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NEW YORK — Conglomerate Tyco International Ltd. said Tuesday that it plans to buy commercial lender CIT Group Inc. for about $9.2 billion in cash and stock in a deal that would allow the manufacturer to finance purchases of its array of products.
The deal announced Tuesday by Tyco--whose products include electronic equipment, fire and security systems and disposable medical supplies--would give CIT shareholders a 54 percent premium for their shares over Monday's closing prices.
L. Dennis Kozlowski, Tyco's chairman and chief executive, said that buying Livingston, N.J.-based CIT will help Tyco grow faster, and allow the 93-year-old finance company to bolster its lending business. Several manufacturing companies have such arrangements in place, including General Electric Co.
Although Tyco already lends money to clients, CIT's expertise and access to large amounts of capital will open new fronts for financing, officials said.
Tyco, which is based in Bermuda but has operational headquarters in Exeter, N.H., has made aggressive use of acquisitions to spur its growth. The company expects sales of $37 billion this year.


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SEOUL, Sept. 7 (Korea Bizwire) — Car accessory sales are increasing as the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage on.
It is assumed that people are spending more time in their vehicles to avoid physical contact.
Online shopping giant 11st reported that over the past two weeks, sales of laptop/book stands for cars and multipurpose seat pockets jumped by 27 percent following the spike in confirmed coronavirus infections between August 18 and 30.
Cup holder sales also jumped by 19 percent over the same period.
Do-it-yourself car wash kits gained popularity among consumers. Car shampoo sales jumped by 53 percent, while washing tools and towels saw sales increase by 16 percent and 27 percent, respectively.
Indoor cleaning tools such as portable vacuum cleaners (24 percent), air purifiers for cars (38 percent) and car air fresheners (21 percent) also jumped in sales.
Image Credit: 11st / firstname.lastname@example.org

domain: news


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Guinness World Record holder for stretching the Curly Wurly, Tracy Jane Sullivan is returning to the Cheese and Grain, Frome, to defend her title at this year's Chocolate Festival.
Since smashing the world record last year Tracy Jane has found that the accolade has afforded her great advances in her career and she is desperate to hold on to the title.
Chocolate festival organiser Jo Harrington is urging the people of Frome to come forward to challenge her on Sunday, November 18.
Mrs Harrington said: "We were staggered last year when Tracy Jane smashed the world record by more than 128cm.
"She adopted a secret and much talked about technique using her Japanese martial arts training, which was extraordinary to watch.
"This year we have heard several rumours of new and closely guarded techniques circulating Frome, which we are very excited about, and no doubt such whisperings are worrying Tracy Jane".
The festival, now in its third year, includes a range of chocolatiers, artisan cake makers, chocolate fountain, cookies and speciality hot chocolates.
This year welcomes new producers which complement cocoa, among them a fine wine company matching a range of wines with chocolate, a coffee machine manufacturer with roasted beans, honey and cocoa butter skincare producer.
There will also be a Fairtrade Frome chocolate treasure hunt, bee keeping talks, children's cup cake design workshop and a chocolate competition.
The winner of a golden ticket will be destined for a real life Willy Wonka experience with TV chef and celebrity chocolatiers Diana Short of Lick the Spoon.
Lick the Spoon recently won the Best Confectioner category in the Taste of West awards for the third year running. One winner will have a chocolate factory tour, truffle master class and tasting day with Diana.
To add to the carnival atmosphere poet Muriel Lavender, will be hosting the Lip Smacking Limerick Competition – a favourite at last year's event which welcomes talented writers in the Somerset area to submit chocolate related tongue twisting limericks to be read at the festival.
The winner will be awarded a chocolate prize and the accolade of being Frome's most celebrated chocolaty writer.
There will be chocolate magic thrown in by magician Jez Starr, free talks and demonstrations and a raffle in aid of charity Positive Action on Cancer.
The event runs between 10am and 4pm.
Tickets cost £2 on the day, with under 12s free, under 16s must be accompanied by an adult, and there is free parking.
For more information about the competition visit www.lipsmacking.co.uk.


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Maxis has officially announced that it will be offering the anticipated Micro SIM which is required for iPad 3G and the upcoming iPhone HD/4G. According to the press release, Maxis customers can get the Micro SIM format at any 31 Maxis Centres Nationwide.
The Micro SIM is available however for the following plans:
Mobile Internet Data
- 500MB at RM58/month
- 1.5GB at RM78/month
- 3GB at RM88/month
- 1.5GB at RM48/month
- 3GB at RM68/month
- 6GB at RM98/month
This is well thought of ahead of the International release of the iPad which has yet to reach Malaysia. So if you got your hands on an iPad 3G, it is no longer necessary to custom cut your sim card with a butcher knife.
Looking ahead, could this signal Maxis being the official carrier for the iPad in Malaysia? Or could it mean that Maxis is preparing well ahead for the upcoming iPhone HD/4G.
[ Source ]


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2nd edition of EBDA’A AWARD 2014 – competition for Emirati Jewellery Designers opens
- Held as part of 22nd edition of the International Jewellery & Watch Show, announced for 13 – 17 March 2014 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
- Inspirational UAE entrepreneur and jewellery designer Azza Al Qubaisi to mentor participants
Abu Dhabi, UAE: EBDA’A AWARD 2014, UAE’s first jewellery design competition for Emiratis launched in 2013 as part of the International Jewellery and Watch Show (JWS) held in Abu Dhabi, announced today that the competition has opened for entries. JWS 2014 will be held from 13-17 March 2014 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC).
Acclaimed Emirati jewellery artist and entrepreneur, Azza Al Qubaisi, will be back this year to mentor budding local designers participating in the competition.
EBDA’A Award offers outstanding prizes to support the development of the Emirati jewellery design sector and promote UAE jewellery products to national and international buyers.
Open to emerging designers, artists and students from universities across the UAE, the EBDA’A Award seeks to award the most creative and inspiring entries received. It is in three categories including daywear and casual jewellery; evening wear and contemporary interpretation of traditional jewellery. The daywear and casual jewellery category of this competition is also open to UAE residents.
Interested entrants can read the eligibility criteria and entry details on the competition website – www.jws.ae, download and complete the online application form before 20 February 2014.
Azza Al Qubaisi said, “The EBDA’A AWARD competition aims to encourage Emirati jewellery designers and artists push their limits of jewelry design and imagination. It is an opportunity and platform for designers to have their work displayed under the same roof as the region’s most renowned jewellery brands. More importantly, it is our quest for designers who can use the UAE’s cultural traditions as inspiration and help carve a niche for Emirati jewellery designs internationally.”
The inaugural edition of the competition helped discover, expose, develop and display progressive design and national talent in gold jewellery. Three young Emirati jewellery designers were recognized as the first prize winners – Amnah Albloushi (daywear jewellery), Asma Abdulla (evening jewellery) and Dhabia Al Mansoori (contemporary interpretation). They were each awarded a trophy and a certificate by His Excellency Ibrahim Mahmoud, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Gold and Jewellery Group, and the jury members of the competition.
“The first year was an exciting journey through the EBDA’A AWARD selection and judging process. The success and response it received last year makes me keener to be part of the 2014 edition”, Al Qubaisi continued.
Raya Dandal, Show Manager for Reed Exhibitions, said, “The inaugural edition of EBDA’A Award competition successfully achieved its objective in tapping into the community of talented jewellery designers among the UAE population and encouraging them to showcase their skills to the world. This year, once again, we are working relentlessly to attract, develop and promote a pool of jewellery designers with their original and striking contemporary design concepts.”
A shortlist of three finalists in each category will be selected by a jury in the first stage of judging. Finalists will then be requested to present their jewellery design sketches and mock-up for the final selection of three “best of show “awards. Entries will be judged on creativity and innovation; aesthetics, craftsmanship and wearability; marketability and topic relevance. The winners will be awarded at a prestigious award ceremony held on 15 March during JWS 2014.
This year, 150 exhibitors from 20 countries, including Italy, Brazil, Singapore, China, Japan, Turkey, the UK and the USA, are expected to offer their latest designs at JWS 2014.
International Jewellery & Watch Show (JWS) in Abu Dhabi, now in its 22nd edition, is organized by Reed Exhibitions. It has been established as the leading event for high-end jewellery and watches in the Middle East.
JWS 2014, which runs from 13 – 17 March at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, is expected to attract 150 exhibitors from over 20 countries, displaying the latest jewellery and watch designs made from gold, silver, diamonds and other precious metals and stones.
Featuring for the second year is EBDA’A AWARD 2014 Emirati Jewellery Designer Award, the national jewellery design competition in the UAE that will encourage Emiratis and UAE residents to create fashionable new jewellery styles and pieces.
Jewellery enthusiasts can also follow developments of the the EBDA’A Award 2014 on Twitter: #ebdaaaward or #ebdaa-award
For more information on about JWS 2014, visit www.jws.ae


