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Year of the Mouse CNY stamps go on sale in Guangzhou
China Post has issued a set of special zodiac stamps in celebration of the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, or the Year of the Mouse. The set went on sale on January 5th, and the new year is set to begin January 25th, 2020.
Cantonese opera and musical show features heroine Lay Xian
A Cantonese opera and musical show featuring Lady Xian, a heroine who lived through three ancient Chinese dynasties, premiered at the Friendship Theater in Guangzhou on January 5th, 2020.
Get immersed in local culture this Chinese New Year
Want to experience a more meaningful Chinese New Year? Come to the Guangdong Culture Center and make your own New Year woodblock paintings and paper-cuts, two popular decorations for the Chinese New Year holidays.
Enjoy upgraded Cantonese dining experience in Guangzhou
Chef Liu prepared an all new menu with a wide range of mouthwatering Cantonese dishes including beef, seafood, soup, and desserts, all of which are exquisitely presented by Chef Liu and his team, and use only the freshest ingredients.
Documentary brings Thirteen Hongs to life
‘The Thirteen Hongs’, was released at the ‘Day of Guangdong’ South China Documentary Symposium during the 2019 Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival (GZDOC) on the morning of December 10th, 2019.
International documentary film festival opens in Guangzhou
Following a show stopping rendition of a Cantonese opera piece being performed by established Cantonese Opera artist Ou Kaiming, the 2019 Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival (GZDOC) got underway at the Guangzhou Library on December 10th, 2019.
Top ten animation and comic brands unveiled
Guangdong, home to a booming cartoon industry, unveiled its top ten animation and comic brands on December 8th, offering a fast access guide for people who want to learn about the industry, and also a must-see Guangdong animation and comic list.
Fair to promote contemporary art in Guangdong
2019 Art Canton · Contemporary Art Fair opened at the New Fa Center in Guangzhou on December 6th, featuring 100 artists from 18 countries and over 1000 artworks.
Fund set up for projects to boost Cantonese crosstalk
Now with the Cantonese crosstalk development fund established on November 30th this year with an initial contribution of 2.6 million RMB donated by both the Guangdong Chinese Culture Promotion Society and two die-hard fans Mr. Liang Haohan and Ms. Kuang Jianwen the future looks bright for the medium.
Guangzhou Art Fair brings art to GZ locals
In order to get locals familiar with a variety of artistic mediums, the organizing committee set up major pavilions featuring classic oil painting, contemporary art and Chinese cultural heritage.


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Ironman will bring 2,900 competitors, $5.2 million economic impact to Louisville
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The 2013 Ironman Louisville triathlon returns this Sunday, drawing 2,900 athletes from around the world to the city.
Why should you care?
There are several reasons.
First, the Ironman event ranked No. 15 on the most recent Business First list of the area’s largest conventions and trade shows, with an estimated economic impact of $5.21 million.
Second, there’s an opportunity to cheer on one of our local business leaders.
Lawrence Writer II, CFO of Louisville Slugger maker Hillerich & Bradsby Co. Inc., is participating in this year’s event. He and four teammates have dubbed themselves “Slugger Nation” and will raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit organization that supports severely injured service men and women.
Writer was a finalist in Business First’s recent CFO of the Year awards program.
Sports commission executive director Karl Schmitt told me last year that 90 percent of Ironman participants are from outside the city, and they typically are the types of successful businesspeople that Louisville would love to have.
For anyone interested in supporting the athletes, Ironman will be held Sunday, starting at 6:50 a.m.
The event consists of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run.
The run winds its way past several signature sites, including Old Louisville, the University of Louisville and Churchill Downs, before finishing at Fourth Street Live.
The Louisville event offers a total prize purse of $25,000 and 50 slots to the 2013 Ironman World Championship, scheduled for Oct. 12 in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.
For more information about the Ironman Louisville Triathlon, click here.
John R. Karman III covers these beats: Economic development and government, commercial real estate, transportation, utilities, sports business, lottery, tourism/conventions, higher education, nonprofits, Jeffersontown, Downtown, Central Area.
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Vodafone has partnered with Microsoft to help shape the future of mobile game streaming.
The two companies have entered a technical partnership to optimise the technology for gamers in the UK.
Vodafone customers have the opportunity to be amongst the first to preview Project xCloud, Microsoft’s new game streaming technology, if they sign up for it.
Project xCloud will enable true ‘gaming on the go’ so players can enjoy some of their favourite Xbox console games on their smartphone or tablet.
Vodafone’s 5G network is perfect for game streaming and will allow players to have the ultimate gaming experience on the go.
Vodafone is the first network in the UK to collaborate with Microsoft to improve Project xCloud’s performance on its network.
The trials will begin in October 2019 and Vodafone customers have an opportunity to be amongst the first to try it by registering for the preview.
Customers selected to take part will be the first to help optimise the cloud gaming experience on Vodafone’s 5G and 4G networks, and enjoy some of Xbox’s most popular games including Gears 5, Halo 5: Guardians and Sea of Thieves.
A critical component of these trials is to better understand how the technology will work on mobile networks, and to understand how 5G and 4G networks can best support gamers.


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WCO Dance Film Project “STYLES” Kicks Off
WCO's new dance film project, "STYLES" is kicking off from September 20th(Sat). High quality dance films in WCO's distinctive style will be uploaded to "STYLES" on every Saturday. Check out the ...
YouTube FanFest Free Invitations for 1800 winners (900pairs)
It has been announced that HIKAKIN, Matt Cab, Ryoji Takarabe, WORLD ORDER, WRECKING CREW ORCHESTR will be on stage and there will be more to come. Chris Peppler will host the event. Yo...
The curtain came down for WCO's BEAT BUMPER, the fully-attended show held at Roppongi Blue theater on August 23rd & 24th. One of Fuji TV's popular news and entertainment programs, Mezamashi TV,...
’14 New Products Lineup
WCO’s Tokyo show, Beat Bumper is just a few days away! On the days of the shows, new products of WCO & EL SQUAD will be on sale at the venue. All the products are in limited supply so get th...
Beat Bumper Tokyo show: tickets on sale now!
WCO’s Tokyo show featuring their newest creation, Beat Bumper! Tickets on sale now Viewed on YouTube over 2.5 million times! The Japan-made electric dance performance that captured the worl...


