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Google is taking a step back from planned changes to its Chrome browser that would have blocked some functionality of ad blockers after some of its claims were found to be untrue in a recent study by Cliqz, ZDNet reports. Dubbed the Adblockers Performance Study, the research was conducted following claims in Google's Manifest V3 Chromium proposal, which highlighted performance and privacy as one reason to limit how ad blockers can be coded to work.
Summarily, Google had moved to shift developers to DeclarativeNetRequest API from webRequest API. The changeover put limits on the number of network requests a Chrome extension could access.
Now, the company has said that the Manifest will not make any changes to webRequest API and will make changes to declarativeNetRequest API. Among those changes, informed by feedback from the developer community, the search giant will be adding Dynamic Rule Support, increasing the Ruleset limit size, and settings additional conditions and actions in support of ad blocking.
Ad Blocker Developers Protest
The primary contention for ad blocker developers is Google's claim that the API features used by ad blockers can be detrimental to the end-performance experienced by a Chrome user. To prove its point, the company compiled a set of test data showing the time involved in processing requests across five ad blockers — including its own Ghostery. Those were tested across the homepages and "up to 3 pages" from Cliqz Search's top 500 domains.
According to the results of that test run, Ghostery only took approximately 0.050-millisecond across 99-percent of requests while uBlock Origin and Adblock Plus tended to take right around 0.124ms per request. The ad blocker in Brave browser landed in at 1.288 milliseconds and DuckDuckGo was the slowest at 12.085-milliseconds. Similar results were consistent with that across the board whether ads were blocked or not.
Each blocker also maintained relatively low cache and memory usage. As noted by ZDNet, studies from last year — one conducted by the same company and another by Patrick Hulce — highlighted that due to the size of advertisements, the time added by ad blockers is irrelevant. Utilizing ad blockers can speed up the experience for users significantly.
Adblock Plus and DuckDuckGo consumed the most memory at startup, averaging between 14MB and 16MB compared to Ghostery and uBlock Origin at below 4MB. None of the ad blockers tested ranged over 2.5MB in cache size either.
This Is Still Not A Clean-Cut Issue
The data put forward by Cliqz seems to suggest that Ad Blockers help much more than they might harm a user but the issues that Google is trying to address with its Manifest V3 changes are more complex than that. Rather than simply addressing load times, which Google maintains will be affected adversely on low-performance hardware without changes, the company is concerned about privacy.
The most recent Manifest V3 draft highlights that the overall goal of the change was to give users more control over what data extensions can access rather than cutting off ad blockers. As the use of extensions has increased among mainstream users, the search giant says, abuse of users has increased.
Google also indicates that its addition of install-time warnings that show before an extension is installed have not proven adequate to protect users from malicious or overreaching extensions.
As extensions have become a mainstay part of Chrome, the company has been forced to continually combat malicious extensions. Some of those, as reported in early 2018, have been malicious ad blockers. In fact, as many as 20 million Chrome users installed fake ad blockers as of April of last year. The company insists that changes in the API behind extensions can help address that problem and provide users with greater transparency and control.


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Marathon cites pandemic for first quarter loss, close to completing Speedway sale
FINDLAY – Marathon Petroleum Co. cited the coronavirus pandemic as a key factor in a $242 million first quarter loss.
The company posted the loss in spite of increased revenue from sales — $22.9 billion in the 2021 first quarter ended March 31, compared with $20.8 billion last year. The 2020 first quarter loss was $9.23 billion.
Marathon is close to completing the sale of its Speedway convenience store business to 7-Eleven in a $21 billion deal announced last August. Speedway reported first quarter revenue of $330 million, down from $400 million in the 2020 first quarter, but the figures are reported separately as discontinued operations because of the pending sale.
The company posted $972 million in first quarter revenue from its midstream operations, a 7.4% gain from $905 million reported last year. The revenue total primarily reflects results from MPLX LP, which has pipelines and operations in Stark County.
Meanwhile, the refining and marketing segment reported a loss from operations of $598 million in the first quarter of 2021, compared with a loss of $497 million last year. Marathon operates a refinery in Canton.
Michael J. Hennigan, president and chief executive officer, said the quarter marked the first time since then pandemic began that the company's refining and marketing business generated positive adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.
"During the first quarter, our industry continued to struggle with effects of the pandemic," Hennigan said in the earnings press release. "With the COVID-19 vaccination roll-out, we are beginning to see increases in global mobility and demand for transportation fuels."

domain: news


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Luxury brands head to Australia as retail market strengthens
Several global luxury brands are confirmed to open in Australia’s major shopping capitals in 2016, on the back of strengthening conditions in the retail sector - stable economic conditions, untapped market potential and an increase in luxury tourism.
According CBRE, large international brands from Europe and North America are looking to gain a foothold on the country’s eastern seaboard, setting-up shop in Australian capital cities.
“Retailers have a positive outlook in 2016 and 2017, with growth to be centred on the eastern seaboard as global brands move to expand their presence in Australia, targeting core locations such as Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane,” said CBRE’s head of retail brokerage leasing, Leif Olson.
New York’s Elie Tahari, Italy’s Kiton, France’s Goyard and American fashion labels Rag & Bone and James Perse are expected to expand their presence in Australia.
"We are working with all of these retailers who have confirmed their expansion plans for Melbourne and Sydney over the next six to 18 months," said Olson.
According to CBRE, Australia still has relatively low penetration of the world's top luxury brands compared with markets such as Hong Kong and Shanghai, which are home to 80 to 90 per cent of the world's top brands.
“The penetration rate of luxury retail is just 50 per cent – primarily due to the dominance of department stores in this segment of the market,” said CBRE's head of Victorian retail leasing, Zelman Ainsworth.
Last year, foreign retailers - Cartier, Sephora, Omega and Valentino - opened 40 stores in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. This compared with 35 openings in 2014, said CBRE.
Additionally, Australia’s tourism boom is contributing to the need for more luxury retail, as more wealthy visitors come to its shores. The number of Chinese visitors to Australia rose 21.6% to 1.0012 million in 2015, and has more than doubled over the past five years, Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show.
According to Tourism Research Australia, Chinese tourists spent $7.7 billion in Australia last year, and annual spending could be worth up to $13 billion by 2020.
CBRE’s Luxury Retail 2015 report found more than half of all Chinese-led luxury purchases are now transacted overseas. Chinese consumers prefer to shop abroad due to more favourable prices and China’s 'anti-extravagance legislation'.
“Chinese purchasers account for 30% of the luxury spend worldwide and 70% of these purchases take place overseas, showing that the downward shift in their economy has prompted Asian consumers to rethink their purchasing habits,” said Andrew Phipps, Head of Research and Consulting, EMEA, CBRE.
"The advent of the new 'anti-extravagance legislation' in China and their consumers‘ growing awareness of price differentials of up to 70% has led to many preferring to make their purchases overseas, where the prices are far more attractive,” said Phipps.
The shift in Chinese shopping habits is providing opportunities for luxury brands to grow their presence in Australia. Coupled with a steady political structure and close proximity to Asia, Australia is a target destination for luxury expansion over the next five years.
"Australia is one of the best performing countries for major international retailers,” added Ainsworth.
“Also, the stable political environment and the clear synergies with Asia are further benefits retailers are able to leverage from.”
By Benjamin Fitzgerald
Copyright © 2023 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.


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Sarah Palin Offended At President Obama’s Holiday Card — Again [Opinion]
President Obama’s holiday card has been released, with a photo of his family and the greetings of the season. It’s the last one he will send from the White House. Unfortunately, for a few folks, including Sarah Palin, the card was supremely offensive. Moreover, it’s not the first time the first family has sent Palin scrambling for her safe place.
What could President Obama have done, in a Christmas card, to so shock and offend? Well, as it happens, that’s the problem: It isn’t just a Christmas card. Instead, it wishes Happy Holidays — a greeting that includes those who celebrate Hannukah (beginning December 24 this year), Kwanzaa (beginning December 26), and Solstice (December 21) — among others, rather than only the single biggest, splashiest, most commercialized holiday of the season.
Palin posted on social media, linking to a Young Conservatives article that bemoans not only the wish for a joyous holiday season, but the price of Malia and Sasha Obama’s dresses and the absence of the White House in the photo.
Palin’s own commentary focused on Obama’s failure to make her own preferred holiday the sole celebration in his card.
“Merry Christ… er… scratch that. We Are the Obamas and It’s Some Random Holiday!”
It’s not the first time the former Alaska Governor has been offended by the Obama family’s holiday greetings.
According to the Los Angeles Times, she complained in 2011 that the card, which featured the first family’s dog in front of a fireplace inside the White House, didn’t focus sufficiently on faith, family, and freedom.
Using an inclusive holiday greeting isn’t new for the Obama family, either, or even a development since they entered the White House — the Huffington Post’s Phil Lewis located a 2006 holiday card from the family that also wishes the recipient “Happy Holidays.”
Obama Holiday Cards, 2006 & 2016. pic.twitter.com/4wJRivA7SU
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) December 10, 2016
But does President Obama really wage war on Christmas? Are his holiday wishes only given in generalities, or is he willing to say, “Merry Christmas?” As it happens, this very controversy arose last year, when social media users expressed shock that POTUS would tweet “Happy Kwanzaa” after failing to recognize Christmas.
It wasn’t true then, either.
Not only did President Obama tweet Christmas-specific holiday greetings, both from his personal and his POTUS account, and acknowledge military members, but he also expressed Christmas wishes in his weekly address. Additionally, Michelle Obama tweeted her own Christmas wishes as well.
Merry Christmas, and happy holidays to you and yours—big or small. pic.twitter.com/knZUoQidcl
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) December 25, 2015
From the Obama family to yours, Merry Christmas! And a special thank you to all our men and women in uniform this holiday season.
— President Obama (@POTUS44) December 25, 2015
Wishing you and all your loved ones a very Merry Christmas! pic.twitter.com/NCAfV2TbJW
— First Lady- Archived (@FLOTUS44) December 25, 2015
Then, of course, there’s the fact that the Obama family has upheld the tradition of decorating the White House for Christmas, with holiday celebrations that include the delivery of the official White House Christmas tree in a horse-drawn carriage, a display devoted to military members, and attendance at an annual tree lighting ceremony.
It doesn’t exactly sound like the Obama family is anti-Christmas or refuses to acknowledge the holiday. He doesn’t even ignore the religious aspects of it, although many do celebrate Christmas as a secular holiday. In last year’s video (above), President Obama specifically acknowledges Christmas as a celebration of the birth of Christ.
However, it’s quite understandable that Sarah Palin would express outrage and offense at the Obama family holiday card — it’s easier to use Christmas and the “War on Christmas” to sell your books and promote your own political agendas when you pretend that POTUS is actively trying to take Christmas away from the American people.
Christmas is right around the corner– check out the limited gift edition of my devotional #SweetFreedom!… https://t.co/2u1u8RDELY
— Sarah (@SarahPalinUSA) December 2, 2015
What’s more offensive — President Obama’s holiday card wishing joy to all, regardless of what they celebrate, followed by specific greetings as each holiday actually occurs, or the use of faux outrage over those holiday greetings to commercialize and politicize a holiday enjoyed by religious and secular Americans alike?
[Featured Image by Olivier Douliery/Pool/Getty Images]