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With the Presidential Election looming, small business owners across America are wondering how the uncertainty will affect their businesses. Here are some things your business should know about what to expect and plan for leading up to November 8.
Negativity and uncertainty
Various research data indicates that business leaders are feeling negative about the political landscape. According to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), small business owners perceive the current political climate, including the uncertainty surrounding the election, as a cause of poor economic conditions, such as low economic growth. The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index in August reveals that optimism is at an unprecedented low. The August Index revealed a drop to 94.4 points – a number that's significantly lower than the Index's 42-year average of 98 points. The index is generated by surveying10 components, ranging from Plans to Increase Employment, to Now a Good Time to Expand. The survey revealed that 39% of business leaders see political uncertainty as a reason to avoid expanding. A National Association for Business Economics poll showed that 11% of the association's members will be deferring hiring and investment decisions until after the election, when they will know who is in office and what their actual policies are – and when they feel confident that consumers are feeling more optimistic.
Negativity and uncertainty aren't completely partisan-based. A poll taken in March by the National Small Business Association showed that 40% of small business leaders feel overall that politicians generally don't follow through on their promises. An Ipsos poll conducted from September 29 – October 3 revealed that Clinton's favorability score was just 50%, while Trump's was 44%. Added to this is the fear that consumers may spend less money during a close election cycle, especially one with polarizing candidates.
What should your business do?
Polling data reveals a climate in which a lot of businesses are sitting tight. Many business leaders simply want to wait and see what happens before making big changes, such as expanding locations, hiring new staff or launching new products and services. But is this wise? And what about after the election, when either Trump or Clinton assume the Presidency? In theory, many businesses may react favorably or negatively based on which candidate wins, but this isn't necessarily rational.
First, whether you agree with the promises each candidate has made, can you really depend on them? We've never seen a candidate like Trump. He's suggested bold policy moves such as putting tariffs on foreign goods and nullifying free trade deals, but would he be able to get these through Congress? Clinton has said she would do things like cutting red tape for small businesses, increase tax write-offs and deductions for small businesses, as well as making it easier for small companies to qualify for the health care tax credit. But as with all politicians, promises often go to the wayside. It's hard to predict whether political pressures will cause her to postpone or forget about certain policy decisions.
Complicating all this is the strong possibility that Congress will still be party-divided after November 8, meaning that it could be difficult for either candidate to get things done. In a way, then, it's not too hard to imagine business as usual for the next four years. Because of Republican opposition, the Obama administration has faced tough challenges getting bills passed in Congress over the last eight years, and if the number of Republicans in Congress remains high after November 8 there's a good chance this trend would continue for Clinton. Trump would also have a hard time getting bills passed, not only because of opposing Democrats in Congress but because there are a number of representatives in his own party who are against him.
Whether you sit tight as other companies are doing or move boldly forward should really depend on your specific business. How are your own numbers? If you offer a unique product or service that's selling very well right now despite the political uncertainty, there may be good reason to believe that the upward trajectory will continue after the election. Some products and services are election-proof. No matter who's in office, people need basic products and services such as food and Internet. And in terms of investing in infrastructure such as computer hardware, mobile devices, restaurant equipment or anything else you might need, today's uncertain climate may provide ideal buying opportunities. If sales on business equipment, vehicles and other products or services are down overall, you might just get a bargain. Having a little optimism, even in these uncertain times, may be a good thing.
Copyright (c) 2016 Studio One Networks. All rights reserved.


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WASHINGTON -- The Volkswagen brand’s recently appointed North America chief, Hinrich Woebcken, has been named CEO of the VW Group of America, the company said today.
Woebcken, 55, had been the group’s interim chief executive since the abrupt departure of former chief and dealer favorite Michael Horn on March 9. Woebcken will continue in his dual role as CEO of the VW brand’s North America Region, which he’s held since January.
Woebcken’s appointment was announced during an employee town hall meeting today at VW’s U.S. headquarters in Herndon, Va., the company said in a statement.
According to VW, Woebcken and global VW brand chief Herbert Diess explained to VW’s U.S. employees at the town hall how aligning VW’s sales and marketing, product development, procurement and production operations in North America would strengthen the beleaguered brand’s presence here.
“The establishment of the North American Region provides the U.S., Mexico and Canada more freedom and more responsibility than ever before,” Diess said in a statement issued after the town hall. “Strengthening the region also means strengthening leadership and I am confident that Hinrich J. Woebcken is the right man for the job.”
The VW’s brand’s U.S. sales have slipped 13 percent this year and have dropped in five out of the last seven months since the company’s diesel emissions violations were disclosed in late September.
VW formed the North America region in September as part of its response to the diesel emissions cheating scandal. The move was part of an ongoing effort to decentralize operations and push more responsibility for the VW brand’s operations to various regions, a process accelerated by the emissions crisis.


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The phone, a variant of the Galaxy Note, moves the Asian giant a step closer to achieving devices with flexible and potentially unbreakable screens.
The Galaxy Round's 5.7-inch (14.4cm) display has a slight horizontal curve and weighs less than the Galaxy Note 3, allowing a more comfortable grip than other flat-screen models on the market, Samsung said.
Its key features include a tilt function which allows users to check information such as missed calls and battery life, even when the home screen is off.
Curved displays are on the frontline of Samsung's innovation war with rivals such as Apple and LG, as the South Korean firm seeks to expand its lead in the slowing market for high-end smartphones.
Samsung's cross-town rival LG Electronics is planning to introduce a smartphone with a vertically curved display in the first week of November, a source familiar with the matter said this week.
Hana Daetoo Securities analyst Nam Dae-jong said of the Galaxy Round: "It's a step forward for having unbreakable gadgets and flexible devices eventually. But for now, the new phone is more of a symbolic product.
"It is Samsung's attempt to gauge consumer appetite for curved phones although its lack of other eye-catching features means it is unlikely to be a hit. I don't think it'll be massively compelling enough for gadget buyers."
He added that Samsung did not yet have capacity for large-scale production of curved touch screens for the new Galaxy Round.
The phone initially will be available only in South Korea and no decision has been made about releasing it in other markets.
It will be available through South Korea's biggest mobile carrier SK Telecom Co Ltd and cost 1.089 million won (£632).
- Related Stories
- Samsung Galaxy Gear Smartwatch Unveiled
- Samsung Hits New Record Amid Smartphone Fears


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Kaylene Hong was Asia Reporter for The Next Web between 2013 and 2014, based in Singapore. She is bilingual in English and Mandarin. Stay in Kaylene Hong was Asia Reporter for The Next Web between 2013 and 2014, based in Singapore. She is bilingual in English and Mandarin. Stay in touch via Twitter or Google+.
Paris-based Rad, an e-commerce site that touts itself as a “discovery platform for cool fashion, art and design products”, has raised €2.5 million ($3.3 million) in a Series A investment round led by Index Ventures – which is a backer of other well-known e-commerce sites such as ASOS and Etsy.
Other partners in Rad’s investment round include angel investors Nicolas Santi-Weil – who will be joining the Rad board – and New York-based Vaizra Seed Fund.
Next in Rad’s pipeline is to launch in the UK and Germany. The company says it plans to invest in logistics, production and marketing to prepare for the upcoming rollout in these two markets and will also use the latest investment to expand its current team.
Besides selling products on its website, Rad also fosters collaborations with artists and designers to create “Rad” products.
Co-founder David Smadja says:
This investment will help us on our way to developing our brand… Our goal is for our members to create products with us on a massive scale, turning Rad into an incubator for young talent and designers.
Rad, which has close to 1 million members now, was launched just 11 months ago (in July last year) and is already on target to reach €15 million worth of revenue in its first fiscal year of operation. The company was self-financed.
The fashion e-commerce scene has been heating up recently, with German incubator Rocket Internet especially active. Rocket Internet-backed Lamoda, a fashion-focused e-commerce site in Russia, raised $130 million earlier this month, and last month Zalora, another site backed by the incubator, raised $100 million.
Image Credit: Andrew Cowie via AFP/Getty Images
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FDA clears Zyrtec line extension
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive SummaryMcNeil Consumer Healthcare gains regulatory approval for Zyrtec Allergy orally disintegrating tablets (cetirizine 10 mg). In a Sept. 3 1letter, FDA's Division of Nonprescription Clinical Evaluation green-lights McNeil's new drug application, submitted in November 2009, for 6-, 12-, 24- and 66-count cartons of the OTC. The Johnson & Johnson subsidiary has fulfilled the pediatric study requirements for the Zyrtec extension, FDA adds. J&J/McNeil declined to comment on when the tablets will launch. With generics readily available, Zyrtec and other brands seek innovative delivery formats to stay a step ahead of private label (2"The Tan Sheet" Oct. 6, 2008)
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Accelerated approval in epithelial sarcoma may de-risk the firm’s goals for approval of Tazverik in follicular lymphoma and other larger indications.
While contract manufacturer ABH Nature' complied with consent decree, Sen. Chuck Schumer says FDA is late in enforcing against noncompliant firms across the supplement sector. Other recent consumer health recalls include more OTC ranitidine tablets due to the potential carcinogen NDMA found in the heartburn ingredient and four versions of Sure 48HR Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant with labeling errors.


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The death knell has been sounding for some time. Traditional media is in deep decline. Viewership, listenership and readership figures are on the slide as consumers turn to social media and podcasts for their daily content fix.
Historically, the national media was positioned as the gatekeeper of information. It had a strangle hold on the distribution of and access to print and broadcast content. But the unstoppable march of social media and technology has produced a highly fragmented and diverse media market. So much so, we have long reached the tipping point where consumers are bypassing traditional media and getting their information where, when and how they want.
So, while businesses still crave coverage in national newspapers and on our radio and television channels, the value of such coverage is constantly diminishing. As the average person now spends about five years of their life on social media, this is hardly surprising.
Coverage in The Irish Times or Irish Independent is no longer the Holy Grail it once was. Just as an appearance on The Late Late Show now reaches a fraction of the audience it once did. Relying on such one-off shotgun blasts of coverage is no longer enough. Public relations campaigns and media communications have to be more diverse and inventive in order to ensure audiences are properly targeted.
Information has been democratised, thus releasing the national media’s strangle hold on the distribution of news content. As we have seen from Brexit and Donald Trump’s election, social media is the undisputed champion of influencing public opinion.
The rise of social media, and the willingness of social media giants like Facebook to gather huge amounts of data on its users, has helped empower businesses to develop a direct dialogue with their customers. They are no longer reliant on the media to act as the middleman when it comes to delivering messages to key target audiences. Hence, they need to take a more central and decisive role in communicating key messages to their public.
While a company communicating directly with customers is nothing new, the advance of social media has revolutionised this relationship and has helped develop an informal two-way dialogue.
The likes of Facebook and Twitter provide a vast array of opportunities to interact with consumers in interesting, entertaining and engaging ways. Such interaction, unlike traditional media, is highly transparent and measurable, and can be tied in with advertising, marketing and public relations campaigns.
But it comes with a health warning. Firstly, it is not just a case of cramming your direct marketing and public relations content into social media channels.
While creating dialogue on social media is ultimately an attempt to gain awareness, build influence and generate business, it has to be underpinned by meaningful customer communications. Your role as a publisher of content should not be built around product information. Your audience will quickly tire of sales and marketing blurb and will soon vanish. The content has to be meaningful, useful or entertaining.
Secondly, social media is something that if not correctly resourced or managed can be fraught with potential disaster . Like any public relations undertaking it requires an ongoing commitment. Communication with your customers should not happen once a week or twice a month or according to your schedule. It has to be a flexible, continuous and evolving process.
For many businesses blogging is a more manageable introduction to direct, two-way interaction with consumers. Like social media, the cost of entry is minimal and it gives you the ability to listen, learn and react. The fact is, boring, one-way static websites just don’t cut it anymore in the age of interactive social media content. Customers demand more.
The good news is now businesses can manage their own social media channels rather than relying on traditional media manage. So whether through customer magazines, websites, Facebook, Instagram or blogging, it is now the message not the media that is the key.
You can view more about this service HERE.


