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Tuesday 18th July 2017
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The New Zealand dollar fell ahead of second-quarter inflation data which is expected to come in weaker than the Reserve Bank has forecast and giving it little reason to contemplate raising interest rates anytime soon.
The kiwi traded at 73.16 US cents, down from 73.30 cents late yesterday. The trade-weighted index slipped to 77.85 from 77.97.
Economists expect inflation was 0.2 percent in the three months ended June 30, for an annual rate of 1.9 percent, according to the median in a poll of 15 economists surveyed by Bloomberg. That would be below the central bank's projection of inflation of 0.3 percent in the second quarter for an annual rise of 2.1 percent. The figures may dispel speculation the RBNZ would be encouraged to hike rates in keeping with central banks such as Canada's.
"We see the data reinforcing the RBNZ’s decisively neutral policy stance for some time," said Jason Wong, currency strategist at Bank of New Zealand. "If anything, inflation is tracking below the Bank’s projections, given the combination of a stronger NZD and lower oil prices since the May MPS."
Traders will be eatching for the release of the minutes of the Reserve Bank of Australia's latest meeting today and tonight, the GlobalDairyTrade auction.
Nigel Brunel, director of financial markets at OMF said that based on the direction of skim milk and whole milk powder (WMP) futures on the NZX, he expects the GDT Index to be "to be slightly up led by WMP."
The kiwi slipped to 63.70 euro cents from 63.93 cents late yesterday and fell to 82.37 yen from 82.53 yen. It fell to 4.9515 yuan from 4.9615 yuan and rose to 56.04 British pence from 55.97 pence. The kiwi traded at 93.85 Australian cents from 93.81 cents yesterday.
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Four new multimodal logistics companies set to join the sector will be announced in few weeks
The end of government monopoly in the logistics sector is imminent, as four logistics companies are in hot pursuit to be the first group of private multimodal logistics service providers under the terms of “Free on Board” (FoB).
After several companies expressed their interest to join the sector, a committee under the Ethiopian Maritime Authority is edging closer to announce the four companies set to join the sector. These companies will be sharing the market with the six-decade-old state-owned giant Ethiopian Shipping and Logistics Service Enterprise (ESLSE).
According to the director general of the Authority, Yehualashet Jemere (Eng), the process in selecting the companies is undergoing at his office, and “the selected companies will soon be announced.”
The Authority had first issued an invitation for interested logistics companies to submit their expressions of interest within a month and a half beginning November 24, 2022. The call was later extended for a month beginning January 12, 2023, upon the “request of companies submitting their expression of interest,” as stated on the notice back in January.
Currently on the final stage, it is to be disclosed soon which companies meet the stringent requirements put in place by the directive issued to license and regulate multimodal transport operators.
Three months after the ratification of this directive back in June 2021, the National Logistics Council deliberated to “break the monopoly of the multimodal operator,” and ratified the FoB directive.
Interested companies applying for the license will have to present a paid-up capital of 350 million birr, open a head office in Ethiopia, and provide four lease or ownership documents for at least five hectares of land. Moreover, three hectares of the land should be a developed terminal with a minimum of 3,000 square meters of warehouse space, better known as a “bonded warehouse” in the industry.
Should the companies seek a temporary license until meeting the full requirements, they are required to fulfill a paid-up capital of 228 million birr and own or rent 3.5 hectares of land for at least four years, besides meeting several other requirements important for the works of logistics service.
Asked if his office would keep issuing multimodal transport service licenses, Yehualashet confirmed it would only be five companies this time as per the directive.
“It is a policy matter whether or not the sector will be open for more competitors,” he said. “It will have an effect on the country’s economy, so it is debatable and can be decided later.”

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SMUGGLING at Zambia’s Kasumbalesa Border with Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has decreased as more cross border traders now use designated entry points following the establishment and implementation of a trade information desk (TID).
This came to light on Thursday when Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) experts visited the post to check on the operations of the TID and to make a documentary of the facility to be used as a model in the region.
Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) assistant commissioner-north Clement Mulenga told the COMESA team that the number of traders using customs entry points has increased.
“We are looking forward to the establishment of these TIDs under Simplified Trade Regimes (STR) in other border points,” he said.
Mr Mulenga said the cross border traders have realised that they paid more when using ungazetted routes as opposed to using legal entry points.
He said DRC was also making revenue from Zambian small-scale traders using designated entry points into that country. He, however, observed that traders from DRC were still not using designated entry points into Zambia.
“We are trying to talk to our colleagues in DRC on how best they can sensitise their people on the need to use customs entry points,” he said.
Zambia’s exports to DRC are manly agricultural products, sugar and cement.
Mr Mulenga commended COMESA and the Cross-Border Traders Association (CBTA) for the initiative of setting up TID.
Earlier, ZRA Kasumbalesa station manager Martin Chanda said the Bilanga area on the border, which was the main arena for smuggling, has fewer activities now.
And COMESA co=ordinator – Trading for Peace Adrien Ndayisaba said the Kasumbalesa TID will be used as a model in advancing simplified trade regime.
“We are documenting the TID corridor for it to be used as a model for other countries in the region,” he said.
Mr Ndayisaba said apart from Kasumbalesa TID, another TID has been established at Mokambo Border.
“COMESA has also established TIDs in other countries to promote trade among small-scale cross -border traders,” he said.
Mr Ndayisaba said the TID initiative will help sustain the community.
“The small-scale traders should be graduating from SMEs to medium scale and eventually large -scale businesses,” he said.


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STR projects a 9.8-percent year-over-year decline in revenue per available room for 2009, and it expects a 1.5-percent increase in 2010, according to the latest data released from the hotel research specialist.A difficult environment resulted in a 17.7-percent RevPAR decline in the first quarter of 2009 and led to the company revising its forecast. STR expects the second quarter to continue to be challenging before the industry’s performance slows its slide during the third and fourth quarters.
“With the first quarter of 2009 now behind us, it is clear that declining room rates are taking a harder toll on performance than we were expecting,” said Mark Lomanno, president of STR. “It appears that many hoteliers are embracing the very same pricing and room distribution strategies implemented in the 2001/2002 downturn.”
The U.S. hotel industry should see some relief toward the end of 2009, according to the projections released by STR. Occupancy at year-end 2009 is projected to be down 6.5 percent to 56.5 percent. At the end of first quarter 2009, the industry occupancy is down 10.9 percent to 51.4 percent. Average daily rate is projected to be down 3.6 percent to US$102.89. At end of first quarter 2009, ADR was at US$100.13, down 7.7 percent for the year.
“On a positive note, we believe the first two quarters of 2009 will be the lodging industry’s trough in this cycle, and we will see some modest improvement in the third quarter followed by measureable gains in the fourth quarter, especially in occupancy,” Lomanno continued.
The U.S. hotel industry projections for occupancy, ADR, and RevPAR are even more optimistic for 2010. Occupancy is projected to end the year flat at 56.5 percent, and ADR is projected to increase 1.5 percent to US$104.41.
STR will release its forecast outlook each month beginning in June 2009 on HotelNewsNow.com.


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Louts have steered clear of a Runcorn shopping area following a police crackdown.
Inspector Barry Brown said anti-social behaviour at Trident Retail Park had ‘massively reduced’ after dispersal notices were dished out.
In previous weeks yobs had been making life a misery for shoppers and retailers by hurling abuse at them, blocking doorways and on at least one occasion running across tables in McDonald’s.
Insp Brown said: “We are still actively patrolling and linking in with businesses there.
“We would welcome reports from members of public.”
Report anti-social behaviour to Cheshire police on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.


