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Volkswagen officials Thursday called it "the magic number."
To the hoorays of hundreds of VW workers at the automaker's Chattanooga plant, the company unveiled plans to add to their number by 1,000 by year's end.
"It's amazing we have come such a long way in such a short time," said Jonathan Browning, Volkswagen Group of America's chief executive.
Browning said VW's $4 billion investment in the U.S. to bring the plant and new Passat online is starting to pay off. One of every four VWs sold in the U.S. today is a Passat, Browning said.
"Chattanooga has been all we hoped for," he said. "VW is definitely on a roll. We don't intend to stop."
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam lauded the German carmaker's hiring decision, saying the state is helping by offering incentives and standing ready to do more should VW add another production line or if Audi decides to build a local plant.
"We'd love to have that in Chattanooga," the governor said.
With sales of the VW plant's Passat sedan in high gear, officials said they will add 800 jobs to the 200 it announced earlier this year. That will push VW's workforce in Chattanooga to 3,500.
According to the state, Tennessee is extending its memorandum of understanding with VW to provide grants for training of employees and infrastructure investment in the plant.
BY THE NUMBERS
• 40,000 - cars that VW's Chattanooga plant made in 2011
• 550 - vehicles VW wants to produce a day
• $7 million - VW investment in speeding its production line
The state will reimburse VW for training of new production workers up to $12,000 per position, said Clint Brewer, an assistant commissioner for the state Department of Economic and Community Development. For the 700 production jobs to be created from the 800 announced Thursday, that could amount to $8.4 million.
Also, Brewer said the state will provide an infrastructure grant of from $1.8 million to $3.2 million to design and pave a parking lot for the new workers.
In addition, the state will offer 18 recruiting specialists to help the company find the workers it will need, he said.
Additionally, the new VW workers may qualify for Tennessee's $5,000-a-year credit for each employee up to 20 years because of its original $1 billion investment. A state Department of Revenue spokesman said he couldn't comment on tax credits for individual companies.
Frank Fischer, chief executive of VW's Chattanooga operations, said the factory produced 40,000 cars last year, about 1,400 more than planned.
He said VW is making about $7 million in changes inside the plant to bolster the speed of its assembly line so it can make 170,000 vehicles annually, up from 150,000.
Currently, all production at the plant is aimed at the Passat, he said.
"There's no decision on a future vehicle," Fischer said, though he's hopeful of a second product in the future. Financial Times Deutschland has reported that top managers in Germany are weighing production of a sport utility vehicle in Chattanooga.
Fischer said a second line could be added to the paint shop and plant production could be expanded to 250,000 vehicles a year.
State Rep. Gerald McCormick, R-Chattanooga, the state House majority leader, said the Legislature would go along with a reasonable incentive package should a new VW project come along.
"The state could afford it," he said.
In addition to the added VW employees, the plant's suppliers also are expected to create jobs to meet the automaker's demands.
Hans-Herbert Jagla, VW's executive vice president of human resources in Chattanooga, said the supplier job additions could reach several hundred.
"We're pleased to be part of the renaissance [of the industrial legacy] of Chattanooga," he said.
Jagla said the plant's production workers, 95 percent of which come from Hamilton County, have been working overtime daily. He said OT will be cut with the new hires.
Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger said VW is far exceeding original expectations of 2,000 jobs.
"VW said it would build a car, but we didn't know it would be the Motor Trend Car of the Year," he said.
Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield said growth in the part of the county where the plant is located is both a blessing and a challenge.
"It's a challenge we're prepared to meet," he said.
Tom Edd Wilson, the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce's CEO, said no one expected for VW to have created so many jobs at this point in time. He said the VW jobs will spur more local spending to create even more jobs in the area.
Claude Ramsey, Tennessee's deputy governor and former county mayor, said there needs to be an emphasis on making sure there's an educated workforce to meet VW's hiring demands.
"We need to prepare," he said.
Browning said that two years ago, the company was selling about 10,000 Passats a year in the United States. Now, he said, that figure is approaching about 10,000 a month.
"You've proven the skeptics wrong," Browning told local VW workers.
But he added the company still has a long way to go to reach its goal of nearly tripling sales to 1 million VWs and Audis a year by 2018.
"We have to be really responsive to the market," the CEO said.


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The news: Walmart Health reportedly filed to open up seven of its one-stop health clinics (offering services like primary care, imaging, dental care, counseling, and lab tests) in locations across Northeast Florida, per Florida-based Jax Daily Record. This news follows Walmart’s reported slowdown of its original plan to open 4,000 clinics across the US after multiple C-suite execs left its healthcare business, according to Insider’s reporting.
But Walmart Health has been hiring, too: Walmart Health has been on an exec-hiring spree for the past few months—which means it’ll likely have the muscle to make headway in its clinic expansion plans.
- Last month, Walmart Health hired a new senior vice president and CFO, Brian Setzer, previously at Highmark Health. Similarly, in July, Walmart Health named pharma industry leater John Wigneswaran, MD, as its new CMO.
- As Walmart Health stabilizes its C-suite, it’ll likely focus on building out its recently acquired virtual clinic business MeMD. It will also focus on broadening its physical footprint: Although Walmart is slowing down construction on its clinics, it’s still planning to open up at least 22 this year, in addition to the 20 Walmart Health centers it already has, per Walmart.
Why Walmart’s clinics could succeed in Florida: Many Medicare-aged consumers with chronic conditions visit Walmart’s Florida retail stores regularly.
- Florida has one of the largest Medicare populations (aged 65+) in the US: Medicare beneficiaries make up about 21% of Florida’s residents, per KFF’s tracking. For comparison, only 12% of Utah’s residents are on Medicare.
- Seniors are some of Walmart’s most loyal shoppers, as 20% of its consumers are aged 65+. Its popularity with this consumer demographic works in Walmart’s favor, considering Medicare patients are the most likely to need regular and convenient access to care: Approximately 85% of older adults have at least one chronic condition, per the NIH.
What’s next? Walmart could use its brick-and-mortar presence in states like Florida to inform its senior shoppers about its new Walmart+ prescription discount program, which we posited could rival Amazon Pharmacy.
- Walmart’s newly unveiled Walmart Rx+ for less program lets Walmart members bypass their insurance and access select medications at zero cost and purchase thousands of additional prescriptions at an 85% discount.
- Walmart already offers a $4 generic medication program, but its Walmart+ pharmacy discount could appeal strongly to senior consumers searching for cheaper options for a broader range of meds. That’s because consumers are reporting higher-than-expected out-of-pocket costs, even after insurance discounts—and those costs aren’t going down anytime soon: Out-of-pocket healthcare spending is expected to rise by nearly 10% by 2026, per a recent Kalorama Information report.

domain: news


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Atlus’ bizarrely-timed Persona 3 remake is allegedly posed to be revealed in an upcoming Xbox showcase, marking a first for the JRPG series.
Typically synonymous with the PlayStation brand, Atlus’ Persona RPG series recently made its Xbox debut with Persona 5 Royal. Since then, Persona 4: Golden and Persona 3 Remastered have been released on the system.
However, in a series first, Atlus’ long in-development Persona 3 Remake is allegedly set to be revealed by Xbox. As part of its upcoming Xbox Showcase, the Microsoft’s gaming brand is set to be the new face of Persona.
According to a member on ResetEra, which was verified by frequent industry insider Jawmuncher, the new Persona game will be presented by Xbox during its June 11th showcase event.
While very surprising, Microsoft’s relationship with Atlus owner SEGA has always been strong. Prior to the launch of the Xbox, Microsoft helped SEGA develop a Windows-based system for the Dreamcast. Afterwards, multiple SEGA games became original Xbox exclusives such as Shenmue 2, Jet Set Radio Future, Panzer Dragoon, House of the Dead and many more.
Recently, Xbox and SEGA’s relationship has only grown stronger with the Sonic company bringing countless titles to Xbox Game Pass on launch date. For example, the entire Yakuza franchise is now available on Game Pass and has long been advertised with the membership.
Persona 3 Remake comes just after a rather controversial remaster of the original game’s PSP release. Criticised for being a rushed cash grab instead of a proper remaster, now seems like a weird time for Atlus to release a proper remake of the series’ third entry.
Nevertheless, it does seem that the studio is working on the long-rumoured title. A couple of months ago saw high quality renders for the remake leak online, and websites have been registered for the upcoming remake.
Persona 3 Remake is expected to bring forward a lot of the changes found in Persona 5 to the JRPG. More open exploration and stylish combat are expected to arrive alongside the standard graphical boost. Presumably, new story scenarios will also be present.


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SEARCHED FOR:JENNIFER LOPEZ
Fizz evaporating from Beckham's commercial appeal
Despite his high-profile loan move to AC Milan, the fizz could be evaporating from Beckham's appeal after ending a 10-year deal with Pepsi. Design trends for 2009
Beckham and Pepsi no longer together
Football star David Beckham, who was the face of the soft drink giant Pepsi for over ten years, has finally decided to give up his money-minting contract.
Bringing up baby on Twitter, the celeb way
Hollywood A-listers are known to be highly protective when it comes to their young ones but they are now giving millions of their fans a peek into their nurseries with the micro-blogging website Twitter.
Once a fugitive, this billionaire aims to be Russia's Jeff Bezos
Many pronouncing his commercial death. But they underestimated the shrewdness, charm and connections that made the wily tycoon a negotiator of choice during the Chechen wars between 1990s and 2000s.
The recent photographs of Jennifer Lopez caused a stir because she seems to have frittered away her prime asset: her derriere.
Sharapova may spoil Sania's party
In an online survey, Maria Sharapova is a favourite for endorsing casual wear among the Indian consumers.
Michael Jackson wins big at AMAs
Michael Jackson was honored with four American Music Awards, making history by collecting more AMAs during his career than any other artist and becoming the show's winningest posthumous artist.
Celebrity-endorsed perfumes on the rise
The launch of more than 30 celebrity-endorsed perfumes this year has buoyed the sector. But how many will survive?
'Indians eager for Wal-Mart entry'
Wal-Mart says that it sees a groundswell of support for its plans to enter India.
India lost a Nobel due to govt, scientific community callousness
Thanks to work-life imbalance and technological advancements, IVF has become big business since the birth of India’s first test tube baby and Robert Edwards’ Nobel Prize last week.
How to make your product a winner
Four Wharton marketing professors suggest strategies for launching two hypothetical products.