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French Connection, the fashion chain, has said that weak consumer spending in the UK over Christmas had continued into 2004.
Sales at its 61 UK branches were softer than hoped, although a strong performance in other divisions meant the new financial year had started well.
Neil Williams, the French Connection operations director, said that the chain faced tough comparatives with the start of 2003 when like-for-like sales raced ahead 15 per cent.
But he offered reassurance on the profitability of the high street business with margins since January “well ahead” of last year. There had also been improved levels of wholesale orders and a continuation of strong sales growth in North America, he added.
The mixed outlook came a day after the British Retail Consortium…


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29 March 2018, London UK – Notonthehighstreet, the curated online marketplace and home of thoughtful gifts, is pleased to announce the appointment of Barrie Seidenberg to Chief Executive Officer, starting from 23 April 2018. An e-commerce pioneer and long-time industry leader in the highly competitive online sector, Barrie joins notonthehighstreet following more than a decade as CEO of Viator, the leading global marketplace for local tours and activities, which included two years as President of TripAdvisor Attractions.
Her addition to the notonthehighstreet team will provide invaluable expertise to support the company on its mission to become the UK’s go-to destination for thoughtful gifts and to provide a platform to connect small creative businesses in the UK with customers all over the world.
Under her leadership at Viator, Barrie and her team enabled thousands of attractions and previously offline tour operators to become bookable online and via mobile devices, enriching the experiences of millions of travellers worldwide. During her tenure, the company experienced rapid innovation, growing annual gross bookings from $15 million in 2005 to over $350 million in 2014. After orchestrating the successful sale of Viator to TripAdvisor in 2014, she joined the company’s executive leadership team heading the Attractions unit, where she and her global team of nearly 500 continued to deliver rapid sales growth. Prior to her time at Viator, Barrie served as Chief Marketing Officer for Preview Travel, one of the first companies to sell travel online.
Barrie will now lead the team at notonthehighstreet, working with David Phillips, Chief Financial Officer, and Ella d’Amato, Chief Commercial and Partner Officer. David and Ella have been managing the business, alongside Chairman Darren Shapland, as part of the company’s interim leadership structure since September 2017.
Commenting on the announcement, Darren Shapland, Chairman of notonthehighstreet said: “I am delighted to welcome Barrie to notonthehighstreet. Barrie brings with her a wealth of expertise from her time at Viator and TripAdvisor, not least her track record of growth and her deep understanding of both digital marketplaces and customer experience. Her strong leadership credentials and passion for working with small businesses makes her the perfect person to take notonthehighstreet forward.
“I would also like to say thank you to Ella and David for leading the notonthehighstreet team since September. They have developed ambitious plans and a clear roadmap for notonthehighstreet’s future, which the team have started to implement and where we are already seeing results. I’m looking forward to seeing what the team can achieve under Barrie’s stewardship.”
On becoming part of notonthehighstreet, Barrie Seidenberg said: “In many ways, notonthehighstreet is the perfect match for my skills and passions; the team has established a vibrant marketplace where customers have access to a curated selection of unique products, ensuring a memory with each purchase while helping creative small businesses reach their full potential. I look forward to working with the talented and passionate team behind notonthehighstreet as well as the company’s network of more than 4,000 Partners, and I am eager to immerse myself in the business to discover opportunities for ongoing innovation, meaningful expansion and continued growth.”
NOTES TO EDITORS
About Barrie Seidenberg
Barrie Seidenberg is CEO of notonthehighstreet, the leading curated marketplace connecting the best small creative businesses with the world. Named to the position in March 2018, Barrie brings an entrepreneurial spirit as well as more than 20 years of executive level management and hands-on operational experience in global start-up and corporate environments.
Barrie was previously CEO of Viator, the leading marketplace for tours and activities worldwide. She spearheaded the $200 million sale of Viator to TripAdvisor in 2014, securing one of the top VC-backed exits in online travel that year, and joining TripAdvisor’s executive management team as the President of Attractions. After her resignation from her CEO role in December 2016, she served as an advisor to TripAdvisor, as well as several early-stage technology companies.
Barrie joined Viator in 2005, brought on by the company’s founding investors and quickly secured new investment from the Carlyle Group. During her tenure, she spearheaded multiple growth-driving initiatives: repositioned the primary business focus on direct-to-consumer online sales, launched international expansion/ localisation efforts to serve European travellers, drove innovation in mobile e-commerce and B2B connectivity, and closed multiple strategic acquisitions.
Before joining Viator, Barrie was chief marketing officer at Preview Travel, one of the early leaders in online travel. As a member of the executive team, Barrie was instrumental in that company’s successful IPO in 1997, and its subsequent acquisition by Travelocity in 2000. She has previously held senior-level positions with Atinera, Williams-Sonoma and American Express. She received an undergraduate degree from Yale University and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Barrie and her family are relocating to London from San Francisco.
Notonthehighstreet is ‘the home of thoughtful gifts’, the leading curated modern marketplace connecting the best small creative businesses, with the world. The brand has gained the trust and loyalty of its customers through offering an alternative to the High Street: a curated product selection with unique designs, high-quality craftsmanship and inspiring stories about the people who make them.
Customers choose to support small creative businesses and therefore contribute to building the great creative talent and community of artisans across the United Kingdom. Shopping with Notonthehighstreet is an opportunity for customers to be a conscious consumer, bringing human values back into retail and enabling the things they buy to say something about who they are.
Founded in 2006 by Holly Tucker MBE and Sophie Cornish MBE, the brand has experienced exceptional growth connecting 3 million customers to over 4,000 creative small businesses (who we call Partners), from across the country, who sell through our online marketplace.
With a team of over 200 at its headquarters in Silicon Upon Thames, South West London, notonthehighstreet is Chaired by retail veteran Darren Shapland and backed by media and technology company, Hubert Burda Media and venture capitalists including Index Ventures, Industry Ventures and Eight Roads Ventures.


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Battery charging the car in eight minutes thanks to graphene at the University of Córdoba is created. Spain.
These graphene polymer cells give the car a range of 1,000 kilometers These batteries triple the power of lithium ion and reduce its price by 77%.
If there is something to lose sleep electric vehicle manufacturers are batteries.
It is a requirement of the sector to increase its potency and duration as well as reduce load time
Headaches that are about to come to an end. The production of graphene on an industrial scale, has joined the University of Cordoba for the first graphene polymer batteries. A company will be responsible for the manufacture of the cells, which have already been tested in Córdoba, starting next year. Two of the four major German automotive companies (can not yet reveal names) will begin this month to test the batteries with electric cars. Graphene, discovered in 2004 by Dr. Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov at the University of Manchester, has amazing properties. It is thin, superconducting, transparent and strong. Although it takes years promising to revolutionize the field of batteries, it was difficult to incorporate it into mass production. However, in 2012 the company, in Alicante, became the first global manufacturer of graphene on an industrial scale. From there the main effort has been focused on accelerating the actual applications called 'material god'. The latter comes as a battery. The newly developed technology incorporates graphene polymer composition.
The benefits result in energy density, length, speed of load, weight and price. "It will be a great leap forward for industries such as aerospace, automotive, computer or power supply, improving efficiency and providing opportunities that until now, could only be imagined. The new product, developed by the University of Córdoba, has a power "far superior" to any other technology available in the market, a fact that "minimizes the percentage of wasted energy during use." If lithium ion battery (the most advanced to date) has a density of 180 of graphene exceeds 600. That is, three times the power of current best technology on the market. Also gains in lifetime. Graphenano batteries are able to last up to four times longer than traditional metal hydride and two times more than lithium. For example, "an electric vehicle with this technology could reach 1,000 km of autonomy." And all this with a load of no more than eight minutes. Less weight and cost properties of graphene may also reduce the weight of the batteries 'half' of the conventional, "increasing the performance and autonomy of the machines on which it is applied." The University of Cordoba is now working to reduce the volume to an advanced version of the batteries. Graphene has "high density", so for now the batteries are suitable for electric vehicles (from boats to cars). In the future, the team hopes to reduce its size to incorporate into electronic devices such as mobile phones. Cost is another advantage of graphene batteries, which will manufacture and market. This product will be "up to 77% cheaper" than lithium, "standing within reach of consumers from the same day they go on sale." They will be compatible with existing devices or vehicles, avoiding an adaptation of infrastructure for use and promoting its rapid implementation. Today "Grabat Energy" and "Graphenano batteries" will be a reality.


