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Many modern storage sub-systems – both client and server – use solid-state drives to store frequently accessed data and programs and hard disk drives to keep large amounts of data that require a lot of storage space, but is not used often. Basically, storage sub-systems enjoy the best of both worlds: performance of SSDs and cost-efficient capacities of HDDs. But SanDisk Corp. believes that in the coming years SSDs will leave HDDs behind both in terms of performance and capacity, at least in one market segment.
Late last month SanDisk unveiled the world’s first solid-state drives with 4TB capacity aimed at mission-critical storage applications. The Optimus Max SSD not only outperforms the latest-generation mission-critical hard drives with 10K and 15K rpm spindle speed, but also provides larger storage capacity and consumes less power. The 4TB enterprise-class solid-state drive costs a lot today, but SanDisk has clear intentions to offer even higher-capacity SSDs in the coming years as prices of NAND flash drop: 6TB and 8TB drives are projected to emerge already in 2015.
“We see reaching the 4TB mark as really just the beginning and expect to continue doubling the capacity every year or two, far outpacing the growth for traditional HDDs,” said Manuel Martull, product and solutions marketing director at SanDisk, in a conversation with Computerworld.
The representative for SanDisk reportedly confirmed plans to release 6TB and 8TB Optimus Max SSDs in 2.5” form-factor next year. If the company and its NAND flash manufacturing partner Toshiba Corp. keep the same pace of optimising manufacturing costs of memory, then it is reasonable to expect 16TB mission-critical/enterprise SSDs from SanDisk in 2016.
Although solid-state drives for mission-critical applications will remain more expensive than comparable hard disk drives when it comes to per-gigabyte cost in 2015 – 2016 timeframe, if they provide larger capacities, higher performance and lower power consumption, many owners of datacentres should get very interested in them.
“High capacity and small footprint of the drives will offer users a path for transitioning from hard disk drives to SSDs because they will no longer be forced to decide between cost and performance, or give up important functionality,” said John Scaramuzzo, general manager of SanDisk's enterprise storage solutions group.
Even today one Optimus Max 4TB (up to 400MB/s sequential read/write, up to 75K/15K random read/write IOPS, 1-3 drive writes per day for five years) provides three to four times larger capacity compared to mission-critical 10K HDDs, two to four times higher sequential read and write performance and order-of-magnitude higher amount of random read/write input/output operations per second (IOPS). With 8TB and 16TB capacities, SSDs for mission critical applications will offer even stronger advantage.
SanDisk expects that sometimes in 2017 and onward the per-GB price of mission-critical solid-state drives and hard disk drives will be comparable. At the same time, SSDs will offer higher performance, lower power consumption and other benefits.
A market rumour suggests that the current-gen 10K and 15K HDDs represent the last generation of mission-critical hard drives as we know them. Going forward there will be other storage devices for this market segment.
Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.
KitGuru Says: It should be clearly noted that per-GB price-parity between mission-critical SSDs and HDDs does not mean that there will be a similar per-GB price-parity between high-capacity client or server hard drives and client or server solid-state drives. For many years down the road high-capacity HDDs will continue to be used to store large amounts of data both on client and server sides.


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According to current figures from ticket search engine FanSnap, the Heat have the top three selling games for the NBA’s opening week and holiday schedules. The third hottest matchup comes October 26 when they travel to NBA championship finalists the Boston Celtics as part of an opening day doubleheader. Coming in second is their Christmas Day game at the Los Angeles Lakers, and the best selling game so far is the Heat’s home opener on October 28 against the Orlando Magic.
The reason for all the excitement is, of course, superstar LeBron James, who recently left the Cleveland Cavaliers to join the Heat. If these early numbers are any indicator, the combination of James, Dwayne Wade and Toronto Raptors defector Chris Bosh seems to be creating an irresistible force which is drawing plenty of fans for both home and away games.
Lena Siegendorf, VP of Miami-area Premium Seats USA, says Heat ticket sales have been strong coming out of the gate this season. “We hold the most inventory for the Heat. For us, it’s been a great start for the season. Last year for [the Heat’s] A games, we were able to capture a nice premium. This season, we’ve been able to capture a similar premium for C level games.”
Despite the hubbub around the phenomenon that is LeBron James, NBA champions the Los Angeles Lakers are not left behind in sales this season. The Lakers are in four of FanSnap’s top six sellers, including three home games. On October 26, they take the second half of the opening day doubleheader, meeting the Houston Rockets and Yao Ming (newly off the injured list) at the Staples Center. On Christmas day they host the Heat, and a Martin Luther King Day game has them at home against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Their away game against the Phoenix Suns on October 29 also made the six highest sellers.
FanSnap’s current NBA team ticket sales rankings mirror the search engine’s hot game data: the Heat and the Lakers are the top two selling teams on the site right now, with average home game ticket prices of $450.18 and $393.73, respectively. Running a distant third are the Thunder (at $221.26), followed by the Portland Trail Blazers ($217.71) and the Chicago Bulls ($217.70).
While tickets are flying off the virtual shelves in the Miami area, halfway across the country it’s a different story. Max Waisvisz, founder and owner of Chicago’s Gold Coast tickets, is seeing a very quiet start to the NBA season. “You can’t even talk about sales because the schedule just came out. I haven’t sold one ticket for the NBA.”
When asked about hot teams this year other than the Heat or Lakers, Waisvisz replied, “That’s the only two that would be [strong sellers], one because of LeBron and the other because of Kobe.” Broadly speaking, Waisvisz calls NBA tickets “a hard sell” and notes that fans tend to wait to buy their tickets rather than jump in at the start of the season.
Leor Zahavi, founder and owner of Admit One, concurs. “I think it’s a little early to get a good gauge. Obviously you’ll see the traditional interest in the Lakers…we’re certainly not seeing anything that stands out other than the Heat and the Lakers.”
Christian Anderson, spokesperson for FanSnap, has data that largely agrees with Waisvisz’s and Zahavi’s assessments of the season as it looks right now. “It’s safe to say that the early favorites are the Heat and the Lakers,” notes Anderson, though he adds that this data is based on early numbers and the ticketing landscape is likely to change a great deal as the season approaches.

domain: news


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Motion Twin's Dead Cells didn't have the best launch on the Switch eShop. In fact, when it arrived, the French-based developer had to acknowledge frame-drops and performance issues with a public apology. It spent the next six months reworking the game engine, to bump the framerate up to 60fps and since then, it's been recognised as one of the best-selling indie games on Nintendo's hybrid platform.
During a recent panel at the 2019 Game Developers Conference, the team behind Dead Cells went to the extent of revealing the overall sales for the roguelike action-platformer. The game has now sold more than one million units. Although the PC makes up 60 percent of sales, it admittedly had a headstart due to the early access launch. The console market has also been "a big part of" the game's success, "especially the Switch" sales, according to Motion Twin's game designer, Sébastien Bénard.
As for what's next? Players can look forward to a 'huge' and free DLC update arriving this Spring, which will add a 'proper conclusion' to the game's story. This downloadable content will also be playable at PAX East next week.
Do you own Dead Cells on the Switch? Glad to hear it's selling so well? Tell us down below.


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The online event will be launched on January 12 and will last for two days.
The Dubai International Content Market (DICM) has announced the launch of an exclusive event, called E-Ramadan Content Market, at the beginning of 2021.
The online event will offer a platform for buyers and producers of all media content for the Holy month of Ramadan.
The announcement comes in line with the new approach for DICM which aims to provide a dedicated platform to support all Ramadan related content for specific media outlets.
The new event will be launched on January 12 and will last for two days. The organiser of the event, INDEX Conferences and Exhibitions, confirmed that holding such an event is timely for the region to have most of Ramadan’s content acquisitions ahead of time especially since the event is held three months before Ramadan.
The event will feature exclusive screenings, pre-event content browsing, virtual networking with selected clients and pre-scheduled e-meetings. The event is expected to have more than 150 participants from 17 countries.
The objective is to provide broadcasters and other content platforms with an engaging online experience that will optimise their business interactions for Ramadan programmes.
Commenting on the event, Anas Al Madani, Vice Chairman and Group CEO of INDEX Holding said: “Dubai is the regional media hub, that plays a phenomenal role in the growth of the media entertainment and content market in the MENA region, bringing it on par with the highest international standards. Given DICM’s successful experience in the content industry, combined with our in-depth knowledge of our culture and regional business practices, we are proud to be the first in introducing this initiative to the region’s media market.
“As INDEX, we are always looking at new innovations and ways to serve our clients and the industry. The E-Ramadan Content Market will definitely play an important role in the future and will facilitate business for buyers, producers, and service providers. It will also give the opportunity for young talent and content producers to play a role in this important media season.”


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A lack of understanding about web development and online marketing is costing Yorkshire businesses an average of £5,000 every year, according to a recent study.
A survey of 350 Yorkshire SMEs and start-ups found that 73 per cent had no in-house knowledge about web development.
In addition, 41 per cent admitted that they had outsourced a project involving digital marketing or website design to an agency or specialist in the previous 12 months.
As part of the survey, entrepreneurs were asked about the digital needs of their business, as well as the level of knowledge about email marketing, coding, web design and app development among their current staff.
Ian Surry is co-founder of Lovecode – a provider of affordable, accessible coding education, which conducted the research to determine what impact a “skills gap” would have on business growth and innovation.
“Yorkshire has become a centre of innovation for both start-ups and established companies looking to achieve growth.
“With local companies losing an average of £5,000 a year on missed business opportunities and outsourced website design, email marketing and app development projects, developing in-house coding skills has become a priority for these growing businesses.”
The research showed that outdated websites or an insufficient online presence costs Yorkshire SMEs roughly £1,000 a year in lost business opportunities.
Mr Surry added:
“It is essential that we support Yorkshire businesses by providing an affordable way to help them develop coding knowledge in-house.
“By increasing an SMEs digital literacy, we improve its ability to compete effectively with larger organisations in the marketplace.”
Lovecode will hold a three-day course on 25-27 June for small businesses and individuals looking to improve their knowledge of coding and other digital skills.
The programme will be held at the Round Foundry Media Centre in Leeds and focuses on helping entrepreneurs and key staff members establish a strong understanding of web development and design, equipping them with the knowledge to start building websites and web apps.


