Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB), and Sprint Corp (NYSE:S).
Let’s take a closer look:
On November 14, Chief Financial Officer Brian McGee sold 4,497 GoPro shares, valued at $46,409. McGee now holds 51,250 of the company’s shares that are valued at $528,900.
Brian served as our Vice President of Finance since September 2015, which included responsibility for financial planning, tax, treasury and risk management. From May 2011 to September 2015, Mr. McGee served in various positions at Qualcomm, most recently as the Vice President, Business Operations.
On November 14, Chief Product Officer Christopher K. Cox sold 71,944 shares, valued at nearly $8,368,18. Cox now holds 418,101 of the company’s shares that are valued at $48,499,716.
Cox received a bachelor’s degree in symbolic systems with a concentration in artificial intelligence from Stanford University, which he attended from 2001 to 2004. Cox dropped out of a graduate degree program at Stanford to join Facebook in 2005. He started as a software engineer and worked on first versions of many key Facebook products, including News Feed. As a 25-year-old engineer, he was promoted to Director of Human Resources and later to Vice President of Product before becoming Chief Product Officer.
On November 16, Chief Marketing Officer Sole-Rafols Roger sold 49,844 shares, valued at nearly $375,455. Roger now holds 1,466,397 of the company’s shares that are valued at just under $10,997,978.
Roger came to Sprint from TIM Brasil, where he was the company’s chief marketing officer. Under his leadership, TIM, Telecom Italia’s mobile carrier in Brazil, emerged as that country’s fastest-growing mobile operator by introducing new offers and services, providing innovative ways for customers to get new smartphones. Roger grew TIM to become the No. 1 seller of smartphones in Brazil with 40% market share and nearly 71 million customers.


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The Chinese official certification website, TENAA has revealed and the existence of a new Lumia smartphone, the Nokia Lumia 625. It is being said that it would be the most affordable Lumia phone and would come with the biggest screen ever, for a Nokia phone. The unibody design of the Lumia 625 looks very similar to that of the Lumia 620 and would likely be pegged as its successor for the global market.
The alleged specifications of the next Lumia 625 point to a 4.7-inch display with a resolution of 480x800 pixels. The screen resolution seems to be similar to some of the budget Lumia devices launched by Nokia.
The device is said to be powered by a 1.2GHz Snapdragon S4 processor along with 512MB RAM. It's expected to feature a 5.0-megapixel rear camera but it's not known if it will also feature a secondary camera. The listing mentions GPRS, WCDMA, HSPA support and the phone is also likely to includes LTE.
The Nokia Lumia 625 is likely to be launched in China first. At the moment, there is no news about when the Finnish handset maker would launch the handset, globally.
The device is powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor. The highlight of the device ever since it got leaked has been the PureView 41-megapixel sensor which offers Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), backside-illuminated image sensor, 6 lens optics accompanied by a Xenon Flash. Nokia has also added some camera software such as the Nokia Pro Camera and Smart Camera Mode, while there is a 1.2-megapixel front camera. The phone comes with 32GB internal storage and 2GB of RAM.