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Technology 'is the route to profit'
A TOP technology expert at Microsoft will be telling Belfast firms how to take advantage of technology to capture customers at a major conference later this year.
Kieran McDonnell is group manager for business solutions with the giant firm, and will be discussing the 'new world of work' at the Smart Business Show at the Odyssey Arena in May.
He will join other keynote speakers including Per Thorsheim, the security researcher who first revealed to the world that business networking site LinkedIn had been hacked in 2012.
Among some of the companies who have embraced online marketing are local firm AirPOS, which supplied Belfast's Pure Running with an electronic point of sale and online ordering.
Owner of Pure Running Michael Jenkins said that the firm realised how quickly the retail landscape was changing.
"The AirPOS system future proofs our business and will help us to reach new customers as well as staying in touch with our current customers better," he said.
Mr McDonnell will outline how IT managers can rethink their critical business applications.
For more, visit www.smartbusi nessshow.com


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The Click 'N Run (CNR) service has been the San Diego, Calif. company's main source of income, but according to the firm's, Linspire is doing well selling its higher-end products and services.
Users who purchased access to CNR's Basic Service within the last 60 days will be upgraded to a Gold Service account, Linspire said. CNR Gold, which will Linspire will continue to sell, costs $50 a year and offers additional benefits, including discounts on commercial Linux products.
The company also announced it will release a new, open-source version of the CNR client later this year as part of the Freespire 1.1 Linux distribution.
Users can register for the free download service on the Linspire Web site.


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Taking convenience and innovation to greater heights, Stanbic IBTC Bank has commissioned her first self-service digital branch, delivering the transformational power of digital technologyto drive optimal financial services in Nigeria.
The flagship digital branch inaugurationtook place in Lagos on Wednesday, December 14, 2016, with technology business pioneer, Leo Stan-Eke, founder of Zinox Technologies Limited, declaring the facility ready for business. Located at Maryland Mall, right in the heart of Lagos, the branch’s processes and systems are completely digitalized and equipped with tablets, touch screens, electronic banking devices and new digital technologies set up in designated self-service and private areas to enable customers conduct financial transactions seamlesslywhile enjoyinga delightfulbanking experience.
Among other facilities available at the branch are automated teller machines, bulk note acceptor, personal teller machine, smart table, self-service kiosk, self-service smart tablets, Internet banking kiosk, and instant debit card issuance machine.
Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Yinka Sanni, said the digitization of banking services is the path to the future as consumers increasingly embrace the online world to meet their needs. The benefits of digitalization and innovation are huge for theindividual, business or economy, Sanni stated, adding that as technology evolves, Stanbic IBTC Bank will keep pace with it to deliver impeccable value to its customers.
He said Stanbic IBTC Bank expects to report further growth in digital branch numbers and innovations as fresh investments are made to deliver on the bank’s long-term goal to build a “bank for everyone.”“This milestoneis important to us because itfulfils our pledge to leverage on evolving technologies and innovations to deliver convenience and round-the-clock access to financial services to our clientele. It provides a solid platform from which to continue to grow and consolidate our position in the Nigerian market,” Sanni said.
Sanni reiterated that as an African institution, the Standard Bank Group, to which Stanbic IBTC belongs, will continue to demonstrate commitment to the development of Nigeria and Africa by supporting critical sectors of the economy and to help highlight investment opportunities therein.“We will continue to build first-class, on-the-ground banking services in Nigeria, investing in people, branch networks and systems. We are confident that future revenue flows will justify these investments in branch and customer infrastructure.”
Eke, who commended Stanbic IBTC Bank for taking the initiative, noted that the facility is defined by consumer protection, trust and security as the technologiesdeployed are best-in-class in technological delivery and quality. Digital banking is the way of the future, not just for banks but also for the economy, he added.
Executive Director, Personal and Business Banking, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Mr. Babatunde Macaulay, said the new branch is the first in a series of digital branches to be established across Nigeria. He however assured that non-digital consumers will not be left behind as the bank continues to expand its footprint and increase access channels and touchpoints. “We are always seeking to understand the needs of the entire spectrum of our clientele and by so doing, strive to connect with every market segment so that we can provide the much needed solutions to their financial needs,” he stated.
Stanbic IBTC Bank is a subsidiary of Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC, a member of Standard Bank Group, a full service financial services group with a clear focus on three main business pillars – Corporate and Investment Banking, Personal and Business Banking and Wealth Management. Standard Bank Group is the largest African bank by assets and earnings. It is rooted in Africa with strategic representation in 20 countries on the African continent. Standard Bank has been in operation for over 153 years and is focused on building first-class, on-the-ground financial services organisations in chosen countries in Africa and connecting other selected emerging markets to Africa and to each other, applying sector expertise, particularly in natural resources, globally.


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Asus has announced plans to unlock the bootloader on its Eee Pad Transformer Prime and bring Android 4 to the device by January 12. After facing customer scrutiny Monday for locking and encrypting the bootloader on the device, Asus announced plans to release an unlocking tool for the tablet/PC hybrid.
A post in the XDA Developers forum Monday pointed out that the Transformer Prime, a Tegra 3 quad-core tablet that can be attached to a laptop-like dock, had been released with a locked and encrypted bootloader. The poster implored others to contact Asus about unlocking the bootloader so that developers would have the freedom to install custom ROMs and engage in other experimental activities.
Asus responded in a statement, saying that the bootloader is locked "due to content providers’ requirement for DRM client devices to be as secure as possible." Despite that requirement, Asus stated it will release an unlocking tool for the development community, but it noted that using the tool will make renting videos via Google impossible and will void the warranty for the product. Asus did not specify a release date for the unlocking tool, but said that it is in development.
Asus is the second company this week to support the unlocking of bootloaders. HTC faced a consumer backlash in May over the locked bootloaders in its devices, but on December 29 the company released a tool to unlock the bootloaders in some phones and tablets.
Asus also announced it will be releasing Android 4 for the Transformer Prime in an over-the-air update on January 12. Another recent software update improved the camera's focus, the "fluidity" of the touch experience, and "the APK capabilities in the Android Market" (whatever that means).


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Today Facebook announced that it will acquire Atlas Advertiser Suite from Microsoft, confirming the recent rumors and leaks.
A leader in campaign management and measurement, Atlas allows advertisers to measure the impact of their ads across the web, including Facebook and other social platforms.
Facebook plans to improve Atlas’ capabilities by investing in scaling its back-end measurement systems and enhancing its current suite of advertiser tools on both desktop and mobile. The company also aims to improve the user interface and functionality.
The social network will gain a significant amount of new clients from the deal, but more importantly, advertisers already working with Facebook will have a more comprehensive understanding of their marketing campaigns.
Atlas’ team will continue to operate from Seattle, where the company is based. You can read more details regarding Facebook’s acquisition on the social network’s Newsroom page.
[Image credit: Scott Beale]


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Only a few days to go: We’re raising £25,000 to keep TheyWorkForYou running and make sure people across the UK can hold their elected representatives to account.Donate to our crowdfunder
I warmly welcome the bold and decisive steps that the Chancellor has taken today, which will be welcomed by many businesses in mid-Cornwall, particularly those in the hospitality sector.
I want to raise something that many Members have already raised—the self-employed and small businesses that do not own premises and therefore will not benefit from the measures on business rates and grants. Many people such as taxi drivers, window cleaners, electricians and plumbers have overheads that are not rent, because they are keeping vehicles on the roads. Will he urgently look at what he can do to get cash to those people, so that they can keep their businesses going?


