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Image source: Chuy's.
Chuy's has given investors a reason to have a fiesta. Over the last year, shares of the Tex-Mex chain restaurant are up 27% versus the S&P Small Cap 600 Index's losses of 7%. In the last five years the company has returned nearly 100%, trouncing analyst estimates. Last quarter was particularly good for Chuy's, with the company exceeding expectations by nearly 40%.
Wall Street analysts appear to be on board now. The average price target of eight ratings firms is $37.50 per share, more than 27% above current prices. Of the four research firms that have changed their opinions on Chuy's, three have upgraded it to buy or outperform.
Chuy's growth is undisputed Chuy's last reported earnings in early March. On a full-year basis, Chuy's grew both revenue and unit counts 17%. During 2015, the company added 10 new restaurants, going from 59 to 69 locations. Ten restaurants may seem insignificant -- it seems like Chipotle Mexican Grill opens 10 new units in the time it takes to read this article -- but full-service restaurants like Chuy's are more expensive, and require more favorable economics to open. Chuy's appears to be stepping up its pace of construction somewhat, with a midpoint of 12 new units expected to open in 2016. Overall Chuy's is planning to double its restaurant base in three to five years.
Chuy's Beef Tacos. Image Source: Flickr user Shelnew19
Upon hearing that both revenue and unit counts both increased by 17%, I was fearful in regards to comparable sales figure. However, those concerns were unfounded: Chuy's did a decent job of growing comparable-store sales 3.1%. The company also does not add restaurants to the comparable pool until 18 months, instead of the normal 12 months, which means it most likely understates its comparable store growth compared to other restaurants.
One thing I'm watching closely is the average unit comparable sales volumes. Last year, as 10 store units were added to the comparable average, unit volumes dropped 2.9% from $4.9 million to $4.7 million even as the average check increased 3.5%. It could be indicative of the company opening lower-grossing stores which are now making their way to comparables, or lower foot traffic overall.
Chuy's goes at ChipotleOutside of cuisine type and the fact both serve food, Chipotle and Chuy's appear to have little in common. First is the overall concept -- Chipotle is fast-casual, whereas Chuy's is full-service dining. Chuy's does not share Chipotle's obsession with GMOs and what it refers to as "food with integrity." However, Chuy's prides itself on serving authentic Mexican food using "only the freshest ingredients," with a commitment to "made-from-scratch, freshly prepared cooking."
Additionally, Chipotle units use a simple, near-uniform industrial design where Chuy's promotes a fun, irreverent atmosphere. The product mix also differs, as nearly 20% of the average Chuy's check is high-margin alcohol versus less than 1% of Chipotle's.
During the recent Raymond James Institutional Investors conference, however, the company chose to highlight an offering on its menu comparable in price to a Chipotle order ($9.79 for a Chuy's chicken burrito plus rice and beans plus chips and salsa vs. $8.45 at Chipotle for a chicken burrito and chips and salsa). Chipotle has struggled in the wake of its food-safety mishaps, but it probably won't hurt Chuy's to compare itself to a company that has gained nearly 2,200% since its IPO a decade ago. It may not be the next Chipotle, but if Chuy's is able to continue to execute, the company's $500 million market capitalization may be seriously undervalued.
The article Could This Tex-Mex Restaurant Be the Next Chipotle? originally appeared on Fool.com.
Jamal Carnette has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Chipotle Mexican Grill and Chuy's Holdings. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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New business requirements and emerging technologies are rapidly transforming data integration, according to the opening keynote presentation at the third annual Global Integration Summit.
Data integration techniques are changing significantly as companies move toward interaction systems, service-oriented architectures (SOAs), and semantic-aware networks, according to Summit keynote presenter William Ruh, vice president of Cisco Systems. The Integration Consortium, a nonprofit industry group, organised the three-day event, attended by a few hundred vendors, practitioners and industry stakeholders last week.
Competition will drive companies to update their infrastructures with systems that interact with one another in near real time to enable such activities as cross-selling products, understanding customers, and managing supply chain activities, Ruh said. These interaction systems require an underlying architecture that can effectively integrate data quickly from many sources, he explained.
"Interactions are all about integration, but it's fundamentally different than the integration we created five or 10 years ago," Ruh told Summit attendees.
The world is moving toward an "Internet of things," where companies are connecting vast and varied data sources to gain new insight into their businesses, Ruh said. For example, sensors, such as RFID tags, can provide new, real-time information such as product quality and location, he explained, adding that making timely use of these new data sources requires new ways of approaching data integration.
"The network has been viewed as a pipe, but as we move to these interaction systems, it changes the nature of the architecture," Ruh said.
Companies are increasingly looking to SOAs to support these new integration requirements, Ruh added. They are thinking about their infrastructure in a new way, taking into account the need for massive scaling and the ability to plug in many lightweight applications. New "chatty applications" will want to talk to each other "all the time," he said, and that requires a shift in the way companies approach architecture design and management. Some industries may find the benefits of this new approach well worth the effort.
Retail has typically relied on legacy, transaction-oriented, "fat" applications, often with batch-style integration with other systems. There is a lot of opportunity for retail outfits to increase sales by increasing real-time interaction between systems, Ruh said.
Integration will change even more over the next five to seven years, he said, driven by the high expectations of consumers and emerging technologies such as semantics. The concept of semantics, also espoused by attendees at a recent Data Management Association event, refers to the creation of machine-understandable data definitions. Semantics enables information to be discovered and connected more effectively, Ruh said, and will be the underpinning of the next-generation network.
Semantics has a ways to go, however, before it can revolutionise integration, Ruh cautioned. He said that the industry needs standards for semantics, adding that one initiative, the Resource Description Framework, "seems to be getting to that tipping point."
"Semantics is a core aspect of what we've got to get into all aspects of architecture," Ruh said. "[Lack of semantics] will keep the CIO from delivering these interaction networks."

domain: news


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Ghana has the highest percentage of women business owners worldwide, with Uganda in third, according to the Mastercard Index of Women’s Entrepreneurship (MIWE).
The MIWE is a weighted index that helps to better understand and identify factors and conditions that are most conducive to closing the gender gap among business owners in any given economy.
It examined 57 different economies around the globe, including Botswana, Ethiopia, South Africa and Uganda, with Ghana, Nigeria and Malawi as new additions.
Ghana came out on top, with 46.4 percent of businesses in the country owned by women. Uganda came in third, with 33.8 percent of businesses women-owned.
Ghana also scored well in in terms of advancement outcomes, along with Nigeria, with overall scores in this regard coming in at 62.4 percent and 59.1 percent respectively. African countries also scored highly in women labour force participation – with Malawi at 100 percent, Ghana at 96.1 percent, and Ethiopia at 86.6 percent.
The continent scored highly in terms of women Financial Inclusion with South Africa at 85.3 percent, Ghana scoring 84.6 percent, and 77.1 percent in Ethiopia.
“Botswana, South Africa, Ghana and Uganda shine as examples of women’s determination to provide for themselves and their families and Africa excels at creating strong women entrepreneurs with the drive to succeed even in the face of financial, regulatory or technical constraints,” said Beatrice Cornacchia, head of marketing and communications for the Middle East and Africa at Mastercard.
An interesting outcome of the Index is that cultural perceptions of women entrepreneurs in Africa are predominantly positive. At 69.1 percent in Uganda and 67.2 percent in Nigeria, this is well above their Middle Eastern counterparts.
According to the Index, some women’s inclination towards business ownership may be undermined by limited access to education, financial and entrepreneurial opportunities. These are by no means only African – or developing – countries’ challenges, however.
Women entrepreneurs even in developed nations face cultural and gender biases that restrict them from opening or expanding their own businesses.
Women business owners as a percentage of all business owners – Top 10 markets
Ghana – 46.4%
Russia – 34.6%
Uganda – 33.8%
New Zealand – 33.0%
Australia – 32.1%
Vietnam – 31.3%
Poland – 30.3%
Spain – 29.4%
Portugal – 28.7%
Source: Disrupt Africa


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iTunes isn't dead
It's just slightly better organized.
Apple announces separate Music, Podcast and TV apps for Mac
It's another step towards the inevitable death of iTunes.
Apple could be done with iTunes
At WWDC on Monday it's expected to unveil the media app's replacements.
Apple’s $3 billion purchase of Beats has already paid off
Music streaming, better headphones and the brains behind them both.
Apple Pay can be used for iTunes, App Store and Apple Book purchases
The update will make it easier to earn cash back with the Apple Card.
Google's subscription music numbers reportedly top 15 million
That's well behind the likes of Spotify, Apple and Amazon.
EU set to investigate Apple over Spotify's competition claims
It reportedly sees enough merit to look into the case.
Spotify has 100 million Premium users
And 217 million users overall.
Amazon may be working on a high-fidelity music streaming service
It could arrive this year for around $15 per month.


