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ClickZ Senior Editor and Politics reporter Kate Kaye appeared on Digital Politics Radio with Karen Jagoda last week, when they discussed subjects including a recent Facebook political ad study, the online work of American Crossroads in the NY26 race, the use of online ads for testing to inform cross media campaigns, and the effect of Weinergate on Twitter usage by candidates:
New Top-Level Domains (TLDs) have become more popular in the last couple of years, so here’s everything you need to know about them.
Sure, some apps are doing personalized push notifications, but what happens when your users are in the app?
Since cloud computing first gained mainstream attention around 2009, its popularity has exploded. Promising increased efficiency, flexibility and cost-effectiveness, it was hailed as the ultimate business solution. But are users seeing the benefits?
The term ‘marketing cloud’ has gained significant traction in the last few years as major software companies have sought to monetise the growing importance of technology for marketing teams.


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With an aim to aware and support underprivileged communities, global premium brand TECNO on Friday announced its social initiative “Jeetega India PhirSe” with which the company will undertake multiple necessary and relevant steps to strengthen India’s fight against Covid-19.
The initiative will help spread Covid-19 prevention, treatment, and vaccination awareness to more than 30,000 people living across several villages in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad.
“These are trying times and it’s absolutely necessary for us to do everything we can to lend a helping hand to take care of the worst-hit strata of our population,” Arijeet Talapatra, CEO of Transsion India, said in a statement.
“More than half of India’s population lives in villages but due to lack of information and health care facilities, they stand at a higher risk to get infected. TECNO believes in the spirit of nation power to fight back and will to win,” Talapatra added.
As part of the initiative, TECNO is conducting health information workshops to support the people of these villages in tough times to keep their families safe from covid and make them aware of vaccination.
The company will also provide them with health kits comprising of essentials such as masks, gloves, sanitizers, handwash, and a ‘Covid-19 care booklet’ with all relevant Government helpline numbers & guidance for emergency protocols.
“Through TECNO’s aJeetega India Phirse’ campaign the brand is committed to reaching out to over 30000 people living in these villages of UP. Along with our NGO partner Sarvhitey, we are conducting door-to-door services and various workshops with medical practitioners to educate them about pandemic prevention & healthcare regime,” he said.
“This initiative will foster the much-needed awareness of important Covid-19 related safety protocols as well as grant resources to those who need it the most. We will continue to do our part and support as many people as possible, to ensure people have the right information & means to sustain themselves and their loved ones, during these testing times and make India win again,” Talapatra added.
Parallelly, as part of its efforts to support the company’s internal and external stakeholders, TRANSSION also announced multiple interventions for the health, safety and wellbeing programme such as — distribution of Covid health care kits, Covid vaccination camps, annual Covid insurance coverage policy for 3,500 front line members and 24-hours online doctor consultation for Covid treatment and other medical support to employees and their families.
Earlier this year, the company also re-initiated its unique Doorstep Delivery Initiative with the largest retail network of 50,000+ outlets PAN India, enabling consumers to purchase TECNO smartphones from the comfort and safety of their homes.
TECNO also extended the warranty period on those TECNO smartphones whose warranty was to expire between April 15 – June 15, 2021.

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The UK's SMEs are not performing online
Article date: Tue, 25 Apr 2006 15:53 GMTThe Internet is the world's fastest growing industry, creating a global market. Despite this, only 40% of UK businesses represent themselves online. The vast majority are small and medium enterprises, failing to maximise their return on investment. Lawrence Jones, MD of UKFast believes SMEs are throwing away great opportunities to build their profile and revenue by not optimising their online presence. The UK's largest businesses lead the way and enjoy the lion's share of Internet income. Making up just 2% of our online businesses, they account for 75% of the Net's UK revenue - sharing over £53.4bn a year. In sharp contrast, the UK's 1.5million other online businesses generate 25%. "Small and medium sized businesses are missing out on the Net's full potential," says Jones. "The figures are staggering. Less than 8% of all SMEs are profiting directly from the web." However, the tide is beginning to turn. UKFast reports a sharp increase in dedicated server sales to SMEs this year. "Companies are now moving in their droves from shared hosting to more sophisticated solutions," says Jones. "2006 sees serious SMEs taking a bigger chunk out of the corporate wealth and increasing the profits available online." "It makes for a very interesting marketplace," he continues. "Competition amongst the Internet's entrepreneurs will be fierce and only those with solid online infrastructures will remain at the forefront." Figures from the National Statistics survey into ICT Activity of UK Businesses (Feb 2006 amendment). www.statistics.gov.uk For more information or to arrange an interview, contact Jonathan Bowers.
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In partnership with Novuna Consumer Finance, formerly Hitachi Capital Consumer Finance, national kitchen retailer Magnet is now offering customers more payment options.
Magnet customers purchasing a new kitchen will now have the opportunity to borrow up to £50k and spread the cost over five years.
Novuna Consumer Finance specialises in tailoring finance offers based on customers’ disposable income and Magnet will use its range of products, including interest-free and interest-bearing options, as well as buy now, pay later plans.
Using the Novuna financial packages, Magnet can collaborate with customers and customise loan amounts and repayment options.
By offering greater flexibility over terms, deposits, and loan amounts, retailers can create payment plans to suit a customer’s lifestyle, expand access to finance to reach a wider customer base and reduce the number of declined applications.
The kitchen retailer will benefit from Novuna’s ground-breaking soft search which instantly confirms whether a customer is eligible for their preferred credit option, preventing any impact on their credit score before proceeding with the application.
Head of retail at Novuna Consumer Finance Brian Flesk commented on the partnership: “We are thrilled to work with Magnet, and we are confident that our unique point of sale finance offering will assist Magnet in creating the perfect financial solution for each customer, tailored as precisely as their kitchens are designed.”
Director of store operations at Magnet Paul Owen added: “We know our customers appreciate choice whether it’s product breadth, different installation services or a variety of ways to pay, it’s important to offer flexibility.
“By partnering with Novuna, we are providing our customers with just that enabling the option to spread the cost of a kitchen designed especially for them.”


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The Taiwan government through its trading council is currently expanding its businesses in Nigeria, the Taiwan Trade Representative in Nigeria, Andy Liu, has said.
Liu, who said this on the sidelines of the Halal Expo Nigeria 2021 event in Abuja, stated that Taiwan would go into states such as Kaduna, Kano, Sokoto, among others.
Speaking on the essence of the Memorandum of Understanding that was signed between the Taiwan trade council and the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry, he stated that the partnership was to further deepen Taiwan’s investments in Nigeria.
Liu said, “The MoU was signed by our biggest trading promotion council called TAITRA. We want to have a good relation with the ACCI. The Abuja chamber expressed its willingness to deepen cooperation with Taiwanese trading council.
“So both sides reached a consensus of signing an MoU for future cooperation. This is not just for the Halal Industry but for all aspects of trading.
“Coming into Abuja means that our Taiwanese trading council is seriously thinking of moving its business or expanding from Lagos to the very centre of Nigeria and in the future to Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto and the whole country.”
Liu stated that business relations between Nigeria and Taiwan which spanned more than four decades had been cordial.
He said, “The business relations between Taiwan and Nigeria has been on for more than 40 years. It has been great because the sale of Taiwanese products in Nigeria has been on since late 1980s.
“These products are not just motorcycles, bicycles or fabric, they include all kinds of information technology related products. I may not be able to give the investment figures now, but the most important thing is to see how well we can go on with the relations.
“And that is why I’m here in Abuja to represent Taiwan and set up a stand at the Halal Expo.”
On products exported to Taiwan from Nigeria, Liu stated that they included raw commodities from Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
He said, “Raw materials from Nigeria such as sesame and others are being exported to Asia including Taiwan and this is processed into a high value sesame oil product.
“This is because Asian people love sesame oil and need plenty of them. Chestnuts and many kinds of groundnut products are also exported from Nigeria.”
He pledged the continued partnership of the Taiwanese government with Nigeria, adding that citizens from the Asian country would continue to invest in the Nigerian economy.


