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Handsets that offer only Wi-Fi connectivity have been a failure, according to the U.K. director of home and office communications devices for Siemens.
Speaking to ZDNet UK on Monday, John Smith said the market for such devices had failed to meet expectations.
Wi-Fi-only mobile phones have been on the market for nearly two years, and are marketed as an easy way to access Internet telephony services such as Skype, wherever there is a Wi-Fi hot spot. However, soft clients for such services are now increasingly available for dual-mode handsets, which combine Wi-Fi connectivity with a cellular radio.
"We hedged our bets as a manufacturer, bringing Wi-Fi-only handsets to the market," Smith said. "I think that category is, let us say, not getting the traction we initially thought it would get."
Smith said the idea of such devices had not been helped by their early iterations, which had involved a "poor user experience," partly because they did not incorporate a browser to easily select and log on to a hot spot.
"Clearly, the price of the silicon and battery life wasn't at a point where it would enable a mass market," Smith said. He also pointed out that such problems did not extend to current dual-mode versions of Wi-Fi handsets.
What Smith did see as a possibility for the future, however, was a handset combining 3G connectivity with CAT-iq functionality. CAT-iq, short for cordless advanced technology for Internet and quality, is the new version of the DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications) standard, the technology used by cordless home phones.
Adding Internet Protocol services to DECT's voice capabilities, the technology can provide high-definition audio alongside comprehensive directory services. It is also being touted as a useful technology for streaming Internet radio in the home, because it operates in the 1.9GHz band rather than the 2.4GHz band cluttered by Wi-Fi and microwave ovens.
"CAT-iq is for the home phone, mainly, but shares the same bandwidth as UMTS (3G), so it may be an enabler for people to create a UMTS/CAT-iq phone in the future," said Smith, who estimated that such products would arrive around 2012.
Smith suggested that CAT-iq phones, despite being geared mainly toward the consumer market, could also find a small business market in those who want the audio quality of high-end audioconferencing systems, but at a lower price and better suited to small offices and home workers.
The first Siemens products to incorporate CAT-iq, including a hybrid phone that can make calls on the traditional phone network along with IP-based calls, and a gateway product combining both CAT-iq and Wi-Fi connectivity, will appear in a few months' time, Smith said.
David Meyer of ZDNet UK reported from London.


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The singer's organization, BeyGOOD, and the NAACP are committed to helping those who have been affected by the pandemic.
Beyoncé continues to help those who have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The singer's BeyGOOD's Black Business Impact Fund teamed up with the NAACP to assist Black-owned small businesses that have directly been impacted by the recent events across the nation.
"Over the last couple of months, the pandemic and outpours for justice throughout the Black community and across the country has been felt in every imaginable area of our lives, including in how our local businesses continue to operate," an official statement reads, in part. "The challenges of Black business owners navigating in the climate cannot be understated, as the effects of uprisings across the nation have led to many businesses being placed in dire straits due to damages and other small business needs."
Grants in the amount of $10,000 will be offered to Black-owned small business to help them sustain their companies and stores during the time.
This isn't the first time Beyoncé has offered a hand to Black-owned businesses. To celebrate Juneteenth, she dropped the empowering track "Black Parade," which also supported Black-owned small businesses in need. On the "Love on Top" singer's website, fans were also redirected to a page with a directory of Black-owned businesses to learn more about.
Presented to her by Michelle Obama, Bey dedicated her award to "all of my brothers out there, all of my sisters out there inspiring me, marching and fighting for change."
"Your voices are being heard, and you are proving to our ancestors that their struggles were not in vain. Now, we have one more thing we need to do to walk in our true power and that is to vote. I'm encouraging you to continue to take action, continue to change and dismantle a racist and unequal system. We have to continue to do this together, continue to fight for each other and lift each other up, because there are people banking on us staying at home during local elections in primaries happening in states across the country," she said. "We have to vote like our life depends on it."
See more in the video below. For more information on how small businesses can get grants, go here.

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What’s the selling price tag for a large automaker’s entire European operations? $ 2 billion, apparently — one billion in money and an additional billion in gained liabilities.
That is the valuation that General Motors and PSA Group are discussing as the American automaker attempts to unload its Opel and Vauxhall divisions, Bloomberg reports.
Sources close to the discussions claim an agreement could be reached as soon as subsequent Thursday. That’s when PSA releases its 2016 earnings report.
However, there’s no shortage of sticking points that could sink the deal. The sources claim issues like pension liabilities, brand worth and savings possible have however to be hammered out.
Germany was shocked to understand of GM’s plans earlier this week, with politicians joining Opel’s performs council and union in expressing concern — bordering on outrage — more than the American company’s failure to seek the advice of them. The sources claim that GM will require to stroll a economic tightrope. On one side, the price has to be low enough for PSA to shake hands, but there also requirements to be expense savings that Germany, Britain and the unions can agree on. A tall order.
Neither nation desires to see any if the assembly plants close, nor drop any of its workforce. Three Opel plants are situated in Germany, whilst Britain hosts two Vauxhall plants.
Whilst an acquisition of Opel/Vauxhall by PSA would assist the companies seize a greater European market share while sharing technology, some merchandise — and the factories in which they’re built — might not have a long lifespan.
“We are prepared to conduct talks with PSA in the case of an acquisition openly and in a constructive manner and to bring those talks to a conclusion as soon as possible,” said Wolfgang Schaefer-Klug, Opel’s top labor representative, stated in a statement these days.
“Our objective need to be to seize the current possibilities to safeguard employment and internet sites to produce a profitable Opel/Vauxhall.”
What the sell-off implies for Buick, which relies heavily on Opel for its U.S. lineup, is up for debate. TTAC, of course, has a handful of ideas.


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Monarch has been plunged into administration, it was confirmed this morning.
A programme to bring 110,000 Monarch customers stranded abroad back to the UK has been launched by the Civil Aviation Authority.
All flights from the UK have been cancelled, accountants KPMG said.
None of the approximately 300,000 future bookings will be rescheduled.
Before its collapse, the travel and package holiday operator put up some of its flight prices from £32 to £132, one report claimed.
It comes after the company was handed a one-day extension to its air travel operator's licence (ATOL) until the end of Sunday.
Passengers were left in limbo about what happens now the deadline has passed, with some claiming they have heard nothing from the airline.
The company also did not respond when asked by Mirror Online what passengers who are due to travel from tomorrow onwards should do.
Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) regulator was understood to have chartered up to 10 aircraft from Gulf airline Qatar.
The regulator is believed to have paid millions of pounds to have the fleet of A320 planes on standby in case Monarch's planes are grounded and passengers are marooned.
Two aircraft are said to have arrived at Stansted on Wednesday, with another eight at Hamad international airport in Doha, Qatar, to help out should Monarch fold.
Martin Lewis, founder of MoneySavingExpert, said: “Without wanting to scaremonger, quite frankly, be extremely wary of booking a standalone Monarch flight today given the current uncertainty.
“If you book a package holiday today, you will at least have ATOL protection. But if you’re booking a flight only, I’d hold off a day until we know more clearly the future of the company – or book elsewhere.
“If Monarch really is your only option and you must book today, make sure you pay with a credit card, so you at least have section 75 and possibly charge-back protection."
And, according to MoneySavingExpert.com , the fact Monarch still has an ATOL means you are legally guaranteed a refund if a company collapses - and will be found an alternative flight home if stranded abroad.
The company's woes have been blamed on rising fuel costs, the weak pound and terror fears.
The crisis comes a year after it turned to its owners, private equity firm Greybull, for a £165million rescue package.
It hopes to rescue its future by entering the more lucrative long-haul flight market.
Passenger Lynda Green, 65, from London, told Mail Online : "My main concern is about getting home. We should be flying tomorrow at 9.55pm and we've had no contact with Monarch yet.
"I have a flight to Dublin on Friday and I might have to buy an easyJet to Stansted and not Luton, where we need to be."
Meanwhile the Independent found Monarch had thousands of seats on routes such as Gatwick to Malaga, Birmingham to Barcelona and Manchester to Stockholm on sale for £32 one-way on Saturday.
But the minimum price for any outbound Monarch flight had risen by £100 this morning.
The benchmark Gatwick to Barcelona route is now £132 with Monarch – four times the fare on rivals easyJet, Norwegian and Vueling, the report found.
The low-cost airline and holiday company previously had a deadline of midnight on September 30 before its ATOL expired.
The CAA regulator said: "We can confirm that ATOL protection will remain available for eligible holiday bookings made with Monarch on Sunday."
This means that holidaymakers can buy ATOL-protected trips from Monarch on Sunday, which will cover them from whatever date in the future their trip takes place.
It is Monarch's second such temporary extension in two years and follows a spotlight being shone on the carrier's finances.
A CAA statement said: "The ATOL renewal process is ongoing and the CAA will conclude the processing of applications from approximately 1,300 ATOL holders in the next 24 hours.
"In certain circumstances this could require a temporary extension to complete this process.
"In line with our usual practice, we will not comment on the specifics of any ATOL holder's application until such time as the process has reached a resolution.
"However, we can confirm that ATOL protection will remain available for eligible holiday bookings made with Monarch on Sunday.
"The CAA will provide a daily update with regard to the protection that is available to Monarch's customers."
Monarch, whose headquarters are at London Luton Airport, was founded in 1968.
It also operates from four other UK bases including London Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds Bradford to more than 40 destinations around Europe and further afield.
The company employs approximately 2,750 predominantly UK based staff, its website states.
UK travel firms selling holidays and flights are required to hold an ATOL, which protects customers with pre-booked holidays from being stranded abroad in the event of circumstances such as the company ceasing to trade.
Monarch said in a statement: "Our flights are operating as scheduled today as we conclude our discussions with the CAA.
"Any changes to the forward schedule will be communicated to all customers."