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The new set of norms for the e-commerce industry is expected to bring in a challenging environment for e-commerce players, thus bringing about some cheer for small and medium traders who have always been against the practices of the e-commerce players. For instance, the government barred e-commerce players such as Flipkart and Amazon from selling products of companies in which they own stakes and disallowed them from entering into exclusive deals for merchandise. The move could put their exclusive partnerships with different brands (especially the phone brands) in trouble and could impact their overall sales and turnover.
A Flipkart spokesperson told THE WEEK: “In the span of a decade, the e-commerce industry has revolutionised the way consumers connect with sellers and local manufacturers, providing tremendous value to both, and to the country. The e-commerce ecosystem created innovations in MSME manufacturing, supply chain, warehousing, packaging, digital payments and has created hundreds of thousands of jobs already. This is just a start, the industry is set to be a major growth driver for the Indian economy and create millions of jobs in the future. Government policy changes will have long-term implications in the evolution of the promising sector and the whole ecosystem. It is important that a broad market driven framework be developed through a consultative process in order to drive the industry forward.”
On the other hand, Praveen Khandelwal, secretary general, Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), welcomed the move saying it will create a fair market competition and will provide a level-playing field for one and all to adopt e-commerce as another business model.
Said Khandelwal to THE WEEK: “Both online and offline traders in the country will now be able to sell their goods on e-commerce platforms in a transparent manner. The government should immediately form an empowered regulatory authority to monitor and regulate the e-commerce business in the country. A regulator with proper enforcement powers would ensure that the said policy is strictly implemented. It is after immense pressure that the government has decided to frame new rules. However, it should also deal with past actions and, therefore, the policy should be implemented with retrospective effect from 1st April, 2018.”
Khandelwal said he had observed that the e-commerce players wanted to dominate Indian retail trade through practices such as predatory pricing, deep discounting, among others. “The hallmark of the policy is non-discrimination and ensures the eradication of the entire web of preferential sellers on e-commerce portals. The revised policy will wipe out confusions which were used by e-commerce players to their advantage. They were treating Indian retail trade as an open ground and playing the game by setting their own rules and were least bothered about earlier press note no.3 of FDI Policy of 2016. Despite many representations and complaints, no action was taken against them. The policy should be applicable not only to foreign companies but to any e-commerce marketplace. We believe that a marketplace has to remain completely neutral,” he said.
E-commerce experts such as Rajiv M. Ranjan, CMD of the P2P fintech player PaisaDukan.com, explained that the new norms in the e-commerce space are mostly going to affect US-based Amazon and Walmart-backed Flipkart, which are the two largest players in the burgeoning Indian e-commerce sector. He said that the new norms are going to bar exclusive marketing arrangements that will influence the product prices and hit the pocket of customers directly, since these online marketplaces are also barred from selling products of companies in which they hold a stake which takes away the deep pocket advantage maintained by such players.
“This move could potentially impact many electronic and smartphone brands that work exclusively with different e-commerce companies. The new guidelines will also make it difficult for players with FDI investments to offer discounts and cashbacks to online shoppers, which will affect business models of these companies. The new rules could also pull the plug on seller entities (that have equity investment from e-commerce companies). According to the current policy, 100 per cent FDI is permitted in marketplace e-commerce activities. However, it is prohibited in inventory-based model which is going to impose huge limitation to these players and would reduce the advantage of deep pockets and slow the adoption of e-commerce,” Ranjan told THE WEEK.
Brand expert such as Harish Bijoor also felt that the new e-commerce norms are worrisome for the sector. “The recent mandate on the inventory model, discounts and more, is a bit worrying for the sector. The key issue is that carefully made plans and joint ventures can go awry with just one dictate. The key challenge is an uncertain regulatory environment. Protectionism is another. Protecting the local traditional trader is going to be the imperative of any government that seeks votes in a democracy. And do remember, we are a nation of shopkeepers. At last count, we had 14.6 million shops in India of every kind,” Bijoor told THE WEEK.
Surya Mahadevan, professor and chairman-branding, at T.A. Pai Management Institute, Manipal, feels that the new rules are intended to eliminate the abuse of power by the e-commerce portals and create a level playing field. “This will disrupt the modus operandi of the portals and create a temporary imbalance. However, sooner or later, businesses will find new ways to tweak existing terms to assert and monetise their power. The new business model could be in the form of differential model to charges for enlistment, promotion, advertising share, volume-based additional margins, among others,” he said.


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RBC Royal Bank is proving you can’t sell the steak without the drivel in a new campaign promoting its Avion travel rewards card.
The new campaign is built around a series of online videos that use the concept of “peak steak season” to humorously demonstrate the seemingly random rules applied to points redemption by rival travel rewards cards.
“It’s a portrayal of some of the frustrations that travelers have when they try and book their reward redemptions,” said Jennifer Howard, marketing head, cards and payments, for RBC Royal Bank in Toronto.
“The concept of peak travel periods is almost universal, whether you’re booking direct with an airline or trying to redeem points through a program,” she added. “It’s difficult to get access to seats during those key times of year.”
Howard said that frustration over seemingly arbitrary rules and regulations regarding points redemption is something that comes up often in customer research. RBC’s “Avioners,” however, are able to book any flight on any airline at any time, as long as there is a seat available. The campaign concept is what if everyday life came with such silly rules.
Each of the four one-minute videos opens on a couple at a restaurant. When the woman orders a steak, the waiter informs her that it will cost her significantly more to eat it now because it is “peak steak season” and the restaurant is all out of regular steaks.
When her bewildered husband asks the waiter how the restaurant comes up with such arbitrary prices, he directs their attention to one of four different – and goofy – scenarios featuring a rapper, a butcher, a male gymnast and a contortionist.
The campaign from BBDO is an extension of a series of radio ads that ran as part of a broader campaign for the RBC Avion card in the fall. “The reaction we got to the radio was so positive we thought bringing it to life in another channel made a ton of sense,” said Howard. “The approach really resonated with consumers because it was unexpected from a bank.”
The new leg of the campaign, which runs through Feb. 6, is entirely online. The media buy from M2 Universal includes space on popular destinations such as YouTube and Facebook, as well as banners and promoted ads.
Howard said that RBC is increasingly relying on social media to stand out from its competitors, with previous efforts in the space being seen by hundreds of thousands of people.
“There’s so much activity in the market right now, we just wanted to do something different,” she explained. “We wanted to ignite conversation, and social by its nature is a place where people share with each other. Because this campaign is so unexpected, the hope is that it would create that conversation.”
The Avion card has grown to more than 1 million users to its introduction 15 years ago.


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On Friday September 15, Are Media announced the return of ELLE print magazine in 2024.
The media organisation will publish two editions of ELLE Australia next year (autumn/winter in March and spring/summer in September), growing to four editions in 2025
The decision to revive the print product after a three-year absence follows the success of the ELLE Australia website, which has an average of 270,000 unique visitors and 530,000 page views a month.
Are Media General Manager – Fashion and Beauty, Nicky Briger, spoke on the magazine’s print return: “ELLE is the fashion bible for Gen Z and millennial smart, savvy, stylish women who love to shop. They’re keen early adopters and want to be first to know everything so they can share that knowledge with their friends.
“With that in mind, ELLE brings them the now, new and next in fashion, beauty and lifestyle, but it’s also at the centre of the cultural conversation, bringing them everything from news, views and entertainment to social issues and politics.
“Print is seeing a resurgence globally, especially in the luxury and fashion space, so we’re thrilled to be bringing back the much-loved magazine – something tangible to have, hold, read and leaf through.”
To bolster ELLE’s style credentials, Naomi Smith and Sally Hunwick have been appointed the brand’s Fashion and Beauty Directors respectively. Both have four decades of experience between them and are two of Australia’s most respected fashion and beauty experts, having worked for multiple luxury brands, including Vogue, Harper’s BAZAAR, ELLE and marie claire throughout their extensive careers. Naomi and Sally will work across ELLE and marie claire.
The ELLE Editor will be announced in the coming week.


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Consumer confidence climbed in December to the highest level since August 2001 as Americans were more upbeat about the outlook than at any time in the last 13 years, according to a report Tuesday from the New York-based Conference Board.
Specifically, the information released by the organization highlighted the following:
- Confidence index increased to 113.7 (forecast was 109) from a revised 109.4 in November;
- Measure of consumer expectations for the next six months rose to 105.5, the highest since December 2003, from 94.4;
- Present conditions index fell to 126.1 from 132; and
- Share of Americans expecting better business conditions six months from now rose to 23.6 percent, the highest since February 2011, from 16.4 percent.
American households are expecting a Donald Trump administration to deliver. They are more upbeat about the prospects for the economy, labor market and their incomes, according to the Conference Board’s report.
The results corroborate surveys by the University of Michigan and the National Federation of Independent Business, which showed jumps in household and business sentiment on Trump’s pledges to boost jobs, cut taxes and ease regulations.


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07 August 2008
Queenstown dominates tourism awards yet again
The annual Tourism Industry Awards on Tuesday recognised the most outstanding businesses in the New Zealand tourism industry, reports Fourcorners.co.nz. The evening, hosted by the Tourism Industry Association (TIA), saw adventure capital Queenstown dominate the award ceremony yet again.
The Magic Travellers Network, a coach network allowing passengers to hop on and off en route during the validity of their pass, took out the Air New Zealand Supreme Award for overall excellence in every aspect of the business.
The Agrodome in Rotorua, which provides a hands-on live experience of farming, won the Visitor Activities and Attractions Award, and was also the runner up for the Supreme Award.
In Wellington, the newly refurbished Karori Sanctuary was rewarded for its efforts in environmental sustainability by taking home the Conservation in Action Award. The Sanctuary is due to open its new world-class visitor experience in 18 months and "is set to become a must-do destination for visitors to New Zealand," said the Sanctuary’s Chief Executive Nancy McIntosh-Ward.
But it was the South Island that attracted most of the attention, again. For three years running, Queenstown’s Grand Mercure St Moritz was awarded a Distinction for the Best Visitor Accommodation. This year, they scored top prize. The Shotover Canyon Swing topped the adventure activity category, while Skydive Lake Wanaka won the Small Tourism Operator Award.
Destination Queenstown General Manager Graham Budd congratulated the winners from the ceremony, saying that the high number of Queenstown businesses recognised on the evening is testament to Queenstown’s overall commitment to professionalism and quality in the tourism industry.
"The awards recognise the top performers in New Zealand’s largest export sector. Every year, a number of Queenstown businesses make this very high grade to be acknowledged as outstanding by their peers. It’s an excellent result for these businesses and for Queenstown’s reputation as a premier lake and alpine resort destination," Mr Budd said.
According to TIA, tourism in New Zealand is the country’s single largest exporter; it contributes to 18.3 per cent of the country’s exports, and since 1999, the numbers of people who visit New Zealand have increased by 61 per cent. Tourism also contributes $14.1 billion of gross domestic product to New Zealand’s economy on an annual basis.
The New Zealand Visa Bureau is an independent consulting company specialising in helping people emigrate to New Zealand.
Article by Jessica Bird, New Zealand Visa Bureau.


