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Apple is organizing an experience subsequent week in California namely for IOS builders. That claims Business Insider tonight based on an "industrial source. It would be an event next week starting Tuesday and will last three days. Further information is not. Dan Frommer Business Insiders think it is an 'intimate version' of iPhone Tech Talks, Apple last year in several places around the world have held.
The idea of this encounter between Apple and developers, according to Frommer sought in an attempt to improve the quality of available applications IOS improve. Itself is not new that Apple invites developers already familiar with new software. This company has done repeatedly in the past, especially in the run up to the presentation of a large IOS update.The timing is also quite logical. Next month there will be a major release of the IOS operating system in the form of IOS 4.2 update, specifically for the iPaduser interest. Since you will also alter the iPad the long-awaited decision on April IOS features such as multitasking, leaflets and the universal inbox in Mail. Moreover, then all devices on the same IOS software.In AppAdvice think they do differently. They believe that this encounter between Apple and developers intended for only one thing: preparing for the de
velopment of applications for the new Apple TV, which runs on IOS 4.1.
Earlier it appeared that subsequent easy to install iPhone applications are.Who participates in this event, the scale and Apple will share what information is still unknown. It is also the question of whether Apple after the iPod event in September and the Back to the Mac event earlier this month next month third press conference will insert for the release of IOS 4.2 and then cover probably some IOS 4.2 apps will demonstrate.
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Canon has released their financials for the full year of 2022. Things are going well all things considered. I guess the YouTubers continue to be wrong about the market.
From Canon Financials
As for the camera market, despite concerns that consumer spending will decline, the
demand of users, which mainly consists of professionals and enthusiasts – people that enjoy
taking still images and videos – remained rock solid. Thanks to this, and the launch of new
mirrorless cameras by manufacturers, the market grew to 5.85 million units in 2022, which is
also the market size we expect in 2023.
In December of 2022, we launched the EOS R6 Mark II, a full-frame mirrorless camera. This
model offers high performance in both still-image and video capture, featuring, among
others, enhanced autofocus functions, including subject detection, high-speed continuous
shooting of up to approximately 40 frames per second, and high-quality 4K video recording.
In 2023, the new products that we launched last year will contribute to sales throughout the
year. In addition to this, to facilitate our aim of 2.9 million unit sales this year, we plan to
further strengthen our EOS R series lineup by, for example, introducing models that will
broaden our base of interchangeable-lens camera users
As for RF lenses, last year we added 7 new models to our lineup which now consists of 33
lenses. Going forward as well, we will continue to expand our RF lens lineup in order to meet
the diverse shooting needs of our users

domain: news


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Martin SFP BryantFounder
Martin SFP Bryant is the founder of UK startup newsletter PreSeed Now and technology and media consultancy Big Revolution. He was previously Martin SFP Bryant is the founder of UK startup newsletter PreSeed Now and technology and media consultancy Big Revolution. He was previously Editor-in-Chief at TNW.
The virtual gifts market is reportedly worth $1bn and with the holiday season approaching one UK start-up is bringing the idea to the iPhone.
Little World Gifts is an iPhone/iPod Touch app that allows users to send each other virtual gifts.
There’s a twist though; unlike traditional virtual gifts that are little more than a picture of an item, Little World’s gifts are 3D rendered items. What’s more, thanks to multitouch you can scale and rotate the gifts as you wish, making them seem a little more like something of value.
The ‘3D gifts’ idea really does have the effect of making the gifts appear more ‘valuable’. While Facebook’s virtual gifts may have got boring, these 3D gifts feel a bit more valuable. A nice touch is that if scale the image too large it bumps against the glass of your screen (complete with a sound effect), increasing the idea of the gift being real.
Little World Gifts uses iPhone OS 3.0’s in-app purchase capability to allow gifts to be bought using your iTunes account from within the app. Facebook Connect is used to allow you to select a recipient for a gift from your Facebook friends list. Push notifications are used to notify you when a new gift arrives.
Little World Gifts is the brainchild of a six-strong Liverpool-based team including Katie Lips and Jonathan Deamer, two people well-known in the UK for their tech-industry smarts. It shows – although initially aimed at the Christmas 2009 market, the idea of 3D gifts sitting on a shelf within the app could really take off.
Seasonal special items, limited edition items, marketing tie-ins with big brands… it’s all possible with this app if the public take to it.
Little World Gifts launches worldwide in the iTunes App Store in December.
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McDonald's said Wednesday it plans to open restaurants in Kazakhstan for the first time next year.
Kazakhstan is the Oak Brook burger giant's 120th global market. The first McDonald's restaurant in Kazakhstan is expected to open during the second half of 2015.
The chain didn't say how many locations it plans to open in the country. Worldwide, it has 35,000 restaurants. More than 80 percent of those are owned an operated by independent local businesspeople.
McDonald's opened its first restaurant in Vietnam in February.


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Back in March of this year, Silent Circle officially unveiled the Blackphone 2, a souped-up version of the original device that still focuses primarily on security and encryption.
Now Silent Circle has another announcement to make: The Blackphone 2, when it launches later this year, will officially support Android for Work, which allows individuals the option to use their own Android-based device as their work handset by separating their work apps from the personal options installed on the handset. With Android for Work, users will also be able to keep their work profile completely separate from their personal one, making sure that all of the data is segregated accordingly.
Considering the focus on security that the Blackphone 2 offers, its inclusion with Android for Work is not that big of a surprise. Still, it’s a good bullet point for Silent Circle to promote as the launch of the handset gets ever closer. As a refresher, the Blackphone 2 features a 5.5-inch display with a resolution of 1920×1080, with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 octa-core processor under the hood. It boasts 3GB of RAM and a battery measured in at 3060mAh. On the back, there’s a 13-megapixel camera, with a 5MP front-facing shooter on the other side. It’ll run Silent OS over Android. Silent Circle has previously said the device will retail for $629.
On another note, Google has recently announced that its laundry list of businesses and other entities that support Android for Work has grown significantly, with the inclusion of 40 more companies, ranging from wireless carriers, app makers, manufacturers and more.
That includes the likes of AT&T, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, Sprint, Bell Canada, Rogers, and others.


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CD Projekt has outlined its plans for GWENT and opened up about the project’s future, which doesn’t look bright at all. The company will stop making new content for its CCG after 2023. But does it mean the game will soon die?
Sove and Ulula, GWENT art
During the latest GWENT World Masters event, CD Projekt senior community manager Paweł Burza and GWENT game director Vladimir Tortsov introduced the game’s roadmap for 2023 and 2024.
Here are some key takeaways:
- CDPR plans to release 72 new cards next year — the pool will be closed after that, i.e. the company won’t introduce any new cards starting in 2024;
- In 2023, the team wants to focus on balance patches to make as many archetypes viable as possible (“viable” means that players can execute their game plan using a certain deck that doesn’t always have to be a competitive / Meta one);
- By 2024, CD Projekt will provide the community with a set of in-game tools called “Gwentfinity” so players can make their own card fixes and decide which direction the game should go balance-wise;
- There will be only two official esports events next year — no Opens, just two World Masters (their prize pools remain undisclosed). After that, the competitive history of GWENT will come to an end;
- The company also wants to introduce a new progression system (with special achievements and rewards) to motivate players to return to GWENT even after its competitive part is over.
What is Gwentfinity?
Gwentfinity (Gwent + Infinity) is the name the developers used to describe the tool that will be built into GWENT next year. It should allow the community to make their own balance changes with no extra coding or modding.
Right now, there are 1546 cards in GWENT. Add in the 12 new cards that are coming to the game this week and the 72 planned for 2023, and you will get a pool of 1630 cards. The number won’t increase from that point, as CD Projekt believes that this will be enough to support all the mechanics and archetypes that it has ever planned for the game.
After the content support is over, players will be able to control the in-game balance, e.g. change the card’s provision / base power or its ability. It is hard to say exactly how Gwentfinity will work, but CD Projekt promised to provide more details soon.
There is a partial inspiration behind this feature: we see that the games, which are really sticking around for years or even decades are those that are in many ways driven by the community — be it modders or people making their own maps for strategies. I believe this is one of the features that has a great potential to have a great positive impact on the longevity of the project.
game director for GWENT
This is a pretty unconventional decision, especially given that no other major card game out there has given the reins to the community. While it is great to see that the company won’t kill GWENT and just shut down the servers, it is hard to imagine how the CCG could be supported by players just through balance changes alone, without new cards and new game modes.
How did the GWENT community react to the news?
Many viewers of CD Projekt’s Twitch channel were sad to hear the news. Plenty of people started typing “F” or “RIP”, expressing their belief that GWENT will come to an end in 2024.
At the moment of writing, the like/dislike ratio for the Roadmap video is also negative, with many people thanking the GWENT team and saying that all journeys end sooner or later.
Paweł Burza called the last seven years the best years of his professional career: “I’ll always look back at this time with a huge smile. Let’s make 2023 as epic as possible.”
Best memories tho! pic.twitter.com/pXI9tZfgF7
— Pawel Burza (@pawelburza) December 5, 2022
Magpie131, one of the most prominent players in the pro scene, said GWENT changed his life, also thanking the devs and community managers. “There is a quote that changed my view on certain things. It goes, ‘Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.’”
There is a quote that changed my view on a certain things. It goes “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened”. Gwent is the game that changed my life. I’ve met here one of the best people in my life. And even if I feel empty right now, I’m happy.
— magpie (@magpie_131) December 4, 2022
GWENT community manager Ryan Godric noted that players can expect more communication to address their questions as the game moves towards a “community driven future called GWENTfinity.”
Emotional GWENT day today. Lots of news to unpack. One more year of new card(-art❤)s and eSports events and then a community driven future called GWENTfinity.
You can expect more communication to address your questions as well.
Thanks everyone ❤
— Ryan Godric ☀ (@RyanGodric) December 4, 2022
Will GWENT die after 2023?
It is hard to answer this question right now. First, we still don’t know everything CD Projekt has planned for Gwentfinity. Second, GWENT has a relatively small yet strong community of players who are really passionate about the game.
If the core audience stays in the game and keeps playing with each other even after the competitive seasons are over, GWENT will live on for some time. If Gwentfinity and its features turn out to be really engaging and appealing to the players, the game won’t also fade away.
But there are way too many “Ifs” in this situation.
Of course, there are plenty of old games that stay relevant even decades after their launch. Take Heroes of Might and Magic III, which still has a huge player base and community tournaments. But CCGs are a whole different matter, as they are always in dire need of new content — especially given that CD Projekt never considered introducting rotation to GWENT — and developer support.
GWENT has probably become irrelevant for CD Projekt in terms of profitability. Last year, the company stated that the game had fully recouped its development costs. “Q3 2021 marks the last quarterly period during which depreciation of the original development expenses related to that game is carried out,” the report reads.
But the question is, was the money that GWENT generates enough to support it further?
According to AppMagic, the game has grossed only $11.9 million and reached over 8 million downloads on iOS and Android since 2019. However, it is hard to estimate its lifetime revenue across all platforms as GWENT still probably brings in the most money on PC.
GWENT’s top countries by revenue on mobile, according to AppMagic
As can be seen from the company’s financial reports, CD Projekt has significantly reduced the size of the GWENT team over the past year. More people are now getting involved in the production of the next Witcher game, not to mention other titles CDPR has in its pipeline.
The size of the GWENT team from December 31, 2021 to October 31, 2022
From just a business standpoint, discontinuing content support seems like the right decision. But it is always sad to see games with unique mechanics fall into oblivion. So it is interesting to see what this community-driven future holds for GWENT.


