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Belgravia Health launches new fitness studio franchise
A tried-and tested fitness concept is now available as a franchise. The new franchise offering allows the franchisee to run the Coaching Zone as a stand-alone studio with the backing of one of the longest standing names in the fitness industry, Genesis (and its parent company Belgravia Group).
The Coaching Zone concept is based around High Intensity Interval Training and 29 Genesis clubs across Australia already provide the Coaching Zone training platform as part of their offer.
Belgravia CEO Ian Jensen-Muir told Inside Franchise Business “We’re very excited to offer Coaching Zone as a stand-along studio concept to those wanting to confidently take their first step, or the next step in their fitness career.”
Qualified fitness trainers are best placed to take advantage of this franchise opportunity, he said.
“Our business model works best the owner also part of the coaching team. The business model is best suited for an owner operator. Ideally the franchisee will be working in the business coaching sessions, but they could also work in a customer service/sales capacity.
“Coaching Zone is all about delivering a rockstar experience to everyday people. Many fitness programs on the market are designed by fitness people to challenge fitness people and for most people the programming can be too complicated or challenging.
“Coaching Zone has been designed specifically with programming catering to entry level exercisers or people looking to get back into their training after time off their training.”
Eight scalable programs in Coaching Zone allow members to progress from the entry level workouts to more results based team training sessions as they build their confidence.
“For a business owner it’s a great tool to attract new clients and then progress and guide them through their health and fitness journey, providing great retention of members on a high yielding membership,” said Jensen-Muir.
“We find that a majority of our clientele are females 25-50 looking social interaction and friendships whilst reducing body fat and toning up and males looking for an alternative to playing sport whilst living a busy lifestyle with work and family commitments.”
The Coaching Zone is also integrated with the MYZONE heart rate monitoring system, which allows members to monitor their workout efforts both inside and outside the studio.
The model offers online nutrition support and social events and has sessions including the ‘Afterburn’ workout.
The fitness industry is a competitive one and the strength and experience of the Belgravia Group allows franchisees to leverage support and simplify the daunting task of opening a new studio said Jensen-Muir.
Belgravia Health has more than 20 years’ experience in health club franchising and will provide support that alleviates the admin stress from the typical new business owner, he said. Accounts, payroll, marketing, programming are all managed by Belgravia Health.
The target is to open 20 studios during the 18/19 FY, with an overall goal of growing to more than 100 locations.
“Coaching Zone within our Genesis clubs has grown at a very fast rate since the concept first launched towards the end of 2016. In the space of just over a year, 29 clubs have now introduced the concept and are reporting strong uptake by members.
“With a growing market of high intensity group personal training studios, Coaching Zone provides a training solution for people looking for a non-intimidating and achievable training program with additional programming to accommodate them as their fitness levels grow.”
Coaching Zone requires a footprint of 200- 250m2 to operate (inclusive of amenities).


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Recent research from Nielsen has come up with some interesting insights about app usage including the fact that only 6% of time spent using Androids is for phone calls.
According to figures collected by Nielsen in Q3 of 2011 in the U.S. the ratio of smartphones to feature phones is now 43% to 57% and Android has 43% of the smartphone market compared to iPhone's 28%.
Statistics collected from Smartphone and tablet users in the same period show that 68% of them had downloaded games in the month prior to the survey and 45% had downloaded each of music, mapping and social networking apps.
Although only a minority had downloaded only paid for apps a high proportion claimed to have downloaded both free and paid for apps in each of the thirteen app categories.
(click to expand)
The finding that 51% of app consumers will put up with advertising on their devices if content is free also suggests that there are additional ways to monetize apps.
Nielsen's Monthly Breakdown of Time Spent on Android devices during September 2011 is also good news for App developers. The diagram above accounts for under half the time and the other 53% is devoted to apps. Another finding from the September Smartphone Analytics, which relies on device metering, is that on average app downloaders have 33 apps on their phones.
One of the areas of AI that is already having an impact on a day-to-day basis is that of the chatbot. More and more often often when you ask questions on a shopping or reservation booking site it's a [ ... ]
In January 2017 the United States Patent Office granted a patent application lodged seven years previously by IBM for an Out-of-Office email notification system. Seven weeks later IBM formally disclai [ ... ]

domain: news


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Mobile marketing company Tapjoy has been busy of late. One product the Tapjoy team has been looking forward to is the rollout of their mobile video advertising platform which has been in the works for most of the summer. Today, the announced Tapjoy Videos designed to provide mobile advertisers with the brand building power found on the Web and TV.
The future of mobile advertisements is going to be video. It is a tricky problem to institute but the value of video within apps and the mobile Web far outweighs mobile banner ads. Tapjoy thinks it can be the leader in this growing industry segment but does the new video product have the chops?
TapJoy Videos wants to solve the engagement issue of video advertising. On the Web, most video ads are not viewed to completion. What TapJoy wants to do is incentivize users to watch videos in order to unlock premium content within games and apps. This is not exactly a new tactic but Tapjoy wants to do it at scale, whereas now only a handful of popular applications have this type of advertising.
For advertisers, Tapjoy Videos offers a pay-for-completed-view pricing. That fits right in line with their pay-per-action pricing they set up in February. They hope that makes the platform competitive in terms of price in comparison with other TV or Web video advertisements.
Tapjoy is also taking a page from Hulu. In Hulu, users are often given a choice on which ads they want to see during their show. Tapjoy will also offer this functionality within apps with the hopes of driving up user engagement.
The idea for Tapjoy is to seamlessly embed videos within apps. Inline advertising and incentivized videos have the potential to be far more lucrative for app developers (especially games) than other forms of mobile advertising. The problem will be spreading the wealth. Mobile ad inventory is high, as we have pointed out several times recently in ReadWriteMobile, but there are just too many apps that think they can make money through advertising. Driving engagement, giving users choices and putting video into the crevices of application user experience is all well and fine. But, if Tapjoy cannot convince advertisers to use their videos product for second and third tier apps, the ecosystem that only rewards the top apps will continue.
That is not good for the ecosystem as a whole. There are thousands of app makers that make quality products but by circumstance are destined for the middle of the pack. It is the developer middle class that needs better options for monetization. Can Tapjoy really give them premium options? Will video be it? Let us know in the comments.


text: The supposed death of cash may be exaggerated. A new survey of 1,500 Americans found that a majority believe using cash helps them budget their money, and that there are things they prefer to buy with cash. In the OnePoll survey for Cash Connect, 51 percent said using cash helps them budget, with members of Gen Z being most likely to agree, and, at 52 percent, the mostly like to prefer cash to other payment methods. Looking at what Americans prefer to pay cash for, fast food topped the list at 44 percent, followed by candy and snacks at 37 percent, coffee at 32 percent, and gas at 27 percent. However, when something is over $31, people would prefer to use another payment method. Additionally, 36 percent withdraw cash specifically for tipping, even if they don’t play to pay the bill in cash. The survey found Americans keep an average of $52 in cash on them, and three-quarters keep an emergency “cash stash” at home of an average of $89.


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Cryptocurrency could change the online marketplace
Online shopping and trading having evolved dramatically in a short period.
13:57 08 November 2019
Recent trends suggest that a further shift may be on the horizon concerning digital currency. Leaving aside popular, mainstream services in e-wallets such as PayPal, or Neteller, experts are suggesting that cryptocurrency could have a positive knock-on effect for the online marketplace, providing a genuine, responsible alternative to physical currencies in the years to come.
Cryptocurrency has already seen a marked rise in interest and adoption. Despite the relative volatility in markets such as bitcoin, investors and traders continue to make money from the digital currencies, with peaks in trading largely appearing worthy of any pitfalls. Making sure to ride the changes in fortune is a strategy that many traders suggest adopting. But how will cryptocurrency such as bitcoin help to streamline e-commerce even further?
The removal of mediation
Much of the interest in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies appears to stem from its flexibility and transparency. Various sources suggest that a lack of middlemen in the exchange of cryptocurrency has helped people buy and sell smoothly and without fear of leaving a digital paper trail. It is a process which is decentralised, which not only means that it is free from regulation and bank involvement, it is much safer against the threat of fraud.
These aspects, it is argued, are highly sought-after in the online marketplace. Each party in a cryptocurrency transaction is said to have greater protection as a result. There is a further argument from experts and seasoned traders, too, which suggests that cryptocurrencies are less likely to be impacted by political and sociological events. While currencies such as the British pound has seen major fluctuation as a result of Brexit and global uncertainty, bitcoin and other digital money appears to have been largely unfazed. That, it is argued, will help to propel more people towards crypto for digital transactions in future.
As more British people continue to buy shopping and gifts online, so do the number of citizens who are adopting cryptocurrency. Despite a lack of commitment from many businesses, as well as the FCA and the UK government over cryptocurrency, investing in bitcoin in particular is at an all-time high in the country. This, to many people, is indicative of a huge swing towards crypto acceptance.
Adapting cryptocurrency into e-commerce and the wider online marketplace could help to simplify the process of shopping and trading even further, sources argue. It is already surprisingly simple to get into bitcoin, in particular, with users simply needing to set up a digital wallet and to head to an online exchange. From there, British investors can use a range of different tools and services to manage their investments.
For example, traders may wish to completely automate their investing. Seamless investing is completely possible thanks to the emergence of bots and programs such as the Bitcoin Profit app, which will allow users to manage their payments and drawings without needing to worry over making tense decisions. This open approach to trading and investing is likely to appeal to more and more people, and with physical stores already fighting tooth and nail against e-commerce, it is not too big a leap to consider that digital currency could help to bolster the online cause.
The future of physical money
Naturally, the rise of digital currency has set the cat amongst the pigeons concerning physical money’s place in the world. Some people worry that currencies such as the British pound will falter in the face of digital adoption online. These fears are, for now, unfounded, at least thanks to a lack of commitment from big UK names. Britain’s government remains very unclear as to how it feels about bitcoin and the like, which is in stark contrast to Australia, that is widely trading in crypto both on and offline.
Cryptocurrency and e-commerce appear to go hand in hand. Online shopping and marketing are already considered hugely convenient in a world where so many of us spend hours online each day. It therefore follows that we should consider using a more streamlined currency, too, to speed things up even further.
Digital money such as bitcoin will continue to grow in the digital marketplace, however, it will be some time before there is an indication of where this will leave traditional tender. For now, at least, there are few reasons to worry about a place for the dollar or the pound. Crypto, however, is very likely to grow stronger.


