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OnePlus 2 has flagship specs to rival the best from Apple, Samsung and HTC – but starts from £239
When OnePlus recently slashed the price of its popular budget smartphone, the OnePlus One – it was obvious its successor was on the way.
And now it's here.
The OnePlus 2 – dubbed Flagship Killer, by the Chinese firm – boasts a new Android operating system, brighter display and vastly improved 4K camera.
The OnePlus 2 – which starts from £239 – sports the same chamfered, angular design as its predecessor – although it has a few new tricks up its sleeve.
The OnePlus 2 boasts a fingerprint scanner and a physical toggle mute switch
A fingerprint scanner has been added to the device, which can store up to five different users' prints and promises to unlock the phone is "less than half a second."
Unprecedented on an Android device – but a staple on the Apple iPhone – the OnePlus 2 boasts an alert slider which can cycle through three different sound profiles.
It can also silence the device, with a click.
OnePlus 2 also offers owners a level of customisation which is sure to appeal to Android fans.
Smartphone owners are allowed to choose between using the hardware or on-screen buttons, and can customise the functionality of the latter.
The LED light used for notification alerts on the front of the OnePlus can also be customised from a choice of colours.
"The LED can be set to change colors according to different battery charging statuses as well as app notifications," OnePlus assures.
The second smartphone from OnePlus sports a 5.5inch IPS 1080p display
The smartphone also uses a reversible USB-type C port to charge and sync
Customisation also extends to the rear case. OnePlus is offers customers the ability to swap rear case shells "in seconds", similar to the Motorola Moto X.
In terms of raw specifications, the OnePlus 2 boasts a phablet-sized 5.5inch IPS 1080p display.
It will ship two variations – an entry-level model with 3GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage and a slightly pricier version with 4GB of RAM and a healthier 64GB of flash storage.
Both will run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor.
OnePlus has packed its 2015 flagship smartphone with a 3300mAh lithium polymer battery, which provides power "throughout the day."
Cases can be swapped in seconds, without the need for tools – offering customisation possibilities
The smartphone also supports two Nano SIM cards with 4G LTE capability, which should appeal to frequent travellers.
The rear camera has also seen a bump – up to 13megapixels with a f/2.0 aperture, a laser focus system and a two-tone LED flash.
OnePlus has also added support for 4K video capture as well as RAW images, which will be added soon after launch
A five megapixel front-facing camera has been added to the front of the device for selfies and video calls.
OnePlus runs on OxygenOS – a slightly-tweaked version of Google's Android 5.1, Lollipop.
The new mobile operating system was developed internally by OnePlus and offers "a refreshing take on the pure Android experience."
OnePlus promises "subtle customisations like on screen gestures, dark mode, the ability to switch between hardware and capacitive buttons."
However – the Chinese firm is quickly to reassure customers that OxygenOS is a "light, secure take on Android" which should reassure those shocked by the move away from CyanogenMod.
OxygenOS also boasts the ability to toggle app permissions – like location, identity, or contacts – on a per-app basis, a feature which Google hopes to include in Android M later this year.
SwiftKey Keyboard – the intelligent and predictive keyboard available as a standalone app on iOS and Android – is baked into the operating system.
The OnePlus 2 launches across the EU and US on August 11.
However the firm will only be offering its latest "Flagship Killer" using an invite system, which allows those who have bought the phone to invite someone else to do so.
Rob Kerr, a mobiles expert for uSwitch told Express.co.uk: "Its features rival today's current flagship phones, so the OnePlus 2 is likely to be a threat to the current spate of top-tier mobiles.
"It is even ahead of the game, by including features coming to the next generation of phones, such as the reversible USB Type-C port connector.
"At less than half the cost of Samsung's flagship S6 handset, it'll be looking to capture the mass market where decisions are based on price.
"The company doesn't have the massive marketing budgets of other manufacturers so, in effect, we're really seeing the true cost of flagship phone, without everything in tow to sell it.
"If other mobile makers were to adopt this tact, perhaps we'd see a truer reflection of what we should be spending on a new phone."
- Express.co.uk will be posting our full review of the OnePlus 2 in the coming weeks.


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Cigar Oasis Wi-Fi is no more.
At this month’s IPCPR Convention & Trade Show, Cigar Oasis will rebrand its Wi-Fi Attachment ($118) and associated iOS, Android and web app under the Smart Humidor name. The Wi-Fi Attachment is a unit that bridges to Cigar Oasis’ electronic humidifiers and a wi-fi network allowing for users to monitor temperature and adjust humidity levels within a humidor.
The company says that in addition to the rebrand, a new app is due out on Sept. 1, which will allow for faster responses times, low water settings and the ability to view 18 months of humidor and temperature data.
“We were seeing a number of other Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled remote monitoring devices enter the cigar accessory market and we wanted a brand that would emphasize the uniqueness of what our product offers,” said Albert Foundos, president and founder of Cigar Oasis, in a press release.
“Ours does not merely monitor and alert you of changes, but can actually control the humidity since it is attached to your Cigar Oasis humidifier. And more importantly, any humidor can become a Smart Humidor, from a desktop to a large cabinet and even small walk-ins. So this is really a universal solution, not locking you into to any one particular humidor size or design.”

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Earlier this year Macmillan Publishers and Amazon had a public dispute over Macmillan’s requirement to charge between $12.99 to $14.99 for e-book versions of its bestsellers and some hardcover releases. Amazon retaliated by refusing to sell Macmillan’s books…but it only lasted about a week. Amazon gave in because, well, Macmillan has monopolistic power over its titles, and there’s not much they can do about it since they likely have a load of inventory they’d prefer to cycle through.
It’s important to realize there is another party in this dispute. Because market power is so short-lived (especially right now in the tablet market), Apple is being very strategic in its actions to maintain its market-leader position with the iPad. By persuading MacMillan to follow an agency model with Amazon, Apple has basically regulated Amazon’s Kindle by constraining any advantages the Kindle can gain in the sale of e-books.


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Mondo is releasing two limited-edition posters and an LP for the hit shooter video game.
The company has confirmed it's not going to sell them, which sucks.
It's called the "Integrated Suit" for a very good reason.
OK, admittedly it's more of a figurine. But still!
Wildly talented painter Steven Richter turns a $45 toy into a $200 collectible you can actually buy.
Built from 6,785 pieces, it's the second-largest Star Wars Ultimate Collector Series Lego set to date.
If the Haslab Black Series Rancor figure gets funded, you'll be able to give him quite the treat.
The action figures based on the hit Netflix sci-fi series look like they came straight from the Upside Down.
Look at that sass on Trinity! That facial hair on Neo! Those sweet glasses on Morpheus!
New posters for Shin Godzilla and Godzilla vs. Hedorah are here, plus vinyl LPs, toys, and more.
Nintendo's endearing plumber finally gets a Lego set without his brother hogging the spotlight.
Hasbro's fan-funded Haslab is offering the chance to purchase a full-scale model of the iconic prop...with one thing…


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Warhammer 40K: Darktide, Fatshark's co-op shooter set in the grim darkness of the far future, has been delayed until a little further into our own future. It was previously aiming to release in September, but in an update on Twitter the developers say Darktide will now launch on November 30th.
The upside is that they're going to run technical tests and betas before the full release, and you can sign-up to participate now.
Here's the tweet:
(Psst! Hey, games industry, you can use alt text on these images to help with accessibility.)
"Today, we decided to delay the launch of Warhammer 40,000: Darktide to November 30th for PC," starts the post. "Delaying a game is perhaps one of the most difficult decisions a developer faces and one we are not excited about making. Still, we hope this speaks to our commitment to taking the time necessary and doing whatever it takes to get you the best possible game."
Specifically, the update says they need more time "to improve stability, performance, and to mature key systems." A series of tests and betas ought to help with that. These are due to begin "soon", and if you're interested in taking part and offering feedback you can sign-up over at the Darktide site.
Lots of folks at RPS are excited about Darktide. That's mostly because Fatshark's Vermintide and its sequel were excellent co-op shooters set in the Warhammer Fantasy universe, and they seem to be carrying the same fleshy violence across to 40K. Here's a trailer showing only war from last month:


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MICRO FOUR THIRDS~answering the sceptics
Olympus E-M1X versus the E-M1 II, Panasonic G9, Fujifilm X-T3 and Nikon D500 (Dpreview).
New Panasonic S1-S1R autofocus test by Richard Wong (L-rumors).
Today is another day where new smartphones brings us closer ot the death of the camera industry? (Mirrorlessrumors).
Life with the New iPad Pro (Explora).
Share your best pictures on our new Instagram MicroFourThirdsGallery.


