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And that is all we have time for on our live blog of all things iPad.
If you missed all of the news, check out our recap of the night's announcements.
We also have a hands on review of the brand new iPad mini, and the thoughts of T3 magazine editor Luke Peters on the event.
And the iPad Air is not the only thing that The Verge got their hands on - check out this video of the iPad mini with retina display.
The Verge have uploaded a video of their iPad Air hands on - so you can see for yourself how the new iPad compares to previous models.
We've got some great pictures of the two iPads as journalists get their paws on them...
The iPad Air is incredibly thin and light. Feels far more like the mini than previous iPads. Torn. pic.twitter.com/zNsb58fFbl— MG Siegler (@parislemon) October 22, 2013
A thickness comparison of the iPad air and mini pic.twitter.com/66QXQQELsQ— Matthew Panzarino (@panzer) October 22, 2013
iPad Air and retina iPad Mini side by side pic.twitter.com/swl4lniUMa— Matthew Panzarino (@panzer) October 22, 2013
With Apple keeping the iPad 2 and original iPad mini on the market - at a lower price - it now means that there are a range of devices at different prices available.
Luke Peters, T3 magazine editor, said: "The overall pricing strategy puts Apple in a good place, with two entry level models and two high-end blockbusters to suit most consumers.
"Although, how many people will spend almost £700 on the 128Gb version remains to be seen.
"Overall, this was an understated show, but with plenty of points of consumer excitement for a huge range of Christmas shoppers, which will see Apple stores packed over the coming weeks."
However, he admitted that the specs of the new iPads were nothing that Apple fans had not heard before through rumours.
"The iPad Air is thinner, lighter and more powerful than its predecessor. That was expected.
"Its new name, however, wasn't and was met with genuine shock from the attendees.
"Jonathan Ive said he's been working on the concept for years."
While the name was a surprise for the iPad Air, the iPad mini has nothing new: "The iPad Mini with Retina display had been widely accepted as fact, and now it is."
But that does not stop it from being a best-seller: "There's nothing at this size that comes close in terms of power and desirability.
He was just as impressed by the Macs and software updates as the iPads.
"Mavericks for free (and downloadable for any Mac) was a nice touch and will undoubtedly be one of the most downloaded updates ever.
"Meanwhile, the epically specced Mac Pro will be one of the most lusted-over desktops around for some time.
"The ability to edit 4k video at speed is now feasible, starting from a mere £2,500.
"The glut of other free apps and software that come with any purchase of a new Mac or iOS device was a highlight."
He said: "The formula has been tried and tested, and Apple has taken pains to avoid disrupting a winning strategy."From the product positioning statement and a smattering of competitor putdowns, through the Mavericks and free-pricing detail to the big iPad(s) reveal, this launch was classic Apple."
Sonny Dickson is now defending himself against claims that he photo shopped photos of the iPads gold.
He said: "I never used "Photo edited" in any of my photos, I never posted anything."
It's true that, while Sonny reposted photos of the gold iPad mini, he never leaked the blinged-up photos himself.
With the lack of gold colour scheme and Touch ID shocking some fans, Apple extremists are now pointing the finger of blame at Sonny Dickson.
Dickson was the cause of most of the Apple leaks in the weeks running up to tonight's launch - and some of them were not quite accurate.
Angry fans who were expecting the iPad Air and iPad mini to come in a gold colour and with a fingerprint scanner are now venting their frustration on Twitter.
@SonnyDickson Does the iPad mini 2nd gen have Touch ID? Not!— Killer Punk (@Deadly_MrEvil) October 22, 2013
It's not just consumers who are impressed by the new tablets - retailers have been waiting with baited breath to see what they will be selling over the Christmas period.
Ed Connolly, Buying Director at John Lewis, said that the new iPad Air and iPad mini were set to be the "best iPads yet".
He added: "They will undoubtedly be a huge hit in the run up to Christmas.
"Last year, tablets were the must-have technology product for the festive season, and we predict this year will be even bigger with tablets flying off the shelves at a rate of one every fifteen seconds this Christmas.
He added that it's not just Apple products that are popular: "The competition is more intense than it's ever been, with sales of the latest Samsung, Google and Microsoft tablets up 80% year on year at John Lewis.
"There's been so much development in the market over the past few years, with new screen sizes, new brands and keener prices than ever before, so we see this Christmas as the time when many tablet users will decide to upgrade their current tablet to the newest models."
T3 editor Mark Mayne gave his thoughts, having played with the new iPad mini.
"Getting an early play, the new iPad Mini now sports a FaceTime HD camera, which is a marked improvement over the last model.
"It's clear and so much more defined when voice conferencing."An unaltered 10-hour battery life over the old iPad Mini is an impressive claim, and one that will certainly be top of the list to test once review models are available."
He continued: "Aside from the prominent Lightning connector, external ports are non existent, while hard-wired buttons remain with volume, on/off button and the screen lock rocking the sides and front screen.
"MIMO wifi is now supported, as well as the 64-bit A7 chip architecture which brings the mini in line with the wider clan of iMac, MacBook and iPad Air.
"The real upside of this will be broader software and app compatibility, especially once 64-bit apps begin to make their way through.
"Certainly apps in iOS7 seemed to snap open a little faster, while graphic-intensive tasks such as video playback look much smoother."
Our friends at T3 have managed to get their paws on the brand new iPad mini.
Editor Mark Mayne said: "The new iPad Mini is identical in shape, size and build to the first generation model, but also in the hand gives a flavour of the new iPad Air.
"The rounded edges and, of course, that new screen really give this little tablet genuine wow-factor.
"The new iPad Mini sports the same 2048x1536 res spec as the bigger iPad Air with colours being richer, deeper and full of life.
"In our eyes, it's the most impressive update. You literally won't believe yours."
Although not everyone is impressed...
iPad air is kinda pointless... Just a lighter iPad or a bigger iPad mini...— Chad (@_Ch_ad) October 22, 2013
Well that was crap. More expensive iPad Mini, too expensive, underwhelming, MacPro. At least we get Mavericks for free #crapple— Jonathan B. (@CounterAgent) October 22, 2013
iPad Air Same old crap just thinner...— Tammy (@xcrunner4life) October 22, 2013
People are getting very excited about the new iPad Air and iPad mini with retina display...
New iPad air looks buff— Krishma (@krishma_vilkhou) October 22, 2013
Ok I really want an #iPadAir now!— Becky Marlow (@beckymarlow) October 22, 2013
Can't believe that the iPad Air is only 1 pound and that OS X Mavericks is free to download. That one was a big shocker.— Zachary Halper (@zhalper) October 22, 2013
Really want the new iPad mini#someonebuymeone— ???????? (@mrTempah) October 22, 2013
He continued: "There's also a great (if expensive) computing line up, with upgraded laptops and a new version of the Mac operating system that's free for existing owners.
"All this is happening at a time when Apple's old nemesis, Microsoft, is faltering on the computing front.
"You can see all this as Apple resting on its laurels, but the truth is their products are easy to use and a lot of people like them.
"There are cheaper options out there, but Apple has proven time and time again that it doesn't need to play the price game.
"It's following its own path and, for now at least, it's working."
Jason Jenkins, Editor of CNET, is of a similar mind to Dan Silver - not much is new, and that's okay.
"What's wrong with the iPad? Absolutely nothing, so why change it?
"That's Apple's philosophy behind today's launch of its new iPads.
"There are some improvements, like making them thinner and lighter, adding better cameras and faster chips, and the smaller iPad now gets a much better 'retina' display.
"But there's nothing dramatically new here. And you know what? That's fine.
"If you haven't bought an iPad, now is a good time to do so, although if you already own one, there's no need at all to upgrade."
And that is the end of the event!
So what have we got? Well, in the words of Radiohead: no surprises.
Actually, that's not entirely fair: giving away all of their frontline iLife and iWork apps for free is a big move by Apple. Yes they were too expensive in the first place, but it's better late than never.
The MacPro is a genuine showstopper, but we had seen its design before. Those specs will take some beating, mind.
The lack of even a fingerprint scanner on the new iPad Air is a surprise, but as ever, it's off the desirability chart.
Apple sceptics won't have seen much here to change their minds, then. But while they all whine on their Android Phablets, I'm off to start queuing for a new iPad.
Tim says: "These amazing products are great examples of the type of innovation that Apple can deliver.
"Other companies would be incredibly proud just to have one of these products. We couldn't be more pleased to share them all with you in time for the holidays.
"It's the privilege of a life time to work with these wonderful folks."


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RANCHO PALOS VERDES, California -- This year, as with the last 10, several hundred top digerati have flocked to Southern California for the All Things D tech conference. As in previous years, the roster of speakers, interviewed by conference runners Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher, is an all-star list of tech execs, along with figures from Hollywood and other sectors of modern industry. This year’s luminaries include Apple CEO Tim Cook, New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, Spotify investor Sean Parker, LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman, and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin. The sessions are entertaining as ever, and the audience networking reliably ferocious. But a shadow hangs over the festive intentions of a well-deserved 10th anniversary celebration.
It’s the first D Conference since Steve Jobs died last October.
That’s huge. After all, the D conference was the only non-Apple event where the late Apple CEO deigned to appear. He was on stage for six of the previous nine iterations, including a legendary co-appearance with Bill Gates in 2007. You can even argue that this is the conference that Steve built: A key reason that the then-unfamiliar contender for the hotly competitive conference dollar became a must-attend event was the announcement of Jobs’ presence. True, Bill Gates was a fantastic get—but Jobs was the Holy Grail of speakers. Getting both was like hitting the daily double at long-shot odds. And Jobs’ regular appearances made D special.
So it’s no wonder that his ghost haunts the proceedings.
Mossberg and Swisher haven’t planned it this way—they scheduled a single tribute session in the middle of the three-day event, where Jobs’ close friend Larry Ellison and Pixar president Ed Catmull would share their remembrances of the late visionary. But it seems that almost every session has some reminder of the man who isn’t here.
Certainly, this was to be expected in the case of the first slot of the conference, Mossberg and Swisher’s pre-dinner interview with CEO Tim Cook on Tuesday evening. Since Cook has not sat for such a public colloquy since assuming Jobs’ role, the session was hugely anticipated.
Cook is impressive, breaking down the details of the company’s extraordinary success. He also explains his consummately sensible decision not to try to style himself as a replacement for Steve Jobs. He makes the astonishing promise that Apple is doubling down on secrecy about its products. (I guess that means no more leaving prototype phones in bars.) He discusses patents, promises improvement in Siri, all but condemns Ping to the chopping block, and skillfully ducks questions about future products.
But the most memorable parts of the interview dealt with Cook’s former boss and mentor. Jobs’ last days, Cook says, were the saddest in his life. He recalled that in the months before Jobs died, Apple’s co-founder discussed what happened at Disney after its founder died. Disney executives agonized over decisions asking, “What would Walt do?” Jobs made it clear to Cook that this was not to be tolerated at Apple. “He told me never to ask what he would do,” says Cook. “Just ask what’s right, and then do it.”
No surprise that a session with Apple’s leader dealt with his legendary predecessor. But it is somewhat unexpected that on Wednesday, the first full day of sessions, Jobs continues to be evoked.