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Australia’s tna solutions prepares for major Interpack equipment reveal
Co-founder of tna, Nadia Taylor (right of pic), at the recent Gulfood Manufacturing event. Pic: Neill Barston
In the wake of its 40th anniversary celebrations, tna solutions will be unveiling a host of packaging and processing developments at Interpack, including the latest version of the key vertical form fill and seal system, reports Neill Barston.
The company’s Robag 3e gains its European debut at the major international industry event taking place in Dusseldorf between 4-10 May, shown alongside its autosplice 3 line that provide a combined reported production uptime of 5% with a 200mm increase in overall floor space.
As Confectionery Production covered at the recent Gulfood Manufacturing event in Dubai (pictured below), the business has enjoyed a notably strong period of sales and equipment development surrounding its 40th anniversary (see our video event review featuring tna here).
Notably, as the company explained it will use Interpack to showcase its proprietary sustainability calculator will also be available for visitors to assess how the use of single-serration jaws on VFFS packaging systems, which are widely used across confectionery and snacks operations, can help to reduce film consumption and enhance sustainability credentials.
“Our purpose is to help our customers to realise ambitious sustainability goals and create a greener, more prosperous world,” said Nadia Taylor, Co-founder and Director at tna solutions. “To cater for the growing aspirations of both brands and individuals towards a circular economy, we are very proud to apply our diverse capabilities and food industry experience to create solutions that improve the environmental footprint of manufacturing operations.”
Furthermore, the company’s sustainability corner will also showcase the capabilities of the tna robag to run a range of industry compliant sustainable film materials. It also demonstrates an integrated line for snack producers featuring the robag 3e, and its auto-splice 3 with EtherCAT real-time protocol and an integrated display controller system.
The latest software relays information from the tna checkweigher or from the product in-seal inspection to inform operators on the optimal weighing bucket configuration for prompt troubleshooting, significantly reducing rejects, product and material waste. As a result, snack manufacturers can now produce up to 2,800 more bags per line per day with minimal downtime and only 200 millimetres added to the VFFS system footprint.
As the company added, its experts will guide visitors through possible changes that can drive meaningful improvements in reducing environmental impact, such as the tna robag 3e, which lowers product waste levels to 0.1%, and offers a more efficient, sustainable packaging operation. With the world’s smallest VFFS footprint, the system delivers energy savings of up to 20% thanks to its enhanced productivity and intuitive power saving software, which automatically shuts the system down when not in use.
Significantly, the company noted that to further support snack producers on their sustainability journey, the business will showcase single-serration jaws that help to reduce the consumption of biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP), a recyclable but non-biodegradable material.
The sustainability calculator, available throughout the show, allows snack producers to evaluate potential film savings. For example, single-serration jaws enable a 5-millimetre material saving per seal. On VFFS systems that produce 150 bags per minute, these savings translate into 2.26 million bags per month. In a factory of 10 packaging lines, operating at least 12 hours a day, it results in almost 390 kilometres of film saved a month.
“As demand for energy-efficient and sustainable operations continues to grow, our customers are seeking solutions to measure and manage the environmental impact of their production plants,” comments Eric Geling, Chief Sales Officer at tna solutions. “We at tna believe that what is good for the environment can also be good for the bottom line. Reducing energy, waste and streamlining processing inevitably has a positive impact on product yield and line efficiency.”
As the company acknowledged, sustainability remains high on its agenda and is a key area on display at the stand. As a responsible processing and packaging solutions supplier, the company added that it has always has a firm eye on the trends that continue to shape the future. Visitors to the booth (Hall 14, booths C56 & D56), will have chance to explore its full range of technology for the sector.
Speaking about the company’s wider mission, which involves giving back through its charitable foundation, which is active across 39 countries, Nadia Taylor added: “We believe true success is that which is shared by our company, our customers, and the broader community, and feel a moral obligation to create value so that we may help the less fortunate, especially children. One of the foundation’s key focus areas is the education of children in the regions in which we operate. It’s the gift that nobody can take away, and we therefore encourage our valued customers to also spend a little time to learn more in this dedicated section of the stand.”


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(Crain's) -- MillerCoors LLC has agreed to pull a series of ads for Miller Lite following complaints from an Italian-American group that the brewer was using ethnic stereotypes to sell beer.
Miller pulls ad for Lite after protests
The commercials, from Lite's agency, Interpublic Group of Cos.' DraftFCB Inc., Chicago, tout a new "taste-protector cap" for the brand. Miller is using packaging innovation to highlight the brand's superior-taste claims in much the same way that corporate sibling Coors Light has used similar gimmicks ("cold-activated can") to hammer home its cold-refreshment message.
To make the point, the brewer cast "Sopranos" star Frank Vincent as an apparent mobster offering "protection" to bartenders and convenience-store clerks. Parodying a program that had been on the air for a decade may have seemed safe, but a number of Italian-American organizations took offense and began contacting MillerCoors on May 6 in an attempt to get the ads pulled.
Similar protests had shelved ads from Verizon and Denny's earlier this year, but Lou Rago, president of the Chicago-based Italian American Human Relations Foundation, said it took the groups several weeks to get a hearing. And then they started threatening to organize a boycott of MillerCoors products.
Mr. Rago said he told MillerCoors executives: "Look, if you agree with us you wouldn't have two black actors doing 'Amos and Andy,' if you agree with us you wouldn't have two Polish actors pretending to be stupid, and if you agree with us that you wouldn't have two Hispanics pretending to be gangbangers, then you agree with us that this is wrong," he said. MillerCoors' response, he claims, was, "It's Americana." Added Mr. Rago: "I said, 'So was Amos and Andy.'"
MillerCoors ultimately decided to pull the ads earlier than it had originally planned. "The ads were intended as a lighthearted and humorous satire using pop-culture imagery to highlight the benefits of our new packaging," said a MillerCoors spokesman.


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To address this issue, the regulator has already developed a testing kit to check the quality of milk and is looking for investors for its bulk production.
Under this agreement, Decernis will integrate Indian draft and final standards into its systems to improve the understanding and compliance of users.
To address malnutrition, the FSSAI is promoting food fortification in a big way.
ETRetail caught up with Pawan Agarwal, CEO of FSSAI to understand the role of MNCs in such initiatives and the investment by FSSAI to educate small businesses about food safety.
of safety and standardisation of food items, it noted.
She alleged that given Coca-Cola's track record of pollution, contamination, water theft, food un-safety, and blatant transgression of Indian environmental laws, it does not qualify to teach Indians about food safety.
The MoU signed by Pawan Agarwal, CEO, FSSAI and Venkatesh Kini, president, Coca-Cola India and South West Asia, seeks to contribute extensively to Hon'be PM Narendra Modi's Skill India initiative.
Fortification means deliberately increasing the content of essential micronutrients in food to improve its quality.
Subsequently, FSSAI announced imported food items with less than 60% of shelf life will not be allowed to enter Indian market.
FSSAI said it has brought the regulation with an aim to streamline the process of clearance of imported food in an efficient and transparent manner.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has already issued the draft guidelines on fortification for five food items- salt, milk, wheat flour, rice and edible oil, to boost production and consumption of fortified foods.
For capacity building, the FSSAI today tied up with the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Northern India (HRANI) to launch its programme for training of master trainers.
With an aim to regulate e-commerce food business, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) defined e-commerce Food Business Operators (FBOs) as those carrying out business through online medium.
FSSAI CEO Pawan Agarwal elaborated on various initiatives by the regulator for spreading the message of food safety and nutrition at different places like home, schools, work places and eating places etc.
Maggi commanded a market share of around 75 per cent prior to the five-month ban in 2015.
The once ubiquitous noodle brand, after its share of trials, is back in reckoning. BE finds out the ingredients of the comeback.
Regulator issues draft guidelines to protect consumers.


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Should the Blind be Able to Obtain a Concealed Weapons Permit
he says. "That would be a more effective weapon then them trying to fight with a knife."Several area shooting ranges say they have had visually impaired customers, they say with a little bit of help, they really aren that bad.And as Nike Socks Hyper Elite
personal safety at home but when you get your concealed carry permit you are presumed to be carrying a loaded weapon out in public."She says when the General Assembly meets early next year, her group plans to lobby for tougher gun laws.Philip Van Cleave of the Virginia Citizens Defense League says he be there too but fighting for a different agenda when it comes to gun rights.He says visually impaired people have the same rights as someone who can see just fine."A blind person that might be under attack could push the gun towards the person, maybe even possibly touch them and then pull the trigger," Nike Sportswear Bonded Men's Jogger
RICHMOND You might think it hard to shoot a gun if you blind, but nonetheless it is legal in the commonwealth."If you are physically not competent to fire that weapon then you posing a threat to public safety," she says. "It one thing to have a firearm for your Nike Aeroloft Golf Vest
far as State Police is concerned, they say if someone is blind, there Nike Women Parka is nothing illegal about someone helping them to fill out a concealed carry permit.


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While the US Recovery Tracker posted its strongest gain in six weeks, rising 1ppt to 82.1 in the week ended Oct 2, it merely regained its level from two weeks prior. Five of the tracker’s six subcomponents improved, led by strong gains in employment and production. The modest rise in health conditions was an anomaly, as daily Covid-19 infections are rising again. Demand remained hesitant in early October and prone to relapse with colder weather approaching.
With the prospects of an immediate fiscal relief package dimming, the risk is growing that declining income and reduced savings buffers will constrain household spending in coming months, especially among the most vulnerable tranches of the population. The upcoming elections carry upside and downside risks for the economy, but a lapse in income support until 2021 would leave the US consumer quite exposed during the fall and early winter.
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Online and mobile casino platform and content supplier Flow Gaming has added additional firepower to its management team with the appointment of former Betsoft manager, Joya Dixon. Joya joins Flow Gaming as Asian Business Development Manager, and will be responsible for growing the supplier’s footprint across the region, and forging close relationships with new/existing clients, […]
Asia’s multi-billion dollar online gambling industry is an opportunity too big to ignore when it comes to the expansion plans of many global players, yet technical issues ranging from latency, through to security and payment systems can prove to be costly challenges for newcomers.
The rising cost of acquiring new online players is forcing operators in Asia to ramp up their customer relationship management (CRM) capabilities in a bid to build deeper bonds and gain more value from existing customers. In the past, limited competition and high volumes have provided little incentive for Asia facing operators to build a long-term clientele, but that is changing fast.
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) have long been used by Chinese gamblers as a sort of invisibility cloak, allowing them to walk through the digital doors of offshore online casino, poker, bingo and sports betting sites undetected. VPNs straddle a legal fence, they are not illegal and many businesses use them legitimately to skirt the country’s “Great Firewall”, which blocks access to material on the internet that is considered politically sensitive. The clampdown on VPNs in China has dealt a blow to online operations in the country, but it won't stamp out illegal gambling.
After struggling for a generation to make serious headway in Asia’s online markets, a new breed of random number generator (RNG) game is finally surmounting a number of issues which had previously stalled the growth of online slots. However, this might finally be changing as technology, demographics and better game design make slots a viable proposition.


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SEATTLE — The popular Free Waterfront Shuttle will continue daily service through Oct. 31.
The service was originally scheduled to end on Labor Day. Additional funding will keep the daily service running, making it easy to get around Seattle’s waterfront.
Since it started in July 2018, the free service has provided more than 330,000 rides to tourists and locals visiting Seattle’s waterfront, Pioneer Square, and downtown’s retail core.
The shuttle currently operates seven days a week, running weekdays from 6 a.m.–8 p.m. and on weekends from 10 a.m.–8 p.m. The service is provided by the WSDOT-funded DowntownSeattleParking.com program and is managed by Commute Seattle and the Downtown Seattle Association.
To learn more or find a shuttle stop visit, DowntownSeattleParking.com/Shuttle.