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One of the main selling points for a notebook featuring Thunderbolt 3 was its ability to support and connect eGPU solutions. The extra graphical power could come in handy while rendering a video, playing a game, etc., but today Apple announced that the latest M1 Mac doesn’t support these solutions even though they feature Thunderbolt ports.
All the three M1 Mac models, M1 MacBook Air, the M1 MacBook Pro, or the M1 Mac mini doesn’t support eGPU. This was discovered by checking each product’s technical specifications and realizing that Blackmagic eGPU isn’t mentioned, which is Apple’s preferred external GPU enclosure. Now the question arises that how will users increase Mac’s graphical power.?
During the presentation, Apple claimed that there 5nm M1 chip features the world’s fastest integrated graphics solution. This is good news, but consumers who require extra graphics power will expect that the Macs will soon feature a dedicated GPU. A tipster believes that Apple may take years to launch a dedicated chip for customers.
However, Apple is reportedly working on a desktop-class A14T chip for the upcoming iMac, so you should be hopeful as Apple is developing a dedicated GPU. On the other hand, Apple’s integrated graphic solutions are pretty good as the previously leaked OpenCL test show that the A12Z Bionic outperforms both the Ryzen 5 4500U and Core i7-1065G7 iGPUs hence we can expect the M1 GPU to be more powerful.
If A12Z Bionic is capable of running Final Cut Pro and editing three streams of 4K Pro Res video that too on a 6K Pro Display XDR, then why can’t the M1’s 8-core GPU perform better.


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Consumers in South Carolina who filed fraud complaints with the Federal Trade Commission in 2019 received $1,734,530 in refund checks.
Data released from the Federal Trade Commission shows S.C. residents filed 44,526 complaints with the commission in 2019, with the most common category of complaint being identity theft. Leading complaints filed in S.C. also included impostor scams, debt collection, credit reporting issues, and banks and lenders, according to a news release from the commission.
Nationwide, the most common type of fraud reported to the FTC in 2019 was impostor scams. Government impostor scams were the most frequently reported and increased by more than 50% from 2018. Other leading categories include identity theft, telephone and mobile services, online shopping, and credit bureaus.
State consumers filing claims reported losing $16,133,990 to scams and fraud. Nationwide, nearly 2 million consumers cashed FTC refund checks as a result of law enforcement cases.
In 2019, the federal commission’s Consumer Sentinel Network database received 3.2 million reports from consumers, private partners and law enforcement agencies. Nearly 1.7 million of those reports involved fraud and identity theft.
Consumers reported losing more than $1.9 billion in fraud in 2019, with nearly $667 million lost to impostor scams.
The FTC investigates consumer protection issues to stop illegal activities and provide refunds to customers when possible. In the past four years, more than $1 billion in refund checks have been cashed by consumers.o


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From a bottle made of cornstarch that is completely biodegradable to a varnish with a warm feel and self-heating and self-chilling materials, the future looks bright for smart or environmentally friendly products. Trish Lorenz reports on the latest innovations
In the 1960s, when US space agency Nasa was set the almost impossible task of landing a man on the moon, the organisation quickly realised it needed new materials able to cope with the stresses and demands of space flight.
In response, manufacturers delivered a whole host of innovations in materials development – Teflon is perhaps the most famous – which the rest of us have been making the most of across packaging and product design ever since.
And, though we’re no longer bent on conquering space, recent developments, in particular environmental concerns and the rise of nanotechnology, are once again radically altering the type of materials packaging designers can employ.
Environmental issues have been driving some of the most interesting developments in materials, with fully biodegradable substances now coming to market. Innocent Drinks, which trades on its ethical credentials, is launching its first fully biodegradable bottle in September. Made of cornstarch, this plastic-like substance reverts to plant matter when discarded.
‘We are always looking for the most natural and sustainable solution,’ says Innocent packaging technologist Stuart Allen. ‘The new bottle will be made from a 100 per cent renewable cornstarch. There are no oil-based products in it, which means it is 100 per cent biodegradable.’
Aesthetically, the bottle is very similar to existing products, and Allen believes consumers will not necessarily recognise the difference. ‘It’s slightly more yellow and a bit softer. But, in terms of branding and graphics, we haven’t lost any quality. In fact, it’s giving better results,’ he says.
Other environmentally driven innovations are seeing manufacturers develop alternatives to PVC, in particular for food items, where there are concerns about the chemical migrating into the product. Dan Abramowicz, president of packaging technology at Crown, one of the world’s largest materials manufacturers, says the company is working on an elastomer sealant that will enable baby food manufacturers to dispense with the PVC linings currently in use.
But material innovation is also going beyond the worthy to the practical. Crown, for example, is working with clients to create self-heating and self-chilling materials, which are able to heat or cool products. This is achieved either through chemical reactions or exploiting the temperature effects of vacuums. Bloom design director Toby Wilson says smart packaging – materials that can respond to a product’s environment – are where the future lies.
The group has recently designed packaging for Diageo’s Quinn’s, a lower alcohol and fruit juice blend aimed at women and one of its biggest launches in recent years. It uses a specially designed laminate (applied over a glass bottle), which reduces the amount of light penetrating to the product and thereby lengthening its shelf life. This is only the very early precursor of much more significant developments, says Wilson.
Smart packaging materials will be able to react to chemicals that the product releases as it ages, and then take action to rebalance the pack’s internal environment and extend shelf life, he adds. ‘Manufacturers are actively developing materials that are able to monitor both the environment and the product, and then manipulate the internal environment to help keep products fresh.’
Nanotechnology, another futuristic concept, is also throwing up some interesting ideas for designers to consider. PI Global partner Steve Kelsey points to materials developed by the US military as having obvious commercial applications.
‘It has already developed a material that has such tiny holes that it allows water to penetrate, but is too small for bacteria to ‹ access. At the moment, it’s only the military that can afford to use it, but there are so many possible applications for commercial use that it will commercialise fairly quickly,’ he says, predicting consumers will reap the benefits within five years.
While packaging may initially have been designed to ensure product quality, today it clearly plays a heavy branding role too, something not lost on designers who recognise the opportunity to use innovative materials to extend brand equity on pack.
Both Wilson and Kelsey point to the development of paper-thin, organic, light-emitting diodes (known as OLEDs) as a major advance. Much less costly to make than traditional LCD displays and more flexible in composition, they can be wrapped and used on packaging and could enable brands to project moving images on pack. Manufacturers like Siemens in Germany are among those developing this technology.
According to Wilson, colour displays will be evident on higher- end products within the next couple of years. ‘The technology is limited to a small number of individual frames at the moment and won’t be cost-effective for most products initially,’ he says. ‘But, in the future, this type of technology could enable brands to run ad campaigns on packaging.’
At a more prosaic level, unusual finishes that can be applied to existing materials are also being developed. For instance, Corus has created a very thin, polymer-coated material that can be applied over steel and contain holographic images. The material has already been tested – it was first used by champagne brand Nicolas Feuillatte last year.
Crown, meanwhile, has created Soft Touch, a varnish that gives metal products an unexpected warm, tactile and gentle feel, and has also developed a pearlescent silvery finish, first applied by Philippe Starck to a limited edition beer can for Kronenbourg 1664, which raises the humble aluminium can to new heights.
It seems there’s plenty of innovation in the offing and, while devising inventive new packaging is hardly the same challenge as landing a man on the moon, Kelsey believes designers need to take Nasa’s forward-thinking approach and challenge manufacturers to continue to deliver groundbreaking materials.
‘It’s about time designers started to consider materials more seriously,’ says Kelsey. ‘Designers tend to accept the materials that are given to them. They should push back on manufacturers and tell them what needs to be achieved. Manufacturers like Eastman Chemical Company are very innovative and want to develop new things, but designers aren’t taking them up on their offer.’


