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What you need to know
- As per a new leak, Xiaomi could launch a phone with 200W+ charging in 2021.
- The Mi 10 Ultra is currently the world's fastest-charging phone, supporting 120W charging speeds.
- The leak also suggests the company's first phones with under-display selfie cameras will be introduced next year.
Three months back, Xiaomi launched the Mi 10 Ultra, the world's first phone to support 120W charging speeds. According to leaker Digital Chat Station on Weibo, the company is now working on a phone with 200W+ fast charging.
The leaker has claimed in a post on Weibo that Xiaomi plans to roll out its first devices with 200W+ charging in 2021. Since the Mi 10 Ultra's 120W fast charging solution enables the phone's 4,500mAh battery to be fully charged in just 23 minutes, the upcoming 200W charging solution should be able to cut the charging time even further to less than 15 minutes.
However, 100W+ charging solutions have been found to degrade battery capacity faster than expected. It remains to be seen how Xiaomi plans to overcome this challenge with its 200W+ charging solution.
The post on Weibo also suggests Xiaomi won't be releasing a successor to the Mi MIX 3 anytime soon. Instead, the company will be focusing on phones with in-folding screens and under-display selfie cameras in 2021. As revealed by a recent leak, it is currently working on a foldable phone with a 108MP main camera and a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset.
Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro
Xiaomi's latest value flagship offers an impressive 108MP main camera, a 144Hz LCD display, and Qualcomm's Snapdragon 865 chipset. It also delivers stellar battery life and comes with stereo speakers.
Make it easy too replace the battery when it's shot. Doesn't have to be a removable one just make it simple to change batteries. This would be the best compromise till either fast charging that doesn't damage the battery or simply longer lasting batteries are available. I've got 33 watt fast charging on a Poco X3 NFC with a 5100 mah battery and it charges fully in just over an hour which I think is really good for such a large capacity cell.
I think it's worth noting that the Watt is a unit of power, not speed. Xiaomi's engineers surely know more about electronics than me, but shoving 200 Watts up a phone doesn't sound like a good idea.
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EIT’s Schools of Business & Computing are ready to kick off a new term, now accepting enrolments for the Master of Digital Business, the Postgraduate Diploma in Digital Business as well as the Postgraduate Certificate in Digital Business. These programmes are delivered at both Hawke’s Bay and Auckland campuses and have been a major draw card for students since their premiere in February this year.
“Graduates of these programmes will be able to harness digital technologies, manage technology for businesses and improve digital transformation for organisations. The demand for tech- savvy managers has never been greater,” says Dr Sabine Hoffmann, Head of School for both Business and Computing.
Courses cover topics such as data analytics, e-commerce and e-business, digital marketing, digital entrepreneurship and innovation and management of emerging technologies.
Sabine Hoffmann says, “The employability of graduates is our number one focus. With their advanced digital skills, graduates will meet the growing demand for digital know-how and will be highly sought-after in the job-market.”
First published by The Profit – read the full article here.

domain: news


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In his talk at Computer Entertainment Developers Conference (CEDEC) 2018, Mario and Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto spoke out against the current norm of free-to-play models, instead advocating a fixed-price model that doesn’t overcharge the player. [Thanks, Bloomberg!]
The fixed-price model is the key to a more sustainable games industry that values its games, according to Miyamoto. He explained that Nintendo’s thinking is that because the games industry has such a giant market, big profits will naturally emerge if games are delivered at reasonable prices to the widest audience possible. Nintendo is currently exploring various models to reach this goal.
Speaking on Nintendo’s mobile games such as Super Mario Run, Miyamoto admits that the fixed-cost model hasn’t seen much success, but states that Nintendo will continue with this path “until it becomes entrenched”, so that people can develop games in a comfortable environment. By focusing on bringing games to the widest range of people possible, Nintendo can continue boosting their mobile game business.
Next, Miyamoto states that the industry needs to learn from the music industry, which took a hit from file sharing and Youtube, and “learn to get along with” subscription services. However, this also went back to his first point of creating a culture of paying for valued software.
“When seeking a partner for this, it’s important to find someone who understands the value of your software. Then customers will feel the value in your apps and software and develop a habit of paying money for them”, said Miyamoto.


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Starwood Hotels & Resorts had a record year in 2015, signing 220 new hotel agreements and opening 105 properties.
It is the sixth consecutive year of increased signings by the group, while the opening of 105 hotels, representing approximately 22.5k rooms in 30 countries, is the highest in its history.
“Our continued commitment to brands, design and innovation this past year allowed us to accomplish much on behalf of our shareholders, which is a true testament to the great work of our associates and something our team should be proud of. As we begin 2016 and work towards our merger close with Marriott to become the world’s largest hotel company, we will continue to vigourously compete in the marketplace, deliver value to our owners, delight our guests and grow our brands into new markets around the world,” said Thomas Mangas, recently appointed CEO of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
The select serve or mid-market segment drove last year’s signings, accounting for slightly more than 50%, according to Starwood.
Four Points by Sheraton continued to maintain the company’s largest pipeline, while the Aloft brand experienced a 65% increase in signings over the year. Starwood also increased its lead in the luxury and lifestyle segment, with 29 deals across its St. Regis, The Luxury Collection and W Hotels brands, and new hotels planned for destinations including Dubai, Maldives, Punta de Mita and Shanghai.
In the upper-upscale segment, Sheraton, Starwood’s largest and most global brand, had over 40% more signings when compared to 2014. The company’s newest brand, Tribute Portfolio, which launched in 2015, finished the year with 16 hotels either operating or with signed agreements.
Starwood, therefore, looks to be in a strong position as it prepares to conclude its US$12.2 billion purchase of Marriott International later this year.
“As we begin 2016 and work towards our merger close with Marriott to become the world’s largest hotel company, we will continue to vigorously compete in the marketplace, deliver value to our owners, delight our guests and grow our brands into new markets around the world,” continued Mangas.


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*A unit of JPMorgan Chase is becoming a partner in Chicago-based Johnson Publishing Co., publisher of Ebony and Jet magazines, reports the Associated Press.
It is the first time in the company’s 69-year history that it will not be fully family-owned.
Chairman Linda Johnson Rice did not disclose the terms of the investment, but said Wednesday the investment by Chase’s Special Investments Group positions the media and cosmetics company for continued growth.
Meanwhile, CEO Desiree Rogers told Richard Prince’s Journal-isms column that JPMorgan Chase would have only a “minority stake,” with a presence on the Johnson Publishing board.
It was “very important that the company remain minority-owned,” she said, adding, it “gives us the capital to move forward with the plans we’ve been working on — the continuing ‘rebranding’ of Ebony, which includes remaking the magazine’s digital platform; rebranding the pocket-sized Jet magazine, as it did with Ebony; and marketing the Fashion Fair cosmetics line more effectively.”
Rice’s father, John H. Johnson, built Ebony from a circulation of 25,000 on its first press run in November 1945 to a monthly circulation of 1.9 million in 1997. Jet, a newsweekly, was founded in 1951. The company also produces Fashion Fair Cosmetics. Johnson died in 2005.
Like other media companies, family-owned Johnson Publishing has been adversely affected by an advertising and circulation decline. According to the AP, Ebony’s circulation stands at 1.25 million monthly. Jet has a weekly circulation of 800,000.


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Singapore – The Yishun Central supermarket staff had restocked the shelves following the buying frenzy over the previous few days.
Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam, who visited the Sheng Siong outlet on Tuesday (Feb 11), praised the staff for ensuring that the shelves were adequately stocked. He also noted that the panic-buying had stopped.
Many shoppers had descended on supermarkets all over the island after the DORSCON level was raised to Orange on Feb 7.
Only a few days later, it could be felt that things had gone back to normal. “You have rice, you have everything,” noted Mr Shanmugam.
The supermarket staff assured the minister that they had enough stocks.
When asked how long they had been working, the staff said that they had to call for OT and that they worked until 2 am. The supermarket had been receiving three or more deliveries a day.
Mr Shanmugam also exchanged greetings with a shopper and spoke to him. He noted that the man did not even have a basket with him. “So now you’re buying just small items. No need to buy … (items in bulk).”
The shopper shook his head and said: “No need, no need.” He also suggested that people “try to be cool”.
Mr Shanmugam said: “The reason I wanted to come is to tell people in Yishun ‘nothing to worry,’ you know.” He added: “There is enough food, enough items … we don’t need to rush.”
In a Facebook post later, which included a video of his visit, Mr Shanmugam noted: “Fully stocked, and the rushed buying has stopped.” He added: “We can all be calm.”
In response, people online showed their appreciation of the hard work to keep supermarket shelves fully stocked.
Ms Jennice Theresa Tng suggested that retailers rotate their staff in order to lower the risk of anyone falling sick.
Meanwhile, Ms Tay Lin Na said that she had changed her shopping routine since the hoarding incident.
[ Supermarket visit in Nee Soon]Went to the Sheng Siong outlet in Yishun Central, last night. They have been working hard, restocking food items until 2am. Delivery trucks came with fresh stock three times in one day, over the weekend.Fully stocked, and the rushed buying has stopped.We can all be calm.
Posted by K Shanmugam Sc on Tuesday, 11 February 2020
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IKEA official meets Sharma, discusses business plans
Swedish furniture major IKEA's senior official Jessica Anderen, who is responsible for South Asia, today met Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma and is understood to have discussed the company's business plans in India.business Updated: Oct 11, 2012 15:06 IST
Swedish furniture major IKEA's senior official Jessica Anderen, who is responsible for South Asia, today met Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma and is understood to have discussed the company's business plans in India.
IKEA, which had earlier this year announced an investment of Rs 10,500 crore for opening 25 stores in India, filed the final document on Monday seeking permission to open its own stores in the country after the relaxation of sourcing norms for FDI in single brand retail.
While both Sharma and Anderen, who is IKEA's Trading Area Manager for South Asia, declined to comment, official sources said the two discussed the company's plans for India.
Yesterday in Mumbai, Ikea India Country Manager Juvencio Maeztu had said that the company would take a long term holistic approach for the Indian market.
"Our goal is to have a long-term approach here and that too in a holistic way. Combining the trend and the sourcing, so we need time," he had said.
Maeztu had also said IKAE would consider creating a new product range for the Indian customers.
"India is an excellent place for us to develop a good product with our approach...May be we need to develop new functions and a product range which we don't have yet, for this market. Maybe we need to tweak the style but will never compromise with price. We will make affordable products," he had said.
Last month, the government had tweaked sourcing norms for FDI exceeding 51 per cent in single-brand retail and diluted the previous condition of sourcing 30 per cent of requirements "mandatorily" from micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in India by stating that sourcing should be done "preferably from MSMEs".
This was one of the major issues raised by IKEA while approaching the government in June with its plans to invest 1.5 billion euro (Rs 10,500 crore) in India to set up 25 stores.
Without specifying a timeline for opening its first store in India, IKEA has said that once its application is approved, it will develop a solid plan for the establishment of IKEA stores for many years to come, generating investments and new employment.
First Published: Oct 11, 2012 15:05 IST