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Department store House of Fraser (HOF) may be taken over by the Qatari Royal Family in a deal valuing the chain at £300 million, it is understood.
While an acquisition of the company may take some weeks, talks with HOF stakeholders are already underway, according to the Daily Mail.
HOF has a broad shareholder base and was privatised in 2006 after an investment led by Icelandic investment group Baugur which collapsed in 2009, and now has shareholders including Icelandic bank Lansbanki and two divisions of Lloyds, making any takeover bid problematic.
It had been rumoured that Mike Ashley, owner of Sports Direct, was interested in acquiring the chain though a bid is yet to come to fruition and it is thought the entrepreneurs interest in the move has waned.
In March, there was speculation that high street stalwart Marks and Spencer could be taken over by the country‘s sovereign wealth fund, the Qatar Investment Authority, which was considering an £8 million bid for the company, though interest seems to have cooled in the intervening months.
However, the Qatari‘s maintain a 26 per cent stake in grocer Sainsbury‘s and bought luxury department store Harrods in 2012 so any purchase of HOF could see the chains reunite after being split by the Al Fayed family when they acquired the store in 1985.


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Lenovo-Owned company Motorola launched its Moto Z3 last August, but since it came with 2017’s Snapdragon 835 SoC instead of the 845, its due for an update sooner than usual.
Last year in August, Moto launched its Moto Z3 with 2017’s Snapdragon 835 SoC. Now the company is said to be working on a newer device in its Z-series, the Moto Z4. The phone has been in the rumor mill for quite some time, and recent reports suggest that the Moto Z4 will come with a refreshed design this time. 91 Mobiles have managed to get the first official Press to render pictures of the Moto Z4, which reveals key details regarding the flagship’s design.
According to the leaked image, the design of the phone is very similar to the older generation of the Moto Z series, the Moto Z3. The only notable difference you can see is the display. The Moto Z4 has an edge-to-edge display that has a Waterdrop-styled notch that houses the front-facing camera. The phone has very thin bezels on the sides, top, and bottom.
The render suggests that the Moto Z4 will feature only a single camera sensor at the back. The rear camera is rumored to be a 48-megapixels sensor sourced from Sony. There’s a 16-pin pogo connector at the back which confirms the Moto mods support.
We can’t locate the fingerprint sensor on the phone, so we assume that either the fingerprint sensor is side-mounted like last year’s Moto Z3 or Moto has given an in-display fingerprint sensor.
As far as the specs are concerned, the phone is expected to be powered by Snapdragon 855 SoC. The Moto Z4 is also expected to retain the 3,5mm headphone jack and feature a USB Type-C port.
Talking about the launch date, we can expect Moto Z4 to be officially launched on 3rd April as we can see that the date on the phone’s lock-screen is 3rd April.


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Developers can now compile native C and C++ code to run in Chrome across different hardware architectures.
Google Barge: 10 Informative Images
(click image for larger view)
As part of its ongoing effort to make web apps perform as well as native apps, Google released Portable Native Client (PNaCl), a software framework that allows developers to compile native C and C++ code so that it can be embedded in and run from any website.
Native code can take advantage of CPUs and GPUs in a way that web applications still cannot to enable computationally demanding applications involving sophisticated graphics.
Portable Native Client, released Tuesday, differs from Google's Native Client (NaCl) technology in that it creates architecture-independent output. Where native code compiled with NaCl emerges tuned for a specific instruction set, like x86, ARM, or MIPS, programs compiled with PNaCl will run on any hardware platform. In other words, they work on mobile and desktop devices.
PNaCl compiles native code into an intermediate form. The resulting LLVM-bytecode then gets wrapped in a portable executable file that can be served from a website. "When the site is accessed, Chrome fetches and translates the portable executable into an architecture-specific machine code optimized directly for the underlying device," Google engineer David Sehr wrote in a blog post.
In the near term, PNaCl makes ChromeOS more competitive with OS X and Windows as computing environments suited to computationally demanding applications. Whether Google's technology will benefit the web in the years to come remains to be seen.
As for Apple and Microsoft, its hard to see either company going out of its way to help hasten adoption of Google's technology. If Google can encourage enough developers to create compelling PNaCl applications that draw consumers in droves, perhaps Apple and Microsoft will be forced to adapt. But don't hold your breath; it could take a while.
The App Developers Conference (ADC) is a new app developer event focusing on the very best development, UI, marketing, and the business of apps. It is happening along with GDC Next, the new developer event focusing on the creation of the game experiences of the future. Don't miss the debut of two events and one expo floor. ADC and GDC Next happen Nov. 5-7 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Register today.
InformationWeek Elite 100Our data shows these innovators using digital technology in two key areas: providing better products and cutting costs. Almost half of them expect to introduce a new IT-led product this year, and 46% are using technology to make business processes more efficient.
Building a Mobile Business MindsetAmong 688 respondents to our Mobile Application Development Survey ó up from 350 respondents in 2012 ó 46% have deployed mobile apps, with an additional 24% planning to in the next year. Whatís the holdup for that remaining 30%? Often, itís a lack of expertise.
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After we broke the news on Friday that Paul Cavaco and about 11 other Allure staffers were axed, we’ve learned that EIC Michelle Lee has already put together a new team, including a fellow Nylon-er. “Beauty is an aspect of life in which the Allure audience not only participates, but revels in, in a big way,” Lee said in a release. “Our new team is passionate about making our content—whether on print, digital or video—more than simply instructional, but approachable, enjoyable and empowering for our audience.” The release also stated that in November, Allure saw a 39 percent increase in unique visitors compared with the year before, that audiences spent more time on the site (71 percent year-over-year in total minutes), and mobile traffic grew by 66 percent year-over-year.
Without further ado, the glossy’s newbies à la Daily Media…
Renee Rupcich, formerly design director at Nylon, has been named design director.
Amanda Meigher, formerly managing editor at Teen Vogue, has been named managing editor.
Rachael Wang, formerly a freelance fashion stylist with clients including Glamour and Style.com, has been named fashion director.
Jeremy Allen, formerly digital photo editor at Pursuits, Bloomberg LP, has been named senior photo editor.


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World News: 14:37 GMT Tuesday 14th January 2020. [VIEW SYSTEMS INC via Globe Newswire via SPi World News]
Sannabis announced in November they had successfully imported seeds through Uruguay’s Customs and Agriculture Departments. Last month they announced they began planting those seeds. Today they are pleased to announce the plants have begun to sprout impressively in the first few weeks. The first plot was planted December 18-24, the second plot was planted Dec. 26-31, and the third plot Jan. 3-10. In total the Company has planted 5 hectares (12.5 acres) and will begin planting another 5 hectares this week. Sannabis’ license is one of a very few issued for unlimited acreage.
View Systems’ President John Campo, and Sannabis Director Juan Paulo Guzman, will be traveling again to Uruguay to meet with members of Parliament to assist in the development of their nascent hemp and medical marijuana industry. News crews are drafting stories on the only legal cannabis grow this season that should be aired soon, in the meantime to view pictures and videos of the plants, from seeds leaving the Agriculture Department to healthy plants today, click
Sannabis is a pioneer in the hemp/medical marijuana space in Colombia, making products since 2014 through their indigenous partners, and was an integral part of the legalization movement for over 20 years, even assisting in the drafting of medical marijuana legislation under former President Santos. The Company will be providing a significant update on their Colombia operations this week, highlighting their new product line, medical centers, and mass distribution initiative through thousands of direct sales consultants backed by licensed physicians. They will also provide an update on their seed bank, cultivation, and transformation licenses in Colombia.
Sannabis is rebranding their former product line with products that are all registered with INVIMA, Colombia’s Health Authority. To view their previous catalog with product data sheet and Vademecum, click . For a timeline of Sannabis’ 20 years socializing cannabis that eventually led to the legalization of medical marijuana in Colombia, visit
Sannabis expects to make major announcements in the very near future concerning sales, distribution, and export of their products to North America and Southeast Asia. According to the technical specifications for the seeds they planted in Uruguay, they will harvest 10-12 Tonnes of hemp biomass per hectare, that’s a total of 100-120 Tonnes or 220,000 to 264,000 POUNDS from what’s already begun to blossom.
“We have teams of attorneys, agronomists, and just as important, field workers in both Uruguay and Colombia, that together with our Laboratory Partners are committed to Sannabis’ success and the development of a new industry in both countries,” stated John Campo, a Sannabis co-founder and President of View Systems, Inc. “Sannabis is about to enter an accelerated growth stage that will produce many products and by-products for this new industry,” continued Mr. Campo.
View Systems would also like to announce that on January 10, 2020, they paid in full a July 2019 note, and are in the process of eliminating another note.
View Systems, Inc.John Campo, President/Chairman +1-410-236-8200 USA (Office/WhatsApp)+57-318-657-0918 Colombia (Office)
Globe Newswire: 14:37 GMT Tuesday 14th January 2020
SPi News is published by Sector Publishing Intelligence Ltd.
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Harley Davidson on Thursday announced it's first electric cruiser, dubbed the LiveWire. According to Harley, the LiveWire's AC Induction motor makes 74bhp and 52lb-ft of torque. That's enough to give it a 0-60 time of less than four seconds, but only a disappointing 92mph top speed. Even less encouraging is the range, which stands at just 53 miles. No other specs are available at this time.
I personally would rather see something closer to a big cruiser in styling that this bike that looks to be modeled more after the Sportster 883 in size and style. A bigger bike would have room for more batteries, and hopefully more range. I will also be interested to see if they take advantage of Tesla's recent move to open source their patent portfolio to make changes to the charging and battery system.
What do you guys think, does this bike stand a chance coming from HD?


