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Dairy Management Inc. proudly supports Animal Agriculture Alliance’s College Aggies Online
DMI is the largest supporter of this year’s College Aggies Online scholarship competition
August 31, 2017 – The Animal Agriculture Alliance’s annual College Aggies Online (CAO) scholarship competition begins September 10, 2017 with Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) as its largest supporter.
“We are thrilled to have DMI return as our largest sponsor for this year’s College Aggies Online program,” said Kay Johnson Smith, president and CEO at the Alliance. “DMI brings so much value and excitement to the students participating and we can’t wait to make this year the best yet.”
Collegiate clubs and individuals will compete for more than $16,000 in scholarships and mini prizes while engaging online and in person about food and agriculture. The program presents a unique opportunity for students to network with leaders from a wide variety of companies and organizations representing the animal agriculture community.
In addition to sponsoring, DMI will offer hands-on guidance to students as a mentor throughout the individual competition. Don Schindler, senior vice president of digital innovations at DMI will host a webinar about breaking out of the “ag echo chamber” and how to talk to consumers about agriculture issues, provide feedback on social media posts created by the students and help answer any questions the students may have about effective engagement.
“CAO is one of the best programs out there that helps college students become advocates for agriculture,” said Schindler. “I am proud to be a part of the program on behalf of DMI.”
DMI is not only involved in the individual competition of CAO, but will provide resources and support for the club competition with its “Undeniably Dairy” challenge. For this challenge, clubs will host a booth on their campus and hand out pizza or tacos to fellow students to promote and engage about the nutritional benefits of cheese and dairy while also sharing how dairy gets from the farm to the store. Clubs can also host a booth at an athletic event while handing out chocolate milk for muscle recovery.
DMI has supported CAO for the last three years and is the national checkoff organization promoting dairy farmers and the milk, cheese, yogurt and other foods dairy farmers provide to families.
Collegiate clubs and individuals interested in promoting agriculture and becoming confident communicators are invited to sign up through October 1, 2017 at http://collegeaggies.animalagalliance.org/.
CAO would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors. 2017 sponsors include: Dairy Management, Inc., the National Pork Industry Foundation, CHS Foundation, Pork Checkoff, Monsanto, Domino’s Pizza Inc., Biotechnology Innovation Organization, Kuhn North America and the Ohio Poultry Association.
Are you looking for a way to engage college students? CAO provides the perfect opportunity to support students with a passion for agriculture by helping them become confident communicators! Sponsors are recognized on our website, newsletter and at our Annual Stakeholders Summit. We give the sponsors opportunities to give input to the program and interact with students. To learn more about the sponsorship levels available, click here. To become a sponsor, contact Allyson Jones-Brimmer, Director of Membership, at firstname.lastname@example.org.
About the Alliance:
The Animal Agriculture Alliance is an industry-united, nonprofit organization that helps bridge the communication gap between farm and fork. We connect key food industry stakeholders to arm them with responses to emerging issues. We engage food chain influencers and promote consumer choice by helping them better understand modern animal agriculture. We protect by exposing those who threaten our nation’s food security with damaging misinformation.
Find the Alliance on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
Category: Press Releases


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Sydney, Australia: Tourism operators having to painstakingly wait for the approval of a payment gateway provider is now a thing of the past thanks to a new innovative tech being integrated into online booking system Booking Boss.
On May 17 the Sydney based tech start-up will introduce Booking Boss Payments, powered by the Westpac funded fintech PromisePay, into their new auto sign-up offering.
Booking Boss CEO Renee Welsh says this means operators can sign up and take bookings online in under two minutes. A first for the industry.
“Payment gateways have always been a challenge, especially for tour, activity and attraction operators because the big banks lump these smaller, micro businesses into the same categories as hotels and airlines,” she says.
“Typically an operator might spend weeks completing the paperwork required, only to be rejected as they’re deemed a risk or just not a fit for their model. It’s unrealistic and this happens at bank after bank. It can be an incredibly frustrating process.
“If the operator cannot get a gateway they might then transact credit cards in an unsafe and non-compliant way.”
Booking Boss Payments has essentially flipped the traditional gateway model on its head. Operators need to supply their company details and bank account and can begin instantly transacting on the Booking Boss platform.
With Booking Boss Payments, industry standard risk assessments are made on a per-transaction basis, rather than at the initial sign up stage - which is the usual procedure operators would experience when going to a traditional bank.
The new system is secure, reduces risk, combats fraud and is licensed and compliant - something some businesses currently completely overlook. But the best perk is the instant approval and the simple, user-friendly interface.
Under the Booking Boss model the 1.99% and 30 cents per transaction fee is paid by the customer, Mrs Welsh says it’s essentially a free platform to use.
“I believe for our sector this option is going to open up so many more opportunities for smaller businesses who struggle to gain access to a secure gateway,” she said.
“The ability to take payments seamlessly without any hassle will transform a number of businesses.”
Booking Boss Payments will launch alongside Booking Boss' 14-day free trial and auto sign-up offering on May 17.
For interviews and enquiries contact:
Booking Boss CEO
02 8015 7598 or 0414 166 421
Booking Boss is an online booking system for tour operators and attraction providers. Trusted by many in the tourism industry, Booking Boss is about getting you out of the spreadsheets and into the sun. We provide free education resources for operators like you, to make your business the best it can possibly be.

domain: news


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Search Restaurant Business
The company’s restructuring is expected to cost up to $135 million.
The fast-casual chain is adding six items to its New York test kitchen, including milkshakes and avocado tostadas.
The chain is taking steps to bolster its quality positioning with a new “Fresh Mexican Grill” tagline and changes in the restaurant.
The burrito chain is jumping on the esports bandwagon with its sponsorship of TSM’s "Fortnite" team.
The move will be costly, and could be risky, but there are benefits for the company and its new CEO Brian Niccol, says RB's The Bottom Line.
As the chain’s new owner, Apollo, solidifies the chain’s management team, Susan Daggett was appointed CFO.
The chain said that its delivery orders have increased 667% since the partnership kicked off last week.
But this time, the chain is adding a spiced-up version of the popular product.
Chief Restaurant Officer Scott Boatwright talks to Restaurant Business about how he’s working to turn around Chipotle’s operations.
In the recent Harris Poll reputation survey, the chain came in last among restaurants rated, says RB's The Bottom Line.
See the full ranking of the Top 100 concepts, which account for more than $1.8 billion in annual revenue, and learn how they are putting hospitality first.
Peter Romeo highlights the moments restaurateurs miss at their own peril
As restaurants begin to reemerge, one year since it all began, Restaurant Business takes stock of the massive changes the virus has brought.


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The Cadillac V-Series Blackwing project has been teased and tossed around for a while now, but finally after a long wait it has arrived. Cadillac will reveal the 2022 CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwing on Monday, February 1st at 7 pm Eastern time and 4 pm Pacific. It is set for a live streaming event which can be visited at the Cadillac Twitter page or Cadillac.com.
These Cadillacs will also make a special appearance at the Rolex24 at the Daytona race track on Saturday, January 30th this is going to be a huge event and well worth the wait for sure. The new Blackwing series cars are set to be Cadillac’s new front runner in their performance and racing V-Series. The CT5-V has also been confirmed as the replacement for the CTS-V and has been widely accepted as such in the automotive community. Blackwings have been received so well due to their extreme focus on performance sporting a 6.2-liter V8, pushing 640-horsepower combined with the daily drivability and four doors.
These performance sedans bring with them a new era for 4-door luxury powerhouses giving the current kings of the performance sedan industry, Dodge Charger, a run for its money. The CT4-V also boasts the same specs, in terms of performance these cars are top-notch in their field. To nobody’s surprise, the performance sedan industry is booming right now, and the reveal of these fantastic automobiles is expected to be an event for the ages.
Everyone in the auto industry, and enthusiasts alike, have been waiting in anticipation for such a long time now and the prayers are finally being answered. Cadillac wowed the public with the CTS-V and now it’s time for a refreshingly new collection of extreme performance vehicles in their line up. The Rolex24 appearance of the new cars at Daytona will show the fans a bit of what they can expect out of these renewed vibrant vehicles.
Elizabeth is a hardcore horsepower enthusiast with unmatched intensity for making things faster and louder. She wakes up for power and performance and only sleeps to charge up for the next project that’s heading to the track. From autocross to drag racing, Elizabeth is there with you, so stay tuned for her unique perspective on horsepower news, builds, tech info, and installs — with her, it’ll never be boring!