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Sgnl promised to send phone calls through your finger in 2016, but still hasn't delivered
At CES, Sgnl showcases device, but Kickstarter backers are still waiting
Hear phone calls with your finger. The idea? Magic, something a child would invent. And that was the promise of Sgnl when the product launched on Kickstarter in 2016: a device worn on the wrist, that would conduct sound loud enough to hear someone talking to you on the phone. Better than Dick Tracy's watch. Better than a Star Trek communicator.
We're still waiting.
Innomdle Lab came to CES this week to show off its wearable — giving people a chance to try the device, and hear for themselves how Sgnl conducts sound through your hand.
Yet those who invested back in September 2016 on Kickstarter — and October 2016 on Indiegogo — have yet to receive their device. (Disclosure: This reporter is backer 1,702 on Kickstarter.)
Sgnl and the new Sgnl S, which Innomdle Labs showed at CESGearBrain
Innomdle Lab's Kickstarter earned the company nearly $1.47 million dollars. On Indiegogo, Innomdle Lab raised more than $2.2 million. Sgnl initially offered an estimated delivery of February 2017. As of this month, its 8,777 backers were emailed and told that Sgnl is first going out to 60 beta testers, "picked randomly," to test issues the product is still facing. But there is still no date on when beta testing starts — or a new delivery date for backers.
Sgnl's 11-month-late delivery from its Kickstarter campaign— so far — did little to quell interest in the device at CES, however. Clustered around the table were people eager to test the product, a 100-gram wearable worn at the wrist, that does deliver sound. Wrapped around the wrist bone, Sgnl sends vibrations — which are felt — through the arm, into a finger that's pressed against the ear.
Sgnl offered visitors a chance to test the sound quality, playing music through the wearable, audible but muffled. Sgnl is not a high quality speaker — nor did it ever make that claim. Hearing someone on the phone, through your finger, is all the company ever promised.
But as to when that promise will come is still not known. When asked at CES, Jenny Choi, a business development manager for the product, said Sgnl is expected to go out to backers in the first quarter of 2018 — and go on sale to consumers in the second quarter.
Sgnl's Kickstarter promised to let you hear phone calls through your finger in 2016. Backers are still waiting.GearBrain
Early bird pricing on Kickstarter offered a Sgnl device for $119, but the device will now cost $249, says Choi, and work with Android and iOS smartphones. A new wearable was also at CES called Sgnl S, a strap that connects with a smart watch. It won't make phones calls but will let wearers check notifications. Innomdle Labs has yet to set pricing for Sgnl S or say when, exactly, it will go on sale.
Yet the original Sgnl is already overdue. Yet getting a product late — or not at all — is a risk Kickstarter backers take. Many people see crowdsourcing sites as online stores — but filled with quirky, cutting-edge products. But Kickstarter is an investment site. And like any investment, you're never guaranteed a return.
Anyone wanting to launch a fundraiser on Kickstarter, is put through a very hefty process, particularly for those who want to create a physical product, says David Gallagher, spokesperson for Kickstarter. There needs to be a working prototype, and that has to be shown to people on the project page. It's actually tough to run a successful tech Kickstarter — only 20 percent of tech projects ever reach their funding goals, says Gallagher.
But delivering the goods in the end? "They have an out, essentially, under our terms of service," he says.
Creators, as Kickstarter calls them, "must make every responsible effort" to deliver, he says. And if there is a problem, they have to show what went wrong, how money was used and ultimately what is "preventing them from finishing the project," Gallagher adds. But Kickstarter actually expects that some projects will fail — and they want backers to know the risks involved.
"If there aren't projects failing, Kickstarter is a boring place and people aren't trying anything new," says Gallagher. "So we want there to be a way in the system for some things to fail."
That may sound great for start-ups — but there's a caveat: Creators who fail? They can't launch another Kickstarter.
Keeping backers in the loop then — and hoping to eventually deliver — is the better option. Gallagher says he remembers a video game project, where the creator finally popped back in four years later with the game.
Sgnl is keeping its backers in the loop with emails, sending Update #26 on January 4, just after the new year. The company clearly hopes to quell some of the concerns expressed in the 2,349 comments on its Kickstarter page — many of which express doubt they'll ever see the product in the end.
"Is there any possible way to claim a refund?," says one comment posted on January 9. "I guess not.."


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Despite the holiday, most borough businesses will remain open on Monday. Below is a list of several of the Phoenixville shops that will be open for business on September 3.
(To see a list of area businesses that will be closed or have limited hours for the holiday, click )
- is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- will be open from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.
- and will be open all day.
- will be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.


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- Capital Goods and Consumer Electronics companies failing to innovate on cooling technology with on average 2.2% sales spent on cooling R&D.
- Trane Technologies (US), LG Electronics (S.Korea) and Mitsubishi Electric (Japan) lead cooling sector on climate-related financial metrics with Hisense (China) and Blue Star (India) lagging.
- Only 22% of cooling sector companies have 2050 emissions targets (Hitachi, Mitsubishi Electric, Daikin Industries and Electrolux).
- Significant energy efficiency gap of up to 50% between best available popular AC products and those offered reveals gap for regulators to target.
London; June 2, 2020: Refrigeration, air-conditioning and chillers are crucial for providing comfort and safety in homes, enabling the delivery of essential goods and medicines, and protecting vaccines from heat. The cooling market is valued at c.US$300 billion and growing fast with the number of global unit sales a year rising by close to 40% by 2030 compared to 2019. Rapidly rising emissions from the sector are attracting attention from policymakers, with a call for action for industry-wide zero emissions commitments ahead of the COP26 climate negotiations. COVID-19 is also raising the importance of global health issues, and cooling is vital in keeping vaccines cool and protecting against heat stress health issues linked to climate change.
However, new research from global non-profit CDP finds the major consumer electronic and capital goods firms that dominate the sector are failing to innovate or make the latest technology widely available.
CDP assessed 18 high-impact publicly listed companies that dominate the cooling sector (combined market cap of over US$550 billion) on product efficiency, emissions disclosure and low-carbon innovation.CDP’s in-depth analysis of product portfolios in the major markets for air conditioners in the United States, Japan, China and India found companies are not deploying their most efficient products, resulting in a significant gap between what is technically possible and minimum efficiency standards.
Trane Technologies (US), Mitsubishi Electric (Japan) and LG Electronics (S. Korea) were found to lead the sector on climate-related financial metrics with Blue Star (India) Hisense (China) and Chigo (China) lagging.
Carbon emissions from space cooling have tripled since 1990 and are continuing to surge, with space cooling set to become the strongest driver of growth from buildings electricity over the next 30 years1. Cooling technologies also contribute to emissions through the leakage of fluorocarbons such as HFCs.
Deep transformation of the sector is needed to accelerate the pathway to a healthy, resilient, zero emissions future, but CDP’s research points to a lack of innovation with spending on R&D at 2.2% of net sales significantly lagging the Capital Goods average of 3.5%.Most companies’ sustainable innovations are only delivering incremental efficiency gains based on a 100-year-old compressor technology and only 5% are involved in transformational demand management solutions needed such as smart grids and renewable sources. This is reinforced by patent filings, with 60% in compressor technologies.
Only 22% (four out of the 18) of the companies assessed have set targets to reduce emissions throughout the value chain by 2050: Hitachi and Mitsubishi Electric are targeting an 80% reduction, while Daikin Industries and Electrolux aim to achieve net-zero emission.
CDP’s research points to a huge opportunity for cooling businesses to innovate, compete and position the sector at the forefront of climate action. A radical step-change in efficiency standards, innovation and R&D is needed for the sector to make the emissions cuts needed to be aligned with Paris goals to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
Carole Ferguson, Head of Investor Research at CDP said: “It is striking to see how many companies scored poorly on climate-related opportunity metrics, showing that as a group there is little or no meaningful innovation.This is backed up by financial metrics such as their R&D spend, patent filings and capex/sales ratios.”
Jess Brown, Executive Director at Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program (K-CEP) commented: “Cooling companies know they need to phase out and down super-polluting F-gases to comply with the Kigali Amendment.Simultaneously improving the energy efficiency of cooling technology presents an even bigger emissions reduction opportunity.
This report shines a light on the business leadership already underway but also shows that much more can be done by the world’s largest cooling companies if they are to make an appropriate, and much needed, contribution to tackling the climate crisis.”
Nigel Topping, COP26 High Level Climate Action Champion said: “In response to the economy wide call to action for net zero commitments for COP26, cooling companies have a huge opportunity to build on their climate performance to date, as assessed in this important CDP report, and through transformational change in cooling technology, to position the sector at the forefront of climate action.”
CDP’s League Table of companies in the cooling sector
(i) Weighted ranks are calculated for each area. We display non-weighted ranks in this summary for simplicity only.
(ii) Blue Star, Chigo, Gree, Haier, and Hisense were not requested to respond to CDP’s 2019 climate change questionnaire.
(iii) Carrier Market Cap as of June 2020. As of May 15 2020, Chigo has been suspended from trading on the HKSE.
CDP is an international non-profit that drives companies and governments to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, safeguard water resources and protect forests. Voted number one climate research provider by investors and working with institutional investors with assets of US$106 trillion, we leverage investor and buyer power to motivate companies to disclose and manage their environmental impacts. Over 8,400 companies with over 50% of global market capitalization disclosed environmental data through CDP in 2019. This is in addition to the over 920 cities, states and regions who disclosed, making CDP’s platform one of the richest sources of information globally on how companies and governments are driving environmental change. CDP is a founding member of the We Mean Business Coalition. Visit cdp.net or follow us @CDP to find out more.
Notes to Editors
- The full report is exclusively available for purchase by CDP investor signatories. To become a CDP signatory and gain access to this and other full sector reports and tools, including CDP company disclosure data, please contact firstname.lastname@example.org .
- Space cooling refers to all air conditioning systems used in buildings.
For more information, or exclusive interviews, please contact:
- Julia Chapman, CDP
Tel: +44 (0) 2038 183 973 | Email: email@example.com
- Caroline Barraclough, ESG Communications
Tel: +44 (0)7503 771694 | Email: firstname.lastname@example.org
Cover picture: https://unsplash.com/@lemshirinz


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The post-apocalyptic action game Ground Zero has been released worldwide
Ground Zero is a mobile action game with an isometric gameplay. In January, we reported that the game appeared on Android in Southeast Asia. Now it has been released all over the world. The developers also added a small trailer with gameplay and heavy music.
According to the plot of Ground Zero, local militants caused a nuclear war that devastated the world and turned people into zombies. Interestingly, the dead are used to take over the apocalyptic world. It remains to rely on the last survivors.
Ground Zero players will collect resources to create the necessary items. Their list includes:
Gradually, gamers will be able to create and even expand the shelter. It is used as a hub and a place where you can get new jobs. Players are promised simple controls and an exciting plot. We expect that the focus in Ground Zero is on collecting rare fighters and their synergy in missions. Well, the cherry on the cake is the opportunity to ride a tank.


