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THE marketing restrictions faced by the tobacco industry could lead to a $521 billion loss to businesses if extended to other sectors, a new report has found.
The study, by Brand Finance, follows the introduction of plain packaging for tobacco products with the ramifications for other sectors being analysed if similar rules came into play.
The alcohol, confectionary, savoury snacks and sugary drinks industries were looked at in particular, with PepsiCo being found to lose the most in absolute terms – with a potential loss of $62 billion across its portfolio.
The valuation consultancy said that, given the importance of brand in the soft drink industry, imposing plain packaging or further limitations on advertising would cause ‘severe damage’.
The firm also estimates that The Coca-Cola Company’s flagship brand, Coca-Cola, would stand to lose $43 billion – constituting the majority of the estimated $57 billion potential loss estimated for the company, with Pepsi representing a $23 billion stake of PepsiCo’s loss.
Alongside PepsiCo and The Coca-Cola Company, the report also looked at specific brands such as Diageo, Heineken, Mondelēz International, Nestlé, Pernod Ricard, and Treasury Wine Estates.
The authors estimate that the nine companies could lose a total of $267 billion in enterprise value, should marketing restrictions be implemented. On average, the report states that the firms in question could each lose nearly a quarter of their enterprise value and over 50% of brand contribution.
Looking beyond the firms analysed, and extrapolating the research to the industries globally, the report states that alcohol, confectionary, savoury snacks, and sugary drinks brands could lose $521 billion.
David Haigh, chairman and CEO of Brand Finance, commented, “Brands are integral to how the world operates. In times of crisis, brands – especially those most valuable and strongest in their categories and markets – become a safe haven for capital. Well-managed, innovative, and reputable brands are what the global economy turns to in the hour of need. Severe marketing restrictions are catastrophic, not only for brands, but for all stakeholders, from consumers and society, to investors and governments.”
The report added that marketers and consumers are way of over-regulation, as marketing restrictions – in particular plain packaging – can facilitate fraud and present a danger to consumers.
An accompanying survey to the research found that consumers (80-90% agreement across markets analysed) acknowledge the role that brands play in supporting legal sales channels, as well as helping to navigate between real and fake good. The authors explained that brand literacy helps explain why most accept that brands should be allowed to promote themselves responsibly.
Shiyan Jayaweera, head of marketing at Lion Brewery, commented, “Low-quality and illegal products are made up to look like a regulated beverage, which is confusing and endangers consumers. It is not easy to tell the difference between established brands and illicit products.”


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Many Americans Have One Destination In Mind When They Start Traveling
One of the outstanding questions for the travel industry is when people will be ready to travel again. As airlines move to require face masks on planes and promote social distancing, are Americans warming up to the idea of flying? According to a new survey, a majority of Americans have one destination in mind when they start traveling: visiting friends or family. In potential bad news for the travel industry, most of those surveyed said they planned to drive. And international travel is not on the minds of almost any of them for their first trip.
The survey conducted by Longwoods International found that 52% of Americans planning their first trip when it is appropriate plan to travel domestically to visit friends and family. The result makes sense when you consider that many have been separated from family for two months or more. Seventy percent of those surveyed plan on traveling within the next six months.
International trips are largely out of the question, with only 4% of those surveyed saying their first trip planned will be international. Eighty-six percent of those surveyed said they plan on taking a trip domestically. That is also not entirely shocking, given the uncertainty with international travel restrictions.
Perhaps the worst news out of this for airlines is how these Americans intend to get to their destination. Of those surveyed, 76% plan on driving, while only 24% plan on flying. Of course, this is only for their first planned trip. And given that a majority plan to travel within 200 miles (52%), it makes sense that their preference leans toward driving over flying. But the survey does show where Americans’ priorities are with travel as people are able to move freely again.
The survey was conducted April 29, 2020 on 1,000 American adults. The survey used quotas from U.S. Census data to ensure broad representation of the U.S. population.
Americans are planning on getting back to travel in the next six months. Overall, Americans are planning domestic and relatively local trips to visit family and friends. Personally, my first trip planned is to do just that: visit family about 25o miles away. Perhaps a good thing that will come out of this for all of us is putting a little more value in those we love. At a time where many can’t even see their parents, it’s a stark reminder of how lucky we can be to have people around who love us. It also might serve as a reminder of the beautiful destinations one can visit domestically.

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Latest News about catfish
As of mid-September, basa harvesting is estimated at 932,000 tonnes, only 81.1 per cent of the same period last year.
The US Department of Commerce (DOC) has announced the final results of the 16th period of review (POR16) for the period from August 1, 2018 to July 31, 2019, regarding Vietnam’s tra and basa fish (pangasius) exported to the US.
Tra (pangasius) fish prices have dropped to their lowest levels in 11 years since exports have been hit by Covid-19, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).
Catfish products can bring export turnover of $2 billion a year, but, surprisingly, the fish has not been favored in the home market.
Analysts believe that Vietnam’s seafood industry will face difficulties until the end of June.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) predicts that the total catfish output in the world will reach 3 million tons in 2020, of which 50 percent is from Vietnam.
Catfish exports to China dropped by half in the first two months of the year in comparison with the same period last year, resulting in a 32 percent decrease in total export turnover for the entire seafood industry.
Seafood companies have vowed to bring catfish to Vietnamese dining tables after their success in the world market.
This year is believed to be a brighter year for the domestic tra fish industry with exports inching up in the first quarter, according to an official from the Vietnam Pangasius Association.
Meeting barriers in foreign markets, catfish processing companies have decided to exploit the domestic market.
As tra fish export has been on the decline in recent years due to a rise in trade protectionism in large traditional markets such as the US, Vietnamese firms are looking to bring the fish back home.
Vietnam’s catfish exports have seen a sharp decline because of trade barriers and price fluctuations in the world market.
A series of problems are affecting Vietnam’s catfish industry, including a sharp fall in catfish material price and decrease in breeder quality. The industry has lost its monopoly. On the world market.
Vietnam’s export of tra fish is forecast to reach US$2.06 billion this year, decreasing by 9 per cent year-on-year, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).
Vietnam is no longer the only catfish producer and exporter in the world and now has to compete with many rivals, including Indonesia, India and China.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) under the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has recognised Vietnam as a country eligible to export Siluriformes fish (catfish, including tra fish) and fish products to the US.
The domestic catfish price has fallen to a 2-year low, while Vietnam’s shrimp now has to compete fiercely in prices with rivals, including Thailand and India.
Vietnam’s export of aquatic products in July showed positive signs with an increase of 9 per cent year-on-year, particularly with exports of shrimp and other products rising, except for pangasius.


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Car dealers have said that due to restrictions on import of used vehicles the business of car sales has suffered terribly and many showroom owners have shut down their businesses. Chairman of Automotive Traders & Importers Association Karachi (ATIAK) Muhammad Kamran Khan and President ATIAK Ch. Aamir Ali Khan have requested the Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) to support the car dealers in getting their parking issue resolved as not a single vehicle belonging either to showroom owners or walk-in customers was being allowed to get parked outside any showroom which terribly affects their businesses.
Speaking at a meeting during the visit of ATIAK delegation to KCCI, Chairman and President ATIAK said that relocating showrooms outside Karachi was not a feasible option as not a single customer will come all the way out of city beyond Sohrab Goth to buy cars mainly due to security concerns hence, the relevant authorities will have to come up with some other feasible option in which relief has to be ensured for perturbed showroom owners. President KCCI Agha Shahab Ahmed Khan, Vice President KCCI Shahid Ismail, Chairman of KCCI’s Special Committee for Small Traders Majeed Memon, Co-Chairman Talat Mehmood, Founder ATIAK Adil Khan, ATIAK delegates and KCCI Managing Committee Members were also present at the meeting. Chairman ATIAK Muhammad Kamran Khan pointed out that due to severe curbs imposed on the imports of used cars particularly the amendment in the Import Policy Order 2016 in which clearance of cars through foreign exchange has been made mandatory, the car sale business has suffered terribly and dozens of car dealers in various localities have shut down their businesses.
“The situation has created a lot of problems not only for the car dealers but also for many other allied businesses including the denting & painting workshops and mechanics etc., rendering thousands of people jobless”, he added. Chairman ATIAK stated that the importers of used cars pay billions of rupees each other in shape of taxes and custom duties but the restrictions on imported cars have brought many businesses on the verge of complete collapse whereas the government was also losing billions of rupees being generated through custom duties and registration of imported vehicles. “The entire strategy needs to be reviewed and relief has to be provided hence, KCCI, being the premier trade body, must come forward to help out and save car dealers”, he added.