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By Bob Vrbanac, Chronicle Staff
The potential of 3D printers took another step forward last week when Waterloo-based startup Structur3D Printing unveiled a paste extruder that allows users to print with any paste-like material.
Called Discov3ry, the new device you can add to your 3D printer allows you to use things you find in your kitchen, like cake icing, to build three-dimensional creations. It’s already generating a lot of buzz with a video showing it using favourite children’s food Nutella to build various designs and has formed the basis of a successful start to a Kickstarter fundraising campaign that can be seen at www.bit.ly/kicks3d.
The development of 3D printing had been limited in the technology’s infancy by the fact that it had to use standard PLA or ABS plastic for its creations.
The Discov3ry paste extruder opens up a world of possibilities as people who use them redefine manufacturing and take it into the realm of advanced manufacturing where you’re only limited by your imagination in what you can build. The paste extruder was the brainchild of Dr. Charles Mire and Andrew Finkle, who have links to the University of Waterloo and had a background in material science and nanotechnology from IQC. During the course of their research, they both found a need to extrude and deposit paste-like materials to study their properties and do some of their testing.
They crossed paths at the local creative space called Kwartzlab last fall, where like-minded people get together in a cooperative environment, and saw they had a common interest.
“They met one another at the local hackerspace, called Kwartlab,” said John Mardlin, director of business development for Structur3d. “They realized they were both working on solving the same problem, and they actually had fairly complementary skills in that area.”
Mire was further along in his research about the materials while Finkle had the expertise in 3D printing and how it worked, and earlier this year joined the HyperDrive program at the Communitech Hub to actually build what they envisioned. “It might be too early to call it, but the rest is history,” said Mardlin.
Mardlin said the potential for 3D printing is off the charts but up until now makers have been limited by their materials.
“You go to a maker event and you see a plastic Yoda head, but there’s limited utility there,” said Mardlin. “It’s mostly restricted to making trinkets or a few useful things you can print around your house.
“Where we’re adding a lot of value is enabling people to create things that have more texture, are more flexible or use materials that are biodegradable.”
Structur3D is funding the Discov3ry through a successful crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. It’s already past the $50,000 mark and is on its way to $100,000. For more info visit www.structure3d.io.


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New Delhi, Dec 6 (UNI) Riding high with a 30 per cent market share in the country's luxury car segment, German car maker BMW today said it will enter the tier II cities by the end of next year, besides increasing the number of dealerships to 12 by May 2008.
''The Indian luxury car market has a great potential and looking at this, we will enter the tier II cities by December 2008,'' BMW India President Peter Kronschnabl told reporters here on the sidelines of the launch of BMW's eight dealership outlet here which is largest one spread over 45,000 square feet.
He said the outlets to be opened in the tier II cities will be more or less of the same size as they are in the metros.
However, Mr Kronschnabl refused to divulge further details about its plans of tier II cities.
Among the tier II cities, Surat and Coimbatore are expected to be on the company's radar.
At present, BMW has eight dealers, two each in the NCR including this newly launched dealership and Mumbai, and one each in Chandigarh, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai.
The President said the next dealership will open in Pune on December 19, followed by Kochi and Ahmedabad in March next year.
The twelfth outlet will be in Kolkata by May 2008.
Mr Kronschnabl said the company expects to sell 1,350 units by the calender year-end.
The luxury car segment in the country is growing by 40 per cent and is expected to touch 4,500 units by the year-end, which would rise to 10,000 units by 2010, he said.
Mr Kronschnabl said the company is yet to achieve the peak in sales, as the luxury car segment will further grow with the availability of multiple choices.
''The luxury market was artificially low, as there was non-availability of choice before the customers,'' he said.
Headquartered in Gurgaon, BMW India, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the BMW Group, has initially invested Rs 110 crore into the establishment of its manufacturing plant in Chennai, which became operational in March this year, and development of a dealer organisation across all metropolitan cities in India.
The Chennai plant produces the BMW 3 Series and BMW 5 Series Sedans in petrol and diesel variants. It has a capacity of 1,700 units per year on a one-shift basis.
On increasing the plant's capacity, the President said, ''It is up to the domestic demand which determines the production.'' Reiterating its commitment of making India as a major hub of components sourcing, the President said ,''India has potential for becoming a global sourcing hub. But it is too early to say how big the size will be.'' The company recently set up its International Purchase Office (IPO) in Gurgaon, the fourth one in Asia, to scruitise the potential suppliers for components sourcing from India. The other three are in Japan, Singapore and China.
The company is all set to launch its much-awaited M3 car at a price of about 74 lakh during the coming Auto Expo in January next year here.
Commenting on the MINI brand, he said the company is evaluating the market, and expected to release the market evaluation early next year. ''Only then we will decide future course of actions,'' he added.
With the assembly plant in Chennai, the BMW Group has a total of 23 production locations across 13 countries.


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A $10 million fund is available for start-up businesses over the next five years, as the investment deal between Ice Angels and NZVIF continues.
Together, angel investment fund Ice Angels and government-funded venture capital investor, New Zealand Venture Investment Fund (NZVIF), have invested $8 million into 12 companies over the last four years.
The investment deal has been renewed. NZVIF will contribute a maximum of $4 million into companies selected and invested into by Ice Angel members.
These are typically early stage tech companies ventures with international growth potential.
Chairman Brian Casey says the investments usually fall within the software, media, internet, communications, life sciences, and medical devices sectors.
“New Zealand needs to grow young technology companies and turn them into world-leaders. We need to be developing the talent, networks and capital to make it possible. Angel investing provides start-ups with all three of those,” says Mr Casey.
Ice Angels claims to be the largest and most active angel network in Australasia and has, since 2003, invested more than $30 million in 33 companies, across 60 investment rounds.
Last week, NZVIF committed $20 million to PayPal founder and Facebook board member Peter Thiel’s local venture capital fund.
The fund focuses on providing growth capital to local technology start-ups to help with research and development and funding expansion into export markets.
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Troubled Gaming Operator Gets New Boss, Target of Takeover
Portorož, 24 December - Troubled gaming chain Casino Portoroz got a new boss on Friday, as Tomaz Krajnc was appointed to run the one-man management by a new supervisory board, the daily Delo reports Saturday. This comes as a small casino operator and the Piran municipality launch a takeover bid to the chain.
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Verizon will sell and support a new version of the iPad that can directly connect to the carrier's 3G data network, according to a report by Bloomberg.
Late Tuesday, the publication's Web site cited comments by Verizon Chief Financial Officer Francis Shammo during an interview that day at the unveiling of an Apple iPhone able to use Verizon's voice and data networks.
Verizon has sold the iPad -- both the Wi-Fi and 3G models -- since late October 2010. To support the 3G-capable version, Verizon has bundled a credit card-sized MiFi device with the tablet that lets users create a short-range Wi-Fi hotspot. Data plans for the MiFi start at $15 a month.
Currently, only AT&T supports the 3G hardware built into the more expensive iPad models.
Although Shammo did not share a timeline with Bloomberg, one Wall Street analyst said the most likely launch of a 3G iPad for Verizon's CDMA-based data network would be when Apple refreshes the tablet this spring.
"I don't have any specific insight on timing, but from a logistical standpoint, it would make sense for the iPad 2 to support both AT&T and Verizon in the U.S.," said Brian Marshall of Gleacher & Co. "If I'm accurate on the April timeframe [for the debut of the iPad 2], that makes the most sense."
Previously, Marshall and other analysts have said that Apple will launch new iPads annually , as it does with the iPhone, putting the expected debut of what most are calling the iPad 2 in early April, a year after the original's on-sale date.
According to Marshall, the iPad 2 will closely resemble the current tablet, but will include a pair of cameras to allow users to run FaceTime, Apple's video calling software that launched last summer with the iPhone 4.
A 3G-capable iPad for Verizon would boost Apple's sales, said Marshall, because the early trend of customers picking the less-expensive Wi-Fi models has shifted to where over 50 per cent of sales are now of the 3G tablet.
"Verizon will help iPad sales, especially from a business user's standpoint," argued Marshall. "iPad buyers are increasingly migrating to more mobility, and picking the 3G."
Marshall's current iPad sales estimate for 2011 is 25 million units, a number he called conservative. "A more realistic number is 30 to 35 million," he said.
iPad sales will slump this quarter, Marshall continued, citing the slowness of the season and the "Osborne effect," a term that describes falling sales of a soon-to-be-replaced model.
The phrase came into play in the 1980s, when Adam Osborne announced a new, much-improved version of his transportable computer, the Osborne-1, long before the replacement was ready. Sales of the Osborne-1 slowed as the news spread, and the company demise was inaccurately attributed to the gaffe.
If Apple keeps to its usual pace for mobile product announcements, it will unwrap the new iPad several weeks before the tablet is available to buyers.
Earlier today, Kevin Rose, the founder of Digg, seemed to confirm that when he said his sources pegged the iPad 2 announcement for Feb. 1 , just over three weeks from today and approximately two months before the expected on-sale date.
Rose, whose predictions on Apple are often on target, told subscribers to his Foundation newsletter that, "If you're thinking of buying an iPad, hold off for now."
Verizon did not reply to a request for confirmation of Shammo's comments to Bloomberg.


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NextWave Telecom, the financially troubled wireless telecommunications company, is fielding offers from major mobile companies seeking a large stake in its disputed airwave licenses, The Washington Post reports.
NextWave is exploring deals that could include the sale of equity in the firm or the transfer of the rights to some of the company's airwaves in selected markets, chief executive Allen Salmasi told the Post. "We are talking to all of them. We would welcome the right long-term partner," the paper quotes Salmasi saying.
NextWave's nationwide slice of airwaves has gone unused since 1996, when the company bid $4.7 billion for them at a government auction. After making a $500 million down payment, NextWave failed to pay the rest of the money it owed. The company filed for bankruptcy protection in 1998 and has been in litigation since.


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General Motors announced this week that they are going to be boosting global spending on EVs to $35 billion through 2025, a 30% rise from its most recent forecast, according to Reuters. GM's announcement comes less than a month after Ford announced that it was going to boost its EV spending by more than 33% to over $30 billion by 2030.
With the increased investment, GM is going to build two new U.S. battery plants and says it will contribute to some of its ongoing EV investments.
Mary Barra met with U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other key Democrats this week, as well, as the CEO looks to find new ways to work with Washington. The Biden administration has "proposed $174 billion to boost EVs and charging as part of his infrastructure plan, including $100 billion in new EV rebates" that we're sure GM would like to get their hands on.
GM has backed off recent criticism of emissions rules to fall in line with states like California, who have been the most aggressive in setting new (much stricter) standards.
G.M.'s chief financial officer, Paul Jacobson, told the NYT on Wednesday: "E.V. adoption is increasing and reaching an inflection point, and we want to be ready to produce the capacity that we need to meet demand over time. We know we'll need those battery plants to further our goals."