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This move seems to be a preventative measure against the EU commission going after MS for even more money.
The news comes in the form of a confidential memo that was viewed by CNET and later confirmed as authentic by Microsoft.
Now I have no problem with not including IE with Windows 7 but my issue is why have not the EU gone after all the other companies that bundle browsers and therefore (by their own arguments) limit consumer choice?
Read more here.
European regulators had said in January that the inclusion of a browser in Windows--something Microsoft has done for more than a decade--was a likely violation of European antitrust law. Microsoft disclosed in an SEC filing earlier this year that it believed the EU might seek to force Microsoft to distribute rival browsers or take other action.
Microsoft's decision to offer Windows 7 in Europe without IE appears to be an effort to head off such action as well as to ensure that it can ship Windows 7 in Europe at the same time it does so elsewhere. It comes at an interesting time, though, as Microsoft faces its strongest browser competition in years, with Mozilla, Apple and Google all gaining ground.
Firefox is particularly strong in Europe. According to AT Internet Institute (formerly XitiMonitor), IE had a 59.5 percent share in Europe as of November, compared with 31.1 percent for Firefox. Opera had about 5 percent, and Safari half of that. Microsoft lost a full 5 percentage points of market share since from April to November 2008.
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The day after Thanksgiving is typically the beginning of Christmas season for retail stores, and others start with buying the perfect tree.
The day after Thanksgiving is typically the beginning of Christmas season for retail stores, and others start with buying the perfect tree. To get into the spirit and keep faith as part of the tradition, many local churches take part in the Jesse Tree, meant to inspire a season of giving.
From the last week in November to Christmas Day, local children in need anonymously list small items they’d like to receive as Christmas gifts, revealing only their genders. The requests are placed on a tree inside of area churches.
Members of the church congregations select a list and head to the nearest store to grant a holiday wish.
“This tradition is extremely important. The children in need that we help are always very appreciative,” said Christine Naquin, St. Ann’s Catholic Church’s secretary. “We always have names. Some years we get more names than others. But no matter how many we get, we put these lists on the tree, and parishioners get names and buy gifts and bring them to the church. When these kids get their presents, they are so happy.”
For more than 25 years, St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Bourg has done the Jesse Tree. They initially partnered with Catholic Charities until church officials, though pleased with the work being done, decided to offer the services to Bourg children only.
“We would get a lot of requests from outside of the parish,” Naquin said. “It was great, but we wanted to help out closer to home.”
The Jesse Tree is not only a Catholic tradition. Anyone wanting to help by buying items, or anyone in need, can participate.
Also called the Tree of Jesse, the tradition is named from the Book of Isaiah 11:1, which says “A shoot will spring forth from the stump of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots.”
The Jesse Tree has other names, like the Purple Heart Tree, part of the Catholic Charities program St. Ann’s was once part of.
Maria Immacolata Catholic Church in Houma does the Purple Heart Tree.
“We find it gives us the opportunity to give back and help others who are not as fortunate,” Maria Immacolata’s business manager, Mona Moss, said. “It is always giving time, but Christmas is the perfect time to remember to give. And the sacrifice is always worth it.”
Maria Immacolata receives about 65 purple hearts each year with Christmas lists. Moss said many families use the tradition to select a heart and shop with the whole family, instilling the spirit of giving in their children.
“It’s really very rewarding,” Moss said.
To find a Jesse Tree near you, call your neighborhood Catholic church.
Staff Writer Kris Johnson can be reached at 857-2207 or
Follow her on Twitter @krisLjo.


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Nikon has at last released software that turns your fancy DSLR or mirrorless camera into a high-end webcam. From a report: Other major camera makers have rolled out similar tools in the last several months, as video calls became much more prevalent amid stay-at-home measures to combat COVID-19. The free Webcam Utility Software is available in beta for both Windows 10 and macOS. Along with video conference calls, Nikon suggests you can use a mirrorless camera or DLSR for livestreaming as well, just in case you’ve had designs on becoming a Twitch superstar.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Original URL: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/mdicLHwK9BU/nikon-will-let-you-use-its-cameras-as-high-end-webcams


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We’ve all been therefighting to get a package open or trying to get the last drop out of a bottle. When you consider manufactures spend more than $150 billion a year on packaging, you might wonder why more products aren’t user-friendly. Consumer Reports has some good news.
This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.


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The WOW club concept aims to turn the stressful practice of caring for the home and family into a bonding group experience, according to SCJ. Memberships, which are sold to groups of seven homemakers, include a bundle of four different SC Johnson products in refillable formats. The bundle is comprised of pest control products to manage insects and home cleaning products to keep homes clean and fresh. In addition to the products, the membership includes group coaching sessions around home and family-care best practices. Members also enjoy loyalty rewards for every three consecutive months of membership.
The launch is a major milestone in a three-year project. In 2010, $1 million in funding was dedicated to the project by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the SC Johnson Fund to create a new business model to bring SC Johnson mosquito repellents and insecticides to low-income, rural families in developing countries. In doing so, the venture aimed to reduce the transmission of malaria, which caused an estimated 655,000 deaths in 2010, mostly among children in at-risk populations.
“SC Johnson is committed to preventing insect-borne diseases as well as creating sustainable business solutions to help strengthen communities in developing countries,” said Fisk Johnson, chairman and CEO, SC Johnson. “The WOW concept is a tremendous opportunity to make a real impact in the lives of families in these communities.”
“The WOW offering and business model are designed to tackle two key business challenges that come with low-income markets,” said Dr. Erik Simanis, managing director of market creation strategies at Cornell, who worked with SC Johnson to develop the WOW concept. “The first is to persuade consumers to adopt very new routines and behaviors associated with the products. The second is to generate the margins needed to sustain the high-intensity sales process for acquiring and retaining customers.”
The Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise and SC Johnson have a history of working together on sustainability, including a previous partnership in Kenya to create a business serving urban slum communities.