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A North East PR and marketing agency has pledged to do its bit for sustainability by joining forces with an environmental charity.
Harvey & Hugo, which is based in Darlington but works with clients across the country, has announced a partnership with JUST ONE Tree to launch Harvey & Hu-gro, a tree-planting initiative.
Managing director Charlotte Nichols said: “The environment is a cause very close to all our hearts, and earlier this year we made a pledge to reduce our travel by 60 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, through working from home and holding virtual meetings where possible.
“Now we’re taking it one step further, committing to plant a tree for every invoice we send through our partnership with JUST ONE Tree.”
JUST ONE Tree is a non-profit initiative removing CO2 from the atmosphere and reversing biodiversity loss through global reforestation. They plant trees in areas severely affected by deforestation to maximise the effect on reducing global warming, helping to provide agricultural education and sustainable incomes to local communities in the process.
Charlotte added: “I loved the fact that JUST ONE Tree was a small charity thinking big. Planting trees is such a simple way of supporting the environment as well as communities, and so I felt it was a perfect match.
“Trees are the primary method we have for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Without planting more, we'll not survive as a species – it’s as simple and stark as that.
“I was also inspired by founder Amanda’s story; like me, she’s a mum who wanted to make a real difference to the world her daughter would inherit.”
While the initiative will not cost clients anything, Charlotte is hopeful that it may inspire them to make their own pledges.
She said: “Hopefully it will make our customers feel good too, knowing every invoice also plants a tree.
“And while we’re not asking clients to make any contributions, we’d like to think in the future they may choose to add more trees to their order – it’s such an easy way for us all to play our part.
“I’d also like to expand the idea in the future to spend our regular team-building days working schools and businesses to help them plant trees, veg and plants.
“For the moment, it’s just a small action, but if everyone takes these small steps, it will add up to something really big!”
Harvey & Hugo creates lovable and memorable brands through its mix of PR, content marketing and social media services, and offers three flexible ways of working – traditional retained contracts, flexible, fixed-fee services and its dedicated training school, Hugoversity.
For more information about Harvey & Hugo’s services, visit www.harveyandhugo.com/


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Earlier today, Oppo has sent out their first-ever teaser for their upcoming MWC 2017 event which will kick off on February 27th next week. This means Oppo will be joining the ranks of other Chinese smartphone giant including Xiaomi and ZTE during the upcoming event as well.
Although the teaser doesn’t reveal much information of what kind of smartphone it could be, but it do come with a ‘5x’ illustration which according to Chinese reports, is related to Oppo’s own ‘5x’ mobile photography technology. Of course, this wouldn’t come as a surprise since the Chinese company has always place much emphasis on their smartphone camera technology which we had seen on the Oppo N1 also dubbed as the first rotating camera smartphone, as well as the Oppo F1S which is also known as the selfie expert.
The question now is, will this highly anticipated camera technology be related to the front or rear camera, or perhaps both?


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MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Brewers will host the 31st Annual Clubhouse Sale on Friday, December 2 and Saturday, December 3 from 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. at Miller Park. The sale will take place in the visiting clubhouse and fans will receive savings up to 75% on sale merchandise items.
Just in time for the holidays, fans can save on Brewers apparel, souvenirs and specialty items as well as rare, game-used merchandise including jerseys and bats. Brewers 2011 Central Division Champions merchandise as well as 2011 Postseason gear will be on sale. The Brewers will also have representatives available to handle requests for Holiday 4-Packs and Brewers 10-Packs.
On Friday, December 2, every 31st customer sale at the Clubhouse Sale receives two FREE Brewers On Deck tickets (one per customer, while supplies last). As an additional offer, a more-you-spend-the-more-you-save coupon will be offered. Coupons of $10/$20/$30 will be offered to the Brewers Team Store by Majestic for those spending $100/$200/$300 at the Clubhouse Sale during the sale. Finally, every purchase of $100 or more in the Brewers Team Store by Majestic will come with two FREE tickets to a 2012 Brewers game, while supplies last (one per customer).
Shoppers can access the Clubhouse Sale by entering Miller Park at the Hot Corner entrance near the Brewers Team Store by Majestic and follow the posted directions to the visiting clubhouse. Cash and credit cards will be accepted (no personal checks). Admission and parking are both free.
In addition, children can also have their photo taken with Bernie Brewer and the Famous Racing Sausages on Friday from 10 a.m. – noon and with Santa on Saturday from noon – 2 p.m. at the Brewers Team Store by Majestic. Fans should bring their own cameras and the photos will be free of charge with any purchase.


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With just a week left of 2016, we can't really expect any more major events. It is instead the time to reminisce and look back on the past 12 months and also prepare and speculate on what the new year has to offer.
As far as the first point goes, there were at least a couple of notable calamities in the market this year and as December comes to an end, we are happy to finally see some proper evaluation and closure for some of the unpleasant situations. Samsung is ready with its official investigation of the Note7 saga, which should hopefully mark its final chapter. LG is also hoping to leave its V20 bootloop troubles behind in 2016.
On a far more positive note, the industry seems more hopeful then ever about the future of the legendary Nokia brand, especially after two new flagship offers leaked. The Samsung Galaxy S8 is already gathering a lot of attention. Samsung really has to knock it out of the ballpark this time around on both the Galaxy and Note fronts to make up for the unfortunate events surrounding the Note7. Hopefully, this will nudge the eagerly-anticipated foldable concept phones towards a release as well.
In other news, the ZUK Edge is now finally official and so are a few LG handsets and new color options for the Oppo R9s and the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4.
Both devices will run on Snapdragon 835 and come with Android Nougat out of the box.
The report is yet to be released to the public, but there's plenty of time until the end of the year.
It's been a while since we've seen a true flagship-grade small smartphone, and this may just be the next one.
Lenovo offers the ZUK Edge with 4GB or 6GB of RAM and 64GB of fast UFS 2.0 internal storage.
In Apple-land, adoption of the iPhone 7 is slower than that of its predecessor from two years ago.
Samsung's reply to a beta tester leads to believe the S7's fingerprint scanner could be updated with more features with the Nougat update.
The confirmation came in the form of a Weibo post from a company representative.
Specifically, the devices will be available in western European Union in mid-January.
The units in question are offered SIM-free in the US - a great option if you don't want to get tied up with carriers.
The figures come from experts at Goldman Sachs, who think the S8 will cost more to make than the S7, and this will reflect in the final price.
Partnership suggested by a report out of South Korea, no specific time frame for mass production has been cited.
A teaser image has surfaced referencing the event and showing a new version of the company's laptop.
The infringement claims cover 32 patents and have been filed in three regional courts in Germany and one District Court in the US.
The Korean company seems intent on outfitting its next flagship with a switch that enables top performance.
Reportedly, the event will be held in New York, moving the S8 away from the launch grounds of its forefathers.
Talks are on, and nothing is finalized yet, but a deal seems likely.
For now, the two new color versions are only available in China, but we assume they're headed to other markets eventually.
All the handsets will be showcased at the upcoming CES 2017 show.
X-ray images show the chips were poorly soldered, which hints that Apple was in a rush.
2.85 million downloads on day one is more than three times as many as Pokemon Go did a while back.
An LG Service center has reportedly concluded V20 bootloops were caused by cheap USB-C cables.
More than 90% of Note7 units sold have been recalled and yet it's one of the more popular Android flagships.
MIUI 8.1.1 update rolling out to the global variant that finally brings the Marshmallow update to the device.
Specs-wise, there aren't any changes. Pricing remains the same as well.


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Microsoft Mexico has shared a very interesting comment! Microsoft Mexico has stated that Windows 10 mobile to be roll on 29th FEB 2016
Microsoft Mexico has just stated the date but did not add about regions.but still people waiting for official Windows 10 mobile are feeling relaxed now.
In a post Microsoft Mexico has commented (SPANISH) :
Hola, la actualización a Windows 10 estará disponible a partir del 29 de febrero, pero recuerda que no todos los dispositivos podrán hacerlo. ¡Saludos!
“Hello, the update to windows 10 will be available as from 29 February, but remember that not all devices will be able to do so. Greetings!”
This isn’t official confirmation from Microsoft for a worldwide roll out and Microsoft can change this date later as Windows 10 mobile is still in development stage.If you like our report please share your support by subscribing to our community on Facebook, Twitter, Telegram or Flipboard. you can also join our support group Smartphone Assistant for any queries related to your devices


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The price of gold has rebounded from its lowest point since August 2010 and clocked in at US$1255.70 an ounce on Monday. Gold prices started plummeting at the beginning of April from US$1600 to less than US$1200 an ounce at the end of financial year last week.
It was the first time in almost three years that gold prices have dropped below US$1200 and the comeback on Monday puts an end to the free fall that has affected the market for over three months.
More noticeably, the increase in gold prices also signifies the resurgence in gold trading. Gold buyers who have taken advantage of the recent market drop stand to benefit from the rising price of gold as they will gain a higher profit margin if they are selling now.
In comparison to early April, gold buyers are able to offer sellers a better price per ounce now that market value has risen again. Gold analysts have speculated that this would be a good time for consumers to sell gold and gain a higher return on investment.
There are Sydney gold traders who offer favourable prices for gold, but a report published by the Telegraph shows that not all gold buyers necessarily offer the same value for money on gold jewellery and coins.
The Telegraph’s Public Defender conducted a secret research on various gold traders in Sydney, and they discovered that all of them offered varying prices to consumers who sell gold for cash. Out of 5 jewellery and gold buyers in Sydney who were involed in the research, Public Defender discovered that there was a $450 differential between the lowest to the highest offer.
It was revealed that Sydney Gold Traders pays the highest cash for gold than any other buyer, with offers reaching as high as 90% of its market value. In comparison, other gold buyers in Sydney only offered a meagre 30 to 50% of the market value.
Public Defender also stated that Sydney Gold Traders “weighed the [gold jewellery] using sophisticated gold karat analysis technology”, in reference to the XRF precious metal analyser. The machine allows for more precise analysis on gold and its true value, which allows Sydney Gold Traders to offer the highest payments on cash for gold.
When asked about why Sydney Gold Traders can offer higher prices than other buyers, regional manager Jerry Zheng said, “Some buyers do business by increasing their profit margin. We look for ways to get repeat business.”
The recovery of gold prices after a short 3-month span proves that it is one of the most sustainable investment options available, and this would be a suitable time for consumers to sell gold for cash. Couple this factor with high offers from established gold buyers such as Sydney Gold Traders, consumers will see a significant profit on their investments in gold.
Sydney Gold Traders
We understand that people have gold but not everyone knows their gold’s current value. To help you know exactly what the true value of your gold is, we have decided to run our business in an open and honest way, and we make the experience of selling gold simple and easy. We will show you how your gold is evaluated and let you to decide if you would like to sell the gold.
What makes The Sydney Gold Traders different from other gold buyers is that we truly offer the highest payout and have a high commitment to customer happiness.
Sydney Gold Traders
P: 02 8011 1117


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Using the same cooking utensils for gluten-free and gluten-containing foods may not pose a high risk of gluten exposure for people with celiac disease.
The sleepiness people feel after their Thanksgiving meal is more likely due to the heavy intake of food, especially carbohydrates.
November is American Diabetes Month, and according to the American Diabetes Association, 1.25 million people have been diagnosed with diabetes and 400,000 more will be diagnosed this year.
Having allergies doesn’t mean having to skip Halloween fun. Allergist Dr. Hemant Sharma shares some tips for managing food allergies at Halloween.
For families managing diabetes around Halloween, try focusing on the traditions of the holiday rather than the candy.