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Aurora Cannabis Inc.'s chief executive insisted his company was on track to meet its profitability target even as it recorded a $51.9 million net loss and saw consumer pot net revenue fall 28 per cent from a year ago.
"This will be an incredible achievement, which will also be sustainable," said Miguel Martin, on a Thursday call with analysts.
"We look forward to demonstrating consistent financial performance in the coming quarters."
His Edmonton-based cannabis company has said it will reach profitability based on adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) by Dec. 31.
The company's adjusted EBITDA loss for its first quarter, the period ended Sept. 30, totalled $8.7 million compared with $11 million a year ago.
Aurora's path to profitability has involved a restructuring and several rounds of layoffs and facility closures over the last three years as it contended with shifting COVID-19 measures and grappled with aligning supply with demand.
Also making profitability tough is the extreme level of competition in the cannabis market, which has included a soaring number of cannabis stores in Ontario and licensed producers relying on promotions and price reductions to draw in customers.
The average price for cannabis was $11.78 per gram at the start of 2019, shortly after legalization, but fell to $7.50 per gram in 2021, a November report from Deloitte Canada and cannabis research firms Hifyre and BDSA said.
The average price for vape cartridges has similarly fallen by 41 per cent from $32.02 per gram around legalization to $19 per gram a year later.
"The (recreational cannabis) business is really challenging right now," said Martin. "The pricing continues to drop."
While competitors slash prices to compete in the frenzied market, there are also pressures from high inflation rates and packaging costs, which he characterized as "challenging."
Supply and ordering disruptions have loomed too because of a cyberattack at the Ontario Cannabis Store and store closures due to an employee strike across B.C. cannabis shops.
"Thankfully those issues are now fully resolved," said Martin.
The incidents were partially offset by earnings from Thrive, a premium pot company Aurora bought in March to help it reach its profitability goal and cater to more sophisticated customers looking for higher-end products.
Also aiding the company was its August purchase of Bevo Agtech Inc., a supplier of vegetable seedlings and flowers.
Aurora intends to amp up production at the company by converting one of its previous pot facilities, Aurora Sky, for orchid and vegetable propagation with "minimal capital investment," Martin said.
His remarks came as Aurora recorded a $51.9 million net loss in its first quarter compared with a net loss of $11.9 million for the same period in the prior year.
Its consumer cannabis net revenue for the period ended Sept. 30 amounted to $13.7 million, up from $12.6 million in its prior quarter, but down 28 per cent from $19.1 million in the first quarter of last year.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 10, 2022.
Companies in this story: (TSX:ACB)
Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press


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Connecting Crouch End and Hornsey with news, views and information
Crouch End Traders Association (CETA) have started a campaign alerting Crouch End to the existence of a questionnaire about possible changes that might be made in the area..
Crouch End needs some positive outcomes. Shops are closing at an ever increasing rate, but openings are not keeping up. The three in a row and a demerit mark effect of Santander, Oliver Bonas (as was) and Starbucks standing empty, boarded up and fly posted is massively ugly. If you were an entrepreneur or a chain store would you want to open up in a shopping centre with this as a centrepiece.
TRADERS who oppose the Crouch End liveable Neighbourhood scheme make a mistake.
The real threat to their current business model—and indeed to High Streets up and down the land—is online commerce. This is not going to go away. It will intensify and it threatens to evaporate much or most current High Street income. But some traders see cars and parking as vital to their business. They look ahead to next week and maybe next month.
If they look out 12 months or even as far as 10 years, the smart thing for traders to do, would be to beg the council to implement a neighbourhood scheme as fast as possible. To make Crouch End more liveable and attractive to linger in. I support what the council is trying to do here.
Unfortunately, it is not being promoted at political level as effectively as it should be. The current Cabinet Member for the Environment makes lovely speeches in safe settings like Labour Party meetings, but has failed to defend sufficiently the scheme from attack by some residents in wider gatherings.
In particular, last year, local (Liberal Democrat) Crouch End Councillors hosted a public meeting about the scheme and the two-week trial, to which the Cabinet Member was invited. The best that she could do was to provide a statement that was read out on her behalf. In the statement, she claimed that it would have premature to attend and to speak before the trial.
When it comes to justifying a scheme involving some five million pound of public money, surely this is not good enough?


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By ELi CHEP & EVE CHEGE
One of Kenya’s most popular international events returns for 2014. The event has seen a list of international designers’ exhibit on its runway. So embrace yourself for what is set to happen on the 31st of May. FAFA (Festival of African Fashion and Arts) 2014 – The high-end fashion show and gala dinner to be held soon in two weeks time at the Oval will bring together the best of Africa’s designers to showcase their designs and enormous talent as well. The event also brings to light the creation of a movement within African designers and artists, led by the fashion industry which embraces and embodies ethical fashion and the values it upholds.
FAFA was established in 2008 under founder, Ann McCreath & co-related individuals from different nationalities and walks of life who came together with the belief that peace is fundamental to development and prosperity and that positive change comes when we stop focusing on the negative and encourage the inspiring and positive through a fashionable cause event.
In recent years since FAFA’s inception and various fashion-4-charity events through increase in capacity and well-being of the people and communities, creativity, design and fashion have significantly played active roles in poverty reduction, development of sustainable livelihoods and reduction of the harmful effects on the environment.
At a FAFA press forum yesterevening at Yaya in what proved to be the most exciting night in a long time; fashionistas, designers and media thronged KikoRomeo to discuss how media and designers can work together to take forward the fashion industry. it was highlighted that when it comes to taking African fashion to the world however, the onus cannot rest entirely on the shoulders of its designers. We live in an age of increasing interconnectivity, and for them to establish a hold in the international arena it is vital they are supported by a strong local industry. A key component to building this base lies in the ability to access up to date market intelligence. Without an in-depth understanding of the ever-changing dynamic of fashion, in particular what the market needs and demands, our fledgling industries will not be able to keep abreast of current trends, let alone predict them.
Jeremy Ngunze – Chief Executive Officer, CBA had this to say of FAFA’s efforts, “I am very pleased that an event of this calibre is taking place this year; it demonstrates that Kenya not only has the talent and resources to hold a world class festival, but also the vision to see that fashion and the creative arts, if developed properly can indeed play an important role in our economic development. I have the confidence that our youthful designers have come of age and are ready to take their rightful place amongst the world’s finest.”
This year FAFA has pushed hard and successfully on its target to address the area of knowledge acquisition through a series of regular hands-on workshops delivered by top industry specialists from around the world. Intended for highly experienced Kenyans working in fashion, the workshops have been able to lay heavy importance on practical participation, including collaborative work with other seminars running simultaneously. Fashion should form an integral part of our national identity. Furthermore, it is a dynamic art form that lies at the centre of critical issues relating to trade and socio-economic growth. We cannot afford to sideline such an important industry, nor relegate it the bottom rung of social and political news.
In what proved to be the busiest session of the weekly Fashion Focus, designers and members of the media broke down what they need for mutual benefit. The event was abuzz with cameras rolling and others posing in their stunning locally made creations, which was just a taste of what FAFA 2014 will have in store.
Speaking at the event Carol Odero, editor of Drum, columnist of the Sunday Nation and striking head of popular TV show Fashion Watch said ‘.Designers need to be more aggressive in selling their designs to the media, the exposure they receive from the media is great marketing for the designer’ International media consultant Rachel Jones lauded Kenyan designers on their raw talent and challenged them to stand up and be counted. She said their designs could compete anywhere, and it was time for them to reach a global audience.
Silvia Tonui who is the new C.E.O of FAFA is happy to have joined the organization and notes that she has very big shoes to fit in as she wants to make FAFA a sustainable business. She moved back to Kenya from South Africa in 2012 having worked at Elle Magazine as a consumer marketer then later on branched to trade marketing.
With a beautiful promotional ad as seen above you can expect exotic fashion as always at the up and coming FAFA event. The 2014 Gala event will see designers such as, Waithera Kibuchi, Muna Yemane, Ami Shah, Shenu Hooda, Iona McCreath, Azra Walji, Nick Ondu, Wambui Kibue, Manciny Migwi, Tserehaaryam Shimells and more. It has encompassed and managed to pull CEO’s of various companies in Kenya onto the runway with some sponsors in mention such as Safaricom, Jameson East Africa, CBA, Stanley, Ipsos Synovate, Engage just to name but a few.
Ajuma Nasenyana heading City Models Africa (CMA) will be training models. Hence, there will be 18 Kenyan Designers, one collection by South Sudanese designers and possibly one designer from Botswana (this info available on http://www.fafakenya.co.ke). Main show DJ will be Zelalem. One unique feature of the show will be a CEO catwalk.
Designers have also teamed up with amazing offers to encourage guests to buy local for the red carpet. Prices start from as low as 5,000 KES if you tweet your outfit in progress from the designers studio under hashtag #DressMeAtFAFA.
Founder and FAFA Chair Ann McCreath said of Fashion for Peace “this is all about building networks, building brands and building community. Unity in Diversity. Together we will build a stronger Africa”.
And in preparation for this year’s events, photoshoots and interviews have been taking place with the designers and models, and you have every right to watch and see them below.
VIDEO: #MeetMeAtFAFA Models, Designers & Stylists
FAFA’s Fashion for Peace Gala Dinner and Show will be held at the panoramic rooftop of The Oval on Ring Rd Parklands on Saturday 31st May from 6 pm. Judging from last night’s performance, you will not want to miss it! MCs for the night are going to be Maqbul Mohammed and Grace Msalame. The guests will be entertained by DJ Zelalem who will DJ for the fashion show and DJ Cortega for the after party.
Hard copy tickets are also on sale at KikoRomeo, SuzieBeauty, Sarova Stanley, Chandarana Supermarkets and Safaricom’s Michael Joseph Centre. You can also Call 1511 for tickets & pay within 6 hours via M-Pesa.
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/FAFA/129175653782489
Email: firstname.lastname@example.org or email@example.com
Photo Credits courtesy of Kiko Romeo © & Thomson Photography


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Google Maps introduces eco-friendly routes, lite navigation for cycliststext_fields
Google Maps is introducing features that will help "at reducing the carbon footprint of its users." The new features include eco-friendly routing, lite navigation for cyclists, and bike and scooter share information.
Google has said that the new routing model will get users to their "destination as quickly as possible". It also "optimizes for lower fuel consumption — which saves you money on gas."
In a blog post, Google said that it estimates the eco-friendly routing to have the potential to prevent over one million tons of carbon emissions per year, which is roughly equal to removing over 200,000 cars from the road.
The Lite navigation feature, according to Google, will enable cyclists to "quickly see important details about their route without needing to keep their screen on or enter turn-by-turn navigation." The feature also displays important travel information such as trip progress, real-time ETA updates, and the elevation of the route.
Google said that it has expanded bike and scooter share information to over 300 cities around the world on Android and iOS.
"You can find nearby stations and even pinpoint how many vehicles are available at that moment in places like Berlin, New York, São Paulo and Taipei. And when you're done with your ride, you can make sure there's a place to park before heading over to the station," Google said.