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Fans of high street giant Primark are reliving their 90s fashion sense after seeing new products the store has been promoting.
The retailer often posts pictures of new products on social media to get shoppers interested in the latest trends and what's popular.
And one post that caught the eyes of many was a set of chic cardigans that gave "90s vibes".
Priced from £6, the items have been causing a stir on social media.
In a post on Instagram, the retailer said: "Midweek chic @thanks_its_my_sisters Prices from £6/€8/$10 #Primark #regram"
And fans were loving the look in the replies to the post which got more than 9,000 likes.
One wrote: "This is giving me 90s vibes," while another said: "[Love] the pastel blue cardigan."
A third wrote: "They're lovely," while a fourth added to their friend: "I like these jumpers."
The products are available in store while stocks last.
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Update: Evan Blass just tweeted the following:
“I'm told that this is not a D-series -- which is dead -- and that the force touch feature has been pulled from this model.”
This indicates that Force Touch technology is not going to be present in Huawei Mate 8.
Chinese smartphone firm Huawei has already sold a very large quantity of mobile devices for the first half of 2015. With the amount of success that the company is enjoying, it knows that this success will not last long until the company ‘ups’ its devices with the latest tech. That being said, the latest rumor suggests that Huawei Mate 8 will feature Force Touch Technology, implying that Huawei also wants to incorporate the latest tech in its handsets like Apple.
Huawei Mate 8 Has Also Been Reported To Feature The Company’s Own Developed Kirin 950 SoC
Well know leakster evleaks has spilled the beans that Huawei’s upcoming smartphone, which is most likely going to be Mate 8, might feature the Force Touch tech, which is the exact same technology that is present in Apple Watch, and will be present in the Cupertino tech giant’s iPhone 6s duo. When a Chinese smartphone firm has become quite a large success story in a short time span, it will be making strides to ensure that it stays that way.
Additionally, the handset has also been reported to be armed with a Kirin 950, which is going to feature none other than ARM’s Cortex-A72 cores coupled with Cortex-A53 ones, delivering the perfect balance between power and efficiency. The maximum clock speed of Cortex-A72 cores will be 2.4 GHz, and we will definitely see how it fares against Exynos 7420 and Snapdragon 820.
It was also said that Huawei will be looking to introduce two variants of its Mate 8 handset; one that will sport 3 GB of RAM, while the other will have 4 GB stacked underneath its hood. Furthermore, the handset is said to be a gargantuan one; possessing a display size of 6 inches with a QHD resolution. Coming to the leak at hand, while evleaks happens to be a seasoned leakster, we are still going to take this information with a grain of salt and wait for IFA 2015 to commence, where Huawei is said to unveil its upcoming flagship offering.
Hopefully, we will get to witness the Force Touch technology in action. Like always, we will have more updates for you in the near future, so stay tuned.