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Billionaire Warren Buffett advises what to do in times of high inflation
Billionaire Warren Buffett. (Image: Getty)
Inflation in the United States is at its highest level in more than 40 years, severely affecting the country’s economy as everything from gas to groceries skyrockets in price.
CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Warren Buffett It is difficult to avoid the impact of inflation on their pockets, but there are a few things people can do to protect themselves from its impact.
Speaking at Berkshire Hathaway’s 2022 annual shareholder meeting, Buffett repeated his long-standing advice that one of the best ways to combat the effects of inflation is to hone your skills. yourself and strive to be a leader in your field of expertise.
“The best thing you can do is be exceptionally good at something,” advises the 91-year-old billionaire.
Taking the example of professions like doctors and lawyers, Mr. Buffett said: “These people will give you some of the things they make in return for what you provide.”
“Skills are not like money, this is an effective anti-inflation path,” adds Buffett, “if the skill you possess is popular, it will still work regardless of the dollar’s value.” How much”.
According to Buffett, the best investment right now is in personal growth, and that’s completely tax-free.
Before that, in 2009 when the Great Recession ended, Mr. Buffett, then 78 years old, also advised: “The best thing to do is invest in yourself”.
At the time, the legendary investor also suggested that everyone should invest in “a great business,” creating products that were in demand. Just achieve this, the performance of the USD will no longer be a big problem.
Using Cola-Cola as an example, he says people will still want their favorite soft drink for decades, and inflation should play no role in their decision. “It doesn’t make any difference to the price level, because people are always paying for the products they like,” the billionaire said.
* Invite readers to watch programs broadcast by Vietnam Television on TV Online and VTVGo!
at Blogtuan.info – Source: vtv.vn – Read the original article here


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- Ed-Tech Startup Cuemath Is Building a Business Around Eliminating Kids’ Maths Phobia April 14, 2021With startup culture thriving in India and the need for ‘going local’ becoming increasingly popular, we take a look at all the hottest tech startups grabbing headlines in the country. Gadgets 360 talks to Cuemath’s founder and CEO, Manan Khurma to know of the company’s history, growth, and future plans. We also talk to experts […]
- OnePlus 9, OnePlus 9R Sale Starts Today at 12 Noon for Amazon Prime and Red Cable Club Members April 14, 2021OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9R will go on their first sale today in India at 12pm (noon) for Amazon Prime members and Red Cable Club members. Regular customers can purchase the phones from April 15.
- Realme C21 to Go on First Sale in India Today at 12 Noon via Flipkart, Realme.com: Price, Specifications April 14, 2021Realme C21 first sale in India is taking place today, Wednesday (April 14). The sale will begin at 12pm (noon) through Flipkart, Realme.com, and mainline channels.
- Army of the Dead Trailer Out Now in English and Hindi April 13, 2021Army of the Dead trailer has arrived. Netflix has unveiled a new (proper) trailer for Zack Snyder's zombie heist film. Army of the Dead release date is May 21 on Netflix.
- Amazon Grand Gaming Days Sale Brings Discounts, Offers on Laptops, Monitors, Games April 13, 2021Amazon Grand Gaming Days sale begins in India with up to 50 percent discounts on gaming laptops, gaming consoles, and accessories. There are also deals, discounts, and offers on products from popular brands such as Acer, Asus, Lenovo, LG, HP, Dell, Corsair, and JBL, among others.
- Google Pixel Watch Leaked Renders Suggest Circular Dial, Tipped to Launch in October April 13, 2021Google Pixel Watch renders have been leaked and they show that the wearable will come with a circular dial along with a crown on the right side. Google may also offer around 20 strap options with the smartwatch. It is likely to run on Wear OS by Google.
- Dell Inspiron Series Laptops Refreshed With 11th Gen Intel Core CPUs, New Design, Colours April 13, 2021Dell Inspiron series of laptops have been redesigned with inspiration taken from nature. There are new colours and the latest 11th Generation Intel Core Tiger Lake CPUs.
- Netflix Kids Profiles Redesigned With an Emphasis on Characters April 13, 2021Netflix is redesigning Kids profiles to make them more character-driven. Certain Netflix Kids titles will be highlighted as “My Favourites”, accompanied by a character from the series or movie in question.
- Google Chrome Global Media Controls in Testing April 13, 2021Google’s new music controls were spotted on Reddit by u/Leopeva64-2 and will get a scrubbing bar along with album art or thumbnail for the song or video.
- India’s Mobile Payments Revolution Slowed Down by Tech Glitches at Big Banks April 13, 2021The networks of India’s biggest banks have struggled to keep pace with India’s mobile payments revolution, crashing again and again. The outages are exposing years of underinvestment in technology and a surprising lack of preparedness, analysts and executives say.


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White House pushes for new privacy codes of conduct
Business participation in the privacy codes will be voluntary, but may be in their best interest, officials say
IDG News Service - The U.S. White House will push for online businesses to adopt new privacy codes of conduct, including consumer rights to control what information websites collect about them and a right to see what data is being collected, officials there said.
Members of President Barack Obama's administration will officially announce details about its so-called privacy bill of rights on Thursday, with the effort focused on government working with private businesses, privacy groups and other experts to develop voluntary privacy codes of conduct.
While the Obama administration will propose privacy legislation to the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Department of Commerce will move ahead with voluntary codes of conduct that could be implemented without congressional action, administration officials said in a press briefing late Wednesday. Legislation would put consumer privacy rights into law.
"American consumers can't wait any longer for clear rules of the road that ensure their personal information is safe online," Obama said in a statement. "As the Internet evolves, consumer trust is essential for the continued growth of the digital economy.A For businesses to succeed online, consumers must feel secure."
If a company commits to following a privacy code of conduct, that commitment will be enforced by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, said Daniel Weitzner, the White House's deputy CTO.
While adopting the privacy codes will be voluntary, many online businesses will want to consider them in an effort to retain the trust of their customers, officials said.
"We certainly think a lot of businesses will step up, and have stepped up, but we don't expect that solves the entire problem," Weitzner said. The White House will push for Congress to expand privacy protections, he added.
During the official White House announcement Thursday, the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA), a coalition of U.S. media and marketing trade associations, will commit to honoring do-not-track requests made by Web users through their browsers. Most major browsers now offer do-not-track options, but compliance with the requests has been uneven.
Nearly 90 percent of U.S. businesses that deliver behavioral advertising, including Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and AOL, are members of the groups that make up the DAA, said Stu Ingis, the DAA's general counsel. Most DAA members should begin honoring the do-not-track requests within nine months, after working with browser makers to develop consistent do-not-track standards, he said.
"The DAA is committed to making choices work for all consumers," Ingis said.
FTC Chairman Jon Liebowitz praised the DAA for committing to honoring do-not-track requests in browsers. "This is a big step," he said.
With the DAA commitment, Web users should expect that if they set their browsers to prohibit websites and online advertising networks from tracking them, that one request will be honored across the Web, Weitzner said. Consumers should be able to make the choice once and not have it expire, he added.
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U.S. pharmacists saw their day-to-day responsibilities change and increase as the recent economic downturn forced many to expand their roles, according to a new survey from Frost & Sullivan. As pharmacies look to rebuild teams during the recovery, partnerships with staffing agencies may be beneficial.
Frost & Sullivan issued an April 3 press release describing its findings, which considered feedback from a panel of 10 to 15 pre-selected pharmacists. While hiring in the industry is expected to climb over the next few months and years, respondents said recent economic pressures have made them assets for patients in ways they had not been in the past.
For instance, many pharmacists found themselves playing the role of medication consultant, assisting patients with their purchasing decisions. Similarly, pharmacists have been asked to help patients with matters related to medication safety.
While the expanding profile of the pharmacy position has given many professionals an opportunity to showcase their talents at customer service, it has also reduced the time available to fulfill other workplace obligations.
"Pharmacists believe that impending trends in retail pharmacy include increased medication therapy management (MTM), volume, number of vaccinations offered, and consolidation through mergers and acquisitions," said a Frost & Sullivan industry analyst in a press release.
With the healthcare industry tabbed as a burgeoning provider of new jobs, more pharmacies may find themselves pressed to bring in new talent. Temporary staffing agencies may be able to connect these businesses with the best available candidates, while consultants with experience identifying applicants for pharmacy jobs could also help fill permanent positions.
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Wealthy Americans are the most upbeat they've been in a year, but many are still worried about unemployment.
Fifty percent are now optimistic about the economy, up 12 percent from the beginning of the year and the highest level in a year, according to a just-released survey.
At the same time, 33 percent believe the economy won’t fully bounce back until 2014 or later and another 14 percent of those surveyed say the recession won’t end at all.
The results come from the March 2012 Mendelsohn Affluent Barometer, revealed exclusively to CNBC. The Barometer studies the lifestyles, spending patterns and media habits of today’s affluent Americans.
Mendelsohn defines affluent adults as those who have household income of $100,000 or more.
The sluggish job market is still the biggest concern among affluents. Two-thirds indicate a drop in unemployment rates would make them more optimistic about the economy.
Forty-eight percent would like to see more stability in the housing market and 46 percent indicate a change in the White House would make them more optimistic. (Eighty percent are extremely or very concerned about federal government spending—which has remained at this high level for a while.)
Other indicators show a mixed bag.
Fifty-three percent of total respondents think they personally will be better off 12 months from now, down five percent from the last Mendelsohn Affluent Barometer. Households with incomes of $250,000 or more are more optimistic; 60 percent say they will be better off in a year.
Regarding work, 70 percent are now very or somewhat optimistic about their employer, up from 62 percent in February. But when it comes to corporate spending, 49 percent think their companies will spend the same amount compared to 12 months ago.
Americans in households with incomes of $100,000 or more still think gold is the best investment right now compared to real estate, stocks and bonds.
However, affluents are more bullish on stocks than they were in February. Forty percent now consider equities to be a good or excellent investment at this time—that’s up 7 percent month-to-month.
Questions about the third generation Apple iPad were also included in the March 2012 Mendelsohn Affluent Barometer. Five percent report purchasing a new iPad within two weeks of its launch on March 16. But 73 percent say they do not plan to purchase the new iPad.
And for those who bought, nearly sixty percent plan to use it primarily for downloading, streaming or purchasing video. Only 29% plan on using their iPad for business purposes; 26% will upload content to cloud-based storage.


