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2020 is going to be a bigger year for mobile advertising in the digital ecosystem, according to the experts.?
Digital advertising is expected to grow with a CAGR of 32% by the end of the year 2020. The huge share will be contributed through mobile advertising and are expected to overtake desktop advertising.
There is no more selling the importance of the digital advertising store anymore since agencies have already bought into the idea and looking for ways to leverage it. There is a quest to find new and innovative ways to make digital marketing more innovative and unique.
Within the sphere of digital marketing, the success of a mobile advertisement is written out in big bold letters. Mobile is the cynosure of all eyes.
In 2020, mobile will still be holding the center stage. The advertising sector has significantly evolved and mobile advertising is the finest element of its evolution. Every person, irrespective of age, gender or income capabilities are typing, swiping and watching on their smartphones. In fact, India’s user base is second in the world, only one after China. Cheap data plans, reduced rates of smartphones and improved networks, everything plays an important role in the evolution.
This year will be the year of innovation and interesting trends in the mobile advertising ecosystem. The chatbots, short videos, voice search, and others are a few examples of well-utilized trends in 2019. Marketers will need more than this to understand people-based attribution (PBA) to obtain visibility across many channels regardless of device, platform or operating system.


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Destiny 2 Crossplay, Transmog, And Much More Arriving Next Year
Destiny 2 players recently got their hands on the latest expansion, Beyond Light, and while there is plenty to enjoy, there is much more to come. Thanks to a recent developer update, we know a bit of what is on the way for players to take in, including the fact that crossplay is officially coming to the popular title next year.
Assistant game director Joe Blackburn recently took to Bungie’s website to let fans know what’s going on behind the scenes and what to expect in Destiny 2 in the coming months. For starters, the Exotics were touched on in the post, with Blackburn noting that while there were quality additions to the game in Beyond Light, there weren’t enough. This is why they are adding more people to the Rewards Team to ensure there are more weapons in future releases.
The Destiny 2 assistant game director then goes on to discuss more of what’s to come next year. We’ll see DDOS protection, two strikes, new Exotics, and more coming in Season 13, while Season 14 will see the addition of Transmog, which can be seen below.
In addition to all of the above, it was also mentioned that crossplay will be coming to Destiny 2 in 2021, which will surely excite many players as it will allow them to play with friends on other platforms. Blackburn also noted that The Vault of Glass raid is returning, but no approximate release date was revealed for that. Needless to say, it’s looking like Destiny 2 is going to only continue to get better.
Destiny 2 is currently available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One as well as new-gen systems. Keep it tuned to Don’t Feed the Gamers as this story develops, and for other gaming goodness going on right now, check out the following:
- Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Game Returns In January, Physical Release Teased
- Fortnite Won’t Be Holding In-Person Events Next Year, Epic Games Confirms
- PS5 Buyer on eBay Received A Literal Concrete Block Instead Of A Console
What say you, gamers? Are you excited for the future of Destiny 2? At what point next year do you believe we are going to see crossplay added to the game? Sound off in the comments section below, and be sure to follow DFTG on Twitter for live gaming and entertainment news 24/7!
If you enjoy this writer’s work, please consider supporting them by tossing a KoFi their way! Every little bit helps and aims to keep DFTG independent and free of bias. Thank you so much for your support! Eric ‘anarkE7’ Garrett @ KoFi
Eric Garrett2269 Posts
Eric is an editor and writer for Don't Feed the Gamers. When he is not staring at a computer screen filled with text, he is usually staring at a computer screen filled with controllable animations. Today's youth call this gaming. He also likes to shoot things. With a camera, of course.