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The US economy grow at a much faster pace than initially thought in the third quarter, pointing to strengthening fundamentals that should help it weather slowing global demand.
The Commerce Department yesterday raised its estimate of gross domestic product to a 3.9% annual pace from the 3.5% rate reported last month, reflecting upward revisions to business and consumer spending, as well as restocking.
The performance marked the two strongest back-to-back quarters of growth since the second half of 2003 and underscored the economy’s resilience against the backdrop of a recession in Japan and slowing growth in China and the eurozone.
“This report will go some way in providing further confirmation about the sustainability of the current economic recovery,” said Millan Mulraine, deputy chief economist at TD Securities in New York.
Economists had expected growth would be trimmed to a 3.3% pace. When measured from the income side, the economy grew at its fastest pace since the first quarter of 2012.
Other reports yesterday showed consumer confidence hit a five-month low in October, while the pace of house price appreciation moderated further in September.
The third quarter marked the fourth out of the past five quarters that the economy has expanded above a 3.5% pace. Data ranging from manufacturing to employment and retail sales suggest the economy retained some of that momentum early in the fourth quarter.
But given that inventories rose more than previously estimated in the third quarter, businesses might be reluctant to continue restocking at the same pace. As such, fourth-quarter growth is expected to come in below 3%.
Underscoring the economy’s strong fundamentals, growth in domestic demand was raised to a 3.2% pace in the third quarter instead of the previously reported 2.7% pace.
“This is vindication for the Federal Reserve that they downplayed concerns overseas and it’s appropriate to speak about rate hikes next year,” said Christopher Low, chief economist at FTN Financial in New York.
The US central bank is expected to start raising its short-term interest rate sometime in mid-2015. The Fed has kept its benchmark lending rate near zero since December 2008.
Consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of US economic activity, was revised up to a 2.2% pace in the third quarter from the previously reported 1.8%.
Business spending on equipment was raised to a 10.7% rate from 7.2%. While exports grew, the pace was less brisk than previously reported, leaving trade contributing only 0.78% percentage point to GDP growth instead of 1.32 percentage points.
© Irish Examiner Ltd. All rights reserved


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(PRWEB) March 12, 2012
ThreatMetrix™, the fastest-growing provider of integrated cybercrime prevention solutions, announced today that it has been named a finalist for the 2012 Merchant Risk Council Emerging Technology Awards (METAwards) in the “established company” category. The METAwards recognize the most innovative and progressive technologies and solutions specifically designed to help e-commerce merchants better fight online fraud and reduce losses in online payment transactions.
ThreatMetrix was selected for the ThreatMetrix™ Cybercrime Defender Platform, which helps merchants protect customer data and secure transactions against fraud, malware, data breaches, as well as man-in-the browser (MitB) and Trojan attacks. It serves as the first perimeter of defense against fraud and malware.
Award recipients will be announced during the 2012 Merchant Risk Council (MRC) Annual e-Commerce Payment & Risk Conference taking place in Las Vegas from March 27-29. It serves as the industry’s leading event on managing payments, preventing online fraud and promoting secure e-commerce. The METAwards competition will take place from 11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Wednesday, March 28 in the Grand Ballroom at the Wynn Hotel.
In addition to being named a METAward finalist, Peter Liske, vice president of product management, ThreatMetrix, and Stephen Baumer, CTO, GoPro, will be speaking at the MRC Conference. The joint session, held on March 29 at 9 a.m., will cover “Extreme Fraud Fighting on the Edge.” Attendees will learn how GoPro integrated the ThreatMetrix Cybercrime Defender Platform’s device identification and malware detection for enhanced fraud prevention.
“To successfully protect the integrity of online transactions, merchants must determine if a device has been compromised and if the transaction is fraudulent,” said Bert Rankin, vice president of marketing, ThreatMetrix. “This requires sophisticated malware detection and intelligent device identification in a time when cybercrime is a growing threat.” In fact, according to CyberSource, merchants reported losing an estimated $3.4 billion to online fraud in 2011. The same study revealed that device fingerprinting, in particular, is highest on merchants’ “plan to buy” list over the next year.
“We are honored to be recognized by the Merchant Risk Council for contributing an innovative solution that better protects merchants and their customers from cybercrime,” added Rankin.
For more information, visit ThreatMetrix at booth No. 208 at the MRC e-Commerce Payment & Risk Conference. To register for the event, visit the website.
ThreatMetrix is the fastest-growing provider of integrated cybercrime prevention solutions. The ThreatMetrix™ Cybercrime Defender Platform helps companies protect customer data and secure transactions against fraud, malware, data breaches, as well as man-in-the browser (MitB) and Trojan attacks. The Platform consists of advanced cybersecurity technologies, including TrustDefender™ ID, which is cloud-based, real-time device identification, malware protection with TrustDefender™ Cloud and TrustDefender™ Client, as well as TrustDefender™ Mobile for smartphone applications. The company serves a rapidly growing global customer base across a variety of industries, including financial services, e-commerce, payments, social networks, government, and healthcare.
For more information, visit http://www.threatmetrix.com or call 1-408-200-5755.
© 2012 ThreatMetrix. All rights reserved. ThreatMetrix, TrustDefender ID, TrustDefender Cloud, TrustDefender Mobile, TrustDefender Client, the ThreatMetrix Cybercrime Defender Platform, ThreatMetrix Labs, and the ThreatMetrix logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of ThreatMetrix in the United States and other countries. All other brand, service or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies or owners.


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Thursday, October 6, 2011
WD Connects Media Player To Spotify
Irvine-based Western Digital, the developer of disk drives and other electronics products, said today that it has launched a new version of its streaming media player which connects with the Spotify music service. WD said its new WD TV Live streaming media player will offer up direct support for streaming Spotify to users, in addition to streaming Netflix, Hulu Plus, Blockbuster, Pandora, YouTube and other services to a TV. The WD streaming media player uses wireless 802.11n to connect to the Internet. The new Spotify support requires a premium account on the music service, but supports creating playlists and sharing and connecting with friends via their Spotify profiles.


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The smartest insight and analysis, from all perspectives, rounded up from around the web:
Retailers are blaming rampant shoplifting for their shrinking bottom lines, said Hamza Shaban in Yahoo.com. “In waves of earnings calls” last week, major store chains like Dick’s Sporting Goods, Target, Macy’s, Home Depot, and Dollar Tree took pains to mention “the theme of missing merchandise” in hits to their quarterly profits. Videos of brazen smash-and-grab looting operations, sometimes involving hundreds of masked individuals, appear in the news almost weekly, adding to the sense of lawlessness. Retailers lost $94.5 billion in 2021 — nearly double the amount from 2018 — to “inventory shrink,” an industry term that refers to lost or stolen merchandise. More retailers are responding by putting items in locked cases, and even taking often-stolen items out of stores.
These attacks aren’t carried out by small groups of petty criminals, said Steven Malanga in City Journal. There is a sophisticated, illicit infrastructure underpinning this activity that’s all about “reselling stolen items for profit.” The merchandise “is sold by operators online — where they are hard to detect or track down.” Often it winds up on large, anonymous marketplaces like Amazon and eBay. The illegal industry includes “‘cleaners,’ who strip goods of security devices, and money launderers, who process the transactions.” But enabling this behavior are the states that have decriminalized low-level shoplifting under the misconception that most thieves “have turned to stealing to put food on the table.” More than two-thirds of states now treat shoplifting as a misdemeanor if the value boosted is less than $1,000. Retailers aren’t helping when they refer to this problem with jargon like “shrink,” said The Wall Street Journal in an editorial. “Plain language about theft, rather than the euphemism,” would make the public better understand how bad the problem is and build support for “policies that would do something about it.”
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“Shrink” is a purposely vague term, said Gabrielle Fonrouge in CNBC. Companies say repeatedly that “organized theft drove shrink” without explicitly breaking down “how much of the inventory loss is due to crime” or how it has changed over time. Shrink can just as easily be explained by “employee theft, administrative error, and inventory damage.” In fact, internal pilfering has traditionally been the largest contributor to shrink, since retail employees “have access to entire cases of merchandise in backrooms” or warehouses.
But it’s easier to blame gangs of criminals than to admit to having internal challenges or poor hiring practices. Shoplifting hurts more than just profits, said Stacy Torres in the Los Angeles Times. Shopping at Target or the supermarket used to be “my happy place,” but “locked glass cabinets safeguarding merchandise are now ubiquitous.” It’s “demoralizing” to have to ask clerks to retrieve your deodorant. At my local Safeway, you have to enter through an automatic gate rigged with alarms if you try to exit the same way. Companies say these measures are there to make us all feel safer. But to me, they make it “feel like visiting a prison.”