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Longmont resident Sharon Trumble has pulled back on some of her spending for the holiday season and used more coupons than in the past.
But, Trumble said, she wouldn’t be surprised if her habits start to change when the spirit of the season kicks in and kicks out some of the moths from her wallet.
“I’ve cut back a little bit,” said Trumble, 55. “But I find as the date gets closer, I’ll spend way more than I planned yet again.”
If that’s the case, Trumble could be in the minority this year.
Fifty-three percent of people polled by Associated Press-GfK said they plan to spend less on holiday gifts last year and an additional 40 percent say they will spend about the same, according to the poll released last week.
The AP poll exemplifies the domino effect of bad economic news: Rising unemployment and tight credit are leading people to spend less, further weakening the economy.
Now, at about the mid-point of the Christmas shopping season, some local retailers are taking actions to make sure the Grinch-like recession doesn’t steal all their sales during what it typically their busiest season.
“It’s kind of rough out there,” said Danice Crawford, who runs Marisol Imports with her parents. “We have things that keep people connected to the community. I think people are actually really drawn to that right now.”
Giving people a ‘break’
The operators of MarisolCM+NT cq-NT work closely with the artists and artisans that make the rugs, furniture and home accessories sold by the store at 915 Pearl St. in Boulder.
As part of a moving sale, almost every item is 20 percent to 50 percent off — another benefit during a time when people are wary about money, she added.
“We’re anticipating people are really going to take advantage of that,” she said.
After spending 27 years on the corner of 9th and Pearl, Marisol will be closing after Jan. 10 because a mixed-use development is planned for the property. The business will relocate to 2516 Broadway, a retail space that sits across from the Hungry Toad restaurant.
At the Book Cellar in Louisville, owner Barbara Butterworth has noticed how people’s behaviors have changed a bit this season as opposed to past years.
On Black Friday — normally the quietest day of the year for her 6-year-old business because most shoppers are at malls and big-box retailers — business boomed, and the following Saturday was not as busy as in the past. Also, her customers were not putting their Black Friday goods on credit as often as they did in the past, something she attributed to tightened credit woes.
The changing business climate also has lead her to change up her business practices as well.
During the Christmas season, she typically carries a line of novelties — unique items that can make people laugh. This year, she decided to bring in a rack of Dover books — coloring and puzzle books for all ages that include products such as a “Color Your Own Matisse Paintings” book and “Stained Glass Coloring Kits.”
Two weekends ago, the store sold about one-third of its Dover books that range from $3.95 to $6.99, Butterworth estimated.
“My focus this year was to bring in something fun and inexpensive and easy for people to buy,” she said.
The 6-year-old seller of used and new books took a hit this year because of a downshift in the economy. With sales about even to this time last year, Butterworth said she hopes the desire of the community members who want to support local businesses, plus the high importance she places on customer service, should help her business through the season.
“I’m hoping to pull out up by the end of the year,” Butterworth said. “I’ll be happy with flat this year, even a 1 percent or 2 percent increase would be great.”
Pet products store Bark Avenue, 101 E. Chester St. in Lafayatte, typically has one “open house,” a sales event that includes treats for the humans and their furry friends, during the holiday season. This year, the retailer will have two, said owner Dede Christopher.
Aside from the open houses, the business also has most of its holiday gift items for less than $20.
“People could use the break,” she said.
Christopher said she thinks her business is fortunate during the downturn because of its focus on healthy and natural pet food and treats, something she doesn’t see people pulling back on for their pets.
“We’re buying cheaper coffee, but my dogs and cats are eating the same things they’ve always eaten,” she said.
This season is more about the “gift of giving” than the “prestige of the gift,” predicted Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst for New York research firm the NPD Group.
A recent NPD Group poll showed that 63 percent of respondents said they were cutting back on holiday gifts. In a habit shift, shoppers this year are focusing more on home-baked and hand-crafted items as opposed to the “latest nifty gadget,” he said in a press release.
Consignment activity at Common Threads, 2707 Spruce St. in Boulder, has picked up during the past couple weeks as consumers try to earn more cash for the holidays, owner Libby Alexander said. Also, the retailer’s December sewing classes have been more populated, she added.
The economy is “definitely uncertain, but I feel like it’s a good time to be creative and figure out what works and what doesn’t,” she said.
During Black Friday weekend, mall retailers — including those at Boulder’s Twenty Ninth Street — offered a slew of discounts to help lure in shoppers. Lori Giggey, marketing manager for the central Boulder retail district, hasn’t heard of specific sales, but said she knows that Twenty Ninth Street tenants are planning to position themselves for a pick-up in traffic at the end of the holiday season.
Another difference this year, she said, is that it appears the mall’s tenants have been changing up their inventories more often, watching what they’re selling and carrying a variety of products to encourage customers to come back.
Sales have been “pretty steady,” despite the economic environment, which has resulted in retailers bringing in “a little less than what they had a year before,” Giggey said.
“But people are very encouraged that they had a good (Black Friday) weekend,” she said.
Nationally, more than 172 million shoppers visited stores and Web sites during the Black Friday weekend, up from 147 million shoppers last year, according to a survey published by the National Retail Federation. Shoppers spent about 7.2 percent more as well, the Washington, D.C.-based trade association said.
This year in particular, Downtown Boulder Inc. — a membership-based organization created to preserve and enhance Boulder’s downtown — is being a little more hands on with helping businesses, said Jane Jenkins, the organization’s executive director.
The organization also is hearing more from its members about their holiday-related promotions and actions, she said.
One of the keys during a holiday season where the same level ofsales as compared to last year are a positive thing, Jenkins said, is emphasizing the “local” message.
“I think the best that we can hope for is flat year-over-year and that consumers continue to get the message of shopping locally … and choosing to spend (their holiday money) in Boulder.”
During the past couple weeks, customers have been buying some of the lower-ticketed items at Alpaca Connection, a 20-year-old retailer of Alpaca clothing and accessories, said Lidia Holl who owns the shop at 1326 Pearl St. with her husband.
She said she’s “keeping her fingers crossed” that the economic situation will not worsen, but business remains pretty steady, she said, noting the business is still up 15 percent as compared to last year.
“I hear all this bad news, but I keep having a steady flow of customers,” she said.
Holl attributed her consistent traffic to customer service, something she said is paramount when the economy turns south.
“When you invest a little time to talk to them, it’s like they feel at home,” she said. “It’s a relaxed atmosphere, we do better, they shop more.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Contact Camera Business Writer Alicia Wallace at 303-473-1332 or email@example.com.


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Tin an ancient metal is now widely used in metal packing industry around the world. India became a backbone of the industry when Tata acquired Corus, Hindalco acquired Novalis and Mittals acquired Arcelor. Packaging Industry is continuously evolving with new materials and design keeping tin industry on tenterhooks.
Despite challenges from packaging like aseptic packaging, bag in box, substitution of plastic, tin industry is making a comeback due to longevity of food products in metal packing.
The market for tin is valued at INR 25 billion and is growing at a rate of 6.3%. Further, wastage in agro products is high in India and there is a latent demand for processed food which may drive tin industry in India.


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Smart phones include geotagging features that many people aren’t aware of.
People were up in arms this week about the privacy implications of news that the iPhone gathers location information and stores it in a file on the user’s computer. But experts say that smart-phone owners are unknowingly taking a much bigger risk with information about where they go all day. During a presentation at the computer security conference Source Boston, Ben Jackson of Mayhemic Labs and Larry Pesce, a senior security consultant with NWN, described the way photos taken by many phones are routinely encoded with latitude and longitude tags. When users post those photos online through services such as TwitPic, they often expose much more personal data than they realize.
“It is definitely true that folks don’t [understand] the risk,” says Jackson.
For example, by looking at the location metadata stored with pictures posted through one man’s anonymous Twitter account, the researchers were able to pinpoint his likely home address. From there, by cross-referencing this location with city records, they found his name. Using that information, the researchers went on to find his place of work, his wife’s name, and information about his children.
A few smart phones, such as the BlackBerry, leave the geotagging feature turned off by default. In many devices, however, photos are tagged with this information unless users to go in and disable the feature themselves. Continue reading…