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Companies subject to the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) are required to update their online privacy policies “at least once every 12 months,” as detailed in the statute. For many companies that updated their CCPA policies in advance of the law’s enforcement deadline last year (July 1, 2020), that 12-month mark may be approaching.
Looking ahead, privacy obligations are evolving for businesses that operate in California, Virginia and Colorado. In November 2020, voters approved the California Privacy Rights Act of 2020 (CPRA), which significantly amends the CCPA. Even though that law will not become generally operative until January 1, 2023, work to implement the CPRA is already underway, with the new privacy agency established by the law—the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA)—holding its inaugural public Board meeting on Monday, June 14. Additionally, other states are enacting their own comprehensive privacy legislation. In March 2021, Virginia enacted an omnibus privacy law—the Consumer Data Protection Act (CDPA); and this month, the Colorado legislature passed an omnibus privacy bill—the Colorado Privacy Act—that is currently awaiting the Governor’s approval. Those laws will become effective in January and July 2023, respectively, so companies will need to consider these new and nuanced frameworks as they continue to develop their privacy compliance programs.


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This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.
RingCentral Expands Cloud Communications Portfolio
Whether customer experience, team messaging, video meetings, mobility, or voice analytics is your thing, cloud communications provider RingCentral has something new in store for you, as announced today at its annual user conference, ConnectCentral.
In the first of a trio of announcements, RingCentral is targeting an improved customer experience with the development of a digital customer engagement platform, called RingCentral Engage. For Engage, RingCentral said it is using technology gained from last month’s acquisition of Dimelo, a French company that had built a social interaction platform (see related No Jitter coverage).
Initially, Engage will allow contact center agents to manage customer interactions across the digital channels they support via a single interface, RingCentral said. It will rely on artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities for routing the interactions.
In mid-2019, RingCentral said it intends to supplement Engage with integration of its team messaging and video meeting tools. The goal is to deliver a fully integrated and seamless communications experience between contact center agents and business experts, the company said. For example, agents will be able to escalate a customer chat or messaging conversation to video, with an eye on quicker time to resolution. In addition, RingCentral noted, contact center agents will be able to facilitate conversations among customers and business experts via its team messaging app, Glip.
Collaboration On the Go
In the second bit of product news, RingCentral is taking aim at improving employee engagement and productivity -- specifically, for on-the-go professionals and mobile workers. To better serve the modern workforce, it announced the release of a mobile app that provides voice calling, team messaging, and video meetings -- saving users from needing to switch from one app to another depending on how they want to communicate.
The mobile app encompasses three principles, RingCentral said. First, it’s collaboration-centric, offering a team messaging-based experience that lets users create teams around topics of their choice for persistent chat sessions in which they can also share files, calendar events, and other content. Second, it’s enterprise voice-ready, with a user’s business number identity associated with the app for placing and receiving calls, dialing by extension, sending SMS text messages, and clicking from chat to call. Lastly, RingCentral said, the mobile app lets users schedule, start, and join video and screen sharing meetings with one click.
In a prepared statement, Jason Kasch, CIO at Structural Group, a global engineering firm, touted the value of such mobile collaboration. RingCentral’s new mobile app lets the company “put people at the center of our business. It’s now easy and efficient for our entire workforce to communicate and collaborate all with a few clicks,” said Kasch, who earlier this year participated in our Enterprise Summit at Enterprise Connect 2018 (see related No Jitter article).
The mobile app will be available for download in 13 languages by the end of the month, RingCentral said.
Partnering for AI and More
In the final news coming out of ConnectCentral this morning, RingCentral is focusing on partnerships -- some aimed at bringing artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled voice analytics capabilities to its platform, and others to extend current capabilities. For the former, partners Gong.io, ThetaLake, and Velvetech are using RingCentral’s open APIs to deliver real-time and post-call voice analytics services, the company said.
“The democratization of AI is quickly becoming a reality,” and by allowing the growing AI ecosystem of companies to leverage its open APIs, RingCentral is broadening its customers’ access to AI services, said David Lee, vice president, product management, at RingCentral, in a prepared statement. Through the partnerships, businesses will be able to “capture timely customer data and drive greater customer engagement and value,” he added.
In particular, Velvetech, a software development platform provider, is building a real-time transcription solution with machine learning capabilities from AI startup XSELL Technologies. The goal is to provide real-time insights for coaching sales agents and driving improving sales performance, RingCentral said.
Meantime, RingCentral’s other new partners are developing post-call AI voice analytics services. Gong.io, which offers a conversation intelligence platform for sales teams, is using the open APIs to develop a machine learning solution aimed at driving best practices and effectiveness at scale. And ThetaLake, which provides compliance for audio and video communications, is enabling businesses in financial services, insurance, and other highly regulated industries to archive audio recordings for compliance purposes.
Beyond AI, RingCentral said it has upped the capabilities of its integrations with Box, with archiving features; and with Google, with a calendar add-on that lets users pick RingCentral for voice and video calling.


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Creating a successful business is tricky and it’s become even more so in the Internet Age. This is why one media relations pro says businesspeople must reprogram the way they think about marketing, especially social marketing and funding.
Ariel Hyatt, president of NYC-based Cyber PR, saw the influence the internet would have on brands and on bottom lines long before social media was mainstream.
“Social media is a science and must be part of all business plans but it is still deeply misunderstood. It can be confounding and overwhelming,” Hyatt said. “To be impactful, social media needs strategy.”
Hyatt told Hypebot that businesses must think about three main things in 2015:
- Mobile should be the first thing a company thinks about when looking at strategy. Everyone is consuming on the go now.
- An online platform is a must. One can’t survive without one anymore.
- Stories are essential. They connect people. They unite people. If stories aren’t being told online that resonate with audiences, then the message won’t resonate.
Hyatt foresaw the changes social media would bring to business, including her own. She pivoted her traditional public relations firm to become a digital tactical team, and blended the worlds of online and direct-to-consumer marketing, with social media. The newest tool she has added to her arsenal is crowdfunding, which she stresses is the eventual payday for great social media behavior.
“I see crowdfunding as the new advance book publishers and record labels are no longer offering,” she said. “Small business loans from banks are next to impossible to secure for the creative class, and VC money is only for those with huge scalable ideas. Of course, crowdfunding, which must be mastered, can be used for numerous ways in which to subsidize your dream.”


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Petrol station catches fire in northwest Sydney
A sports car was destroyed in the blaze, which was stopped from spreading further by the actions of the attendant on duty.
Source: ABC News | Duration: 51sec
The US and China are at each other's throats over trade — and the consequences are slowly choking investment and economic growth around the world.
Airports stepped up security measures after September 11 but international hotels continue to be soft targets for terror attacks. How can travellers know that where they are staying is as safe as possible?
Can you guess who is running for US President in 2020?
By Kellie Scott
Accessories are a way to make a small wardrobe feel big, as well as adding personality and a uniqueness to your style that clothing rarely can.


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Napa Valley winery raises $500,000 to put low-income students through college
Last weekend, Napa Valley wine label Vida Valiente raised US$535,000 at its first annual auction which was hosted to raise money for first-generation low-income students at California’s Stanford University.
The Vida Valiente Foundation is partially funded by its eponymous Napa Valley winery’s flagship wine – a Cabernet Sauvignon blend called The Movement, created winemaker Sam Kaplan.
The wine retails for $250 a bottle, and $100 from each bottle sale directly supports the Vida Valiente Foundation.
Partnering with Stanford University, the foundation has already raised over one million dollars since its 2021 founding, which currently supports its first class of 33 low-income Stanford students for four full years.
“We are deeply humbled and gratified by what Vida Valiente was able to accomplish this past weekend,” said Susana Cueva Drumwright, CEO and co-founder of the Vida Valiente Foundation. “It was a thrill to debut not only a world-class annual wine experience, but also establish an annual cycle of giving that will have a lasting impact on dozens, soon hundreds, and ultimately thousands of low-income, first-generation students.”
The Napa Valley vintner is the first-generation daughter of South American immigrants. She and her husband Hayes Drumwright conceived both the Vida Valiente Winery and its foundation to support students of a similar background.
“Our Vida Valiente scholars are persevering through demanding schedules, leaving their communities for the first time, while, in many cases, worrying constantly about how their families will get by financially without their help,” Cueva Drumwright said in her auction welcome speech. “Our financial support is set up to make it possible for students to not have to worry about working so that they can focus on their studies.”
Husband Hayes Drumwright added: “With the $500,000 raised this weekend in addition to the self-sustaining funds from our wines, our goal is to help 100 students in the next two years.”


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I’ve already given you what I consider to be some very important information for this Easter weekend — a framework for which wines will work best with your holiday meal.
In doing research for that vital column, I came across some surprising statistics about another category of Easter eating — the unbelievable amount of candy we consume around Easter.
Americans spend a whopping $2.1 billion dollars on Easter candy each year. Yes, you read that right, $2.1 billion.
Easter is the second-most important candy-eating occasion of the year with Americans consuming 7 billion pounds of candy, according to the National Confectioner’s Association.
The most popular item? Chocolate Easter bunnies. Some 90-million chocolate Easter bunnies are produced each year. And in case you’re wondering, 76 percent of Americans say the bunnies should be eaten ears first, and just 4 percent support gnawing at them feet first.
For a local perspective, I posed some questions to Julie House, co-owner of gourmet chocolate producer, Panache Chocolatier on the Country Club Plaza.
House confirms that Easter’s a big chocolate holiday, and it’s getting bigger each year.
“Sales are getting closer to Valentine’s Day sales,” House said. “We are seeing an increase in consumers wanting quality chocolate without preservatives, and chocolates with higher cocoa contents and ones that are custom-made.”
House said traditional Easter baskets are always a favorite. Their baskets, filled with Panache chocolate-molded bunnies, ChocoPoppo, ChocoFlakes and chocolate-covered Oreos, are anything but traditional.
And, she said that the closer the holiday gets, the busier her business gets.
“Thursday through Saturday will be busy days with most sales focused on Easter items,” House said.
House said Panache is rolling out some special goodies this Easter, focusing on custom-crafted gifts.
“We can fill customers’ baskets or create custom baskets, all filled with Panache chocolates,” she said. “Monogrammed bunnies and eggs also are available and can be used to create a custom look for your Easter table.”
I checked in with Godiva, which was optimistic about chocolate sales this Easter.
Just as the earlier numbers, indicate, Godiva said Easter is a close second to Valentine’s Day in chocolate purchases, and it’s picking up steam.
Like Panache on the local level, Godiva said people are seeking higher quality, more artisanal chocolates, and Godiva is happy to oblige.
The company wouldn’t part with any sales numbers, or even percentage increases, but they did provide the top three sellers:
▪ Milk Foil Bunny
▪ Eggstra Special Egg
▪ Dark Foil Bunny
I’m not sure, but I think if you look closely enough, before you take a bite, you’ll find just a hint of a smile on the Godiva chocolate bunnies.
Dave Eckert is the producer and host of “Culinary Travels With Dave Eckert,” which aired on PBS-TV and Wealth TV for 12 seasons.