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Ha Giang Kombucha exported to Europe
A Shan Tuyet tea tree in Ha Giang
A speciality tea from the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang will be exported to Europe for the first time.
The first batch will be 30,000 bottles made from Shan Tuyet tea trees aged between 300-400 years old from Ha Giang’s Tay Con Linh area.
Le Ba Hai Sieu, a representative from a start-up firm in HCM City, said that the bottles are the combination between Shan Tuyet and Kombucha which is a fermented, lightly effervescent, sweetened black or green tea.
Sieu added that his desire is promoting Shan Tuyet tea and other Vietnamese farm products in the international market.
“Shan Tuyet tea of 300-400 years old has a unique taste. China and Taiwan have widely advertised their tea products, why can’t Vietnam? Vietnam boasts other famous products such as Ngoc Linh and Bo Chinh ginsengs. I will consider promoting these products in the future,” Sieu added.
According to Sieu, his company has set a target to sell 3.6 million Shan Tuyet tea bottles by 2022.
Pham Thi Minh Hai from a Ha Giang’s tea company said that Tay Con Linh mountain area which is located at the height of between 1,300 -1,700 metres are home to Shan Tuyet tea trees and some which could be hundreds of years old. After being picked up, the tea is often produced overnight quickly to ensure its quality.
Currently, a kilo of fresh Shan Tuyet tea is sold at between VND450,000 (USD19.56) and VND80 million (USD3,478), depending on the variety.
Every year, residents living on Tay Con Linh mountain areas harvest around 200 tonnes of Shan Tuyet tea.
The Intellectual Property Department earlier issued of Shan Tuyet tea geographical indications to 44 communes in six districts and cities in Ha Giang Province.
Companies urged to build farm produce brands: Workshop
Vietnamese enterprises need to improve quality and build a brand for the country’s farm produce as the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) creates a huge opportunity to bolster the exportation of goods and farm produce to Europe, heard a workshop in HCM City on July 24.
Organised by the branch of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) in the city, the workshop discussed ways of capitalising on opportunities brought about by the EVFTA and improving the capacity of agricultural companies joining the global value chain.
Once in effect, the EVFTA is expected to open the door for many Vietnamese products given that tariffs on agro-fishery-forestry products will be removed.
Aside from markets such as Germany, France, and the UK, Vietnamese companies were advised to also bolster exports to other markets in the EU that hold potential in farm produce consumption.
As European countries have stepped up inspection and control over the quality and origin of farm produce from Asia, companies also need ensure that their products meet requirements for exports.
They also need to take the initiative in applying intellectual property rights to raise brand recognition, competitiveness, and customer trust.
The EU is currently Vietnam’s third-largest agro-fishery-forestry export market, after only China and the US. The bloc accounted for 11.75 percent of Vietnam’s export value last year.
Hanoi workshop to promote cross-border e-commerce with Amazon
A workshop will take place in Hanoi on July 30 to discuss cross-border e-commerce with Amazon and opportunities for exports, according to Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade Tran Thi Phuong Lan.
The event will be hosted by the department in partnership with the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s e-Commerce and Digital Economy Agency, the Hanoi Small and Medium Enterprises Association, and Amazon Global Selling.
It forms part of Hanoi’s plan on e-commerce development this year, Lan told a press conference on July 24.
COVID-19 has triggered travel restrictions worldwide, creating difficulties for Vietnamese exporters to ship their goods by air or sea. Trading on Amazon, however, would remove barriers and help them boost shipments, Lan said.
According to a report from the WTO, the pandemic has made it clear that e-commerce can be not only an important tool or solution for consumers during a crisis but also an economic driver for both domestic growth and international trade.
Lan added that her department will coordinate with the MoIT to help local producers seek alternative sources of materials overseas and new markets, as well as make the most of new-generation free trade agreements such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the EU-Vietnam FTA (EVFTA).
Cambodia, China to sign bilateral FTA before August 12
Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Hor Nam Hong said on July 23 that Cambodia and China will sign a free trade agreement before August 12 ahead of the European Union’s partial withdrawal of the Everything-but-Arms (EBA) trade status.
According to the Khmer Times, speaking to reporters after chairing a meeting to discuss an action plan for the China-Cambodia Community of Shared Future at the Office of the Council of Ministers, he said Prime Minister Hun Sen will travel to China to preside over the signing ceremony of the agreement.
“This agreement will open the door for more of our goods and agricultural products, such as bananas, cassava flour and rubber, to be exported to China. That is why China told Cambodia to speed up the work plans,” Nam Hong said.
In 2010, Cambodia and China agreed to create comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation. The two countries signed an action plan between 2019 and 2023 to build the China-Cambodia Community of Shared Future in Beijing on 28 April last year.
He said that from this year till 2025, China will also extend credit for projects such as road construction and repairs, rice storage warehouse and rice drier construction, hospital construction in rural areas, and electricity connection and water supplies in rural areas to improve the lives of Cambodian people.
So far this year, Cambodia has exported more than 300,000 tonnes of rice to China, as compared to the target of 400,000 tonnes for the whole year reached by both sides.
Long An International Port to have more wharves
Construction on three new wharves at the Long An International Port project will be completed in 2021, and another wharf will be built in that same year to increase the port's capacity.
The Long An International Port currently has three operating wharves with a combined length of 630 metres, according to the Long An Provincial People's Committee.
The three new wharves will be able to receive ships of up to 70,000 DWT and will be ready for operation in 2021. In addition, construction is expected to start on another wharf in 2021.
With a total investment of nearly 10 trillion VND (432.7 million USD), the project will cover 147 hectares in size.
All facilities, including storage space and operating centres, are under construction and will be finished in 2023.
The project investor is working on legal procedures to expand the port and build two other wharves, at an undisclosed date, that would be able to receive 100,000 DWT ships.
This would increase the total number of wharves to nine, and their combined length to 2,368 metres, making it one of Vietnam's longest international ports.
The port project is key to reducing traffic congestion and logistics costs in Long An province and the Mekong Delta.
As of 2019, the Long An International Port had received nearly 1,000 domestic and foreign ships (including many 50,000 DWT ships), with about 1 million tonnes of goods imported and exported through it.
ASEAN Woman Entrepreneur Summit slated for November
The ASEAN Woman Entrepreneur Summit is schedule to take place on November 9 and aims to create a favourable business environment to promote women’s economic power and gender equality in the region.
The summit is among a series of events to be hosted by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), as Chair of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN BAC) in 2020.
The ASEAN Women Entrepreneurs Network (AWEN) was initiated by Vietnam at the sixth meeting of the ASEAN Committee on Women (WCW) in 2007 in Thailand. It was officially established in 2014, and Vietnam worked as the coordinator of AWEN in the first term.
The Vietnam Women Entrepreneurs Council (VWEC) was the first Chair of AWEN (2014-2016).
Later, the Vietnam Business Summit 2020, themed “Digitalised Vietnam: Adaptability Towards Sustainable Development”, will be held on November 12.
“This will be an opportunity for investors to study Vietnam’s economic outlook amid COVID-19 and determine the potential for cooperation in economic sectors that are strengths of Vietnam in the context of global economic uncertainties, such as logistics, agriculture, and IT services,” said VCCI Chairman Vu Tien Loc.
Following that summit will be the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (ASEAN BIS 2020), slated for November 13 and 14 and the most-anticipated event for the ASEAN business community.
Themed “Digital ASEAN: Sustainability and Inclusiveness”, it is expected to see the attendance of senior leaders from ten ASEAN member countries as well as eight ASEAN dialogue partners.
ASEAN ABIS 2020 will focus on six topics, including ASEAN’s economic outlook, technologies and future jobs in ASEAN, innovative agriculture, green growth through good governance, logistics and smart cities, and innovative ASEAN and digital startups.
VBS and ASEAN BIS 2020 will help enterprises seek cooperation opportunities and hear of new trends in order to adopt suitable development strategies, Loc said.
Moreover, the ASEAN Business Awards 2020 (ABA 2020) was launched in July and will honour ASEAN businesses that have made outstanding contributions to regional development.
Organisers will receive registrations and conduct assessments from August to October and then announce the winners in November.
ASEAN BAC Vietnam and VCCI will also coordinate with the Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) to implement the “ASEAN Network of Digital Startups - Digital STARS 2020” project, which aims to form a network of digital startups in ASEAN and therefore promote digitalisation, especially among micro, small and medium-sized enterprises - the driving force of the regional economy.
Conference highlights development of businesses’ sustainable value chains
The Ministry of Planning and Investment together with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) co-organised a conference in Hanoi on July 24 to assist enterprises in developing sustainable supply chains for better growth of the business community and the economy.
Participants discussed a range of matters at the conference, which was part of the USAID Linkages for Small and Medium Enterprises Project (LinkSME), including the challenges and opportunities in supply chains; value chains for Vietnamese small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); and encouraging SMEs to engage in value chains.
They also delved into expectations and the needs of companies that sit at the beginning of chains, while exchanging opinions on how to help businesses quickly respond to unexpected changes in supply chains.
Addressing the conference, Vietnamese Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung said that despite Vietnam’s achievements in FDI attraction and private sector development, there remains a lack of links in the business community, particularly between SMEs and companies of larger scale as well as between Vietnamese and foreign enterprises.
The participation of Vietnamese firms in global value chains is still modest, he said, recommending they seek new opportunities amid the changes taking place in supply chains and to reach overseas markets and access advanced technologies.
Competent public agencies and sectors should act quickly to support enterprises in seizing opportunities and developing sustainable value chains, he stressed.
Director of the USAID Office in Vietnam, Michael Greene, said the US has worked with Vietnam to help its private sector recover from COVID-19 and for SMEs adapt to shifts toward sustainability in global supply chains.
In the near future, he added, the LinkSME project will implement plans to support enterprises in digital transition, competitiveness improvements, and engaging more deeply in global production networks and value chains.
Long An province launches tourism portal and app
The Mekong Delta province of Long An has launched a virtual portal and a mobile application to provide information about local tourism services and destinations.
The portal http://mylongan.vn and app called “Long An Tourism” run on both iOS and Android devices, and are available in Vietnamese and English from the Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group.
Tourists can quickly access information on tourism sites, accommodations, food and beverage services, and entertainment and shopping places.
Hotel bookings and itineraries of tours around Long An are available on the portal and application.
Users can connect to Facebook Live Chat on the portal to get advice or support from the tourism desk of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Nguyen Anh Dung, director of the department, said the portal and app show the province’s efforts to promote tourism and help the tourism sector overcome challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dung added that Long An has advantages to make tourism a key economic sector. The province’s leaders have worked with tourism and cultural agencies to organise new tours and cultural activities to attract more visitors.
Conference discusses national energy efficiency project from 2019-2020
The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) held a national conference in Nha Trang city in south-central Khanh Hoa province on July 24 to discuss the implementation of the National Energy Efficiency Programme in 2019-2020 (VNEEP3).
VNEEP3 aims to save 5-7 percent from the total national energy consumption between 2019 and 2025 and 8-10 percent in the 2019-2030 period, or around 60 tonnes of oil equivalent (TOE).
The programme has total funding of 8.2 trillion VND (354.2 million USD), including 4.4 trillion VND from the State budget and the remainder from local creditors.
MoIT has coordinated with ministries and localities to develop plans for 2020 and the 2021-2025 period. It has also completed a five-year framework plan for the implementation of nine project components, which focus on regulatory improvements; the provision of technical and financial assistance for the promotion of energy saving; building an energy data centre; an awareness raising campaign; and international cooperation and scientific studies.
By 2025, the programme is to have cut power losses to less than 6.5 percent and reduced average energy consumption in the industrial sector compared to the 2015-2018 period.
It will ensure that 70 percent of industrial parks and 50 percent of industrial clusters apply solutions to use energy economically and efficiently; that all key energy users apply energy management systems; and that all key transport companies provide courses to improve workers’ skills in operating vehicles in an energy-saving manner.
From 2006-2015, VNEEP helped Vietnam save more than 15 TOE of energy, and cut total national energy consumption by 3.4 percent and 5.65 percent, respectively, in 2006-2010 and 2011-2015. Vietnam has saved more than 9 billion kWh of electricity on average each year, equivalent to 15 trillion VND.
Workshop seeks ways to help firms develop e-commerce
E-commerce is developing rapidly in Vietnam but needs a new push to reach rural areas and help small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) close the gap with large enterprises, experts have said.
Speaking at a workshop on “Overview of Vietnam e-Commerce: Speeding up after the COVID-19 pandemic” held in Dong Thap province on July 22, they said the digital business environment would help reach more customers in rural areas in places like the Mekong Delta to increase the competitiveness with large firms.
E-commerce is an effective tool for SMEs in rural areas since they do not need to invest in brick-and-mortar stores and distribution systems, but many in the delta region have not grasped or fully exploited its advantages and remain focused on traditional sales channels, they said.
The workshop, attended by provincial authorities and hundreds of business executives from the delta region, was held to share and update information on e-commerce development trends in the country.
To help local businesses better understand the rules and procedures of participating on Tiki, one of the leading e-commerce platforms in Vietnam, Nguyen Chi Hung, Tiki's Training Manager, spoke about registration procedure, effective sales processes and special support for Dong Thap enterprises in designing booths and posting products on the Tiki website.
The Vietnam E-Commerce Association also work with 4 modern e-commerce platforms including Tiki, Lazada, Sendo and Shopee to signed a strategic cooperation with the province Department of Industry and Trade to help local enterprises selling their products more smoothly on e-commerce floors.
Dong Thap has a number of agricultural products including specialities that are in great demand, but most of them are still distributed through intermediaries and traditional markets.
Every year in the province, as well as in the delta, farmers struggle to sell their products, and in some provinces they suffer losses when prices fall due to excessive supply.
E-commerce is thus seen as a new avenue for them to seek new customers and even expand globally, experts said.
Pham Thien Nghia, Vice Chairman of the Dong Thap Provincial People’s Committee, said the province has paid special attention to and seeks to create favourable conditions for developing e-commerce.
The number of businesses entering e-commerce is increasing, he said.
In future the province would continue to support businesses with developing e-commerce by organising training courses, coordinating with Lazada to promote local products, encouraging businesses to go on modern e-commerce platforms, building free websites for businesses, and developing digital brands for the province’s key products, he added.
HCM City needs over 41.3 bn USD for transport infrastructure
HCM City estimates it will need more than 952 trillion VND (41.3 billion USD) for transportation infrastructure between now and 2030.
In a report seeking approval for the city’s transportation infrastructure development project, sent to the People’s Committee recently, its Transport Department said that nearly 429 trillion VND is for the 2020-2025 period and the remainder for 2026-2030. Over 457.7 trillion VND will come from the city’s budget and the remainder, from other sources.
Roads stretching 636km and 78 bridges will be built over the course of the decade, in addition to 18 intersections, 32 other transport projects, five under the smart urban development programme, 211.9km of urban railway lines, and 379km of inland waterways.
Capital from the city’s budget will be used for projects under its congestion and traffic accident reduction scheme and other key projects this year.
Its transportation infrastructure development project was compiled by its Transport Department in cooperation with the Transport Engineering Design Joint Stock Incorporated South (TEDI South).
It targets national highways, belt roads, and other roads linked to new urban areas, industrial parks, and airports.
Fifty-one of the 172 key transport projects were completed from 2016 to 2020.
Son La successfully exports dragon fruit
Son La Province exported 10 tonnes of red heart dragon fruit to Russia on July 23 after successfully exported a large amount of mango and longan to China, Australia, the US and the EU.
The exports have helped the farmers avoid a season with bountiful crops but low prices and expanded the markets for local fruits.
Tong Thi Thanh Huong from Hung Nhan Village said two years ago, her one hectares of land was used to plant coffee and there were times when it was abandoned due to a volatile market. Last year, she decided to plant organic red heart dragon fruit and found success with over 1,000 dragon fruit plants.
"We used to sell our products in the domestic market but now we have met the requirements to export to other countries. We felt proud," she said.
Tran Van Dong from Tien Hung Village is one of the first families that removed their tea crops, a traditional crop in the area, and replaced it with a dragon gruit garden. After two years, he harvested three tonnes of dragon fruits on four hectares of land. Most of it will be exported to Russia. According to Dong, if one hectare of tea brought him VND150m a year then the dragon fruits helped him earn over VND300m a year.
"We used compost for the plants in our garden and it has brought great results and it's safe. Difficult markets like Russia, Australia and Japan have also made a bigger orders this year," he said.
In 2018, the red heart dragon fruit was piloted in several communes like Chieng Pha, Phong Lai and Chieng Ly in accordance with the plan to develop a closed product value chain for dragon fruits during 2018-2020 period. There are 26 hectares of dragon fruits in Thuan Chau District and this will be expanded to 200 hectares during the 2020-2025 period.
