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Sunblest search is on for Northern Ireland’s funniest one-liner.
Sunblest has launched a new campaign to find Northern Ireland’s best one-liner. ‘Breadpan’ humour was unveiled by the brand to celebrate their new look packaging and commitment to ‘put a smile’ on faces right across the province.
Top comedy duo Conor Grimes and Alan McKee were on hand to kick off the new initiative and encourage the would-be comedians out there to share their wittiest one liner. The best jokes will be in with the chance of winning some great prizes, while the ‘funniest funny’ will be chosen to appear in Sunblest’s advertising next year.
"Sunblest is intrinsically woven to Northern Irish life. Much like our inimitable sense of humour", says Sunblest brand manager, Elva O’Connor.
“‘Breadpan’ humour is the perfect pairing of two local greats! Consumers here have grown up with Sunblest products, from our pancakes and potato bread, to soda farls and our legendary Veda. As a nation we are also world renowned for our great wit – ‘Breadpan’ humour provides a fantastic platform to celebrate both!”
Speaking at the launch, Conor Grimes said: “It’s great to get involved with an iconic local brand like Sunblest. I know it was the brand on the table while I was growing up and it’s on the table for my family today. It’s fantastic to see Sunblest so ‘plugged in’ to consumers needs today and bringing some fun and sunshine to everyday life!
“Both Alan and myself are looking forward to a deluge of brilliantly funny one liners. We could be out of a job!”
For more details on how to get involved in the ‘Breadpan’ humour campaign, check facebook.com/sunblest.


text: Crypto Payments Provider BitPay Adds Apple Pay Support Blockchain February 14, 2021 Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Apple Pay functionality will allow cardholders to make purchases in store and online using the crypto held in their BitPay wallet. Source link adminhttps://www.aboutcrypto.club Search Latest articles Fund manager outlines 4 silver lining to recent Bitcoin sell-off Bitcoin admin - February 24, 2021 0 Read more 5% Of Bitcoin Supply Expected To Be Used As Collateral By 2023 Bitcoin admin - February 24, 2021 0 Read more MicroStrategy buys another $1 billion worth of Bitcoin Bitcoin admin - February 24, 2021 0 MicroStrategy buys another $1 billion worth of Bitcoin | CryptoSlate Earn up to 12% APY on Bitcoin, Ethereum, USD, EUR, GBP, Stablecoins... Read more Bitcoin Fractal Sees BTC/USD Hitting $35-40K Before Resuming Bull Run Bitcoin admin - February 24, 2021 0 Read more Previous articleMarket Wrap: Ether Sets New Highs as Bitcoin Stays Below $49KNext articleReport: Morgan Stanley’s $150 billion arm contemplates Bitcoin investment Related articles How Crypto Transforms Prediction Markets Blockchain admin - February 18, 2021 0 Prediction markets are speculative platforms where traders can place bets on the outcome of future events, such as “Will Joe Biden win the... Read more Robinhood to Allow Deposits, Withdrawals for Cryptos Including Dogecoin Blockchain admin - February 18, 2021 0 Online brokerage app Robinhood says it plans to enable withdrawals and deposits of cryptocurrencies including dogecoin.In a tweet Wednesday, the app provider said... Read more SecretSwap Is the Secret Network’s Answer to DeFi Privacy Blockchain admin - February 18, 2021 0 The Secret Network, a protocol focused on privacy for decentralized finance (DeFi), has launched SecretSwap, a front-running resistant and cross-chain decentralized exchange. It... Read more Leave a reply Cancel reply Please enter your comment! Please enter your name here You have entered an incorrect email address! Please enter your email address here Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

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Does it feel like the glow at a nice restaurant is coming more from phones than candlelight?
At least one restaurant in Lebanon sees a problem with excessive phone use and it wants to break the habit.
Bedivere Eatery & Tavern in Beirut is giving patrons 10 percent off their meal if they relinquish their phone to the restaurant during their stay to encourage the face-to-face interactions that bring us to restaurants in the first place (right?).
The small eatery's policy garnered attention when a post on Reddit quickly rose to the front page. Will all the attention the policy received spark a trend among other restaurant?
Already, in the United States, restaurants have taken it a step further and banned phones for reasons ranging from annoying picture takers to "gastro ADD."
This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com


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AT&T Says No LTE Phones Until Close to Year's End
Speaking at a tech conference today, AT&T's senior vice president of mobility and consumer markets, Peter Ritcher, said that the company won't have a Long Term Evolution smartphone ready until late in 2011. The company's LTE network is still on track to launch in five markets this summer (Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio), but the first devices able to access the LTE network will be a laptop dongle and mobile hotspot. When Verizon Wireless launched its LTE network in December 2010, it also only provided laptop dongles for access. It didn't debut an LTE_equipped smartphone until March. AT&T's Ritcher indicated that the company is in no rush to deploy LTE and LTE handsets, and has focused instead on bolstering its HSPA+ network with enhanced backhaul. He specifically noted that AT&T is waiting for LTE handsets to mature. According to Ritcher, the company plans to take advantage of its LTE network to reduce the strain on its 3G network. "We will offload traffic to the spectrum for LTE and it will help with the performance of our 3G network, he said. Ritcher didn't provide and details about its first LTE smartphone.
Hands On with the Moto g6
Motorola's g-series phones have a long-held reputation for value and quality. With the 2018 incarnation, Moto is trying harder than ever to bring high-end features and design to a low price point.
Android Messages with RCS to Reach More Phones On More Carriers
Google says its Android Messages app is on the upswing thanks to new RCS-based tools and growing support from phone makers and wireless network operators. To start, brands now have more power to interact with consumers thanks to RCS business messaging.
U.S. Carriers Share Galaxy S9 and S9+ Launch Plans and Pricing
All four major carriers in the U.S. plan to sell the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ beginning in March.
Most US Galaxy Note8 Owners Receiving Android 8 Oreo
Samsung's U.S. carrier partners are rolling out Android 8 Oreo to the Galaxy Note8 handset.
Why should they?
Hmmm... good call? Bad call?
I'm sure some people will come in saying that they should barrel into LTE, but I think building out what you have and working from there is the better idea.


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CarrefourSA of Turkey May Consider Migros Deal to Expand
CarrefourSA Carrefour Sabanci Ticaret Merkezi AS (CARFA), the Turkish grocer in which Haci Omer Sabanci Holding AS (SAHOL) bought a controlling stake from Carrefour SA (CA) of France, may consider buying Turkish retailer Migros Ticaret AS (MGROS) to speed growth.
“We will consider acquisitions for inorganic growth in the strategic plan we will prepare, including a Migros buyout,” Haluk Dincer, head of retail and insurance business at Sabanci Holding said in a news conference in Istanbul today. “I don’t think the possible acquisition of Migros will create any violation of competition law.”
CarrefourSA, based in Istanbul, is seeking to grow sales annually by 15 percent after Sabanci Holding agreed on April 30 to increase its stake to 50.8 percent. Sabanci is buying 12 percent of the unit from Carrefour of France for 141 million liras ($79 million).
Sabanci Holding, which has partnerships with E.ON AG, Citigroup Inc. (C) and HeidelbergCement AG (HEI), plans to expand its retail business. It also operates electronics retailer Teknosa Ic & Dis Ticaret AS (TKNSA), and the industry is one of the major growth areas of the conglomerate, Turkey’s second biggest after Koc Holding AS (KCHOL), Dincer said.
Shares of Migros, which is owned by a group of private equity investors led by BC Partners Ltd, rose as much as 4.7 percent to 24.35 liras in Istanbul and traded at 23.7 liras at 3:08 p.m., heading for a two-year high. CarrefourSA, which has just a 3 percent stake trading on Borsa Istanbul, fell 11.5 percent to 17 liras, heading for biggest decline since August 2011. Sabanci Holding rose 3.1 percent to 11.5 liras, a record on closing basis. Carrefour rose 3 percent to 22.58 euros in Euronext.
“We know CarrefourSA is under grown,” Dincer said. “We will do our best for fast and profitable growth.”
Sabanci and Carrefour may decide to sell shares of CarrefourSA in the stock market to increase its free float from 3 percent, Dincer said.
To contact the reporter on this story: Ercan Ersoy in Istanbul at firstname.lastname@example.org
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Benedikt Kammel at email@example.com.