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Apple leads U.S. smartphone manufacturers in customer satisfaction, according to a new survey by J.D. Power and Associates.
It’s the sixth time in a row the Cupertino giant has topped this survey. Apple scored 838 points with great marks in all areas, particularly ease of operation and features.
HTC came in second, followed by Samsung, Motorola and RIM. With only 721 points, Nokia’s performance was particularly poor, even finishing behind the now defunct Palm.
The report reveals customers have a sweet spot for almost every physical characteristic of their smartphone. For example, smartphones under 5 ounces are preferred over heavier ones. Overall, the key factors for evaluating smartphones are performance (35%), ease of operation (24%), features (21%) and physical design (20%).
The study also points out customers’ appreciation of 4G connectivity.
It looks like Apple’s patent spat with Samsung has now reached the land of the rising sun. Reuters is reporting that Cupertino is taking the Korean manufacturer to court in Japan, over alleged patent violations pertaining to the iPhone and iPad.
Japan’s Kyodo news agency first reported the news, citing unnamed insiders who claim that Apple is looking to halt sales of Samsung’s allegedly patent-infringing Galaxy S smartphones, while seeking ¥100 million (about $1.3 million) in damages.
According to the sources, the first hearing was held in a Tokyo District Court on Wednesday, though a court spokesman would not comment on the pending case. Neither Samsung nor Apple have commented on the suit and details on the patents in question remain unclear, but we’ll keep you posted as we find out more.
Update: Ryuji Yamada, CEO of Japanese provider NTT DoCoMo, is now saying that Apple’s lawsuit will not have any effect on next month’s Galaxy Tab launch. “We have heard from Samsung that there will be no obstruction to sales,” Yamada confirmed.
What’s the worst thing about your TV? If you said “opaqueness,” boy have we got the set from you. This is a 22-inch transparent organic TV from the folks at Haier. It’s a slim display with a metal bezel that has a clear OLED at its center with a 1680 x 1050 resolution. The images appeared pretty sharp on screen, though the colors didn’t particularly pop.
And really, this thing isn’t likely headed to any living rooms in the near future — Haier sees it more as an advertising tool, letting shoppers see its images from both sides. The display in its demo form was actually hooked up to a Windows PC, running video through a media player, making this not too unlike that 14-inch Samsung laptop that we saw at CES last year.
The TV is still in its early demo stages, so pricing and availability are a ways off.
Honestly, it never made much sense to begin with. Between Android, Windows Phone 7 and Bada, what could Samsung possibly want with another mobile OS? Yet, the rumors persisted that Sammy was going to snatch up, or at least license, HP’s recently quasi-retired tablet and smartphone platform.
Well, the speculation can officially be put to rest — Samsung CEO Choi Gee Sung told a group of reporters at IFA that the company would “never” pursue a webOS deal, and bemoaned the trend of “acquiring an operating system.” Of course, things could change, but we wouldn’t count on it — sounds like the company’s developers already have plenty on their plate.
Samsung Electronics Co., the world’s second-largest maker of mobile phones, rejected speculation it may buy Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ)’s WebOS software used in handsets and tablet computers.
The South Korean company will “never” pursue such a deal, Chief Executive Officer Choi Gee Sung said in Berlin, where he’s attending the IFA consumer electronics fair. The comment, made to reporters in response to questions about analysts’ speculation of a possible purchase, was confirmed by Nam Ki Yung, a spokesman for Samsung in Seoul.
“It’s not right that acquiring an operating system is becoming a fashion,” Choi said. Samsung, which has its own mobile operating system called Bada, is working to boost its software capability “harder than people outside think.”
Industry researchers including IDC had said Samsung may be interested in acquiring WebOS to boost software assets, after Hewlett-Packard announced a decision last month to stop making products using the operating system. HTC Corp. (2498) and Facebook Inc. may also be interested in buying the software, according to an Aug. 22 note from research firm Ovum Ltd.
Both HTC and Facebook declined to comment in e-mailed responses to queries. Clare Wareing, a Singapore-based public relations official at Hewlett-Packard, wasn’t immediately available to comment.
Hewlett-Packard’s plan to stop using WebOS in its products is part of a shakeup that includes a possible spinoff of its personal-computer division. The announcement fueled speculation that Samsung may seek an acquisition of the PC business, which the South Korean electronics maker also denied last month.
Hewlett-Packard gained WebOS in last year’s $1.2 billion purchase of Palm Inc. The company plans to produce a final run of its TouchPad tablet computer after a price cut to $99 from $499 led to a surge in demand.
Hewlett-Packard is still considering partnerships and licensing deals with manufacturers that may use the WebOS software in their devices, Senior Vice President Stephen DeWitt said last month. Samsung Electronics held talks to use WebOS in its smartphones, according to three people with knowledge of the discussions.
The U.S. company probably won’t find a partner because the software offers little benefit compared with rival operating systems, Ovum said.
According to ComScore, out of the 82.2 million people in the US with a smartphone (up ten percent from last quarter), Android came in first as the biggest platform yet again, capturing a whopping 41.8 percent of the market like a boss. In a not-so-close second, Apple was able to snag 27 percent, followed by RIM in the third place spot with 21.7 percent — down 4 percentage points from last quarter.
Pulling up the rear is Microsoft with 5.7 percent, and lastly Symbian with a grim 1.9 percent — both down when compared to the previous three months. As far as US hardware manufacturers goes, Samsung is still on top with 25.5 percent of the market, while LG got 20.9 percent and finally Motorola with 14.1 percent, down 1.5 percentage points from before. Apple was able to snag some standing in the OEM space with a 9.5 percent share, while BlackBerry-maker RIM only captured 7.6 percent.
As the battle wages on, looks like Androids, iPhones, and BlackBerrys (oh my) are still on top — at least for this quarter. Check out the PR after the break for the full scorecard.
RESTON, VA, August 30, 2011 – comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released data from the comScore MobiLens service, reporting key trends in the U.S. mobile phone industry during the three month average period ending July 2011. The study surveyed more than 30,000 U.S. mobile subscribers and found Samsung to be the top handset manufacturer overall with 25.5 percent market share. Google Android continued to gain ground in the smartphone market reaching 41.8 percent market share.
OEM Market Share
For the three month average period ending in July, 234 million Americans ages 13 and older used mobile devices. Device manufacturer Samsung ranked as the top OEM with 25.5 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers (up 1.0 percentage points), followed by LG with 20.9 percent share and Motorola with 14.1 percent share. Apple strengthened its position at #4 with 9.5 percent share of mobile subscribers (up 1.2 percentage points), while RIM rounded out the top five with 7.6 percent share.
Smartphone Platform Market Share
82.2 million people in the U.S. owned smartphones during the three months ending in July 2011, up 10 percent from the preceding three month period. Google Android ranked as the top smartphone platform with 41.8 percent market share, up 5.4 percentage points. Apple strengthened its #2 position with 27.0 percent of the smartphone market, up 1.0 percentage points from the prior reporting period. RIM ranked third with 21.7 percent share, followed by Microsoft (5.7 percent) and Symbian (1.9 percent).
Mobile Content Usage
In July, 70 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers used text messaging on their mobile device, up 1.2 percentage points. Browsers were used by 41.1 percent of subscribers (up 2.0 percentage points), while downloaded applications were used by 40.6 percent (up 2.8 percentage points). Accessing of social networking sites or blogs increased 2.1 percentage points to 30.1 percent of mobile subscribers. Game-playing was done by 27.8 percent of the mobile audience (up 1.6 percentage points), while 20.3 percent listened to music on their phones (up 2.3 percentage points).
Television prices have fallen so much that a typical set will soon cost less than an Apple Inc. iPad that’s less than a tenth the size.
The CHART OF THE DAY shows average prices of 42-inch liquid-crystal-display TVs in the U.S. will probably fall 10 percent to $599 this quarter from a year earlier, and slip to $578 by the end of the year, according to Santa Clara, California-based research firm DisplaySearch. IPad tablet computers are sold for $499 to $829 in the U.S., with Apple offering the Wi-Fi only, 32-gigabyte version for $599.
The price drop illustrates why none of the industry’s five largest producers, including Samsung Electronics Co. and Sony Corp., have managed to generate even a nickel of profit for every dollar in sales from their TV divisions since last year. Falling prices will likely continue pressuring earnings, said Jeff Loff, a Tokyo-based analyst at Macquarie Group Ltd.
“The value consumers ascribe to a TV set is lower than most manufacturers’ costs,” Loff said in a phone interview. “Even incremental features like 3-D, Internet connectivity and enhanced motion processing do not generate enough of a price lift to turn TV sets profitable.”
In the U.S., the first color RCA-brand TV with 12-inch screen was offered at $1,000 in 1954. Suwon, South Korea-based Samsung, now the largest TV maker, began offering 40-inch LCD sets for about $8,000 in 2002. Sharp Corp., Japan’s largest LCD maker, retailed the company’s first 45-inch sets in 2004 at 997,500 yen ($13,000).
Apple, whose co-founder Steve Jobs resigned last week as chief executive officer, has kept iPad prices unchanged since it introduced the first model in January 2010.
It looks like Samsung is about to dip its toes in the mobile messaging market, with a new service called ChatON. Slated to debut at this week’s IFA, the app brings texting, group chat and image / video sharing to not only Samsung’s Bada OS, but to iOS, Android and BlackBerry platforms, as well.
According to the Korean manufacturer, the new client will be available in two versions: a basic one for feature phones and another, more complex variation that allows smartphone users to comment on other profiles, send animated messages and visualize their most frequently contacted friends, as displayed above.
The company is also planning to release a web-based version that would bring similar functionality to PCs. ChatON is slated to go live next month (in more than 120 countries and 62 languages), but you can find more information in the demo video and translated PR, after the break.
Mobile Messenger More than that, Samsung ChatON (chaeton)
Samsung Electronics, a global communications services for the coming September ‘ChatON’ (hereinafter chaeton) start the service. The world and provides services to more than 120 countries, up to 62 languages that you’d support. This world of mobile phone users to communicate beyond borders and languages, is expected to be enabling.
Chaetoneun simply is not just talking to pass the mobile messenger. Trunk (Trunk), such as sharing content through the box and profile comments to share with your friends lives the concept of micro-community is a global SNS. In addition, allowing users to communicate more effectively with a wide variety of message types, and many more platforms and is designed to be in terminal.
From now on, Samsung’s ambitious, let’s look chaetone.
Generation and space to support a variety of platforms can communicate beyond!
Multi-platform support chaetoneun smartphones, as well as the general consumer with a mobile phone is a characteristic that can be used deulkkaji. ‘Chaeton’ Galaxy of the Samsung products and its own sea-based platform offers new features, starting with phone services, also for third-party’s main platform is expected to expand in stages. Mobile phone users worldwide smartphone, feature phone to break into the ‘chaeton’ will communicate through the mornings I’m not that far!
Micro-community-oriented mobile communication services
Chaetoneun various user groups to community-based micro-oriented. Contact with the balloon that displays the frequency of conversations with the number of ‘intimate position’ feature can be a simple social networking. In addition, the ‘word to your friends’ with the ability to determine a group of friends might like to comment briefly.
Support for multimedia content to communicate emotion.
In addition to the chat room, you do not need to find each other, sharing content. Group-based content storage space of ‘trunk’ through to see at a glance because you can find. In the trunk of your photos and videos can also leave a brief moment.
1:01 chaetoneseoneun chat and group chat, group message (bulletin), and the dialog is available in a variety of ways. In addition, photos, videos, voice message, location, contacts, calendar, and supports a wide variety of multimedia content. Specifically, the background music, photos, handwritten cards and make it yourself with the ability to send animated messages can be an emotional communication.
Samsung Media Solution Director yihosu vice president, “chaetoneun Samsung’s service technology created a global mobile communications for the core services,” said “consumers want and social networking needs to meet the service to become a future sustainable performance upgrades to introduce new features,” he said.
Apple's ground breaking technology and its uncanny ability to understand what consumers really want has propelled the firm founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs and his buddy Steve Wozniak to stratospheric heights.
Apple built its business on its highly desirable but niche Macintosh computer range. But Apple’s invention of the iPod, the iPhone, and now the iPad, has changed the way consumers interact with technology and given Apple unprecedented mass market appeal.
Apple’s share of the smart phone market has grown from 0% to 20% in only a few short years, putting it significantly ahead of rivals like Nokia, Samsung, and HTC.
The iPad has become a must have accessory — at least for those that can afford one. Last year it was responsible for 90% of tablet sales worldwide.
Just how far the company has come became clear over the summer when commentators calculated that the company had more cash reserves than the US government.
Will Apple be OK without Jobs? Apple after Steve Jobs Wozniak: Jobs was always one step ahead Working with Steve Jobs
But with success has come criticism. Like Microsoft before it, Apple has been accused of exploiting its position in the market, and not always for the benefit of consumers or society.
Apple is certainly a shrewd operator. It has used its financial muscle to sign exclusive deals, buying up innovative technology, ensuring that rivals cannot use them in rival products.
And it has used that muscle to extract heavy fees from organisations that want to make their content available on the iPad.
Its plans to charge publishers 30% of subscription sales made through iTunes caused an uproar. Apple’s unwillingness to share the details of subscribers with consumers — effectively cutting off publishers from their core audience — was seen as a step too far.
Questions have also been raised about some of Apple’s suppliers. Its Chinese subcontractor Foxconn hit the headlines last year following a series of suicides among its workforce. Labour rights groups raised concerns about the working conditions at the plant.
And Apple revealed that 137 workers at its Chinese supplier Wintek suffered health problems following exposure to a chemical cleaning agent.
Apple maybe attracting more cynicism now and has certainly faced some negative publicity, but when it comes to having a monopoly, it is far from a Microsoft. There are too many rivals biting at its heels.
The Android mobile phone platform, backed by the financial resources of Google, is a real threat to Apple’s dominance in smart phones.
The platform is open source, making it easier for programmers to develop new applications, without the restrictions imposed by Apple on iTunes.
And it is not limited to a single handset manufacturer. Rivals are stepping in with phones that not only rival the capabilities of the iPhone, but come with a significantly lower price tag.
The past few months have seen a slew of tablet PCs to rival the iPad. By next year analysts predict that Apple’s market share will have fallen from 90% to 70% of the tablet market — still very healthy but a fall nonetheless.
If anything, it is in Apple’s interest to ensure that it does not have a monopoly. Microsoft positioned itself as the default supplier for PC applications and operating systems. Its software may not be the best, but it is used everywhere.
That’s not where Apple wants to be. Apple sees itself as an innovator, offering fantastic technology that will leave the competition struggling to catch up — for a price.
And to be an added value supplier means that Apple will always need other companies around to deliver the cheaper alternatives. Apple will always play hard ball, but it is not in its interests to have a monopoly.
Publicly, Samsung and LG tersely supported Google's union with Motorola (which we’ve taken to calling Moogle) — privately it appears the South Korean giants aren’t as thrilled to be at the mercy of Mountain View’s whim. Imagine their predicament if they were frozen out of Android tomorrow — which is why the Korean government has stepped in to create its own OS. Kim Jae-hong, deputy minister from Seoul’s Ministry of Knowledge Economy, thinks that American dominance in mobile software is generally a bad thing.
The minister said that the country would “foster a habitat” for the open-source OS, which might mean incentivized pricing on these devices, and we’re hearing a cloud-based Chrome OS is also in the offing. The biggest news Jae-hong slipped is that Samsung had been very dismissive of a Korean OS until it heard about the Google / Motorola deal. What a difference a Moogle makes, eh?