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Mar 1, 2016 | By Benedict
Global medical technology business Smith & Nephew has developed a 3D printed titanium hip implant. The REDAPT Revision Acetabular Fully Porous Cup with CONCELOC Technology is being showcased at this week’s American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida.
Today marks the first day of the AAOS Annual Meeting, a five-day event at which numerous medical experts, academics, and businesses will offer a range of courses and presentations to a large and diverse audience. With 3D printing becoming a more and more widely used technology within the medical world, the AAOS Annual Meeting will be showcasing its fair share of orthopaedic 3D printing techniques and products.
Several academic papers will be presented at the huge Orlando event, on subjects such as the resection of bone sarcoma using 3D printed guides, the use of 3D printing for shaft fractures of clavicles, and the use of 3D printed models in the preoperative planning of shoulder and elbow surgery. In addition to the academic presentations, participants will also have a chance to see new 3D printing technologies up close, with a scientific exhibit being held on each of the meeting’s five days, demonstrating the wide range of 3D printed technologies now available in the field.
Smith & Nephew, a specialist in orthopaedic reconstruction, advanced wound management, and sports medicine, is one of several companies demonstrating new 3D printed products at the AAOS scientific exhibit (booth 1945, if you happen to be there). The medical giant will unveil its 3D printed REDAPT cup today, a product designed for use in revision cases where damaged bone makes it difficult to attach implants. Titanium (Ti-6Al-4V) powder was 3D printed to create an entirely porous implant, one which can allow ingrowth and which mimics the structure of cancellous bone. New variable angle locking screws can be used to improve stability and minimize movement.
"We're excited about the creative possibilities this new manufacturing process holds for surgeons and their patients," said Mike Donoghue, Vice President of Global Reconstruction at Smith & Nephew. "Bringing to market a 3D printed titanium acetabular cup for difficult revision procedures is just one example of the potential of this remarkable technology.”
Smith & Nephew’s 3D printed hip implant is being presented as an alternative to external porous coatings, such as sintered beads and fiber mesh used in similar cases to allow bone ingrowth—a process which helps to secure the implant in place. Implants will not work successfully if such a process does not occur, and the new REDAPT Variable Angle Locking Screws help to ensure steady, stationary contact between implant and bone. The screws work with the unique geometry of the 3D printed implant to provide compression and a rigid construct to the acetabular shell.
"This fully porous cup gives surgeons flexibility in ways that simply weren't possible before," said Craig Della Valle, MD, Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, who participated on the surgeon design team for the new REDAPT cup. "The locking screws, screw-in trials, purpose-built liners and screw hole patterns optimized for hard-to-access areas really set it apart during a revision procedure. This cup builds on good technology and turns it into something spectacular.”
Smith & Nephew received FDA clearance for its 3D printed REDAPT cup in November 2015. The implant is currently available at select US sites.
Posted in 3D Printing Application
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There is no shortage of regulatory efforts to mitigate the negative impacts of artificial intelligence.
Located in East Asia, Japan is a top 20 country in the world in terms of population. Japan has the third-largest economy by nominal gross domestic product and the fourth-largest economy by purchasing power parity. Tokyo is the country’s capital. Bitcoin in Japan has a notable following, as does cryptocurrency and blockchain as a whole.
The country’s regulators have deemed Bitcoin an approved money type. Japan hosts a number of crypto exchanges, and the country has regulatory requirements around the industry, creating a scene more favorable for compliant crypto-asset entities. Bitcoin’s anonymous creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, is thought to be from Japan, although little is confirmed about Nakamoto’s identity.
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group hasn’t revealed what firms will be the first to utilize its platform; however, a handful of banks have reportedly opted for a separate stablecoin solution.4175
Japanese privacy watchdog warned OpenAI about collecting sensitive data without permission, threatening further action.3339
Japanese lawmaker Takashi Kii says he is pushing for regulation to protect copyright holders from being infringed on by artificial intelligence algorithms.7080
After a fruitful spring season, the XDC Network expands its presence in the Japanese market via SBI VC Trade.9410
The platform is part of All Nippon Airways’ ongoing expansion into the intersection of airlines and Web3.6065
While adopting restrictions on transactions between exchanges, bitFlyer still supports transactions to and from self-custody wallets like MetaMask.3145
Lawmakers in Japan have decided to enforce stricter Anti-Money Laundering measures starting June 1 to trace cryptocurrency transactions.3664
With the end of the proofs-of-concept, the Bank of Japan has initiated its CBDC pilot and plans to gather more public and business feedback.5200
The move follows the acquisition of the regulated crypto exchange Sakura Exchange Bitcoin in November 2022.13202
The Japanese parliament has decided to roll out tougher AML procedures in line with the “travel rule.”3118
An Elliptic report commissioned by Nikkei says Asian countries account for over 60% of losses to North Korean hackers and ransomware users; lax security played a role.3207
Group of 7 members met in Japan, where they discussed CBDCs and crypto regulation, with an eye toward quickly implementing the “Travel Rule” for crypto assets.10949
A local Japanese news outlet survey revealed that 69.4% of adults want stricter regulations for AI development and implementation.5413
Although no official date is mentioned for the launch of Binance Japan, the notice stated that the exchange could start after June.4807


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Rachel KaserInternet Culture Writer
Rachel is a writer and former game critic from Central Texas. She enjoys gaming, writing mystery stories, streaming on Twitch, and horseback Rachel is a writer and former game critic from Central Texas. She enjoys gaming, writing mystery stories, streaming on Twitch, and horseback riding. Check her Twitter for curmudgeonly criticisms.
The saga of Sony and its policy on crossplay continues. The latest party to express an opinion about the company’s strict policy of no crossplay with other console makers is none other than gaming juggernaut Bethesda, who’ve issued a very soft, implied ultimatum to Sony — an ultimatum I can almost guarantee won’t work.
The game serving as the carrot in this scenario is Elder Scrolls: Legends, the digital card game based on Bethesda’s unbelievably popular fantasy series. Speaking with GameInformer at this year’s QuakeCon, Pete Hines, Bethesda’s VP of global marketing said of Legends:
It is our intention in order for the game to come out, it has to be [both cross-platform play and cross-platform progress] on any system. We cannot have a game that works one way across everywhere else except for on this one thing. The way the game works right now on Apple, Google, Steam, and Bethesda.net, it doesn’t matter where you buy your stuff, if you play it on another platform that stuff is there.
The PlayStation manufacturer has thus far remained quiet as Nintendo and Xbox took a stab at them, and hasn’t so far responded to Hines’ statement.
I understand Bethesda isn’t taking up this issue out of any altruism on behalf of those poor kids who can’t shift their Fortnite progress from their PS4s to their Switches. This is because of Legends‘ style of play, and Bethesda has their own prerogative with regards to its games that its clientele don’t necessarily share.
But if the point of this is to try and guilt Sony into relaxing its crossplay restrictions, then Legends isn’t the carrot that’s going to get them there. If Bethesda actually wants to put the thumbscrews to Sony, it will need one of its big games. I’m talking Fallout: 76 or, if that’s too adorable, Elder Scrolls VI. If Fortnite didn’t work, then it’ll take the denial of a massive, flagship game like that to really turn Sony’s head.
And Bethesda isn’t going to do that. In fact, Hines also told Eurogamer at Quakecon the company isn’t drawing a line in the sand over its latest game, saying, “Fallout 76, sure: it would be nice if I could play on my Xbox and my kid is playing on his PC and we can play together, but if we can’t, OK.” When Todd Howard joined the criticism of Sony last month, I thought his company might put their might behind crossplay, but the company is content only to sacrifice one of its smaller titles.
That’s not a dig at Bethesda, by the way. The market of PS4 gamers is vast and hungry. No game publisher in their right mind would withhold their biggest game of the year from that market just because they don’t agree with the console developer on a relatively minor issue.
Without the big carrot, all a publisher has to change Sony’s mind is principle. It’s a little sad to say, but principle alone isn’t going to convince Sony to change its ways. Because Sony’s response to that kind of criticism is probably — in fact, I would expect it to be — “tough shit.”
It’ll take consumers — not game publishers, but actual gamers — to effect that kind of a change with their money. If we gamers really want to play a game with our friends on the Switch or Xbox One, then we shouldn’t buy PS4 games. Voting with your wallet — it’s as simple as that.
And if we don’t, and we continue to buy PS4 games, then — and I say this without judgement — it seems we don’t really care that much. As much digital ink as we’ve spilled over the issue of Sony’s crossplay, my own very much included, if gamers decide it’s not worth backing a different horse, then how much can we really say it matters to us?
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Fancy a DVD-sized disc that can store the equivalent of 220 DVDs of data? A new breakthrough has managed to do just that.
Crikey. The thinking was that when the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format launched, it would be the last stand of physical media. After all, as much as the home entertainment industry wants to sell us an 8K television, there’s precious little point to it when the films themselves tend to be shot at nowhere near that resolution.
However, all of this wasn’t factoring in the work of researchers in China, who have developed what’s already being described as a ‘super DVD’. This is a DVD-sized disc again, that can hold far, far more data than any developed to date. In this particular case, a petabyte of data. Or, in more manageable terms, around 220,000 regular DVDs on one disc.
That should make A J Black’s physical media project, that he’s documenting on this very site, a lot more manageable.
The science behind it is explained here, but the basic version is that the scientists have been able to come up with a disc that has 100 layers of data to it. The standard DVD tends to come with two layers.
There are downsides to the breakthrough, that are going to hold the super DVD back from shop shelves for a while. It’s apparently very slow to write to for a start, and the process is energy-intensive. Furthermore, for this to become a mass product, replication has to be streamlined as well.
Yet that’s where the work is likely to head now. And with streaming services becoming ever less reliable curators and archivists of films and TV shows, the idea of a single disc effectively being a mini-streaming service in its own right is not without merit. Even for those who have long ago given up on physical media.
More, as always, as we hear it.