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Western Countries Issue Warnings; Kenyan Tourism Gets Pummeled
The Baobab Resort sits on the south coast of Kenya's Mombasa Island, but it has some of the homey feel of an old Catskills resort.
On a recent day, sounds from outside trickled into the resort's largest conference hall: children enjoying their last hour of daylight on the beach, staff members singing tunes from The Lion King, warming up for their evening show.
But the mood inside was somber: The 150 British tourists gathered heard only the apologetic voice of the local representative from their travel company, Tui, informing them that their vacations were being cut short and that they would be evacuated back to Britain the following day.
The reason: The British government had just issued a warning against "nonessential travel" to Mombasa because of terrorism threats.
"You could see their faces," says Sylvester Mbandi, the resort's manager. "Some of the honeymooners just started crying immediately and left the room. Others kept hoping it was a dream. But it was reality. They had to go back to their country."
Hundreds of Britons were evacuated from Mombasa and Kenya's north coast. The next day, on May 16, a pair of bombs went off at a market in the capital Nairobi, killing 10 people.
Nairobi was not and still is not on the travel ban list. However, Nairobi was the site of the deadliest single terrorist attack in Kenya in more than a decade: a four-day siege of an upscale shopping mall that killed 67 people. That attack was claimed by Somali militants Al-Shabaab
Tui, meanwhile, has also canceled all holidays to Mombasa until November. Other tour companies, less dramatically, followed suit.
Since the travel warnings issued in May by the governments of Britain and the United States — and later by Australia and France — parts of Mombasa feel like a ghost town.
Twenty-five hotels in Mombasa have closed. More than 5,000 hotel workers have been laid off or suspended. In a region dependent on tourist dollars, these layoffs can be felt in every sector of the economy, from the guy selling dhow tours on the beach to the farmer growing peanuts hundreds of miles away.
Protection Or Punishment?
Kenyan officials reacted furiously to the travel warnings, declaring them akin to economic sabotage. Kwale County minister of tourism Adam Sheikh says Kenyans feel abandoned by the West after standing with them in the war against Islamist militants in Somalia.
"Now terrorists are fighting back, we need our friends to stand by us. Not to leave us and make the situation worse than it already is," Sheikh says.
Hoteliers in Mombasa point out that the tourism industry is an important bulwark against terrorism — giving young men a legitimate opportunity for economic betterment.
The Kenyan response raises an almost existential question about travel warnings: Do they merely call attention to a bad situation, or can they actually do more damage to a country, hurting its ability to fight terrorism in the long term?
Western governments say they must issue the warnings to help protect their citizens. And the U.S. and British governments insist that the travel warnings for Mombasa and Kenya's north coast are based solely on security assessments, not politics.
U.S. Ambassador to Kenya Robert Godec published an op-ed Tuesday in Kenya's largest-circulation newspaper, The Nation, saying, "The United States has not 'evacuated' any citizens. We have not advised Americans against visiting Kenya." He insisted that travel warnings "are not designed to create economic problems for Kenya."
But Sheikh, the tourism official, says many Kenyans see the warnings as exactly that: an economic sanction against the Kenyan government.
The Americans "believe that there is too much corruption, making any effort to reign in these terrorists useless," Sheikh says. "All these small arms are getting through our borders right under the noses of some of our security agencies."
If that's the real message, is the Kenyan government listening?
He pauses for a moment before responding.
"I think we are listening," he says. "But we are overwhelmed," he adds, citing economic problems that have been made worse by the travel warnings.
Scary Places Or Scary Language?
Critics of travel warnings say they're arbitrary. Germany, for instance, has not issued a travel warning for Mombasa. I met several German tourists enjoying the grilled prawns at The Baobab. But in February, Germany did slap a travel warning on a country that Britain has not: Egypt.
Lynn Hoffman, a tour guide from Dusseldorf, Germany, says she felt the warning like a chokehold: "We can't make an offer to a family [to travel] to Egypt when the German government says people are not safe there. You can't do it as a travel agent."
If a client insisted on going to Egypt, she could book him a trip, but only after warning him that his travel insurance probably would be invalid. That alone would often scare people off. Before the ban, Germany had been one of Egypt's largest tourism markets. She blames the German government for helping to destroy the Egyptian economy.
Of course, tourists who traveled based on government advisories might never leave their house. Consider this advice issued recently by the Foreign Office of the United Kingdom: "There is a general threat from terrorism. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by foreigners. You should monitor media reports and remain vigilant at all times."
Which country is that? The U.S.
Thankfully for the U.S. tourism industry, such advisories are probably not likely to keep Europeans away. But the impact on a country like Kenya can be much greater.
Kenyan tour guide Andrew Mungatana and his wife recently started a safari company, TourMan Africa. On May 16, two days after the British travel warnings, they posted a sad face emoticon on their Facebook page. All their bookings for July and August — a high season for safari trips — had been canceled.
Not to be dissuaded, Mungatana and his wife booked flights to Germany and Austria to drum up new business. Even though neither of those countries has a travel warning in place, almost 50 tour companies that they visited were unwilling to take the risk. "Kenya?" many said to the pair. "Isn't that a war zone?"
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Audi starts serial production of new TT RS model in Hungary
Audi Hungaria Motor, the Hungarian unit of German carmaker Audi, started serial production of the new Audi TT RS model in Győr, the company told Hungarian news agency MTI today. The new model was first presented in Beijing in April.
The newly-developed 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine for the sports car is also made in Győr, the statement said.
Audiʼs vehicle plant in Győr, opened in 2013, and has the capacity to make 160,000 cars a year. Of the headcount of 11,370, more than 4,000 employees are currently manufacturing the Audi A3 Limousine, A3 Cabriolet, and TT Coupe and Roadster models.
Audi will also produce its Q3 model in Győr in the future, and a new 80,000 sqm car body plant will be built here for that, the company said.
Audi Hungaria Motor reported revenue of €7.906 bln last year.
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Stephen Edelstein graduated from Clark University in 2011 with an M.A. in American History. He was the Editor in Chief of Clark's student newspaper, The Scarlet. Stephen enjoys all things historical, science-fictional, and transportation-related.
The 2016 Ford Explorer Platinum comes standard with an audio system that employs Sony Live Acoustics and Clear Phase technologies. Ford says this is the first time these features have been used in a vehicle.
A Maybach SUV would be the perfect rival for upcoming SUVs from Rolls-Royce and Bentley. Mercedes-Benz hasn't made a firm decision, but it is considering the possibility of a 4x4 Maybach, an official says.
The 2016 Cadillac CTS-V is about to get a monstrous upgrade at the hands of Hennessey Performance Engineering. The Texas shops aims to push one to 240 mph, employing engine upgrades that could yield 1,000 hp.