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Localeur Invites Facebook Users To ‘Recommend’ Local Businesses
The digital community looks to offer an alternative to Yelp by helping young tourists have authentically local experiences while traveling.
Localeur, a digital hub where people in various cities can recommend their favorite hangouts to prospective tourists, has updated its app to let Facebook users participate in the recommendation process as the social network continues to expand its ties to small businesses.
Prior to the launch of Localeur “Version 2.0,” only locals “hand-picked” by the Austin-based startup were able to provide suggestions of businesses, says Joah Spearman, co-founder and CEO of Localeur.
Now, anyone who uses Facebook, or has downloaded the Localeur app, and is familiar with one of the 14 cities Localeur covers, can recommend a local establishment, Spearman says.
The idea is to spread the word about a restaurant, bar, or other type of business that is authentically local, which, according to Spearman, means it is fine-tuned to meet the needs of the specific community it serves. It’s these kinds of places that people — especially Millennials — are interested in visiting when they travel, Spearman asserts, adding that you won’t be finding Chili’s or Starbucks or any generic chain business on these lists.
The Millennial Frame Of Mind
“When Millennials travel, they’re trying to have more authentic local experiences rather than in hitting up the same five tourist places,” Spearman says. “People are looking for unique experiences, and for those which they can curate. We’re bringing that mindset to local businesses.”
Enabling its platform to host consumer opinions of businesses on a public level puts Localeur in the land of Yelp, Foursquare, and other location-based review sites, but only partly; Localeur is not a review site and does not invite criticism or complaints pertaining to businesses. It’s strictly a place for locals to plug a venue — and they must do so with full disclosure of their identity.
“You must be local and you must not be anonymous,” says Spearman of the criteria to recommend on Localeur. “Yelp gets complaints because [users] are anonymous and yet saying bad things, but we’re only allowing recommendations from locals who [make their identities] known.”
The Power Of Positive Suggestion
Spearman says that in the past, he ran a sneaker boutique in downtown Austin, and can relate to how difficult it is to spread the word of your business, particularly if it’s offerings are unique. He also has no empathy for Yelp and the kind of negative commentary it invites, often from people who “have only been there once.”
The positivity that Localeur promotes appears to be catching on. Spearman said that since December, the company has seen a user growth of 500 percent.
For the time being, Localeur will stay committed to maintaining growth, rather than making money, Spearman says, as the company raised $1.2 million in seed funding last January. In the future, however, Spearman says the company will likely host ads from local businesses and possibly team up with other travel sites in promotional efforts.
Seizing Growing Industries
“The [travel] industry is massive,” Spearman says. “It’s produced a lot of winners like AirBNB, and it has a lot of potential. The spoke of this industry is information. That is why TripAdvisor is worth $13 billion dollars.”
Localeur sees itself as filling a void in the travel industry, and also in the local on-demand economy, a blossoming trend that, as Spearman sees it, isn’t going anywhere but up.
“Millennials are living in cities at higher rates than ever before,” Spearman adds. “And they’re looking for a higher degree of authenticity than ever before.”


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India-based Orbittal Plus has introduced that it has grow to be the primary firm to export personalized UL licensed cleanroom LED lighting from India to the US.
Picture credit score: Orbital
White items, electrical and electronics producer Orbittal Plus handed some essential milestones final month.
In January 2023, Orbittal introduced that it has grow to be the primary firm from India to export personalized UL licensed cleanroom LED luminaires to the USA. “A proud second for Crew Orbittal!” The corporate acknowledged in a LinkedIn publish.
Shortly earlier than that, the corporate additionally introduced that it has expanded its manufacturing operations with two new services. Named ‘Export Unit 4&5’, the opening was made by ViveK Sadhale (Director and co-founder of Legalogic).
The India-based small firm is headquartered in Pune, Maharashtra and was established in 1995. The corporate, which began as an EPC contracting agency after which began the panel manufacturing division in 2008, has now carried out over 1,500 initiatives. 2022 additionally noticed the corporate announce its LED and panel exports to Africa.
#Orbittal #expands #vital #export #cleanroom #lighting


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Asus India will officially launch the ROG Phone 5s Series today in the country. The ROG Phone 5s Series will consist of ROG Phone 5s and ROG Phone 5s Pro smartphones. Both models had debuted in the global market last year, and today, the company will introduce the handsets in India. The virtual launch event will commence at 12 noon and will be streamed live via the company’s social media channels. Asus ROG Phone 5s & ROG Phone 5s Pro India Launch Confirmed for February 15, 2022.
Both models are said to carry similar specifications as that of the global model. Both ROG Phone 5s and ROG Phone 5s Pro is likely to sport a 6.78-inch FHD+ Samsung AMOLED E4 display with a resolution of 2448×1080 pixels.
The most coveted gaming weapon is nearly here! 1 day to go until @sharmadinesh unveils the lethal #ROGPhone5s which will redefine gaming & #RuleThemAll.
Launching on 15.02.22 | 12 PM
Stay tuned to know more!#WorshippedByGamers #LovedByTechGurus pic.twitter.com/RGZXI26KEx
— ASUS India (@ASUSIndia) February 14, 2022
Both models could be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 888+ SoC paired with up to 18GB of RAM and up to 512GB of internal storage.
For photography, the ROG Phone 5s Series might get a 64MP primary lens, a 13MP ultra-wide-angle lens and a 5MP macro snapper. Upfront, there could be a 25MP selfie snapper. The ROG Phone 5s Series will come with ultrasonic sensors for AirTrigger 5 and grip press. Both devices are said to run on Android 11 based ROG UI and are likely to pack a 6,000mAh battery with 65W fast charging support.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 15, 2022 09:30 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).


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The Apple store on Buchanan Street in Glasgow city centre and at intu Braehead have temporarily closed due to worldwide concerns about the coronavirus outbreak.
Apple CEO Tim Cook issued a statement yesterday (Friday 13) detailing that they will close all retail outlets outside of Greater China until Friday, March 27 to mitigate the spread of the virus.
He notes that the additional steps are necessary "to protect our team members and customers".
The statement reads: 'In all of our offices, we are moving to flexible work arrangements worldwide outside of Greater China.
"That means team members should work remotely if their job allows, and those whose work requires them to be on site should follow guidance to maximize interpersonal space.
'Extensive, deep cleaning will continue at all sites. In all our offices, we are rolling out new health screenings and temperature checks".
In the meantime, Apple's online stores are open, while customers can visit support.apple.com for service and support.


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April 4, 2016
NY/NJ Baykeeper supports the “Smart Container Act” (A2281) sponsored by Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-37).
The goal of the bill, to reduce the amount of litter associated with beverage containers, would have a positive impact on local waterways. All too often, discarded containers find their way into local rivers and streams through storm drains and after rain events.
This past February, NY/NJ Baykeeper published the first report to document the amount of plastic pollution in the NY-NJ Harbor Estuary. Based on our estimates, there are 165 million particles of plastic floating around in the NY-NJ Harbor Estuary at any given time.
Other states has demonstrated the success of “bottle bills” in creating cleaner and healthier communities. In New York, their “bottle bill”
has reduced roadside container litter by 70 percent;
in 2015 helped to recycle 4.6 billion plastic, glass and aluminum beverage containers totaling more than 306,000 tons; at no cost to local governments; and
eliminates 200,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases each year.
States with “bottle bills” have increased levels of recycling and decreased costs with landfilling:
States with bottle bills have a beverage container recycling rate of around 60%, while non-deposit states only reach about 24%.
Since the New York “bottle bill” went into effect, redemption rates have been 70-80 percent and beverage container litter has been reduced by 75 percent.
“Bottle bills” can generate millions of dollars. In 2011, unclaimed (abandoned) deposits amounted to approximately $104 million in New York, $33.5 million in Massachusetts and $17.8 million in Michigan. (Sources: “Deposit Initiator Deposit and Payment Statistics, 2008-2011,” prepared by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation; August 30, 2012 email from Sean Sylver, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, and “Bottle Deposit Information,” prepared by the Michigan Department of Treasury, Office of Revenue and Tax Analysis.)
Debbie Mans, Baykeeper & Executive Director


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PostNL to increase stamp prices 8.7% from January
Postal rates in the Netherlands are set to rise from January 2012, with the basic domestic rate for letters increasing by four euro-cents (8.7%) to 50 euro-cents. Changes to rates include both domestic services and international services for mail sent from the Netherlands to other European countries. Basic rate for letters going to Europe rises by six euro-cents to 85 euro-cents.
Mail sent outside Europe will continue at the current 95 euro-cent price.
PostNL said prices for single item parcels will also remain at present levels from January.
In line with the rate rise for basic domestic letters, PostNL said it would be increasing its December stamps by four euro-cents for the 2012 festive season. These stamps, which are sold in sheets of 20, offering special lower-cost rates to encourage the sending of greeting cards, will be priced at 40 euro-cents per stamp when they are issued from late November 2012.
The Dutch postal regulator, the Independent Post and Telecommunications Authority (OPTA), confirmed today that the postal rate changes do fall within PostNL’s legal price cap for the universal service.
Announcing the price changes today, PostNL said in a statement that it was expecting the average household spend on stamps in the Netherlands, currently around EUR 30 a year, to rise by two euros.
PostNL cited Deutsche Post’s European letter survey, issued in April this year, as proof its postage rates are among the lowest in Europe. The study found that domestic letter stamp prices range from EUR 1.12 in Norway down to just 19 euro-cents in Malta, with many of the biggest EU markets seeing their domestic letters priced in the 50-60 euro-cent range.
Last June PostNL simplified its stamps to phase out the use of specific values, in favour of class designations like The Netherlands 1 and 2, Europe and World. If bought prior to the January price change, these stamps will continue to be sufficient for the class of service for which they were bought. Only older stamps bearing a specific value, such as €0.44, will need topping up.
PostNL processes about 8.8bn addressed postal items each year, including 100m parcels, delivering to more than 88m addresses in the Benelux region, Germany, the UK and Italy.