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Victory Capital Management Inc. Boosts Stake in Clorox Co. (CLX)
Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in Clorox Co. (NYSE:CLX) by 4.2% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 9,967 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 400 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Clorox were worth $1,379,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC boosted its position in Clorox by 1.0% in the second quarter. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC now owns 820 shares of the company’s stock worth $113,000 after buying an additional 8 shares during the last quarter. Cleararc Capital Inc. boosted its position in Clorox by 0.3% in the first quarter. Cleararc Capital Inc. now owns 3,163 shares of the company’s stock worth $399,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Mariner Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Clorox by 0.4% in the first quarter. Mariner Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,505 shares of the company’s stock worth $316,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Keel Point LLC boosted its position in Clorox by 0.5% in the second quarter. Keel Point LLC now owns 7,512 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,040,000 after buying an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Moody Lynn & Lieberson LLC boosted its position in Clorox by 2.0% in the second quarter. Moody Lynn & Lieberson LLC now owns 2,037 shares of the company’s stock worth $282,000 after buying an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. 70.17% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Clorox Co. (NYSE:CLX) traded up 1.10% during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $124.02. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 689,177 shares. The company has a market cap of $16.06 billion, a PE ratio of 25.21 and a beta of 0.33. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $129.73 and its 200-day moving average is $130.12. Clorox Co. has a 12-month low of $112.75 and a 12-month high of $140.47.
Clorox (NYSE:CLX) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 3rd. The company reported $1.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $1.28 by $0.02. The company earned $1.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.58 billion. Clorox had a net margin of 11.25% and a return on equity of 296.91%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.44 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Clorox Co. will post $5.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 14th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, October 26th will be issued a dividend of $0.80 per share. This represents a $3.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.61%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, October 24th. Clorox’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 64.91%.
CLX has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Jefferies Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Clorox in a research report on Wednesday, August 3rd. B. Riley reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $109.00 price objective on shares of Clorox in a research report on Tuesday, August 9th. Atlantic Securities initiated coverage on Clorox in a research report on Tuesday, June 14th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $138.00 price objective on the stock. Deutsche Bank AG reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $134.00 price objective (up from $130.00) on shares of Clorox in a research report on Sunday, July 24th. Finally, Zacks Investment Research cut Clorox from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 5th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. The company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $128.90.
In other Clorox news, EVP Laura Stein sold 38,882 shares of Clorox stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.69, for a total transaction of $5,120,370.58. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 48,501 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,387,096.69. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, COO Dawn C. Willoughby sold 10,617 shares of Clorox stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.01, for a total value of $1,390,933.17. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 20,353 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,666,446.53. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 2.09% of the company’s stock.
Clorox Company Profile
The Clorox Company is a manufacturer and marketer of consumer and professional products. The Company sells its products primarily through mass retail outlets, e-commerce channels, wholesale distributors and medical supply distributors. The Company operates through four segments: Cleaning, Household, Lifestyle and International.
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CLX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Clorox Co. (NYSE:CLX).
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Kawamura says that he’s beginning to see changes in farm bills, which is a good sign.
Nestle says that the farm bill is where policy, business, nutrition really come together. We need to read the bill carefully, despite its impressive length, and start working towards a better farm bill five years from now.
Jones: SF has protected public health by requiring restaurants to label their food, which allows people to get the information they need to stay healthy. That law is at risk of getting preempted at the state level. That’s something we need to watch. Locals should be able to protect health above state levels or federal laws. She said there was a link between labeling and waste. Some restaurants were decreasing their portion sizes rather than be forced to admit their caloric load. Many portion sizes are really too big and get thrown away, so waste has been reduced with this local law.
Kimbrell says similarly some counties have wanted to go GMO-free (cheers from the audience) and California has tried to preempt it. Monsanto is trying to get rid of BGH labeling. USDA wants to call irradiation “cold pasteurizing.” They want us to have less information. They’re afraid of this movement.
Kimbrell says he wants to reassert that food issues and environmental issues are the same thing. Food is the most intimate relationship we have with the environment: We eat it. And industrial agriculture contributes 25 percent of all GHGs, so they’re the same issue. (This is correct: Check EPA site.)
He takes the first jab at Kawamura, saying that he doesn’t think good agriculture requires high technology but intimate knowledge of the ecosystem.
I think the moderator just said that we could bring down GHGs by 40 percent by going organic and rejuvenating the soil, etc. Wow—I’m going to check that one out.
Nestle goes back to labeling issue. She’s from NYC, where there is mandatory calorie labeling. A blueberry/pomegranate smoothie: 1100+. A pizza for one: 2100+ calories. Have those together and you’ve had more than your total appropriate caloric intake for the day.