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President Obama says he's willing to use "whatever power his office holds" to stop gun violence, but the fate of many of his White House proposals will rest in no small part with one man: the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
When students at the University of Vermont resume classes on the snow-covered Burlington campus Monday, something will be missing: bottled water. UVM is the latest university to ban on-campus sales of bottled water.
At one of UVM's recently retrofitted refill stations, students fill up their reusable bottles with tap water. For many of the 14,000 students and staff on this campus, topping off their refillable bottles is an old habit.
A growing number of U.S. consumers are finding much to enjoy in this fruity alcoholic beverage, driving an increase in cider sales. The Vermont Hard Cider Company now produces 70,000 cases of Woodchuck Hard Cider each week.
A couple hundred years ago. hard apple cider used to be the drink of choice for thirsty Americans. It was easy to make and easy to find. But as people moved into cities, and beer became more popular, cider fell out of fashion.
Now it's come roaring back. U.S. hard cider sales are up 65 percent over last year, and just about all the big beer companies sell it, as well as many artisan brewers. Finding cider at your local bar is often no longer a problem.
After a leg injury didn't heal well earlier this year, Lou has difficulty walking. He and his partner, Bill, will be slaughtered at the end of the month, and their meat will be used to feed students at Green Mountain College in Vermont.
If the thought of eating horse meat makes you queasy, what about strong, sturdy oxen? A small Vermont college that emphasizes sustainable living will soon slaughter two beloved campus residents: Bill and Lou, a pair of oxen. Green Mountain College plans to serve the meat from the oxen in its dining hall, but the plan has drawn international outcry and a massive Facebook petition to save the oxen.
Cities and towns facing tight budgets have often neglected their cemeteries, an oversight that has left many of them in disrepair with broken fencing, crumbling gravestones, overgrown grass and persistent weeds.
But this summer, the Vermont town of Charlotte implemented a new strategy to both save money and keep grass in the town's graveyards under control, and it's a decidedly traditional way of doing it: Let goats and sheep do the work.


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Do you spend a lot of time pinning your favorite things on Pinterest? Honda may be looking to hand you $500 as part of the company's first campaign on the social outlet. Honda is singling out active Pinterest users and handing some of them $500 to indulge in a "Pintermission" to make a visit to the places they've been pinning or pick up some of the retail items they've highlighted.
Honda is making its CR-V the focus of its first foray into Pinterest because it's a vehicle with a lot of appeal to women, much like Pinterest itself. So far, two of the women that have been handed a big, shiny check by Honda are putting the funds toward travel. One's going to London, the other is headed to Hawaii, according to Lauren Ebner, American Honda Motor Company's assistant manager of social media. We're watching Honda's board waiting to see what kind of artisanal luxury goods the CR-V inspires.


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Video Games Are A Great Way To Reach Fans These Days, Offspring Singer Says
The Offspring's songs have been used in video games going back decades.
Releasing songs into video games is a good way to reach fans, according to The Offspring frontman Dexter Holland. He spoke to Billboard about a wide variety of topics recently, including how The Offspring has been involved with video games for decades.
He explained that The Offspring's association with video games began with surf and skate videos. Songs from the band's 1992 album Ignition were used in a number of surf videos because the music is energetic and fits the vibe of surfing nicely.
"We'd have this whole new crowd that came out to see us play--these skaters and surfers, whereas before it was the mohawks and leather jacket crowd," he said.
After that, The Offspring had its first big video game hit when some of its songs were used in the famous arcade racing game Crazy Taxi. Holland remarked that people still talk about Crazy Taxi, showing its longstanding appeal. After that, The Offspring's songs came to Guitar Hero and "that was huge," Holland said.
The Offspring's latest foray into gaming came in the VR game Synth Riders, which features two of the band's most famous songs, "Come Out And Play" and "Self Esteem."
"I totally get it. How do you reach people who might not hear you? It's probably the best example now," Holland said of video games.
The Offspring's 10th studio album, Let The Bad Times Roll, released on April 16.
Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email firstname.lastname@example.org


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There is a major tussle going on between Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Finance Ministry over a lot many things. But the bone of contention remains the setting up a new payments regulator. The government wants to separate banking and payments to better regulate both sectors. If the new payments regulator is set up, the works of the central bank will be eased out to the regulation of banking. However, RBI published a dissent note against the government in which it claimed, “Payment systems are a sub-set of currency which is regulated by the RBI. The overarching impact of monetary policy on payment and settlement systems and vice versa provides support for regulation of payment systems to be with the monetary authority.”
The first step to separate banking and payments was taken by the UPA government which passed Payment and Settlement Systems Act (PSSA) in December, 2007. Later, Union finance ministry formed 11-member committee in September 2016 to review existing payment systems in country and recommend appropriate measures for encouraging Digital Payments. The committee headed by principal advisor at NITI Aayog called for establishing separate Payments Regulatory Board (PRB) as an independent body for retail payments and suggested that RBI’s regulation must be kept only for SIPS (systematically important payments system). “ An independent payments regulatory board (PRB) needs to be established to regulate the payments sector aimed at fostering competition, consumer protection, systemic stability and resilience in the payments sector,” said the draft Payment and Settlement System Bill, 2018, submitted by the committee to finalize the amendments to the Payment and Settlement Act, 2007.
As per the draft, payments regulator will be an independent regulator like SEBI, RBI, and IRDA etcetera. The chairperson of the PRB will be appointed by the government in consultation with the RBI. However, the dissents note published by RBI suggested, “The Payments Regulatory Board (PRB) must remain with the Reserve Bank and headed by the Governor, Reserve Bank of India. It may comprise 3 members nominated by the Government and RBI respectively, with a casting vote for the Governor to ensure smooth operations of the Board.” RBI also defended its track record in regulating digital payments and said “There has been no evidence of any inefficiency in payment systems of India. The digital payments have made good and steady progress. India is gaining international recognition as a leader in payment systems. Given this, there need not be any change in a well-functioning system.”
The government accuses the central bank of step motherly treatment to non bank players in terms of payments. The partiality of RBI forced government to consider establishing an independent regulator. RBI argues that there will be fragmentation in regulation if banking and payments are monitored by authorities which are under power of different agencies. The government and the central bank must settle the issue, the new payments regulator could work like Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) where representation will be from both the government and RBI members but RBI governor has the right to over-rule its decisions. A compromise could be made if the representatives of both institutions decide to talk privately rather than bringing the spat in public.


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Ibis Hotels offer smart technology and high quality products at competitive price points along with brand proliferation. As a group, InterGlobe Hotels drive brand value. J.B. Singh, President & CEO, InterGlobe Hotels feels that a lot of effort has been spent in getting the right acoustics when it comes to building the brand. “Since we […]
The post How to drive efficiency and value with a business-focussed hotel brand appeared first on Travel Daily Media.


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Dangal Games, online skill-based gaming platform has raised a ‘Series A’ fund raise of $1MN from a strategic investor.
Since its inception, Dangal Games (Founded by – Varun Mahna, Varun Puri, Shashwat Jain, Karan Gandhi and Manan Sobti) has elicited its first product ‘PokerDangal’ to be honored among India’s top five online Poker platforms, followed by ‘RummyDangal in the last quarter holding an intention to forge a snappy yet trustable platform to enjoy online rummy in India.
Similar to its sibling product, RummyDangal too shook the market by offering mind-blowing deals & exciting promotions. Now with a stronghold user base of more than 5 lakh, the brand is all geared up to utilise the funds and expand its business to the newer products. The consolidated aim is to become a leading player in the skill based online gaming sector.
The company also plans to add ‘Fantasy Games’ to their bandwagon before the arrival of IPL 2021. Fantasy sports is a big market and sports lovers would love the surprises Dangal Games has in store for them. The company will also be launching its casual gaming vertical in the next quarter.
Dangal Games founder and CEO Varun Mahna, “The fund would be used to diversify the product portfolio and build the tech capabilities of the business. The online gaming industry in India is surging like never before. After the pandemic, our whole platform endured an inclining power shot in acquisition and user-time spent. We also want to utilise the funds to grow the gaming ecosystem in the country and enable more gaming tech start-ups with investments.


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The 2021 rebranding of Facebook to Meta marked Mark Zuckerberg’s journey of adopting virtual reality. His vast investments into the Metaverse showed his belief in making a world that revolves around VR. Before ChatGPT and other revolutionary inventions of AI stole the spotlight, Zuckerberg’s metaverse dominated tech news. The idea of VR ruling our society and making life a truly immersive experience was appealing. It seemed it would stay that way until Zuckerberg’s vision appeared to be forgotten.
In April of this year, Zuckerberg declared to investors that he was “jettisoning the idea” due to the staggering sales making him lose over $21 billion since last year. So why the large investment? In July Zuckerberg stated that,
“I can’t guarantee you that I’m going to be right about this bet. I do think that this is the direction that the world is going in.”
But as Meta’s unprofitable numbers came in, Zuckerberg began changing his belief of creating a pure digital world, to incorporate a blend of the physical as well in defining his new metaverse. Even so, he continues to exclaim that the future will prove that the digital world is the way forward.
Even though he claims to have 300,000 monthly users, games such as Horizon Worlds don’t reflect these numbers. Players who abandoned VR claim that it is becoming increasingly difficult to connect with other players. Even then 300,000 appears low compared to comparable social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.
During Wednesday’s Meta Connect 2023, Zuckerberg announced his plans to adapt Meta AI tech and new features like chatbots for games and social media platforms. His hope is for AI to jumpstart this new project as well as the introduction to the Quest 3 virtual reality headset. Meta has even gone as far as to partner with celebrities such as Paris Hilton, Mr.Beat, and Kendal Jenner, to promote his futuristic vision for VR. Nevertheless, only time will tell if Zuckerberg’s new technology could become the next ChatGPT.
Written by Milanni ContrerasShare this:


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Not much, argue two economists on Vox EU.
Venture capitalists have probably lost the ability to cash out their investments in the stock market. But that does not mean the innovation these investors usually bankroll will dry up, according to Masayuki Hirukawa at Northern Illinois University and Masako Ueda at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The economists point to recent research that found that venture capital does not necessarily lead to more patents (which is, of course, an imperfect measure of total innovation), and that the investment does not significantly affect total factor productivity growth. Taken together, these studies suggest that innovation seems to stimulate venture capital investments, rather than the other way around.
The authors conclude that the recession may mean it takes longer for innovations to be commercialized, but that innovative activity will persist all the same, “thanks to scientific curiosity and enthusiasm.” (The authors don’t say so, but presumably some of the stimulus bill‘s subsidies for science and technology are intended to stoke that “scientific curiosity and enthusiasm,” just in case a decline in venture capital financing reduces the incentive for research and development.)
Providing hope for the commercialization side of the innovation challenge, InsideCRM recently put together a list of big, innovative businesses that began during “economic slumps.” The list includes household names like Burger King, FedEx, Microsoft, Wikipedia and G.E. (Technically, though, some companies named were founded just outside the official recession dates set by the National Bureau of Economic Research.)


