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iCrowdNewswire powered by Google, expands the digital distribution network to include guaranteed placement of press releases on over 320 media, corporate, and enterprise websites.
Miami – May 10th, 2021 – Leading press release distribution service iCrowdNewswire powered by Google has significantly increased its digital distribution footprint increasing the number of media, corporate, and enterprise websites included in every distribution to over 320. Every release distributed by the network of iCrowdNewswire partners, and every distribution product will now include guaranteed placement in over 320 websites; links to the actual release placements on the sites are provided in our distribution reports.
“iCrowdNewswire is committed to continuously growing its distribution value,” commented Hector Botero, iCrowdNewswire President. “And more importantly, all our rates will remain as they have been, our pricing is very competitive, and with this large distribution expansion, we substantially increased the value we provide our customers.”
Guaranteed digital placement is only one component of iCrowdNewswire’s comprehensive distribution platform which combines a variety of technologies, distribution channels, media outlets, newswires, databases, and aggregators. The iCrowdNewswire platform built in partnership with Google includes industry exclusives that no other press release distribution newswire uses, including:
- Paid Advertising: Geographic Targeting – iCrowdNewswire is the only newswire in the industry that produces creative ads and pays to run them on social and digital media. The ads serve to proactively drive targeted traffic to press releases – the industry standard is to rely on digital web placements, the paid advertising model drives targeted audiences to releases. Our Google advertising distribution allows targeting as specific as any zip or postal code worldwide.
- Paid Advertising: Demographic Targeting – the paid advertising model also provides for precise demographic targeting, including age groups, industry, and interests. The industry standard “shotgun” approach does not provide for specific audience targeting, which is key for communicators.
- Access to 11 million websites globally – the Google paid advertising model allows issuers to choose any of over 11 million websites in the Google global network providing press release issuers with the ability to promote their releases to precisely targeted audiences worldwide, including specific industry verticals. Premium distribution includes Yahoo! Finance, MarketWatch, Bloomberg, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.
- Google Artificial Intelligence translations – every iCrowdNewswire press release includes, at no extra cost, 8 translations including Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Translations are posted on iCrowdNewswire language-specific websites, all of which are Google News indexed, providing unmatched multicultural and global reach.
- Virtual Digital Assistant (VDA) distribution – with over 4 billion voice devices in use worldwide and networks built by the world’s largest tech companies, voice distribution is more valuable every day. iCrowdNewswire runs every release on Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, and Microsoft Cortana. iCrowdNewswire is the only Newswire in the industry, including voice distribution with every release.
- Newswires, databases, and aggregators – iCrowdNewswire has distribution agreements with major newswires and databases, including Dow Jones Factiva, LexisNexis, Thomson Reuters, ProQuest, and more. Over 100 search engines, scrapers, media monitoring, and analytics services and aggregators index the iCrowdNewswire releases on a continuous basis.
- Google analytics reporting – iCrowdNewswire provides two distribution reports with every release. Hours after distribution, issuers receive the initial report that includes links to the 320 websites in the digital network, and seven business days later, customers receive a master distribution report with deep Google analytics, including the precise number of views and clicks. This is an industry exclusive.
To view actual sample distribution reports, go to https://icrowdnewswire.com/reports#samples.
Additionally, iCrowdNewswire has deployed several industry vertical specialized distribution products, including:
- Legal Newswire powered by Law.com – this legal industry vertical is a joint venture between iCrowdNewswire and ALM that provides distribution on the leading legal industry digital publications, including Law.com, The American Lawyer, Corporate Counsel, LegalTech News, The National Law Journal, Supreme Court Brief, The AM Law Litigation Daily and Texas Lawyer, in all, Legal Newswire provides guaranteed distribution on 18 leading legal digital properties. This is an industry exclusive. Access Legal Newswire here…
- Wire.RealEstate – the leading PropTech Newswire combines distribution on Zillow, Redfin, Realtor, Rent.com, and Trulia with Yahoo! Finance, MarketWatch, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg to offer the most powerful reach in the real estate industry. This is an industry exclusive. Access Wire.RealEstate here…
- iCrowdResearch – through an exclusive syndication relationship with ContentEngine, iCrowdNewswire provides distribution in the CE Research Hub, which is the leading research syndication hub in the AWS marketplace providing direct access to 1 million Amazon Web Services enterprise customers. AWS owns 50% of the cloud services industry, with 2020 revenues exceeding $12 billion. Distribution on CE Research Hub is exclusive to iCrowdNewswire. You can access the CE Research Hub on the AWS Marketplace here…
About iCrowdNewswire powered by Google
Launched in 2015, iCrowdNewswire powered by Google, has implemented more press release distribution innovations than any other newswire in the industry, from paid social and digital media advertising to audio marketing and 8 translations per release – no other wire provides geographic targeting down to a zip or postal codes worldwide; demographic targeting by age group, industry, and interest; 8 translations with every release for unmatched multicultural and global reach; audio distribution with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Microsoft Cortana, and Apple Siri; Google and Apple News and more. iCrowdNewswire has over 3,700 registered users and distributed over 280,000 press releases since its inception.
Hector Botero, President
The post iCrowdNewswire powered by Google, expands the digital distribution network to include guaranteed placement of press releases on over 320 media, corporate, and enterprise websites. appeared first on Financial Market Brief.


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Towards the end of 2014 China's Everdisplay (EDO) started producing AMOLED displays with an initial capacity of 600,000 5" panels per month, and the company already claims at least one Chinese smartphone maker as a customer. Today Digitimes reports that the company (which they refer to as Hehui Optoelectronics, which is Everdisplay's Chinese name) has signed up HTC and Huawei a customer, with several new AMOLED phones expected later in 2015.
Everdisplay's first AMOLED display is a 5" 720p (293 PPI) panel - and it's likely that this will be the panel adopted by HTC and Huawei. On the other hand, EDO is also developing 5.5" and 6" AMOLEDs for mobile phones, so these may end up on the new phones too.
EDO is currently increasing the production capacity of its 4.5-Gen LTPS fab in Shanghai as the fab is not producing at full capacity yet - which will be 15,000 monthly substrates, or about a million 5" panels. The company is also developing a circular 1.4" panel for smart watches and a larger 8" AMOLED panel later in 2015. In July 2014 we published an interview with EverDisplay's marketing team.
Please contact us, by the way, if you need help with finding a supplier for these new AMOLED displays.

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People living in Maryland can soon go back-to-school shopping tax free.
Shoppers will not have to pay a 6% state sales tax during the Shop Maryland event. It runs from August 14th through August 20th.
Tax-free savings only applies to clothing and shoes less than $100.
It does not apply for school supplies.


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Retail micro-farming is indeed food for thought for our retail grocery shopping outlets, supermarkets, hypermarkets and restaurants.
A standout reason is demand for city-grown food – without the transportation cost and with appeal to local-oriented eaters – will only continue to grow as the population continues to urbanise.
Online publication WebUrbanist reported that Ikea’s “indoor gardens” are expected to produce food year round for homes and restaurants with its launch of a hydroponic gardening system that enables people to grow fresh produce at home without soil or sunlight.
It has also unveiled a similar system now under development and is aimed at helping restaurants raise ingredients in-house.
Ikea’s KRYDDA/VAXER hydroponic garden lets seeds sprout without soil, using absorbent foam plugs that keep plants moist. Germinated seeds can then be transferred to pots fitted into a growing tray with a solar lamp. The system is very easy to use, even by inexpert gardeners.
Meanwhile, in another bit to expand its sustainability model beyond furniture, furnishings and fixtures, Ikea has teamed up with Space 10 to create The Farm in Copenhagen, Denmark, an aquaponic garden system for restaurants.
The two companies are further developing the prototype system for mass production and commercial deployment.
The Farm prototype can even create a complete burger on site made of mealworm, beetroot and gluten and top with freshly grown herbs and lettuce.
It is similar to a system developed in Germany that enables grocery stores to grow and sell their own fresh produce. They offer fresh organic crops alongside conventional ones right in a retail grocery shopping outlet.
Elsewhere, American discount retailer Target’s new in-store micro-farms are expected to offer the freshest possible produce such as leafy greens and herbs to consumers initially and potatoes, beets, zucchinis, tomatoes and peppers eventually.