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Booth space open for NY Mills Trade Show
Now is the time to sign up for a booth at the 2010 New York Mills Civic and Commerce Association Trade Show.
The trade show is planned for Saturday, April 17, in the New York Mills School Sports Center and high school gym. Exhibits will be open to the public from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The day will start off with a pancake breakfast from 9 to 11 a.m. Concessions will be available from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. A variety of entertainment events are also planned throughout the day.
Admission to the trade show is free for the public with a donation to the New York Mills Food Shelf.
The exhibitor's fee per 10' x 10' booth is $55 for NYM Civic and Commerce members (2010 membership must be paid); $95 for non-members; and $35 for non-profit organizations. An additional fee of $10 will be charged for any exhibit requiring electricity.
Set-up for the trade show is scheduled for Friday, April 16 from 4 - 6 p.m. and Saturday, April 17 from 7 - 9 a.m.
Business owners and non-profit organization leaders in New York Mills and the surrounding area who want to reserve a booth space need to fill out a trade show registration form. Forms must be completed and registration fees paid no later than April 9.


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KZN Finance MEC, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, is expected on Saturday to lead a Provincial Treasury’s Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) Outreach Programme, which seeks to equip rural-based small businesses with a range of business skills and economic avenues.
The SMMEs outreach programme, to be held at Bhambanana in Jozini Local Municipality, follows the Youth-in-Business Outreach Programme held recently in uThukela, with the aim of equipping young people with a raft of business skills and economic avenues.
Dube-Ncube said following the resounding success of uThukela Youth-In-Business Outreach Programme, there was a need to cover more districts to unlock bottlenecks and challenges encountered by rural-based SMMEs and small businesses when attempting to access funding and sustain their businesses.
She said the SMMEs and other small businesses have borne the brunt of COVID-19 and last year July’s unrest events, which have put them in bad shape.
“This has affected mostly rural businesses, especially those owned by Africans residing in far flung areas. These include in small towns that often struggle with access to information on how to efficiently run their businesses, access business finance… [and] information related to government’s supply chain protocols,” Dube-Ncube said.
During the outreach programme, the department will bring closer its central suppliers database unit, operation-pay-on-time, and supply chain management.
Outside stakeholders, including the National Youth Development Agency, Ithala, South African Revenue Service, and an assortment of other business services bodies will all erect exhibition stands, with readily available information and services.
“The entire package of information is sacrosanct in order to mitigate the high rate of unemployment that mostly affects the province and the country,” the MEC said. – SAnews.gov.za


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The e-commerce minister, Stephen Timms, has embarked on a visit to the Far East to try and persuade Chinese high-tech companies to set up operations in the UK.
Timms has also urged British technology companies to take advantage of the massive potential of China as a marketplace for their products and services.
During the five-day trip, which started on Sunday, Timms will discuss information communications technology (ICT) issues with Chinese government ministers, and will also meet with some of China's top technology firms. One of his top objectives is to encourage such firms to build factories in the UK.
"We need to raise the profile of the UK ICT's sector in China. In some areas, such as mobile communications and digital TV technology, it is the UK and Europe who are world leaders. With our world class R&D base, our highly skilled labour and our competitive market, we are the ideal location for China's blossoming ICT industry. But we need to work hard to get this message home," said Timms in a statement.
Several parts of the UK successfully attracted foreign technology firms to build factories in their area during the 1990s, often aided by government grants. Significant numbers of these firms have since responded to the tech slump by shutting their British plants -- hitting Scotland's Silicon Glen particularly hard.
China operates a restrictive policy to the Internet, under which Web cafes must install software that blocks access to restricted sites -- including those run by some foreign news organisation and pro-democracy campaigners. The surfing of pornographic Web sites is also banned.
Despite this, the number of Chinese Internet users rose by 300 percent in the last 12 months, and mobile phone use is also booming. With 170 million users, China's mobile sector is the largest in the world.
The UK government believes that China represents an opportunity that British tech firms must grasp, at a time when sales of PCs and mobile phones to Western consumers are disappointing.
"China is rapidly becoming a digital dragon," said Timms. "Following their entry to the World Trade Organisation, China is becoming more open for business. Our strength in areas such as electronic design, digital content, mobile communications and digital TV match the needs of the Chinese market," the e-commerce minister added.
Last year, UK ICT exports to China were worth almost £400m, more than twice as much as in 2000.


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Haverty Furniture Companies, Inc. (HVT) experiences a rise of 4.42% in the aftermarket. However, the last trading session closed at $32.32 with an increase of 3.76%.
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Third Quarter 2021 Results
HVT announced third quarter 2021 results on 28th October 2021. The sales grew 19.7% to $260.4 million, more than $217.5 million in 2020 wheres the sales at comparable stores climbed by 17.7%. In comparison to $209.3 million in 2019, sales for 2021 climbed by 24.4 percent. Moreover, written business is down around 3.5 percent compared to the same period last year, but 20.9 percent up as compared to 2019. As far as written business is concerned, it increased by 22.8 percent and 16.7 percent, respectively, over the previous year.
For 2021, the company anticipates gross profit margins of 56.5 percent to 56.8%. Furthermore, changes in product and freight prices, as well as their influence on our LIFO reserve, are used to calculate the expected gross profit margins. Due to growing warehousing, compensation, and benefit costs, SG&A fixed and discretionary expenses are estimated to be in the $278.0 to $281.0 million range for the full year of 2021. Lastly, variable SG&A expenditures are expected to be in the 17.0 percent to 17.3 percent range for the full year of 2021.
Third Quarter Sales Performance
HVT revealed updated sales figures on 20th September 2021. HVT’s sales in the third quarter of 2021 have increased by about 21.2 percent over the same period last year, with comparable-store sales up 19.5 percent. Written business is up 2.7 percent in the third quarter compared to the same period last year. This rate of business compared to revenue growth of 3.9 percent and written business growth of 22.8 percent in the third quarter of 2020 over the same time in 2019.
As the company works to fulfill customers’ orders and help them construct their idea of home, the business continues to be robust. Last but not least, Merchandise availability has an influence on our company, and supply chain interruptions are a problem.
Second Quarter 2021 Results
HVT reported second-quarter 2021 results on 27th July 2021. According to the report, the company shuttered the stores on March 19th, 2020, due to COVID-19, and 103 of them reopened on May 1st, with the remaining 17 locations reopening on June 20th. On March 21, deliveries were interrupted, and on May 5, they resumed with reduced capacity. Moreover, the total sales will be $250.0 million, up from $110.0 million in 2020. However, the sales jumped 46.9% in comparable stores.
The second quarter’s sales were excellent, and HVT made some headway in lowering the backlog. The company has witnessed that sales have migrated from special orders to inline merchandise. The mattress category saw a rise in sales this quarter as product availability improved. Furthermore, the marketing and supply-chain teams have done an outstanding job responding to the present climate of product shortages, price hikes, production delays, freight rises, and unstable cargo delivery. Lastly, despite these difficulties, the company was able to attain gross profit margins of 56.6 percent in the second quarter.