domain: news


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M&A Navigator: Deal pipeline - 9 December.
The following is a list of deals covered in detail by M&A Navigator this week:
- US LOT18 EXPANDS INTERNATIONALLY WITH BUY OF VINOBEST IN FRANCE
US online wine seller Lot18 said it had wrapped up the takeover of Paris-based sector player Vinobest, in its first international move part ofA a long-term expansion strategy.
- CALIFORNIA UNITED TO BUY PREMIER COMMERCIAL BANCORP IN USD38M DEAL
US commercial bank California United Bank (OTCBB:CUNB) announced a USD38.1m (EUR28.5m) all-stock deal to acquire Orange County-based Premier Commercial Bancorp (OTCBB:PCBP).
- THUNDER MOUNTAIN GOLD INKS LOI TO BUY GREEN RIVER ENERGY
US precious metals exploration firm Thunder Mountain Gold (OTCBB:THMG) said it inked a non-binding letter of intent to buy local oil and gas company Green River Energy.
- BANCO DO BRASIL DENIES PLAN TO SELL NEOENERGIA STAKE TO IBERDROLA
State-run lender Banco do Brasil said in a filing it was not selling its 11.99% in Neoenergia SA to Iberdrola (MCE:IBE) as part of a deal that would see the Spanish utility buying control of the power producer.
- SUN EUROPEAN PARTNERS BUYS OUT GERMAN RETAILER STRAUSS
Europe-focused buyout firm Sun European Partners has agreed to take over German home decoration and apparel retailer Strauss Innovation from the Geringhoff family and Nordic private equity firm EQT, the latter said in a statement.
- STEEL EXCEL ANNOUNCES BUY OF ROGUE PRESSURE SERVICES
US investor Steel Excel Inc (PINK:SXCL) said it had bought domestic oilfield service firm Rogue Pressure Services LLC, without disclosing the value of the deal.
- DUTCH C STEINWEG BUYS DOMESTIC RIVAL OOSTEROM
Dutch warehousing and logistics services provider C Steinweg has bought domestic metal, stevedoring and warehousing firm J Oosterom & Zoon for an unrevealed amount.
Status: Closed, Speculation
- RUSSIAa[euro](tm)S ROSBANK FULLY ACQUIRES TELSYCOM
Russian OJSC JSCB Rosbank, a subsidiary ofA French banking group Societe Generale SA (EPA:GLE), has bought in full telecommunications firm Telsycom for an undisclosed price.
- ASSECO POLAND TO BUY LOCAL SOFTWARE FIRM ZETO
Software group Asseco Poland said in a statement it had agreed to buy domestic sector player Zeto for PLN42m (USD12.4m/EUR9.3m), as part of a strategy to expand domestically through acquisitions.
- INFINOVA TO SPEND USD89M ON CANADA'S MARCH NETWORKS ACQUISITION
US video surveillance solutions provider Infinova (SHE:002528) said it had agreed to take over Canadian March Networks Corporation (TSE:MN), a specialist in IP video management solutions, for CAD91.4m (USD89.4m/EUR66.9m) in cash.
- PROSPERITY REVEALS BUY OF EAST TEXAS FINANCIAL SERVICES
US financial holding company Prosperity Bancshares (NASDAQ:PRSP) said it had agreed to take over East Texas Financial Services (OTCBB:FFBT), including its First Federal Bank Texas subsidiary, in an all-stock deal.
- BLUE COAT SYSTEMS AGREES TO BE TAKEN PRIVATE BY THOMA BRAVO-LED GROUP
US web security and WAN optimisation solutions group Blue Coat Systems Inc (NASDAQ:BCSI) said it had agreed to be taken private by a group of investors led by buyout firm Thoma Bravo LLC for some USD1.3bn (EUR973.1m).
- MODERN WATER WRAPS UP STRATEGIC DIAGNOSTICS' WATER QUALITY UNIT TAKEOVER
British water technologies provider Modern Water Plc (LON:MWG) said it had completed the acquisition of the water quality division of US biotechnology company Strategic Diagnostics Inc (NASDAQ:SDIX).
- BLACK CASTLE DEVELOPMENTS EXPECTS TO CLOSE BIZM3 BUY NEXT WEEK
US investment vehicle Black Castle Developments Holdings Inc (PINK:BCDH) said it had advanced with its planned acquisition of signage solutions and mobile marketing firm bizM3 Inc and expects to finalise the deal next week.
- KPN TO SELL PART OF DUTCH MOBILE TOWER BUSINESS TO SHERE GROUP
Dutch telecommunications group Royal KPN (AMS:KPN) said it would sell part of its domestic mobile tower operations to a unit of British wireless sites owner Shere Group Limited.
- SECURITAS BUYS CSS INTL IN COSTA RICA
Swedish security solutions group Securitas (STO:SECU B) said it had taken over Costa Rican security services provider CSS Internacional for an enterprise value estimated at SEK56m (USD8.3m/EUR6.2m).
- WORKPLACE SYSTEMS INTL ACCEPTS MANAGEMENT BUYOUT OFFER
British workforce management software maker WorkPlace Systems International plc (LON:WSI) said it had agreed to be taken over by Wasp Management Software Limited (NewCo), a firm backed by its management team and Lloyds TSB Development Capital Limited, at GBP0.25 (USD0.4/EUR0.3) a share.
Status: Bidding, Agreed
- SIEMENS, SHANGHAI ELECTRIC AGREE ON CHINESE WIND POWER JVS
German electronics and electrical engineering group Siemens (ETR:SIE) will form two wind power joint ventures in China with domestic power equipment maker Shanghai Electric (SHA:601727), the two companies said in a joint release.
- TOTAL BOOSTS NOVATEK STAKE WITH USD800M DEAL
French oil and gas major Total (EPA:TOT) said it had completed the purchase of further 2% in Russian Novatek (LON:NVTKL) for some USD800m (EUR600m), raising its stake in the gas producer to 14.09%.
- CORRECTION - UK SINCLAIR IS PHARMA AGREES TO BUY US ADVANCED BIO-TECHNOLOGIES
(Corrects the date of the article and eliminates theA per-share price.)
- APPIRIO AGREES TO BUY SAASPOINT IN UK
US technology-enabled services provider Appirio said it had agreed to buy British cloud consulting services firm Saaspoint, adding a presence in the UK and Ireland.
- PERSHING YOAKLEY, GATESMOORE REVEAL MERGER
US Pershing Yoakley & Associates and GatesMoore, companies specialising in the field of healthcare accounting and consultancy, said they had decided to merge as of 1 January 2012.
- US VIEWPOINT STRIKES DEAL TO BUY HIGHLANDS BANCSHARES
US ViewPoint Financial Group (NASDAQ:VPFG) said it had agreed to buy Highlands Bancshares and its subsidiary, the First National Bank of Jacksboro, in a move to broaden its presence in Dallas.
- DHS HOLDING TAKES OVER SALESKING.COM
US business growth advisory services provider DHS Holding Company (PINK:DHSM) said it had acquired 100% of business and consumer database SalesKing.com.
- OUTOTEC BUYS KILN SERVICES AUSTRALIA BUSINESS
Finnish mining process solutions and technologies provider Outotec Oyj (HEL:OTE1V) said it had bought a furnace refractory demolition business of Kiln Services Australia Pty Ltd for an unrevealed amount.
- RELIANCE CAPITAL DISCUSSES SALE OF GENERAL INSURANCE UNIT STAKE WITH TRAVELERS CO, OTHERS
US insurer Travelers Companies Inc (NYSE:TRV) is among the global companies holding talks to buy 26% in Indian financial services firm Reliance Capital Ltda[euro](tm)s (BOM:500111) general insurance business.
- AVWORKS CLOSES SHARE SWAP WITH YOUNG AVIATION
US AvWorks Aviation (PINK:SPLI) said it had completed a share swap deal with local Young Aviation, a specialist in the field of aircraft parts and services.
- AMERICAN TOWER, MTN GROUP TO SET UP TOWER JV IN UGANDA
US broadcast and wireless communications sites operator American Tower Corp (NYSE:AMT) said it had agreed to create a tower joint venture in Uganda together with South African mobile operator MTN Group Limited, the partners said in a joint release.
- ROSTELECOM TO WEIGH BUYING STAKE IN EUROSET, SVYAZNOY
Russia's telecom group Rostelecom (MCX:RTKM) plans to explore the possibility of buying a stake in domestic mobile phone retailers Euroset or Svyaznoy, following offers from investment banks to review such deal.
- TRAFIGURA'S PUMA ENERGY TO BUY CARIBBEAN OPERATIONS FROM CHEVRON
Dutch-based global commodities trader Trafigura said that its oil unit Puma Energy will buy US oil group Chevron's (NYSE:CVX) fuel marketing and aviation operations in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands for an undisclosed price.
- PREMIER FOODS AGREES BROOKES AVANA SALE TO 2 SISTERS FOOD UNIT
UK food producer Premier Foods Plc (LON:PFD) has agreed the sale of its Brookes Avana operations to Solways Foods Limited, a subsidiary of UK poultry processing company 2 Sisters Food Group, for GBP30m (USD47m/EUR35m).
- NETIA GETS COMPETITION NOD TO BUY CROWLEY DATA
Polish fixed-network operator Netia (WAR:NET) has been cleared by domestic competition regulator UOKIK to buy alternative telecommunications operator Crowley Data Poland, the watchdog said in a statement.
- GREEN DOT FINALISES BONNEVILLE BANK ACQUISITION
Green Dot Corporation (NYSE: GDOT), a US provider of prepaid financial services, has finalised the purchase of Bonneville Bancorp, the holding company for Utah-based commercial lender Bonneville Bank.
- GORES GROUP FINALISES PURCHASE OF ALPHEUS COMMUNICATIONS
US private equity investor The Gores Group LLC has announced the closure of a deal to acquire fiber-optic network and data center operator Alpheus Communications from Genesis Park LP and El Paso Corporation (NYSE:EP).
- HERSHEY TO BUY CANADA'S BROOKSIDE FOODS
US chocolate maker The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) has signed an agreement to buy Canadian confectionery group Brookside Foods Ltd, adding a batch of distinctive products to its portfolio.
- LABCORP RECEIVES FTC APPROVAL FOR ORCHID CELLMARK BUY
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has conditionally approved the USD85.4m (EUR64.1m) acquisition of DNA testing specialist Orchid Cellmark Inc (NASDAQ: ORCH) by Laboratory Corporation of America(R) Holdings (NYSE: LH), or LabCorp.
- ARTHUR J GALLAGHER BUYS INSURANCE BROKER TGA
US insurance broking and risk management company Arthur J Gallagher & Co (NYSE: AJG) said in a statement it had bought Transwestern General Agency Inc (TGA), a wholesale insurance broker and general agent.
- STREAMLINE HEALTH CLOSES INTERPOINT ACQUISITION
US Streamline Health Solutions Inc (NASDAQ:STRM) released a statement to announce the completion of its purchase of Interpoint Partners LLC, a fellow software provider serving the healthcare industry.
- PRIVATE EQUITY GROUPS TABLE SECOND-ROUND BIDS FOR ROTTAPHARM
Several private equity groups have submitted second-round offers for Italian pharmaceutical company Rottapharm.
- RUSSIAN STANDARD SEEKS TO RAISE STAKE IN CEDC
Central European Distribution Corporation (CEDC) announced the receipt of a letter from Russian Standard Corporation, which is proposing to acquire a further 19.9% in the Polish vodka producer and alcoholic beverages importer.
- RSC SCOOPS UP GLOBAL INSURANCE NETWORK
A US insurance and risk management firm Risk Strategies Company (RSC) said in a statement it had bought Global Insurance Network Inc, without providing details of the deal terms.
- SAUER ENERGY SIGNS LOI TO BUY CITY WINDMILLS
US vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) developer Sauer Energy Inc (OTCBB:SENY) said it had entered into a letter of intent (LoI) to buy sector player City Windmills Inc and its government contract for the wind power sector.
- BNP PARIBAS TO TAKE FULL CONTROL OF INDIAN JV
French lender BNP Paribas SA (EPA:BNP) will buy out its Indian institutional broking joint venture from its local partner Geojit Financial Services (BOM:532285) for INR405m (USD7.83m/EUR5.86m), the Indian company said in a statement.
- GREECE'S PRIVATISATION FUND INVITES INITIAL BIDS FOR CONTROL OF HELLINIKON
The Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund, in charge of Greece's privatisation programme, invited interested parties to place expressions of interest for a majority stake in Hellinikon SA, a firm managing the site of former international airport of Athens, Hellinikon, by 30 March 2012.
- METRO, BENKO REJECT REPORTED EUR2BN BID FOR KAUFHOF
Spokesmen for Austrian investor Rene Benko and German retailer Metro AG (ETR:MEO) rejected media reports that Benkoa[euro](tm)s group Signa had offered EUR2.05bn (USD2.75bn) for Metroa[euro](tm)s department store chain Kaufhof.
- ANYTHING TECHNOLOGIES MEDIA SIGNS LOI TO ACQUIRE CD REPLICATION FIRM
US multimedia digital apps company AnyThing Technologies Media Inc (PINK:EXMT), or ATM, said it had entered into a letter of intent (LoI) to buy the holding company of local CD and DVD replication firm Global Publishing Inc.
- MTU, SAGEM SIGN MOU ON AVIATION SOFTWARE, HARDWARE JV
German aircraft engines and components maker MTU Aero Engines (ETR:MTX) has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to form a joint venture with Sagem, a unit of French aerospace and defence group Safran (EPA:SAF), to develop software and hardware for military and civil aviation applications, the companies said in a joint statement.
- PRUDENTIAL MULLS BUYING S KOREA'S TONG YANG LIFE
US life insurance company Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU) is lured by the opportunity to take control of South Korean Tong Yang Life Insurance.
- CARREFOUR CONFIRMS TALKS ON POTENTIAL DEAL WITH GUYENNE ET GASCOGNE
French retail giant Carrefour (EPA:CA) confirmed it was in talks with domestic Guyenne et Gascogne (EPA:GG) and some of its investorsA on a potential combination deal.
- AXA, GENERALI MOVE FORWARD WITH BIDS FOR HSBC'S GENERAL INSURANCE UNIT
British banking group HSBC Holdings (LON:HSBA) has selected French AXA (EPA:AXA) and Italian Generali (BIT:G) among bidders for the second round in the auction to sell its general insurance activities.
- NOKIA SEEKS TO OFFLOAD LUXURY PHONES UNIT
Finnish mobile phone manufacturer Nokia Oyj (HEL:NOK1V) is in search of buyers for Vertu, a British subsidiary producing luxury handsets.
- US REVOLUTIONARY CONCEPTS SIGNS LOI TO BUY SSM
US technology company Revolutionary Concepts (OTCBB:REVO), or RCI, said it had entered into a letter of intent (LoI) to acquire local firm Security Solutions and Management (SSM).
- TURKRAFT TO FILE FOR MANDATORY TENDER BID FOR USAS
Turkish group Turkraft Holding AS said itA would file an application with the Capital Markets Board for a mandatory tender bid for airport caterer Ucak Servisi Anonim Sirketi (IST:UCAK), or USAS, at TRY3.1925 (USD1.74/EUR1.3) a share.
- STARCAPITAL MAY ACQUIRE BLOHM + VOSS FOR EUR20M-EUR22M
British private equity group Star Capital Partners Ltd could pay between EUR20m (USD26.7m) and EUR22m to acquire German shipbuilder Blohm + Voss GmbH from ThyssenKrupp (ETR:TKA), two dailies said.
- FRENCH SEB DISCUSSES DEAL TO BUY CONTROL IN INDIAN MAHARAJA WHITELINE
French small home appliances maker SEB (EPA:SK) is close to reaching a deal to buy around 55% in Indian sector player Maharaja Whiteline, in a bid to step into the rapidly growing market in India.
- HUNGARY'S ASSET MANAGER COULD DELIST RABA AT REACHING 75% STAKE
Hungarian state-owned asset manager National Asset Management Zrt (NAM) will consider whether to keep the listing of automotive components maker Raba (BDP:RABA) once it reaches 75% in it through its takeover offer.
- NESTLE GETS CHINESE GOVT NOD TO BUY HSU FU CHI INTL STAKE
Chinaa[euro](tm)s commerce ministry has cleared Swiss food group Nestle (VTX:NESN) to buy 60% in candy, cookie and sachima maker Hsu Fu Chi International Ltd (SIN:AS5).
- BLACKS LEISURE GROUP OFFERS ITSELF FOR SALE
British outdoor retailer Blacks Leisure Group Plc (LON:BSLA) unveiled plans to sell itself, or some of its brands, after failing to secure additional needed financing to implement its business strategy.
- IPIC WANTS AT LEAST 25% IN AUSTRIAN OMV
Abu Dhabi's fund International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) plans to boost its shareholding in Austrian oil and gas group OMV (WBAG:OMV) to at least 25%, Austria's competition watchdog announced.
- CONOCOPHILLIPS LOOKS TO SELL REFINING BUSINESS IN LOUISIANA
US oil and gas group ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) said it was seeking buyers for its refining business Alliance in Louisiana, with the sale process expected to take several months and a final decision to be made in 2012.
- ICAHN LAUNCHES HOSTILE BUYOUT BID FOR COMMERCIAL METALS
US investor Carl Icahn said he had taken his USD1.73bn (EUR1.3bn) buyout bid for Commercial Metals Company (NYSE:CMC) to shareholders after the board of the metal products recycler and manufacturer turned it down as too low and opportunistic.
- CONSORTIUM SET TO SAVE COLLAPSED LUMINAR
Luminar Group Holdings Plc, the UK nightclub operator whose debt burden dragged it into administration in October, is on the brink of being rescued by a trio of seasoned leisure industry executives.
- TALBOTS GETS TAKEOVER BID FROM SYCAMORE PARTNERS
US womena[euro](tm)s clothing and accessories retailer The Talbots Inc (NYSE:TLB) announced that it had received a takeover offer from private equity group Sycamore Partners.
- WAVIN TURNS DOWN IMPROVED MEXICHEM BID
Mexican chemicals group Mexichem SAB de CV (MXK:MEXCHEM) has failed to win over Dutch plastic pipes manufacturer Wavin NV (AMS:WAVIN) despite raising its offer to EUR9 (USD12) per share from EUR8.50.
- SERBIA CLOSE TO A DEAL TO TAKE OTE'S 20% IN TELEKOM SRBIJA
Serbia is nearing a deal to buy back its 20% stake in Telekom Srbija from Greecea[euro](tm)s Hellenic Telecommunications Organization SA (ATH:HTO), or OTE, prime minister Mirko Cvetkovic told reporters.
- YARA INTL EYES MORE BUYS IN LATIN AMERICA, AFRICA
Norwegian fertiliser group Yara International (OSL:YAR) eyes further buys in Africa and Latin America, as it wants to boost its operations in these regions with lower gas prices and growing agricultural sectors.
- BLACKSTONE EYES INVESTMENT IN CHINA, SE ASIA IN 2012
US buyout group Blackstone (NYSE:BX) is looking at China and southeastern Asia as its core focus for investment in 2012, planning to take advantage of the growing consumer markets in the region.
- OMV PLANS SALE OF CROATIA, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA RETAIL UNITS
Austrian oil and gas group OMV (WBAG:OMV) unveiled plans to sell its retail and commercial operations in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina as it is looking to move away from refining and marketing towards exploration and production.
- DONGFENG, VOLVO PLAN CHINESE JV IN 2012
Chinese commercial vehicles maker Dongfeng Motor Group Co Ltd (HKG:0489) intends to form a 55/45 joint venture with Swedish truck manufacturer Volvo (STO:VOLV B) next year.
- KLOVERN BIDS FOR DAGON
Swedish property group Klovern (STO:KLOV) said it will make a cash and stock takeover offer for Dagon AB (STO:DAG), valuing the domestic rival at SEK62.5 (USD9.2/EUR7) a share, or SEK1.474bn in total.
- VEOLIA TO PULL OUT OF TRANSPORT BUSINESS
French utility Veolia Environnement SA (EPA:VIE) said it would exit its transport business, Veolia Transdev, as part of a restructuring plan involving asset sales and aimed at reducing the companya[euro](tm)s debts.
- ITALIAN GAVIO MAKES BUYOUT OFFER FOR IGLI
Italian builder Gavio has made an offer to buy out the other owners of IGLI, the main shareholder with nearly 30% of domestic construction group Impregilo (BIT:IPG).
- TPG GETS BOOTED FROM ICELAND FOODS RACE
US private equity investor TPG Capital LP has failed to make it to the second bidding round for Iceland Foods Ltd after offering too little for the UK frozen foods retailer.
- ICG GETS READY TO SELL CPA GLOBAL
Intermediate Capital Group plc (LON:ICP), or ICG, the UK mezzanine debt provider and fund manager, has hired advisers with a view to selling patent management firm CPA Global.
- US OMNICARE EXTENDS OFFER FOR PHARMERICA UNTIL JAN 2012
US pharmaceutical company Omnicare Inc (NYSE:OCR) said it had extended its tender offer to buy pharmacy services provider PharMerica Corp (NYSE:PMC) for USD15 (EUR11.15) a share in cash to 20 January 2011, unless extended.
- TURKISH HALKBANK STILL TO DECIDE ON ZIRAAT BANKA SKOPJE BUY
Turkeya[euro](tm)s bank Halkbank (IST:HALKB) said in a statement that its Macedonian business Halk Banka Skopje still had to decide whether to buy local lender Ziraat Banka Skopje.
- RECYLEX PLANS SALE OF GERMAN SUBSIDIARIES TO FOCUS ON CORE BUSINESS
Recylex SA (EPA:RX), a French company specialising in lead and plastics recycling, announced it would sell the two German subsidiaries encompassing its special metals business, in order to concentrate on its core recycling activities.
- AUCHANA TO LOOK AT ESSELUNGA IF OFFERED FOR SALE
French food retailer Auchan would explore the possibility of buying Italian sector player Esselunga if itA were offered for sale.
- ZODIAK IN TALKS TO BUY ENTERTAINMENT ONE
TV production company Zodiak Media Group is holding early-stage discussions to acquire Canadian TV and film distribution business Entertainment One Ltd (LON:ETO).
- CDC CONFIRMS TALKS OVER ACQUIRING SILIC STAKE
Caisse des Depots et Consignations (CDC), a French state-owned financial institution, is negotiating the acquisition of the 44% stake that mutual insurance company Groupama SA owns in Societe Immobiliere de Location pour l'Industrie et le Commerce SA (EPA:SIL), or SILIC.
- DEUTSCHE BAHN SAID TO BE IN ADVANCED TALKS OVER INTERTEC SALE
German state-controlled railway operator Deutsche Bahn AG has reached the advanced stage of talks over the sale of its automotive division, Intertec GmbH.
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|Publication:||M & A Navigator|
|Date:||Dec 9, 2011|
|Previous Article:||US Lot18 expands internationally with buy of Vinobest in France.|
|Next Article:||Virgin Atlantic tables indicative bid for Lufthansa's UK unit BMI.|