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BASF EPS site continues force majeure
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - BASF Corp. is maintaining force majeure at its expanded polystyrene plant in South Brunswick, N.J., even though styrene monomer feedstock supply has been restored.
The Florham Park firm said the action is needed because the supply chain remains tight and inventories are ``critically low.'' Styrene transport was disrupted by hurricanes.
``We will continue to focus on manufacturing our low-pentane ... EPS because customers in this market have limited options for those resins,'' North American styrenic foams director Gene Zimmerman said in a news release. ``We expect to resume production of the remaining ... EPS products produced at South Brunswick by mid-October.''
Zimmerman added that he was uncertain when the force majeure, which includes supply-allocation measures, will be lifted.
Visteon plans interior plant in Slovakia
ROMULUS, MICH. - Visteon Corp. announced Oct. 13 that it will build an automotive interior manufacturing facility in Slovakia.
The U.S. supplier, with headquarters near Romulus, in Van Buren Township, will spend 40 million euros ($49 million) to build a 400-employee operation in Nitra, Slovakia, to supply parts for Kia Motors Corp. and PSA/Peugeot-Citroen SA auto assembly plants in the region. Visteon will make, assemble and sequence interior parts and climate-control systems at the plant, which covers almost 540,000 square feet.
Construction will begin in the spring, with production set to start by 2006, said Visteon spokeswoman Dolores Muniz. The company will not discuss specific parts to be made until the carmakers near their production launch. Both South Korea's Kia and France's PSA/Peugeot-Citroen are to begin making cars in Slovakia in 2006.
Visteon already has factories in Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic.
PT publisher may buy MoldMaking Tech
CINCINNATI - The company that publishes Plastics Technology magazine might expand in plastics by acquiring MoldMaking Technology magazine.
Gardner Publications Inc. is in discussions with Communication Technologies Inc. of New Britain, Pa., confirmed Gardner President and Chief Executive Officer Richard Kline. The talks are wide-ranging and include the possibilities of acquiring MoldMaking Technology and working together on CTI's annual MoldMaking Expo trade show, Kline said in a telephone interview.
``Nothing is decided at this point,'' Kline said. He added that his firm has set a deadline for the end of the month to conclude any potential deal.
CTI launched MoldMaking Technology in 1998. Cincinnati-based Gardner bought Plastics Technology, its sole plastics magazine, in 2000. Separately, Gardner is a partner in Hanser Gardner Publications LLC, a joint venture that sells technical books.
Profile extruder Pyramid open - still
HOPE, ARK. - The folks in Hope want to make clear: Pyramid Plastics Inc. is open for business.
Plastics News and Hope's local newspaper both reported that the custom profile extruder was closing down, eliminating 14 jobs. But President William Tolleson said Oct. 8 that the company is still in business ``and planning to stay that way.''
Pyramid Plastics has downsized, he said, and now employs 10.
Tax credit helping Placon beef up R&D
MADISON, WIS. - Thermoformer Placon Corp. plans to use a newly awarded tax credit from the state of Wisconsin to invest in product development and equipment.
The Madison company received a $250,000 tax credit from the Wisconsin Department of Commerce, aimed at helping with expansion and new technology, said Placon President Jan Acker. The credits are spread over a three-year period.
The firm will add to its research and development staff, outfitting its laboratory with new equipment and hiring an R&D leader to oversee development, Acker said.
The company also is investing more than $10 million during the next several years in new equipment for its plant in Madison and at a new facility set to open this month in Suzhou, China, Acker said.


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The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has launched a new guidance document to support domestic and commercial refrigeration manufacturers seeking to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Funded by the Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program (K-CEP) and supported by International Copper Association (ICA), the study is intended to help manufacturers understand net benefits and cost for different energy efficient refrigeration design options.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the study will be launched through a webinar on July 22, hosted by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).
As an implementing agency of the Montreal Protocol, UNIDO is supporting its Member States which phase-out the use of ozone depleting and global warming substances in the cooling sector.
The Kigali amendment to the Montreal Protocol in 2016 has led to the creation of K-CEP, which aims to help increase energy efficiency (EE) of cooling in developing countries.
The K-CEP funded project, called “Assessment of incremental capital and operating costs for improved EE in domestic, commercial and retail refrigeration”, looked at manufacturers in five countries and characterised them using a Manufacturer Development Index (MDI).
The index takes into account: manufacturer development capacity; manufacturer production volume; manufacturer proximity to and relationship with component’s original equipment manufacturers (OEM); market maturity; and the country’s energy efficiency score.
Manufacturers are now able to determine which changes to their offerings can be taken cost effectively, says ASHRAE.
The simulation software, named Commercial Refrigeration Analysis (CERA) is said to provide visual modelling of the changes in components, the cost involved in promoting green design and the EE benefits, thus keeping the long-term competitiveness of the product.
“Many companies in Article 5 countries are missing suitable guidance and opportunities for knowledge transfer when trying to meet global climate goals,” says Iino Fukuya, Ph.D., from the Department of Environment UNIDO, Vienna, Austria.
“This guidance document introduces practical ways to calculate and cost the changes needed for their product and factory footprint to comply with both international agreements and national legislation.”
Lead author and presenter, Assistant Professor of Thermofluids at Zewail City of Science and Technology, Omar Abdelaziz, Ph.D., says that the outcomes of the project provide insight into how to analyse changes in manufacturing, evaluate technical and financial options for energy efficient products and calculate associated emission reductions.
“We hope manufacturers and service providers that need help to change their products and factories in today’s competitive marketplace can rely on the project guidance document and consultants familiar with the work to improve products energy efficiency and reduce emissions,” he says.
The webinar is on 22 July 2020, from 11pm–12.30am (AEST), 11.30pm–12am (ACST) and 9–10.30pm (AWST).
Registrations are open here until July 21, 2020. This event is free of charge.


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Having only been announced at MWC last month, Orange has declared that it would launch smartphones, tablets and netbooks using Intel and Nokia's MeeGo Linux platform by the end of the year.
To help meet this challenging timescale, Orange has struck a deal with Intel to develop multimedia services for the MeeGo platform that would see the two firms working together on services such as Orange TV and Orange Maps, making sure they run in the MeeGo environment across different device types and screen sizes.
"Seventy-five per cent of our customer base has yet to embrace the mobile internet," said Orange devices chief, Yves Maitre. "With the increasing number of phones and operating systems for customers to choose from, it is our role to make sure their journey into this richer mobile multimedia environment is simple and easy."
While the possible developers of these MeeGo devices was not revealed, Orange said they would become available ‘towards the end of the fourth quarter' of this year.
Separately, the head of Nokia's MeeGo marketing efforts, Peter Schneider, has been attempting to clarify the position of the new platform in relation to the Symbian OS. "We see Symbian and MeeGo as being quite separate. Symbian is strong...and will continue to have success on smartphones. MeeGo covers a different market. MeeGo is a new operating system, while Symbian is well developed."
Schneider added that MeeGo "doesn't compete" with smartphone operating systems such as Android or Windows Phone 7 Series. Instead, it's more likely to be compared to Chrome OS when that hits the streets later in the year.
At the launch of MeeGo, Nokia's VP for devices, Kai Oistamo, said that "the two operating systems would co-exist" and that MeeGo would run on "multiple processor architectures."
Symbian has been working for some years on making its OS work with devices having multiple processors and considered it had a lead in this area of handset technology.
Orange adopts MeeGo platform
Nokia, Intel team on Linux with MeeGo
Nokia launches Skype for Symbian
Nokia bets its future on Symbian UI improvements


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Compare Hotels rates & Flight tickets prices from 100+ top booking sites at once...
Check the prices & save up to 80 %...
Click to find cheap, affordable travel offers,
new deals campaigns... >>> www.travelkinds.com
The 20 cleanest cruise ships
|May 25, 2019||Posted by TravelKinds.Com under General||
- Of the more than 200 active cruise ships the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has inspected, most received a passing grade: at least an 86 on a 100-point sanitation score.
- A handful have received a 100 on their most recent inspection, indicating a level of cleanliness that would be difficult to top.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Most cruise ships are pretty clean, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which inspects ships to make sure they maintain proper sanitation.
Of the more than 200 active cruise ships the CDC has inspected, most received read more >>>
Source : BusinessInsider.Com


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Microsoft has announced it plans to open two new full retail stores in Hartford, Connecticut in the U.S. and Mississauga, Ontario in Canada, as part of its continued retail expansion.
HTC One M8 for Windows Review: Making a run for the top
Nokia Lumia 530: A first look at Microsoft's new low-cost Windows Phone
Best Buy confirmed that some of its customers looking to confirm special prices for notebook computers shown on the company's public Web site were told those prices were no longer available, and shown a product...
Connecticut's attorney general announced Wednesday that he plans to file an antitrust lawsuit against Oracle, seeking to defeat the company's proposed buyout of rival PeopleSoft. State leaders said in a statement that Oracle's...