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Hotel acquisitions and management pacts in Kenya have soared in the past year as investors line up to capitalise on rebounding room sales due to improving conditions within the sector.
A review of the transaction scene shows that at least five acquisition and lease management deals have been signed since the turn of this year—building a global trend as the hospitality industry recovers from the economic fallout of the Covid-19 scourge.
In the latest big-ticket deal, a Qatari-backed private equity fund, Kasanda on July 28, 2022, announced a Sh4.9 billion acquisition of the former Crowne Plaza in Nairobi not long after it purchased the Umubano Hotel in Kigali, Rwanda as part of a strategy to become a pan-African hotelier through the purchase of high-end assets.
“This acquisition offers us a gateway into Nairobi’s vibrant ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship. We look forward to launching our ambitious renovation programme for this hotel with the aim of repositioning it to attract more international travellers and become the place to be for the local community,” said Olivier Granet, Kasada’s Managing Partner and chief executive.
The Crowne Plaza, which opened in 2010, is located in Upper Hill-- Nairobi’s financial centre and a commercial hub that is home to the headquarters of several local businesses, international institutions, and diplomatic delegations.
The hotel has 206 rooms, a ballroom that can accommodate 300 people, and over 10 meeting rooms with a total capacity of 550 people—making it one of the facilities with the largest meeting and event spaces in Nairobi.
“Thanks to our expertise and support, Nairobi’s Crowne Plaza Hotel is about to enter a new life cycle and contribute to the revitalisation of the Kenyan hospitality sector post-Covid 19 pandemic,” said Mr Granet.
In another deal, Machakos-based Maanzoni Lodges has received regulatory approval to buy the three-star 680 Hotel in Nairobi for an estimated Sh1.2 billion from Setrim Hotel chain—a deal that is expected to add to the chain of acquisitions within the industry. The 680 got its name from the number of beds it had when it opened its doors.
In July last year, the Kenyan hotel industry registered yet another acquisition deal when the South African owners of Nairobi’s Fairview Hotel, Town Lodge, and City Lodge Two Rivers announced the sale of the three hotels to private equity fund Actis for Sh1 billion.
City Lodge Hotel Group put up the three Kenyan hotels and Tanzania’s City Lodge Hotel in Dar es Salaam for sale in plans to exit East Africa after barely seven years of operation. It plans to sell the Tanzania hotel for Sh7.3 million.
The deal scene in the Kenyan hospitality industry has also witnessed a surge in management contracts over recent months.
In June this year, local hospitality group PrideInn signed a deal to manage a third hotel belonging to Azure Hospitality Group at the Signature Mall on the Mombasa highway named PrideInn Plaza.
The hotel chain will manage PrideInn Plaza with 64 luxury rooms and suites, nine conference halls, a restaurant, a lounge, and a sky view bar. The hotel chain took over Pride Inn Azure hotel in 2020 and Azure Mara Haven this year which it rebranded as PrideInn Mara Camp. In April this year, there was yet another deal in the Kenyan hospitality industry when hotel chain Sarova Hotels and Resorts penned a management contract with Mayfair Holdings Limited to run the iconic Kisumu Imperial Hotel for seven years—marking its entry into the western Kenya circuit.
Kisumu Imperial hotel
Mayfair Holdings owns Kisumu Imperial hotel. The deal will see the hotel that has been under renovation since 2020 at Sh500 million renamed Sarova Imperial Hotel, Kisumu. The three-star facility will run 93 renovated guest bedrooms including suites, new meeting facilities, and upgraded food and beverage outlets.
“Having a presence in Kisumu City and the larger Western Kenya region has always been part of the hospitality group’s growth plan,” said Sarova Hotels Kenya Managing Director Jimi Kariuki when he signed the deal to run the 48-year-old facility.
The rising acquisition and management deals reflect a gradual recovery in room sales as the hospitality industry rebounded, helping to prop the economy to a 6.8 per cent GDP growth in the first quarter of the current financial year.
GDP growth in the first quarter took off strongly, especially in accommodation and food services which expanded 56.2 per cent in the first quarter of 2022 from a contraction of 33 per cent on higher tourist numbers as Covid-19 curbs were relaxed.
The number of visitor arrivals through Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and Moi International Airport rose by 85.per cent from 121,739 in the first quarter of 2021 to 225,321 visitors in the first quarter of 2022.
Some of the hotels shut down during the pandemic were reopened and industry hires resumed as demand picked up.


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Langton Capital – 2016-02-03 – Daily Wrap: Interest rates, holidays, market evolution & other:
Leisure Wrap & Other:
So the trading day is grinding to a close. We’re another day older but are we any wiser? After a day of intensive head-scratching, pen flipping and gossip, we have been considering the following. As always, contact us if you’d like further details:
Interest rate expectations:
• Why do we pay these people so much?
• Expectations for the number of rate rises in the US in calendar 2016 now range from 0 to 4.
• Given that rates tend to move in the quarter-end months, it would not really be possible for there to be a wider spread.
• That said, what does it mean?
• Well the currency markets etc. will be lacking guidance because it means that some credible commentators are now expecting the Fed to leave rates where they currently stand for at least a 12mth period
• Reading backwards from that, there is the implication that global growth could slow – and that will impact oil prices, equity prices and the rest
Evolution in the leisure industry:
• As we have said on a number of occasions, change is the only constant.
• Today (in earlier email) we carry stories that 1) popcorn may be replacing crisps as consumers search for a healthy (or less unhealthy) option, 2) Dry January impacted trading this year more, perhaps, than it has in the past, 3) Amazon is set to open 400 physical book stores and 4) Choice Hotels may enter the ‘sharing market’ and presumably take on Airbnb head-to-head.
• Hence we can see that some operators are putting their shareholders’ money where Langton’s mouth is.
• Evolution may arguably be split between a) disruptors and b) market share stealers.
• Airbnb, Uber, Deliveroo etc. may fall into the former category
• Whilst Amazon (with bookshops), McDonald’s (with table service), Burger King (with alcohol), Choice Hotels (with a ‘sharing model’) fall into the latter
• We don’t have numbers to evidence the volume of would-be disrupters who go bust – but we would hazard to guess that there are more operators willing to try to steal a larger share of an existing cake than there are innovators who truly add something completely new
Holiday market – volcanoes, terrorism, SARS & now the Zika virus:
• We (and the stock market) are torn two ways on leisure travel stocks.
• We believe that the market for leisure travel is a premium-to-GDP growth industry
• This is particularly the case in developing or nearly developed economies.
• Spending a week on the beach will rank behind buying a fridge, but probably ahead of buying a second fridge for the den
• But there are many other factors that suggest, to us at least, that leisure travel companies should maybe not trade on a market rating. Let alone a premium
• Weather, terrorism, accidents, currency movements, oil price shifts, health scares (avian flu, SARS and now the Zika virus to name but a few) and random acts of God such as volcanic eruptions can make a mockery of the best-laid plans and earnings can be ruined via action from left-of-field
• With the above in mind, we would point out that, whilst TCG trades on a 2016 multiple of c9x, TUI’s shares are trading at around 13x this year’s earnings
Random information, hopefully not all of it useless:
• Market scheduled earlier to open down 40pts. Narrowed the loss & got to a dozen or so points down before falling for real. Down c57pts at time of writing.
• Oil has apparently just had its worst two days (in % terms at least) for about 7yrs.
• Sterling markedly stronger against both US$ and Euro. To put this in context, however, Sterling has still weakened (against both) by around 10% since the beginning of December last year.
• Gold bugs will be crawling out of their holes as the rally in the metal is now distinctly noticeable. Gold is still down c8% over the last 12mths, however.
• Coffee, cocoa weak. Sugar strong and Hog prices continuing to rally. Latter serves as a proxy for white meat.
We’re so 21st Century, this morning’s Tweets (diff. font size denotes importance):
1. Imbiba Partnership announces new concept. Is to launch BBQ, steak & wine units featuring celebrity chef Neil Rankin.
2. Chipotle sales for Q4 last year were hit by E.coli health scare, reports the company. Sales down 6.8% to $997.5m in the quarter
a. Chipotle has reported Q4 net income down by 44% at $67.9m due to reduced sales on health concerns
3. Report from Mintel suggests popcorn may become more popular than the potato crisp as consumers look for healthy options
4. Risk Capital Partners-backed Red Hot World Buffet is thought to have placed two of its six sites, in Leicester and Nottingham, on the market
5. Draft House founder Charlie McVeigh has told the PMA that the Dry January effect on the pub trade is beginning to fade.
6. LVMH has reported stronger-than-expected Q4 numbers with resilient dales in Europe, Japan and the United States
7. Sushisamba will replace Brasserie Blanc at Covent Garden’s Opera Terrace and will put £4m into designing and developing the site.
8. Amazon is reported to be set to open as many as 400 physical bookstores per comments from a major American shopping centre operator.
9. Royal Caribbean reports FY numbers, says earnings of 483c were +42% over 2014. Group targeting around 600c this year.
a. RCL says costs excluding fuel were down 0.6% on a Constant-Currency basis & yields on the same basis were +3.5%
10. Trade press reports Zika virus fears are keeping some would-be UK holidaymakers from visiting affected areas
11. Choice Hotels is considering entering the ‘sharing economy’ reports STR. It could put 3rd party properties on a platform
12. Eurozone unemployment fell to its lowest rate in over four years in December as the jobless rate dropped from 10.5% to 10.4%.
13. Oil price lower at around $32.60 per barrel. US stock levels per latest American Petroleum Institute report


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A new method of downloading apps outwith the App Store i.e. not authorized by Apple, will soon be coming to iOS devices via browser-based App Store which is codenamed ‘Lima’ (iPhoneDownloadBlog via MacStories). The new app store would require users to simply browse to the store website using a jailbroken iPhone and then install the app of their choice.
While Cydia, the major App Store alternative, is still around and is wildly popular among iOS users, the Cydia Store requires jailbreaking your Apple device which can be a little too much of an issue for some people. The primary advantage of a browser based app store would be that users could install apps that have not been approved by Apple on jailbroken devices through the Safari app.
Additionally, every time a new version of the iOS software is released, then jailbreaks tend to become obsolete as Apple plugs any security holes that are used to perform the jailbreak. It remains to be seen if the company will be issuing any sort of update to Safari in an attempt to block the new app store.
There has not been any timetable issued for the new app store release but the Inifini Dev Team who are developing Lima will apparently be releasing it ‘soon’. It will be interesting to see how Apple responds to this latest attempt to circumvent the official approval and installation process.