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By Quentin Fottrell
Attention all those on iPad 2 watch: Apple has cut the U.S. delivery time for online purchases of the elusive tablet to 3-4 weeks from a previous estimate of 4-5 weeks, but Australians only need to wait 2-3 weeks. That’s good news for those worried about Apple’s manufacturing shortages – and a timely development ahead of the much-anticipated iPad 2’s global launch on Friday – but it won’t do much to appease patient American customers.
It also raises another strange possibility: if you buy an iPad 2 now from Apple.com, an online shopper in Sydney, Melbourne or Canberra could theoretically get one before you do. Lines are already forming at Apple stores around the world. The unofficial blog from “Apple Insider” has received numerous reports of overnight lines in Australia, Germany, the U.K. and elsewhere.
If the iPad 2’s launch captured our attention, reports of its absence has consumers worldwide salivating. In future years, students of marketing will write theses on the effect these shortages have had on demand for the product. Many U.S. Apple stores still have that by-now familiar sign/advertisement at the entrance: “Due to the popularity of the iPad 2 we’re out today. We receive new shipments daily, so ask a specialist how you can get one tomorrow.”
Earlier this week, Apple CEO Steve Jobs was mostly sanguine about the delays. “We’re experiencing amazing demand for iPad 2 in the U.S., and customers around the world have told us they can’t wait to get their hands on it,” Jobs said in an official statement. “We appreciate everyone’s patience and we are working hard to build enough iPads for everyone.” For a CEO of a highly profitable company, his choice of words was interesting.
Apple continues to fulfill our needs – not the other way around.


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Inspiring the convenience community
New Covent Garden’s new owner Hain Celestial has undertaken…
Baxters soup has launched a £5m communications campaign including its first TV adverts in five years.
Heinz has launched one million limited-edition bottles of HP Sauce to raise awareness of Movember…
Jam Shed’s mulled wine recipe neck tags on its bestselling Shiraz are set to return for Christmas.
Walkers has launched a festive limited-edition ‘Power of Sausage Roll’ flavour for the Christmas period, in partnership with LadBaby and the Trussell Trust.
Country Choice has launched three new bread products to the convenience channel.
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In a recent Credit Union Journal opinion article, Ride-hailing stalled taxi loans – could it jump-start CU lending?, Richard Gallagher, CEO of Oak Tree Business Systems, Inc., discusses the disruption that ride-hailing companies have caused to the taxi industry and to medallion loans. Here is an excerpt from the article:
"Ride-hailing companies were a disruption. The taxi industry, in particular, was hit hard. Lawsuits were filed, but most of them were unsuccessful. It’s not because taxi companies had a weak case, though. The concerns were legitimate. Obtaining a taxi medallion was a lifeline for owners. Many would purchase one in hopes of driving for 10 years or so, then selling for a nice profit. The license fees vary, but you could expect to pay anywhere from $80,000-$200,000 to get started."
From the perspective of a credit union, there may be an opportunity to jump-start lending for drivers who are seeking to become a driver for one of these ride-hailing companies. Richard Gallagher explains that "lending to drivers for ride-hailing services could be a boon for credit union lending for three main reasons, and they all have to do with market expansion and competition." Continue reading on Credit Union Journal.
Credit unions hoping to capitalize on this opportunity must start by ensuring their consumer lending forms are up to date and integrate easily with a variety of data processors. Make sure your consumer lending package is current and stands compliant to lend to potential borrowers who work as drivers for Uber, Lyft and the like.


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The Internet, for all of its promise, is becoming more and more like an old Monty Python joke. Everywhere you turn, it's spam, spam, spam, spam, and spam. No eggs, no kippers. Just spam.
I figured because I have an easy-to-find and well-published e-mail address that my account was getting a bigger slice of the spam pie. Then our Web producer commented on the new unsolicited junk showing up lately in his account.
Depending on which researcher you believe, from 60 percent to 80 percent of the/se-mail hitting corporate inboxes is spam. According to FrontBridge Technologies, that number reached a high of 90 percent before Christmas.
And, according to the nonprofit Spamhaus Project, things are not getting any better. New technology and a cavalier attitude toward spam operations in the United States could push junk traffic as high as 95 percent by the summer of 2006.
As with any frontier, online borders can be a bit indistinct. And, thanks in part to vague, relatively weak anti-spam legislation in the United States, any company with a decent crew of lawyers can tie up enforcement efforts for years.
Unfortunately, spam is still profitable. Not only do some retailers sell products based on unsolicited mail, the spammers turn a profit for sending the unwanted and misleading ads. On top of that, Spamhaus contends some major Internet service providers also reap a premium for allowing the porn, Viagra and fake Rolex peddlers to use their networks.
Spamhaus founder Steve Lindford has taken his group's latest battle to the doors of MCI Worldcom, accusing the ISP of turning a blind eye to spam operators using the company's network to sell spamware and send out millions of unwanted e-mail messages. He also conjectured that MCI earned up to $5 million for allowing at least one large-scale spam operation to use MCI's network as a base.
The spammer in question, Microsys Technologies, is selling spamware at its send-safe.com site that allows spammers to make junk e-mail look like it is coming from an ISP mail server, not a personal account. This shift in technology will force a major change in anti-spam efforts. It also allows spammers to bypass most existing filters.
MCI denies the allegations. In statements published in The Washington Post last week, MCI attorney Timothy Vogel claims the spam site is hosted through an ISP that leases space from MCI. He also claimed shutting down the spammer's access to the Internet could be a violation of free speech rights.
Lindford's response was swift. He pointed out the difference between talking about malicious activity and actually using MCI's network to sell the tools and information needed to commit spam-related offenses.
He also noted the legal separation between not wanting to shut down the spammer and not being able, legally, to shut down the operation.
So, with governmental enforcement efforts being minimal and corporate America on the side of the spam spewers, it's only a matter of time before junk e-mail becomes a mass of virtual kudzu choking the Internet infrastructure.
Spam is at best a side dish. Basing your entire diet on it could be unhealthy, if not fatal.


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Today the research firm Hub released a report called “Conquering Content” that looks at the growth of streaming.
According to this report for the very first time, most Americans prefer to stream their favorite show vs watching it on a traditional pay TV provider. In total 52% of Americans say they would rather stream the show vs 48% who said they would rather watch it on cable.
This is a huge jump from 2014 when only 31% said they would prefer to stream it. In 2016 only 40% of Americans would like to stream over a traditional pay-TV service. This rapid growth also lines up with the growth of live TV streaming services such as Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, Hulu, and DIRECTV NOW to name a few.
“These findings suggest that the aggressive investment SVODs are making in original and exclusive content is paying big dividends,” said Peter Fondulas, co-author of the study and principal at Hub. “In this research and other recent studies, we see clear evidence that high-profile online exclusives generate buzz that draws consumers to these platform, which not only helps attract brand new subscribers, but also builds loyalty among current customers.”
Hub conducted their research in October 2017 with over 2,000 US consumers.
Need cord cutting tech support? Join our new Cord Cutting Tech Support Facebook Group for help.