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Will Retail/Restaurants Rebound Amid Consumer Fears?
Retail sales in the U.S. plummeted 16.4 percent in April, for the largest two month decline, according to the Commerce Department. That followed an 8.3 percent plunge in March.
The April data could show where the bottom is, though March stats were aided by panic buying and hoarding, plus most stores remained open for the first half of the month.
Total sales for April, which include retail purchases in stores and online as well as bars and restaurants, were the lowest since 2012, without accounting for inflation.
Most states have begun to lift stay-at-home orders, including New York, which has opened up five regions. Rockland County is still under restrictions, however. As stores reopen, there’s evidence of some pent-up demand. But apparel retailers must brace for a post-pandemic environment in which consumers are both skittish about enclosed spaces and have been economically hard-hit by layoffs.
Apparel faces post-pandemic decline even as stores reopen
The downturn has accelerated what may have been inevitable. J. Crew and Neiman Marcus have filed for bankruptcy protection, and retailers like J.C. Penney are expected to follow. Retail, which is the nation’s second-largest private-sector employer, cut 2.1 million jobs in April. Of those, 740,000 lost jobs at clothing and clothing accessories stores and 209,000 at furniture and home furnishings stores, according to a report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. General merchandise stores, which include warehouse clubs and supercenters, actually gained 93,000 jobs, the government said.
The Commerce Department’s report on retail sales for April shows the hardest hurt were restaurants and bars, furniture stores and clothing stores. Clothing stores have seen sales fall by 89 percent since February, revealing how dependent retailers are on brick-and-mortar stores. Increased internet sales did not come close to offsetting overall declines.
Restaurants and bars have lost half their business while furniture stores report sales off by 66 percent.
The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the economy but mall traffic had already been steadily declining, with vacancies rising and rents diminishing.
At 9.7 percent, the national mall vacancy rate in the first quarter, according to Moody’s Analytics Reis, is the highest in a decade. Average mall rent in the period did rise 0.5% from the fourth quarter, to $44.08 per square foot. That’s a 1.7% year-over-year increase, or 3.6%, cumulatively, over the last three years, according to Reis’ report. That’s true in part, however, because in many areas, rent is propped up, not by thriving retailers, but by self-storage or entertainment venues like trampoline parks that have taken over what once were retail spaces, the firm said.
Now, as retailers and mall owners begin reopening, there is no true playbook for a “new normal”, and while new safety precautions are being instituting, many retailers will have trouble thriving or may not open at all.
Several chains, including the brands at Gap Inc., L Brands, Urban Outfitters, Francesca’s and others, have told landlords they wouldn’t be paying rent, at least for April and in some cases beyond.
Both mall owners and their tenants want to get back to business, but the pandemic continues to complicate that. With the outbreak showing signs of easing in some areas, and political pressure to salvage the economy, many malls and nonessential stores are opening back up. The disease remains a threat, however, so that requires new protocols.
Simon has reportedly forged a plan to slowly open its malls with limited hours, occupancy limits, spacing configurations to promote social distancing, employee screening for symptoms, employee training and face mask requirements for workers, among other steps.
Macy’s also announced plans for a phased opening with similar limits. Macy’s, which had already slated 125 locations for closures over the next three years, last week hinted that there could be more in light of COVID-19. Nordstrom announced the permanent closure of 16 stores nationwide. Lord & Taylor, which has already closed down its Palisades Center location, is reportedly preparing to liquidate all stores, and, with J.C. Penney and Neiman Marcus, is likely to go bankrupt. Hundreds of Sears stores are already gone.
Not only are stay-at-home orders still in place in many areas, but most shoppers (89 percent) also remain anxious about shopping in physical spaces, according to research from e-commerce payment solutions company Fast. The top worry for 63 percent of survey respondents is being too close to other people, 40 percent are most concerned about store cleanliness, with 34% leery of touching point-of-sale terminals and 32 percent of handling cash.
More than 60 percent of Americans are worried about lifting restrictions too quickly, with only 29 percent concerned about not reopening quickly enough, according to a May 5 Monmouth University poll. A third want to move to ensure the economy “does not go into a deep and lengthy downturn,” but 56 percent say public health concerns are more important in deciding when to end the current limits, according to that report.


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Adobe reaches out with CS5 package
With its new Adobe Creative Suite 5 Master Collection, Adobe Systems has collapsed the complex number of layers involved in putting the same content across different media, including print, internet, and mobile devices.
The new Adobe CS5 enables a designer to create interactive and digital content without having to write code. So far, the designer would visualise the content and then pass it on to the developer to put it in place. With media entities going for multi-media options, putting the power of content creation and expression across different media without too much of technical fuss makes the whole creative proposition attractive and quick.
The Adobe Flash Catalyst is the feature in the CS5 responsible for converting content for different media without the need for writing code. “From print to the mobile device, from script to screen, Adobe CS5 optimises content creation and publishing,” said Sandeep Mehrotra, country head – sales, India. He added that all you needed to do now was “create content once and then cut across media with it. Designers now get more opportunities to make decisions.”
He said that CS5 stands to benefit publishers, designers and marketers in optimising their impact across media. “CS5 was a highly anticipated release for the Indian market, home to a vibrant creative culture with the largest film industry in the world, one of the most awarded advertising industries, and including an ever growing population of animation, design, music, architecture, gaming, publishing and outsourcing industries,” he added.
Adobe is paying India a lot of attention with CS5 since a lot of creative outsourcing business is expected to come to India from other countries going forward. So in May, it plans to hold roadshows across 13 cities, to which it hopes to attract, as Mehrotra said, “around 3,000 creative professionals across print, web, mobile, interactive, film and video production industries.


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Warnings about grapefruit show up on some prescription drugs, as it can interfere with certain medicines. Now University of Florida researchers are developing a tasty grapefruit that won’t come with a warning.
Doctors often warn patients who take heart and blood pressure medication not to eat grapefruit, but the fruit’s image could be changing. Now researchers have created a grapefruit hybrid that won’t interfere with medicine. Experts say the key lies in controlling for a family of chemicals in the fruit called “furanocoumarin.”
Fred Gmitter/UF citrus genetics researcher: “There are certain relatives of grapefruit that we call Pomelo, some of which are very, very low or have no furanocoumarins in them at all. And we’ve crossed these with ordinary grapefruit. And learned that it’s a trait under simple genetic control. There’s a single gene that appears to control this characteristic and so we can select in the hybrid families that we make, we can select individuals that do not have this chemical.”
The furanocoumarin levels in these new hybrid fruits are actually lower than what you would find in foods such as lemons and celery, which naturally carry the chemical.
Fred Gmitter/UF citrus genetics researcher: “Doctors don’t generally tell their patients not to drink lemonade or not to eat celery. So these should be safer, as safe or safer than lemons or celery.”
It’ll still take time to get the new hybrids to market, so consumers can eat grapefruit free of worries about drug interactions or warning labels.


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WWD: American Eagle Outfitters Begins Reopening Stores
By Kellie Ell and Jean E. Palmieri, as published in WWD May 7, 2020
Hand sanitizers, employee temperature checks, plexiglass barriers and cashless payment options will be the new norm as approximately 43 stores in 10 states reopen this week.
American Eagle Outfitters is reopening for business in select locations — although for now, things will look a little different.
Hand sanitizers, face masks, employee temperature checks, open space, touchless payments, options for curbside pickups and other enhanced cleaning measures will be the new norm — as they are for most retailers that are reopening stores.
“People do want to go out, but they want to do it in a way where they feel safe,” Jay Schottenstein, executive chairman of the board and chief executive officer of American Eagle Outfitters Inc., told WWD. “When we closed the stores, we knew that when we reopened the stores, it wouldn’t be business as usual. We knew we had to do things differently than we had in the past. And the first thing we had to do was to figure out how we reopen the stores and protect our associates and protect our customers at the same time.
“The new in-store experience will be secure in making our customers feel safe,” Schottenstein continued. “As time goes on, we’ll give them other experiences as soon as everyone is able to start being close again. Hopefully, [social distancing] won’t last long. But we’ll have to have that flexibility though.”
The retailer opened about 43 stores this week — in Texas, South Dakota, North Dakota, Missouri, Arkansas, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama — a mix of the American Eagle and Aerie brands, many of them in malls.
That’s just a fraction of the company’s 1,000-count store fleet. But Andrew McLean, chief commercial officer of American Eagle Outfitters, said the company is looking to open about 600 locations by the end of May.
To do that, McLean said his team has been investigating what the company needs to reopen ever since it temporarily shuttered stores in North America in mid-March.
“Clearly, at the top of the list was health and safety, keeping social distancing,” he said. “But also, really creating a warm, bright and safe atmosphere; that was going to be critical. What it comes down to is that there wasn’t one thing that stands out that we’ve done. But rather there’s a series of small steps that add up that really connotes a safe environment from the moment you walk up to the store.”
The complete roadmap for reopening, however, is not so small. It includes fewer fixtures in stores to increase social distancing, plexiglass barriers between cashiers and customers, welcome stations in stores, providing free hand sanitizers and face masks and the option for curbside pickup if shoppers don’t want to enter stores.
Fitting rooms will also be cleaned each time a customer exits and shoppers will be asked to drop off the clothes they tried on in a box, which will be processed 24 hours later so associates don’t have to touch the items. A greeter at the front of the store will limit the number of people who can enter at once. McLean said the retailer is aiming for 200 square feet of space per person while in stores.
The company is also looking into testing associates for the coronavirus and is developing a band to be worn by employees that will track each person’s temperature through his or her shift.
Schottenstein added that — thanks to robust online sales during the shutdown in March and April, and the use of inventory from about 200 stores during that time to fill e-commerce orders — inventory throughout the stores will be fresh when they reopen.
“It’s not going to be old goods,” he said. “And I believe that we’ll be one of the few retailers in the country that when it comes to summertime, we’ll have all our fall goods be in place at the proper time, in July.
“I think the biggest thing is, stores should have responsibility,” Schottenstein said. “Whoever opens, if they open their stores, and they just open up like they were before, they’re not doing the country and the people a service. Those retailers that take the time to make sure that their people, that their associates are safe, that’s number one. At the same time, make sure it’s safe for your customers when they walk in. That’s the way business should be run.”
Meanwhile, Tailored Brands Inc., parent company to Men’s Wearhouse, is also preparing for the phased reopening of its fleet.
Late Thursday, the retailer said it expects to open about 300 Men’s Wearhouse, Jos. A. Bank and K&G stores in the U.S. by Memorial Day, in accordance with federal, state and local guidelines. The first stores will open this week in Georgia and Texas. In addition, the retailer is reviewing plans to open its Moores Clothing for Men stores in Canada.
Tailored Brands also plans to implement new safety measures when stores reopen, such as temperature checks for employees, the use of hand sanitizer and masks and social distancing protocols, including limiting the number of people in a store at once. All three chains will offer contactless payment, and Men’s Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank stores will also offer curbside pickup.