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New York, NY (September 10th, 2015)
Very few people have been wondering what the NoPhone company will come up with next.
Will it be a NoPhone Mini? No.
Will it be a NoWatch? No.
Is it a plastic rectangle? Yes.
Introducing the NoPhone Zero, the least advanced NoPhone ever created. At just $5, The NoPhone Zero is a less expensive version of the original NoPhone with even less features. It has no button indentations, no logo and most importantly no phone. Chris Sheldon, the company's Senior Vice President stated, "The NoPhone Zero is the closest a NoPhone has ever become to nothing at all." The NoPhone Zero is currently available for pre-order on Kickstarter and at the time of writing this article had completed 65% of its funding goal.
The NoPhone Team is also creating first tablet device called the NoTablet. This giant plastic rectangle is designed for professionals with a large 12" no screen, sturdy one inch thickness and weight of more than text book. To launch the device, the company's PR team has leaked high-resolution photos of the supposed NoTablet device.
After 3D printing the NoTablet prototype, the owner of Voodoo Manufacturing in Brooklyn asked, "Why? Just why?" Van Gould, Co-founder at NoPhone LLC replied, "If you get addicted to a giant real tablet, a giant NoTablet could help."
All in all, today marks the biggest and only launch since the original NoPhone. It's safe to say the NoPhone Team has lowered the bar and awaits the industry the follow their lead.
To learn more about the NoPhone ZERO or the NoTablet click here and here.
For more information, please email us: email@example.com


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In late January 2018, Streamity, a Singapore-based startup with Russian roots, released its cryptocurrency exchange app StreamDesk, which is able to exchange various currencies from user to user with no intermediary. The project is now working on creating the decentralized platform, which they claim, “will revolutionize the modern crypto exchange market.”
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The Chubu Electric Power Company, the third largest electric utilities provider in Japan, has partnered with Internet of Things (IoT) startup Nayuta Inc and software company Infoteria in order to experiment with the possibility of using Blockchain technology to record the charging of electric vehicles (EV) and plug-in hybrids. The Lightning Network is set to be used for charging micropayments for the electricity, reports TechCrunch Japan.
China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (IT) has conducted a study on Blockchain technologies in order to promote the “formation of a complete Blockchain standard system as soon as possible,” according to a press release published yesterday, March 12.
Logistics giant DHL announced it had partnered with Accenture and created a Blockchain-based supply chain prototype March 12.
Global karate organization BoutsPro aims to bring together an estimated 190-mln strong karate community by using Blockchain. As there are so many different styles of karate, there are many different governing organizations (Such as ITKF, WKF and WFF) overseeing tournaments and rankings. The BoutsPro white paper outlines how bringing all elements together needs a strong fund management system which can generate revenue from multiple sources, for example, sponsorship and advertisements.
Ripple Labs Inc., the company behind the Ripple settlement system, has lost its opportunity to hold the court hearing over a contested contract with its rival R3 in its home state, California, Bloomberg reported March 13.
A company that empowers service workers and helps them become entrepreneurial is planning to replace its app with a new Blockchain-based platform, helping providers with hard-earned reputations to win more business.
Binance, the largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, announced that it is officially developing a public Blockchain to create a new decentralized exchange, according a statement on March 13.
Dubai is launching a virtual business-to-business tourism-specific marketplace using Blockchain technology as part of its Dubai 10x initiative “to be 10 years ahead of other world cities”, local news outlet Arabian Business reports today, March 3.
The amount of venture capital fundraising for Blockchain-based companies so far in 2018 has already reached more than 40 percent of last year’s total, according to a report released by Crunchbase News on Feb. 27.


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Card Marketing News and Blog
PLI named to the Inc. 5000 list for the eighth time!
We are proud to announce that PLI has once again made the Inc. 5000 list! 2017 marks the eighth year we have been recognized. This annual honor is awarded to the fastest growing, market leading and most innovative privately held companies in America...
Letter from the Chairman of the Board, Bill Miller
Today, with the successful acquisition of PSA, marks another milestone moment in PLI’s history. One cannot help but reflect on our past as we take yet another major leap forward into our future...
PLI Acquires PSA
Plasticard Locktech International (PLI), the world's largest hotel keycard and gift and loyalty card manufacturer, announced today that it has acquired PSA...
PLI Launches New Innovative Sustainable Chalk Substrate
PLI Launches New Innovative Sustainable Chalk Key, Gift, Loyalty and Membership Cards; Plans to add 3rd Shift - Adding up to 50 New Jobs at North Las Vegas Facility.
PLI, Smartrac and NXP Join Forces
PLI (Plasticard-Locktech International), the world's largest manufacturer of hotel keycards, has signed a large-scale and long-term supply agreement with Smartrac, featuring NXP MIFARE® ICs.


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- Articles tagged "notebooks"
You can't have an IT show without notebooks, PCs and networking peripherals. So no matter what computing products you are looking for, we've got you covered on the best deals that the vendors have to offer.
On the eve of Computex 2011, ASUS announced a slew of new CE products, from tablets to notebooks. Chief among them is the Padfone, a hybrid of smartphone and tablet. Find out all the exciting new products revealed at ASUS' press conference.
Now, who says printers and notebooks don't mix? Samsung's latest launch event combines the two for an event that sadly doesn't include a notebook that can print at 10ppm but we jest. Let's take a look at what Samsung has to offer.
NVIDIA was the first to implement switchable graphics, where a notebook has both integrated and discrete graphics and one can switch between the two as desired. Taking this step further, the company has announced its Optimus technology, where the switching is done automatically. We check out this new feature that will soon be heading your way.
Our first stop in our annual pilgrimage to the ICT trade show of the year - Computex 2009 - at MSI's impressively large booth, where the main focus was its ultra-slim notebooks and touch-enabled all-in-one PCs.
- Google announces plans to offer its own cellular network service at MWC 2015
- MediaTek offers single chip supporting all 3 wireless charging standards
- Singtel and Ericsson to trial live LTE broadcast and voice over Wi-Fi calling
- Sony announces launch of the mid-range Xperia M4 Aqua at Mobile World Congress 2015
- Sony unveils the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810-powered Xperia Z4 Tablet at MWC 2015
- MediaTek announces the MT8173 with ARM Cortex-A72 processor at MWC 2015
- Intel announces Atom x3, x5 and x7 mobile chips at MWC 2015
- Qualcomm's LTE-U technology will boost LTE connectivity by using unlicensed 5GHz band


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By Woo Jae-yeon
SEOUL, Feb. 8 (Yonhap) -- Global TV shipments are forecast to slightly rebound this year amid falling LCD panel prices, with high-end TVs continuing to enjoy robust growth, industry reports said Tuesday.
The industry tracker Trendforce expected global TV shipments to reach around 217 million units this year, up 3.4 percent from a year ago.
The estimated shipments still remain at the lowest levels since 2017, as the pandemic-led demand for TV has peaked out.
Global TV shipments slid to 210 million units in 2021 from 217 million units in 2020 and 218 million units in 2019.
According to Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC), LCD TV panel prices have continued to fall since last summer due to declining TV demand and increasing supply, although the pace of the decline is slowing.
DSCC expected price declines in the first quarter to average 14 percent, with 49-inch, 50-inch and 55-inch panels experiencing the most severe price falls of more than 20 percent.
Against this backdrop, global TV manufacturers are expected to produce more small-to-medium sized TVs this year. TV makers reduced the production of the segment in the first half of last year and switched to more large-size, premium TVs for higher margins.
"After a sharp revision in TV panel prices in the 2H21, this year's panel pricing is more advantageous to the planning of TV brands," TrendForce said.
"Benefiting from the deferral of small-sized panel demand, TV shipments in 2022 will grow by 3.4 percent to 217 million units, it said, adding that medium-sized panels from 40 inch to 59 inch take up 55 percent of the total shipments, followed by small-sized panels of 39 inch or smaller at 25 percent and large-sized panels of above 60 inch at 20 percent.
Premium OLED TVs, which benefited from soaring LCD prices in the past two years, will see slower annual growth of around 27 percent this year.
OLED TV shipments rose 70 percent on-year to reach 6.7 million units last year and are forecast to top 8 million units this year.
Samsung Display Co., the display panel-making arm of Samsung Group, showcased 65- and 55-inch display panels for QD-OLED TVs, which use self-emitting quantum-dot (QD) displays and OLED technology, during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2022 in Las Vegas last month.
The company started mass production of QD OLED display panels last November in a gradual transition to more profitable, high-end QD displays from LCD panels.
Samsung Electronics Co. said it plans to roll out QD-OLED TVs within this year, with an original shipments target of 1.5 million units.
With the expected launch, the global premium TV market is in for serious competition.
While Samsung Electronics Co. leads the global TV market with more than 30 percent of the market by sales, it trails its domestic rival, LG Electronics Inc., a dominant player in the high-end OLED TV segment with more than 60 percent of the market.
At CES 2022, Han Jong-hee, vice chairman and the head of Samsung Electronics Co.'s Device eXperience (DX) division, said Samsung has been working to diversify premium TV products and create various form factors.
He said an 89-inch Micro LED TV, Samsung's highest premium TV segment, will be released in the market after May following a long delay due to production shortages, which he said will be eased when the construction of a factory in Slovakia is completed in March.
The company unveiled the Micro LED TV in three different sizes -- 110, 101 and 89 inch -- at CES.
Asked about the possibility of Samsung buying OLED panels from LG Display, he said the company remains open to "every possibility."
Samsung did not unveil QD-OLED TVs at the global tech show due to a supply shortage of the panel.
Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun nominated for best actor at Int'l Emmys for "Dr. Brain"
Yoon's approval rating drops after hot mic incident: poll
Chinese aircraft intruded into S. Korea's air defense zone more than 70 times last year: military
State auditor notifies ex-Pres Moon of written investigation over death of fisheries official
(LEAD) No Korean victims reported from Indonesian stadium tragedy: foreign ministry