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An all-electric Vauxhall Corsa is coming in 2020
Vauxhall has confirmed the next-generation Corsa – due next year – will feature a fully electrified variant set to roll off production lines at the brand’s plant in Zaragoza, Spain, in 2020.
PSA, which also owns Peugeot, Citroen and DS, took over Vauxhall and its German sister marque Opel in 2017. Late last year, the firm announced the results of a 100-day review of the Opel-Vauxhall business, placing new products and electrification at the heart of its plan for the next decade.
READ NEXT: Best electric cars in the UK
The 2019 Corsa will be the first new product produced by PSA-owned Vauxhall, and will sit on PSA’s CMP platform – a set of chassis parts that will also underpin the likes of the next Peugeot 208 and DS’s new DS 3 Crossback. The plan aims to reduce the number of platforms used by Vauxhall and Opel from the current nine to just two. By rights, these must be the EMP2 chassis that’s used on everything from the Peugeot 308 to the new DS 7 Crossback, and the smaller CMP, which would suit the Corsa.
The CMP platform supports electrification too, paving the way for the all-electric supermini’s arrival at the beginning of the next decade. Our exclusive image previews how it could look.
In addition to confirming the Corsa EV, Vauxhall-Opel has announced that four electrified models will be in the firm’s line-up by 2020, with a view to offering an electrified variant of every model in the range by 2024.
READ NEXT: BMW shows off its Mini Electric Concept car
As such, around the same time as the electric Corsa, Vauxhall is also likely to launch a plug-in hybrid version of its Grandland X – taking advantage of the fact that this model is already based on the EMP2 platform.
This new-model blitz will bring nine new body styles or mid-life facelifts by 2020. PSA also aims to cut the number of engine and gearbox families in the Vauxhall and Opel line-ups from ten to four. “Aligning architecture and powertrain families will substantially reduce development and production complexity, thus allowing scale effects and synergies, contributing to overall profitability,” said the brands’ boss, Michael Lohscheller, last year.
Some Vauxhall models, such as the recently launched Insignia Grand Sport and current Astra, are being hastily revised to take advantage of CO2 emissions gains offered by PSA tech – and because the new owner wants to avoid licence fees it has to pay on every GM-based product it sells.
The current Mokka X is likely to be axed as a result – while the Astra and Insignia could be replaced unusually early, by the turn of the decade. Auto Express understands that a new Insignia is the vehicle in the “D-segment” that the management confirmed for a switch to EMP2, and for production in Russelsheim, in Germany.
READ NEXT: Car scrappage scheme round-up
PSA’s plan also includes a further “EMP2-based SUV planned for 2019”; this will be a seven-seat SUV, in effect a sister car to the Peugeot 5008 and a resurrection of a project that Vauxhall and Opel were working on at the time of the takeover.
PSA’s boss Carlos Tavares has stressed that “tough decisions” will need to be made, but Vauxhall-Opel’s management says it is committed to keeping factories open and avoiding compulsory redundancies. Lohscheller also reiterated his commitment to the Vauxhall badge. “There is clear brand positioning,” the boss explained. “Opel will stay German and Vauxhall will stay British.”


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Swedish furniture and homewares chain Ikea has closed all of its mainland Chinese stores in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
The decision, announced Thursday, came just hours after the company said it would shutter half its 30-strong network in the country.
Ikea China is the latest in a long line of international retail groups to announce a curtailment of activities in the country as the death toll and infections from the Wuhan-centred virus rose rapidly this week.
McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski said the chain has closed “several hundred” stores in Hubei, but outlets in other parts of the country would remain open for now.
On Wednesday, Starbucks said more than 2000 stores would close indefinitely, including its flagship Shanghai Roastery, although delivery services would continue from some of those locations. KFC, Pizza Hut and Haidilao Hotpot were among other restaurant chains to close part of their network.
Tech giant Apple has closed three stores to date: Rainbow City in Nanjing, Tahoe Plaza in Fuzhou, and Vientiane City Qingdao. The company said it would reopen the stores by February 4, however this is likely to depend on further advice from government authorities.
Uniqlo, the Japanese fast-fashion chain, has closed about 100 stores, mainly in Hubei province where Wuhan is situated, its remaining 650 stores in Mainland China continuing to trade at time of writing. Muji has closed about 10 stores in Wuhan’s inner city district.
Some of the Wuhan stores have been closed because staff are unable to travel to work due to travel restrictions imposed by government authorities.
Selected supermarkets are continuing to trade in affected areas of China to allow locals to purchase food and daily essentials, although some suppliers are encountering difficulty delivering products to retailers, due to traffic restrictions and a shortage of staff.
Anne Ling, an equity analyst at Jeffries, says she expects food retailers will be relatively more resilient under the current situation. “Online delivery capability and strong fresh-produce capabilities are highlighted from this incident.”
By retail category, fresh produce like vegetables, meat and cleaning products are selling well, with strong double-digit increase while liquor and beverage sales have declined by double digits as sales are driven by gatherings and events. “Non-food products experienced a substantial decline.”
Ling anticipates landlords will offer tenants rental relief. “Hypermarket chains might also consider rental relief for tenants at their shopping areas.”


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For Danish startup Spiri, It’s self-drive carpooling service promised to get you where you need to be for free if you’re the driver, or at about the price of a bus ticket for passengers.
While other ride-sharing services are seeking to bring costs down in the long-term with the development of autonomous vehicles, Spiri wants to give everyone the convenience of an on-demand car service at a price that allows for everyday use, now. This is where carpooling comes in.
So that its users don’t have to actually own a car themselves, the company will provide low-cost fleets of electric vehicles that can be used by different people and that won’t be left parked up for most of the day.
The Spiri v0.1 has been designed specifically for the carpooling service, with a view to maximizing range, connectivity and passenger comfort, while minimizing cost.
Spiri says the prototype will do 320 km (199 mi) on a single full charge of its 36.5 kWh battery. It seats four people and has wide doors to allow occupants to get in and out easily.
The Spiri prototype was unveiled in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Tuesday. The service is expected to launch in the UK, Germany, Denmark, Norway and Sweden next year.
The video below provides an introduction to Spiri.


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An exclusive WhatMobile source reports that the Realme C11 is soon coming to Pakistan carrying an amazing Oppo mobile price tag. The launch is scheduled on eid before July ends, albeit we don’t have a definitive date yet. Here’s the scoop.
The Realme C11 is a budget-friendly Realme, featuring a revised design language and entry-level specs. Its 6.5” screen stretches from corner to corner, with a notch carved into it, delivers an HD+ resolution, and reaches 88.7% in screen-to-body ratio.
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Realme Price in Pakistan
Flip the new Realme over to find a geometric design that comes in Mint Green and Pepper Grey. The C11 build doesn’t have fingerprint support, but you can secure your phone with ‘Face Unlock’.
Pop the hood, and you’ll be greeted by MediaTek’s Helio G35 processor and a massive 5,000 mAh battery. C11 doubles as a battery bank thanks to the Realme reverse charging support and can last you as much as 12 hours of continuous gaming. C11 would be the first phone in Pakistan to feature this new chipset from MediaTek. And Realme promises better performance compared to other processors in this bracket. It has a 64-bit octa-core CPU and a 12nm wafer baked into it.
The dual camera of Realme C11 is bound inside a squircle housing, and it uses a 13MP main sensor combined with a 2MP portrait lens. The front camera is an AI-powered 5MP module. While the aperture is far from ideal, the dedicated ‘Super Nightscape Mode’ when toggled on can produce improved low-light shots.
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Realme C11 Price in Pakistan & Specs
It comes with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of native storage (expandable up to 256GB thanks to the 3-card slot. Realme ships the C11 with the realmeUI onboard, and it’s expected to start at Rs. 19,999.


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We reported that Yahoo! Search Marketing (fka Overture) had been hit with technical troubles affecting advertisers' access to accounts
We reported that Yahoo! Search Marketing (fka Overture) had been hit with technical troubles affecting advertisers' access to accounts. Now, some are talking about the repercussions. We've seen message board posts -- such as Discovery's on the Search Engine Watch forum -- and received e-mails from folks who made changes to their accounts, or turned off their accounts, on the Friday before the weekend snafu. Discovery said the problem resulted in his account being over budget by $12K, while an e-mail correspondent told ClickZ he was charged $549.59 in a week in which his account was supposedly turned off. I'd hate to be a Yahoo! Search Marketing representative right about now...
UPDATE: sebastian at SEW's forum posts an annotated version of YSM's apology letter to advertisers.
On the heels of a fantastic event in New York City, ClickZ Live is taking the fun and learning to Toronto, June 23-25. With over 15 years' experience delivering industry-leading events, ClickZ Live offers an action-packed, educationally-focused agenda covering all aspects of digital marketing. Register today!
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Pamela Parker is a former managing editor of ClickZ News, Features, and Experts. She's been covering interactive advertising and marketing since the boom days of 1999, chronicling the dot-com crash and the subsequent rise of the medium. Before working at ClickZ, Parker was associate editor at @NY, a pioneering Web site and e-mail newsletter covering New York new media start-ups. Parker received a master's degree in journalism, with a concentration in new media, from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism.
Gartner Magic Quadrant for Digital Commerce
This Magic Quadrant examines leading digital commerce platforms that enable organizations to build digital commerce sites. These commerce platforms facilitate purchasing transactions over the Web, and support the creation and continuing development of an online relationship with a consumer.
Paid Search in the Mobile Era
Google reports that paid search ads are currently driving 40+ million calls per month. Cost per click is increasing, paid search budgets are growing, and mobile continues to dominate. It's time to revamp old search strategies, reimagine stale best practices, and add new layers data to your analytics.
June 10, 2015
12:00pm ET/9:00am PT


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In a recent item on the TechTarget website1, CA’s head of Corporate Strategy and Development inferred that the mainframe is a “slow growth market” and that CA was struggling to see how innovation could drive further growth for them – acknowledging that this was despite the fact that “…. it (the mainframe) was strategic to our largest customers”.
Does BMC share that view?
Those people who know me, understand that I am passionate about the mainframe – and so is BMC.
Last week, for example, we ran executive briefings in both Paris and Frankfurt explaining to some of OUR largest customers (who also believe the mainframe to be strategic) not only WHERE we are innovating, but WHY.
Yes, that’s right – we ARE innovating on the mainframe platform. For as long as businesses recognize the strengths of the mainframe, BMC will be there to support them – inventing new solutions to address new problems and enable new opportunities in this new Digital Age.
Whether this is software like Cost Analyzer for z/OS, or Subsystem Optimizer, that were developed to address the very real concerns that businesses had about the running costs of their mainframe estate; or, our Next Generation technology tools for Db2 that have turned the understandings of Db2 housekeeping on its head.
BMC is still being granted patents on its z/OS tools portfolio, averaging about one new patent EVERY month for the last three years – underscoring our belief that not everything needed to support the mainframes running some of the world’s biggest businesses has been invented yet.
Before I finish, there was one comment in this article, from Ayman Sayed, CA’s Co-President and Chief Product Officer where he said “There is nothing stronger than pitching something that shows a customer you are in the same boat as they are. It demonstrates you have a deeper appreciation for what they are going through“. I’m not at all sure our customers are looking for empathy. In my mind, there is nothing stronger than pitching solutions that demonstrate our continued innovation to unlock new business potential from of the technology that our customers are relying on.
If the mainframe is central to YOUR business success, you need to work with someone who is passionate about the platform and seeks to innovate wherever it makes sense. In short, someone like BMC Software.