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VIDEO: Samsung marketer outlines Hope Relay goals
Andrew Garrihy, director of corporate marketing at Samsung Electronics, talks about the brand's Olympic 'Hope Relay' initiative at London's City Hall.
Samsung ambassador TV chef Jamie Oliver and champion track cyclist Victoria Pendleton
Samsung will donate £1 to charities which help underprivileged children, such as Kids Company and International Inspiration, for every mile members of the public participating in the relay cover in the run-up to the Olympics.
On Monday, it held a launch event at London's City Hall, where brand ambassadors TV chef Jamie Oliver and World and Olympic champion cyclist Victoria Pendleton, encouraged people to get involved.
Oliver and Pendleton unveiled a giant 'Samsung Wall of Hope' – a structure spelling out the words "Samsung Hope Relay" – and were the first to grab a pair of trainers and lead a mile-long walk along the track overlooking the Thames.
Participants can log their progress on the free-to-download Samsung Hope Relay app. This also allows them to create their own avatar, which can appear in Samsung ads, by snapping a headshot of themselves and placing them on one of the athletic bodies featured.
Video produced by Georgina Brazier.
Follow the producer team on Twitter: @BRproducers
This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk
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Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos has snagged a new top advisor.
Bezos has appointed Jeffrey Helbling to the coveted "shadow" role, Amazon said.
Helbling was recently a vice president of Amazon's Kindle business, according to his LinkedIn bio. Before joining the company five years ago, he spent 14 years at the consultancy McKinsey & Company.
Helbling succeeds Maria Renz, a veteran Amazon executive who shadowed Bezos for almost two years before taking a new role at the company last month. Renz, the first woman to fill the top advisor position, is now Amazon's vice president for delivery experience, according to her LinkedIn bio.
Past shadows have gone on to major positions within Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN). Andy Jassy, who now heads Amazon Web Services, was Bezos' top advisor for a year and a half starting in 2003. Amit Agarwal, who shadowed Bezos from 2007 to 2009, has since 2013 headed Amazon’s India operations.
Casey Coombs covers technology and biotechnology for the Puget Sound Business Journal.


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After years of dropping hints, Victoria Beckham finally announced she's launching a beauty line back in February. The fashion designer has turned her attention to the beauty business to launch Victoria Beckham Beauty, which will sit alongside fashion on Victoriabeckham.com.
"I want to take care of women inside and out, providing them with the must-have items in makeup, skin care, fragrance, and wellness that I feel I need in my own life", Beckham said in a statement. Sarah Creal, who worked with Beckham on the Estée Lauder collection will help with the launch and will be cofounder and CEO of Victoria Beckham Beauty. Beckham has since revealed that her collection will be "very sustainable", she explained "since all the packaging is post-consumer and about keeping the quality high, but being more democratic. So, we are pushing prices a little lower." Beckham won't be selling the products in major department stores, apart from the possibility of "unique specialty boutiques."
Although Victoria Beckham Beauty will be based in New York, it will launch at London Fashion Week in September. In the meantime, make sure you're signed up to receive all the information you need about the upcoming launch.


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The founder of Africa Tech Summit , Andrew Fassnidge, has expressed big optimism concerning tech startups in 2020. He projected massive funding, new entrance and low exit from the attractive African tech landscape in 2020.
Fassnidge, who is familiar with the new narrative surrounding African startup ecosystem, saw US banking giant, Goldman Sachs’, series B funding to the tune of $30 million for Twiga Foods in East Africa, the $40 million investment into PalmPay led by Chinese Transsion Holdings, and Opera backed investors from China taking the lead in ride-hailing and payment systems, as signs of what is to come this 2020.
To further highlight his optimism for the industry in the new year, he pointed out other notable tech exploits in 2019 as foundations:
“Financial service provider, Carbon, also moved outside of its home location, setting up shop in East Africa at the very end of December, with a view to making inroads into the buoyant Kenyan market, integrating with the likes of mPesa, as well as bringing free credit reports to customers as it continues its quest for much improved financial education in the African market. 2019 was a relentless year for the digital bank, which also raised a $5 million debt facility from Lendable, and became the very first African fintech platform to secure a Credit Rating, acquire another fintech platform – Amplify, and also saw them break all the rules when it comes to African banking, by releasing full audited financials.”
The tech enthusiast believed Africa is at a stage where it can hardly monitor all the deals coming into the ecosystem. He mentioned the series D injection of $100 million into Andela in January 2019 as some of the most critical investment since the tech sector needs to raise the skills set of young people to keep the talent pipeline on the continent ever greased.
The 3rd Africa Tech Summit will hold in Kigali, Rwanda, and London, in February and May, 2020, respectively. The summit aims to connect African tech startups with bigger opportunities to push the frontier of financial inclusion, e-commerce and several other sectors where technology is presently providing solutions across the continent.
For participation click link Africa Tech Summit


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LG has finally provided the first hint of it’s rumored swiveling Wing Handset. It posted a teaser on Youtube about it’s rumored swiveling Wing Handset giving customers a preview of the upcoming phone with a special sliding mechanism. From a long time rumors were floating that LG is launching a new swiveling wing handset this year. But it was only rumored till LG posted the video on the Youtube. And this was only a teaser, the trailer is coming on September 14.
When The New Wing Handset is releasing by LG?
There is no release date for the release of the new phone at the moment. But there is some announcement coming on September 14th. So it’s possible that LG will announce its release and model and every detail that day. It looks like LG is finally going to break the ice and remove the curtain from the new LG swiveling wing phone.
Everything To Know About The New LG Handset
This new LG phone will be of the LG Explorer Project. And according to LG, This new category is going to bring the curiosity and excitement in the mobile sector and will focus solely on new usability which is discovered with new innovative design.
The new phone is going to have one screen behind another screen which can be rotated 90 degrees horizontally. It will result in a T shaped dual-screen device. In this new phone watching widescreen videos is going to be like watching a one-handed portrait orientation. Or allowing a full side driving navigation with music a music control off to the side. This new phone is going to be used as a multipurpose phone.
This new LG swiveling Wing Handset is going to revolutionize the cellphone business in the future. LG is finally making attempts to keep itself differentiated and look out in the mobile market. It’s finally making an attempt to compete with a great brand like Apple. It’s finally making a weird and different step to get forward with better technology.
So get ready it looks like LG is going to surprise in the near future. And be tuned to know what LG is releasing or announcing on September 14th. Till then keep reading for any further updates.


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Mumbai-based micro-hospitality startup SaffronStays has raised $2 Mn in Pre-Series A funding from consumer-centric VC Sixth Sense Ventures.
As shared by a SaffronStays spokesperson with Inc42, it now plans to actively accelerate its growth, hire top talent, and expand its inventory while offering a vastly improved and curated experience.
Sixth Sense is the first institutional investor in SaffronStays and will hold a significant minority stake in the company. Nikhil Vora joins the board of SaffronStays.
Nikhil Vora, Founder & CEO of Sixth Sense Ventures, said, “At Sixth Sense, we would strive to always back kick-ass promoters (Deven and Tejas), in a big-ass market ($40 Bn space) with a smartass product (Holiday Homes). We believe that SaffronStays is very well equipped to capture this market with its exclusivity and well-curated offerings and parallelly create an opportunity for homeowners to monetize their most valuable and expensive asset.”
SaffronStays: Growing Its Niche In Micro-Hospitality
Launched in 2015 by Devendra Parulekar and Tejas Parulekar, SaffronStays exclusively curates and manages hospitality operations, reservations, branding and marketing for private vacation homes owned by HNIs.
Mentored by angel investor Sanjay Mehta, it operates 45 homes across six states and hosts over 1500 guests every month.
“While we took a while to consider raising money, we are very happy to partner with Nikhil Vora, especially looking at their past successes and the ecosystem that they bring along. We were looking for smart money, and we found it with Sixth Sense. We hope to use this money to expand our footprint, work on innovative business models, strengthen our operations and improve our technology backbone,” said Devendra.
SaffronStays initially started with $146.21K (INR 1 Cr) and claims to have been unit level cash positive since August 2016.
Having been in the market for three years, SaffronStays has been actively exploring innovative and engaging business models that will interest Homeowners and Guests, alike.
While SaffronStays has expanded from five employees to 22 employees in a span for two years, the startup has also trained and empowered a larger work-force: over 150 caretakers, supervisors, managers, and housekeeping staff members across the country, with a dedicated Training Centre in Ulwe, Panvel.
Startups Riding On Indian Hospitality Industry Bandwagon
At present, the hospitality industry has been witnessing an upsurge of tech startups, thanks largely to the increased penetration of Internet and digital technologies.
The most notable name remains OYO Rooms, founded by Ritesh Agarwal in 2013, and currently operates over 70K rooms in 230 cities in India, China, Malaysia, and Nepal.
Another player is FabHotels. The company, launched in 2014 by Adarsh Manpuria and Vaibhav Aggarwal, recently raised $25 Mn in Series B round of funding led by financial services firm Goldman Sachs.
We also have Treebo Hotels, founded in June 2015 by Sidharth Gupta, Rahul Chaudhary and Kadam Jeet Jain, which is a technology-enabled budget hotel brand, with close to 300 franchises and around 7,500 rooms operating exclusively under its brand across more than 60 cities.
According to a June 2018 report by IBEF, the tourism and hospitality sector is among the top 10 sectors in India to attract the highest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). According to the data released by Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), the hotel and tourism sector attracted around $10.6 Bn of FDI between April 2000 and September 2017.
Further, India’s domestic travel market is on an acceleration path with the travel market all set to grow at 11-11.5% to $48 Bn by 2020, according to a June 2017 report released by Google-BCG.