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CFPB Director Cordray: Credit unions misrepresent mortgage success
Consumer complaints also nearing half a million
The director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the nation’s most powerful financial services regulator, provided a semi-annual update to the House Financial Services Committee this morning.
So how are things going at the CFPB?
Short answer: The American hate-hate relationship with lenders appears to be growing.
In fact, consumer complaints against lenders and servicers are nearing half a million complaints.
This is so bad, Cordray is reporting that the CFPB is working to improve consumer access to the database, by making it easier and simpler for consumers to complain.
As of September 30, 2015, the database passed 465,000.
The semi-annual report covers April to September 2015. During that time, the CFPB reported $5.8 billion in consumer relief. There is also $153 million in civil money penalties.
The growing number of complaints, however, is not a concern for the esteemed members of Congress. However, identifying and eliminating discrimination in lending became the clear, preferred topic of conversation.continue reading »


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AARP Eye Center
Fighting back against fraud and scams requires understanding how con artists think and operate.
AARP Arizona is here to help you get inside their heads. Join AARP for an in-person Fraud Watch Forum on Saturday, May 6, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at the Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix. Attendees will hear from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Arizona, the Arizona Attorney General’s Office and others.
In 2022, Arizona consumers filed nearly 44,000 fraud reports, with $174 million in losses, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Learn how to protect yourself and others from identity theft and other scams.
Register at events.aarp.org/d/nlq453. Seating is limited.


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Apple reportedly plans to scrap the iPhone mini model in its 2022 smartphone lineup. Instead, the company will offer a 5G-capable version of its more affordable iPhone SE model.
The report comes from Nikkei (via Reuters, since the Nikkei website was down at the time of writing). Nikkei cites “sources familiar with the matter,” who claim that Apple plans to start selling the 5G iPhone SE in the first half of 2022. The phone will use the A15 chipset expected to launch with the 2021 iPhone line, possibly called the iPhone 13. 5G connectivity will be powered by Qualcomm’s X60 modem.
Aside from the more powerful A15 chipset and access to 5G, the rumoured new iPhone SE will reportedly look very similar to the iPhone 8, just like the iPhone SE (2020). While some may be disappointed to hear the refreshed iPhone SE will keep the same dated look with huge bezels, home button and low-res display, it looks like that’s the sacrifice you’ll need to make to get both the powerful new A15 and 5G in an affordable package.
Further, while the report that the revamped iPhone SE will replace the iPhone mini is equally disappointing for small phone fans, it unfortunately makes sense. Apple’s iPhone 12 mini reportedly hasn’t sold well compared to the other iPhone 12 models. The mini and SE models cross over in a few ways — both offer a small size option and a lower cost compared to other iPhone models, plus the new model will offer an up-to-date CPU and 5G like the iPhone mini.
With that in mind, it’s easy to see why Apple may choose to drop the iPhone mini, which appears to sell poorly, for a similar but cheaper SE model that would likely sell better.