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TEXT OF STORY
Bill Radke: Today, China and Taiwan started what could be historic trade talks. From Shanghai, Marketplace’s Scott Tong tells us about an economic thaw in this political rivalry.
Scott Tong: Proponents say a trade deal could create a quarter-million jobs in Taiwan. Taiwanese insurance companies, banks and auto parts makers would face lower tariffs and other barriers in the vast China market.
Taiwan-based businessman Mark Forman says the island territory needs the new business; its longtime old customer isn’t buying.
Mark Forman: The American customer demand will probably never see the levels that it did prior to the almost implosion that we had last year. So I think it behooves Taiwan to have a lot more access to the China market.
Beijing makes that argument, as does Taiwan’s ruling party. But the Taiwanese opposition thinks a trade deal will create losers, like farmers who won’t be able to compete. And as Taiwan opens its doors to China, economist Chen Li Ying wonders who Beijing will really send over.
Chen Li Ying: China always will put some spies within their student group, or whatever.
Trade deal foes are spooked about Beijing’s true intentions. The talks are expected to last til May at the very least.
In Shanghai, I’m Scott Tong for Marketplace.
We’re here to help you navigate this changed world and economy.
Our mission at Marketplace is to raise the economic intelligence of the country. It’s a tough task, but it’s never been more important.
In the past year, we’ve seen record unemployment, stimulus bills, and reddit users influencing the stock market. Marketplace helps you understand it all, will fact-based, approachable, and unbiased reporting.
Generous support from listeners and readers is what powers our nonprofit news—and your donation today will help provide this essential service. For just $5/month, you can sustain independent journalism that keeps you and thousands of others informed.


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SCALE UP DAYS 2023
Invitation to all technology companies, manufacturing and agri-businesses, digital innovation hubs and all stakeholders from the innovation ecosystem in Bulgaria to participate in Scale UP Days 2023
Scale UP Days 2023 will take place over three days (25 – 27 April) at the Sofia Tech Park Lab Complex.
This year the organizers – ICT Cluster, Sofia Tech Park, DigiTech 4.0 and Mechatronics and Automation Cluster are planning a different format of the event.
Robotics Day, Digital Twins Day, a presentation and visit to Sofia Tech Park’s labs and supercomputer, demonstrations of specific innovation projects in the field of Digital Twins, robotics and artificial intelligence, opportunities for digital innovation hubs and small and medium-sized enterprises are just some of the topics on the agenda this year.
Participants will be able to exchange contacts and ideas at a B2B cocktail on 25 April.
Companies that are developing innovative technologies in the fields of digital twins, robotics and artificial intelligence will have the amazing opportunity to showcase them at their booth at Scale UP Days 2023.
The event is an exceptional opportunity to get information about funding opportunities and support for innovative projects in the coming year.
The Scale UP Days 2023 agenda this year includes a conference, exhibition and demonstrations:
- 25 April – Opportunities for SMEs and Digital Innovation Hubs
- 26 April – Digital Twins
- 27 April – Robotics Day
The event is organised by ICT Cluster, in partnership with DigiTech 4.0, Sofia Tech Park and Mechatronics and Automation Cluster and is implemented with the financial support of the European Commission within the BOWI, DIH World, DIH2 and agROBOfood projects.
Participation in Scale UP Days 2023 is free, but registration is mandatory!
Digital skills for all
Digital skills for the workforce
Digital skills for ICT professionals
25.04.2023 – 27.04.2023
Sofia Tech Park – Labs


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Geekly Update - 13 August 2015
Cat videos are spreading from the Internet to the highways and byways. What can be done to stop this insidious plague? Can you fry an egg on the surface of your mobile device? And really, the bad guys are hacking your UNDERWEAR now? Get answers to these burning questions, and the scoop on the latest tech news, in this edition of the Geekly Update. It's guaranteed to make you 146% smarter. Read, think and comment!
The AskBobRankin Geekly Update
Let's call it the UN-Safe. Brinks’ digital safes designed for retailers have "state-of-the-art security." That includes a state-of-the-art USB port on the OUTSIDE of the safe through which hackers can insert state-of-the-art malware to open the safe in 60 seconds.
AT&T has responded to the $100 million fine proposed by the FCC by claiming, apparently with a straight face, that customers were not harmed by having their data speeds throttled by 90 percent.
No brotherly love for robots. Hitchbot made it all the way across Canada and Germany, but was beaten and dismembered in Philadelphia after just two weeks of thumbing rides in the Northeast USA.
Customized, 3D-printed casts for immobilizing broken bones are lighter, more effective, let skin breathe, and tolerate water.
Fifteen percent of Americans still don’t go online, a statistic that hasn’t budged in the past several years despite all the tax dollars thrown at the problem. In other news, 15% of Americans have never had their email accounts hacked, or their privacy compromised by social networking.
St. Paul, Minneapolis is home to the annual Cat Video Festival. Mayor Chris Coleman threw out a ball of yarn to begin the fun for the 13,000 cat lovers who attended the event at a baseball stadium. (Purr-haps they don't have Internet at home?)
I see London, I see France; but hackers can see who bought Hanes underpants.
Bug or feature? Nvidia has recalled its hottest product: the low-priced Shield Tablet that can overheat and catch fire.
Facebook has finished its first “Aquila” Internet drone, a solar-powered behemoth the size of a 737 airliner that will beam Internet access to inaccessible parts of Africa.
The average American household spends $231 per year to lease set-top boxes from cable companies. Coincidentally, that’s about what it costs to buy one.
Hockey pucks for blind players are nearly here, thanks to the persistent ingenuity of some Canadian college students. You’ve always wanted to watch blind hockey, right?
AT&T has rolled out its first new offer based on its acquisition of DirecTV: a $200/month account bundling four wireless accounts that share 10 GB of data, plus HD video and digital audio recording capability for up to four TVs. Steak knives not included.
Your thoughts on these topics are welcome. Post your comment or question below...
This article was posted by Bob Rankin on 13 Aug 2015
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A produce display greets customers at the Forest Lakes, Va., store.
“You walk in and that’s the first thing you see,” Lowry said. “We want our customers to perceive these places as being fresh. We want to differentiate ourselves as much as possible from fast-food operations.”
Lowry said the company plans to introduce a foodservice concept called Market Express at eight of its nondeli locations before spring. The stores will not feature the gourmet foods that four of its stores offer but will sell products, including fresh-cut salads, that are “a cut above the simple wedge sandwiches found in typical C-stores,” he said.
Some C-stores place baskets of pumpkins at their stores’ entrances.
“They do more than just create sales,” Lenard said. “They can create perceptions.”
Baskets of fresh apples tell customers the stores are offering fresh and healthy foods, Lenard said.
“They’re more likely to go inside the store and not just pick up the apple but buy a sandwich as well,” he said.
Capitalizing on time-starved dual-income families who feel guilty about serving pizza too many times, the chain also provides home-meal replacements, Lowry said.
On Dec. 4, 7-Eleven introduced a line of fresh food products, including salads, to nearly 700 Southern Califor-nia stores. Nearly 90% of the chain’s stores now offer fresh foods, including bananas, apples and oranges.