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You know when you catch yourself in the mirror and just marvel at your mad smoky eye skills so you decide to snap a selfie that you might actually consider putting on social media? But then you check out the snap and your eye shadow looks like it’s been applied with a blunt marker, your eyelashes are non-existent and ?your foundation looks like’someone blew chalk dust on your face.
Well cosmetics companies are now taking our selfie addiction into consideration when developing new make-up. The selfie has now progressed from being absentminded?pastime?to fully-fledged global beauty phenomenon. American cosmetic mammoth Covergirl tested their?Outlast Stay Luminous Foundation for two years prior to release. They used iPhone cameras to see how the foundation photographed and it was modified?almost fifty times before it was dubbed ‘selfie-worthy’.
Gigi is obviously doing something (or everything) right…
And Smashbox are following suit, creating a ‘Flashbox’ where they test out their products in different lighting and phones to create make-up with?the perfect photo finish. And Smashbox told the New York Times that going forward they will put every new beauty product through such rigorous selfie testing.
There’s even a store in New York called “#” that only sells make-up products that have garnered popularity online. Yep, it’s an insta-famous beauty’shop.
Moral of the story: You really cannot underestimate the value of a good selfie.


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There is (almost) nothing I love more in the world than a deadpan, matter-of-fact take on Bitcoin delivered by a central banker.
The reason it’s so entertaining when the monetary gods weigh in on cryptocurrencies is precisely because these are the people who, to let the crypto crowd tell it, are super-concerned about the purported “threat” to their monopoly on money.
Of course central bankers aren’t any more “concerned” about cryptocurrencies “challenging” their control over money than Jamie Dimon is “concerned” that Bitcoin somehow imperils his job and the future of JPMorgan.
Everyone with any goddamn sense knows Bitcoin and the rest of these things are worthless and everyone with any sense also knows that central banks and governments can shut the whole thing down virtually overnight by subjecting the exchanges to strict regulation and/or making convertibility into dollars, euros and yen a crime.
If you’re wondering why that hasn’t happened yet, it’s not because governments don’t know they can do it. Rather, it’s because they’re worried about what the short-term fallout from that might be for all of the people who have been duped into “investing” in these things and also because they’re watching to see how it plays out, probably in an effort to learn something about how to incorporate the technology and the basic premise into an government-issued variant or, to use the BIS’s preferred nomenclature, a “CBCC”.
Well speaking of central banks, Bitcoin and also “CBCCs”, you might recall that late last year, “rumors” were (again) circulating that the BoE was working to devise their own cryptocurrency. They played down that speculation quickly, but the fact that the possibility was even bandied about in the first place makes the following even more amusing than it already would be. Here’s Reuters from a piece out on Monday afternoon:
Bitcoin has failed as a currency measured by standard benchmarks, and is neither a store of value nor a useful way to buy things, Bank of England Governor Mark Carney said on Monday.
“It has pretty much failed thus far on … the traditional aspects of money. It is not a store of value because it is all over the map. Nobody uses it as a medium of exchange,” Carney told students at London’s Regent’s University.
Tell us what you really think, Mark.
He also noted that Bitcoin’s “underlying technology may still prove useful as a way to verify financial transactions in a decentralised way.”
Right. The ubiquitous nod to the “underlying technology” which, as more than a few people are starting to suggest, may be utterly fucking useless too because after all, no one has figured out a real compelling use case for it after damn near a decade of trying.
Oh wait, I take that back.
I forgot about the burgeoning “flying urban tax market”…


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Google’s Android Wear platform is going to gain more powers on a continuing basis, thanks to frequent significant updates, the Android team has revealed. Upcoming features planned for Android Wear in the immediate future include support for GPS on devices, instead of having to rely on connected smartphones, and the ability to work with other Bluetooth wearables in potentially interesting ways.
Previously, Google had mentioned that it was introducing an API for third-party watchfaces, and the team reiterated that it was coming along with the two new features mentioned above in a new interview with CNET. The GPS feature will require that Android Wear smartwatches have GPS chips built-in, which early hardware does not, but it will mean that you can run apps like activity trackers and leave the smartphone at home, while still charting your run.
Read more via techcrunch.com