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Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman recently criticized Google for the way the search giant uses its reviews within Places.
In an interview with The Telegraph, Stoppelman said, “We are unhappy with the way Google uses our users’ review on its Places page. However, there is no solution to the problem. Google’s position is that we can take ourselves out of its search index if we don’t want them to use our reviews on Places.
“But that is not an option for us, and other sites like us – such as TripAdvisor – as we get a large volume of our traffic via Google search. We just don’t get any value out of our reviews appearing on Google places and haven’t been given an option other than to remove ourselves from search, how to improve this situation.”
Unsurprisingly, Google being the powerful giant it is, adamantly refuses to negotiate with Yelp.
“We can’t comment on conversations with partners, but as we’ve said before, our goal with local search is to help Google users find the local information they’re looking for online,” explained a Google rep.
“Each day we send millions of customer referrals to local businesses and third party websites, such as review sites, through local search. The overwhelming feedback we get from users, business owners and website owners is that they value the answers and traffic they receive from local search.”
Without seeing any money from Google besides traffic value, Yelp can’t really do anything but complain.
Of course, there were rumors that Yelp was in talks about acquisition with Google in 2009, but a more realistic option these days might be an IPO.
At somewhat of a crossroads, Stoppelman noted the next step for Yelp is continued international expansion, while concurrently honing its reputation as the premier destination for information on local businesses.
Yelp has battled negative allegations that linked the site to paid “good” reviews, seriously tarnishing its reputation as a reliable site. Nonetheless, the site still boasts over 16 million published reviews and hopes for continued growth.


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Increasing awareness in light of the growing environmental concerns is propelling manufacturers to innovate in packaging formats. Over the years, sustainable packaging has gained tremendous significance. Companies are adopting eco-friendly packaging formats to meet consumer demands. From environment-friendly manufacturing processes to the use of sustainable materials, packaging companies are implementing key strategies to reduce waste and promote sustainable packaging. These efforts are further backed by the stringent regulations and initiatives carried out by various governments, with an aim to reduce the use of non-biodegradable materials. While the distaste for plastics is increasing with time, other alternatives like biodegradable and compostable plastic packaging material are gaining impetus worldwide.
Key Aspects Highlighting Market Viability
Compostable plastic packaging material market has witnessed significant growth as consumers and packaging solution provides are spurning petrochemical-based plastics. As a biodegradable plastic variant, the compostable plastic packaging material is gradually becoming a material-of-choice for both packaging companies and consumers. Major developments witnessed in the compostable plastic packaging material market reflect the market’s growth potential for forthcoming years.
New Packaging Solutions based on Compostable Plastic Packaging Material Introduced
Compostable plastic packaging material has captured spotlight in recent times. New packaging solutions based on compostable plastic packaging material are being launched in the market.
- Danimer Scientific, a company manufacturing biodegradable plastic products recently developed a fully biodegradable plastic straw using its Nodax PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate) material. Danimer claimed that the straw is first-of-its-kind, and can be efficiently biodegraded in landfills, oceans, and waste treatment facilities.
- Another marine biodegradable plastic was developed by a bioplastic resin manufacturer specializing in sustainable plastic products made from renewable resources, BioLogiQ, Inc. The new product made by blending PBAT (polybutylene adipate terephthalate) and NuPlastiQ GP is claimed to be marine biodegradable
PHA and PBAT are Reliable Biodegradable Alternatives, Researchers Reveal
Various research activities are focused on verifying the effectiveness of compostable plastic packaging material offerings.
- Researchers at the University of Georgia have examined a compostable plastic packaging material—PHA developed by Danimer Scientific and found that it is an eco-friendly alternative to the conventionally used petrochemical plastics. The PHA material was seen biodegrading effectively in aerobic and anaerobic environments. Research associates stated that this study was amongst the initial ones to examine PHA and the results showcase that it has a relatively faster rate of biodegradation.
- Another study conducted by Switzerland’s ETH Zürich University examined PBAT. The new study unveils that PBAT could be a feasible solution to lessen the damaging plastic accumulation in the environment. Researchers stated that PBAT biodegrades within nearly six weeks with the help of soil micro-organisms.
Compostable Plastic Packaging Material Production Accelerates
Production landscape of the compostable plastic packaging material market is expanding significantly on account of activities propelling production.
- Danimer Scientific, for instance, announced the opening of a fermentation facility in Winchester for its Nodax brand PHA biopolymer. This facility is claimed to be the first PHA production plant in the world, which is likely to commence operations in the fourth quarter of 2019.
- Bio-On, an Italian bioplastics firm recently signed a strategic agreement with ACOR with an aim to boost the production of PHA bioplastics in Spain. The teams of both the companies will work in collaboration in all the facets of the business. Moreover, with this agreement, ACOR gained
exclusiverights to make evaluations and take decisions pertaining to the business or investments regarding the use of technology provided by Bio-on.
More growth driving factors and key developments witnessed in the compostable plastic packaging material market is provided in an in-depth market study. Readers can download a sample of the study to know more about the potential opportunities projected by the market.


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Slate talks about why Hulu must lower the quality of service before it’s too late.
The problem is that Hulu knows it’s too good. If it were a startup company, like Facebook or YouTube or Amazon, this wouldn’t be a problem at all. It would just go on being too good until it grew to dominate the market. Then it would go public and set about figuring out how to turn a fat profit. But Hulu isn’t a startup. Owned by NBC, News Corp., Disney, and a private-equity firm, it’s a traditional media company that has been acting like a startup in order to defend its old-media business model. And that’s why the fun can’t last. Hulu has to make itself less awesome, and soon, before it eviscerates its own corporate parents.
Similar situations are arising on this side of the Atlantic too. Old media companies will not blaze a trail into the new “all content, all the time” era. The tech companies that can move forward quickly don’t own any content to do it. We are at an impasse.


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Broadcasting revenue climbed to $396.8 million during the period -- with a 26% rise in retransmission revenues to $110.2 million.
But core broadcasting local and national advertising sank 2% during the period to $253.1 million, with political advertising nearly 80% lower to $2.1 million.
A year before in the first quarter, Gannett benefited from a combined $51 million in Winter Olympics and political advertising.
Digital advertising for Gannett’s broadcasting business grew 11.2% -- and up 85.1% company-wide to $332.7 million, coming from its CareerBuilder.com and Cars.com business. The gain resulted largely from Gannett’s 73% acquisition of Cars.com that it didn’t own.
Gannett’s publishing revenues were down 8.8% to $768.2 million as a result of softness in display advertising. Advertising was 11.3% lower to $444.4 million in the period.
Overall, company revenue was up 5% to $1.47 billion with net income nearly doubling to $127.5 million from $69.6 million in the first quarter of 2014.On the same day of its first-quarter earnings release, Gannett says its new publicly trade broadcasting/digital company, to be spun off later this year, will be called “Tegna.”
Tegna is a loose anagram of “Gannett.” Gracia Martore, president/CEO of Gannett, stated: “Tegna is a nod to the more than 100 year-old history of Gannett." Tegna will operate 46 stations Gannett currently owns or provides services to, as well as its digital unit, which includes Cars.com and CareerBuilder.com.
The Gannett name will be retained as a separate publicly-traded company for all its publishing businesses.


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Uber Goes To The Stock Exchange In New York
Uber Goes to the Stock exchange in New York. Uber Technologies, the company behind the popular taxi app, has applied for a listing on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
The company will be traded on Wall Street under the stock market symbol UBER.
Supposedly the switch to the stock exchange should take place on 10 May.
Uber, based in San Francisco, has a corporate value of between 90 billion and 100 billion dollars.
The taxi app can thus become the largest stock exchange listing this year.
Uber is currently experiencing losses due to the company’s many expenses.
Research is being carried into self-driving cars, and Uber is investing heavily in meal delivery services.
The underlying loss last year amounted to 1.8 billion dollars, to a turnover of 11.3 billion dollars.
Uber considers these losses will continue for the time being.