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New research offers insights into factors that can affect the decision-making process.
Here’s a strategic angle that most businesses don’t think about: how they can use the law to secure strategic business goals.
Paul J.H. Schoemaker and Steven Krupp
Asking the right questions can help you broaden your perspective — and make smarter decisions.
September 16, 2014 | Sarah Kaplan and Wanda Orlikowski
In rapidly changing industries, it can be hard for established companies to build momentum for new strategic directions. But by rethinking the past and present and reimagining the future, managers can construct strategic narratives that enable innovation. A new study helps to understand how managers actually make strategy in conditions of considerable uncertainty, and do it in a way that is coherent, plausible and acceptable to most key stakeholders in the organization.
Our new article "Adapting to the Sharing Economy" takes a deep look at collaborative consumerism. These three articles look at the sharing economy business models of Zipcar, Airbnb and more.
Kurt Matzler et al.
New strategies are helping companies embrace “collaborative consumption” and the "sharing economy."
Robin Chase (Buzzcar), interviewed by David Kiron
Car-sharing saves money and emissions for drivers, and makes money for the companies coordinating.
Building a platform through which different groups interact requires smart thinking about strategy.
February 18, 2015 | George Westerman and Didier Bonnet
Large companies in traditional industries might think that digital transformation can wait — that a follower strategy is a safer route than trying to be a pioneer. "That kind of thinking, while tempting, is wrong," write George Westerman and Didier Bonnet. "In every industry we studied, companies are doing exciting things with digital technology and getting impressive business benefits."


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In its ever increasing attempt to create new revenue streams Facebook is expected to launch a new video ad format in the first half of 2013.
Ad reporting agency AdAge quotes several sources who claim that the social network has already created new video ads for internal testing purposes. According to the agency the new Facebook video ads will arrive by April 2013 and will show up on both desktop browsers and mobile apps.
The new Facebook video ads are expected to run for just 15 seconds, far less time than current Hulu, YouTube and other video network websites where ads typically range from 30 seconds to one minute in length.
AdAge spoke with two executives who revealed that Facebook has toyed with the idea of using autoplay videos, a more intrusive type of ad that often angers users. However, there is still the possibility that Facebook will default to “audio off” mode, allowing users to determine if the ads audio should be revealed.
Facebook website ads will likely expand outside of the news feed in either the left or right columns of the users browser. Facebook has left its screen real estate wide open, ensuring future additions as necessary.
It is still not clear where Facebook’s mobile video ads would display. Given the small screen real estate found on mobile devices there is a good chance Facebook will use some type of pop out solution.
Under the networks current rumors plans advertisers will be able to display videos to a single user three times in one day. Advertising will apply across multiple devices to ensure over saturation of a users feeds does not occur for any single ad.
The cost for Facebook video ads has not yet been revealed, although given Facebook’s premium pricing for ad spots it will likely be on the higher end of the advertising spectrum and mostly used by larger-scale firms.
Do you think Facebook video ads will be a success or end up being obtrusive while once again angering Facebook users.
[Image via YouTube]


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Shares of Match Group (MTCH 1.64%) popped on Wednesday, following the release of the online dating leader's second-quarter results. As of 3:35 p.m. EDT, Match's stock was up more than 11%.
After a brief downturn during the early stages of the COVID-19 crisis, Match Group's subscriber growth figures rebounded. "As the pandemic took hold, we saw an increase in product usage, particularly among younger users and females," CEO Shar Dubey said in a letter to shareholders.
The company's popular dating app Tinder was a particularly powerful growth driver. Tinder's revenue leapt 15% year over year, fueled by an 18% jump in average subscribers. Better still, Match Group's other brands saw revenue rise 9%, marking the first time since 2016 that they've delivered two consecutive quarters of growth.
All told, companywide revenue rose 12% to $555 million. Its adjusted earnings, meanwhile, climbed 10% to $103 million, or $0.51 per share.
Match Group is ramping up its ad campaigns, due in part to the strong returns it's seeing on its marketing investments during the pandemic. In turn, the company is forecasting revenue of at least $600 million in the third quarter, representing year-over-year growth of roughly 11%.