Nguyen Minh Tien, party secretary of Thuan Chau District, said had made development plan and issued guidance to the farmers to meet all requirements and commitments.
"Agricultural exports will be one of the key activities of our district. We also give support to the farmers to grow the fruits organically and so that the products will meet Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practices," he said.
Farm produce needs to meet tough EU standards under EVFTA: Experts
The agriculture sector needs to address challenges related to branding, geographical indications, traceability, and intellectual property to take full advantage of the free trade agreement Vietnam has signed with the EU, speakers said at a meeting on July 24.
Le Duy Minh, chairman of Vietnam Farms and Agricultural Enterprises Association (VFAEA), said the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) has created tremendous opportunities for Vietnamese exports, including agro-forestry-fishery products.
Exports of agro-forestry-fishery products to the EU stands at nearly 5 billion USD per year, according to Minh.
Dr Dinh Viet Tu, of the Ministry of Agricutlure and Rural Development’s Agro-product Processing and Market Development Department, said it was important to protect intellectual property at home and abroad for key and specific agricultural products, and promote branding development, geographical indications, and traceability.
Le Thanh Tung, deputy head of the ministry’s Plant Cultivation Department, noted that it was also important for the agricultural sector to raise its chain value to take full advantage of the trade deal.
Exporters must improve standards and develop new value-added products that can compete internationally, he said.
Vo Tan Thanh, vice chairman of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), said that to take full advantage of the agreement, farmers should shift from traditional to sustainable cultivation.
Enterprises should intensify deep processing as well as follow regulations on technical barriers and food safety and hygiene committed in free trade agreements in general and the EVFTA in particular.
The Government should also intensify food safety management, while calling for more investors in agriculture, especially after harvesting, he said.
For the past decade, Vietnamese exports of agricultural, forestry and aquatic products grew more than 9 percent on average. There are 10 agricultural products with export turnover of 1 billion USD or more, including fruit, cashew, coffee, rice, and shrimp.
Experts said Vietnam’s agricultural sector will be one of the biggest winners from the EVFTA, as a reduction in tariffs will increase demand and boost exports to Europe’s large, high-spending consumer market.
According to EU statistics, trade in agricultural products represents 11.75 percent of the total two-way trade between Vietnam and the EU.
The EVFTA abolishes 99 percent of import tariffs over the next seven to 10 years.
Thailand’s exports plunge in June
Thailand’s exports declined by almost 23.2 percent in June compared to the same period last year, the strongest fall since July 2009, but the country’s Commerce Ministry still expects improvement in the second half of 2020.
Pimchanok Vonkorporn, director-general of the ministry’s Trade Policy and Strategy Office, said that in June, export value was at 16.4 billion USD while imports went down by some 18.1 percent to 14.8 billion USD.
In the first half of this year, overseas shipments dropped by about 7.1 percent to 114.3 billion USD, and imports down 12.6 percent to 103.6 billion USD.
Thai media cited the official as saying that exports would be bottoming out, and they were slowly improving in many markets and would show an overall contraction of 8-9 percent throughout this year.
Most enterprises applying CSI have sustainable governance: survey
Enterprises applying corporate sustainability index (CSI) have more competitive ability, higher production and better business results.
This is one of the conclusions in a survey on implementation of CSI indicators conducted by the Viet Nam Business Council for Sustainable Development (VBCSD).
According to the survey, up to 70-90 per cent of enterprises applying CSI have drastic changes in governance to move towards a transparent and sustainable business model with responsibility for the community and environment.
In addition, Pham Quang Vinh, general secretary of the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and VBCSD general secretary, said this survey has shown the implementation of CSI has had a positive impact on business results.
Those enterprises applying CSI have achieved better production and business results, higher labour productivity and higher competitiveness. They have increased market shares more quickly than businesses without CSI.
Besides that, they have had more investment in product research and development activities as well as advertising activities.
Especially, the survey also found that the use of CSI has had an important contribution to building businesses’ effective and sustainable development strategies, reported Dau tu chung khoan (Securities investment) newspaper.
CSI includes sustainable governance indicators, information transparency, economic indicators (revenue, profit), social resposibility indicators (employee policy, community impact) and environmental indicators.
Phan Thi Thanh Xuan, vice chairwoman and general secretary of the Viet Nam Leather and Footwear Association, said that leather and footwear enterprises faced many difficulties and had to cut labour due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The disease had negative impacts on supply chains from China and consumption chains to major export markets such as the US and EU.
Therefore, Xuan said, to overcome these challenges, CSI is an effective tool to help businesses in stable production and sustainable development in the future.
She said it should be more widely applied and the Governmental agencies should use it as a business evaluation tool, leading to reducing many administrative procedures. This tool would also make business auditing activities more convenient.
According to the representative of Deloitte Vietnam, it is necessary to promote local businesses to use CSI and sustainability reports and also to disseminate this set of indicators and this report to the Government and management agencies.
Moody’s maintains VPBank’s credit ratings at “stable”
Global credit rating firm Moody’s Investors Services has announced it would keep VPBank's credit rating at B1. This decision was made nearly four months after Moody's announced the review on risks, financial strength and development prospects of the bank amid the COVID-19 pandemic, negatively affecting almost all sectors of the economy.
Accordingly, Moody’s confirmed VPBank’s outlook at ‘stable’ including counterparty risk assessment at Ba3 and long-term local currency deposit at B1.
Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to the global economic recession, in the first half of 2020, Viet Nam's economy recorded a GDP growth of 1.81 per cent - the lowest increase over the past decade. In this context, Moody's maintained its credit rating with VPBank, showing that the bank has good financial capacity, with risks less than initial concerns when the disease broke out.
In confirming VP Bank's B1 Baseline Credit Assessment (BCA), Moody's acknowledges the bank's above-industry average profitability and strong capitalisation. In addition, Moody's stated that the risks that may occur to the consumer finance segment due to impacts of COVID-19 were well controlled by VPBank by optimising the balance sheet, ensuring safety ratios and good liquidity assets. It can be said that the decision to maintain the credit rating with VPBank reflected the efforts of maintaining a solid foundation to ensure the bank’s sustainable and efficient growth.
By the end of the second quarter of the year, VPBank's consolidated operating income reached VND18.8 trillion (US$810.6 million), an increase of 12 per cent over the same period last year. The bank's consolidated before-tax profit was recorded at nearly VND6.6 trillion, equivalent to 64 per cent of the whole year’s plan. In parallel with maintaining revenue and profit growth, risk control activities have been implemented well by the bank.
VPBank's consolidated bad debt ratio by the end of June stood at 2.71 per cent. The parent bank's bad debt ratio dropped to 2.07 per cent. VPBank has also been one of the banks with the highest capital adequacy ratio (CAR) in the market. By the end of June 2020, VPBank's CAR was above 11 per cent based on Basel II standards, much higher than the 8 per cent required by the State Bank of Viet Nam.
The bank’s caution in preventing risks was also reflected in the increase of provision fund expenses. In the first half of this year, VPBank's provision expenses - excluding the provision for Viet Nam Asset Management Company (VAMC) - in 2019 increased by 8.6 per cent and 30.4 per cent at individual banks. High provision expenses showed that VPBank has always been cautious and has sufficient financial resources to prevent risks that may arise when the economy is in an unpredictable stage.
At the same time, VPBank still consolidates its position as one of the banks with the highest return on equity (ROE) and return on assets (ROA). These ratios as at the end of June were 23.5 per cent and 2.7 per cent respectively.
With the success of cautious steps in the right direction with the recognition of international organisations including Moody’s, VPBank continues to consolidate a solid foundation for future development goals.
PNJ’s profit and revenue plummet in Q2
Phu Nhuan Jewelry JSC (PNJ) recorded revenue and post-tax profit of VND2.7 trillion (US$116.8 million) and VND31.7 billion in the second quarter of this year, down 7 per cent and 81 per cent year-on-year, respectively.
According to PNJ, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the company had to temporarily close 85 per cent of its stores in April.
Although jewellery sales recovered in the remaining two months of the quarter, PNJ’s revenue was still significantly affected.
In the first six months of this year, PNJ’s revenue hit VND7.75 trillion, equivalent to the first half of 2019. However, the increase in the cost of goods sold caused pre-tax profit to decrease by nearly 10 per cent.
Loan interest expenses doubled in the same period, resulting in a slump of 26 per cent in post-tax profit in the first half, reaching VND440 billion.
By the end of the second quarter, total assets of PNJ decreased by VND446 billion from the beginning of the year to VND8.2 trillion.
According to PNJ leaders, the company plans to open 31 more stores and invest in facilities and machinery for the factory No. 2–PNJP this year.
In the future, PNJ will focus on wholesale activities, competing with portable products on the market. The company has registered additional occupations to supplement e-commerce and instalment sales.
SSI’s index-tracking ETF gets registration certificate
SSI Asset Management Co., Ltd. has received the registration certificate from the State Securities Commission of Vietnam to establish its exchange-traded fund, ETF SSIAM VN30.
It had launched the IPO for it from June 1 to 26. The initial value of the fund is estimated at at least VND50 billion (US$2.15 million).
SSIAM plans to list it on the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange (HOSE) on August 13.
The fund is open-ended and will passively replicate the performance of the VN30-Index, which contains the 30 largest stocks by market value and liquidity on HOSE.
It will be managed by SSIAM along with founders SSI Securities Corporation, Mirae Asset Securities (Vietnam), and BIDV Securities.
This is the second ETF to track the VN30- Index.
SSIAM VN30 ETF has a total expense ratio of 0.75-0.8 per cent, the lowest in the market.
In future, when the Vietnamese stock market gets emerging market status, ETFs would attract most of the cash flows coming into the country instead of active funds, the company said.
Therefore, research and establishment of ETFs based on various indices would be essential and is part of its plans next, it added.
Duc Giang chairman regrets listing on Ha Noi exchange
Moving its listing from the Ha Noi Stock Exchange (HNX) to the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HOSE) would help Duc Giang Chemical Group (DGC) increase its trading liquidity, according to its chairman.
“Listing here (HoSE) would help Duc Giang increase trading liquidity, thus attracting more capital investment from funds. Some have expressed their intention to buy 20-25 per cent of Duc Giang” said Dao Huu Huyen, Chairman of DGC.
“Our decision of listing shares on the HNX in the beginning was wrong as Duc Giang was qualified enough to list on HOSE at the time. Now we have to follow hundreds of procedures for the move,” Huyen said at a conference held early this week in HCM City.
Duc Giang Chemical Group JSC, formerly known as Duc Giang Chemical Company, is a State-owned enterprise under the Viet Nam General Department of Chemicals, established in 1963.
It specialises in washing powder production and is well-known for its Duc Giang-branded washing powder.
In August 2014, the company registered its shares on the HNX with a volume of 33.5 million shares. The stock closed the first session at VND18,740 per share, now they cost some VND40,000 per share.
It has filed for listing on the HOSE with a registered volume of more than 129 million shares, from July 28 at the reference price on the first trading day of VND39,700 per share.
Duc Giang forecast revenue of more than VND1.6 trillion (US469 million) in the third quarter, and after-tax profit of VND210 billion.
The company plans to spend VND50 billion for the site clearance of the Apatit-Field 25 Mining Project in the northern province of Lao Cai and complete all mining licences in August. The project is expected to be exploited from September. The company will also spend VND116 billion for site clearance of the Duc Giang Nghi Son project in the central province of Thanh Hoa, which is expected to break ground in October.
In the first half of 2020, the company's net revenue exceeded VND3 trillion, up 24 per cent year-on-year. Pre-tax profit reached VND690 billion, up 56 per cent compared to the first half of 2019.
During the first half this year, revenue from financial activities doubled to nearly VND60 billion. Selling and administrative expenses increased sharply by 55 per cent and 33 per cent.
Post-tax profit increased sharply from VND280 billion to VND444 billion in the first six months, up by nearly 60 per cent year-on-year.
In 2020, Duc Giang plans to achieve revenue of VND6.08 trillion, up 20 per cent compared to 2019.
According to its chairman, after 2021, the group will call for investment in the second phase of the Nghi Son project.
The Nghi Son project, set to be completed in 2026, is only the first stage in the group's 10-year vision, said the chairman, adding that the group was taking the first steps to apply to mine in the Central Highlands.
Duc Giang needs an estimated VND10 trillion for its investment plan. Currently, the company has about VND1.5 trillion in bank deposits. It is expected to issue shares worth VND2.5 trillion for shareholders and individual investors. Accumulated profit for the next five years is expected to be more than VND4 trillion. It will borrow the other VND2 trillion from banks.
More than $396 million raised from G-bond auction
The State Treasury raised more than VND9.2 trillion (US$396.1 million) through a Government bond auction on the Ha Noi Stock Exchange (HNX) on July 23.
A total of VND11.5 trillion worth of bonds was up for auction, including five-year bonds valued at VND1 trillion, 10-year bonds at VND6 trillion, 15-year bonds at VND3 trillion, 20-year bonds at VND1 trillion and 30-year bonds at VND500 billion.
The five-year bonds were sold for a total of VND1.4 trillion with an annual interest rate of 1.75 per cent, 0.17 per cent lower than that of the previous auction on July 15.
Nearly VND4.3 trillion was mobilised from the 10-year bonds with an annual interest rate of 2.8 per cent, up 0.02 per cent from the previous auction.
Sales of the 15-year bonds exceeded VND2.15 trillion, with an interest rate of 3.01 per cent per annum, up 0.02 per cent from the July 15 auction. A later auxiliary auction mobilised another VND32 billion.
The 20-year bonds raised VND1 trillion at an interest rate of 3.34 per cent per annum, equivalent to that of the previous auction.
The 30-year bonds were sold for VND350 billion with an interest rate of 3.5 per cent per annum, equivalent to that of the previous auction.
The State Treasury has raised close to VND145.6 trillion ($6.27 billion) from G-bonds so far this year.
VinaCapital launches ETF to track VN100 Index
VinaCapital, one of Viet Nam’s leading investment management companies with over US$3 billion in assets under management, launched its VN100 Exchange Traded Fund on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange.
The ETF, under the ticker FUEVN100, VinaCapital’s first, aims to replicate the performance of the VN100 Index, a free-float adjusted, market capitalisation-weighted index measuring the performance of the 100 largest and most liquid stocks.
It is closest in performance to the VN Index, which consists of all listed stocks on HOSE and is considered the country’s benchmark.
The VinaCapital VN100 ETF provides investors with exposure to Viet Nam’s leading listed large and mid-cap companies across a diverse group of sectors.
It targets a 0.5 per cent tracking error to the VN100 Index.
Brook Taylor, CEO–Asset Management, said: “The VinaCapital VN100 ETF offers investors an efficient and low-cost vehicle that mirrors the performance of the VN100 Index and the broader VN Index better than other ETFs currently on offer in Viet Nam.
“Of particular importance to foreign investors is that the VinaCapital VN100 ETF enables them to participate in a wider range of growth stocks that might otherwise be unavailable to them due to foreign ownership limits, a feature that further sets apart the product from the international ETFs.”
The VinaCapital VN100 ETF is managed by VinaCapital Fund Management JSC, which is regulated by the State Securities Commission of Viet Nam.
Its authorised participants are VNDirect Securities, BIDV Securities and Bao Viet Securities.
The supervisory bank is the Bank for Investment and Development of Viet Nam.
It has a low management fee of 0.67 per cent.
Digital banking indispensable in globalisation era
To catch up with the trend of globalisation, banks are racing to develop mobile applications and digital banking.
The Southeast Asian Finance, lnvestment and Cooper Trade Research Institute held a seminar on digital banking and technology revolution on Friday.
The process of implementing digital banking is posing some challenges to the banking industry.
Experts said that in executive management, when the banking sector transformed models of business, governance, administration, and service provision, it also required changes from thinking to action.
Phung Thanh Quang from the National Economics University said that Viet Nam chose 2020 as the year of digital transformation.
For years, banks had been at the forefront of using technology to support customers' diverse financial needs, said Quang.
The fields used by the bank include accounting, cybersecurity, security systems, risk management, customer service, lending, credit rating, asset management, sales and marketing.
Ngo Thanh Xuan from the National Economics University said that the development trend of digital banking needed transparency and information must be secured.
Dao Thi Huong from the Academy of Finance said that there had been some digital banks in Viet Nam such as VPBank’s Timo, but it has not developed well due to user habits.
Many people still preferred cash, especially in rural areas. Moreover, human resources is also a current concern of banks, said Huong.
Prices of petrol up slightly in latest adjustment
The price of RON95 petrol was kept unchanged while that of bio-fuel E5RON92 was adjusted up by 150 VND per litre in the latest regular adjustment of prices on July 28.
The Ministries of Industry and Trade and Finance announced that the price of E5 RON92 would be no higher than 14,409 VND (0.62 USD) per litre and those of RON95 petrol no higher than 14,973 VND.
Prices of diesel 0.05S, kerosene, and FO 180CST 3.5S should not be higher than 12,397 VND, 10,279 VND, and 10,183 VND per litre, respectively.
The two ministries conduct a review of fuel prices every 15 days and adjust prices in line with fluctuations on the world market.
The world price of RON 95 petrol averaged 46.459 USD per barrel over the last 15 days, down 0.22 USD since the previous review, and that of RON92 petrol was up 0.531 USD per barrel to 44.875 USD. The average price of diesel, kerosene and FO 180CST 3.5S also rose in the period.
The complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country with the appearance of community transmission cases recently will affect economic recovery and the demand for petrol and oil./.