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While we are seeing glimmers of good news in U.S.-Chinese trade discussions, producers need to plan carefully to manage risk
by, Jackie Clark
China recently granted certain trade concessions, including suspending tariffs on U.S. pork, allowing for an increase in U.S. pork exports to the country.
“A resolution with the U.S. could be good news for Canada eventually,” said Maurizio Agostino, the chief commodity strategist at Farms.com Risk Management.
In the meantime, producers must decide whether to be patient and see if tensions with China will be fully resolved, or if they want to take advantage of the current boost in market prices, he explained.
When weighing their options, producers must also understand the seasonal increase in pork supplies in the winter and evaluate whether the current rising demand can keep up. Additional concerns like the risk of African swine fever outbreaks expanding or arriving in North America, as well as some U.S. packers enforcing restrictions on products used to improve feed efficiency must be considered too, he added.
In the pork market, “there are so many things that can go wrong, so it’s all about managing risk,” Agostino said.
So, he encouraged pork producers to consult an expert to help make informed marketing decisions.
In Ontario, “Packers used to shore futures for farmers, but now most farmers sell in the cash market.” To give themselves more options, Agostino “highly recommended” that producers work with “brokers to shore futures.”narvikk/E+ photo


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(Bloomberg) -- South Korea’s export slump extended through March, highlighting tepid demand in a global economy battered by banking-sector turmoil.
Shipments adjusted for working-day differences decreased 17.2% from a year earlier, according to data released Saturday by the trade ministry. Headline exports dropped 13.6%, compared with economists’ forecasts for a 16% decline. Overall imports fell 6.4%, resulting in a trade deficit of $4.62 billion, the smallest in six months.
Korean exports serve as a barometer of international trade as the nation sells items such as chips, displays and refined oil, which straddle supply lines. The country is home to some of the world’s biggest semiconductor and smartphone makers.
Exports of chips slumped 34.5% in March, contributing to the monthly decline. Overseas shipments of displays plunged 41.6% while automobiles jumped 64.2%.
Worldwide demand is likely to remain weak as central banks persist with interest-rate increases to combat inflation and Russia’s war on Ukraine continues. Financial-sector turmoil following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and trouble at Credit Suisse Group AG has also damped confidence and increased volatility.
Trade is a key component of Korea’s economy because the country relies heavily on global commerce to generate growth. The economy contracted in the final three months of 2022 from the previous quarter and may struggle to eke out growth in the first period of this year.
Policymakers are looking to a potential rebound in semiconductor prices for improvement in exports in the latter half of the year. China’s recovery after its reopening from Covid restrictions may deliver another boost to Korean exports.
Asia’s overseas shipments have likely troughed even though a recovery is set to be gradual compared with previous upturns, according to Morgan Stanley.
--With assistance from Tomoko Sato and Youkyung Lee.
(Updates with details of chip, auto exports in fourth paragraph)
©2023 Bloomberg L.P.


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Sheffield tech company Pimoroni Ltd is to go international, opening a German branch in only its fifth year of operation. Pimoroni GmbH will be based in Essen, providing European customers with improved, faster postage and local support.
The move comes as the company, which designs, manufactures and supplies components and accessories to fans and users of the Raspberry Pi and other small board computers, celebrates being ranked as one of the fastest growing businesses in Europe by the Financial Times, TechNorth and Inc.
Paul Beech, co-founder of Pimoroni said: “We are really excited by this – it is great that a UK manufacturing company can open up on the European mainland and we are looking forward to providing our customers there with an even better experience than they currently have.”
While at first Pimoroni GmbH will carry a selection of their most popular lines, ultimately the aim is to replicate the UK store, offering thousands of products from the best maker companies across the world, as well as its own range of cases and components for use with the Raspberry Pi.
The German branch will be run by Operations Manager Bernhard Palme. He has been running Flikto, an online electronics provider, for the past five years but will now build a team to provide technical support in German and ensure Pimoroni’s European customers can obtain with everything their makers’ hearts desire.
Paul added: “This kind of home computing where people don’t just use a piece of technology but really engage with it, use it as a springboard for the imagination and to create any number of projects and cool gadgets is really beginning to take off in Europe now.
“This expansion means Pimoroni will be ideally placed to ride the wave – to encourage tinkerers and provide them with the best possible materials they need to do amazing things.”
The photo above shows Pimoroni’s stall at the recent Maker Faire in Berlin. Customers in Germany and mainland Europe are now being encouraged to visit http://pimoroni.de for all their electronic needs.


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Waves of unhealthy information hold crashing down upon Tidal. On Wednesday Dagens Næringsliv, a Norwegian newspaper, reported claims from Norweign report labels that the struggling music service has stopped sending out royalty funds.
Music Enterprise Worldwide translated the article, which quoted report executives who mentioned they haven’t acquired funds since October 2017. Sveinung Rindal, the CEO of Propeller Information, which is owned by Sony Music, mentioned to the newspaper, “It’s right that there are delays in funds from Tidal.” The piece additionally alleges that Norwegian musicians (Bjørn Gunnar Sando and Ravi) haven’t obtain payouts from the Jay-Z-backed streaming service.
To this point Might hasn’t been a terrific month for Tidal. Final week it was reported that the corporate was faking the streaming numbers for Beyoncé’s Lemonade and Kanye West’s Lifetime of Pablo, which prompted the corporate to name the stories a “smear marketing campaign.”
Then earlier this week, Dagens Næringsliv reported that, of the cash Tidal makes from subscribers, the corporate’s royalty cost charge to labels has abruptly dropped from 62.5 p.c to 55 p.c with out discover to report labels. Such a change would deliver Tidal extra consistent with the royalty charges that Spotify pays.
Additionally TONO, a Norwegian society for composers, songwriters, and publishers, filed a report with Norwegian police over the service’s allegedly faux streaming numbers. The Norwegian arm of the INFI (Worldwide Federation of the Phonographic Business), a non-profit that advocates for the recording trade, mentioned it will carry out an audit of Norway’s albums and singles charts in gentle of the allegations towards Tidal.
We’ve reached out to Tidal for remark about these latest allegations and can replace this story with any new info.


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Want chefs from CityZen teaming up on a private dinner party in your home? You'll have to pony up some serious cash, but it's for a great cause.
On April 18, chef Eric Ziebold and his team will welcome chefs from KAZ Sushi Bistro, Sushi Taro, Kushi, Matuba and Sei Sushi for a $250-a-head reception from which 100 percent of proceeds will go to support Relief International's efforts in Japan. But why stop there? Much in the spirit of the eBay auctions spearheaded by KAZ Sushi Bistro in the past few weeks, CityZen is making use of the chefs' talents via both a live auction and a silent auction. Ziebold and sous chef Makoto Hamamura are up on the auction block for a private, at-home dinner for 10. Get your tickets right here.
· CityZen [Official Site]


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DRR is expanding its presence in Poland with a successful business strategy and new fruitful partnerships
It was exactly one year ago that we launched an intensive promotional campaign in Poland to strengthen our presence in this country by building up a solid network of distributors, installers, and partners.
We have had the opportunity to open new shops and supermarkets in southern Poland in collaboration with our new distributor Klimors Sp. Zoo., a long-standing company with extensive experience in the field of refrigeration. This is just the beginning of a productive collaboration, and we already have interesting projects lined up for the coming year. Klimors is certainly the ideal partner for us: it is a cooperative specialist, with a team of professionals who perfectly understand local market needs.
Here you can see some photos taken in Katowice, at the ARAD butcher’s shop, which we supplied with serve-over counters from the Patmos 2.0 SQ product line, specifically designed for meat, along with plug-in, low-temperature vertical cabinets for displaying frozen food.
A heartfelt thank you goes to our partner Klimors and to the whole foreign sales team as they have been doing an excellent job in this region.


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Digital video data aggregators Linius Technologies has received firm commitments from investors to raise $3.5 million.
Among already existing shareholders is Village Roadshow Executive Chairman Robert Kirby. The investment placement will result in the issue of 100 million shares at $0.035 per share.
Linius Technologies uses an artificial intelligence backed ‘video virtualisation engine’ that allows streamed video to be turned into fluid data for personalised use.
This technology comes useful to online marketers and advertisers.
In March this year, Linius also secured a co-sale agreement with Microsoft, encouraging Microsoft sales-force to sell Linius products.
Linius’ services are currently available on Amazon, Microsoft Azure and, IBM Cloud.
Subject to shareholder approval, $1 million of investment will be from Linius directors.
The company intends to use the investment for furthering development of the technology, securing more partners and developing direct sales business models.


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Pinterest on Wednesday introduced video ads as it moved to cash in on a growing appetite for videos at the popular online bulletin board.
Facebook on Thursday rolled out a platform for quick, immersive ads with the potential to become a tempting rival to television commercials.
The online advertising industry has faced a considerable backlash recently as a greater understanding of how the practices of data scraping, aggregation, mining and user profiling are carried out behind the scenes. From Edward ...
Twitter rolled out a News Tab feature to some of its U.S. users Tuesday, an experimental effort to make it easier for people to find headlines that are trending on the platform.
Facebook on Thursday confirmed that it is dabbling in video ads and sharing revenue with content creators, in a move that would compete with Google-owned YouTube.
Television isn't the only way commercials will get airtime this year.
The quandary for those who run social media networks is how to make money on them without antagonising and thus losing users through distracting ads.
Facebook said Tuesday it has boosted the number of advertisers on the social network to two million as it launched a mobile app for those managing their commercial pitches.
Facebook on Friday said it is making moves to reduce the number of promotional posts that pop up in timelines, in response to users' demands for fewer advertisements.
Facebook on Thursday made it easier for people to understand and control how their information is used at the leading social network while expanding its quest to better target ads.