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The FCC on Wednesday said the Bells are not required to share its telecom switching equipment with competitors riding on their network.
In a 3-2 vote down party lines, the FCC said local phone incumbents, such as the Baby Bells, are not required to share their telecommunications switching gear with competitors such as start-ups or long distance companies. The rules dismantle one element of the FCC's overall line-sharing rules, forcing competitors to foot part of the bill to provide local phone calling.
Since the Telecommunications Act in 1996, local phone carriers have been required to provide government-mandated discounts to lease their entire network--including copper lines, facilities and call switching equipment--to new competitors. Without the discounts on switch leasing, competitors will have to buy their own switching equipment or re-negotiate leases with the Bells.
The FCC plans to ease the transition into the new rules over the next year, setting the beginning of 2006 as its target to complete the changes. During this period, competitors will not be allowed to add new customers piggybacking on the incumbent's switches.
"This really means a competitor can no longer serve its customer by leasing the incumbent's entire network at a discount and then reselling it to a customer," said Jerry Ellig, senior research fellow at George Mason University's Mercatus Center.
In addition, the FCC said it would uphold discounted competitor access to incumbent high-capacity lines, called DS1s, that serve businesses, with the exception of densely populated urban business areas. The same rules will not apply to higher-capacity DS3 lines and unused "dark fiber" lines.
The Baby Bells applauded the FCC's decision on unbundling telecom switches from government-mandated discounts, but expressed disappointment over the requirement to share some business lines.
"The FCC has perpetuated the harmful unbundling regime for high-capacity business lines and this irrational decision does not bode well for job creation, network investment and consumer benefit," James C. Smith, senior vice president-FCC for SBC Communications, said in an e-mailed statement.


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UK’s LIVE boxing TV channel to use PayWizard for subscriptions
BoxNation, the UK’s first live boxing channel, has chosen PayWizard as its online payment mechanism. Launched last month and supported by boxing promoter Frank Warren, BoxNation is currently free-to-air, but will become a subscription channel before the end of 2011 costing £10 ($15) per month. PayWizard is already used by FilmFlex, the online movie service, Racing UK for Android/iPhone apps, and Omnimotion for online gaming.
BoxNation is the first channel dedicated to the UK's live fight enthusiasts and is currently available to Sky customers.
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Government pledges £620m for electric vehicle charging points and grants
The funding will go towards the rollout of electric car charging infrastructure, particularly on-street residential charging points, and plug-in vehicle grants.
Car manufacturers will also be mandated to ensure a certain proportion of the vehicles they sell are zero-emission each year from 2024.
The government said it will publish more details in its electric vehicle infrastructure strategy later this year.
The plans form part of the government’s Net Zero Strategy, which sets out how the UK will deliver on its commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
Other commitments include £450m of grants to encourage homeowners to replace old gas boilers for low carbon alternatives, and £2bn of investment to help half of all journeys in towns and cities be cycled or walked by 2030.
The government also reiterated its commitment to end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 and for all cars to be fully zero-emissions capable by 2035.
The measures come less than two weeks before world leaders meet at the UN COP26 summit in Glasgow to discuss plans for cutting emissions.
Edmund King, AA president, said: “The AA supports the moves towards Net Zero and believes that EV [electric vehicle] incentives can help us along that road.
“This new charge point funding targeted more at the 8 million households without dedicated off-street parking is a welcome step which will give power to electric drivers.
“However, the introduction of a ‘Zero Emissions Vehicle Mandate’ is probably unnecessary. Manufacturers are already taking big steps in order to meet the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars and vans, but bringing in this ‘Red Tape’ exercise could harm car production plans already in place.”
Mike Hawes, chief executive of The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said: “Consumers need choice and encouragement, irrespective of where they live or what they drive. The additional targeted funding for electric vehicles is welcome and will help ensure affordability for certain models.”


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Two Portland area automobile dealerships agree to refund consumers for vehicle scrap value
Attorney General John Kroger today announced settlements with Toyota of Gladstone and Larry Miller Honda of Hillsboro that will pay 236 Oregon consumers a total of $43,571 for the scrap value of the vehicles they traded in under the federal Cash-for-Clunkers program.
In additional, Attorney General Kroger warned more than 200 other auto dealers in Oregon that they must comply with federal law and provide full scrap value refunds to consumers.
"Toyota of Gladstone and Larry Miller Honda of Hillsboro deserve credit for quickly agreeing to fix the problem when the Department of Justice brought it to their attention," said Attorney General Kroger. "The rest of the auto dealers in Oregon that accepted Cash-for-Clunker rebates need to obey the law as well."
An estimated 8,620 Oregonians participated in the federal Cash-for-Clunkers program, receiving $36.6 million in rebates for trading in fuel inefficient vehicles. Although a small number of Oregon consumers have already received the scrap value of their vehicles on top of the federal rebate, an initial investigation by the Oregon Department of Justice indicated that many Oregon consumers may not have received the full refund they were entitled to.
That investigation is continuing.
Under the federal Cash-for-Clunkers program, consumers received either a $3,500 or $4,500 credit for trading in a fuel inefficient vehicle. One additional feature of the program, which was not widely known, required dealers to return to consumers the full scrap value of the vehicle, although they were allowed to deduct a $50 processing fee.
When contacted, Toyota of Gladstone and Larry Miller Honda of Hillsboro readily agreed to fix the problem by swiftly refunding customers who had participated in the Cash-for-Clunkers program. Toyota of Gladstone paid 141 consumers an additional $20,020 in scrap value. Larry Miller Honda of Hillsboro paid 95 consumers an additional $23,550 in scrap value.
Consumers who think they may not have received the scrap value of the vehicles should call the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Hotline (877-877-9392) or file a complaint with the Financial Fraud/Consumer Protection Section of the Oregon Department of Justice.
Assistant Attorney General Eva Novick handled the case for the Oregon Department of Justice.
Attorney General John Kroger leads the Oregon Department of Justice. The Department's mission is to fight crime and fraud, protect the environment, improve child welfare, and defend the rights of all Oregonians.
Tony Green, (503) 378-6002 email@example.com


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Hackers have worked out a way to lock and control your iPhone, holding it at ransom in exchange for cash.
Reports have been coming in from Australia and New Zealand as a hacker group known by the name “Oleg Pliss” have been locking iPhones and iPads and demanding cash to be unlocked.
Many claimed that their iPhone started beeping and they saw the message: “Device Hacked by Oleg Pliss” as well as a demand for $50 to $100 to unlock it.
It is not clear how many people have been affected but judging from the number of tweets already released n the topic, it could be close to a few thousand.
The hack seems to be an exploit of the “Find My iPhone” feature which allows users to remotely lock their iPhones if they are lost or stolen.
Apple is yet to comment on the breach however, it seems that users who have set up passcodes found they could regain control of their device by restoring it from a backup using iTunes on their computer.


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STORY: German carmaker BMW reported better-than-expected quarterly net profit on Thursday – thanks to high car prices.
But it expects revenues to take a dent over coming months due to rising inflation and interest rates.
The higher profit comes despite lower sales volumes, with supply chain issues including the semiconductor chip shortage curtailing output for carmakers globally.
BMW and rivals have been able to raise prices due to resilient demand and low inventories.
However, analysts warn that consumers will start reining in major purchases, with recession risks rising and central banks raising interest rates.
The Munich-based company predicted its above-average order books are expected to “normalize, especially in Europe.”
Finance chief Nicolas Peter still sounded hopeful.
He said BMW expects its "positive momentum" to continue into next year. Though this year's full-year sales will be slightly lower than in 2021, he says sales of fully electric vehicles should double.
BMW shares dropped over 4% in early trades on Thursday following the cautious outlook.