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The transaction was conditional on such sanctioning.
Raisio expects the deal to be completed and the business to move to the buyer this month or next
The divested cattle feed business, which is valued at €34m, includes two production plants located in Ylivieska and Kouvola, as well as brands such as Maituri and Melli.
The company said Raisioagro’s Benemilk licence is also going to be transferred to Lantmännen Agro.
Those working in its cattle feed business will now become employees of the Swedish cooperative, added the Finnish player.


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KARACHI: The British Deputy High Commission in Karachi organised Press briefing Saturday at Dolmen Center Clifton here to showcase CSR activities being carried out by UK organisations for the development and prosperity of the communities they work in Pakistan.
The Expo showcased UK companies that practice ‘responsible business’ and highlighted the UK’s expertise in sectors of competitive advantage such as healthcare, education, infrastructure, energy, financial and professional services, pharmaceuticals, retail and consumer goods.
Speaking at the briefing, British Deputy High Commissioner and UK Trade Director for Pakistan, Elin Burns said, “I am delighted to be showcasing the fantastic range of work being done by leading UK companies investing in Pakistan’s future.” According to Burns, all the projects initiated through collaboration between the governments of Pakistan and UK and those undertaken by the Britain-based companies in Pakistan were not of an ad hoc nature as they were sustainable.
“The expo had participating booths by the Department of International Trade (DIT), the British Council, and various business giants such as Unilever, Reckitt Benckiser Shell, Glaxo Smith and Kline (GSK) and Standard Chartered Bank (SCB).”
The UK is currently Pakistan’s second largest source of foreign direct investment, Pakistan’s largest export market in Europe and second largest globally. The expo reinforces the UK Government’s continued commitment to increasing trade with Pakistan.
She summed up by disclosing the initiative of benefiting five million children from the United Kingdom’s (UK) collaboration with Pakistan in the field of education .The programme was titled ‘UK-Pakistan collaboration: smart way of doing things’.
Apart from the British diplomat, the event was also addressed by Chief Executive Officers and heads of various UK-based organisations.
Shazad Dada, CEO, Standard Chartered Bank shares some of the projects undertaken by the bank under corporate social responsibility. “We have touched one million lives since we started our projects for social welfare,” he said. Dada informed the Media fellows that a major focus of the bank was on the youth. There were also programmes for women entrepreneurship, which helped women become self-sufficient and financially independent, he said.
Hafeez Pirzada, head of Corporate Communication, Glaxo-Smith Kline (GSK), said the GSK had been operating in the Indian subcontinent since the turn of the 19th century. He remarked that his company was the first pharmaceutical company to be listed on the stock exchange. There were, he said, 650 pharmaceutical companies in Pakistan and the GSK had 16 per cent share in the country’s pharmaceutical market. Currently we are trying to combat Pakistan’s Health care system biggest challenge of antimicrobial threat.
Fahad Ashraf, CEO said his company had been in Pakistan for well over 60 years. He said that they were involved in a project titled ‘Sehat-Safai’ and were reaching out to 60 villages across the country to spread awareness about healthy living by the support of our implementation partners and donors. Reckitt Benckiser trained local women to spread the company’s message in their areas, which also exploited the entrepreneurial skills of the women and mitigated unemployment, he elaborated more.
Habib Haider of the giant Royal-Dutch oil multinational, Shell, said that they had been operating in Pakistan for over 60 years. He said, Shell was behind the convenience utility stores offering various kinds of consumer items that one finds at petrol pumps. He also shares about “Shell Tameer programme”, which enables young people to start their own business and create employment.
Head of Corporate Communication Unilever Pakistan, Hussain Talib said, “We are also investing in the Youth of Pakistan to improve their health and hygiene conditions and supporting TCF to educate our youth.”
Last but not least Ms. Anum Nadeem, head of marketing at Dolmen Mall, said, “We are looking forward to aware our Pakistani females for breaking stereotype and overcoming challenges facing by women in personal and professional lives.”


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Created: Thu, 10 Apr 2014 04:55:00 EST
Updated: Fri, 11 Apr 2014 10:16:25 EST
Family Dollar plans to cut some jobs and close about 370 underperforming stores as it tries to reverse sagging sales and earnings. The discount store operator will also lower prices on about 1,000 basic items.
Family Dollar did not provide details on how many jobs were expected to be eliminated.
The chain said the store closings and job cuts should reduce annual operating expenses by $40 million to $45 million, starting with the fiscal third quarter. Family Dollar Stores Inc. currently has more than 8,100 stores in 46 states.
Family Dollar has 15 stores in the Macon area with numerous other locations across central Georgia. There's no word on if any local stores will be closed.


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Anaplan in Mary Meeker Trends 2015 Report
How we use data today is different from how we used it even five years ago, with more businesses incorporating data to make more informed decisions. And five years from now, it’s likely we will look back and wonder how companies made decisions today, particularly when it comes to business planning processes.
As Mary Meeker, partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, highlighted in her annual Internet Trends 2015 report and presentation, numerous companies now offer products that are changing or have changed the way we do business. With the advent of the cloud and more powerful computing power, enterprise business processes are being re-imagined, one segment at time. Anaplan, which was featured in Meeker’s presentation, is an example of a company transforming the enterprise business landscape by replacing spreadsheets with a cloud-based platform that streamlines and speeds up business planning processes.
To view the full presentation, click here.


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BlackBerry today struck a blow against one of its most bitter rivals: American Idol host Ryan Seacrest.
Only one day after BlackBerry severed ties with "global creative director" and singer-songwriter Alicia Keys, the smartphone maker says that a company founded by Seacrest infringed on its rights in making an iPhone case that copies BlackBerry's distinctive keyboard.
The patent lawsuit (PDF) is filed in US District Court in Northern California against Typo Products, co-founded by CEO Laurence Hallier and Ryan Seacrest, whose credentials include serving as chairman of The Ryan Seacrest Foundation and host of On Air with Ryan Seacrest. Seacrest and Hallier reportedly invested more than $1 million in Typo.
BlackBerry, which announced a quarterly operating loss of $4.4 billion last month, begins its lawsuit with a recitation of the innovations that helped it rise to former glory.
"BlackBerry revolutionized the mobile communications industry," BlackBerry wrote. "Its innovative, cutting-edge products changed the way millions of people around the world connect, converse, and share digital information."
More to the point, "BlackBerry’s innovations in keyboard design have given rise to broad intellectual property rights, including design patents, utility patents, and trade dress protection."
Those designs were brazenly stolen by Seacrest and gang, BlackBerry alleged. The resulting product, the Typo Keyboard for iPhone 5 and iPhone 5S, was recently announced and can be pre-ordered for $99.
"[I]nstead of developing its own keyboard design, Typo chose to copy BlackBerry’s iconic keyboard design as embodied in, among others, BlackBerry’s Q10 smartphone, seeking to trade on BlackBerry’s commercial recognition and Goodwill," BlackBerry alleged. "Indeed, Typo has acknowledged its copying of BlackBerry’s iconic keyboard." The aggrieved mobile device manufacturer quoted an interview Seacrest gave to CNN:
Interviewer: So it’s the best thing about a BlackBerry, within the iPhone.
Ryan Seacrest: That’s kind of how this came to fruition.
BlackBerry further pointed to a spot on Typo's website where the company says "many of our friends and colleagues carried two phones: for typing and correspondence and an iPhone for virtually everything else. One night, we went out to dinner and both had our phones on the table. Two people, four phones!"
This, said BlackBerry, is evidence that "the co-founders of Typo, Laurence Hallier and Ryan Seacrest, created the Typo Keyboard specifically to replace their BlackBerry devices with a physical keyboard copied from a BlackBerry."
BlackBerry alleged infringement of patents for a "Hand-held electronic device with a keyboard optimized for use with the thumbs," a "Ramped-key keyboard for a handheld mobile communication device," and a design patent for a handheld electronic device.
The Typo Keyboard Case does indeed look similar to BlackBerry keyboards. Here's the Typo:
And here is the BlackBerry Q10:
BlackBerry said Typo should have to give BlackBerry "any and all profits earned as a result of their unlawful, unfair, and fraudulent business practices," and asked for punitive damages.
“This is a blatant infringement against BlackBerry’s iconic keyboard, and we will vigorously protect our intellectual property against any company that attempts to copy our unique design," BlackBerry Chief Legal Officer Steve Zipperstein said in an announcement on BlackBerry's website.
Typo Products issued a statement, saying that "Blackberry’s claims against Typo lack merit and we intend to defend the case vigorously. We are excited about our innovative keyboard design, which is the culmination of years of development and research."
Seacrest, who was last seen kissing "Wrecking Ball" singer Miley Cyrus at midnight on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve 2014, could not be reached for comment because he got rid of his BlackBerry, and we don't have the number for his Typo-equipped iPhone.
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Wattpad Webtoon Studios has announced that it'll be renewing its agreement with the Indonesian streaming platform Vidio!
Wattpad, the globally-renowned platform with 90 million readers and users, is known for its database of original stories that have led to successful adaptations – including Netflix's The Kissing Booth. It was announced earlier in June that it would combine with digital comic platform WEBTOON to establish Wattpad Webtoon Studios for the production of film, series, and books. This came after Wattpad's acquisition by WEBTOON's parent company, Naver.
Illustrator and webtoon author Jjolee on creating K-pop group Mayhem for 'Lost In Translation'
The highly successful series 'Turn On', which garnered 10 million views in the first quarter of 2021, will also be renewed for a second season.
“The Wattpad Webtoon Studios model is all about listening to fans and creating the entertainment they want," said Aron Levitz, president of Wattpad Webtoon Studios.
"Vidio and Screenplay have truly embraced our innovative approach, and the results are clear: record-breaking success and a growing fandom."