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Launched back in November 2012, the Nokia Lumia 920 has sold millions of units, picked up several awards and gained widespread acclaim from critics. After a couple of years of struggling to compete with rival manufacturers, the device has helped the Finland based mobile phone giant make its way back to the top of the market, and once again become a dominant brands. Nokia recently launched another high end device, the Lumia 925, but it looks like the company also has another impressive handset in the pipeline.
A device called the Nokia EOS has been widely rumoured during the last few months, and is expected to be one of the most advanced camera phones to hit the market. It is thought that the phone will incorporate a 41 megapixel PureView sensor, like that utilised on Nokia's impressive PureView 808 model.
Nokia is yet to officially announce the EOS, but in recent
weeks a number of leaked images of the phone have been posted online. Pocket Now
has recently reported on some of the latest, and the images show a handset
which sports an almost identical design to the Nokia Lumia 920. It shares the
same basic design and simple form factor and slim profile, but unfortunately
the images only show the handset from the front. However, other recently posted
images do show the back of the handset, and as expected it sports a heavily
upgraded camera. Visit our website to find out more about the Nokia EOS.
Alongside its advanced camera features, the Nokia EOS is also expected to include a dual-core processor, ClearBlack display and of course Windows Phone operating system, despite the fact it may not be part of Nokia's Lumia line up.
With the Nokia Lumia 925 scheduled to be released in the UK
towards the end of June, with is more than likely that the Nokia EOS will be
officially announced by the manufacturer in the near future. More information about
its features and availability is sure to be revealed in coming weeks, so as
soon as we hear more, we will be sure to keep you updated, and compare the best Nokia Lumia 920 contract deals on our website.


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Take a deep dive into the social media trends of 2023
Social media is the universe of trends, hacks, influencers, cute pets, and funny content. We are all active in this community and are part of a numbers game regarding likes, engagement, and comments, whether you favour TikTok or prefer Instagram.
Since the early 90s, we have been exposed to social media platforms like the pioneering Six Degrees. Over time, platforms have developed to serve a variety of objectives and niches.
This trend hasn’t let us, and, as a result, we saw the evolution of several social media-related developments throughout last year.
Changes in the social media scene in 2022
2022 was a rather abnormal year, as we all expected technology to develop more to improve our social media channels. We expected to see stability, but what we got was far from stable.
Facebook changed its name to Meta, transforming the brand into a holding company that oversees various digital services, including Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and others. Soon after the transition, Meta recorded a record loss in its user base and revenue.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk played a game of cat and mouse with Twitter, ultimately being forced to enter into a deal of his own making. But, of course, we all know how his acquisition has turned out and the turmoil it has put the company and its users through.
Even new players haven’t had it easy. Be.Real, a new social networking platform for capturing life has been criticised for allowing anybody to see your location. Despite this, and perhaps thanks the TikTok’s emergence, the app has maintained its appeal via short-form content.
Speaking of short-form material, the clear winner of recent social media wars is TikTok, with many other platforms observing and copying the success of the Chinese-based social network. Instagram and Facebook are notable examples, with Twitter announcing a similar feature in the pipeline.
Instagram, however, suffered the most significant damage due to this transition. The platform lost its photo-centric emphasis and no longer allows users to choose between video and photo-based content. Will a loss of focus damage it in the long run? Time will tell.
How will social media unfold in 2023?
Now 2023 and the year ahead. How should brands be using social media following the changes of 2022 and likely changes that will take place this year? Here is our guide for social media strategy in 2023.
Brand authenticity and social responsibility
Social responsibility and brand authenticity discussions are not new. However, companies continue to face increasing demand to demonstrate how they give back to society and whose ideals they support. If brands take a public stand on different values, behaviours, and speeches, they will be ‘approved’ by the general public and have a better image.
In this process, brands shouldn’t forget to be transparent about their process and why they choose to go in a particular direction. Advocating for different causes will put your brand in the spotlight, but you must be careful what you do with this newly won attention.
Multi-sensory social media
Instagram recently launched a feature that allows users to add music to still images; meanwhile, Twitter all but killed off the surprise hit app, Clubhouse, by introducing ‘Spaces’ – a live audio chat feature within the native app.
These audio-based tools should be used heavily by brands in 2023. An immersive omnichannel of content formats will catch people’s attention. With few other brands making full use of these features, there is still time to benefit from the halo effect of early adoption.
Multi-sensory features are being pushed to the limit by TikTok, which is quickly incorporating elements from other social media platforms into its existing app. It has adopted Be. Real’s concept, Instagram’s carousel, and many more. Their goal is clear: to have one app to access all content.
This can easily be used in your brand’s favour since it allows you to reuse the content in different forms, helping you test the best way to engage with your build community through other formats and styles and analysing the impact achieved on various channels. Who doesn’t love a little A/B testing?!
Short-form video content is currently king, and it looks like its reign it is only starting. We have seen famous YouTube creators giving up and focusing on new apps like TikTok and Instagram with short-form content.
This is all down to the number of hours people spend on the platforms, with more time spent on such platforms, despite the shorter format. So brands should take note and make the exact change.
Social media for customer service
Whether you’re a B2C or B2B brand, your customers are already using social media, so providing help via social channels is a fantastic approach to enhance customer service. Yes, even for B2B (have you seen LinkedIn lately?!)
Social platforms are well set up for customer service solutions, with the likes of Meta and LinkedIn allowing users to message brands directly. You can take this a step further with automated responses and chatbots.
By responding to customer requests on social media, other potential customers see you are an accountable and supportive brand. Conversely, those who neglect customer service will negatively impact their reputation.
Social media overtakes search engines
Social media content is rising the ranks on search engines, with short-form video content performing exceptionally well and being delivered above traditional websites.
Not only that, but customers are choosing to search for information on social channels directly, avoiding search engines altogether. So, your social media strategy should mimic SEO, looking for likely searches and questions and creating content to answer these.
We’re here to help
Social media is an ever-evolving scene; the day-to-day users drive the trends; brands must keep up and deliver content that matches the users’ needs. It can feel overwhelming for brands, who unsurprisingly have more red tape than the average social media user for what content they can put out.
Our advice: don’t try to tackle all the trends at once. Instead, consider your audience, your brand goals, and what is realistic, and take it from there. And if you need extra support, feel free to get in touch to hear about our content services. We’d be happy to help.


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Austin’s Bigcommerce Raises $50M to Expand Platform, Markets
E-retail software maker Bigcommerce announced Wednesday that it has raised $50 million in a Series C round.
The Austin, TX-based company sells e-commerce software to small businesses. It’s in the middle of a growth streak, and the new funding will enable Bigcommerce to boost research and development and sales and marketing efforts to expand into new markets, the company said.
SoftBank Capital led the round, with investments from Telstra Ventures, American Express, and returning investors General Catalyst and Revolution Growth. The new capital brings the company’s total fundraising so far to $125 million.
Eddie Machaalani, Bigcommerce’s co-founder and CEO, said the SoftBank investment, in particular, will help with the company’s growth strategy in Asia. SoftBank Capital is the investment arm of SoftBank, the Japanese telecom giant that owns about a third of Alibaba Group, making it the largest shareholder of the Chinese e-commerce giant.
“Now that we have a very strong U.S. presence, the question is what can we do to solidify our ability to expand internationally as well,” Machaalani said in a statement. “We think we can learn a lot from Alibaba.”
Machaalani also said that Telstra Ventures, which is the investment arm of Telstra, Australia’s largest telecom, will help the company further expand in that continent, which is where Bigcommerce was founded.
Bigcommerce rattled Austin’s tech community this past summer because of its “Donut Settle For Less” guerrilla recruiting campaign that targeted employees at competitors such as Outbound Engine and Main Street Hub. Bigcommerce employees, including one dressed in a doughnut costume, staked out the companies, handing out fliers that touted working at Bigcommerce.
Other members of the tech community, including Capital Factory founder Joshua Baer derided the campaign as overly aggressive and not in line with what he and others say is Austin’s more collaborative ethos.