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This year, the world’s most luxurious and exclusive boat company is set to launch its newest yacht/vessel. With a price tag of 2 million dollars, $3.5 MN Michigan-Made Yacht. It will be hard for anyone who isn’t already rich or well-connected in society not to – unless they have access through connects.
The EX 60 will be a one-of-a-kind airplane that’s fitted with all the luxuries you could hope for. It has an outdoor breakfast bar, two bathrooms, and customizable cockpit seating! The boat has everything you need for an unforgettable family vacation. It’s well-appointed with quality fixtures and appliances, including the kitchen which is equipped to cook up your favorite meal or help store food items so that they’re always available when needed! The sleeping quarters below deck can accommodate six adults who want nothing more than some peace & quiet before heading out on another adventure the next day – it doesn’t get much better than this in terms of comfort while traveling across water environments.
The Slikker team is confident that they have developed a hydrofoil with all of the features to make it stand out. “We feel like this is going to just really put up a lot of new benchmarks and a lot of new firsts for our company and also for the industry,” said the Slikkers.
The new EX 60 is finally coming to fruition! The long-awaited prototype will be complete by mid-August and available for purchase at the end of this year. For more than six decades, the Slikkers family has been in the boat-making industry in Holland. The company’s philosophy is focused on luxury and creating a comfortable experience for customers with their product ranges. Thomas said each project comes differently but they always strive towards excellence when it comes down to designing these vessels.
Slikkers further said, “I think this building and what we do inside of it is second to none in the world. I think our product is second to none in the world,” They further added, “But I think we’re also blessed in the sense that we have some awesome people here and I think the combination of those three things makes us unstoppable.”
Read More on 10 Best Luxury Boutique Hotels in Istanbul City


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One thing that’s been puzzling me recently is where the automakers will stand in this self-driving, ride-hailing world. If we’re transitioning over to the world where end-consumers don’t buy cars anymore, won’t the revenue of automakers be slashed overnight?
Not at all.
Automakers could see their revenues soar as a result of a self-driving, ride-hailed vehicle future.
Let’s walk through all the changes in the revenue models automakers may encounter in the future (and also describe whether they’ll increase or decrease revenue for automakers):
1. Fleet sales will replace individual vehicle sales (decreasing revenue)
This is the most obvious change in the revenue model for automakers. Companies like Ford will be selling their vehicles as fleets (such as in bundles of 50 at a time) to companies like Uber (or whoever manages ride-hailed vehicles) rather than selling their cars one at a time to end consumers. Obviously this change will generate fewer vehicle sales for automakers as it’s more efficient for people to hail a car rather than purchasing one (e.g. for a group of 300 people, 50 ride-hailed cars could collectively service them on a monthly basis; in today’s world a group of 300 people may collectively purchase 100 cars).
2. Vehicle turnover will increase, driving more vehicle sales (increasing revenue)
As a result of how easy it will be to operate and hail a car, we can expect the usage of vehicles to increase significantly. In turn, this will lead to more vehicle wear-and-tear and higher vehicle turnover. Fleet managers will need to purchase vehicles more often — increasing the revenue for automakers and essentially canceling the impact of decreased revenue as a result of fewer vehicles being collectively sold.
3. Premium driving services will be introduced (increasing revenue)
Tackling boredom has always been a problem automakers have had for their drivers. But given the attention needed for two hands on the wheel, this was only an issue that automakers could focus on to some extent (they basically said “let’s put in a radio and bluetooth and call it a day”). But in a future where little human intervention is needed, what will occupants do during their “drive”? Companies like Mercedes-Benz are already thinking ahead with innovations like their F 015 concept car: set with services like the ability to participate in conference calls while on the go. Automakers may implement these “premium” features into their cars for occupants to use for an extra fee or a subscription.
Given the safety and simplicity that the future of driving will offer, automakers will also have the opportunity to appeal and satisfy two large audiences who typically don’t operate their own vehicles: seniors (aged ~65+) and children (younger than the permitted driving age). Automakers will be able to customize and implement special “premium” features in their vehicles for these new audiences.
Take child occupants for example, parents/caretakers may pay a premium for the ability to access a child safety camera while a child is in a self-driving vehicle.
4. Automakers may become full-on mobility companies (increasing revenue)
This prediction is a bit of a stretch (but then again, not many people thought much of self-driving cars 20 years ago!), but automakers may introduce completely new product lines where they attempt to solve other mobility needs for consumers rather than just manufacturing cars. In September 2016, Ford debuted a Segway-esque vehicle called the Carr-E which people can stand on as it autonomously moves to a short distance. Or people can put a package on top of the device and have the Carr-E follow them as they walk.
The twist with the Carr-E is that Ford has no plans of putting the concept into full-scale production. But it demonstrates that automakers haven’t ruled out the idea of being “more than a car company” in the near future as their revenue models and products drastically change.


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Lexus PH announces Q4 arrival of 2022 ES
Underneath the Lexus LS 500h's edgy exterior is a plush, comfortable, and refined cruiser
Lexus ES will get an update this year but don't expect massive updates
Lexus Philippines announces the arrival of flagship 2021 LS sedan with a new entry-level variant.
Buying a Lexus IS 300h just got easier thanks to a new, more affordable variant
Interested in a new Lexus? Take advantage of its extended payment schemes for February
Happy 12th birthday, Lexus Philippines. Here are some of our favorites from you.
Lexus Philippines offering zero interest schemes on RX, NX, ES, and UX this January 2021
Lexus LC 500 Convertible: Now available for PHP 11,048,000
Flexible payment schemes, free PMS await Lexus PH customers this holiday
Next-generation Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid to have three rows of seats
We check out the changes Geely made to its popular Coolray/Binyue crossover
Do you own a first generation Mazda3?
A portion of EDSA Guadalupe was covered with mud last night
New Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge connecting Makati and Mandaluyong to help decongest EDSA traffic
New Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge to help relieve EDSA traffic
Ever wondered why Chinese auto brands aren't offering bigger engines in the Philippines?
The People's Republic will be the first market to get the updated Geely Binyue
SLEX Toll Road 4 could be open to motorists sometime next year
Upgraded Honda Civic Type R now available at PH dealers


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For years now, smartphones have invariably been compared to tricorders, those futuristic devices from Star Trek that do everything from environmental readings to scanning a patient’s vital signs. While the current crop of smartphones do an incredible array of things, they’re still a far cry from those all-in-one sci-fi miracle devices.
A new Indiegogo campaign from Toronto-based startup TellSpec, however, provides a glimpse of some of the near-term innovation that will soon come to smartphones, which will indeed bring them one step closer to tricorder capability.
TellSpec is actually a separate device, about the same size as a smartphone (or tricorder) that packs in a miniaturized spectrometer, or a meter that can measure different properties of light. The invention of the spectrometer, which I covered in depth in Sex, Bombs and Burgers, was one of the most important scientific breakthroughs in human history as it allowed for the identification of materials on a molecular level. It was particularly important in food production because it allowed for the detection of carcinogens and toxins. Without spectroscopy, we’d all still be dying from food poisoning on a regular basis.
Spectrometers have typically been giant, expensive machines. But, with the broader application of Moore’s Law, they’re rapidly shrinking in price and size. Handheld spectrometers have been available for industrial uses for some time, ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars depending on their use.
TellSpec is aimed squarely at the consumer, with the goal of enabling the identification of allergens, toxins and ingredients in food. As the video below explains, the device will allow users to see if the food they’re about to eat contains gluten or other potentially harmful substances:
Supporters of the Indiegogo campaign will receive a device after the $150 mark, which is pretty cheap for a portable spectrometer. Whether or not the TellSpec works as advertised or the company’s campaign succeeds, the idea itself is sound.
It’s only a matter of time before the size and cost comes down even further, to the point where some smartphone manufacturer or another adds spectrometers to its offerings. It’s at that point that smartphones will really start to resemble tricorders.


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Cleaning company admits to Sassa price fixing, top businesswoman named
More about 'competition tribunal'
Schools with 'exclusive' uniforms deals are being urged to confess – and may avoid paying fines
The Competition Commission is looking into long-term deals between schools and exclusive...
Phillip de Wet, Business Insider SA


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Commercial vehicle financing experts Close Brother Asset Financing has teamed up with RAW Charging to offer fully-financed electric vehicle charging installations through the ChargePoint network. This will allow companies to have smart electric vehicle chargers for cars and commercial vehicles installed and spread the cost over five to seven years. RAW Charging has partnered with ChargePoint to develop charging solutions that will allow EV operators to manage access, set pricing, monitor energy use and analyse utilisation. ChargePoint has the world’s […]
Another packed audience of 1,200 transport professionals assembled for the sixth annual Microlise Transport Conference at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry to hear a series of top class speakers outline the key challenges and opportunities facing the road transport industry.
UPS is to trial 35 electric trucks across London and Paris, which will be built by UK technology firm Arrival.
The government is to consider extending the grant system for low-emission vans to larger vehicles, the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) has revealed.