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Watch: Changes in the new auto-debit rule explained
Fintech companies run the risk of attracting a 2% equalisation levy as well as additional goods and services tax (GST) at 18% on part of the money they make through such an arrangement, especially in transactions where an Indian citizen has subscribed services of a foreign OTT player or he/she buys goods and services from a company not based in India.
Payment aggregators Razorpay, BillDesk and PayU have set up platforms—MandateHQ, SiHub and Zion, respectively—that will provide a "bridge" for banks to complete the transactions.
With the introduction of a new intermediary—apart from bank—between the customer and the overseas merchant establishment (Netflix, Apple store, etc.), tax implications have cropped up. The fintech platform provides additional factor authentication, notifications to customers and dashboard for subscription management to banks for a fee.
How equalisation levy—2% charge on any transaction involving a foreign company over the internet—and GST will be charged will depend on the structure of fintech player's entities and how the transaction is routed, say tax experts. They say there could be a number of ways where the government's new equalisation levy could come into play.
Discover the stories of your interest
First, if the bank from which the money is being deducted is not based in India or doesn't have a tax presence in India — the fee or any money charged by the fintech platform will face 2% tax.
The second probability will depend on how the transaction is structured. If the fee received even from an Indian bank doesn't directly come to an Indian entity — this too could attract a 2% tax.
If the money goes through a subsidiary of the fintech company, say established in Singapore or the UAE before it makes it to the foreign merchant, even these could attract the levy. And there is a GST implication too, say tax experts. If the money deducted from an Indian's debit or credit card goes via the fintech's books before it's remitted in the foreign merchants' account, GST can come into play, say tax experts.
“Services provided by the fintech companies for validating transactions could attract GST on both the set up fees and transaction fees charged by them,” said MS Mani, partner, DeloitteIndia.
BillDesk and PayU did not respond to ET's queries. “Our solution does not interact directly with online merchants when they set up mandates for cardholders transacting with them,” said Amitabh Tewary, chief innovation officer, Razorpay. “Razorpay does not charge any fees to online merchants for this service."
RBI’s new rules that come into force from October 1 mandate that banks can only process auto-debit transactions if they send a pre-debit notification to customers at least 24 hours before the payment.
Most banks neither have technology nor do they wish to invest in it for undertaking such transactions and have instead turned to fintech companies to provide transaction platforms.
- Front Page
- Pure Politics
- ET Markets
- Smart Investing
- ‘Pledge-Repledge’ Model Mooted for Brokers, Investors
The capital market authorities are understood to be examining a ‘pledge-repledge mechanism’ to meet the twin objectives of ring-fencing unused investor money lying with the stock brokers while simultaneously letting them earn from the float.Women Athletes Score Record Brand Deals
As an increasing number of Indian women excel in cricket, boxing, badminton, hockey and other sports, the number of deals and the endorsement fees they’re getting have hit an all-time high, executives said.ITC Plans ₹3kcr Yearly Growth Push
ITC Ltd chairman and managing director Sanjiv Puri said the company will accelerate investments, which had slowed during the pandemic, with a corpus of around ₹3,000 crore annually for the next few years, primarily for building manufacturing capacities and accelerating growth.
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Kashmir : The 3-day Geographical Indications (GI) Mahotsav, organized by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) with the support of the Office of the Development Commissioner, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), kicked off in Kashmir on Saturday.
According to the press release, the GI Mahotsav aims to celebrate and promote India’s rich heritage of GI products, acknowledging their unique cultural, social, and economic significance.
With a focus on fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development, the event promises to be a platform for collaboration and growth beyond boundaries.
Vijay Kumar Biduri (IAS), Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, expressed the government’s commitment to supporting local manufacturers and MSMEs in Kashmir.
He emphasized the importance of industry stakeholders and small business owners engaging with the government through bodies like PHDCCI for necessary assistance at every stage of their business endeavors.
Biduri said, “The government is always ready and willing to handhold and take effective steps to work towards the upliftment of the local manufacturers and the MSMEs of Kashmir.”
Trademark and GI-tagged products play a crucial role in enhancing the credibility and trustworthiness of businesses, particularly for smaller enterprises aiming to build a loyal customer base.
Biduri highlighted the significance of spreading awareness about GI products among tourists visiting Kashmir, underscoring their potential to contribute to the local economy and sustainable tourism development.
Mehmood Ahmad Shah (JKAS), Director Handicrafts and Handloom, Kashmir, commended PHDCCI for organizing the GI Mahotsav, emphasizing the importance of GI tagging in preserving cultural identities and promoting trust between buyers and sellers through quality assurance.
Er Saheel Yaqoob Allaqaband, Assistant Director, MSME DFO Srinagar, highlighted the Ministry of MSME’s efforts to provide marketing support to artisans and manufacturers through participation in domestic and global exhibitions.
He emphasized the importance of trademarks and intellectual property rights (IPR) for smaller businesses, providing them with the means to protect their brand and compete effectively in the marketplace.
Ajaz Ahmad Bhat, Director, Sericulture, Kashmir, underscored the role of GI tagging in preserving and promoting Kashmir’s cultural heritage, particularly products like Kashmir Silk.
He emphasized that GI tagging assures consumers of authenticity and quality, maintaining consistent standards in production.
Vicky Shaw, Chair, Kashmir State Chapter, PHDCCI, appreciated the Ministry of MSME for providing Kashmir with the opportunity to host the GI Mahotsav, bringing together artisans and manufacturers from across the country.
He highlighted the economic imperative of protecting and promoting GI products in a globalized world.
D P Goel, Chair, MSME Committee, PHDCCI, reiterated the chamber’s commitment to nurturing the GI ecosystem in India and emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts in driving inclusive growth and sustainable development.
Himayu Wani, Co-Chair, Kashmir State Chapter, PHDCCI, emphasized the event’s role in bridging tradition with modernity, showcasing how GI products can adapt to contemporary markets while retaining their authenticity.
As Day 1 of the GI Mahotsav concluded, participants departed with a renewed sense of enthusiasm and determination to contribute towards the growth and promotion of GI products. (ANI)