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Latest National Rifle Association Stories
The Archelon XTR will be featured at the show. San Diego, California (PRWEB) May 10, 2013 Archelon Enclosures, a leading manufacturer of iPad® and tablet enclosures, will exhibit at this year´s National Restaurant Association (NRA) Show in Chicago, Illinois from May 18th-21st. Held at McCormick Place, the Archelon product line will be exhibited at booth #6177. For nearly a century, the NRA Show has brought together the best and brightest in the restaurant, foodservice and...
Austin TX based precision guided firearm manufacturer displaying disruptive technology at National Rifle Association yearly convention. Austin, TX (PRWEB) May 03, 2013 Applied technology company and the world's first manufacturer of Precision Guided Firearm's TrackingPoint will have a booth at the 2013 NRA Annual Meeting in Houston Texas. TrackingPoint will be in booth 2160, which will offer a simulator of their TagTrackXact technology, iPads featuring the TrackingPoint Precision Hunter...
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- Audacious; gutsy.
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There's a long, less-than-proud tradition of gimmicky special edition smartphones -- but Huawei may have just taken the biscuit.
The company's has a new KFC-branded Android smartphone to celebrate 30 years of finger-licking good chicken in China.
KFC has over 5,000 outlets there and is one of the most powerful foreign brands in the country, so China's biggest smartphone maker had to celebrate the occasion.
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STORY CONTINUES BELOW
The new model is a version of the Huawei Enjoy 7 Plus, one of its mid-range phones, and it comes equipped with a 5.5-inch 720p display, a Snapdragon 435 SoC, a 12MP camera, 3GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage.
There's also a fingerprint sensor on the back of the device, alongside a laser-etched recreation of the Colonel Sanders logo.
Just 5,000 phones have been made, according to a statement on KFC's Weibo page, and the device comes with 10,000 'K dollars', KFC's digital Chinese currency, pre-installed.
There's also a music app to create playlists and share them with the restaurant chain.
Check out this crazy video made for the announcement, which transitions from the brand's solemn launch in 1987 to day-glo dance parties in the modern day:
You'll have to go to China to get your hands on, but maybe some will make their way to eBay for chicken-lovers to get a hold of.