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Get a load of Puget Soundby Jeanie Senior
Portland Tribune, March 29, 2005
Port of Portland's thoroughly outfitted northern neighbors haul in Asia trade
SEATTLE -- Its terminals bustling with foreign-flagged ships and containers loaded with Asian-made goods, the Port of Seattle is capturing a healthy share of the global economy.
Farther south on Puget Sound, business is so brisk at the Port of Tacoma that they're engaged in what one official called the "terminal shuffle" -- building new facilities and moving tenants around to meet the demand.
It's a different picture at the Port of Portland, which for years has emphasized that it's an export-focused port. Indeed, bulk exports of soda ash, potash and grain, as well as a jump in steel plate imports, gave Portland a record year in 2004.
What's passing Portland by, however, is the rising tide of Asian imports clogging bigger ports along the West Coast, from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Long Beach, Calif., and Los Angeles.
In Portland, container traffic fell 19 percent last year, after two of the three trans-Pacific container shipping lines calling here dropped the city from their port rotation.
By contrast, the flood of arriving goods, from housewares to clothing, electronics and toys, brought record years in 2004 for the ports of Seattle and Tacoma.
In both cities, the ports are building to meet the demand; their waterfronts bristle with new cranes, new terminals, new buildings. Seattle's port has spent $1 billion on marine facilities in the last decade, including the flashy $17.1 million Bell Street Pier Cruise Terminal at the edge of downtown.
The cruise business also is bringing millions of dollars to Seattle's economy. It's grown enormously; starting with just six ships calling on Seattle in 1999, the number grew to 150 ships in 2004 and this year will swell to 170. Besides the Bell Street Pier, which accommodates one vessel at a time, Terminal 30 has space for more cruise ships.
The only regular cruise ships to call on Portland are smaller, headed up the Columbia River for weeklong cruises. What could have been Portland's chief attraction to cruise ships -- the massive Dry Dock 4 -- was sold in 2001 and moved to a shipyard in the Bahamas, where it gets a steady stream of cruise ship maintenance, refit and repair work.
In Tacoma, the sprawling just-completed $210 million Pierce County Terminal is the biggest container terminal north of Los Angeles, the largest-ever construction project in the port's 85 years.
The sparkling new terminal, operated by Evergreen Line, is equipped with five of the port's 17 post-Panamax cranes, green-painted behemoths large enough to pluck a container from the far side of a docked container ship (the term post-Panamax refers to ships too large to go through the Panama Canal).
The Port of Tacoma, which spent $221 million on capital investments in the last two years, is set to spend a record $190 million this year, spokesman Michael Wasem said.
Tacoma also has a lock on sea shipments to Alaska.
"Seventy percent of everything you buy or consume in Alaska goes through Tacoma," Wasem said, pointing to the containers covering one of the two port terminals dedicated to cargo bound for the 49th state.
'A hell of a time'
The Port of Portland bests both Seattle and Tacoma in a couple of categories -- it's the second-biggest wheat exporter in the United States and the third-biggest auto handler -- but it still suffers in comparison to the two Washington ports.
"We're never going to match the scale of Seattle or Tacoma, but we think we can be viable," said Sam Ruda, the Port of Portland's marine director.
Wasem and the Port of Seattle's Mick Shultz are more likely to be sympathetic to Portland than to crow about its second-tier status.
"They've been having a hell of a time," Shultz said of Portland. "There are forces that are at work there that are well beyond anybody at the port's ability to control."
After the shipping lines Hyundai Merchant Marine and "K" Line dropped Portland from their port rotation, just one trans-pacific container line, Hanjin Shipping, was left calling on Portland; the port's container count in 2004 totaled just under 275,000 TEUs, or 20-foot equivalent units -- the length of a shipping container and the standard measurement worldwide.
The Puget Sound ports set record container volumes last year, each moving 1.7 million TEUs across their docks. Despite their success, even Seattle and Tacoma fade next to the superports of Long Beach and Los Angeles; Long Beach handled 5.8 million TEUs in 2004, and Los Angeles moved a staggering 7.3 million.
Seattle's Shultz called the decision by Hyundai and "K" Line to pull out of Portland an indicator of the surging Asian shipping business, with the sheer volume of exports to North America forcing shipping lines to tighten their schedules.
"The big companies don't want to stop at every port along the coast," he said. "They want to go to one or two places and they're out of here."
Port of Portland officials are hustling to bring in another container shipping line.
"I'm not anticipating we're going to be a lonely container port too much longer," Ruda said.
Several factors may help
The port expects great rewards when the Columbia River channel between Astoria and Portland is dredged to be 3 feet deeper so bigger and more heavily loaded ships can come up the river. Work on the long-hyped multimillion-dollar project begins this year, aided by $9 million in federal funds.
Because of the huge cargo growth -- and the need for importers to get their goods moved expeditiously from port to destination -- Ruda thinks Portland is in line to get some of the spillover from other crowded ports, including Vancouver, British Columbia.
"I think that folks are looking seriously at us, where perhaps a year ago they may not have considered us as a port of call," he said. "We have room to expand and to grow; hopefully, that capacity is going to match up with a container service."
The port's third post-Panamax crane, with an $8.2 million price tag, will be delivered from China in 2006; the investment will help the container ships that make the lengthy upriver trip to Portland unload more speedily. Most big West Coast ports use at least three of the cranes to facilitate loading and unloading.
Shultz said the ports of Tacoma and Seattle boosted their competitive advantage when they worked together to persuade several major retailers, including Target, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Pier 1 Imports and Michaels, to open national import distribution centers in the Puget Sound area.
"It used to be that the rule of thumb for Seattle and Tacoma was 70 percent of the cargo came off the ship and onto a train to Chicago for distribution by truck," he said.
"That ratio has changed because of the presence of the distribution centers; now about 60 percent goes onto trains, an additional 10 percent goes by truck to the distribution centers. Even though we increased the cargo, the volume did not decrease the available capacity on the railroad."
The Portland area has a national distribution center for Columbia Sportswear and Fred Meyer, and a regional distribution center for Dollar Tree. Ruda said the port is working to add others.
An industry in flux
The Port of Portland, which has allocated the lion's share of its capital expenditures since 1993 to aviation projects, started to step up the spending for its marine division in 2004. Several pending projects are aimed at improving rail and truck connections.
Ruda said one current limiting factor is the worldwide shortage of ships, with demand outstripping capacity. When what he called "a fairly aggressive onslaught of new builds" -- in other words, a lot of new ships f come online between 2006 and 2008, he expects that will free other ships to serve Portland.
"This is such a fluid industry right now," he said. "Carriers and importers are looking at diversifying their ports of entry."
He added, "I think we're going to be able to turn it around. We're not going to be doing this on hopes and prayers. I think our strategy is sound. It will give dividends."
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The Nexus One smartphone might be a fun phone for consumers, but Google is aiming for the business-minded customer with its handset, says Google's Andy Rubin.
The new Nexus One Googlephone may be just the tip of the iceberg. While most of the coverage has focused on how the phone compares to the iPhone and other Android devices, the real importance of Google's entry into the handset game may not be apparen...
It appears Android-equipped devices are enjoying a coming-out party at this week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Major hardware manufacturers, including Dell, HTC, MIPS Technologies, and Motorola, have announced plans to launch consumer pro...
Smartphone fans, prepare the ring: Some new research released this week is sure to send the Android-iPhone rivalry into overdrive.
Google's special event on Tuesday morning, when the company is expected to launch a Google-branded superphone, the Nexus One.
Ladies and gentlemen, prepare yourselves: We have a new twist in the slow-news-day-driven mystery of the vanishing iPhone in the state of New York.
The unveiling of a GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) encryption codebook compiled by a German security researcher and his team of collaborators lowers the bar significantly for the amount of money and technical expertise required to liste...
O2, one of the leading providers of wireless service in the United Kingdom, has apologized to customers for recent network issues including the inability to make or receive calls, or transmit data. Like AT&T, the United States exclusive iPhone provid...
It may be the moment the tech world's been waiting for: Google has just officially announced plans for an Android-related media event to be held next Tuesday, January 5, at its Mountain View campus.
If Apple was expecting Nokia to back down and retract its patent lawsuit after Apple countersued, apparently Nokia didn't get the memo. Nokia has launched a fresh assault, filing a new complaint with the United States International Trade Commission (...
How concerned should business users be about wireless security now that another group claims to have cracked the security scheme used by 80 percent of the world's cellular telephones?
Google's pretty good at keeping its Web and search developments secret, but it's quickly learning that hardware's a different beast, as details on the <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/184555/googles_nexus_one_test_phone_details_emerge.html">Ne...
We all use Google. Well, maybe not Bill Gates, but that's about it. Now, Google is hoping to become an even bigger part of our everyday lives.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend."
Would you buy a gPhone? That's the question I posed last week, as rumors, news, and speculation about a new Google-branded Nexus One handset washed over the Webosphere. I got some interesting answers.
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The screen was particularly good. It is bright and visible from most angles, however heat is an issue, particularly around the Windows button on the front, and on the back where the battery housing is located.
My first impression after unboxing the Q702 is that it is a nice looking unit. Styling is somewhat minimalist but very effective. The tablet part, once detached, has a nice weight, and no buttons or switches are located in awkward or intrusive positions.
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Last we heard from Game Closure, the young startup had just turned down offers from Zynga and Facebook on its way to a $12 million raise from Highland, Greylock, Benchmark, General Catalyst, and more. Even in spite of $100 million-plus offers, Game Closure CEO Michael Carter tells us that the startup is not eager to sell — not now, and not in the future. Yet, stealing high-placed executives at the big gaming companies? Not a problem.
Today, Game Closure, which is building a game development environment and SDK that makes it easy for developers to create, host, and deploy HTML5, cross-platform, multiplayer games, is announcing that it has poached Laurent Desegur away from Zynga, making the engineer and executive VP of Mobile Engineering. Until recently, Desegur had been CTO of Zynga Mobile, on top of being a veteran of Netflix, Big Fish Games, Amazon, Apple, and EA — to name a few.
For those unfamiliar, Desegur brings over 20 years of technical leadership to the young gaming startup, where he will be the most senior executive on a rapidly growing team that’s added 26 employees in the last year. As to what convinced Desegur to move to Game Closure from Zynga? Besides the high-price acquisition offers and big raise from notable investors, it’s found early interest among developers.
Withing 48 hours of announcing its private beta, Carter says, Game Closure received applications from more than 5,000 studios worldwide, and has seen the daily user data produced by partner games grow 1,000x in the past six months — across millions of downloads.
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LinkedIn Gets Emotional, Amazon Cracks Down and Accenture Expands
It’s time to catch up on the latest digital news and happenings with another Digital Download. Every month the Lessing-Flynn digital team meets to decide which current events our friends and clients need to know about — check out which stories made the cut…
Tell us how you really feel on LinkedIn
Be on the lookout for the newest update on LinkedIn. Users are now able to choose their reaction to a post, similar to Facebook. While LinkedIn previously restricted users to only “liking” a post, they will now be given five different options to further express their feelings towards a post. The newest reactions were created in response to the types of posts users were adding. With the addition of this feature, LinkedIn hopes to keep current users more engaged and bring new users into this top performing recruiting tool.
Accenture takes a new turn
At the beginning of April, Accenture Interactive, a large consulting firm, announced they would be purchasing an ambitious ad agency, Droga5. For those that are unfamiliar with Droga5, just think big advertising campaigns. They have conquered campaigns for Under Armour, New Castle Brown Ale and most recently produced a standout commercial for the Super Bowl that included Bud Light and Game of Thrones. Ring any bells? This purchase is taking place in the hopes of creating a more customer focused experience. But now, concerns are rising on what will happen to the unique culture of Droga5.
Think twice before trusting Amazon reviews
Are you an avid Amazon user? If you answered yes, consider the amount of times you have relied on product reviews before making a purchase. Have those reviews heavily impacted your likeliness of buying the product? While price is oftentimes the first determining factor of an Amazon purchase, reviews are seen to be just as important for some. According to recent third party analyses, this big time internet hub is polluted with fake reviews. But, with no liability for fake reviews, they have less incentive to crack down on this situation.
Walmart accepts the challenge
Grocery shopping may not be the most glamorous task on a weekly to-do list. Walmart, however, is determined to change that. You will soon have the chance to start your grocery trip by simply sitting on your couch and stating, “OK Google.” Walmart’s recent partnership with Amazon intends to create a voice-based grocery shopping experience using Google Assistant-powered platforms.
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Marshalls gains Sh824mn from vehicle assembly plant sales
The motor vehicle supplier, Marshalls East Africa, has sold its 50% stake in Associate Vehicle Assemblers (AVA), based in Mombasa, Kenya.
The company, who were delisted from the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) last year, sold its shares to Simba Corporation for Sh824mn (US$8mn).
According to a source close to the transaction, the deal resulted in Simba Corporation having full ownership of the assembler.
“Marshalls was paid $8 million (Sh824 million) for the 50 per cent AVA stake,” the source added.
The news of the sale and its value was well received by companies who had decided to remain in the struggling company.
The firm announced that they decide to delist in a bid to gain more time and flexibility to organise the business, as well as eliminating the costs of maintaining a listing on the NSE.
Shareholders in Marshalls stated that their rights would remain the same – “including participation in any future dividends declared by the company” – prior to the company going private.
Through purchasing Marshall’s shares in AVA, Simba Corporation now has full control of the country’s three main vehicle assemblers, including Thika-based Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers and Nairobi-based Isuzu East Africa.
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- Construction to begin on Nairobi’s Sh50bn road in SeptemberLeadership & Strategy
- EatOut announces partnership with Dineout to introduce regional restaurant platformLeadership & Strategy
- KRC begins negotiations to increase ferry export cargo via SGRLeadership & Strategy