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Ashley Graham responded to an Instagram follower who said they 'hate' how she referred to herself as a 'big girl'
Ashley Graham called herself "nakie big girl" in her latest selfie and encouraged a fan in the comments section to "look at 'big' as a positive.'"
Kat Dennings says she 'looked exactly like' Billie Eilish at her age, tells body-shamers to 'f--- right off'
The 18-year-old singer is usually known for her trademark baggy, streetwear style, which fans have celebrated for challenging industry conventions.
TikTok bans advertisements for weight loss products amid concerns they contribute to a culture of 'body shaming'
TikTok announced on Wednesday a ban on ads promoting weight loss products and fasting apps to create a more inclusive environment.
The latest addition to the duet chain, added by influencer Sienna Gomez, has now been viewed 18.4 million times.
The body-shaming Chadwick Boseman experienced is a reminder to think twice before commenting on a celebrity's weight loss
Chadwick Boseman was mocked online for his weight loss related to cancer, showing how harmful online comments about weight can be.
Lizzo has become an icon in the last few years, as much for her focus on self-confidence as for her music.
A designer who hand-knitted Lizzo's rainbow outfit for an NYC Pride concert recalled how the star brought it to life
Grace Insogna made a technicolor outfit for their senior thesis, and it caught Lizzo's attention. The star then wore it at a Pride concert in 2018.
2 friends are sharing TikTok videos that show how the same outfit looks on their different body types
Denise Mercedes and Maria Castellanos started a series called #StyleNotSize to show how the same clothing looks great on different body types.
"Next time you want to come to somebody and judge them, whether they work out or don't work out, how about you look at your own f---ing self?"
This influencer's photos show the reality of life with IBS, from extreme belly bloating to flare-up friendly outfits
Lottie Drynan told Insider some of the misconceptions people hold about IBS, explaining that it's not all down to diet and triggers are personal.
A plus-sized woman criticized slimmer influencers for 'taking up too much space' in the body positivity sphere, and it sparked a huge debate
Raffela Mancuso said slim influencers "are making big bucks from brand deals," but she and others "living in more marginalized bodies" are not.
Eilish shared the short film "Not My Responsibility," which she originally unveiled at a March concert, on YouTube and social media.
Meet Hayley Madigan, the body positive fitness influencer showing that even the fittest, strongest bodies have cellulite too
Hayley Madigan lost her period after bodybuilding saw her develop an obsession with staying lean. She now helps others get stronger and healthier.
The fittest woman in the world struggled to love her body when she first started gaining muscle — here's how she learned to embrace her strong physique
Tia-Clair Toomey told Insider that she would regularly break down crying when she first started developing her muscles, but now she loves her body.
A journalist is exposing the ridiculous ways influencers contort their bodies to completely change how they look in Instagram photos
Danae Mercer shows how tricks such as changing the lighting, pushing the hips back, and standing on tiptoe can make bodies look completely different.
The supermodel is being applauded for recent Instagram photos where she celebrates her body and sheds light on the realities of post-pregnancy life.
Ashley Graham is getting honest about her postpartum body on Instagram, posting photos of her stretch marks and disposable underwear
"No one talks about the recovery and healing (yes even the messy parts) new moms go through," the new mother wrote on Instagram.
Lizzo said she's come to terms with 'body dysmorphia,' a condition where you're preoccupied with an imagined flaw
Lizzo is featured in the latest Rolling Stone, where she discussed the body positive movement and her desire for fans to focus on her music.
Lizzo wants people to focus on her music more than her body: 'I've come to terms with body dysmorphia and evolved'
The "Truth Hurts" singer recently sparked a debate about health and fatphobia when Jillian Michaels publicly criticized her weight.
Jillian Michaels said 'it isn't going to be awesome' if Lizzo gets diabetes, and people are slamming her for fat-shaming
Lizzo fans and Michaels critics have taken to Twitter, saying that you can't judge anyone's health based on their size and appearance.


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The Lusaka City Council (LCC) has banned Chinese from conducting retail business in poultry and vegetables at the New Soweto Market. LCC director of housing and social services Danny Chibinda said the decision was made following complaints from local traders that the Chinese were selling the same commodities at a lower price than them.
Mr Chibanda told the Parliamentary Committee on the National Economy, Trade and Labour Matters which visited the market on Saturday to validate claims that the Chinese are dealing in retail and wholesale businesses at the expense of the traders. “We don’t allow Chinese traders in the market. But there are also some elements of some of our people who are dealing in goods we do not allow,” he said. And Zambia National Marketeers Credit Association president Mupila Kameya said the Chinese should not be allowed to sell finished products.
Mr Kameya said while the Chinese are good at manufacturing, they should be restricted so that Zambians also take part in the production process. And committee chairperson Situmbeko Musokotwane said the committee will present the concerns raised to Parliament to ensure fair trade between the local people and foreigners. Dr Musokotwane said China is the world’s second largest economy which most developing countries cannot do without. He said there is need to come up with a solution that will make trading beneficial to both parties.
“China is the number two economy in the world, and we cannot do without it. The issues market traders raised are on the need to ensure Zambia and China benefit,” Dr Musokotwane said. The committee was also informed that LCC is investigating reports that some Zambians sell products on behalf of the Chinese in the market


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Final Fantasy Director Discusses FFVII Remake
In an interview with Eurogamer, Final Fantasy producer Yoshinori Kitase discussed the possibility of a remake of Final Fantasy VII.
While being interviewed for the recently released Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, Kitase, who was the director of Final Fantasy VII, was asked if it was time to give up hope on ever seeing a remake of the classic RPG.
“I can honestly tell you I would love to do that,” Kitase said. “If you simply ask me if I personally would like to do that, yes I would. Definitely. There’s no lie about it. But you must believe me when I say it would take a lot to happen.”
Kitase cited staff availability and budget as detrimental factors to a remake ever seeing the light of day, but also claimed that he didn’t necessarily have the motivation to spearhead such a huge undertaking.
“Even if I casually say I would like to do that, because it would be a huge project I would have to motivate myself to the level that I really am prepared to take on this huge responsibility,” says Kitase.
“I don’t know if those three things will happen simultaneously. It has to tick lots of very big boxes. I won’t rule out the possibility, but it would take a lot to make it happen.
“But should I ever take it on, it would have to be the biggest project I’ve done. My life work. So I would have to be as highly motivated as that to end up with something I’m very happy with. It’s a huge thing for me.”
Fans of the long-running RPG series have been asking for an HD remake of Final Fantasy VII since Square-Enix showed off a tech demo for the PS3 at Sony’s E3 2005 press conference.
In recent years former Square-Enix CEO Yoichi Wada said the company didn’t want to remake VII until they created a game that surpassed it, what is widely considered to be the highest point in the franchise, in quality.
Most recently Square-Enix released the final installment in the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy. Check out our thoughts on what the completion of the trilogy means for the series moving forward here.


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The US Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards card has brought back its popular promotion for an increased signup bonus tied to Team USA’s performance in the Winter Olympics. This offer is currently only available in-branch, but will likely be offered online as well in the coming days. The Offer 25,000 FlexPerks points after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months Additional bonus points for each medal won in the 2018 Winter Olympics by Team USA…
The post Increased signup bonus: 25K FlexPerks + Winter Olympics medals bonus appeared first on Frequent Miler.
US Bank is partnering with the US Olympic Team to offer an additional signup bonus based on the number of medals the US Olympic Team earns at Rio. Currently it looks like you can get nearly 13,000 bonus FlexPoints
First, a reminder: Thanks to their Olympics promo, the US Bank personal and business FlexPerks Travel Rewards Visa cards currently have sweet signup bonuses: Each card offers a total of 34,500 FlexPoints after $2,000 spend (the usua...
The U.S. Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards credit card has an increased signup bonus that’s showing up when you check for pre-qualified offers. There's two different offers that are showing up, with different spending requirement.
Earn a one–time 25,000 bonus FlexPoints for a new FlexPerks Travel Rewards Visa Signature card plus Bonus FlexPoints for every medal Team USA wins at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018


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Cab search and booking platform Cabsguru has raised funds from Prashanth Ranganathan, founder and CEO of Paysense and former head of product, APAC for PayPal. Event planning platform BookEventz, formerly known as Urbanrestro.com, has raised an undisclosed amount in a second funding round led by Mumbai Angels.
Cabsguru secures funding from Prashanth Ranganathan
Cab search and booking platform Cabsguru has raised an undisclosed amount in an angel funding round led by Prashanth Ranganathan, founder and CEO of Paysense and former head of product, APAC for PayPal, according to a statement.
The fresh funds will be used by Cabsguru, run by Nohup Technologies Pvt Ltd, to further strengthen its product, the statement said.
The company is also in the process of building a cross-vertical data gathering and analytics engine that is being designed to predict the Indian user’s impulsive preference of road travel across multiple verticals including bike taxis, self-drive cars and cab offerings from various cab providers. On Monday, Cabsguru also launched a multiple cab operator, cab search and booking bot called Robocab.
“The idea of Robocab came to life after going through the same problem on a daily basis. Robocab ensures that Cabsguru users don’t have to sit and keep juggling between different cab apps during rush hours until they find a cab. Robocab handles this for the users based on their pre-defined preference of time, cab operator, cab type and surge pricing,” said Pulkit Ahuja, co-founder of Cabsguru.
Founded in 2014 by Ahuja and Vikash Singh, Cabsguru has expanded itself to 75 cities so far. It claims to be the only third party app that is providing end users with the complete end to end ecosystem starting from a single search for multiple cab providers like Ola, Taxi For Sure, Meru, and Easy Cabs to the booking, tracking and rating of cabs of these cab aggregators directly from the Cabsguru app.
BookEventz gets funds from Singapore, Mumbai Angels
Others who participated in the round include Singapore Angel Network and serial investor Zishaan Hayath.
The fresh funds will be used to bolster the technology backend and an aggressive marketing campaign for the portal, the statement said. The company’s focus will be on building products to make the whole booking process seamless for the users and to expand service offerings.
BookEventz was founded in 2012 by Shriti Chhajed, an engineer and MBA from SP Jain, along with Harsh Baid, an IIT-Bombay and IIM-Lucknow alumnus. This is the first institutional funding for BookEventz, after being established from personally invested money of the founder, Harsh Baid and few friends and family members.
Currently, BookEventz has over 2000 vendors listed with it across 11 cities. The website claims to have served 2000 customers last month and made over 100 bookings. By Jul 2016, the platform aims to achieve monthly 20,000 customers bookings.