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|By PR Newswire||
|January 7, 2013 03:01 AM EST||
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- International Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2013) -- G-Technology, a leading developer of innovative storage solutions engineered specifically to meet the needs of the content creation and Apple® Mac® communities, today announced that it is now shipping its popular G-Technology G-DRIVE mini and G-RAID mini external storage solutions with new high-quality, 1TB, 2.5-inch 7,200RPM hard disk drives from HGST.
"Today, new kinds of devices and media formats require considerably more interface bandwidth, capacity and higher transfer rates to move, store and edit data quickly. The new Travelstar drive is the first and only 7,200 RPM, 1TB, 9.5mm 2.5-inch drive, and delivers the highest 7,200 RPM performance in PCMark® Vantage testing," said Mike Williams, vice president and general manager, G-Technology/HGST Branded Business. "Now incorporated into our well-known G-RAID mini and G-DRIVE mini solutions, consumers and content creators can continue to receive unmatched performance, style and reliability in their G-Technology storage solutions."
G-Technology G-DRIVE mini
Delivering up to 136MB/s performance, the G-Technology G-DRIVE mini is perfect for users demanding high performance and high capacity from their portable storage device. The G-DRIVE mini features a sleek compact and durable all-aluminum enclosure and storage capacities up to 1TB using HGST Travelstar 7,200 RPM drives. The G-DRIVE mini offers both USB 3.0 and FireWire® 800 connectivity for fast data transfers and has an integrated heat-sink for superior cooling and silent operation. Preformatted for Mac users, the drive works with Apple computer systems right out of the box and is Time Machine® ready. A simple initialization is all it takes to prepare the G-DRIVE mini for use with Windows® systems. The G-DRIVE mini solution is perfect for storing important documents, music, digital video and photo files. The new 1TB G-Technology G-DRIVE mini is now available for a suggested retail price of $199.95 for 1TB.
G-Technology G-RAID mini
The G-Technology G-RAID mini is the companion for video and still shooters or editors working on location. Out of the box, the G-RAID mini solution is set up in RAID 0 (performance mode), with its two 7,200 RPM drives working together for the performance needed to edit the most popular compressed HD formats. The drive supports simultaneous playback of multiple layers of HDV, DVCPRO HD, XDCAM HD and ProRes 422 HQ with leading video editing applications including Final Cut Pro™, Adobe® Premiere® and many more. Using the included software utility, the G-RAID mini can be configured in RAID 1 (protected mode), giving users the peace of mind that their digital content is protected while on the road. The G-RAID mini is FireWire bus powered — even when using USB 3.0 for data transfer. The G-RAID mini's soft-touch On/Off switch and thermo-regulated "smart" fan keeps the drive reliable, cool and quiet in the editing suite. Shipping in early Q1, the 2TB G-RAID mini solution will have a MSRP of $449.95.
Stay connected with G-Technology:
G-Technology storage solutions are engineered specifically to meet the needs of the content creation and Apple Mac communities, including heavy users of multimedia content, Final Cut Pro® and Adobe® Premiere® Pro audio/video specialists, and other pre/post production professionals. From portable drives to ultra-fast, multi-drive RAID storage, G-Technology's USB, FireWire, eSATA, SAS and wireless storage solutions support virtually all levels of A/V production and can be found in post-production facilities worldwide.
Keep updated with G‐Technology by connecting to G‐Technology's social network channels:
HGST (formerly known as Hitachi Global Storage Technologies or Hitachi GST), a Western Digital company (NASDAQ: WDC), develops advanced hard disk drives, enterprise‐class solid state drives, innovative external storage solutions and services used to store, preserve and manage the world's most valued data. Founded by the pioneers of hard drives, HGST provides high‐value storage for a broad range of market segments, including Enterprise, Desktop, Mobile Computing, Consumer Electronics and Personal Storage. HGST was established in 2003 and maintains its U.S. headquarters in San Jose, California. For more information, please visit the company's website at http://www.hgst.com.
One GB is equal to one billion bytes, and one TB equals 1,000 GB (one trillion bytes). Actual capacity will vary depending on operating environment and formatting.
G‐Technology external hard drives serve as an element of an overall backup strategy. It is recommended that users keep two or more copies of their most important files backed up or stored on separate devices or online services.
G‐Technology, G-RAID and G-DRIVE are trademarks of HGST, a Western Digital company. Western Digital, WD, and the WD logo are registered trademarks of Western Digital Technologies, Inc. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements relating to expected availability dates for HDD products. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements, including changes in markets, demand, uncertainties related to the development, introduction, and timing of products based on new technologies, and other risks and uncertainties listed in Western Digital's recent SEC filings to which your attention is directed. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak on as of the date hereof, and HGST/WD undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.
For more information contact:
Businesses are looking to empower employees and departments to do more, go faster, and streamline their processes. For all workers – but mobile workers especially – utilizing the cloud to reconnect documents and improve processes without destructing existing workflows can have a dramatic impact on productivity. In his session at 16th Cloud Expo, Mark Grilli, vice president of Acrobat Solutions marketing at Adobe Systems Incorporated, will outline new ways that the cloud is changing the way peo...
Mar. 31, 2015 04:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,409
One of the hottest areas in cloud right now is DRaaS and related offerings. In his session at 16th Cloud Expo, Dale Levesque, Disaster Recovery Product Manager with Windstream's Cloud and Data Center Marketing team, will discuss the benefits of the cloud model, which far outweigh the traditional approach, and how enterprises need to ensure that their needs are properly being met.
Mar. 31, 2015 03:59 PM EDT Reads: 280
After making a doctor’s appointment via your mobile device, you receive a calendar invite. The day of your appointment, you get a reminder with the doctor’s location and contact information. As you enter the doctor’s exam room, the medical team is equipped with the latest tablet containing your medical history – he or she makes real time updates to your medical file. At the end of your visit, you receive an electronic prescription to your preferred pharmacy and can schedule your next appointment...
Mar. 31, 2015 03:45 PM EDT Reads: 967
Learn about the current state of security breaches and what it is costing businesses. One of my recent conversations with a Cloud security expert at a conference opened up doors to some new information for me personally. Our conversation was around the current status of the Cloud Industry, the Security Challenges and how we can make the Cloud more secure and so on. Did you know that security breaches have huge financial implications such as at an average:
Mar. 31, 2015 03:28 PM EDT Reads: 237
SYS-CON Events announced today that QTS Realty Trust, one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing providers of data center facilities and cloud services and a leader in security and compliance, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 16th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. QTS Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: QTS) is a leading national provider of data center solutions and fully managed services, and a leader in security and compliance...
Mar. 31, 2015 03:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,358
With the arrival of the Big Data revolution, a data professional is expected to master a broad spectrum of complex domains including data processing, mathematics, programming languages, machine learning techniques, and business knowledge. While this mastery is undoubtedly important, this narrow focus on tool usage has divorced many from the imagination required to solve real-world problems. As the demand for analysis increases, the data science community must transform from tool experts to "data...
Mar. 31, 2015 03:00 PM EDT Reads: 554
SYS-CON Events announced today that Solgenia will exhibit at SYS-CON's 16th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY, and the 17th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on November 3–5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Solgenia is the global market leader in Cloud Collaboration and Cloud Infrastructure software solutions. Designed to “Bridge the Gap” between Personal and Professional S...
Mar. 31, 2015 03:00 PM EDT Reads: 2,993
SYS-CON Events announced today that Emcien will exhibit at SYS-CON's 16th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Emcien’s vision is to let anyone use data to know the future. Emcien has built an automated, predictive analysis product that improves the lives of real people. Emcien allows people to automate their data analysis so they can build a better future.
Mar. 31, 2015 02:00 PM EDT Reads: 545
The concept of a cloud facilitating applications is by no means new. Those of us who diagrammed network connectivity around 1993 will recall drawing a big puffy cloud symbol in between two local area networks. The cloud represented the mysterious Internet – that mash-up of routers and other items bouncing our packets back and forth through millions of ports, only to reassemble the bytes on the other end into – hopefully — the same item that was sent. Today, we have dissipated that nebulous clou...
Mar. 31, 2015 01:45 PM EDT Reads: 615
The world's leading Cloud event, Cloud Expo has launched Microservices Journal on the SYS-CON.com portal, featuring over 19,000 original articles, news stories, features, and blog entries. DevOps Journal is focused on this critical enterprise IT topic in the world of cloud computing. Microservices Journal offers top articles, news stories, and blog posts from the world's well-known experts and guarantees better exposure for its authors than any other publication. Follow new article posts on T...
Mar. 31, 2015 12:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,546
SYS-CON Events announced today the IoT Bootcamp – Jumpstart Your IoT Strategy, being held June 9–10, 2015, in conjunction with 16th Cloud Expo and Internet of @ThingsExpo at the Javits Center in New York City. This is your chance to jumpstart your IoT strategy. Combined with real-world scenarios and use cases, the IoT Bootcamp is not just based on presentations but includes hands-on demos and walkthroughs. We will introduce you to a variety of Do-It-Yourself IoT platforms including Arduino, Ras...
Mar. 31, 2015 11:00 AM EDT Reads: 2,217
Containers and microservices have become topics of intense interest throughout the cloud developer and enterprise IT communities. Accordingly, attendees at the upcoming 16th Cloud Expo at the Javits Center in New York June 9-11 will find fresh new content in a new track called PaaS | Containers & Microservices Containers are not being considered for the first time by the cloud community, but a current era of re-consideration has pushed them to the top of the cloud agenda. With the launch ...
Mar. 31, 2015 09:15 AM EDT Reads: 2,290
SOA Software has changed its name to Akana. With roots in Web Services and SOA Governance, Akana has established itself as a leader in API Management and is expanding into cloud integration as an alternative to the traditional heavyweight enterprise service bus (ESB). The company recently announced that it achieved more than 90% year-over-year growth. As Akana, the company now addresses the evolution and diversification of SOA, unifying security, management, and DevOps across SOA, APIs, microser...
Mar. 31, 2015 08:30 AM EDT Reads: 2,105
SYS-CON Events announced today that Creative Business Solutions will exhibit at SYS-CON's 16th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Creative Business Solutions is the top stocking authorized HP Renew Distributor in the U.S. Based out of Long Island, NY, Creative Business Solutions offers a one-stop shop for a diverse range of products including Proliant, Blade and Industry Standard Servers, Networking, Server Options and...
Mar. 31, 2015 08:30 AM EDT Reads: 3,940
The list of ‘new paradigm’ technologies that now surrounds us appears to be at an all time high. From cloud computing and Big Data analytics to Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and the Internet of Things (IoT), today we have to deal with what the industry likes to call ‘paradigm shifts’ at every level of IT. This is disruption; of course, we understand that – change is almost always disruptive.
Mar. 30, 2015 04:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,184
Mar. 30, 2015 11:45 AM EDT Reads: 1,578
SYS-CON Events announced today that SafeLogic has been named “Bag Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 16th International Cloud Expo® New York, which will take place June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. SafeLogic provides security products for applications in mobile and server/appliance environments. SafeLogic’s flagship product CryptoComply is a FIPS 140-2 validated cryptographic engine designed to secure data on servers, workstations, appliances, mobile devices, and in the Cloud....
Mar. 30, 2015 11:00 AM EDT Reads: 1,547
SYS-CON Events announced today that Cisco, the worldwide leader in IT that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate, has been named “Gold Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 16th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Cisco makes amazing things happen by connecting the unconnected. Cisco has shaped the future of the Internet by becoming the worldwide leader in transforming how people connect, communicate and collaborat...
Mar. 29, 2015 07:00 PM EDT Reads: 5,282
Docker is an excellent platform for organizations interested in running microservices. It offers portability and consistency between development and production environments, quick provisioning times, and a simple way to isolate services. In his session at DevOps Summit at 16th Cloud Expo, Shannon Williams, co-founder of Rancher Labs, will walk through these and other benefits of using Docker to run microservices, and provide an overview of RancherOS, a minimalist distribution of Linux designed...
Mar. 29, 2015 04:15 PM EDT Reads: 2,471
SYS-CON Events announced today that Vitria Technology, Inc. will exhibit at SYS-CON’s @ThingsExpo, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Vitria will showcase the company’s new IoT Analytics Platform through live demonstrations at booth #330. Vitria’s IoT Analytics Platform, fully integrated and powered by an operational intelligence engine, enables customers to rapidly build and operationalize advanced analytics to deliver timely business outcomes ...
Mar. 29, 2015 03:30 PM EDT Reads: 2,231