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NAHB is proud to announce a new consumer awareness initiative – and a great promotional opportunity for your projects – on the photo-sharing app Instagram.
“This initiative is designed to build awareness among the home buying audience of the craftsmanship and innovation of NAHB members,” said NAHB Chairman Granger MacDonald. “We want Instagram’s 700 million monthly users to see how our members are building homes, enriching communities and changing lives.”
Getting your company involved is simple: If you already have an Instagram account, just follow us @homebuildersand tag us in the pictures that you would like us to share.
If you don’t have an Instagram account, you can submit your photos, along with a short description of the home or a story about the home owners for whom you built or remodeled the home, at nahb.org/photos.
Either way, make sure to include the Instagram handle for other key people or companies that were involved in the project, along with photo credits.
There are lots of possibilities:
Please note, if you’re submitting before-and-after photos, it’s okay if the “before” images aren’t taken by pros.
Questions? We have answers. Please contact Camilo Cuba, NAHB senior brand marketing manager.


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The data collection of consumer habits, experiences, and buyer conditions has indubitably been a point of focus for many of the world’s largest corporations, especially those whose businesses hinge a good deal on coming up with “the next big thing” to stay relevant. Namely, the technology sector, which hasn’t insofar failed to convince the newest generation of consumers that a novel service or device is just what they need to convenience their lives further. The—however arguable—fad that was wearable wristbands is slowly giving way in both commercial recognition to newer, far better-funded technologies such as the infamous Google Glass, which has received as much backlash as it has praise for its truly in-your-face product. Wearable technology has been denounced simultaneously as yet another monetization scheme contributing to ubiquitous commercialism in the Internet Age as well as lauded as an opportunity to mine and output valuable data ultimately benefiting both user and distributor. For at least one company, both statements are equally true–and profitable.
Novartis (NYSE: NVS), based out of Switzerland, is the one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical corporations, best recognized for producing such drugs as Diovan, Gleevec, and Lucentis. On Monday, Alcon, a division of the pharmaceutical company, announced its intentions of teaming up with technology giant Google (NYSE: GOOGL) to produce a novel type of contact lens–one that will monitor blood glucose levels of diabetics, and of course correct impaired vision as necessary. A minuscule sensor tests tears for their glucose levels, then transmits the data via an embedded antenna to another device, which may in the future be incorporated into Google’s own Glass device. An additional proposal by Alcon included embedding LED lights into the lens to warn a user of dangerously low blood glucose levels.
Furthermore, Alcon hopes the lenses will provide a solution to presbyopia, a medical condition impairing the eye’s ability to focus. Alcon plans to introduce either a surgically implanted or topical application which will auto-focus on objects in the user’s line of sight.
The announcement of the collaboration comes only a month after the Google Fit, a platform that monitors various health metrics and is a direct competitor to Apple’s much-anticipated HealthKit, an unreleased platform allowing a variety of fitness and health solutions to gather data (cholesterol, heart rate, blood sugar, calories burned) on the user and aggregate it via the iOS 8 HealthKit application.
Wearable technology is already making an impact on the medical profession at the Indiana University School of Medicine, where surgeons are sporting Google Glasses during procedures through telemedicine, a budding branch of the healthcare industry devoted to providing distance clinical services via the Internet.
The transfer of power to take control of one’s own health through body-monitoring systems may be representative of a larger trend in the healthcare spectrum; the illusory increase of information that will theoretically be available to both doctor and patient through these technologies will likely serve to ultimately benefit the pharmaceutical and technology industries’ balance sheets more than the public’s balance scales.