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The South Carolina-based 810 Billiards & Bowling will roll into Fort Smith, Ark., and become that state’s first 810 franchise, sometime this summer.
According to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, it’ll be one of the first non-corporate locations in the company’s push to franchise. Owners Erik and Deborah Covitz sold their printing business in Florida to take on the project and have lived in Fort Smith for about four years.
“It was time for us to do something new,” Erik Covitz said. “We wanted to take on a new challenge.” The venue will be 24,000 sq. ft. and will feature 14 bowling lanes, plus an addition four VIP lanes, an arcade, full-service bar and food. It’s expected to open in June.
810 Billiards & Bowling President Michael Siniscalchi said that since the business began about six years ago they’ve added five corporate stores in South Carolina, Arizona and Texas. The Fort Smith location, a franchise operation in Arizona and a new spot in South Carolina now under construction, are the company’s first franchises. Learn more at www.810bowling.com.


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When I heard Boris Johnson was going to announce the roadmap out of lockdown, my expectations were relatively low because I’ve always felt that weddings haven’t been top of the government's priority list.
It’s been obvious to me that since early on in the pandemic the government hasn't been taking weddings seriously. The first set of government guidelines last spring only mentioned weddings in churches – it didn’t mention weddings in approved venues or cultural weddings of any type. It felt like we were on the back foot in comparison to a lot of the other industries.
This new roadmap is no different. The government plans to allow weddings of six from March 8; 15 guests from April 12; 30 guests from May 17 and unlimited guests from June 21. What’s really difficult to understand is that, in May, weddings and receptions can only have 30 guests, but events such as concerts or sports matches can have up to 50 per cent capacity – which could be thousands of people. It hurts couples and businesses alike to see that weddings are not being valued by the government in the same way as a football match.
I founded the campaign What About Weddings in March last year to raise awareness and put pressure on the government to think about us. I’ve been in the wedding industry for 18 years – first as a wedding planner and, for the past four years, as a freelance celebrant and writer on the blog, Love My Dress.
Since the announcement, businesses and freelancers like me have found it really hard that we’re in no better position than we were last year. Those 15 and 30 person caps were around last summer, before we had this brilliant vaccine roll-out, so it’s really hard to justify why the numbers are the same.
The number cap is absolutely crucifying for businesses. If you’re a catering business, firing up the ovens, making sure the equipment is clean and getting to the venue will cost more than the money you’ll make. You can’t make a profit on 15 or 30 people. It’s just not possible.
And those really harsh, restrictive numbers have been put in place with no evidence to prove that weddings are superspreader events. A lot of the decisions have been based on assumptions about how people are going to behave at a wedding – that everyone’s going to get drunk, hug each other and completely forget what they’re doing. Wedding professionals who manage safe events are essentially being told ‘we can’t trust you’ – which feels like a slap in the face.
We’ve all got used to making all kinds of sacrifices in the past year and we understand certain restrictions have to be kept in place. The idea that because it’s a wedding everybody is suddenly not going to give a monkeys about Gran is absolutely ridiculous. These are your friends and your family – these are the people you care about most in the world. You want to keep them safe.
We’ve had 3,000 messages since the announcement across Twitter and Facebook and emails from both couples and businesses, asking questions about the government roadmap. The dates, for instance, don’t line up – non-essential retail will open after small weddings can restart, but how does that help you get your dress or your suit? All of those questions are coming to us and unfortunately we don’t have the answers.
We’ve also been contacted by lots of people who are really struggling with their mental health because this level of uncertainty is really difficult for couples and businesses alike to cope with.
The government should have also considered the social distance capacities of venues. Some of the big Asian wedding venues can hold 500 people or more, so the idea that they wouldn’t be safe with over 30 people is ridiculous because they’re so huge. Venues should have been responsible for the risk assessment and working out the space and the number – in the same way theatres and other indoor venues are doing for events.
This is normally a crucial time in the wedding sector for new bookings – so many people get engaged over Christmas, New Year’s or Valentine’s Day, but, as couples don’t have confidence their weddings will go ahead, new bookings this year have dropped off a cliff.
Other weddings have been postponed. I’ve lost July weddings because the couples don’t have confidence that their wedding will go ahead; after all, if one stage is delayed, it knocks progress back by five weeks. Other couples are going ahead with their small ceremony but postponing their big party to a point in the future – meaning they’re cancelling the entertainment, flowers and videographer.
Postponements make it really difficult for businesses. I earned no money last year and those weddings are now moving from this year into next year, meaning money that I should have been earning in 2020 I might not get until 2022. And that’s the same across all businesses. We’re scrabbling to find a way to get to June – which is the first time we might be able to trade profitably – with no income, having already had restricted income for most of the year.
We know of venues that have shut, and I’ve heard lots of stories of photographers having to take up delivery jobs because they need money or even having to sell their kit because they need money now.
For businesses to stay afloat, furlough and self-employed schemes need to be extended. But even with these schemes, around 50 per cent of people in our sector have fallen through the cracks and haven’t received any support at all. In the weddings sector, we have a lot of sole company directors, so they haven’t been eligible for the self-employed grants and can’t furlough themselves because they still have clients to look after.
There are also people in our sector who can’t get the tax grant because they don’t have the three years of tax returns as they’re new to the industry. Furthermore, there are many women who have taken maternity leave, which knocks down the average of what they’ve earned in previous years.
Then there are local council schemes, each one with separate criteria for being able to access the grant. I’ve been able to access the grant, but someone 20 miles down the road has not. From the research we’ve done, the average local grant is just over £1,000 – which doesn’t touch the sides for most businesses in terms of overheads and doesn’t go anywhere near what they’ve lost.
While we’re grateful for the support that has been there, we definitely need a sector-specific grant to see us through until June. It has to be grants – it can’t be loans. People have already taken out bounce-back loans and at the moment we still can’t pay those back as we still aren’t able to trade or earn money.
Effectively, 400,000 people who work in the UK wedding industry are just clinging on right now. If we don’t get these grants there will be an absolute loss of immense talent in a world-leading sector. People will have no option other than to close their businesses. There are very few big companies in the weddings sector, it is mostly populated by small companies or sole traders, and we just can’t sustain months and months of no income.
We won’t be headlines – it isn’t like Marks and Spencer’s closing or Topshop going down and thousands of jobs being lost in one day. This will just be a slow drip of people having to give up their business and find alternative employment. And once that talent’s lost, once that kit’s been sold, that dressmaker’s closed her studio, it won’t get opened again. That’s heartbreaking.
As told to Katie Russell


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PETALING JAYA: Press Metal Aluminium Holdings Bhd has made its debut on the Forbes Asia’s list of the 50 best publicly-traded big companies in the Asia-Pacific.
The aluminium producer, which was included in the 30-stock FBM KLCI in December last year, made it into the Fabulous 50 list with a market capitalisation of US$4.7bil, alongside Batu Kawan Bhd , which is making an appearance on the list for the fourth straight year.
Press Metal is placed at number 45, while Batu Kawan charts at number 44.
Press Metal, started by chief executive officer Tan Sri Koon Poh Keong and his six brothers, generated US$2bil in annual revenue with a net profit of US$138mil last year.
The company is helmed by brothers Tan Sri Lee Oi Hian, who is the CEO, and Lee Hau Hian, who is the managing director.
Forbes said in a statement that China once again topped the 50 best publicly traded big companies in the Asia-Pacific with a record 30 listees, including business giants such as Alibaba and Tencent.
Tencent’s net profit soared 71% last year to US$10.6bil, while Alibaba’s climbed 49% to US$9.7bil.
This would be their 10th and third year appearing on the list, respectively.
“Tencent is currently investing in startups to hatch new services for its core businesses such as the budget-shopping service Pinduoduo, or PDD,” the statement said, adding that the investment would help boost the company-owned WeChat app.
There are 17 new listees this year.
As to the selection, the Fab 50 companies are determined from a pool of 1,744 public companies in the region with at least US$2bil in annual revenue and have been listed for at least a year.
The goal is to highlight well-run entrepreneurial outfits, and the region’s best of the best.
Companies are then analysed according to more than a dozen financial measures.
The list excludes companies that have a high debt ratio, are more than 50% state-owned or more than 50%-owned by listed parents.


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Total 7 Posts
Unravel the latest devices being launched into the odyssey of tech geek wonders by the latest tech magnets like Samsung, Apple & Google.
One of such major step which the Google has taken is that they have REMOVED FINGERPRINT from pixel 4 which is believe to be gone for good.The best color to buy Google pixel 4 is 'Oh So ORANGE'.
The new Oneplus 7t is coming out with the new android 10 along with the latest version of the Oxygen OS 10.0. This is the first mid range 90Hz display phone on the market and this is a huge difference given that no other smartphone company is providing you with it.