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« November 2012 Table of Contents
What's in Store: Special events
Sunset Foods’ Fishtacular Fridays key to reducing shrink, driving sales
By Christine Blank
November 01, 2012
Customers walking into a Sunset Foods’ grocery store on a recent Friday morning were greeted with the fresh smell of oven-roasted salmon and bustling activity in the store’s seafood department. Employees were prepping 4- to 5-ounce portions of salmon for made-to-order fish sandwiches.
From 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. every Friday, Sunset’s seafood departments offer fresh-baked fish sandwiches, often using leftover trimmings from salmon and other species. The fish is baked with grilling spices, put inside the bakery’s fresh rolls and topped with sauces from the deli. The regular Fishtacular Fridays are just one way the five-store Chicago-area grocery chain boosts seafood sales.
While the weekly event started as an outdoor grilling event at just one store earlier this year, it quickly spread to all five units.
“We are selling 150 to 200 sandwiches at each store. It not only helps with shrink in the seafood department, but we are also promoting fresh baked rolls out of the bakery, and products from other areas of the store,” says Dan Humphrey, seafood director for Sunset Foods.
Fishtacular Fridays have helped to spur a 10 percent lift in Sunset’s fresh seafood sales in 2012, compared to the first eight months of 2011.
“A lot of the sales increases came from one-day events. We know that they are invaluable to us and we want to keep doing better,” says Humphrey. Sunset’s other annual one-day or weekend events include Hawaiian Days in April, a Copper River salmon sidewalk sale over Memorial Day weekend; a Shrimptastic Saturday in July; a Lobsterpalooza lobster sale and dinner over Labor Day weekend; an Alaska king crab sale in November; and a caviar and vodka event in December.
During the stores’ Hawaiian Days, Sunset buys around nine different species direct from Garden & Valley Isle Seafood in Honolulu. “It is spring, so we like to promote Hawaiian fish steaks and get everyone geared up for grilling,” says Humphrey. Similar to Fishtacular Fridays, the entire store gets involved in the seafood promotion. “Staff dresses up in their Hawaiian shirts, the bakery makes pineapple upside-down cake, the produce department has pineapple on special, and the grocery department puts out Hawaiian rolls. That way, the entire store benefits,” says Humphrey.
During the annual Copper River salmon run in spring, shoppers buy the whole fish for between $60 and $70 each, then the seafood department staff fillet and de-bone it for them. “This year, we sold 65 cases in one day,” says Humphrey.
Another successful event is Shrimptastic Saturday, held annually around July 4, in which the seafood staff grills shrimp skewers and corn on the cob outdoors.
“We have three sizes of Gulf shrimp and we stress that it is a product of the USA,” says Humphrey. This year, Sunset sold around 2 tons of shrimp from its supplier in Texas, but the event was not a huge profit-maker, according to Humphrey. Instead, the sale was a great way for Midwestern shoppers to experience the great quality and flavor of domestic shrimp, raising awareness about the product.
Lobsterpalooza is held during Labor Day weekend. The sale touts whole Maine lobsters on special for $10.99 each. This year, Sunset Foods added a four-course lobster dinner, attended by Maine lobstermen, for $75 each. The publicity surrounding the event led to the sale of around 10,000 pounds of lobster, says Humphrey.
Sunset’s upcoming caviar and vodka event, held during the second week of December, allows shoppers to taste American caviar from Marky’s Caviar in Miami along with five different vodkas.
“Our stores are in upscale areas, so this attracts them. Plus, a lot of people don’t know where to buy caviar, so we are trying to get it out there that ‘we are your home for caviar,’” says Humphrey.
On a daily basis, each store carries around 40 different fresh fish and shellfish items, including local freshwater fish such as trout, perch and whitefish. The stores’ value-added seafood section is small, but growing. Each store carries around 10 items, including crab-stuffed salmon and tilapia, salmon burgers, crab cakes, lobster rolls and shrimp scampi.
“Value-added is taking off, but we don’t want to rush into it. Everything is made in-house, and we want to maintain consistency,” says Humphrey.
The retailer’s seafood managers and staff are trained extensively on seafood quality and safety and on educating shoppers, creating the atmosphere of a neighborhood fish market.
“We buy the whole fish and fillet and de-bone it at the counter. That is our chance to build a relationship with the customer,” says Humphrey.
The small, hometown philosophy has helped differentiate Sunset Foods from its large supermarket competitors.
“At a large chain store, it’s hard to pull off these events. And they also cannot usually call and get a special order for customers. Being small stores, all of our managers have the ability to do that,” says Humphrey.Contributing Editor Christine Blank lives in Lake Mary, Fla.


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The Nigerian government has increased custom duty on sugar from 5 percent to 10 percent, with an additional 50 percent levy, to protect investments in the local sugar refineries.
The 60 percent tax which has been effected at all entry points in the country, is disrupting the operations of manufacturers who use the product.
BusinessDay gathered that importers like “Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc and BUA have stopped delivery of sugar to their distributors and other buyers, while those who now have lean stock are rationing and selling at over 10,000 naira ($63) per 25 kilogramme bag.”
However, major sugar buyers like the most valuable company on the Nigerian bourse Nestle Nigeria and alcoholic beverage giant Nigerian Breweries, are yet to be affected by the new tariff due to outstanding supply commitments.
“We do not buy directly. We have commitments with suppliers who are still meeting these commitments.” Yusuf Ageni, Nigerian Breweries’ public relations adviser, said.
According to the government’s National Sugar Master Plan (NSMP), a 5 percent duty and 0 percent levy be placed on sugar importation in 2012, which is to be increased beginning from 2013. 10/50 percent in duty and levy be charged in 2013, 10/70 percent in 2014/2015, 10/80 percent in 2016-2018 but a decreased 10/30 percent charge for 2019/2020.
According to BusinessDay, “President Jonathan, in his budget speech, stated that these policies were to provide supporting fiscal policies to help agriculture and the local industry, and to protect investments in the local sugar refineries and sugar estates, as well as encourage new investments in local refining capacity.”
The public fear is that plants may shutdown and jobs lost as the country’s current local sugar production cannot meet the demand for raw sugar.
In January, a meeting was held between the government and industry stakeholders, and the respective stakeholders, and an agreement was reached for a 50 percent tariff which will be introduced at 10 percent annually over time. According to report, a formal documentation is yet to be presented to the private sector to substantiate the agreement.
Nigeria imports about 90 percent (about 1.5 million tons in 2012) of its raw sugar from Brazil, which is then refined by the local sugar industry. Dangote Sugar and BUA Sugar Refinery stand as the major sugar refiners in the country, with a refinery capacity of 1.44 million tons, and 720,000 tons per year, respectively.
Having a population of 160 million people, Nigeria’s sugar consumption is estimated at 1.4 million tons.


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GM to close two Oshawa, Ont., plants in 2008; cuts 30,000 manufacturing jobs in all
Detroit, MI -- General Motors will undergo a wide-ranging restructuring of its manufacturing operations in the Unit...
Detroit, MI — General Motors will undergo a wide-ranging restructuring of its manufacturing operations in the United States and Canada as part of its comprehensive four-point plan to return the company to profitability and long-term growth, GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner announced today.
GM’s next step in its North American turnaround plan addresses its ongoing capacity utilization, a major component of reducing structural cost. A total of nine assembly, stamping and powertrain facilities and three Service and Parts Operations facilities will cease operations.
The additional actions will reduce GMNA assembly capacity by about 1 million units by the end of 2008, in addition to the previously implemented reduction of 1 million units between 2002 and 2005. Factoring in the additional capacity from GM’s new Delta Township facility in Lansing, Mich., slated to begin production next year, the overall net result will be a GMNA assembly capacity of 4.2 million units. While down 30 percent since 2002, this capacity level will still provide GM plenty of flexibility to anticipate and meet market demand, but in a much more cost-effective manner. A total of 30,000 manufacturing positions will be eliminated from 2005 through 2008.
“The decisions we are announcing today were very difficult to reach because of their impact on our employees and the communities where we live and work,” Wagoner added. “But these actions are necessary for GM to get its costs in line with our major global competitors. In short, they are an essential part of our plan to return our North American operations to profitability as soon as possible.
“We continue to be equally committed to revenue drivers – introducing compelling new cars and trucks, and executing our revitalized sales and marketing strategy – and we have received ratification of the agreement with the UAW, which will help significantly to address our health-care cost challenges,” Wagoner said. “We are making steady and significant progress in implementing the plan to turn around our U.S. business.”
The following six assembly plant sites will be affected in the years indicated:
Oklahoma City, Okla., will cease production in early 2006.
Lansing, Mich., Craft Centre will cease production in mid-2006.
Spring Hill, Tenn., Plant/Line No. 1, will cease production at the end of 2006.
Doraville, Ga., will cease production at the end of its current products’ lifecycle in 2008.
The third shift will be removed at Oshawa Car Plant No. 1, in Ontario, Canada, in the second half of 2006. Subsequently, Oshawa Car Plant No. 2 will cease production after the current product runs out in 2008.
The third shift will be removed at Moraine, Ohio, during 2006, with timing to be based on market demand.
Capacity-related actions affecting stamping, Service & Parts Operations and powertrain facilities include:
The Lansing, Mich., Metal Center will cease production in 2006.
The Pittsburgh, Pa., Metal Center will cease production in 2007.
The Parts Distribution Center in Portland, Ore., will cease operations in 2006; the Parts Distribution Center in St. Louis, Mo., will cease warehousing activities and will be converted to a collision center facility in 2006; the Parts Processing Center in Ypsilanti, Mich., will cease operations in 2007. One additional Parts Processing Center, to be announced at a later date, will also cease operations in 2007.
The competitiveness of all unitizing (packaging) operations at the Pontiac, Drayton Plains, and Ypsilanti Processing Centers in Michigan, as well as portions of the unitizing operations at the Flint, Mich., Processing Center will be evaluated in accordance with the provisions of the GM-UAW national agreement.
St. Catharines Ontario Street West powertrain components facility in Ontario, Canada, will cease production in 2008.
The Flint, Mich., North 3800 engine facility (“Factory 36”) will cease production in 2008.
Given the demographics of GM’s workforce, the company plans to achieve much of the job reduction via attrition and early retirement programs. GM will work with the leadership of its unions, as any early retirement program would need to be mutually agreed upon. GM hopes to reach an agreement on such a plan as soon as possible.
“These are difficult moves that will affect thousands of dedicated GM employees and families, as well as state and local governments,” Wagoner said. “We will work our hardest to mitigate that impact.”
There will be a significant restructuring charge in conjunction with this capacity announcement, and also with any related early retirement program. The details of these charges will be provided when available.
Wagoner also said the company has further accelerated its efforts in structural cost reduction, raising the previously indicated $5 billion running rate cost reduction plan in North America to $6 billion by the end of 2006. In addition, GM continues to pursue its plans to target $1 billion in net material cost savings. In total, the plan is to achieve $7 billion of cost reductions on a running rate basis by the end of 2006 – $1 billion above the previously indicated target.
“Our collective goal remains the same: to return our North American operations to sustained profitability as soon as possible, thereby helping to ensure a strong General Motors for the future,” Wagoner concluded.
General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world’s largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader since 1931. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 325,000 people around the world. It has manufacturing operations in 32 countries and its vehicles are sold in 200 countries. In 2004, GM sold nearly 9 million cars and trucks globally, up 4 percent and the second-highest total in the company’s history. GM’s global headquarters are at the GM Renaissance Center in Detroit. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.