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Always in the back of Shaw Mead's mind is a board game that he could someday design. He calls it "Humans & Hobby Stores." Players each represent a small retail shop trying to keep the lights on amid online competition, fickle customers and ever-rising costs. The rules are hard to pin down, but the game requires resource management, worker placement and creative thinking. The player with the most money at the end wins.
Mead, 44, has been playing this game for most of his adult life -- and he's become quite the expert at it. As the owner of Mountain View's hobby emporium Game Kastle, he believes old-fashioned, tactile board games are the perfect antidote to the frenzied world of smartphones and computer screens. And Mead has shown remarkable success in tapping this climate of tech fatigue to draw people into his shop and enjoy the slow pleasures of a round of Settlers of Catan.
"Silicon Valley is actually a mecca for hobby gaming enthusiasts, and the tech culture totally plays into it," he said. "People are realizing this need to interact with others on a social level, to get away from their screens. And board games have become a great connection point."
By the standard of retail operations, Game Kastle's growth has been meteoric in recent years. Mead opened his first Game Kastle store more than 15 years ago in an out-of-the-way industrial section of Santa Clara. After years of learning the rhythm of the business, he decided to expand by opening sister stores. A Fremont Game Kastle launched in 2009, and then the Mountain View store at the San Antonio shopping center opened in 2015.
The Mountain View branch was a turning point, Mead said, when "he knew he was onto something." The store became profitable almost immediately, and that's when he believed he had found the right formula for nurturing customer loyalty that could be replicated across the country.
"We knew we had something that could be expanded on a much larger scale," he said. "With hobbies, the sky is the limit there's always something new happening in this industry."
More recently, Game Kastle has adopted a franchise model, becoming what Mead believes is the first game store to license out its brand. New independently owned Game Kastles have opened in Reno, Nevada, Austin, Texas and Des Moines, Iowa , along with three in South Carolina. Mead expects 11 branches to be open in the coming months, and he says he is getting "flooded" with calls from people interested in opening their own stores.
This growth of a local game store is all the more remarkable at a time when the retail industry is in the doldrums. Last year was considered to be one of the worst years on record, with more than 9,300 brand stores shutting their doors across the U.S, according to the research firm Coresight.
This trend hasn't spared entertainment retailers. Toys R Us, which devoted considerable shelf space to board games, closed all of its stores in 2018. Meanwhile, the video-game chain GameStop has seen its stock plummet more than 80% over the last five years, leading some market analysts to speculate that bankruptcy is imminent.
In this context, the success of Game Kastle is somewhat of a mystery. The Mountain View store is particularly unusual: It's hidden, tucked in the back of the San Antonio shopping center with only a small window decal to announce its existence to anyone passing by.
Once you step inside, the store opens up. At 8,000 square feet, the Mountain View store is like a huge cave, filled with rows and rows of tables and chairs. On any given weekend, these seats are filled with hundreds of customers, taking part in board game clubs, Warhammer tournaments and Dungeons and Dragons sessions.
Many players come to Game Kastle and leave without spending a dime. In fact, the business devotes only a fraction of its space to actual sales merchandise. One corner has a few aisles of board games and collectibles along with some simple snacks and drinks for sale. Otherwise, Game Kastle is entirely filled with playing space for anyone to use, mostly without charge. The store even provides a library of free loaner games to play; those who don't have anyone to play with are encouraged to join a table and meet new people.
It's certainly generous, but how does it work as a business model? Mead explained that when Game Kastle first started, he was laser-focused on maximizing sales space, but he eventually realized it was a losing strategy. Amazon and big-box retailers could simply run circles around small shops in terms of inventory and pricing. His advantage was to offer a better experience, giving his customers a feeling of membership in a community. Eventually he realized that creating long-term loyalty should eclipse the temptation for immediate sales.
"The retail is an afterthought for us. Sure, that's where we make the money, but it also comes from creating a community of loyal customers who want to support us," Mead said. "The draw is the events that we put on and the community. As long as we can get folks to come in, we can foster a feeling of community."
The Mountain View store echoed with silence on Monday morning, when Mead met with the Voice for an interview. Finding a seat was not a problem -- there were literally hundreds of empty chairs to choose from around game tables in the store's play area. Mead brought over his franchise manager, Seth Amsden, who he credited for spearheading the expansion strategy. The two of them were wearing matching polo shirts emblazoned with the Game Kastle logo.
Sure, the store was vacant right then, but it would be a different picture on any night of the week, Amsden explained. On weeknights and weekend afternoons, Game Kastle is packed with overlapping events and gatherings of different tribes of gamers. Chess enthusiasts could be playing next to Pokemon kids, or a Magic the Gathering tournament could be playing out at the same time as a role-playing club is painting figurines. It is routine for 200 people or more to attend big events like release parties or regional tournaments.
"We'll be filling up this space almost every weekend when we have multiple groups coming in," Amsden said. "For us, it's not about having one big event, it's about having a lot of events all the time and creating a lot of activity."
Some of these events can be monetized, Amsden said. Game Kastle might collect tournament entry fees and award store credit to the winner. For collectible card games, the store hosts draft events that require players to buy card packs from the store. The store has recently been experimenting with a children's summer camp and youth program in which kids ages 10 and up learn various life skills through game playing. Each month, Google rents out the Mountain View store for a corporate board game night.
But for the most part, the store's packed schedule of events is mainly there to bolster Game Kastle as a brand, making it the go-to place for all things gaming. As long as players stay loyal, the business side is secure.
"You can't buy that on Amazon," Mead said. "All we need to do is create every opportunity for our customers to support us."
One important group that has also rallied around Game Kastle is the Bay Area's circle of professional game designers. The store holds biweekly meetups for designers to showcase their prototype games and get feedback. An annual playtesting expo, Protospiel, has become Game Kastle's most popular event, drawing upward of 350 attendees.
Matthew Leacock, a Sunnyvale-based games designer, said the Mountain View branch has become his regular haunt for finding new games and meeting other designers. A surprising number of former tech workers in the Bay Area are now throwing their creativity into board games, he said.
At one point, Leacock got into a conversation with a Game Kastle staffer who began talking up Pandemic, a game that has sold more than 2 million copies. Leacock tried to hide the fact that he is the game's designer, until his wife spoiled his fun.
"I was just delighted to hear other people talking about it," he said. "It's fun when you run into circumstances like that, but I guess you have to resist the urge to ask people what they think of your game."


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Chris and April are taking a deep dive into integrated marketing — and why brands should get on board, or be left behind. With special guest Hamish Anderson, Trust Relations’ Executive Vice President/Marketing group director and founder of Three Piece marketing, they’re discussing the advantages of an omni-channel approach to digital, how clients can make the most of their marketing resources & how outsourcing to an agency can yield powerful results. They cover the latest industry news with a discussion on the PR plays behind this year’s major moments in media censorship, discuss whether Twitter’s new user regulations will have a positive impact and determine whether Sleepy Time Tea’s recent Instagram thirst trap was a cash move or a trash idea for the brand. They chat about recent trends in business this quarter, as clients seek to diversify their digital spend.
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Check out Hamish’s work here: https://threepiece.marketing
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Navi Mumbai-based fantasy sports portal PlayerzPot has undergone a revamp to accelerate its growth during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 season.
India’s leading fantasy gaming platform PlayerzPot has undergone major rebranding to attract new users during the Indian Premier League (2021) season.
“Our business has grown and evolved colossally in a short span of time, and we feel it's time to make an impactful impression on our target audience,” said Sunil Yadav, chief operating officer, PlayerzPot.
The brand has redesigned its logo with new colours, which now reflect the “unpredictable spin action found in every game, whether ball or dice.”
The fantasy sports firm conceptualised a new theme song and also added a new tagline - ‘India ka Naya Maidan’ - as part of the revamp.
The video of the new anthem features Indian cricketers and PlayerzPot’s brand ambassadors Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Smriti Mandhana and is performed by rapper Kaam Bhaari.
“The platform has blossomed into a fresh, peppy, young brand while retaining all the factors that made us a trustworthy and much-loved app in the first place,” said Mitesh Gangar, co-founder and director, PlayerzPot.
“The future seems even more exciting to us now, something which is echoed in our new brand colours, tagline and theme song.”
The commercial will be rolled out on Disney+ Hotstar and on all of PlayerzPot’s digital platforms during IPL 2021.
It currently has an extensive fantasy gaming roster, including cricket, football, kabaddi, hockey, basketball and baseball.
Founded by Mitesh Gangar and Yogesh Doiphode in 2015, it claims to have more than 2.5 million registered users.
The Navi Mumbai-based firm earlier this year announced it had registered profits despite the pandemic and had raised around USD three million in its Series A financing round in November.


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POLAND: Okocim likely to be de-listed in 2004
Carlsberg Okocim president, Marcin Pirog, suggested that a fair value for the shares at the moment would PLN28, considerably higher than their current value on the market of PLN12.50.
"It (the de-listing) will not happen in the coming year," Pirog said. "With Poland to enter EU in the middle of 2004, we'll talk about quitting the exchange at that time."
Following the recent increase in the company's capital, Carlsberg's share in Carlsberg Okocim stands at 61.57%, down from its previous 80.38% participation. The German brewer, Bitburger, now owns 23.4% stake. The stake owned by Poland's Industrial Development Agency (ARP) has fallen from 7.64% to 5.85%.
Carlsberg has finally hooked up with a state-owned Vietnamese brewer....
Carlsberg has entered into negotiations with the IBM Group regarding a possible outsourcing of the Danish brewer's IT services in Europe....
Carlsberg's rating has been lowered following its disappointing Q1 figures earlier this week....
Carlsberg said today that global beer volume showed a 20% increase in the first quarter of the year driven by strong organic growth in BBH as well as a considerable contribution from acquisitions, inc...
Carlsberg has appointed a managing director for its Chinese operations....
Carlsberg has increased its ownership in Carlsberg Brewery Malaysia Berhad from 49.66% to 51%. The investment amounts to approximately US$6m....
Dutch brewer Heineken is rumored to have released a self-chilling beer can....
The Bosnian government has put a majority stake in the country's brewery Banjalucka Pivara up for sale. Previous efforts to privatise the brewer have failed....
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Camping World Eyes Idaho Falls
(IDAHO FALLS, ID) — Camping World, a company that started in Bowling Green, Ky., in 1966, is proposing to develop 12 acres on Idaho Falls’ west side that is presently designated for high-density residential development.
The city of Idaho Falls Planning and Zoning Commission is recommending a change in the comprehensive plan to allow commercial development south of Pancheri Drive on the west side of Interstate 15.
A representative from Zoke LLC, an Boise area company, appeared before the commission at its hearing Tuesday, seeking a change to the comprehensive plan, rezoning, annexation and platting. The matter goes before the Idaho Falls City Council in June. Several residents of the area appeared before the commission as well to voice their support, saying the west side needs more business development, City Planner Brad Cramer said.
Camping World began with a small store in Beech Bend Park, an amusement park outside Bowling Green that billed its campground as the world’s largest. Campers at the park were requesting a store where they could buy supplies, so David Garvin, son of the park’s owner, took out a loan and opened the store. Garvin amassed a large customer list as the years went by. In 1997, he sold the company to the current owners, Good Sam Enterprises of Ventura, Calif.
The company now has more than 100 retail and service locations throughout the United States, and also sells goods through mail order and online.
For up-to-date business news for East Idaho, check out Paul Menser’s blog at bizmojoidaho.com And Listen to Paul Menser on Idaho’s Morning News with Tim Lewis every Tuesday at 8:05am


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The makers of the popular game “Cards Against Humanity” have bought an island, land along the U.S.-Mexico border, and even given thousands of dollars to people in need, but they’re once again raising the bar with their latest endeavor.
According to the company’s website, the game-makers say that they have purchased the naming rights to a baseball stadium in Joliet, calling it “The Cards Against Humanity Baseball Place.” The stadium houses a team called the Slammers, an independent Frontier League team.
The stunt is the latest entry in the company’s “Cards Against Humanity Saves America” series. That promotion saw the company do all sorts of whacky things, including buying land along the U.S.-Mexico border to stop President Donald Trump’s proposed border wall, “redistributing wealth” by giving 100 people $1000, and “destroying homework” by encouraging teachers to find alternatives to assigning homework like going to museums and reading with their families.
According to the Herald-News in Joliet, the name change isn’t real. Team President Nick Semaca says that the naming rights, which have been for sale for 16 months, have not been sold to the company despite their claims.
Even still, the card company did send ticket vouchers to everyone who subscribed to the promotion, allowing them to take in a game at the venue.
The first game at The Cards Against Humanity Baseball Place (or whatever it will be called next year) will take place on May 15 of next year when the Slammers welcome the Evansville Otters to Joliet.