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The second session at Posist Mixer 2020 was a panel discussion moderated by Mr. Ashish Tulsian, founder of Posist Technologies. The group of panelists included 3 esteemed guests that shared their thoughts on the current COVID-19 situation and how restaurants can be better prepared to make a comeback.
Posist Mixer: How restaurants are making a way for comeback
The first panelist was Ms. Ramya Ravi, Director of Nandhana Group. Ramya oversees the operations of Nandhana restaurants and has been actively involved in building the customer experience for the group. Under her leadership, Nanadhana has had the honor of winning the India Hospitality Award for two consecutive years, 2015 & 2016.
The second panelist of the session was Mr. Pravesh Pandey, Chief Belief Officer, BYG Brewski. Pravesh has over 20 years of experience in the hospitality space. He was also an early advocate for upskilling India’s blue-collar workspace. He and his team recently created an app-based course for the hospitality business, ‘COVID Free Restaurant’, which has been endorsed by the NRAI.
The third member of the panel discussion was Mr. Biraja Rout, founder of QSR chain, Biggies Burger. Biggies Burger was started in 2011, and as of 2020, the brand has a presence in 12 states with over 32+ outlets. The reason for Biggies Burger’s quick success has been Biraja’s product-centric approach and his philosophy of ‘whatever happens, the taste should never go for a toss’. Interestingly, Biggies Burger spends only 1% of its revenue on marketing.
Key Learnings From The Pandemic
All three panelists agreed that a good thing that came out of this pandemic was the learnings it brought along for the restaurant business. Something that would have probably been learned in a decade was compressed into a few months, it was said. According to Mr. Ashish Tulsian, founder & CEO, Posist Technologies, the restaurant brands that always invested in building customer loyalty and brewing trust have done consistently well in this crisis. “As the same consumer base has now moved on to online delivery, restaurant chains have now regained almost 90% of their pre-COVID revenue”, he added.
“Where we stand right now is very positive in terms of the last few months. We almost hit the pre-COVID numbers in terms of our food delivery, and that was very encouraging and motivating for us”- Ms. Ramya Ravi, Director, Nandhana Group.
Talking about the significance of restaurant technology and automation in the restaurant space today, the speakers said that although the technology was not considered as a priority earlier, it has become the need of the hour. The focus should be on the dynamic change in consumer preferences and finding ways to quickly respond to it as a business.
Importance of Customers In Keeping The Brand Alive
“Customers that have been coming to you will definitely come back. What is essential now is what you are doing to regain their trust as the expectations have changed now,” says Mr. Pravesh Pandey.
What restaurants should ideally be doing to bring customers back is to accentuate what they have been doing well and focus more on providing better value and care to them.
The pandemic has changed the whole sequence of service, which now demands a lot of brainstorming and training along with high inputs in terms of technology as that has become very instrumental. Mr. Pandey believes that safety and care can be ensured by minimizing the number of places a consumer touches in the restaurant and contactless dining is one of the most reassuring measures that restaurants can adopt.
Ms. Ramya Ravi shared her learning experiences and said that one of the main priorities today in the restaurant space should be to focus on regaining the customer’s trust and win back loyal customers.
Thinking Out Of The Box Is The Key To Sustain
Mr. Biraja Rout, founder of Biggies Burger mentioned that 80% of their revenue came from dining-in and delivery was never their primary focus. However, when dining was shut down completely, the same customers started placing online orders for their products. To make this possible, the brand had to re-engineer its products and implement some necessary changes. An excellent piece of advice by the panelists is to establish a solid business model and innovate constantly.
Handling The Staff Shortage Issue In the Pandemic
Staff shortage has posed a severe challenge for the restaurant industry in the pandemic. To curb this situation, the Nandhana Group adopted employee retention strategies such as being in constant touch with all the employees, team building activities, etc. which gave them confidence and trust that they were going to be called back to work after the restaurant reopened. Ms. Ravi said that with this approach it was much easier to bring the staff back on the team.
While Mr. Pravesh Pandey has been trying to get flight tickets for his staff and create a database with a Whatsapp Bot to help them come back to the restaurant, Mr. Biraja Rout’s approach has been to invest in automation and setting up SOPs. With automation and setting SOPs, Biggie Burger has not only been able to manage its processed raw material efficiently, but the brand has also been able to retain most of its employees.
Hope you found the panel discussion as enlightening and insightful as we did! Keep watching this space for detailed coverage of the Posist Mixer, South India Chapter 1.0 event.


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Andrew Lloyd Webber’s LW Theatres has linked up with face-value resale ticketing site Twickets in a move designed to tackle touts in the West End.
Under the agreement, tickets bought at the box offices of venues such as The London Palladium and the Theatre Royal Drury Lane can be resold via Twickets for the original price paid. The deal makes LW Theatres the first UK theatre group to link up with Twickets and covers all seven theatres it owns.
The ticketing firm does, however, add a fee of 10 per cent to 13 per cent of the face value.
LW Theatres said the move would provide a “safer and more affordable” alternative to more controversial ticketing platforms that have “historically dominated this market”.
Rebecca Kane Burton, chief executive at LW Theatres said: “We continue to strive to not only offer our customers an incredible experience, but also help them when things don’t go to plan.
“Providing a safe, secure and easy way to resell tickets is best practice and yet another step LW Theatres is taking to innovate and improve theatre-going.”
The deal is the first for Twickets, which launched in 2015 with a focus on providing an ethical ticketing service, with a UK theatre group.
Twickets founder Richard Davies, said, according to the BBC: “The UK is in the midst of a market shift away from rip-off secondary ticketing platforms and towards capped consumer-friendly resale services.
“I am proud Twickets is at the forefront of this change, and delighted we can extend our service to theatre lovers via this groundbreaking partnership with LW Theatres.”
The move comes after he announcement in September that West End musical Hamilton is concluding its anti-touting paperless ticketing system from December 2, in favour of third-party retailers in addition to Ticketmaster.
Hamilton, which developed a ticketing system run by Ticketmaster to combat online touts and “unauthorised profiteering of third-party resellers”, is set to revert back to a more traditional ticketing operation, with paper tickets to be available later this year.


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Alexander McQueen Launches The ‘Heroine’ Handbag
LADIES WHATCHUKNOWBOUTIT ?
Alexander McQueen just launched its new “Heroine” hand bag, and to mark the launch, the bag is featured in its very own campaign shot by renowned still life photographer Dan Tobin Smith. In the photos we see the bag’s black croc amazingness spotlit on a crisp white graphic backdrop. The bag is available in different pricepoints, starting at $2,100 for the least expensive. The croc bag featured here will run you a cool $37,995.


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World News: 12:45 GMT Friday 2nd December 2016. [CBIZ, Inc. via Businesswire via SPi World News]
The CBIZ Small Business Employment Index SBEI a barometer fortrends that surveys labor data from over 4000 employing 300 or fewer people a 17 percent decline after data that almost an ...
Business Wire: 12:45 GMT Friday 2nd December 2016
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Air Lift Performance is blowing up big time in Europe right now, and we’re massively humbled to have such a positive following from our ever-increasing customer list and the motoring media.
One of our biggest fans is Fast Car Magazine – the UK’s number 1 tuning title with a history spanning more than 20-years!
Editor Jules Truss and the Fast Car team have been seriously impressed with our high-performance air suspension kits, and continue to give high praise both online and in the magazine.
Check out their latest story on our Subaru Impreza air suspension kit here: http://www.fastcar.co.uk/2014/02/11/air-lift-performance-suspension-kit-for-subaru-imprezawrxsti-1992-2007/
Want first access to big sale events, performance suspension news, and exclusive drops that sell out quickly?


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ABnote has received Visa OTA certification for its trusted service manager facilities in Australia and New Zealand, allowing them to set up NFC mobile wallets over the air. The two TSM data centres, in Ingleburn and Christchurch, have already achieved similar certification from MasterCard. "ABnote is well positioned to provision financial payment cards onto mobile devices," says the company.
- Dubai shopping mall to launch NFC and Bluetooth mobile loyalty program
- C-Sam speeds NFC development with applets and testing services
- Google Wallet adds phones
- Telecom Italia announces new NFC ticketing pilots
- RapidNFC adds NXP NTAG210 to its range