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Atypical pneumonia is still depressing consumer demand in Asia but some signs indicate the worst of the slump is over. Standard and Poor's ratings agency says it will not lower its ratings for banks in Hong Kong and Singapore despite the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS. S&P says the banks in both places are likely to see some fall in earnings, but that they are strong enough to handle loan losses and other threats to profit.
Still, SARS is taking its toll on consumer demand, leading the conglomerate Citic Pacific to warn its profit for the first half of the year will be hurt. Citic executives say SARS has hurt demand in the conglomerate's sales of limousines, cosmetics, foodstuffs, and housing. Citic also is major shareholder in regional airlines, which have seen a dramatic fall in passenger numbers.
Joe Lo, a senior economist for Citibank Hong Kong, says consumer demand is slowly picking up, but will take some time. "Over the past week we have seen more people going to the shopping mall, to Chinese restaurants, but, on the other hand, the inflow of tourists is still very low."
The head of San Miguel Brewing Company in the Philippines says SARS remains a concern for the company's Hong Kong operations. Still, Eduardo Cojuango announced that first-quarter net profit rose 21 percent from a year ago to $25.6 million. He says overall he expects San Miguel to do better this year than last year.
Consumer prices rose 2.8 percent in the Philippines compared with a year earlier. The Philippines National Statistics Office says average inflation in the four months to April was in line with government targets.
Australian regulators are investigating AMD Limited for what they call "unusual" futures trading. They are focusing on an April 29 plunge in the value of futures on Australia's SPI, or share price index. That was the day before AMD made a surprise announcement it was splitting its Australian and British operations. AMD's shares plummeted 36 percent just days after the announcement was made.
A German-Singaporean consortium has won the right to buy a 51 percent stake in Indonesia's Danamon Bank. Singapore's state investment firm Temasek Holdings and Germany's Deutsche Bank are expected to pay about $350 million for the stake. The deal is expected to be finalized after a two-week assessment by Indonesia's Central Bank.


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The California State Legislature became the first in the nation to approve a plastic bag ban in August of 2014, and on Sept. 30, 2014, Governor Jerry Brown signed the bill into law.
It was a proud moment for Save Our Shores. Our team and the Central Coast Sanctuary Alliance had been working with Central Coast jurisdictions to pass local plastic bag bans for three years. As a result of our efforts, the Monterey Bay region has the strictest bag bans in California.
Though the statewide ban is not without its flaws—it only requires large stores to stop distributing single-use plastic bags and it defines a reusable bag as being only 2.25 mils thick—we consider its passage to be a landmark victory. After all, it mandates cities like Scotts Valley and Sand City, which have previously resisted bans, to comply.
Much to our dismay, the plastic bag industry immediately filed a referendum to repeal the law once it was signed. In order to suspend implementation of the bag ban until the November 2016 ballot, the opposition had to collect nearly 505,000 valid signatures in favor of a repeal on the ban by the end of 2014. More than 800,000 signatures were estimated to have been collected by supporters, and the signatures are currently awaiting verification by county election offices. The verification process is expected to be completed by the end of February or sooner. Twenty-three of the 58 counties have completed and submitted their numbers.
If the veto referendum campaign fails to get the bill placed on the ballot, it will go into effect for big businesses in 2015 and for small businesses in 2016.
It is important to note that there is a lot of money at stake. For instance, by mid-December 2014, plastic bag makers had already spent more than $3 million—more than $5 per signature—in hopes of placing a referendum on the ban on the November 2016 ballot, according to data from the California Secretary of State. At the time, nearly 98 percent of the contributions were from out-of-state companies.
Michele Nestor summed it up nicely in her article, “Legislating Behavior: Battle of the Bags”: “Californians Against Waste claims that more than $200 million dollars’ worth of plastic bags are sold in California alone each year. Consider what that potentially means on a national scale, and it is easy to understand what’s at stake here.”
In response to the claims by the plastic bag industry that a statewide ban would line the “deep pockets” of grocers, Scott Roseman, the founder of New Leaf Community Markets, recently voiced his opinion in the Santa Cruz Sentinel:
Support the planet, fight effort to delay bag ban
As the founder of New Leaf Community Markets, I feel it necessary to voice my opposition to the plastic industry’s efforts to delay the statewide single-use plastic bag ban. The American Progressive Bag Alliance claims the ban is a backroom deal to line grocers’ pockets. In reality, most grocers were happy to offer plastic bags, as they are cheaper than paper. For 30 years, New Leaf has offered only paper bags because plastic bags endanger our environment. However, the use of new paper bags has its own environmental impacts, both in production and disposal. This is why we encourage customers to reuse bags. When they do, we contribute to local environmental organizations for every bag saved. This program has motivated many customers to reuse bags, but the largest reduction in new bag use resulted from the plastic bag ban, coupled with the fee for new paper bags. Most consumers now remember to bring bags, and new paper bag use has dropped significantly. So, please don’t listen to the plastic industry. Support our planet by opposing their initiative.
— Scott Roseman, Santa Cruz
Our Program Manager, Rachel, also shared her views on the attempts to repeal the law with the Santa Cruz Sentinel:
Cannot put price on state’s natural resources
California’s natural resources and environmental beauty are taking a beating from the capitalist and corporate agenda. Exhibit A: The American Progressive Bag Alliance’s efforts to delay a statewide plastic bag ban. The American Chemistry Council argues the ban will eliminate jobs in the plastics industry and line the deep pockets of grocers. In reality, the annual income generated by local grocers could not hold a candle to the exorbitant wealth of the plastics industry. According to Californians Against Waste, the plastics industry will likely make a profit of roughly $145 million by delaying the ban’s implementation by at least one year. While some feel the ban pales in comparison to many issues facing California, we, at Save Our Shores, believe our state’s ability to create strong environmental policy is a reflection of how we prioritize natural resources. The passage of a statewide ban was a landmark victory for California’s environmental health. We should celebrate the energy saved by eliminating industries that promote overconsumption and discard natural resources, not to mention the decreased spending on waste management and environmental cleanup. If we have to assign a dollar amount to the environment for the government to understand its plight, let’s do it: Priceless.
— Rachel Kippen, Save Our Shores, Santa Cruz
We do not anticipate that the plastic bag industry will give up without a fight. The best thing you can do at this time to help ensure the implementation of the statewide ban is stay informed! As the anti-referendum campaign moves forward, we need more people to know what’s going on. Lack of awareness is the reason that some people were tricked into signing the petition to repeal the ban:


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Stargroup has recorded another record month of revenue and remains on track for its twelfth record quarterly performance. Stargroup’s ATM hardware and software sales division posted revenue of $646,277 for October, while total group revenue was $1.1 million – significantly exceeding budgets. The Company pointed to the recent delivery of 100 lobby-style ATMs from NeoICP Korea Inc. and a number of independent ATM deployers acquiring replacement hardware from the group as positive factors.
- 445% increase in ATM hardware and software sales in StarATM
- 299% increase in actual annual group revenues in 2016 compared to 2015
- 205% improvement in 2016 YTD ATM revenue compared to 2015 YTD ATM revenue
- 30% increase in projected quarterly revenue on back of organic growth
Stargroup Limited (ASX : STL) (“Stargroup or the Company”) is pleased to announce that once again it has delivered a record month of group revenue in October. The Company is now well on its way to delivering another record quarter of revenue, the 12th in a row.
The Company’s ATM hardware and software sales division, namely StarATM Pty Ltd, had a record calendar revenue month, with revenues of $646,277, which easily eclipsed the 2016 full year revenue result of $150,149. The actual revenues year to date are now $818,779 which is a 445% increase on the full year result from 2016.
The record revenue in the StarATM division follows the recent delivery from South Korea of over 100 of the new version of lobby style ATMs from NeoICP Korea Inc. (“NeoICP”). The new machines have added functionality and improved security measures as part of the ongoing research and development being undertaken by NeoICP and keeping at the forefront of industry standards.
Mr Todd Zani, Stargroup’s CEO and Executive Chairman said “Our Group Revenues were greater than $1.1mil in the month of October which was a record month for the business and significantly greater than originally budgeted for the month.
A number of Independent ATM Deployers (“IADs”) have been acquiring hardware from us in the last few months as part of upgrading their ageing fleets before the end of the year to ensure that their hardware is compliant with the rules mandated by Europay, Mastercard and Visa (“EMV”). This is largely to ensure that their networks and ATMs can accept the EMV chip cards issued by financial institutions.
Historically, NeoICP, via its distributors have sold greater than 3,000 cashPod ATMs into Australia and a great number of these will require upgrading as part of the EMV liability shift. All IADs need to make sure that their hardware is fully compliant and our hardware has always been EMV ready and these upgrades will see further revenue for our StarATM division in both the short term and long term as we assist IADs through this process.
Some of the older ATMs owned by other IADs will need to be replaced to comply with the new standards as they are not upgradeable and the recent deliveries will assist us with meeting the supply demand for other IADs and our own sales pipeline.
As a result, when our actual results for October are combined with our projected revenues for November and December, it is clearly showing that we are on track for another record quarter of revenue which will be our 12th record of quarterly growth, as can be highlighted below.”


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The European Union has agreed to cap the cost of processing debit and credit card payment fees, following campaigns from the British Retail Consortium and UK retailers.
Retailers have welcomed the news, as the high card fees currently cost UK businesses more than 1 billion pounds a year, according to the BRC. Under the new rules, fees will be capped at 0.2 percent for debit cards and 0.3 percent for credit card transactions.
The price cap will not initially apply to the so-called three-party card schemes, such as American Express and Diners, which involve only one bank.
"This legislation is good for consumers, good for business, and good for Europe. It will lead to lower prices and visibility of costs for consumers," said Margrethe Vestager, commissioner in charge of competition policy.
However, the cap still has to be endorsed by EU governments and approved by the full European Parliament before it can come into effect.
The BRC has welcomed the ruling, Helen Dickinson, BRC director general, commented: "We are delighted with this historic and landmark agreement. We have long campaigned for a cap on excessive and anti-competitive card payment fees. Once implemented in the UK during the course of 2015 this will enable the retail industry to invest an extra £500 million a year in innovation and value for consumers."