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Never has PR mattered more for a business reputation, a leader or a product. In the grand churn of social media, there are always eyes watching you and an innocuous comment can quickly escalate into a crisis.
To make sense of what PR in India should do and what it is heading towards, PRmoment India spoke to senior corporate communications leads, to heads of PR firms and to young PR influencers to decode what’s in store for PR in India for 2017.
Rakesh Thukral, managing director, Edelman India
One big trend that Thukral, head of one of India’s largest PR firms, picks for PR in 2017 is the coming together of brand communication with corporate reputation management. Thukral says social listening and digital reputation will matter as much for reputation as for brands, one feeds of the other.
Rakesh Thukral, therefore predicts that, “PR firms will benefit by integrating corporate reputation and brand communications; a realignment of teams and overall strategy of managing our clients’ business will pave the way for success.”
Adds Thukral, “For PR professionals at an individual level, gaining knowledge of digital platforms and knowing how to leverage them for their clients – reputation or brands will be key. “
Paroma Roy Chowdhury, vice-president -public affairs, SoftBank
Taking a sector approach, Roy Chowdhury flags off technology as an important sector for PR in 2017. She includes new tech in this; namely AI, IoT, genomics and superior healthcare as key sectors in 2017.
Roy Chowdhury also says that “India is going to be more critical than ever as it’s the last bastion of companies such as Uber and Amazon.”
Subhash Pais, founder and business head, i9 Communications
Pais, not one for mincing his words about what the PR business needs to do says the one thing that will matter most is, “Change. Change in attitude, mind-set and approach. Invest heavily into retraining and move away from a labour mentality towards that of a consultant and a partner, build a strong employer brand.”
Some of his predictions for PR in 2017 include ‘Patanjali’ as a market influencer that would force other forms to rethink their marketing:
Nitin Thakur, director - brand & communication, Max India Limited
The healthcare space is a challenging sector for PR anywhere in the world. And Thakur, who leads brand and communication for Max India Limited says that narratives today as well as media is increasingly polarized. Therefore, Thakur flags off ‘trendjacking’ as technique that communicators should excel in, saying, “For instance, communicators will be well-placed to come up with innovative campaigns in early 2017, which capitalize on demonetization’s fallouts.”
Thakur also disagrees with the current obsession with VR, saying it’s time for effective marketing is not 2017.
Samir Kapur, senior vice president, Adfactors PR
Integration of PR and SEO
For Kapur, it’s no longer desirable to keep PR and SEO apart. Given the influence that ‘earned media’ has on search results, Kapur says, “As Google rewards high-quality content on high-quality sites, the two practices are becoming best of buddies.”
Nitin Mantri, co-founder and CEO, Avian Media
Mantri, who is also president, PRCAI, is bullish on visual storytelling as a PR trend for 2017, including VR.
Mantri adds that data with context will be important.
Says Mantri, “PR firms should invest in dedicated data tracking teams, whose job will be to monitor, collect and analyse data and tailor them according to the needs of different clients. But there is no one-size-fits-all approach. What works for millennials will fall flat with the Gen Y and Gen Z crowd, not to mention the untapped, but booming, rural market. The bottom-line: Information is out there and in plenty. PR pros must decipher what is relevant for each client and their target audiences. That’s how PR will become truly data driven in 2017.”
Sandeep Rao, co-founder of WhatsApp group for PR, ‘One Source’
As co-founder of the highly engaged WhatsApp PR group, ‘One Source’; Rao is at the frontline of what trends are being seen for PR. Especially, within the millennial PR pros community. While, some PR professionals are beginning to move closer to being influencers themselves, but even this is not enough to excel at PR in 2017. Says Rao, “There will be the coming together of PR and digital at a crossroad where PR professionals will be required to be mandatorily savvy with ad rates for Facebook, LinkedIn, Dainik Bhaskar and The Economic Times.”
Rao also says the other issue that will be highlighted, “Is the chronic paucity of skilled professionals in the communications industry. As more brands require marketing professionals who not only talk-the-talk, but can walk-the-walk in terms of integrated thinking, this paucity of talent will mean better pays for those deserving and more stringent demands on those professionals who need to play catch-up.”
Nikhil Kharoo, partner associate, consumer technology practice at Genesis Burson-Marsteller
As a client leader with a sector that continues to be a key growth sector in India, Kharoo says a major challenge for 2017 is tackling public perception about the credibility of messengers of news and views: both media and bloggers.
Kharoo also points to new areas of growth to raise the flat retainers that have plagued PR.
Sunayna Malik, managing director, Text100 India and senior vice president, Text100 APAC.
Text100 has traditionally been a firm that is strong on tech. And this is also the single biggest trend influencing all types of communications today. Says Malik,”2017 will continue to see digital technologies transform businesses and a further blurring of the lines between PR, digital communications, advertising, content marketing. Henceforth, the focus will be on solving the CMOs problems.”


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The North East of India has often been overlooked when it comes to investor funding. However, there is tremendous opportunity for entrepreneurs to come up in the region, say Prabidita Bharti, Chairman of FICCI FLO, and Dr Sriparna Baruah, Head, Centre for Industrial Extension, Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship. However, the lack of a startup ecosystem makes growing businesses to sizeable extent challenging.
The chairman of FICCI FLO in Assam, Prabidita Bharati, tells SheThePeople.TV that with the growth in tourism industry, there are lots of opportunities for people to run homesteads and guest houses, and larger chains.
Indeed, PM Modi has said that the government plans to bring out balanced development of the Northeast states. As many as 19 big railway projects have been started, and the major thrust of development will be on improving connectivity and tourism.
And of course, the North-East is tea country and businesses revolve around tea growing and selling, says Bharati.
Weaving is another big industry, with lots of women entrepreneurs setting up boutiques and creating innovative designs, she says.
"People here are creative," says Bharati, "but good artisans are not being tapped well. Everything they make is hand made. They need proper technical support so that they can make world-class jewellery. If they were trained in digital marketing, they could put out their products better".
The three areas which see more women entrepreneurs are the handloom sector, beauty and wellness, bakeries and food processing, Dr Baruah tells SheThePeople.TV. A lot of women entrepreneurs are 'micro-entrepreneurs', i.e they are self employed, and the average investment in their businesses is only around a lakh or two.
Rozelle Mero, Interior Designer and entrepreneur, says that at least in Nagaland, where she is from, women entrepreneurs have existed for decades -- whether it is selling food from their kitchen gardens, or making and selling clothing. Supplemental income entrepreneurship happens in almost every home.
The organised, global system of entrepreneurship is a new thing that is happening, she says.
Baruah notices that in the last few years, many professionals have started looking at entrepreneurship as a serious career option. "Women are looking at entrepreneurship as a career choice, and there is a lot of interest among girls to start businesses," she says.
Many of those who had left the region to go work in hubs such as Bangalore or Mumbai, are coming back to start businesses. However, successful women entrepreneurs are few, and mostly in conventional sectors
There is interest in an opportunity for entrepreneurship to flourish in the North-East, and there are many small businesses that are doing well. However, financial literacy and inadequate access to funding remain the biggest challenge for men and women entrepreneurs to start and scale their businesses.
"Even though the government has come up with many schemes, people are not even aware of how to fill a form. Furthermore, so many questions are asked when they go to ask for loans," says Bharti.
"Banks are terrible to the North-East. They take our money and circulate it across the country. People don’t get loans and have to put up collateral which they cannot do," says Mero. "Financial literacy is not given people at young age. Tax education is zero, and the whole system is neglected," she says.
Government schemes are catered towards the rural sector, but it is a minuscule amount of money that is distributed. There is no concept of angel investors and the like here, says Mero. The platform for funding and to harness bigger businesses has to be created.
"The stories of people who are innovating in the region are not getting out there," she says.
"Mentorship is a deterrent. The support system is not there," says Dr Baruah.


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South Africa’s newest video-on-demand streaming service, CineMagic, is now accessible to millions of cellular users via telecommunication companies Vodacom and MTN’s mobile content platforms.
The service, launched by local company Exceptional Rights, offers mobile users’ access to short-form video movies as well as series and documentaries that are designed for smaller mobile screens, ranging from five to 30 minutes in duration.
The Managing Director of Exceptional Rights, Joanne Raphael Katz said, “There is an un-met consumer demand for short movies that display beautifully on mobile. The support from the mobile networks recognises the confidence they have in CineMagic’s snackable little movies and the fact that South African mobile users want video designed for their cellular devices and not for traditional TV broadcast.”
Raphael-Katz said there were very few movie studios globally dedicated to producing short movies and series. “This means we proactively procure content from individual companies, film makers, producers and artists,” she said, adding that before the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic, the company had actively visited African and European film festivals to source short movies.
CineMagic has already found much support from established and emerging South African and African film makers and is encouraging local creative talent to submit their films for consideration.
The company plans to expand its South African footprint to other sub-Saharan African countries and even has a wide range of French short form content available for Francophone African territories.