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Tesla to Begin Rolling Out Next-Gen Autopilot Starting Today
Bringing the newest Teslas a little closer to that self-driving future Elon Musk has promised.
A handful of next-generation Autopilot features are trickling into some Tesla vehicles today through an over-the-air software update, according to CEO Elon Musk, with widespread adoption of the technology possible by week's end.
The software update introduces a few more Enhanced Autopilot features to 1,000 vehicles, and will operate in "shadow mode" for the rest of the fleet to gather additional data. If all goes well, Musk wrote on Twitter, the software will switch into "active mode" for the entire fleet by the end of the week.
The update brings adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, and speed-restricted Autosteer to vehicles equipped with Version 2 of the hardware pack (a.k.a. HW2) that was introduced last October. A Twitter follower asked if the update would enable Model S vehicles equipped with HW2 to use Autosteer at highway speeds, and Musk replied, "Longitudinal control will, but lateral (steering) control will cap at 35 mph for a bit longer. Will raise after full fleet data rolls in."
This means that the electric luxury sedans and SUVs will receive adaptive cruise control, but won't be able to change lanes at speeds higher than 35 mph until the company compiles more test data from the entire fleet. Although vehicles equipped with hardware pack 2 have more cameras and sensors that those with hardware pack version 1, they currently enjoy fewer autopilot capabilities.
However, incremental software updates are introducing more features to bring them in line with hardware version 1-equipped vehicles as they become validated by the auto manufacturers, and eventually will be able to offer full autonomous driving, according to Tesla. In what may be a response to Faraday Future's recent video comparing the FF 91 to the Model S, the software update also introduces Ludicrous+, which drops the the 0-60 mph time for the Tesla P100D to 2.4 seconds, according to Gizmodo. The 0-60 mph time for the FF 91 is 2.39 seconds, according to FF.
Software version 8.1 of Tesla's automotive operating system was originally expected to roll out fleet-wide (including to cars running earlier hardware) by the end of 2016, but has yet to be released. Musk recently tweeted that he expects the roll-out to be complete by the end of this month.


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Pharma Tech Industries Honored by Large Pharma Company
Pharma Tech Industries (PTI) has been selected as the Best Overall Supplier by one of the world’s five largest pharmaceutical companies. A pharmaceutical contract manufacturer and packager of powder products, PTI is one of 67 contract manufacturing organizations in the company’s supplier network.
“This recognition is a particularly satisfying one, because it lets us know – and from a very influential, discerning customer no less – that as PTI grows we have not sacrificed quality, customer service, or any other aspect of doing things the right way,” said Edward T. Noland, Chairman of Pharma Tech Industries, in a press release. “This is as much a validation of our focused, incremental growth as it is a ringing endorsement from one of the biggest and best pharmaceutical companies in the world.”
PTI reports that several criteria were considered, including quality, customer service (case fill rate), supplier collaboration, responsiveness to client needs, inventory management, and financial collaboration.
PTI currently serves more than a dozen clients in two cGMP facilities located in Royston, GA, and Union, MO. It produces more than 300 SKUs of powders and effervescent and solid dose products along with cotton swabs and injection-molded components. PTI has recently introduced stick pack packaging capabilities and just built its ninth pharmaceutical-grade cleanroom.
For more information, visit www.pharma-tech.com.


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DHL released its digital retail app “AFRICA eSHOP” in April 2019, bringing more than 20 countries.
U.K. and U.S. retailers online in markets across the continent. Nigerian startup MallforAfrica is supporting their platform operation by providing white-label fulfillment service, Link Commerce, and Nigeria’s Paga and Kenya’s M-Pesa also supporting in terms of payment options.
DHL declined to comment on its competition with Jumia, but The news of DHL Africa eShop’s expansion comes one month after its rival in the Africa region, Jumia, went public.
Jumia was founded in 2012, operates consumer retail and online service verticals in 14 African countries, raising more than $200 million in an NYSE IPO. It also became the first African unicorn startup in 2016 following a $326 funding round.
E-commerce startups have captured the attention of investors looking to tap Africa’s growing consumer markets. According to McKinsey & Company's research, consumer spending on the continent to reach $2.1 trillion by 2025, with e-commerce accounting for up to 10%.
Kenyan B2B agri-tech startup Taimba, which operates a mobile-based cashless platform connecting rural smallholder farmers to urban retailers, has raised $100K in funding to strengthen its infrastructure and increase delivery logistics to cater to new markets.
Taimba sources agricultural products directly from farmers and delivers directly to informal greengrocers, schools, hospitals and restaurants within Nairobi, removing the middlemen and shrinking the agricultural value chain.
They currently has over 2,000 farmers in their portfolio, and engage with 15 farmer savings and credit cooperatives (SACCOs) selling products such as potatoes, tomatoes, cabbages and carrots on one side.
On the other side, they have more than 300 customers, and they have now secured funding in order to grow into six more markets in Nairobi.
The US$100,000 investment comes from US-based impact investor “Gray Matters Capital” under its gender lens portfolio GMC coLABS.
The funding marks the fourth investment by the impact investor in Africa, after Rwanda’s ARED, Ghana’s Redbird, and Nigeria’s SonoCare.
It has also supported Kenya’s MumsVillage and Sierra Leone’s Mosabi as part of its global digital accelerator programme GMC Calibrator, earlier this year.
Dominique Kavuisya, Taimba’s co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) said as follws;
“This is a validation of the work which we have been doing and the impact on-ground delivering value to vendors and farmers through our mobile platform. The funding is a shot in the arm for us to strengthen our warehouse infrastructure by setting up cold storage facilities and also our delivery logistics so that we can cater to six new markets within Nairobi”.
The startup is also planning to pilot in Mombasa and Kisumu by next year and will also look at introducing new products such as fruits, nuts and eggs as part of its farm product catalogue.
Reference : Disrupt Africa
Kenyan Logistics Startup ”Sendy” got a new deal with “KAM”, the Kenya Association of Manufacturers to reduce transportation cost for Kenyan manufacturers.
Sendy is the Kenyan startup offering online logistics application connecting customers with Drivers to help deliver stuffs.
Transportation cost in Kenya is relatively high when compared to developed countries with well organized road and commercial vehicles’ network.
Under such situation in Kenya, Sendy will target manufacturers doing big load cargo deliveries countrywide.
“Part of KAM’s goal to our members is to enhance market access for products, locally and globally, and to grow exports by 33 percent by 2019. By partnering with Sendy to offer logistics education and knowledge to our members, we believe it will add value and help the members reduce their logistics costs,” KAM boss Phyllis Wakiaga said at an event held at the Nairobi Serena Hotel.
Under the deal, manufacturers can opt to use pick-ups, vans and trucks from Sendy’s platform.
Customers pay 1,500KES (15USD) for up to five kilometres covered on Sendy’s platform while a three-tonne truck costs 5,900KES (59USD), 6,500KES (65USD) for five tonnes and 7,600KES (76USD) for deliveries by a 10 -tonne truck for up to 20 kilometres.
Sendy will also train more than 200 manufacturers on how to cut down their logistics costs through the use of technology under the new deal with KAM.


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Technology has ushered in some of the most astounding developments that would have been impossible to predict in advance. Its evolution has expanded the digital world and our concept of a digital identity.
While streaming platforms are quite common today, the idea was unthinkable mere decades ago. However, just like some people believed tech behemoths would dominate our markets after the Internet, some are now turning to the Metaverse to predict the new world order.
In his 1992 novel Snow Crash, writer Neal Stephenson introduced the concept of the Metaverse for the first time. It is a vision of a social media platform that blurs the distinction between physical and virtual worlds. Big tech companies such as Epic Games, Microsoft, Nvidia, and even digital asset exchanges such as Phemex have come out in support of the Metaverse.
It is predicted that in the coming decade, tens of billions of dollars will be invested into the metaverse narrative. With the popularity of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and concepts of digital ownership taking shape, the blockchain will likely play a big part.
A Whole World on the Horizon
People often use movies like ‘The Matrix’ and ‘Ready Player One’ as analogies to help them understand what the Metaverse is becoming. All of them are, however, merely speculations, as no one knows what the Metaverse has in store.
The Metaverse is already gaining traction in blockchain spheres, touted by some as the “next big thing.” Digital transactions on distributed networks are the ideal means to transfer value in digital societies, and as DLT continues to improve digital ownership and trading, it’s all but certain the Metaverse will be built on Web3.
Backed by Blockchain
Phemex has gained a lot of traction and has become one of the world’s most popular trading platforms for crypto-derivatives. The CEO of Phemex, Jack Tao, spoke about the emergence of the Metaverse at the World Blockchain Summit 2021 in Dubai.
The Metaverse, according to Tao, will open up a slew of ways to connect with the virtual world that are even more disruptive than the Internet – a space where people can create anything without the intervention of a trusted, central authority. He went on to say that NFTs are huge milestones for both blockchain proponents and supporters of the metaverse narrative.
“NFTs are here to stay, not because some NFTs have sold for millions of dollars, but because countless NFTs have been sold for smaller amounts. This shows that digital collectibles aren’t just for whales and that they are heading in the direction of adoption by the general populace,” he said.
Phemex sees a world where people can do whatever they put their minds to. The exchange is now running a ‘Choose Your Reality’ campaign, which includes the ‘Dream With Phemex’ event. To commemorate its second anniversary, Phemex is urging its users to upload their goals and aspirations in written or video form. They will then announce a few special winners whose submitted dreams will be made into reality using a 2 BTC fund.
The Metaverse will need a wide range of technologies, innovations, and protocols to reach its full potential, and it won’t happen all at once. Instead, as these technologies become more accessible, the Metaverse will gradually emerge over time. Phemex has released their newest brand film as well as a viral campaign called “Into the Metaverse.” With more viral shares of the promotional video, users will be able to receive large sums of cryptocurrency and bonuses.
Phemex’s most recently released brand video showcases how the world has evolved to become more digital, open, and free. However, this framework for technology should be applied for money as well. While the Metaverse’s overarching goal is still difficult to articulate, the parts are starting to fit into place as the virtual world becomes more lifelike than ever before.