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WOMEN who lunch are fast becoming ladies who lounge thanks to the rapid rise of the spa pool party.
Armed with champagne and a designer swimming costume, many Cheshire women have swapped cocktails and canapes for the soothing waters of the humble hot tub.
Spa-pool parties have now become events where relaxation and gossip reigns supreme.
And to be invited around for mere drinks would cause disdain amongst those living in the swankiest Cheshire streets.
Indeed, "Spa-B-Qs" are all the rage, according to Cheshire businessman Marcus Bailey and his wife Claire, who have just had a #6,500 spa installed in the back garden of their home in Wharton.
"We have friends around for drinks, a barbecue and a relaxing session in the spa which comfortably seats six. It really is the only way to entertain," says the 31-year-old communications manager.
"I love getting into a hot tub at night and watching the stars over-head. There really is no better way to unwind after a long haul on the motorway. But because of working away I only manage to get into the spa a couple of times a week."
But Claire slips on her swimsuit and heads for the spa every evening after work, claiming that it soon takes the stresses of the day away. "Friends and neighbours pop round and we climb into the spa for a cosy chat," adds Claire, a technical sales manager. "Because the bubbling water is so relaxing and therapeutic, people tend to unwind and open up more easily. It is by far the best way to socialise with friends and neighbours."
That is a view shared by a rapidly growing number of county residents who are investing in a bewildering variety of back garden hot tubs, according to businessman Alan Jackson.
As the managing director of Alzach Pools at Blakemere Craft Centre near Northwich, Alan believes that the growth of spa pools in homes around the country is closely following a trend that started in North America.
Alan, who lives with his wife and children in Winsford, flew out to
Vancouver, Canada, earlier this year to see for himself the way the spa pool industry had grown in a country where health conscious individuals take combating stress very seriously.
"I could not give you a figure for the percentage of homes with spa pools in their back gardens, but it is significant," he says. "The popularity of spa pools in Canada grew steeply when people realised how beneficial they could be.
"And that is exactly what is happening in this country, and in particular in Cheshire. One of my customers is a local businessman who gets home from work and climbs straight into a hot spa pool in his back garden. He swears by its stress-busting properties.
"It wasn't long before he invited neighbours to try out his new spa and now they are also customers of mine. I believe the spa pool industry is set for considerable growth in the UK in the next few years."
ACCORDING to the experts, the desire to soak in a swirl of hot water transcends time. The Romans and Greeks were the first to recognise the healing and recreational properties of the spa, while Asians revered the restorative power of H2O.
Even in the late 1500s, Queen Elizabeth I visited the mineral waters of Bath. And by the Victorian era, the public were simply flocking to the nation's natural hot springs. Today, though, they are simply seen as a status symbol.
Over the pond, people clamber to buy the latest hot-tub models, featuring television sets and DVD players, while fitness enthusiasts go for tubs that include resistance training equipment. By using various pulleys, rowing attachments and other aquatic exercise equipment, hot tub fans can get a warm-water work out. Forget about cars and conservatories, hot-tubs are the only way to keep up with the Joneses.
"I went to Canada to see how the industry grew over there and to look at the latest technology being applied to spa pools by manufacturers Beachcomber," continues Alan.
"We are now experiencing the level of growth. In fact, a recent TV DIY show said spas were set to be as popular as garden decking."
Alan says he has received many inquiries from residents living in executive developments, but had also been contacted by a businessman who insisted in having a spa pool installed in his third-floor apartment.
"That project took some managing, but the customer felt having a spa pool to unwind in was a crucial part of his de-stressing regime."
Some very high profile Cheshire folk also figure on Alan's growing customer database but his client confidentiality policy prevents him from naming famous purchasers.
"I have fitted spa pools in the homes of a number of very well known footballers, but that is all I am prepared to say," he teases.
So could Cheshire become the pool-spa capital the UK? "
"Well, we're not there yet, but if demand continues as it has been doing over recent months that accolade can't be that far away".


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Milpitas, CA, May 21, 2018 –(PR.com)– U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross today presented Global4PL with the President’s “E” Award for Export Service, at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., May 21. The President’s “E” Award is the highest recognition any U.S. entity can receive for making a significant contribution to the expansion of U.S. exports.
“Global4PL has demonstrated a sustained commitment to export expansion. The 'E' Awards Committee was very impressed with Global4PL’s commitment to helping educate exporters about compliance requirements. The company’s submission of case studies describing the results achieved by its clients was also particularly notable,” said Secretary Ross in his congratulatory letter to the company announcing its selection as an award recipient.
“It is a tremendous honor for me and my team to be recognized for the IOR Services we provide on behalf of our customers,” said Sergio Retamal, CEO of Global4PL. “We are the first IOR-EOR company ever to have received such a prestigious award. Global4PL is proud to have made such a meaningful impact on the U.S. economy and to be recognized alongside the other deserving recipients.”
In total, Secretary Ross honored 43 U.S. companies and organizations from across the country with the President’s “E” Award for their role in strengthening the U.S. economy by sharing American ingenuity outside of our borders.
U.S. companies are nominated for the “E” Awards through the U.S. Commercial Service, part of the Department’s International Trade Administration. With offices across the United States and in embassies and consulates around the world, The International Trade Administration lends its expertise at every stage of the exporting process by promoting and facilitating exports and investment into the United States; administering Anti-Dumping and Countervailing Duties orders; and removing, reducing, or preventing foreign trade barriers.
U.S. exports totaled $2.33 trillion in 2017, accounting for 12 percent of U.S. gross domestic product. Exports supported an estimated 10.7 million jobs nationwide in 2016, according to the most recent statistics from the International Trade Administration.
About the “E” Awards
In 1961, President Kennedy signed an executive order reviving the World War II “E” symbol of excellence to honor and provide recognition to America's exporters. Criteria for the award is based on four years of successive export growth and case studies which demonstrate valuable support to exporters resulting in increased exports for the company’s clients.
For more information about the “E” Awards and the benefits of exporting, visit www.export.gov.
Global4PL is a leading supply chain solutions provider that specializes in helping hi-tech companies penetrate new regional markets, optimize their supply chain delivery models, and reduce total supply chain costs below that of their competition.
For more information, please visit www.global-4pl.com.
Contact via Email
Read the full story here: https://www.pr.com/press-release/754400
Press Release Distributed by PR.com


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Yesterday was a great day for Windows Phones as we revealed Windows Phone 7 Series.
It has been a busy few months for the Windows Phone team. Windows Mobile 6.5 represents a significant part of the portfolio family that is Windows Phones, and with over 50 phones on the market in last four months, we offer people the freedom to choose from among the widest selection of form factors and price points. We have teamed up with our partners to deliver some great new phones, facilitated a growing app Marketplace, and released several important improvements to the Windows Phone software. You can learn more about some of our partners’ newest Windows Phones and Marketplace apps in my post on the Windows Phone blog or on the Windows Phone site.
Senior Marketing Manager, Windows Phone.


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KBL has launched the Shikilia Nganya na Pilsner national promotion to reward its loyal consumer of its pilsner beer brand. This will the second year of the running the promotion and it promises to be bigger and more exciting for consumers.
Last year’s promotion was a success, which saw David Nazareth win the grand prize of the 29-seater Isuzu Nagoya valued at 4.5million. KBL plans to build on the success of that promotion and has scaled it up to include weekly winners of motorbikes as well.
Speaking at the launch, Pilsner Marketing Manager Samuel Wasswa said that this year’s promotion has been scaled up with the introduction of 10 motorbikes to be won every week over a ten-week period. The inclusion of motorbikes commonly referred to as ‘Boda Boda’ reaffirms the campaigns approach by tapping into the booming ‘Boda Boda’ business that has seen youths increasingly venture into business as a source of income,”
Costumers can participate in the promotion by simply buying a Pilsner 7 500m bottle and sending the code under the crown to 21199. In addition to the grand prize there will be weekly prizes to be won including motorbikes, smartphones and home theatre systems.
“Shikilia Nganya Na Pilsner” is derived from an urban slag and loosely translates to ‘win a ride.” The promotion gives consumers a chance to win a “nganya” a slang word for a public service commuter mini-buses popularly referred to as matatus.
Running for 12 weeks, KBL looks to reward loyal consumers with exciting weekly prizes whilst making them part of the campaign encouraging a new generation of Kenyans.
The promotion has been extended to the Pilsner 7 which was launched for the young, vibrant and bold generation. It is appealing to that demographic as it assures quality at affordable prices.
The winners of both motorbikes and the grand prize – PSV 29 seater mini-bus will also receive insurance cover for both motor vehicles and National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) license for the Matatu.
| The article contains exerpts from a Press Release permitted for use on OYGK Magazine