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BATAVIA, Ohio (AdAge.com) -- Recession has made Walmart arguably the most relevant -- and powerful -- brand in the U.S. Now Stephen Quinn, chief marketing officer of the U.S. division, is out to make sure that lasts after things get better.
The soft-spoken veteran of such blue-chip marketers as Procter & Gamble Co., Johnson & Johnson and PepsiCo has led an unprecedented increase in ad spending by the always-frugal retailer, which upped its outlay 66% to $840 million last year, according to TNS Media Intelligence. He's given marketing a seat at the table alongside the operations and merchandising executives who long dominated Walmart.
He's helping lead the rollout of a high-tech video Smart Network that tracks ad results in real time and changes the rules in Bentonville by letting marketers essentially buy endcaps, or displays at the ends of store aisles. He's also behind efforts to update the company's brand with a new logo and in-store branding and a "Save money. Live better" ad campaign that aligns the retailer's advertising with its mission statement while also focusing squarely on its good deals amid the recession.
In an interview with Advertising Age, Mr. Quinn explained how and why Walmart is changing, including reformatting for the digital age and embracing the Long Tail.
Ad Age: It looks like after a big run-up in ad spending last year, you pulled back some this year. Do you need to spend at leadership levels when you have so many people coming through your doors anyway?
Mr. Quinn: The second half of that is true. We are fortunate that we've got a lot of traffic that is anchored in some really core categories like groceries. We haven't really approached our advertising as a share-of-voice game. But we've built marketing-mix models, as a lot of marketers have, and we've really been using ROI as the determinant of how we should be spending. I guess we did slow down a little bit in the first part of the year. It wasn't a pulling back. It's just that retail skews so heavily [toward the back half of the year]. But we've been really happy about the return we're getting.
One thing I can promise you is that Walmart is a pretty tight ship when it comes to costs, and there is no way that anybody would have approved the spending if they hadn't felt it was going to pay out.
Ad Age: Will digital become the central piece of Walmart's marketing?
Mr. Quinn: It might become the central area, but not the way most marketers would look at it, the reason being that we have a very large, very successful website.
It's already one of the highest performing media for us on an ROI basis. And as a result you've seen our investments increase substantially there. Mobile is going to become really important, just because we have places where people are outside of their homes.
The business model underlying a lot of digital [is like what] Sam Walton created. If you think about how a Google works, we all go in there and, by using it, change what gets served up, because the algorithm they have can tell what's popular. That's how Walmart at its best is supposed to work as well, so your purchases today send a signal to our business, our replenishment system and our merchants.
Ad Age: How are you integrating Walmart and Walmart.com?
Mr. Quinn: One of the biggest connections between the stores and Walmart.com has been the creation of this Site to Store program. It's this online service that provides the so-called Long Tail of greater variety that can be shipped to your store for free. Our belief is that over time the assortment available to customers could be virtually unlimited.
Ad Age: How is the Smart Network rollout going?
Mr. Quinn: We're learning how much smarter we can get when we really use this tool, when we really pay attention to the stimulus and response. We all know [video is] going to be a part of the future of retail. I don't think many people would take the opposite position that a bunch of cardboard and [point-of-sale material] are going to be around 20 years from now. We've got the technology. Now we need to build the content.
Ad Age: When video is built into the end-aisle displays, it looks like for the first time somebody can coordinate an ad buy with a merchandising display. But it's also culturally different for Walmart. Has it been a point of contention for anybody that now you can buy an endcap?
Mr. Quinn: Yeah, it has been. But it's been the same point of contention in getting any of this stuff coordinated. Internally, we may have been a company five years ago where everybody wanted to do their own thing inside of a silo. The biggest thing that's been changing is asking people in the company to step up to the challenge of all that coordination it takes to work with peers outside of your silo to benefit your customers.
Our vendors and our customers and we can see it's a lot bigger idea when you can say: This is a great new product, and we're going to put it on endcaps and advertise it on those endcaps, and make sure our circular has that and possibly our TV and internet. What was frustrating for vendors was that the buyer agrees the product is a powerful idea. They put up a display, but the advertising was about something else and the circular was something different all together. I'm not aware of any arm twisting that's taking place. We're trying to provide real value for vendors.


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Mumbai-based CarTrade.com, an online auto classifieds platform owned and operated by MXC Solutions Pvt Ltd, has raised Rs 185 crore ($30.2 million) in funding led by private equity firm Warburg Pincus, with participation from existing investors Canaan Partners and Tiger Global.
Warburg Pincus put in Rs 130 crore ($22 million) as part of the transaction and got around 23 per cent effective stake, valuing the venture at around $100 million.
The funds will be used to diversify the company’s offerings for end consumers and dealers. It will enable CarTrade to expand its offerings across online and mobile platforms, fuel the platform’s growth in the online auto industry, and strengthen its marketing efforts.
Back in 2011, MXC Solutions had raised $13 million in its third round of funding led by venture capital firm Tiger Global Management, with participation from existing investor Canaan Partners. The money was for another vertical of the firm which offers an online vehicle auction platform CarTradeExchange.com (earlier MotorExchange.in). In December 2010, it raised an undisclosed amount in Series B funding from Canaan Partners and Epiphany Ventures.
Before that, the company had raised an undisclosed amount in Series A round of funding from Canaan Partners besides other investors including Austin Ligon, founder and CEO of US-based CarMax, in December 2009.
“The funds raised shall be employed to further expand our services to help us offer our consumers and dealers a seamless online experience. We also plan to focus significantly on the mobile space and provide products and services, which in many cases will be the first of its kind," said Vinay Sanghi, founder and CEO, CarTrade.
Nitin Nayar, MD, Warburg Pincus India Pvt Ltd, added, “We see tremendous potential in the Indian automobile market. CarTrade has shown strong growth momentum in the last couple of years. Warburg Pincus is excited to partner with a talented team to build on its position and to accelerate its growth plans.”
CarTrade.com is an online auto marketplace in India that provides buyers and sellers a structured platform for buying and selling new and used vehicles. For used car buyers, the platform offers a selection of over a lakh listings, price information and car certification. For new car buyers, there are a host of features such as reviews, on-road prices, car comparisons and latest news, etc.
All this information, along with a host of research tools, price index information and a growing dealer network is also available on the site.
The company is promoted by Sanghi, a former CEO of Mahindra First Choice. Rajan Mehra, MD at Nirvana Venture Advisors and former country head of eBay, India is also a founder-director in CarTrade. Its investors include Canaan Partners, Epiphany Overseas Ventures and Tiger Global, apart from Warburg Pincus.
For Warburg Pincus this is the second such investment in consumer internet business. It had earlier backed Quikr, a horizontal classifieds venture.
This is its second addition to its India portfolio after buying a stake in Laurus Labs besides putting in more money in some existing investees such as AU Financiers and Quikr.
In another transaction in the same space, CarDekho.com, an auto portal owned and operated by Jaipur-based multi-vertical consumer internet company Girnar Software Pvt Ltd, acquired Naspers Group-owned Gaadi.com, another automobile site, for an undisclosed sum.
(Edited by Joby Puthuparampil Johnson)


text: FuboTV stock is down after earnings. All eyes are on its gambling plans. Eric J. Savitz, Barron's · March 3, 2021 at 9:15 pm FuboTV stock is trading sharply lower Wednesday after reporting mixed fourth-quarter results. For the quarter, FuboTV, an online TV provider, posted revenue of $105.1 million, up 98%, and ahead of the guidance range of $94 million-$98 million announced in January. The company reported 547,880 subscribers at year-end, up 73% from a year ago. Hours streamed increased 66% to 205.9 million. Average revenue per user per month was $59.19, up 17%. Subscription revenue was $91.4 million, up 91%, while ad revenue was $13.1 million, up 157%. The company had a loss in the quarter of $167.8 million, or $2.47 a share, which is wider than the Street consensus estimate for a loss of 73 cents a share—but FuboTV investors are focused more on the potential for the company’s emerging gambling business than on short-term profitability.


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Gamers, nerds and newcomers to the groundbreaking “Legend of Zelda” series celebrated Feb. 21 in honor of the 30-year anniversary of the famous green-capped adventurer and the 27 titles released within the franchise’s history.
“The Legend of Zelda,” the original game of the series, set the tone for non-sidescrolling gameplay on Nintendo’s gaming consoles, providing a world-roaming experience that challenged gamers with a more sophisticated storyline, battles and puzzles.
Valeria Bolanos, freshman pre-nursing major, said she was introduced to the game by her brother 12 years ago with “A Link to the Past” on the Game Boy Advance.
“I thought it was actually pretty boring at first, but once you get the sword and start getting into (the story), you find out that it’s an amazing quest and you just have to complete it,” Bolanos said.
Some students at California Baptist University have grown up with the game and have been fans of the franchise since they were able to pick up a controller and play.
Jessica Castellano, junior graphic design and communication studies double major, said she started playing Zelda when she was 3 years old and said the series has always been sentimental to her.
“My grandpa introduced it to me,” Castellano said. “We used to play it all the time.”
“The Legend of Zelda” games have been a staple of childhoods since its initial release in the late ’80s and since then, the storyline and graphics have become more sophisticated and advanced.
Both Bolanos and Castellano agreed there have been some good games, such as “Ocarina of Time” and “Twilight Princess,” and some that were not as fun, most recently “Skyward Sword.” With the 30-year anniversary, both gamers said they are looking forward to the possibility of a free-roaming or role-playing game for “Legend of Zelda,” similar to “Skyrim.”
Nintendo continues to update the Zelda franchise in order to maintain one of the last remaining original franchises.