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The EU must continue its efforts to reduce consumption of materials and generation of waste to achieve a more circular economy according to the European Commission’s revised Circular Economy monitoring framework published.
Circular economy: Faster progress needed to meet EU resource-efficiency targets, ensure sustainable use of materials and enhance strategic autonomy
The EU must continue its efforts to reduce consumption of materials and generation of waste to achieve a more circular economy according to the European Commission’s revised Circular Economy monitoring framework published today.
The revised framework helps to better track progress in the transition to a circular economy in the EU and considers how it can contribute to climate neutrality, resilience and global sustainability.
The revised monitoring framework for circular economy includes new indicators, such as material footprint and resource productivity. These indicators monitor the material efficiency of the EU’s production and consumption system. It also includes new indicators to measure progress towards the waste prevention targets. All these are key building blocks of a circular and zero-pollution economy. In addition, the framework monitors the contribution of a circular economy to sustainability, climate neutrality and resilience, by taking account of the consumption footprint, greenhouse gas emissions from production activities, material imports dependency and EU self-sufficiency for critical raw materials.
The data show that while EU production has become more resource-efficient, EU consumption of materials remains very high and needs to decrease in the future. In 2020, each European was responsible for 35 kg of plastic packaging waste, a 25% increase from 2010. The EU is managing waste more sustainably, but large differences among Member States remain and major efforts are needed to improve the management of some waste streams, in particular plastics.
Despite some improvements in circularity, the EU economy is still mostly linear, with secondary materials accounting for less than 12% of all materials used in the EU economy. Trade in secondary raw materials is increasing both within the EU and with non-EU countries. For many specialty metals and rare-earth elements (such as lithium, gallium and neodymium), the end-of-life recycling input rate is around 1%, while end-of-life recycling rates reach 16% for nickel and 22% for cobalt, both of which are raw materials used in batteries.
In recent years, circular economy sectors have become more innovative and grown in terms of investments, value added, and jobs. In the EU, private investments in specific economic sectors relevant to the circular economy amounted to EUR 121.6 billion in 2021, equivalent to 0.8% of the EU’s GDP. The sectors employed 4.3 million people, an increase of 11% compared with 2015, while the added value in the circular-economy sectors increased by 27% to reach around EUR 299 billion.
EU greenhouse gas emissions from production activities decreased by around 25% in 2008-2021, showing that the transition to a circular economy plays an important role in meeting climate neutrality. However, the EU’s consumption footprint increased by 4% between 2010 and 2021 and has led to impacts which are crossing certain planetary boundaries.
Monitoring progress towards a circular economy is essential to assess the effectiveness of EU policies and measures, and to identify best practices for circularity. In 2018, the Commission adopted an EU monitoring framework for the circular economy to measure progress in the EU and its Member States, based on available data from official European sources. It included ten indicators covering key aspects of circular economy and the priorities of the 2015 circular economy action plan, addressing production and consumption, waste management, secondary materials and competitiveness and innovation.
As announced in the circular economy action plan of 2020, the Commission has revised the circular economy monitoring framework to ensure it responds to the latest circular economy priorities, taking better account of climate neutrality and other priorities of the European Green Deal. It also responds to the recommendations from other EU institutions and stakeholders.
The framework is consistent with the indicators used for monitoring progress towards the 8th Environment Action Programme objectives, the zero-pollution monitoring and outlook, the EU SDG indicators and the EU resilience dashboard.
Source: European Commission I Environnent (https://bit.ly/42R3Vmy)


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While many countries have included Electric Vehicles (EVs) as an element of transportation policy, their responses have varied according to their stage of economic development, energy resource endowments, technological capabilities, and political prioritization of responses to climate change.
In India, a particular set of circumstances which are conducive to a sustainable mobility paradigm have created an opportunity for accelerated adoption of EVs over Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles.
The move to electric mobility has always been the priority of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, including in its first tenure, keeping in mind India’s commitment to reduce its carbon footprint by a third from 2005 levels. India aims to achieve this target by 2030.
The Modi government’s massive and sustained push towards a switch to electric transportation could become a game changing in near future. It could also eliminate the dependency on fossil fuel powered vehicles and the air that we breathe will much less toxic.
The government’s focus on cleaning up the toxic air can be seen through its ambitious aim to install 175 GW of renewable energy by 2022. India has a renewable energy capacity of 74.79 GW with solar and wind power making up 25.21 GW and 35.14 GW respectively.
Battery Charging / Swapping Infrastructure
EV charging and battery swapping are two means for providing energy to a vehicle. EVs will proliferate as charging/swapping infrastructure is set up. India would recognize battery swapping and battery charging as addressing different segments of vehicles and two equally valid options that industry may choose to use.
Businesses that provide charging/swapping would be referred to as Energy Operators (EO). They would deploy slow and fast chargers at suitable locations for EVs. Similarly, they would purchase batteries, setup charging and swapping service and provide the charged batteries on lease for EVs.
Both the charging as well as swapping service would require that EVs have standard charging protocols to connect to a charger of swappable batteries and have a standardized connector.
EVs Charging Station Push in India
According to the Niti Aayog, today the ratio of public slow chargers and fast chargers deployed is about 5:1. EV industry, on getting cross-subsidy through coupons/credits, could support initial roll-out of the chargers. An attempt should be made to make all these deployed chargers self-sustainable in the financial sense at the earliest possible.
As the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) grows in India, so does the need for a network of fast charging stations. For all the people who are worrying about the charging facilities for their EVs, here is good news.
According to Tata’s subsidiary Tata AutoComp Systems, it has teamed up with Australia’s Tritium to supply direct current (DC) fast chargers for electric vehicles in India. The two companies have signed a MoU under which Tata AutoComp will soon make available Tritium’s DC Fast Chargers in India.
Tata Group Company will set up 2,700 fast charging stations in India which shall make electric vehicles more practical. Their aim is offer energy freedom—empowering electric vehicle (EV) owners to drive as far as they want, whenever they want, and enjoy unprecedented freedom in how they manage their energy needs.
Tritium is a DC charging Infrastructure Company providing chargers to the global automotive industry. Its Veefil-RT 50kW DC Fast Chargers are capable of charging full range of electric vehicles from two-wheelers, passenger vehicles to commercial vehicles.
The main objective of EV is to reduce harmful air pollution from exhaust, Green House Gas (GHG) emissions. We should look for complete ecosystem for EV, including recycling of used batteries.
Veefil RT 50KW DC Fast Charger
• Slim compact and stylish
• OCPP Integration
• Less Installation cost
• Small footprint can be easily installed anywhere
• Its liquid cooled
• Suitable in all weather conditions and locations
• Power- up to 50kW
• Supply input- 380-480 V AC30
• Supply Frequency- 50-60 Hz
• Operating Temperature- -35 to 50 degree Celsius
• Network Connection-3G and Gigabit Ethernet
• Electrical protection- Short circuit; Overvoltage: RCD
• DImensions2000(H) x 750(W) x 330(D) mm
• Freight-24 units per 20’ container
• Weight-165 kg
The charger is compact and is with OCPP Integration. It has minimal installation cost. Since it has a small footprint, it can be easily installed anywhere. It is liquid cooled and is suitable in all weather conditions and locations. Chargers are capable of charging full range of electric vehicles from two-wheeler, passenger vehicles to commercial vehicles.
Tritium, an Australia based technology company with a 20-year history of award-winning innovation in e-mobility and renewable energy develops ultra-fast DC electric car chargers, and has expanded operations in both Europe and America, has recently officially opened a new facility at its global headquarters in the east Brisbane suburb of Murarrie.
The company has brought its DC fast chargers to 26 countries so far. Last year, the company achieved an important milestone in Europe with a deal to provide the IONITY network with its Veefi-PK HPC systems. IONITY is a joint charging venture between Volkswagen, BMW, Ford, and Daimler. Tritium is also the official EV Charger supplier to India’s First E-Corridor Jaipur – Delhi – Agra through TATA as India Partner.
India has a lot to gain by converting its ICE vehicles to EVs at the earliest. Its oil-import bill would considerably reduce. ICE vehicles are a major contributor to pollution in cities and their replacement with EVs will definitely improve air quality.
Installing the fast charging for EVs is the most logical area where we need the Charging Station Networks (CSN) across the India as the base infrastructure for sustainable transportation to achieve better health and in turn helps our environment.


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The PR firm and pretzel chain exemplify how to garner results on social media.
Speaking with agency founder and Chief Brand Strategist Nick Powills, the Journal detailed how quick thinking and social media ingenuity came together to create the perfect brand moment. Once news of Tim Tebow’s signing to the Philadelphia Eagles started to spread, No Limit and Philly Pretzel put their heads together and created a pretzel in Tebow’s signature pose, a picture of which the agency posted to social media.
“We never expected the picture to go viral the way it did,” said Dan DiZio, CEO and co-founder of Philly Pretzel Factory, a 140-plus-unit pretzel chain born and bred in Philadelphia. “We have huge hometown pride here at Philly Pretzel Factory, and we wanted to celebrate Tim Tebow’s signing with the Eagles. What better way to say ‘welcome’ than with his very own pretzel?”
The rest, as they say, is history.
“The Facebook posting was all it took for word of the Tim Tebowing pretzel stunt to start spreading like the proverbial wildfire,” Chicago Business Journal reporter Lewis Lazare said. “Within two hours, the image had gotten 705 tweets and 446 likes on Facebook. ESPN was among the early tweeters of the news. Other news organizations began to pick up on the Tebowing pretzel news through social media channels.”
Soon everyone’s favorite pretzel was showing up in The Washington Post, USA Today, CBS News, Sports Illustrated, Today and more.
Social media is changing. We all know this. It is now more important than ever to ensure your social moments also carry over to traditional media,” Powills said. “The traditional media now covers viral moments, in that they are waiting for fun tidbits to lighten up their news and engage with their audiences. With the Philly Pretzel Tebow moment, they can now ride out all of the traditional media buzz, as well.”
Read the full story here.