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Chosen from the “garbage” for people to “taste”? Street vendors choose and resell vegetables …
Chosen from the “garbage” for people to “taste”? Street vendors pick and sell vegetables near the nearly demolished central market. While the deputy commissioner ordered Mangaluru City Corporation to quit all street vendors doing business near the central market, but within two days many reoccupied the space again, and a group of these street vendors who sell the vegetables for 10 rupees choose most of the vegetables. from the nearby landfill, then they are washed and sold to the public. Looks like our officials, including the district health officer, have turned a blind eye to this unsanitary practice of these illegal street vendors.
Mangaluru: As you drive or walk along the street on Market Road, you will be greeted by a few women and men, from Tamil Nadu and Kerala, running their business selling vegetables on the street, which consumers hastily buy from , thinking that good price, since any plant product you buy is ONLY RS 10? Okay, Rs 10 sounds really good compared to the price you pay at the regular vegetable store. But do these buyers know where these vegetables come from, to sell them at such a low price? Do you want to know where most of these vegetables come from? The answer is – WASTE? Every day, a few wholesalers near the central vegetable market throw away huge quantities of vegetables, which are damaged in transit or not fit for sale. Since earlier, when Antony Waste’s garbage truck came early to pick up the trash, greengrocers used to dump all vegetable waste into the truck – but now, as the trucks don’t make trips regular on time, wholesalers have no choice but to throw the stale vegetables on the side of the road, next to a cinema and elsewhere.And that’s where these street vendors start rummaging through the bins early in the morning, and sort the good vegetables from the bad, and resell by the side of the road in the last hours.
VEGETABLES Picked HERE ………
Yes, you can see these street vendors, some of them also work as waste pickers, who work without any job security, pay and dignity and are also exposed to adverse health effects such as infections, respiratory diseases and tuberculosis. But while taking pity on these street vendors, consumers also need to worry about their health issues while consuming these garbage-picked vegetables. Yes, we know that to earn their daily bread, these vendors support each other by collecting, sorting waste and then exchanging it. But when it comes to Swachh Mangaluru, in doing so, they help clean up a significant portion of the tons of garbage generated in the city. While doing their sorting job, they are regularly exposed to cuts, infections, respiratory diseases and tuberculosis apart from the poverty, humiliation, harassment and sexual abuse on the streets.
These men and women leave their homes early in the morning with their garbage carts. Some of them work where the municipality dumps waste, some walk the roads and others go to specific neighborhoods in search of things they can find, to resell, including vegetables as well. These women work independently, and when the Mangalorean team spoke to a Tamil lady, she agreed that they had tried their hand at other things, but returned to garbage collection because it paid better. Often their husbands and children will pick up / sort the waste, while the wives do not go out to pick it up, but sort the waste at home.
……. FOR SALE HERE?
But anyway, we are talking about vegetables that are sold to the public from the rotten, stinky garbage and put up for sale, which is nothing more than a dangerous health problem. Imagine cockroaches, rats and other stray animals feeding on the trash, and afterwards these street vendors pick up the leftover good vegetables from the trash and sell them to the public. Some of these rats may have survived the rat poison and are now feeding on this waste. A street vendor said she was making a lot of money supplying these vegetables to a few paid hostels in town, as well as some small restaurants before the lockdown. But what about the security concerns, the hostel inmates and the customers who eat in these restaurants.
JUST LOOK AT THE SALT WATER USED TO CLEAN VEGETABLES?
Why did the district administration, MCC and district health department remain silent in this regard? Why doesn’t our MCC health worker wake up to take action? Are they all waiting for citizens to get sick from consuming these trash-picked vegetables, as well as the stale vegetables sold to them by low-cost wholesalers. If you think Rs 10 is a very good deal to buy each of these roadside veggies, think more about the health consequences these veggies can bring to you once they get into your bodily system. I only hope that the officials concerned will take a look at this situation and see that no vegetables are sold that are picked up in the garbage.


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August 5, 2008
Mobile Armor to Launch Flash Drives That Offers Greater Security
By Christopher Boyce, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Aug. 5--As electronic data becomes increasingly portable, the risks in transporting storage devices have grown.Experts say universal serial bus, or USB, flash drives -- a lighter-sized memory storage device -- can be lost as easily as less-valuable, pocket-sized items, such as pens and packs of gum.
The trend recently spurred a technology company in Town and Country to develop a way for businesses and individuals to protect sensitive data that might be compromised when a USB flash drive is lost.
Mobile Armor Inc. and IronKey Inc. of Los Altos, Calif., soon will release their co-developed Mobile Armor KeyArmor USB flash drive that is designed to be tamper-proof and controlled from a remote location, said Robert Grupe, head of product management for Mobile Armor.
Mobile Armor, which employs about 50 people, designed KeyArmor's administration system to allow business users to remotely block unauthorized users. Many competing flash drives only offer pre-installed encryption software to safeguard data.
Before data stored on a KeyArmor flash drive can be accessed, the user must provide a password or other credentials, such as a 'smart' card or a thumbprint scanner.
Administrators can set the device to lock up if an incorrect password is entered even one time, said Grupe. The flash drive would remain locked until it was connected to a remote administrative computer via the Internet.
Businesses also can configure the device so the data it carries can only be accessed if the flash-drive regularly checks in with the administrative computer. Think of being able to remotely stop the engine of your teenager's car if he or she doesn't call after the movie.
Administrators also can choose to either lock or erase the drive through the remote connection.
The KeyArmor flash drive will be available by the end of September.
The release comes at a time when many disk manufacturers are stepping up efforts to improve security on flash drives, according to William Burr, manager of the security technology group at the federal technology National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, Md.
Though unfamiliar with the KeyArmor flash drive, Burr said there is plenty of interest in the kinds of security options that the product promises.
"It seems like the whole area has gotten hot in the last year," he said about securing data on USB flash drives. "At the moment there's not much out there that is broadly accepted and everybody's doing."
While there is no precise figure to the number of flash drives lost, Grupe said the devices are likely being lost more often than laptops -- which also are misplaced with increasing frequency.
At airports alone, more than 12,000 laptops per week are reported lost, stolen or missing, according to a recent study released by Dell Inc. and the Ponemon Institute LLC in Traverse City, Mich. Only 33 percent are ever recovered, the report said.
Just last week, St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch Cos. reported the theft of laptops containing personal information of an undisclosed number of current and former employees. The brewer said the laptops were password-protected and the information was encrypted, and that there is no evidence the theft resulted in unauthorized disclosures.
Along with internal threats, lost devices are one of the two most common threats to sensitive business data, said Jim Thompson, special agent in the Federal Bureau of Investigation's St. Louis office. Thompson works, in part, with InfraGard, an FBI partnership with businesses to help safeguard sensitive data.
If cost does inspire responsibility, users may treat the KeyArmor differently. Grupe said a single unit with two gigabytes of storage will cost about $130, roughly 10 times more expensive than the cheapest two-gigabyte flash drive currently available. But he expects most customers will be businesses making bulk orders, which will lower the unit price.
For careless users, the device offers a bonus. It's designed with a rugged encasing that can withstand being run over by a car, dropped from buildings and immersed in water, Grupe said.
[email protected] -- 314-340-8345
To see more of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.stltoday.com.
Copyright (c) 2008, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.


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October 21, 2015 (Atlanta, GA) --- Bluefin Payment Systems today announced a new partnership with industry-leading payment gateway, USAePay™. The partnership will further enhance data security for companies using the USAePay gateway through with the addition of Bluefin’s Decryptx™ PCI-Validated Point-to-Point Encryption (P2PE) service, which protects consumer payment data in transit.
USAePay provides merchants with the best service available, offering an array of different payment solutions for retail, e-commerce, and mobile. USAePay’s payment gateway makes processing transactions fast, easy, and safe with its Level 1 PCI Compliance. USAePay is proud to enforce the latest and strictest security requirements in the payment industry and works on developing the newest methods for accepting payments securely.
“We are thrilled to be working with Bluefin on this P2PE solution,” stated Martin Drake, EVP of USAePay. “This technology is essential for large integrated service providers, and will complement our existing suite of value-added services”.
Decryptx PCI-validated P2PE secures card transactions by encrypting all data within a PCI-approved point of entry swipe or keypad device, preventing clear-text cardholder data from being available in the device or the merchant’s system where it could be exposed to malware. Bluefin became the first North American PCI-validated P2PE solution provider in March 2014 and in November, the company introduced Decryptx, its Decryption as a Service (DaaS) P2PE product. Decryptx provides all of the security of Bluefin’s PCI-validated P2PE solution suite with no change to a merchant’s processing or acquiring relationship.
“Point-of-Sale Malware is top of mind for payment gateways such as USAePay, who understand that this is where the data breach threat lies,” said Greg Cornwell, Senior Vice President, Security Solutions at Bluefin. “They know that the only way to fully secure consumer data, in an era of increasingly sophisticated cyber-criminals, is through technologies like PCI-validated P2PE. We are delighted that USAePay has chosen to reduce PCI scope and secure their data with Bluefin’s Decryptx.”
Bluefin is a Participating Organization (PO) of the PCI Council and a validated Level 1 PCI DSS Compliant Service Provider. The company’s Chief Innovation Officer, Ruston Miles, assisted with the development of the recently updated P2PE standard, as part of an industry feedback group for PCI SSC.
“Providing client solutions that are as safe as they possibly can be is central to our work at USAePay,” said Mr. Drake. “Decryptx will be an essential component of our suite of security solutions and one that our customers can rely on to protect them from even the most sophisticated Point-of-Sale Malware attacks.”
Through the partnership, USAePay clients will have access to PCI-validated P2PE through the USAePay gateway, with Bluefin providing the devices, key injection, shipping and chain of custody requirements.
About Bluefin Payment Systems
Bluefin Payment Systems is the leading provider of secure payment technology for independent software vendors (ISVs), enterprises, retailers, financial institutions and small-medium sized businesses worldwide. Bluefin’s proprietary PayConex platform features PCI-validated Point-to-Point Encryption (P2PE), the QuickSwipe mobile POS system, tokenization, transparent redirect and more. Bluefin is a Participating Organization of the PCI Security Standards Council (SSC) and is headquartered in Atlanta, with offices in New York, Chicago and Tulsa. For more information please visit http://www.bluefin.com.
USAePay is a family-owned business based in Los Angeles, CA. For over 15 years, the company has been assisting merchants with payment solutions to fit their needs. USAePay’s payment gateway supports most of the major platforms in the credit card industry and works with some of the leading check platforms. USAePay is pleased to work with most of the larger merchant service banks in the US and Canada. For more information, please visit http://www.usaepay.com or call 866.USA.EPAY (872-3729).