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Despite the pandemic, 2021 had been a bumper year for initial public offerings (IPOs). According to the 2021 EY (Ernst & Young) Global IPO Trends Report, the global IPO market had a total of 2,388 IPO deals, raising US$453.3 billion in proceeds. Global IPO activity was up 64 percent in deal numbers and 67 percent in proceeds when compared to 2020.
For employees and employers alike, the work-from-home scenario has not been easy. Sure, we have all found ways of staying productive and getting our jobs done. Yet, for employers supervising remote employees for the very first time, remote surveillance has become the only option.
With the global average life expectancy reaching over 70 years, it is more important than ever today to make services of all kinds more accessible to the elderly. The COVID-19 virus and the threat it poses to seniors has also been an important reason why they have shifted to the digital realm for their necessities.
When Covid-19 first broke out, employees were worried about losing their jobs, and we’ve seen companies closing down or shrinking in scale to survive the economic downturn. But now, it seems like employers are in a predicament as the “great resignation” is happening. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about four and a half million people quit their jobs in November 2021.
The global startup ecosystem has been expanding since 2009, and as of 2021, the global startup economy is worth US$3.8 trillion in ecosystem value. With the startup ecosystem performing so well, who wouldn’t want to make the most of the explosive growth? Whether you are a budding entrepreneur or a seasoned veteran in the startup world, you would want to set up your next venture in a city which would get you the right returns.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been picking up steam over the past few years. For over 50 years now, artists have been writing code to create art. As recently as 2021, we saw the arrival of Codex on the AI scene, which creates code from natural language commands.
Deviating from industry conventions and stereotypes, HK Model Camp (HKMC), a platform for modeling training and services, promotes self-acceptance and believes that everyone should be acknowledged.
The buzz around the term “metaverse” has been growing exponentially ever since Facebook announced its name change to Meta Platforms, Inc., or Meta. However, there are many other companies that are making waves in this space. From a Shark Metaverse to Accenture’s metaverse-esque virtual office, the Nth Floor, the metaverse is redefining how we will engage with each other in the near future.
One of the technologies that has revolutionized the way we live is the Internet. Ever since it became accessible to the public in 1993, it has been evolving to meet the needs of its growing user base. As of this year, the average person spends 59 hours a week (or more than one-third of their life) on the Internet.
It is no surprise that entrepreneurs throughout the world are pivoting their businesses to manage the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite these challenges, entrepreneurs are inherently equipped with the grit and determination necessary to handle the current situation.
For those of you who are entrepreneurs, hustlers or just want to know what it’s like to be an entrepreneur—these five web series will give you a pretty good idea. They will allow you, as an entrepreneur, to take a step back and look at your business from a new perspective.
When social media was first introduced to us, many were using it to create and share content. Now, social media platforms offer more than just that—they have topped the list of entertainment, marketing and networking tools. More and more businesses are utilizing social media to promote their products.
Indian ride-hailing service Ola started small in 2010, but by 2020, it had expanded into international markets, like the UK, Australia and New Zealand. Currently, Ola has around 75,000 drivers registered in Australia and another 25,000 in the UK. Hospitality unicorn Oyo is another successful startup story. It has registered continuous growth since 2013 and now operates in more than 80 countries worldwide.
It is a universally accepted fact that we all have been struggling with working from home. Be it a struggle to balance work and personal life or just feeling lonely because of a lack of physical interaction, it has been a tough two years for a lot of us! All of this begs the question: Is the metaverse (or something similar to it) the answer to our need for a physical office?
While the metaverse might have only recently entered the limelight, the concept has existed for a long time. The term “metaverse” was in fact coined by Neal Stephenson in his 1992 science fiction novel, Snow Crash. He used the term to describe a virtual reality-based world that would take the place of the internet.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought with it a technological boom. As more businesses went digital, apps and websites became more and more relevant to sustain effective business functioning. While the need for apps and websites is increasing, the number of developers to keep them up and running has decreased.


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When Twitter swallowed Tweetie maker Atebits, they declared that an official Twitter client—a la Android's—was on its way. You'll be happy to hear that Twitter has barely changed the iPhone's best Twitter app, except where it counts: Price.
Woah! Apparently Twitter has snatched up the company behind popular desktop and iPhone Twitter client Tweetie. Twitter intends to "offer [the iPhone app] for free and rename it Twitter for iPhone."


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In one, a narrator mocks the biggest trend in cars, self-driving technology, as boring and overbearing, taking “the wheel right from your very hands.” In another, a man celebrates the fact that the Q50 can speed up, steer and stop on its own, via upgrades that show the luxury sedan has an “instinct to protect.”
Volvo now sells an SUV, the XC90, that stops at red lights, accelerates at green lights and can match the steering of cars ahead. Tesla Model S sedans will download “autopilot” features over the air this summer. Next year, Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz will offer models that can drive on autopilot, hands-free, and even park themselves.
The new technology heralds a big change in the way drivers relate to their cars. Few features threaten the traditional promise of the automobile — freedom, independence, control of the road — like a computer that can drive far safer and has no qualms about taking the wheel.
That has put automakers in an awkward spot to reach car buyers who are drawn to the idea of driving with fewer dangers and drudgeries but are still leery of self-driving technology. To win them over, carmakers increasingly are selling the illusion of control while, in practice, taking more and more away.
Mike Ramsey has more.


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First Bankcard finds PIN access drives mobile app use
Credit card issuer First Bankcard recently updated its mobile application, providing quicker access to accounts via a four-digit PIN, with frequency of use increasing following the change.
As credit card and banking customers get comfortable with managing their accounts via mobile, they are looking for features that make the process as quick and easy as possible. With this in mind, First Bankcard recently introduced the four-digit Passcode, which replaces the need to enter a username and password, as well as Quick Balance, which lets credit card customers view account balances and recent transactions without having to log in
“Within weeks of allowing users to select a PIN instead of the login and password, more than half of our mobile app customers switched to the easier PIN,” said Mihaela Kobjerowski, vice president of customer management and digital solutions at First Bankcard, Omaha, NE.
“We are also noticing that customers have significantly increased the frequency with which they access their credit card information via the mobile app – the majority check it as frequently as every couple of days,” she said.
With Passcode, customers can view their account information by keying in the four-digit code. This is much easier and quicker than having to enter in longer usernames and passwords on a small smartphone screen.
To use Quick Balance, customers must first set up a one-touch access to be able to get a quick overview of their account that shows the customer’s last 10 transactions.
First Bankcard is a division of First National Bank of Omaha, which is also making the Passcode and Quick Balance features are also available to its mobile banking customers.
A goal of the new features is to encourage adoption of the app and to drive ongoing engagement.
The easy way
Credit card management continues to get easier on mobile phones.
For example, Discover recently took mobile management for credit cards to a new level with Freeze It, a tool enabling cardholders to instantly stop purchases on their account from their smartphone when a card is misplaced and just as easily reinstate purchasing once it is found (see story).
In addition to Passcode and Quick Balance, the First Bankcard mobile app also enables users to review account details, make payments, view statements, set and receive email alerts, view messages, review profile information, connect with customer service and view and redeem awards.
“Consumers are used to everything on their mobile phone being fast – access to information about their credit card should fall in line with that fast and easy expectation,” Ms. Kobjerowski said. “First Bankcard’s mobile app now displays balance, payment due date, rewards points, and last transactions with one touch on our mobile app – the ‘Quick Balance’ link, to be precise.
“It shouldn’t be difficult for a consumer to find out when their payment is due,” she said. “If they want to make a payment right away, mobile app users will find it a lot more convenient now to log in with a four digit PIN, rather than type a login and password on their phone.”
Chantal Tode is senior editor on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York


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Why do individuals commit white-collar crime? Is it because of financial need or anxiety at work, or simply because they can? According to a recent survey on economic crime in the United States, the answer is—all of the above.1
Most people’s perceptions of a typical fraudster may be off base. For example, 76 percent of fraudulent activity is internal and perpetrated by employees. And despite the media attention given to several big cases of economic crimes committed by well-known senior executives, only 11 percent of reported fraud in the past year was committed by senior management. In contrast, middle management perpetrated nearly half of the internal fraud suffered by US companies. Another myth is that larger companies are safer because they have more resources to devote to robust fraud detection tools and processes. In fact, 52 percent of all white-collar crimes are committed at companies with more than 5,000 employees, whereas 12 percent of such crimes are committed at companies with fewer than 1,000 workers.
76% of fraudulent activity is internal and perpetrated by employees.
As one might expect, an economic recession adds to the likelihood of economic crime. And indeed, less than 10 percent of executives expect fraud levels to decrease in the current downturn. In the United States, there is a striking relationship between declining financial performance and increasing incidence of reported fraud. The fraud incidence rate among companies suffering a financial decline is 42 percent, which is higher than the rate of fraud among US companies with stable financial performance (17 percent).
The recession has also impacted the perceived reasons economic misconduct is committed. Economic-crime experts point to the confluence of three underlying conditions when economic fraud occurs: pressure/incentive, opportunity, and rationalization/attitude. In other words, those who commit fraud often have an incentive for their misconduct (pressure), see gaps in a company’s fraud risk prevention scheme (opportunity), and are able to justify their actions (rationalization).
The majority (53 percent) of US executives surveyed attributes the increased risk of fraud to increased pressures felt during the downturn. Those pressures include the fear of losing jobs, the difficulty of achieving financial targets, and the withholding of bonuses. Those who say opportunities heightened fraud risk cite the top reasons as staff reductions, fewer resources dedicated to internal controls, and a shift in management’s focus away from fraud risk. Last, increased rationalization for justifying misconduct appears to be driven by the desire to maintain a certain standard of living when wallets are lighter.
Though the downturn has certainly affected fraud risk, most executives say the root cause of increased economic crime is related to corporate culture, as reflected in the pressures and attitudes that permeate an organization. When companies reduce their resources— thereby creating more opportunity for fraud—company culture can sometimes be their only line of defense, assuring that employees behave ethically while management focuses on corporate survival. Strengthening that line of defense—by building a culture where fraud is not tolerated and those who report it need not fear retaliation—can help companies better deter economic crime.