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Indian-origin teenager gets Intel funding for Braille printer
A 13-year-old Indian-origin boy has received a huge investment from Intel for developing a low-cost printer for the blind, making him the youngest tech entrepreneur funded by a venture capital firm
Houston: A 13-year-old Indian-origin boy has received a huge investment from Intel for developing a low-cost printer for the blind, making him the youngest tech entrepreneur funded by a venture capital firm.
Shubham Banerjee, CEO of the Braille printer maker Braigo Labs, had closed an early round funding with Intel Capital,
the company's venture capital arm, last month to develop a prototype of low-cost Braille printer. Till last year, alifornia-based Shubham had no idea what Braille was and it was only when he came across a fundraising flyer for the visually impaired that he started to wonder how blind people read.
So, like any other 7th grader would do, he asked his parents. His father's response: "Go Google it". While googling, Shubham discovered the high cost of Braille printers, which usually cost more than USD 2,000.
"When I found out the cost of a Braille printer, I was shocked," Shubham said in a recent media report. "I just wanted to help the visually impaired. I had a Lego Robotics kit, so I asked, 'Why not just try that?'" Built out of Lego's Mindstorms EV3blocks and little pieces from Home Depot Braigo Lab's printer turned out to function quite well. It earned Shubham a lot of recognition too, including 'The Tech Awards' 2014 and an invitation to the White House Maker Faire, an event that awards student entrepreneurs and innovators.
Shubham believes it could solve a decades-long problem that's been holding back so many visually impaired people around the world -- the high cost of Braille printers. Shubham says his printer could significantly cut down the price of Braille printers to less than USD 500. According to his website, there are 285 million visually impaired people worldwide, and 90 per cent of them live in developing countries.
It's not easy to drop a couple grand on a printer, even by a developed country's standards. Impressed by his product and vision, Intel came calling last September and told him it would invest in his company. And last week, the investment was made official at the Intel Capital Global Summit, when Braigo Labs was mentioned as one of the 16 tech startups Intel's investing in this year.
The exact amount of the investment was not disclosed, it's reported to be a few hundred thousand dollars, making Shubham the youngest tech entrepreneur ever funded by a venture capital firm.
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- Some shoppers say they can’t order groceries online, as pickup and delivery services face a surge in demand due to the coronavirus pandemic.
- Amazon told Business Insider that it’s responding by hiring more workers and adding more delivery windows throughout the day.
- Walmart said it’s also adding more delivery windows and shortening its advance ordering window from one week to two days in an effort to more accurately reflect in-stock levels to customers.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Online grocery orders are surging in the US as shoppers increasingly avoid visiting stores, and retailers are racing to keep up with demand.
With the surge in orders, some shoppers are complaining on social media about little or no availability for grocery pickup or delivery. Some say they have given up on trying. Others are refreshing grocers’ websites late at night to try to snag time slots for pickup or delivery as soon as they become available.
In response, leading retailers including Amazon and Walmart are ramping up their online grocery businesses by hiring more workers and adding time slots for delivery and pickup, the companies told Business Insider.
“We are working hard to identify ways to deliver to more customers, like adding more delivery windows throughout the day and hiring over 100,000 positions across the US, enabling us to increase delivery window availability,” an Amazon spokesperson said. “We’ve also accelerated expansion of delivery and pickup from Whole Foods Market, and we’ll continue to expand quickly to reach more customers.”
Amazon said it expanded delivery from Whole Foods last week to new cities, including Toledo, Ohio, West Des Moines, Iowa, and Wichita, Kansas. The company also added more grocery pickup capacity last week in areas including Boston; Dallas/Ft. Worth; San Francisco, Stamford, Connecticut; New Jersey’s Gateway region; Springfield, Virginia; Chicago; and Minneapolis.
Walmart expands pickup and delivery hours as the business gets ‘slammed’
At Walmart, the grocery pickup business is “getting slammed,” the company’s executive vice president of corporate affairs, Dan Bartlett, said last month.
The company on Friday extended its grocery pickup and delivery hours to help meet demand after temporarily cutting them back during a sudden sales surge in early-to-mid March.
“As we expand those hours back out, there will be more availability for customers now,” a Walmart spokesperson said.
Beginning last Friday, pickup and delivery hours returned to a schedule of 8. a.m. to 8 p.m. on Fridays and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the rest of the week. Previously, hours had been cut back to 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
Walmart also shortened its advance ordering window from one week to two days in an effort to more accurately reflect in-stock levels to customers, since certain items like toilet paper are selling out quickly.
The company’s plans to hire 150,000 more workers – mostly cashiers and stockers – should also help alleviate some pressure on stores.
Kroger closed a store to shoppers, and it will now serve only online orders
Kroger is also making changes to meet demand for online grocery.
The company tweeted Wednesday that it has expanded its open pickup appointment from three days to seven days to allow more customers to snag pickup time slots.
Kroger has also converted a store in Ohio to an online-only location that will serve only pickup orders. The company hasn’t said whether it plans to expand the test to additional stores.


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Ahmedabad-based ice cream and frozen processed foods producer, Vadilal Industries Ltd made its foray in the flavoured milk business. On Friday, the company announced the launch of its flavoured milk under the name Power Sip, which falls under the Vadilal Quick Treat umbrella brand in Ahmedabad.
According to a statement issued by the company, the potential for growth in the Indian flavoured milk is very good with an estimated annual growth rate of 15-20%. Vadilal will utilise its strong ice cream retail distribution network to make this new product a popular brand across country over the next few years, it added.
Vadilal’s Power Sip will come in a 180 ml bottle priced at `18, in three flavours – rose, elaichi and kesar. More flavours such as chocolate, badam and coffee will follow in a few months. The company also claimed that no preservatives are used in its flavoured milk, which will have a shelf life of six months.
Power Sip is being launched in Ahmedabad first and over the next six months will be sold across Gujarat, said MD of Vadilal Industries Ltd, Devanshu Gandhi.
“Thereafter, we will introduce it in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Launches in the rest of India will follow in the second and third years. Our target is to capture up to 7% market share over the next three years and make Power Sip a `30-crore-plus brand. This is our first major launch in the non-ice cream dairy sector and we plan to introduce more products in this space in the future,” he said.
The company will aim to make Power Sip available at tourist places, railway stations, bus stands, airports, schools & college canteens and others.
According to Rajesh Gandhi, MD of Vadilal Industries, “The flavoured milk segment fits well with our wide network and a strong projected growth rate of 20% per annum. With an extensive distribution network of over 50,000 retailers, 250 stock-keeping units and 550 distributors across India, we are well-placed to make it a successful national brand.”


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From navigating their companies—and their employees’ physical and mental health—through the COVID-19 pandemic to responding to the ensuing political landscape in the U.S. to dealing with decades-high inflation, it’s been a challenging two-plus years for business leaders, startup founders said during a roundtable discussion at Fortune‘s Brainstorm Tech conference in Aspen, Colo., this week.
But these founders have few complaints. If anything, the past few years have proven their mettle and prepared them for pretty much anything, said Adena Hefets, cofounder and CEO of rent-to-own platform DivvyHomes.
“It was a real test of nerves in March 2020 in a way that reminds you that you’re going to have many of these moments,” Hefets said, adding that all business leaders need to prepare their companies for sustainable through all different types of macroeconomic environments. “You have to pull yourself back up.”
That involves some creative problem-solving. Amy Spurling, founder and CEO of employee benefits company Compt, was initially resistant to working completely remotely, for example. But the pandemic proved that the setup could actually be a boon to her company, as other business leaders noted throughout the conference.
“The shift to remote has been really positive for us and allowed us to hire in a lot of places,” Spurling said.
Bill Mann, CEO of cybersecurity firm Styra, said the unique times call for unique solutions. As the world continues to evolve, and employees and customers have evolving expectations of businesses, leaders must evolve too.
“All of the political things that have happened over the past 24 months have just forced us as CEOs to…have opinions about certain things,” Mann said. “This is the first time I’ve stood up and stated what I believe in. This is not something I’m used to.”
And while all of the changes can be scary, the best leaders are ready to take them on.
“I seriously thought we weren’t going to make it. [But] challenges are actually opportunities,” said Michelle Zhou, cofounder and CEO of artificial intelligence company Juji. “The pandemic helped us not only survive, but actually thrive.”
“Founders, do not give up easily,” she added.
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The ports of Los Angeles the Long Beach saw imports jump in August, kicking off what analysts expect to be three strong months for shipping leading into the holiday season, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Imports through Los Angeles were up 6.3 percent from last August, with the port receiving 407,804 20-foot equivalent units, a standard measure for container cargo. The neighboring Port of Long Beach moved 358,262 import TEUs, an increase of 19.1 percent over last year. Combined, the ports are the largest entry point for container cargo to the U.S., with the vast majority coming from Asia.
U.S. ports could see imports rise even more next month with the arrival of goods from China that were shipped after the country devalued its currency. China cut the yuan’s value last month, making items produced in Chinese factories cheaper for foreign buyers. However, the ocean trip from Asia to the U.S. can take nearly three weeks, so orders made after the devaluation would only start showing up at West Coast ports in early September. The dollar’s increased buying power in China, along with healthy U.S. consumer demand, should lead to surging traffic at major ports, analysts say.
To read more, click HERE.


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By Silas Onuoha
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Chairman Lagos State chapter, Mr. Adeleye Ajayi, has said that African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) has potentials to increase employment opportunities and income, helping to expand opportunities for all Africans.
In his opening speech at a one day workshop on challenges of African Continental Free Trade Agreement On Nigerian Businesses held in Lagos yesterday at Airport Hotel, the NUJ chairman stressed that AfCFTA can bring 30 million people out of extreme poverty and raise income of 68 million others who live on less than $5.50 per day.
He said ,
“With the Implementation of AfCFTA, trade facilitation measures that cut red tape and simplify Customs procedures would drive $ 292 billion of the $ 450 billion in potential income gains.
He went further:
“Implementation of AFCFTA would usher in deep reforms necessary to enhance long-term growth in African countries.
Achieving the full potential of AFCFTA will depend on putting in place significant policy reforms and trade facilitation measures.
The scope of AfCFTA is large. The agreement will reduce tariff among member countries and cover policy areas such as trade facilitation and services, as well as regulatory measures such as sanitary standards and technical barriers to trade.
“Full Implementation of AFCFTA would reshape markets and economies across the region and boost output in the services, manufacturing and natural resources sectors”.
He added :
“As the global economy is in turmoil due to the COVID-19 pandemic creation of the vast AfCFTA regional market is a major opportunity to help African countries diversify their exports, accelerate growth and attract foreign direct investment”.
Mr Ajayi pointed out that creating a single, continent wide market for goods and services, business and investment would reshape African economies. Adding that the implementation of AFCFTA would be a huge step forward for Africa, demonstrating to the world that Africa is emerging as a leader on the global trade agenda.