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Kim Kardashian makes an effort to look flawless as much as possible, so people tend to take notice when the reality star and makeup mogul looks anything other than her airbrushed, contoured, made-up self. In other words, when Kim looks as human as the rest of us, media outlets take notice. But when the Daily Mail posted a story about how the 38-year old’s skin looked “bad,” Kim decided she’d had enough.
The star was spotted out and about in Los Angeles with sister Kourtney Kardashian and ex-boyfriend Scott Disick on Monday just a day before planning to give a beauty class. On Tuesday, the tabloid called out Kim’s skin troubles by posting a story with the caption, “Makeup mogul suffers bad skin day in LA ahead of Master Class beauty seminar.”
That’s when Kim decided she wasn’t going to stay silent in the face of such a story. She replied to the tabloid.
“It’s psoriasis all over my face,” she wrote.
Fans were quick to jump in with support for the mother of three.
“I know exactly what you are going through @KimKardashian, back in October my psoriasis spread to my face and scalp. I was completely devastated but I find if I keep consistent with my skincare routine and use light treatment it improves. Stay strong, you are beautiful!” wrote one.
Others offered up their own advice and words of encouragement to the suffering star.
Make-up mogul Kim Kardashian suffers bad skin day ahead of Master Class beauty seminar https://t.co/wrRgWFSDHG— Daily Mail Celebrity (@DailyMailCeleb) February 5, 2019
This isn’t the first time Kim has spoken about her skin ailment, which is an auto-immune disease that causes patches of dry, itchy, and scaly skin that impacts millions of Americans. Over the years, since she first revealed that she suffers from the disease in 2010, she has talked about the struggle she has controlling her outbreaks and how it makes her feel. She has spoken about psoriasis on Keeping Up with the Kardashians, as well as on her app.
“I’m always hoping for a cure, of course, but in the meantime, I’m learning to just accept it as part of who I am,” she wrote in an essay for her app.
On the show, she has spoken about trying cortisone injections, spring water from Costa Rica, and even putting her sister’s breast milk on her skin. She has also talked about using light therapy to try and control it.
Late last year, at the end of her rope, she reached out to the internet to see if anyone had tried meds to control the issue.
I think the time has come I start a medication for psoriasis. I’ve never seen it like this before and I can’t even cover it at this point. It’s taken over my body. Has anyone tried a medication for psoriasis & what kind works best? Need help ASAP!!!— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) December 24, 2018


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Chinese E-Commerce Player Pinduoduo Launches Brand Day Celebration With Baidu
Pinduoduo jointly launched “Super Brand Day Activities” with Xiaodu, China’s largest search engine Baidu’s artificial intelligence speaker.
Jing Kun, vice president of Baidu group, walked into the Pinduoduo studio to demonstrate the latest intelligent products of Xiaodu Technology.
Through live video, more than 180,000 Pinduoduo users took a virtual tour into Baidu science and Technology Park, visiting the experience shop and interacting with Jing.
Launched on Pinduoduo last December, Xiaodu flagship store has attracted nearly 200,000 fans and topped the most popular speaker / audio list.
Since 2017, Baidu‘s intelligent hardware brand has had strong momentum of small-scale development and excellent market performance. According to the latest smart speaker shipment data released by Canalys, a global market research firm, in the first half of this year, about 45.76 million smart speakers were sold in the world, with Amazon, Google and Baidu ranking the top three with 12.03 million, 8.81 million and 8.63 million total sales, respectively.
SEE ALSO: Baidu World 2020: Latest Breakthrough in the AI Sphere
At present, a full range of Baidu smart products, including smart headphones, smart speakers, voice car stand, TV companion, etc., have been launched on Pinduoduo.
The connection between Xiaodu and Pinduoduo started last December. Based on the policy of “0 Commission” and “0 platform service fee”, Pinduoduo has become one of the most important selling platforms for Xiaodu.
According to the platform data, more than 70% of users who buy small smart speaker products are post-90s and post-00s. At the same time, orders from tier 3-5 cities accounted for 46% of the sales, almost equal to those in first and second tier cities.
This is also related to Pinduoduo‘s 10 billion subsidies initiative and taking digital 3C products as an important category of subsidies. Earlier data shows that since the implementation of the 10 billion subsidy strategy in 2019, Pinduoduo sold 400,000 iPhone11 units during the Double 11 period in 2019.
These subsidized products are not only more affordable, but also guarantee quality, according to Pinduoduo. For example, Xiaodu’s official flagship store’s smart headphones, smart speakers and other products are now genuinely insured: If consumers buy fake goods, they can claim compensation after obtaining an appraisal report provided by a third-party testing agency.
“This year, we held two brand day activities on Pinduoduo, and the results were very good,” Jing said. “In the future, we will bring more sincerity to our consumers with more choices while we further improve the user experience.”


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Dow Jones & Co. reported its third-quarter earnings this morning, and, really, as a shareholder, I couldn’t ask for better results.
Earnings excluding special items rose 68 percent crushing analysts’ consensus forecast by 22 percent.
But the news gets better and better. Let’s review it, with the help of The Wall Street Journal, DJ’s flagship:
Paid subscribership to wsj.com? That’s up 25.5 percent to 989,000, partly due to a change in how the company counts subscribers.
Dow Jones’s enterprise-media business, Factiva? That’s up, too, 6.1 percent, after adjustments.
Here’ s another promising area: Dow Jones’s indexes business, where revenue grew 29 percent. I always liked that business.
As the Journal says: “Dow Jones is shifting more resources into such businesses, which boast higher margins and growth prospects than traditional print.” So, the future is bright there.
Even print is finally improving! Yay!
In the fourth quarter, Dow Jones expects its print ad revenue trend to improve and its online ad revenue to return to 20 percent gains.
Want a cherry on top? “Newsprint costs fell by more than $10 million from the year-earlier period, to $21 million.” That’s 32 percent!
Phew. We shareholders were worried during all those years of waiting, waiting, waiting for things to turn around. But what’s the fourth quarter going to be like?
The company anticipates ending the year with an increase of more than 40 percent for its earnings per share before items; this is above the top end of original guidance of a 25 percent-to-40 percent gain.
OMG, we’re rich!
Congrats to one and all on a fine quarter. That’s what I call rowing in the same direction, chums! Special kudos must go to to CEO Rich Zannino and the board of directors led by Chairman M. Peter McPherson, who is also president of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges, and president emeritus, Michigan State University. Wow. Talk about relevant experience!
And a special tip of The Audit cap goes to Michael Elefante, one of the finest trust-and-estate lawyers ever to serve as director of a global media company.
What could be the bad news after such an excellent third quarter?
Only that there isn’t going to be a fourth quarter. As the world knows, Dow Jones was bought by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp., just, apparently, as DJ’s prospects were finally improving. The deal closes soon.
By the way, The Wall Street Journal made surprisingly poor editorial decisions on a story that has a least some degree of sensitivity. The play seems awfully casual. The headline, while true, doesn’t exactly capture the story: “Dow Jones Reports 87 percent Drop
In Net Amid Year-Earlier Gain”
Having done at least my share of earnings stories at the Journal, I’m well aware of DJ’s policy of emphasizing net income over other financial metrics. It’s a good policy. That’s not what this is about. Emphasizing net doesn’t mean ignoring the larger reality.
Bloomberg’s take is just as true:
“Dow Jones Profit Falls Less Than Analysts Estimated”
The Bloomberg story includes this quote:
‘They’re getting more revenue online,’ said Edward Atorino, an analyst at Benchmark Co. in New York who rates the shares “hold” and doesn’t own them. ‘The company’s sold, so it’s really just academic.’
But it’s not academic, is it?
These positive results are a bitter pill to swallow for those of us who didn’t want the nation’s—global capitalism’s—leading independent financial watchdog to be submerged in any large media conglomerate, let alone News Corp.
Did Murdoch buy low? Who knows? Did the board, top management or Merrill Lynch & Co. and the rest of the $30 million “team” advising DJ and the family have any idea that such a rosy couple of quarters were just around the corner? Unknown.
Is it unfortunate that all these upside surprises come too late for the Bancroft family and other shareholders to make a full evaluation of the company’s prospects? Yes. Very.
Was Jim Ottaway, a major DJ shareholder and former executive and director, right in arguing that a sale wasn’t necessary?
Of course he was.


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Leaf Group, a diversified consumer internet company comprising several marketplace and media properties, announced on June 6 that it has acquired the wellness media company, Well+Good. Leaf Group's fitness and wellness vertical now includes Livestrong.com and Well+Good, bringing the combined reach to 36 million unique monthly visitors, according to the announcement. Leaf Group purchased the outstanding equity interests of Well+Good for $10M with the agreement to pay incremental cash targeted at $9M upon the achievement of operating targets through the end of the 2020 fiscal year.
Well+Good's founders, Alexia Brue and Melisse Gelula, noticed the emergence of the wellness lifestyle early on and founded the publication in 2010. Brue and Gelula have bootstrapped the company since it's founding and, as Well+Good's readership has grown, the team has expanded to produce revenue-generating partnerships, products and events including their Well+Good TALKS with industry leaders and Well+Good Retreats. The founders will continue to run day-to-day operations from their New York City office in addition to overseeing Leaf Group’s fitness and wellness category. I spoke to Brue to learn her advice for other founders who hope to have their companies acquired.
Build the company you’re passionate about building:
"Ultimately a great business comes from passion, that feeling that you’re creating something that needs to exist and has a clear purpose. Even if your ultimate goal is an acquisition, you could end up running the business for much longer than you expected, so it should be something you care deeply about and will want to work on for many years to come," says Brue.
Establish strong relationships with potential acquirers:
"Acquisitions can be years in the making, and it’s a smart idea to be out telling your story and what you stand for—as well as learning about other businesses and how you might fit," says Brue. Well+Good partnered with one of Leaf's portfolio brands before the acquisition, and Brue says that it deepened the relationship with the company. By building in-depth relationships with key people, you'll be able to better evaluate whether your mission and values are aligned. "Never be in a position that you have to do a deal. Both from a financial and a strategic perspective, you want to stay in control and be selective and thoughtful about choosing the right partner," says Brue.
Know what you want out of an acquisition:
Evaluate what you hope to get from the partnership, such as funding, complementary skills or a large team. "In our case, Leaf Group was an ideal partner because they brought expertise in SEO, digital product, analytics and an already strong fitness and wellness platform in Livestrong and MyPlate," says Brue, "They also have a deep commitment to growing the fitness and wellness category and to Well+Good’s crucial role within the category."
Build a strong team around you:
Brue credits Well+Good's talented team with helping to make the company an attractive acquisition target. "There are a lot of smart, innovative ideas out there but ultimately what makes a company special are the people and the ability to execute on those ideas," she says.
Hire a good lawyer for the sale process:
When you are going through the acquisition process, it's beneficial to have a lawyer who specializes in mergers and acquisitions. "In our deal, there were good lawyers on both sides and we ended up with an outcome that we all feel is fair and motivating. But we know of other companies where this was not the case, and we could see how things could have turned out differently if we didn't have the right lawyer," says Brue.