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Crowds drawn to fee-free flea market
VALLEY CITY — Jodi Rae Ingstad and Sheree Lynn Bowen were brainstorming ways to help others, Ingstad said, when they decided to put together a fee-free flea market near Valley City.
“We don’t have much ourselves, but we like to give to other people,” Ingstad said. “Many flea markets charge booth fees, and we didn’t want that. We want everyone to make money. Times are really tough. We just wanted to help alleviate the stress.”
Bowen’s husband, Chuck, offered his land at Bowen Welding just north of Valley City to be used for the flea market.
Chuck Bowen estimates there have been hundreds of shoppers.
“You get to meet a lot of interesting people, that’s for sure,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun to have the people come out.”
There have been two Fee Free Flea Market sales so far. The first was July 9 and drew 22 vendors. The last one was Aug. 9 and more than doubled in size, with 50 vendors.
“It shows that this community has a want for these flea markets to continue,” Ingstad said. “The other neat thing about this is the fellowship. People who go to flea markets are kind of like-minded, Boho, hippie souls. We find great celebration in rust, and we find great celebration in cracked wood and imperfection.”
Anyone from anywhere is welcome, Ingstad said.
Vendors sold a variety of items, from garden vegetables and herbs to jewelry, kids’ clothing, garage sale items, and direct sales products.
“It’s really groovy to see the bargaining that’s going on,” Ingstad said.
The flea market could use more food vendors, she said, but because there is no electricity available, vendors would have to bring their own generators.
Tanya Couture of Valley City said she loves the event. Not only has she been able to sell everything from upcycled furniture to shoes and sunglasses at the flea market, but it also brings customers into her downtown clothing shop.
“We are attracting a bigger crowd every time,” she said. “It’s a wonderful event.”
Part of what makes it such a great event is that it’s free, Couture said.
The last Fee Free Flea Market of the season will be Sept. 13 at 3175 117th Ave. S.E., Valley City. Setup is at 7:30 a.m. The sale runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
To participate, bring a table on which to sell products. Contact Ingstad at firstname.lastname@example.org or 701-490-1876 with questions.


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The Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport has awarded grants totally $1.25 million to 50 businesses in Accompong, St. Elizabeth, as part of plans to boost economic activity in the area.
Portfolio Minister, Hon. Olivia Grange, presented the grants during a handover ceremony held in the community on Friday, March 22.
The beneficiaries were selected under the Ministry’s Economic Opportunities Workshop, which seeks to provide residents with the tools, resources and information to take advantage of their indigenous assets.
The recipients include 33 farmers, seven shopkeepers, two restaurateurs, a beekeeper, a farm store operator, tea herbalists, welder, three artisans and a juice producer.
Each person received a grant of $25,000 via a gift card that can be used at any Hardware & Lumber (H&L) Rapid True Value and H&L Agro locations across Jamaica. Among the items available with the gift card are vegetable seeds, animal feeds, pesticides, safety gear, lumber, electrical supplies, paints and accessories.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Ms. Grange urged the beneficiaries to take full advantage of the opportunity given to them.
“This grant that you got today is a start, so don’t waste it or throw it away. Make it work for you. This is a resource for you to…build your lives and earnings. I promised to return with meaningful contributions to help businesses in the area to develop and grow,” she stated.
“It is important that the 50 recipients who got the assistance, you make it work so others can be brought on board to benefit just like you. The support will continue as long as you prove yourself and you don’t throw away the opportunity,” she added.
Ms. Grange pointed out that the Government is committed to supporting the development of small businesses in Jamaica, in order to grow the economy and achieve prosperity.
“The mantra of this Government is prosperity. It is our guiding light and everything thing we do is to increase the levels of prosperity to all the people of Jamaica,” she noted.
This Economic Opportunities Workshop in Accompong is the latest in a series being implemented by the Ministry in various sections across the country. Approximately 500 people in the communities of the Blue and John Crow Mountain regions—Portland, St. Thomas and St. Andrew—have been targeted throughout the years.


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A major grocery chain will apparently be the anchor for a major development in northern Coweta County. The City Menus has discovered plans for Publix to anchor the new Arbor Springs Plaza development at the intersection of US Highway 29 and Arbor Springs Parkway. We first reported about the new shopping center back in March. The full project appears to call for four different complexes on the property with multiple spaces in each, and three outparcel lots facing US Highway 29.
There isn’t any word yet on other lessees that have signed on. However, we will keep an eye on the development and report any new signees as they are confirmed.


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Far from clearing out any doubts, the recent speech given by the President of the State Council, Raul Castro, just created more confusion and worry among the population. Cubans fear that the rationing/supply booklet will be removed. The man who is also Prime Minister says that this supplement is confused with a “social achievement that should not be abolished.”
The subsidized quota, which in the past year was significantly reduced, contributes to the feeding of most citizens for a part of the month. Since early this year the government took some of regulated products off the ration, with the aim of gradually extinguishing the ration card. This happened with potatoes, peas and cigarettes.
The fears are not unfounded. The measure primarily affects elderly people in a population that has aged considerably. In doorways and street corners, retirees sell some products from their ration quota, such as toothpaste, cigarettes and coffee, matches, soap, laundry detergent and pasta.
Most wonder if Papa State will be able to keep the markets supplied to meet demand. Another concern is whether the price of deregulated products will exceed what they can now be bought for in the black market. Can a nation of workers acquire what they need with their current salaries, or will they have to steal?
Concerns increase with the number of family members. Josefa, my neighbor, is a 48-year-old homemaker. She was born under the Revolution and its system of rationing. Her husband is a custodian, and his salary is the only one coming into their home to support their three young daughters. She cannot imagine how she will feed them, without the aid of products on the ration card.
Joaquin, an old man of 73, in the debate on the issue at the butcher shop while waiting for his turn to buy the soy “ground meat.”, asks: “With the 200 pesos monthly pension paid me, after paying for electricity and my loan on the appliances from the Energy Revolution, how many pounds of chicken can I buy at 23 pesos a pound?
In the end, the liberalization of regulated products leave few happy. They do not believe the scarcity, which has been with the Revolution since the beginning, will end, or that the government has measures to combat it. Anyway, the point is made, the renewed Cuban socialism has nothing to do with subsidies and freebies.
Resolution of the Ministry of the Interior to take controlled products off the ration system.
January 10 2011


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Late last year, shockwaves rippled through Africa’s oldest banking sector. Three digital banks in South Africa—Discovery Bank, TymeBank and Bank Zero— announced an aggressive commercial strategy which aims to lure away traditional banking customers with low fees. The announcement didn’t escape the attention of Africa’s bricks and mortar banks, which are anxiously waiting for the digital banks’ market entry.
Grow Market Share
Not only do lower cost-to-income ratios provide a huge comparative advantage to the digital banks, data analytics is also a crucial asset in their quest to seize market share. Data-driven insights allow fintechs to target customers and offer new products. To maintain a competitive edge against these new players, traditional financial service providers (FSPs) should invest in leveraging data analytics as an asset for growth. Not only will data help drive customer acquisition, it can optimize marketing, sales and boost innovation.
Win Underbanked with Innovation
Armed with data analytics, traditional FSPs can capture insights to acquire new customers, especially among the unbanked population. Over the last decade, sub-Saharan Africa has made progress in closing the financial inclusion gap — with financial inclusion rates increasing from 23% in 2011 to 43% in 2017 — largely due to surging mobile money adoption. While mobile money has focused largely on transfers and payments, the next wave of fintech platforms has expanded into lending. Startups such as Branch, Paylater and Bank-MNO offerings like M-Shwari and Fuliza analyse alternative data sets to determine credit risk and lend to unbanked customers.
For example, Branch’s app crunches all types of data on users’ phones – ranging from bill payments to bank balance receipts – to generate their credit scores. Banks can also use data to compete for the huge pool of unbanked customers by partnering with third-party data analytics providers and building new data partnerships. For example, SuperFluid Labs’ data analytics platform offering includes SuperScore, which empowers lenders to manage life-cycle credit risk by building credit scores for customers from multiple data sets using the power of Artificial Intelligence and new alternative data sources.
SuperScore provides predictions on likelihood of default by customers by analysing past transactional and behavioural data through proprietary algorithms. Across the continent, banks struggle with a high rate of non-performing loans (NPLs); for example, in Ghana, over one-fifth of total loans are NPLs while Kenya has a 10 percent NPL rate, as compared to the global average of 3 and 4 percent. Using data-driven risk assessment tools, credit officers can to expand their loan books, increase revenues from interest payments, and improve recoveries and hedge risks.
Upsell and Cross-Sell Products
Data analytics can also help banks to optimize sales from existing customers, leading to opportunities to upsell and cross-sell new products and services. The global banking industry could increase earnings as much as US$1trillion annually, with one-fifth resulting from informed pricing and promotion strategies. Fintech companies in sub-Saharan African have access to rich insights into their customers – their age, gender, online behaviour, purchasing power, and geographic location.
These insights are a gold mine, as they enable companies to develop tailored products addressing pain-points of users. Banks should follow their lead, using data insights into customers to offer new products. At SuperFluid Labs, after analysing customer data for a banking client, we observed that a large percentage of customers, clearly cash-strapped, were regularly drawing down their savings accounts. We therefore proposed that the bank offer a new credit product, using the savings account as collateral.
The Power of Partnerships
With their increasing push into markets and sometimes explosive growth, African fintech startups can seem like the mortal enemy to FSPs. But this viewpoint is more fear than reality. Fintechs and traditional banks have mutual interests in working together. Data analytics is the crux of a successful partnership, bridging the differences between the two types of companies. While the global financial services industry is increasing spending on IT infrastructure, many African banks – hamstrung with macro-economic headwinds and legacy technologies – often struggle to maintain pace with rapidly changing customer expectations.
In contrast, fintech startups are early technology adopters and are much faster to experiment and innovate, giving them a first-mover advantage. In turn, traditional banks can provide fintechs and their new offerings and use cases with market access, brand credibility, guidance and improved relations with regulators. Bank and fintechs can combine their natural strengths to pursue historically underserved customer segments, such as small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and retain existing customers through improved customer experiences. Third-party data providers play a critical role in ensuring successful partnerships between banks and fintechs. Not only do they offset limited digital and data expertise and in-house talent shortage, they can help bridge a potential culture gap between banks and fintechs by fostering a data-first ethos within bricks and mortar banks.
Sub-Saharan Africa’s financial services industry’s underdeveloped electronic transaction infrastructure was its Achilles heel, and led to the entry of global fintech companies. The lack of data analytics capability should not be another reason local financial institutions fail to adequately serve African customers. Using data appropriately and smartly, banks can unlock new growth by investing in innovative data analytics solutions and platforms and upskilling existing staff, and thus avoid losing their market to new disruptive players.
Higher customer acquisition and retention, lower NPL rates, and upselling and cross-selling opportunities – these benefits are just the beginning of what data can yield for banks and, most importantly, for underserved customers. Moreover, competitors can also be collaborators with data analytics – providing the fertile ground for partnerships between banks and fintechs. Bill Gates famously said: “Banking is Necessary, Banks are Not”. With the help of data and analytics, banks can maintain dominance in the provision of essential financial services.
The author is a director at SUPERFLUID LABS. The company helps businesses to harness untapped potential through predictive data analytics, business intelligence and dynamic customer insights, leveraging both traditional and alternative data sources. Its data analytics platform provides credit scores and provide business intelligence more effectively through Big Data and artificial intelligence.
Email: [email protected]