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BMW has made 5 million vehicles in Spartanburg County.
The milestone U.S.-made BMW is a red X5 M Competition equipped with a 617-horsepower M TwinPower Turbo V-8 engine, according to a news release. It was completed June 5 and will remain at the factory to become part of the BMW history collection. Others in the collection include the first car made at the plant.
"You cannot be successful in business if you do not have great products and great people," Knudt Flor, president and CEO of BMW Manufacturing, said in the news release. "This BMW X5 M Competition is a symbol of the success of our products and the commitment and dedication of our associates and supplier network. Every BMW X5 in the world comes from Plant Spartanburg. We are proud to call South Carolina home."
More than half of the BMW vehicles sold in the United States are built at Plant Spartanburg, according to Bernhard Kuhnt, president and CEO of BMW of North America.
"We cannot overstate the importance of Plant Spartanburg to our sales network," he said in the news release. "BMW Group has long considered the United States to be our second home and we are proud to say that the U.S. is in fact home to the biggest BMW plant in the world. We congratulate our colleagues on this historic achievement."


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This article is more than 1 year old
Chinese Kindles hop firewall to freedom
Reader and Amazon servers provide nifty browsing loophole
Kindle users in China are able to surf the internet unimpeded by the Great Firewall, as the authorities have yet to recognise the threat the e-book reader represents.
The Kindle isn't officially available in China yet, though grey imports are bought and sold on local auction sites. Once activated, it has emerged, the Kindle's "experimental" browser offers unrestricted surfing thanks to a reliance on Amazon‘s servers and negligence on the part of China's censors.
China has long operated a huge firewall protecting the country from the influence of the US-dominated internet, or ensuring its citizens only get access to media that falls under governmental control, depending on your point of view. The firewall is not leak free. Its scale ensures that it can be easily circumvented by the technically literate, but to the vast majority it's an impassable barrier they don't even know exists.
Nor, in most cases, do people care: information about human rights and political shenanigans is vitally important to a civilised society, but few people will go out and look for it. The general public needs big letters on the front page before they'll care about such things, which is why China doesn't bother trying to make the Great Firewall completely impermeable.
But once more than a few people start doing it, or Amazon launches the device in China, then the firewall will descend and Kindle users will get the same sanitised version of the internet as everyone else in China. Given the firewall-busting details which have appeared in the South China Morning Post, it won't be long before the service is blocked.
To truly go over the top of the wall you need satellite internet access from a company not beholden to the Chinese government (something Teledesic once promised). Other than that we'll just have to keep pushing the diplomatic route and hope that China comes to realise the advantages of unrestricted access to information. ®


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Fyre Festival’s Billy McFarland arrested again for allegedly selling fake tickets
Billy McFarland, the founder of the disastrous Fyre Festival, pled guilty to wire fraud, and his troubles are far from over. As the Associated Press reports, McFarland was arrested again on additional fraud charges while awaiting sentencing. They write:
Billy McFarland was arrested on Tuesday on charges that he conducted a sham ticket scheme, selling fraudulent tickets to fashion, music and sporting events. His lawyer did not immediately comment.
William F. Sweeney Jr., head of New York’s FBI office, says new charges show that McFarland didn’t stop committing crimes after pleading guilty in March to defrauding investors and vendors in the Fyre Festival.
He says the 26-year-old McFarland went on to sell fraudulent tickets totaling almost $100,000 to various events.
That alleged scheme is called NYC VIP Access, a company McFarland reportedly tried to conceal his ownership of. With it, he claimed to have tickets for events like Coachella, Burning Man, The Met Gala, and The Superbowl for sale.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said, "William McFarland, already awaiting sentencing for a prior fraud scheme, allegedly continued to conduct criminal business as usual, selling nonexistent tickets to fashion, music, and sporting events. As alleged, McFarland’s purported exclusive event ticket company, NYC VIP Access, in fact had no access to events for which he sold bogus tickets. Now McFarland faces criminal charges on top of those to which he already pled guilty."
As Vice reports, some of the tickets McFarland claimed to have for sale aren't even real:
VICE News debunked several of NYC VIP Access’s offerings, including “sponsor tickets” to Burning Man, which does not have sponsors; seats at the Met Gala, which must be approved by Anna Wintour; and passes to meet Taylor Swift, who does not do meet-and-greets.
According to The Blast, before the new charges, McFarland also filed a sentencing memorandum asking for house arrest instead of jail time:
McFarland says he was only 24-years-old when he was in charge of the infamous Fyre Festival, and admits that although his intentions were good it was too much to handle. He says that his lack of skills, education, resources or maturity contributed to the failed event.
He now claims to have a deep sense of remorse for the way the festival went down.
He’s also using an ADHD diagnosis to gain sympathy with the judge, claiming the symptoms he suffers on a daily basis are very taxing.
McFarland says he has no criminal record, has cooperated with the Feds since the beginning and even plead guilty to the charges.


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updated - July 13, 2020 Monday EDT
Photokina 2014 is just around the corner, here's the latest on Hasselblad:
Hasselblad Digital X-Pan Release Date: It is reported that Hasselblad will exhibit all of their products (potentially the Digital X-Pan) at this year's largest photography and imaging convention. As Photokina nears in the coming weeks, we have received reports that the Sweden-based company is planning a fashion show including the world's top models. The reported event will have an "Outer-Space" them, not surprising as Hasselblad is known as the only company to have their cameras brought into space. Details on registration can be found here (via thenewcamera.com)
Official event detail from evenbrite.co.uk:
"Hasselblad will be exhibiting at photokina 2014, the world's leading biennial imaging show. It is the photography highlight of the year gathering professional and amateur photographers, experts and fans, exhibitors and interested participants from all over the world. We are looking forward to another great event with breaking news and exciting things going on at the Hasselblad booth."
Photographer Michael Najjar will appear on September 17, as a speaker with a presentation on 'outer-space', exploring future space flight.
Another commissioned photographer appearing at Photokina under Hasselblad is Karl Taylor. Here's a statement from his official blog:
"I made it clear to the team at Hasselblad that if I was going to do this I wanted full creative control and be allowed to pick the team that was essential to making the final images a success. Fortunately Hasselblad trusted me to get the job done and after a few weeks of creating concepts and ideas for my shots they were right behind me on the project. They were also very excited that some of the images I'd proposed would benefit from using the new CMOS version chip cameras."
Meanwhile, recent rumors suggest that the Hasselblad Digital X-Pan could finally be appearing at Photokina this year. Reports say that the compact DSLR will boast a customized sensor (24mm x 65mm with 1.5 cropping). It is rumored to be priced at around $8000, joining the Leica M price range.
Stay tuned for more details regarding the Hasselblad Digital X-Pan Release Date and Photokina 2014 rumors in the following days.
TOP 10 FRANCHISES OF 2020


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Will there be finally a Subaru BRZ STI?
The Subaru BRX could finally get a version of the STI, according to na first photograph released by the japanese manufacturer through the social networks.
Drom the moment that the Subaru BRZ came to market back in 2012, enthusiasts of the brand began to to dream of a more radical take the last STI. But despite the fact that the brand presented a prototype in 2015, the idea never materialized as a series model.
however, everything seems to indicate that fans will finally get what both have been looking forward to. The japanese manufacturer released on their official accounts on Twitter and Instagram, a photograph that teaches part of the rear of a BRZ, equipped with a huge spoiler that bears the logo STI to the sides.
By the photograph, it seems obvious that the model will receive some aesthetic alteration, but by the time there is no conformation official about improvements in the power. Surely this hypothetical BRZ STI will have some modifications in the tuning of the chassis, with the aim of improving its dynamic behavior.
To solve the mystery will have to wait until the June 8 next, as noted by the official information that accompanies the first photo of the Subaru BRZ STI.