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Those profits showed the continuing benefit of a far-reaching overhaul of the group under new managing director Ramon Pajares, the Spanish hotelier parachuted in from the Four Seasons group to revitalise the prestigious but underperforming company.
Sir Ewen Fergusson, chairman, warned that a shortage of available rooms due to the refurbishment would hold back profits in the second half. "The high rate of financial improvement seen in the first half is unlikely to be maintained", he added.
The refocusing of the Savoy Group on its core hotels and restaurants under Mr Pajares will continue next month when the company raises pounds 6m from the sale of a collection of central London flats and houses.
The property sale, which will result in an unspecified exceptional profit at the year end, follows last year's disposal of excess stocks of wine, which resulted in a one-off pounds 817,000 profit, and the disposal of other non-core operations including Camelot Chauffeur Drive.
Next March will see the conclusion of a pounds 60m programme to restore the group's hotels, which include Claridge's, the Connaught and the Berkeley.
The benefits of that programme showed through in interim results for the six months to June, announced yesterday, which saw profits for the half year rise 40 per cent before exceptional items to pounds 4.9m, from pounds 3.5m in the first half of 1995.
There is still no news on the fate of the 68 per cent stake in Savoy acquired by Granada as part of its takeover of Forte. Granada said then that it would seek a buyer for the shares.Reuse content


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Wearable assistive technology will hit the runway at Invictus showcase
By Vjosa IsaiStaff Reporter
Sun., Sept. 24, 2017timer3 min. read
Electronic glasses for the visually impaired — including people who haven’t been able to see their entire lives — will be among the 48 exhibits at this week’s Accessibility Innovation Showcase, an official event of the 2017 Invictus Games.
The free, two-day showcase begins Monday and will feature new tech designed for people living with disabilities. Some products will also hit the runway at the showcase’s wearable technology fashion show at 10:45 a.m. Monday.
Companies were selected based in part on how their product helps increase the user’s independence, said Morris Milner, a doctor of biomedical engineering and a professor emeritus at the University of Toronto.
“The impact of these kinds of devices is very significant . . . This is very dramatic stuff, and I think we’re on the cusp of seeing bigger” advancements in wearable technologies, he said.
One of [...]


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A matatu in Mombasa was at the center of an online discussion after decided to treat its customers in the most thoughtful way.
According to a video shared on Matwana Culture Instagram page, one could spot KFC food packages well placed on several seats of the matatu.
The person holding the camera opened one of the packages showing two packages inside, one containing some fries and another one containing pieces of chicken.
It was also noted that the matatu was new and it was hitting the road for the first time.
“Pale Mombasa kuna pesa kuna standards, gari inaingia job day 1 kila mtu anapewa combo ya KFC. Nairobi gari mpya nikupiga nduru kama wazimu na kufagia barabara kama kanjo. When the students are ready, the master appears,” wrote Matwana Culture.
@_heartieloraine: Ata mkinipitisha stage hakuna shida (sic)
@_.kr00k: If you want to talk to Umoja residents talk to them directly stop going through the corners
@victembo: Nairobi wana weka gari juu ya trailer, bure kabisa (sic)
@nelyl_lyne: I hope Rongai is seeing what other routes are doing for their people
Do you have a story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through email@example.com or call/SMS +254 731 469269


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SPECSAVERS TO SPONSOR ONES TO WATCH SS18
We are thrilled to announce UK’s leading optical and audiologist group Specsavers as the Official ‘Ones To Watch’ sponsor for SS18. Returning for the third year, the renowned brand will be presenting multiple eyewear accessories on the runway, alongside the ‘Ones To Watch’ show on Friday 15th September.
Specsavers have been delivering the UK the widest selection of eyewear since 1984 when founded by Dame Mary Perkins and her husband Doug; since providing us with the latest materials and trends from all over the world. Specsavers is a Partnership of nearly 2,000 locally-run businesses with each store being part-owned and managed by its own joint venture partners, who are committed to delivering high quality, affordable optical and hearing care in the communities they serve.
Verity Tongs, Specsavers’ regional marketing manager, says:
‘We are excited to be a part of this event for the third year running and to be able to see the latest glasses styles modelled alongside pioneering fashion from up and coming designers. The eyewear industry follows these pioneers of trends with great interest. Long gone are the days when glasses were just worn through necessity – they are now seen as a must-have fashion accessory.’
Fashion Scout’s Founder and Creative Director Martyn Roberts commented on the continued partnership with Specsavers;
“Fashion Scout and Specsavers are an ideal partnership, visionary in our own fields and renown globally for their pioneering success, entrepreneurship and creative innovation. With an impressive SS18 schedule ahead of us this season, we look forward to seeing their eyewear on the catwalk, styled alongside the One’s To Watch collections.”


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IT’S plug in or nothing says Volvo as it announced today (July 05) that it will go all electric.
The significance of this will not be lost. From 2019 you will not be able to buy from new a Volvo with just an internal combustion engine.
Volvo says it is placing electrification at the core of its future business.
“This is about the customer,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo Cars (below right). “People increasingly demand electrified cars, and we want to respond to our customers’ current and future needs. You can now pick and choose whichever electrified Volvo you wish.”
The future Volvo range will include a portfolio of electrified cars across its model range, from fully electric cars, to plug-in hybrid cars and mild-hybrid cars.
Volvo says it will launch five fully electric cars between 2019 and 2021, three of which will be Volvo models and two of which will be high-performance electrified cars from Polestar, the performance arm of Volvo. Full details of these models will be announced at a later date.
In addition to the five EVs, the range will be supplemented by a petrol and diesel plug-in hybrid and mild-hybrid 48-volt options on all models.
“This announcement marks the end of the solely combustion engine-powered car,” said Mr Samuelsson. “Volvo Cars has stated that it plans to have sold a total of 1m electrified cars by 2025. When we said it we meant it. This is how we are going to do it.”


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Millennials, Gen Xers, and Baby Boomers spoke out about their online and mobile banking experiences. Here’s what we heard.
40% of Americans have not stepped foot through the doors of a bank in the last six months. Instead, online banking is has gained serious momentum as the preferred method of banking. To learn more about the relationship between customers and online banking, we worked with Javelin Research to survey 2,000 U.S.-based banking customers. Specifically, the study explored the mobile account opening process and possible sources of friction or abandonment–and how perceptions differ among generations.
At the highest level of the study, we found that demand for online banking (which includes banking with a desktop computer or mobile device) is not isolated to just younger generations. In fact, the number of baby boomers and millennials using online banking is almost equal (77% versus 76%). However, millennials disproportionately favor mobile banking (using a bank’s phone app) over traditional forms of banking. According to the survey, monthly use of mobile banking among millennials tends to be almost double that of baby boomers (62% versus 34%).
Fear of Fraud Runs High
Trust in online and mobile banking seems to be a prevalent issue for all customers. Millennials in particular have concerns about the ease of use and hidden fees that could be associated with banking online. Distrust in the security of online banking was another cause for customer concern. This sentiment was shared across all generations, with respondents citing a “fear of fraud,” when banking with their phone or computer.
Customers Trust Biometrics
Banks are smart to take strides to incorporate features that make mobile banking customers feel secure. In particular, our study found that customers consider biometrics to be the most secure and effective way to keep their accounts safe. Therefore, security measures such as facial recognition may prove beneficial at lowering customer concerns about online security.
Slow Identity Verification Processes Drive Abandonment
However, security measures need to be as efficient as they are effective. Speed is important: waiting for identity verification was found to be the second-most common cause of abandonment (20%), next to general processes (such as loading time) taking too long (36%).
It is in the best interest of banks to take into consideration the needs and expectations of online and mobile banking customers. This is particularly true for millennials in the mobile arena: last year alone, 49% of new financial accounts were opened by millennials. But, the Javelin report found that the user experience for mobile banking asks too much of millennials; 43 percent have abandoned mobile banking activities versus only 25 percent of Gen Xers and only 13 percent of Baby Boomers. Overall, the highest source of complaint across generations of mobile banking users was that the process took too long (36 percent) or they could not remember their password (28 percent).
Given the rise of mobile and online banking across generations of consumers, Jumio’s 2017 Banking Across Generations report lends relevant, actionable insights into ways to boost customer trust and remove friction. Get your copy of the report here.