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Bed retailer Dreams is supporting the electricity safety charity, Electrical Safety First, with a donation of 150 electric blankets to replace unsafe models belonging to the public.
Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards Service, with funding from Electrical Safety First, will be safety testing electric blankets between 10am and 3pm on Monday 27th February at the Fairfield Centre, Leatherhead and on Tuesday 28th February at St Mary’s Community Centre, Byfleet. Members of the public are invited to bring their electric blankets for inspection, with any found to be unsafe replaced free of charge.
This initiative comes as homeowners are increasingly relying on electric blankets to mitigate the impact of increasing heating costs. In a recent investigation, consumer champion group Which? tested electric blankets bought from online marketplaces and found 80% can’t be legally sold in the UK while 70% were poorly made and 27% posed electric shock risk.
Dreams’ support of this activity forms part of its Force for Good strategy, which aims to generate a positive impact on colleagues, communities, and the planet. It also speaks to Dreams’ People-First Culture that empowers colleagues and communities to look after one another.
Alex Woods, Head of Risk, Health & Safety at Dreams, said: “We know that due to the cost-of-living crisis an increasing number of households are turning to electric blankets to help keep heating costs down during the colder months. Safety is so important, and that’s why we are supporting Electrical Safety First to ensure that households relying on electric blankets this winter can do so with peace of mind. We’re grateful to Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards Service for facilitating this initiative and providing us with an opportunity to support our customers and their communities.”


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KUALA LUMPUR: A former senior sales manager at a telecommunications company was not constructively dismissed by his employer four years ago, the Industrial Court has ruled.
Instead, Jerald Wong Thai Hian, 39, “walked out of his employment” after his employer, ICE Mobile Sdn Bhd, took him to task for his poor sales performance record, the court found.
In a 37-page written award published this week, court chairman Sarojini Kandasamy chastised Wong for blaming his poor sales numbers on the company’s technology platform, which he claimed was unable to cope with the demands of his customers.
“I find that throughout this hearing, this is generally the claimant’s excuse to account for his lacklustre sales performance,” said Sarojini.
“However, based on evidence, the same technology platform did not affect the performance of the rest of the sales team.”
Sarojini said Wong was well aware that his poor performance had been the subject of scrutiny by the company’s ex-CEO Bala Balamurali since 2011.
In 2012, Wong even apologised in writing to Bala for his poor sales figures. In response, he was told that his performance was being watched closely, the court noted.
Despite this, the court found that Wong only achieved 28% of his sales target the following year.
Reacting to current CEO Suresh Kumar’s testimony that Wong only achieved 42% of his sales target in 2014, Sarojini noted that Wong’s performance was “substantially below the overall achievement by the sales team” which stood at 76% of the company’s sales budget.
“His performance was even more stark because the sales team as a whole exceeded the company’s sales projection for Q1 of 2015,” she added.
The court said when Suresh confronted Wong about his poor sales record in May 2015, Wong volunteered to resign provided that he received monetary compensation.
The company declined to pay, and his services were terminated eight days later.
However, barely a week into his notice period of three months, Wong claimed that he had been constructively dismissed.
“In my considered view, the company had reasonable grounds supported by cogent and concrete evidence upon which to issue the letter of termination,” Sarojini wrote.
She also questioned Wong’s choice of attire at a meeting with the CEO on May 27 for which he came dressed “in slippers, a pair of dirty shorts and an old T-shirt”.
“He was aware that he must be properly attired and exhibit proper decorum as that befitting a senior manager,” she said.
She said Wong’s action showed “utter disrespect for Suresh by being insubordinate and defiant” in the presence of a superior.
She also said the claim of forced resignation was an “afterthought”, adding that Wong’s refusal to return to work was insubordination and a breach of his employment contract.


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As of today (April 13, 2014), you can still find MalwareBytes Anti-Malware Pro
Malwarebytes has just released their new MalwareBytes Anti-Malware Premium, a major upgrade to its MalwareBytes Anti-Malware Pro program.
The user interface is much improved and more easily understandable (and more modern — but not "Modern" like Windows 8, thank goodness!).
I was very pleased to see that this was a free upgrade from MalwareBytes Anti-Malware Pro, and that my "Pro" lifetime license continues to apply to it. Otherwise, the new Premium version is now an annual subscription product, as are most security programs.
As of today (April 5, 2014), this vendor still has copies of MalwareBytes Anti-Malware Pro


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On Oct. last year, we learned that Windows 10 has stopped growing. During a recent conference call on Microsoft's financial results, Chief Financial Officer Amy Hood gave a very interesting explanation for the decline in sales of Windows OEM licenses. In summary, the chief financial officer of Microsoft accused Intel of the situation, of course, not directly. More specifically, the financial director of Microsoft linked the deterioration of Windows sales, the current shortage of Intel processors, which we have already written many times and with which Intel only expects to finish before the end of December, # 39; any.
"Speaking [падении продаж] Windows, global PC shipments were lower than we expected, mainly due to [долгих] The delivery of chips to our OEM partners, which prevented a generally healthy PC ecosystem and negatively affected revenues from licensing sales in OEM Pro and non Pro segments, said Amy Hood. – OEM Pro revenues decreased by 2%, which corresponds to the reduction of the commercial PC market. The original revenues of the non-productive equipment fell 11%, which is below the market level due to the continuous decrease in the demand for the budget segment. "
The drop in sales of Windows OEM licenses, in turn, reduces the revenues from sales of licenses for the Microsoft Office suite in the consumer segment. And although More Personal Computing, according to the results of the last quarter, managed to increase revenues by 7% (up to $ 13 billion), the main merit is in the line of surface devices, the whose income grew 39% (up to $ 1.86 billion), as well as the direction of the game.


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Springfield's only hookah lounge just got a lot bigger
When Chris Slater opened The Albatross hookah lounge in Sept. 2009, it was tucked into a nook next door to Jimmy John's on Walnut Street.
"We knew pretty early in our business that we'd need a bigger space," he said. With only 1,700 square feet in the Robert E. Smith Building, much of it unusable hallways, the tobacco enthusiast shop didn't have room to grow.
On April 18, Springfield's only hookah lounge — grandfathered in with a 2012 exemption to a voter-approved city smoking ban in public places — moved down the road to 406 W. Walnut St.
In the mid-2000s, the storefront served as the first location where Moxie Cinema operated.
Today, the space looks completely different. The new lounge has high ceilings, hanging lamps, lots of natural light and bench-style seating. It's about double the size of the original Albatross, Slater said, not counting a new tobacco shop connected to the lounge.
With the help of Encore Gallery designer Jim Faulkner, Slater created a retail space designed to look more like 1916 than 2016, with fixtures made from reclaimed wood, a grand old chandelier, antiques, even a rolling library-style ladder.
There, Slater sells "high-end tobacco products from all over the world," including cigarettes without additives, pipe tobacco, shisha (the flavored tobacco used in hookah pipes), along with hookahs and pipes. A walk-in humidor holds cigars.
"For us, tobacco is a luxury, not a lifestyle," Slater said. He compares the risks associated with smoking to those with alcohol or sugary soda.
The retail shop, a non-smoking space, opens at 10 a.m. Monday-Saturday, with the lounge side of the business opening at noon. Customers can buy something in the shop and smoke it in the lounge. Both sides of The Albatross close at 1 a.m.
Slater said The Albatross plans to sell coffee, tea and juice soon, but for now the place is BYOB — which includes alcoholic beverages. He said the company has a consumption license.
In a nod to the space's Moxie past, Slater said he plans to add a projector screen to play old episodes of "The Twlight Zone" and "Doctor Who," along with events like board-game nights.
406 W. Walnut St., 417-862-2522
Search "The Albatross Hookah Lounge" on Facebook


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Macy's West, a division of Federated Department Stores, has converted 23 Bullock's locations, including 14 stores in Los Angeles County, to the Macy's name.
That makes Macy's the largest retailer in the West, with 98 stores in six states with a combined $3.7 billion in annual revenue.
The TV, radio and print effort will include surrealistic TV spots from Citron Haligman Bedecarre, San Francisco, themed "Macy's, everything you love about shopping."
CLOTHING, HOUSEWARES IN SPOTS
The spots show housewares in an art gallery setting, and famous name labels including Polo and Tommy Hilfiger, as well as Macy's own private-label brands.
The campaign also includes Hispanic versions of the TV and radio spots.
Federated's Bloomingdale's chain will also open its first four southern California stores this year.
Macy's won't be able to march through southern California without resistance, however.
MAY REMODELS, EXPANDS
May Department Stores Co. has begun a $2 billion remodeling plan on its 70 stores, including 46 Robinsons-May stores, and plans to add more stores in fast-growing San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
"They'll be slugging it out with the May Co., which is no easy task," said Alan G. Millstein, publisher of Fashion Network Report.
May "has very sharp prices and very sophisticated marketing and merchandising expertise," he said. "It's going to be a boom for the local media."