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NEW YORK — There’s plenty of opportunity in the salon and retail hair care businesses.That was the message from four panelists during a session on the hair care business at HBA Global Expo, which was held in June at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Lee Stafford, a stylist known for his Pink range, a brisk seller in the U.K., revealed how he created his brand and is now bringing it to the U.S. Recently both Ulta and Duane Reade added his products. Kim Jensen, marketing director for Oscar Blandi, provided a financial point of view, detailing what attracted the interest of TPR Holdings. Lynn Emmolo, industry veteran and chief executive officer of Sally Hershberger, talked about bringing the upscale world of Sally Hershberger hair styling to retail. And Anthony Dickey, the founder and creative director of Hair Rules, explained multicultural marketing and how it is being rolled out in retail doors across the country. The panelists discussed how the salon and retail worlds coexist and build each other. After a slowdown from backlash over the Brazilian Blowout, the salon business is growing more robustly at a 5.5 percent clip, according to research from Sageworks. People are returning to salons, but also using salon-type products at home. Overall mass hair care sales are also up — about 3 percent year to date — with much of the growth attributed to stylist brands.That’s good news to Stafford, who vividly told the history of his company — from winning a Men’s Hairdresser of the Year award to creating a line of products with business partner Graeme Riddick. Some elements of his line were pure serendipity. For instance, there was a pink reception desk that inspired the color of his line, and a friend’s dog became the brand’s mascot and logo. But what was pure business savvy were tactics such as adding color to barcodes. “When we were doing our packaging, I said I wanted no barcode,” joked Stafford of a move that would have been retail suicide. Instead, color and a funky design were implemented. “Talk about turning lemons into lemonade,” he said. Lee also said his big break came with innovation, a product called Poker Straight Flat Iron Protection Mist, along with dry shampoos.Innovation is also what attracted TPR Holdings to the Oscar Blandi brand, said Jensen. Blandi helped pioneer the category’s growth in the previously untapped specialty and department store channels. Oscar Blandi, known for his dry styling technique, dovetails with the fashion image of department stores. “A key for him is to take a runway look and translate it into a demonstrable setting so consumers can replicate it at home,” said Jensen. “The brand has grown 24 percent since the acquisition,” Jensen said referring to TPR’s purchase of the brand in 2011. She said department stores are making efforts to nab more of the hair care business, such as with kiosks and heavy sampling. One of the most dramatic stories of balancing salon and shelf is Sally Hershberger. She’s known for her $800 haircuts, but her retail products are also available at mass chains, such as CVS Pharmacy. The expertise behind the retail expansion comes from Emmolo, who amassed experience at companies such as L’Oréal and Limited Brands Inc. On building a brand, she said, “You have to really believe in what you have in order to make the metrics work. You need a great idea, white space to fill, good resources and you have to believe you are giving the customer something different.” Emmolo added that Sally Hershberger has size on its side, and can be nimble in bringing innovation to the market. Dickey, known as a texture guru, also had to change market dynamics to help grow his brand, Hair Rules. From his salon experience, he learned to develop products for texture rather than ethnicity, noting that there are black women with pancake-flat hair and even Asian women with kinky tresses. “We want to dispel the myths around hair and create a new standard of beauty,” said Dickey. His journey has taken him to mass retailers, where he’s had to educate them about changes that are driving a need to market to multicultural shoppers. He said the time appears right for chains such as Target to start appropriately stocking stores properly for today’s new consumer.
Exclusive: @dsquared2 signs fragrance licensing agreement with Euroitalia, with the first effort of the new partnership being unveiled in September. The brand will launch two scents – one for men and one for women – in Italy. Read our interview with designer Dean and Dan Caten on WWD.com. #wwdbeauty #wwdnews (📷: @zefashioninsider)
@louisvuitton has officially renewed Nicolas Ghesquière’s contract as artistic director of women's collections. "I am very pleased to open the next chapter of the story I started with Louis Vuitton almost 5 years ago," said Ghesquière, who first signed on to design the French luxury brand's women's line in 2013. Get all the details on WWD.com. #wwdnews #wwdfashion (📷: @giovanni_giannoni_photo)
“I learned then and there that I had to figure out a way in life to maintain and preserve my sense of pride when I felt good about what I did or what I represented or created,” said @saintrecords on how being bullied for wearing capri pants inspired her to be the artist she is today. Knowles was at the 70th Parsons Benefit last night where she outbid the room for a Dapper Dan customized @gucci experience. #wwdeye (📷: @lexieblacklock)
“There’s this amazing braintrust of people who know the whole universe so well. So we talked to them and they gave us more input,” said actor Alden Ehrenreich on playing the young Han Solo in “Solo: A Star Wars Story.” The cast was at NYC’s SVA Theatre last night for an advanced screening of the film, which hits theaters this week. #wwdeye #starwars #hansolo (📷: @aurorarosedecrosta)
@asaprocky spent nearly two hours in a Plexiglas box Sunday night at @sothebys putting himself through a series of “tests” to demonstrate the process of completing his new album called “Testing.” Get all the details and see all the pictures on WWD.com. #wwdeye
“I’ve struggled my whole life to find a bathing suit that fits me that doesn’t look like a maternity bra. I’m proud of the line because it’s an accurate representation of me rather than me putting on someone else’s clothes,” says @atlantabean of her swimwear collaboration with @piaarrobio, LPA X ATL. The two decided on a swimwear collab and increased the industry standard size for the pieces. Read more about the line — and our interview with de Cadenet Taylor and Arrobio — on WWD.com #wwdfashion (📷: Dan Doperalski)
Exclusive: Cate Blanchett has been named the first global beauty ambassador for @armanibeauty. Blanchett has been the face of the brand’s Sì fragrance franchise since 2013, and is now representing all of the label’s beauty categories including makeup and skin care. #wwdbeauty (📷: @zefashioninsider)