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Latest Power Architecture Stories
The Development Shop announced on Friday that the store has a variety of Samsung tablets and Xbox 360 accessories - including the Xbox Live membership cards - available for up to 50% off of the
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COVID-19 has disrupted lives on an unprecedented scale and has traumatised millions. It has impacted the way we live, the way we perceive our environment, the way we work, but most importantly the way we engage with others. Customer attitudes, behaviours and purchasing habits are changing fast and it is in the best interest of all customer centric businesses to be conscious of this change. We shall discuss what is driving customers to behave differently and how they are changing the way they interact. Further some of these evolving trends will be a part of the new normal and will continue to stay. This white paper also outlines strategies and data driven measures that organisations should take to stay afloat for the long haul.
Drivers of consumer behaviour
Given the impact COVID has had, it has now become more important for businesses to understand what is playing within the minds of the customers they cater to. A consumer of the pandemic era is driven by thoughts of:
- Health and well-being: 18% people have a family or friend impacted by C-19, leading to anxiety1. Wellness is now gaining priority for increasing number of consumers.
- Disposable income: The lockdown has left many businesses struggling to tread water all over the globe. While governments announce swift help, it has left customers anxious and many consumers are looking to curb their more discretionary spend. Disposable income earned by UK households, has decreased by 17% in Q2 2020, equivalent to £14.2bn per month, i.e. a monthly fall of £515 per household as workers lose their jobs, accept reduced pay or hours, or are placed on furlough.2
- Job Security: Office of Budget Responsibility’s reference scenario had predicted 10% unemployment by end of Q2 in the UK and 5.5% in 20213. The world fears a ghastly depression and increasing dole queues.
- Increasing Debt: Customers might have to dip into their savings for the shorter term, however, they are looking for more support from their utilities, banks, landowners, etc. An average British customer has high debts and little savings – A Jan 2020 report says 29% consumers have <£500 in savings, 49% have <£50004.
- The State of Economy: According to a global survey net consumer optimism around country’s economic revival is decreasing and most consumers continue to expect a long-lasting impact of covid-195.
The mark COVID leaves on people would be unexampled. Customers want to be dealt with differently without having to compromise on value derived.
3 Office for Budget Responsibility (2020a), “OBR coronavirus reference scenario”, 14 April
4 Mintel, UK consumers and savings market report, January2020
5 McKinsey & Company, Consumer sentiment is evolving as countries around the world begin to reopen-June 5,2020
Changes in Consumer Behaviour
This pandemic has hit basic human tendency of physical interactions. One is hesitant to visit crowded places and avail public transport. Consumers are directly or indirectly letting organisations understand their pandemic induced needs with their altered behaviours. Of the many changes in customer behaviour, a few include:
- Online to be the new dominant channel for all: With ‘Stay Home, Stay Safe’ being every government’s advice, customers are restricted to indoor alternatives for every outdoor activity. This in turn would lead to customers resorting to safer ways of doing daily tasks
- Shopping online is the new normal as 30% plan to shop more online in the future, even 28.3% of those 65+ say so6.
- Greater media consumption, especially online video content, is predicted to have staying power post-pandemic; Tiktok downloads hit 315m in Q17, Disney+ had 5m+ downloads within a day of Europe launch (Mar 24)8. With home becoming the sole venue of people’s lives, it is triggering increase in use of video conferencing apps like Zoom - whose maximum daily meeting participants increased from 10m in Dec 2019 to 200m by Mar 2020. Virtual dinner parties on the rise through House party app – in the week of 15 March, the app saw 735x growth in global downloads. There has also been an increase in on-demand video - Netflix, amazon prime in 1/3rd of every UK home9
- Increase in home delivery for food & grocery items - Research from kantar says that on the week of Mar 22 (when lockdown begun) food delivery saw 57% Year on Year increase – clearly benefiting from restaurant closures.
- Work from home as the new way of working - Global Workplace analytics estimates that by end of 2021, 25-30% of workforce will work from home multiple days a week10; TCS declares 75% of its 450k employees would permanently work from home by 202511.
- Home tutoring for children and consciousness towards health draws forth demand for meditation, yoga and online education apps. Worldwide there are currently more than 1.2 billion children in 186 countries affected by school closures due to the pandemic12- whether it is language apps, virtual tutoring, video conferencing tools or online learning software, there has been a significant surge in usage since COVID-19. EdTech start-ups across the world have increased their reach – for example Byju’s, India’s fastest growing ed-tech start-up, saw 7.5 million new users on its platform since it started offering free access to content. In April alone, the Bengaluru-based firm grossed ~£36million in revenue13. Meditation apps like Headspace and mental health apps like Unmind are being used widely
- Value maximisation: Every penny spent is now more valuable for a cautious consumer. Rise in price sensitivity and category switching has placed pressure on premium categories to include ecoethical offerings. Luxury purchases likely to decline significantly as consumers continue to reduce their discretionary spending. Perspective on luxury is also changing. For example, In India when domestic helps were unable to come for work, working families were struggling to balance work from home and office work. So, any appliance/offering that offer help was starting to be treated as a luxury. In US, Google Trends data shows increased searches for ‘coupon code’ as customers are looking to stretch their dollars.
- Customer as a stakeholder - Brands are now empowering customers and treating them as an active stakeholder by trying to seek their input and approval to create a sense of shared ownership over brand’s evolving response. Eg: UK grocer Sainsbury’s reserved the first hour of trading for healthcare workers and carers after receiving suggestions from customers and store staff.
- The phenomenon called ‘WE’ - with the global pandemic came a dawn of unity whereby people are now more conscious of each other’s suffering leading to rise in virtual volunteering for social causes. Customers want betterment for everyone and expect brands to facilitate this now and going forward, acting authentically and with care for the greater community. Supermarket chain Co-op announced the launch of an online community platform called Co-operate in May, which aims to connect individuals to local and national organisations who need and can support, during the crisis.
- Stockpiling and Self Reliance: As the fear of coronavirus spreads, consumers have been flocking to stores to stockpile emergency supplies. However, depending on supply readiness, stockpiling can soon lead to retailers selling out, with shortages persisting for several order cycles. As customers stockpile essential products, consumers exhibit another interesting behaviour. They tend to purchase from national retailers with extensive retail networks. According to research 59% of UK consumers have shopped in more stores of national origin during lockdown, in order to help support them. 57% of those surveyed said that they were more likely to buy from a brand that sells domestically produced products14.
- Power of data: Governments have stepped up digital surveillance of citizens for limiting the spread of Covid -19, voluntarily or involuntarily. Citizens are sacrificing personal data for a greater good. This way social attitudes around privacy are changing to the extent where not sharing data is regarded as selfish, citizens are happy to make private information available, if it’s for the good of society. As per EY research 53% of consumers would make their personal data available if it helped to monitor and track an infection cluster.
Consumer behaviour is changing at a pace no one could have predicted. Understanding this change in behaviour would be the first step for every organisation to provide a second to none customer experience in the future.
6 Prosper Insights & Analytics
7 Sensor tower store intelligence
9 Zoom, A message to our users, April 1, 2020
10 https://globalworkplaceanalytics.com/work-at-home-after-covid-19-our-forecast#:~:text=Our%20best%20estimate%20is%20that%2025%2D30%25%20of%20the%20 workforce,by%20the%20end%20of%202021.&text=The%20demand%20for%20flexibility%20in,has%20been%20building%20for%20decades.
12 UNESCO, Covid 19 impact on education
Trends to stay
Conventional aspects of business and commerce have been altered by the coronavirus pandemic. A “New Normal” has emerged for businesses of all sizes across all industries. Certainly, customers regard health and safety as their topmost concern now and moving forward would continue to demand for contactless, technologically equipped and safe experience. A few plausible facets of the post-coronavirus world are:
- Digital adoption: With the virus comes one of the biggest digital waves. Be it entertainment, commerce or social interaction, everything is moving online. This is one of the things that has massively accelerated and is likely to continue as world recovers from Covid. Businesses are trying to incorporate technology into their operations in every possible way. ASDA for example launched virtual queues using their app that will allow users to book a place and log into a virtual queue with their phones. Also, often the impetus for change in education has had to come from outside the school establishment. This pandemic has given rise to a need of seamless integration of classroom learning and distance education with education more accessible via digital channels. Applications like MS Teams, Zoom & google classrooms will enable this move easily.
- Healthcare systems underwent little change after world war II. The need to be prepared for a pandemic is now more important than ever. Policies, approaches and preparedness to meet a surging patient volume in a highly interconnected world is necessary to be able to respond timely to such exogenous shocks.
- Increase in network usage - As millions of people start working from home, learn online, take to video conferencing, gaming and stream online content, demand for data from households is on the rise. Hence, there will be increased focus on network reliability. Many companies are looking at long term investments in their networks and are even pulling forward 5G upgrade due to its reliability and speeds. 40%+ increase in fixed IP traffic is driven by video games, 4x and 5x increase in traffic from remote work platforms and instant messaging platforms respectively15.
- Health & safety - People all around the world are more health conscious and are willing to adopt measures that will reduce their vulnerability to the disease. Hence the highest priority for businesses should be to ensure safety for customers, mental and physical. Hospitality and travel businesses will have to assure their customers with a healthy and clean experience.
Pioneer brands would be the ones that would embrace these changes and trends. For them this crisis can be truly liberating if they are agile enough.
What should be the strategy?
It becomes imperative for businesses across the globe to adopt new measures by making necessary amends so that they can better serve the changing needs of a customer.
With customer at the heart of decision making, businesses need to understand the current consumer mindset and be conscious of the changes to their behaviour. Whoever manages to respond swiftly at this time will not only be able to survive but also outlive the slowdown as a result of Covid-19. Eg: A recent survey concluded that 32% Brits expect social distancing to remain until next year. Some brands reacted early to this by implementing smart changes adapting to the new behaviour – like Supermarket chain Aldi has installed an automated system (“automated traffic light system”) that can track the number of customers that can safely be in a store to ensure the protection of both shoppers and employees. Such steps amidst the chaos and uncertainty that a pandemic brings reinstates customer centricity, adaptability and agility of businesses.
Key strategies that businesses should focus on
Let’s take a closer look at each of them.
1. Investing in digital/online and touchless ways of doing business will help turn adversity to advantage. COVID-19 has pushed companies to reduce dependency on mobility for uninterrupted functioning of the business. There will be a shift of focus from cost-saving & productivity to continuity, accelerating innovation leveraging host of new technologies such as IOT, AI & Robotics (RPA – Robotics process automation) and cloud computing. It is estimated that the RPA market will grow at CAGR 37% to become a USD 7-8 Bn market by 202217. With such technologies, companies would be able to act rather than react in the future. Eg: Deployment of AI and cloud technologies is helping Cairn India, the energy firm, maintain its operations without disruption via automation of a well-logged splicing process and a geocloud approach that will reduce the seismic processing time and expedite prospect generation18.
However, companies should be mindful of their digital presence and existing strategy when they look at revamping customer journeys – the degree of redesign required will be different across industries:
- Traditionally offline (Brick & mortar) businesses will have to revisit their strategy and make digital investments – i.e. designing new digital customer journeys; being agile and enabling quick digital transformation is the key
- Create quick online versions – tutoring, physical training and even church services -which are now available online
- Eg: Lidl has launched an online chatbot which informs customers of the quietest time to shop, through WhatsApp utilisation within six weeks of the lockdown as an attempt to provide a solution for the snaking queues19
- Purely online businesses will have to continue efforts to provide a seamless digital experience with minor tweaks to be more agile to customer needs and rising competition. Some companies are monitoring social media feeds more religiously to understand customer trends real time and using the same for digital marketing. Eg: Uber’s ride business went down by 80% globally in April 2020. But Uber tweaked it’s business model to stay relevant, by quickly launching two services: Uber Direct –built up on Uber Eats’ where shoppers can now place orders from select retailers and get their items delivered right to their doorstep without contact and Uber Connect – where users in select cities can log into the Uber app and send packages to family and friends. It’s a cost effective same-day, no-contact delivery solution that keeps people feeling close20.
- Partly online businesses will have to revisit customer journeys and focus on omni-channel fulfilment while keeping in mind empathy for customers & digital acceleration. Retailers that can redesign click and collect system in which employees put groceries ordered directly in the trunk of a customers’ car and pay online will earn goodwill amongst customers. Eg: amazon opened additional grocery store in California as online-only store to increase grocery delivery21.
Leveraging the fact that customers now wish to be online, companies should increase digital self-service and make smarter operational trade-offs to improve customer experience and efficiency at the same time. With advanced digital techniques, companies can also create an optimised hybrid human/machine model that show empathy and care in customer interactions thus building trust and positive relationships for the future.
2. Reassess customer journeys and re-align operations: Operational gaps bringing down customer experience are being highlighted by the current circumstances. Some 55% of marketers questioned say the consumer shift to online during the UK lockdown has exposed gaps in the customer experience22. It is essential for companies to analyse how effective and attractive different channels are at performing certain tasks and/or generating positive outcomes. Tracking customers’ behaviour at various touchpoints can indicate how service providers might improve experience by use of data and technology to help understand the new levers for continuous and dynamic optimisation. For example, there is a need to identify key customer journeys to prioritise for digitisation and also make necessary arrangements to manage other journeys offline. Analytics offer a plethora of techniques/tools to help business take such informed decisions.
- Understand customer sentiments - Understanding customers and their inherent value is at the core of managing customer experience and what better way to do so than by keeping an eye out for what they say.
Utilising text & sentiment analytics, companies can be informed about the delights and frustrations of customers by digging into the repositories of textual data to detect customer needs and emotions. This would help companies prioritise issues for redressal and strategise accordingly to meet evolving demands. For instance, using sentiment/text analytics on customer comments, companies can pinpoint the reason for poor journey experience and prioritise fixes to eliminate the same.
- Reimagine journeys by developing omni channel capabilities - Customers expect service providers to be available anytime and anywhere and offer consistent experience across all channels and touchpoints. In fact, many customers use several channels during the customer journey and are often simultaneously present in the physical and the digital. For instance, customers often use their smartphones to gather additional information before making a purchase decision, which is why retailers such as H&M have started to provide free Wi-Fi in their physical stores. Other customers buy products online and then expect to be able to pick them up in physical stores. Consequently, businesses are not only trying to add new digital channels and touchpoints to their channel mix, but also to integrate all of them as online and offline is not a scenario of mutual exclusivity but rather an interdependent means for achieving success and ensuring seamless customer experience.
- Understand differences in elasticity of demand between consumer groups to provide calibrated best next actions, tailor made products and services to cater to needs of different customer segments. For instance, to avoid churn, businesses might want to offer better compensation like additional discounts, covers at zero premium etc to its high value customers in case they have experienced a broken journey. For e.g.: customers with overdue service visits during the lockdown could be compensated differently based on their lifetime value.
Although these changes are a good to have, it is challenging to cater to these needs whilst there is an internal push for companies to maintain and increase cash flow. All organisations are working to balance their cash flows with increasing customer debts. Thus, there is a need to prioritise use of companies limited resources in the most efficient manner by aligning operations. Eg: Companies could make use of various optimisation algorithms in order to optimise customer support staff and work timings (i.e., operating hours) which would have with least effect on customers while ‘driving customers to digital’ during non-functional hours.
3. Talent Strategy - Often when we speak about strategy, we don’t stress enough on people. Now is a test for every companies’ preparation to manage the wellbeing and productivity of their employees. Companies need to be cautious about maintaining work life balance to ensure employee satisfaction. The Penn State study uncovered a startling fact that telecommuting does not blur boundaries between work and family23. In fact, it reduces the conflicts that typically occur between work and family life. Those achieving this balance will be ahead of the curve.
Work from home will pave the way for a global hiring model because it ensures employee safety with an added cost benefit of less capital investment. This model seems to be much more effective than what it was expected to be. Execs are now more amenable to the idea of not working from a physical office. Eg: A recent Gartner CFO survey revealed that almost three in four CFOs plan to “shift at least 5 percent of previously on-site employees to permanently remote positions post-COVID-19”24. Facebook said that it would eventually begin allowing most of its employees to request a permanent change in their jobs to let them work remotely. The company will begin by making most of its US job openings eligible for remote hires and begin taking applications for permanent remotework among its workforce later this year25.
Also, with use of behavioural data, businesses can identify the positives and negatives of a remote workforce model and help employees accordingly. Data can give us an ongoing, real-time information that can be used to influence the next course of action in order to make this model successful and employee friendly. An analysis by Microsoft highlighted some key impacts of a work from home situation on employees at all levels within the business using ‘Workplace Analytics’, which measures everyday work in Microsoft 36526.
4. Data Governance and Risk Management: The information universe is fast evolving from relatively high-latency batch processing to low-latency real time analytics. This places a new emphasis on the need for updated data management architecture that move from batch to real time operations. Data governance ensures that data can be trusted, and companies are made accountable for the same. But with increased data flow, there is also a need to ensure data protection from a GDPR perspective. COVID-19 has heightened cyber security risk as customers are willing to share personal data to a) aid governments financially by means of donation and also by sharing personal health information to help track the infection better and b) transact/pay online for purchase of daily need goods. Both require sharing personal information and other sensitive information like credit card details etc. Companies should invest in concepts of data protection and prevention of fraudulent activities, thus making it safer for customers to use and trust digital channels
- By evaluating data risk and impact assessment
- Ensuring proper measures to guarantee security via encryption, stricter compliance policies etc
- Design quick and efficient response system to any threats of cyber security
- Optimise backup and recovery
- Organise awareness modules for employees on fraud detection and prevention
An example of how EXL leveraged the 4 pillars to help a Big-6 utility client reduce cost and increase operational efficiency:
On an average, around 90 per cent of all energy related problems in the UK relate to billing and meter reads27. Hence, energy providers rely a lot on third party meter reading companies to make sure they get accurate and regular reads in order to bill customers.
With a more cautious customer today, sending meter reading agents to customer properties is more difficult now and one of the challenges of a lockdown. Additionally, customers are now more averse to field visits owing to safety reasons. This heightened risks of:
- Bill shocks for customers as they may be billed on estimated reads based on previous consumption wherein actual consumption would be much higher with everyone staying at home
- Increase in failure demand as customers would need explanations for the amount charged on the bill
- Impaired cashflow for the business in the already minimal margin industry as customers could be consuming more but paying less
Bearing the above in mind, the approach designed by EXL focussed on:
- Strengthening alternative online and self-serve portals where customers can submit their meter reads using AI – chatbots, natural language etc
- Designing optimal contact strategy that helps identify channel to contact a customer for a meter read based on their propensity to use an online/offline channel
- Optimising operational strategy for agents to contact customers at the most appropriate time of day to ensure maximum response.
23 The Penn state study
24 Gartner, April 3, 2020, gartner.com
This approach helped the organisation have customers reassured about safety and satisfied about getting a correct bill. Moreover, the business saved operational cost that would have been incurred in a face to face visit while maintaining cash flow by preventing customers running into debt – the pilot was carried out for 6k customers, EXL recovered £50k+ by sending an accurate bill ensuring customers are happy over a call and realising £150k+ CLV benefits by avoiding customer churn arising from estimated bills.
COVID-19 will teach us a great deal about the true nature of interaction and collaboration. It will lead to a deeper appreciation of putting customers first and resonating to their needs by redefining the essence of customer experience.
Our mantra to stay afloat and be truly resilient in these difficult times include:
Senior Consultant, EXL
Consultant II, EXL
Consultant I, EXL
Engagement Manager, EXL