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- Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries continues to develop greater, turning into the primary Indian firm to cross Rs 19 lakh crore in market capitalization.
- The brand new document comes after a 7% rally previously one month whereas the benchmark Nifty 50 index misplaced 1%.
- One of many causes behind RIL’s increase is the Russia-Ukraine disaster resulting in sturdy refining margins for the corporate.
Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries (RIL) is on a roll – India’s largest firm has grown, RIL has a market capitalization of ₹19 lakh crore. It is a first for an Indian firm.
At 11:40 am, Reliance Industries was buying and selling at Rs 2,800 per share, up virtually 1% from the earlier shut.
Up to now one month, Reliance shares have gained over 7%, whereas the benchmark Nifty 50 index has misplaced over 1%.
Evaluating Reliance Industries with its International Friends
Due to the rally within the final one month, Reliance Industries has now change into greater than world giants like PepsiCo, Toyota, Alibaba.
|Reliance Industries||$248 billion|
|Walt Disney||$210.8 billion|
What are analysts saying?
The continuing Russia-Ukraine battle has advantages for Reliance Industries, whilst state-owned oil advertising and marketing firms are discovering it troublesome as a result of weak advertising and marketing.
A current report by Citi Analysis stated, “Though there are offsets for actual margins for refiners, RIL ought to nonetheless be a big internet beneficiary within the present surroundings, given its excessive diesel yield, excessive complexity and excessive export ratio.” occurred.”
It’s price noting that whereas analysts say refining margins are consolidating, Reliance Industries’ oil-to-chemical enterprise could not see vital features from it within the March 2022 quarter. Consultants counsel that the advantages of sturdy refining margins will begin accruing from the June 2022 quarter.
Moreover, analysis experiences additionally state that no worth has been assigned to Reliance Industries’ new power enterprise as of now. Within the best-case state of affairs, RIL’s share worth might rise by 50%, in response to Morgan Stanley.
Be aware: RIL share worth in comparison with ₹2,800 as of 11:40 am on April 27
Gautam Adani is now as wealthy as Invoice Gates – Rally amongst Adani group firms makes him the 4th richest individual on the earth
LIC IPO set to hit Indian markets quickly – Check out India’s greatest public points ever
Slowdown in unicorn manufacturing could proceed for the subsequent two months


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Intercontinental Exchange’s Bakkt (New York Exchange’s parent company) has made a huge announcement on New Year’s eve. The CEO of Bakkt, Kelly Loeffler stated on her official medium blog that Bakkt has successfully completed its first funding round.
The firms that invested are hailed to be prominent players in both the financial and cryptocurrency space. They are Horizons Ventures, Galaxy Digital, Boston Consulting Group, Microsoft’s venture capital arm, Pantera Capital, PayU, CMT Digital, Eagle Seven, Goldfinch Partners, Alan Howard, M12, Naspers, Protocol Ventures and Intercontinental Exchange itself. In this round of funding, Bakkt has raised over $182.5 million.
The CEO stated:
“Our work today is centered on driving institutional access for digital assets, along with merchant and consumer uses, and we’re already expanding on this vision, collaborating with great companies like Starbucks in these efforts.”
She further stated that the team at Bakkt has been working with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission [CFTC] a.k.a sister branch of the U.S Securities and Exchange Commission. Here, the CEO affirms that the physically delivered and warehoused Bitcoin will be launched with regulatory approval, and it is going to “amplify the voice of U.S authorities as the digital asset market evolves globally.”
“We have filed our applications and the timing for approval is now based on the regulatory review process […] Clearing firms and customers have continued to join us as we work toward CFTC approval. We made great progress in December, and we’ll continue to onboard customers as we await the ‘green light”
The cryptoverse reacted this news with most commenting negatively while some replying to it with a positive sentiment.
Richard Heart, a Twitterati said:
“Uh. I remember back when you had to have customers before insane valuation. Congrats I guess. Funding is debt btw, not an asset.”
Amar Chhetri, another Twitterati said:
“Congrats!! guys, and Happy New Year. Our biggest expectation from you is to fulfill your promise on the exact date…”
“Or how about they never launch it and stay the hell out of the way of the real bitcoiners? Just a thought. “We don’t need no stinkin’ Bakktes” – From The bandits in “Treasure of Sierra Madre”.”


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They might look the same, but word on the street says the iPhone is the real deal, while the iPod Touch is...an in-house phony.
The latest gadgets and gear -- because even busy business professionals need their playtime.
Ricardo Bilton writes for ZDNet's The ToyBox.
Gloria Sin is a freelance journalist based in New York City.
Have you bought a shiny new flatscreen HDTV to replace the old boxy clunker, get it all set up, and notice that the picture is, well, worse?The colors are wonky.
It's NAB 2008 time, and RED has revealed its Scarlet "pocket professional" camera."Why should I care?
It's tempting to choose a cell phone plan by the shiny toy that comes with it, but we all know that it's too easy to get roped into the two-year terror of a contract you don't like (or worse, can't pay for) when distracted by, say, that shiny new Samsung Instinct.Enter Billshrink.
While the mini-laptop wars heat up in another department, the world's gadget producers are fighting it out over another device: the compact hi-def camcorder.In today's New York Times, David Pogue explains how Sony, Sanyo and Panasonic keep trying to beat each other to the punch in making their handheld cams harder, better, faster, stronger.
I'm always a sucker for the versatile USB port -- apparently so are you, readers, who made the USB Hygro-thermometer one of the most highly rated posts on this blog -- and I came across two more to keep your mouth watering.First up, the product that should be marketed with "every kiss begins with USB": a sterling silver necklace that is actually a 2GB memory stick.
...and it will be a veritable boxing match to see which one comes out on top.
As many fellow technophiles know, searching for the absolute lowest price for a gadget is in our blood. We Google and we price compare and we check shipping prices -- all to save an extra couple of bucks in the end.
It's high noon in the world of digital cameras, and Canon and Nikon are back at it all over again. And I can't wait.
In what may be the most important "gadget" on your desktop, Firefox 3 Beta 5 was released yesterday, promising performance-boosting improved connection parallelism and a fixed memory leak that means the browser now uses less memory than other browsers, according to Mozilla developers, CyberNet, The Browser World and Slashdot. The new release also adds one-click site info, Vista parental controls (not that you're using Vista!


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Instagram, despite a $1 billion acquisition by Facebook and more than 40 million active users, doesn’t have many options for brands. Many, like Brisk, Coach and Forever21, have set up accounts there, but the growing photo social network hasn’t figured prominently in most social strategies.
Qdoba Mexican Grill is kicking off an interesting foray that will make Instagram an integral part of its latest digital campaign, but won’t exist on the photo platform itself. Instead, Qdoba is using the Instagram API to foster consumer interaction on Qdoba’s website.
The “Tell Us What You Love” campaign asks visitors to complete the phrase “Food for people who love ______.” Qdoba then takes the phrase entered, connects to Instagram via the API, and returns a grid of Instagram photos using the word. Enter “bacon” and you’ll get a mosaic of greasy slabs, tastefully filtered to look artsy.
Guests can also receive coupons from Qdoba by interacting with the images or entering certain words. All rewards must be redeemed via Facebook Connect.
“We, for a time, have been looking to develop a piece of content that would get our point of view on food out to guests and their shared networks,” said David Craven, divisional vp of marketing at Qdoba. “And we were not looking to just post a piece of content on Facebook or Twitter and leave it at that.”
Other brands, like Starbucks, Levi’s and Ford, have tapped Instagram for campaigns, but Qdoba claims it is the first brand to use Instagram’s tagging API to pull in images for the personalized collages made for each individual. Levi’s campaign ran in January, when it was looking to find new models. Consumers were asked to submit photos of themselves on Instagram and tag them #iamlevis to be considered.
The core metrics for measuring the success of Qdoba’s effort are views on the campaign intro video and participation in the word-completion part. Qdoba will monitor the words filled in to see if a theme comes up, which it could use for a potential follow-up effort. The brand will also monitor the number of people who unlock the coupons and actually redeem them. Qdoba will promote the month-long campaign via TV, in-store and the brand’s social media channels.
“Instagram is a great platform for photos of food,” Craven said. “Food drives our business, and so we thought Instagram would be a great way to present ourselves to people and connect them with the brand. The coupon piece is meant to encourage users to redeem on Facebook so that we can then target their network of friends as well.”
Food imagery plays a central role in Qdoba’s social strategy, figuring heavily in its activities on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
More in Marketing
TikTok has officially launched its new e-commerce platform, TikTok Shop, earlier this month on August 1. Using the new e-commerce platform, brands and creators can sell products directly on the platform, potentially creating new revenue streams, and tap into the short-form video platform’s growing popularity.
‘The influencer industry can be really vile’: Confessions of an influencer marketer on the industry’s unfair hiring practices
While the influencer industry might sound exciting and like it’s full of opportunities, one marketer can vouch for the horrific scenarios that still take place behind the scenes.
After a tumultuous 12 months, marketers are getting a clear picture of how they really did during a time of true uncertainty. And, as it turns out, it wasn’t all that bad.
Ad position: web_bfu