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Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney's Ofﬁce
Eastern District of Pennsylvania
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, February 16, 2024
Promising to restore the health of terminally ill dogs, defendant defrauded approximately 900 pet owners out of nearly $1 million
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Jonathan Nyce, 73, of Collegeville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 97 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $500 special assessment for carrying out a years-long scheme to defraud pet owners of money by falsely claiming to sell drugs that could cure canine cancer. A federal jury convicted Nyce of wire fraud and the interstate shipment of misbranded animal drugs in December 2022.
In perpetrating the scheme, Nyce created several companies, including “Canine Care,” “ACGT,” and “CAGT,” through which he purported to develop drugs intended to treat cancer in dogs. Beginning in 2012, using various websites for these companies, the defendant marketed these “cancer-curing” medications to desperate pet owners, using the drug names “Tumexal” and “Naturasone.” The websites made numerous false and fraudulent claims regarding the safety and efﬁcacy of these supposed drugs, including that “Tumexal is effective against a wide variety of cancers,” and, “[i]n fact, Tumexal will almost always restore a cancer-stricken dog’s appetite, spirit and energy!” In reality, these drugs were nothing more than a collection of bulk ingredients from various sources, which the defendant blended together himself at a facility on Arcola Road in Collegeville.
Further, through email and telephone conversations, Nyce induced the owners of terminally ill dogs to pay him hundreds or thousands of dollars for these drugs by touting the effectiveness of his products in treating a host of canine cancers. He also told prospective customers that their pets could become part of clinical trials, but in order to do so, they had to pay him large sums of money. Evidence presented at trial showed the defendant sold nearly $1,000,000 worth of drugs to approximately 900 different victims. The defendant’s marketing, sale, and shipment of these drugs violated the Food and Drug Administration’s Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act because the drugs were not approved by the FDA. The defendant even falsely claimed in promotional materials that his company’s research was “funded in part by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.”
“In shopping these worthless ‘drugs’ to desperate pet owners, Jonathan Nyce’s actions were both criminal and cruel,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “He deliberately exploited people’s emotions, their love for their ailing dogs, purely for his own ﬁnancial gain. Many people consider dogs members of their families, so they’re especially vulnerable to such schemes. For defrauding his victims and thumbing his nose at the FDA, justice demanded that Mr. Nyce be held accountable.”
“The FDA’s animal drug approval process ensures that our pets receive safe and effective products. Ignoring the FDA’s requirements and selling unapproved drugs to vulnerable U.S. consumers will not be tolerated,” said George A. Scavdis, Special Agent in Charge of the FDA Ofﬁce of Criminal Investigations Metro Washington Field Ofﬁce. “We will aggressively pursue and bring to justice those criminals who place proﬁts above the health and safety of animal patients.”
The case was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration’s Ofﬁce of Criminal Investigation with assistance from the Consumer Protection Branch of the Department of Justice and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher E. Paris.


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HARLEM — Several shareholders of a company affiliated with legendary restaurant Rao's filed a court petition last week alleging mismanagement by the company’s current CEO and calling for an emergency shareholder meeting.
Shareholders, who collectively own 75 percent of Rao’s Specialty Foods, which is affiliated with Rao’s Restaurant, a venerable Italian eatery in East Harlem, filed an Article 78 petition on July 15 in state Supreme Court.
The shareholders are calling for an emergency shareholder meeting for as soon as July 25, according to court documents.
The petition alleges that Sharon Straci, the company’s CEO, has run the company as her “personal fiefdom,” without regard to the shareholders, including allegedly inflating her own salary.
According to court documents, there has not been a shareholder meeting held “in at least a decade” and they allege under Straci, the company has not followed “basic corporate requirements and formalities” of state law and “has been run… without board approval."
Under state law, shareholder meetings are expected to be held annually, according to court documents.
The shareholders allege that because of this, they have not had the opportunity “to review Straci’s work on behalf of the corporation and decide whether to retain her.”
The petitioners include:
► Frank Pellegrino, Sr., who is the chairman of the company’s board of directors and owns 37.5 percent of the company. He is also the co-creator “of the original recipes” and the original founding member of the company, according to court documents.
► Bonnie Haydon, owns 12.5 percent of the company’s stock.
► Morano Associates, Inc., a company which owns 12.5 percent of the company’s stock.
► The Victor Family Trust, a trust that is a designee that serves on the company’s board and owns 12.5 percent of the company’s stock.
In addition, the documents allege that Straci has inflated her salary — set currently at $1.7 million per year — and “has made major corporate decisions without informing the board” or majority shareholders.
The documents also name her husband, Ronald Straci, the secretary and general counsel of the company. Shareholders claim the $230,000 annual salary he receives was also set without board approval.
The documents also allege that Straci has kept the shareholders “in the dark” about purchasing decisions “involving amounts as high as $10 million and the decision to enter into discussions about selling the company.”
Rao’s Specialty Foods opened in 1992 as an extension of the iconic restaurant Rao’s, located on West 114th Street, which was founded in 1896, to sell sauces and other foods.
The company and a lawyer for the shareholders did not respond to a request for comment.


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Husbands lose out to pets as being best listeners
LOS ANGELES - Husbands, if you end up in the doghouse, consider it a promotion.
A third of pet-owning married women said their pets are better listeners than their husbands, according to an Associated Press-Petside.com poll released Wednesday. Eighteen percent of pet-owning married men said their pets are better listeners than their wives.
The AP-Petside.com poll also found that most people believe their pets are stable and seldom struggle with depression. Just 5 percent of all pet owners said they had taken an animal to a veterinarian or pet psychologist because it seemed down in the dumps.
But they weren't opposed to the idea: 18 percent of those polled said they were at least somewhat likely to take a pet to a vet or pet psychologist if it was dejected.
When pets become the therapists, the dogs have it. Twenty-five percent of dog owners said their canines listened better than a spouse, while only 14 percent of cat owners chose the feline.


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Toyota was ranked the No. 1 motor vehicle company for the sixth consecutive year on Fortune Magazine’s 2020 “World’s Most Admired Companies” annual ranking. Fortune also recognized Toyota as No. 30 among the Top 50 “All-Star” companies surveyed, which included companies from various industries.
Fortune’s “World’s Most Admired Companies” list is widely acknowledged as the definitive report card on corporate reputation and is based on company surveys and industry peer ratings from senior executives, directors and industry analysts from around the world. For each company, the survey measures nine attributes considered critical to a company’s global success, including quality of products and services, social and environmental responsibility, global competitiveness, and value as an investment, among others.
“To top Fortune’s list of the most admired auto companies for the sixth year in a row is an exciting accomplishment for all of us here at Toyota, and I continue to be impressed by the talent of our global team,” said Jim Lentz, Toyota Motor North America chief executive officer.“This honour underscores our collective commitment to continuous improvement for our customers, and I can’t wait to see what lies ahead for Toyota.”
The full list appears in the magazine’s February issue and can be viewed online now on Fortune’s website at https://fortune.com/worlds-most-admired-companies/.
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The Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland (ASAI) has told MCD Productions to ensure its future ticket pricing has “clear information” about additional charges following a complaint from consumers.
The Irish watchdog ruled that MCD broke advertising rules after listing a ticket at “€49.90, including booking fee,” though it did not specify that additional fees were tagged on later in the checkout process.
The complainant said: “The tickets were not possible to buy at that price as there was an additional fee charged by the ticket booking agent.”
MCD said it believed the additional charge, “may have been a service charge,” adding that the booking fee was a percentage Ticketmaster took from the promoter. MCD also said that Ticketmaster also imposed a service charge after the ticket price, which was not stated in the original pricing advert.
The Dublin-headquartered company said this information was “clearly outlined” on the Ticketmaster website.
However, the ASAI said the limited information presented was “likely to mislead” customers, and told MCD to ensure its future advertising contained “clear information” about additional charges that would be applied to ticket prices.
The firm has already implemented changes, with customers now told that prices exclude “per ticket and per-order charges” and all prices listed “exclude fees and charges”.