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When Walmart rolled out its massive vending machine style in-store pickup technology last year in a limited pilot it was unclear whether the investment was a gimmick or a vital piece of the retailer’s in-store experience. It appears to be the latter.
Walmart announced that it is ramping up the rollout of its gigantic fulfillment towers over the next several months. Currently just 20 Walmart locations feature the fulfillment towers, but another 80 are expected to be installed throughout the chain over the next few months, according to Business Insider.
The towers are a major step forward in the in-store pick-up experience, which has become a vital capability for Walmart in its ongoing battle with Amazon for consumers’ hearts, minds and wallets. Shoppers have become accustomed to the two-day, next-day and in some cases same-day fulfillment capabilities of Amazon and are making purchase decisions based on retailers’ ability to match the online giant’s fulfillment prowess.
Walmart, like many omnichannel retailers with a sprawling physical presence, is looking for ways to leverage its massive physical network to fulfill online orders at speed. One way to get orders into shoppers’ hands as quickly as possible, while significantly lowering fulfillment costs, is to offer in-store pick-up on online orders.
While 35% of retailers either currently offer or will implement click-and-collect capabilities in the next 12 months, according to RIS News’ “14th Annual Store Systems Study,” few of them have truly optimized the experience. Many still relegate in-store pick-up to an afterthought,…