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Ather Energy begins delivery of Ather 450X in Coimbatore and Trichy
Indian electric scooter manufacturer Ather Energy has started to deliver Ather 450X in two more cities. The company issued a statement today, saying the 450X electric scooters can now be received or booked for test-rides in Coimbatore and Trichy.
With a strong footprint already in Chennai, Ather Energy has now expanded to three cities in Tamil Nadu, where its facility is located.
Along with test rides, Ather Energy is also going to offer experience centres in the next couple of weeks where people of Coimbatore and Trichy can learn about the features of the vehicle and understand different ownership and purchase models on offer.
To cope up with the growing demand, Ather Energy has already set up five fast-charging points Ather Grids in Coimbatore and two fast-charging points in Trichy. The company assured that there will be more charging points in the coming months in both cities. So far, the electric two-wheeler manufacturer has already set up more than 120 public fast charging points across 18 cities in India.
Also check these Bikes
Ravneet Singh Phokela, Chief Business Officer at Ather Energy, said, "Tamil Nadu as a market has shown us immense potential, taking our count to 3 cities in the state. Due to multiple government interventions, the awareness and acceptance of EVs have been higher in TN compared to any other state. The dealer responses were truly commendable, which was one of the main reasons to begin operations in Coimbatore and Trichy earlier than planned. Rajdurai's E-Vehicles Pvt Ltd and Vela Automobiles Pvt. Ltd. have been of great help and support in expediting the process. We will soon open our Experience Centers in these cities, meanwhile, consumers can enjoy the test-rides and pre-order the 450X."
The Ather 450X is powered with a 6kW PMSM motor, a new 2.9 kWh lithium-ion battery, and comes with 4 riding modes. In addition to Eco, Ride, and Sport, Ather has introduced a new high-performance mode, 'Warp'. Ather 450X can go from zero to 40 kmph in just 3.3 sec in Warp mode, making it the quickest scooter in the 125cc category. The Ather 450X can also charge 50% faster than before at 1.5-km per minute, making it the fastest charging rate in the electric two-wheeler category.
Ather 450X also has a 4G SIM card and Bluetooth connectivity, allowing riders to manage phone calls and music on the touchscreen dashboard. The new 7-inch touchscreen dashboard comes with a Snapdragon Quad-Core processor. It utilises Android Open Source to offer Google map navigation, on-board diagnostics, and other unique features like Over-the-air updates.
The ex-showroom price for the Ather 450X is ₹1,60,796 in Coimbatore and Trichy.


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Plus, there are more than a dozen new releases from Jack Daniel’s, Jim Beam, Compass Box, Aberfeldy, Rosebank, and many more.
Archive: Whisky Weekend
Plus, Blackened launches a barrel-proof blend, several fresh Irish whiskeys hit the U.S., and new bottled in bond bourbons are rolling out now.
Plus, new releases from Angel’s Envy, Bruichladdich, Barrell, Orphan Barrel, and more are coming out now.
Plus, Old Forester celebrates its 150th anniversary, Macallan wraps up the Edition Series, and 10 more new whiskies are hitting shelves.
Plus, apple brandy-finished Japanese whiskies, a special Compass Box blend, high-scoring barrel-proof bourbon, 18 year old scotch, and more new bottles all hit shelves.
Plus, Old Fitzgerald 14 year old rolls out, Rabbit Hole debuts a barrel-proof rye, and another Kilchoman USA-exclusive peaty single malt is on its way.
Plus, Freddie Noe reveals his fourth Little Book, India’s first triple-distilled single malt debuts, and new Islay and Highlands scotches are hitting the U.S.
Plus, check out new bourbon, rye, and single malt from Bardstown Bourbon Co., Chattanooga Whiskey, Crater Lake, Rogue, and more.


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Amex teaming up for a slice of RBS
American Express and private equity firm Permira have entered the fray for RBS's £2.5bn payment processing division with a joint bid proposal.
Sources said they are just one of many bidders interested in the unit, which was put up for sale last year.
French software firm Atos Origin is thought to have teamed up with CVC Capital Partners and Welsh Carson Anderson & Stowe to put in an offer.
Amex is just one of many bidders interested in the unit, which was put up for sale last year
RBS, 83pc controlled by the taxpayer, must make a number of disposals under the terms of a European Commission ruling because it received a government bailout.
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apple has rebranded itunes podcasts as apple podcasts.
apple podcasts is the best place to discover audio stories that entertain, inform, and inspire. millions of people worldwide listen every day and are looking for their next favorite show. clear, effective marketing helps you reach an even bigger audience.
apple has provided a new badge and icon; as well as some marketing guidelines at the link below...
The Great Places To Find News and Articles Worth Reading On The Web.
klepy is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on klepy.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms.
Science News online features daily news, blogs, feature stories, reviews and more in all disciplines of science, as well as Science News magazine archives.


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Apple macOS Big Sur update ‘bricking’ old MacBook Pro laptops
Tech giant to unveil radical plans at upcoming conference
The best laptops might not actually be laptops.
HP HAS launched a bunch of new portable PC devices and leather makes an...
Kids playing way too much Fortnite? It could become their day job
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The Microsoft Surface Pro 3 has been hailed as a tablet and laptop in one.
Finding superior equipment requires plenty of research
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Electronic Arts may be expanding its empire with a big buyout of social games developer Playfish, the UK-headquartered company that makes games for Facebook, MySpace, iPhone and Android. Cost to EA is rumored to be a quarter billion bucks.
Valve isn't the only developer makes moves to expand this week, as French publisher Ubisoft has acquired Nadeo, the also French developers responsible for the wildly popular TrackMania racing game series.
The Wall Street Journal has some advice — we're guessing unsolicited — for Walt Disney CEO Robert Iger: Maybe it's time to buy Electronic Arts. Why? Well, the price might be right (right now) given that EA's stock has taken a pretty serious hit lately, partly due to general economic turmoil and on second quarter…


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Image: This is Us, NBC
In this era of Peak TV, standing out from the crowd of content is more difficult than ever. The number of scripted series has grown 7% from last year to 487 titles, according to research by FX. In addition, the number of platforms that these shows appear on has also increased dramatically over the last few years. The most recent players in the SVOD market are tech juggernauts Facebook and Apple, both of which have a $1 billion budget for content in 2018.
However, this spend will be dwarfed by Netflix’s estimated $8 billion content spend in 2018, which will be used in part to grow their original content catalog to over 700 titles. This budget makes Netflix’s spend comparable with the 2017 budget of Fox, Time Warner, or Disney. with SVOD platforms spending as much as traditional media companies, the proliferation of content will not be slowing down this year.
With the presence of such big brands and big budgets in the industry space, do traditional broadcasters still have a fighting chance of standing out? Broadcasters still have the advantage of reach: while Netflix has 55 million US subscribers and pay TV has about 94 million subscribers, broadcast can reach about 300 million people, over 90% of the population. However, this does not guarantee views, as shown by the fact that viewership of scripted series has been falling for years.
With increased consumer choices, broadcast networks have made changes in order to compete. To attract audiences who are now used to uninterrupted streaming on platforms like Netflix, Fox and NBC have plans to reduce the number of ads in primetime. Broadcast channels are also going to where the audiences are with online catch-up services on their websites; CBS has expanded this idea to a full SVOD platform, anchored by Star Trek: Discovery. These changes have expanded how they monetize their content, but for this content to succeed it must reach and appeal to an audience. Broadcast titles have the reach, but are they sufficiently popular to appeal to a large audience?
To find out, the demand for original content on broadcast, pay TV, premium pay TV, and SVOD platforms was averaged over quarter 1 in 2016, 2017, and 2018, normalized to the most popular segment:
Titles on premium pay TV channels are most popular on average: as these channels rely on subscriptions to operate, it makes sense that they need the most popular content to justify their price. SVOD platforms also need subscriptions but have a larger, broader catalog of content, driving views by appealing to a range of audiences. Pay TV channels take this idea to an extreme: content on each channel are designed to appeal specifically to its target audience, but as a result they lack the general popularity of broadcast titles.
While broadcast titles are not as popular as premium pay content, they are more in-demand than the average SVOD or pay TV title. As they are created to appeal to their large audience, this high demand means that they are succeeding in their goal of being broadly popular. Despite the buzz around SVOD platforms, the original titles on these platforms are still not as in-demand as an average title on a broadcast channel. The popularity of titles like This Is Us illustrates how broadcast titles can still spark wide national attention.
Though SVOD platforms seem to be getting all the attention lately, broadcast titles still have the popularity to stand out in the sea of content. While the content stays the same, the networks must now figure how to best monetize these titles in the new TV landscape.
This article first appeared in Cablefax.


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Advanced Medical Optics (EYE) - Get National Vision Holdings Inc. Report cut its earnings outlook for 2006 and 2007 due to a "slower-than-expected shift" in its sales mix to premium-priced products that, in turn, has hurt gross margins.
The maker of ophthalmic surgical device said late Monday that it now expects 2006 "adjusted" earnings of $1.90 to $1.95 a share, below its previous guidance of $2.05 to $2.21 a share.
The company cut its 2006 revenue expectations to $1.01 billion to $1.02 billon from $1.02 billion to $1.04 billion.
A Thomson First Call survey of analysts had expected the company to post earnings before items of $2.10 a share on revenue of $1.03 billion.
For 2007, the company expects revenue to be about $1.1 billion, down from prior guidance in the range of of $1.1 billion to $1.12 billion, and adjusted EPS to be approximately $2.60.
First Call had expected earnings of $2.69 a share on revenue of $1.12 billion.
Advanced Medical said the shortfall was brought on specifically by a slower adoption of refractive implants by surgeons outside the U.S., a softer-than-expected domestic laser vision correction procedure volumes, and government reimbursement pressures in Japan and parts of Europe, as well as recent strikes by European surgeons who use the company's cataract products.
"Recent market conditions have made it difficult for us to move as quickly as we had planned to improve our sales mix and deliver the full level of 2006 margin expansion previously projected," said Jim Mazzo, AMO chairman, president and chief executive officer. "While we are disappointed by this near-term change in our outlook, we are experiencing significant progress toward achievement of our key metrics and remain confident in our ability to deliver our 2007 guidance."
The company is now targeting its 2006 adjusted gross margin to be about 66% and 2006 adjusted operating margin to be about 22%. For 2007, the company continues to believe its strategy of improved product mix and productivity is intact, and expects adjusted gross margin and adjusted operating margin to be approximately 69% and 25%, respectively.
AMO expects third-quarter 2006 revenue of about $255 million, with 48% comprising cataract/implant sales, 32% comprising eye care sales and 20% comprising LVC sales. First Call had anticipated third-quarter revenue of $256.7 million.