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PROFESSIONAL DJ Mitch Hills was set to own his own house in Brisbane at the age of 20 after saving $100,000. About to sign the dotted line, he made a split decision to become an entrepreneur instead.
A year on from the launch of his 'Tinder for travel' app AroundAbout, Hills has released his biggest update yet. He has also shared his startup misadventures with a new entrepreneurial collective.
AroundAbout is a random activity generator that uses a swiping algorithm to find restaurants, bars and things to do in cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, London, New York, Paris and Singapore.
Hills used his house deposit as capital, previous experience running an entertainment business and professional network as a DJ to develop the app and get it off the ground.
"As much as I enjoy life as a DJ, it's not a long-term career unless you really go hard at it," Hills says.
"If I bought a house, I'd have to pay it off for years doing a job I didn't really like, when I like business more.
"You have to be passionate about something because, if you're not, any logical person would give up when it gets hard."
AroundAbout has recorded more than 11,000 downloads, with the food section proving to be popular, particularly with locals searching for new places to eat. The app's focus has shifted as a result, becoming more of a social network rather than purely a discovery platform.
The latest update includes a search function to accompany location-based suggestions, filters to help users find something to their tastes, a feed to follow what friends and other foodies are sampling and Aroundapics with emoji-style rankings.
Users can create a profile to save their favourite places and reviews, including Aroundapics acting as a virtual memento while travelling.
Hills says blogging was an invaluable tool to attract users, particularly heading into the new dining direction.
"With marketing you can't just tell people to download your app or buy your product, you have to offer value," he says.
"So we teamed up with a lot of local food bloggers and released these great articles about the best places for dessert, high tea, brunch, vegetarian and most ridiculous burgers.
"It worked well because it gave people a reason to trust us and download the app to find more great places like these."
The app took seven months to develop and hasn't been without challenges.
Hills encountered a number of technical hiccups during the process, including being trapped in a contract with an incompatible technology provider, having to develop and populate a database as a result, postponing the original launch and a near miss uploading an outdated version of the app.
The experience gave Hills the impetus to establish The Exceptions, a community for budding business owners to help them avoid similar pitfalls.
"The launch of AroundAbout came with a lot of wasted time, money and effort," Hills says.
"I got ripped off badly the first time it was developed and a lot of things happened that could've been avoided if I'd known how to do it.
"I'm not by any means successful, but there's so much I've learnt it would be a waste not to share that with the world."
The Exceptions offers website development services, a course on how to start a business, blog articles and a networking Facebook group with more than 350 members from students to investors.
Fortnightly forums are also held at co-working space Little Tokyo Two to foster emerging ideas, known as the 'Get Shit Done' meet-up.
"I set it up in the first place because I wanted an escape from what Kanye West was doing or Kylie Jenner's eyebrows," Hills says.
"It's a community of likeminded people that are interested in business, which can be hard to find in the age demographic of early twenties.
"We want you to leave with three actionable things that you can achieve until next time you come back, or we can talk through why you didn't.
"Basically we bridge the gap between where you are now and where you need to be. It can be people needing a website, a co-founder or mentor - whatever they need to make a difference which is the most exciting thing."
Hills says a number of people have already started their own business journey as a part of The Exceptions, including a fashion blog, share economy for beauticians and entertainment companies.
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Four'N Twenty & Philadelphia 76ers
Four'N Twenty & Phildelphia 76ers in historic partnership
ANOTHER historic, culturally significant Australian moment in US sport has arrived: the meat pie has made it to the NBA.
In case you need further proof of ‘the Ben Simmons effect’ following his truly stunning start to NBA life, it came in the form of an unprecedented announcement on Tuesday.
Four’N Twenty pies have signed a multi-year sponsorship with the 76ers in what the team describes as its first ever international corporate arrangement.
As part of the deal, meat pies will be sold at Philadelphia's home games at Wells Fargo Arena with some US media reporting it could even do the unthinkable: topple the cheesesteak as Philadelphians’ game meal of choice. “Philadelphia is home to the cheesesteak but that may soon change,” CBS Philly reported.
“The Philadelphia 76ers will now be selling Australia’s national dish — the beef pie. “The flaky pastry is filled with beef and a gravy, and is considered the “Australian cheesesteak.” Ah, we guess so... but either way this is a hugely significant deal for both parties and a further reflection of the impact the team’s Aussie connection — including coach Brett Brown. Simmons continues to surpass lofty expectations in his rookie season and is quickly establishing himself as one of the best players in the NBA. To celebrate the partnership, Simmons and Brown will host an “Australian Heritage Night” in the lead-up to Australia Day next year.


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The warning came as a leading Japanese car importer claimed that figures for 1998, which show the second-highest new car sales on record, had been "massaged" by as much as 400,000 sales.
According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), new car sales reached 2,247,402 in 1998 - a 3.5 per cent increase on the previous year and the highest figure since the peak year of 1989.
But Mitsubishi Motors estimated that 400,000 of these were "pre-registrations" - where dealers register the cars as sold before they have customers. If these were excluded the real sales figure for 1998 would be nearer 1.85 million.
Roger King, acting chief executive of the SMMT, defended the figures, saying that the year had ended with a sales flurry caused by successive interest-rate reductions, the arrival of new models and the deals on offer to customers.
December sales were 14 per cent up on the previous year. However, there was no respite for the embattled Rover car group, which saw its share of the UK market slip to a new low of just 6.6 per cent. Over the year, Rover only just managed to cling on to third place with a market share of 8.6 per cent, fractionally ahead of Renault and Peugeot.
Most foreign manufacturers made inroads into the UK market, helped by the strength of sterling, which has made imported cars cheaper. Last year the share of new car sales taken by imports rose to 68 per cent, and in December it topped 70 per cent.
The SMMT forecast that registrations this year would fall by 200,000 to 2.05 million - a decline of 9 per cent. This year the annual August numberplate letter change is replaced with two changes in March and September.


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The addiction for tablets has gone right to the head of many organisations, with even hard-headed CEOs of global corporations falling for the style and convenience of tablet computing.
One analyst tells of a client whose CEO summoned the CIO to his office one day and demanded his iPad be supported – right now. It was no use explaining that a Windows gadget would better fit in with the existing infrastructure and workflows – the CIO had come face-to-face with the unmovable desire by CEOs and their staff to switch to using tablets for every business process, driving a coach and horses through all the CIO’s defences – the firewall, the codes of conduct, and the mutual concessions made when the CIO consented to letting users bring their own devices into work.
The tragedy is that CIOs will still be held responsible should personal or company information be leaked. It’s not entirely their fault that a user downloaded Dropbox then unwittingly started distributing sensitive data all over the place, nor that a lawyer left his iPad in a bar and that confidential client information is now in the hands of a newspaper. But the CIO will be held legally responsible.
On the other hand, strict enforcement of company policy can put you in an equally tricky position. Wiping the boss’s family photos off a mislaid iPad, though understandable from a compliance standpoint, could leave you open to legal action. Especially if they subsequently discover that their daughter borrowed it and change their story to say it was never reported lost in the first place. If you didn’t record the conversation, how do you prove it wasn’t your negligence that destroyed their personal property? In short, you could either face an FSA rap for compliance irregularities, or a civil case for damages from your boss.
“Until the legalities of device wiping are tested in the courts it will remain an area of uncertainty. It’s one of the main factors that deters CIOs from implementing BYOD policies,” says Paul Vlissidis, technical director at NCC Group.
Will the IT industry come up with an answer to this problem? Rob Sheppard, business client marketing manager at Intel, seems hopeful that the evolution of mobile technology will offer some answers.
“Towards the end of the year, when all the Android and Windows 8 devices come out, there should be much better choices available to the end user,” says Sheppard of the Intel-powered devices. A shift in sentiment could help the CIO persuade users to rally around Windows, which could help the IT department regain control.
“We could see the IT department get a chance to put their foot down and specify a particular device that fits in with company workflows,” says Sheppard.
Aside from raising their game on touch and user experience, Intel-based Windows tablet and smartphones could tighten up security controls with a new range of options. Lost devices could in future be stunned from the bootup process, the chipset paralysed by a remote command that would effectively turn any device into a brick. Anti-theft support developed by Intel will offer CIOs a more subtle range of options, says Sheppard. You could become a lot more selective about what you delete from a tablet, so that a departing employee wouldn’t have to have their entire personal life deleted. Deep Defender technology, loaded at sub-operating system level, will identify destructive and dangerous behaviour a lot earlier too.
According to Andy Dancer, CTO at Trend Micro, the IT department’s baseline security should be a combination of encryption, device partitioning and remote wiping, with users encouraged to back up personal information.
In future, promises Dancer, encryption will become part of the operating system, which will make enforcing company policy a lot easier.
Risking user revolt
The big danger is that the user experience will change, and that is when you lose the goodwill of the users. “Consumerisation and Apple’s dominance of the tablet market should have taught us that user experience is everything. If we try to take the user backwards to a less optimal experience then I think they will look to find ways round it,” warns Dancer.
Partitioning, while it is a logical solution, fails this usability test. Creating two devices in one, on the same hardware, means the user has to think which one they’re in – which inevitably means some work will be done in the wrong part of the device. By definition it won’t be easy to move your work from one device partition to the other, so there will be corporate information in the wrong place over which the company will have no control.
Education is essential for a successful mobile usage policy, says Christopher Davies, employment lawyer at national law firm Gateley. The problem is that few people understand that the content of their phone is the company’s intellectual property.
“Employees’ gadgets remain their property, but anything created on them for work purposes belongs to the company. That may sound obvious, but, if it is not clearly set out in a policy document it may lead to later disputes,” says Davies.
You need to communicate, in as friendly a way as possible via presentations, awareness events of even by making a short film, the concept that any information created at work for work, whether documents, photos, notes or similar content, becomes the intellectual property of the company.
Mark Webber, a partner and head of technology at law firm Osborne Clarke, which specialises in advising digital businesses, has some pointers for devising policy.
Most legal traps associated with BYOD can be dealt with if there is good communication and consistent policy as long as the policy is communicated up-front, says Webber. Interfering with the end user’s devices is the legal minefield you have to be wary of, and it’s especially scary for those whose users are covered by European law.
“It is all too easy to fall foul of laws which prevent interception and the use of an individual’s location without their consent,” says Webber. “This consent ought to extend to all the possible interventions. It’s not just about deleting information, it’s about routine maintenance and updating software.”
Any access to an employee’s device ought to be subject to obtaining the prior informed consent of the employee. This should be given freely and voluntarily and employees should be fully informed up-front in a well prepared BYOD Policy.
Honest and up-front
You can protect yourself from the potential liability of wiping the boss’s iPad if you have notified them up-front of aspects of BYOD policy, reminding them that the employer may exercise certain control rights like mandating strong passwords or auto-wipe of devices after a prescribed number of failed password attempts. Put it in writing that there will be no compensation in the event of loss of personal data or information from the device as a result of the employer’s actions and remind people that it would be prudent to regularly back up device contents and data.
If a company allows their data to be transferred to another machine, they are responsible for it, says Norman Shaw, MD of ExactTrak. “The Information Commissioner is quite clear on this. The CIO will be ultimately held responsible for data which is lost via an employee’s personal device,” says Shaw.
“It is surprising that so few businesses alter their employees’ contracts to reflect the BYOD trend and iron out any ambiguity over data security responsibility,” says Shaw. “If employees are aware that transferring certain files onto their devices breaks their contracts, it may make them think twice before doing so.”