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May 11, 2018
SHERBROOKE, Friday, May 11th, 2018 – More than 700 Sherbrooke motorists have already made the choice to drive electric, an augmentation of nearly 80% compared to 2017. Even if the proportion of the car fleet is still modest (about 0, 5%), the increase in supply at dealers combined with recent gas price spikes are driving more and more motorists to explore the plug-in vehicle as an option for their next vehicle. An electric vehicle is four times less costly to operate than a comparable gasoline model and the gap grows with each price raise at the pump.
Branchez-Vous 2018, an initiative of the Innovative Vehicle Institute (IVI) which allows motorists to test drive plug-in vehicles in the company of experienced EV drivers and experts, is supported by the Gouvernement du Québec and Hydro-Québec as well as the City of Sherbrooke, host partner for the first time this year. “Transport electrification is a priority for the City of Sherbrooke. That is why, since 2013, we have been offering a subsidy for the purchase and installation of charging stations of up to $ 500. To date, we are proud to count 58 charging stations on our territory, four of which are municipally owned. In addition, the City of Sherbrooke will soon add two new charging stations in the La Grenouillère parking lot. I hope that an initiative like Branchez-vous incites others to adopt this type of vehicle, “says Steve Lussier, Mayor of the City of Sherbrooke.
The electric vehicle market also offers real economic development opportunities for the region, as evidenced by the success of Verbom, a leader in sheet metal processing. “Our electric vehicle mandates currently occupy 120 people at our Sherbrooke facility. We are proud to participate in the region’s economic development, and our growth will continue thanks notably to the electrical shift picking up in transportation “says Eric Chenevert, CEO of Verbom.
Thanks to the collaboration of car manufacturers Chevrolet, Hyundai, Nissan, Ford and Honda, as well as dealers in the region, participants of the event Branchez-Vous 2018 Sherbrooke (May 11th-12th) will discover the pleasures of driving electric, compare the characteristics of several models and identify the vehicle(s) that can meet their needs. “In the first four months of 2018, there were more plug-in vehicles sold in Quebec than during the whole of 2014. A wider selection makes it possible to meet the needs of more consumers who, following their tests at Branchez-Vous, better measure all the benefits of driving electric “adds Stéphane Pascalon, project coordinator at IVI.
Louise Lévesque, Branchez-Vous communications
Stéphane Pascalon, IVI project coordinator
 Source (in French): Statistiques SAAQ-AVÉQ sur l’électromobilité au Québec en date du 31 mars 2018


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Samsung has been working with AMD on the new Exynos chipset for two years, which will include an integrated AMD Radeon graphics chip. The launch is slowly approaching and is scheduled for the second half of this year.
The new Exynos will be manufactured like this using 5nm technology. AMD’s graphics chip will already be built on RDNA2 architecture, similar to the Radeon RX 6000 graphics cards or chips in the latest PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X / S game consoles.
As a result, the chip is expected to provide high graphics performance while supporting modern technologies, including ray tracing, for example. The new Exynos is supposed to be scalable, so we will meet it not only on phones or tablets but also on laptops, so Samsung will compete with the Apple M1 and the future M2, which is expected at the end of the year.
We will see what the chip will look like with the ratio of consumption and energy, which is one of the most important features of mobile devices. Apple has a major headway so far, and the new generation M2 chip will likely be produced through an improved 5nm + process at TSMC.
Samsung is also facing a more difficult situation as it has to rely on compatibility and optimization of Windows 10 operating systems for Arm or ChromeOS. However, in the case of tablets, it will definitely provide an interesting connection with the Android system.
Introducing Exynos 2100:


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Grand Canyon plastic bottle ban gets green light despite opposition
A new National Park Service (NPS) policy may lead the way for plastic bottle bans in all national parks. This announcement came after nearly 100,000 people across the country joined a popular campaign on Change.org calling on the National Park Service to ban plastic water bottles following the park’s decision to cancel implementation amid charges of corporate influence from Coca Cola.
Stiv Wilson, who started the campaign on Change.org signed by almost 100,000 people, said, “While it is commendable that the National Park Service has decided not to completely cow to Coca-Cola on a plastic bottle ban, the new policy is still troubling.
“Unfortunately, the new directive, which allows park superintendents to implement bottle bans in their jurisdiction, may not result in changes best for our national parks. If the barriers to implementation of bottle bans are too cost-prohibitive or onerous for the superintendents to act, then we’ve only witnessed a bait and switch.
Stiv Wilson launched the campaign on Change.org after learning of allegations that the National Park Service nixed its long-planned ban on plastic water bottles in the Grand Canyon due to a last-minute lobbying effort by Coca-Cola, a major national park donor actively opposed to bottled water bans. Wilson worked as a journalist before dedicating his life to reducing plastic pollution and joining the staff of 5 Gyres, a nonprofit focused on plastic pollution.


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- Fifty winning retailers, state by state
- Sky's the limit: A look into windows & doors
- Home prices rise in Case-Shiller Index
- State by state: Hardware store all stars
- Lowe's launches recycling centers
- Hardware store all-stars: Idaho, Illinois and Indiana
- Market Recap: RISI Crow's Construction Materials Cost Index
An article in the PatriotLedger.com reported that hardware and appliance stores say air conditioner supplies are dwindling.
A heat wave across the United States is making air conditioning a high-priority home improvement project. The newspaper quotes one Massachusetts retailer saying: "I would think there won't be anything left by Thursday or Friday."


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The ESA has declared that E3 2021 will be an all-digital event from June 12 - June 15
Right now, Razer is holding a sale where you can save up to $500 on their gaming laptops, monitors, headphones, mice and keyboards.
Right now at Walmart, you can pick up a Gateway Creator Series laptop with RTX 2060 power for just $799.
Right now at Newegg, you can pick up the Acer Nitro XZ272U 27-inch QHD gaming monitor for just $269 — that’s an impressive $60 off.
Razer has extended their St. Patrick’s Day sale — giving you up to $500 off Razer Blade laptops and Razer gaming accessories.
Between March 15-22, HyperX is running a global fan appreciation sales event called the HyperX Loot Drop.
Nvidia replaced its Founders membership option for GeForce Now with a Priority membership that costs $9.99 per month.
Microsoft has released a preview build of Windows 10 that incorporates its Auto HDR feature that was originally developed for the Xbox Series consoles.
Nvidia announced that DLSS support has been added to "Crysis Remastered" and the "System Shock" remake's demo.
Right now at Microsoft, get $100 off the Samsung Odyssey G7 gaming monitor — taking the price down to just $599.
The Corsair K65 RGB Mini is a well-performing highly customizable keyboard that should help raise awareness for the 60% form factor despite a few (mostly cosmetic) flaws.
MSI appears to be crowdfunding a new gaming pedal called Liberator that promises to help gamers "free their fingers."
Right now at Best Buy, you can save up to $500 on a whole range of Razer Blade gaming laptops and Razer accessories.
Intel promises a "first look" at upcoming Tiger Lake-H and Rocket Lake processors at the GDC Showcase on March 18.
For a limited time at Newegg, you can pick up an Acer Nitro XC340CK QHD curved gaming monitor for under $400.
Razer is holding a huge sale on Amazon for a limited time — get up to 32% off items like the Blade 15 laptop, wireless gaming accessories and more.
The HyperX QuadCast S is a refresh of the brand’s top-end streamer mic and features a largely unchanged design under a new RGB hood.
Update The Razer Iskur is an impressive first foray into gaming chairs. It has some interesting ideas but falls short of perfect execution.


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Posted on 07 June 2013.
Posted on 03 August 2012.
30 Yokohama businessmen explore opportunities in Cebu Cebu business leaders welcomed the delegates and were happy to receive a large group of businessmen come down to Cebu to check what they could offer. Prudencio Gesta, Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry president, said there were a lot of … Full News here – Read more […]
Posted on 02 August 2012.
CEBU, Philippines – While the competition in the retail sector is no longer geographically limited nowadays, Cebuano retailers are moving up to stay ahead with the global competition by embracing different innovations, including attracting customers via … Full News here – Cebu – Bing News


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Ferraris reigned supreme at RM and Gooding & Co. classic car auctions in Scottsdale, while an all-American nameplate was the top draw at Barrett-Jackson as sales hit new highs.
As expected, RM’s headliner was a 1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider, which topped the two-day sale at $8.8 million. Overall sales hit $45 million with 10 million dollar-plus sales. That topped last year’s total of $38 million. Gooding tallied up more than $49 million at its Scottsdale Fashion Square location with an average price of $449,650 per car.
“2014 looks brighter than ever for the high-end collector car market. Supporting this trend, Gooding & Co. broke nine world records during Arizona auction week,” says David Gooding, company founder and president.
At $6.2 million, the top sale at Gooding's auction was another 1958 Ferrari, this time a dark blue 250 GT Series 1 Cabriolet. In all, six cars sold for more than $2 million and 13 sold for more than $1 million.
Meanwhile, the third annual Bonhams auction at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa nearly doubled last year’s results with sales of nearly $25 million at the one-day event.
Top cars included a 1931 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Supercharged Zagato Gran Sport Spider, which achieved a new world auction record for the model at $3.08 million. A 1951 Ferrari 212 Export Touring Berlinetta went for $3.19 million to an American collector as a bidding battle raged in the room and on the phone.
Barrett-Jackson’s top sale was a drag-racing 1967 L88 Corvette at $3.85 million, including buyer commission. Announcers said only 20 such cars were built, this being the only red-on-red version.
The sale was part of an elite Salon Collection Saturday that focused on American cars. A second Salon group hit the block later that day.
As always, charity cars were a big hit and included sale of the first new-generation Ford Mustang to hit the streets, marking the pony’s 50th anniversary in 2015. The $300,000 raised will help fund Type 1 diabetes research. The 2015 Mustangs will arrive in dealerships this fall.
The six-day Barrett-Jackson auction also is expected to set a record with sales topping $100 million, according to Fox Sports, which broadcast much of the auction action live.