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- New iA Institute
Car term money normally are expensive credit, backed by a protection need for a car
The brand new proposals in question could limit loan providers regarding attempting to gather fee of consumers’ bank accounts in many ways you to usually rack up excess fees. The latest solid consumer protections becoming believed create connect with pay day loan, auto label funds, put improve factors, and you may specific highest-costs installment financing and you will unlock-stop financing.
“Now we have been getting an important step toward stop your debt traps you to definitely affect an incredible number of users across the country,” said CFPB Movie director Richard Cordray. “A lot of brief-term and you may longer-title funds are manufactured considering a great lender’s ability to collect and not into a great borrower’s ability to pay. This new proposals we are given would need lenders for taking tips to be certain users will pay straight back the loans. Such sound judgment defenses are geared towards making certain that customers enjoys accessibility credit that assists, maybe not harms them.”
The consumer visit this website here Economic Defense Bureau (CFPB) announced it’s provided proposing rules who avoid pay-day debt barriers of the requiring lenders when planning on taking learning to make sure users can pay their financing
Now, the fresh new Agency was posting a plan of the proposals involved in preparation having convening a business Review Committee to get opinions of small loan providers, the step two from the rulemaking processes. The new proposals involved shelter both short-title and stretched-title credit products which usually are ended up selling heavily in order to economically vulnerable consumers. The new CFPB understands consumers’ significance of affordable credit it is worried your strategies tend to of this these items – including inability so you can underwrite to possess sensible payments, repeatedly running more than otherwise refinancing funds, carrying a protection need for a car or truck because the collateral, accessing the client’s make up fees, and you can performing high priced withdrawal efforts – can also be trap consumers indebted. This type of loans barriers can also log off customers susceptible to put account charge and you can closures, vehicles repossession, or any other financial difficulties.
The fresh proposals in question bring two additional methods to eliminating personal debt barriers – avoidance and you may protection. According to the reduction requirements, loan providers would have to determine at the beginning of for each financing your user is not taking up unaffordable loans. Beneath the protection requirements, loan providers will have to adhere to individuals constraints designed to be sure you to users can be affordably pay back the financial obligation. Lenders you are going to choose which selection of requirements to adhere to.
Finish Financial obligation Barriers: Short-Term Financing The fresh new proposals in question would protection small-title borrowing from the bank products that require people to blow right back the loan completely within this forty-five weeks, including cash advance, deposit improve items, particular unlock-avoid credit lines, and some car term money. They’re small-term or prolonged-name and permit the lender so you can repossess new customer’s auto if the the consumer non-payments.
To have people traditions paycheck to income, the newest brief timeframe of them fund helps it be hard to gather the necessary loans to settle the mortgage principal and you will charge through to the deadline. Individuals who do not pay-off are usually motivated to roll-over the new loan – spend alot more charges so you’re able to delay the deadline and take aside a special financing to change the outdated one to. New Bureau’s studies have learned that four away from five pay day money are folded more or renewed within a fortnight. For almost all individuals, exactly what starts out once the an initial-name, disaster financing becomes an expensive, long-title debt trap.
The fresh new proposals in question will include a few ways that loan providers you may stretch quick-name money without producing individuals in order to become caught up with debt. Loan providers you certainly will often avoid debt barriers at the beginning of for every single loan, otherwise they may protect against loans barriers throughout the financing procedure. Especially, all of the lenders and work out safeguarded brief-term finance would need to follow one of several pursuing the groups of criteria:


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An Australian influencer who allegedly branded another woman “fat” in a leaked Snapchat video has been dumped by a fashion label.
A video shared by popular watchdog account Aussie Influencer Opinions shows what is claimed to be Kerri Gribble calling TikTok megastar Mikaela Testa “fat”.
The “public announcement” has since been deleted but not before it was widely circulated, sparking fury online and leading to hordes of women calling for Ms. Gribble to be sacked from an ambassador role with Australian e-tailer White Fox Boutique.
In response, the brand told news.com.au Ms. Gribble – who lives in Adelaide, South Australia – is “no longer an affiliate”.
It also issued the same statement to upset customers on TikTok who threatened to boycott the business for working with “someone who bodyshames other women”.
News.com.au has contacted Ms. Gribble for comment.
The storm first erupted on social media after Mikaela, an adult content creator, shared a video revealing a girl she had met recently at an event had publicly called her “fat”, labelling the act “concerning.”
While Mikaela – who has more than 2.2 million followers – didn’t name anyone, it didn’t take fans long to start sharing the clip that shows a blonde woman in bed with a heart filter on, stating: “Public announcement to let youse [sic] all know, Mikaela Testa is fat in person. Social media is fake.”
As the video began to circulate, Mikalea was quickly inundated with support, as many branded Ms. Gribble’s alleged comments “sick” and “embarrassing”.
Others began to tag White Fox Boutique, who quickly responded, revealing Ms Gribble is “no longer an affiliate”.
“This actually makes me so sick!!!!! it’s so embarrassing that jealousy has now ruined her career,” one social media user commented.
“What a yuck thing to say about somebody else – anybody else. Very very very much high school vibes,” another noted.
As one raged: “I’m soo disappointed. Women don’t speak about each other like this!”
Others agreed, stating “body shaming” was unacceptable and labelling it “mean girl” behaviour.
“This is so gross of her to do, whatever happened to girls supporting girls?” one asked.
“Gross, fatphobic behaviour. She must be deeply jealous and insecure to be showing up like this on the internet,” someone else added.
Ms. Gribble’s Instagram accounts have since been shut off from comments and made private, but screenshots taken from before she went offline show her publicly stating she owes “nobody anything other than Mik an apology”.
It’s not clear where the alleged incident occurred, but both women appeared at the White Fox Boutique Black Friday party in Sydney last month.
Mikaela, 22, wore the brand’s $40.75 “Look Back At It Midi Dress Black”, which is made up of a black bodysuit with black glitter mesh that covers the arms, bust and legs.
At the back, the bodysuit has a G-string detail, that flaunts the wearer’s bottom.
Gold-Coast mega influencer Tammy Hembrow was also at the event, with the mum-of-three wearing a futuristic silver crop top and mini skirt — both part of the brand’s recent “Party Collection”.