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Mark your calendars, and get your shopping carts ready.
Tennessee’s once-a-year sales tax holiday weekend happens July 26 through July 28.
During this holiday period, shoppers can save nearly 10 percent on more than 150 different items, including clothing, school supplies and computers as students prepare for the back-to-school season. State and local taxes will not be collected on exempt items that cost $100 or less per item and computers that cost $1,500 or less.
The sales tax holiday weekend is for everyone, not just students or even just Tennesseans. Anyone who wants to shop in Tennessee during the last weekend of July will be eligible to save on sales tax.
“The sales tax holiday means hard-earned dollars go back into the hands of Tennessee families,” Gov. Bill Lee said. “We encourage everyone to participate and take advantage of the savings during what can be an expensive time of year.”
Tennessee law provides for a sales tax holiday each year during the last weekend in July. This year, the sales tax holiday begins July 26 at 12:01 a.m. and ends July 28 at 11:59 p.m.
“This is an important savings opportunity for everyone,” Revenue Commissioner David Gerregano said. “We want to remind people about it because it only happens one weekend a year.”
For more information about the sales tax holiday, including frequently asked questions and a full list of tax-exempt items, please visit www.tntaxholiday.com.


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Well-known analysts claim that Apple's self-driving cars will arrive in 2025 at the earliest
'Apple's self-driving car will finally be in production by 2024,' Reuters reported, but Minchi Kuo, who is familiar with Apple-related accurate predictions and leak information, said Apple's self-driving car. It is said that the driving car will not appear until 2025 at the earliest.
Apple Car arriving in 2025 at the earliest, says Ming-Chi Kuo | AppleInsider
On December 22, 2020, Reuters announced that it will release self-driving cars equipped with 'breakthrough batteries' until 2024, as information obtained from anonymous employees involved in Apple's self-driving car development project, Project Titan. It was reported that production would start in.
Will Apple's self-driving car finally start production in 2024?-GIGAZINE
In addition, leak information from a person claiming 'Taiwan's supply chain' was also reported, where it is stated that 'Apple's self-driving car is in production to ship in September 2021.' Was there.
Apple Car Acceleration Hotspot Mobilization | Hotspot | Hotspot | Daily Report
Based on this information, analyst Minchey Kuo announced a prediction that 'Apple's self-driving car will not appear until 2025 at the earliest.' Kuo warned against believing in Apple's project Titan-related hype, claiming that 'reports about the launch schedule are uncertain.' 'There is still a lack of vehicle suppliers and specifications,' he said, 'Apple's competitiveness in the electric and self-driving car markets is still uncertain,' and the launch date is still ahead.
'Given the changing market for electric and self-driving cars and Apple's high quality standards, it's no surprise that Apple's self-driving cars will be postponed until 2028,' Kuo said. However, the forecast for 2025 is 'the fastest schedule when everything goes smoothly', and we often predict that launches will be slower than that.
'The latest reports are just market speculations, not the voices of suppliers involved in the actual Project Titan,' he said. Apple's self-driving car, whose technical specifications have not yet been finalized. It's 'premature' to predict when it will be released.
in Ride, Posted by logu_ii


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- January 28, 2022
- Posted by: Hunt Partners
- Categories: Diversity & Inclusion, Entrepreneurship, Leadership Development
Gender disparity across the Indian startup ecosystem narrowed only a little in 2021 even as startups managed to raise record funds at high valuations during the year, a report by homegrown venture debt firm InnoVen Capital showed.
The report, titled, India Startup Outlook Report, showed that about 70% of startups in the country have less than 20% women in leadership roles, compared to 77% in 2020, while about 41% of startups have less than 10% of women in leadership roles.
“While gender diversity in startups and tech has started to get a lot of attention lately, it continues to be a challenge. This is not an India centric issue as we have seen similar trends in the US. In the US, female founders secured only 2% of venture capital in 2021, while startups with at least one female founder got 15.6% of total funding,” Ashish Sharma, managing partner, InnoVen Capital India told VCCircle in an emailed response. ADVERTISEMENT
The gender disparity stands little changed even compared to 2019 when about 69% startups had less than 20% women in leadership roles. Improving gender diversity continues to be a challenge, the report said.
“There are several reasons for this, some being factual while there may also be some hidden biases that may have crept over time. Firstly, there is a lesser number of female founders in the ecosystem. Secondly, we have real supply-side issues, particularly in tech, operations & sales, where the talent pool of experienced professionals is overwhelmingly male. Then there are cases where some qualified women professionals may choose not to join a start-up, given the unpredictable work schedule and work/life balance issues,” Sharma said.
Around 100 startup founders participated in the InnoVen survey across stages and sectors.
The report also showed that Indian startups raised a record $38 billion in 2021 with about 84% of founders having a positive fundraising experience during the year. In 2020, only 54% of founders had a favourable experience in raising funds. Going forward in 2022, about 75% of founders believe that the fundraising environment will improve further.
The survey showed that about 83% of founders had a higher bias for growth over profitability as a focus area. About 20% of startups surveyed claim to be EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, amoirtization) profitable, while 51% aim to turn EBITDA profitable in the next two years.
With blockbuster initial public offerings (IPO) of companies such as Nykaa, operated by FSN E-Commerce and Zomato, exit expectations of founders increased in 2021. Further in 2022, 71% of founders believe that IPO is the likely mode of exit for their investors against about 47% of founders in 2020. Meanwhile, 58% of founders chose IPO listing in India against 30% in 2020.
The report also showed that about 75% of founders expect a higher pace of hiring in 2022 in sectors such as fintech, D2C and agritech, as they believe these sectors will attract large funding in 2022. About 81% of founders are of the opinion that companies will hire a professional chief executive officer for running operations in future against 73% a year earlier. Around 19% of respondents believed that founders should remain in charge, and there was no need for a professional CEO, but the number was down from 27% a year earlier. The report also showed that late-stage startup founders are more open to hiring a professional CEO.
Assessing the impact of Covid-19 on work culture in startups, the survey said that there was no consensus on whether Covid was a positive influence on the culture or not. However, about 54% of startups are operating in either work-from-home or hybrid models, which is expected to continue in 2022. Founders were also divided on Covid’s impact on productivity, innovation, collaboration and work-life balance. Half of the founders said they saw covid impacting positively, while half of them felt otherwise.
The InnoVen survey also revealed that founders were of the opinion that quick commerce, essentially grocery delivery, was the most overhyped sector of 2021 followed by edtech and crypto. On the other hand, the health-tech sector was the most underhyped sector of the year followed by agritech and D2C.
Online stock trading firm Zerodha Securities Pvt Ltd was chosen as the most admired startup for 2021 by the founders, followed by Swiggy (Bundl Technologies Pvt Ltd), Zomato, Razorpay Software Pvt Ltd and Nykaa. Deepinder Goyal of Zomato, meanwhile, was chosen as the most admired Indian startup founder for 2021, followed by Zerodha’s Nithin Kamath, Nykaa’s Falguni Nayar, Sridhar Vembu of Zoho Corp, and Girish Mathrubootham of Freshworks Inc. On the global side, the founders chose Elon Musk, currently the world’s richest person, as the most admired founder.
Source: VC Circle


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International Business Machines Corp. is set to report its financial results for its third quarter, ended in September, after the market closes Monday. Here’s what you need to know.
Earnings: Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters, on average, expect adjusted per-share earnings of $3.30 per share, down from $3.68 a year ago.
What to watch
CONTINUING SALES SLUMP. Under threat from a changing corporate computing landscape, IBM’s IBM, -0.52% sales have declined, year-over-year for 13 straight quarters now. Analysts expect this to continue during the company’s most recent earnings.
CLOUD COMPUTING. The move to off-premise cloud computing is accelerating as corporate customers become comfortable with services such as Amazon.com Inc.’s AMZN, +1.06% web services. Amazon’s cloud grew by 81% during its most-recently reported quarter. Cloud services have hurt hardware and services revenues at big corporate information-technology vendors. IBM has its own cloud infrastructure computing service, called SoftLayer, but so far it has not offered details on Softlayer’s rate of growth.
NEW DIRECTIONS. IBM is betting its future on a set of emerging cloud, security and data analytics businesses that CEO Ginny Rometty calls the company’s “strategic imperatives.” They include the Cognitive Computing business that IBM launched earlier this quarter. Last quarter, these strategic imperatives grew at 20%, and investors will be watching whether IBM is able to maintain this trajectory.
PROFITABILITY. With its sinking revenues and new strategic directions, analysts are worried about IBM’s ability to maintain its profitability while reinventing its core businesses. Dell Inc., which announced a $67 billion buy-out of EMC Corp. US:EMC last week, is reinventing itself outside of the scrutiny of the public markets. IBM does not have that luxury.