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We have all known that an event was impending for the next phase of Windows 10 announcements.
Microsoft had said as much recently, knowing that a technical preview build for the operating system should hit in January. This week, Microsoft sent out press invites for that event, which will take place in person and online January 21, 2015.
While that is not a huge surprise, what is a little surprising, or at least exciting, is who will be in attendance. Those people indicate a lot of what we will get to see in action on-stage.
Main SystemCEO Satya Nadella, Executive Vice President of Operating Systems, Terry Myerson and Corporate Vice President, Operating Systems Group, Joe Belfiore will all be speaking, meaning, of course, that we will see Windows 10 in its main glory a lot. Between desktop, laptop, tablet and convertible, the main usage of the operating system, the PC, will be a big focus for the company.
Microsoft has said that, while the last showing of Windows 10 was based a lot on the enterprise, this one will be based on consumers. This means we will likely see consumer-based apps shown off, like Xbox Music or Hulu, assuming refreshes are in store (hopefully Hulu has a refresh in store, as their app currently doesn't work well on Windows 10).
We will likely see an expansion on some of the existing features, some of which were shown off at the enterprise event. For example, hopefully Microsoft will explain the idea behind including the multiple desktop idea, which for some is a confusing feature to build in, as opposed to allowing 3rd party platforms to offer it. I am hopeful that Microsoft will show off more of the notification system, including the Windows Phone inspired system tray.
CortanaWe are also likely to see the Windows 10 addition of Cortana, Microsoft's uber-useful digital assistant. Anyone who has used the technical preview will know the search button on the task bar, next to the Start button. It currently launches a very Windows Phone 8-style Bing search box, but anyone who has used windows Phone 8.1 knows what power that button can truly wield, in the form of Cortana. Considering that a recent private build of Windows 10 included a testing version of Cortana, it is likely the goal is to show her off at the event.
Being as Cortana has become one of the most important and well-loved features of the Windows Phone ecosystem, her arrival on the desktop, laptop and tablet platform is an exciting move. Personally, I do not interact with the calendar, alarms, navigation or search on my phone directly anymore, opting instead for the ease of use of Cortana and her natural language processing prowess.
HardwareWe are also likely to see some of the more hardware-centric features in action. The most important of these hardware related features is Windows 10 Continuum. Currently in the technical preview, depending on the hardware you install on, your experiences will be different, with no quick way to switch between them. If you install on a touch-first device, such as a Surface Pro 3, you will notice the interface is similar to that of Windows 8. If you install on a mouse & keyboard device, it will appear more like Windows 7.
Continuum allows the operating system to change itself based on your current hardware configuration. So, if you're using a Lenovo Yoga in laptop mode, it will live in the desktop realm. As soon as you bend it around into tablet mode, which is a touch-first environment, the OS will automatically switch into the more touch friendly Windows 8 style. Ideally this will also be configurable, allowing people to override these default settings to maintain either interface for all occasions.
GamingIn addition to the aforementioned executives, there will also be a presentation from Phil Spencer, Head of Microsoft's Xbox division and Microsoft Studios. One of the important things about Windows 10 is the fact that with it, Microsoft is converging platforms, theoretically leaving only one modern platform to rule them all, including the Xbox One.
With that, it is likely that Spencer will be there to show off some of that convergence. It is likely that an Xbox One running a Windows 10-based dashboard will be displayed, even if the dashboard is running on development hardware (not in the well-known black body). Hopefully Spencer will at least talk about the development capabilities of the platform, outside of the major players. I have wanted the ability to build an Xbox app for PLuGHiTz Live since Hulu and Netflix first appeared on the 360.
In addition to development features, hopefully Cortana will make an appearance on her original platform, the Xbox. Adding the power of Cortana and her natural language processing to the already useful Kinect-powered voice controls, the Xbox One could become the most useful livingroom PC ever.
In addition to the Xbox hardware, Microsoft is believed to discuss the future of gaming on the Windows platform, something that has been in flux for some time. Last year, they shuttered the PC Xbox Live companion,
Games for Windows Live, instead focusing on Windows 8 as a platform. This year they reaffirmed their gaming commitment, which was reiterated with the purchase of the . Unfortunately, for all of the talk, nothing major had been done to prove this commitment, until this week's release of Minecraft studio Minecraft for Windows Phone.
If the Xbox One will be running on Windows 10, it is possible that Xbox-related content could be coming to the PC, potentially wrapped in the Xbox brand. Is it probable? Not very. Is it possible? Yes. Would it be awesome? Absolutely.
Windows PhoneAnother platform being brought in under the Windows 10 umbrella will be Windows Phone. Until now we have only heard talk, similar to the Xbox One, with no real evidence of what Windows 10 for phones might look like. There are rumored to be some Microsoft team devices currently running early development builds in the wild, spotted at Microsoft events. There are even rumors that some of the new features have even been spotted in an offhanded glance kind of a way.
One in particular is a feature that was part of the McLaren prototype phone, which was scrapped by Microsoft a few months ago. The device was testing a new 3D gesture system, which brought back yet another Zune feature - MixView. On the prototype, hovering over a live tile would bring up smaller tiles with context-related content. It is said that this feature has found its way into Windows 10 for phone, in a less gesture-based way. It is possible, if this feature is close enough to being shown off, we could see it on stage.
EmbeddedIn the image above from a previous Windows 10 event, Microsoft showed off all of the places where Windows 10 would live. There are 2 places in the image that have been sorely neglected - the 2 embedded platforms. A large screen television with Microsoft branding and the Intel Galileo board sitting in the bottom-left corner. From previous development events, Microsoft has let us know some of their plans for the embedded world, with Windows on Devices, but we have yet to see it actually running on and controlling one of these machines.
While not likely, it is possible that Microsoft could show off a smart television running on Windows on Devices, or some other variant of Windows 10. Again, we could see Cortana make an appearance, built directly into a television. Voice controls are not new to smart televisions, Samsung has had a number of models with this feature, but none of them have had anything as powerful as Cortana powering them. It would also give developers another reason to build apps for Windows 10, which should make some loud people in the tech world happy.
ConclusionLots of conjecture and lots of hoping, but not a lot of time to wait. We will know in just over a month exactly what Microsoft will be ready to show off, nearly 6 month before the expected release of Windows 10. What features are you most excited to see in action? What rumors do you hope to be true? Let us know in the comments section.
Gaming company Razer set out last year to create a new social smartband called the Nabu, and after a year of testing that included a debut of the product at the 2014 International CES, the band finally went on sale this week in North America. Impressively, the device sold out within 72 hours of it becoming available to consumers.
For just $100, the Nabu features two screens for notifications, one at 32x32 pixels on the outside of the wrist and the other at 128x32 on the inside of the wrist. The Nabu also contains tracking technology you'd find in more expensive devices, such as an accelerometer, altimeter and a form of NFC, allowing users to link up and connect with each other via tapping bands. Dubbed "Pulse," a user could shake hands with another user and their contact information could be swapped with the feature enabled.
There's a couple of really cool additions that make this smartband stand out. For one, developers are currently working on a notification system that would let users know when they're friends are playing their favorite games. And with the dev kit only running $50, there is a load of potential that opens up for unique connectivity between devices. There is currently another app being created that will allow certain PC games to actually react to the movement of the Nabu, in conjunction with the Kinect 2.0.
What I like even more is the fact that there is support from the developers on Windows Phone compatibility. While Razer claims that the Nabu Utility app is currently available from the Windows Store, the link in the FAQ does not lead us to a valid page. However, the forums contain a link to sideload the app and the dev kit comes with an FTP to a ton of resources. Some features currently do not work on Windows Phone, but there are break-out groups of regular users, working to make the functions come to life for those with a WinPho.
It is interesting to see a gaming company get involved in a band that contains both fitness and social features with so much competition currently out there. Luckily, the band has not been said to cause
third degree burns, so they already have a step up on the pack. If people get behind the device and can create some unique experiences, the product could end up being really successful, especially at the $100 pricepoint.
When Microsoft and Barnes & Noble announced in 2012 that they would be working together, the response was varied. Some saw the $300 million investment Microsoft made in Nook as a natural partnership - Barnes & Noble was working on being a contender in the low cost tablet market and Microsoft was about to take their fight to tablet hardware. Low cost Nook hardware powered by Microsoft's Windows 8 rather than Google's Android might have helped both companies. Others saw it as an impossible partnership with little to be gained by either company.
2 years later and the landscape looks quite different. Barnes & Noble has had very little luck getting people to purchase its Nook hardware, compared to Amazon's Kindle Fire. They will even spin Nook off to its own company, since the focus of the device seems to have been completely lost. The hardware is now made by Samsung, the system is made by Google and very little of it is focused on books.
On the other hand, Microsoft has made huge gains in both the low cost and top-tier tablet world. The
Surface Pro 3 is a major contender in the high-end tablet, as well as Ultrabook, categories, and devices such as the HP Stream 7 have started to take hold in the low cost category.
With the breakup of this partnership, Microsoft leaves with $120 million in cash and stock. That is 40% of what they originally put into the partnership, and not all in cash. Certainly not the winning decision they had hoped, but also not the major loss it could have been, assuming the Nook continues to be the losing product it is today. At least Microsoft got a Nook app for Windows 8 out of the deal.
Right now, Internet taxation has become all the rage. Several countries, the world over, have considered or implemented taxes on Internet purchases, sometimes with
huge public backlash. The United Kingdom seems to have taken the concept and expanded it, planning to punish companies that generate revenue in the UK, but divert the profits to other countries where taxation is lessened.
British Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne announced what is being called the "diverted profit tax" but is better known as the "Google tax," despite the fact that its intended audience is not necessarily even Internet companies, nor is it exactly a tax. He said at the announcement,
Today I am introducing a 25 percent tax on profits generated by multinationals from economic activity here in the UK which they then artificially shift out of the country. That's not fair to other British firms. It's not fair to the British people either. My message is consistent and clear. Low taxes; but taxes that will be paid.
First, this is not exactly a tax, so much as a tariff. The British government looks to impose a fee on the exportation of profits, not on the actual revenue generated through business, which would be a tax. It is, ironically, very similar to what they did once before, and is today known as the Intolerable Acts which ultimately sparked the American Revolution. Once again, this tariff is targeted at the former colonies, as most of the affected businesses are US in origin.
Second, this is not about Google, so much as it is about foreign interests. Google, however, has been a
major target of European regulation lately, so it makes some sense for them to associate the act with the search giant. In addition to Google, Amazon and Starbucks are also major targets, as they have been well-known to divert profits to other, international divisions instead of realizing them in the UK.
While this coercive act might work to their advantage, it is more likely that it will backfire. In 2010, Google proved to the world that they were not afraid to
leave a market over a government disagreeance. It is far more likely that Google would shut down UK operations than bow down to a 25 percent tariff, whose only purpose is to force payment of a tax which is clearly higher than that from other countries. Perhaps, if the UK would like to see their economy not collapse like Greece, they might try lowering the percentage a foreign entity pays rather than trying to extort more money out of them. If it was financially reasonable for these companies to pay taxes in the UK, they would - it is not an inexpensive task to divert profits to other divisions.
If ever there was a company that embodied the ideals of fame, it is Rovio. When their hit game
Angry Birds hit the scene, it was a near instant success. Everyone was playing it on every platform - it even made its way to webOS. Then, almost as quickly, came the merchandise, both official and not. You couldn't go to a fan convention or comic shop without a vendor selling plushies, shirts, etc.
However, as Rovio has discovered this year, the old adage "fame is fleeting" is always true. Their userbase has declined heavily, leading to a major crash in profitability for the company. The company has also had trouble finding something that isn't
Angry Birds to publish, ironically leaving all of their eggs in one basket.
As a result, the company will lay off 110 employees and close its Tampere studio. The publisher plans to consolidate its Finnish operations at their headquarters in Espoo. The layoffs are lower than first expected, leaving about 20 extra employees with jobs at the company.
Rovio was once considered the face of a new gaming industry, and looked to be headed to a large, successful IPO. Unfortunately for the company, it is the face of a new gaming industry - one that includes Zynga, which has had nearly identical issues since filing its IPO, and King. This new industry is populated by individuals or small teams who have a marketable idea, receive intense amounts of funding and stall out. It takes a lot of talent, and certainly more funding that these companies receive, to be able to milk a franchise the way Activision does, and for as long.