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Award-winning butcher adds another win to string of titles
A TOOWOOMBA butcher dedicated to selling top quality local meats has been voted the best in town.
Michelle and Luke Jensen own both The Ridge Meats and Westridge Meats and residents can't get enough of their products.
As part of The Chronicle's Best Of series for 2018, Facebook readers were asked to nominate their favourite Toowoomba butcher.
It appears residents are passionate about their butchers with thousands of nominations rolling in.
The Ridge Meats and Westridge Meats came out on top, closely followed by Andrew's Meats and Ashton's Butchery.
Mrs Jensen said she was proud of the win and wanted to thank her loyal customers for taking the time to vote.
It isn't the couple's first win in the Best Of series, they also have the best pies in town, according to our readers.
The best pie title was announced late last month and since then both stores have been inundated with pie requests.
Mrs Jensen said not only were their pies popular, their steaks were also best sellers.
"We have amazing steak. Customers love our rib fillet, t-bone and rump," she said.
"Our beautiful, fresh cuts come from the Warwick and Killarney areas. Luke talks to our beef producer every week to ensure the consistency of our product.
"All this hot weather is perfect for steak and salad dinners.
"Another one of our best sellers is our lasagne.
"It's so popular my mum who makes it struggles to keep up the supply.
"The lasagne is great for people who are busy and struggle to find the time to cook a family meal.
"Just like her pies, mum's lasagnes are made from scratch with fresh produce and no packet mixes or additives."
In the past The Ridge Meats and Westridge Meats were awarded the title of Australia's best ham, even featuring on Sunrise to celebrate their win.
Have you shopped at The Ridge Meats or Westridge Meats?
This poll ended on 07 December 2018.
This is not a scientific poll. The results reflect only the opinions of those who chose to participate.
This year they were named runner-up for Queensland in the Australian Bacon Awards' short cut bacon category, and two years running they were given the title of having the best corned silverside at the EKKA.
The butcher also carved up at the Outback Sausage King Competition in June winning the most awards for any entrant in the Darling Downs region.
The website www.westridgemeats.com.au will launch next week, just in time for Christmas where customers can order products online and have it home delivered.
TOP 5 BUTCHERS
1. The Ridge Meats and Westridge Meats
2. Andrew's Meats
3. Ashton's Butchery
4. Paynes Meat Store
5. Meat at Shanes
WHAT YOU SAID
- Laura Garland: Westridge Meats and The Ridge Meats hands down. Top quality food from local producers.
- Gavin Mingay: Westridge Meats and The Ridge Meats. Perfect meat every time. Ready made meals are great for a quick dinner as well. Service is friendly and knowledgeable.
- Cheryl Orr: Westridge Meats and The Ridge Meats, a wonderful family business. Great butcher and they source local products, it does not get any better.


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Chevrolet has handed down a telling new pair of teaser images for its coming Camaro coupe, ahead of its coming debut.
Due to be unveiled on May 16, the new Camaro will evolve the look of the current facelifted version of the reborn coupe, introducing an even bolder look.
As revealed in these new teasers, along with earlier leaked shots and TMR’s own spy photos, the new Camaro will feature a sharper snout and chiseled lines as it moves to do battle with the latest Ford Mustang.
It is also known that the new Camaro will sit on the same new lightweight rear-wheel-drive architecture that features in Cadillac’s ATS and CTS models, doing away with the Zeta platform that underpinned its Australian-developed predecessor.
The new model’s unveiling may also hold extra significance for Australian fans, with GM Asia-Pacific boss Stefan Jacoby promising recently that Holden will welcome a “proper halo sports car” in the near future.
Speaking in Detroit earlier this year, Mr Jacoby said the new model would “truly fit the requirements” of a Holden sports car, and that a V8 engine will “mostly likely” feature.
We could soon see Ford’s new Mustang and Chevrolet’s new Camaro facing off right here on Australian soil - this time without the prohibitive cost of importing and converting an American-market model.
- Interested in buying CHEVROLET CAMARO? Visit our CHEVROLET CAMARO showroom for more information.


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Detroit News reports, http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/2018/01/22/iacobelli-fca-guilty-plea/109718250/ [detroitnews.com]
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV officials paid more than $1.5 million to United Auto Workers officers and employees to sway union contract negotiations, federal prosecutors said, part of a $4.5 million corruption scandal involving Detroit’s No. 3 automaker.
The accusations made Monday in a plea agreement with former FCA labor negotiator Alphons Iacobelli say for the first time in the investigation that executives’ actions were intended to corrupt UAW contract negotiations to favor Fiat Chrysler.
The plea deal suggests the corruption was more widespread than previously disclosed. It lasted for years as Fiat Chrysler officials lavished UAW labor leaders with cash payments and luxury items, including airfare, jewelry and secret $50,000 payments.
After a laundry list of other bribes and (of course) a denial by the CEO of FCA, the story continues
Iacobelli sanctioned the use of training center credit cards by UAW leaders for personal expenses in a bid to keep senior labor leaders “fat, dumb and happy,” according to a court filing.
Iacobelli is also accused of spending more than $1 million of union funds on luxury items, including his house, pool, outdoor spa and kitchen, a Ferrari and the two limited-edition, gold Montblanc fountain pens.
Has anyone else (besides the Feds) noticed how easy the UAW contract negotiations have been going since the great recession?


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Thomas Friedman warns that in bailing out Detroit’s automakers, the U.S. government is doing “the equivalent of pouring billions of dollars of taxpayer money into the mail-order catalog business on the eve of the birth of E-bay.” I am not crazy about the analogy (I poured some of my hard-earned money into buying on ebay what turned out to be defective fountain pens.) But Friedman’s point is still well taken. In today’s industry, the pace of innovation has speeded up wildly-- quantitative change morphs instantly into qualitative (it’s called leapfrogging)--and so funding quantitative changes in the U.S. auto business may simply delay rather than prevent its collapse.
But what’s the alternative? Friedman cites the example of Better Place, a Palo Alto company that constructs networks of battery-charging stations for electric cars. Drivers would pay for electricity the way they now pay for cell phone minutes. It’s an interesting idea, and as Friedman notes, several countries, plus the state of Hawaii, have decided on pilot programs. And it may work, or it may not catch on, like those one-wheeled scooters--I can’t even remember their name--that were supposed to transform urban transportation. But it’s worth thinking about qualitative change like this in designing the auto bailout--and not simply settling for rules that govern executive pay or even gas mileage.
And Friedman’s column is not an argument against government getting in the auto business. If anything, it’s the opposite. If you look at the example of Better Place’s product, it is going to get tested because Japan, Israel, Denmark, and Hawaii are going to put government money into it, along with interested car companies like Renault and Nissan. (American companies predictably took a pass.) So it’s not a question of keeping government out and letting the market decide. But it is a question of putting money into a domestic industry that is capable of leapfrogging. And that’s the question that Congress should be asking about the American auto companies.
I’m no expert on the subject, but it seems to me that in the last fifty years the best-known innovator in the American car business was Lee Iacocca. Iacocca excelled at marketing mediocre cars--his original claim to fame was the Ford Mustang. And that’s been the story of the American auto industry over the last fifty years. So as Congress designs a bailout, it has to think about how it can prod Detroit to embrace a culture of innovation. Are the current CEOs ready to do so? Iacocca has urged not changing “coaches in the middle of a game,” but it seems to me, especially in the case of General Motors, that we are talking about people who have already had many losing seasons.
Update of Sorts: I have to commend the comment by Rhubarbs below. He writes,"There are two things of which we can be reasonably certain regarding the future of the automotive industry: The gasoline-burning internal combustion engine is on the way out, and whoever brings to market whatever successor power train eventually achieves ubiquity will be bankrupt and out of business long before seeing his innovation win."
This is very funny and also probably dead-on. I did a story in 1991 on John Sculley at Apple, and at the time he was touting a new device--a personal digital assistance to be called the "Newton." It didn't work worth a damn, and helped cost Sculley his job, but within five years, every hotshot consumer had to have a Palm.
--John B. Judis


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- Business Insider•4 hours ago
Want a taste of some 90's early internet nostalgia? For $45, this T-shirt featuring AOL's classic...
- American City Business Journals•11 days ago
Technology job growth in Silicon Valley took a dive in 2016, but other metros like Austin, Seattle and Toronto are positioned to take up the slack. Tech firms added 26,700 new jobs to the nine-county Bay Area in 2016, according to an analysis by The Mercury News , citing figures released by state labor officials and Beacon Economics . The tech industry’s 3.5 percent growth in 2016 is still considered solid, outpacing total job growth of 2.6 percent across all industries in the Bay Area.
- American City Business Journals•last month
Data continues to roll in illustrating just how quiet 2016 was for investors and startups alike. The latest report comes from Crunchbase. According to data provider PitchBook , venture capitalists across the U.S. put roughly $67.8 billion (a 15 percent decrease from 2015) into startups for a total of 7,841 deals.
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Good news: A savvy and patriotic entrepreneur has finally solved the problem that’s been vexing troubled car dealers across the country. So what was the trick for convincing cash-strapped consumers that now is the time to buy a big ol’ American truck? Three simple words: Free Assault Rifle.
“A Missouri car dealer has taken a novel approach to combating the fall in US vehicle sales by offering a free Kalashnikov assault rifle with every truck, whether new or used. Mark Muller, whose business slogan is “God, Guns, Guts, and American Pick-Up Trucks”, said he had been overwhelmed by the response.
‘It’s extremely successful. There is a lot of worry about crime, we have a methamphetamine problem around here and people just want to protect themselves,’ said the boss of Max Motors near Kansas City. ‘And what could be better than supporting American products in these troubled times?’”
All you fancy Madison Avenue ad execs should slapping your foreheads right now. It’s like: DUH!
The big auto companies have been spending gobs of cash on marketing efforts to rebuild “trust” in their brands and all kinds of warm,fuzzy bullshit like that… but obviously the best way to make people start buying cars again is to bribe them with guns (lap dances would probably also work well). Somebody should make sure that Obama’s “car czar” gets the memo on this (He can file it in the “stuff only white people would try to get away with” section).
Anyway, we all know that any time anything is successful, the imitators can’t be far behind. I’m guessing it won’t be long until we see similar deals popping up all over the place. Don’t be surprised if you see one of these offers coming soon to a storefront near you…