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Here’s today’s AdExchanger.com news round-up… Want it by email? Sign up here.
TikTok, TikTok Everywhere
While other social platforms emulate TikTok’s short-form video tactics, TikTok is trying to be more like TV. (Really, it doesn’t consider itself a social media platform.)
Extending the max video length to ten minutes earlier this year was one move. TikTok also recently announced TikTok Pulse, curated inventory alongside top viral content. TikTok TopView ads, the first placement on a user’s feed, cost millions of dollars per day.
TikTok is also now available on some smart TVs, including Vizio devices (although it’s not selling ads there just yet) and Amazon Fire TV, as of last November. The platform dipped its toes in studio production with a comedy series that debuted last month.
But TikTok’s TV journey won’t be easy. Unlike YouTube, which calls on Google ad sales, TikTok has to build up a brand-facing business.
TikTok also has to convince TV ad buyers – a wary, risk-averse group, in general – to take it seriously.
Part of TikTok’s uphill battle involves proving its distribution potential by expanding its reach and scale across TV screens. The key distribution partner there would be Roku, Insider reports. Oh, and learning how to film horizontal-oriented content.
Continue reading »


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The European Commission has fined Google €1.49 billion for abusive practices in online advertising and for breaching EU antitrust rules. According to the European Commission, Google has abused its market dominance by imposing a number of restrictive clauses in contracts with third-party websites which prevented Google’s rivals from placing their search adverts on these websites.
Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said:
“Today the Commission has fined Google €1.49 billion for illegal misuse of its dominant position in the market for the brokering of online search adverts. Google has cemented its dominance in online search adverts and shielded itself from competitive pressure by imposing anti-competitive contractional restrictions on third-party websites. This is illegal under EU antitrust rules. This misconduct lasted over 10 years and denied other companies the possibility to compete on the merits and to innovate – and consumers the benefits of competition.”
This is the third major penalty that the EU has levied against Google. Last year, Google was fined a record €4.3 billion for abusing its market dominance in mobile. The year before that, Google was fined €2.4 billion for manipulating shopping search results. Google is appealing both cases.
Google posted information about the situation on The Keyword. Google says that, over the past few years, it has made changes Google Shopping, to its mobile apps licenses, and to AdSense for Search in direct response to concerns raised by the European Commission.
Google points out that on Android phones, people have always been able to install any search engine or browser they want. Google has also changed the licensing model for Google apps they build on Android phones, creating new, separate licenses for Google Play, the Google Chrome browser, and Google Search.
Now, Google will “do more to ensure that Android phone owners know about the wide choices of browsers and search engines available to them on their phones.” This will involve asking Android users in Europe which browser and search apps they would like to use.
In short, if you live in the EU, you will benefit from the changes that Google is making. If you live somewhere else – too bad. Google isn’t required to make any changes outside of the EU (in regards to the European Commission’s fines).
It seems clear to me that Google will make changes if it is fined a significant amount of money. I wonder what would happen if the United States government decided to investigate Google (and other big tech companies) to see if they were breaking our antitrust laws. Perhaps it is time for governments to regulate the big tech companies.


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ZombiU, Ubisoft's zombie-infested Wii U launch title, was unprofitable and convinced the company to make the once Wii U-exclusive Rayman Legends multiplatform, CEO Yves Guillemot told GamesIndustry International.
Because of ZombiU's performance, Guillemot said there are no plans for a sequel and that porting Rayman Legends to to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 was a way to "ensure the creativity of those games could have a big enough audience." This echoes his statement form earlier this year that the game was delayed because of the developer's concern that it would not sell enough games on the console.
"We hope it will take off," Guillemot said of the Wii U. "At the moment, we've said, 'Let's do through Christmas and see where we are from there.'"
Nintendo's dual-screen console launched last November, but sales haven't met Nintendo's targets, and third-party support has wained. Last month, Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata said that Nintendo was to blame for sluggish sales, highlighting the company's "relaxed" marketing efforts and the lack of "one single software" to sell the console's differences.
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A 20GP container is full of popular coin-operated gaming machines is headed to Peru! The latest shipment is expected to be a hit with gamers all over the country, as these machines have been carefully selected to appeal to all ages and gaming preferences.
The container will be loaded with high-quality gaming machines that feature the latest technology, stunning graphics, and exciting gameplay. As an added bonus, the gaming machines feature a wide variety of games to suit all tastes, ensuring that gamers will have hours of fun trying out their favorite games and discovering new ones.
This isn’t the first time that these gaming machines have made their way to Peru. In fact, the popularity of these machines has been growing rapidly in recent years, with people of all ages flocking to gaming arcades and entertainment centers to enjoy a wide range of video games.
The arrival of this container is sure to add even more excitement to the gaming scene in Peru. With its state-of-the-art technology and stunning graphics, the gaming machines are expected to be a hit with both casual gamers and serious gamers alike.
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Governor Vetoes Senator Wiener’s Bill Capping the Price of Insulin
SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed Senator Scott Wiener’s (D-San Francisco) Senate Bill 90, which caps the cost of insulin at $35 per month. The bill had previously passed the Assembly 79-0 and passed the Senate on concurrence 39-0.
“This veto is a major setback that will keep tens of thousands of diabetic Californians trapped in the terrible choice between buying insulin and buying food,” said Senator Wiener. “This is a missed opportunity that will force them to wait months or years for relief from the skyrocketing costs of medical care when they could have had it immediately. We will continue to fight for straightforward, fast-acting measures to lower the costs of essential healthcare, including insulin.”
SB 90 caps the price of insulin at $35 per month for tens of thousands of Californians living with diabetes. The bill bans co-pays over $35 for a 30 day supply and prohibits health plans from imposing a deductible on insulin prescription drugs. For those enrolled under Covered California, these changes begin in 2025 and apply insulins in Tiers 1 and 2.
The price of insulin has tripled over the past decade, with most of the increase going to middlemen and rising corporate profits. As a result of the increase, one in four people using insulin has reported insulin underuse because they can’t afford the full dose. Four in five Americans in need of insulin have incurred thousands of dollars in credit card debt to pay for the medication according to a recent survey.
SB 90 is sponsored by the American Diabetes Association. Read more about SB 90 here.


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Boston Micro Fabrication is on the move.
“BMF”, based in — you guessed it, Boston — has been quietly growing strongly in several ways.
The company produces high-precision micro 3D printing devices used by industry for a variety of applications. They currently offer three lines of equipment, each with a different optical resolution: 0.025mm, 0.010mm and an incredibly small 0.002mm.
While the company focuses on the smallest resolution, their most recent device, the S350, has the “coarsest” resolution of the bunch at 0.025mm. They introduced this model because it turns out many of their customers actually don’t require the highest resolution for some applications, and appreciate the higher throughput provided by the S350.
In a recent conversation, BMF representatives told us they are selling “lots of devices to universities”, where they are presumably being used for research and training purposes. The specific applications include fluidics devices and other microscopic systems.
This week they announced a rather large investment round of US$24M, which is only one year after receiving a massive US$42M Series C investment. According to Crunchbase, the company has now received almost US$80M in total investment over four funding rounds.
This certainly makes BMF one of the most well-capitalized 3D printer manufacturers, and indicates the confidence held in the company by their investors.
This is not surprising, as the area of focus for the company is quite new, with relatively few applications present. It’s quite possible that with BMF equipment researchers and companies may develop new applications previously unseen. That could be why investors see the company growing.
What will BMF do with the new cash? They explain:
“The funding will allow them to develop and incubate new products that are uniquely enabled by high-precision, micro 3D printing and advance global collaborations to spark innovation across industries like medtech and electronics.”
That sounds like new applications to me, doesn’t it?


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Standard Chartered Bank has confirmed the closure of 50 percent of its Nigerian branches.
On Tuesday, it was reported that the United Kingdom-based banking group would cut branches in Nigeria and focus more on digital banking.
In a statement made available on Wednesday, Dayo Aderugbo, head, corporate affairs, brand and marketing, Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Limited, assured employees that there would be no job losses.
“We have continued to retrain and redeploy staff who are impacted by the closure of the branches in Lagos and Abuja. This closure will not impact any staff in 2022,” the statement reads.
The bank explained that the branch closures were part of the digitisation journey to optimise processes, operating channels, products and service solutions to suit the demands of clients.
“Our digital banking proposition is designed to enhance the experience of our customers who are progressively exploring and demanding simpler, faster, efficient, and more convenient ways of banking at the touch of a button from the convenience of the mobile devices,” the statement adds.
“The closures are also driven in response to changes in customer transaction behaviour.
We have also witnessed significant adoption of our digital banking services by customers as most of them continue to prioritise convenient banking over the need to visit any of our physical locations to access our products and services.“The bank prides itself in a forward-looking people strategy where we proactively plan our workforce needs to fulfil our business strategy.”
Newswire Law and Events Magazine is Out. It's a collector's item. Get one - or two,or more - for yourself and loved ones.


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We are now into the fourth week of lockdown with reports suggesting it will be extended by at least three weeks at today's coronavirus government briefing.
Which means the way we are living under these circumstances is set to continue, and this includes only being allowed to go shopping for essential items when it's absolutely necessary.
With supermarkets among only a small handful of stores which remain open during the coronavirus crisis, demand on them is understandably huge.
Social distancing measures mean customers must queue outside supermarkets once stores have reached the limit for how many are inside.
To avoid queuing, many shoppers have been desperately trying to secure a home delivery slot, but these are in high demand. Some retailer's such as Asda are only releasing slots a week in advance.
One reddit user has now created a tool to help anyone struggling to get a delivery slot. The tool will notify you when an Asda delivery slot becomes available. You need to fill in your postcode and email address and the server will frequently check the slots at your local store and email you if and when some become available.
You can find the tool here.
Asda is encouraging shoppers who are able to visit its stores to do so, to help reserve slots for those who need them most.
Speculation across social media suggests Asda releases its delivery slots each Sunday, with Twitter users explaining they have had success in securing one on this day.
If you're not an Asda customers, you can find a full explanation of delivery slots available from other supermarkets here.