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MILWAUKEE – Borgman Capital announced it acquired Dairyfood USA to merge the specialty processor and smoked Gouda supplier with Gilman Cheese Corporation.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Dairyfood USA, based in Blue Mounds, Wis., makes extended shelf-life cheese products. With the acquisition, Borgman Capital can expand the product mix and production capacity for its platform portfolio company, Gilman Cheese, which is a developer, manufacturer and private labeler of premium, clean label, processed cheeses.
"The people, products and legacy of Dairyfood USA offer a wealth of benefits to Gilman Cheese Corporation,” said Sequoya Borgman, founder and managing director of Borgman Capital. “We are excited about the synergies and growth opportunities ahead. We are proud to bring together two leading cheese processors in our home state and continue to support the communities of Blue Mounds and Gilman, Wisconsin.”
The private label products Dairyfood USA makes include smoked links and loaves, snack wedges, portion control cups, dips and spreads, cut bars and non-dairy products. Its products are sold under brand names including Glacier Ridge Farms, Queso de Casa and Sonoma Jacks. Dairyfood USA’s customers include retail, foodservice, transportation and airlines and gift pack suppliers.
“Throughout the selling process, it became distinctly obvious that Borgman Capital was the right choice to lead Dairyfood USA in its next chapter,” said Daniel Culigan, president and chief executive officer of Dairyfood USA. “The professionalism, honesty and genuine respect for our team and culture is what set them apart from other buyers. I am confident that the future is extremely bright for Dairyfood USA and Gilman Cheese.”
Borgman Capital shared that after Culigan’s planned retirement, Gilman president David Delgado will oversee integration of the organization alongside Dairyfood USA and Gilman management teams. Dairyfood USA and Gilman currently employ 149 and 184 employees, respectively.
Gilman’s processed cheeses are pasteurized and blended to achieve longer shelf lives. Its products can be found in retail, grocery and industrial channels, as well as in schools and gift packs and on airlines.


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Latest News on Samsonite
Showing of 0 - 10 from 4 results
Samsonite - Total results - 4
Jan 10, 2019
Evolution guided by innovation: Samsonite’s new video is a must watch!Let’s take a quick look at all of the amazing bags featured in Samsonite’s 108 years of evolution video!
Jun 01, 2018
Bagmaker Samsonite's CEO Ramesh Tainwala steps down following short-seller reportThe company said in a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange that Ramesh Tainwala resigned for personal reasons.
Apr 18, 2016
Samsonite introduces Track&Go to securely locate lost luggageSamsonite announced the introduction of Track&Go, a beacon device that can be built into Samsonite suitcases, allowing a case to be privately tracked by its owner.
Nov 21, 2011
Samsonite Unifies India Ops With Polaris iStorePolaris iStore has enabled Samsonite to centralise operations, integrate stores


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Kelly Brook modelling Simply Be
Online and catalogue retailer N Brown said it was on track to hit festive trading targets as shoppers began snapping up seasonal clothing such as party dresses modelled by Kelly Brook, right.
One top-seller in September’s balmy weather was cargo shorts but shoppers started buying warmer clothing as temperatures fell – such as tan leather jackets promoted by TV’s Lorraine Kelly.
Sales in the 13 weeks to November 29 fell 2.3 per cent, as rises of 1.5 per cent in October and 3 per cent in November helped mitigate an 11 per cent drop in September.
Chief executive Angela Spindler said: “Warm weather really hit us but we have recovered.”
Shares rose 13p to 350¼p.


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A three-month pilot program to use containers for the shipment of goods between Jordan and the West Bank will start at the Allenby crossing in January, with an eye to boosting the flagging Palestinian economy.
“I am delighted to pronounce that shipment of goods in containers will start at the border with Jordan,” European Union representative Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff said.
“Allowing containers’ shipment will help Palestinian business and make it easier for traders and consumers to receive the goods faster and in better conditions,” he explained.
The European Union on Thursday held a meeting on the project at the IDF controlled Allenby crossing that borders the West Bank and Jordan. It included Israeli and Palestinian officials as well as Palestinian businessmen.
Among those who attended Thursday’s meeting were representatives from the Palestinian Authority (PA) ministries of National Economy, Civil Affairs, General Administration of Borders and Crossings, Investment Promotion and Industrial Estates Agency, as well as the Israeli Airports Authority, Israel Tax Authority and the IDF’s Civil Administration.
The pilot program is open to all Palestinian companies, of which some 15 have already shown an interest.
The Allenby crossing allows for Jordanian and Palestinian trucks to transfer goods through back-to-back pallet system.
The pilot program will replace those pallets with containers that will be more efficient and reduce incidents of damage, thereby reducing costs. The new streamlined process will allow for an expansion of the volume of trade and improve the competitive ability of Palestinian businesses, the EU said, adding that it could also lead to the creation of more jobs.
“I very much hope that such measures can be expanded as they will not only facilitate cross-border trade but also contribute to building trust between the parties,” Burgsdoff said. “Trust and mutually beneficial outcomes are essential for our joint efforts towards prosperity and peace.”
PA National Economy Minister Khaled Osaily said, “This pilot will contribute to enhancing the competitiveness of Palestinian products. Shipment with containers will have a significant positive impact on Palestinian private sector by reducing the transaction cost compared to the currently used mechanism.”
The move is one of a number of initiatives that Israel, the EU and the international community have taken to help prevent the collapse of the Palestinian economy.


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If you are wondering why Netflix stock is down, you are not alone. Almost a million shares of the company changed hands on Wednesday, a level it had not hit since 2015. The good news for investors is that individual traders were buying up the dip, with buy orders outpacing sell orders. Nevertheless, despite Netflix’s burgeoning customer base, the company has been facing a string of setbacks in recent months.
The stock dropped 21% in pre-market trading following disappointing earnings from the company. Netflix lost 200,000 global subscribers in the first quarter, falling short of its guidance of 2.5 million net additions. The company attributed the decline to increased competition, higher subscription costs, and increased account sharing, as well as the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, the company’s growth in Russia slowed to a mere half million, missing its prior year’s record pace of 3.8 million new subscribers. This pushed its shares down by 25% after-hours trading.
Last week, Netflix reported its fourth-quarter earnings. The company added 8.3 million new subscribers in the fourth quarter, bringing its total global subscriber base to 222 million. The company’s guidance for 2022 called for slow growth. The company projected adding 2.5 million new subscribers in the first quarter of 2022, and four million more in the first quarter of 2021. That would make 2022 one of Netflix’s slowest opening quarters in several years.
As a result, Netflix’s shares have fallen more than 40% in 2022. The drop comes on the heels of the company’s decision to separate its DVD-by-mail service from its streaming service. While Netflix has continued to grow in size, its growth has slowed down due to the pressure from rivals. The company’s growth has been slow, and its stock has plunged more than 40% this year.
But there is good news for Netflix shareholders. The streaming service won the most awards at the 93rd Academy Awards, with seven, including best picture and best acting. Despite the lack of awards, Netflix still expects to win the best picture category this year with “The Power of the Dog.” The company has been in the news before, and that news lifted Netflix stock. The latest news about the awards has also boosted the company’s stock.


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The move is the latest sign of the blurring boundaries between big tech and big finance amid challenges for both industries.Financeread more
Pizza Hut is also talking with Kellogg and other suppliers about the plant-based meat trend.Restaurantsread more
J.P. Morgan's chief quant says oil prices would start to hurt stock prices when they hit the $80 to $85 range.Market Insiderread more
New court filings reveal that Elon Musk's family office spent tens of thousands on a private investigator to dig up details about Thai cave rescue hero Vernon Unsworth, after...Technologyread more
The investor group, which also includes the Yankees and Sinclair Broadcast Group, acquired the 80% stake of the YES Network that was not already held by the Yankees, according to the release. The total enterprise value of the deal was $3.47 billion, according to the announcement.
Disney agreed to sell the 22 regional sports networks (RSNs) owned by 21st Century Fox as a condition of Disney's acquisition of the company. The YES Network, which airs Yankees games as well as other local sports and specialty content, was among the RSNs the Department of Justice required Disney to sell.
A press release by the investor group says the Yankees, Sinclair and Amazon will make up a "new strategic partnership." It does not specifically outline Amazon's role in the partnership, but says the Yankees "will contribute its excellence in developing, producing and marketing sports content that is compelling for fans globally," and Sinclair "will work with the YES team management to manage traditional and virtual distribution relationships."
YES Network President Jon Litner will remain in his current role, according to the release.


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Datalex says review uncovers “significant accounting irregularities”
News sparks further drops to a share price already significantly down this year
Shares in Datalex, the travel industry software company, slumped again on Wednesday morning after it said a review by accounting experts had uncovered significant financial irregularities.
Datalex said in a stock exchange statement that revenues, earnings and profits for the first half of 2018 had been misstated and some revenue would not be recovered. The statement triggered an 8 per cent fall in its share price, extending its loss this year to more than 70 per cent.
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Yesterday, OPPO’s sub-brand, Realme, officially confirmed it is holding a launch event in China on May 15 for the unveiling of Redmi X killer – the Realme X and RealmeX Youth edition. The firm up until now has remained adamant on revealing some specs about the upcoming devices, but that has changed now.
This photo shared by Chase shows off the phone’s notchless display which is encompassed by slim bezels on its left, right, and top. The chin, however, is faintly thicker. The notchless screen also re-confirms the presence of a pop-up selfie camera on the Realme X, making it the company’s first smartphone to come with this feature.
Of course, as seen from the image,the rear side of the Realme X cannot be seen, but thanks to TENAA, we know that the back of this smartphone is home to a dual camera setup which is placed vertically in the center.
Realme has also shared a poster on Chinese social network Weibo confirming an AMOLED display on the Realme X. The smartphone will have a screen-to-body ratio of 91.2%, and the pop-up selfie camera is tested to elevate 200,000 times during its lifetime.
We will be giving you more details about the Realme X when it goes official on May 15.