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Mobile messaging app Hike announced Wednesday that Hike users are exchanging over one billion messages per day, or 30 billion messages per month.
This number has grown by 50 percent since the previous announcement of 20 billion messages exchanged in August this year, the company said in a statement, in which it claimed a user base of over 70 million in the country.
"We are now doing over a billion messages per day. That is no small feat. We got there quicker than we expected. It is incredible how well Hike 4.0 is doing. The year still is not over and there is a lot still more to come. Stay tuned," said Kavin Bharti Mittal, Founder and CEO, Hike.
The latest version has features like automatic sticker suggestions and Hike direct, which allows users to chat and share files without internet. It also has 500-member group-chat with multi-admins, free group calling with up to 100 people, news in English and Hindi, coupons from over 100 brands and special photo filters and doodles.
Hike's apps are available for Android users on Google Play and for iOS on the App Store. The chat application has localised features, which are developed keeping in mind the infrastructural and cultural requirements of the users. On an average, a user spends over 140 minutes per week on Hike, the company said, with over 90 percent of its users being under age 25.


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KINGSPORT, Tenn. – Nov. 12, 2019 – Regions Bank on Tuesday announced the opening of its new flagship branch for the Kingsport area.
Regions leadership, along with representatives of the City of Kingsport and the Kingsport Chamber, broke ground on the branch in May 2019, following the sale of Regions’ previous Broad Street facility to the city. The new Regions location is at the intersection of West Center and Clinchfield Streets, less than half a mile away.
“I’m sure that the citizens of Kingsport join me in congratulating Regions Bank on remaining in Kingsport and opening their new location on Center Street,” said Col. Patrick Shull, Mayor of Kingsport. “We value Regions’ presence in Kingsport as a great community partner and a solid choice for citizens using banking services.”
U.S. Representative Phil Roe added, “It’s great to see Regions Bank is opening its doors at their new facility in Kingsport. I am hopeful this facility will help Regions continue their mission to serve customers in East Tennessee with excellent service.”
Personal service from local bankers is at the heart of the new branch’s design. The branch also features updated technology designed to make banking easier, more convenient and more accessible.
We look forward to working with our longtime customers – and welcoming new ones – at this incredible facility.
David Crockett, Tri-Cities Market Executive for Regions
“Regions Bank is committed to serving the people and businesses of Kingsport, and we are proud to build on our investments in the Tri-Cities with this modern location,” said David Crockett, Tri-Cities Market Executive for Regions. “This location combines the best in personal service with the latest in technology, offering a more meaningful experience for our customers. We look forward to working with our longtime customers – and welcoming new ones – at this incredible facility.”
The open design of the branch does not include a traditional teller line. Instead of waiting to be called to a counter, when people walk into the branch, they are greeted face-to-face by a local Regions banker. In addition to helping people with general transactions, each banker at the Kingsport location can help customers with in-depth needs, such as planning budgets, analyzing financial options and creating a personalized roadmap designed to help people accomplish their financial objectives.
“Our Kingsport branch is focused on providing both a convenient and comprehensive banking experience,” said Melanie Blank, Tennessee Consumer Banking Executive for Regions. “Whether our customers want to conduct a quick and simple transaction, or if they need to take the time to have a deeper conversation about their long-term goals, our local team is ready to help.”
In addition to local personnel, the branch becomes the first Tri-Cities Regions location to offer Regions Video Banking ATMs. These are multi-purpose machines that not only dispense cash – they also can accept deposits of cash or checks and facilitate funds transfers around the clock. Further, the machines give customers the choice to connect with a Regions Video Banker via live, two-way video for personal service.
Along with processing most general transactions, Regions Video Bankers help customers with account maintenance, bill-payment needs, and general inquiries. Regions Video Bankers are available on weekdays from 8 a.m. – 9 p.m. ET. They are also available on Saturdays from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sundays from noon – 6 p.m. and during most holidays.
The branch includes one Video Banking ATM in the drive-through, along with two traditional ATMs. There is also one walk-up Video Banking ATM in the foyer. The foyer is accessible after-hours by scanning a debit or credit card with a magnetic stripe for entry.
Regions will partner with the City of Kingsport and the Kingsport Chamber for a ribbon-cutting celebration Dec. 11 at 4:30 p.m. The branch will host a grand opening celebration for the public Jan. 10 beginning at 9 a.m. with a piggy bank giveaway while supplies last and additional activities.
“Regions Bank has been a longtime Kingsport Chamber Member and supporter of this community,” said Miles Burdine, President and CEO of the Kingsport Chamber. “We appreciate that they have chosen to continue their investment in our city through the opening of their new downtown Kingsport location. We look forward to continuing our partnership and celebrating this new, state-of-the-art facility.”


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Beauty of an extended Beast
15 January 2021
Reporter: David Upton
St Helens Theatre Royal is extending the online version of its socially distanced production of Beauty and the Beast until the end of January, available to purchase and watch.
It recently ran from December 11 and was due to finish on January 3, but was forced to close December 30.
The theatre has now extended the online run to allow parents to treat their family.
Theatre Royal was one of a few venues across the UK that opened its doors for a Christmas pantomime after being closed for nine months. The show proved to be a popular choice and was praised by audience members and critics.


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LevelUp merchants get another marketing tool in iBeacon support
When LevelUp hosted an open house last month in its new downtown Boston office, the mobile payment and loyalty provider was in the middle of testing Bluetooth Low Energy technology, specifically Apple’s iBeacon.
LevelUp’s engineers plugged a beacon into a hallway outlet and taped a note on the device warning others not to remove it. An executive at the time revealed the company was testing iBeacon, but did not have anything further to reveal.
Today, LevelUp officially launched iBeacon support for its partners interested in using it in their stores and revealed some use-case statistics that could boost the technology’s standing with merchants.
LevelUp quietly launched its iBeacon program in early May and claimed that in 30 days, participating businesses saw a 22-percent increase in customers’ spend either through the LevelUp app or apps built on the company’s platform.
Lapsed LevelUp users, those who have not used the app to pay at a merchant for more than 30 days, increased their rate of purchases 63 percent following iBeacon integration.
“By analyzing data from hundreds of our merchant partners, we’ve found customers to typically spend up to 60 percent more than average when they know they’re about to unlock a loyalty reward,” Seth Priebatsch, LevelUp’s CEO, said in a statement. “Building iBeacon support into apps built on the LevelUp platform will help customers stay apprised of their upcoming rewards and help businesses earn more through their loyalty programs.”
Apple introduced iBeacon in an iOS update last year. PayPal announced plans for its Beacon program around the same time. Merchant can use BLE to ping customers’ smartphones within range of a beacon device with notifications for coupons, announcements and other loyalty offers.
LevelUp has installed beacons at 50 merchants and plans to have 1,000 more businesses equipped with the devices by the end of the summer. Some 14,000 business locations currently accept LevelUp.
“Brick-and-mortar businesses used to lack the intelligent tools of e-commerce giants like Amazon,” Priebatsch said in a statement. “Mobile payments have enabled local businesses to track customer spend and deliver unique offers to individual customers like never before. Now with iBeacon functionality, businesses using LevelUp can also communicate with customers during their crucial decision-making process.”
LevelUp’s support for iBeacon falls in line with a use case industry observers believe will help boost BLE’s prominence with merchants: loyalty and marketing schemes.
“Is it really about marketing right now? I would say yes,” James Wester, research director of global payments for IDC Financial Insights, told Mobile Payments Today in a recent interview. “The primary use for [BLE] is finding a way to send a message and link to a consumer when they’re within a reasonable distance from the beacon, a point where they are likely to act on something. And that’s a very cool thing.”
Wester and others do not believe BLE should be viewed as a replacement for current emerging technologies such as NFC or EMV. Instead, BLE is intended to act as a complementary tool to the in-store shopping experience.
“BLE should be perceived as an exciting new enabling technology that has the ability to affect many aspects of the retail customer experience,” Erik Vlugt, VeriFone’s vice president of product marketing, wrote in a white paper late last year. “BLE can be the enabler for a number of ways to interact and pay in the store, but it is unlikely to instantly replace any existing technology.”
LevelUp did not reveal in the press release any future plans for BLE outside loyalty and marketing efforts. The company was unable to make an executive available to Mobile Payments Today.
Should a BLE payment option emerge with LevelUp, it could look something like what PayPal introduced last year with PayPal Beacon.
“When it comes to payments [and BLE], the idea would be to link that proximity with any number of services that would be payment related,” Wester said. “If you come in right now, we’ll have something ready for you, just pick it up and go. You can also have something for people to make it easy to purchase without thinking about it. That process for pulling cash or pulling a card out of your wallet is a point at which consumers are really thinking about the purchase. And as a merchant, you want that.”
Photo courtesy of Jonathan Nalder.
Will Hernandez Will Hernandez has 14 years of experience ranging from newspapers to wire services and trade publications. Before becoming Editor of MobilePaymentsToday.com, he spent two years as the content manager for PaymentsJournal.com, a leading payments industry news aggregator and information hub published by Mercator Advisory Group. Will spent four years covering the payments industry as an associate editor for multiple publications in SourceMedia's Payments Group based in Chicago.