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TBILISI, DFWatch–More than 90 percent of the cars people drive in Georgia are from before 2004, according to a new report by the Interior Ministry.
The report, which was published on Friday, deals with cars registered in Georgia, but also imported and re-exported cars.
60.9 percent of the cars in Georgia are light vehicles and most of them are white or gray.
There was a growing share of agriculture machinery, trailers and motorcycles in 2011-2013.
90.9 percent of the cars registered in Georgia were produced before 2004, but the number of cars produced during the past three years has increased.
44.1 percent of cars are older than 20 years; 46.8 percent are older than 11 years.
The top car brands are Mercedes with 111,914 units, Opel 106,664 units, Ford 79,334 units, Volkswagen 49,375 units and BMW 44,930 units.
37.1 percent of the cars are registered in Tbilisi.
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Cognizant to provide comprehensive approach to adopting AI
The platform called Cognizant Neuro AI, the company says, has been designed to give a comprehensive approach to speed up the adoption time of AI while using its business value in a flexible, secure, scalable and responsible way.
Cognizant says it is among the first to launch an enterprise-wide generative AI platform designed to help clients better understand, consume, and customize AI models that drive business outcomes.
“It is fast becoming clear that businesses must embrace AI without delay to remain competitive,” said Prasad Sankaran, EVP of Cognizant’s software and platform engineering.
“This is an exciting moment, as Cognizant’s Neuro AI platform goes beyond proof of concept, aiming to accelerate the adoption of enterprise scale AI applications, increase ROI potential, minimize risks and get to better business solutions, faster.”
Cognizant says its platform will guide firms on this journey, from identifying company specific-use cases and operationalizing AI, to data engineering and continuous improvement. It enables AI and software engineering teams to build flexible, reusable, safe and secure solutions, and design conversational and generative user experiences, embedding AI models to create fully functioning apps – all supported across multi-platform, multi-cloud ecosystems.
The company says the launch of Cognizant Neuro AI builds on years of AI research, development, and client-facing commercial AI applications. This includes deep learning, evolutionary AI, and deploying generative AI techniques in industries like life sciences, retail, and healthcare.
The company’s AI teams have enabled AI-guided decisions in areas such as price optimization, predictive healthcare analytics and crop science optimization. Business leaders gain access to the full range of tools and capabilities, fostering human-AI collaboration on an enterprise-wide platform.
Anna Elango, EVP of Cognizant’s core technologies and insights, said: “We believe enterprises need scalable, flexible, end-to-end tools to accelerate responsible AI adoption.
“By partnering human expertise, including Cognizant’s deep industry insights, with the power of generative AI, we aim to help our clients catalyze informed decisions and tackle complex business challenges to drive cost efficiencies, resilience and business revenue.”
Cognizant Neuro AI includes a library of reusable generative AI models and agents, development tooling and control components including API and access management, versioning and auditing. The company says its platform is designed to provide meaningful business benefits for clients, including discovering new business innovation vectors, creating pathways to differentiated customer and employee experiences, the ability to reimagine and digitize business processes, and reliable governance, visibility, control and compliance.


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Krushna, who faced flak from Tannishtha Chatterjee last year, said, "It is not in the Indian system and blood to take jokes on themselves"
"I don't consider myself fair. I think I am in the tanned category. I don't think we are fairness-driven. We have some actresses and models who are really dusky and gorgeous, and I truly believe skin colour doesn't matter," said Ileana
"I think jokes on colour or body shaming shouldn't be made. It's not funny to crack such jokes. Do you crack a joke on fair skin (people)? No right? So don't do it. There has to be a limit," Radhika Apte said
At an event in Mumbai, Sonali was asked to comment on the incident involving Parched actress Tannishtha Chatterjee's complaint about being 'roasted' for her skin tone on a TV comedy show


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JAGERMEISTER MUSIC TOUR Tickets
Jagermeister Tour 2013 tickets will be on sale on Aloud.com from 9am on Friday November 30th.
Swedish metallers Ghost are set to headline the third-ever Jägermeister Music Tour in March 2013.
They'll be joined by Gojira on the six-date trek, with support from The Defiled .
A local support band will complete the bill and will be announced in coming weeks.
Do you have tickets but can no longer go? Sell JAGERMEISTER MUSIC TOUR tickets on the Aloud Ticket Exchange.


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The pound has hit a one-year high after UK inflation climbed to its highest rate in more than five years.
The Consumer Price Index showed inflation jumped to 2.9 per cent in August – compared to 2.6 per cent from the previous month.
More expensive clothing and a rebound in global oil prices were said to be behind the price rises.
Core inflation – which strips out volatile energy and food prices – also rose.
The Office for National Statistics has said the slump in sterling since last year’s Brexit vote continues to have a powerful impact on domestic UK prices.


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Shares of Live Nation Entertainment were advancing 6 percent during the after-hours session and the concerts and events company posted quarterly earnings per share of 30 cents, besting the expectations of analysts by a hefty 19 cents.
The nation’s largest ticket seller and promoter of concerts said Tuesday that operating income rose 9.5 percent to $159.9 million and net income was $58.1 million, up from $7.7 million a year earlier.
PHOTOS: Leslie Moonves, David Zaslav, Robert Iger: 10 Highly Paid Entertainment CEOs
Revenue of $1.68 billion bested projections of $1.63 billion. Last year in the same quarter the company reported $1.55 billion in revenue.
The company said it sold 19.5 million concert tickets during the quarter, up from 18.6 million, and 8.1 million sports tickets, up from 7.7 million.
“The positive trend in our concert ticket sales from the beginning of the year has continued with concert attendance up 8 percent for the quarter,” said CEO Michael Rapino.
Shares of Live Nation sunk 2 percent to $16.32 Tuesday during the regular session but were up more than $1 after the closing bell.
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Diet will become the number one modifiable factor for disease and death, overtaking cigarettes, experts warn as Australia reflects on the golden anniversary of dietetics, which started at Sydney.
Women born between 1945 to 1970 are actually the largest drinkers [of energy-rich, nutrient-poor alcohol].
This year marks 50 years of dietetics and nutrition as a university course in Australia. The University of Sydney started its program in 1967, back when nutrition related treatment was conducted mostly in hospitals.
Since then, plenty has changed but there also seems to be some age-old issues that need to be addressed, so we sat down with Professor of Dietetics at the Charles Perkins Centre, Margaret Allman-Farinelli, and PhD candidate with the School of Life and Environmental Sciences Monica Nour to understand the current Australian diet and the challenges that exist.
“I think that the biggest thing that’s happened in 50 years is the food available – the supply has really changed,” says Professor Allman-Farinelli.
“What’s hard for us now is the food environment encourages people to eat unhealthily.”
Most people are not aware that diet is the second leading cause of cancer and it will soon overtake smoking, with the rate of obesity worldwide continuing to increase.
“If we go back 50 years, most people were consuming food inside the home – family meals were regularly prepared. There were less women working fulltime so people had more time,” she says.
Given the environment for consumption has changed, our attitudes have too.
“Most people weren’t looking at food as a ‘meal solution’. I don’t think that was the case back then – that food was seen as a problem.”
The proliferation of takeaway food options has exacerbated this dietary trend. The first Pizza Hut opened in Australia in 1970 and shortly after, ready-to-eat meals burst onto the scene.
“We have seen a shift in what we would call a low-energy density diet to high-energy density diets that include added fat, starch and sugars and a shift away from fruit and vegetables."
“Fruit and vegetables have a lot of water in them so you get a bigger volume to satisfy your appetite whereas concentrated sources of energy with a lot of added sugar and fat like some cereal bars don’t have the same level of satiety.”
Fruit and vegetables are also nutrient dense and full of fibre, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Regular consumption is associated with reduced risk of obesity, cancer and all-cause mortality – that’s why dietitians sing their praises.
And not only that, increased vegetable consumption can improve weight loss among young adults. Professor Allman-Farinelli completed a study last year that demonstrated increased vegetable consumption was responsible for 19 percent of the weight loss that occurred in a three-month period for those on the program.
A National Nutrition and Physical Activity survey was completed in Australia in 2011-12, highlighting vegetable intake is worst among young adults aged 18-34.
This demographic consumes 2.7 servings a day compared with Australian Dietary Guidelines that suggest six servings of vegetables for men and five servings for women.
Public Health and Nutrition PhD student Monica Nour, an accredited practising dietitian, has completed secondary analysis of this data to find out how intake differs by sociodemographic factors, and explore consumption trends including the variety of vegetables eaten and intake by meal occasion.
Monica further divided this young adult demographic into three segments and found that 18 to 24 year olds are the most prolific offenders of a low vegetable lifestyle with men worse than women. Just 0.9 percent of males achieve their recommended daily intake of veggies in this age bracket.
Using focus groups to gather opinions, Monica recently highlighted three important factors that concern young people when choosing what to eat.
“The things that interest young adults the most are taste and then there’s convenience then health,” Monica states.
Professor Allman-Farinelli said poor eating habits in young adults can occur as a result of moving from a supervised environment to a more autonomous lifestyle.
“Young adults are very price sensitive – they don’t have a large budget available and are more inclined to go for lower priced items," she said.
“Sometimes too, they start to give up sport after competing throughout high school – this is a bigger issue for men not getting as much physical activity.
“Alcohol also starts to come into the picture, this age group are not the largest drinkers – they may binge drink but they don’t consume as much alcohol as older adults in terms of mean intake – women born between 1945 to 1970 are actually the largest drinkers.” More analysis of drinking trends can be found in a recent paper by PhD student Amanda Grech.
Most food product advertising is again tailored to teens and young adults, especially discretionary foods.
“One of the other barriers was participants had difficulty conceptualising meals and recipes that included veggies - something like a pasta dish – they just didn’t know how veggies fit into that,” she said.
Monica also found that those who achieved the recommended daily intake of vegetables had dispersed them throughout the day across both meals and snacks.
“We need to provide people with the skills and knowledge to have the confidence to shop, prepare and store vegetables. Participants also wanted practical demonstrations on different types of meals.”
To address these issues, Monica is actioning a social media intervention and has developed an app to positively influence fruit and vegetable intake among young adults through gamification.
With 95 percent of people owning a smart phone and 91 percent on social media it seems like the best platform to utilise.
Monica’s app will include a self-monitoring veggie tracking program - a specialised function similar to apps like MyFitnessPal though hers will focus on nutrient dense food intake rather than calories. She will also gamify the app with opportunities for users to be rewarded with badges when they hit their targets, helping users to set goals and receive personalised feedback.
Her research has shown these types of cues are the most motivating to young adults.
“People can also access videos and quick tips addressing barriers such as costs through the social media site. We’ve also included shopping lists and recipes.
“We demonstrate what an adequate serving of vegetables looks like and show how preparing your own food can be cheaper.”
This is important because her research showed most young adults don’t actually know what a serving of fruit or vegetables looks like.
“And how are they supposed to improve on a behaviour if they don’t know the target and goal?” says Monica.
In case you’re a bit perplexed, one serving of cooked vegetables equates to half a cup or half a medium potato, while one serving of raw vegetable salad mix is about one cup – roughly equivalent to a handful.
Seventy students now complete the Master of Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Sydney each year and their work is more important than ever as we continue to face an obesity epidemic.
The University of Sydney’s golden anniversary of nutrition and dietetics will be held on 27 October commencing with a seminar and followed by a celebratory alumni dinner.
Interested in what’s being served up to a room full of dietitians? View the event menu below. (The desserts are not their first preference but they do include fruit!)
Selection of seasonal raw vegetables served with creamy hummus (vegan,gf)
Tandoori lamb, baby potato, yogurt (gf)
Pan seared dory, smoked cherry tomato, asparagus, celeriac puree, salsa verde (gf)
Smoked corn-fed chicken breast, Jerusalem artichoke, king brown mushroom and hazelnut cream sauce (sauce served on the side)
Fresh sourdough bread roll with olive oil on the side in lieu of butter
Steamed brocollini, green beans and toasted almonds with lemon oil
Opera cake, chocolate ganache, rosella flower and raspberry cream
Pavlova, lavender chantilly, meringue, strawberries, kiwi, rosewater jelly (gf)
Dessert will be followed by freshly brewed coffee, a selection of teas and handmade chocolates.
No sugary drinks (soft drinks, juices etc.)
Sparkling and still water