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Customers at all six Hot Harry’s Fresh Burritos locations have plenty to celebrate on Cinco de Mayo on Saturday, May 5. Each Hot Harry’s store will be giving away limited-edition Hot Harry’s/Cinco de Mayo T-shirts to the first 100 customers that day. On the menu side, mini chicken, or beef burritos, normally priced at $6.25 will sell for only $4. Chips and salsa are included in the $4 deal. The duration of the burrito offer is from 11 a.m. until closing.
All customers on May 5 can enter to win a free burrito each week for a year. Ten winners will be chosen per store. The total combined count of burritos to be given away over the year is a big number: 3,120.
Hot Harry’s is a fast-casual restaurant with locations in western Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the capital region of New York state with the newest location slated to open in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, this year.
“We’re very excited for this promotion as a time to give back to our loyal customers and as an opportunity to make new friends,” says Richard Tarascio, president of Hot Harry’s.
Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861–1867). A relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the U.S. Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage.
Hot Harry’s fresh Burritos will be holding discovery days every other Tuesday starting May 16 for interested franchise prospects.
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by Christopher Allan, Journalist, Energy magazine
Energy affordability is a key issue for consumers and communities across Australia. With household energy debt on the rise, the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) has raised concerns about the lack of customer support through retailer hardship programs, and the effectiveness of these programs in tackling debt. Here, we review how responses to the energy debt crisis have evolved during the pandemic, as well as consider new approaches emerging from retailers and community groups that put consumers first when it comes to energy affordability.
An industry report and statement from the AER released in late-2021 warned of a climb in average household energy debt, as experiences of energy affordability over the last two years reflect the pressures of the COVID-19 crisis.
The rise in energy debt comes despite state and territory trends of falling energy prices, and has sparked a new dialogue about energy affordability in the industry, with mounting pressure for national bodies, energy retailers and community groups to collaborate further and empower consumers to beat the trend of energy debt.
The AER’s Annual retail markets report 2020-21 found that average household debt for gas and electricity combined has increased 12 per cent, from $897 in 2019–20 to $1,000 in 2020–21.
The report also found that the average electricity debt for a customer entering a retailer’s hardship program grew 21 per cent over the same period – increasing from $1,304 to $1,584.
The AER’s concerns extend to both why fewer customers are seeking support from retailers, as well as seeking ways to ensure greater effectiveness of these programs.
Energy affordability and the COVID-19 crisis
The energy debt findings in the AER’s report reflect ongoing challenges to energy affordability felt by consumers over the last two years.
During the height of the COVID-19 crisis, the AER responded nationally to concerns about energy affordability by releasing a Statement of Expectations to retailers.
The Statement of Expectations asked retailers to protect customers from disconnections and support struggling customers with their bills through hardship support programs, building on the existing expectation that retailers take some responsibility for their customers and their capacity to pay.
All energy retailers must offer hardship policies by law, enabling residential customers to enter payment arrangements that fairly reflect their own capacity to pay and help prevent spiralling debt. However, AER Chair, Clare Savage, said that despite retailers having an obligation to identify whether a customer is experiencing hardship, the drop in both the uptake and efficacy of hardship support programs during the pandemic was concerning for all parties.
“It’s not surprising that energy debt rose due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and not surprising to see an increase in people on payment plans to manage their bills,” Ms Savage said. “But we are not out of the COVID woods yet, and with our data showing more than 262,000 people paying off some form of energy debt, it does raise questions as to why there is a drop in the number of customers entering hardship programs.”
New attention on energy retailers
Ms Savage called for retailers to improve the accessibility of tailored hardship programs for customers, and even warned retailers to sure up their internal protocols for responding to customers in financial difficulty or face consequences.
“Our compliance and enforcement priorities for 2021–22 include a focus on reducing customer debt … we will be monitoring retailers to ensure they are identifying residential consumers in financial difficulty and offering them payment plans that have regard to their capacity to pay, where relevant,” Ms Savage said.
Added pressure on energy retailers to put consumer outcomes first comes as power and gas retailer Sumo Energy was fined $500,000 for alleged unlawful disconnections of 143 customers in 2020. Federal Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction, Angus Taylor, emphasised the Federal Government’s commitment to hold retailers accountable and ensure they provide necessary support to customers in hardship.
“Energy costs are continuing to fall. This is good news for Australian families and small businesses,” Mr Taylor said. “However, as providers of an essential service, it is critical that energy companies step up to deliver necessary support to any customers doing it tough.”
New industry thinking on energy affordability
The Energy Charter recently conducted interviews with all signatory CEOs to identify common ground practises that put consumer outcomes first and included energy affordability goals in the national energy transition.
New initiatives raised by Energy Charter CEOs included:
» Increasing solar connections in regional areas of Western Australia and more automated processing of concession entitlements
» Longstanding relationships with community organisations such as Uniting to deliver support to the most vulnerable customers
» Extending the Energy Support Programs to Tasmanian residential and business customers through COVID
» Proactively using energy data and analytics to better understand energy usage profiles and target customers in hardship
» Targeted campaigns that encourage customers to claim energy concessions and rebates
» The development of a Vulnerable Customer Assistance Program
» The innovative #BetterTogether “train the trainer” program with Voices for Power, Sydney Alliance, that offers energy literacy training in Western Sydney for culturally and linguistically diverse communities
Greater collaboration and knowledge-sharing among energy industry CEOs is critical to ensure energy affordability and tackling energy debt remains a part of a national conversation, as is the work of community groups working at the front line in the energy debt crisis.
Because hardship support programs can take many different forms – including face-to-face support approaches, financial counselling, energy audits and conventional payment plans – offering tailored solutions for consumers is vital to manage the energy debt crisis.
“For the past 20 years we’ve tried different tactics to manage the issues and barriers to consumers participating in the energy market,” Ms Savage said.
“Hardship programs will always be needed, but now is the time for the energy sector to ask what else we could do to support consumers who find themselves in vulnerable situations, especially when they least expect it.”


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Climate changes constitute as significant a factor in the context of the trading activity carried out worldwide as the exchange rates, the costs of production, the demand on the market or the availability of raw materials. They can potentially cause trade flows to be redirected, the prices of goods to increase or openings for new trade goods to be created. In other words, they can influence the global trade world significantly, as logistics managers are increasingly advised to note.
This statement is supported by a notable amount of research that is being carried out at the moment, starting at the impact of climate changes on those ecosystems affected by rising temperatures and their products. According to this research, climate changes impact import-export volumes and values, among other variables.
The rising sea levels are causing the wetlands to slip away, and at a very fast pace too it seems, affecting the habitats providing for the various types of seafood. Thus, some countries find themselves in the position of being forced to import some of their seafood in order to meet the market demand. In addition to this, the levels of acidity in the oceans are increasing as a result of an increasing amount of carbon dioxide being absorbed from the atmosphere, causing their waters to be lethal for various sea life forms, such as oysters, for instance. Naturally, in this context, the only solution to meet the market demand is to once again import those particular types of seafood.
The coffee industry is also directly and significantly affected by the rising temperatures, coffee plants being known to grow their best beans in the cool mountains around the Equator. Rising temperatures, on the other hand, create an ideal environment for fungi and beetles, two main forms of pests known to attack coffee plants. Thus, a decreasing quality of the crops is bound to affect the export activity of a coffee producing market and therefore cause the prices of coffee to rise.
Moreover, climate changes are particularly relevant in the context of certain plant species growing exclusively in some parts of the world. Rooibos tea, for instance, also known as red bush tea, is known to grow in South Africa only. Therefore, the drought that hit the country in 2015 caused a massive drop in the country's rooibos tea exports, limiting its availability and causing its price to increase significantly.
Beer and wine are also known to be affected by climate changes, some of the recent European hops crops, for instance, proving highly disappointing and therefore forcing brewers to invest in finding alternatives, while British wine, for instance, is being imported by a number of major wine producing countries.
In addition, the South African floral region is being affected by the rising temperatures too, whereas pine beetles are thriving on the wood in Columbia's pine forests, causing Canada's timber export activity to drop significantly. And unfortunately, the list of damage climate changes are causing within the trading industry goes on.
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As the outlook for the global air cargo industry continues to brighten, another significant developed this week when the Airforwarders Association (AfA) announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA).
A trio of rail shipper groups, each with a vested interest in the long-term future in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) penned a joint letter to the United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland, and Mexico’s Secretary of Economy Ildefonso Guajardo to express their support for NAFTA,…Details
Erik Autor, president of the National Association of Free Trade Zones shares his insight on current state of NAFTA.
The Transpacific Stabilization Agreement announced that it would dissolve next month.
New digital platform secures capacity at fixed rates using binding contracts
Given the myriad moving parts-such as economic, regulatory, or trade-based ones, among others, the current supply chain, freight transportation, and logistics markets, are moving at a rapid pace, with more than a lot going on at any given time.That was made clear in a CEO panel featuring YRC CEO James Welch and Jason Hess, vice…Details
I began to refer to what was coming down the pike in the transportation marketplace as “The Perfect Storm” in early 2017. But I’ve realized that term may have become so common now that we’ve lost perspective on what’s really happening. So, realistically, a better word for our current situation might be a full-fledged Frankenstorm.
The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners has approved the Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility, moving forward on a project within the Harbor District that will expedite the movement of cargo while mitigating its impact on the environment.
Amber Road’s eBook, Digitization Creates a Strong Value Chain: Enabling Supply Chain Agility, delves into why agility is essential for the modern supply chain and its key benefits, including:
FTR said November’s reading was at a “more sustainable level,” with conditions still strong for carriers despite the sequential decline, noting that it assumed October’s spike would be short-lived and not maintained at that level. But it said that if contract rates are able to sustain its current path of growth momentum


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BA launches teaser ad on Facebook
British Airways is drumming up interest in its first brand campaign in more than two years with the release of a teaser on Facebook.
The 20-second teaser fearures a pre-war pilot walking through a field towards a bi-plane.
The full ad, which has been created by BBH, will be premiered through its Facebook page at 11am on 21 September 2011. Viewers are being invited to set the premiere as a Facebook event.
Agency Being handles all Facebook activity for the BA campaign, and recently created the carrier's Facebook app that encourages people to "like" each other's holidays.
BA's upcoming campaign aims to use the heritage of the brand to rekindle pride among its staff and consumers, by addressing five decades of the carrier and its role within the history of aviation.
This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk
- Campaign Marketing Manager EMAP Competitive + Bonus, London (Greater) / London (East), London (Greater)
- Exhibition Designers WRG Live Competitive salary and benefits package dependant upon experience, Manchester, Greater Manchester
- Producer WRG Live Competitve salary and benefits package dependent upon experience, London (Central), London (Greater) / Manchester, Greater Manchester
- Content Manager WRG Live Competitive salary and benefits package, Manchester, Greater Manchester
- Deputy Creative Director - Integrated/shopper agency The Industry Club London Ltd £75,000, London (Greater)


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Nintendo Switch has had plenty of success stories in the last nine-plus months, and now it's got another thanks to the news that car/football mashup Rocket League has reached a staggering new milestone. As of this month, the indie wonder hit that keeps on growing has hit 40 million players worldwide. Phew, that's a lot of flashy goals.
Originally released on PS4 back in July 2015, the instant classic has hit practically every other platform in the months and years that followed - which includes the excellent Nintendo Switch port in November 2017. Developer Psyonix announced the game had hit 33 million global players in July 2017, so it's pretty safe to assume the incredibly well-received Switch version helped bump that figure over the 40 million mark since then.
We're huge fans of Rocket League here at Nintendo Life - in fact, we put in way too many hours on the virtual pitch over the Christmas holidays - but what do you guys make of it?