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20 January 2014
Silver nanowires used to create wearable sensors
Researchers in the US have used silver nanowires to create wearable sensors that can be stretched to 150% their original size without losing functionality.
The sensors can measure strain, pressure, human touch and bioelectronic signals such as electrocardiograms.
They are expected to find use in applications ranging from biomedical, military and athletics, to prothetics, robotics and flexible touch displays.
"The technology is based on either physical deformation or fringing electric field changes," explained Shanshan Yao, a Ph.D. student at NC State University. "The latter is very similar to the mechanism used in smartphone touchscreens, but the sensors we've developed are stretchable and can be mounted on a variety of curvilinear surfaces such as human skin."
The research builds on earlier work carried out by Dr Yong Zhu in 2012, in which highly conductive and elastic conductors were created from silver nanowires.
By sandwiching an insulating material between two of the silver nanowire-based conductors, the researchers have now been able to create a device with capacitance, or the ability to store an electrical charge.
Pushing, pulling or touching the stretchable conductors changes the capacitance, and this is what equips the device with its sensing capabilities.
"These sensors could be used to help develop prosthetics that respond to a user's movement and provide feedback when in use," Dr Zhu commented. "They could also be used to create robotics that can 'feel' their environment, or the sensors could be incorporated into clothing to track motion or monitor an individual's physical health."
Zhu says the method to create the sensors is simple and low cost. So far, the researchers have used them to the knee movements of a test subject while running, jumping and walking.
"The deformation involved in these movements is large, and would break a lot of other sensor devices," noted Zhu. "But our sensors can be stretched to 150% or more of their original length without losing functionality, so they can handle it."


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Earlier this month, Masan had announced that it had reached an agreement with the New York-based investor to sell a 7.5 per cent stake of Masan Nutri-Science for $150 million, while Danish fund manager PENM Partners would full exit Masan Group shares to KKR for $100 million.
The close of the transaction makes it the second largest foreign shareholder of Masan Group, after the funds owned by the Government of Singapore (GIC), the private equity firm said in a statement.
Meanwhile, in a company presentation that Masan Group released earlier last month, the Vietnamese firm said PENM Partners was its biggest institutional investor with a 5.2 per cent stake, while GIC was holding 4.9 per cent.
KKR said the deal also made it the largest shareholder of Masan Nutri-Science after Masan Group. This is its second investment in Masan, as the private equity firm had injected $359 million in Masan Consumer, the Vietnamese conglomerate’s consumer goods arm, in two tranches in 2011 and 2013.
“This ($250 million) investment underscores our commitment to Vietnam in particular and to ASEAN generally. Vietnam holds great opportunity with its growing economy and favorable demographic trends. KKR is committed to investing in the market by partnering with leading companies such as Masan Nutri-Science,” Ashish Shastry, head of KKR Southeast Asia, said in an earlier statement.
Ming Lu, Head of its Asia Private Equity business, will attend Masan Group’s shareholder meeting on Monday, as an honorary guest to share his views on Vietnam’s consumer potential and KKR’s partnership with Masan.


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Proven for its many significant health benefits, the popularity of CBD is growing undoubtedly. The currently available information regarding the potential medical use of marijuana seems to grow on a constant basis. With the federal legality to buy marijuana in Canada, studying this diverse plant and its miraculous compounds is super easy. There is a huge list of studies from several Countries globally that proved the unmatched potential of marijuana’s potential use for various medicinal purposes. A few years before, very few of us knew the extent of these marijuana’s benefits. However, this narration has exceptionally changed as marijuana is headlining all over the globe for its natural health benefits.
Marijuana has 100+ health benefitting chemical compounds, known as cannabinoids. From all those, CBD and THC are the most studied ones and well-understood by researchers for their various positive effects on the human body. Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC is the primary psychoactive chemical compound in the marijuana plant, and it’s the reason you get high after marijuana consumption. On the other hand, CBD won’t make users high and is ideal for patients who buy marijuana online for its extraordinary healing factors. Although researchers are still continuing to cement more positive health theories of marijuana use, we will now look through some of the remarkable health benefits that are directly associated with buying marijuana in Canada and consuming it even without any prescription.
Say Bye to Chronic Pain
You may not believe it, but the use of marijuana dates back to more than 3000 years ago. However, the component responsible for marijuana’s pain-relieving effects was only discovered a few years ago. Guess what it is? None other than our beloved CBD. The human body has a specialized system known as ECS or Endocannabinoid System, which regulates various crucial body functions such as immune system response, pain, appetite, and sleep. Our body produces endocannabinoids, better known as neurotransmitters, to bind into cannabinoid receptors present in the nervous system. According to several studies, CBD present in marijuana helps relieve chronic pain by either impacting the regular function of endocannabinoid receptors or positively interacting with endocannabinoids to reduce inflammation.
Several studies even proved that the combined use of CBD and THC helps in treating arthritis and multiple sclerosis symptoms. Patients with the following diseases stated that the ability to buy marijuana in Canada and its controlled use had changed their lives for all the good reasons. They experienced amazing improvements with muscle spasms, walking, and pain. Individuals suffering from rheumatoid arthritis have stated that consuming high-quality marijuana has improved their pain at rest, sleep quality, and movement.
Helps with Depression & Anxiety
More than 300 million people worldwide are suffering from depression. According to WHO, depression is the largest contributor to disability across the world. Although depression patients rely mostly on pharmaceutical drugs to deal with these conditions, the drugs usually get ineffective with time and lead to serious side effects and substance abuse disorders. This is where the use of medical marijuana comes to light. Individuals with depression can buy marijuana online easily to experience less discomfort, anxiety issues, cognitive impairment, speech problems, and other serious symptoms related to depression and anxiety. Researchers proved that CBD present in marijuana positively impacts our brain receptors for serotonin, which is an important neurotransmitter required to regulate social response, behavior, and mood improvements.
Decreases Autism Symptoms
According to a study conducted by a group of Israeli researchers, children who have ASD or Autism Spectrum Disorder were instructed for medicinal doses of CBD oil for a minimum of a month to a maximum of two years. The research was approved by the Israeli Ministry of Health. The end result was just astounding and promising. The rage attacks and self-injury among the ASD suffering children had improved by nearly 70% of all participants. Even the sleep problems got eliminated in almost 75% of participants. Many researchers today state that CBD is the perfect treatment for children suffering from ASD, and could be an eye-opening aspect for future medicinal purposes. With an easy recommendation from health specialists, parents can easily buy marijuana-infused products online and use it to control ASD without any psychoactive effects. But, a doctor’s recommendation should be recommended before you should start using CBD for ASD of any other health issues. This ensures the best results for you in the future.
Alleviates Cancer Symptoms to a Great Extent
Mentioning the health benefits to buying marijuana online and the use as prescribed without stating its exemplary positive effects on cancer symptoms, will be an injustice to it. Although it’s too early to measure the exact benefits of marijuana for cancer, preliminary researches suggest that marijuana’s cannabinoid compounds help in alleviating the various side effects associated with cancer treatments. The pain-relieving property of CBD helps cancer patients with inflammation, pressure on internal organs, and nerve injuries. Patients ineffective to standard pain-reducing techniques of cancer can opt for a prescribed combination of CBD and THC to reduce inflammation and pain. Marijuana with CBD present also shows promising results for dealing with side effects of chemotherapy, such as vomiting and nausea. More studies and researchers are continuing to determine the benefits of marijuana for cancer patients. The results are definitely going to be a surprise. We must recommend that if you are a cancer affected patient and planning to use CBD or medicinal marijuana, it is crucial to discuss this with your doctor first for advice.
If you wish to buy marijuana in Canada, with the best quality standards, West Coast Supply is your one stop shop. All our marijuana-infused products are 100% guaranteed genuine and lab tested. You can visit our store today to view our wide range of available authentic marijuana products. Got any questions? Feel free to email us at [email protected] for more info.


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Hizbullah Re-launches TV App on Google and Apple, Draws ADL Concerns
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in the U.S. expressed concern about Hizbullah re-launching its smartphone al-Manar TV applications, which were previously removed by Apple and Google.
ADL was the first to report on the app, which appeared on July 25 and directs users to content from al-Manar, the Lebanon-based Hizbullah satellite television station. Apple removed the app four days later from iTune stores and Google followed two days after removing the app from Google Play.
In a statement issued Thursday blaming ADL for the failure of its previous efforts, al-Manar said the app has been rereleased for the Android operating system and is "back on iPad and iPhone applications via alternative ways, following the campaign carried out by the Jewish Anti-Defamation League to deactivate al-Manar applications on smart phones at Google Play and apple store."
Hizbullah-run al-Manar, broadcast the app on its TV and promotes the applications on its homepage, where it is possible to watch a live-stream of the station.
The U.S. Department of State included al-Manar TV station on its terrorism list in December 2004 and banned it in the United States. The station is also banned in France, Spain and Germany.