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Twitter has unveiled a raft of new content partnerships throughout Asia-Pacific, further bolstering the social-media platform’s stable of premium video content.
The deals, announced at this year’s All That Matters conference in Singapore, range from short- to longer-form video content across Twitter’s focus areas of sports, news and entertainment. They include the likes of Sony Music, Vice Media and UEFA Champions League on FMA Indonesia.
“We are proud to expand our livestream...
- Campaign Asia-Pacific online premium content* including in-depth monthly focus on key trends and industry issues
- Unlimited website access*, and an archive of more than 70,000 articles
- Regular value-added supplements including brand health checks, sector studies, ad critiques and research charts
- Daily newsletters and breaking story alerts straight to your inbox
- New weekly feature articles on the latest research, innovation and marketing trends
- Be the first to hear about industry events


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Schertz officials laud Amazon construction
Published 4:59 pm, Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Schertz Mayor Michael Carpenter can't hide his excitement when he talks about the new mega facility Amazon.com is building in the city.
Carpenter sees only positives coming from the 1.26 million-square-foot “fulfillment center” Amazon is constructing in the Verde Enterprise Business Park on Interstate 35.
“We are just thrilled to have Amazon Inc. here,” the mayor said. “It is a good fit and a good business for us to have here in Schertz.”
Amazon, the world's largest online retailer, is building its new facility on a 96-acre tract north of I-35, just south of Lookout Road and east of Enterprise Avenue.
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The Schertz fulfillment center is one of three Amazon is opening in Texas, joining two in Coppell and Haslet, both in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. All three fulfillment centers will create more than combined 1,000 jobs, according to Amazon officials.
David Gwin, Schertz Economic Development Corp. executive director, said the new $166 million fulfillment center in Schertz will generate 350 full-time positions once it is completed and operational by November. Those positions are projected to generate an annual payroll of $11 million.
Amazon Vice President Mike Roth, who oversees the fulfillment centers, thanked local and state officials for their efforts in helping his company break ground on the new facilities.
“We look forward to putting more than 1,000 Texans to work at our new fulfillment centers in Schertz, Coppell and Haslet,” Roth said. “We appreciate the state and local elected officials who have helped us make this exciting investment in the state of Texas.”
Schertz and Guadalupe County officials approved incentive packages in November that cleared the way for Amazon to come to the city. As part of the incentive packages, the online retailer will get a property tax rebate schedule for six years with Schertz and eight years with the county.
Carpenter said Amazon's presence in Schertz will help lessen the tax burden for the city's residents.
“It helps us to balance the revenue we have from residential taxes and revenue we get from business taxes,” Carpenter said. “It gets us closer to a good balance.”
Bringing in companies such as Amazon, Carpenter said, fits in with the city's strategy on economic development. “It is part of our overall economic development plan to bring a diversity of businesses to Schertz and businesses that are a good fit,” he added.
Carpenter said access to two interstates, I-35 and I-10, a capable workforce, a reliable water supply, a good school system, and its willingness to work with businesses all play in the city's favor.


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According to the latest reports, it appears that the upcoming Toyota FT-86 will be badged as a Scion in the United States. Still, this is good news as Scion has a fixed pricing structure at all dealerships, while the Toyota badge could make the car more expensive.
Same sources confirmed the fact that the upcoming production version car will receive a 2.5-liter engine.
As you may know already, the FT-86 Concept was unveiled carrying a 2.0-liter engine mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.
Although no numbers were released, the new car is expected to get the same amount of power as its sister model from Subaru, which will deliver an impressive 260 hp.
The 2.0-liter engine found on the concept version delivered around 200 hp. Regarding the upcoming car, Toyota said that the bodywork, which measures 4,160mm long overall, is designed to be as compact as possible. So, expect a really fast car which would be a perfect addition to a city.
Inside, the car will feature a highly functional cockpit that's designed to be ergonomically efficient.
Sources confirm the fact that the official debut of the car will be made next April, at the 2011 New York Auto Show. Still, the name is undecided, but it’s likely to see the car badged as Scion FR-S. [via toyobaru]


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Japan halts Swift shipments
November 8, 2006
When it comes to international beef trade, there’s just no room for error anymore.
Greeley-based Swift & Co. is learning that tedious lesson after the Japanese government on Wednesday temporarily halted beef shipments from the Greeley beef plant for what amounts to a clerical error.
Japanese officials found one box containing thymus glands in a shipment of 760 boxes of chilled beef and beef tongue in its Osaka port. The thymus gland product is not a designated risk material, and it is eligible for import to Japan. The internal organ, commonly called the “sweetbread” and considered a delicacy in fine dining circles overseas, was not on Swift’s official list of products to send to Japan. Swift typically ships the product domestically but has in the past shipped it to South America, Mexico and Europe.
“I don’t understand how their procedures can miss this,” said Steve Kay, publisher of Cattle Buyer’s Weekly, which follows the beefpacking industry. “Somehow, there wasn’t a system inside the Greeley plant to check the shipment that was put together, and second, the boxes weren’t checked against their export certificate.
“It raises pretty serious questions about Swift’s ability to comply with the absolute minutiae of the protocols.”
Swift spokesman Sean McHugh said the company has done its own investigation and already has suggested corrective measures to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which should forward a report to Japanese officials.
“We believe it was an inadvertent error,” McHugh said, refusing to disclose how the clearly labeled box appeared in the wrong shipment, or the company’s suggested corrective measures. “It was one box out of 760, essentially 20 pounds out of an 11-ton shipment.”
After receiving a report from the USDA, the Japanese will send a delegation to the Greeley plant to review whether it is following rules for export to Japan before allowing trade to resume.
“We are very concerned about what appears to be a simple error because it comes so soon after Japan lifted its import ban,” said Yasushi Yamaguchi, an Agriculture Ministry official in Tokyo.
All US beef shipments to Asian countries have been under intense scrutiny since Japan initially banned U.S. beef in December 2003 after the first reported case of mad cow disease in the U.S. herd.
In December 2005, after two years of negotiations and strict regulations, the Japanese reopened its markets to U.S. beef cuts that came from cows no older than 20 months. Just a month later, the country closed the doors again when a shipment of veal from a New York processing plant contained a backbone, a prohibited substance under the new regulations.
In March, Swift & Co.’s Greeley plant was under the microscope after bone fragments were found in a shipment to Japan. Japanese officials toured the plant in June to inspect operations. In July, the Japanese once again lifted the ban.
Kay said that prior to the concerns of mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy, the commercial beef trade market handily accepted beef that contained bone fragments.
“Commercial tolerance in a pre-BSE world would allow for bone fragments, and no one would raise an eyebrow,” Kay said.
While sending the wrong box of meat products seems to signify a lax attitude in shipment inspections at Swift’s Greeley plant, Kay said the incident is immediately showing that Japanese officials are reacting appropriately.
“I think the Japanese are sending a message that, ‘we really don’t want you to make mistakes, and we will deal with this on a plant-by-plant basis,’ ” Kay said. “That’s a complete contrast to when they banned the entire” market last year.
“I think they’re showing quite a lot of good will to say, ‘We really want this trade for a number of reasons. We recognize our food services want U.S. beef, we want more competition in the imported beef market,’ and they don’t want it to be an issue between the U.S. and Japanese governments,” Kay said.
McHugh said company officials were working hard to expedite the Japanese inspection so shipments could resume.
— Associated Press contributed to this report.
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- Aided by Aaron Trujillo, Brandon Damian and others, Josh Flanagan clinches first individual title, fourth straight team title for Valley wrestling team


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Bitcoin Price Today USD Live Bitcoin BTC Price Today USD It s going to be a bumpy ride getting to wherever Bitcoin is headed by the year s end. as recent charts show a steady increase across most cryptocurrencies. $ Level or More This Year [MIOTA Price Forecast ] News Tue Aug ..Aug , | Sam Ouimet. Bitcoin fell below $, on Tuesday, a decline that brings the price of the world s largest cryptocurrency to within percent .Bitcoin articles about current price charts, latest BTC news and technicalysis. Check for free value of Bitcoin on a graph and read about the latest trends .Bitcoin Price Intradayysis BTCUSD Falls to Lowest since June. hours ago Bitcoin and Ether Lack Momentum as Crypto Market Falls Below $ Billion..Latest Bitcoin Cash BCH USD Historical Price Chart limits, as of August Bitcoin has a MB blocksize limit whereas BCH proposes MB blocks.. related to the Bitcoin network. It provides news, markets, price charts and more. Aug Bitcoin price climbs over $,. Since the beginning of the .Live Bitcoin News brings you the latest news about Bitcoin, blockchain, and all of your favorite cryptocurrencies. News, reviews, education, and more..On August , , multiple development teams forked from the historical bitcoin chain to remove the megabyte block size restriction, creating Bitcoin Cash .Charts providing a snapshot of the Bitcoin Core BTC ecosystem..
[FREE] Get Our Best Crypto Trading, Mining Investing Hacks *Action Required* Enter Your Email To Get Insight For Trending Coin News Reviews.Here is a review of the KeepKey Bitcoin wallet, which is a quite popular product among those who wish to securely store their cryptocurrency. How secure is it?.Bitcoin Coin Flip Where Do You Find Bitcoins Bitcoin Coin Flip Bitcoin Arbitrage Youtube Hack A Bitcoin Wallet.NewsBTC is a news service that covers bitcoin news, technicalysis forecasts for bitcoin and other altcoins. Here at NewsBTC, we are dedicated to enlightening .Tor Bitcoin Exchange Fastest Bitcoin Miner Tor Bitcoin Exchange Best Secure Bitcoin Wallet Bitcoin Lightning Node.Comments on “USI Tech Review . Forex auto trading dropped for bitcoin Ponzi”.The Bitcoin Crash has finally taken place as the king of cryptocurrencies plunged a staggering from its record high in just five days. On December th, Bitcoin .Bitcoin cannot go to zero, because bitcoin is a store of value and since the value is not zero, bitcoin cannot go to zero. bitcoin’s value derives from the .Updated August, . Although not on the market yet, Ripple is expected to shoot past other cryptocurrencies. See our Ripple price predictions for ..By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com Internet data mining expert Clif High says he’s “heartened by the positive nature of the information” he’s received in his latest report..