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“Made in Reston” is a bi-weekly series that offers readers a glimpse of what is happening behind the closed doors of offices in the Reston area. As more office buildings scrape the skies, Reston Now chats with company officials at startups and up-and-coming businesses to capture the local business community scene.
A little over a year since it opened its first charging station, Electrify America is now on a mission to roll out the country’s fastest-growing network of zero-emission car chargers.
The Reston-based company hopes to fuel zero-emission vehicle adoption nationwide by deploying a network of highway chargers that are “convenient, ultra-fast and reliable,” per Company spokesman Mike Moran.
Part of the solution is to make charging for EV drivers as easy as possible, while also educating the general public about zero-emissions vehicles. Earlier this year, Electrify America launched a mobile app to allow EV drivers to “manage their entire charging experience on their mobile phone” — from finding a charger to tracking a charging session.
The company also plans to expand its partnership with Walmart by bringing dozens of charges in major urban areas at Walmart locations. So far, it has more than 120 charging stations at Walmart stores in 34 states. Other companies like EVgo and ChargePoint are also attempting to challenge Tesla’s hold over its fast-charger network, which has more than 11,200 superchargers around the world.
Electrify America executives are also exploring new partnerships with the EV charging company on roaming charging agreements with the company’s networks. Recently, the company announced it will work with Harley-Davidson to provide honors of a new all-electric motorcycle — the LiveWire — with complimentary charging over two years.
The push to grow its charger network and expand into motorcycles comes in the the wake of Volkswagen’s fuel emissions scandal, which led the automaker to pour $2 billion from its 2016 settlement into Electrify America.
Electrify America is a subsidiary of Volkswagen and first opened in an unassuming office complex on 2003 Edmund Halley Drive two years ago. As part of the Volkswagen settlement — which rocked the automaker industry and opened the door for other investigations into diesel emissions scandals — Electrify America now operates as an independent entity.
Moran says the company’s placement in the technology corridor of Reston now provides Electrify America with unique access to innovation partners in the state and across the country.
As more EV vehicles come online, company officials are confident that demand for EV vehicles will continue over the next five years, maintaining Electrify America’s relevance and the inspiration behind its name.
One way it’s hoping to stay relevant is by bringing EV vehicles mainstream through emojis.
The company submitted a formal proposal to the Unicode Consortium — the government body for emoji creation — to create the first-ever “EV with charger” emoji. Emojis, according to the company, should be “representative of today’s world” — whether it’s using the proposed emoji or the zero-emissions vehicle.
Photo via Electrify America
Reston Mother Among Those Affected by Return of Evictions — “Gladys Suarez has lived in her Reston apartment for 20 years with her daughter and 4-year-old grandson. When she fell…
The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority gave nearly $29,000 to 10 social media influencers over the past year to highlight its jobs portal and virtual career fairs. The campaign primarily…
(Updated at 3:25 p.m.) Herndon Police officers are investigating reports that gun shots were fired in the 900 block of Alabama Drive, the department says. According to the Herndon Police…
COVID-19 cases are still on the upswing, but for the first time in 16 months, the Fairfax Health District did not lose a single person in the past week to…


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Digital TV News: Global Industry Analysts
Claro Chile to demonstrate Ultra HD with Harmonic
May 12, 2016 – Claro Chile and Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) have announced that they will demonstrate Ultra HD (UHD) delivery via Claro's distribution network. Claro will showcase UHD images, produced and delivered by Harmonic, on Sony UHD TV sets.
News categories: Harmonic, Claro Chile, Alvaro Martin, Mariano Orihuela, Chile, Content Distribution, Digital TV
STMicroelectronics' multimedia server-box platform selected by Synology
Dec 9, 2015 – STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM) and Synology have announced that ST’s HD and UltraHD multimedia server-box platform (STiH412) has been selected for Synology’s DS216play Network Attached Storage (NAS) server.
News categories: STMicroelectronics, Synology, Kelvin Wong, Jones Tsai, Digital TV, Home Server, Semiconductor, Worldwide
BRIC Countries to Drive DTT Receiver Market
Jul 23, 2012 – Global Industry Analysts (GIA) has announced the release of a report on the DTT Receiver market. The active base for DTT Receivers is projected to reach 2.4 billion units by 2018, driven by TV digitization in the BRIC countries.
News categories: Global Industry Analysts, Digital TV, Market Research, Set Top Box, Smart TV, Terrestrial
Global Digital Video Recorder (DVR) Households to Reach 337.6 Million by 2018
Jul 19, 2012 – Global Industry Analysts (GIA) has announced the release of a report on Digital Video Recorder (DVR) markets. Globally, the number of television households with DVRs is projected to reach 337.6 million by the year 2018.
News categories: Global Industry Analysts, Cable TV, Digital TV, DVR, IPTV, Market Research, Satellite, Set Top Box
Global Market for PC-TV Tuners to Reach US$2.6 Billion by 2018
Jul 18, 2012 – Global Industry Analysts (GIA) has announced the release of a report on PC-TV Tuners markets. The world market for PC-TV Tuners resurged following a brief recessionary lull, with revenues expected to reach US$2.6 billion through 2018.
News categories: Global Industry Analysts, Market Research, Mobile, Peripherals / Accessories, Semiconductor, Terrestrial
Rising Popularity of 3D Content Drives the Global 3D TV Market
Jul 17, 2012 – According to Global Industry Analysts (GIA) the market for 3D TVs is projected to exceed 200 million units by 2018, primarily driven by increased consumer interest, falling prices of 3D TVs, and the introduction of 3D standards.
News categories: Global Industry Analysts, Digital TV, Market Research, Smart TV, VR
Demand for Digital Entertainment and Growing Internet Users to Drive Global Market for Internet TV
May 3, 2012 – According to GIA, the market for Internet TV is forecast to reach US$81.2 billion by the year 2017, driven by soaring demand for digital media entertainment, growing penetration of high-bandwidth broadband, and rapid proliferation of Internet-enabled devices.
News categories: Global Industry Analysts, Market Research, OTT
Global System-On-a-Chip Market to Reach US$48.8 Billion by 2017
Apr 12, 2012 – Global Industry Analysts (GIA) has announced the release of a report on the System-On-a-Chip (SoC) market. The market for SoCs is projected to reach US$48.8 billion by 2017.
News categories: Global Industry Analysts, Market Research, Semiconductor
Siano Debuts RallyTV, Bringing Live In-Vehicle Digital TV Directly to Apple, Android and BlackBerry Smartphones, Tablets, and Laptops
Jan 4, 2012 – Siano has announced the launch of RallyTV, a new platform for the delivery of high-quality, live in-vehicle digital TV for consumers on-the-go. RallyTV enables travelers to enjoy live TV broadcasts directly on their smartphones, tablets, and laptops.
News categories: Siano, CES, In-Car, Mobile, Semiconductor, Smartphone, Tablet, USA
- HUMAN discovers and disrupts CTV ad fraud botnet
- Verizon FIOS consumer video subscribers down 82,000 in 1Q 2021
- Accedo launches out-of-the-box sports video solution
- Proximus selects Velocix CDN to scale Pickx
- Bold MSS launches Android TV app for cable TV operators
- Apple unveils next generation Apple TV 4K
- JW Player first with support for Open Measurement video ads
- Magnite finds 91% of TV viewers in LatAm watch streaming TV weekly
- Broadpeak CDN selection tool available in AWS Marketplace
- Bitmovin raises $25 million of Series C funding
- XroadMedia powers search and recommendations at Delta Fiber Nederland
- Rakuten TV to roll out 20 channels on Samsung TV Plus
- 75% of TVs sold in Germany in Q1 were UHD capable
- SoftAtHome deploys Disney+ on Orange France STBs
- ZEASN announces content monetization partners for WhaleLive
- Innovid enables programmatic interactive CTV ad buying at scale
- Bitcentral enables Dynamic Ad Insertion for Cowles Broadcasting on NewsON
- GTPL Hathway digital CATV subscribers at 7.5 million
- SpotX expands privacy-compliant CTV audience data tools
- Stoneroos improves set-top box UI for Delta and Caiway


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Intel Corp. is re-entering the market for mobile-phone chips with the proposed $1.4 billion acquisition of the wireless-chip division of Germany's Infineon Technologies AG. Below are the rankings of the top makers of processors and other communications chips for mobile phones, as ranked by Gartner Inc. based on worldwide figures in 2009.
INTEL'S DILEMMA: Intel Corp. is at risk of missing out on the next great opportunity for semiconductor companies _ smart phones _ which is why it has decided to buy the wireless-chip division of Germany's Infineon Technologies AG
As the world's biggest maker of computer chips, Intel Corp. can't afford to ignore its huge blind spot in mobile phones.
ATMI Inc., which provides specialty materials to semiconductor makers, said Monday its board has authorized a share repurchase program for up to $50 million in stock.
Google Inc. has retained the right to publish content from The Associated Press under a new licensing deal that thaws the sometimes-frosty relationship between the two companies.
NEW CONTENT CONTRACT: Google Inc. will be able to continue publishing content from The Associated Press on Google's website under a new licensing agreement.
MySpace, which recently revamped itself to look more like Facebook, is now allowing users to sync their posts to Facebook, too.
HP OKS BUYBACK: Hewlett-Packard Co.'s board has authorized the repurchase of $10 billion in shares.
The Friday article "Slow progress feared in stem cell study" makes it clear that proponents of stem-cell research fear that a drawn-out legal fight will devastate biomedical research for years, while pro-life advocates believe it will spur much-needed work in the adult stem-cell field.


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Audi has released a teaser video previewing a new model that will make its public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.
Even though the “new model” is well covered, we can surely say it is a saloon. We also get to see Audi logo in the massive grille, five-spoke wheels and ceramic disc brakes.
Most likely it is the facelifted A8, which we have seen testing at various locations.
The A8 facelift will get new bumpers, revised grille new exhaust tips, as well as Matrix LED headlights with 25 individual diodes, delivering the optimal amount of light regardless of the situation.