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WASHINGTON, D.C. – RV Industry Association members met with members of Congress over a two-day period on Capitol Hill, discussing many legislative issues, including the Travel Trailer and Camper Tax Parity Act.
On Wednesday, RVIA hosted a House RV Caucus breakfast at the Rayburn House Office Building foyer.
At that gathering, Forest River’s Don Gunden presented the National Legislative Award to U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski (R.-Ind.), and several members of Congress spoke briefly about the importance of the RV industry to their districts. Additionally, RVIA Chairman Garry Enyart shared details of a survey commissioned by RVIA showing that the RV industry has an economic impact $114 billion on the economy.
RVIA members subsequently met with their respective senators and congressmen to talk about important legislative issues, including asking their support for outdoor recreation infrastructure, campground modernization and expansion for federal parks, as well as support for the Travel Trailer and Camper Tax Parity Act (Senate bill 1543), which amends the definition of motorhome to ensure that towable RVs are once again fully included in floorplan interest financing deductibility.
U.S. Sens. Mike Braun (R.-Ind.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) were attendees at the Senate RV Caucus Reception at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on Wednesday evening, which was hosted by RVIA.


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. . . and most likely it is. Government Motors has done something truly stupendous. After paying back all of its loans to the federal government, it still was able to report a big first quarter profit. After all the problems with debt and union liabilities and sales slumping, it is truly a miracle to see the amazing feat that is Government Motors. See, socialism works.
“G.M. reported first-quarter earnings of $865 million as its revenue surged 40 percent, to $31.5 billion. It broke a long string of losses in North America even though industry sales remain near multidecade lows.” New York Times’ Nick Bunkley, May 17th, 2010.
There sales just went through the roof, according to this story. It is just beyond belief how efficient government is when it is in charge, right?
Well, according to the GM balance sheet, the sale of Saab provided 123 million of this ‘profit.’
Gain of $123 million as a result of the sale of Saab to Spyker Cars NV. GM Balance Sheet provided by PR Newswire. Hmmm.
So, who bought all these cars and trucks that have made GM a success story for the Obama Administration’s socialist agenda. Certainly the American people are lining up to buy into this collectivist nirvana.
Well, not quite. GM’s market share stayed the same. Their retail/fleet sales, those sales to large groups that pay significantly less, jumped to double First Quarter for cars and 50% for trucks. Let’s see. What organization may be buying a large number of cars to make their own interests look better? Can I think of one? Let’s just imagine a group of slimy, lying, cheats who would do anything to make themselves look like heroes.
Could it be the government buying cars from their own company to make it look good? “Government buying 5,600 hybrid vehicles for its fleet.” A headline in the Detroit News – 03/31/2010. Let’s see, what is the last day of the First Quarter? Hmm, I don’t know, could it be March 31st? Interesting. Who did they order these cars from? Well, of course Government Motors and UAW motors, once called Chrysler.
But these numbers are not nearly enough to make GM look great and UAW look promising. Well, they are changing the entire fleet of government cars and leased cars. That’s a good start. So, Government Motors is getting significant sales from the government at a significant discount. So where did this profit come from?
Well, where are these assets we gave Government Motors? We know they dipped into the escrow account to ‘pay’ back the ‘loan’ to the government. Meanwhile, we had provided more than 50 billion dollars that got us this ‘equity’ stake in the company. Where is that money? What is happening to it? I wonder.
Could this all be smoke and mirrors? Could it be that Government Motors miracle is no more real than the Piltdown Man? I wonder if any enterprising journalist at the New Obama Times or the Washington ComPost will look into this strange phenomenon. Well, we will see. I very much doubt the CEO’s at Obama Motors found a sock drawer with a few million in it. I also, sadly, doubt anything that comes out of the controlled grasp of this regime.


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Best Buy's big announcement last week that it plans to close 50 stores this year while opening 100 smaller locations sent shivers through the retail industry. The new strategy seeks $800 million in cost reductions by fiscal 2015, including approximately $250 million in fiscal 2013.
Does Best Buy's change of fortune signal the end of an era? Bloomberg Businessweek thinks so. It extrapolated from the Best Buy news in a story headlined "Best Buy Closings Signal End of Big-Box Retail."
After 50 years of putting mom and pops out of business, big-box retail is having a mid-life crisis. A slow economy has hurt same-store sales, narrowing margins at big stores. Meanwhile, consumers, armed with price-comparison technology, are visiting more stores seeking deals or exclusive merchandise rather than making one-stop, fill-the-cart excursions.
Industry watchers who monitor the country's largest electronics retailer weren't surprised. For years, they've warned about pressure from online-only retailers like Amazon.com, not to mention general-purpose discounters like Costco, Target, and Wal-Mart.
Over the last full fiscal year, Best Buy lost $1.2 billion, or $3.36 a share. That compares with a profit of $1.3 billion, or $3.08 a share, a year earlier.
But before making Best Buy the poster child for the End of Retail as We Know It, it's worth examining the marketing missteps the retailer has made, both online and off.
Best Buy has seen the online shift in consumer buying patterns in its own business. On a call with analysts last week, it reported that in the most recent quarter, online sales increased about 20 percent, and same-store sales declined 2.2 percent. The company said it plans to increase online sales domestically by 15 percent this year.
Speaking of online operations, it's likely Best Buy lost customers last year after it cancelled orders days before Christmas because it received a bigger-than-expected response to seasonal promotions.
Finally, critics complain that Best Buy has not integrated its online operations tightly with its brick-and-mortar locations. Chief executive Brian Dunn, who outlined the restructuring plan last week, emphasized that the remodeled stores would do a better job of letting shoppers pick up purchases they've made online.
Whatever happens online, the key to the company's survival is whether it can revitalize its bread-and-butter brick-and-mortar business. Best Buy has about 1,100 locations in the US.
Along with the closings and staff reductions, last week's plan calls for remodeling the stores with a “connected store format” that focuses on mobile, video, and broadband connections. How this will make the stores more functional, entertaining, or educational for consumers was not spelled out.
Might there be hope in emphasizing the growing consumer electronic categories? On its analyst call last week, Best Buy revealed that tablet and e-reader sales grew by triple digits, but it reported a comparable decline in notebook, television, digital camera, and gaming product sales.
With this as context, it's easy to see why the company is betting on its Best Buy Mobile stores, which number about 305 today. The company said it will open 100 more of the smaller-format stores this year and will have 600-800 by 2016. But will these boutique stores stanch the consumer habit, enabled by smartphone apps, of treating retailers as little more than showrooms for goods that can be purchased less expensively online?
In a January column for Forbes, Larry Downes wrote that Best Buy is gradually going out of business. In a new column last week, he called the plan “a new series of desperation moves to find something to hold onto even as it sinks deeper into quicksand.”
Downes also took a crack at answering the question Businessweek asked about the future of retailers:
What’s left for the retailer? Maybe not much. At best, there are still a few items -- for example, high end stereo equipment and televisions -- where the retailer may still hold the upper hand. These purchases often require seeing and hearing in-person (what economists call “experience” goods) and their technical complexity (the stuff inside) leaves most consumers needing a trusted expert to help navigate choices, options, features and functions.
But if knowledgeable and trusted salespeople are to be Best Buy's salvation for its retail stores, the prognosis is not good. Even a cursory review of consumer critiques on the Web finds a wealth of negative commentary about its retail employees, including its Geek Squad technical service department (for example). Perhaps acknowledging this problem, Dunn said the company would boost its employee training investment by 40 percent.
What's your best bet about Best Buy's future? Can it reboot?
— Ellis Booker is a freelance journalist with extensive experience with business-to-business marketing.


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iLuv has announced a new line of cases and screen protectors for Apple’s new iPhone 4 that include metallic, leather, soft coated ultra thin silicone cases to 2-way privacy screen protectors and glare-free screen protectors. These new accessories will be available soon at prices ranging from $14.99 to $49.99 at www.i-luv.com. I know it’s not a full case, but the one that caught my eye is the iCC700 EDGE. It’s a silicone trim available in 8 colors, that just fits around the edges of the phone.
Support The Gadgeteer: We may earn a small affiliate commission from purchases made from buying through links on our site. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more.