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Mark your calendars for September 7, which is when Apple will be unveiling its new iPhone and Sony to finally unveil its PS4 Neo console. It's going to be a huge day, with both media events happening within hours of one another.
Sony will unveil its PlayStation Neo console, as well as the PS4 Slim in New York City while Apple will be unveiling its new iPhone 7, and most likely the new Apple Watch. Apple is first, with its event kicking off at 10AM PT / 1PM ET, while Sony's event begins at 12PM PT / 3PM ET.
We will be covering both announcements, so be sure to tune in for the iPhone 7 and PS4 Neo/PS4 Slim news on September 7!
Microsoft has already teased its Xbox Scorpio in a big way, but Sony is still keeping its PS4 Neo console refresh behind closed doors - on the flip side, EA's Chief Competition Officer, Peter Moore, is saying great things about the Xbox Scorpio and PS4 Neo consoles.
During an interview with IGN recently, Moore said that the hardware revisions were "absolutely" a good thing for the industry, as they're extending console generations by refreshing the hardware in the middle of the cycle. Moore continued: "I think Sony and Microsoft have done this incredibly well. They have taken what they needed to do... to keep the platform fresh for technology that's moving faster than the archaic nature of a 10-year piece of hardware cycle".
Moore confirmed that EA is working on games for both the Xbox Scorpio and PS4 Neo consoles, with the next-gen games taking advantage of the vastly improved hardware inside of the consoles. Moore said that EA's studios "love what they're seeing right now" with the new hardware.
Nintendo has gamers excited with the possibilities of their next-gen NX console, but we know nothing concrete so far - but now there are reports that an Nintendo NX prototype featured a 6.2-inch 720p multi-touchscreen.
The report is coming from Emily Rogers, who some refer to as a 'Nintendo insider', with Rogers tweeting that the "NX prototype had a 6.2 inch 720p multi-touch touchscreen. Unknown if final product's screen size will be larger / smaller than prototype". The more interesting tweet from Rogers teased that the NX prototype featured a docking station for USB ports, with the prototype at the time reportedly having two USB ports. Rogers' previous information hasn't been correct, but she has landed some reports that turned out to be true.
Derek and I have talked about this behind the scenes for a while now, and I've been telling him that NX would feature a docking station of some sort. I think if Nintendo wants to succeed, it needs to truly stand out from Microsoft and Sony as the Xbox Scorpio and PS4 Neo will be powerhouses compared to the usually conservative Nintendo.
Gamescom 2016 - The hype surrounding the upcoming Project Scorpio and PlayStation 4 Neo consoles is hitting new heights, having EA executive vice president Patrick Söderlund compare it to Sega's late Mega CD upgrade from 1991.
During an interview with Game Informer at Gamescom, Söderlund said: "We haven't seen this whole idea of upgrading since the Mega CD in 1991 or something. At the time, that might not have worked, but this is different. I can only comment to what's been announced by Microsoft, the whole idea of keeping the ecosystem intact and scaleable is right. If you get in later in the cycle, you can get a Scorpio or you can upgrade to it".
He continued, after making his Sega CD comment, adding: "It's an interesting, smart approach, and we'll see how well it works. It's something that we as a company are 100 percent behind. I got super excited when I saw what they are working on, and without giving you any information, the same is true of Sony. In general, this is a good thing". But, will EA work with Nintendo on their next-gen NX console? Söderlund added: "Nintendo is such an instrumental part of our whole industry. They deserve to be successful, and they deserve to be a major player in the business, given their pedigree. It's not only the machines that they've built, but also the IPs they've brought to market. There are very few companies like Nintendo. Whenever they bring something to market that we see an addressable market for, we'll be there. Given that they haven't announced [a new console] officially or shown it, I can't comment specifically".
Microsoft has been experiencing unprecedented demand for its new Xbox One S console, so riding the Gamescom 2016 wave is a good idea, especially when you need to get rid of the taste of Quantum Break out of gamers' mouths.
During an appearance on the latest Inner Circle podcast, Xbox executive Albert Penello said that PC gaming doesn't take anything away from the console market, and instead of provides gamers with more ways to play the games they love. Penello talked about the idea that someone wouldn't buy a game because it was on another platform, where he said: "There's a debate or a discussion that you can have with a certain type of people online and you want to argue details and argue nuance, but the reality is that most people don't make that kind of choice".
Penello continued: "Today, if you play games, you're playing games on just about everything you own. You're playing games on your phone, you're playing games on your console when you want to lay back in front of that big TV, and you're playing PC games when you want that keyboard and mouse, up-close, highly customized kind of experience. Even guys that are diehard console gamers, we know they play on their phone and PC". He's right, you know?
Microsoft is off to a great start with its new Xbox One S console, with the company saying it is seeing "unprecedented demand" for the smaller console.
Xbox Marketing boss Aaron Greenberg said that the company has high demand for the Xbox One S console, but didn't provide any details on specific numbers. He did say that the 2TB model is sold out in most European stores, but the 2TB model of the Xbox One S console is a limited time version, so it was bound to sell out quickly.
Next month, Microsoft will release new Xbox One S bundles that are FIFA 17 themed, and then later this year there will be a Gears of War 4-branded Xbox One S with 2TB of storage released.
Dragon Quest X has been in the making for what feels like forever, where it was released during the slide of Nintendo Wii sales, and then hit the Wii U, 3DS and PC later.
None of them have been successful, but Dragon Quest X is now coming to Nintendo's next-gen NX console, according to Weekly Famitsu. Dragon Quest X producer Yosuke Saito and director Chikara Saito have confirmed that there's an NX version of the game coming, alongside the already announced PS4 version.
There are some changes and updates that will arrive with Dragon Quest X, but Dragon Quest XI "looks to be a more traditional, single-player entry in the series, and has already been announced for the 3DS and PS4", reports Destructoid.
Nintendo has quite a lot of excitement leading into its NX console, but now there is a new report that says Nintendo's NX console will feature three marquee titles within the first 6 months of its releases, according to "sources close to Nintendo".
Nintendo has already announced and teased The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but the report says that we could expect next-gen Mario and Pokemon games on the NX console shortly after launch. This fits neatly in with Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima's promise that the NX will launch with a "full software lineup," so this isn't exactly a surprise. We don't know what the new Mario game could be like, but MCV reports that the Pokemon NX game will come from the developer of the mainline handheld titles, Game Freak.
If Pokemon does land on the Nintendo NX, it will be the first Pokemon game released on a home system - as it is normally on Nintendo handhelds, and now smartphones with Pokemon GO. However the NX is believed to be a handheld-console hybrid rather than a traditional console, so this definitely fits with Pokemon's usual platform of choice.
Microsoft has released its tweaked and refined Xbox One S console, but now that it's here, we know that the GPU inside of the new Xbox One S console is actually faster than the one in the current Xbox One unit.
The new Xbox One S not only features its GPU clocked at 914MHz, compared to the 853MHz on the Xbox One. On a more technical side of things, Microsoft has used a new APU from AMD that is made on the 16nm FinFET process in the Xbox One S, down from the 28nm APU found in the Xbox One.
The new 16nm APU is clocked 7% faster than the 28nm APU inside of the Xbox One, improving the maximum compute performance and with the increased ESRAM bandwidth, we have a slightly faster console. The additional performance from the 7% overclock on the GPU will result in games that feature an unlocked framerate, or GPU-limited games where performance suffers on the Xbox One, the new Xbox One S will have less FPS drops, and a smoother gaming experience.
Sony has been limping through the last few years on a crutch it calls its PlayStation division, which according to Sony's Q1 2016 financial report, is still the case. During Q1 2016, Sony's operating profits dropped 42% year-over-year to $546 million with $15.66 billion in sales for the three-month period.
Sony said the "significant decrease" in sales is because of the stronger yen and a 33.7% drop in sales for Sony smartphones. The company notes weak results in its semiconductors business, with a "significant decrease" because of it, with $132 million in expenses after the mid-April earthquake that hit Kumamoto, Japan.
The PlayStation division continues to do good business, with $3.21 billion in sales for Q1 2016 - an increase of 14.5% year-over-year. Sony attributes the "significant increase" in sales of its PlayStation division to the sales of PlayStation games. We've seen the release of Uncharted 4 which sold over 2.7 million copies in its launch week, becoming the fastest-selling first-party PS4 game yet.


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50 signatures reached
To: Mayors, Governors, and CEOs of Grocery Chains
Require Curbside Pickup ONLY at ALL Grocery Stores!
Grocery store workers are now considered "essential front-line workers" in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though many of them still work for minimum wage, even the slight "hazard pay" bumps aren't enough to endanger their own health so we can eat. Though, they continue to do so every single day, some working double shifts, extra days, just to keep us all fed. Cashiers and stock people are some of America's most thankless jobs, and though we like to say they're now "heroes", like most retail jobs, they're treated as second-class citizens.
What can we do?
It's time to ban customers from going inside the store.
We need to REQUIRE all grocery stores to only allow online/phone ordering and curbside pickup. We can effectively keep the same amount of staff employed, converting stock people to shoppers to prep the orders, cashiers and baggers can deliver to the cars in multiple lanes. The shoppers can pay online ahead or through contactless payments and the employees can place the groceries directly into the trunk of the car.
Why is this important?
Dozens of grocery store workers have died from COVID-19, despite measures being put in place, such as masks, temperature checks, and limiting shopper capacity. This clearly isn't working. It's not safe for the workers and it's not safe for other shoppers.
The aisles in any store are too small to allow social distancing to take effect. Shoppers meander about trying to figure out what to buy, sometimes reaching over one another. We need to eliminate the variables of people who cannot take precautions on behalf of public safety.
We're in a time when we have the technology to reduce the interaction that we have with workers and each other while fighting the virus. Effectively, we can turn the grocery stores into warehouses, and keep shoppers contained within their own automobiles, minimizing almost all risk to everyone. This will not only alleviate the health risks, but the anxiety of everyone involved.


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At SXSW Eco, October 10 – 12 in Austin, William McDonough will join to give a Keynote speech on the future of Cradle to Cradle® design, the circular economy and the Carbon Positive City. He will join alongside Keynote remarks from other notorious leaders at this year’s conference, including Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Kate Brandt, and Bill Nye.
Stay tuned for more information on a book signing by William McDonough, as well as more interactive sessions to be announced.
SXSW Eco creates a space for business leaders, policy makers, innovators and designers to advance solutions that drive social, economic and environmental change. The conference will feature collaborative events to facilitate direct connections, as well as focused panel sessions and exciting competitions that will introduce attendees to transformative technologies, policies, products, and ideas.