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Sonam Kapoor “The Hungry Young Woman”
Actress Sonam Kapoor has given herself a new tag – Bollywood’s ‘hungry young woman’ – as she becomes a different person when she is hungry.
“Hunger changes you and anyone who has crossed paths with a hungry me can testify to that. I am a totally different person when I am hungry, and become Bollywood’s ‘hungry young woman’,” the actress said in a statement.
Sonam Kapoor is now featuring in the Snickers advertisement instead of Rekha and Urmila Matondkar. Snicker is well known chocolate brand of Mars International India. The campaign is named as “You’re Not You When You Are Hungry”, which will be aired from 29th of November 2014. In this advertisement sizzling Sonam will portray as the hunger-induced “personality change” in a wacky way.
Sonam says one primary reason to do this campaign is the promise of Mars to provide “unlimited supply of chocolates”. “I am thrilled to be part of this campaign and look forward to the association and to an unlimited supply of chocolates, ” she said.


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The secretive startup Humane, steered by a team of former Apple innovators, has introduced a pioneering device called the “AI Pin.”
Priced at $699, the AI Pin is a wearable projector designed to function as a personal assistant, offering a ChatGPT-like interface and the capacity to project onto the user’s palm.
In Humane’s words, it’s “A phone, a contextual computer, a platform… all in one.”
It was developed in collaboration with OpenAI and Microsoft, whose models will drive its AI functions and features.
According to Wired, the AI Pin will start shipping in early 2024. Preorders will be available from November 16th.
Humane’s AI Pin transcends typical wearables, offering functionalities like ultrawide camera capabilities, text and email communication, and AI responses to user queries.
With an exceptionally compact design, the AI Pin weighs approximately 55 grams and can be affixed to clothing with a magnetic battery pack.
Individuals with pacemakers are advised to consult with their doctors due to potential magnetic interference, as disclosed by ex-Apple UI Imran Chaudhri in an interview with Wired.
The AI Pin’s interface mechanism is intuitive, responding to physical gestures. A tap activates the projection, and hand movements navigate the operating system named Cosmos. Selections are made with a pinch gesture, while a closed fist gesture returns the user to the home screen.
Chaudhri demonstrated these features at a TED Talk in April, including the ability to project caller ID and summarize emails.
Humane has designed the AI Pin to streamline the user experience by automatically selecting the relevant AI tool for given prompts. The device also boasts a “Personic Speaker” for various audio settings and a “Trust Light” indicating recording activities.
The AI Pin requires a $24 monthly subscription covering cellular data via T-Mobile, cloud storage, and unlimited voice assistant queries.
Tech reviewers worldwide can’t wait to get their hands on it, and you can’t blame them, as the AI Pin is a real curveball that could set the tone for futuristic AI-integrated smart devices.
The device’s real-world functionality, such as projection clarity in various lighting conditions, voice communication in noisy environments, and reliability in areas with weak signals, will be pivotal to its success.
What we know about the AI Pin
Here are a few confirmed features of the AI Pin:
- Innovative user interface: The AI Pin features a green laser projector for interfacing, projecting information onto your palm, and utilizing hand gestures for navigation, offering a screen-less experience.
- Advanced sensory technology: Equipped with a camera, depth, and motion sensors, the AI Pin actively tracks and records the environment, supported by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor for robust performance.
- Multifunctional wearable: Beyond its projecting capabilities, the AI Pin includes a “personic speaker” for audio output and supports Bluetooth connectivity for use with headphones, expanding its utility as a multimedia device.
- Privacy-conscious design: The AI Pin incorporates a “Trust Light” that signals when the device is recording, ensuring users are aware of active data capture and requires manual activation for privacy control.
- Subscription required: The Humane Subscription not only provides cellular service and AI capabilities but also includes features like email summarization, language translation, Tidal music streaming with an “AI DJ,” and AI-enhanced photography features, all accessible through the Humane.center tool for device management.
- Release: According to Wired, the AI Pin will start shipping in early 2024. Preorders will be available from November 16th.
Not the same as the potential collaboration between Sam Altman and ex-Apple designer Jony Ive
This isn’t the same device as the speculative ‘AI phone’ from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and ex-Apple design luminary Jony Ive.
The rumored collaboration between Altman and Ive hints at a consumer device that may harness generative AI, potentially revolutionizing the smartphone or creating an entirely new category of AI-native devices.
AI is penetrating consumer electronics, integrating more deeply into the day-to-day user experience. Lightweight processors capable of running local AI workloads will help make this a reality.
Whether a wearable projector or a reimagined AI-driven phone, the goal is a more intuitive and personal interaction between human and machine.
A very exciting category of new AI-powered portable devices awaits us in the near future. Let’s hope they don’t fall flat like previous futuristic devices like Google Glass.


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We’re for fair trade practices - Lungu
GOVERNMENT remains committed to addressing unfair competition and illicit trade that is deterring the country’s dream of industrialisation, President Edgar Lungu has said.
President Lungu noted that the local manufacturing industry was facing unfair competition due to imported products, particularly those that were smuggled into the country.
The President was speaking yesterday during the “meet the President seminar,” organised by the Zambia Association of Manufacturers (ZAM).
“As Government, we are also concerned about the illicit trade as it does not only cause a leakage of the much needed revenue, but it is a deterrent to the advancement of industrialisation,” President Lungu said.
He said Government was doing everything possible to promote the consumption of locally manufactured products, as it was crucial to advancing Zambia’s industrialisation agenda and national development.
“It is clear that enhancing local content or the purchase and use of local products in various value chains is crucial for Zambia’s industrialisation agenda.”
He indicated that it was therefore important that all Government departments make concerted efforts to procure locally manufactured products and give such products preference in all government contracts.
President Lungu said proposed extension and expansion of the five percent surtax on imported products that were locally manufactured as a measure to promote local sourcing and the growth of local industries.
President Lungu said his administration was also engaging respective governments in the region to address various bottlenecks local manufacturers face when exporting so as to create a level playing field for them.
“Our ultimate goal as government is to attain a proudly industrialised Zambia, a regional hub for unequalled manufacture of high quality Zambian products to compete favourably on the regional and international market,” President Lungu said.
ZAM president Rosetta Chabala said the organisation wants preferential treatment for its members.
Ms Chabala assured that ZAM was equal to the task and capable of contributing to the growth of the economy.


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More than 230 guests, including Gary Black, Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture, and Will Bentley, executive vice president of the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association, attended the Châtel Farms Open House in Reidsville, Georgia last month. The event, hosted by FPL Food LLC, showcased three state-of-the-art cattle feeding barns and served as an opportunity to strengthen partnerships between the processor and Southeastern cattle producers. The Open House is part of FPL Food’s continuing efforts to produce high-quality beef in Georgia.
“Our vision at FPL Food is to produce a one-of-a-kind product that is truly pasture-to-plate,” said François Léger, founder and president of FPL Food, LLC and Châtel Farms. “We depend on suppliers who produce high-quality cattle to fulfill that vision. The Open House was a chance to illustrate how we can work together to create a more sustainable product and benefit the beef industry in the Southeast.”
Châtel Farms offers new marketing options for high-quality feeder and finishing cattle in the region. The facility has a feeding capacity of up to 6,000 head and acts as a model for similar facilities in the future.
“We want to encourage producers to focus on raising cattle that will deliver high-quality beef,” Brad Chandler, director of live operations at FPL Food, LLC, said. “There is value in developing high-quality feeder calves, and Châtel Farms provides an opportunity to keep that value in the Southeast, not only for local producers but for consumers.”
Cattle that are fed and finished at Châtel Farms are transported only two hours away for processing at FPL Food’s facility in Augusta, Georgia. Cattle are able to remain in the Southeast, helping to reduce impacts on the carbon footprint and deliver locally produced beef to retailers and foodservice operators in the region.
Châtel Farms primarily pursues feeder cattle with Angus-based genetics raised without added hormones or antibiotics for utilization into FPL Food’s signature branded beef programs. A webpage exclusively designed to communicate with cattle producers and outline the program requirements is now available at www.FPLFood.net/cattle-producers.
Source: FPL Food LLC


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OmniCable (West Chester, PA): The company announced key appointments within its newly-formed Communications Business Unit in support of its Broadband market segment.
“With more than 100 years of combined experience serving the broadband industry, adding these experienced sales leaders affirms our commitment to serving the communications market and becoming the go-to resource for distributors,” said David Bemoras, president, of the company’s Communications division, in the press release.
The appointments include:
- Kimberly Cruz, (in photo) Director of Sales Operations – Broadband
- Ray Hunt, Senior Director of Strategic Accounts – Broadband.
- Aaron Whyrick, Senior Director of Strategic Accounts – Broadband
- Josh East, Outside Sales Manager – Broadband
- Ed Chavez, Outside Sales Manager – Broadband
Hunt has more than 23 years of experience in the broadband industry. Prior to OmniCable, he started his career with Alcatel’s Optical Fiber Division (became Draka) and after 10 years as a regional sales manager, he spent eight years with Graybar’s broadband sales division as the director of Sales Western Region. In his most recent position, Hunt was director of Regional Sales West for Clearfield.
Whyrick began his broadband career at Level 3 Communications before joining Corning’s carrier sales team, where he served as regional sales manager for six years. With more than 25 years of industry experience, his most recent role was VP of Sales for Adams Cable.
Cruz has more than 27 years of experience in the fiber cable industry, spending her entire career with Alcatel/Draka/Prysmian Group in the Claremont, NC, facility. Her experience includes manufacturing, training, inside sales management, and product line management.
East began his career at Comstar Supply, a national communications distributor, and has nearly 10 years of broadband sales experience. Most recently, he served as the outside sales manager at INNO Instrument.
Chavez has more than 26 years of datacom and outside plant experience. He has held numerous sales and new business development positions throughout his career, most recently as branch manager for WESCO Datacom/Security.