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Dianrong.com – a major Chinese P2P online lender – now boasts a valuation of "around" $1 billion dollars thanks to its latest round of fundraising.» Read More
Discussing how growth of domestic consumption and online sales impact e-commerce giant Alibaba, with Brendan Ahern, KraneShares managing director.
Alibaba founder and executive chairman Jack Ma spoke with CNBC's David Faber on Tuesday about the company's huge Singles' Day, which brought in more than $9 billion to the Chinese e-commerce giant.
Hany Nada, GGV Capital, discusses the state of traditional e-commerce and the pressure on Alibaba executive chairman Jack Ma.
We tell you everything you need to know about Alibaba Chairman, Jack Ma.
Michael Santoli, Yahoo! Finance; Hany Nada, GGV Capital; and the "Squawk Alley" team, discuss the evolution of Alibaba and how Wall Street perceives Jack Ma.
Discussing the culture of Alibaba and the most important lesson he has learned in business, Alibaba's Jack Ma, says trust your people and spend money, time and resources on your team.
CNBC's David Faber speaks to Alibaba executive chairman Jack Ma, about philanthropy and the challenges of spending his wealth.
I never thought I would be and don't want to be rich, says Jack Ma, discussing his wealth and popularity in China.
Alibaba's Jack Ma, discusses his corporate philosophy and explains how big data can help solve societal problems.
CNBC's David Faber speaks to Alibaba executive chairman Jack Ma, about a partnership between Alipay and Apple Pay. MA says he has great respect for Apple and like Tim Cook's vision.
CNBC's David Faber asks Alibaba's Jack Ma, about his plans to take AliPay public. Ma says transparency and corporate governance is important to obtain trust from the people.
CNBC's David Faber talks to Alibaba's Jack Ma about Singles' Day, first-mover advantage, his company's stock price, and what it's really like to be the richest man in China.
Alibaba executive chairman Jack Ma discusses the company's valuation and expectations now that they are bigger than Wal-Mart in market value.
CNBC's David Faber and Alibaba executive chairman Jack Ma, discuss if China can become a consumer lead economy.
CNBC's David Faber speaks to Alibaba executive chairman Jack Ma, about what Singles' Day means for China and the pressure of meeting shipping demands.
Discussing Alibaba's growth potential and competition with the likes of Amazon," Jack Ma says he envisions Singles' Day as a "global shopping day."
CNBC's David Faber provides the latest sales tally from Alibaba's "Singles' Day." Faber says over a quarter billion packages will be shipped.
"I think there is a lot of exuberance in the name right now," says R.J. Hottovy, Morningstar, discussing Alibaba's valuation. Hottovy also provides two key takeaways from Singles' Day.
CNBC's David Faber takes a look at China's Singles' Day, the equivalent of Cyber Monday in the U.S.
Asian equity markets were mixed on Tuesday following a record close on Wall Street, with Japanese markets outperforming the region.