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Micromax sued by Ericsson over patent infringement
Micromax will have to pay anywhere between 1.25 per cent to 2 per cent of sale price as royalty for every phone and tablet it sells.
New Delhi: The smartphone patent wars have so far managed to steer clear of Indian courts, but acting on a suit filed by Swedish telecom giant Ericsson, the Delhi High Court has told Micromax to pay royalties on every device it sells as part of an interim arrangement. The two companies are expected to finalise a patent deal by April 9.
The HC agreed to an interim arrangement between the two companies, which would mean Micromax would have to pay royalties for using features that relate to the Ericsson's 2G, 3G and EDGE patents. Micromax will have to pay anywhere between 1.25 per cent to 2 per cent of sale price as royalty for every phone and tablet it sells. Ericsson had approached the HC seeking over Rs 100 crore in damages from Micromax, one of the leading smartphone makers in the country.
As per the terms of the arrangement, the money for the royalties will have to be deposited in the court until the dispute is settled. The technical term for such an arrangement is FRAND (fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms) license agreement. The FRAND agreement between the companies will be in effect for one month.
The interim agreement says that Gurgaon-based Micromax and the Customs department would have to intimate the Swedish company when a consignment of devices arrives to India so that Ericsson's representative can inspect it. Once Ericsson conducts the inspection and clears the consignment for release, it will be immediately handed over to Micromax. Upon sale, Micromax has to deposit the percentage of royalty in the court.
To read more visit: www.tech2.com
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Kia CEO Han-woo Park: “The first step is fact finding.”
UPDATED: 10/24/18 9:54 am ET – adds detail
SEOUL — The global bosses at Hyundai and Kia are still weighing a congressional call to have their top U.S. executives testify about a rash of reported noncollision fires in their vehicles as they work with regulators to address safety concerns.
In separate interviews Thursday at the South Korean carmakers’ headquarters here, Wonhee Lee, CEO of Hyundai Motor Co., and Han-woo Park, CEO of Kia Motors Corp., said their companies are considering how to best respond to the request they talk before lawmakers in Washington.
In the meantime, they said, Hyundai and Kia are coordinating with NHTSA, the nation’s top auto safety regulator, to ensure safety and to identify root causes of the reported fires.
“We are in the process of responding to this recent inquiry regarding vehicle fires,” Kia’s Park said. “The technical finding is the first. The first step is fact finding.”
Hyundai’s Lee said the matter is a top priority and added that Hyundai and Kia rank below average in the number of noncollision fires reported in the U.S. market.
“We have to handle that issue very seriously,” Lee said.
“But ironically, Hyundai and Kia, statistically in the U.S. market, are not the companies ranked at the top of vehicle noncollission fires,” he said. “Actually, we are almost at the bottom.”
Read more >
Hyundai said that although complaints have spiked recently, rates of noncollision fire cases involving its vehicles are below the industry average over the long term.
Hyundai CEO Wonhee Lee: “We have to handle that issue very seriously.”
Hyundai knows all too well how lapses can tarnish a company’s reputation.
The brand landed stateside in the 1980s with a zooming start. But shoddy quality soon turned off buyers, and sales cratered. It took Hyundai some 15 years to rebuild its reputation, Lee said.
“We learned a lesson from that history,” Lee said. “After that, quality is the No. 1 issue in producing and developing our product.”
The South Korean stablemates are again facing unflattering headlines amid a potential crisis surrounding hundreds of reports of noncollision fires in their vehicles.
The Center for Auto Safety has asked the carmakers to recall almost 3 million crossovers and sedans to address the risk of potential fires that could erupt while people are driving.
Congress weighed into the matter last week, urging the local CEOs of Hyundai and Kia to appear Nov. 14 before the Senate Commerce Committee, the same panel that grilled Mary Barra over faulty ignition switches just weeks into her tenure as CEO of General Motors.
The Center for Auto Safety wants recalls of all 2011-14 Kia Sorento, Kia Optima, Hyundai Sonata and Hyundai Santa Fe models, as well as all 2010-15 Kia Souls.
The exposure comes at a sensitive time for Hyundai and Kia, which are poised for a long-awaited infusion of new and updated crossovers. Both brands are also in peak marketing mode with highly visible sponsorships of the NFL and NBA.
Kia’s Park said that even if brand image takes a hit from the fire flareup, the company can shore up trust by doing its utmost to address customer concerns.
“Kia is also working cooperatively to provide NHTSA with data regarding the safety performance of all Kia vehicles, including concerns about vehicle fires, and is committed to providing this relevant information in a timely manner to use this information to develop a data-driven analysis of Kia vehicle safety,” Park said.
“Our first priority is customer satisfaction. Through that, we will continuously increase our brand image.”


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Pinterest is now out there in Arabic on all platforms, with the platform increasing its language instruments as soon as once more, that means the app is now totally out there in 37 languages.
As defined by Pinterest:
“There are over 475 million individuals who use Pinterest every month world wide for inspiration, and 57% of these Pinners use the platform to find recent concepts in a language apart from English. That’s why immediately, we’re launching Pinterest in Arabic, making the platform extra accessible and related to Pinners world wide.”
Certainly, the platform is now seeing the vast majority of its consumer development in worldwide markets (37% vs 9% US), and that continued enlargement is opening up extra alternatives for Pinterest to construct its advert instruments and related enterprise choices.
Pinterest says that, since launching Arabic as a language choice on Android and the net final yr, it is seen a 48% enhance within the variety of Pinners who’ve chosen it as their language of selection.
“Arabic is likely one of the fastest-growing languages on Pinterest with over 3.5 million searches made in Arabic every day.”
By making Arabic out there on all units, that can give extra customers extra methods to have interaction with Pins, additional boosting its broader development efforts.
Customers can now choose Arabic as their most popular language through their cellphone’s settings, with the app following your system’s language settings by default.


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Ever since Facebook launched its IPO in May last year, it has rolled out many new features such as paying to promote posts and most recently, Facebook Graphs. While people are still digesting that, Facebook is already testing out its beta launch of another product – Facebook Gifts – in America.
With Facebook gifts, users are able to buy, give and ship real gift items to a friend directly on Facebook in just a few minutes. When a friend’s birthday is coming up, an option will also be available to send them a gift alongside the usual birthday message. The receiver will receive a push notification to allow the gift, and even decide the size, flavour or colour of the gift. After two months in testing with tens of millions of people in America, Facebook also launched a wine category, and added in more charity donations options.
What does this mean for Facebook?
Although Facebook has yet to release plans of expanding Facebook Gift internationally, no one should rule out that possibility. However, this might be a huge difficulty considering the shipping and localization problems that come along with globalizing this service. Nonetheless, an article from Techcrunch has already estimated that Facebook could make between $127.5 million and $1.02 billion on Gifts per year assuming that the revenue share between Facebook and Gift manufacturers are between 10-20%.
Other than squeezing money from advertising, this new product could also further satisfy investors by obtaining more user information in the process: credit-card numbers. Not forgetting, user shopping behaviours will also create very valuable and expensive data which will increase Facebook’s revenue opportunities.
What does this mean for Brands?
Since gifts are automatically shared on the receiver’s wall (unless privatized), brands are able to open up a scope of discovery for their products when it goes to the front and center of the news feed.
Although Facebook has already signed up 100 merchants including Starbucks, Hulu Plus, Pandora and some other well-known brands, other big names such as JC Penney, Gamestop and GAP are among some of the companies who shut down their stores on Facebook during the early periods in 2012. This was because they simply found that they were not generating enough revenue to justify the time and money invested into managing the Facebook store.
Therefore this time around, Facebook needs to be able to convince merchants that they can change consumer habits and make them spend convincingly on the social network. Instead of turning social activities into retail opportunities, I believe that Facebook could take a lesson from Clozette , and learn how to make true social experiences for its users.
What does this mean for Users?
Facebook can be a scarily powerful platform that can change user behaviours and even cultures. We have already seen how people transcend the boundaries of physical space and time, and also given up familiar anchors and cues provided in our face-to-face interactions. (Is this good or bad?)
For Facebook Gifts, the gesture of gift giving could become by default a public rather than a public activity. As people can now fluidly, visibly and easily give their friends presents, gift giving could become less genuine and increasingly ostentatious.
This could also signal an impending culture whereby broadcasting our behaviours - whether it is Facebook giving or any other digital activities – becomes the norm rather than the exception. As social media continues to shape people’s behaviours on the Internet, digital social visibility becomes increasing transparent and reflective of our lives offline. One day, our private lives may even cease to exist.
Till then, I’m definitely crossing my fingers on that, making sure I’m doing my part to make sure that day never comes.
The post Will Facebook and e-commerce ever go together? appeared first on e27 .