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Hero of Splinter Cell Enters Ghost Recon Breakpoint
Bebop, 24 March 2020, 11:35
You can already meet Sam Fisher in Ghost Recon Breakpoint. Together with a popular agent, a new plot thread titled Conspiracy, two character classes and four maps for multiplayer fun has been added to the game.
Sam Fisher Returns to Ghost Recon - Watch New Teaser
Froozyy, 19 March 2020, 21:32
We just found out that Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Breakpoint will be visited by the protagonist of Splinter Cell, Sam Fisher. He will appear in the game thanks to a new event that will start on March 24.
Ghost Recon Breakpoint - Immersion Mode Gets Release Date and Trailer
Vergil, 05 March 2020, 23:07
We know when Ghost Experience, the immersion mode for Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, will launch. In addition, Ubisoft has released a batch of details and published a trailer presenting the most important new features.
Ghost Recon Breakpoint Repairs are Overdue; Immersive Mode Delayed
Vergil, 25 February 2020, 22:55
Ubisoft has announced that the immersive mode for Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Breakpoint will not debut on schedule. The module developed based on the fan suggestions turned out to be more complex than originally assumed.
Leak: Buy Radeon GPU and Get Free Games
Serek, 01 February 2020, 21:40
VideoCardz reports that AMD brings back Raise The Game sets. If you buy any of the manufacturer's GPU in the near future, you will receive a set of games as a gift, including - depending on the model - Resident Evil 3, Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, Monster Hunter: World - Iceborne and/or Warcraft III: Reforged.
Terminator Event in Ghost Recon: Breakpoint Launches - Watch Trailer
Entelarmer, 29 January 2020, 22:47
The next event in Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Breakpoint has begun. Within it, the players have a chance to face the Terminator and get equipment modeled on the iconic film series.
Ubisoft Will do its Best to Deliver More Unique Games in the Future
Serek, 18 January 2020, 18:19
Ubisoft plans to restructure and expand the team responsible for content and art direction of its games. The move is aimed at diversification of studio's portfolio and is a response to the company's poor commercial results from last year.
Ghost Recon Breakpoint - Devs Reveal Plan to Fix the Game
Adrian Werner, 29 October 2019, 11:35
Ubisoft has revealed how it intends to save Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Breakpoint. There are plans not only for bug fixes and new content, but also for changes to the game's virtual economy, the addition of AI-controlled companions, new gameplay options, and most likely the survival hardcore mode.
The Division 2 and Breakpoint Flop; Ubisoft Delays New Games
Froozyy, 25 October 2019, 00:00
At a closed press conference, Ubisoft informed about the delay of the upcoming AAA titles, including Watch Dogs Legion. The reasons for this are the unsatisfactory sales results of Tom Clancy's The Division 2 and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Breakpoint and the reduction of financial targets for this year.
Ghost Recon Breakpoint - Reviews
Ender, 05 October 2019, 20:47
Reviews of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, a shooter, which released this Friday has appeared on the web. Critics' notes oscillate around 60 percent on average. The title has, therefore, become one of the lowest-rated high-budget Ubisoft games in recent years.
Ghost Recon Breakpoint Launches; Non-cosmetic Microtransactions Gone
Adrian Werner, 04 October 2019, 11:10
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Breakpoint made its debut on the market. Interestingly, the devs decided to remove microtransactions that speed up character progression from the game.
Ghost Recon Breakpoint - 70 Minutes of Gameplay on PC in 4K
Adrian Werner, 01 October 2019, 14:39
A video showing the first 70 minutes of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Breakpoint was released online. It was recorded on a PC version of the game and runs in Ultra settings and 4K resolution.
Open Beta of Ghost Recon Breakpoint Launches [Updated]
Serek, 26 September 2019, 13:09
Today, the open beta of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Breakpoint has launched on PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The tests will last until September 29. Gamers can play in single-player, cooperation or PvP modes.
Ghost Recon Breakpoint Devs Reveal Open Beta Trailer and Roadmap
Aquma, 25 September 2019, 12:31
Ubisoft presented a trailer for the open beta tests of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Breakpoint. The developers also shared information about the planned post-release support for the title.
Ghost Recon: Breakpoint - Open-beta Announcement and Live Action Trailer
Ender, 18 September 2019, 22:47
Next week, an open-beta of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Breakpoint will launch, enabling us to try out several missions of the story campaign, both solo and together with friends. Ubisoft has also released a new live action trailer of the title, starring the rapper Lil Wayne,.
Ubisoft Won't Go Back to Making Smaller Games Like... AC Unity
Froozyy, 11 September 2019, 21:30
Yves Guillemot, CEO of Ubisoft, said in an interview that the company no longer intends to develop games with stories lasting only for a dozen or so hours. Instead, it wants to focus on creating titles that enable for the experience of many such adventures in one game.
Ghost Recon Breakpoint - Beta-test Schedule and Live Action Trailer
Adrian Werner, 04 September 2019, 11:51
Ubisoft informed about the details of the upcoming closed beta of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Breakpoint. A new live action trailer was also released, along with the plans for the development of the game after the launch.
Ghost Recon Breakpoint Hardware Requirements
Adrian Werner, 28 August 2019, 10:38
Ubisoft has shared the hardware requirements for Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, the latest installment of a popular shooter series.
Ghost Recon Breakpoint Gets a Ghost War Multiplayer Trailer
Entelarmer, 19 August 2019, 19:06
Ubisoft has released a multiplayer Ghost War trailer for Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Breakpoint. The material reveals, among others, battle royale elements and dedicated servers.
Microsoft Will Show New Episode of Inside Xbox on Gamescom 2019
aadamus, 15 August 2019, 16:16
Next Monday the next edition of Gamescom will start. Micorsoft is among this year's exhibitors. The Redmond giant will present a new episode of Inside Xbox at the fair, showing materials from games such as Gears 5, Metro Exodus and Blair Witch. The event will take place on August 19 at 8 a.m. PST.
Ubisoft Presents the Awesome PC Version of Ghost Recon: Breakpoint
Froozyy, 02 August 2019, 23:05
In the latest trailer of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Breakpoint we can see what the game will offer to PC owners. We also got to know the schedule of the game's open beta.
18 Minutes of Gameplay From Ghost Recon Breakpoint
AlexB, 11 June 2019, 12:08
An eighteen-minute gameplay from Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, i.e. the next installment of the series of shooters from Ubisoft, was released online. The title will be published on October 4, this year.
New Info About Ghost Recon Breakpoint; Open Beta In September
Adrian Werner, 10 June 2019, 22:59
Ubisoft's E3 2019 Expo conference was full of new video materials from Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, which is the next installment of the popular series of tactical shooters. Also, we learned about beta tests and the fact that Terminator will take part in the game.
Ghost Recon Breakpoint Only on EGS and Uplay, Price Revealed
Frozen, 10 May 2019, 18:45
Ubisoft has officially confirmed that Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Breakpoint will not be sold on Steam. The PC version will only be available on Epic Games Store and Uplay platforms. By the way, we got to know the game's price.
Ghost Recon Breakpoint - Release Date and Other Details
Serek, 09 May 2019, 22:11
As expected, Ubisoft officially announced Ghost Recon: Breakpoint. The production will hit the shelves at the beginning of October this year. The creators also shared an extensive video footage from the alpha version of the game. The title is now available in pre-orders.


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The State of European Fintech report: 2019 edition
In partnership with Finch Capital, Dealroom just launched the State of European Fintech report, a deep dive into the key verticals of the biggest investment sector that has put Europe on the global map.
This report covers Fintech’s core verticals: companies disrupting Banking & payments, Insurance, Real Estate, and Enabling Financial Technologies.
Findings of the report:
- Fintech is Europe’s largest venture capital investment category. It receives 20% of all venture capital in Europe: a higher percentage than in Asia & USA.
- European Fintech companies have created over 2x more value than any tech sector in Europe.
- Traditional banks are mostly absent from big fintech acquisitions. The most viable paths to exit are IPO ($40B), sale to fintech ($34B), and private equity ($18B). But they are more involved via partnerships or by investing in minority stakes.
- Fintech has over the last 50 years been driven by the rise of the information infrastructure: After financial software, e-payments and digital challengers trends, we expect the next wave in fintech to be driven by AI and IoT.
- Enabling Financial Technology growth is being driven by the fact that financial institutions are the biggest spenders on software globally. We expect these institutions will double down on these technologies, particularly as AI/ML models mature and approach product market fit.
Report - The State of European Fintech report: 2019 edition


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Alongside Beckn’s dry run in Kochi, the central government is also working on its own open protocol network for online retailers.
The state government of Kerala is looking to integrate all of its traffic-related facilities into a single network with the help of the Beckn foundation co-founded by Nandan Nilekani, according to a report in the Mathrubhumi. The city of Kochi has been chosen for the trial run as it provides every mode of public transport from bicycles to a metro.
Why it matters? The app seemingly facilitates a cashless transit across multiple modes of public transport wherein citizens will be able to avail any service using a single open-mobility network app. According to the KMTA’s website, all mobility apps in the network are built in such a way as to enable them to communicate with each other in the same language. This will allow citizens to book seats on ferries, the metro, buses, and even rent bicycles. It is also expected to help citizens find parking spots and Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations.
Trial to be conducted in Kochi with Yatri app
The scheme will see its pilot phase in Kochi under the Kochi Metropolitan Authority (KMTA). Kochi Open Mobility Network (KOMN) will be rolled out as per the open protocol floated in Beckn’s concept paper.
The ‘Yatri’ app, developed for taxi drivers, will commence the trial for KOMN’s first phase. According to a report in The Hindu, drivers will not need to pay commission to the promoters of the Yatri app. An official informed the newspaper that over 1,000 car drivers, mostly members of five trade unions present in Kochi, have enrolled under Yatri. He explained further that all cars will operate as per government-fixed tariff with no room for surge fare.
Mathrubhumi reported that other services are expected to be gradually integrated into the app along with logistics. The apps which will be embedded eventually into KOMN are:
- Kochi metro (Kochi1)
- AuSa (AutoSavari) prepared for auto drivers
- Vandi app for buses
Moreover, KSRTC (Kerala State Road Transport Corporation) and the boats of the Kerala State Water Transport Department will also be linked to this network.
The Mathrubhumi report also elaborated that public and private traffic facilities, as well as all service providers related to commuting, will be integrated with KOMN. Furthermore, small retail shops in a locality which cannot afford an app to market commodities will be able to deliver products to their customers with KOMN.
Sujith Nair, CEO and Co-founder of Beckn, in a thread on Twitter, said that KOMN is an open network without a centre. “The power moves to the edge of the network, to the only edges that matter— the rider and the provider with no one in the middle accruing all the power,” he added.
What is Beckn’s open protocol?
The non-profit entity Beckn is “an open protocol that enables location-aware, local commerce across industries to be discovered and engaged by Beckn-enabled applications,” according to its website.
A report in Entrackr has described Beckn as a UPI-like open specification for commerce and mobility. It further adds that the protocol works as an integrated marketplace that provides a level playing field to new players and incumbents who can use Beckn to reach more customers. Nandan Nilekani, along with Pramod Varma and Sujith Nair, founded Beckn in late 2019.
Nilekani was involved in deploying many government tech initiatives: he is the founding chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the government body that issues Aadhaar cards, and the head of TAGUP, a government advisory group looking into the technological aspects of financial projects like GST and TIN.
Govt planning its own open network
The central government is also looking to develop its own open protocol under ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce). It is a digital project launched by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) in 2020 to develop an open UPI-like architecture for the e-commerce landscape. Recently, a nine-member committee was set up to advise the government on measures needed to design and accelerate the adoption of ONDC.
The project will reportedly set protocols for operational aspects of e-commerce like cataloguing, vendor discovery, and price discovery, and standardise the process of onboarding retailers onto e-marketplaces as well as the supply and delivery of products through online channels. These processes will be open source ensuring that the platform can be used by all online retailers as compared to proprietary processes and technology of e-commerce companies.
According to reports, the ONDC is also being implemented to curb digital monopolies in the wake of complaints of malpractices and monopolistic tendencies of existing e-commerce companies like Amazon and Flipkart. Small retailers, both online and offline, have accused these companies of prioritising affiliated sellers over others.
- Govt Sets Up Advisory Council For Open Network For Digital Commerce; Nilekani, RS Sharma Members
- NPCI Creating Open-Source Platform For UPI, Says Nandan Nilekani
- Kochi Metro Rail Allowed To Deploy Drones For Water Transport Project