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Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania: The government has declared its intent to take legal action against traders who unjustifiably raise sugar prices, citing a shortage in the market, reported Dailynews.
Professor Kenneth Bengesi, Director General of the Sugar Board of Tanzania (SBT), issued a stern warning in Dar es Salaam, asserting that some unscrupulous individuals aim to profit excessively by inflating sugar prices. Prof Bengesi emphasized that such actions would not be tolerated, and rigorous measures would be implemented to address this malpractice.
Indicative sugar prices, according to Prof Bengesi, should range between 2,800/- to 3,500/- depending on geographical location. However, current retail prices have surged beyond these indications, fluctuating between 3,800/- and 4,300/- per kilo. The Director General rejected any justification for price hikes based on production falls or increased transport costs.
In response to the situation, the government has recently issued sugar import permits, with the first consignment expected to arrive early next week to alleviate the price surge. Prof Bengesi underscored the government’s commitment to ensuring citizens do not suffer due to the actions of a few unscrupulous traders during this transition period towards sufficient sugar supply.
Additionally, he highlighted the significance of local sugar production for job creation and economic benefits across various sectors. Two new sugar factories, Lake Agro in Rufiji and Mufindi Paper Mills Sugar in Kasulu, Kigoma Region, are slated to begin production in 2026 and 2027, respectively, adding to the existing six factories.
Prof Bengesi acknowledged challenges in achieving the government’s sugar production target last year due to adverse weather conditions, resulting in a production shortfall. The government permitted the importation of 50,000 tonnes of sugar for January and February this year to address shortages caused by heavy rains disrupting harvests.
While sugar factories have resumed production, the Director General noted that the weather remains unstable. The government continues to strive for self-sufficiency in sugar production to stabilize prices and reduce dependence on imports.


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SysCloud to Showcase SaaS Data Protection Capabilities at the Cloud Expo Asia 2023
SysCloud offers IT administrators of cloud-native businesses a single pane of glass to not only backup SaaS data but also manage eDiscovery, recover from ransomware attacks, and identify data compliance gaps. The platform supports critical SaaS applications such as Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Slack, HubSpot, QuickBooks Online, and Google Classroom with plans to add support for dozens of other SaaS applications in the coming months.
Data secured by SysCloud is encrypted and stored on fault-tolerant AWS cloud to provide customers instant access to their data any time. The company is SSAE18 SOC2 and GDPR compliant.
In addition to exhibiting at the Cloud Expo Asia event, Annu Sabu Palathingal, SysCloud’s Associate Director of Product Management, will be speaking about the often-overlooked data security challenges with third-party SaaS applications. Annu will share insights on potential SaaS data loss risks and actionable strategies businesses can deploy to secure their data.
Talking about SysCloud’s participation at Cloud Expo Asia, Vijay Krishna, CEO of SysCloud, said “SysCloud considers the Asia Pacific region a key future market for our continued growth. Having established ourselves as a leader in the SaaS data security market in North America, we believe we have the track record and value proposition to assist resellers and customers in Singapore and Asia Pacific to accelerate their digital transformation journey with confidence.”


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Sunday was Juneteenth, the holiday commemorating the effective end of slavery in the U.S. Though it has been celebrated since 1866, it wasn’t declared a federal holiday until last year. With that, there has been an influx of corporations and other businesses creating merchandise related to Juneteenth, or releasing branded products incorporating a Juneteenth motif.
Unlike some holidays, though, brands are finding that creating Juneteenth merchandise or promotional materials requires a bit of finesse to avoid coming across as trying to capitalize on such a noteworthy day for the sake of a buck alone.
For a look at what some brands have done, and which brands missed the mark, check out this article on our sister brand Promo Marketing.


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The global food conglomerate Nestlé is on a campaign much like Ford’s to analyze water use at all its facilities around the world. Between 2002 and 2015 it more than doubled the amount of food it can produce with a cubic meter of water.
One plant—a Carnation factory in Modesto, California, in the heart of the state’s drought country—makes every can of Carnation evaporated milk sold in the United States. Since it opened in 1993, it has been taking in raw milk, evaporating off about half its volume as water, and throwing that “milk water” down the drain. Meanwhile, it has been taking in fresh potable water from the Modesto water utility to run the factory—to make steam to evaporate the milk, to clean food-processing equipment, to run HVAC systems and basic utilities.
The plant buys 1.7 million gallons of fresh water a week, and throws away 500,000 gallons of “milk water” in the same period.
Now that’s changing. This year, Carnation is installing reverse-osmosis equipment that will allow the plant to reuse the water it evaporates from the milk. That will help reduce by 70 percent the amount of water the plant needs to buy from Modesto.
Once Nestlé gets a second level of regulatory approval, it will start to clean and recycle all the plant’s water. Then the only new water the plant will need will come in with the milk it uses as raw material, resulting in what Nestlé calls a “zero-water” factory.
Anti-aging drugs are being tested as a way to treat covid
Drugs that rejuvenate our immune systems and make us biologically younger could help protect us from the disease’s worst effects.
A quick guide to the most important AI law you’ve never heard of
The European Union is planning new legislation aimed at curbing the worst harms associated with artificial intelligence.
It will soon be easy for self-driving cars to hide in plain sight. We shouldn’t let them.
If they ever hit our roads for real, other drivers need to know exactly what they are.
Crypto is weathering a bitter storm. Some still hold on for dear life.
When a cryptocurrency’s value is theoretical, what happens if people quit believing?
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Videocon Industries Limited has partnered with 247around to provide their after sales service across India. While the rollout was done in phases now the services are available pan India for all the appliances they manufacture. They deal in air-conditioners, televisions, washing machines, refrigerators, microwave ovens and audio systems. Both companies look forward for a long term relationship. Also, 247around has on board three more brands, Dacs, Harrison, and SCAT. All three young brands manufacture LED TVs. Dacs also has advance line of audio systems looking to capture Indian electronics market over time.
The market has generally been slow be it televisions or home appliances. Dishwashers saw a spurt for a couple of months, but the boom seems to be over for that...Read More


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Analysis Reports provided by Current Analysis, Inc.
Updated: 3 hours 20 min ago
Six months after HPE split from HP Inc., the company is spinning out its Enterprise Services business and merging it with CSC. The deal will pose some near-term integration challenges but in the long run CSC gains the scale it needs.
Juniper’s new EX2300 and EX3200 switches brings Fusion port extension capabilities to mid-tier rack and compact access switches making Enterprise Fusion more compelling - once it’s generally available.
Brocade announced its Workflow Composer, based on its acquisition of StackStorm and a large number of open source integration packages available on GitHub. Workflow Composer is a solid addition to Brocade’s product line.
Cisco Meraki launched its first cloud-managed VoIP phone integrated with the Meraki cloud portal, including the PBX in the cloud and gateway services to the PSTN. The voice capability targets VoIP providers in the SMB space.
IBM is leveraging Mendix’s high-productivity rapid app development (RAD) tools to address LoB users’ needs and prompt further interest in IBM’s high-value services like Watson.
Now a private company with a brand new executive team, Informatica has introduced a new, productized data management use case for marketing that represents a change of direction away from pure IT and toward business buyers.
Cisco and VMware have been competing over SDN in the data center to the detriment to both of those companies and their customers. Hints are afoot that Cisco and VMware are exploring integration and that would be a welcome change.
Brocade has solid integration with OpenStack and VMware’s NSX, but lacks a multi-gig ToR switch with 25 and 50 Gbps ports. Brocade’s focus on fabric has won it customers around the globe, but hasn’t shown it can win in a competitive SDN market.
At Google I/O last week, the notion of machine learning quite literally slipped the surly bonds of big data to shine as a foundation upon which both Google and its partners can build thinking apps. But, what does this mean for the enterprise?
NICE Systems plans to acquire contact center specialist inContact, bringing together advanced analytics with a broad spectrum of contact center capabilities. The result is a potentially powerful solution that streamlines customer interactions.
Intel Security’s IPS line has made big leaps forward on throughput, virtualization support, and signature-less detection. However, the product line is hindered somewhat by its legacy support commitments and brand identity issues.
Lenovo is focused on delivering its converged systems to the market, which includes the RackSwitch and Flex System switches tightly coupled to compute and storage. Lenovo will continue to integrate with partners on physical and virtual networking.
SAP HANA Cloud Platform is better optimized to extend and customize SAP’s existing business suite apps, as well as increase its developer opportunities for the massive Apple market.
TIBCO is offering its integration technologies through new DevOps-oriented cloud services, which feature API services and BusinessWorks Container Edition, all in support of continuous delivery.
At its annual SAPPHIRE NOW user conference, SAP announced a significant product rebranding and restructuring effort that promises to at last lend some stability and simplicity to what had become a complex and movable analytics portfolio.
Alphabet’s Google Spaces may help the company address the team collaboration market; however, without investment, its consumer-like functionality reinforces the criticism that Alphabet simply recycles its consumer products for enterprise use.
By extending its cloud-based malware sandboxing and file-sanitization capabilities to Office 365, Check Point is responding to growing customer demand and pushing back against earlier, more comprehensive offerings from Microsoft and Trend Micro.
A significant number of companies have implemented MADP projects, and are now looking to launch development initiatives that incorporate IoT, according to new Current Analysis research.
MADP implementation are well underway among global companies surveyed by Current Analysis. Next on the enterprise agenda is adoption of IoT development tools and platforms, and vendors that can’t deliver risk losing out to homegrown options.
Progress Software consolidates digital marketing with its MADP, RAD and PaaS portfolio, leveraging Sitefinity to complement Telerik with CMS.