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A peaceful protest by workers in the restaurant and tourism industry outside Parliament in Cape Town was disrupted by police, who used stun guns and water cannons to disperse the crowd. Four people were arrested. Picture: Jaco Marais
Major role-players in the country’s hospitality industry have joined hands to plead with government to reopen the economy as thousands of jobs are at risk and businesses close down.
Already, about 400 000 jobs have been lost in the tourism industry since the national lockdown came into effect in March.
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Any automotive enthusiast worth his salt will instantly recognize the name Pininfarina, the famous Italian design studio whose artistic vision has helped create many classic car bodies. A lot of them have graced the world’s premiere auto shows. This year, however, one of their designs is being worn by a tractor and featured at Germany’s farm machinery show, Agritechnica.
Czech tractor builder Zetor, has teamed up with Pininfarina to create a concept tractor. The brand wants to update its entire tractor line and the concept model at the centre of the company’s display in November was meant to point in the direction Zetor expects to take. But the company claims it’s looking to do more than just give its tractors a facelift. In a press release Zetor reveals it wants to be able to offer a line of four- and six-cylinder tractors spanning the 50 to 200 horsepower range.
A couple of years ago the brand introduced its most powerful model to date, the Forterra HD, which has a 254 cubic-inch, turbocharged, four-cylinder diesel. Until the unveiling of the Pininfarina concept model, the Forterra was the company’s newest restyling effort. It currently tops out Zetor’s tractor line with 147 rated engine horsepower.
The Pininfarina concept tractor on display at Agritechnica was just a shell, not a fully working machine. Specifications for any of the models that will roll off assembly lines with that look have yet to be finalized, and details are still sketchy on when we’ll hear and see more about them.
The brand has a presence in Canada, with its North American headquarters located in Jacksonville, Florida. Keep your eye on zetorna.com for updates.


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The worldwide launch of Instagram Reels, Facebook’s challenger for TikTok, is imminent. NBC News has announced that it will arrive in the United States in and in more than 50 other countries in the coming weeks.
Like TikTok, Instagram Reels allows users to create and share 15-second video clips on a large catalog of music. Like TikTok, users can also borrow and remix audio from other people’s videos. And, like TikTok, users could see their clips going viral in a “Featured” section of the most popular videos. Facebook launched Reels in Brazil last November and extended it to France and Germany last month. It launched in India last week – just days after India banned TikTok and more than 50 other Chinese apps, citing privacy and security concerns. Facebook will launch Reels in the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Mexico and around 50 other countries. Users will be able to access Reels via a new icon at the bottom of their screen in Instagram and post Reels on Instagram Stories.


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ChaiFM In The News
101.9 ChaiFM, a platform for diversity
Issued by: The Media Connection 8 April 2013 Bizcommunity.com
The SABC’s unconscionable TV licence penalties of 10% a month
Issued by Finweek 18 April 2013
The National Credit Act and the Consumer Protection Act are both intended to play a “watchdog” role, protecting consumers and the public from financial exploitation. Unfortunately they do not offer protection to consumers insofar as TV licence fees are concerned.


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Xiaomi is all set to launch the Mi 6X which was recently spotted on TENAA revealing a bunch of details about the smartphone. Some reports are suggesting that the Mi 6X could be launched as the Mi A2 in India with stock Android. The smartphone’s specs were revealed on China’s TENAA, along with the design of the smartphone.
Xiaomi Mi A2 specifications
According to a screenshot of the listing of the smartphone, the Mi 6X is going to feature a 5.99 inches FHD+ display with 18:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone might be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 octa-core SoC running at 2.2 GHz frequency. The smartphone will sport 4GB of RAM and about 64GB internal storage which is going to be expandable.
The screenshot also reveals the battery of the smartphone to be of 2910mAh capacity which is smaller than its predecessor, the Mi 5X/Mi A1. The Mi 6X will be shipped with Android 8.1 Oreo-based MIUI running out of the box. But looking at its predecessor, the Mi A2 will be running on stock Android Oreo.
The Mi 6X is said to be sporting a dual camera setup at the rear, in the form of a 20MP + 8MP configuration. The front camera will be a 20MP shooter with f/2.0 aperture size which is a drastic update over the 5MP selfie camera on the predecessor. The Mi 6X is supposed to be 7.3mm thick. The Mi 6x might be exclusive to the Chinese market and may get released as Mi A2 in Global market.


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Our sister site, AutoGuide.com is currently at the LA Auto Show covering all of the latest and greatest in the auto industry, managed to catch Nicky Hayden giving the crowd a smokey treat at the Mercedes-Benz booth, officially unveiling the Ducati Diavel for the first time to an American audience. The press conference was setup […]
New Ducati Diavel Gallery
Ducati has released number of new photographs of the new Diavel ahead of the sports cruiser’s worldwide press launch.
Motorcycle.com‘s Kevin Duke has already shared his thoughts after having a seat on the Diavel at the L.A. Auto Show, and Pete Brissette will get his chance in his upcoming review.
Until then, we’ll have to settle for more images of the new Ducati Diavel on our Motorcycle.com gallery.


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Nigeria, others must deepen investment in infrastructure to solve transportation challenges
CHINEDU AZODOH is the Co-founder and CTO, Metro Africa Xpress Inc. and one of the top 20 finalists of the 2020 Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) prize competition, a flagship philanthropic
NIPC urges states to establish investment promotion agencies
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Sony acquire minority stake in Fortnite maker with $250 Million investment
Global giant corporation, Sony has made a $250 million investment to acquire a minority stake in Epic Games, the developer of Fortnite and the Unreal Engine
How to invest during this pandemic
The coronavirus that started in December 2019 is a global pandemic that has killed over 100,000 people in at least 210 countries. The nature of the virus has forced countries to impose lockdowns in a bid to mitigate the spread. This lockdown has however meant that businesses are unable to operate efficiently, translating to trillions of dollars in lost revenue. This business reality is most accurately captured in the global stock and equities markets. There are lessons to be learnt from the disrupted global markets that can guide individuals and businesses on how to navigate these rough waters that have caused disruptions on a global scale.
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Experts want FG to invest in education, health, others
Some experts in the field of education and health have called on the Federal Government to invest more in learning, wellbeing, and exports in preparedness for the year 2050.
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In line with its dedication to leverage technology as a means of changing how clients access and consume financial services, Asset & Resource Management Holding Company Limited
‘How government can attract more investment, boost capital market’
For Nigeria’s capital market to witness sustainable growth, and become more attractive to investors, the federal government must create policies that would help stabilise the macroeconomic environment
Opening up investments in mutual fund for masses
Nigerian wealthtech firm, Cowrywise, has launched the first retail mutual funds’ platform that enables anyone to invest in top companies and high-quality fixed-income instruments with as low as N100. Globally, mutual funds are designed to help the average person access high-end investment products, but in Nigeria, though, with about 70 per cent of Nigerians surviving…


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- OnePlus 8 Pro India sales will begin June 15th, according to a leaked teaser poster
- It’ll be the first-ever sale for the OnePlus 8 Pro in India
- The handset was launched back in April alongside vanilla OnePlus 8
OnePlus 8 Pro India sales may begin as early as next week. The first sale of the handset has been scheduled for June 15th at 12 pm, as per a leaked poster shared by popular tipster Mukul Sharma. The poster has also revealed the deals and offers that buyers of OnePlus 8 Pro will be able to avail. These include flat Rs 2,000 discount with SBI cards, Rs 1,000 cashback on Amazon Pay, Jio benefits up to Rs 6,000, no-cost EMI option, and six free bonus audiobook with Audible membership. The OnePlus 8 Pro will likely be available via flash sale on Amazon.in, much like the vanilla OnePlus 8, at least till production picks up. The handset was launched back in April and was initially scheduled to go on sale in India on May 29th, but that got delayed as COVID-19 pandemic affected production.
OnePlus 8 Pro prices in India
The OnePlus 8 Pro price in India has been set at Rs 54,999 for the 8GB RAM variant, while the 12GB RAM option has been priced at Rs 59,999. The handset comes in Onyx Black, Glacial Green, and Ultramarine Blue colour options.
OnePlus 8 Pro specifications
The OnePlus 8 Pro, to recall, flaunts a 6.78-inch QHD+ Fluid AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, punch-hole cutout at the top-left corner, HDR10+ and Gorilla Glass protection. The flagship is powered by the Snapdragon 865 SoC coupled with Adreno 650 GPU, up to 12GB LPDDR5 RAM, and 256GB non-expandable storage. The handset boots Android 10 OS with OxygenOS skin to take care of the software side of things. Additionally, the 8 Pro is the first smartphone from the brand to come with IP68 water- and dust-resistance and 30W wireless charging support.
The handset is fueled by a 4,510mAh battery with Warp Charge 30T fast charging support. There is an in-display fingerprint scanner for security. For photography, the OnePlus 8 Pro features a quad-camera setup at the back with a couple of 48MP sensors, an 8MP unit, and a 5MP colour sensor. There is a 16MP snapper on the front for selfies and video chats. Connectivity options include dual SIM slot with 4G and 5G support, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, and USB Type-C.