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A locally owned lamb processing site is under new ownership after being acquired by Irish meat giants Dawn Meats Group.
HR Jaspers and Son, based at South Petherwin have confirmed they have been acquired by Dunbia, part of the Dawn Meats Group.
The Jasper family business was formed in 1930 and processes up to 10,000 lambs a week, with products sold to retail, wholesale, foodservice and export markets. The site employs 90 people and all staff are being retained.
Niall Browne, chief executive officer at Dunbia, said: “The reputation and demand for high-quality West Country lamb is growing both within Britain and across Europe and we look forward to continuing to work with farmers in Cornwall and across the South West to promote this excellent product to both new and existing customers.”
Andrew Smyth, Livestock Procurement Director at Dunbia said: “The climate and excellent farming practices in this region will allow us to deliver the first British Spring lambs of the new season to our customers.
“This will be a great addition to our range of regional lamb products from Britain and Northern Ireland.”
Keith Jasper, Managing Director of H R Jasper & Son said: “We have a proud history of providing great service to both our farmers and our customers and as the family now passes on the business, we are confident that Dunbia will continue that tradition. We have been doing business with Dunbia for many years.
“It’s a family business like ours and has previous experience of acquiring and developing businesses in the West Country. Our family looks forward to continuing to work with Dunbia on the site.”
Details of the deal are to remain confidential. Dawn Meats, the parent company of Dunbia, previously purchased the Jasper beef abattoir and boning facility in Treburley in Cornwall in 2014.


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At the Introbiz Expo 2018, people and businesses in Wales were able to learn about getting online and boost their digital skills for free as Google brought Google Digital Garage to the event.
Google Digital Garage is a place where anyone can come and learn free digital skills to help them grow in their career, grow their confidence online, or grow a business.
In the last two years, over 200,000 people across the UK have benefitted from Google’s free face-to-face training on digital know-how.
Introbiz are delighted to be in partnership with Google Digital Garage as it is a great platform to promote new skills and knowledge. It’s also a great benefit for the business community to see how they can reach more customers and increase their business potential.
Ronan Harris, Google UK & Ireland Managing Director, said: ‘In the digital age, a basic understanding of how the online world works is useful and when it comes to business, it’s essential. We were delighted to bring the Google Digital Garage to the Introbiz Expo in 2018 and we will continue to work to ensure everyone has access to free digital skills workshops and 1:1 coaching.”


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Europe’s leading multi-material packaging manufacturer, LINPAC Packaging has won a major contract to supply one of Poland’s leading meat processing companies with more than 100 million polystyrene trays a year.
LINPAC’s site in Bukowice, Poland will supply rays to Pini Polonia, one of the region’s largest meat processors.
Adam Barnett, Vice President Sales, said: “This is a significant new business win for our team at Bukowice, and underscores how our Fresh Thinking philosophy can deliver solutions which help our customers.
“Working in partnership with the team at Pini Polonia we will deliver more than 100 million trays to ensure their products are packaged to best protect, preserve and present their wide range of pork products.”
Pini Polonia, which commenced its Polish operations in 2010, is currently one of the most modern meat processing plants in Poland, which can process the slaughter and preparation of more than 1,000 pigs an hour. Modern technology and high quality raw material ensure the highest standards of quality and health.
That commitment to quality and health means that LINPAC’s trays will ensure the highest stands of food preparation and packaging for Central and Eastern retailers and consumers.
Based at Wschodnia, central Poland, the Pini Polonia plant products are approved for export to all EU countries, Ukraine, CIS countries, Japan, South Korea, Hong-Kong and New Zealand. The plant is in the process of obtaining permissions for export to USA, Canada, China, Philippines and Australia.
LINPAC Packaging Bukowice largely supplies to the distribution companies of the group in Central and Eastern Europe, Poland, Russia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and the Balkans and is continually striving to improve its standard and meet customer expectations.


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Vermont Ski Areas Could See Record Business Over MLK Weekend
A strong early season, rock-solid reservation numbers and a very timely snowstorm looming in the forecast could add up to record business at Vermont ski areas over the Martin Luther King holiday weekend.
Meteorologists are predicting that up to 20-plus inches of fresh snow could hit the Green Mountains over the weekend, with timing seemingly tailor-made for ski areas: Late enough to not adversely impact travel, but right on time to deliver ideal powder conditions for holiday guests.
“It looks like Stratton will be in a snow globe for Saturday into Sunday,” said Myra Foster, senior manager of marketing and communications at Stratton Mountain Resort. “There is nothing like the possibility of a foot or two of snow falling at the perfect time, heading into what is always a big weekend.”
Skiers and snowboarders eager to plunder all that powder are snapping up available reservation spots, putting ski areas in an ideal position for the crucial second leg of the ski industry’s “Triple Crown” – Christmas Break, MLK Weekend and Presidents’ Week.
“We have about 41 pillows left for Friday night and zero for Saturday,” Jay Peak’s Director of Communications, JJ Toland, said Wednesday in reference to the resort’s 3,000-person bed base. “Throw in a storm that could bring over a foot of snow between Saturday and Sunday and we’re expecting to be a bit more than happy with the MLK holiday’s performance.”
This snowstorm would be just the latest in a string of good fortune for Vermont’s ski areas this season. Record November snowfall resulted in the deepest early-season snowpack in the more than half a century that records have been kept for Mount Mansfield, the state’s highest peak. December saw sustained cold temperatures ideal for snowmaking, allowing ski areas to stockpile man-made snow and open the majority of their terrain for skiing and riding.
“Our opening period was absolutely record-breaking,” said Mike Chait, public relations director at Smugglers’ Notch Resort. “It was certainly the best November and early December on record for us.”
Business over the Christmas holiday break was strong. Bromley Mountain, for example, reported a 20-percent increase in revenue and 10-percent spike in visitation over last year’s Christmas numbers. Mountain Top Inn and Resort was 100-percent booked for two weeks straight around Christmas and New Year’s, and Mount Snow Resort on Dec. 30 saw its largest number of skier and rider visits in a season that had already broken such records numerous times – and is expected to do so again over the MLK holiday.
“We anticipate reaching our highest visitation number of the year this weekend, with the combo of the holiday and hopefully an epic powder day,” said Kelsey King, interactive marketing manager at Mount Snow.
Another big-time delivery of snow from Mother Nature last week was the proverbial icing on the cake, allowing ski areas to drop enough ropes to reach an open-terrain rate across the state of more than 80 percent - compared to just over 50 percent at the same time last season. Most alpine resorts in Vermont expect to offer 90- to 100-percent open terrain by Sunday.
“On the heels of our two-foot snowstorm from last week, the arrival of this storm could make for the best MLK snow conditions in recent memory,” said Courtney DiFiore, communications manager at Killington Resort.
This holiday is important for the ski industry because it’s a springboard to further boost skier and rider enthusiasm heading into the heart of the winter season.
“MLK is critical,” Chait said. “It’s that period that keeps skiing fresh in people’s minds and solidifies that January is a great time to be out on the mountain.
“After the great start we’ve had, it’s about keeping momentum and we expect that to continue this weekend. Occupancy is very strong, and our holiday vacationers deserve some excellent conditions – and they’re going to get them.”


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Sun Microsystems Inc. last week unveiled its software
solution to how multiple networks and appliances can be linked to achieve the market
scales that will drive the development of advanced data services.
Sun named 37 companies as initial licensees of its new
"Jini" technology. These included major players in the convergence markets, such
as America Online Inc., Cisco Systems Inc., IBM Corp., Sony Corp., Samsung
Telecommunications America Inc., Eastman Kodak Co., Motorola Inc., Philips Consumer
Electronics Co., Toshiba America Consumer Products and Xerox Corp.
By embedding the Java-based Jini technology in their
products, licensees will be able to assure online connection of their customers to any
services that are Jini-enabled, officials said.
AOL -- the only service provider named as a licensee last
week -- sees the technology as a key to its efforts to penetrate all network environments,
said Barry Schuler, president of AOL Interactive Services.
"In the future, we believe that AOL households will
have a network of a variety of connected appliances," Schuler said, in a prepared
statement. "Jini will truly be instrumental in supporting our 'AOL
Jini is distinct from the type of Java-based middleware
that the cable industry is developing in conjunction with the OpenCable digital set-top
Java is meant to allow different types of set-tops to
interact with cable-delivered digital-TV services; Jini extends platform independence and
interoperability to all networked devices linking with any Jini-enabled service, said Jim
Waldo, Sun's chief architect for the new technology.
Waldo added that the first version is now complete,
allowing manufacturers to prepare Jini-enabled products for introduction in the fall.
"Jini can run over any network protocol," Waldo
said. "It eliminates the notion of having to interconnect services over standardized
wire or wireless systems."
A device loaded with Jini -- either in the manufacturing
process or through subsequent network download -- automatically configures itself when
connected to a Jini-enabled network, allowing all such devices to talk to each other and
to share tasks independent of the underlying operating system, processor or application
environment, Waldo said.
In a recent demonstration, Cisco and Sun created a
home-network environment linking digital TVs, cable modems, Internet video phones and
"Web slates" -- new types of computerized appliances without keys that provide
touch-screen access to networked applications.
"The consumer doesn't want to have to configure
devices to connect them to networks, and Jini eliminates this barrier," said Keith
Fox, vice president of worldwide corporate marketing at Cisco.
For example, he said, a consumer will be able to easily
purchase a Jini-enabled digital camera from Canon USA Inc. -- one of Sun's licensees
-- hook it up to the home network and begin printing pictures over a Jini-enabled digital
Similarly, people will be able to move devices from one
network to another without having to reconfigure them, Fox said.
"You bring a disk home from the office, plug it into
your home PC [personal computer] and access all of your work from home," he added.
The Sun move comes as computer and consumer-electronics
manufacturers are sorting through a variety of home-networking platforms in an attempt to
broaden the base for networked applications.
For example, Compaq Computer Corp., Microsoft Corp. and a
number of hardware and software allies are backing a telephone-wire-based
in-home-networking protocol known as "Home PNA" (Phone Network Alliance). PNA is
designed to enable the linking of multiple PCs in the home to a single Internet
Compaq recently announced a new line of
"Presario" PCs that enable Home PNA connection, noted Rick Rossler, a director
of product marketing in Compaq's consumer-products group.
"PNA is a key technology that makes home networking a
mass-market thing," he said.
"For years, people have plugged PCs into phone
jacks," Rossler added. "Now they can plug in and get an automatic network setup
for each PC."
The new software-based technology automatically configures
Windows 95 and 98 and does all of the network addressing, Rossler said. Users can purchase
a PNA card to plug into their PCs for $50, cutting the per-node networking costs by $50 to
$100 when compared with other technologies, he added.
Rossler characterized PNA as a first, narrowband step
toward home networking.
To accommodate broadband, consumer-electronics
manufacturers and other entities are backing the IEEE 1394 wiring technology -- known as
"fire wire" or "iLink" and, in the home-networking space, as
"HAVi," for Home Audio/Video interoperability. HAVi is a means of delivering
multiple data feeds simultaneously at 25 megabits per second to 30 mbps over twisted-pair
wires at distances of up to 150 feet.
Microsoft -- as usual, knocking heads with Sun -- has
introduced its own protocol, Universal Plug and Play, for accommodating interconnections
over HAVi and other advanced networks, said Joseph Mauhanna, group manager of
public-network platforms for Microsoft.
"Universal Plug and Play involves several
things," Mauhanna said, "including discovery protocols for devices and
appliances inside the home. It's about when you bring something inside the home, how
will other devices discover it and connect?"
As Waldo noted, Jini is indifferent to the various
physical-networking aspects of protocols such as HAVi or PNA, but it directly competes
with the discovery and connection capabilities entailed in PNA, Universal Plug and Play
and other concepts.
While the computer-manufacturing allies of Microsoft appear
drawn more to the Microsoft concept than to Jini, they are also backing HAVi, leaving the
consumer-electronics players in a key position to determine which device-connection
protocols will ride on top of the networking layer.
So far, Sun appears to be winning the battle on that front,
given the big consumer-electronics entities that it named as Jini licensees.
Sony, for example, believes that "by bringing HAVi to
Jini technology, we are also able to offer consumers access to the range of exciting
services that Jini will provide," said Akikazu Takeuchi, president of Sony's
Platform Software Development Center.
Sony would like to see an electronic-distribution medium
that will allow people to buy music or movies and download them directly to recordable
devices in the home, said Jim Bone, vice president of business development for Sony
"You want to have all of these devices digitally
linked -- your digital-TV set, digital VCR, your PC, etc.," Bone said. "You like
to be able to enable new services that don't exist today."
For broadband-service providers, paying attention to the
link between the development of Jini-enabled services and Jini-enabled appliances promises
to be a key part of formulating service strategies as the year unfolds. Momentum in this
direction could take a lot of the confusion out of sorting through in-home-networking