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The New York State Assembly’s session ended on Friday, June 24th without the passing of the New York Solar Industry and Jobs Act, which would have established an SREC market in New York beginning in 2013. The bill is the assembly’s latest iteration of State Senate Bill S.4178A, which we covered in a blog post in May. Since then, the bill has received several edits:
*The compliance schedule for the implementation of solar has changed, with the first year’s targets reduced from a .33% solar requirement to a .15% requirement. The 2020 target of 1.5% solar has remained unchanged.
*The original $300 price floor for state-sponsored SREC sales has been removed, and SRECs will simply expire after 2 years.
*A multiplier making SRECs generated within a utility’s distribution region worth 1.5 the value of SRECs generated outside the distribution region was added.
Unfortunately, this important legislation will not be able to be addressed until the start of the 2012 session. Until then, the prospect of a NY SREC market has been put on hold.Tweet


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According to The Korea Times, South Korean authorities are planning to ease control of the cryptocurrency market due to the recommendations of G20 members. The countries decided that the deadline for establishing “unified regulations” for the crypto industry would be July of this year.
In response to that decision, the Financial Services Commission of South Korea (FSC), leading the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), revised the guidelines for “all activities” of local crypto-exchanges.
According to FSC, the regulation of cryptocurrencies is a rather complex process, and therefore FSC seeks to establish international cooperation on this issue, which, in particular, will promote the development of unified approaches to the regulation of digital assets.
In addition, the agency said that FSC and FSS will not contradict the official position of the government of the country regarding digital assets. The latter, according to the FSC, can hardly be identified with traditional financial assets. Moreover, earlier the authorities of South Korea classified cryptocurrencies as a “non-financial product” because of their speculative nature.
In addition, the other day it became known that the market of digital currencies in South Korea can be recognized as a separate industry, and local crypto-exchange companies can be regarded as financial institutions.


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According to a new report, Google has put the kibosh on plans for a New York City retail store — which would have been a first from the company — after spending roughly $6 million on renovating leased retail space. From Crain's New York Business:
The company is trying to sublease a 5,442-square-foot SoHo space it leased last year, and wants $2.25 million annually in rent for it, according to sources.
The report comes following rumors that emerged in 2013 that Google was planning to launch retail stores of its own. Akin to Apple's and Microsoft's retail efforts, the stores would act as a space to show off the latest Chromebooks, Android smartphones and more.
As with all reports of this nature, however, it's best to remember to take the requisite grain of salt with this one, as Google's retail ambitions have never been confirmed. Still, it's hard to see any other use for this space, indicating that Google may have had plans for the location before opting to sublet it.
Source: Crain's New York Business
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Enjoy the fun of speed racing and off-road trailing with RC trucks
RC trucks and cars are no longer cheap automobiles for kids to mindlessly crash and break. Now, they attract large groups of enthusiasts of all ages who appreciate the complex designs and styles. Check out this range of RC trucks with recommendations for the best options!


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Pune: It was a day of delight for all cars and bikes enthusiasts in Pune as they witnessed an exquisite and unique collection of two-wheelers, electric vehicles, superbikes, four-wheelers, vintage cars, commercial vehicles, auto accessories from over 50 exhibitors and brands across India at the city’s biggest auto expo- ‘Pune Motor Show 2019 organized by PrimeValue Marketing Services held at Deccan College Ground, Yerwada, Pune. The expo is to be held from September 20, 21 and 22 (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) between 11 am to 8 pm.
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Sony on is reportedly bringing the final hub of its beleaguered PlayStation Network back online this week with the restoration of service to PSN users in Japan, the last country to have service restored following a lengthy network outage caused by security breaches.
The company was set to restore all PlayStation Store and Qriocity features in Japan on Wednesday, according to reports, bringing back Sony's PSN to the same global service level it maintained prior to a mid-April network intrusion that forced the company to take the gaming and shopping network offline.
The network-wide PSN outage, the result of a sophisticated external intrusion that penetrated a Sony data center in San Diego between April 17 and April 19, began on April 20. Sony began bringing the network back online on a country-by-country basis on May 15 after overhauling security protocols.
Personal details from 77 million PSN user accounts may have been compromised by the network intrusionincluding usernames, email addresses, login IDs, and passwords. Sony has stated that users' credit card information was not stolen.
The company has restored full PSN service to all regions but Japan, where authorities requested Sony brief them on new security measures before bringing the network back online, according to an IDG News Service report.
The security breach and Sony's struggle to secure the PlayStation Network and restore services is projected to cost the company in the neighborhood of $170 million in fiscal 2011, according to IDG News Service.
Sony has been a frequent target of hacking groups like LulzSec and Anonymous in recent months and was forced to apologize to PSN users for data breaches and network shutdowns at the start of its keynote address at the recent E3 gaming extravaganza in Los Angeles.
In bringing the network back online, Sony has offered its remaining users a number of deal sweeteners for sticking with PSN, including free identity theft protection services.
The PlayStation Network may have been targeted by "hacktivists" in retribution for Sony's decision to remove open-source features from its PlayStation 3 console. Sony reported finding signs that the mid-April network intrusion was the work of the loosely knit online hacktivist community Anonymous, but purported spokespeople for the group have denied the charge.


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Paying a coffee with bitcoin as you do with a credit card may be closer than we’ve imagined. Two major credit and debit card operators recently announced actions involving cryptoassets. Besides, in some places paying with QR Code is becoming commonplace.
Cielo Card operator will accept bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies
Cielo, one of the largest credit card companies in Brazil and the leading supplier of credit card machines, will accept payments with bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Transactions can be performed directly on the company’s machines.
The functionality will be possible through a QR Code. In it, the shopkeeper types directly into the card machine the value to be receive and a QR Code is generated in the system. Thus, the users can scan this code with their smartphone and make the payment.
However, users who wish to make payments with cryptocurrencies using Cielo’s POS (card machine) terminals will need to have an account at Uzzo or Cryptohub, the current network partnerships.
As of October, places using the CieloPay system can even accept payment in cryptoassets. This can be done without even needing the card machine. The QR Code for payment will be generated by a Cielo application directly by the mobile phone that will have to be scanned to make the payment, as using the POS.
The code can also be used for remote payments. In addition, transactions will be available through applications such as WhatsApp, virtual stores, and others.
Mastercard aims on international payments
In turn, the Mastercard payments giant announced that it intends to develop a cross-border payment platform with blockchain technology. The project will be held in partnership with the company R3.
Initially, the goal is to connect faster payment schemes and banks backed by the Mastercard clearing and settlement network. The platform will be built on the Corda Enterprise, the commercial version of the platform, opposing to Corda Network’s open source, said R3 to CoinDesk.
In this way, the focus of the partnership is to unite the experience of R3 in the development of blockchain solutions with the payment systems and Matercard existing network. With this, companies expect the new platform to help solve issues in the industry. Among the main points it should be addressed the processing of costly payments, liquidity management and scarcity of standardization. Companies also want to promote greater connectivity between banks and domestic clearing systems.
R3 CEO, David E. Rutter, states that all institutions, whether large or small, depend on the ability to send and receive payments. He highlights, however, that often the technology on which they are based is complicated and expensive.
“Cross-border payments can be a problematic point. The Corda was designed specifically for corporate use cases like this, and we hope to support Mastercard in bringing blockchain-enabled businesses payments around the world”, he said.


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Yesterday, when HP officially unveiled the Palm Pre 2, it said the new smartphone would be available in France via SFR, in the US via Verizon, and in Canada – without specifying the Canadian carrier.
As previously announced, the new Pre should be out in Canada “in the next few months” – we don’t have an exact launch date at the moment.
There’s still no word on the price of the Palm Pre 2, but we should find out more about this on Friday, when the new WebOS 2.0 handset will be launched in France.
Via Mobile Syrup
If you liked the post, you might find these interesting too:
- Palm Pre 2 may be going to AT&T and Rogers as well
- Palm Pre officially announced for Bell Canada
- HP officially announces WebOS 2.0 and Palm Pre 2 (coming to Verizon, SFR and Canada)
- WebOS 1.0.4 available for the Palm Pre
- Verizon launching both the Palm Pre Plus and the Palm Pixi Plus?


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General Motors India on Thursday said it will increase prices across all its models by up to Rs. 10,000 from January 2014.
“We plan to increase prices by up to Rs. 10,000 across all our models from January 2014 to partially offset input cost pressure,” P Balendran, Vice President, General Motors India, said in a statement.
Earlier this week, Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) too had announced an increase in prices of its products across all models by up to Rs. 20,000 from January. Other car makers who have recently announced price hikes include Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, Mercedes, BMW, Audi and Honda.


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However Discord has spent the last year moving away from being an exclusively video game-focused platform, leaving a market space for Guilded to fill.
Guilded’s platform is built on a similar server structure to Discord, where users can create dedicated groups within their servers, communicate in threads, and jump into voice chat rooms for group play sessions. It also created features specifically useful for users who organize online player communities such as calendar scheduling, tiered voice chat, and most recently, a simple bot API that lets users create bots that can respond to text prompts in chat.
Unlike last week’s acquisition of Jim Greer’s Bash Video company, Roblox Corporation will not be sunsetting the Guilded platform. It’s stated that the company will continue to operate as an “independent product group.”


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It’s been a busy year at ABC Supply. As the largest U.S. wholesale distributor of roofing celebrates its 35th anniversary, the company continues to steadily ramp up its locations from coast to coast.
In recent weeks, California has been the focus. This past September, ABC Supply opened its first location in Antioch, Calif., a suburb of Oakland and San Francisco. It marked ABC's 36th location in the Golden State. Just weeks prior, ABC Supply also opened locations in Chico, Hayward and Orange.
“We’re excited to be part of the Antioch community and to build trusting, professional relationships with the area’s contractors,” Matt Cooper, vice president of ABC Supply’s West Region, said in a release issued by the company. “Our goal is to make it as easy as possible for contractors to have access to the products and expertise they need to tackle their projects.”
Based in Beloit, Wis., ABC Supply has more than 700 locations nationwide. This year, ABC has opened new branches in Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Texas, Virginia and Washington.