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March 17, 2016
The National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS), a part of USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, is getting ready to kick off its next beef industry survey and they need your help.
“We’re asking for cattle producers to provide input now to help set the study objectives,” says Dave Dargatz, a veterinarian and one of the members of the NAHMS research team that collects data and provides it back to the beef industry. To that end, the NAHMS researchers have a short survey for cattle producers and other stakeholders to use to provide direction as they develop the next NAHMS beef study, which will focus on the cow-calf segment of the industry.
Beginning in 2017, the NAHMS research team will survey cow-calf producers in 20-plus states on their animal’s health and management practices. “We plan to represent at least 70% of the beef cows and 70% of the beef operations in the U.S. with this study,” Dargatz says. The study will involve personal interviews with producers about health and management of their cattle.
NAHMS has a long history of collecting vitally important data on a variety of animal health issues important for the beef business. Click here for reports from prior beef studies on both cow-calf and feedlot health and management.
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Increased web traffic over the holidays leading to increase in scammers
FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) - The holiday season is always prime time for Scammers to target those shopping online. However, this year, web traffic is at an all-time high and scammers are taking notice. The Federal Bureau of Investigation told us that they have seen an increase in these kinds of schemes and ripoffs this year.
“The fraudsters know that we’re using the internet a lot more.” said Kevin Smith of the FBI’s Minneapolis Division. “A lot of people are rushed, they’re rushing or distracted, for good reason in 2020. And they’ll take advantage of that if they can.”
The Moorhead Police posted a warning about being cautious while shopping online this year. Captain Deric Swenson told us while these scams are affecting local people, the suspects are usually located much farther away.
“A lot of it’s going to be online. It’s going to be overseas, which is extremely hard to find that suspect and be able to prosecute and actually be able to get that restitution back to that victim.” Swenson said.
Many of these scams are focused around hot gift items for the holiday season, such as the new Xbox or Playstation consoles. A recurring theme in our conversations about these scams is that if the offer seems too good to be true, it probably is.
“All of a sudden there’s a company that’s advertising that they have the ability to be able to purchase that Xbox or whatever else they may be looking for.” Swenson added, “If that deal looks too good to be true, really take the time to look at it.”
Some tips to avoid getting caught up in these scams are to only use reputable sites, check receipts and bank statements regularly, and use a credit card rather than a debit card because Credit Cards offer more protection. If you do give your information to one of those scammers, it is important to act quickly and contact your bank and the authorities.
Smith said to contact the FBI if you have been scammed out of products while shopping online, saying that “You’re providing us details of things that might be a little piece of information that helps us in an investigation or helps us discover a fraudster. Any little piece of information we want so we can connect the dots on things and try to take care of some of these problems.”
He said to report these scams to the Internet Crime Complaints Center at IC3.gov.
Copyright 2020 KVLY. All rights reserved.


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In May of this year, Uber launched a new freight brokerage trucking app and service. Uber Freight was created shortly after internal personnel integrated with Uber’s latest acquisition, Otto.
The Uber Freight app matches vetted truck drivers with long-haul routes. Drivers or dispatchers book and confirm routes with the tap of a button. The app also has a “Take Me Home” feature that helps over-the-road (OTR) drivers book loads that will take them back home while still earning income.
The app is designed to work for carriers of any size, but it is particularly attractive to small fleets and independent owner-operators. Although the company has had its fair share of controversy in recent months, the way it is handling freight brokerage could transform the industry.
Uber Freight Offers Truckers Significant Advantages
Uber Freight bases its business model on solving some of the biggest complaints drivers have about brokerage. The service streamlines the booking process. Instead of making multiple calls to schedule a load, drivers or dispatchers simply tap a button. Confirmation follows within seconds, including verification of the load and the shipment rates.
Dispatchers and owner-operators can filter load searches by pickup, destination, the offered price, and other factors. Currently, the service only schedules dry van or refrigerated truckloads, but the company has plans to expand its offerings. If the user has questions at any point, the app has a phone number listed on every page. Calling the number connects app users with experts who have real-world brokerage experience.
Another major complaint small trucking operations have is the amount of time between delivery and receiving payment. With 30-60-day terms standard in the trucking industry, delayed pay can make or break a small trucking business when repairs or other issues arise. Uber Freight issues payment within seven days of delivery, regardless of receiver terms. However, users should know that it can take a few more days before the money appears in their bank account.
Uber Freight also offers accessorial rates for shipping delays. The company pays detention fees of $75 per hour, starting two hours after the appointment time and capped at four hours of pay. They also pay a layover rate of $300 per day. Driver assists for loading or unloading receive a fee of $75 per load.
Uber Freight also offers a Truck Order Not Used fee of $200 plus $2 per mile. Payment for deadhead mileage is capped at 125 miles.
To meet requirements for receiving accessorial fees, drivers must be using the app. The app’s GPS tracking data provides the company with proof of arrival and travel time.
Willing to Listen
According to Uber Freight’s blog at medium.com, they are also willing to work with drivers experiencing extraordinary circumstances that do not quite fit into their accessorial rate categories. The company requests an email in those situations.
Uber Freight is also responsive to driver feedback. The company requires new employees to ride along with drivers to better understand how to improve the app. The app’s “Take Me Home” feature was created after a driver participating in a ride-along requested a way to find loads that would shorten his trip home.
Uber Controversy Could Affect Functionality
Still, drivers and smaller fleets are well-advised to avoid putting all their eggs in one basket. Uber’s company culture has been roundly condemned in recent years, with critics calling it frat-like and sexist. Related allegations led to the dismissal of several top executives, including Travis Kalanick, the company’s founder.
Legal Battles Between Otto and Google-affiliated Alphabet
The company is also in the middle of a legal battle between Otto, its self-driving truck subsidiary, and Weymo, which is connected to Google’s parent company, Alphabet. Weymo is also researching self-driving vehicles, although they focus on four-wheelers.
The pending lawsuit, which is scheduled for trial, alleges that Otto founder Anthony Levandowski stole over 14,000 files from Alphabet prior to launching Otto. Levandowski was part of Alphabet’s self-driving division but left the company in January 2016 to create Otto. Uber acquired Otto several months later.
Uber Freight Product Lead Denies Significant Impact
Eric Berdinis, Senior Product Manager for Uber Freight, believes these issues will have minimal impact on the service. In an August interview with The Atlantic, Berdinis said that the search for a new Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer has not had “a huge impact” on Uber Freight. “We’ve always had really strong leadership internally…,” he said, “…It hasn’t affected shippers. It hasn’t affected truck drivers.”
The product lead also says the Otto lawsuit has not created problems with Uber Freight either. “…[There] are no self-driving components to Uber Freight,” Berdenis stated, “…it’s not like our technologies have anything to do with self-driving.”
Becoming an Uber Freight Driver or Shipper
If you want to sign up to become an Uber Freight driver, you must meet a few requirements first. Approved carriers must have a Motor Carrier Number, insurance, and a safety rating of at least satisfactory. For now, the company only accepts 53-foot reefer trucks or dry vans. However, they have plans to include other types of rigs.
Shippers must contact the company directly to contract with Uber. Shipping clients can book deliveries several weeks in advance or take advantage of same-day shipping.
Regardless of the issues surrounding its parent company, Uber Freight is a breath of fresh air in the trucking industry. Hopefully, their innovations and solutions will prompt other brokers in the market to follow suit. Having a broker that is willing to work with and listen to truckers is a welcome change to business as usual.


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Rockstar Games has just released two new screenshots of Max Payne 3 via their Twitter account.
No new details have been announced at this time although Rockstar simply added, "He’s coming" suggesting new details on the much delayed title will be announced in the near future.
Rockstar Vancouver is currently overseeing development on the game originally due to launch in holiday 2009 on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.
Tags: Max Payne 3
Company of Heroes 2, Batman: Arkham Origins, Grand Theft Auto V, Watch_Dogs, Beyond: Two Souls and Night of the Rabbit previews.Download Now!


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VietNamNet Bridge – Samsung has accelerated the implementation of its $2
billion project in Thai Nguyen province amid the genuine enthusiasm of the local
authorities, which have offered the South Korean the highest possible investment
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung (middle) at the ground breaking ceremony of Samsung hi-tech complex in Thai Nguyen
President of Samsung Group Lee Kun Hee, when answering the interview of Korean
Times late last year, still said that the Thai Nguyen project was still on
However, astonishingly enough, the ground breaking ceremony of the Samsung
hi-tech complex in Yen Binh Industrial Zone in Thai Nguyen province took place
just several months later, on March 25, 2013.
Deputy General Director of Samsung Vina Electronics, one of the key persons
preparing for the Samsung’s projects in both Bac Ninh and Thai Nguyen provinces,
said everything went “astonishingly quickly.”
The project kicked off on March 25 is the factory to make mobile phones and
digital camera which has the expected capacity of 100 million products per annum
and the investment capital of $2 billion.
However, this will be just a part of the hi-tech complex to be set up here.
Sources have said that another project on a factory to make microprocessors and
integrating units, capitalized at $1.2 billion is now under negotiation.
No official statement has been made about the second factory. However, in the
speeches delivered at the ground breaking ceremony on March 25, the figure about
the $3.2 billion worth of investment capital for both the projects was
Highest possible investment incentives offered to Samsung
Opinions from well informed circle said Samsung unexpected accelerated the
project in Thai Nguyen because of the goodwill of the local authorities to the
South Korean investor.
Samsung’s project in Thai Nguyen, like the one in Bac Ninh, has been promised
the highest incentives which the government of Vietnam can offer to foreign
Especially, the Ministry of Planning and Investment has requested Bac Ninh
provincial authorities to explain why they offered Samsung the incentives which
go beyond the incentive frame stipulated by the laws.
The people’s committees of some provinces have also received the heavy criticism
from the public for offering overly high incentives to investors to scramble for
investment projects. The overly high incentives are believed to break the laws
and spoil the foreign direct investment attraction strategy.
However, Samsung’s investment projects are attractive enough for local
authorities to turn a deaf ear to the criticism and try to attract Samsung at
Dao of Samsung Electronics Vietnam, while admitting that the incentives for
Samsung have “hit the ceiling level,” said that the investor deserves the
To date, the investor’s project in Bac Ninh has helped attract 80 satellite
companies, which have created 80,000 jobs. And Dao is sure that the project in
Thai Nguyen would help bring more satellite companies and create more jobs. And
more importantly, the Samsung’s project would help develop the domestic
Thai Nguyen province’s leaders and the developer of the Yen Binh Industrial
Zone, where the Samsung’s factory is located, have expressed their satisfactory
about the success in convincing Samsung to invest in the locality.
Sources said Thai Nguyen has done everything it could to support the investor.
In order to have land for the project, more than 50 households have been asked
to leave immediately. The people now have to live in rental rooms while waiting
for their apartments in resettlement areas.