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C Space Storyteller: P&G
As consumer expectations evolve, companies are building purpose strategies. P&G Chief Brand Officer Marc Pritchard shares how P&G is reinventing brands from being all about themselves to being a force for good and for growth.
For "how are brands"
CES 2020: Thriving on the Business of Consumer Technology
At CES 2020, companies built their brands, launched products and formed partnerships. Exhibitors large and small showed how CES transcends the traditional tech industry. CES showed that technology is changing our lives for the better.
Data: A Marketer's Best Friend
How can advertisers reach consumers in the age of binge-watching? Hulu's Jeremy Helfand explains how the brand is catering to loyal watchers.
The Hidden Diversity Dividend
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Leading companies from Ukraine representing the tourism and hospitality sectors will be showcasing industry expertise at the three-day Hospitality Qatar, which opens Tuesday at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre (DECC).
This was revealed by Dr Olga Revina, the founder and chairperson of the Qatar-Ukraine Business Forum (QUBF), who said two major Ukrainian travel operators and 11 companies from different hospitality-related sectors are seeking to network with their Qatari counterparts during the exhibition.
“This is the first time that Ukraine is participating in Hospitality Qatar and our companies are very keen and looking forward to meet with potential partners in the country. The QUBF will also host a session that introduces the incentives offered by Qatar to the delegates,” Revina told Gulf Times.
Since it was officially licensed with the Qatar Financial Centre Authority in 2018, Revina said the QUBF has been working to facilitate bilateral, sustainable partnerships across all industries via trade and investment, and the transferring of innovations and technology, as well as sharing knowledge and expertise for the benefit of all stakeholders.
“QUBF has affiliated partners in Ukraine to consolidate professional efforts for exploring mutually-beneficial opportunities to fuel economic interactions. QUBF set up a socially-integrated vision to become a highly-reputed business council for making an essential contribution in enhancing economic ties between Qatar and Ukraine.
“Having profound knowledge and acting in line with global tendencies, QUBF’s founders have elaborated programmes to promote the latest trends, world-class expertise, and innovations to increase the speed of Qatar-Ukraine partnerships, in collaboration with the key organisations in both countries. With the close support of the Ukraine Embassy in Qatar, the QUBF acts as a unique channel for privileged dialogue between Qatar and Ukraine business communities and other institutions,” Revina stressed.
Aside from the hospitality sector, Revina said Ukraine is also seeking joint partnerships in other sectors, such as agriculture, food production, machine building, advanced IT solutions, cybersecurity, fashion, renewable energy, health, and Fintech, among others.
“Ukraine is known as an agricultural country, but we are also quite advanced in a wide range of sectors. Ukraine can offer Qatar so many competitive products. The QUBF also understands the need to create more awareness of the strengths and opportunities available in Qatar and Ukraine, which is why we want to bridge that gap to enhance economic, and cultural relations of both countries,” Revina said.
According to Revina, the QUBF is promoting Qatar as an export hub for many Ukrainian industries. She said there is a huge potential for joint partnerships between Qatari and Ukrainian companies, especially in the industrial and manufacturing sectors.
“We are aware of the government’s initiatives to promote the ‘Made in Qatar’ trademark, which the QUBF is keen to support by developing joint ventures with Qatari manufacturing companies to enable them to produce a wide range of goods using Ukrainian expertise and technology.
“The QUBF is encouraging companies in Ukraine to consider Qatar not only as a destination for Ukrainian goods, but also as an export hub for products jointly-manufactured here in the country. Ukraine has advanced technologies, which could be brought to Qatar to support the development and growth of its manufacturing sector,” Revina pointed out.


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Dutch retail group Laurus has announced a loss of €128m ($US167.9) for 2004, compared with a €9m profit in 2003.
Net sales fell to €3.498bn in 2004, compared with €4.065bn in 2003.
‘The combined effect of the economic recession and the price war which started in
October 2003 brought the Dutch food retailing sector to a complete standstill in
2004,” said Harry Bruijniks, chairman of Laurus N.V.’s group management board.
“Following a tentative return to profit in 2003, Laurus ended 2004 with a loss,” he said. “From the point of view of longer-term recovery, however, 2004 was far from a lost year. We worked hard on the much-needed renewal of our Edah, Konmar and Super de Boer formats, opening 40 Edah Lekker & Laag stores in the second half of 2004 and the first Super de Boer Refresh store at the end of October. Week 16 of 2005 will see the opening in Hoogvliet of the first pilot store operating under our new Superstore format.”


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Two decades ago, when Bill Ford took the helm of his family’s auto company, he was ready to talk about the coming shift to electric vehicles and the eventual demise of car ownership.
His ideas were dismissed. At one point, when he wanted Ford Motor Co. F -0.27% to invest in developing alternative transportation, “the board kind of looked at me like once again I was over my ski tips,” Mr. Ford said in an interview.
As years went by, other auto makers and tech companies got on board with his way of thinking. They overtook Ford in electric and self-driving technologies, and in April, Tesla Inc., which sells stylish electric cars, passed Ford in investor value, a dashboard warning signaling Wall Street’s skepticism about the growth prospects of traditional car makers.
Ford was being left behind, and the man with his name on the door, who for years had largely deferred to management, decided to intervene.
In the past, the family heir let CEOs take the center stage. But what was leading the industry forward—new concepts in fuel efficiency and transportation—had been his focus for years. Plus, he was changing, spurred by the death in 2014 of his father, William Clay Ford Sr. , who was a presence at the company for more than 50 years.


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Zara Archives - Inside Retail Singapore
Zara parent Inditex achieved record revenue and profits during the first half of this year.
Inditex, owner of the Zara and Pull & Bear brands, has achieved record first-quarter sales and profits following efforts to bring its online and offline businesses together.
Zara will trial a personalised denim service in three European stores this month.
Zara growth is slowing substantially and analysts fear worse is to come.
Zara appears to have inadvertently sparked off a social media furore over the appearance of freckled Chinese model Jing Wen.
The Zara logo has been squeezed – and it’s hard to find anyone who approves…
Zara owner Inditex has posted slow like-for-like sales growth due to the unusually warm autumn and adverse currency moves.
Clothing retailer says it would sell products from all its brands on the Internet around the world by 2020.
Zara parent Inditex is set to pilot test its at-home pick up service for recycled garments in China.
Inditex Group announced a new first quarter record revenue of €5.7 billion, driven by flagship brand Zara.
A new Zara flagship unveiled in London this week gives an insight into its new global direction.
Almost twice as big since its refurbishment, Zara Singapore’s flagship store has been relaunched in VivoCity.


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NEW YORK (AP) - New York state's attorney general said that apartment hosts on the global rental website Airbnb are responsible for tens of millions of dollars in unpaid taxes.
Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has subpoenaed the California-based company to turn over data on about 15,000 New York City residents who have listed apartments and rooms on the site.
Schneiderman spokesman Matt Mittenthal said Wednesday the documents would show exactly how much money the state has lost. He says he wants to make sure Airbnb hosts follow "the same rules as everyone else" - paying almost 15 percent in taxes in New York City.
Airbnb executive Nick Papas said they want to help New York collect the taxes, but called the request for personal data on thousands of New York hosts "overbroad."
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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I am sure many of you have noticed E-cigarettes all over the place these days. There is an assumption that these devices are safe without any detrimental effects on the person that is using it, and also others. Well…here is some early research that show that these devices may not be as safe as previously reported. Hence the push from many states to regulate or to even outlaw these devices for indoor use.
In a recent article from Int J Hyg Environ Health., German researchers found that e-cigarettes are not emission free and their pollutants could be of health concern for users and secondhand smokers. Carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in indoor air rose by 20% and levels of aluminium more than doubled! Who wants to breath in Aluminium?
Here is a link to the actual article:


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Animal Crossing: New Horizons has become Japan’s best-selling game ever, having sold 10.45 million copies since its release two years ago.
According to Game Data Library, a site that claims to be the ‘largest collection of Japanese game sales data on the internet,’ New Horizons has surpassed several Pokémon titles to claim the top spot on Japan’s best-selling games list. Pokémon Red/Blue/Green is now in second place with 10.23m sales, followed by Pokémon Gold/Silver with 7.17m.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons has become Japan’s all time best selling game. pic.twitter.com/yonNxSkBkd
— Game Data Library (@GameDataLibrary) November 8, 2022
New Horizons was released in March 2020 and achieved astounding sales right out of the gate. The rapid success of the game is further highlighted by its sales in Japan, where it has climbed the ranks to reach first place on the best-selling games chart in just over two years. Three of the other entries in the Top 5 were released over 20 years ago.
The list also reveals that Splatoon 3 has made it into the Top 20 with just over five million copies sold, two months on from its release. The third-person shooter had an absurdly big launch in Japan, selling 3.45 million copies in just three days, outpacing huge Nintendo Switch titles like New Horizons and Pokémon Sword and Shield within the same time frame.
Released on the doorstep of a global pandemic, New Horizons provided a much need escape for many, with IGN calling it “an expanded, polished, next-generation reboot of a classic Nintendo game that’s full of surprises.” Nintendo later expanded the game with the Happy Home Paradise DLC, which IGN labelled a “must-have for base game owners.”
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.
Source: IGN Video Games All


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After a long time, the Covid 19 Pandemic has stopped all business activities. YouTube finally held an annual marketing event called YouTube Brandcast, the last one was held in 2019. On this occasion, YouTube brought together local and international marketers including Thrive to reveal insights and data from YouTube in Indonesia. The event was held at Ciputra Artpreneur on Thursday (27/10/2022).
In the 2022 YouTube Brandcast event, it was stated that 80% of adults in the largest cities watch YouTube on their own television. The top three pieces of content that they usually watch is music, entertainment, and videos about physical and mental health. And 87% of smart TV owners watch YouTube on Connected TV2. Where this has changed the way Indonesians define TV.
Not only that, but YouTube Short also experienced significant growth. According to the Culture and Trends YouTube 2022 report, 59% of Gen Z consumers use YouTube Shorts to find video content they like in a shorter format.
"From live streaming concerts, and fun shorts videos, to watching Connected TV with family or friends, YouTube is the only platform to suit a wide range of people's needs and moods across criteria, formats, and devices throughout the day, " said Yolanda Sastra, Head of Ads Marketing, Google Indonesia.
On the same occasion, YouTube Brandcast 2022 also announced the winners of the YouTube Works Awards, which is an award ceremony given to appreciate the most interesting, effective, and creative advertising campaigns. The following is a list of the winners of the 2022 YouTube Works Awards:
By attending this YouTube event, Thrive not only mingles with various groups of people but also gets many benefits and new knowledge that can be processed and developed by Thrive, especially in the field of marketing. Thrive hopes that this event can be held more regularly to explore new things in the world of marketing together.