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U.S. craft breweries most since 1800s
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- Staff Albuquerque Business First
Craft beer lovers rejoice. The soaring interest in beer and new breweries has led the industry across the 3,000-brewery threshold.
There are now 3,040 craft breweries in America marking the first time there have been this many since the 1870s, according to the U.S. Brewers Association.
The breweries were counted if they are currently selling beer in the marketplace and pay federal excise taxes on their product.
Several breweries have opened recently in the Albuquerque area. Many are located in an area now known as the Brewery District.
Bart Watson, chief economist for the Brewers Association, says the majority of Americans now live within 10 miles of a local brewery, and nearly 2,000 breweries are slated to open in the coming years.
“Secondly, it means that competition continues to increase, and that brewers will need to further differentiate and focus on quality if they are going to succeed in a crowded marketplace,” writes Watson in his blog.
Watson sees this growth as a sign that the industry will continue to grow in coming years.
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Social boost for Galaxy UI10 September 2016
Enhancements to Dalet Galaxy user interfaces, such as an intuitive social media GUI that looks and acts more like a social media publishing platform, make publishing to social an easy and intuitive newsroom operation. This will allow broadcasters to better respond to and manage new consumer habits, said Dalet.
With content and production for all outlets converging and social media becoming the go-to platform for news consumption, content owners must find ways to streamline news production for multi-platform distribution, argued the company.Of particular note for radio, Dalet is showcasing integration with products like NewTek TriCaster and VidiGo multi-camera production systems.
Driven by Dalet Galaxy, radio broadcasters can easily incorporate graphics such as lower-thirds and branding to enhance OTT distribution and maximise sponsorship opportunities, said Dalet, all while maintaining important graphics metadata that make radio assets


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Digital TV News: Amino
Aferian provides trading update
Mar 10, 2023 – Aferian (LSE AIM: AFRN) has provided an update on current trading and its impact on the company's outlook. For Amino, device sales have been materially lower than anticipated.
News categories: Aferian, Digital TV, Results, Set Top Box, Worldwide
TiVo Managed IPTV Service gains Amino set-top box support
Jan 5, 2023 – Amino has integrated its Android TV operator tier set-top box with the TiVo Managed IPTV Service (formerly MobiTV) providing a managed device alternative in support of TiVo's North American customers.
News categories: Amino, TiVo, Donald McGarva, CES2023, Digital TV, IPTV, North America, Set Top Box
Amino R180 set-top box, based on Amlogic X4 chipset, RDK-VA certified
Sep 9, 2022 – Amino has extended its partnership with Amlogic to broaden the range of set-top box options available for its Operator Ready RDK-V platform. Its R180 set-top, based on Amlogic’s X4 chipset, has been recently RDK Video Accelerator (RDK-VA) certified.
News categories: Amino, Amlogic, Jonny McKee, Brian Fenton, Digital TV, IBC2022, RDK, Semiconductor, Set Top Box, Worldwide
Amino and Agama support Android TV Operator Tier certification at GO Malta
Sep 7, 2022 – Amino's Android TV solution has been integrated with Agama's Client Device Monitoring to bring device lifecycle management and real-time insights on service quality. GO Malta has already benefited from the integration.
News categories: Agama, Amino, Johan Görsjö, Donald McGarva, Android TV, Digital TV, IBC2022, Malta, QoE
Amino gains RDK Video Accelerator set-top certification
Aug 31, 2022 – Amino has completed RDK Video Accelerator certification of its R180 set-top box. The box enables traditional middleware supported by Amino devices to run alongside premium OTT services, certified as part of the program.
News categories: Amino, Donald McGarva, Jason Briggs, Digital TV, IBC2022, RDK, Semiconductor, Set Top Box, Worldwide
24i launches TV-as-a-Service offering with Swisscom Broadcast
Aug 31, 2022 – 24i has announced the launch of FokusOnTV, a TV-as-a-Service (TVaaS) streaming offering. FokusOnTV will be offered as a pre-integrated solution with Swisscom Broadcast’s premium headend infrastructure.
News categories: 24i, Swisscom Broadcast, Dr Neale Foster, Dominik Müller, Content Distribution, Digital TV, Europe, IBC2022, Streaming
Amino and Innovative Systems complete Android TV integration
Jul 25, 2022 – Amino and Innovative Systems have announced the availability of their integrated Android TV managed service offering to bring a wider variety of content to a diverse population of subscribers.
News categories: Amino, Innovative Systems, Donald McGarva, Scott Sobolewski, Android TV, Digital TV, IPTV, Set Top Box, USA
Amino aids customer support with service KPI visualizations
Jul 22, 2022 – Amino has unveiled Amino Engage Optimize to extend the functionality of its SaaS platform. Optimize combines QoS and QoE metrics to help Pay TV providers identify service issues and get insights into potential problems impacting subscribers.
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AminoOS deployed to Vodafone Iceland’s legacy Samsung STBs
Jun 30, 2022 – Amino has announced that it has completed a project with Vodafone Iceland to upcycle its existing Samsung set-top boxes (STBs). Amino utilized its established upcycling methodology to migrate these boxes to AminoOS in the field.
News categories: Amino, Vodafone, Donald McGarva, Digital TV, Iceland, Middleware, Set Top Box
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WELCOME TO The smallbusiness REPORT
Feature market insights and perspectives from top C-Level executives, elite technology influencers and thought leaders from your company here. This signature initiative has garnered immense support...
Clark | September 09, 2021
Clark Construction Group has officially launched a small business inclusion initiative with construction project participation targets, reaffirming its commitment to fostering inclusive growth, both in the building industry as well as within the communities it serves. The SDBE15 program is designed to foster greater participation by small, disadvantaged-, minority-, and women-owned businesses on Clark’s construction projects nationwideThrough the program, the company commits to achieving a...
CI&T | May 22, 2021
(Re)open for Business, a new report exploring how banks can best support small businesses in a post-pandemic world, was released today by CI&T, a leader in driving digital transformation for global brands. While the pandemic triggered a digital transformation in financial services, the report found that small businesses still want and need banking relationships.
This report examined survey responses, focus groups, and interviews with 500+ small and medium-sized businesses in t...
Deluxe | October 01, 2020
Deluxe (NYSE: DLX), a Trusted Business Technology™ company, announced today that Salesforce, the global leader in customer relationship management, has signed on to sponsor season five of the acclaimed Deluxe series Small Business Revolution.
The two companies first came together in early 2019, when Deluxe enlisted Salesforce to accelerate the company’s go-to-market strategy and improve customer engagement. Now, Salesforce is joining season five in Fredonia, New York, to lift ...
MARKETING AND NETWORKING
Kinetic | February 28, 2022
Kinetic Business announced the launch of OfficeSuite Express®. This innovative, easy-to-install package is created exclusively for small organizations looking for an economical communications solution for ten or fewer desktop phones in a single place.
“OfficeSuite UC has been a successful solution for many business customers, allowing their employees to stay connected and collaborate even while working remotely, maintaining business continuity. We are proud...
SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS
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TV networks that air the Super Bowl continue to reap bigger revenue rewards, while commercial time in the game continues to rise.
Kantar Media says total Super Bowl TV advertising last year -- the game itself and the pre- and post-game -- totaled $534 million, up 20% versus 2016, when it was $445 million.
In-game TV advertising for 2017 on Fox, which aired the game, tallied $419 million. The pre- and post-game revenues came in at $115 million.
Kantar Media also says total commercial TV time in general continues to creep up -- 4% higher, to 51 minutes and 30 seconds (51:30) in 2017, with a total of 102 commercial spots, versus 2016. Total commercial TV time in 2016 was 49:30 with 96 spots; in 2015, it came in at 48:05 (82 spots). In 2014 there was a dip to 49:15 (83) from 2013, when it was 51:40 (97 spots).
Kantar notes that the Super Bowl now contains 15% to 20% more commercial time than a regular-season NFL game.
While some marketers make an effort to make a major impact with longer Super Bowl TV commercials, the 30-second commercial is still the most common format length. Last year, 63% of spots were 30 seconds long, while 19% were a minute or longer and 15% of spots were 15 seconds or less.
Last year, the average price for a 30-second commercial was $5.05 million -- up from $4.8 million in 2016, says Kantar. NBC, which will air this year’s game, says 30-second spots are going for well north of $5 million.


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Tesla officially unveiled its new Model S Plaid electric car, announced in January. The presentation was led by Elon Musk, according to whom this car is faster than any sports car, faster than any Porsche and simultaneously safer than any Volvo.
The Model S Plaid became not only the company’s fastest electric car, but also the fastest mass-produced car. It takes less than 2 seconds to accelerate to 96.5 km/h and its top speed exceeds 320 km/h. Without recharging, the car can travel more than 620 km.
When asked why a city car needs such speeds, Musk replied:
“We have to show that the electric car is the best choice. It should be clear that cars powered by clean energy can be the fastest, safest, and coolest cars in every way.
The exterior design is virtually unchanged – it’s still the same Model S, though now with an even lower aerodynamic drag coefficient (0.208). Significant changes have touched the interior – there is a new digital dashboard behind the steering wheel, 17-inch horizontal touchscreen, additional display for passengers in the back, wireless charging for smartphones and not only.
The Model S Plaid cost about $130,000 . The first 25 Model S Plaid cars are already on their way to customers. Within a week it is planned to deliver several hundred more of these cars.