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Online sales are set to grow at an average 11.9% a year in Western Europe, according to new research.
Forrester’s updated Western European Online Retail Forecast for 2017 to 2022 suggests that 21% of non-grocery retail sales will be via the internet by 2022. In 2017, it finds, online sales grew 10 times faster than the retail market in Europe. Grocery sales will grow quickly online, it predicts, but will still account for only 4.5% of retail sales in the sector by 2022.
The research also found that retail growth varies significantly across the 17 markets covered by the research. In the UK, sales growth is subdued, with a retail growth rate that’s currently one of the lowest in Western Europe, at a time of uncertainty around Brexit. The retail industry, meanwhile, is contending with falling footfall – down by 2.7% in the first nine months of 2017 – and with it, declining store profitability. In 2017, UK retail – excluding inflation – stayed flat. That contrasts with growth of 2.9% in Ireland and the Netherlands. At the same, finds the research, weekly wage growth of 2.2% is behind the 3.1% rise in inflation, as of December 2017.
Overall retail sales growth is also subdued in France and Italy but strong in Ireland, the Netherlands and Portugal. Online is bucking those trends in some markets, with strong sales in France, where Carrefour plans to triple its sales by 2020, and 5% of supermarket sales online in the Netherlands, where grocers took €1bn online last year.
Report author Michael O’Grady expects to see continued growth in online sales in selected sectors. “In Germany, beauty and cosmetics sales grew by 14% in 2017, faster than the overall German online retail market,” he said. “The UK drives online DIY sales in Western Europe, with 14% of its sales online, which is twice the Western European average.”
Forrester predicts digital-influenced sales will account for 38% of total retail sales in the EU by 2021 and that 55% of total European retail sales, or €1 trillion, will involve digital touchpoints by 2021.
Mobile plays a significant role as some 59% adult mobile phone owners in the largest nine European markets use their phones to research physical products before purchase. As such, argues Forrester, retailers must invest in their mobile offerings to capitalise on its increasing influence.


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L. Alan Winters CB is Professor of Economics and Director of the Observatory and Julia Magntorn is Research Officer in Economics at the UKTPO.
There is much to digest in the White Paper on The future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union and much to clarify. This blog is devoted entirely to trying to understand the Facilitated Customs Arrangement (FCA) that aims to deliver frictionless trade in goods between the UK and the EU after Brexit.
The FCA matters because trade that is ‘as frictionless as possible’ with the EU is now accepted by nearly everyone as desirable and has been characterised by much of business as essential. It also matters in the short term, however, because it is the UK government’s offer to the EU on how to ensure that there is no border between Northern Ireland and the Republic. Without a solution to this latter problem there will be no Withdrawal Agreement and no transition. (more…)
Charlotte Humma July 23rd, 2018
Posted In: UK - Non EU
Rorden Wilkinson is Professor of Global Political Economy and Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor at the University of Sussex and a Fellow of the UK Trade Policy Observatory. Charlotte Humma is Research Communications Manager at the Business School and Business Manager at the Observatory.
Standards and technical regulations are likely to be the most significant—and potentially contentious—obstacles to a UK-US trade deal according to leading trade experts.
Published today our latest briefing paper states that the UK faces a challenge in whether it stays with EU regulation, moves towards the US approach or tries a pick-and-mix approach of its own. (more…)
Charlotte Humma July 12th, 2018
Posted In: UK - Non EU
24 May 2018
Professor Erika Szyszczak is a Professor of Law at the University of Sussex and is a member of the UK Trade Policy Observatory.
If, and when the UK is able to agree a new trade relationship with the EU it will be negotiating within a new EU approach to conducting trade agreements. This will have consequences for the type of agreement(s) the UK is able to negotiate with the EU, as well as the replication of any trade agreements negotiated by the EU and the rest of the world before the full Brexit process is finalised. (more…)
Charlotte Humma May 24th, 2018
Posted In: UK- EU
Julia Magntorn is Research Officer in Economics at the UKTPO.
While Theresa May and her cabinet are trying to agree on whether to back the maximum facilitation proposal or the customs partnership, another option, nicknamed the ‘Norway option’ which would see the UK remaining a member of the European Economic Area (EEA), has made a comeback in the Brexit debate. (more…)
Charlotte Humma May 18th, 2018
Posted In: UK- EU
Dr Emily Lydgate is a lecturer in Law at the University of Sussex and a fellow of the UK Trade Policy Observatory and Dr Rob Amos is a Research Fellow in Law, Sussex Sustainability Research Programme, University of Sussex. Rob is conducting a project on Sustainable Trade Post-Brexit in collaboration with the UK Trade Policy Observatory.
If the UK is going to live up to its commitments to ‘Green Brexit’, climate change mitigation and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the UK should develop its own Sustainability Impact Assessments framework to minimise negative impacts and maximise benefits of future trade agreements. (more…)
Charlotte Humma May 2nd, 2018
Ilona Serwicka is Research Fellow in the economics of Brexit and Charlotte Humma is the Business Manager at the UKTPO.
As the European Union (EU) Withdrawal Bill and the Trade Bill progress through parliament, forming a customs union with the EU has become a key issue. On 18 April 2018, the House of Lords voted to keep open the option of staying in a Customs Union after Brexit, promptly followed by the UK Government reaffirming its intention neither to remain in the EU Customs Union nor to seek to form a new one.
So where does this leave us? (more…)
Charlotte Humma May 1st, 2018
Posted In: UK- EU
26 March 2018
Ilona Serwicka is Research Fellow in the economics of Brexit at the UKTPO
The UK economy will be worse off after Brexit regardless of the terms of departure from the EU: this is (with a small number of exceptions) a consensus reached by previous analyses of the impact of Brexit. Anything that differs from the status quo of EU membership – ranging from a ‘soft’ Brexit that involves staying within the Customs Union and/or the Single Market to a ‘hard’ scenario of leaving the EU with no deal – will hurt growth prospects for the UK economy. (more…)
Charlotte Humma March 26th, 2018
22 March 2018
Julia Magntorn is Research Assistant in Economics at the UKTPO and L. Alan Winters CB is Professor of Economics and Director of the Observatory.
The European Union is likely to reject a significantly enhanced version of its Canada trade deal for the UK after Brexit.
Our in-depth analysis of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the EU and Canada concludes that the EU’s commitment to the Single Market is so deeply ingrained that a substantial loosening of the rules for the UK would be politically impossible.
The EU may agree to some exceptions but these would fall far short of a bespoke deal and would be a poor substitute for the Single Market, say the report’s authors Julia Magntorn and L. Alan Winters. (more…)
Charlotte Humma March 22nd, 2018
2 March 2018
Dr Michael Gasiorek is Senior Lecturer in Economics at the University of Sussex and Director and Managing Director of InterAnalysis respectively. He is a Fellow of the UKTPO.
There is much talk about the UK not being able to “cherry-pick” and “have its cake and eat it” with regards to post-Brexit trade policy with the EU. There are a couple of issues here. First, all EU agreements are different and hence by definition bespoke. Cherries are picked by both sides. This will also be true of a future UK-EU agreement. The question, therefore, really is to do with the extent to which the EU will grant the UK a bespoke deal in serious and substantive ways. The second issue is that it is far from clear that the UK government currently knows what all the ingredients are and what the recipe is for the cake it is hoping to share with the EU. (more…)
Charlotte Humma March 2nd, 2018
Posted In: UK- EU
Alasdair Smith is an Emeritus Professor of Economics at the University of Sussex, Dr Michael Gasiorek is Senior Lecturer in Economics at the University of Sussex and Director and Managing Director of InterAnalysis, Ilona Serwicka is Research Fellow in the Economics of Brexit. All are Fellows of the UK Trade Policy Observatory (UKTPO).
How would different versions of Brexit affect the UK economy? Are some parts of the economy likely to be affected more than others? Will trade deals with the rest of the world make up for any loss of UK access to EU markets? These are highly topical questions this week as the UK Cabinet’s Brexit committee makes important decisions about its objectives in the next stage of the Brexit negotiations.
They are the questions we seek to address in our new Briefing Paper ‘Which Manufacturing Sectors are Most Vulnerable to Brexit?’, published today. As it says on the tin, we answer them only for the manufacturing sectors; and in doing so we take a very disaggregated approach to UK manufacturing. (more…)
Charlotte Humma February 6th, 2018