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Germany's Leading Premium SSP Yieldlab Partners with adsquare
We’re pleased to announce yet another adsquare partner – Yieldlab, Germany’s leading premium SSP. Too many publishers are still selling inventory far below value, which is why Yieldlab has partnered with adsquare to ensure publishers fully realize the immense value of their users through audience targeting.
Marco Klimkeit, founder and CEO of Yieldlab say “With adsquare, we’re able to team the inventory of premium publishers with audience data for mobile programmatic advertising. The combination of quality environments, leveraging local context and accurate audience data offers advertisers a unique approach for high-quality mobile campaigns.”
Starting in Q4, Yieldlab will enable it’s publishers to access untapped revenue streams and automatically monetize their mobile inventory in real-time via adsquare’s Audience Management Platform.
Check out Yieldlab’s article on the partnership “Data as a New Monetization Stream for Premium Publishers” on their blog (German).Back to the blog
Copyright 2021 Adsquare


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Hims joins the unicorn club. The wellness start-up launched just over one year ago and has raised an additional $100 million in venture capital funding on a pre-money valuation of $1 billion, which is a 2x increase from its previous valuation. This brings the total raised to $197 million in seven rounds of funding.
According to TechCrunch, a growth-stage investor that had not previously invested in Hims led the round, which is ongoing with participation from existing investors. According to Recode, Hims spent months negotiating with investors, “with some of them balking at the valuation.”
Exactly one year after the launch of the millennial men’s wellness brand Hims, the brand announced it was tackling women’s health with the launch of Hers. Last September multiple sources reported to CNBC they were pitched the brand to raise $100 million to expand into the women’s category with Hers—those rumors proved to be true.
Read more on the transaction on Recode and TechCrunch.
2 Article(s) Remaining


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Fibre2fashion News Desk - India
Apparel/Garments | On 25th Jun 2017
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Textiles | On 25th Jun 2017
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Indian fashion market is growing at a staggering rate
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ITME 2016 exploited our full strength like never before
Steve Cole of Xerium Technologies discusses the industry. Xerium is the...
Kevin Nelson, Chief Scientific Officer, TissueGen discusses the growing...
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The glass mat industry is growing by five to eight per cent annually. Kai...
Golfwear and menswear brand Devereux is set for greener pastures. Robert...
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Textiles | On 24th Jun 2017


text: While half of consumers polled in a recent survey think that they are "adequately" protected from online threats on their computers, tablets, and smartphones, only 37% think the same protection is in place for their connected-home devices, such as IoT, gaming consoles, smart TVs, and thermostats.\nDNS service provider Nominum commissioned the report from market researcher YouGov in July. Polling consisted of 1,106 consumers in the United States.\nLess secure\n"Consumers find their digital world expanding at an astounding pace with more and more Internet-connected 'things,'"\u00a0Nominum says of the report.\n"Many feel less secure," though.\nFifty-two percent of the respondents think that they "understand internet well enough to choose, install and maintain the right security tools for their own home." So they make up a qualified sample of technology users, and are worth listening to.\nSimplicity\nComplicated security doesn't help, the users say.\nIt's "greater simplicity" that consumers want when it comes to their online security, Nominum said in a press release about the survey.\nNominum thinks that consumers are relaying that they want "uncomplicated security solutions from their Internet Service Provider (ISP)."\nEighty percent of the respondents who said that they don't feel "adequately protected online" would rather have a simpler solution. In other words, complex security solutions are "not helping," Nominum says.\nInstalling tools\nOnly 36% of the respondents admitted installing security tools to protect connected devices "beyond computers, tablets and cellphones." So either consumers are unaware of them, don't care, or, as Nominum suggests, find that the tools and processes for securing devices are too complicated.\nOf those surveyed, 48% say they believe they understood the security tools their service providers offer, while 27% were unaware. Presumably, the survey's authors mean "unaware of the offerings."\nGateway passwords\nOther numbers from the report include that 58% of consumers have either never changed their home gateway or router password, don't know how, or haven't changed it in more than a year.\u00a0\nAnother 22% have "never changed their home gateway password" at all.\u00a0\nInternet Service Providers\nNominum says the ISP should supply the tools necessary for online protection. The onus shouldn't be on the end user.\n"ISPs have a great opportunity to deliver a better, safer online experience for everybody and every connected device in the home," John Arledge, general manager of applications at Nominum, said in the press release.\n"Consumers are looking for a straightforward, uncomplicated solution that keeps up with fast-moving online threats without burdening performance, or their user experience," he says of lessons learned from the survey.\nAdvice\nNominum, within the press release, offers some advice to consumers, including the usual parental controls rhetoric, installing tools from ISPs, and changing the passwords on routers.\nIt also gives some advice that isn't often seen in consumer tips:\n\n"Research and familiarize yourself with all your connected devices. Understand devices and learn how to ensure software and firmware is being upgraded."\n\nSomething we tech-oriented folk do intuitively, but not a bad idea to start communicating that those less proficient as the IoT begins to take hold.


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The 2012 model year will mark the inception of the Volvo C70 Inscription special edition.
Read This Article
The NHTSA today announced a new set of public safety announcements aimed toward child passenger safety.
Here is the all-new 2013 Volvo V40 that you cannot have.
Cargo space, apparently, is priority uno to Generation X car buyers, who were born 1960s, 1970s and early 80s.


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PLAYMOBIL appoints Prova PR to manage its UK press office
Beloved toy company, PLAYMOBIL, has appointed award-winning PR agency, Prova, to manage its UK press office following a summer of campaigns. The relationship will see Prova deliver a bespoke service to the toy brand, featuring, amongst many, product placement activity, the supply of first-class copy to consumer and trade publications and delivering inspiring brand profile and partnership projects.
The appointment comes at an exciting time for PLAYMOBIL, as the popular brand increases its presence within the UK market. PLAYMOBIL has recently moved to brand new offices to support its growth and has expanded its licenced products to include more DreamWorks Dragons© and a brand new range – Spirit Riding Free©.
Jamie Dickinson, Marketing Manager at PLAYMOBIL, commented: “Prova came highly recommended, with some big brand consumer experience with the likes of MG, Honda, the World Rally Championship and VARTA Consumer Batteries. The team delivered an insightful and engaging pitch full of plenty of creativity and inspiration. We look forward to achieving some great results together.”
Aimee Postle, Director at Prova PR, added: “The Prova team is loving the chance to focus on our inner child and come up with creative ideas for this iconic and much-loved brand. The parents in the team will certainly be popular this Christmas! In all seriousness, we are all looking forward to helping the PLAYMOBIL team to make more of an impression, particularly around its work with the likes of the National Autistic Society and UK emergency services.”
Prova’s PLAYMOBIL contract win follows on from a successful summer in which the agency appointed new members of the team (Kate Harper, Abbie Ree, Luke Bull, Nicole Laffan and Rachel Fenning) as well as securing projects with the Texan motorsport business VP Racing Fuels and Canadian SaaS organisation RAPID RTC.


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Ferrari have launched their new car ahead of the 2018 F1 season
F1 pre-season testing is about to get underway in Barcelona next week, and Ferrari have become the latest team to unveil their 2018 car before taking to the track.
The SF71H was revealed in front of a live audience at the team’s Maranello base in Italy, with drivers Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen both present for the event.
Ferrari’s new car sports a traditional red livery, but fans and rival teams alike will be interested in their unique Halo design.
With the safety device becoming mandatory this season, Ferrari have added an extra lip on top of the structure – potentially providing more downforce.
Take a look through the gallery above to see the best pictures as Ferrari launch their new SF71H car.


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Originally published on EV Obsession.
Electric vehicle sales in the Netherlands hit an all-time high in December 2015 — with more electric vehicles being delivered in the country during the month than during all of 2014 combined — according to the most recent figures from EV-Volumes, an EV sales database and consultancy that has just partnered with EV Obsession and CleanTechnica.
The reason for the surge in electric car sales — both all-electrics (EVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) — was primarily down to changes to the incentives on offer set to go into effect at the beginning of 2016. As a result, PHEV sales surged, as those interested in purchasing one rushed to do so.
Altogether, 15,900 electric vehicles were registered in the Netherlands during December — more than 7 times the “normal” monthly rate. Electric vehicles managed to achieve a 22% market share during the month in the country!
EV-Volumes provides more:
In total for 2015, plug-in vehicle reached 43,300 units, +183% over 2014, making NL the largest market for this vehicle sector in Europe and the 3rd largest worldwide. PEV share was 8.5% for the year, the worlds second highest after Norway. We have seen these runs on PHEVs before, during Q4 of 2013 in NL and during Q4 of 2015 in Sweden. So, what happened this time?
The taxation scheme in NL is tough on cars with high emissions. It follows a progressive pattern; pure EVs pay little or no taxes, PHEVs ≤ 50 g CO2/km get strong tax reductions. For a vehicle emitting, eg 174 gram CO2 per km, the registration tax (BMP) is around €15,000. Also the company car taxation is heavily depending on the CO2 emission. These taxes depend on the registration date of the vehicle.
For all vehicles acquired after 31 December 2015, CO2 brackets are lowered and the cost per g CO2 increases. For PHEVs ≤ 50 g CO2/km the road tax exemption ends and the benefit in kind value (BIK) for company car taxation is raised from 7% to 15% of the vehicles value; it is 25% for conventional cars. For pure EVs, the BIK value is lowered from 4% to nil.
So, pretty much anyone who wanted a PHEV, rather than a pure EV, went ahead and made their purchase while it was the most economical… presumably.
Image Credits: EV-Volumes
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M1, the third largest Telco in Singapore after SingTel and StarHub has announced its successor to the softly received television platform 1Box. The new TV device is called MiBox, and it doubles the amount of paid online content previously offered.
MiBox offers 18,000 videos-on-demand, 116 TV channels, 1,200 e-books and 370 apps, some of which are free. The service is priced at S$8 (US$6.33) a month with a two-year contract for M1 fiber customers, bundled with an Android set-top box, a selection of free shows and other content. For non-fiber customers, the service is priced at S$12 (US$9.50) per month.
“Media consumption habits are shifting towards an on-demand, a-la-carte model. M1′s MiBox aims to enhance this experience by delivering convenient and affordable access to an exciting library of entertainment, e-learning, and gaming content optimised for the TV screen,” P. Subramaniam, M1′s chief marketing officer, said in the release.