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AEGIS Board Meeting and AEGIS Plenary Meeting: 1 December 2020
The first of these two important meetings in the AEGIS Calendar will take place physically at ASC Leiden on the morning of 1 December, the second online the same afternoon. Among other things, the meetings this year will address such matters as adapting to the COVID-related postponement of ECAS9 and the new opportunities this raises; the setting up of a new Working Group to plan a dynamic calendar of AEGIS-related activities in the coming years; winners of this year’s Collaborative Research Group (CRG) Grant Competition; the expansion of AEGIS membership; and strategies for new partnerships beyond Europe, and especially in Africa.
AEGIS Thematic Conference: Africa Knows! 2 December 2020 – 28 February 2021
The Africa Knows! Conference will start on 2 December 2020 in The Hague in The Netherlands and continue until late February 2021 with an exciting series of online panels and other conference-related activities focusing on the the overarching theme of ‘Decolonising Minds’. The conference website states: “The dynamism of Africa’s knowledge landscape and the debate about ‘decolonizing the academy’ both require open-minded debate. The conference Africa Knows! aims to facilitate this debate by taking stock, describing and analysing dynamics regarding the making of knowledge in and of Africa, and critically addressing dominant perceptions and biases.” For further details see the conference website: www.africaknows.eu.
By early 2021, AEGIS will activate and publicise a rolling calendar of exciting events, many to be featured online with open public access. Watch this space!
Please also read:
Postponement of ECAS9 from June 2021 to June 2023 (19 October 2020)


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In 2000, Gary Smith fired his fourth Internet marketing company in three years after he realized that, once again, he knew more about selling online than his vendor, and he still wasn't seeing sales at Carolina Cookie Co. grow via electronic commerce.
He put out a request for proposals and was pitched by three large marketing firms and three small firms. Thanks to founder Malinda Pengelly, the firm that stood out was Beyond Email, which was among the smallest.
"Beyond Email was the only one to put together a rock-solid business plan with (return on investment) spelled out," says Smith. "She has a unique ability to relate to small-business people. She knows that we only have a limited amount of money to spend, and we have to be able to see a return on that money."
Pengelly recommended changes to Carolina Cookie Co.'s Web site and e-commerce process that have result in online sales rising 45 percent to 75 percent a year for the past three years.
Online orders now account for 14 percent of all sales for Carolina Cookie, which has been selling via catalogs but is looking to exploit other sales channels to push growth.
Smith says that Pengelly has proven to be a fast learner of the cookie business, and she has recommended adjustments to his traditional and online marketing strategies that have increased sales.
Making adjustments has been critical for Beyond Email.
Technology and talking
After studying computer systems at Virginia Tech, Pengelly eventually worked on the corporate information technology staff of Mobil Oil in New Jersey. It was during that time in the early '90s that she began to notice other IT professionals leaving to start their own Web design companies.
In 1996, she decided to take make the leap to run her own company; she also wanted to be near family in southwest Virginia, and she noticed that Greensboro had few Web development firms.
With some savings, she started Beyond Email in a small office on Summit Avenue near War Memorial Stadium. She worked alone for a year in the tiny office until hiring her first employee, Web architect Julie Ayres, who is still with the firm.
She wanted to show business people how they could use the Internet for more than just e-mail, hence the firm's name.
To promote her firm, Pengelly began joining Triad professional organizations, volunteering on their committees and even volunteering to speak on technology-related issues. She now gives more than 30 public talks a year, ranging from luncheon speeches before Triad business clubs to workshops hosted by local chambers to teach small-business owners the basics of e-commerce.
"I'm your typical introverted IT person, but I knew I had to get out there and talk to people. So I just did it and it wasn't so bad," Pengelly says. "It helps our business. It gets our name out."
Becoming more vital
Along with growing the client list, Beyond Email had to make itself more vital to its existing clients in recent years, Pengelly said.
In addition to creating Web sites and managing online stores for clients, her firm added the abilities to manage a client's electronic or print newsletter and also created traditional media products such as printed brochures and letterhead.
Expanded services has meant an expanded staff. Beyond Email now has 12 people, and the firm anticipates hiring four more this year to both broaden the staff's skill sets and serve more clients.
Pengelly says her current office on West Friendly Avenue is doubling in size to 3,000 square feet to accommodate the growth.
"When we started out we had just me. Today, we have staff who have design and development capabilities that exceed me," Pengally says. "We have people today who know multiple computer languages as well as experience on different search engines to help our clients."
And she's convincing some clients of that as well.
More than a year ago, Barrett Riddleberger was starting his own sales consulting firm, Resolution Systems Inc., in Greensboro, and was looking for an Internet marketing firm.
He says Pengelly came so prepared that she sold him on new approaches using interactive online newsletters to attract and communicate with prospective clients.
"She knows that prospecting, lead generation and client acquisition are my main priorities," says Riddleberger. "Positioning is king, and she understands that and she consistently delivers results."
Pengelly says she's considering satellite offices in Raleigh and Charlotte, as only about three quarters of the firm's clients are in the Triad.
She also refuses to focus on any single industry, which doesn't bother her clients like Maitland-Smith Furniture Industries Inc.
"We're the furniture experts, and Malinda and her team are the Internet marketing experts, that's their forte," says Marcell Hogan, vice president of information technology at Maitland-Smith.
More than a year ago, Maitland-Smith put out requests for proposals and narrowed the list to a dozen firms from across the country. Then Hogan typed "Web marketing strategies" into a search engine, and Beyond Email was the only one of those finalist firms to come up.
"So she knows what she's doing," Hogan says. "She's taught us about search engine optimization and the pay-and-click strategy."
Her company had tried to run its own Web site, but ran into problems by having to serve to different audiences: furniture dealers and consumers.
Pengelly and her staff reorganized the Maitland-Smith site to inform consumers about the latest furniture and accessories while also getting them to interact with the company using surveys and direct access to customer service representatives. The reps in turn direct the consumers to appropriate dealers. The dealers have been given additional features on the site to allow them to check styles, inventory and furniture production schedules for the next 12 months.
Pengelly says running her own business for the past eight years has given her an insight into working with clients.
"Being an entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart," Pengelly says. "It takes gumption and guts and a sound business plan and belief in what you do."


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GTA Online San Andreas Mercenaries summer DLC: Release date, time, features and more
Rockstar has recently announced GTA Online San Andreas Mercenaries. It will be the upcoming summer DLC that many gamers have been waiting for news on for a while now. Its release date is June 13, 2023, and Rockstar Games hasn't yet confirmed its release time. Regarding time, the new patch is expected to be released around when the usual weekly updates are put out, which is around 9 am BST.
There is a slew of new features to be introduced in this update. Rockstar Games hasn't revealed everything yet, but there is still more than enough to discuss here regarding some of the upcoming content. More features are expected to be announced in the upcoming weeks before the summer DLC's launch.
Everything to know about GTA Online San Andreas Mercenaries: Release date, time, and features
GTA Online's San Andreas Mercenaries update will likely launch at or around the time previously mentioned, but this is subject to change (specifically regarding the time). Here is a quick rundown of everything to look forward to in the new update:
- Plot: The player and some ex-military folk fight against Merryweather Security.
- Important NPCs: The only one named in the reveal for this update is Charlie Reed, an aircraft mechanic putting everybody together against Merryweather Security.
- Vehicles: There will be new vehicles to own. Interestingly, the Mammoth Avenger is getting a massive buff in this update, as it will receive several upgrades and a new way to make money.
- Property upgrades: All that's known about GTA Online San Andreas Mercenaries in this department is a slew of upgrades planned for the Hangar. Nothing specific has been revealed yet.
- New weapons: A Tactical SMG will be intended for drive-bys in this summer DLC.
- Quality-of-life features and other minor changes: You can call Mors Mutual Insurance to claim all destroyed vehicles. There will be an alternate sprint control option. Garages can have custom tags. Eudoras and Broadways can be used for Taxi Work if they have Taxi liveries. Content Creator will get new props and snow.
The following is a list of all platforms confirmed to support GTA Online San Andreas Mercenaries:
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X|S
There are no announcements regarding whether there will be anything exclusive to next-gen consoles over their older counterparts. Rockstar has also stated that gamers should look forward to "more ongoing improvements to the entire GTA Online experience" with the new update.
Countdown to the San Andreas Summer update
Note: The above countdown assumes Rockstar Games releases the update around the usual time. A delay of an hour or two can occur, but that won't be reflected in the embed since it only counts down to 9 am BST on June 13, 2023.
At the very least, gamers should know how long they must wait for the big summer DLC to come out finally. San Andreas Mercenaries will be one of the few significant updates released this year, so there should be plenty of content for gamers to watch once it comes out.
Remember that many of the upcoming features could be drip-fed throughout a few months.


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The campaign against Huawei continues
The US continues to pursue Huawei in its campaign to curb the rising tech company. What’s a bit puzzling are the tactics. The White House blacklisted the company and then offered various waivers as recently as last week.
Now they’re mulling fresh changes that would block more foreign shipments to the company.