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This was no small challenge and yet here it is. Today, watchesandwonders.com becomes reality for the 38 prestigious brands taking part and for fans of watchmaking excellence worldwide. Nor does it end there, as the organiser, Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH), explains: “Watches and Wonders has evolved into a comprehensive hub that encompasses brands, retailers, end customers, media and strategic distribution partners such as Net-A-Porter, Mr Porter and Alibaba’s Tmall Luxury Pavilion in China,” adding that “special campaigns featuring exclusive content will coincide with the Geneva and Shanghai events to engage audiences beyond the traditional watchmaking sphere.”
This will be a packed week, for sure. Presentations by the brands of their newest releases will undoubtedly be one of the highlights, but not the only one. Chats with brand ambassadors, CEO keynotes, guided tours of the Manufactures and virtual parties are all on the agenda, either on watchesandwonders.com or by connecting to the different brand websites. The organisers have plenty of content lined up too, not least a Morning Show that goes out live every day with all the latest news from the fair, alongside panels where thought leaders and experts debate themes of interest to the industry.
Barely two years ago, who could have predicted that watch fairs would undergo such a radical transformation? Basel – the industry’s biggest showcase which in its heyday drew in excess of a thousand Swiss and international names – saw exhibitor numbers decline. Swatch Group and its brands were first to jump ship at a time when a large part of the industry was questioning whether trade fairs were still the most effective solution in a digital world ruled by social media. At the same time, Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) was planning its next move. After welcoming independents within its walls, the Salon was preparing to test a new formula that would take the fair into Geneva. Rebranded Watches and Wonders, this was to be a convivial event, geared more towards the general public. Alas, the global pandemic drained the blood from Basel and pulled the rug on Geneva.
Unable to stem the haemorrhage, Baselworld closed its doors once and for all last year with no certainty, at the time of writing, as to whether it will find a way to rise, phoenix-like, from its ashes. As for Watches and Wonders, it too had to rethink its organisation, and fast. Cancelled in the wake of Covid-19, the 2020 edition was moved online in the form of a digital fair showcasing 30 brands. Later that year, the FHH did succeed in staging an in-person event, first in Shanghai then on the Chinese island resort of Hainan. When, between times, Chanel, Chopard, Patek Philippe, Rolex and Tudor announced that they would be relocating to Geneva, suddenly everything seemed possible. All eyes were on what promised to be an unprecedented gathering of brands in Geneva this year. Once again, hopes were dashed by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Geneva will have to wait, which hasn’t prevented Watches and Wonders from gaining in size and substance while confirming its “phygital” format. Looking ahead, Geneva will assuredly be the physical epicentre of Watches and Wonders 2022. After two years away, expectations are high.


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More than half of low-income workers in Europe cannot afford to take a one-week holiday away from home, according to research by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC).
The ETUC said in a statement on Monday that while access to holidays has grown across Europe over the last decade, about 28% of European citizens cannot afford a one-week holiday away from home.
But that rises to 59.5% if you just look at people whose income is below the at-risk-of-poverty threshold — set at 60% of the national median equivalised disposable income.
Some 35 million of the poorest in Europe can’t afford a one-week holiday.
Many of the people considered at-risk-of-poverty are unemployed or
→ Continue reading at Euronews


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“World Economic Outlook” is a twice-yearly report by the International Monetary Fund. The April 2022 edition is subtitled “War Sets Back the Global Recovery.”
The conflict in Ukraine has generated a humanitarian disaster with economic consequences that will slow down the global economy and elevate inflation. Fuel and food prices have risen significantly, for example.
According to IMF estimates, the worldwide economy will decelerate from 6.1% growth in 2021 to 3.6% in 2022 and 2023 — 0.8 and 0.2 percentage points lower than its January 2022 forecast.
The IMF’s inflation predictions for 2022 are 5.7% in advanced economies and 8.7% in emerging market and developing economies.
Although the IMF expects it to ease eventually, inflation could be higher in the short term for various reasons, including worsening supply-demand mismatches and commodity price hikes. Furthermore, both the war and renewed pandemic breakouts could extend supply disruptions, raising costs even more.
According to the IMF forecast, the global economy will effectively flatline this year as Europe enters a recession, China slows substantially, and U.S. financial conditions tighten. On a purchasing power parity basis, the growth of global gross domestic product is expected to be 3.6% in 2022.
Bloomberg tracks global fuel prices, including the comparison of gasoline to diesel. According to Bloomberg’s data, gasoline prices in northwest Europe have risen significantly and are now higher than diesel, a change from prior periods.


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Ubisoft has officially announced that they will not be releasing Operation Vector Glare on June 7 as originally planned, meaning that fans will have to wait a little longer for the new Rainbow Six Season to begin. The R6 development team announced earlier this year that a new operator named Sens who can deploy a unique Projector System would be introduced in the upcoming operation called “Vector Glare.”
Along with the new team deathmatch map, shooting range, and Battle Pass, this new gadget has been in testing since the beginning of the new season. Nevertheless, problems have arisen during testing of this new content, delaying its release until later this week.
Ubisoft Has Confirmed The New Season’s Changes To Rainbow Six Siege 2
Ubisoft has announced that the June 7th, 2022 release date for Operation Vector Glare and the new season of Rainbow Six Siege has been pushed back. The PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and personal computers are all affected by this.
The official R6 website still lists the update as arriving in June 2022, but we no longer have a release date for when it will be available to download and play. Ubisoft has given some explanation for the delay, saying that it was due to a problem that would have been problematic for players and promising that a new release date will be announced as soon as possible.
After completing a testing pass, we’ve identified a player experience issue and have decided to delay the release of Vector Glare until we can fix it,” reads the full message shared by Ubisoft. As soon as possible, we will announce the new date and provide additional information.
After completing a testing pass, we’ve identified a player experience issue and have decided to postpone the release of Vector Glare in order to address it. We'll share details on the new date as soon as we can. pic.twitter.com/hdGI01z8Zg
— Rainbow Six Siege (@Rainbow6Game) June 3, 2022
As was previously mentioned, the new Vector Glare Operator is equipped with an R.O.U. Projector System that can obscure observation points. Because Sens is an attacker, albeit not a particularly swift one, it will be important to make good use of the throwable Projector.
In addition, Close Quarter, the first dedicated TD map that prioritises movement over defensive setups, is being released as a new deathmatch map. As the June 2022 release date draws nearer, more details about this additional content will be revealed.
Given Ubisoft’s general push toward fewer standalone releases and more long-term services, and the game’s own trajectory since its 2015 release, it’s not surprising that Rainbow Six Siege 2 isn’t in the works. Developers have explained why they are not planning a sequel to Rainbow Six Siege as part of today’s online Q&A with fans.


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RIU Hotels is resuming operations in Cancún with the reopening of the Riu Palace Peninsula on 08JUN and the Riu Cancun on 19JUN.
The company closed its 99 establishments worldwide (20 of them in Mexico) in MAR due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Riu Plaza Guadalajara, which reopened on 25MAY, was the first Riu property to resume operations in Mexico.
RIU says it has created a series of protocols that will serve to guide hotels when they reopen post-COVID. Measures include limiting hotel occupancy to 50 to 60%, checking guests' temperatures on arrival and PPE for staff.
As for culinary experiences, RIU says it is “firmly committed” to maintaining buffets, although certain safety measures will be implemented such as requiring guests to wear gloves and a mask. RIU says buffets will also contain more individual portions, more packaged products and more live cooking.
For a complete list RIU's health and safety protocols,click here.
Anna Kroupina Journalist
Anna is OJ's newest member and she joins the team as a writer/reporter. She co-writes the daily news and covers events. Although she's new to the industry, pursuing a career path in travel/tourism has been a goal since her first family road trip to the Florida Keys sparked a desire to discover the world and this exhilarating, fast-paced industry.