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Come fly with me! Angelic Miranda Kerr is heavenly in a flowing white dress as she promotes Australian airline Qantas
She is known best for being one of Victoria's Secret's head 'angels'.
And Miranda Kerr lived up to her namesake today looking positively heavenly to promote Australia's premier airline Qantas.
The 29-year-old supermodel looked stunning in a white asymmetrical dress, which clung to her figure in all the right places.
Heavenly: Miranda Kerr looked angelic in a white asymmetrical dress as she stepped out to promote Australia's premier airline Qantas
Miranda's long sleeved attire was fitted at the torso to show off her famous curves and then flowed prettily around her slender pins.
The gorgeous star belted the ensemble at the waist to accentuate her tiny middle and added a pop of colour with some peach-hued stilettos.
The brunette stunner accessorised with a tan handbag and a pair of tortoiseshell framed sunglasses both by Miu Miu.
White hot: Miranda's long sleeved attire was fitted at the torso to show off her famous curves and then flowed prettily around her slender pins
Making the all white outfit pop even more, her look was completed by lashings of red lipstick.
Inside David Jones department store, Miranda flashed her famous smile as she posed alongside one male and two female Qantas models.
Earlier this month, Miranda was announced as the new face of Qantas, in which she will promote the Qantas Club for the company as it aims to retain the airline's lucrative frequent flyer customers.
The perfect accoutrements: The gorgeous star belted the ensemble at the waist to accentuate her tiny middle and added a pop of colour with some peach-hued stilettos
In a snapshot for the campaign, Miranda can be seen posing with a bowl of fruit while cheekily holding a spoon against her perfectly rouged lips as she seems to be in an airport lounge.
Another image sees her in a striking tangerine dress as she pins her hair back in a mirror.
Miranda has been a busy bee whilst in Australia, promoting heavily for David Jones, for which she also the face of, as well as her Kora Organics skin brand.
The perfect entrance: Miranda was the picture of elegance as she emerged from her chauffeured car
Promotional trail: Inside David Jones department store, Miranda flashed her famous smile as she posed alongside one male and two female Qantas models
Last week she tweeted a picture of herself doing yoga at an event to promote the beauty line.
Miranda also braved the chilly beaches of Sydney last week to do yet another swimwear shoot.
The Australian star showed off two very different two-pieces as she frolicked in the surf on Mona Vale beach.
The mother-of-one, who is married to Orlando Bloom, first showed her wild side in a leopard print bandeau bikini as she took to the sand.
Flawless: Miranda's glowing complexion was complimented by lashings of red lipstick
She then made a quick change into a hippie inspired paisley print two-piece which was colourful in blue and purple hues.
While they obviously enjoy life in Australia, Miranda and Orlando were recently waxing lyrical about how much they enjoy spending time in their secret hideaway of Wellington, New Zealand.
During an interview at the beauty spot, Miranda told the New York Times Style Magazine: 'Like this, what we’re doing right now, just sitting in a park, out in public, I can’t do this anywhere else.
'In Los Angeles, there are people camped out in our driveway every day, waiting to follow us wherever we go.'
Flighty: Miranda is seen here in a new ad campaign for Qantas
Flexible: Last week Miranda posted a picture of herself doing yoga on her Instagram account
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Majority of marketers expect email marketing spend to rise
LONDON - More than 80% of marketers expect their email marketing expenditure to increase, according to a DMA survey, which also found that direct mail and telemarketing form the most successful combination alongside email.
The study found more than 80% of respondents expected their company to increase expenditure in email marketing, with around half saying they would not be re-allocating money from another marketing channel to do so.
The National Client Email Marketing Survey found that 39% of respondents considered direct mail and telemarketing the most successful campaign tools to work alongside email marketing, with 34% putting integrated email and telemarketing in second place.
However, the DMA that said on average companies only had email addresses for 50% of their database.
The DMA study also found email delivery rates were "slightly down" from last year, which it said was due to increased volumes and heightened competition in the sector.
Richard Gibson, chair of the DMA email marketing council's benchmarking hub, said: "It's encouraging to note that many organisations are taking a multi-channel approach to growing their email databases.
"We mustn't underestimate the challenges for many organisations in integrating offline data capture of email addresses -- there needs to be a multi-channel view of the whole customer experience."
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From the Donnoli (a donut-cannoli) at Vaccaro’s Bakery in New York to pineapple upside down Cruffins (croissant-muffins) at Mr. Holmes Bakehouse in Los Angeles, bakeries across the country are creating inventive, delicious mashups. And as consumers continue to embrace these creations with excitement and enthusiasm, larger foodservice operations are taking note.
Panera Bread, for instance, now sells a chocolate chip Muffie (a muffin-cookie), and Au Bon Pain has offered a sweet cheese CroisBun—a breakfast mix of a croissant and sweet bun.
Mashups have made their way to supermarket aisles as well, and they’re not just limited to combinations of two distinct baked goods. From WaffleWaffle’s red velvet frozen waffles to birthday cake Oreos, food companies are finding success by marrying diverse flavors and textures.
Now, more bakery manufacturers are experimenting with the trend. While certain baked goods and flavors may seem like no-brainer combinations, manufacturing profitable mashups isn’t so straightforward.
New creations can require a serious investment in extra ingredients, equipment and revamped production, as well as testing and training staff around new processes. And recipe development alone can be both time-consuming and costly.
To make the most of mashup mania, and do it cost-effectively, consider these tips.
Prioritize Bakery Production Capabilities
While hybrids that combine two distinct, elaborate pastries, like Cronuts (croissant-donuts), may prove successful for artisanal operations, they likely aren’t the best choice for manufacturers. “That requires two different production processes under the same roof, so you’re driving down margin and adding complexity,” says John Kirkpatrick, a bakery consultant at process and packaging solutions company Reiser.
Fortunately, innovation doesn’t necessarily mean starting from scratch. In fact, one way to keep costs in check is to pick mashups made from similar starting points. Combining two forms that are closer together, like a cookie and a brownie, can be more cost-effective because the new product can be made with equipment a manufacturer likely already owns and uses on a regular basis, says Kirkpatrick.
Drawing from ingredients used elsewhere on the production line can also help keep food costs under control.
“Hybrids, like adding cream to the center of a muffin to make it a muffin-cupcake, can be a whole new ballgame for a bakery,” says Scott Buchele, founder and president of Performance Enterprise, a food-manufacturing consultancy.
Develop Original Dessert Mashup Ideas and Test Small
Though consumers are smitten with novelty and inventiveness, too often, bakery businesses default to a copycat when an of-the-moment product appears. But there’s more value, and more marketing buzz, in creating a mashup that stands out to consumers—and manufacturers’ customers as a result.
“Have the courage to try something different and focus on innovation,” Buchele says.
Manufacturers can experiment with new flavor profiles working within the parameters of their existing offerings. For example, Kirkpatrick notes many bakery businesses are experimenting with savory flavors.
From sea salt and caramel to gochujang and raspberry, the possibilities for savory-sweet combinations are endless.
“New flavor profiles can scale—and they can scale a lot easier than some of the more complicated mashups,” he says.
“Approach your R&D lines as more of a test kitchen,” recommends Buchele. “Make small batches and try to truly innovate and create something in uncharted territory.” If something flops, the manufacturer won’t have wasted ingredients in a full run. And if something feels like a fit, the business can move on to internal taste panels and blind taste tests.
“If something still has legs, then put it into full-scale R&D and figure out how to scale it,” he suggests.
Get Help Bringing Bakery Mashup Ideas to Life
If developing a new mashup feels overwhelming, manufacturers should tap their network, says Kirkpatrick. Suppliers and distributors can be a well of insight into everything from consumer trends and recipe formulation to equipment and production recommendations—and they’ll already understand the challenge of balancing expense and quality.
These partners can also simplify sourcing for new ingredients, such as unique spices or inclusions. “Suppliers can help make sure the sources are clean and help a wholesale bakery build a safety stock,” says Buchele. In addition, they can suggest and provide time- and labor-saving shortcuts, such as bakery mixes. Those can be especially effective for staff with varying skill levels on a new product, Kirkpatrick adds.
While mashup mania may seem like a complex undertaking for bakery manufacturers, planning around current capabilities, prioritizing originality and leaning on suppliers’ expertise can help them embrace the trend successfully.