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WILLSHIRE, Ohio (WANE) – Every Memorial Day weekend a small home furnishings store in Willshire, Ohio goes from selling home decor to displaying the uniforms of more than 150 veterans.
Willshire Home Furnishings owner Aleta Weiss turns her store into an open house in honor of America’s veterans. She said it all began in 2011 with just one uniform – her father’s.
“This whole thing really was in memory of him and it’s just grown,” she said. “So it’s a very, very precious thing to me.”
Weiss said her father, Staff Sargent Delmore H. Mitch, never talked about his days in World War II.
“You really didn’t ask questions because he really didn’t want to open up to me,” she said.
Long after he died in 1993, she was exploring their family farm. She came upon a trunk with her father’s military memorabilia.
“Here was this man that I lived with for so many years and I really didn’t know what he’d gone through,” she said. “I just could not believe the battles he had been in. Come to find out he had been in six major battles. He was at Normandy.”
Six years ago she displayed his uniform in the window of her store in his honor, but she was moved to honor more soldiers. So she asked around and within a week, there were 23 uniforms in the store. Each year the display grew. Now, there are more than 150 uniforms. The annual tradition has become a full-blown exhibit of photos, mementos and media.
“It’s just very important that we remember these men and what they did for us by giving us freedom and going and fighting to make us all free and be able to do what we are doing today,” she said.
Weiss said she’s blessed to be a part of memorial that teaches and heals.
“I’m never gonna stop until I can’t do it anymore and I’ve got my daughter being trained and I’m hoping she’ll keep it on.”
The uniform display is open this year May 27-30 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.


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The fact that Apple Music has surpassed Spotify in subscribers in the United States has been known since April, and the two companies are battling it out even in front of authorities. At that time, Apple Music had 50 million subscribers, which is the last known subscriber count for the iPhone-maker’s music streaming offering.
Now, after almost three months, Apple senior vice president Eddy Cue says Apple Music has surpassed 60 million subscribers. The information comes from a recent interview with the executive who talked about the 10 million the service gained. It is still far from Spotify’s more than 100 million, but it’s a steady growth.
In the Apple ecosystem, Apple Music is the number one streaming service — Eddy Cue
Apple is expected to grow its subscriber base as it is offering Shazam users free trials, and will replace iTunes with Apple Music in the next version of macOS, codenamed Catalina.


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Break out the party hats and champagne guys, because ArenaNet has cause to celebrate. The company announced this morning that Guild Wars 2 has sold more than two million copies. The two millionth sale was hit not long after the team reinstated sales for the game — which they were forced to close temporarily due to having an overwhelmingly higher number of sales than they’d anticipated.
Congratulations are obviously in order for the GW2 team. Now… Where’s that champagne?


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The Covid-19 pandemic has brought an acceleration in trends. We've conducted a study to understand the attitudes and intentions when purchasing a car.
Our findings show that despite the changing purchasing landscape, car brands have an immediate opportunity to engage customers.
Digital plays a critical role in the car decision process, with 72% stating that influential touch points when purchasing a car are digital and 80% saying they are more likely to use digital platforms than physical ones.
Check out the infographic to understand new car intenders and how you can connect with them.


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A coffee chain with branches across the UK says it plans to give free hot drinks and baked goods to compensate customers that it 'spied' on for a year.
Canadian coffee giant Tim Hortons has agreed to settle four court cases over claims it used a mobile coffee app to track customers' precise movements.
The chain's mobile app allegedly not only tracked whether a customer was entering or leaving one of its branches, but also when they were going to work, home, a sports venue, or even a competitor coffee chain.
READ NEXT: 'Leaked GTA 6 map' shows off huge Caribbean setting – with surprise locations
The company reportedly gathered precise geolocation data on its customers for well over a year, but has now agreed to compensate 'eligible app users' with a free hot drink and a free pastry.
That amounts to £5.47 per customer. In an email to customers, Tim Hortons said: "As part of the proposed settlement agreement, eligible app users will receive a free hot beverage and a free baked good. Distribution details will be provided following approval, in the event that the court approves the settlement."
According to VICE, the company added: "It's important to emphasize that the allegations raised in the class actions were not proven in court and the settlement is not an admission of any wrongdoing."
The settlement came after Tim Hortons went through a national class action lawsuit in Canada, with regulators saying its data collection violated Canadian law by keeping such close tabs on users.
TikTok users can now play 'free videogames' in app – amid major gaming push
Daniel Therrien, Canada's Privacy Commissioner, said: "Tim Hortons clearly crossed the line by amassing a huge amount of highly sensitive information about its customers.
"Following people's movements every few minutes of every day was clearly an inappropriate form of surveillance. This case once again highlights the harms that can result from poorly designed technologies as well as the need for strong privacy laws to protect the rights of Canadians."
Customers in Canada will be able to claim their freebies after the court approves the settlement.
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Source: Read Full Article


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- Columbus Day – or Indigenous Peoples' Day – is Oct. 11.
- Columbus Day is a controversial national holiday, and many states celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day instead.
- The post office and most banks are closed, but the stock market and most retailers are open.
Though Columbus Day might be one of the most controversial federal holidays and is celebrated in some areas as Indigenous Peoples' Day, it's good to remember that some government services and businesses are closed on this day.
On Oct. 8, President Joe Biden declared Oct. 11 to be Indigenous Peoples' Day and acknowledged atrocities and destruction that European explorers inflicted on Native communities after persistent campaigning from Native American groups.
"For Native Americans, western exploration ushered in a wave of devastation: violence perpetrated against Native communities, displacement and theft of Tribal homelands, the introduction and spread of disease, and more," a White House proclamation from Biden said.
Despite the controversy, the holiday is still celebrated by Italian Americans as a source of pride and as a part of Italian American heritage.
But what does it all mean for your daily errands? Here's a look at what businesses and government services are doing for Columbus Day:
Post offices and mail delivery
All US Postal Service offices are closed and mail delivery is suspended, but private companies like UPS and FedEx are continuing to deliver and accept drop-offs.
Federal offices are closed since it's a federal holiday, but National Parks remain open.
Almost all retailers are staying open as companies try to avoid being entangled in controversy. In addition, fewer companies are offering Columbus Day sales, since fewer people have the day free to shop and widespread shortages are making companies hesitant to offer big sales events.


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But first, what is CBD? Cannabidiol is a nonpsychoactive compound found in both cannabis and hemp plants, which are different varieties of the same plant species. Cannabis plants are often grown in order to cultivate tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the component in marijuana that is responsible for the “high” feeling in people who smoke or ingest it. Many hemp plants, on the other hand, have had the THC largely bred out of them, according to a report published in November 2016 in Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences. These plants are grown for a variety of products, including textiles, insulation, food, paper, supplements, and skin-care items.
While headlines may lead you to believe that CBD — sold in oils, edibles, tinctures, creams, capsules, and more — is a cure-all, there are really just a handful of conditions that scientific studies suggest it can treat, according to a report published in 2018 by the World Health Organization. It's important to know that CBD is treated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the same way as dietary supplements — that is, like supplements, CBD products can go to market without scientific evidence that they actually work. It's a “buyer beware” situation.
What Is Cannabidiol (CBD) and Where Is It Found?
Here’s a look at what a handful of scientific studies have found in recent years concerning CBD's medical usefulness, including some diseases and ailments for which the FDA has approved CBD products.
The next challenge is finding products that are accurately labeled. According to research published in November 2017 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, many CBD products do not contain the amount of CBD their labels claim. The research, conducted at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, involved testing 84 CBD products to see if they contained the amount of CBD listed. The researchers found 70 percent of CBD products are mislabeled, and “26 percent contained less CBD than labeled, which could negate any potential clinical response.”
It seems like everywhere you look, cannabidiol, better known as CBD, is being touted as a cure for, well, anything that might ail you. At last check, you can find CBD in hundreds of products meant to relieve all manner of pain and anxiety, and in lifestyle-enhancing products like sports-recovery balms, personal lubricants, sleeping aids, and energy boosters that might keep you up all night (yep, take your pick!).
A few drops of CBD oil in a mocha or smoothie are not likely to do anything, researchers contend. Doctors say another force may also be at play in people feeling good: the placebo effect. That’s when someone believes a drug is working and symptoms seem to improve.
Just as hemp seedlings are sprouting up across the United States, so is the marketing. From oils and nasal sprays to lollipops and suppositories, it seems no place is too sacred for CBD. “It’s the monster that has taken over the room,” Dr. Brad Ingram, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, said about all the wild uses for CBD now. He is leading a clinical trial into administering CBD to children and teenagers with drug-resistant epilepsy.
But he cautions that the side effects could have been because of an interaction with other medications the children were taking to control the seizures. So far, there hasn’t been a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial (the gold standard) on sleep disorders and CBD.
Is CBD harmful?
Cannabidiol and THC are just two of the plant’s more than 100 cannabinoids. THC is psychoactive, and CBD may or may not be, which is a matter of debate. THC can increase anxiety; it is not clear what effect CBD is having, if any, in reducing it. THC can lead to addiction and cravings; CBD is being studied to help those in recovery.
More than 60 percent of CBD users were taking it for anxiety, according to a survey of 5,000 people. Does it help?
The CBD industry is flourishing, conservatively projected to hit $16 billion in the United States by 2025. Already, the plant extract is being added to cheeseburgers, toothpicks and breath sprays. More than 60 percent of CBD users have taken it for anxiety, according to a survey of 5,000 people, conducted by the Brightfield Group, a cannabis market research firm. Chronic pain, insomnia and depression follow behind. Kim Kardashian West, for example, turned to the product when “freaking out” over the birth of her fourth baby. The professional golfer Bubba Watson drifts off to sleep with it. And Martha Stewart’s French bulldog partakes, too.
Tired of tossing and turning? There are some strategies you could try to improve your hours in bed.