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A clothing store that’s unique to the area will soon open at the Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley, according to a news release from the Upper Saucon Township lifestyle center.
The Promenade Shops announced Monday that All Weather Selvedge Denim Co. (AW), which will be located in Suite 608 next to Evolve Salon & Spa, will open later this summer.
All Weather Selvedge Denim Co. was founded in 2016 by Andre Williams, a Parkland High School graduate and former NFL running back who played for the New York Giants and the Los Angeles Chargers.
The news release said Williams, 28, founded the business “in order to fill the void in the market for athletically-built denim jeans using the latest selvedge fabric developments Japan has to offer.”
Selvedge denim is a “higher-quality, harder-to-produce type of denim that is typically sold and worn unwashed,” according to the website DenimHunters.com, which notes that the word selvedge is a corruption of the term self-edge. “You can spot it on the cuffs of jeans. The selvedge in denim is usually white and often has a colored yarn in the middle.”
“AW aims to usher clothing, mankind’s oldest technology, into the modern era by creating a circular supply chain in which we share an intimate and enduring relationship with our clothing and the customers who enjoy our products in order to foster a sustainable fashion future,” the Promenade Shops news release explained.
It quoted Williams calling the opening of an AW Selvedge store in the Promenade Shops “an honor.”
“I look forward to crafting a unique shopping experience and providing customers with top shelf denim products for all occasions,” Williams said.
Visit The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley at ThePromenadeShopsatSauconValley.com for more information.


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The man who declared war on Disneyland just opened the world’s largest indoor ski resort. And now he’s being forced to sell it.
As the South China Morning Post reports, Wanda City, the $6 billion resort development built by China’s wealthiest tycoon Wang Jianlin, opened for business two weeks ago. The resort, which, at 1.6 square kilometres, is the world’s largest indoor ski park.
Now, it’s being sold along with the company’s other theme-park related holdings as Wanda Group seeks to pay down some of its enormous debt burden, which has recently attracted the scrutiny of Chinese authorities. The push into theme parks, part of the conglomerates debt-fueled global shopping spree involving several entertainment businesses, was partly an issue of national pride for Wang. When Disneyland Shanghai opened last year, drawing enormous crowds, Wang angrily declared ‘the frenzy of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck and blindly following them is over,’ according to the New York Times, and vowed that his theme parks would be even more successful.
This post was published at Zero Hedge on Jul 10, 2017.


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UPDATE 1-Altera lifts Q1 sales view on firm China 3G demand
* Sees Q1 sales down 15-20 percent sequentially
* Previously expected 15-25 percent decline
* Cites stronger-than-expected China 3G demand
* Shares rise 2.3 percent after hours
NEW YORK, March 2 (Reuters) - Programmable chipmaker Altera Corp (ALTR.O) said on Monday first-quarter sales would decline by a more moderate percentage than it previously expected thanks to demand for next-generation wireless equipment in China.
The company, which competes with Xilinx Inc (XLNX.O) in providing chips to telecommunications and other industries, forecast first-quarter sales to fall 15 percent to 20 percent from the fourth quarter, compared to its previous forecast for a 15 percent to 25 percent decline.
The improved outlook was "largely attributable to better than expected" demand for products for China's 3G wireless networks, Altera said.
Altera, whose customers include Cisco Systems Inc (CSCO.O) and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930.KS), reported in January stronger-than-expected, fourth-quarter profit.
Shares rose 2.3 percent in after-hours trade to $14.89 after closing at $14.56 in the Nasdaq. (Reporting by Ritsuko Ando, editing by Leslie Gevirtz)
- First Ebola case diagnosed in the United States: CDC |
- Advanced iOS virus targeting Hong Kong protestors -security firm
- Traveler from Liberia is first Ebola patient diagnosed in U.S. |
- Hong Kong democracy protesters and officials mark uneasy National Day |
- Mayor of Los Angeles suburb of Bell Gardens shot dead


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All 30 of Sprouts Farmers Market’s locations there will participate in a “Taste of Colorado” celebrating farmers and brands that call the Centennial State home.
The event on Saturday, Aug. 6, will feature local goods from vendors such as DiSanti Farms, Boulder Organic Ice Cream, Talbott’s Mountain Gold, Hirakata Farms, Rice Family Honey, Williams Orchards and Motherlode Provision.
“Sprouts supports local Colorado brands as part of its commitment to being a good neighbor,” the company said in a press release. “At Sprouts, local products are defined as being made, grown or produced in the state or within 500 miles.”
Phoenix-based Sprouts operates more than 230 stores in 13 states.
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Mariela Ure is SVP Hispanic segment strategy lead for Enterprise Marketing at Wells Fargo. She is responsible for leading the company’s efforts in delivering products and services that meet the needs of the rapidly growing Hispanic market. Mariela oversees segment-specific strategies, the development of business and marketing plans, and defines the company’s priorities to maximize service to Hispanic communities nationwide. Wells Fargo recently partnered with Telemundo for the “Conversemos de tus Finanzas” Campaign. Ure talked to Portada about the details of the “Conversemos de tus Finanzas” effort as well as about other Wells Fargo initiatives in the sports marketing realm.
Portada: Can you please explain the different elements of the Telemundo “Conversemos de Tus Finanzas” campaign? What media was used, what content marketing and PR effort?
Mariela Ure, SVP and Hispanic Segment Strategy Lead, Wells Fargo: “I’m excited to share that Wells Fargo recently collaborated with Network Telemundo for the “Conversemos de tus Finanzas” – a financial literacy campaign specifically designed to empower Hispanics and help them reach their financial goals. The campaign includes informational vignettes and customized content on money management and credit featuring “Un Nuevo Día” hosts Rashel Diaz and Diego Schoening. The campaign is anchored by custom segments on “Un Nuevo Día,”sponsored financial segments on “Al Rojo Vivo” and “Noticiero Telemundo,” social media engagement and a dedicated online page with 30-second web spots hosted on Telemundo.com’s finance section. Wells Fargo also offers online resources, including Mi Guia Financiera and El Futuro en Tus Manos, that provide tools and resources on how to create a budget, manage finances, obtain and build credit, and more. The marketing and public relations efforts supporting the program include a public awareness campaign that includes national trade and consumer media outreach, an audio news release in key Hispanic markets and an amplified social media conversation through a blogger influencer program.”
What agencies (creative, media and PR) were involved in the effort?
M.U.: “All creative materials for the platform were created by Telemundo with the guidance of Wells Fargo’s advertising team and Hispanic agency, Acento. The campaign was supported by public relations efforts led by Wells Fargo’s communications team and multicultural public relations agency Golin in collaboration with the Enterprise Hispanic Segment strategy team.”
What have been the results so far?
M.U.: “While we still have a bit to go before the collaboration ends, we are seeing great results across the board. We know our customers are benefiting from this collaboration and the tools and resources we are providing is what matters most to us.”
Has there been an uptick in the amount of visits to Wells Fargo’s Spanish-language site?
M.U.: “We have yet to finalize the results as the campaign is still in progress. However, our intent is to monitor the success of the campaign through all channels – mainly engagement with the tailored content on Telemundo.com’s finance page and through social media conversations. Our overall goal with this effort is to focus on helping the community have greater access to helpful and relevant content regarding their finances. We want to empower the Latino community to feel informed and prepared to enhance their financial health and reach their goals.”
How has the Wells Fargo Social Media Team worked around the “Conversemos de Tus Finanzas Campaign?”
M.U.: “The Wells Fargo social media team focused their efforts on engaging and partnering with Hispanic social influencers and bloggers to help amplify the social media conversation.The collaboration was also supported through Telemundo’s social media platforms including Telemundo’s Twitter pages and Rashel Diaz and Diego Schoening’s Twitter pages – mainly through a series of posts bringing awareness to the launch of the campaign.”
Our social media team focused their efforts on engaging and partnering with Hispanic social influencers and bloggers.
You are active in sports marketing, particularly in soccer? What are your latest plans in terms of sponsorships of major events?
M.U.:“Earlier this year, we announced a major sponsorship with the Mexican National Team and Major League Soccer (MLS). Soccer is a growing sport in the U.S. with a dedicated fan base. Wells Fargo is proud to support MLS, the Mexican National Team and the ‘beautiful game’ of soccer. We believe this is an incredible opportunity to connect with local communities and soccer fans across the country to share Wells Fargo’s passion for their financial success, as well as the sport of soccer. Interest and participation in soccer in the United States has been on a steady increase over the past 15 years. Not only have we seen a growth in participation in the sport in almost every metro market through youth and adult leagues, but due to recent broadcast deals and team expansion within MLS, the U.S. soccer fan now has direct access to more professional soccer than ever before. Major League Soccer, our country’s premier professional league, is leading much of this growth through team expansion and helping to support growth of the game at the grassroots level.”
With the arrival of the millennial generation and the growing Hispanic population – soccer and MLS represent an unrivaled opportunity.
How do you measure ROI of your sports marketing sponsorships?
M.U.: “For commercial partners such as Wells Fargo, we feel that the league offers us opportunities to engage with our customers and employees by sharing in the passion we collectively feel for the game. Additionally, with our country’s changing demographics – the arrival of the millennial generation of consumers and the growing Hispanic population – soccer and MLS represent an unrivaled opportunity for companies looking to market product and services to these fans.”


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Call it Star Wars burnout, or better yet “movie fatigue.”
It’s the debut of the first new type of natural chocolate in more than 80 years.
The Swedish retailer says the hire is proof that its commitment to inclusiveness is genuine.
Profit will be down as Tiffany invests more in tech.
Moutai’s baijiu’s special manufacturing process puts limits on its production
You have to be one of these 4,000 people to get one.
The packets have a solution that neutralizes opioids.
Nestle’s BabyRuth, Butterfinger, and Crunch have underperformed rivals for years.