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(Published on Vietnam Law & Legal Forum Magazine)
The negative impacts of the geopolitical tension have indirectly hindered the global economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic, preventing the M&A market in 2023 from unfolding as dynamically as anticipated following the less optimistic outcome in 2022.
Nguyen Tien Hoa, Senior Partner & Nguyen Thuy Chung, Senior Partner
The negative impacts of the geopolitical tension have indirectly hindered the global economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic, preventing the M&A market in 2023 from unfolding as dynamically as anticipated following the less optimistic outcome in 2022. However, the vibrant developments in international trade cooperation between Vietnam and other countries in the late stages of 2023 are considered a promising bright spot for the revival of the Vietnamese M&A market in 2024.
M&A trends in Vietnam in 2023
According to data released by KPMG Vietnam, the number of transactions in the M&A market in Vietnam during the first 10 months of the year recorded 265 deals with a total value of USD 4.4 billion, significantly lower than the record high of USD 10.8 billion in 2021. The decline in both the number of deals and transaction value has posed challenges in achieving a total deal value of USD 6.8 billion, as in 2022.
Table: Overview of the M&A market in Vietnam in the first seven months of 2023
|Number of deals
|Value (million USD)
|Average value (million USD)
|Growth rate of value of the deal
|Real estate and construction
|Technology, media and telecommunications
|Industrial and automobile production
|Medical and health
The M&A market in Vietnam can be broadly categorized into eight main groups: real estate and construction; technology, telecommunications and media; industrial manufacturing and automotive; financial services; energy; consumer goods; healthcare; and others. Accordingly, the real estate and construction sector holds the highest proportion in terms of the number of transactions in the first seven months of the year, according to EY-Parthenon statistics, followed by the financial services and consumer goods sectors.
Real estate and construction
In the first seven months of 2023, the total value of M&A transactions in the real estate and construction sector reached USD 1.4 billion. Among these, industrial real estate emerged as the most sought-after investment segment by foreign investors. In the construction sector, acquisition transactions were primarily aimed at serving industrial zone development projects.
One of the key attractions of the real estate market in Vietnam is the advantage of pricing when (i) real estate prices in Vietnam, in general, remain lower than many other countries in the region and (ii) both land values and rental prices remain stable, creating opportunities for buyers to acquire projects at attractive prices.
Moreover, as Vietnam is considering revisions to policies related to the real estate sector, including the Land Law, Law on Real Estate Trading, and Law on Housing, an improved legal framework for foreign investors engaging in M&A transactions in real estate is anticipated, positive signals in the efforts to enhance the legal framework in these directly-related regulating laws for M&A projects further demonstrate the potential of this industry for investors.
The recovery in industrial production not only reflects continuous improvement in the export of goods but also contributes to the growth of M&A transactions in industrial real estate. According to World Bank data as of September 2023, Vietnam’s economy achieved a growth rate of 5.3 percent (year-on-year) in the third quarter of 2023 compared to 4.1 percent (year-on-year) in the second quarter of 2023. This number is attributed to the gradual recovery of industrial production, evident from the industrial production index’s increase since March 2023. This is also a factor highlighting the attractiveness of industrial real estate in the M&A market.
Industrial production index
Financial and consumer services
The significant potential in Vietnam’s consumer lending market serves as a beacon, attracting foreign investors to participate in financial and consumer-focused transactions. Concurrent with the digital transformation, efforts to build a national data warehouse, and the digitization of citizen data by the Government, financial institutions such as banks are actively promoting digital banking services. According to the State Bank of Vietnam, many fundamental transactions in the banking sector have been completely digitized, with some banks recording over 90 percent of customer transactions conducted through digital channels. Moreover, the high internet usage rate and widespread application of technology in core financial services and banking also provide substantial advantages.
In terms of Financial Technology (fintech) activities, the rapid changes in consumer behavior, coupled with the robust development of e-commerce and the application of blockchain technology, offer immense potential for fintech companies in digital payments, lending, insurance technology (insurtech), and embedded finance. The draft decree on the regulatory sandbox for financial technology activities in the banking sector, submitted by the State Bank of Vietnam to the Government, signals an effort to promote the development of fintech in the country.
With a flourishing e-commerce market, Vietnam stands as an extremely promising market in the region according to the below visual indicators of the Internet and e-commerce in Vietnam, demonstrating its immense e-commerce potential in the sector, reflecting a highly developed trend in consumer behavior on e-commerce platforms.
Chart: Scale of the Internet economy in Vietnam
Causes leading to the downturn in the M&A market in Vietnam in 2023
From a global perspective, the total transaction value in the M&A market in 2023 has encountered stagnation as investors face worldwide political and macroeconomic uncertainties. The increasing global inflation, along with the rising geopolitical and economic instabilities worldwide, has impacted investor views to some extent, making them more cautious.
According to numerous surveys conducted by reputable organizations worldwide, global M&A activities in 2023 are facing unfavorable conditions, with one of the main reasons being the continuous interest rate hikes by the United States Federal Reserve (Fed). This has led to an increase in financial costs and a decrease in asset prices. Additionally, the tightening of monetary policies in major economies, resulting in higher interest rates, has also impacted emerging markets, making transactions more costly and negatively affecting both the quality and quantity of deals in the market.
Especially, one of the factors contributing to the negative impact on the global political-economic situation in general and the M&A market, in particular, is the disruptions caused by the war between Russia and Ukraine as well as the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. Vietnam, in the process of integration, is inevitably affected by these developments.
Impacts of the Russia-Ukraine war
One of the impacts of the Russia-Ukraine war is the influence on trade and investment activities. A series of sanctions against Russia by Western countries, including the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada, have been implemented in response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine. These sanctions are having a significant impact on the global economy, and Vietnam is not immune to these effects. Russia being excluded from the SWIFT financial system and the freezing of assets abroad pose challenges to Russia’s trade and investment transactions in Vietnam.
In addition, the Russia-Ukraine conflict disrupts supply chains, impacting Vietnam’s exports and creating challenges for businesses looking to invest in Vietnam. This complication further hinders the due diligence and payment processes in M&A transactions.
Secondly, the war leads to price increases in the market for certain fuel and production-related raw materials, affecting both production and consumer goods. Russia is a leading country in oil extraction and exports, accounting for 12 percent of the global trade volume with about 5 million barrels per day. Restricting transactions with a major supplier like Russia causes oil prices to rise, creating global inflationary pressures and significantly impacting production costs. Due to the impact of sanctions, many shipping companies refuse to transport goods from Vietnam to Russia, leading to increased transportation costs and delays. Air embargo also raises global logistics costs. These delays pose challenges to supply chain management, forcing businesses to change strategies and affecting decisions to expand or engage in M&A. Companies involved in M&A may face delays in project implementation and contract execution, increasing the risk of failure to meet time and cost commitments.
Impacts of the Israel-Hamas conflict
The ongoing conflict in the Middle East region undeniably has adverse impacts such as disruption in trade and investment relations, enhancement of the possibility of occurrence of economic defensive measures; disruptions in the global supply chain and international investment; and currency fluctuation risks, to name just a few.
First of all, the conflict may pose a risk of disrupting trade and investment relations between Vietnam and Israel, creating challenges in negotiations for a free trade agreement and reducing the possibility of investment cooperation.
Secondly, concerns about a reduction in overall consumer demand due to conflicts often lead to an increase in economic defensive measures. This can impact Vietnam’s exports and reduce income from foreign sales.
Thirdly, the conflict can potentially disrupt the supply chain, especially for energy sources such as crude oil. This disruption may pose challenges in the oil supply, negatively affecting M&A projects related to the energy sector. Additionally, political tensions may push investors to shift towards domestic or geographically closer investments. This could create fluctuations in investment flows into Vietnam from other countries, impacting the M&A market.
The global rise in oil prices can pose significant challenges for banks, especially when loose monetary policies are in place. Currency fluctuations may lead to an increased accumulation of assets such as the US dollar and gold, adding further uncertainty to M&A transactions in the field of finance and banking.
Bright spots for the M&A market in Vietnam in 2023
Despite the slowdown in M&A activities in Vietnam throughout most of 2023, several potential factors could drive dealmakers to rise in the coming year. Notably, the elevation of the relationship between Vietnam and the US to a comprehensive strategic partnership, as per the Joint Statement on Economic-Trade-Investment Cooperation between Vietnam and the US is considered a bright spot that is expected to boost transactions and enhance the prospects of the M&A market in Vietnam.
Market opening and policy support
The proposal by Vietnam for the US to consider recognizing its market economy status is a significant development. Such recognition not only provides more favorable conditions for Vietnamese businesses in trade protection cases but also helps strengthen Vietnam’s role, position, and investor confidence in its potential.
Enhancing investment and trade cooperation
The US’s commitment to create favorable conditions for key Vietnamese products, such as textiles, footwear, and agricultural products, will facilitate exports and promote trade cooperation between the two countries. The promotion of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) tariff scheme by Vietnam also holds the promise of ensuring that exported goods from Vietnam receive fair treatment, benefiting businesses and stimulating trade between the two nations.
In general, this is expected to enhance the development of M&A transactions, creating greater attraction for investors looking to participate in the import-export market in Vietnam. Additionally, it will increase the investment potential in areas where Vietnam already has a competitive advantage.
Cooperation in priority areas
The two countries are united in enhancing their strategic partnership, focusing on collaboration in areas such as science and technology, innovation, education and training, climate change mitigation, and renewable energy development. This promises to create opportunities for diversification in M&A deals and promote sustainable development.
Specifically, in the fields of digital collaboration, science, and technology, the US and Vietnam are intensifying collaboration in the fields of science, technology, and innovation, particularly in the technology sector. To further enhance the development of the digital economy and attract M&A transactions related to this sector, the US has committed to enhancing support for training and developing a high-tech workforce in Vietnam to achieve these goals.
Regarding the energy sector, Vietnam and the US will collaborate in the energy sector to build a more efficient national energy system, attracting investment and technology to Vietnam. This collaboration opens up opportunities for M&A in renewable energy and green technology.
Vietnam and the US are committed to close cooperation in the energy sector to establish a more efficient national energy system, attracting investment capital and technology to Vietnam. Plans to expand M&A transactions into the renewable energy and green technology sectors are also under consideration by both the US and Vietnam for implementation soon.
About the semiconductor industry, the US is committed to supporting Vietnam in building a semiconductor ecosystem and has outlined plans for workforce development in this field. Both parties are actively committed to supporting and collaborating to enhance Vietnam’s position in the global semiconductor supply chain, providing funding for businesses involved in M&A transactions related to semiconductor manufacturing.
Economic reforms in Vietnam
Vietnam proposes that the US promptly recognize its market economy status to support domestic businesses concurrently with attracting foreign investment into the M&A market. The US expresses appreciation for Vietnam’s efforts in the modernization process and ensuring transparency in monetary policies and exchange rates. The US also commits to supporting Vietnam in this regard, helping create a stable and favorable environment for investors to carry out M&A deals in Vietnam, mitigating risks, and further encouraging proactive cooperation between the two nations.
Collaboration with the World Trade Organization
Both Vietnam and the US are committed to strengthening the multilateral trade system through the World Trade Organization (WTO), aiming to enhance fairness and transparency in the trade environment. Additionally, both parties will commit to rule-based approaches, reducing risks for businesses participating in M&A transactions in Vietnam. Specifically, WTO rules provide a unified legal framework for regulating the negotiation and settlement processes in M&A transactions, helping reduce the complexity of administrative procedures and creating opportunities for collaborative support between the two nations.
Infrastructure development support
The US commits to supporting Vietnam in the production, and development of high-quality physical and digital infrastructure, fair energy transition, and sustainable and smart agriculture, as well as assisting Vietnam in deep and sustainable integration into regional and global supply chains. This helps businesses carry out M&A transactions to expand their scale and business capabilities.
Furthermore, the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) will provide financial support for private projects in Vietnam in the areas of infrastructure, climate, health, and small businesses, assisting enterprises in participating in M&A transactions.
Tying it all together, the current market opening, policy support, and commitment to cooperation in strategic areas create a positive environment for the development and expansion of businesses, as exemplified by the collaboration between Vietnam and the US. This not only provides significant opportunities for Vietnamese enterprises but also stimulates cooperation and investment between the two countries, contributing to the growth of the M&A market. This holds the promise of being a bright spot in the M&A investment landscape in 2024. Additionally, political stability, impressive economic growth rates, and a rapidly increasing domestic consumer market with strong FDI inflows provide a solid foundation, indicating favorable conditions for investors eyeing strategic opportunities in Vietnam’s dynamic M&A market in 2024.-
 Source: The World Bank, Vietnam macroeconomic update September 2023, page 2
 Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy – Ministry of Industry and Trade, 2022. Vietnam E-commerce White Paper 2022. Pg. 32, 37
Read the original article here.