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(Memphis) - FedEx is more than just Memphis’ biggest employers; it is also one of the world's best-known brands.
Therefore, it was a big deal when the company agreed to sponsor an upcoming conference in Memphis for business start-ups, but FedEx abruptly pulled the sponsorship after learning one of the accused West Memphis Three killers was going to speak.
This is the first time that Damien Echols would appear publicly in Memphis since getting out of prison. People say FedEx pulling out on the conference is not giving him a very warm welcome.
Kyle Sandler believes having FedEx as a sponsor for a start-up conference is a perfect match, given its history, “From Fred smith starting FedEx, to growing it as a start-up himself to a global brand in a category by itself.”
It’s only fitting then for Sandler, who is conference coordinator, to be disappointed when FedEx pulled their sponsorship from this weekend’s event, Everywhereelse.co. The shipping company found out that Damien Echols was scheduled to appear and talk about the shifts in technology since being in prison on death row.
“They have to do what`s right for them and I respect that,” said Sandler.
FedEx removed its name, funding, and speakers from the event, claiming the conference took a turn in a direction that was not fitted with the company's mission or focus to help start-ups.
“[They] also mentioned that they did not want to associate the name or the brand with someone so polarizing in Memphis,” said Sandler who got the call Wednesday.
People sounded off on Twitter calling FedEx’s decision embarrassing, while others say they're no longer using their services, but Echols reassured people's concern on his Twitter account, telling them not to sweat it.
The pullout, however, sent Sandler scrambling to find more sponsors, He says businesses and people stepped up, “We're going to make and it's going to be a great event. You know, there are a lot of things that happen to start up founders, keep getting hit with adversity and more adversity, but they keep coming and its part of the challenge, so challenge accepted and conquered.”
FedEx claims it will reimburse the conference to print new programs to remove its logos. The three-day conference starts Sunday.
Damien Echols released the following statement:
"I am blessed to have the support of hundreds of thousands of people from around the globe, from New Zealand to Norway, many whom worked tirelessly to free me, Jason and Jesse. After close to 20 years imprisoned on death row, I have endured greater hardships than FedEx making a rash decision without knowing very much about my case. It is more a measure FedEx's lack of corporate integrity and decency than it is about my struggle to clear my name."


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Simply Business, LLC., a Boston-based digital insurance agency focused on small businesses, today announced the launch of a partnership with biBERK Business Insurance, a Berkshire Hathaway company, to offer workers' compensation products online to small business owners in the United States.Through this new partnership, small business owners can receive a biBERK workers' compensation quote through the Simply Business website. They also have the option to digitally bind policies and speak to a licensed insurance agent to ensure that the coverage they've selected best meets the needs of their business.
"We're committed to helping small businesses grow by providing specially tailored insurance solutions, and this new partnership makes it easier for our customers to get exactly what they need,With the help of biBERK, we're able to provide more comprehensive coverage to entrepreneurs across the country."
David Summers, Group CEO of Simply Business
This offering is currently available to small business owners in Washington D.C. and all 46 states where private carriers are eligible to operate.
About Simply Business
Simply Business is changing the way small business owners find business insurance by offering customers tailored insurance coverage online. The company began in the United Kingdom and expanded to the United States in 2017, naming Boston home. With over 850,000 customers globally, Simply Business has become a leader in the space through its commitment to a customer-first model, focusing heavily on simplicity, choice and value.
biBERK is a small business insurance company that's part of the Berkshire Hathaway Insurance Group. All of Company's major insurance subsidiaries are rated A++ by A M Best Company with millions of customers and over 75 years of insurance experience.


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Give Up Brick And Mortar Shoppers Say Not Yet
Give up brick and mortar? shoppers say “not yet” more americans are going online for groceries nowadays, yet stores remain central to the shopping equation, according to the npd group. Shoppers say “not yet” six percent of all consumers order online from a local store and have their groceries delivered, a figure that rises to 10% for parents, 11% for millennials and 13% for. Related: give up brick and mortar? shoppers say “not yet” shoppers say “not yet” adyen’s survey found that 45% of spendsetters think brand is important and will pay a premium for the. Give up brick and mortar? shoppers say “not yet” apr 25, 2018. online grocery shoppers prefer an omnichannel approach, npd says . supervalu to sell and lease back dcs, divest shop ’n save. Why most shoppers still choose brick and mortar stores over e commerce (66%) of female shoppers say trying it out is a deciding factor for shopping in stores versus online. an interesting.
Everyone Still Shops In Traditional Stores Digidame
Amazon.com, inc. (amzn) didn’t kill brick and mortar retailers — they killed themselves the rise of e commerce only exposed how lazy and disinterested retailers had become by the late 90's. Are you looking for ideas to get last minute shoppers to spend more in your brick and mortar retail store so you can increase sales ? 9 tips to get last minute shoppers to spend more in your brick and mortar store. don’t ask, just give. walk up to a shopper, hold out the basket handle and say, “here you go. it’ll make your. Despite expectations of personalization, most shoppers don't want to share data the evolving role of the brick and mortar store in the shopping journey. say they're not willing to. Start studying chapter 9. learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. search. asks consumers to give their permission to voluntarily accept online advertising and e mail. occurs when shoppers visit a brick and mortar store to examine to examine a product in person. The latest tweets from inmarket (@inmarket media). the leader in digital advertising for the physical world. venice | chicago | nyc.
Crate And Barrel Works To Balance Online And Offline Sales
A study found an overwhelming majority of shoppers still prefer brick and mortar stores. “ninety percent of shoppers surveyed would prefer to buy in a brick and mortar store across demographic. Brick and mortar stores: don’t give up yet! there are plenty of opportunities to learn about your customers and provide an excellent experience, even as the online retail scene continues to grow. about the writer: larry is an independent business consultant specializing in tech, social media trends, business, and entrepreneurship. Brick and mortar retail companies face formidable competition from e commerce players; yet traditional retailers need not give up the battle for growth. by seeking an in depth understanding of their own customers and by using their physical assets to their advantage, retailers can put in place strategies for customer engagement that allow them. Shoppers hate waiting. if they’ve made the effort to go shop at a brick and mortar store, rather than stay home and order something online, they hate not finding what they’re looking for. Amazon has been not so secretly trying to put brick and mortar stores out of business but now it looks like the company is planning to launch a charm offensive against its brick and mortar rivals.
Holiday Sales Are Projected To Go Up But Malls Might Not
New research says not at all. a study from the university of arizona asked shoppers about their preferences and opinions on the retail environment today. while there's a lot to be said for online shopping, as well as why it's become so ubiquitous, many say we'd lose something by doing away with in person shopping options. Omnicommerce the vitamin shoppe turns to ecommerce, subscriptions to supplement its brick and mortar business. from fitness freaks to makeup mavens, health and beauty shoppers are going mobile. Before you give up your local bank or national big bank for good, 14 reasons why you shouldn’t ditch your brick and mortar bank yet. what to read next. bet on brick and click retailing with these etfs. health officials say not to eat romaine lettuce grown in salinas, calif. yahoo news video. yahoo news network;. Selling 'emotion': what online retailers can learn from brick and mortar free people facebook page give up, or, conversely, move. New york, untied states — just in time for the black friday kick off to holiday season shopping, stock market investors have been handed tools to bet on the decline of brick and mortar retail as of friday, these tools were not yet for sale on amazon. an exchange traded fund launched thursday allows investors to bet on the decline of traditional retail and a second one doubles down by.
Retailers Trim Bricks And Mortar But Not Giving Up On
Merchants say they won't give up those habits even as the recession eases, while analysts caution that this tactic is blunting the effect of discounts to motivate shoppers and increasing the. The poll shows “brick and mortar is not dead yet,” said roger davidson, a grocery consultant, who predicts that the future of food buying will be mix of online and offline shopping. Until e commerce rivals the convenience of plastic cards and paper money, the simplicity of in store payments will always be an incentive for shoppers to visit brick and mortar. 4. in store shopping is a popular form of entertainment. shopping for fun is not dead—customers still get excited about exceptional in store experiences. Bonobos is successful because their guideshops act as a hybrid shopping experience that closes the gap between brick and mortar and online. they’re able to introduce their brand to new customers who might not have discovered them yet online, while providing shoppers with a unique and memorable in store experience. made.com. Both retailers have said that online shoppers were not affected, and therein lies the problem from for the struggling brick and mortar stores. what this is ultimately going to do is hurt them even more than they already have been by e commerce sales. online sales were projected to be $262.3 billion online in 2013, up from $225.3 billion in 2012.
Although he leads a brick and mortar church (berryessa valley church), has yet to be determined. "a truly biblical church requires that we heed the biblical call of hebrews 10 to not give up gathering together and being present to one another in real, actual life.". Merge brick and mortar with mobile if you’re not ready to give up the storefront space, that’s ok! mobile is a great supplement to your physical outlets, so experiment with how you can integrate the two in convenient and personal new ways. use mobile to reward in store shoppers. Yes to online, if you exclusively shop online. a 2013 study from mit suggests that online shopping is far more eco friendly than shopping in brick and mortar stores in fact, the study concluded shoppers who completed the entire buying process online had a carbon footprint almost two times smaller than a traditional shopper. While this sounds nice, the journal also points out that this is yet another way for amazon to gather up more data on shoppers and to learn the habits of customers who still buy at least some of their goods in brick and mortar stores. the journal says amazon will probably pitch this system to smaller retailers since big box retailers such as. Amazon has been not so secretly trying to put brick and mortar stores out of business but now it looks like the company is planning to launch a charm offensive against its brick and mortar rivals.