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Rural communities and vulnerable people to suffer as report predicts 2,500 market town bank branches will close in five years
One in four bank branches will disappear from the High Street within the next five years, a report has revealed.
Hundreds of market towns and suburbs will become banking deserts, forcing frail and elderly customers to travel miles to reach their nearest branch.
The Campaign for Community Banking Services predicts the UK’s 9,500-strong branch network will plummet to 7,000 by the end of 2018, shedding more than a quarter of existing branches.
Poorly informed: The big banking names are not keeping their staff informed on the rules and facts surrounding Isas.
The rate of bank closures is expected to peak at just under 1,000 a year, while 600 towns and villages could be stripped of their last remaining bank branch.
This week, banking giant HSBC sounded the death knell for traditional High Street banking. Boss Stuart Gulliver said banks would no longer offer a walk-in service because more people would use internet services. As a result, there would be a smaller number of branches.
Called to account: Anti-closure protestors at Milford-on-Sea, Hants
Banks are desperate to push their customers online because once technology has been developed it is a cheaper way of doing business.
The big High Street names are keen to promote their websites and apps — which allow you to run your current account by using a high-tech mobile phone.
Yet official figures published last week by the Office for National Statistics show that 6.7million — just under one in eight of the population — has never used the internet. Of these, 5.8million are over the age of 55.
As a split across the country it tends to be those living in more rural communities in poorer households who have yet to use the web. In 2013, only half of people who went on the internet regularly ever used it for online banking.
There have been huge advances in technology and the phone networks in recent years. But despite this, figures from research organisation Rootmetrics show that in areas such as Hull, around a quarter of mobile phone users who tried to access a website were unable to do so.
In Sheffield, Cardiff, Birmingham and Edinburgh more than one in ten attempts to load a web page failed.
Derek French, director of the Campaign for Community Banking Services, says: ‘It may be true that in some big cities young tech-savvy workers are using the internet all the time, but outside these areas, particularly in rural communities, it does not seem to be true.
‘What we are seeing is the death knell to many suburban and small-town High Streets. ‘It could also cause horrendous problems for older or vulnerable people who rely on branches as a way of doing their banking.
‘The Government cannot remain aloof any longer; they have to step in and stem the number of closures and their damaging effect on local communities.’
In recent years, banks have been shedding branches at a rate of up to 300 a year because they say they are too expensive to run. Today, 1,200 towns and villages don’t have a bank and 900 have only one. Two-thirds of these stand to lose their branch by 2018.
Bye bye branches: Already this year, HSBC has shut Brampton in Cumbria, and Conwy in North Wales
But within the next five years, technological changes and a drive for profits from banks means that the rate of closures will soar.
Banks are planning to allow people to cash cheques by photographing them on their phones — however, the Treasury has only just launched a consultation on this and it will require a change in the law to allow it to happen.
Other big names are launching super cash machines, which allow people to open savings accounts and pay in cash and cheques.
Campaigners say the changes risk leaving behind the elderly, who cannot keep pace. Small businesses who use a branch to pay in cheques and rely on trade from people who have made a trip into town to do their banking will also suffer.
A disproportionate number of closures affect market towns and suburbs — meaning people must travel miles to their next branch. Last year, towns such as Appleby in Cumbria, Ampthill in Bedfordshire and Lyndhurst in Hampshire were left with just one bank.
Already this year, HSBC has shut Brampton in Cumbria, and Conwy in North Wales. In the final few months of 2013, it closed 12 branches, of which three were the last bank in town.
Do it online: But in 2013, only half of people who went on the internet regularly ever used it for online banking
Alison Eardley, policy manager at campaign group Action for Market Towns, said: ‘Towns have lost lots of services in the past few years. Losing a bank branch can be devastating.
‘When people come into town to do their banking, they don’t just go home again but spend money in local shops and cafes, keeping the local High Street alive.
‘We have seen shops closing as a direct impact of a bank branch going, while vulnerable people who cannot manage online are left struggling to do their banking.’
Caroline Abrahams, director at charity Age UK, says: ‘Face-to-face access to banking remains vital for many older people because they prefer it and because online banking, cash machines and call centres just don’t work for them.’
Britain’s banking giants have vowed not to close a branch if it is the last one in town. But there is no legal requirement for them to do.
State-backed Lloyds has had a freeze on closures for three years. However, this will end by February 2015. It says it cannot comment on what it will do beyond this point.
A spokesman says: ‘Branches are at the heart of how we serve our customers and are at the centre of our communities, so we intend them to play a vital role in our plans.’
There are fears Barclays is considering the closure of up to a quarter of its 1,600-branch network. It is already replacing some branches with outlets in supermarket Asda. RBS and NatWest have promised not to close a branch if it is the last one in town. However, the bank is conducting a wide-ranging review of its business. It would not comment on whether this would mean going back on its bank closure promise.
A spokesman for trade body the British Bankers’ Association said: ‘Customers want to do their banking where it is convenient, be it in a branch, on the phone, in a Post Office, online or by mobile app.
‘All banks are having to look at the way they serve their customers and how best to meet their needs.
‘This is no different to the way supermarkets, bookshops or many other retail outlets are having to adapt to consumer demands.’
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Jan 15, 2018
By Michelle Saunders
Call centre employees working for Rogers Communications say the telecom company is pressuring them to try to make a sale on every call — even to elderly people who don’t understand or need certain products or services. In emails and interviews with Go Public, dozens of Rogers workers say they’re under “extreme pressure” to hit sales targets or risk termination. Their claims come on the heels of Bell Canada workers revealing similar pressures to up sell customers, often at the expense of ethics. “You’re supposed to look at a customer’s account and sell them cable, home phone, home security, a credit card — whatever is missing,” says an employee who currently works at Rogers’ major call centre in Ottawa. Managers tell their employees to sell, whether the services are needed or not. We spoke with John Lawford, Director and General Counsel for the Public Interest Advocacy Centre and Consumer Advocate Ellen Roseman.


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Conspicuous consumption isn't dead, it's just on hiatus.
That's according to global consulting firm Bain & Company's Luxury Market Update: 2012, which will be released tomorrow. The report, authored by Claudia D'Arpizio, a partner based in the firm's Milan office, is a study of 220 luxury brands, which includes leather goods, fashion, jewelry, alcohol and cosmetics companies that serve high net worth customers, or those with assets of $1 million or above.
The global luxury industry--which has seen steady growth for the last 15 years--contracted by 10% in the first two quarters of 2009 to 153 billion euros (or $215 billion), compared with 170 billion euros ($238 billion) in the first two quarters of 2008. However, D'Arpizio says this decrease does not reflect a permanent change in the spending habits of the luxury consumer. Spending is expected to pick up again in 2011, with a full recovery in 2012.
"The downturn simply accelerated a trend that was already in place," says D'Arpizio of the less-is-more sentiment currently popular with consumers. The report concludes that consumers were tiring of the "bling" trend--such as showy jewelry and handbags--long before the recession took hold of the economy. Consumers will start spending more freely again within the next year and a half. Some other key points from the report:
--While global sales of luxury goods will stabilize in 2010, they will increase by 4% in 2011 and by 7%-8% in 2012.
--Global sales of ready-to-wear fashion will decrease by 15%-20% during the second half of 2009.
--Global sales of jewelry and watches will decrease by 12% during the second half of 2009.
--Men's watch sales are more closely related to the gross domestic product of a country than any other luxury good category. When an economy is lagging, so are watch sales.
--Consumers in emerging markets like Eastern Europe and Russia will begin aggressively spending as soon as the stock market fully rebounds.
--China will see a 7% increase in sales of luxury goods in 2009. The less-developed interior of the country will see increases up to 35%.
--High-end shoes are still selling well because of their accessible price point ($400-$2,000) and perceived quality.
If you like this story, read:
--Luxury brands whose core business is leather goods--such as Louis Vuitton,
While many luxury industry experts are in agreement that the sector will rebound come 2011, others believe that this downturn is different from others, and that consumers will permanently cut back on spending, particularly in the U.S.
"We've experienced the biggest trade down in the history of the [country]," says Howard Davidowitz, chairman of New York-headquartered Davidowitz & Associates, a retail consultancy and investment firm. "It's a change that will be here as far as the eye can see."