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“CRN continues to attract companies who might not have previously thought of joining us, but see the immense value that results from collaborating with colleagues and competitors who share a common value—doing what’s right for their consumers with safe and beneficial products,” said Steve Mister, CRN President & CEO.
“In fact, over the past five years, thanks to companies who are committed to the long-term growth of this industry, our dues revenue has increased by 50 percent, placing us for the first time in the ‘$5+ million’ category of associations. This budget enables us to increase our meaningful work on behalf of our members and be a stronger, unified voice of the industry. Responsible companies want to be part of that.”
The newest additions takes the total membership to a 41-year high.


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DETROIT (Reuters) - Chrysler on Thursday said a loss for the automaker as reported by minority owner Daimler AG DAIGn.DE did not reflect its operating profitability during its first months as a private firm.
Daimler AG had reported on Wednesday that the Detroit-based automaker sustained a net loss equivalent to about $2.9 billion (1.5 billion pounds) between the close of its spinoff on August 4 and the end of the third quarter.
Daimler, which surprised analysts by including the detail on Chrysler’s financial performance in its own annual report, retains a 19.1 percent stake in its former subsidiary.
The remainder of Chrysler is held by private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management.
Cerberus pledged at the takeover that its status as a private venture would allow the troubled automaker focus on operations rather than the range of disclosures demanded of public companies.
But at least three times in the six months since, Cerberus has issued statements defending Chrysler’s performance in the face of information the firm has criticized as incomplete or misleading.
A Chrysler spokesman said the loss reported by Germany’s Daimler as a minority investor included charges that would not have been reported under U.S. accounting standards. Those included one-time charges for Chrysler’s restructuring, spokesman David Barnas said in a statement.
“In fact, from an operating standpoint, Chrysler was profitable during this time period,” Barnas said. “Also Chrysler lost significantly less than what was reported during the course of the whole year.”
Chrysler did not provide any further detail on its operating earnings or detail its full-year loss.
A senior Chrysler executive testified in a U.S. bankruptcy case earlier this month that the automaker had lost $1.6 billion in 2007.
Chrysler is in the second year of a planned three-year turnaround effort that includes cutting 23,000 jobs, slashing production capacity in North America and eliminating slow-selling vehicles from its lineup.
In December, Chrysler Chief Executive Bob Nardelli was quoted by the Wall Street Journal as telling employees that the automaker was “operationally” bankrupt and scrambling to sell assets to raise cash.
In response, Cerberus issued a statement saying that Chrysler, now No. 4 in the U.S. market, was exceeding most of its financial targets.
Earlier this month, Cerberus issued a statement saying it remained enthusiastic about Chrysler, which it said was “on track to exceed its multiyear restructuring and recovery plan.”
Editing by Leslie Gevirtz
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


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The most popular and comprehensive Open Source ECM platform
5G refers to the next generation of wireless technology. It promises to deliver speeds from 20 to 100 times faster than current wireless technology. 5G will speed up data streaming and be important in advancing the usability of technologies like augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and the Internet of Things (IoT). It will also play an important role in enterprise and manufacturing infrastructure.
Is 5G here yet? Not quite. It’s only been rolled out in a few locations for testing, but that is expected to change quickly. ABI Research expects global sales of 5G-capable smartphones to reach 170 million by next year.
One area to be particularly impacted by 5G is manufacturing. Sachin Lulla, digital strategist at Ernst and Young, said that “industrial companies have a significant and immediate appetite for 5G. A new wave of hyper-connectivity is set to redefine the enterprise. And manufacturing will lead value creation from 5G investment , followed by energy and utilities, health care, the public sector, and transportation.”
5G will be able to provide very high-capacity, low-latency wireless communication, making it an ideal choice by manufacturers. It will enable better intercommunication between machines equipped with sensors and increase manufacturing efficiency. In addition, more process data will be collected and analyzed by machine learning to help improve processes.
5G will also help automate complex workflows. “Levels of automation formerly associated only with long-run, repetitive manufacturing will now be able, thanks to the high speed of 5G, to automate multivariate production runs that may result in custom products, regional mass customization or highly configured products, all with less human involvement than is currently the case,” according to Salt.lk.
Mo Katibeh, the CMO of AT&T Business , said that “Just like the LTE world gave rise to Airbnb, Waze, and the gig economy, 5G is going to give rise to an entirely new set of startups. These companies will create applications that none of us have even dreamed up yet.”


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Wallingford CT Market Update for August 2012
Here’s the way the housing market is shaping up in Wallingford as of August 31, 2012:
- Low list price: $35,000
- High list price: $1,500,000
- Average list price: $342,561
- Median list price: $289,269
- Average Days on Market: 98
- Homes sold on average for 97.0% of list price
There are 77 homes currently under contract, priced between $40,000 and $625,000. Based on the number of homes sold in August (30), it would take approximately 7 months to sell the current inventory.
- Low list price: $79,000
- High list price: $519,000
- Average list price: $215,287
- Median list price: $193,700
- Average Days on Market: 56
- Condos sold on average for 94.1% of list price
There are currently 16 condos under contract, priced between $79,900 and $519,000. Based on the number of condos sold in August (4), it would take 20 months to sell the current inventory.
Here is a chart showing annual home and condo sales in Wallingford so far in 2012:
Wallingford home and condo sales failed to match those in Meriden over the past two months, declining for the second consecutive month in August. Single family home sales were up by 11% over July, but they were down 21% from August 2011 and unchanged from August 2010, while condo sales were down by exactly the same 69% from the month before, from August of 2011, and also from June 2010. The average selling price for condos rose to $202,000, while the average sale price for single family homes remained virtually unchanged. Thirty year conventional mortgage rates were at a still-low 3.375%, while CHFA rates remained steady at 2.875 percent.
While inventory levels and total sales dropped a little, the decrease was not enough to move Wallingford out of the balanced market it’s been in for the last four months, but the supply of house did rise a little to just over 8 months of homes available. Expectations are that September sales figures will most likely drop to the lower levels normally seen at this time of year as consumers move from back to school mode to getting ready for the holidays.
This chart shows what price range most Wallingford homes are selling in:
Clearly, a home owner’s best chance of selling their home is in the $100,000 – $300,000 price range, where 62% of the sales occurred. Above that range there were a few sales, but there are several homes listed in the higher price bands that are languishing on the market, including 3 priced over $1,000,000. While the market is improving, it’s clear that the demand for luxury homes has not caught up with that of the lower price brackets.
~Wallingford Properties For Sale~
(zoom out to see more properties)
- Wallingford CT Market Update for July 2012 (wallingfordwired.com)


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- GameStop (GME) says it will hire 17K seasonal employees to meet an unexpected rush of store traffic following the launch of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
- Every holiday season is important to the company's financial health, but this year's level of consumer demand will be an important gauge to where the retailer's business model stands.
- GME -1.1% premarket.
GameStop readies itself for critical holiday season
Sep 30 2013, 09:08 ET


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to experience the full functionality of mail.com.
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October 18, 2016
Illinois agency: YouTube glitch behind training video porn
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June 10, 2016
'BrainDead': a comic thriller about politicians and bugs
At last! An acceptable explanation for Washington gridlock and other Beltway perversities: Bugs are eating politicians' ...
June 01, 2016
Burlesque dancer told to change outfit before JetBlue flight
A burlesque dancer says JetBlue employees at Boston's Logan International Airport forced her to change clothes before she was ...
May 10, 2016
Malls get creative in their attempts to win back customers
With nearly 20 vacant stores and a food court that has been reduced to a lone Dunkin' Donuts, the Steeplegate Mall is in ...


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The PSN crisis may be distant memory in the West, but it’s a different story in Japan where full restoration has finally been confirmed for this Wednesday (July 6th).
Though most PSN services were restored in the country around the same time they were reactivated in the West, the Japanese government blocked the restoration of the PlayStation Store.
It vowed that it wouldn’t green-light the service until it was completely satisfied that Sony had constructed a new infrastructure that met its security concerns.
Those conditions have now seemingly been met. In total the PlayStation Store has been inaccessible for 75 days in Sony’s homeland.
Sony has confirmed that the restoration will include services such as the PS Store, Qriocity, the purchasing of in-game content and DLC and Media Go.