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Apple is making environmental and social values factors it will weigh when calculating bonuses for top executives, according to a regulatory filing on Tuesday.
The change taking effect this year is intended to motivate Apple executives “to meet exceptionally high standards of values-driven leadership in addition to delivering strong financial results,” the Silicon Valley technology titan said in proxy documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Financial targets and thresholds for executive bonuses at Apple will not change, the iPhone maker said.
“Beginning in 2021, an environmental, social, and governance modifier based on Apple Values and other key community initiatives will be incorporated into our annual cash incentive program,” Apple said in the filing.
Living up to Apple’s stated values regarding sustainable energy, workplace diversity, and other environmental and social issues will be among factors considered when deciding whether bonuses should be increased or decreased by as much as 10 percent, according to the company.
“We’ve led the industry in reducing our environmental footprint for years and are committed to one day sourcing 100 percent recycled and renewable materials across all of our products and packaging,” Apple said in a section of the filing outlining its values.
“We believe diversity drives innovation and is key to our success.”
Apple is to report its earnings for the final three months of last year on January 27, and has a virtual annual shareholders meeting slated for February 23.
What will be the most exciting tech launch of 2021? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.


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Who’s Winning the Clunker Derby?
The numbers are in
According to a list compiled by the National Transportation Safety Administration, compact cars and hybrids are top sellers in the Cash for Clunkers trade-in program. The average combined city and highway fuel economy of the top ten cars ranges from 27 to 33 miles per gallon, depending on which versions people purchased. With gas mileage like that, you just might make it to payday without a cash advance or paycheck loan!
The four top-selling cars were the Ford Focus (27-28 combined hwy/city mileage) followed by Toyota Corolla (25-30) the Honda Civic (24-42) and Toyota Prius (46). The list includes four vehicles available as hybrids, in order of preference: Honda Civic (24-42) Toyota Prius (46) Toyota Camry (23-34) and Ford Escape (20-32).
But not everyone agrees
Not everyone agrees with how the government devised its Clunkers’ rankings. Edmunds.com recently released its own sales rankings listing the Focus at No. 2, the Civic at No. 6 and the Corolla at No. 9. Pick-up trucks took up several top spots.
Release of the top sellers report came just as the debate was heating up in the Senate over whether to extend funding for the program, with some lawmakers arguing that the fuel economy requirements for the program are not strict enough. The Senate and House have now approved an additional $2 billion for the program.
Compact cars are the order of the day
Under the wildly popular “Clunkers” program — known officially as the Car Allowance Rebate System or CARS — consumers who trade in old gas guzzlers receive between $3,500 and $4,500 toward the purchase of more fuel-efficient, often smaller cars. The trade-in vehicle must have a combined city and highway fuel economy rating of 18 miles per gallon or less.
Critics had feared that car shoppers would use the program mostly to buy trucks, but according to Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, 83% of the vehicles traded in were trucks and SUVs and 60% of the vehicles purchased were passenger cars.
The average fuel economy of new vehicles purchased under the plan is 25.4 mpg and the average fuel economy increase from the old vehicle to the new is about 61%. In a CNN interview last week, Mike Jackson, chief executive of AutoNation, the country’s largest auto dealer chain said, “It’s crazy, but we’re seeing trucks — full-size pick-up trucks — traded in for compact cars.”
But we just can’t let the SUV go
Last month, many of the vehicles with the biggest reported year-over-year sales gains were small “crossovers” — a broad category of SUVs that includes small car-like crossover SUVs. The best-selling crossover in the Cash for Clunkers programs was the Ford Escape, number 6 on the government list, which gets much better fuel economy than large, truck-based vehicles.
The Corolla vs the Focus . . . and beyond
The Corolla and the Focus were dueling for first place under the program. Initially, the Focus emerged as No. 1 on a top-10 list of most cars sold, according to the Department of Transportation. But rankings released last week showed the Corolla had knocked the Ford car into second place.
The Toyota Corolla and Ford Focus have been top contenders in the Clunker Derby, but will their popularity outlive the new $2 billion fund earmarked for the program? No doubt the reasonable gas mileage and relatively low cost of the Corolla and the Focus helped catapult them to the top of the government list of vehicles sold under the program. The base models for both cars, before options packages, cost less than $16,000.


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Two New Texas "Wayfair" Laws
May 30, 2019
HB 2153 and HB 1525 both became Texas law in May 2019. The two new laws were in response to last year’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing states to tax out-of-state sellers even if they do not have a physical presence in Texas, but sell their products here.
It allows the Texas comptroller to identify a single tax rate to apply to remote sellers. Because local taxing jurisdictions in Texas have varying sales tax rates, ranging from 6.25 to 8.25 percent, the bill is intended to simplify online vendors’ sales tax calculations.
But there is another part to this Wayfair puzzle and the comptroller referenced it in his letter to the state’s top leaders. HB 1525 requires marketplaces such as Etsy, Ebay and Amazon to collect sales tax on third-party, out-of-state sellers and is expected to yield more than half a billion dollars for the state.
If a Texan purchases an item online from a seller in another state using a “marketplace,” a definition that includes websites and software applications, the marketplace would be responsible for collecting and paying sales tax on those transactions.
Also see: Texas Comptroller resources.
Wayfair - Background
In June 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in South Dakota v. Wayfair that states can mandate that businesses without a physical presence in a state with more than 200 transactions or $100,000 in-state sales collect and remit sales taxes on transactions in the state. This decision overturned the Court’s 1992 decision in Quill v. North Dakota and 1967 decision in National Bellas Hess.
- HB 2153, the legislation to deal with the South Dakota v. Wayfair decision, passed the Texas House on April 11 and has now been sent to the Senate. There is a companion bill in the Senate (SB 70), but the Senate will likely move forward with the House bill. Read an analysis of the bill. (4-16-19)
- Proposed legislation was filed by the chair of the Texas House Ways and Means Committee and the chair of the Texas Senate Finance Committee. HB 1525 and SB 890 (which are identical) detail the rules that would apply to out-of-state marketplace providers who sell to Texans and have no in-state physical presence. The bills expand the state’s authority to collect use taxes on such sales as provided under Wayfair. (2-2019)
- Comptroller Circulates Draft of Rule Revision in Response to Wayfair (9-7-18) | DRAFT: Proposed Amendment Texas Sales Tax (Wayfair) (9-2018)
- Comptroller Mulls Wayfair Implementation (8-21-18)
- Sales Taxes After Wayfair—Challenges and Opportunities for CPAs (7-19-18)
- Wayfair and the Ability of Texas to Require Remote Sellers to Collect Sales and Use Taxes (7-5-18)
- Tax Strategy: What’s at Stake for Retailers and Their Tax Advisors from Wayfair (8-1-18)
- Texas Comptroller Issues Initial Guidance (6-27-18)
- Supreme Court Overturns Physical Presence Requirement (6-21-18)
By John Sharbaugh, CAE
Managing Director of Governmental Affairs
The Wayfair ruling could have a major effect on the ability of states to collect sales taxes from companies selling via the internet. In its decision, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned two previous rulings that had required a company to have a physical presence, such as an employee or building, in a state before it could be liable for remitting sales tax.
The Supreme Court remanded the case for further proceedings, which means the case is not final, and there could be other litigation on the question of when a state or local jurisdiction can require remote sellers to collect and remit sales and use taxes.
The decision also noted that prior Supreme Court cases impose two key limits on state authority regarding the taxation of interstate commerce, which are still good law: 1. States may not discriminate against interstate commerce, which essentially means states may not treat out-of-state sellers worse than in-state sellers; and 2. States may not impose undue burdens on interstate commerce, the meaning of which is an open question.
Hegar also weighed in on this Supreme Court decision, issuing a memorandum about it. He notes that his office is proceeding “carefully and deliberately” to understand the decision while seeking input to help implement the new law. He also said the legislature should consider action in the next legislative session to update and make modifications to existing statutes to help with the implementation. Hegar’s office is working now on developing recommendations to the Texas Legislature for its consideration.
In terms of the potential fiscal impact, Hegar cautioned that the possible revenue gains from implementing sales tax on internet sales will probably be less than was estimated a few years ago. An estimate developed in 2014 by then Comptroller Susan Combs projected that up to $840 million in annual state sales tax would be uncollected by remote sellers through all channels, including catalogs, emails and phone.
But Hegar noted that there have been significant changes in the online marketplace during the last four years that will likely mean less additional revenue from this stream. For example, Amazon and other big online retailers, including Wayfair, are already remitting the tax on direct sales to Texans. So, this Wayfair decision may not be the significant windfall for the state that many would assume.