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Most conversations surrounding the cost of a data breach are around fines or compensation.
Financial costs are definitely important as we see an onslaught of regulatory legislation around the world. Many countries have followed in the footsteps of the EU’s implementation of GDPR, like California’s CCPA and Brazil’s LGPD.
Since 2021 is likely to see increased safeguards on consumer privacy and, in the past year, employees have had access to more data at work, the number and value of data breach fines are also expected to increase.
However, an important aspect of data breach cost that is often overlooked is reputational damage.
A good reputation is usually hard to build, but once you’ve gained it, it can sustain a business through tougher times like what we’re currently going through. Back in 1997, Apple was on the verge of bankruptcy and playing second fiddle to Microsoft, but in 2018 it became the first publicly traded American company worth more than a trillion dollars.
Today’s consumers often put a lot of stock in reputation and are loyal to brands that they’ve had good experiences with, so it can be nearly impossible to bounce back from any damage to your rep.
The reputational repercussions of a data breach can last much longer than the short-term fine, causing damage to your bottom line in the long run when customers don’t trust you enough to do business with you, and potentially dealing your organisation a blow from which it will never recover.
In the media glare
In the immediate wake of a data breach, there’s a lot to take in. What was lost? Was it an attack or an accident? Has the breach been closed?
If you’re a household name, such as TalkTalk, Equifax or Yahoo – or involved in something salacious like Ashley Madison – you will likely find yourself in the unenviable position of doing these initial investigations in the full glare of the media spotlight.
For such businesses, especially nowadays, the reputational impact will be immediate. Depending on the size of the data breach and how it happened, big businesses are likely to find themselves on the front pages of the papers and in the broadcast headlines too. In this kind of situation, the axiom that “all publicity is good publicity” falls very flat.
Even if your own organisation’s data breach doesn’t warrant a spot on the evening news, that doesn’t mean you will have escaped public condemnation: Disgruntled customers – or now former customers – will be disavowing you on social media for having shown little care for their personal information, potentially for years to come.
It’s not just the act of losing control over customers’ personal data that can harm a business’ reputation, either. Speaking as a guest on the IT Pro Podcast, Dr Rois Ni Thuama, head of cyber governance at Red Sift, pointed to the fallout of the 2014 Sony Pictures hack as one example.
“You had large dumps of Sony data … you’ll remember there was a lot of stuff on actor compensation, there [were] embarrassing email exchanges. One of the key players (co-chairperson, Amy Pascal) sent something that was racially insensitive,” said Ni Thuama.
“People lost their jobs… their careers and their professional lives were damaged, particularly the woman (Pascal) who sent the charged emails, and then there was definitely a loss of reputation over the actors’ compensation,” she added.
The importance of accountability
Away from the data breach itself, how the organisation acts once the incident can have a major impact on the depth and permanence of the damage an organisation faces.
Gabriel Friedlander, the founder of security awareness training firm Wizer, tells IT Pro: “Yahoo, Uber and Anthem are three data breaches that stand out in the US because of the lack of accountability, lack of transparency, and length of time between a breach happening and the truth coming out.”
“Companies also invest a lot in ‘values’, so when companies lie or try to hide a breach, it ruins the trust and goodwill that has been built up over years with many of their customers, some of whom will quickly look to the competition for a more safe and secure alternative,” he adds.
Simon Smith, a specialist in cybercrime and computer forensics, feels similarly.
“Trust is the driver for any business success. If trust is lost then some businesses may never recover,” Smith tells IT Pro.
“It can depend a lot on the nature of the breach and how the company reaches and remedies the breach. Dishonesty or non-disclosure can cause a great loss of trust that could easily destroy any business after only one incident. Customers, the authorities and society will be concerned about a company's security and ability to protect data if systems are not in place to handle and mitigate the problem.”
Small business, big problems
Sadly, when it comes to reputational damage, SMBs often fare worse than larger ones.
“We see a 60% failure rate among the SMB market after a company discloses a breach within 6-12 months,” says Friedlander. “This partly due to confidence issues, partly due to recovery challenges, etc.
“The SMB market is crowded. Think about a restaurant, if it gets breached people have many options for going to eat somewhere else, and if your accountant got breached, you will probably leave and find someone else.”
Bigger businesses, on the other hand, may be harder to move away from. It’s also likely they have greater resources to put towards crisis management, as well as to pay any regulatory fines and settle lawsuits.
Smith adds that SMBs can suffer worse damage to their reputation as they may not realise their responsibilities or act appropriately.
“Small businesses make up the majority of all business, but as many are not publicly listed, they feel they do not have to disclose every event. This in itself causes a major problem as it is now considered a regulatory issue across the world where businesses of all sizes can be fined for breaching the obligation to secure personal records,” he says.
“Any size business is equally at risk because somewhere along the way, they got the attitude that ‘it can’t happen to us’, or, ‘it can’t happen to us again’. Without proper process, project, policy and infrastructure governance in place to protect their systems, it is always going to be a ticking time bomb,” he adds.
If you survive the initial damage, the lasting impact may not be quite as catastrophic as one would imagine, though – as they say, time heals all wounds.
“Long term, there is an argument that there’s little consequence as humans have short memories,” says Friedlander. “There’s a plethora of breaches and companies get lost in the mix.”
Nevertheless, while there are methods to mitigate reputational damage in the wake of a data breach – including the passage of time – it pays to put as much effort into preventing one happening in the first place. Not only do you reduce the risk of harm, but if a breach does happen the reaction will likely be more sympathetic if it can be shown it happened despite you having ample defences and procedures in place.
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Jane McCallion is ITPro's deputy editor, specializing in cloud computing, cyber security, data centers and enterprise IT infrastructure. Before becoming Deputy Editor, she held the role of Features Editor, managing a pool of freelance and internal writers, while continuing to specialise in enterprise IT infrastructure, and business strategy.
Prior to joining ITPro, Jane was a freelance business journalist writing as both Jane McCallion and Jane Bordenave for titles such as European CEO, World Finance, and Business Excellence Magazine.


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A digest of the top business technology news stories from the past week.
Irish will spend €21bn online by 2017, but most will go to overseas competitors – Digital Hub
The Digital Hub predicts that by 2017 Irish people are expected to be spending €21bn online, but, without an effective national digital strategy in place, most of this expenditure will be lost to companies overseas.
Leonard Donnelly, chairman of the Digital Hub Development Agency (DHDA), says that a key challenge in the coming years will be persuading Irish consumers to make their online purchases with domestic businesses. “Ireland currently spends close to €4bn online each year, but 75pc of that goes overseas, mostly to the UK,” he said.
“The Digital Hub has projected that, by 2017, the online consumptive economy will be valued at €21bn in Ireland. If the trend for favouring overseas outlets for online purchases continues, however, the revenue loss to the domestic productive sectors will be immense,” he added.
The DHDA manages the Digital Hub in Dublin, where more than 70 digital enterprises are located, and Donnelly’s comments come with the publication of the DHDA’s annual report, which reports on the activities of the Digital Hub in 2011 and reveals plans for future development.
Join Ireland’s digital leaders who will gather at The Digital Ireland Forum to discuss the opportunity for Ireland to become a global centre for the creation and management of the digital content and services today’s connected consumer demands.
HTC closes South Korea business
Smartphone maker HTC has closed up shop in South Korea to streamline operations and improve efficiency after having struggled with low mobile phone sales worldwide and competition that includes handset giant Samsung.
HTC also said the closure is necessary to drive innovation, and ensure its ability to create strong products and solid consumer relationships.
The company’s withdrawal from the South Korean market will be gradual but HTC did not say how many employees are affected by the shut-down.
Cisco completes acquisition of NDS
Computer-networking equipment maker Cisco has finished up its acquisition of video software and content security solutions provider NDS Group Ltd for US$5bn.
NDS’ solutions are designed to enable service providers and media companies to securely deliver and monetise new video experiences.
The company’s software platform, customer segments and services model complement Cisco’s networked video offerings and enhance the delivery of Cisco’s Videoscape, Cisco said.
Videoscape is Cisco’s platform that enables service providers and media companies to deliver next-generation video entertainment experiences.
Under the deal, NDS’ employees join Cisco’s Service Provider Video Technology Group.
Oracle to acquire network virtualisation technology provider Xsigo Systems
Software maker Oracle has stuck an agreement to acquire network virtualisation technology provider Xsigo Systems for an undisclosed sum.
Xsigo Systems’ technology aims to simplify cloud infrastructure and operations by allowing customers to connect any server to any network and storage with ease and while cutting cost.
The combination of Oracle’s software, server, storage and network product portfolio with Xsigo’s software-defined networking products is expected to deliver a complete set of virtualisation capabilities for cloud environments.
Sony reports quarterly loss of US$316m, cuts earnings forecast
Electronics and entertainment company Sony has reported a quarterly loss of 24.6bn yen (US$316m) compared with a 15.5bn yen (US$197m) loss in the 2011 April-June quarter and slashed its earnings forecast for the business year through March 2013 to a 20bn yen (US$256m) profit, down from 30bn yen projected in May.
The company cited uncertainty in foreign exchange rates and global demand.
Operating profit for the quarter sank 77pc to 6.28bn yen (US$80m) compared to the same period last year.
Sony, in the year ended 31 March, had posted an operating loss of 67bn yen (US$855m) and a record net loss of 455bn yen (US$5.8bn). Its June-quarter net loss amounted to 24.64bn yen (US$314m).
However, sales, notably sales of cameras, mobile phones and professional broadcasting products, rose 1.4pc to 1.52trn yen (US$19.4bn).
Sony has been struggling with a strong yen that wears away overseas earnings, and fewer sales of video game devices and liquid crystal display TVs.
In an effort to bring the company back to profitability, Sony in June announced the appointment of its former head of its games division Kazuo Hirai as president and chief executive officer.
Ross Levinsohn leaves Yahoo! after CEO snub
Ross Levinsohn, who served as Yahoo!’s interim CEO between the departure of Scott Thompson and the arrival of Marissa Mayer, has left the company.
Levinsohn stepped into the CEO role after Thompson exited Yahoo! in May after allegations surfaced that he had added a fake computer science degree to his official biography and before former Google executive Mayer took up the post some two weeks ago.
Yahoo! is seeing Levinsohn off with handsome compensation. In an SEC filing, Yahoo! disclosed Levinsohn is being awarded an additional 67,000 shares of restricted stock and 250,000 new stock options priced at $15.80. That is the price Yahoo’s stock closed at on 26 July.
Levinsohn, who had previously served as Yahoo!’s global media head, had reportedly been a stronger contender for the permanent CEO job, and there is no indication at this stage as to what he will do next.
Stay informed – get daily updates on the latest happenings in technology directly to your inbox.


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HMRC have announced that the imposition of the reverse charge process on the construction sector has been postponed again.
The reverse charge was meant to be implemented on 1 October 2019, but was deferred for 12 months until 1 October 2020. HMRC have now announced that there will be an addition deferment until 1 March 2021. The reason given is because of the impact that COVID-19 has had on the sector.
The announcement also includes a change in the law which will make it a requirement that, for businesses to be excluded from the reverse charge due to being end users or intermediary suppliers, they must inform their sub-contractors of this in writing.
One of the key issues for a number of businesses that will be affected by the domestic reverse charge is that they will only be paid the net amount for their services; and the reality is that such businesses often use the VAT they have been paid to assist with their cash flow until the VAT has to be declared and paid over to HMRC.
If you have any questions about the impact that the domestic reverse charge could have for your business or client, please contact Ian Marrow, Director at Rickard Luckin at [email protected]