text: PETALING JAYA: CCM Duopharma Biotech Bhd (CCMD), which recently has acquired six pharmaceutical units from parent company, Chemical Company of Malaysia Bhd (CCM), is set to grow its biotherapeutics' market access in the private, government and export sectors by expanding its product offerings. "We also aspire to expand our offerings beyond our shores and boost exports to the over 20 countries which we are currently present in, with primary focus on the Middle East and Asean region," CCMD CEO Leonard Ariff Abdul Shatar said in a statement yesterday. He said CCMD plans to grow its biotheraphy pipeline by exploring new niche therapeutic areas, such as biologicals and biotherapies, specifically erythropoietin (EPO) and insulin, targeting for it to contribute 30% of CCMD's revenue base by 2020. "We have set our sights to become Malaysia's largest pharmaceutical manufacturer following our purchase of six pharmaceutical units from our parent company, CCM." "We believe the acquisitions will set the course for sustainable growth for CCMD going into 2018 onwards," he added, noting the acquisitions would also allow it to bid for larger contracts. Moving forward, he said the group sees good potential growth in the biotherapeutics area. He said although the biotherapeutics industry is largely dominated by global players, the segment is expected to expand at a compounded average growth rate of 12% in Asia to an estimated RM8 billion in the Southeast Asia region by 2020. On its halal pharmaceutical segment, Leonard said CCMD will continue to leverage its position as a pioneer in the halal segment and through active involvement in Halal initiatives and collaborations with leading Halal advocates locally and abroad. For the first quarter ended March 31, 2015, the group's net profit grew to RM8.96 million from RM8.36 million in 2014. Revenue rose 12.6% to RM45.6 million against RM40.5 million a year ago, driven by higher demand from government hospitals via the tender business and private sector.


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Ford Motor Co. is starting production today on its updated Mustang.
The Dearborn, Michigan-based Ford (NYSE: F) designed the sixth-generation Mustang to be the first truly global version of the car, Bloomberg reported.
The 2015 Mustang has been engineered to meet global safety standards and will be exported to 120 countries. It will be also available for the first time in a right-hand-drive version designed for markets such as the United Kingdom and Australia.
The car is being produced in Flat Rock, Michigan.
Ford operates the Louisville Assembly Plant on Fern Valley Road and the Kentucky Truck Plant on Chamberlain Lane.


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A fixture in downtown Columbus, Ohio for 37 years, the first ever Wendy's Restaurant closed Friday. An AP story byAndrew-Welsh Huggins reported that the store was a victim of a downtown location with poor parking and no life after five o'clock. The relocation of the city science museum from across the street was the final blow.
According to AP, "Wendy's restored the restaurant in 1994 to its original fixtures, including multicolored Tiffany glass lamps, hanging plastic beads and tables with old-fashioned newspaper laminate surfaces.
The company plans to move the memorabilia to corporate headquarters in the suburb of Dublin."
Apparently, old photos, the blue striped dress sewn by her mother for founder Dave Thomas' daughter Wendy after whom he named the store, and other offbeat food historic gems, are part of the collection.


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Share of Boston Beer Co Inc. (NYSE: SAM) slumped 8.75% to $158.15 on Friday after the company announced on Thursday that its earnings were nearly cut in half in the first three months of the year as the maker of Samuel Adams Boston Lager faces increased competition from brewers of craft beers.
During this quarter, Boston Beer released Samuel Adams Nitro White Ale, Samuel Adams Nitro IPA, Samuel Adams Nitro Coffee Stout and Samuel Adams Rebel Grapefruit IPA. However, these new beers were not enough to fend off competition from competitors and Boston Beer said it expects its shipments to down between 2% and 4% in 2016.
Martin Roper, the Company's President and CEO stated, "In the first quarter, our depletions volume was significantly below our expectations, as the declines in our existing styles of our Samuel Adams and Angry Orchard brands were not offset by our new styles or the growth of the rest of our brand portfolio. The lower volume combined with the higher planned spending and excess brewery capacity significantly impacted our financial results for the quarter. We are focused on adjusting our cost structure, based on our lower volume expectations, and on driving efficiencies throughout the organization, so that we direct funds to the highest growth initiatives.”
According to the first quarter announcement, revenue decreased approximately 5.1% to $202 million compared with $212.834 million in the same quarter last year. Net income down almost 49% from $13.743 million last year to $7 million this quarter. Diluted earnings per share was $0.53 which down 47% from $1 last year.
Boston Beer said it would focus increasingly on finding ways to cut costs and become more efficient after several years of rapid growth and capital investments. Martin Roper told analysts Boston Beer had recently hired more employees in anticipation of growth that hasn’t materialized. That also has weighed on operating margins, but the company hopes to adjust staffing levels through normal attrition.


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In an effort to help users to connect better with businesses micro-blogging website Twitter today rolled out a series of new features offering customer support through their official twitter handle.
With these features, businesses can now clearly display on their profile if their account offers service via a new customer support.
"The business can now indicate if it offers service via a new Customer Support settings page on the Twitter Dashboard website. Once enabled, the business's Twitter profile will read that it 'Provides Support'," Tech Crunch reported.
It will also turn on the account’s ability to receive Direct Messages from anyone.
"This option will also turn on the account's ability to receive Direct Messages from anyone meaning the business will no longer need to request customers to follow them back so they can send a private message," the report added.
When customers visit these customer service accounts, they will also see a new button to start a Direct Message with the business in question.
(With inputs from IANS)


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US domestic secondary aluminum scrap prices varied amid fewer trades in the secondary market this week.
The weekly Davis Index for old sheet rose by 0.4¢/lb to 70.3¢/lb delivered US consumer while old cast declined by 1.1¢/lb to 68.2¢/lb delivered. Secondary MLC increased by 2.4¢/lb to 79.5¢/lb delivered after being pulled up by its primary scrap counterpart.
Secondary painted siding rose by 1.8¢/lb to 72¢/lb delivered and the Davis Index for high-grade turnings increased by 1.4¢/lb to 67¢/lb delivered.
The official LME Aluminium cash price settled Wednesday at $2,508/mt ($1.095/lb), down by $15/mt from Jun 30.
Twitch inched up by 0.2¢/lb to 76.2¢/lb delivered. Domestic sales have reduced drastically with most material being shipped overseas amid demand for high-grade scrap in Asia. The Davis Index for Zorba 95/2 settled at 64¢/lb, up 1.3¢/lb due to limited supply with sellers trying to raise offers to make up for losses in the export market due to new regulations in China and Malaysia.
Many smelters remain firmly out of the market amid production shutdowns, which began this week. Demand for secondary scrap is currently subdued in the market, and pricing is being driven by overheads such as freight and influence from exports. The labor shortage at smelters continues and is limiting production capacities, and in turn, buyer schedules.