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The new Volvo XC90 has already won its first awards before it’s even arrived in the showrooms, by scooping both the '4X4/SUV' and 'Safety' awards in the IVehE¹ Motor Show Design Awards 2002 at the British International Motor Show, at the NEC Birmingham – while over in America its also just been named 'SUV of the Year'².
Volvo’s XC90, making its UK debut at the British International Motor Show, is a next generation SUV with car-like handling, a stylish exterior design, and an innovative interior featuring seven individual, forward facing seats.
The IVehE Motor Show Design Awards are assessed on a basis of 'pure design and quality’, and the judges thought the Volvo XC90 deserved the 4x4/SUV award over the other new models at the show, "for the way Volvo has combined its traditional values of function and safety in an effective and well-designed SUV format".
Similarly, they selected the XC90 for the Safety award because of Volvo’s "overall attention to safety design and especially for advances in roll-over protection, with Boron steel roof structure and an advanced airbag control system that sustains protection levels during an extended roll-over accident".
Commenting on the XC90’s first awards, Simon Munn, Sales and Marketing Director, Volvo Car UK, said: "These awards are a great acknowledgement of the quality and innovative design of the Volvo XC90, and proves this car takes a great step ahead of its rivals.
"We’ve already seen a phenomenal level of interest in the XC90 at the motorshow, and these awards confirm it’s a ‘must-see’ car for anyone visiting the show," he continued.
This is a 19-year+ news article, from our Volvo archive, which dates back to the year 2000.
If in doubt check with your local Volvo dealer as car prices and technical data will have changed since 2002.
Although our car news is published in good faith, we cannot guarantee it to be error free or complete or up-to-date.
Volvo XC90 Images may not be UK specification cars. Colours and exterior and/or interior elements may differ from actual models.
The car news and images remain the copyright of the rights holder and may not be used without their consent.


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Kia Forte and Kia Stinger are Canada’s Best Small Car and Best Large Car for 2019, according to the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada
MONTREAL, Jan. 17, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — At a presentation today in Montreal, the Kia Forte has been named Best Small Car in Canada for 2019 and the Kia Stinger has been named Best Large Car in Canada for 2019, winning their respective categories as part of the judging for AJAC’s Canadian Car of the Year and Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year and qualifying them both for the overall awards to be named in February.
Bringing home both mainstream car awards is a huge accomplishment for the brand and a testament to the award-winning design and quality investments that Kia has, and continues to put into its entire lineup of vehicles. For Canadians that have not yet considered a Kia, the awards are yet another reason to look at the brand with the ‘Power to Surprise.’ Both vehicles will be on display at this year’s Canadian auto shows and are currently available in dealerships across the country.
“We’re grateful to all of AJAC’s voting journalists for recognizing the Forte and Stinger as the best cars in their categories,” said Michael Kopke, Director of Marketing, Kia Canada. “Kia is focused on bringing safe, high-quality vehicles that look great and fit the lives of Canadians so it is a wonderful honour to see that so that many of Canada’s top automotive experts believe that our cars are hitting the target above some great competition in the market.”
Winning their respective categories also means that both the Kia Forte and Kia Stinger are two of five contenders for the AJAC Canadian Car of the Year award that will be presented at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto on February 14.
“It’s a great achievement for a vehicle to win one of AJAC’s coveted Canadian Car of the Year awards, but it’s exceptional for the same automaker to make two award-winning vehicles in the same year,” said Mark Richardson, President, Automobile Journalists Association of Canada. “Congratulations to Kia for the well-deserved success of the Stinger and Forte.”
More information on the Kia Forte, Kia Stinger and the entire Kia lineup can be found at Kia.ca.
About the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC)
The Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) is an association of professional journalists, writers, photographers, and corporate members whose focus is the automobile and the Canadian automotive industry. Collectively, our primary objectives are to promote, encourage, support, and facilitate professionalism in Canadian automotive journalism and to ensure factual and ethical reporting about the automobile and automotive issues to Canadian consumers. This is achieved through the work of our members and AJAC’s annual vehicle testing and evaluation events, the Canadian Car of the Year and Utility Vehicle of the Year Awards (CCOTY and CUVOTY), Innovation Awards, and EcoRun.
About Kia Canada Inc.
Kia Canada Inc. (KCI), established in 1999 and celebrating 20 years in Canada, is a subsidiary of Kia Motors Corporation (KMC) based in Seoul, South Korea. Kia’s full line of award-winning vehicles offers world-class quality and customer satisfaction through a network of 193 dealers nationwide. The company employs 170 people in its Mississauga, Ontario headquarters, various locations across Canada and at its regional office in Montreal, Quebec. Kia’s brand slogan “The Power to Surprise” represents the company’s global commitment to surpassing customer expectations through continuous automotive innovation. From compact to crossover to industry leading EV’s, every Kia delivers an extraordinary combination of precision engineering, outstanding performance, innovative features, and advanced safety systems. Having sold close to one million vehicles, popular Canadian models include Soul, Forte, Sportage, Sorento and Stinger. To learn more about the Kia advantage, visit kia.ca or Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.
For more information about Kia Canada and our products, please visit our Media Centre at KiaMedia.ca or contact:
Corporate Communications Manager
Kia Canada Inc.
Frederic Tremblay (Quebec Inquiries)
Directeur relations publiques et communications – Région de l’est
Kia Canada Inc.
T: 514-955-0505 x 2209
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e24f937f-e628-49a4-9bd8-4c68b9bb4a20


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Thiam will take over from Brady Dougan at the end of June, to become the first black chief executive at the helm of a top European bank. Prudential said it will announce his successor once the regulatory approval process has been completed.
Commenting on Thiam’s move, Prudential chairman Paul Manduca said: “Although the board will be sorry to see him go, we understand his desire to take on a new challenge with another global leader and we wish him every success in his new role.”
Thiam, who’s reign at the Pru began in 2009, had only been in the job for a year when the life company lost £377m in fees and costs and its shares plummeted after a takeover bid for Asian insurer AIA collapsed in 2010.
During that time, he had faced considerable criticism from shareholders and there were questions as to whether he would keep his job.
However, he has since reshaped the Pru’s Asian operations leading to a doubling in size and a rebound in profitability. The latest full year results show a 16% rise in operating profit to just over £1bn across the region compared to 2013.
“In Asia, our business remains focused on meeting the protection and savings needs of the region’s growing middle classes through a high-quality agency force and strong bank partnerships,” Thiam said.
In the UK, the Prudential results showed significant impact from the proposed reforms of the pensions industry due to come into effect from 6 April 2015, which include the removal of the requirement to purchase a pension annuity.
Retail sales in the UK, which includes onshore and offshore bonds, individual pensions and income drawdown, together delivered Annual Premium Equivalent (APE) sales growth of 41%. However there was a 49% reduction in APE sales of individual annuities.
Prudential said APE sales from the other retail products, including individual pensions, income drawdown and offshore bonds, increased by 44% to £201m. Offshore bond APE sales were up 44%, reflecting the growing popularity of its with-profits fund.


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The TAC (Trade and Agriculture Commission) has published its report into the UK-Australia FTA (Free Trade Agreement).
The independent report contains advice to the Secretary of State for International Trade on measures in the FTA. The NFU is part of the TAC and has contributed to this report.
The trade deal was the first one to be struck from scratch after Brexit. In December 2021, the NFU responded to the deal by saying that it did little for farmers.
There was hope that this first deal would lead the way in new innovative trade deals, but the TAC's report highlights that it is a missed opportunity.
A chance to set the standard
In response to the report, NFU President Minette Batters said: "As the first deal to be struck under our new independent trade policy, this FTA provided a chance to set the standard for future deals which incentivise trade in food produced to higher environmental and animal welfare standards."
"The report confirms that this FTA simply opens up UK agricultural markets for Australian produce, whether or not produced to the same standards that are legally required of UK farmers."
NFU President Minette Batters
No change in production standards here
"However, it is clear from this report that the UK government has missed the opportunity to reach a genuinely innovative and world-class FTA with Australia," Mrs Batters continued.
"While it is reassuring that this deal will not result in a change in production standards here – for instance, imports of hormone-reared beef will still be banned – the report confirms that this FTA simply opens up UK agricultural markets for Australian produce, whether or not produced to the same standards that are legally required of UK farmers."
Mrs Batters went on to say: "This deal will pave the way for others to follow and I’m increasingly concerned about the cumulative impact of the government’s FTA programme, especially as its own impact assessments anticipate a negative economic impact on UK farmers.
"It’s vital that government provides a clear programme of policies and investment to help UK farming get ‘match ready’ for this new, tougher trading environment."
Government needs to work with farmers
"We also need to see government working with farmers to develop a set of core environmental and animal welfare standards which it can seek to safeguard through forthcoming FTAs, as well as in its general import policy under its current WTO commitments," Mrs Batters said.
"I would like to thank the Trade and Agriculture Commission for producing such a detailed report which will no doubt be useful to parliamentary select committees as they themselves scrutinise this FTA."
Scrutinising trade deals
The NFU worked hard to get the TAC set up to scrutinise trade deals to help ensure they do not undermine UK farmers by allowing food imports which fail to meet our own high animal welfare and environmental standards.
We will continue to push for better for our farmers and growers as we navigate this new period of trade deals.


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Here's a nice little game to get the blood flowing on a Saturday morning: what's your number one mobile pet peeve – the one habit you just can't handle in others (cos it'd never be something you do yourself, of course...)?
Turns out for most people it's talking louder than is necessary. A full two thirds of those canvassed in a recent survey identified loud-talking on the phone as the biggest mobile crime you can commit. Presumably it's the other third who're actually doing it.
Intel's survey spoke to 12,000 people in total around the globe, says The Telegraph, and 67% of European respondents said talking too loudly in public spaces was their biggest annoyance when it comes to mobile etiquette.
When it came to identifying their own flaws, predictably the survey respondents mysteriously missed the fact that a hell of a lot of them are apparently prattling away on their phones oblivious to the eye-rolls and “tut-tuts” of those around them.
Instead, a full 40% bravely admitted typing on their phones in public as their greatest faux pas.
It strikes us that there's a significant gap between what we think others are doing and the bad habits we're aware of in ourselves. The solution seems obvious: to simply tell someone to shut up when they're talking on the phone too loudly.
Then we can confidently look forward to the next survey revealing that other people being rude when they're just trying to have a quiet chat with a mate is the new number one pet hate.