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External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj directed the Indian high commission in Islamabad to renew the passport and facilitate the return of an Indian woman from Hyderabad who is stranded in Pakistan and is being allegedly harassed by her husband. Swaraj, who was approached by the 44-year-old woman’s father to help her in returning to India, in a series of tweets said she has asked the Indian high commission to renew the woman’s Indian passport and facilitate her return to India. Rediff.com, 1 week ago
Sushma Swaraj extends help to Indian woman ill-treated by in-laws in Pakistan; facilitates her return - DNA, 1 week ago
Sushma helps Indian woman in distress in Pakistan - Sahara Samay English, 1 week ago
Swaraj said she is in constant touch with the Indian High Commission in London and ensured help to all Indian nationals there.India Today, 6 days ago No report of Indian casualty in London Terror Attack: Sushma Mathrubhumi, 6 days ago No Indian casualty in London attack: Sushma Rediff.com, 6 days ago UK Parliament attack: MEA condemns incident, Swaraj says report of no Indian casualty so far DNA, 6 days ago
The Indian High Commission in Pakistan has taken up the case of the two missing Indian clerics in the country to the highest level in the Pakistani government, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Friday. "We have also contacted their host in ...DNA, 1 week ago Missing Indian clerics row: Defence experts say it is against diplomatic protocol Sify, 1 week ago Pro-actively pursuing case of missing Indian clerics: Pakistan Rediff.com, 1 week ago
The assurance came a day after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had sought information from Indian High Commission regarding a report that a youth from Mumbai's Vasai was shot dead and two other Indians were injured by four unidentified men in his ...DNA, 1 month ago Stalin dubs Indian fisherman's killing 'grave human rights violation' Sify, 2 weeks ago Row erupts over India sponsoring Karachi Lit Fest Rediff.com, 1 month ago
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has sought a report from the Indian High Commission in Jamaica about an Indian youth shot dead there.DNA, 1 month ago
[India], Jan. 29 (ANI): External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has sought a detailed report from the Indian High Commission in Malaysian, following reports of an Indian being stranded in the country after his employers allegedly seized his passport. The ...Sify, 1 month ago
Minister Sushma Swaraj Threatens Amazon With Visa Ban Over Indian Flag Doormat; Product Removed Within 12 Hours!
Fact 1: Amazon sells more than 350 million products on their platform Fact 2: Ecommerce entity providing a marketplace will not exercise ownership over the inventory (FDI Guidelines for ecommerce portals, notified by Ministry of Commerce) Fact 3: Insult to ...Trak.in, 2 months ago After Sushma's tweet storm, Amazon drops Indian flag doormats Rediff.com, 2 months ago After Sushma Swaraj's warning, Amazon removes Indian flag doormat product Sify, 2 months ago Livid Sushma Swaraj asks Amazon to apologise for insulting Indian flag Rediff.com, 2 months ago
More from: , Deccan Herald...and 2 other sources
New Delhi: Taking strong objection to selling of doormats featuring Indian flags on Amazon, Canada, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday warned the e-retailer company to withdraw all products "insulting national flag immediately", adding that ...Sify, 2 months ago Amazon Canada sells doormats with tricolour, Sushma warns of stern action Deccan Herald, 2 months ago Won't grant visa to any of your officials: Sushma warns Amazon Rediff.com, 2 months ago
[India], Jan. 12(ANI): The online shopping giant Amazon on Thursday apologised to the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for hurting the patriotic sentiments of the people by selling a doormats printed with the Indian flag. "In response to EAM ...Sify, 2 months ago Hope no tri-coloured doormats from now on: Vikas Swarup to Amazon catchnews.com, 2 months ago
After receiving a furious warning from External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, Amazon on 11 January removed the Indian flag-themed doormats from its website. Taking strong exception to Amazon Canada selling such doormats Swaraj had asked the e-retailer to ...catchnews.com, 2 months ago
on your WebpageAdd Widget >Get your members hooked!


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Magic Leap 2 now supports the industry-standard OpenXR, while Apple will likely require a proprietary system for XR app development.
Magic Leap has contributed to the OpenXR standard for many years, but its AR glasses only recently became fully compatible. This is good news for developers since it opens up another platform for XR apps built with this open standard.
The OpenXR standard was publicly released in 2019 by the Khronos Group, a consortium of dozens of tech companies interested in extended reality development. Apple has not contributed to OpenXR and is still absent from the list of contributors, which has more than doubled since its initial release.
Why OpenXR support matters
Since the Magic Leap 2 now natively supports this open standard, it should expand the number of apps available to owners.
OpenXR developers and enterprise users who often prefer open standards should be able to write universal code that will run on AR and VR headsets made by Magic Leap, Meta Quest, Pico, HTC Vive, Varjo, and more. Headsets that use SteamVR, Windows Mixed Reality, and Snapdragon Spaces should also be compatible.
The timing of the announcement suggests the company is trying harder to establish the Magic Leap 2 in advance of the Apple Reality Pro, which is rumored to launch this year at about $3,000, roughly the same price as the Magic Leap 2.


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|| Print ||
|Articles - June 2013|
|Tuesday, May 28, 2013|
Page 2 of 4
Naysayers abounded in 1998 when Dave Brook started the first car-sharing service in the country, CarShare Portland, with four Dodge Neons accessible via realtor-style lockboxes. “People said, ‘No one will ever rent cars for a couple of hours,’” Brook remembers. “‘Car ownership is the American way,’” they told him.
But people were mistaken. Turns out, demand did exist for services traditional car rental agencies did not offer, and while Brook set his rates too low to turn much of a profit, his company lived on in others: FlexCar purchased CarShare Portland in 2000 and, in 2007, merged with Zipcar.
This January, rental car giant Avis Budget Group bought Zipcar in a $500 million deal, validating with cash the viability of sharing-economy ideas. “Clearly big companies are taking notice that this is a growing segment,” Brook says. Over the last five years, the sharing economy has taken parts of the country by storm. In 2011, Time named collaborative consumption one of the top 10 ideas that will change the world. This January, Forbes noted the sharing economy’s “unstoppable rise,” and in March, The Economist cited the “immense potential” for the model to go big. David Brodwin, co-founder and director of the Washington, D.C.-based American Sustainable Business Council, explains the appeal: “Wherever there’s an underutilized asset anywhere, the sharing economy is going to root it out, find some way to monetize it and rent it out to responsible users,” he says. “Economic necessity is what drives the whole thing.”
Many credit the room-rental website Airbnb for laying the groundwork. Founded in San Francisco in 2008, the website has helped 4 million travelers find lodging in spare bedrooms or empty apartments in 192 countries (3 million last year alone) — taking a 9% to 15% cut of each rental fee. “Airbnb’s business model is one people have tried to mimic because it has done so well in such a short period of time,” says Airbnb spokesperson Amanda Smith. “People have begun using it as an example by the way it’s proven itself.”
Since Airbnb began normalizing the idea, more than 100 sharing startups have sprung up across the country. These startups usually adopt one of three different business models. Baltimore-based Parking Panda enables people in destinations with limited parking to rent out their driveways or parking spaces. With HomeAway, which started as Second Porch in Portland, people pull in extra cash from their second homes during those unfortunate times when they’re not on vacation. And with SnapGoods, members rent out high-end housewares — guitars, karaoke machines, camera lenses, toolboxes — for a set fee per day.
Other sharing startups facilitate the exchange of services rather than goods. Santa Monica-based DogVacay matches dog owners with pet sitters (who, by contract, send daily photo updates). Lyft, SideCar and Uber, all from San Francisco, connect people in need of rides with car owners willing to shuttle them around for a fee. And TaskRabbit, which moved to San Francisco from Boston in 2010, helps people locate neighbors they can hire for odd jobs like picking up groceries or assembling IKEA bookshelves.
Finally, in the footsteps of more familiar rental operations like Blockbuster and Enterprise Rent-A-Car, other startups offer up assets they own themselves. Zipcar and Car2Go maintain fleets of private vehicles throughout cities for member use. Portland-based Alta Planning + Design has launched citywide bike-share programs in Boston, Washington, D.C., New York and Chattanooga and intends to start a program in Portland in the spring of 2014. And New York-based Shecky’s Closet rents out a wardrobe’s worth of designer clothing, jewelry and accessories, delivered by mail, for $40 a month.
Friday, October 31, 2014
BY LINDA BAKER | OB EDITOR
Why are there so few transportation startups in Portland? The city’s leadership in bike, transit and pedestrian transportation has been well-documented. But that was then — when government and nonprofits paved the way for a new, less auto centric way of life.
Tuesday, December 09, 2014
BY LINDA BAKER
On the eve of the Portland Ad Federation's Rosey Awards, Matt Anderson, CEO of Struck, talks about the transition from creative director to CEO, the Portland talent pool and whether data is the new black in the creative services sector.
Thursday, December 04, 2014
BY DEBRA RINGOLD | OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR
How important are institutional and/or program evaluations provided by third parties in selecting a college or university program?
Friday, November 14, 2014
BY JESSICA RIDGWAY
Oregon entrepreneurs reveal their favorite caffeine hangouts.
Friday, October 24, 2014
A majority of respondents agreed: Local vineyards should remain Oregon-owned and quality is the most important factor when determining where to eat or buy groceries.
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
BY KIM MOORE
A conversation with Majd El-Azma, president and CEO of LifeWise Health Plan of Oregon, followed by the Healthcare Powerlist.
Monday, November 10, 2014
BY KIM MOORE | OB RESEARCH EDITOR
A market for low-carbon transportation fuels has a chance to flourish in Oregon if regulators adopt the second phase of the state’s Clean Fuels Program.
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Is your business ready to join us in the call for action? This opening panel includes Oregon businesses who will discuss why they signed the Oregon Climate Declaration, the investments they are making to reduce carbon emissions, and how their actions are affecting their companies.
Get ready for two days of special events produced with the EPA, Portland Timbers and ISOS before and after the GoGreen Conference on October 16.
How sports tourism is driving economic growth and making cities across Oregon a better place to live.
Port of Morrow's business-ready attitude has a surprising global impact.
Through its support of the arts, the Cultural Trust is strengthening the business community.
Heed the morals of these seminal holiday stories in your everyday life.
Amy will practice in the firm's Business, Real Estate, and Tax practice groups.
While the Bend City Council ultimately upheld the approval which enables OSU-Cascades to move forward with the 10 acre site, it did also thoughtfully consider the nature of its code requirements, resident concerns and OSU-Cascade’s efforts and suggestions and crafted conditions of approval to address potential impacts of the site in the area.