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The Ram 2500 Heavy Duty is a brand-new truck for the 2020 model year. Unveiled at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show, it arrived just a month ahead of the redesigned Chevrolet Silverado HD and the facelifted Ford F-Series Super Duty. For the time being, the Ram Heavy Duty is the only truck of its kind offered with factory-installed accessories, a valuable advantage until Chevy and Ford roll out their out features.
2019 Bugatti Chiron Sport ‘110 Ans’ Edition
Bugatti is celebrating its 110th anniversary this year, and in keeping with its reputation for celebrating anniversaries in style, it’s bringing a special edition Chiron to the 2019 Geneva Motor Show. The special edition model, called the Chiron Sport “110 Ans,” is essentially a love letter for Bugatti, from Bugatti. It’s limited to just 20 units, and it’s dressed up in the finest exclusive touches you can find in the business. The special edition ode to Bugatti’s heritage will be the centerpiece of Bugatti’s exhibit in Geneva, though it may or may not be joined by a mysterious one-off hypercar that Bugatti is also rumored to have a spot for in its booth in Geneva. But that’s a different story. This is all about the Bugatti Chiron Sport 110 Ans Edition, a fitting celebratory piece to Bugatti’s long and storied history in the business.
2020 Volkswagen Jetta GLI35
The new 2020 Volkswagen Jetta GLI is just right. Presented at the 2019 Chicago Motor Show, the new hot Volkswagen compact sedan gained the much-needed overhaul with a fine upgrade that came from none other than the parts bins of the Golf GTI and the Golf R. It is a thoroughly improved car, with a 2.0-liter, turbocharged, gasoline engine, a fresh new look, and a far more advanced suspension compared to the lesser units. Let me just say it - rear multi-link. It has it.
With the new model introduced in Chicago, Volkswagen USA officials actually noted that the new car will come with two trim levels, while the limited edition GLI 35 serves as sort of a high-end model of the GLI world.
Now, we’ve already learned a lot about the new Volkswagen Jetta GLI, but what about the Volkswagen Jetta GLI35?
2019 Ram 1500 Classic Warlock
These days, custom pickup trucks are everywhere, with interested buyers offered a plethora of choices both from the aftermarket and straight from the factory. However, 40 years ago, it was far less common to get a bespoke aesthetic direct from the manufacturer. In that sense, the original Warlock pickup broke the mold, and now Ram is taking the nameplate off the shelf for a fresh special edition iteration of the 1500.
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2019 Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek Edition
The Rock Creek Edition is a special-edition version of the Nissan Pathfinder that includes new accessories and a few extra features at no additional cost. Introduced at the 2019 Chicago Auto Show, it freshens up the somewhat dated fourth-generation Pathfinder, which was launched in 2012 and went through a mid-cycle upgrade for the 2017 model year. Offered on SV and SL grades (no soup for you if you want the base model or the range-topping Platinum trim), it costs only $995. Nissan says it will save you $1,315 compared to a similar vehicle with all those features ordered separately, but is it worth it? Let’s find out in the review below.
2019 Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Pacifica 35th Anniversary Edition
It was not just Mazda which brought an anniversary edition model to Chicago Auto Show.The MX-5 Miata 30th Anniversary Edition might have stolen the limelight, but Chrysler and Dodge have launched anniversary editions of their minivans as well. Perhaps, they went unnoticed because they are humble minivans and not some fancy roadsters. Oh, automotive enthusiasts, thou art mean.
2019 Cadillac XT5 Sport Edition
Introduced for the 2017 model year, the XT5 is Cadillac’s first ever compact crossover. Originally sold alongside the massive Escalade, the XT5 now slots between the XT4 and theXT6. At the 2019 Chicago Auto Show, after three years on the market, Cadillac launched the Sport Package, a limited-edition bundle that adds a bit of variety to the crossover’s three-trim lineup.
The XT5 Sport joins similar versions offered for the smaller XT4 and the larger XT6 SUVs. It gives the XT5 a darker, slightly more aggressive appearance, but it doesn’t change anything under the hood. The Sport package is available with the Luxury and Premium Luxury trims, meaning it comes with a wide range of standard luxury features and technology, sitting just below the range-topping Platinum model. Let’s see what it offers.
2019 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider Italia
Introduced in 2013 as the company’s first true-blue sports car in decades, the Alfa Romeo 4C soldiered on into 2019 with almost no upgrades. At the 2019 Chicago Auto Show, the Italian company launched the 4C Spider Italia, a limited-edition roadster with a handful of extra features. Although it doesn’t stray far from the regular model, it confirms that the 4C Spider will remain in production for the 2020 model year.
With the Coupe discontinued at the end of 2018, the Spider remains in dealerships for at least one more year, but the Italia is far from special. Finished in an exclusive paint and fitted with custom graphics and badges, it’s just a poor attempt to keep this bare-bones sports car appealing among newer products. Is it worth getting one? Let’s find out below.
The Miata 30th Anniversary Is Cool and Here Are 10 Other Awesome Anniversary Models
For an automaker, almost any excuse is an excuse good enough to roll out a special version of a model in the lineup. Be it the anniversary of the company itself or of that model, we’ve seen many dull models celebrate important landmarks, but here are 10 of the ones that weren’t boring nor easily forgettable.
The unveiling at the 2019 Chicago Auto Show of not one but two anniversary models, the Mazda Miata 30th-anniversary and the Volkswagen Jetta GLI 35th-anniversary, got me thinking and made me search for interesting anniversary models from the recent past. Here are ten most interesting from the 21st century - so don’t expect to see Lamborghini’s Diablo SE30 or the Subaru Impreza 22B to name but a few. Those deserve to have their story told another time.
The 2019 BMW M140i Finale Edition Is Your Last Chance To Get This Hot Hatch With a Rear-Wheel Drive and Six Bangers Under The Hood
The BMW 1 Series is arguably one of the best hatches to drive on the market today. It has the grunt, it has the power, and it has the Bavarian DNA. The 1 Series is due for a new generation this year, however, BMW has no plans to carry the rear-wheel-drive system and the six-cylinder engine over to the next-gen. To mark the end of this journey, BMW is bidding adieu to the M140i to this unique combination with the Finale Edition model.
Rolls-Royce’s Collaboration with The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Chain is a Celebration of The Chinese New Year
The Chinese market is very important to Rolls-Royce. It’s so important that the British automaker is rolling a trio of special edition Cullinan SUVs to celebrate the start of the Chinese New Year, which just so happens to fall on the Year of the Pig. The special edition Cullinans were created in collaboration with the Mandarin Oriental hotel chain. Each of the three SE Cullinans sport unique exterior colors with identifiable badges to commemorate the Year of the Pig. Mandarin Oriental hotels in Miami, Boston, and Washington D.C. each have one of the three Cullinan special editions until today, February 8. They’re not just for display, too. Guests at the hotel can take chauffeured two-mile rides in them. Even better, the international hotel chain is also offering a chance for any of its guest to win the use of one of the Cullinan special edition models for a week.


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BEIJING -- Beijing-based automotive electronics supplier HiRain Technologies has raised 210 million yuan ($30 million) from investment bank and private equity investor China Renaissance.
The company, which was founded in 1998, provides electronics for driving-assist, braking, doors, windows, light and charging systems. Customers include General Motors, Ford, FAW-Volkswagen, BAIC and Geely, according to the HiRain website.
HiRain also provides other next-generation automotive technology, such as environmental perception, sensor fusion and decision planning solutions to intelligent driving companies, according to its website.
The new funds will allow the company to speed development of products and services related to autonomous driving, connected vehicles and new energy vehicles.
For the original story from KrASIA, click here.
KrASIA is a digital media company focused on technology-driven businesses and trends across the Asia-Pacific region. It is part of 36Kr, a tech news portal based in Beijing. Nikkei has a minority stake in 36Kr.


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For those who doubted that there’s a major shift happening in the way people get online for work or play, a few reports out this week should convince them that there’s no turning back now.
Mary Meeker presented some research earlier this week that should have Microsoft sweating. According to TechCrunch, she said that in the first quarter this year more Internet-enabled Android devices shipped than Internet-enabled Windows devices. By the end of next year, she expects quarterly shipments of 160 million Android devices, 100 million Windows devices, and 80 million iOS devices.
In fact, Meeker said, that by the second quarter next year she thinks that globally, the installed base of smartphones and tablets combined will surpass that of PCs.
Those numbers are a stark portrayal of the change in the way that people get online. Instead of doing the bulk of work sitting in front of a Windows machine behind a desk, people are getting online from their phones and tablets often while mobile. With Android now outselling the second-most popular smartphone platform, iOS, by a ratio of five-to-one, that means most of these new devices are running Android.
Smartphones and tablets aren’t replacing PCs. But as if to support Meeker’s research, Informa Telecoms put out a report showing that for the first time more smartphones connect to hotspots than laptops. It was a squeaker: Informa found that 40 percent of all hotspot connections are made by smartphones, 39 percent by laptops, and 17 percent by tablets.
So not only are people straying from their desks, they’re straying from their Windows-powered laptops to use phones and tablets to get online.
All of these reports should worry Microsoft, which is only just now getting into the tablet business in earnest, and which has struggled to gain market acceptance for its Windows Phone smartphone platform. IDC reported this week that tablet shipments worldwide in the third quarter were 27.8 million, a nearly 50 percent growth over the same quarter last year.
There are outliers who still cling to the old model, or a form of it, but they have good reason to. IDG News Service reported this week that Lenovo’s CEO said he expects people will lose interest in tablets in favor of convertible laptops. With Lenovo’s recent introduction of the Yoga, a Windows 8 laptop with a screen that folds all the way back so the machine can be used like a tablet, he would say that.