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PLASTIC Free July is a campaign that started in 2011 in WA with a simple aim – to refuse single-use plastic during the month of July.
Since then, the campaign has spread around Australia and gone worldwide.
Just this month, both Woolworths and Coles have announced that they will be phasing out single-use plastic bags over the next 12 months.
The tide is turning as people become more aware of the damage plastic is doing to our environment and that it can not continue unchecked.
All plastic that has ever been made, is still in existence today.
Australians on average use 100kg of plastic packaging a year per household.
Local family, the Smiths, have made a commitment for the month of July not to use any single-use plastic.
The family were already using their own shopping bags but the campaign really made them aware of how much plastic we buy on a daily basis.
Food storage, especially when out and about, made the Smiths get creative.
Jess told News Of The Area, “The challenge has seen us make huge changes. We now take our own mugs to coffee shops; we have reusable cutlery with us; take our own containers to the butchers and use reusable storage or beeswax wraps for our food.”
The family also purchase their pantry foods and fresh produce through a local food co-operative in a further effort to reduce packaging waste.
Jess also explained that they no longer use plastic bin liners or use a plastic bag but instead use the bin and wash it out daily or line it with newspaper.
Beeswax wraps can be quite a large initial expense but other alternatives can be utilised, such as steel lunch boxes or silicone sandwich wraps.
The website www.plasticfreejuly.org offers lots of ideas and suggestions of alternatives to plastic for cleaning, cooking, food storage, personal care, pet care and shopping.
Plastic Free July can become plastic free all year round.
Choose to re-use!
By Sarah STOKES


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A 19th-century casket maker, John Hillenbrand never could have imagined the day that the company he started would grow into a Tri-State manufacturing giant, or that it would buy out another Cincinnati business giant in an estimated $2 billion deal.
Now Hillenbrand Inc., which started building wooden caskets in Batesville, Indiana, in 1906, is buying Milacron Holdings Corp., founded in 1860 as one of Cincinnati’s legacy machine-tool makers, the companies announced Friday. Both have become world leaders in plastics - Hillenbrand in manufacturing and Milacron in processing.
The combined company said it expects to generate annual revenues of approximately $3 billion and free cash flow of greater than $325 million by 2021.
The companies also announced they would try to eliminate $50 million in combined corporate costs in the three years after the deal. That could mean job eliminations, but the companies did not offer specifics on job cuts in their regulatory filings.
The agreement calls for Milacron stockholders to receive $11.80 in cash and a fixed exchange ratio of 0.1612 shares of Hillenbrand common stock for each share of Milacron common stock they own. Based on Hillenbrand's Thursday closing price, the implied cash and stock consideration for Milacron stockholders is $18.07 per share, representing a 34% premium to Milacron's Thursday closing stock price and a 38% premium to Milacron's 30-day volume-weighted average price, according to a release.
The deal includes including net debt of approximately $686 million as of March 31, 2019.
Upon closing, Hillenbrand shareholders will own 84% of the combined company, and Milacron stockholders will own 16%.
Both companies have taken great leaps in diversifying over the years, though Hillenbrand still owns the original Batesville Casket Company that John Hillenbrand purchased in 1906.
Milacron began as the Cincinnati Milling Machine Company and became the country's largest machine tool builder by the mid 1920s. In the 1970s, it was reincorporated Milacron. Now Milacron machines make dozens of plastic products.
According to a release, acquiring Milacron “represents a pivotal step in Hillenbrand's vision to become a world-class global diversified industrial company by adding new strategic businesses in hot runner systems and injection molding to Hillenbrand's portfolio through Milacron's leading brands, including Mold-Masters and Milacron injection molding.”
Likewise, Milacron manufactures, distributes, and services engineered and customized systems in the approximately $30 billion plastics technology and processing industry, as well as fluid technologies and processing systems, according to a release.
The transaction is expected to close in the first calendar quarter of 2020.
The company CEOs issued the following separate statements:
From Hillenbrand's Joe Raver:
“This transaction meaningfully transforms our portfolio and product offering by adding Milacron’s leading technology solutions and sizable installed customer base to help us drive long-term growth. Milacron aligns with our profitable growth strategy and acquisition framework and we expect the additional capabilities from its high-performing segments to accelerate free cash flow generation and improve margins across the business. I have great respect for Milacron’s talented employees and look forward to welcoming them to Hillenbrand as we embark on this next step in our strategy and create enhanced value for our shareholders, customers, employees, and communities.”
From Milacron's Tom Goeke:
“After careful review, our Board unanimously concluded that a combination with Hillenbrand represents a unique opportunity to provide Milacron stockholders with significant and immediate value and the ability to benefit from the upside potential of the combined company. Hillenbrand has a tremendous track record of growing and driving value across its portfolio of highly engineered products. Together, we will continue to provide customers with breakthrough products and customized systems. This combination is a result of the Milacron team’s tremendous progress in enhancing our position as a global leader in plastics technology and processing. I am confident we have found a strong partner in Hillenbrand and look forward to a seamless transition.”


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Oct 9 - New York State's financial watchdog says New York based Wall Street firms are set to earn $15 billion this year, which is double 2011 figures.
The daily digit on this Tuesday is $15 billion. This is how much the New York securities industry is expected to earn by the end of this year, according to New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. In his annual report, DiNapoli says New York's branch of Wall Street has already made a big chunk of that sum, but it is still grappling with the fallout from the financial crisis, new regulations and slow economic recovery. So a repeat from last year may be in the cards. In 2011, the industry made a lot of money in the first half, but later lost a lot due to the European crisis. Ultimately, making half of what is expected this year. DiNapoli's report also says that the New York securities industry has been losing thousands of jobs by the month, and it will take time to reach "the new normal." SOUNDBITE: NEW YORK STATE COMPTROLLER THOMAS DINAPOLI (ENGLISH) SAYING: "Until we see more of the impact of regulatory reform, until we see what happens with Europe and with the Chinese economy, let alone what's happening with this economy; until the elections are over - we get a sense of who the players are - whether that will mean there will be any change. I think the Street is always smart about making money and making adjustments. I think that's the main message of our report. It's an industry still in transition. Where it's all going to end up we are not sure." So for now, $15 billion is the estimate to watch. Conway Gittens, Reuters


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A recent press release from the Scottish Government has reassured rural Scotland that the CAP payment system will soon be working at full capacity.
Like many others, we took up the invitation to visit Saughton House for a behind the scenes look at the CAP System progress as it happened.
Much like the CAP system, the event was not quite what we expected.
“Apparently this is our last hope for successful delivery of the system. If this fails, we’re dead in the water. Blitzed, sunk – put it any way you like, but absolutely stone feckin dead!”
“That’s not what we told him,” a short, fat manager with a bright red face and trousers that are too long for his legs told us.
“We told him we’ve asked another company to come in and fix the system and effect a knowledge transfer.”
“Another company. Oh, not another one. We’re still paying the first other company and he’s gone. But we’re still feckin paying him.” The executive came up for air briefly.
“Ignore him,” the little man continued, “he’s just having a bad day!”
“We’re all having a feckin bad day!” The wailing continued, “it’s alright for you. I’ve got to walk home past farmers. And they’ve got tools you know.”
The glass was topped up from the bottle.