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Jim Hytner takes global helm at Initiative
By Katherine Levy, campaignlive.co.uk, Thursday, 01 March 2012 08:00AM
Initiative, the Interpublic media network, has appointed Jim Hytner as its worldwide chief executive.
He replaces Richard Beaven, who is leaving the network after four years at the helm.
Hytner moves across from the sister network Universal McCann, where he is the president of the G14 group.
Initiative’s global headquarters will also move from New York to London, where Hytner is based. He will start his new role in mid-March.
Beaven, who joined in 2006 as the chief executive of Initiative North America and was promoted to worldwide chief in 2008, is stepping down to pursue opportunities in documentary photography. He will remain Initiative’s chairman until the end of this year.
Hytner will also oversee Initiative’s North American operations, assuming responsibilities from the current regional president, Tim Spengler, who steps up into the position of global chief executive at IPG’s Magnaglobal.
Hytner will be succeeded by Guy Beach, the global chief operating officer of UM.
Hytner said: "Initiative has developed significantly as a network. I will be looking to build on this, refining Initiative’s positioning and approach in line with what I’ve learned in my years as a client and as an agency executive."
This article was first published on campaignlive.co.uk
- Senior Marketing Director - 9-12 month FTC Comedy Central £competitive, Camden, London (Greater)
- Creative Strategist- £65k - Well known FMCG Brands Gemini Search £65000 per annum, City of London
- Senior Insight Manager Ball & Hoolahan £55,000 + Car/Car Allowance, West Midlands
- Category Manager Ball & Hoolahan £60,000 per annum, London (Greater)
- Email Marketing Manager Ball & Hoolahan £35,000 per annum, London (Central), London (Greater)
Agency: Wieden & Kennedy New York
- Macmillan defends hijacking ice bucket challenge
- Comparethemarket.com first UK brand to run Facebook Premium Video ads
- Guinness Africa launches 'made of black' campaign with Kanye West ad
- Twitter launches learning hub for agencies
- Game Of Thrones actress stars in online Karen Millen campaign
- Uncle Ben's launches YouTube cooking show


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Milestone has just released a new MXGP 3 gameplay trailer featuring the Kegums track. Check it out here.
They also released a video featuring weather conditions in the game, a couple of weeks ago. If you missed it, watch it here.
MXGP 3 is scheduled to be released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC on May 30.


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The concept will offer a first glimpse of the model's design and its technical specifications before production starts in 2019.
Parent company BMW confirmed last month that Mini's all-electric model will be constructed at the brand’s plant in Cowley, Oxfordshire, and be based on the three-door variant.
The new model is to be built alongside the rest of the Mini range but it will use a new electric drivetrain that will be made in BMW’s e-mobility factories at Landshut and Dingolfing in Bavaria, where the i3's drivetrain is also built. Range is predicted to be at least 250 miles.
The announcement that production will be in the UK quelled concerns that BMW could produce the electric Mini entirely in Germany, partly due to economic uncertainty created by the prospect of a hard Brexit.
Autocar confirmed the electric Mini’s development late last year following an exclusive interview with Mini boss Peter Schwarzenbauer. The 57-year-old German said the car’s 2019 arrival was significant because that’s when the “next step in battery technology” will make the model to be viable for market.
The car will join petrol and diesel versions of the three-door Mini and is part of wider plans to electrify more of Mini's range. The process began this year with the recently launched Countryman S E Cooper plug-in hybrid.
The strategy was first outlined in BMW Group’s Strategy Number One Next paper, which was tabled by chairman Harald Krüger last year and targets up to 500,000 electric car sales annually by 2025, representing 20% of total volume. It involves the launch of an electric X3 in 2020, the fully autonomous iNext model in 2021 and more models off the same electric platform in the following years.


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Judy Terry is a marketing professional and a former local councillor in Suffolk.
Not many people will have heard of Trading Standards, and the work they do protect us from fraudulent and misleading behaviour by individuals and businesses across a range of enterprises.
Suffolk Trading Standards are exemplars, being very proactive in addressing poor customer service and dangerous practices which could have a serious impact on people’s safety and finances.
In recent months, they have secured £50,000 in compensation for the victims of a mobility furniture company promising life-improving products, taking large deposits without delivering the goods. As a result of the Trading Standards investigation, following a number of complaints, the director of the business was found guilty of 15 counts of unfair commercial practice and sentenced to 32 months in prison by Ipswich Crown Court. He was also fined £15,000 and, during a second court appearance, the judge ruled that he repay £50,000 in proceeds from his crimes, which is being paid out to the elderly and disabled victims.
Praised for the successful outcome, Suffolk Trading Standards Head, Graham Crisp, commented:
“No compensation can undo the distress, but our officers worked tirelessly to protect local residents and ensure a level playing field for our county’s legitimate traders.”
In another case, following a lengthy and complex investigation, a farmer was convicted of fraudulently obtaining over £765,000 in credit from suppliers, including agricultural equipment stockists, landlords and vets, and animal suppliers between 2018 to 2020. Many of his lenders were small businesses, facing financial hardship as a direct result of the farmer’s dishonesty, misleading his creditors by using a series of delaying tactics to avoid repayment.
Graham Crisp was delighted that his team’s hard work brought about a successful prosecution.
That hard work was in evidence again this March, when the Imports Surveillance team at the Port of Felixstowe detained over 300 electrical heaters, having discovered that they posed a serious risk of electrocution after finding that the grills on them didn’t require tools to open, meaning that live and hazardous parts could be accessed by hand.
The supply voltage requirements stated on the heaters were also incompatible with the UK power network, posing a danger of explosion or electric shock.
Due to be sold via a major online retailer, ‘thanks to our intervention, the listing was withdrawn, saving shoppers from unwittingly putting themselves at risk,’ explained Graham Crisp.
‘Bargain purchases can leave you paying the ultimate price, with these increasing the risk of fire, serious injury, or even death. Everyone can keep themselves safe by only shopping at reputable retailers and checking that anything purchased meets safety standards.’
Suffolk County Council’s Cabinet member for Public Health & Protection, Cllr. Andrew Reid, added:
“Even legitimate heaters can pose a fire risk if not used sensibly. They should not be used for drying clothes, and must be kept away from curtains and furniture. They should never be plugged into an extension lead which could overheat.”
Alerted to another potential safety issue, over 350 items of substandard motorcycle personal protective equipment (PPE) were withdrawn from sale at a popular bike show, when Trading Standards deemed the products to be potentially dangerous, failing to comply with safety legislation.
Guidance had been issued to stallholders in the weeks before the show, making them aware of their responsibilities when selling PPE, with many grateful for the advice. ‘Visitors welcomed our presence on the day,’ confirms Gareth Crisp. ‘It was the first time they had ever received information on what to look out for when buying motorcycle clothing, reducing the risk of harm.’
Cllr. Reid thanked the show’s organiser for enabling Trading Standards’ attendance, ‘working with our officers to help get important messaging out, raising awareness of safety ratings required to be displayed on clothing items.’
With vaping considered ‘fashionable’, people are unaware that it is another safety issue.
Suffolk Trading Standards recently stopped the sale of dangerous vapes at premises in Ipswich, Felixstowe, and Lowestoft in their bid to tackle one of the top threats on the high street. Officers discovered over 370 vapes not meeting legal requirements, with some offering as many as 10,000 puffs, when the legal vape would offer around 600.
Criminals are capitalising on demand, leading to a rise in illegal vapes, which can contain high levels of nicotine, contaminants, or banned ingredients such as taurine or caffeine. Some are increasingly targeting underage children, enticed by colourful packaging and sweet flavours.
“We have seen a considerable increase in vapes which do not meet health guidelines, which could result in respiratory problems, heart and lung damage, or even death,” explains Graham Crisp:
“We will continue to carry out spot checks on retailers across Suffolk, taking legal action where necessary, with tough penalties for businesses flouting the laws designed to protect the public.”
Cllr. Reid notes that:
“Vapes help smokers to quit, but they should only purchase products from reputable retailers and question strange looking packaging.
“It is also important that vapes should never be used by children, who are more susceptible to becoming addicted to nicotine and the damage this can cause to brains and lungs. All liquids should come in childproof bottles.”
Underage alcohol sales are another issue being addressed by Suffolk Trading Standards, leading to a 48 hour closure notice being served on a shop in Ipswich last December, banning it from selling alcohol to anyone during that period, following an investigation and written warning.
“We always work with businesses to help them comply with legislation, but cannot turn a blind eye to someone repeatedly breaking the law,” explains Graham Crisp.
“This action will hopefully act as a deterrent to other shops in Suffolk, which may be tempted to make underage sales without realising the consequences.”
As Cllr. Reid says:
“The continued work of Trading Standards protects Suffolk’s communities and the health and wellbeing of future generations. They are an essential service for sustaining consumer confidence.”