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There are so many online shopping cart options for today’s entrepreneurs and business owners to choose from. ShopTab features reviews of popular and recommended online shopping carts, interviewing the featured cart’s developer, to provide an opportunity to learn about why their cart may be right for your business.
This week ShopTab conducted an interview with Alex Vinokurov, the Chief Visionary Officer and co-founder of CS-Cart. The company is based in Ulyanovsk, Russia and its software is currently used by 15’000 merchants in 170 countries. CS-Cart was founded in 2005 by three enthusiastic software developers and IT specialists including Vladimir Kalynyak (CEO) and Ilya Shalnev (Deputy CEO).


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The Phantom Thief Makoto Niijima steals the spotlight in the latest trailer for Atlus’ Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers.
A third-year student at Shujin Academy, Makoto Niijima (codename “Queen”), Makoto possesses great skills with both knuckledusters and revolvers, and fights with the Persona Johanna.
See her in action below:
Persona 5 Scramble takes place approximately six months after 2017’s JRPG Persona 5. The story will follow series protagonist Joker and the other Phantom Thieves in an alternate version of Tokyo that is filled to the brim with supernatural enemies. Both Daisuke Kaneda and Kenichi Ogasawara are taking the production helm for this title.
The game will come out on February 20, 2020 for the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. A stateside release date has yet to be announced.
Latest Gaming News
Posted 48 minutes ago by Casey Scheldin News Persona 5 Scramble Gets Makoto Niijima TrailerThe Phantom Thief Makoto Niijima steals the spotlight in the latest trailer for Atlus’ Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers
Posted December 20, 2019 by Casey Scheldin News JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Last Survivor Gets 19 Minutes of Gameplay FootageStep into the world of Hirohiko Araki and Bandai Namco’s JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Last Survivor with more than 19 minutes of new gameplay footage
Posted December 19, 2019 by Casey Scheldin News Holiday Themed Events Coming to Mortal Kombat 11To ring in the holiday season, a number of new holiday themed, in-game events are coming to WB Games and NetherRealm Studios’ Mortal Kombat 11
Posted December 19, 2019 by Casey Scheldin News Festive Showdown Modes in Red Dead OnlineA number of festive-themed Showdown Modes, Camp and Moonshining Shack decorations have made their way to Rockstar Games’ Red Dead Online
The post Persona 5 Scramble Gets Makoto Niijima Trailer appeared first on GamersHeroes.


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Coronavirus will cost Germany several hundred billion euros, according to new figures from research centre the ifo institute released on Monday (23 March). Production losses and unemployment will hurt, so Berlin will have to dig deep into its pockets. EURACTIV Germany reports.
According to calculations by the German Institute for Economic Research (ifo), the pandemic threatens hundreds of billions of euros in production losses, rising unemployment and a hefty deficit in the national budget. Depending on the scenario, the economy is expected to shrink by 7.1 to 20.6 percentage points, corresponding to €255-729 billion euros.
“The costs will probably exceed anything known from economic crises or natural disasters in Germany in recent decades,” says ifo President Clemens Fuest. He recommends that “virtually every conceivable amount be used for health policy measures” to shorten the partial closure of the economy and further contain the pandemic.
Time is money
This partial closure of the economy was decided by the government to shut down social life in Germany and thus slow the spread of the virus. This is to prevent the health system from becoming overloaded.
Nationwide, restaurants, bars and cafés must close (except for takeaway and delivery), as well as businesses where a minimum distance of 1.5 metres between people cannot be maintained – for example hairdressers, tattoo studios or massage parlours.
In some federal states, stricter rules are already in force, leading to more far-reaching disruption of economic cycles. In Bavaria, for example, only businesses that sell necessary supplies are still open.
The most important factor in calculating the economic damage is time. The faster the consumption cycle starts up again, the lower the costs will be.
Fuest anticipates that a one week extension of the partial closure will cause additional costs of €25 to 57 billion or a 0.7 to 1.6 percentage point drop in growth. But nobody can say with certainty how long the government’s measures will have to last.
Goodbye, black zero
The ifo also paints a gloomy picture for the labour market. What’s coming puts “the conditions at the height of the financial crisis in the shade,” warns Fuest. In the ifo scenarios, up to 1.8 million jobs subject to social insurance contributions (or 1.4 million full-time jobs) could be cut.
Federal Finance Minister Olaf Scholz (SPD) has already announced that the black zero, the German colloquialism for a balanced budget, cannot be maintained in such a situation.
According to ifo, the state will have to spend an additional €200 billion – although this does not include any European rescue packages that may be deployed. Fuest emphasised that the additional spending is “desirable and necessary” to stabilise the German economy.
[Edited by Sam Morgan]


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In less than a year, Birmingham based e-cigarette and vaping entrepreneur Nikhil Nathwani has established Vitality CBD nationwide successfully.
With over 1900 stores now stocking its products, it is undoubtedly one of the fastest evolving CBD brand in the UK. Just two weeks after expanding its distribution to all Boots stores, Vitality CBD has confirmed a deal with Tesco, country’s leading supermarket chain. The CBD products will now be showcased in all 378 Tesco pharmacies nationwide.
Vitality CBD says the demanding interest of CBD products and the entry of big pharmaceuticals into the CBD business have made them prioritize the consumer’s trust in their brand. Vitality’s success comes down to its “premium oils” produced from high quality hemp. Vitality CBD’s commercial director Phil Glyn firmly believes that its USP is its ‘concise online educational material and availability of its third-party lab reports’.
The arrival of CBD in Tescos and Boots follows its popularity in most U.K. High Street pharmacies, health food shops as well as on the internet. Tesco’s will also stock its CBD Muscle Balm and flagship THC-free CBD Oral Spray as the use of sublingual sprays is rapidly outgrowing traditional droppers.
Vitality CBD currently has 40 staff, and is expanding in other parts of European continent as well. Tesco on the other hand has over 3,500 shops in the U.K. employing almost half a million people with over 30% of the market share.
A recent report from the Centre for Medicinal Cannabis found there could be up to six million CBD users in U.K. and thus flags up concerns over the quality of CBD in the country.
Vitality CBD has not yet secured a position into the list of the top 10 brands of U.K, as published by Marijuana Break news website based on its evaluation of ‘quality, safety, effectiveness, and overall value for the money’.


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Artificial Intelligence (AI) is now becoming a part and parcel of every company across industries. AI got its global acceptance when investors heavily poured in AI-based startups and firms. A survey was conducted by BCG along with MIT Sloan Management to understand the gap between AI expectation and fine reality. The survey revealed that 23% of companies have incorporated AI in their processes while another 23% are working on pilots.
Google, Microsoft, and Amazon are offering cloud-based AI services where developers can bring their data and train algorithm to suit specific needs. Banking Sector has wholeheartedly accepted AI in their operations. For instance, Malaysian Bank uses machine language to identify the existing target customers who have the potential to buy life insurance. Also, in India, prominent private banks use AI to convert operating methods in retail and corporate banking which greatly helps in cost-effectiveness and improved productivity. To support the proliferation of AI, NITI Aayog under the Government of India has decided to incorporate AI for developing an advanced platform.
But as we say a coin has two sides, the incorporation of AI does not fall like a normal distribution for all industries. BCG survey reports technology, media, telecom, consumer and financial services show a burgeoning effect whereas processes, energy and public sector will see a stagnant phase.
Internet of Things
Inexpensive sensors, reliable networks, and intelligent analytics have flourished Internet of Things (IoT). BCG survey foresees an incremental spending on IoT in years where a major part of spending will be accounted by manufacturing and logistics focussed on areas such as predictive maintenance, fleet management, and self-optimization. IoT enabled devices offer real-time tracing position which enhances production planning and scheduling. Insurance Regulatory Development Authority of India is pushing IoT devices in the insurance sector. Recently, Government of India announced a special 13-digit mobile number that power IoT to GSM. In the next five years, the ministry of Electronics & Information Technology expects that more than two billion plus IoT devices will be functional.
Early bird blockchain technology is booming in several segments of industries. Blockchain is always linked with cryptocurrency but as a blessing in disguise, companies started using it for fraud control, patent tracking and invoice automation. Recently, a general insurer has used blockchain-based product to settle travel claims.
Financial services along with banks and insurers have been trying to develop a common customer repository using blockchain technology. For a good and mature application, bitcoins easily process 10-14 transaction per second, whereas Enterprise Grade Application manages hundreds and thousands of transactions per second. Albeit storage and computation may be easy and cheap for bitcoin, electricity consumption is at the peak. A recent report by Morgan Stanley revealed that a bitcoin is likely to use 125 terawatt hours of electricity by 2018.
The supremacy of big data, analytics and viral nature of social media is ubiquitous and well established in every organization. The world is still waiting for the trio power of invisible hand by AI, IoT, and Blockchain which gradually knits over together and bring a radical change in the years to come.