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Hong Kong’s position as a global financial heavyweight has long been secure. The city-state’s commitment to free market principles has seen it evolve from a mercantile shipping hub into a thriving, service-orientated economy. The adoption of the ‘one country, two systems’ principle in 1997 has allowed Hong Kong to retain its economic freedom while also acting as a gateway to the rapidly growing Chinese market.
The international success of its stock exchange is even more impressive: as of the end of 2017, Hong Kong had more than 2,000 listed companies, a total market capitalisation (see Fig 1) of HKD 34trn ($4.34trn) and had been named as the number one global IPO venue for five of the previous nine years. Last year, however, that coveted top spot was taken by New York, while Hong Kong had to settle for third place, behind Asian rival Shanghai.
In fact, the total funds raised on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (SEHK) in 2017 amounted to just $35bn, a 15 percent fall when compared with the previous year. This can be partly explained by competition between stock exchanges being fiercer than ever; globalisation and technological development have encouraged businesses to seek public capital in international exchanges instead of their domestic markets.
Costs, access to a particular investor community and increased liquidity are all factors that determine a company’s decision to list on a particular exchange but, increasingly, regulatory issues also play a part. Late last year, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX), the official operator of the city’s stock exchange, announced it had begun drafting rule changes that would allow for dual-class share listings, bringing the exchange in line with New York.
While international competition makes it more difficult than ever for one market to hold more stringent rules than another, the loosening of regulations around dual-class shares has raised concerns among corporate governance advocates. The move may encourage business owners to choose Hong Kong over New York, but minority investors could be the ones losing out.
The root of Hong Kong’s decision can be traced back to September 19, 2014, when Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba decided to host its IPO on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). By the time the IPO had concluded, the company had raised a staggering $25bn – still, to this day, the largest IPO ever conducted. As cheers rang out in Alibaba’s business headquarters in Hangzhou and across the New York trading floor, the reaction in Hong Kong was very different.
The loosening of regulations around dual-class shares has raised concerns among corporate governance advocates
HKEX CEO Charles Li had already faced criticism for focusing on commodity firms rather than technology-orientated ones, and now he stood accused of letting New York waltz in and steal the most valuable listing of all time. What’s more, Alibaba made it clear that, although the IPO was a runaway success, in different circumstances it would have preferred to be listed in Hong Kong.
The reason New York eventually came out on top was Alibaba’s insistence on a dual-class listing, which would allow its 28 partners to retain majority control of the board despite only owning around 13 percent of the company. Although this practice has been allowed on the NYSE since the 1980s, Hong Kong has stuck rigidly to the ‘one share, one vote’ principle. Aurelio Gurrea-Martínez, a fellow in Corporate Governance and Capital Markets at Harvard Law School, believes dual-class shares, while not necessarily harmful, are open to abuse.
“Through the use of dual-class share structures, some shareholders (usually the company’s founder and its top executives) are able to pursue their vision and enjoy the full benefits of control without paying for this privilege,” Gurrea-Martínez explained. “They become what many authors call ‘controlling minority shareholders’. This means that not only will they run the company as they see fit (sometimes for their own interest or portfolio, and not for the interests of the shareholders as a whole), they will also enjoy the private benefits of control.”
Hong Kong may have resisted the pressure to match New York’s more relaxed approach to stock market regulations until now, but it wasn’t for want of trying. At the time of the Alibaba IPO, a committee that had been formed to review SEHK rules was split on whether to make an exception for the e-commerce giant. Ultimately, it decided waiving the regulations to accommodate a single company would damage the exchange’s reputation. Further, formalising a rule change to allow dual-class shares is not a quick process and, as Hong Kong deliberated, New York stepped in.
“The question Hong Kong must address is whether it is ready to look forward as the rest of the world passes it by,” Alibaba Executive Vice Chairman Joseph Tsai wrote in a blog post in 2013, ahead of the company’s record-breaking IPO. “As a company with most of our business in China, it was natural for Hong Kong to be our first choice.”
Total value of funds raised by SEHK (2017)
Value of China Literature’s IPO on SEHK (2017)
Value of Alibaba’s record-breaking IPO
Following Alibaba’s decision, a number of other Chinese technology firms have looked elsewhere for their IPO listing. Just three percent of listings by market value on the SEHK have been ‘new economy’ companies in the last 10 years, compared with 47 percent on the NYSE. Similarly, nine of the 10 largest IPOs conducted by Chinese digital firms have been in the US.
Although dual-class shares – or weighted voting rights, as they are sometimes known – have been around for decades, they have experienced a surge in popularity as the digital economy has taken off. Dual-class shares are particularly popular with technology firms, as they give entrepreneurs the freedom to pursue their unique, singular vision without having to seek approval from other investors. What’s more, many digital companies decide to go public before they have become profitable. In this case, the kind of long-term strategy likely to be implemented by a company founder is preferable to investors seeking short-term returns.
“On average, the founders of young tech companies are more likely to add value than their peers in mature companies with a more traditional business,” Gurrea-Martínez explained. “That’s why most companies with dual-class shares are tech companies or start-ups with a novel product or idea.”
In order to attract this new breed of company, the SEHK has finally decided to join the likes of the US, Brazil and Canada in relaxing its rules on dual-class shares. Hong Kong’s decision will not have been taken lightly, with Gurrea-Martínez noting that “many institutional investors have already shown their concerns about the reform”, but the move has been welcomed in some quarters. Speaking earlier this year, Alibaba founder Jack Ma revealed the e-commerce firm would now consider listing its subsidiaries in Hong Kong as a direct result of the rule change.
Getting back in front
When deciding whether to change the regulations surrounding dual-class shares, the SEHK had to carefully weigh up the pros and cons. The loosening of rules could help to attract the new digital firms that make up an increasingly large proportion of the global economy, but could also damage overall trust in the exchange, making it more difficult to attract IPOs from other industries. Further, there are other issues – beyond weighted voting rights – that tech companies consider when deciding where to list. “The liquidity and depth of the stock exchange are crucial factors,” Gurrea-Martínez said. “As is the reputation, qualification and independence of the regulator.”
Even as Hong Kong moves to lift the ban on dual-class shares, the city-state knows better than to get involved in a regulatory race to the bottom
The fact Hong Kong was able to become one of the world’s leading financial hubs, despite banning dual-class shares for more than three decades, suggests it already had a great deal of IPO pulling power. And it seems this pulling power was beginning to have a slow but steady effect on new economy businesses. In fact, the fourth quarter of 2017 saw a surge in tech listings on the SEHK, with China Literature’s $1.1bn IPO the largest recorded.
Despite recent successes, those in charge of the Hong Kong exchange know that competition will be fiercer than ever this year. Some of the leading lights of the Chinese tech scene – including Didi Chuxing, Tencent Music and Xiaomi – are all rumoured to be planning an IPO at some point in 2018. After missing out on Alibaba’s record-breaking IPO four years ago, it is understandable if Hong Kong feels the need to align its regulations with its competitors.
Even as Hong Kong moves to lift the ban on dual-class shares, the city-state knows better than to get involved in a regulatory race to the bottom. Gurrea-Martínez believes the SEHK is sophisticated enough to punish value-destroying founders going public with dual-class shares, but “could still implement new rules to enhance the protection of minority investors”.
These new rules are on the way: there will be restrictions on the type of companies that can issue dual-class shares, for example, and the Hong Kong Government is launching a much-needed overhaul of its auditing regulations. More safeguards may be needed as the stock exchange gets accustomed to its newfound acceptance of weighted voting rights.
If Hong Kong wants to get ahead of New York, Shanghai and the rest of the world’s top exchanges, it cannot simply follow the lead of others. It must create a regulatory framework that is right for its particular market and, crucially, one that is attractive to both billionaire tech entrepreneurs and public investors alike.


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Rs 20 Lakh Crore Economic Package With Little Government Spend
Economists see limited fiscal support to demand conditions in the economy despite the government’s Rs 20 lakh crore package.
The government’s Rs 20 lakh crore economic support package, intended to help the economy tide over the Covid-19 crisis, will involve a very small amount of direct government spending, said economists. As such, it may not be adequate to help push up demand in the economy.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman detailed the package in five tranches, the last of which was announced on Sunday. The package included liquidity measures already announced by the Reserve Bank of India, loan guarantees and increased spending on some areas such as the rural jobs guarantee programme.
The largest part of the package is over Rs 8 lakh crore in liquidity measures announced by the RBI. The government has also decided to provide 100 percent guarantee to Rs 3 lakh crore in small business loans but the immediate outgo on that scheme will be limited. In addition, it has raised the allocation to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme to over Rs 1 lakh crore. Besides that, little direct support has been provided to businesses facing a sudden stop in activity.
The package may fall short of mitigating the near-term challenges for some businesses, but it is better designed to improve India’s medium-term growth potential, said Sonal Varma, chief India economist at Nomura Global Market Research.
The government has aimed for maximum bang for minimum buck, with most of the relief either regulatory in nature or reflected in its contingent liabilities rather than explicit budgetary support. Meanwhile it has used the cover of the COVID-19 crisis to plough through long pending, politically sensitive reforms.Sonal Varma, Chief India Economist, Nomura Global Market Research
What’s The Additional Government Spend?
Most economists were watching details of the package to judge the incremental support the economy would receive as a result of higher government spending. With all five tranches detailed, the increased spending is minimal.
“The estimated fiscal impact on the budget from the five set of announcements made will be only Rs 1.5 lakh crore or 0.75 percent of GDP,” said Rahul Bajoria, chief India economist at Barclays Plc.
If the additional expenditure under the Rs 20 lakh crore package is added to the previously announced Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan package and the Rs 15,000 crore allocated for strengthening health infrastructure, the total would be around Rs 2.7 lakh crore or 1.2 percent of GDP.
Pranjul Bhandari, chief India economist at HSBC Securities, in a note said that the fiscal cost of the entire package, including announcements made by the government in March, will be Rs 2.13 lakh crore or 1 percent of GDP. “The impact of the 10 percent of GDP package on the fiscal deficit is small,” Bhandari said. She added that while a few schemes will help support the economy in the short term, most will have a medium term impact.
For the short run, the following schemes seem to be most effective -- rise in MGNREGA outlays, free food grains for the needy, loan guarantees for MSMEs and NBFCs, and breather from the IBC process. If implemented well, the following can prove powerful over the medium term -- passing laws to revitalize agriculture marketing, implementing commercial mining policy, and privatising public sector enterprises.Pranjul Bhandari, Chief India Economist, HSBC
When asked about the fiscal impact of the relief measures, particularly on this year’s budget, Finance Minister Sitharaman did not give a clear answer but said the government is making sure the money goes to the right place.
“I’d like you to look at where this money is going, whose hand it is going, for whom it is going, its going for asset creation, to create employment, to not let companies shut. We are making sure money goes to the right place,” Sitharaman said. “We are not splurging, we are spending responsibly.”
Will It Help Revive Demand?
The economic package announced by the centre is prudent and consists of measures aimed at helping the economy in the medium to long term, said NR Bhanumurthy, professor at National Institute of Public Finance and Policy. However, there should have been more measures to revive demand in the rural areas in the short term, he added.
The one step that will have a direct impact on demand is the increase in MGNREGA allocation to a little over Rs 1 lakh crore. This will help in generating work equal to 300 crore person days in total and address the employment needs of migrant workers, Sitharaman said.
However, even this record high allocation may not be enough.
Partha Chatterjee, professor at Shiv Nadar University, said that more funds, over the increased allocation, would be needed since more and more migrant workers are returning to villages. As the daily wage has been increased from Rs 182 to Rs 202, there would be about 28 percent increase in person-day that can be supported this year, Chatterjee said in an emailed statement. “If the trend of higher enrollments under the scheme continues, which is more likely as migrant workers are returning to villages, probably more funds would be needed under the scheme.”
Beyond the rural jobs guarantee scheme, economists see little immediate support to demand.
“As is clear from the fiscal math, the direct cash outgo to support immediate domestic demand remains contained. But as the lockdown eases (gradually), postponed consumption demand and inventory restocking demand could provide a growth push,” said HSBC’s Bhandari.
Madhavi Arora, economist at Edelweiss Securities, said that while medium-term reforms are imperative, a more rigorous direct fiscal push is needed to create immediate effective demand in the economy. “To gauge incremental fiscal and growth impact, we need to see if the budgeted revenue expenditure growth of 12 percent is maintained, augmented, or merely rejigged to adjust for the additional Covid spending,” Arora said.