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Origo Commodities, which provides post-harvest agriculture supply chain financing and logistics solutions, has raised Rs 80 crore ($11 million) in funding from impact investors Oikocredit, Caspian SME Impact Fund IV and Triodos Investment Management through its Hivos-Triodos Fund.
Founded in 2010, Origo Commodities provides solutions for supply chain and financing for all participants in the agriculture post-harvest, including farmers, traders, processors, bulk buyers, warehouse owners and financial institutions. It is currently present in 12 states across India, with assets under management worth Rs. 8,000 crore.
Origo Finance, a subsidiary of Origo, offers lending products including warehouse receipt finance, procurement finance and MSME finance. Origo Finance has about 18 branches in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and Karnataka with around 3500+ clients including 1400+ farmers.
“We see Origo playing a key role in providing end-to-end solutions for buyers and sellers at every stage of the commodity supply chain. The company by way of providing professional warehouse and collateral management services is working in the direction of augmenting the incomes of farmers and at the same time preventing the significant storage loss of grains,” Ravi Narasimham, investment director at Caspian, said.
Caspian has invested debt and equity capital in enterprises in India, with the intent to generate social and/or environmental impact alongside a competitive financial return. Their focus areas include financial inclusion, food & agriculture, affordable housing, healthcare and clean energy. Oikocredit finances over 700 partners in over 70 countries, with total outstanding capital of €980 million as at 30 June 2018.
Mayank Dhanuka and Sunoor Kaul, co-founders, of Origo said, in a statement, “We look forward to leveraging our investors’ experience to further Origo’s growth to strengthen our product and our reach to people in need of financing and logistics solutions.”
Unitus Capital acted as the exclusive financial advisor for the transaction.


text: New Delhi: Tune Hotels, run by Air Asia Bhd’s Tony Fernandes, plans to take on Indian branded budget hotel chains including Tata’s Ginger and Lemon Tree Hotels Pvt. Ltd’s Red Fox by opening 30 properties in the next three years with investment of $30 million, up from one now.add_main_imageThis comes as Air Asia is collaborating with the Tata group to set up a domestic airline. It currently has just one property in India, which was opened in Ahmedabad earlier this year.“India only has three to five branded economy hotel chains as compared to China, which has between 1,000 and 3,000 such hotel chains operational,” said Mark Lankester, chief executive, Tune Hotels Group, in a phone interview. NextMAds“It is because of the industry structure that at the moment India has the biggest potential for budget hotels,” he said. “We would be looking at $30 million investment for our first 30 hotels in the first phase. If India grows the way we want it to and if the consumers embrace our business model, it could be the largest single market for us.”The company, which has 30 properties around the world, aims to open two hotels every month globally through acquisitions, leases and management contracts to reach its target of 100 hotels by 2016.Experts said the group’s entry into India will make the budget segment more competitive even though demand is high. Tune Hotel in Ahmedabad offers rooms at ₹ 1,000-2,500 a night, while Ginger’s tariffs are ₹ 1,400-3,000. Ginger also offers so-called daily use rates starting from ₹ 999 for business travellers, who do not want to stay the night. This could hurt the overall profitability of hotel chains, which are already under pressure due to low occupancies, analysts said.The hotel company, which had a soft launch for its first property in May, plans to leverage Air Asia’s strength to gain market share in India, targeting cities to which it flies.sixthMAds“We pursue single-brand strategy. It will be same with Tune Hotels. Our strategy lies in delivering economy hotels in as many countries as possible,” said Lankester. “We will be leveraging our group’s strength. We are already in discussion with Air Asia, which will be our preferred choice, to deliver packaged deals.”The hotel company will also focus on cities such as Chennai, which is Air Asia’s hub, apart from Agra, Jaipur, Delhi, Kochi, Kolkata and Bangalore.Still, Ginger and Red Fox already have a strong brand presence and are also expanding, analysts said.“It is going to be the volume game for these budget hotel chains, since these hotel companies need to have a minimum number of properties to ensure viable apportioning of corporate expenses,” said Pavethra Ponniah, hospitality analyst at credit rating firm Icra Ltd. “The success of companies entering the branded budget space will also depend on how fast they can scale up.”Ginger Hotels, which launched its 28th hotel in the country earlier this week, plans to add more than 40 properties in the next three years, according to a report published in the Business Standard. Lemon Tree group’s Red Fox expects to add three properties to its current portfolio of four in the next two years.The Tata-run budget chain has a market share of 20%, said P.K. Mohankumar, managing director and chief executive, Roots Corporation Ltd, which runs the chain in the country.“Ginger Hotels currently has 2,700 rooms spread across 28 properties,” he said. “We are looking at adding 470 rooms by the end of next financial year (2014-15). Going forward, our focus will be to expand to multi-locations in metros and also in tier-I cities.” Lemon Tree’s spokesperson declined to comment on the plans of competitors.


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Art transcended commerce on the third weekend of January at the Al-Aali Art Festival, which saw a bustling mall transformed into an audio-visual feast.
Over 120 talented youth showcased their artwork, while fashion shows featuring clothing lines by young designers were held each morning. In the evenings, local bands played original compositions. One participating artist, Ali Mirza, confided, “I’ve received so much admiration for my work, it’s encouraged me to continue it further.”
Launched in 2012 and hosted by the Aali Mall management, The Palm Association and the Aisha Al-Yateem Centre for women, the festival has become an annual event that raises awareness of the importance of the arts and introduces budding talents to the public. 20 percent of any art piece purchased was donated to the Palm Society’s “Feed a family” program, and participating artists held a workshop for special needs children, whose artwork was also auctioned to raise funds for charity.
The celebration also invited children to discover the pleasures of art. Kids as young as five finger-painted and sculpted modeling clay, while older kids made crafts from recycled materials and designed their own superheroes.
For more info – Al-Aali’s website


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Locally sourced ingredients and a passion for catering are at the heart of the new Courtyard Cafe in Bishops Court, Daventry.
Formally the Bishops Tea Room, the family-run business described as the ‘hidden gem’ of Daventry had its grand reopening last week when Mayor of Daventry Ron Fox came along to cut the ribbon.
Cafe director John Silvert said: “We have lived here for ten years and my wife, Anna-Marie, ran the cafe for eight -and-a-half years. Before that we were both in catering for 20 years and we wanted to bring that passion for the industry to this new cafe.
“Now we want to be known as the ethical cafe because we bake all our own cakes and buns, and make our own marmalade, jams and dressing.
“Ethics are really important to us and we know where all our meat comes from because it’s locally sourced.”
The cafe purchases goods from Sauls of Spratton and buys only rare breed eggs from Stockton. Mr Silvert added the cafe only uses leaf tea, Whittards hot chocolate and Nespresso coffee as well as offering free wifi to customers.
Since reopening the cafe has been very popular with customers coming in to see the new decor.
Mr and Mrs Silvert run the cafe along with Mrs Silvert’s brother and mother Paul and Mary Fletcher. The couple’s 13-year-old daughter also lends a hand at the weekend.
Mr Silvert said: “We have tried to make this a soft and welcoming place, as though you’re stepping into your own house and our customers seem to really like that.
“We would love people to try our breakfasts and for business people to take advantage of our 20 per cent discount just for them.”


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Success may just be Kylie Jenner‘s middle name.
Earlier today, Forbes released their annual World’s Billionaires list and a familiar E! star has earned a spot once again.
Kylie first made it onto the list in March 2019. And according to Forbes, she further cemented her spot last November when she agreed to sell 51% of her Kylie Cosmetics to beauty giant Coty Inc. for an impressive $600 million. The deal values her business at about $1.2 billion.
The businesswoman is one of just 2,095 people with a ten-digit fortune. Not too shabby, Kylie.
“I didn’t expect anything. I did not foresee the future,” Kylie previously told the publication. “But [the recognition] feels really good. That’s a nice pat on the back.”
Since receiving recognition from Forbes in 2019, Kylie has only expanded her businesses, which now include products at Ulta stores across the country.
Neilson Barnard/Getty Images