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Southern-Asian restaurant the Peached Tortilla is opening a new location in Cedar Park this year. It’ll be found at 1915 East Whitestone Boulevard starting in late 2023.
The menu will remain mostly the same with dishes offering a blend of Southern and Asian dishes and ingredients (based on founder Eric Silverstein’s upbringing) such as the Southern Fun, a noodle dish with braised brisket and kale; and the Dan Dan Noodles with five-spice pork. A press release notes that there will be a few new dishes exclusive to Cedar Park.
The forthcoming restaurant will include indoor and outdoor space. It’ll be taking its cues from the original Burnet Road restaurant design-wise, which means its geometric-shaped wallpaper, soft peach colors, wood, and exposed brick details.
This will be the Peached company’s overall fifth location, opening within the Arrow Point development. Silverstein started Peached as a food truck in 2010. He opened the physical restaurant in Allandale in 2014, then event space Peached Social House in 2016, then opened the airport outpost in 2018, and then finally opened Bar Peached in Clarksville in 2019. There’s a catering component and Silverstein published a cookbook in 2019. ‘


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Apple is rumored to launch a Hi-Fi music streaming tier of Apple Music later this week on May 18. Ahead of that, the company seems to be hinting at the tier’s impending launch through its Music app.
Apple Music is one of the biggest music streaming services out there to not feature a free ad-supported tier. Apple instead offers users a lengthy 3-month trial period after which they need to shell out $9.99/month. If you thought that Apple could eventually launch a free tier of Apple Music like Spotify, well that’s not going to happen.
Typically Apple offers three months of trial for students and other subscribers as well. The company has now extended the offer to six months for students. Simply put, students will not be able to avail six months of a free Apple Music trial. The offer is available for higher education students in select countries.
A number of iPhone and iPad owners are experiencing an outage with Apple Music right now. Due to the service outage, users are currently unable to stream music from Apple Music. They are also unable to search for music or view their library and are instead being greeted with a “We’ve run into a problem” error.
Apple is now offering TikTok users four months of free Apple Music Trial. All one needs to do is subscribe to TikTok via App Store on iOS. Currently, Apple Music comes with three months of free trial, and you get another month for subscribing to TikTok.
We recently learned that Apple is planning to offer a subscription bundle called Apple One. The bundle would include all Apple services. The Apple One was first discovered on iOS 13.5 beta. The latest update to the Apple Music app on Android has confirmed Apple One subscription is indeed under works and is likely to be announced soon.
Apple today announced that it is renaming Beats 1, its flagship global radio station, to Apple Music 1. In addition, the company announced two new radio stations — Apple Music Hits and Apple Music Country.
Apple Music has received a bunch of new features on iOS 14. The update includes a Listen Now tab for better content discovery, improved search, and a new Autoplay option. Benjamin Mayo of 9to5Mac has now revealed that the Apple Music app on iOS 14 comes with super cool animated artwork for playlists.
Apple released the first developer beta build of iOS 13.4.5 and iPadOS 13.4.5 a few hours ago, and the changelog had mentioned that the minor software update brings bug fixes and stability improvements to iPhones and iPads. However, it has now been revealed that it also introduces a new feature in Apple Music that makes it easier to share songs on Instagram.
With its latest update, the Apple Music app on iOS notifies you about new songs, albums, and videos that were released by your favorite artists, right at the top of your music library.


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NXP Semiconductor’s CEO Richard Clemmer conceded a proposed sale to Qualcomm may not complete until early 2018, as the deal continues to face regulatory scrutiny.
In the company’s Q3 earnings announcement, Clemmer said NXP was “working diligently” with Qualcomm and the various regulators towards a close this year, but added “at this point the timetable is very tight”.
Qualcomm announced intentions to acquire NXP in October 2016, in a deal which at the time was worth $47 billion. Qualcomm lined up the purchase as it aims to bolster its proposition in areas adjacent to its mobile core, including IoT and security.
The European Commission (EC) opened a probe in June, expressing concerns the transaction could lead to higher prices and reduced innovation in the semiconductor industry.
Earlier this month, Qualcomm offered concessions to allay any antitrust concerns, in a bid to push the acquisition through.
Specific details on the proposed concessions were not revealed, but Reuters reported Qualcomm had offered to give up certain patents, pledged to offer interoperability and allow rivals to use NXP products.
The investigation, which has already been suspended twice by the EC, continues to rumble on. Qualcomm said recently it still aims to complete the deal this year.
In his comments, Clemmer also reiterated his belief the deal with Qualcomm, which is valued at $110 per share, is “compelling” and “would close strategic gaps in both the automotive and IoT space”.
Aside from regulatory concerns, the deal also faced criticism from activist investor Elliot Management, which owns a 6 per cent stake in NXP, which said Qualcomm’s bid “significantly devalued”, the chip maker.
Clemmer said NXP “continues to support and recommend the $110 Qualcomm offer for acceptance to NXP shareholders.”
NXP reported revenue of $2.39 billion in Q3, a 3 per cent decline year-on-year. Operating profit was also down 6 per cent, reaching $163 million.