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The pound has been given a boost this morning following the release of UK inflation figures. The annual inflation figure for March is 7%, the highest rate since 1992, with petrol and furniture showing some of the largest price increases.
Both the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer have rejected calls to resign after being fined by the police for breaking lockdown rules in 2020. Boris Johnson has become the first UK Prime Minister to be sanctioned for breaking the law.
The euro continues to struggle due to decreasing hopes that a resolution can be found to the Ukraine war soon. Tomorrow, the European Central Bank will make its latest decision on interest rates.
Data released yesterday revealed that US inflation has risen to a 40-year high due to energy prices.
Make sure any upcoming transactions are protected against the risks of sudden market movements. Secure a fixed exchange rate now with a forward contract; call your Business Trader on 020 7898 0500 to get started.
GBP: Annual inflation at 7%
The pound is slightly stronger against the euro this morning following the release of UK inflation figures.
Annual inflation came in higher-than-expected in March, increasing to 7% vs 6.2% in February. This was above predictions of 6.7% and was driven by the cost of transport, as well as furniture and household services.
Consumer price inflation rose by 1.1% month-on-month, the highest monthly inflation rate in 5 months.
Sterling has been supported by this data due to the fact that it increases expectations for further interest rate hikes from the Bank of England.
GBP/USD chart over past year
EUR: Economic sentiment lowest since March 2020
The euro is weak against the pound and the dollar this morning, due to waning hopes that a resolution will be found to the Ukraine conflict anytime soon.
Economic sentiment figures for Germany came in yesterday, showing that expectations and assessments of the economy by analysts are currently similar to those at the beginning of the pandemic. It is a similar story for the eurozone as a whole, with analysts expressing concern about the economic impact of the war in Ukraine.
Tomorrow, the European Central Bank will hold its latest decision on interest rates. Whilst the rate is expected to stay the same, the markets will be listening for any comments from officials.
USD: US annual inflation highest since 1981
Inflation figures for the US were released yesterday, with the annual inflation rate accelerating to 8.5% in March, the highest since December of 1981 from 7.9% in February and compared with market forecasts of 8.4%.
This was driven by energy prices and food prices, which jumped 8.8% – the most since 1981. The dollar weakened on news of high inflation, possibly because expectations for high inflation and aggressive action from the Federal Reserve have reached their peak.
Tomorrow, retail sales and consumer sentiment figures will be released for the US.


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After facing a disturbingly soft advertising-sales market in the first half of 2014, TV programmers had hoped for a rebound this fall.
That's not going to happen, according to leading ad-sales executives and media-investment analysts.
On Monday, Jeffries analyst John Janedis reduced his forecast for second-half-of-2014 ad-revenue growth for the biggest providers of TV-network programming, including Time Warner Inc., Viacom, CBS Corp. and Discovery Communications. Not only are disappointing audience ratings over the summer months dampening a recovery, Jeffries noted, but the "scatter market"--in which commercial time is sold close to its air date--is not experiencing the spike in demand programmers had anticipated.
"The TV community thinks a bunch of money is going to flow into the marketplace, but I am not in that camp," Andy Donchin, director of media investment at media-buying firm Carat, told the Wall Street Journal.
"Money," Donchin added, "is moving to other platforms, such as digital."
Kantar Media reported Tuesday that the nation's five biggest adveristers, led by Procter & Gamble, cut ad spending on traditional media and online display in the first half of 2014, with P&G reducing its outlay on those categories 17 percent.
Companies including MasterCard and Verizon Wireless, meanwhile, have moved a portion of their TV ad dollars to online platforms.
The softness in the ad-sales market will certainly affect retrans and carriage negotiations for pay-TV operators, with many programmers looking to establish a harder line as they seek to offset declines in ad revenue.
- read this Wall Street Journal story
Traditional TV is indeed losing significant ad market share to online video, study finds
Broadcast, cable advertising numbers flat in Q2, creating concern
Cable networks AMC, Discovery, others face hard times, analyst says


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The European Union has turned out the light on a glowing version of Rolls-Royce's "Spirit of Ecstasy" hood ornament.
The ultraluxury brand has discontinued the $4,558 option, which it has offered since 2013, on vehicles sold in Europe in response to a crackdown on light pollution. Everyone who bought the illuminated ornament will receive a refund and an unlit, stainless steel replacement.
"Sadly, we are telling our customers that we will by law have to disconnect their Spirit of Ecstasy," a spokesperson told CarBuzz. "We felt it our moral obligation. We sold this option in very good faith. We are forced to retract it now through no fault of our own."


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The seven-seater SUV has given a new charge to Renault in the Indian market.
The Renault Triber has notched a new sales milestone – 75,000 units and counting. Launched on August 28, 2019, the seven-seater SUV has given the French carmaker a new charge in the Indian market. From a utility vehicle market share of 1.57% in FY2019, Renault India closed FY2021 with 4.79% UV market share. And it has the Triber to thank for that. The recently launched Kiger compact SUV has now only added to the company’s sales momentum.
As per Autocar Professional’s data analytics, the Renault Triber, which was introduced with pricing ranging from Rs 495,000 to Rs 649,000, in four variants and a single petrol engine-gearbox combination, has sold a total of 77,242 units.
In FY2020 (between August 2019-March 2020), the Triber sold a total of 33,860 units and 40,956 units in FY2021. Add the 2,426 units of April 2021 and you get the cumulative total of 77,242 units.
Powering the Renault Triber is an upgraded version of the Kwid’s 1.0-litre (BR10), three-cylinder petrol engine. It develops 72hp and 96Nm of torque and comes paired to a 5-speed manual gearbox as standard. The ARAI-rated mileage for this engine-gearbox combination is 20kpl. Renault is expected to introduce a turbocharged version of the 1.0-litre petrol engine, developing 100hp, at a later stage and an AMT gearbox option too.
Top-spec Tribers feature an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, a digital instrument cluster, AC vents in all three rows, a cooled centre box, keyless entry, push-button start/stop, power windows, projector headlamps with LED DRLs and a rear wash-wipe.
Only petrol power
The Renault Triber received an update for 2021, bringing with it additional features and new dual-tone colours on the fully-loaded Triber RxZ. Prices for the updated Triber start at Rs 530,000 and go up to Rs 782,000 (ex-showroom, Delhi).
terms of safety, all Tribers come with three-point seatbelts on all rows, ABS, reverse parking sensors and at least two airbags. Additionally, top-spec variants get the added safety of front-side airbags and a rear parking camera.
Betting big on the Triber
Right from the onset, Venkatram Mamillapalle, Country CEO and Managing Director, Renault India Operations, was bullish on demand for the Triber, both in India and in export markets.
In an interview to Autocar Professional last December, he had said: “I believe the Triber can do very well, as evident by the recent surge (in demand)". He revealed that the MPV has found particular favour among people in smaller cities for its load lugging capabilities. “They remove the third row and fold the second one”, expanding its boot capacity from 84 litres to a cavernous 625 litres, and essentially using the MPV for transporting goods.
The company’s push and expansion in rural India is also paying off. At present, Renault India has more than 390 sales and 470 service outlets, including over 200 'Workshop on Wheels' facilities, across the country.
Export demand increases for Triber
The Triber is also seeing growing demand in overseas markets. The SUV’s export operation began on December 24, 2019, with a shipment of 600 units to South Africa. Since then, exports of the Triber have expanded to other parts of Africa and the SAARC region. Over 6,000 Tribers have been exported till now – 1,503 units in FY2020 and 5,106 units (240%) in FY2021. In April 2021, another 635 Tribers were shipped overseas.
FY2022 has just begun as has the second wave of the Covid pandemic in India. Like the rest of the industry, Renault India will have to contend with some challenges along the way but there’s no denying the fact that the Triber now has an established footprint in the UV market. In sync with the new Kiger, which is also seeing good sales traction, Renault seems to have finally got its finger on the pulse of the value-conscious buyer.
Showcased at the recently held AutoExpo 2023, ATS Elgi has received a strong order book from the show.
The company's total revenues increased by 29.79% during Q3FY23 to Rs 781.10, compared to Rs 601.82 in Q3FY22
Stay up-to-date with news, features, and interviews in this 72-page issue.


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The economic outlook for Latin America and the Caribbean for the rest of this year and 2023 is quite bleak, but there is one sector that can shine thanks to the unusually strong U.S. dollar: tourism.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasts that the Latin American and Caribbean economies will grow by just 1.7% in 2023. That is about half the region's estimated growth this year, and less than the projected economic expansion of China, India, sub-Saharan Africa and other parts of the developing world.
However, the countries and destinations in Central America and the Caribbean that depend on tourism will do best in 2023. In fact, the strong U.S. dollar is helping tourist destinations and could be a boon for the entire region. While an expensive dollar makes it more expensive for Latin Americans to travel abroad, import goods and pay their foreign debts, it allows them to attract more U.S. and European tourists.
However, with the exception of Mexico and the Caribbean, which together account for much foreign tourism in Latin America, most of the region is barely taking advantage of the strong dollar to attract more international tourists.
A recent report by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) shows that while major global tourism destinations such as Spain rely on foreign visitors for 40% of their total tourism revenue, Brazil derives only 4% of its tourism revenue from foreign travelers, and Argentina 1%. In South America, international tourism is still underdeveloped.
The WTTC report projects that global travel and tourism revenues will grow by an average of 5.8% annually between 2022 and 2032, outpacing the projected 2.7% annual growth of the global economy.
WTTC forecasts that international tourism will return to pre-pandemic 2019 levels by 2023, and estimates that nearly 126 million new jobs will be created in the sector over the next decade. Of those new jobs, some 16 million will be in Latin America and the Caribbean, the report says.
One of the region's priorities should be to improve the air connections between countries. In addition, with the exception of Mexico and the Caribbean countries, few Latin American countries have long-term strategies to promote international tourism and tourist destinations. The challenge is that each new government changes what the previous one did. There are not many places in the world that can offer as much natural beauty, cultural treasures and caring people as Latin America, and on top of all that, exquisite dining at rock-bottom prices for Americans and Europeans.