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CHINA – The Chinese northeastern province of Jilin has banned the production and sale of single-use non-degradable plastic shopping bags and cutlery from 1 January 2015.
The law was first announced by the General Office of the People’s Government of Jilin Province on 3 March 2014, and aims to “protect and improve the ecological environment, conserve resources, and curb pollution brought about by plastic shopping bags and plastic cutlery”.
The law only targets plastic shopping bags that are not compostable; it does not include retail packaging and packaging for pre-packed fresh and cooked food products.
Where cutlery is concerned, the law bans non-degradable plastic lunch boxes, trays, cups, bowls, and plates.
Companies are not allowed to produce and sell non-degradable plastic shopping bags and cutlery, while retail outlets are also banned from selling and/or giving away the said products. Businesses will have to keep proper plastic purchase and/or sale records for inspection.
Producers found in violation can be fined between RMB 10,000 to 30,000, while retailers in violation can face fines of between RMB 500 to 5,000.
Promoting biodegradable packaging
The legislation also calls for the promotion of biodegradable plastic packaging to replace the banned products.
In a separate document released on 21 July 2014, the Jilin provincial government elaborated on this with a set of instructions for different governmental agencies to carry out.
For example, the Provincial Quality Supervision Bureau had to develop standards and testing methods for polylactic acid (PLA) biodegradable products by 1 October 2014, and start implementing them from 1 December 2014.
Provincial government departments involved in development and reform, industry and information technology, economic and technical cooperation etc were tasked with ensuring a steady supply of biodegradable products.
“Business departments at all levels should strengthen the link between production and demand market circulation, and organize alternative product market supply to meet market demand,” the document stated.
Meanwhile, the task of developing administrative and approval procedures and a “filing system… to establish record information sharing mechanism” was given to the Provincial Development and Reform Commission. Other departments were also tasked with establishing accounting systems, monitoring and inspection systems, as well as an “accountability system” to prevent corruption.
In addition, the province’s environmental protection administrative departments were ordered to “carry out the prevention and control of non-degradable plastic bags, plastic cutlery and related pollution supervision and management.”
The city is also working on developing a consumer waste separation system to improve waste collection and recycling.
On New Year’s Day, local media reported that the first stop law enforcement officers made was to a dumpling takeaway store in Changchun City which was still using plastic containers; the stall owner said he would “immediately stop the use of ‘substandard’ products and think of alternatives”.
Vegetable and meat stalls at a traditional market, a large supermarket, and some food stalls were also inspected and found to be using PLA plastic products.
It is still unclear though, how strictly enforced will the ban be. However, local compostable bags and food container manufacturers in Jilin are ramping up production, or in the process of increasing capacity, according to local media reports.
One such company, biodegradable bag producer Jilin Yitian Biotec Co Ltd which runs two production lines 24/7, is planning to increase its annual production capacity from its current 1,000 tons to 3,000 tons by June this year.
Meanwhile, a PLA resin facility by state-owned China National Cereals, Oils and Foodstuffs Corp, as well as a lactic acid project by Changchun Dacheng Industrial Group Co Ltd are expected to produce bioresin locally.
See related stories:
- Regulations for the bioplastics industry in China
- Supportive measures for the bioplastics industry in China


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Ten tips for scaling a tech company in Asia-Pacific
4 min read
There has never been a better time for UK tech on the global stage. The UK’s tech success so far is the result of policy insight and foresight, drive and dynamism, but this is just the beginning of what the UK tech sector can achieve.
As the UK pivots to a more global outlook, Tech Nation supports the ambitions made by government, founders and entrepreneurs alike to seize the opportunities internationally and realise the full exporting potential of UK tech.
As part of the UK Government future trade strategy for the tech sector, Tech Nation has successfully bid and been awarded a grant as part of the Digital Trade Network in Asia-Pacific to continue helping UK tech scaleups expand in this region.
Thinking global is vital for Tech Nation. Our recent Unlocking Global Tech report found that the UK was the 5th greatest digital tech services exporter in the world in 2019. This position has been driven by a high number of high growth exporting tech companies in the UK, many of which are yet to realise their full exporting potential. Tech Nation has been playing a key role, by fuelling the growth of these fast growth tech companies, at home, and now overseas.
Tech Nation understands the needs of scaleups as they look to grow internationally. As trusted advisors to our alumni of more than 800 high growth tech companies looking to their next stage of growth, and our wider reach through our entrepreneur engagement team, and a wider population of start up and scaleup companies from all corners of the UK, we are looking forward to helping cement the UK’s position as a global tech powerhouse.
The objective of the Digital Trade Network, launched last June by the UK Prime Minister, is to rapidly enhance the ability of UK digital companies to export and connect with international customers and investors, starting in Asia Pacific. As part of this initiative, Tech Nation has already led the first cohort of International Growth Programmes in Australia, Singapore, Japan and South Korea, with 30 UK scaleups joining the programmes. Due to high demand, an additional 45 companies are also receiving support on their go-to-market strategies and international fundraising tactics to ensure their international readiness. As we build our international team, which includes our new Head of Asia Pacific, Max Pourrat based in Singapore, we look forward to continuing to help more UK tech scaleups accelerate their overseas growth.
Tech Nation’s role in this next phase, will be to continue to work closely with the Department for International Trade and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to expand the reach of the UK tech ecosystem overseas, helping to accelerate the growth of UK digital technology businesses whilst providing links for regional talent and investment into tech clusters across the UK.
We are extremely excited that Tech Nation continues to have this opportunity to work alongside the UK Government on this hugely important initiative.
Do please watch this space as we will continue to update you on our international progress.
If you are a scaleup looking for international support and have not already, please complete this expression of interest form.


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Dunmurry-based Brookvent, which specialises in energy saving ventilation systems for the residential construction sector, has struck an agreement with Brooks Timber and Building Supplies, which has seven branches across the border.
It follows recent regulations in the Republic regarding ventilation in the residential sector.
Dane Duffy of Brookvent said the firm had spent 18 months developing products in response to the anticipated change.
“It was clear that systemic change in the Irish building regulations was afoot and that mechanical system ventilation in the residential sector would likely become all but a mandatory requirement,
“With this legislation now fully adopted since November 2020, we are in a perfect position to support the Brooks team and [mechanic and electrical customer base with compliant solutions and advice.”
The Belfast manufacturer said Intertrade Ireland’s Acumen Programme had helped the firm appoint an experienced in-market business development manager last summer, which it said proved instrumental in establishing the partnership agreement with Brook.
Brook’s managing director, Mark Lohan, said the company was impressed with the offering from the Belfast firm
“We believe the products and the people are a really good fit with our people, branch and customer network at Brooks.”
Brookvent group managing director, Declan Gormley said: “This announcement is the culmination of months of hard work and cooperation with Brooks to achieve this highly significant agreement for both companies – something which is particularly noteworthy in the shadow of Covid-19 and the challenges of Brexit.
“It is a major milestone in our plan for market development and brings considerable and immediate market opportunities to the fore.
“We are delighted to be partnering with one of the most well-known and respected merchant brands in the Irish market, who not only share our customer focused approach, but who have the experience and infrastructure to deliver.”
Ryan McAleer (irishnews.com 14/01/21)


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Virtual reality might not have taken the world by storm yet, but its popularity among PC gamers is not waning - quite the opposite. According to new data from Valve, the ownership of PC virtual reality headsets almost doubled in 2018.
The data was collected on Steam, Valve's digital distribution platform and one of the biggest game distributions platforms worldwide. It was gathered through opt-in hardware surveys of randomized users, who needed to have their headset plugged in at the time of participation.
It suggests that around 720, 000 Steam users own some sort of virtual reality headset. However, considering the 90 million monthly active users the platform has overall, VR enthusiasts make up only around 0.8% of them. That's still almost double compared to January 2018, when the number of users who owned a VR device was sitting even lower at 0.4%.
Interestingly, the bulk of the increase seems to have taken place between March and May. According to ArsTechnica, this coincides with the $100 price drop for the HTC Vive in March. Despite that, the Oculus Rift was still the most used VR device on Steam. The Windows Mixed Reality headsets, on the other hand, were the least popular among users, with only 0.07% owning one.
Virtual reality games, however, are attracting more attention. Beat Saber, a rhythm-action game, sold more than 100, 000 copies in less than a month and was the top grossing VR title on Steam. This could encourage hesitant developers to dive into VR more, as it clearly suggests that virtual reality is not dead among PC gamers. If the overall growth continues, maybe virtual reality will finally become the phenomenon we've been told it's been since the beginning.
What do you think? Have you tried VR? Do you own a headset? Let us know in the comments below.


text: Key technical levels have been broken – 1990 and 1950. 1900 is the next support level that could be tested this week. Demand continues to be an issue in the cocoa market. Euro and Pound weakness also has pulled down cocoa prices. First quarter European grinding data will be released Wednesday, giving the market fresh news to trade off of. Ghana has raised its production estimates, weakening prices further. A close under the 60-day moving average has traders thinking 1900 is a realistic target lower. Traders still interested in taking the long-side of the market could look at 2200 calls in the July contract, market was just there a few weeks ago.


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SP500: CSC Sales Dip, ePlus Opens HP Cloud Center
Solution Providers In the News
Solution provider CSC's latest earnings report notes a decline in sales. Meanwhile, ePlus and Accenture bolster cloud computing offerings while Fiserv debuts a banking app for the iPad. In addition, Genpact reveals an acquisition.
CSC Revenue Falls
Total revenue at Computer Science Corp. fell from $16.04 billion in 2010 to $15.88 billion in 2011, according to the solution provider's most recent earnings report. CEO Mike Lawrie said in a statement: "We consider these results to be very poor as the company is executing well below an acceptable level for CSC and its investors." He noted also that the company was in a turnaround position, and that there were "some market headwinds in the federal business and in Europe."
Quarterly revenue also was down from $4.20 billion in first-quarter 2011 to $4.11 billion in first-quarter 2012.
ePlus Debuts Cloud Computing Center
Solution provider ePlus' new HP Cloud Center of Excellence demonstration site will let customers experience a variety of products, services and software functioning seamlessly via cloud computing technology. The center will be located in Raleigh, N.C. Customers will be able to obtain firsthand knowledge of HP CloudSystem Matrix using HP ProLiant blades, HP Storage, HP Networking switches and HP Cloud Service Automation for Matrix.
Fiserv Launches iPad App
The Mobiliti Enterprise mobile banking and payments platform from Fiserv lets U.S. Bank customers manage their money through their tablet computers. Online banking customers can now use their iPads to check their account balances and activity, complete account-to-account transfers, view and pay bills, send and receive person-to-person payments and remotely deposit checks simply by snapping a picture. Customers can download the iPad app from the iTunes App Store through a link on the U.S. Bank site.
Accenture, Salesforce Join Forces
Accenture and Salesforce.com are teaming up to enhance the solution provider's skills training and certification programs and launching new Cloud Centers of Excellence in the U.S. and Canada, as well as in the U.K. and France later this year. Those locations will build on the current capabilities of Accenture's global network of delivery centers in China, India and the Philippines.
Genpact To Provide India Banking Solutions
Genpact will acquire atyati technologies, a technology platform provider for the rural banking sector in India. The acquisition provides Genpact with a leading technology platform in the rural banking space with "last mile functionality," which enables Indian banks to serve the millions of people who live in rural areas. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
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