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You are here
Blackstone offers to buy Strategic Hotels in US$6b deal
[NEW YORK] Strategic Hotels & Resorts Inc, an owner of luxury lodging properties across the US, agreed to be bought by affiliates of Blackstone Group LP in a deal valued at US$6 billion including debt.
Blackstone offered US$14.25 a share in cash, about 13 per cent more than the unaffected intraday trading price on July 23, when Bloomberg reported on a potential transaction for the Chicago- based company.
Strategic owns high-end properties including the Ritz- Carlton Half Moon Bay in California and Manhattan's Essex House.


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Acer announced two new gaming-grade 27-inch monitors at the Consumer Electronics Show last month. The XB270HU garnered the most media attention thanks to its IPS panel and Nvidia G-Sync technology. What Acer neglected to mention at the time, however, was that the other monitor – the XG270HU – would support AMD’s FreeSync technology.
For those not up to speed, FreeSync is AMD’s non-proprietary alternative to Nvidia’s G-Sync. Both methods allow the monitor’s refresh rate to sync up with the GPU’s render rate which eliminates screen tearing and lag when playing below the native refresh rate.
Whereas Nvidia’s solution requires a special processing chip to be added to the monitor, AMD’s technology uses adaptive sync which was recently added to the VESA-standard DisplayPort 1.2a specification. FreeSync is also cheaper to implement although thus far, there are far more G-Sync monitors on the market than those that support FreeSync.
Getting back on topic, the XG270HU is also a 27-inch model with a maximum resolution of 2,560 x 1,440, 1ms response time and a 144MHz refresh rate. It features two HDMI 2.0 ports, a DVI port, a DisplayPort 1.2 connection and dual 2W speakers.
Aside from sync technology differences, the XG270HU doesn’t use an IPS panel which makes it a little less desirable. Acer didn’t specify what type of panel it uses which likely means a TN.
The XG270HU is expected to go on sale sometime next month. Acer has yet to reveal how much it’ll retail for.


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The European Commssion has pledged to use its full powers to create a single market for cross-border low value payments and introduce interoperability for electronic purses across the EU.
At a specially convened Round Table on payment developments held in Brussels, banking industry representatives were warned by the Commssion that costs of cross-border transfers within the EU are still too high. The Commssion expressed particular concern that payment systems are not keeping pace with the development of "new generation" banking services such as electronic purses, banking online or via a mobile phone.
Internal market commissioner Frits Bolkestein told the Round Table: "The Commission's political objective remains a modern Single Payment Area for the entire EU where there is no frontier effect for cross-border payments. The execution time and price for cross-border retail transfers will and must be considerably reduced and I am convinced that technological progress will allow such development and competition will press strongly in this direction.
"Beyond this, the Commission's ultimate objective is to see the possibility that e-money purses issued in one Member State can be used cross-border in the whole euro-zone," he added.
The Commission says it is monitoring progress closely and will push for speedy implementation of the Cross-Border Credit Transfer Directive. This will be the basis for considering a series of new proposals in the autumn of 2001 to improve traditional payments systems, says Bolkenstein.
Commission policymakers are increasingly concerned to ensure that legislation keeps up with developments in electronic payments. A study is in progress and as of 2001, the Commission will start analysing its findings with a view to further proposals in this area. The Commission is already committed to the publication shortly of a Green Paper on E-Commerce and Financial Services, which will inter alia pay particular attention to Internet payments.
For the European Parliament, Karla Peijs insisted there should be a rigid deadline of 1 January 2002 for the implementation of concrete changes. Above all, cross-border payments must be automated, as domestic transfers are. This will require the speedy implementation of electronic messages, the use of International Bank Account Numbers (IBAN) and of a single payment instruction.
The Commission is particularly concerned that in the five years since Internet banking has come of age, there is still no single, reliable, secure, efficient, practical and cheap system for payment over the Web.
Participants to the Round Table discussed ways in which the introduction of new technology could revolutionise payment methods. In credit card payments, Europay (Mastercard Europe) announced the introduction of a system of automatic transfers between card holders. Visa outlined the new rules it has instituted to guarantee Internet payments. Pilot projects involving the use of electronic purses for Internet purchases or cross-border transfers were also presented and the potential for payment via mobile phones or portables discussed.


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Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee has died aged 78, the company announced on Sunday. Samsung was transformed into a global giant by Lee. And under his leadership, Samsung became a popular name in the smartphone as well as overall consumer electronics industry. That’s not all, the company managed to become the leading producer of phones and chipsets for other brands as well. Also Read - Samsung to use environmentally sustainable packaging materials for all its products
It’s claimed that Lee and his overall leadership helped Samsung’s turnover to be equivalent to one-fifth of South Korea’s gross domestic product (GDP). Lee was reportedly living in care ever since he was left bedridden after a major heart attack in 2014. The company had kept his health condition away from the public’s radar over the years. Which makes the news of his passing away sound even more sudden.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Kun-hee Lee, Chairman of Samsung Electronics,” the company said in a statement. “Chairman Lee passed away on October 25 with his family, including Vice Chairman Jay Y. Lee, by his side.”
“Chairman Lee was a true visionary who transformed Samsung into the world-leading innovator and industrial powerhouse from a local business,” Samsung said, adding: “His legacy will be everlasting.”
Lee’s death leaves a huge role to be filled. His son, Lee Jae-yong has presided over the leadership role since 2014 as the vice chairman of Samsung. But was more or less being groomed to takeover from his father eventually. Having said that, the son himself has courted controversy. He was found guilty of bribing and other offenses for which he was jailed for five years in 2017. But he was cleared of these charges and released a year later. And now, Lee will be taking over the reigns over the large conglomerate.


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Full profile →'">
The author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer.
Shanghai-born Frank Wang spent a lot of his youth with his grandparents at home in China while his parents were attending college in the United States. That meant, he says, being influenced by his grandfather, Wang Defang, who in his sixties made a transition from long-time public servant to chairman of New York Stock Exchange-listed Huaneng Power International, one of the first businesses from China to list overseas early in the country’s reform era in the 1990s.
That exposure to his grandfather and also Silicon Valley, where he attended high school and college, led the younger Wang to recognize one of his goals in life early in his career: “I always wanted to be an entrepreneur,” he says.
Today, Wang with his wife Ivy Zhao run LuxSea, a Shanghai-based company that sells imported accessories in China’s growing fashion business. Most of the brands that he works with are relatively new to the market, not unlike his own company. “People don’t want what all of their friends already have,” Wang says.
Wang’s foreign partners appear to like the help he provides. “They are of course a relatively new company and our relationship is new, but I’m quite confident that LuxSea was a very good choice for me as a partner to grow in the Chinese market,” says Jalda Hoff, the founder of Jalda Style of Beverly Hills. LuxSea is also working with Gustto, Botkier, Treesje and Rebecca Minkoff. Wang’s success so far earned him a spot on the China “30 Under 30” List published in March by Forbes China, the licensed Chinese-language edition of Forbes.
Wang is targeting a sweet spot in China’s economy: consumer spending. While much of the world economy is still tentatively pulling itself out of a credit crisis, growth in China’s consumer spending this year may hit 15%. The country’s luxury market is poised to rank as the world’s largest in the not-too-distant future, and already spawns sales for international giants such as LVMH, Tiffany, Coach and Calvin Klein.
Wang’s career didn’t move in a straight path to business owner. After attending high school in San Francisco, he first majored in computer science at San Jose State University. He switched to management information systems when he realized “I didn’t just want to sit in front of a computer” for the rest of his life. Besides eventually deciding on a major and path out of college, he already had settle on a wife. The two met when they were high school students at Woodside International School in San Francisco.
After graduating, Wang was offered a finance-related job at JP Morgan in Hong Kong. He grew to find the work repetitive, and moved back to Shanghai, where he studied for a MBA at the China Europe International Business School and worked part-time in the Asian capital markets department at Citibank. There, plans for what would be his first business were formed: a car rental company. He gave up when told – incorrectly -- that he couldn’t get a license for the business.
A job interview with LVMH while at CEIBS changed his life by leading him to the business where he would found his own company: fashion. LuxSea, with its fashion sounding name, was born in 2010 with the aim of bring overseas brands into China’s fast-growing fashion market.
Wang has focused on handbags because, he believes, they are one of the first luxury items that women shoppers in China purchase when they can afford fashion items. They are also less seasonal than a lot of apparel items, lowering inventory risk.
LuxSea’s youth and relative lack of capital for massive ad campaigns led Wang to use a disciplined approach to choosing brands to try to sell in China. One requirement: the brand much have been already been embraced by overseas celebrities.
He discovered, for instance, that Paris Hilton carried a Jalda bag, and so moved to work with Jalda. It was the same with the Boktier brand and Angelina Jolie, Gustto and Lindsay Lohan, and Amrita Singh and Jennifer Lopez. He then tries to highlight ties between the stars and the products in his promotions in China. In a country famous for fakes, authenticity is valued.
Because Wang’s own business scale is small – this year has figures he will sell about $5 million of goods, prospective clients have to be willing to offer pricing that allows LuxSea to make money. In exchange, they can break in into China and get brand exposure. They also have to be willing to give LuxSea the rights for selling online and offline at the same time. “We can open a store without an intellectual property problem,” he says.


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7 y.o. Kazakhstani Kristi models for GAP 11 декабря 2014, 01:57
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Photo from personal archives.
7 y.o. Kristi from Kazakhstan has modeled for GAP, Tengrinews reports.
The advertisement campaign for GAP was prepared by the Kazakhstani photo studio Dark Room Art. The photo studio contacted GAP with an offer to create advertisement banners for the company. GAP representatives considered the portfolio of Dark Room Art and agreed to place the order.
The photoshoot took place in Almaty. 7 y.o. model Kristi was casted for the GAP campaign. She had previously worked on various photo-shoots. A Dark Room Art representative noted that despite her young age Kristi worked very professionally and was not shy of the camera.
By Gyuzel Kamalova