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Plant-based diet in the recent past has grabbed the limelight for its several health benefits. From promoting weight loss to healthy functioning of kidney, the plant-based diet has been touted to be beneficial for several people. Adding on to the list of its goodness, a recent study has suggested that following plant-based diet, along with avoiding junk foods, can be heart healthy for people. As compared to people who do not eat plant-based diet, this other set of people can keep heart diseases at bay for a much longer span of time.
As per a report in IANS, the researchers of the study tracked more than 2,000 Greek adults over a 10-year period, beginning in 2002. Participants were asked to complete a detailed food frequency survey at the time of enrollment, after five years and after 10 years.
Also Read:7 Best Plant-Based Recipes To Try At Home: Oats Khichdi, Som Tam Salad & More Recipes to Check
“At the end of the study period, researchers analysed the relationship between diet and the development of cardiovascular diseases using a dietary index that divided participants into three groups based on the number of animal-based foods (which included meats as well as animal-derived products such as eggs and dairy) they consumed per day,” the report read.
As per the study’s lead author Demosthenes Panagiotakos, Professor at Harokopio University of Athens in Greece, “The findings highlight that even a small reduction in the daily consumption of animal-based products – principally the less healthy foods, such as processed meat products – accompanied by an increase in healthy plant-based foods may contribute to better cardiovascular health.”
Also Read: Planning To Go Vegan? You May Just Contribute To Global Climate And Economy
The study also suggested that even in plant-based diet, healthy foods can any day be beneficial to human health than snacking on the unhealthy ones that increase the cardiovascular ailments risks.
The research, as per the IANS report, is scheduled to be presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session Together with World Congress of Cardiology on March 28-30 in the US.
Also Read: What Is Junk Food? Why Is It Bad For You?


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Surface Pro fanboys, Take notice. Your hot little tablet will soon be the runner-up in the ever-growing category of “incredibly expensive Windows 8 tablets aimed at a tiny, but rabid demographic”.
Razer just announced that the Edge and Edge Pro gaming tablet will ship in late March, with the startup accepting orders starting on March 1st.
All joking aside, the Razer Edge is pretty damn exciting. Born from the minds of Razer’s fans, the Edge is a hardcore gaming tablet — no tired Fruit Ninja demo here. With a dedicated GPU and either a Core i5 or Core i7 CPU, the Edge can power through nearly any PC game on the market.
What’s more, Razer designed modular accessories for the Edge. There’s a large gaming pad, keyboard, and dock, allowing the Edge to essentially morph into different products as needed.
I spent sometime with the Edge at CES 2013 and was instantly impressed. It ran Dirt 3 seemingly as good as my monster desktop. But, also like my gaming PC, the Edge is expensive.
The Core i5 Razer Edge costs $999 while the Core i7 Razer Edge Pro costs $1299. Plus, each one of the accessories are sold separately. Just the Gamepad Controller is $249. A fully decked-out Razer Edge Pro with Gamepad Controller rings up for $1,698. Ouch.
The Microsoft Surface Pro has so far won over some Windows loyalists. They like the full computing power combined with the svelte form factor. The Surface Pro, with its Core i5 CPU, can power through most daily tasks and even handle some games, but, quite frankly, the husky Razer Edge is fully capable of beating it up and stealing its lunch money.


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We Won Market Street 2020
Last year, the Better Market Street project was approved after over a decade of advocacy, bringing revolutionary changes to our city’s main corridor. Near-term implementation began in January 2020, including vehicle restrictions to create a car-free Market Street between Main and 10th streets.
Thank you for taking our initial survey to provide feedback as we continue to push for more improvements and for the long-term changes to break ground this year.
Here’s What’s Changing:
Car-free Market Street
Private cars banned on Market Street (between Main and Tenth streets.)
Turn restrictions will be enforced preventing people from driving onto Valencia and Page streets from Market Street.
No Cars on Battery Street Bridge
Bike Lanes > Car Lanes
Cars won’t be able to turn onto Market Street from Larkin Street. Instead, dedicated bike lanes will be in place.


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Higher food prices pushed UK inflation back to a 40-year high of 10.1 per cent in September, exceeding expectations of a smaller rise.
The Office for National Statistics said the consumer price index rose 0.5 per cent in the month compared with August, a larger increase over the same month than in 2021 when the index rose 0.3 per cent.
Darren Morgan, ONS director of economic statistics, said: “After last month’s small fall, headline inflation returned to its high seen earlier in the summer. The rise was driven by further increases across food, which saw its largest annual rise in over 40 years, while hotel prices also increased after falling this time last year”.
There had been a further small drop in petrol prices, offsetting the rise in other prices and downward contributions from airfares and second hand car prices.
That return to double-digit inflation will be difficult for ministers and the Bank of England. It shows that price rises have not yet peaked, despite the energy price guarantee limiting gas and electricity bills this winter.
The September figure is also the number normally used for the uprating of benefits, including the state pension. On Tuesday, Jeremy Hunt, the new chancellor, could not guarantee the government would stick to its “triple lock” commitment on pensions, to increase them by earnings, prices or 2.5 per cent, whichever is highest.


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» Harga Handphone Di Malaysia
Harga Handphone Di Malaysia
Harga Handphone Di Malaysia on Technology News and Updates AdmaTechnology.com at Sunday, April 20, 2014
This week, modifier application to be like a cartoon face or an application iMadeFace in the 4th position popular iPhone apps in iTunes. IPhone users is being fond iMadeFace. So what’s so special?
On the iTunes page, iMadeFace claimed as the number [...]
Raise money for children with cleft lip.
Today many people are using Google Maps to find directions to a mall, offices, and other locations in the city, a man wearing this app to walk 5.000 miles or 8046.7 kilometers.
Armed with the Google Maps application [...]
Amazon, one of the sites online stores which previously launched the Kindle Fire, is currently preparing the set-top box itself.
Set-top box (STB) is a device that plugs into the receiver where the TV is capable of displaying special display or like [...]
Screen sharing or screenshots into its own excitement for BlackBerry users. But how do I do this on the BlackBerry 10 platform?
Like on iOS and Android, BlackBerry 10 does not require an additional application for taking screenshots.
Quoted from CNET, [...]
Two more top-tier titles that are ready to enliven the new Microsoft console, Xbox One, namely Battlefield 4 and Watch Dogs.
Quoted from IGN, Wednesday (22/5), specifically for Battlefield 4, DICE as a developer of the game will use the Frostbite 3.
Not long after the presence of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 at Mobile World Congress, is now audible leaks on the presence of its 3G version.
It is verified through a newspaper as reported endgadget.com (12/03), the series Galaxy Note 8.0 3G has entered [...]
Samsung reportedly ready to release a mini version of the Galaxy S4 in June or July 2013.
Quoted from Techradar, Saturday (11/5), which is often the source of SamMobile divulge everything about Samsung once again be the party that has this information [...]
Through Vietnam blog site, Tinthe.vn, it was reported that the latest generation iPhone that was allegedly named the iPhone 5S will have a 12 megapixel camera.
In addition, Apple also improve low-light photography feature so image quality in low-light [...]
Samsung Indonesia introduced the world’s first audio dock that combines digital and analog technology, and made specifically for the Samsung Galaxy.
South Korean manufacturer combines the sharpness and clarity of the sound of the Digital [...]
Sony finally officially announced their latest generation console, the PlayStation 4, at an event in New York, USA, some time ago.
Here are some things You gamers need to know about the PS4.
PS4 using the x86 AMD 8-core CPU and GPU with [...]
LG Optimus Vu also comes with a rubberdium pen.
LG Mobile Indonesia launched a smartphone LG Optimus Vu. Measuring at 5-inch screen, smartphone based on Android Ice Cream Sandwich is a sleek and stylish look.
“LG Optimus Vu, directed to the user [...]


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The year 2016 brought the trend of dual camera designs with several phone manufacturers joining the bandwagon, helping push the limits of smartphone photography. Things are, however, likely to be slightly different this year.
Rumors have its that many smartphone manufacturers including the likes of Samsung and Huawei are working on new models featuring dual camera designs both on the rear, as well as on the front. And as you would expect in this era of cut throat competition, smaller phone makers are not lagging too far behind either Many of them have already hinted they too are introducing the dual rear and dual front camera design, albeit via handsets that are not nearly as expensive as flagships of bigger brands are. Emerging Chinese firm Bluboo is no exception to that trend.
It seems Bluboo is working on a new handset dubbed the Bluboo D1 that may come equipped with dual rear and dual front cameras. There are also unconfirmed reports that the D1 will carry a dual rear 21.0 MP camera sensors that can work in unison while clicking an image. The standard RGB sensor on one camera will be designed to capture color details and information, whereas the monochrome sensor will be configured to offer a higher contrast.
It is also possible that the main camera will feature optical zoom in addition to providing support for 4K video recording.
As for the front camera, odds are high it will carry a dual 16.0 MP sensors — one for capturing image details while the other to ensure a credible SLR effect. Our sources told us that the front camera could also support optimized face-beauty mode, as well as wide angle photography.
If all these info is true, the Bluboo D1 will indeed be a treat for amateur photographers and smartphone photography enthusiasts.


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THE CARBON footprint of the UK is falling, according to a new report released by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
According to the study, the UKs carbon footprint fell by 9% between 2008 and 2009. This follows a steady rise of 35% between 1995 and 2005.
However, the results are cold comfort according to experts, given that the 2009 footprint remains 20% higher than in 1990.
The UK has set legally binding targets to cut emissions by 80% by 2050 based on the 1990 figures. There is also an interim target to cut emissions by 34% by 2020. Both targets are set out in the Climate Change Act 2008.
The findings show just how far the UK has to go to meet these targets, said experts. James Swanston, founder of green transport company Carbon Voyage, said of the findings: The factors contributing to lower emissions are reduced construction activity and lower use of heavy goods vehicles, which are fundamentally cyclical and will rise again when the economy picks up. It is only natural that carbon dioxide emissions generated domestically and embedded in imported goods will fall in a deteriorating economy.
Luke Wreford, WWF-UK policy development officer added: “The figures showing a decline in the UK’s carbon footprint are cold comfort; they are due mainly to the economic downturn rather than a greener economy. The fact remains that the carbon footprint of our lifestyles is 20% higher than it was in 1990, due to our growing reliance on imports.
Since 1990, the UK economy has continued to move from a manufacturing base towards a services sector, which means more and more goods are imported all of which have an embedded carbon footprint. The reports states:
Emissions embedded in imports used by businesses for UK consumption more than doubled, and emissions associated with the production of imports used directly by UK consumers increased by nearly 80 per cent. This reflects how we are increasingly importing relatively carbon intensive goods. We are also buying more, and a wider variety of products.
Wreford added: As well as meeting ambitious national targets for emissions produced in the UK, the Government should also commit to reducing emissions from UK consumption.”