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Motorola might not have the same widespread market domination in the United States that it once had, but the company still has no problem shipping phones in Latin America and other regions. The company just announced the Moto G200, a budget flagship phone with a Snapdragon 888 Plus, but the €450 price tag is on the upper end of the mid-range segment. For everyone else, Motorola has four more Moto G phones coming to a store near you soon.
Motorola didn’t provide many details about the Moto G71, even on the full specifications page on the European product listing. It appears to be the first smartphone with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 chipset, which was announced last month, and is expected to be used in the OnePlus Nord N20. You also get a 6.4-inch OLED screen (the more expensive Moto G200 doesn’t even have OLED), paired with 128GB of internal storage and 6GB RAM.
Motorola Moto G71
Dimensions & Weight
6.4-inch FHD+ OLED


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Unemployed graduate who sold muffins to make a living expands business with easy mix
Johannesburg - Bloemfontein self-taught baker and self-proclaimed Muffin King Anathi Nonxuba, 27, who has made a living by selling muffins, has now expanded his business to easy mix.
Nonxuba – who is a marketing graduate – started selling muffins in the Bloemfontein CBD in 2019, following a visit to his mother in Joburg and after two years of unemployment.
“I had been working as a sales consultant at Virgin Active in 2017 before I was retrenched. I was unemployed for two years before I decided to visit my mother, who lives in Bloem. It was around that time I started selling the muffins,” Nonxuba said.
He said he had always been an entrepreneur on the side; even during the two years of his unemployment he sold a few T-shirts and caps to make ends meet. However, it was a high school friend who prompted him to sell muffins.
“In high school I used to sell muffins to earn a little extra money. When I met my friend, who had learnt I was in the Free State, he suggested I sell the muffins that I used to make in high school. He told me there was a market, so I went ahead with it,” Nonxuba said.
His mother helped him with the capital to start the business. Nonxuba said he started off by making 90 muffins and selling them door to door. He did this for two weeks before he tried a different approach.
“I went selling my muffins in offices until I decided to try a different approach. I always wear a suit when going out to sell my muffins. This one time I went to Central University of Technology (CUT) to sell outside for the numerous students. However, I knew if I wanted to get a bigger clientele I would have to gain access.
“I use to lie to the security guy and claim I was a Jehovah’s Witness to gain access to the campus and walk around selling my muffins,” he said.
Nonxuba’s strategy seemed to work for him and the university offered him a spot at the entrance to sell his muffins.
During this time, Nonxuba would bake 500 muffins a day to sell to the students. He would take home a profit of R700 daily, however due to lockdown and the pandemic he had dropped to making only 150 muffins daily.
Nonxuba said: “The pandemic has affected me really badly as now I can only make about R300 profit. My market has dropped at CUT because most students are doing online learning; it’s only the first-years attending.”
That did not deter Nonxuba though, as the lockdown spurred him to bring alive his idea to make easy mix for his muffins, and for people to make muffins themselves in the comfort of their own homes.
“The lockdown period had been a blessing in disguise. I had initially hoped to open my own bakery where people could get my muffins, but due to the financial constraints brought by the pandemic, I was able to make my dream to make easy mix for people come alive. It has taken me a full year to structure it and make it possible. I am happy,” said Nonxuba.
Nonxuba further said making the easy mix a reality had also shifted his plans of owning a bakery to him wanting to supply bakeries.
“The easy mix has opened another possibility for me that I am exploring. I am working on getting my easy mix in retail stores to supply a bigger market. I am also looking at bakeries where I can provide my easy mix and muffins,” Nonxuba said.
The easy mix is made from scratch by Nonxuba, and customers only have to add eggs, milk and oil. He made 100 easy mix products and in just two weeks had sold 72 packs.
People who would like to place orders can do so through his social media pages: The Muffin King.


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ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pantech Wireless, Inc., – the U.S.-based subsidiary of Pantech Group, one of Korea’s largest mobile phone manufacturers – today announced the availability of the “World’s Thinnest QWERTY Keyboard” handset, the Pantech Slate. Supporting AT&T’s new line of quick messaging devices, Slate, measuring less than one centimeter deep and sporting a premium build, is custom-made for sending texts and pictures, and easily accessing instant messaging and email services at an attractive price.
Targeting text fanatics and trend conscious consumers, Slate offers one of the simplest messaging experiences on the market. Now customers of any level can enjoy the convenience of a full QWERTY keyboard without having to sacrifice cost or size. By incorporating raised and tactile buttons, a colorful and easy-to-read screen, and a rubberized back panel for comfort gripping, sending pictures and messages on-the-go has never been easier. A contemporary style phone, Slate is designed to disappear easily into a pocket or purse, yet impress friends when it’s out.
Featured in black and royal blue to complement its sophisticated form-factor, Slate offers:
“We are proud to bring yet another design first to Pantech customers,” said Patrick Beattie, vice president of sales and marketing for Pantech Wireless, Inc. “Experience shows that users want increasingly unique devices that are easy to use. The Slate, debuting as the world’s thinnest phone with a full QWERTY keypad, ushers in a new level of style and convenience for customers who need to text and email.”
Slate joins a long line of Pantech handsets which showcase the company’s dedication to creating leading-edge products. This new messaging master follows numerous benchmark devices, including the C3b, “the world’s smallest camera flip phone;” the Pantech duo and Matrix, both unique dual-sliding, double-keyboard handsets; and the Pantech Breeze, a mobile phone specifically designed for users needing an uncomplicated way to stay in touch with the important people in their lives.
The Pantech Slate is currently available at AT&T company-owned stores and online at www.wireless.att.com. Slate is $49.99 after a two-year service agreement and a $50 mail-in rebate.
About Pantech Wireless, Inc.
Pantech Wireless, Inc., an Atlanta, GA-based subsidiary of Pantech & Curitel and Pantech Co., Ltd., researches, markets and develops wireless handsets and telecommunications products throughout North America as part of the Pantech Group. For additional information, visit the PWI website at www.pantechusa.com.
Pantech Group, through its affiliates - Pantech Co., Ltd., Pantech & Curitel Communications, Inc. and Pantech C&I Co. - is one of Korea’s top three mobile handset makers. Pantech has received wide-ranging industry recognition for its innovative handset designs, and has also introduced a significant number of breakthrough technologies in the mobile phone industry. Established in 1991, Pantech collectively has approximately 2,500 employees and 8 regional sales offices worldwide. For more information on Pantech, please visit www.pantech.com.


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New reports suggest that Apple is working on its own version of an OLED display panel that already sees use in the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, potentially indicating that foldable iPhones, iPads and even Macs could be on the way.
As reported by The Elec, the tech giant is developing an OLED panel that doesn’t use a polarizing layer, which would allow the panel to be thinner and better-optimized for the creation of a foldable device.
The polarization of a device’s screen helps enhance the display’s visibility by restricting light to travelling through certain directions, instead of blurring or bleeding across the screen. However, the use of such a layer also reduces the panel’s brightness, thereby necessitating greater battery power.
For its own non-polarized OLED panels used in the Galaxy Z Fold 3, Samsung swapped a separate layer for the printing of a color filter directly onto the main TFE (thin film encapsulation) layer.
As for whether all of this means foldable devices could be in Apple’s plans, this seems to be the implication of The Elec’s report, although it’s also worth accounting for the possibility that Apple is simply interested in the technology to help it make thinner devices.
Still, the longstanding rumors of a foldable iPhone would surely indicate we shouldn’t dismiss the chances of that happening, either.
Seasoned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo did say last month that Apple was testing a nine-inch foldable device, but added that it wouldn’t be ready until at least 2025. So, if we were you, we wouldn’t bet too much money on the prospect of a foldable iPhone 14 or even 15.


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UPDATE 1-Strike, vacation hit July sales of Hyundai, Kia
(Adds milestones, background, share prices)
* Hyundai's total sales grow slowest pace since March 2011
* Hyundai, Kia overseas sales lowest levels in 11 months
* Hyundai shares up 0.21 pct, Kia up 0.13 pct in market down 0.11 pct
SEOUL, Aug 1 (Reuters) - South Korean carmaker Hyundai Motor saw its monthly global sales expand at its slowest pace in 16 months in July, as two-day, partial walkout by its domestic factory workers, along with summer vacations, hurt production.
Hyundai Motor, the world's fifth-biggest carmaker along with Kia Motors, posted a 3.1 percent rise in sales at home and abroad in July from a year earlier, the lowest gain since March 2011 when the growth rate was 1.7 percent.
Hyundai and Kia Motors also saw their overseas sales fall to their lowest levels in 11 months.
Workers at Hyundai Motor in South Korea staged their first strike in four years on July 13 and July 20 as annual wage talks stalled amid disagreements over scrapping overnight shifts and other matters.
South Korean factory workers at Kia Motors and General Motors also joined the two-day partial walkouts led by umbrella Metal Workers Union. GM's Korean unit saw its sales fall 9 percent here and overseas in July.
Auto industry wage negotiations have been adjourned for the summer vacation which for Hyundai is from July 29 to August 5.
Domestic sales of Hyundai and Kia also remained sluggish, with their sales remaining almost flat from a year earlier at their captive, home market.
South Korea's car industry association last month cut its 2012 outlook for domestic vehicle sales by 4 percent, as Europe's debt crisis takes a toll on the Asia's fourth-biggest economy, sapping demand from consumers already struggling with heavy household debts.
South Korean exports in July suffered the worst showing in nearly three years and manufacturing activity shrank at its sharpest pace this year, data showed on Wednesday, underscoring how the export-driven South Korean economy was losing momentum more quickly than had been expected.
In the first half, South Korea's domestic car sales fell 4.2 percent to 757,353 vehicles from a year earlier.
Shares in Hyundai Motor ended up 0.21 percent and Kia shares inched up 0.13 percent in the broader market that slipped 0.11 percent. (Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin; Additional reporting by Iktae Park; Editing by Eric Meijer)
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