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US announces preliminary ADD decision on PET imports
Accordingly, the Department of Commerce affirmed that the exporters from China, India, Korea, and Taiwan have sold their products at less than fair value.
As a result of the aforementioned decision, the department calculated a preliminary dumping rate in the range of 2.66%-170.92% for China, 0.66%-15.66% for India, 0%-45.23% for South Korea and 0%-48.86% for Taiwan, depending on the company. Based on these preliminary rates, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection is expected to collect cash deposits.
The Commerce will announce its final determinations on May 11, 2018.
More free plastics newsPlastic resin (PP, LDPE, LLDPE ,HDPE, PVC, GPS; HIPS, PET, ABS) prices, polymer market trends, and more...
- Early July expectations emerge softer in Europe’s PP market
- Import PE prices fall to lowest in more than a decade across Asia
- Tightness pushes Asian PVC markets to 3-month high
- China’s PE market continues bearish run on sluggish demand
- PP and PE markets turn softer in Egypt, Mid-East
- European PET extends bearish trend into 3rd consecutive month
- European PS, ABS markets down after 4 months
- Thai PP, PE markets subdued by slowing economy, competitive imports
- Vietnam’s PE market extends losses into June on frail demand
- Asian spot naphtha prices pull back from multi-month highs


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MIN #124 took place on July 17th and was hosted by Formlabs and sponsored by SolidWorks and Dassault Systèmes. The event featured a variety of new, innovative products. Some of the products showcased included a mobile orthodontic office, magnetic coatings technology for plastic packaging, and indoor farming innovations. Our experts for the night were Dan Kirchgessner from Formlabs, Jillian Friot from SolidWorks, and Rain Wang from Skelmet. These three experts all had interesting stories and insights to share that were relevant to the entrepreneurial spirit of the event. Kirchgessner pointed out that, like many of the companies showcasing, Formlabs, too, began as a small startup. Its size and success today surely served as an inspiration to the companies showcasing.
Mass Innovation Nights #107 brought us back to the Innovation Hub in Lowell, MA! Nine companies showcased their products at the iHub. The event was sponsored by the City of Lowell and UMass Lowell's Innovation Hub. Given Lowell's innovative business environment, affordable housing costs and commercial real estate, world class educational institutions, state-of-the-art research facilities, and community commitment, it was the perfect place to host Mass Innovation Nights #107.
Mass Innovation Nights #106 brought 10 companies to the UMass Lowell Innovation Hub in Haverhill, MA -- a big thank you to them for hosting us in their great new space! Despite having to postpone the event by a day because of the snow, both turnout and spirits were high. The event was sponsored by the The Merrimack Valley Planning Commission and the Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce.
MIN 100 was nothing short of amazing! Our special 100th event was one of the largest to date, bringing over 600 people to the Museum of Science. Sponsored by Draper's Sembler office, MIN100 featured several space tech companies and 6 Innovation Nights alumni. To spark things up, the event started in the museum's Theater of Electricity.


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B&B Italia has announced the opening of its first single-brand store in Dubai in collaboration with long-time partner Baituti Home.
Located on Jumeirah Road, the 950sqm two-level showroom represents a high-end design destinations in the heart of Dubai, featuring a wide selection of the latest collections from B&B Italia’s luxury brand.
“The launch of this showroom represents for the B&B Italia Group the unique opportunity to highlight our prestigious design collaborations and award-winning brands with our trusted partners, Baituti Home. Dubai is a design hub in the region, and we hope to continue to inspire and engage this community through our brand heritage and passion as we showcase some of the world’s most iconic pieces of made in Italy furniture,” said Gilberto Negrini, CEO of B&B Italia.
“Through this esteemed partnership we are proud to be delivering the award-winning brands under B&B Italia to the design community in Dubai. The launch of the flagship store unveils new opportunities for B&B Italia and we look forward to being a part of the group’s success in the region,” said Mohammad BinHendi, Deputy Chairman of BinHendi Enterprises.
In addition to showcasing B&B Italia’s latest collections, the store in Jumeirah will provide
professional services for clients, architects, and developers in the region, including design consultations and restoration for both residential and contract projects.
The first two days of the 25th edition of Beautyworld Middle EastOctober 6, 2021 | By RetailME Bureau
Words by Farimah Moeini, Snapchat Head of Industry – Retail and Travel TheJuly 5, 2021 | By RetailME Bureau
Union Coop, a consumer cooperative in the UAE, revealed that 78% of
Union Coop has opened its 23rd branch within the UAE in Jumeirah
Nando’s has revealed their revamped Sheikh Zayed Road outlet where newcomers and
UAE-based Al Maya Group announced that it will be boosting import of
UAE-based grocery retail chain, Grandiose has opened its first hypermarket in Abu
UAE-based Carrefour announced its theme and plans for Ramadan 2021. The brand
Locally owned supermarket Spinneys celebrates 60 years of doing business in the
UAE-based Carrefour will become the first retailer in the region to offer new levels
The Organic Farmers’ Market is back in Bay Avenue for its 12th
UAE-based Lulu Group recently inaugurated its first-ever all-female staff store in Jeddah,
Jones the Grocer, the gourmet grocer and cheese retailer launches the Jones
The retail landscape is evolving at an unprecedented pace where the roles,
Giordano, the international apparel brand, recently inaugurated their largest flagship store in
Home-grown furniture brand Chattels & More are expanding in the region with a
City Centre Almaza, a Majid Al Futtaim shopping mall in Egypt, has
The UAE’s homewares brand, DWELL launched its new store concept in Festival
The Porsche Design Group has opened a new Porsche Design franchise-store in
The Coronavirus outbreak and after consulting with the Chinese pavilion organisers and
Global digital signage and retail branding company, LPFLEX International, opens a state-of-the-art Innovative
Designed by Schwitzke & Partner, the Easa Saleh Al Gurg (ESAG) Group
Middle Eastern luxury retailer Chalhoub Group’s multi-brand beauty concept Faces – erstwhile
Super Vero Belgrade – part of the Greek retail group Veropoulos, which


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A post-Brexit trade deal "can and must be done," said the organization representing British companies ahead of further trade talks between the UK and the EU on Monday.
Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, the head of the Federation of British Industries, said it was time "the spirit of compromise shines through".
The Brexit transition period, during which the UK complied with EU trade rules, ends on December 31.
Britain and the EU have yet to agree on an agreement that will govern their future trade.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said a trade deal with the EU must be concluded by October 15 if it is to be ready for the beginning of 2021.
Nevertheless, the talks ran into problems. There are still important disagreements – on fishing, for example.
The next official round of talks – the ninth since March – begins on September 28th.
The CBI conducted a survey of 648 companies in which only 4% said they would prefer not to reach an agreement on trading.
And half of companies said the effects of dealing with the coronavirus had a negative impact on their preparations for the next year when the transition period ends.
"Next week the Brexit talks will start in the 11th hour," said Dame Carolyn. “Now is the time for political leadership and a spirit of compromise to shine through on both sides. A deal can and must be made.
"Companies are facing a hat-trick of unprecedented challenges: rebuilding after the first wave of Covid-19, managing the virus resurgence and preparing for major changes in the UK's trade relations with the EU."
She added, “Good business will provide the best possible foundation as countries recede from the pandemic.
"It would keep UK businesses competitive by minimizing bureaucracy and additional costs, and by saving much-needed time and resources to navigate tough times."
According to Katya Adler, editor of BBC Europe, An EU diplomat said the two sides were 90% there to negotiate technical issues.
The diplomat said the "remaining 10% is political" and "if this cannot be resolved, the 90% is irrelevant".
Every trade agreement aims to remove tariffs and remove other barriers to trade. It will also aim to cover both goods and services.
If the negotiators fail to reach an agreement, the UK has the prospect of trading with the EU according to the basic rules established by the World Trade Organization (WTO).
If the UK has to act under WTO rules, then most goods that UK companies send to the EU will face duties.
This would make British goods more expensive and harder to sell in Europe. The UK could do the same for EU goods if it so wishes.
Read more: https://www.kbcchannel.tv | For more business items | Visit our Facebook & Twitter @kbcchanneltv | Making the invisible visible


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Tesla Battery Day set for September, Elon Musk says
Battery Day is rumored to bring news on Tesla's "million-mile" battery.
It all started with Gran Turismo. From those early PlayStation days, Sean was drawn to anything with four wheels. Prior to joining the Roadshow team, he was a freelance contributor for Motor Authority, The Car Connection and Green Car Reports. As for what's in the garage, Sean owns a 2016 Chevrolet SS, and yes, it has Holden badges.
We'll likely hear some big news about electric car batteries at
upcoming Battery Day, which now has a tentative rescheduled date. Battery Day was originally supposed to happen in April or May, but Tesla and CEO
didn't make mention of the event as the coronavirus pandemic set in.
Musk said on Twitter this Sunday that Sept. 15 will be the day we learn about whatever Tesla has in store for this event. The main rumor has it the event has something to do with a "million-mile" battery. China's CATL has supposedly worked with Tesla to create such a unit, and the company said earlier this month it's ready to build a battery with enough energy to go 1.24 million miles.
However, CATL didn't mention Tesla. But that could be because Tesla has its own version with help from CATL it wants to announce during its Battery Day. It's rumored that this cobalt-free battery will first show up in Chinese-built Model 3 vehicles, and then possibly head to cars sold in other countries.
Aside from a possible million-mile battery, we've also heard about Tesla batteries that won't use cobalt to reduce costs and some rumored charging technology to help cars give back to the grid when possible.
Tesla Model 3 barrels through the snow in Track Mode