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‘Don’t throw gadgets in trash’—DENR chiefBy DJ Yap |Philippine Daily Inquirer
Environment Secretary Ramon Paje has warned the public against recklessly throwing their old unwanted gadgets in the trash, pointing out the environmental hazards posed by the improper disposal of electronic devices.
“You have three choices for properly getting rid of your old or unused electronics: Trade it, donate it or recycle it,” Paje said in a statement.
For those who could use the extra cash, he said, old electronic gadgets and appliances that still work could be sold online or to friends.
On the other hand, those who could afford to do so may consider donating them.
“Gadgets like cell phones and laptops could be used to fund a good cause, or go to someone who perhaps wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford it,” Paje said.
He said people can discover many uses for old electronic gadgets without harming the environment. Some electronic and mobile phone companies and recycling centers collect electronic waste or “e-waste.”
E-waste contains potentially toxic chemicals that can seep into the soil or water supply and escape into the air, posing danger to humans, Paje said.
“If you happen to replace or simply have unused electronic gear or appliances sitting around the house, don’t just throw them in the trash,” Paje said.
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NEW YORK, Dec 26 — Shares of retailers bounced early today on positive sentiment about the holiday shopping season, while Apple fell following a report of weak demand for its new smartphone.
Department stores Macy’s and Kohl’s both jumped more than three per cent, while Target rose 1.2 per cent on indications that the early strength in the holiday shopping season persisted through Christmas.
But Apple dropped 2.8 per cent, with analysts pointing to a report in Taiwan’s Economic Daily of weak demand for the iPhone X. Apple suppliers such as Broadcom and Skyworks Solutions also fell.
About 15 minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up slightly at 24,757.10.
The broad-based S&P 500 dipped 0.1 per cent to 2,680.57, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index fell 0.6 per cent to 6,921.04.
Analysts were anticipating a quiet period of trading after markets were closed Monday. Several international bourses were also closed on Tuesday for “Boxing Day.”
Key data releases this week include the Conference Board’s report on consumer confidence for December.
Home prices in the 20 biggest cities rose 0.2 per cent in October from the prior month, according to the S&P Case-Shiller index. — AFP


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HITB GSEC Singapore (August 21st - 25th)
Register Online Now!
Microsoft: a technology company best known for Windows, Office, ...and curing cancer? While that last one may be very surprising, the company’s claims to fame may indeed feature some medical miracles in the near future. In fact, Microsoft says it might ‘solve’ cancer in the next 10 years.
Microsoft is continuing to follow through with the 2,850 additional job cuts company officials announced back in July that they'd be making during fiscal 2017.
The latest round of cuts, which happened this past week, affected both Redmond and London (as well as some other geographies).
Microsoft has patched a zero-day vulnerability in Internet Explorer that at least two threat actor groups have used for some time to serve malicious advertisements to between 1 million and 5 million users daily.
The dark satanic rumour mill suggests that Microsoft will be withdrawing the Lumia brand by the end of the year.
Vole has a cunning plan to replace it with a brand new Surface Phone and kick start its ailing smartphone business.
Lately Microsoft’s Lumia lineup has shrunk to just four models, and there’s nothing to indicate it’s working on a successor. Vole has removed the link to buy them from its US website. On the retail side, stores have started removing units from display, and are trying to shift remaining stock by offering steep discounts.
Roughly 108 days ago, Microsoft released its Advance Threat Protection service into preview for its eager enterprise customers looking to an early look at latest productivity, security, and device management capabilities coming to Windows 10.
Now, three months later, Microsoft’s threat analytics team has felt confident enough in the feedback they’ve received to release its Advance Threat Analytics (ATA) v 1.7 for public consumption.


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Crypto Unicorns Characters will now feature in 4 New Mobile Games
The game development and research and development studio Laguna Games has just revealed that it will expand its Crypto Unicorns franchise with four new iOS and Android mobile titles.
The new mobile titles will combine casual mobile gaming with the famous Crypto Unicorns characters.
Unicorn-themed mobile games so far
Later this year, players can look forward to four new minigames. The Crypto Unicorns version of the popular virtual pet game Tamagotchi is called Unigatchi. The goal, like in Tamagotchi, is to keep your unicorn happy and healthy.
Likewise, Bumper Corns is a multiplayer game in which the player must knock other unicorns off the land to win. Mob Run is another multiplayer game in which players compete to amass the largest mob of unicorns. Finally, Rainbow Rumble is a winner-take-all battle royale-style game.
Aron Beierschmitt, CEO of Laguna Games said,
“We are working with an incredible group of global developers to build generational IP together on Crypto Unicorns. The hyper-casual gaming market is a huge untapped opportunity that we are very excited to begin pursuing. We look forward to bringing our collectibles to mobile devices around the world by the end of next year.”
About Crypto Unicorns
Crypto Unicorns has been a huge success since its launch earlier this year. Players have amassed 2,200 ETH in land and pet collectibles. The game has also been named the "Top Project on Polygon." Crypto Unicorns is an appealing game for non-web3 natives because it does not require crypto or NFTs to enjoy the full experience. These mobile games will undoubtedly be the first wave of hybrid, casual blockchain games to hit mobile devices.


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The largest producer and consumer of milk globally, India should see 15.6% year-on-year increase in revenues in the 2016 financial year, according to data by Research & Markets, an analytics firm.
While traditionally the country’s dairy sector has largely engaged in producing liquid milk, the past two decades have seen a change in demographic and dietary patterns and now value-added products have gained importance, with segments such as ice cream, yogurt, cheese and flavoured milk etc each seeing wide acceptance in the market.
However, during the last year, milk prices have increased due to a rise in cost of cattle feeds, with this milk inflation adversely affecting the margins of the companies involved in production.
With weak import demand and oversupply, global milk prices have remained low over the last year, exacerbated by a slowdown in China's economy, the abolition of the European Union's dairy-production quotas and Russia's ban on EU produce.
China's dairy sector, which was valued at US$40.6bn in 2013, is currently experiencing oversupply to such an extent that farmers are pouring milk down the drain and slaughtering cattle.
The sector is also suffering on account of the global fall in milk prices and the quality issues in domestic milk production. Locals who can afford it prefer to consume only foreign brands of milk and milk products, thereby causing a decrease in demand.


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We’ve all heard about frontrunners of the eco-friendly movement like Greta Thunberg, Patagonia outdoor gear, and of course, the legendary Prius. But recently, an unexpected champion of sustainability has arrived on the scene: McDonald’s. The home of the Big Mac announced that they will be trying out plastic-free restaurants in Canada and Germany.
McDonald’s is not only a worldwide fast-food chain but the world’s biggest restaurant company. This makes them one of the biggest consumers of plastic in the industry. Significant natural resources are required to support the 37,000 restaurants that span over 100 countries. Keep in mind, fast food relies on disposable packaging rather than washable, reusable dishes–– and the waste adds up.
However, McDonald’s is set on alleviating its environmental footprint as much as possible. They have recently launched versions of “the Better McDonald’s Store” across Germany and Canada, plastic-free establishments that are testing out alternatives to the current, highly-wasteful model. For example, these stores have introduced wooden utensils, paper straws, and grass-paper packaging. Forget recycling, even––condiments are being served in edible waffle cups.
Clearly, McDonald’s wants to make both a change and a statement. Serving over 69 million customers per day, the Golden Arches are one of the most recognizable symbols in the world. McDonald’s is the perfect candidate to take meaningful actions towards sustainability. The company is so established in the global economy that adding an element of social activism likely won’t affect the image of their brand; most patrons would continue eating at McDonald’s as long as the fries are salty and the chicken nuggets cheap. In fact, they are actually likely to gain more customers from this eco-friendly stunt, drawing in a new demographic who wants to support companies with strong social values.
McDonald’s is one of the first major fast-food chains to attempt a commitment to being completely plastic-free. They are eager to hear feedback from consumers about their experiment in order to best suit the needs of all shareholders (unfortunately, replacing plastic straws with paper ones has already been heavily petitioned against).
While opting to go plastic-free is a monumental step in the right direction, it will require the cooperation of customers, governments, and franchise owners to work together. So far, two major countries have taken the leap. Can the United States keep up?