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Chinese officials have rejected a large consignment of mineral water from New Zealand after it failed nitrite tests, with obvious implications for New Zealand’s global brand
However, rather than fix the probable root cause of the problem (.i.e. overuse of fertilisers) the solution suggested to the NZ bottled water industry is to
“go on a PR offensive“
rather like what happened last year when the NZ dairy industry countered the ‘Contaminated with Cruelty‘ expose.
But is burying another problem with propaganda really going to solve it, or does it further expose New Zealand’s 100% pure myth for the scam that it is?
New Zealand’s bottled water industry may need to go on a PR offensive to avoid New Zealand’s “clean, green” image being tainted by a shipment of bottled water being rejected by China.
New water bottling company Miracle Water, near Hastings, sent its first shipment of drinking water to China late last year.
Company spokeswoman Louise Harvey said on arrival in China the water, which is drawn from the Heretaunga Plains, was found to contain nitrite levels too high for the local market.
“To class water as ‘spring or artesian’ for the New Zealand market the maximum level of the naturally occurring nitrite is 0.2mg/L while the Chinese maximum level is 0.005mg/L. Unfortunately the levels of nitrite were higher than the Chinese standard hence the product was returned,” she said…source
Interestingly, Turkey is able to achieve nitrite levels of 0.045 mg/L in its spring water, far lower than that drawn from the Heretaunga Plains, unfortunately that’s still higher than the Chinese standard. But then, Turkey isn’t marketing itself as 100% Pure.
Designed to “exceed world wide standards“
‘Miracle Water’ says on its web site
New Zealand Miracle Water Limited is listed at the NZ Companies Office as having one Director, Xinghong JU, appointed 09 June 2015 of Campbells Bay, Auckland. According to Hawke’s Bay Today Hastings mayor Lawrence Yule hosted Mr Ju at the company’s official opening where “Mr Yule showed pictures of his visit to the mayor of their city, Qindao”
Qindao is in the province of Shandong, the home of the owners of Paritua Vineyard and Winery, and Hastings is about to formalise a sister-city relationship with Dezhou, which is also in Shandong.
“They were here six weeks ago and we will conclude that in March,” Mr Yule said.
“There is a big connection starting to develop between us and the Shandong province…He said he was impressed at how quick the Miracle Water plant became operational. The concept was discussed with him 14 months ago and the first sod turned 12 months ago… source
New Zealand Miracle Water states on its web site
New Zealand Miracle Water have built a state of the art automated aseptic filling plant that offers turnkey operations to its distributors and customers. The plant includes advanced ‘clean room’ filling operations and has the capacity to produce/ package as per customer requirements. The high volume low margin model in operation at this plant redefines distribution in this NZ market sector and enables gains in efficiencies that were previously unobtainable. The site was custom designed to exceed worldwide standards and offers customised solutions that are tailored to meet with the demands of the end market.
The Heretuanga Plains, and all aboard the bottled water train
Last year consents were granted for water extraction and export from the Heretaunga aquifer to the lucrative overseas market. So far seven consents permit around 3 million cubic metres of year to be extracted annually – and that’s only about 2% of the current allocated volume. However, before other extractors jump on the bottled water train they should know that there’s trouble ahead…
Heretaunga and Ruataniwha aquifers have increasing nitrate concentrations (and more sites show significant levels of manganese and iron). HB bottlers might need to sell their ‘pure’ water as ‘mineral-enriched’. source
“…it is a function of every regional council to control the use of land to maintain and enhance the quality of water in water bodies – ie including water in aquifers, and to control the discharges of contaminants into water (again, including water in aquifers). This function is not an option – it is something a regional council is required to do, whether it be difficult or easy.”
And regarding the ‘overs and unders’ approach:
“We conclude that [the Council’s] approach to the interpretation of overall quality is fundamentally flawed, and that drafting and/or interpreting the Change 5 objectives in that way could result in a more degraded and unacceptable water outcome.”
The Environment Court went on to chide the HBRC for being the only regional council in NZ to espouse the it’s “too hard” approach. And noted: “…even if what has been done is the past is irreversible, it would be irresponsible to use that as an excuse not to try to apply better standards from this point on.” Finishing with: “To not aspire to and attempt to at least maintain the quality of water abdicates the functions of a regional council …”
consents for water bottling have not been publicly notified. And thus no ‘official’ opportunity has been presented for the public to become informed and debate the matter.
When some water users (such as growers on the Heretaunga Plains) are seen to be facing irrigation bans because their water use is deemed to be environmentally damaging (eg, because of lowering surface water flows), it’s rather difficult for Joe Blogg to reconcile that with unrestricted water bottling for China. [And then there’s the environmental impact of all those plastic bottles; but that’s China’s problem.]
So it is not surprising that heaps of people are upset about the water bottling issue. Ngāti Kahungunu has called for a moratorium on water bottling consents.
At the very least, the Regional Council is mucking up the public relations management of this matter. And arguably there’s a case for a much more precautionary approach to such consents … otherwise why go to the expense and trouble of massive hydrological studies of the Heretaunga water system?
But most importantly, the public wants to know: Even if the aquifer extracts prove sustainable, should there be a hierarchy of preferred use, and are we giving away a precious asset without getting commensurate value to the region – a public good – in return?
BayBuzz.co.nz 29 May 2015
The stringent quality standards for bottled water in China are well known about. Why was the Heretaunga water abstracted when there were already questions about its suitability? Did no-one look up the Chinese import standards, or does New Zealand not possess the equipment to test for them?
Even the big players have fallen foul of China’s requirements. Evian (A Danone mineral water brand) and Volvic have also failed numerous Chinese import inspections. Neither of those companies market themselves as 100% pure but they still command a premium in China for a high-end product. No doubt 100% pure branding attracts an even higher premium?
Evian bottled water is marketed as a high-end product in China, and costs much more than the domestic brands. One 500ml Evian bottled water, costing no more than 0.5 euros ($0.65) in France, is sold in Chinese stores at around 10 yuan ($1.57), up to 6 times higher than the price of local brands.
How typical is it then, for a PR campaign to be used to protect New Zealand’s 100% pure image overseas?
Meanwhile, back at home a lack of regulatory vigor and a ‘too hard approach’ are symptoms of a ‘she’ll be right’ attitude to environmental and safety standards whenever there’s a rush to cash-in on big money (something we’ve seen in the adventure tourism industry with catastrophic consequences).
That may fly a kite in New Zealand, but it’s going to get shot down abroad, bringing the 100% pure brand into further, well deserved, disrepute.
Nitrite is formed by the reduction of nitrates by bacteria. Nitrates are the most common groundwater contaminants in rural areas. They originate mostly from fertilisers, septic systems, manure storage or spreading operations. When nitrites combine with amines in the body they form nitrosamines – known carcinogens.
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For a country that markets itself to the world with the slogan ‘100% Pure’, New Zealand’s environmental credentials are not as impeccable as many would think.
The majority of its rivers are too polluted to swim in. Its record on preservation of natural environments is among the worst in the world on a per capita basis.
And it is the only OECD country that does not produce a regular national report on its environment…
Agricultural exports, including dairy, meat, fruit and wine, command high premiums internationally thanks to New Zealand’s reputation as a producer of safe, natural and high-quality food.
‘It was only a matter of time before our dirty little secret came out,’ said Jill Brinsdon, brand strategist at Radiation, a brand agency in Auckland…read on


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On 15 October 2020 the European Advertising Standards Association (“EASA”) announced that Google became first of the world’s Big Tech corporations to become a member of it.
Google’s Europe HQ, like many other Big Techs and FAANGS (such as Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and eBay, PayPal, Yahoo, Microsoft, Intel ...it goes on!) is, yes, in popular Ireland. A member of the EU since 1973, Ireland has a stable economy, is English-speaking and, like the USA, has a common law system based on its (1937) written Constitution (the oldest in Europe). Its corporation tax rate is 12.5%, the lowest in the EU. Its self-regulatory Code of good advertising standards is governed by the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland (“ASAI”), also an EASA member. Much of the EU public law regulation of the Big Tech corporations whose base is in Ireland is the responsibility of Ireland’s under-resourced and over-worked Data Protection Commissioner. Ireland, where most of them have their principal seat of administration, is being labelled as the bottleneck of all data protection (“GDPR”) investigations of tech giants’ operations across the EU. Industry prefers self-regulation.
EASA’s online release usefully explains:
“The European Advertising Standards Alliance (EASA) is the single authoritative voice on advertising self-regulation issues in Europe. EASA brings together 28 self-regulatory organisations in 26 European countries and 13 advertising industry organisations representing advertisers, agencies and media: print, outdoor, TV, radio, direct mail and the interactive digital industry. EASA helps to make sure that ads are legal, decent, honest, truthful, prepared with a sense of social responsibility and created with due respect to the rules of fair competition. The well-enforced ad standards are established by EASA. These ensure that ad self-regulation is better regulation. “
Other explanatory comments in its release worth noting include:
“Now that over 50% of global ad spend is online, it’s essential to the future credibility and performance of ad standards that the big digital platforms are part of the advertising self-regulatory system. Google joining the European Advertising Standards Alliance represents a historic move, one that brands welcome wholeheartedly. We hope that this EASA deal might lead to more dialogue and potential future cooperation between Google and other SROs globally,” said Stephan Loerke, CEO of the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) and Vice-Chairman of EASA.
“We are delighted to welcome Google to the EASA network. The partnership will strengthen Google’s collaboration with EASA’s self-regulatory organisations, through which national ad industries commit to protect consumers from misleading or otherwise inappropriate ads. Additionally, the partnership will help ensure EASA’s network is stronger in rapidly changing times, including by tackling irresponsible advertising through the use of technology,” said EASA Digital Working Group members Charo Fernando Magarzo, Deputy General Director of AUTOCONTROL (Spain), Otto van der Harst, Director of Stichting Reclame Code (Netherlands), Guy Parker, Chief Executive of the Advertising Standards Authority (UK) and Orla Twomey, Chief Executive of the Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland, in a joint statement.
It is easy to predict that we won’t have to wait a lot longer before most of the other global Big Tech companies, who have or will soon have their admin base and often their Data Centres in Ireland, will be joining EASA too. In line with the highly regarded credence of “location, location, location”, Ireland too expects rising numbers of them to establish here (especially since the UK’s withdrawal from EU membership and the complexities of Brexit) on the friendly Emerald Isle with its well-oiled gateway to the market place.