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It’s the bikini label the Jenner clan can’t seem to get enough of.
Almost every time they wear it, sales go through the roof.
In fact, when Kylie Jenner posted a photo of herself and a bunch of her girlfriends on a boat wearing Frankies Bikinis they sold out within hours.
This time Kendall Jenner has been spotted wearing the brand’s $260 Kailin python bikini top and bottom while sunbaking on a getaway with fellow model Bella Hadid.
The 24-year-old, who is currently in Miami for the international Art Basel fair, also shared a steamy video wearing the skimpy bikini, showing off her washboard abs and toned booty.
“For this specific bikini, a few unique characteristics that make it so popular are the double strap details on the bottoms, ring detail on the back and sides, the top that holds your bust in whether small or large and the python animal print,” founder and creative director Francesca Aiello told news.com.au
Hanging poolside with Bella, the duo brought their A game to their beachside wardrobes, layering carefree and casual cover-ups over their steamy swimmers.
Kendall went for mix prints in a tie-dye cardigan and pants, snakeskin shoulder bag and matching bandeau top.
She accessorised it with minimal jewellery and sunglasses, while Bella opted for a retro look with a black halter bikini with ’80s-inspired, high-rise bottoms that peeked out from under her sagging wide-leg jeans.
She also used her white shoelaces as a belt, adding a bandana, hoop earrings, white sneakers, and an oversized leather tote to her look.
On Wednesday, the model was also spotted flaunting her fit figure in an equally tiny bikini.
Ms Aiello said it was always exciting to see celebrities rocking her brand.
“What’s even more exciting is that they are continuously wearing the brand organically (by choice) – not paid,” Ms Aiello told news.com.au
“I think that is something that I really love most, knowing that we have built a trust with our consumers where they know that when they wear one of our bikinis they will love it.
“I love watching our brand and social media following grow after an organic celebrity sighting because they really do have such a huge impact on consumers and what consumers are purchasing and wearing.”
The quickest Frankies Bikinis to sell was when the brand did a collaboration in July with Sofia Richie, who wore a hot pink and blue tie-dye collection. Ms Aiello said right after it was released, Sofia went on a trip with Kylie Jenner and their girlfriends.
“Every girl on the trip wore a bikini from her collection with us on that trip and posted it on social media, and it sold out within hours,” Ms Aiello said.


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NWSA fears impact of tariffs on Washington
The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) has expressed fears that US President Donald Trump’s tariffs on imports of steel and aluminium could result in wide “negative economic consequences for” the US state of Washington.
In a release from the organisation, a marine cargo-operating alliance of the ports of Seattle and Tacoma, partnership officials condemned the new levies, warning that jobs in the state were under threat.
Speaking about the new taxes, Courtney Gregoire, Port of Seattle commission president and NWSA co-chair, said: “Higher tariffs will jeopardise jobs in Washington and raise costs for consumers in a much wider range of industries.
“We support vigorous enforcement of fair trade laws and a level playing field, but this reckless approach puts too many people and industries in the economic crosshairs.”
Don Meyer, who is also a NWSA co-chair as well as being the Port of Tacoma commission president, said: “Just as concerning as these blanket tariffs is the potential for retaliatory tariffs on exports of Washington agricultural and manufactured goods.
“As a state in which 40% of our jobs are tied to international trade, we are risking jobs and quality of life by levying blanket tariffs against some of our most important trading partners and opening the door to their retaliation.”
There has been widespread concern about the levies, including fears that they could cause retaliatory tariffs to be imposed on US exports.
In 2017, the NWSA imported over 1.8bn dollars’ worth of iron or steel, alongside more than $557m in aluminium, while the organisation is currently the second-biggest export gateway for overall agricultural and forest products in the US.
Exports of overall agricultural and forest products in the country had a value of over $6.8bn in 2016, constituting 76% of NWSA containerised exports.
The former Washington Grain Commission chair and current U.S. Wheat Associates chairman, Mike Miller, has also given his view on the tariffs for the state of Washington, saying: “Washington farmers export 80% to 90% of their wheat, and so we are deeply reliant on foreign markets to ensure the success of our state’s growers.
“Our product is an easy target for retaliatory tariffs, which not only have the potential to reduce sales to overseas partners but also disrupt long-term relationships that have taken years to cultivate.”
On the same day that the NWSA put out their release, March 8, President Trump signed orders placing tariffs of 25% and 10% on US imports of steel and aluminium respectively.
The taxes, which contain exemptions for Mexico and Canada, were due to take effect 15 days after the day the orders were signed.
The President has claimed that the US has “unfair trade” and that the decision would boost US industry.
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IHS Markit said on Friday (23rd) that with the acceleration of vaccination, epidemic restrictions have been gradually relaxed across the United States, driving a strong rebound in customer demand. In April, the growth rate of manufacturing and service industry activities in the United States both hit a record high since 2009.
US Market PMI report:
- The initial value of the manufacturing PMI in April was reported at 60.6, the previous value was 59.1
- The initial value of the service industry PMI in April was 63.1, and the previous value was 60.4
- The initial value of the comprehensive PMI in April was 62.2, and the previous value was 59.7
- The initial value of the manufacturing output index in April reported 57.2, the previous value was 55.6
The Markit report pointed out that the relaxation of restrictions and strong sales are driving the accelerated growth of business activities, the number of new orders has increased, and the factory has also increased the recruitment of manpower. The expansion of the manufacturing and service industries pushed the composite index to 62.2, the highest since October 2009.
Markit also said that supply shortages and logistics bottlenecks continue to disrupt manufacturers, and simultaneously push up the cost of raw materials, causing the price index to soar to a record high.
Chris Williamson, chief business economist at IHS Markit, said in a statement that the introduction of vaccines, relaxation of restrictions, optimistic economic prospects and stimulus measures have helped the US economy get a good start in the second quarter.
But Williamson warned that worsening supply chain problems still put pressure on the economic outlook, especially in terms of prices. In addition, supply chain delays have led to a substantial increase in the backlog of unfinished work, setting a new high in more than seven years. In the short term, companies will continue to struggle to improve their operational capabilities.


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Jan 17, 2018 | By Samuel Trotman
Get more Denim insights as a WGSN subscriber
Dutch denim purveyors G-Star RAW launches into Fall/Winter 13 with another high octane multimedia campaign featuring some big and unexpected names.
Each season G-Star raisees the bar for their campaigns, bringing together a mix of high profile photographers, new faces and most recently, stunning new CGI movies to celebrate their passion for denim. F/W 13 sees the brand take an unexpected move tapping British photographer Rankin to take over the reigns from Anton Corbjin who has been the brand’s ambassador during the past few years. In a set of simple stills, Rankin photographs Kasabian guitarist and songwriter Sergio Pizzorno, in what G-Star expresses as embodying a theme of “destroy to create.” Pizzorno is captured in the label’s signature denim, highlighting G-Star Raw’s craftsmanship and classic cuts.
Like The Art of Raw film we previewed earlier this year, the latest campaign release also features an incredibly mind-blowing and visually artistic film to accompany the photographs. The video, also shot by Rankin, follows G-Star’s signature Skeleton Dog as it races to evolve into the two seasonal faces Sergio and also Vaganaova Academy ballerina Keenan Kampa who fronts the women’s line.
As part of the launch, G-star has released an exclusive jean in collaboration with Sergio. Created especially for Selfridges, a limited edition Type C pant will be released October 10th in a limited run of 100 pieces. The Type C is the latest evolution of G-Star’s signature 3-D design. It is constructed with an anatomical fit, tapered legs and oversized rear pockets. A total of 150 have been made, and each one is crafted from 14oz dark aged denim with a special off-white pocket patch and logo. The patch of each pant is stamped with its own unique ID number, and is personally signed by Sergei as a mark of authenticity.
Know what’s next. Become a WGSN member today to benefit from our daily trend intelligence, retail analytics, consumer insights and bespoke consultancy services.


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Xiaomi today announced that it has sold over 1 million or 10 lakh smartphones in India within 48 hours between 20 to 22 September during festive... ...http://www.fonearena.com/blog/230385/xiaomi-sold-record-1-million-smartphones-within-48-hours-in-india.html
After a long gap, Google introduced an Android One smartphone in partnership with Chinese handset maker Xiaomi in the Indian market. Aiming at the... ...http://www.fonearena.com/blog/230192/xiaomi-mi-a1-review.html
Xiaomi today started its Diwali sale on its partner sites and has also announced that it will hold its Diwali with Mi sale from September... ...http://www.fonearena.com/blog/230216/xiaomi-diwali-with-mi-sale-from-september-27-to-29-re-1-flash-sale-discounts-and-more.html
Xiaomi Mi A1 went on sale for the first time last week. It marks the return of Android One phones in India. Unlike most Xiaomi devices, the Mi A1... ...http://www.businesstoday.in/technology/news/xiaomi-mi-a1-sale-today-flipkart-mi-website/story/260554.html
Xiaomi Mi5 Specifications ,features
Xiaomi Redmi Mobiles Flipkart Amazon
Xiaomi has launched its premium class...
Xiaomi Service Center, Xiaomi...
Xiaomi Redmi 2A


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College Corporate Card Change
Smith College is moving its Corporate Card to JP Morgan Chase because the Bank of New York Mellon will no longer offer card services as of September 30. The Purchasing Office will be giving out new cards the week of September 23. Cardholders will be notified about pick-up hours in the coming weeks. All other card processes, including the use of Banner for reallocation and submission of receipts, will remain unchanged.


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Brand Licensing Europe’s annual License This! competition is now open for entries.
Designed to introduce new properties to licensing, the competition is now in its seventh year and has become a regular part of BLE proceedings, Europe’s largest licensing event organised by UBM.
The License This! competition is open to anyone with a concept that has yet to be published or broadcast, or a brand that has not yet extended to non-core consumer products.
Properties with roots in publishing, art and design, TV or digital media are all welcome and will be reviewed by a panel of experts. A shortlist of four properties will then be pitched to a panel in front of a live audience at BLE on October 13th this year.
This year’s winner will receive a prize worth over £6,000 which includes a furnished nine square metre stand at BLE 2017 to bring the property to market. They will also receive LIMA membership for one year and a ticket to the LIMA Licensing Essentials Course and Spring Fling Networking Party in May 2017.
“License This! is now an integral part of BLE and provides a fantastic opportunity for property owners to present their creations at Europe’s biggest showcase for brand extension,” said Ana Knight BLE brand director.
“For those who are shortlisted, it’s also a valuable learning experience – our judges are always forthcoming with advice and feedback, something which past winners and runners up have found extremely useful in shaping their strategies.
“We would urge anyone with a new concept to enter today.”
Past winners of the License This! competition include Pink Chillies, RaNT! and Mr Trafalgar, who have each gone on to sign successful licensing agreements.
Entry forms and competition rules can be found at www.brandlicensing.eu. Deadline for entries is September 9th 2016.