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Seattle Update: Market Slowdown?
SEATTLE MARKET UPDATE
Overall prices rose to more than 9% from the 2016 stats. However some counties, including King County, saw a median price increase jump to 18.6%. Like previously documented throughout the year, Seattle has faced inventory shortages due to high demand. King county inventory is down with homes selling in about a week on average.
If you think buying a condo will get you further, know that the condominium inventory is low however the median cost has only increased by 5.7%, one of the slowest growths in the past two years.
BROADER PERSPECTIVE ON THE REAL ESTATE MARKET
Is There a Market Slowdown Coming?
By Steve Murray
In virtually every market in the country, inventory levels are at record lows, absorption rates are at all-time highs, and prices have risen far faster than the rate of increase in household incomes.
In the past, housing sales dipped due to slower economic growth or rising interest rates. Now, it’s due to the lack of inventory and the decline of affordability for many households to afford the soaring cost of new and existing homes.
One good example is in San Francisco where homes are measurably down, in fact, sales have been down for more than just the last year, and prices are softening.
This downturn is more of a pause than a typical slump in housing sales. Prices have outrun incomes.
The absence of a downturn in the overall economy and the presence of a persistent strong demand for housing, indicates that while the downturn in unit sales could last for some time, it won’t be anywhere near as severe as the last downturn.
One last indicator that we observe is the percentages of all households that are buying homes in each year. Studies we produced for clients suggest that the normal percentage of all households that purchase a home in each year is approximately 4.6 percent. That is very near where we are today. We believe this is a good indicator that we are at a normal level of housing sales now—anything above that signals overheating.
Read the Full Article on Real Trends!
Are you thinking of buying or selling? We are here to help with your real estate goals!
Please visit Why VDB to learn more.


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Consumer Cellular (www.consumercellular.com), the number one rated cellphone service for the fourth consecutive year and exclusive wireless provider for AARP members, today announced it will offer iPhone(R) 5s, the most forward-thinking smartphone in the world, and iPhone 5c, the most colorful iPhone yet, to customers beginning on Friday, December 13. For more information on iPhone, please visit: www.apple.com
Consumer Cellular customers will now have access to the new Apple(R) iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, along with the iPhone 4s. These popular smartphones will be available for use with the carrier’s affordable, flexible voice and data plans.
“We are delighted to pair one of the most advanced, and most popular, smartphones on the market with our no-contract plans and finance programs making the device, and its monthly services, more accessible for many people,” said Consumer Cellular CEO John Marick. “The iPhone’s intuitive usability and sleek design continues to earn new fans and is a perfect fit for our growing boomer and senior customer base.”
The iPhone models will be available for purchase with Consumer Cellular’s popular EasyPay financing program, allowing customers to obtain the latest iPhone models without the full up-front cost. The program works with a simple upfront payment – as low as $50, then the customer pays $25 per month in addition to their normal wireless service bill until the remaining balance of the phone is paid. No interest is charged to the customer throughout this time. iPhone 5s will begin at $150 (16GB), with the iPhone 5c starting at $100 (16GB). The iPhone 4s will start at $50 (8GB). All phones will be available online and through Consumer Cellular’s U.S.-based customer call centers.
For more information about iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c and iPhone 4S or to purchase the phones, please visit www.consumercellular.com or call 1-888-345-5509.
Consumer Cellular/Business Wire


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Industry Leaders Share Insights at ACPN Knowledge Exchange Conference
May 18, 2016—Four industry leaders shared their thoughts on the outlook of the industry with a record 370 people in attendance Tuesday at the 43rd Automotive Content Professionals Network (ACPN) Knowledge Exchange Conference in New Orleans.
Susan Ulrey, executive director of customer service at Tenneco, gave specific good customer service examples that demonstrated how it directly correlates with revenue growth. She explained how product information and technology standards are critical to delivering content that enhances competitive position and confidence.
Mark Seng, global aftermarket practice leader for IHS Automotive driven by Polk, highlighted evolving industry trends and technology changes with his “Five Trends in Five Minutes” talk.
“The aftermarket industry has the expertise, parts and technicians to service this new technology,” said Seng.
Bill Hanvey, president and CEO of the Auto Care Association, reflected on the lessons he learned from more than 30 years in the automotive aftermarket industry and how to create positive customer experiences.
Greg Henslee, president and CEO of O’Reilly Auto Parts, gave an overview of the company, its history, expansion plans, culture and market strategy for both DIY and DIFM customers.
“The keys to our success are our team members and culture,” said Henslee.


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Asus Zenfone 8 mini spotted on BIS ahead of May 12 launch
The Zenfone 8 mini will come with a smaller 5.92-inch OLED display. Here is what to expect from the phone.
Asus is gearing up for the launch of its Zenfone 8 series on May 12. Ahead of the official launch, Asus has already revealed some details of the new series. Also, a bunch of leaks have given more idea about the phones. Now, Zenfone 8 mini, one of the handsets in the new series, has been spotted on BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards).
The listing hints at the imminent launch of the phone. The listing comes after Asus Zenfone 8 Pro (Asus_I007D) and Zenfone 8 mini (Asus_I006D) were spotted online. There is no word on the vanilla Zenfone 8 version.
According to older rumours, Zenfone 8 mini will come with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of built-in storage for the base model. The phone will also be available in an 8GB+128GB model. The company would also offer more variants with 8GB, 12GB and 16GB RAM and 256GB of built-in storage.
The phone will feature a 4,000mAh battery. It will also support 30W fast charging support. The phone is said to feature an OLED 5.92-inch display.
The phone is also said to pack a 64-megapixel primary sensor (Sony IMX686) and a new Sony IMX663 sensor. An older leak said the phone would run on Qualcomm's top-end Snapdragon 888 processor.
As far as Zenfone 8 goes, the phone is rumoured to come with Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor and a 120Hz display. The vanilla and Pro models are said to come with a full HD screen with up to 144Hz refresh rate.


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For the past three years, the media and marketing industry has at last taken some bold and confident steps on the journey towards transparency. The increasingly complex media landscape – particularly the sometimes byzantine digital media trading ecosystem, with multiple links in the transactional chain – is now subject to more intense scrutiny than ever before.
Many voices from across the industry, including some of the world’s biggest advertisers, have urged all parties to take the direct action necessary to hit the transparency reset button. And there are encouraging signs that these calls to action and starting to translate into a more transparent media environment.
At the start of 2019, the trade body for online advertising in the UK launched a new transparency initiative. In January, the IAB UK published a set of 20 frequently asked questions (Transparency FAQs), designed to help brands improve the transparency they get from supply chain vendors such as technology platforms and sellers of inventory. As the IAB said at their launch: “the aim is to equip brands and agencies with the right questions to ask in order to help them understand more about the companies’ business models and provide an indication of their attitude towards transparency.”
Any initiative designed to improve transparency in media trading is to be welcomed, and the IAB’s Transparency FAQs are definitely another step – or set of 20 mini-steps – in the right direction. Or perhaps a right direction. For many of the questions address issues of quality of advertising inventory available to brands, brand safety, industry standards, data privacy and probity.
Where the initiative falls short, however, is what for FirmDecisions is the single most important aspect of transparency: financial transparency. As the trade body that represents vendors, platforms, online publishers, and agencies involved in the transacting of digital media inventory, it is perhaps not surprising that the IAB chose to focus on the quality rather than the transactional aspects of transparency. And yet from our perspective, we believe that brands don’t just need confidence in the quality of media inventory. They also have the right to know what the nature of each relationship in the transactional chain is, who takes what percentage of a total media buy, and what advertisers receive in return for their investment.
Without complete financial transparency, it’s impossible to understand what benefits are passed along the chain, benefits that should – by right – accrue to the advertisers who fund the entire ecosystem. Without complete financial transparency, it’s impossible to know where and how value is eroded along the transactional chain.
So we welcome the initial, if somewhat limited, scope of the IAB’s Transparency FAQs initiative. But to our way of thinking and operating, it would be a whole lot more useful to advertisers if the questions focused on transparency in the round. And that means questions designed to expose financial transparency, not simply the quality of media inventory. Until and unless it expands its scope here too, for us the 20 FAQs represent 20 small steps in one of several right directions.