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MOST filing stations in Anambra State did not open for business on Tuesday, while the few that opened sold fuel for between N500 and N700 per liter.
Although some people attributed the closure to the declaration of May 30 as the Biafra day, others said the marketers responded to the announcement by President Bola Tinubu during his swearing in that “fuel subsidy is gone.”
Shortly after the presidential inauguration on Monday, most filling stations adjusted their pumps to N300 per liter, but on Tuesday, they refused to open for business.
Some of the attendants simply said their fuel had finished, even when some people who came with many drums were attended to and bought at N600.
However, one attendant said they closed because of the Biafra day, assuring that they would resume sales on Wednesday.
He, however, declined to say how much his station would sell when it resumes sales, adding that the decision would be taken by the manager.
Meanwhile, transport fares have suddenly gone up in the state. For instance, a trip to Onitsha from Awka has increased from N500 to N800, while that of Nnewi also increased from N500 to N700. Also, transport fare from Awka to Enugu increased from N1000 to N1200, while that of Awka to Abakaliki increased from N1500 N2000.


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Grindstone is out now on Nintendo Switch. The puzzle-battle game originally made its debut as part of Apple Arcade’s launch lineup, and this is the first time it is coming to a non-Apple platform.
For those unfamiliar with the game, Grindstone is from the makers of Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP, Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes, and Critter Crunch. The core gameplay revolves around players chaining together attacks on enemies and building up combos to score points all while acquiring loot and working their way up Grindstone Mountain. The game features over 200 levels and a huge assortment of items and gear to collect, making for an experience that should keep players busy.
Additionally, the game also features a Daily Grind mode with new challenges to complete and to keep players coming back for more. The game also has a heavy emphasis on leaderboards and encouraging players to replay levels to improve their score, and giving motivation to compete against friends and other players from around the world.
“We’re stoked for everyone to finally play Grindstone on Nintendo Switch. We’ve made major, Switch-focused UI improvements, and included all of our content updates so far, making this an awesome entry point for new players, or existing stone grinders who want to experience the game on console. We’re incredibly excited to bring the world of Grindstone to a whole new audience, and can’t wait to share even more updates in 2021,” said Capy studio director Joel Burgess in a press release.
The Switch release of Grindstone will feature full touch support. Coinciding with its release is the game’s Christmas content. Grindstone will also be getting future content updates down the line.


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Mitsubishi scandal widens with more cars potentially affected
Source : Mitsubishi scandal widens with more cars potentially affected
Mitsubishi coach admits falsifying fuel may exceed the four products already named; in addition to requested the US authorities to the Japanese automaker for more information
Mitsubishi emissions scandal widened with the company admitting which more products can participate.
said company president Tetsuro Aikawa at a news conference there could be more cars with the economy in fuel consumption data incorrectly measured than was originally thought.
recent decline within the shares of Mitsubishi Corporation, which has been dropped as soon as the scandal escalated, in addition to the item appears the company has lost 40% of the value of its stake within the Japanese stock exchange since the story broke.
local media which, along with 625,000 domestic cars already affected, in addition to additional products involved can include i MIEV electric car, which is actually sold within the United Kingdom. the item is actually suspected which the carmaker is actually also testing the use of non-Japanese operations on iRVR, Pajero in addition to Outlander products, the latter of which is actually also for sale in This kind of country.
Mitsubishi has yet to be confirmed whether any of the products within the UK are affected.
The US authorities have requested more information about the company, where Japanese officials said which Mitsubishi could be responsible for refund the customer, in a manner similar to Volkswagen deal currently under way within the states. He said Japanese Transport Minister Keiichi Ishii company wanted to look at the possibility of buying a car within the matter.
yesterday Mitsubishi second-largest position in Japan following a raid by government authorities, the automobile maker of the original admission of falsification of data economy in fuel consumption.
The Japanese government has been described as a “very serious case” in addition to ordered the company to offer the full report by April April 27.
earlier This kind of week, admitted to falsifying Mitsubishi fuel tests, which the item said was affected around 625,000 Mitsubishi-made vehicles, including cars produced for April
All four products are the cars’ Kei “- products with smaller-capacity in addition to compact dimensions, which are well-liked too in Asia engines. of the 625,000 people affected, 468,000 units are products in April, while 157,000 are Mitsubishi.
Mitsubishi which the item “conducted a test incorrectly to provide better fuel consumption than the actual rates rates, in addition to which the test method was also different coming from the one required by Japanese law. “she added:” We express our deep apologies to all our customers in addition to stakeholders just for This kind of cause, “
the company has stopped production in addition to sales of the four cars affected first, in addition to announced which the item would likely conduct an investigation in products manufactured overseas markets. This kind of suggests the recent announcement has been found contradictions.
by Autocar via RSS


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On Wednesday, January 21st, 2015, Medtronic announced the launch of the MiniMed 640G System, their next step towards an artificial pancreas (outside the United States). Currently available in Australia, Medtronic expects launches in additional markets over the next several months, pending local regulatory approvals.
There are a lot of changes with the MiniMed 640G compared to their existing products. Immediately noticeable is the new look and different orientation of the pump, which is now vertical instead of horizontal, and includes a full-color screen.
In addition, the 640G carries a new waterproof labeling, safe in water up to 12 feet deep for 24 hours at a time.
Communication between the insulin pump and blood glucose meter (Bayer CONTOUR® NEXT LINK 2.4) has been enhanced, and now includes the ability to deliver a bolus of insulin remotely from the meter.
Also noted in the announcement is the ability to customize alerts and alarms. It will be interesting to see if this new feature addresses an often heard complaint of existing CGM-enabled systems from Medtronic that the alerts and alarms are hard to hear.
The most significant new feature of the MiniMed 640G System is the SmartGuard™ technology which, when partnered with their continuous glucose monitor, can be configured to suspend insulin delivery before the sensor glucose reaches a low limit, and to resume insulin delivery once the sensor detects glucose levels recover.
The MiniMed 640G System includes the Enhanced Enlite™ sensor which has been used in Europe for about a year. Local resources in Australia report a different adhesive with the new sensors and a new transmitter, the Guardian 2 Link. Sensors are approved for six day use.
Although it is labeled as having the same accuracy as the current sensor, it is very likely an improvement. “Enhanced Enlite, which we launched in Europe about a year ago, is another generation of sensor (different from Enlite, which is available here in the US),” says public relations manager Karrie Hawbaker. “It is the result of manufacturing changes made to the Enlite sensor to provide people with diabetes with a better CGM experience. But we don’t have official clinical trial accuracy data specific to Enahanced Enlite. That’s why the MARD [a measure of accuracy] for Enlite and Enhanced Enltie is the same.”
Medtronic does not have a timeline for releasing the MiniMed 640G System in the United States at this time, but shared that they do have a pivotal clinical trial underway to study the predictive low glucose algorithm, which is a key step toward bringing the product to market in the United States.


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One of the top mobile phone makers in the world and considered to be the biggest producer of smartphones, Samsung Electronics Co. is out in the colds right now no thanks to the lackadaisical performance of its newly-launched flagship phones and intense competition from its chief rival Apple Inc. and emerging Indian and Chinese mobile companies.
In a foretaste of its expected quarterly earnings which will be revealed this month, the electronics magnate stated its projected quarterly operating income has nosedived to its lowest for the last three years, which is affected by anemic sales of its flagship Galaxy phones.
Samsung became a household brand in the smartphone segment with its assortment of Galaxy flavors in the past few years. But Apple reduced the once dominant Galaxy smartphones to pulp with its highly anticipated and widely popular iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus models.
Apple’s strategy of creating smartphones with larger screens upended the Galaxy mobile devices and makes it more enticing to millions of American users who have favored the bigger Galaxy phones then.
Samsung woes never stop as it also submitted weak sales in other battlefields. In emerging yet lucrative markets such as India and China, the Chinese and Indian brands are outperforming the Samsung’s offerings.
Analysts have constantly projected the poor Samsung’s profit this year as Galaxy sales didn’t lived up to the user’s expectations and added that their third quarter earnings could turn out to be one of the worst profits in the company’s history.
According to financial data provider, FactSet last Tuesday, Samsung stated that the median forecast of July-September operating income will hit $3.8 billion, which lags behind the median set by the analyst’s forecasts. This will translate to a sharp and nasty 60% drop compared to the same period last year.
Samsung quoted, ‘‘The operating margin declined due to increased marketing expenditure and lowered average selling price,’’ and added ‘‘Cautiously expects increased shipments of new smartphones and strong seasonal demand for TV products.’’
So also, Samsung’s projected sales in the third quarter of this year limped to 20% drop to $44.2 billion compared to the same period last year, which is to some extent lower than the experts’ expectations.
An analyst at IBK Securities Co. Lee Seung-woo stated, to cope up with the very stiff competition the company should whip up new handset designs. Lee Seung-woo also said ‘‘Rather than seeking stability, Samsung should seek to distinguish (its phones) with Galaxy’s design policies… The iPhone 6 will be a significant threat to Samsung.’’
The company has shifted the unveiling of the Galaxy Note 4, a large smartphone which is clad with stylus, from September to October after Apple launched its vaunted iPhone 6 Plus.
The company also kicked of the sale of its Galaxy Note 4 in China a month ago, to have few weeks lead over its main rival Apple in one of the world’s most lucrative market for smartphones.
But not all is not well for Samsung as its Galaxy Note Edge smartphone received warm welcome when it was launched. However, the Note Edge which sports a curved side screen and beefed up with news, weather, apps and among other features will have a limited supply.
Samsung is also making its presence felt further in the semiconductor industry a testament of this is the company’s announcement of its $14.7 billion investment plan to put together a semiconductor fabrication plant in Pyeongtaek, South Korea. The erection of the plant will start before summer and its operations will begin in the middle of 2017.
Samsung hasn’t reveal its net income or divisional earnings on its quarterly earnings preview.