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The cryptocurrency exchange market is beginning to prove to the world that if you are not investing in cryptocurrency, you would soon be left behind. One of the world’s oldest banks, Bank of Germany “Deutsche Bank” recorded it’s earning for the first quarter of 2018 with about $146 million in profit. However, it is not up to the total revenue generated by Binance, the worlds largest cryptocurrency exchange made a whopping profit of $54 million in excess of what Deutsche Bank made.
Binance surpassed Germany’s largest and one of Europe’s biggest banks in profitability. This is surprising because Binance, which is the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world that is barely 8months old surpassed Deutsche Bank which is over 140years. This is an indication that the future of exchange, data and record storage lies within cryptocurrency.
Binance profit margin since its inception has been one that has been on a bullish trend. In the first 3 months from inception, profits amounted to $7,500,000 USD. In the 2nd quarter, profits amounted to $200,000,000 USD. The 3rd quarter is still in progress and is expected to have further growth. It is said that there would be an awesome tax income revenue benefit for any country that can attract the services of Binance in their country.
Considering recent history, Binance has surpassed the recent record the Deutsche Bank has referencing its relocation to Malta and its consistent profit margins. According to CCN.com, the move of Binance from Taiwan to Malta is a bigger move than Deutsche Bank permanently relocating its headquarters and operations from Germany to Malta. Malta’s government have no choice than to embrace the industry and startups of cryptocurrency Given the exponential growth rate and the rapid movement of the cryptocurrency market.
Even though the global market valuation of the cryptocurrency market is valued around $400 billion, which is less than the combined market caps of HSBC and JPMorgan. The cryptocurrency market is still at its early stage and considering that only bitcoin has been around from 2009 to 2015 until the creation of Ethereum and the tokenized ecosystem, the cryptocurrency industry is really less than five years old.
As long as the demand for the cryptocurrency market can be sustained and institutional investors continue to enter the space, similar to how Binance has been able to surpass Germany’s biggest bank in less than 8 months of existence, it is possible that cryptocurrency businesses take over the global finance industry in the next decade or two.
It is rumoured, based on experts like Tim Draper and Peter Thiel that The exponential growth rate of the market shows the possibility of million-dollar bitcoin price predictions.
Do you think cryptocurrency is the future of exchange or do you think Deutsche Bank would surpass that of Binance? Let’s hear what you think.
The Information provided on the website is designed to provide helpful information regarding cryptocurrency subjects. The content is not meant to be used, nor should it be used as a basis, foundational knowledge or prerequisite for decision making regards trading. Always do your own research and due diligence before placing a trade. We are not liable for any outcome based on any content found on the site.
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Does your teen have a digital curfew?
A new study finds devices at bedtime are cutting into teens’ much-needed sleep time and directly impacting their mental health.
by: Charity Ferreira | August 25, 2017
A 2017 study published in the journal Child Development found that using smartphones late at night, specifically for social media, is directly linked to depression, poor coping skills, and reduced self-esteem in teens. In light of recent evidence that the time teens spend on their phones has negative effects on their wellbeing (including a survey that found 1 in 5 teens say they regularly wake up in the middle of the night to check social media), giving kids and teens a digital curfew — a designated time each night when all devices are turned off and kept out of reach — just makes sense, says Lynette Vernon, the study’s lead researcher at Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia
It’s the sleep
According to the National Institutes of Health, teens need to clock between 9 and 10 hours of sleep a night because of their rapid physical and neurological growth. Teen sleep is further complicated by the fact that during puberty, circadian rhythms shift, a phenomenon called sleep phase delay. Essentially, adolescents don’t get tired until 10 or 11 at night, and they’re still in sleep mode at 8 am. (Which is why in 2014 the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that middle and high schools start their day no earlier than 8:30 am to combat teen sleep deprivation.)
Anything that interferes with teens getting the sleep they need is going to impact their functioning, says Vernon. But when kids (or adults) bring their phones to bed with them, it creates kind of a perfect storm of sleep pathology. Time spent scrolling and liking is obviously time not spent sleeping, and the content itself is more likely to be stimulating than soporific. Then there’s the fact that the light from screens has been shown to affect melatonin production, interfering with the ability to fall asleep. Finally, teens have such an intense bond with their phones that the pull to engage with them is hard to resist.
“Phones store memories, so they become an important device for reinforcing teenagers’ narrative. Phones enable teens’ need to socialize with their peers. They get rewards from their phones, and they can experiment with online identities. Many of these activities are not unhealthy in themselves, but if teenagers can engage in all of these activities in the privacy of their bedroom when they are supposed to be sleeping, then phones in the bedrooms can be a temptation that leads to difficulties in daytime functioning,” Vernon says.
“But my phone is my alarm clock!”
While there are lots of things you can do to help your teen get more sleep, Vernon says, a digital curfew may be the single most important thing you can do for your teen’s physical and mental health. Ideally, this curfew is best instituted when your child first gets a smartphone. If your teen is already accustomed to having devices in her bedroom at night, a digital curfew is likely to be a tough sell. But for some kids, a parent-enforced digital curfew may come as a relief, says Lisa Medoff, a clinical psychologist specializing in adolescent development and a professor of human biology at Stanford University.
“The earlier you do it the easier it is, but it’s never too late,” she says. “It’s an issue that affects their health, and it’s ok to step in at any point and say ‘What we’ve been doing so far hasn’t been working. You’ve been having trouble getting up in the morning, I see that it’s affecting your mood, and we need to make some changes.’” (And for the kids who will inevitably play the alarm clock card, for about $10 you can get them an alarm clock that is not also a smartphone.)
A digital curfew isn’t an attempt to sever your child’s connection to friends, information, and the wider world. It’s more like the modern equivalent of “lights out.” And while you’re at it, instead of checking your own phone just one last time before bed, think about giving yourself a digital curfew, too. Or instituting a family rule whereby all devices charge overnight in the kitchen, for example.
“Adolescents are very attuned to adults being hypocritical,” says Medoff. “Especially when you’re trying to talk to kids about taking care of their physical and mental health, it’s important for them to see parents modeling that.”