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January 25, 2022
The launch date – October 15, 2021 – was set. The three initial launch markets had been chosen. Dozens of new employees had been hired specifically for the business. Several vendors had been lined up to support the effort. And an MVNO partner, Verizon, was ready to go.
All in all, Cox spent roughly $99 million between October 2020 and August 2021 on its plan to enter the wireless industry by selling its own mobile services.
And then Judge Zurn of the Delaware Court of Chancery threw the company's plans into disarray, just days before Cox had planned to launch its mobile service.
At issue was an agreement between Cox and Sprint inked in 2017. That agreement – which covered a wide range of topics – called for Cox to potentially become an MVNO of Sprint if it decided to enter the wireless business. However, when Cox finally made up its mind to join the wireless industry, it found out that it was Verizon, not Sprint's buyer T-Mobile, that offered the best terms.
Cox's decision to dump T-Mobile in favor of Verizon ultimately led to Judge Zurn's ruling – as well as an ongoing delay in the company's mobile efforts that could end up costing Cox millions of dollars.
To mobile or not to mobile
Cox has a lengthy history in the wireless industry. The company built its own 3G CDMA wireless network using 700MHz spectrum and Huawei equipment in 2010. It also sold mobile services through a Sprint MVNO during that period. However, it shuttered the business in 2012.
A few years later, Cox faced off against its one-time partner, Sprint. At issue was a patent-infringement lawsuit involving VoIP technologies that Sprint argued Cox and other cable companies had infringed on.
According to court filings, Cox estimated it could end up owing Sprint up to $500 million over the issue. In order to make that lawsuit go away, Cox CFO Mark Bowser and Sprint CFO Tarek Robbiati entered into a complex agreement in 2017 that focused primarily on Cox providing Sprint with access to its cable network for wireless backhaul. But other aspects of the deal covered not only the VoIP patent lawsuits but also the possibility that Cox could re-enter the wireless industry via a Sprint MVNO.
Figure 1: Cox showed off a number of innovations at the recent CES show in Las Vegas, but not a mobile offering.
According to T-Mobile's latest filings with the Delaware court, Cox in 2017 agreed that it "will enter into a definitive MVNO agreement with Sprint on terms to be mutually agreed."
At the time, Cox had no interest in entering the mobile industry. But that quickly changed.
"Fast-forwarding two-plus years, favorable economic developments in the wireless market made entry potentially attractive," Cox wrote in its own filing. According to T-Mobile, Cox estimated its mobile opportunity was worth $2.2 billion in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) over ten years.
And though neither company specifically mentioned Charter Communications or Comcast, both cable companies launched their own mobile services with Verizon during that timeframe too.
T-Mobile vs. Verizon
After deciding to join Comcast, Charter and Altice in the mobile industry, Cox's next step was to find a willing network partner. The company issued a formal "request for proposal" (RFP) in April 2020, and both T-Mobile and Verizon responded to the offer. (AT&T's apparent absence from the proceedings is noteworthy considering AT&T executives in January of that year discussed the possibility of providing MVNO services to cable companies.) Nonetheless, Cox's RFP process turned up a winner that, to Cox, was obvious.
"Cox's analysis showed that the total cost of Verizon's proposal was $90 million less than T-Mobile's ($203 million versus $293 million) and 9% below Cox's business case, while T-Mobile's proposal was 32% above it," Cox wrote.
But T-Mobile isn't so sure. "Cox incorrectly estimated that T-Mobile's overall price was $90 million more than Verizon's proposal," T-Mobile wrote. "Under a proper comparison, the difference was only $23.8 million."
Either way, Verizon won the contract and Cox signed an MVNO agreement with Verizon on January 16, 2021.
But Cox knew that its 2017 deal with Sprint – inherited by T-Mobile – might come back to bite it. On January 6, 2021, Cox issued a filing with the Delaware court asking for a declaration that its deal with Verizon was good. T-Mobile later issued its own filing seeking to take down the new Cox-Verizon deal.
The Delaware court heard arguments on the matter over five days in August 2021. In October, the court made its ruling: T-Mobile was right and Cox was wrong. As a result, Cox's plans to launch mobile services through Verizon were put on ice.
Now, Cox is working to appeal the ruling. During a recent 45-minute hearing in front of the court, lawyers for both sides argued whether the 2017 agreement between Cox and Sprint required the cable company to use T-Mobile as its MVNO, or whether there was wiggle room for Cox to sign a deal with another provider.
T-Mobile, in its filing, offered a number of noteworthy details on the topic, including the apparent concern that Cox executives had about Sprint's network. "Cox's modeling concluded that Sprint's lower quality network would limit subscriber growth," T-Mobile wrote. "Cox referred to this as the 'Sprint factor,' and valued its cost at more than $300 million over ten years."
Also according to T-Mobile, Cox was interested in staying aligned with Comcast and Charter. "Cox nonetheless selected Verizon, primarily on price but also to align with two other cable companies that already partnered with Verizon," T-Mobile wrote.
Ultimately, Cox hopes to win on appeal and move forward with Verizon as its MVNO.
"We believe the market is becoming more attractive for us to enter the wireless space, but have not announced any specific plans. We aren't commenting beyond our filed appeal right now," Cox spokesperson Todd Smith told Light Reading last week.
Editorial Director, 5G & Mobile Strategies, Light Reading
Based in Denver, Mike has covered the wireless industry as a journalist for almost two decades, first at RCR Wireless News and then at FierceWireless and recalls once writing a story about the transition from black and white to color screens on cell phones.
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Multiple automotive news outlets, including Autocar, have learned McLaren will launch the most extreme road car in its history. Known under the code name “P15,” the car will be the second car in McLaren’s Ultimate Series, joining the now out of production P1. ‘P15’ will not be the car’s name when it goes on sale. Production will be limited to 500 cars.
The basis for the car will likely be McLaren’s MonoCage II carbon fiber tub that debuted in the 720S. The surrounding bodywork, according to Autocar, is also said to be all carbon fiber composite. Sources told Autocar that the bodywork has been used only where it delivers a performance, rather than aesthetic, benefit.
“This is the ultimate distillation of form following function. Whichever part of the car you look at, you will visually understand the function of the components,” the source said.
Thanks to the extensive use of carbon fiber in the MonoCage, the P15 is expected to tip the scales at less than 2,866 pounds, compared with 3,410 pounds for the P1. Like every modern McLaren, the P15 will be powered by a version of the company’s 3.8L twin-turbocharged V8. Although far from official, early reports suggest the P15 will be able to accelerate from 0-60 in as little as 2.5 seconds.
The official reveal of the P15 to McLaren customers is expected later this year — with a public debut at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show.


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Over 4,700 packaging professionals were in attendance across the two-day event, according to organisers. Sustainability was the main talking point throughout, with the industry coming together to discuss ways in which environmental responsibility could be moved on to the next level. Experts from Coca-Cola, Carlsberg, Just Eat and Lush Cosmetics were amongst those that took to the stage to offer the latest thinking on sustainability in packaging and the future of plastic alternatives.
Will King, Founder of King of Shaves, joined the Beauty Forum to offer his thoughts on the topic, he said, “Nearly 70 percent of all plastic is sent to landfill, rather than to be recycled. When you consider we produce more than 120 billion pieces of single use plastic each year, something needs to change. The time has come for a shift in thinking. The focus needs to move towards packaging over product, and we must adopt a ‘what’s inside is great, what’s outside needs improving’ approach. This is starting to happen. In fact, we believe that Millennials and Gen-Z consumers are looking for lifetime use products, now more than ever.”
The BIG Plastics Debate returned again this year, allowing for those present to discuss and debate the paths to a zero-carbon future. Nick Gumery, ethical buyer at Lush Cosmetics, argued that reusable, biodegradable solutions provide a strong solution to the sustainability challenge. He said, “Regenerative materials remain a primary focus for us. Take cork for example. A cork pot can last up to 15 years and at the end of its life it could be left in your garden to biodegrade with no energy required in the disposal process.”
The first PlasticFreeLand feature was also hosted at this year’s event. Presented by A Plastic Planet, the dedicated area showcased the latest developments in plastic-free materials and packaging, allowing victors to discover the possibilities of biomaterials. Commenting on PlasticFreeLandTM, Michael Sanders from Lush Cosmetics and GreenGenUK, said, “We have found some suppliers here who I think will revolutionise our product offering.”
Elsewhere at the show, a number of new interactive features were unveiled, designed to provide visitors with the opportunity to learn about the latest packaging developments and trends. ThePackHub Trend Zone unveiled 10 of the latest, most influential trends in packaging whilst the Innovation Showcase highlighted the most cutting-edge solutions from the show floor. Attendees had the opportunity to vote for their favourite, with Seufert Transparente Verpackungen being awarded ‘Most Innovative Pack’ for its PET Blue Ocean Material at the end of the show.
Another new feature for 2019 was the Education Hub. The new zone was created to connect established industry professionals with students and apprentices at the start of their careers and discover the next generation of packaging talent.
Pioneering packaging design was a key focus as the Pentawards Conference and Winners’ Exhibit returned to the show. The Pentawards Conference welcomed international design professionals from the likes of Mars Wrigley Confectionery, Stranger & Stranger and Fortnum & Mason, where they discussed creating distinctive branding and revolutionary design. One of the highlights of the programme was Microsoft discussing its Adaptive Controller, designed to make the packaging accessible for gamers with limited mobility, and which went on to become the Diamond Winner at the Pentawards Gala Ceremony on Thursday night. To celebrate Packaging Innovations London’s anniversary, the Pentawards Winners’ Exhibit demonstrated the progress made in the industry over the past decade by showcasing the Diamond winners from the previous 10 years.
Many exhibitors also chose to launch their latest innovations live on the show floor with highlights including: Pollard Group introducing its Front Opening, Top Loading Box; Seufert presenting its latest PET Blue Ocean material; KNOLL Prestige Packaging showcasing its Ecoform plastic alternative; and Hunter Luxury demonstrating its alternative to plastic film bags, Paptic.
Such was the success of the event, organisers have revealed that 70% of exhibitors have already rebooked space for next year’s show. One of the brands to rebook a slot was Fleet Luxury. Will Saunders, of the company, said, “We have been to the show before and this year it feels bigger and better than ever. We have caught up with new and old contacts which has been great. It’s the type of event you just have to be at. We always come to the show and will certainly be back next year.”
Paul MacDonald, global brand director of Easyfairs’ Packaging Portfolio, commented, “As consumer concerns continue to rise over the impact of packaging on the environment, our 10th anniversary show provided the perfect platform for the packaging community to come together to discuss this pressing issue, whilst still providing solutions that achieve the objectives of delighting the consumer, stimulating brand engagement and prolonging shelf-life. With a record number of visitors and our busiest show floor to date, it has been fantastic to see the industry debate the issue of sustainability and try to move the conversation forward. We are excited to continue this momentum as we head to our NEC show in February.”
The next Easyfairs packaging event will be Packaging Innovations, Ecopack, Contract Pack & Fulfilment, Label&Print, and Empack 2020, which takes place at NEC Birmingham on 26 & 27 February.