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San Francisco based cyber bully Yelp is at it again. The latest victim of their shady ways is Tacoma’s Jazzbones. I was hanging out this evening, checking Facebook and I saw a post from the manager of Jazzbones Dan Rankin.
“I was going through Yelp today responding to the negative comments people leave about Jazzbones and such as I do every few weeks. I noticed there were a lot lately since I turned down the advertising they offered at $300 a week all the positive posts were filtered!”
Well that caught my eye. Actually anything that has the 4 letter word Yelp in it catches my eye, after the story I wrote last year about Louie G’s in Fife. Louie had also fallen victim to what some have called very sleazy business practices.
This time it was Jazzbones, which hosts some of the best blues shows in the northwest. It all started when Danno (Rankin) made an inquiry to Yelp 6 months ago to see about getting some better reviews for the club he manages. Apparently, what that call did was awaken the Yelp sales beast and the cold calls began. After telling a few different sales people that the $300 a week they wanted from him was just too much for a club to pay, it appears that some of the positive comments have been filtered and then replaced with more negative comments. This makes sense since Yelp has been accused of this for years and in fact has admitted that this is part of their “Business model”.
Yelp – which allows the general public to review businesses, posting comments about their experiences at the establishment and rating the business – has been under attack for years because of their questionable business practices, which some call downright extortion. They have also been accused of hiring people to leave negative reviews on the pages of businesses that decide not to advertise.
East Bay Express reporter Kathleen Richards published a story in September of 2009 detailing some of the problems businesses in the Bay Area were having with Yelp sales calls.
In the story, business owners claimed that Yelp salespeople were manipulating the reviews on their sites after declining to advertise with Yelp at the cost of $299 a month. The story claimed that negative reviews were often placed near the top of the list of reviews after the business owners declined to pay the monthly fees. Some owners even claim that Yelp added negative reviews and deleted positive ones. This has been confirmed by countless other bunisses since the story first broke. All you need is the internet and Google to see what this company is about.
Here’s another great article that spells out just what they do: Yelp Sucks Part 2
At the end of the day Rankin really just wants for Jazzbones what most of the other businesses that are being targeted by Yelp want, to be removed from their site. Unfortunately, Yelp does not allow for businesses to be removed and therein lies the big problem, being included on a website the businesses want no part of.


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NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Delays on a project to raise a bridge in New Jersey by 64 feet could lead to other East Coast ports losing out on larger cargo vessels expected to begin passing through a newly expanded Panama Canal next spring.
The $1.3 billion Bayonne Bridge elevation, aimed at accommodating the bigger vessels and their larger cargo capacity, initially was to be completed in 2016. But this month the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced it wouldn't be done until late 2017 because of construction delays related to weather and structural problems with the bridge's steel.
That raised questions about whether the Port of New York and New Jersey, the East Coast's busiest port, would lose business to other ports that already are prepared for the larger ships.
In response to questions about the bridge delay, the Port Authority said in an emailed statement to The Associated Press that it has discussed the issue with carriers and terminal operators and that "other East Coast ports will receive larger ships only after the Bayonne Bridge Roadway is raised."
At least one ship carrier appears to corroborate the claim. But it was news to officials at the ports of Baltimore and Virginia, the two East Coast ports that are expecting to receive the larger ships next year.
"We have not been told by any ship owner that the status of the Bayonne Bridge will have a direct impact on the Port of Baltimore receiving supersized ships," said Richard Scher, spokesman for the Maryland Port Authority.
Joe Harris, a spokesman for the Virginia Port Authority, said he hadn't been informed about shipping changes due to the Bayonne Bridge delay.
"Having one port ready doesn't help, really," he added. "You need all the ports ready."
A spokeswoman for Evergreen, a major container ship carrier serving the East Coast ports, said the issue is driven by economics.
"There is not an agreement per se to not have the mega ships call on the East Coast until the Bayonne Bridge project is complete," Barbara Yeninas said in an email. "Rather, most carriers would not place a mega vessel on the East Coast if they cannot call at New York/ New Jersey, which is the most fertile marketplace. So it is not an agreement but rather a commercially driven decision."
Representatives of Maersk and CMA CGM, two other major shippers, didn't provide answers to questions about their plans.
The potential economic cost of a delay is unclear. Port Authority officials in New York have said the bridge-raising and other improvements could help double the volume of cargo passing through the port in the next 10 years. Officials in Virginia are forecasting continued growth on top of a record year in 2014, Harris said.
Lawrence Gross, a consultant with FTR, a freight transportation research and forecasting firm, agreed it makes sense for companies to wait until New York-New Jersey is online before sending the larger ships.
"The local New York-New Jersey market is so huge that you can't ignore it," he said. "It's sort of like going on a tour of New York State and ignoring New York City. It's a must-make stop, if you look at the sheer population that's served by that port."
The bigger ships coming from Asia through the Panama Canal are expected to provide a boost to eastern U.S. ports. Currently, the canal can handle ships with space for 5,000 cargo containers, or Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEU), each of which takes a tractor-trailer to haul. The expanded canal will be able to accommodate ships with capacity up to 13,000 TEU, and a 2013 U.S. Department of Transportation study estimated the amount of cargo passing through the canal will double.
Eastern ports including New York-New Jersey can already handle ships with 8,500 to 9,000 TEU that come through the Suez Canal or from Europe. But they have spent billions over the past several years on projects to deepen channels and expand capacity in anticipation of the larger ships.
The Bayonne Bridge elevation initially was expected to be completed next year, and Port Authority officials even gave a more optimistic prediction in 2012 when they announced part of the project would be finished six months ahead of schedule.
The Port Authority blamed the delay on last season's harsh winter, more difficult than expected steel reinforcement work and changes in construction to address community concerns.


text: A friend has recently enlightened me to a NEW mascara advertisement which has been banned due to false advertising. According to Sky News it was banned “for exaggerating the effect of the product on her lashes”. The Advertising Standards Authority stepped in when it was believed Dior were producing false advertising to boost the sales of their product. This entails masses of questions regarding morals and ethics for which the advertising director clearly did not obtain. Once again, the common phrase used was ‘touched up by Photoshop’. As a designer myself, I am aware of the huge problems which currently stand with the overuse of Photoshop, however, I am deeply saddened that some people are solely money driven and therefor do not care what kind of advertising campaign they put out to the public as long as they make money.