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Although it has been a turbulent year for dotcoms, there's still plenty of opportunity on the Web. The trick is knowing where to find it. Want a few hints? Here's a peek at 10 great Web businesses you can start today.
8. Web Hosting
You probably never imagined you could make your fortune by running around town, fetching things for people. But some of these urban gofers are making millions doing just that.
"People don't like to wait for things they order online to be delivered," says Ross Stevens, 30, chair, CEO and co-founder with CTO Mike Prindle and vice president of strategic development Fred Tausch of Urbanfetch Inc. "We saw a huge opportunity to provide a service where you can get things the same day, or even [the same] hour," says Stevens.
Currently, the New York City-based company offers free one-hour delivery on a variety of items, from bagels to electronics, throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn Heights. It hasn't taken long for the idea to catch on among busy New Yorkers: The company has only been making deliveries since October 1999 and already expects to earn sales of about $30 million this year.
Urbanfetch defines itself as an online shopping service. It warehouses inventory in low-cost areas of the city, allowing a cost savings not available to storefronts on Fifth or Madison Avenue.
Considering that the number of home deliveries is expected to more than double by 2003, the field may offer ample opportunity for start-ups. Those with less logistical expertise, however, may do better with a more simplified delivery business. Christopher Kelley of Forrester Research believes start-up businesses should focus on delivering packages from a local mail hub to consumers' houses, or on establishing relationships with and delivering products from local businesses. Warns Kelley, "They should stay away from trying to be a retailer."
Jupiter Communications reports that online sports content may be one of the most important new segments of the Web consumer marketplace.
Online consumers currently rank sports content among their five favorite online activities, and that translates into a big e-commerce opportunity. According to Jupiter, consumers will spend about $3 billion on sporting goods, apparel, footwear and event tickets in 2003.
If you want to get in on the game, one area to consider is women's athletic wear. Portland, Oregon-based start-up Lucy.com has quickly taken the lead in this niche. The start-up recently managed to secure $40 million in venture capital earlier this year. More good news: Jupiter expects sales of online apparel to hit $1.6 billion this year, and to leap to $7.8 billion by 2003.
Have a strong background in consulting? You may want to take your skills to the Web. Online consulting offers clients advice via an Internet, rather than human, interface.
IDC predicts that online consulting will pose a significant challenge to traditional consulting firms, as the business model is well-suited to the changing Internet marketplace. Yet few large companies have stepped into this arena. Those that have, such as Ernst & Young and IBM, target enterprise clients and other larger businesses, leaving the small-business niche wide open for start-ups.
"A consultant who spent some years with a major firm could start an online consulting business, especially one that targets the small and middle market," says Sophie Mayo, program manager at IDC. She adds, however, that start-ups should plan to eventually add a face-to-face component to their services in an effort to build ongoing client relationships.
Why should you thrust your business into the frenzied world of online auctions? Three words: eyeballs, eyeballs, eyeballs.
"It's really the lowest-cost avenue for start-ups to hook up with major players like eBay, Yahoo! or Amazon," says Sue Rothberg, senior auctions analyst with Lincoln, Massachusetts-based Gomez.com. "Putting your business on high-traffic sites like these allows you to build a brand and a customer base without having to do the marketing."
No need to sell 43-year-old Richard Birnbaum on the idea. He has doubled his sales since putting inventory from his Engelwood, New Jersey-based clothing business, Wearamerica.com, on eBay in January 1999. "There's no place you can advertise that's as cheap as eBay," he says.
Birnbaum says his 11 year-old wholesale company's first experiment with retail was eBay. "Over the course of the year, we've built a million-dollar retail business from nothing," he says. "Now we're doing about $1 million in wholesale and $1 million in retail."
Entrepreneurs who plan to venture into the auction space had better be committed to putting in the hours, Birnbaum advises, and should keep three to four months worth of inventory on hand at all times to maintain consistent sales volume. He says it also helps to work with an auction management service.
Just as home delivery is winning converts among the time-challenged, so are Web-based services that allow you to receive and pay your bills online. E-billing services make it possible for bills to be created, delivered and paid over the Net. IDC predicts worldwide sales for these services will jump from $32 million in 1999 to $1 billion by 2004.
CyberBills, which offers services enabling consumers to essentially click their bills paid, has developed a hybrid business model consisting of its branded consumer site-StatusFactory.com-and a set of business-to-business services it offers to portals, banks, brokerage houses and other companies that want to brand their own e-billing services. Co-founder and CEO John Simpson, 34, has found these services to have more sales potential than just the consumer portal alone, because most consumers are more comfortable handling financial matters through recognized institutions. Companies reselling CyberBills' services include Intuit and AOL.
Simpson says e-bill payment services may be hard to break into at this stage of the game, as many of the early movers have tied up relationships with the larger institutions. He suggests start-ups may do better as resellers of existing bill payment services they can offer to their online customers, primarily as a way to keep customers coming back to their sites.
"This market is still in its infancy," says IDC's e-commerce manager Albert Pang, "but it has the potential to blossom into a staggering opportunity."
Online health is becoming big business, and it's likely to explode over the next few years. Jupiter Communications reports online health sector sales should soar from $200 million in 1999 to $11 billion by 2004.
At the same time, a Jupiter study indicated that 49 percent of respondents do not buy online because it's easier to buy pharmaceuticals at the local drugstore while doing other errands. This explains why sites offering traditional products have been floundering.
The start-up solution: providing health-care items you can't usually find in your local brick-and-mortar store. Selfcare.com in Emeryville, California, for example, attracts health customers with special needs to the Web by offering alternative and traditional health and wellness products for allergies, weight management and chronic pain. Anyone can go to the local drugstore and pick up some aspirin, but where in the world are you going to find a soy-milk-maker or a magnetic beauty mask?
Much of the current wave of enthusiasm for the gaming industry centers around online gaming, which was responsible for $500 million in sales last year, largely due to the popularity of online role playing games like Sony's "Everquest" and Electronic Arts' "Ultima Online."
The future of this market depends on the widespread home adoption of broadband-DSL or cable modems. IDC predicts that, by 2003, nearly a third of U.S. homes will have broadband Internet access, which is good news for start-ups that can get in now and hold on for a while.
Unfortunately, the competition is stiff in an industry dominated by behemoths like Microsoft, Sega and Sony. Chances are, start-ups looking for an in will have better luck taking a b2b approach. New York City-based Gamegate.com, for example, makes more than $1 million in annual sales developing online Java Internet games for Microsoft, SEGA, Star-media, AOL Europe and Infospace.com.
The future looks bright for Web hosting. "We're projecting growth in that area from about $1.4 billion at the end of 1999 to $19.8 billion in 2004," says Forrester senior analyst Jeanne Schaaf. "It's a huge opportunity."
But is this a good opportunity for start-ups? "It's not for someone who knows nothing about Web hosting, Web architecture, Web servers and networks," says Schaaf. "This is a high-tech business that's going to demand high-tech skills."
In other words, contrary to popular opinion, it's not as easy as throwing a bunch of servers in a room and expecting the company to run itself.
Don Fredrickson, co-owner and CEO of ISP got.net, brings in about $1 million in annual sales. He plans to expand his Web hosting activities from its current level of 15 percent of his business, to as much as 70 percent of his business over the next four years. Fredrickson says that while high-profile and enterprise-level clients are flocking to data centers that charge between $5,000 and $10,000 per month for 24/7 hosting service, many smaller businesses are looking for a less costly, but still trustworthy, alternative. Fredrickson, for example, charges about $20 per month for his basic hosting service, and $300 a month for co-locating a company's server in got.net's facility.
Fredrickson adds that entrepreneurs will be especially successful if they have an area of expertise. "People looking for hosting will start coming to you," he says, "because you'll build up a reputation in that area."
IDC reports that, by 2003, 500 billion people will spend more than $1.3 trillion online. For shopping portals, that means lots of traffic, leading to generous ad and affiliate sales for sites that can attract the most, and the right, eyeballs.
A shopping portal is a site offering a collection of gateways to various online stores and services. According to Charlene Li of Forrester Research, the biggest portals-Yahoo!, AOL and MSN-will grab about 40 percent of the market in 2004. The rest of those ad dollars ultimately will go toward vertical portals that specialize in just one type of niche or content site.
For start-ups, the clear message is, "think vertical." One promising area is online sales of office supplies to small businesses. Sites like works.com and BizBuyer.com are bringing start-ups together to build purchasing clout. This provides them with access to low-cost business supply deals usually offered only to larger companies. These companies are also working to automate small-business purchasing practices. For entrepreneurs, this type of business makes sense for two reasons: 1) Forrester predicts the market for office supplies will grow from $2.9 billion in 1999 to $6.4 billion in 2000 and 2) as a small business, you'll certainly know your audience!
Finding Your Niche
With so many major players in the field, it can be a tricky business for start-ups to break in . . . unless you can find a specialty market and offer your customers a little something extra. Just ask 37-year-old Philip Kaskawits, co-founder of Textbookhound.com, a New York City-based site that enables students to find and compare prices for college textbooks. Unlike many other shopping search services, Textbookhound. com's custom designed search engine allows students to enter and search for multiple books at one time. Kaskawits and his partner, Eric Borgos, plan to work with schools to allow professors to list their curricula on the site, further simplifying students' textbook searches.
Much of Textbookhound.com's sales come from affiliate sales: Amazon or Barnes & Noble will pay the company a percentage of sales that come through their sites. Kaskawits says that, unlike many other comparison shopping sites, Textbookhound.com doesn't list stores in order of which ones give the company the best return, but according to the lowest price for the customer. "We try to be different that way," he says. "You don't have to think of the next best thing. Take something that's out there, pick your niche, and do a better job than anyone else."
Julie Vallone is a San Francisco Bay area writer. Her work has been featured in a variety of publications, including Entrepreneur's Start-Ups, Investor's Business Daily and Salon.com.


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Outlook for convention business improves in 2012, several large groups already inked
As the U.S. economy still tries to find its footing, the Memphis hospitality industry could get some long overdue good news in 2012.
The city has 29 major conventions scheduled for the year, including sizable groups from the American Contract Bridge League and National Association of Freewill Baptists, which is bringing its 6,000-person convention in July, according to the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau.
“This could be the best year since 2009, which was the height of the great recession,” says John Oros, executive vice president and COO of the CVB. “We were able to sustain a lot of the business that year.”
Oros says indications are that consumer confidence is increasing and travel is expected to pick up in the leisure and business sector, while corporate meetings are slowly coming back as well.
AutoZone Inc., for example, is bringing its 1,500-person annual sales meeting to the city in September.
The latest business travel survey by the Global Business Travel Association shows 2012 business travel spending is predicted to grow 4.6 percent above the $251.9 billion spent in 2011.
Hotel business around the country, meanwhile, is expected to see moderate increases in revenue per available room and occupancy in 2012. Memphis’ growth in those categories could lag the national trend, according to estimates from Atlanta-based Colliers PKF Hospitality Research.
Mark Woodworth, an analyst with PKF, says revenue per available room nationwide is expect to increase by 8.1 percent, while Memphis might hit 3.2 percent.
“There are two reasons for that: the economic recovery is lagging behind in Memphis and the level of supply growth in 2010 increased by 2.8 percent in Memphis, compared to 1.8 percent nationally,” Woodworth says. “A lot more rooms had to be absorbed in Memphis in a weaker economic environment with weaker demand.”
Michael Sheffield covers bioscience and biotechnology; manufacturing; tourism and hospitality; and sports business. Contact him at email@example.com.
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SIMONA Boltaron Earns National Award for Excellence
The customer service team for SIMONA Boltaron, a leading
thermoplastic sheet manufacturer for aerospace and
other industries, has been named a sales support team of
the year in the 14th annual Stevie?Awards for Sales &
Customer Service. The honors are presented by the Stevie
Awards, which organizes several of the world’s leading
business awards shows including the prestigious
International Business Awards?and the Stevie Awards for
SIMONA Boltaron’s customer service team handles
orders for customers worldwide including designers, original
equipment manufacturers and thermoformers to create
aircraft interiors for the world’s largest airlines, including
Delta Airlines and Virgin Atlantic Airlines. The team’s
seven members have nearly 200 combined years of customer
service experience and are a central pillar of
SIMONA Boltaron’s “Company Like a Friend?approach to
building long-term customer relationships.
“Our SIMONA Boltaron customer service team is an
enormous asset,?said Adam Mellen, CSO of SIMONA
AMERICA Group. “They take great pride in expediting
urgent requests and proactively helping customers solve
problems, which truly sets us apart from other suppliers.
This honor is well deserved, and I am very glad to see
them recognized for their outstanding professionalism.?
For more information, contact Molly Bridger,
SIMONA AMERICA Group, 4994 Lower Roswell Road,
Suite 30, Marietta, GA 30068, 570-892-8780, E-mail:
email@example.com, Web: www.simonaamerica.com.