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Aston Martin Dropping Cygnet Following Lackluster Sales
Aston Martin, the maker of sports cars favored by Prince Charles and driven by James Bond, is dropping the Cygnet city car following lackluster sales to refocus on models more geared to their traditional customers.
“Cygnet production will end this year,” Sarah Calam, a spokeswoman for the Gaydon, England-based manufacturer, said in an e-mailed statement late yesterday. The model is based on Toyota Motor Corp. (7203)’s iQ subcompact.
The hand-stitched leather interior and Aston Martin badge were not enough to persuade customers to pay 31,000 pounds ($50,000) for the model, more than double the price of the iQ, which provided the engine, transmission and frame. Demand for the model was about 250 a year, according to IHS Automotive. The carmaker’s sales target was at least 1,500 annually.
Aston Martin, which unlike rivals isn’t backed by a larger auto manufacturer, aimed to keep down development costs by working with Toyota to bring the model, built in about 12 months, to market two years ago. Since then, London-based investment firm Investindustrial purchased a 37.5 percent stake and laid out plans in January to spend 500 million pounds in the next four years on expansion.
Aston Martin is seeking to double sales by 2016 with new models and widen its dealer network outside Europe. The British manufacturer may invest in a sport-utility vehicle to broaden its appeal among wealthy drivers, a person familiar with the plan said last month.
“The Cygnet project was a failure and it doesn’t make sense to keep on producing the model as the premium city car market in Europe isn’t performing well at all,” said Pierluigi Bellini, an analyst at IHS Automotive in Milan. “Dropping the Cygnet while planning an SUV to expand outside Europe makes much more sense.”
The super-car maker plans to appoint a new chief executive officer before the end of the year, while current CEO Ulrich Bez, who has led Aston Martin since 2000, will probably become a non-executive chairman, the person said.
Investindustrial Chairman Andrea Bonomi said earlier this year he wants to expand Aston Martin’s lineup while establishing partnerships to limit the cost of developing models. The U.K. carmaker signed a deal in July to obtain engines from the AMG high-performance division of Daimler AG (DAI), owner of Mercedes-Benz. Stuttgart, Germany-based Daimler will receive a 5 percent stake in Aston over time, depending on the progress of their technical partnership.
Aston has a target of boosting annual sales to about 7,000 vehicles in 2016 from about 3,400 cars in 2012, with growth propelled by catering to growing demand in Asia, North America and South America, the person said last month.
To contact the reporter on this story: Tommaso Ebhardt in Milan at firstname.lastname@example.org
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Chad Thomas at email@example.com


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Japan's NTT DoCoMo to buy US video software firm
Japanese mobile phone giant NTT DoCoMo said Monday it was spending 111.6 million dollars to take over a US video software firm and beef up its multimedia services.
DoCoMo will purchase the remaining 65 percent equity interest in PacketVideo Corp. after last year buying a 35-percent stake in the California company from NextWave Wireless Inc.
The acquisition comes as DoCoMo, which sees falling revenues from voice telephone calls, aims to expand its video services for next-generation high-speed mobile services.
"DoCoMo aims to create synergies with PacketVideo for enhanced media services, including the creation of an all-new domain of services that allow users to easily link their mobile handsets with home electronic devices to remotely enjoy and share content," it said in a statement.
The company expects to finish the deal by the end of this year.
(c) 2010 AFP


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CreditEase’s fintech investment fund has announced that it is investing in Beijing-based corporate expense management start-up Fenbeitong.
CreditEase Fintech Investment Fund (CEFIF) announced on March 13 2020 that it was participating in a USD$36 million series B+ financing round in Fenbeitong (分贝通).
Other investors participating in the financing round include Eight Roads, Glade Brook Capital, Ribbit Capital, IDG Capital and China Growth Capital.
Fenbeitong plans to use the funds to double its product research and development team, as well as improve customer experience and expand further into first and second-tier Chinese cities via cross-industry cooperation.
Fenbeitong was first established in 2016, and has since provided its services to more than 1,000 corporate clients.
“In the U.S., we have seen unicorns like Brex, Divvy, and TripActions quickly rising up in the corporate expense management sector, taking market share from traditional industry giants such as American Express and SAP Concur” said Feibentong founder Lan Xi.
“The same trends are happening here in China. We have achieved triple-digits growth in revenue over the past two years and expect to maintain this strong momentum in 2020.”
“As an existing investor and business partner, we are very pleased to be part of Fenbeitong’s growth journey since its A+ round,” said Dennis Cong, Managing Partner at CEFIF.
“We are bullish on the Fintech-enabled B2B corporate services market and Fenbeitong marks one of our key investment in this sector. We look forward to working with more companies that have the potential to disrupt and innovate this industry.”
Beijing-based CreditEase was first established in 2006, and its subsidiaries and affiliates include Yiren Digital, CreditEase Wealth Management and CreditEase Insurance.
CreditEase launched CEFIF in February 2016, as a venture fund that focuses on investment in the global fintech sector.
CEFIF has committed USD$1 billion in investment to fintech companies, and was recently listed one of the world’s “Top 9 Fintech Unicorn Investors” by CB Insights.


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U.S. Commerce Chief Defends International Trade Needs After Presidential Debate
“The idea that trade is bad is crazy,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, less than a day after the second U.S. presidential debate took place, during which candidates bickered over topics including trade.
Pritzker, who was speaking at the O’Reilly Next: Economy conference in San Francisco on Monday morning, presented what could be construed as a rebuttal of much of the rhetoric from Republican nominee Donald Trump’s campaign, which has lashed out against current U.S. trade agreements like the North American Free Trade Agreement, signed in 1994 by President Bill Clinton.
“The idea that we’re gonna pull up the drawbridge of put up walls […] doesn’t make any sense,” she continued. For one, explained Pritzker, “many inputs that we need come from other places,” so shutting down trade would simply jeopardize the businesses of thousands of U.S. companies who rely in imports for their own products.
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With that said, Pritzker acknowledged why there’s been so much talk about trade and stifling it, however misguided that idea may be. “I think part of what is being tapped into is an anxiety about the future of work,” she said.
Globalization, which has been in effect for decades now, is also not showing any signs of slowing down as companies all over the world continue to turn to overseas producers or workers for some of their needs. That feeling that jobs are disappearing because they’re going to companies overseas with more competitive costs is understandable, said Pritzker.
“Automation and digitization is being conflated with trade,” she added about the current technology-driven shifts in the labor market that are making a growing number of jobs obsolete or in need of adjustments.
For more, read: U.S. Commerce Head Discusses How the Government Collects Data
But the way to deal with that, she posited, is through trade and establishing rules that make sure there are work standards in all participating countries and that trade is advantageous for the U.S. in both directions—not by shutting down trade.
Currently, the Obama administration is hard at work to push for the ratification of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade agreement focused on the Asia Pacific region. On stage, Pritzker argued that military and business leaders in the U.S. say that the TPP treaty would be the most helpful move for them in the region. Trump has opposed the deal, arguing that it’s not in the best interest of U.S. businesses.
“Through TPP, we are shaping the way trade will be done in this century,” said Pritzker. China is pushing a competing agreement, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, which Pritzker described as not having the same standards for labor, among other things.


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Did consumer behavior change due to the COVID surge we experienced over the past couple of months?
COVID Still Hasn’t Left the Building
After a winter surge that disrupted holidays for some, we were curious to understand how it impacted shopping and consumer behavior in comparison to the surge over the summer.
Compared to the summer 2021 uptick in cases, shoppers have been finding fewer deals on products and slowed their impulse purchases. This could be due to post-holiday shopping slow-downs and consumers planning to stick to their shopping list. They also agreed that prices seem to be higher than usual.
Are shoppers not seeing the same value in shopping in-store as they once used to? It may be surprising to learn that fewer shoppers stated convenience and picking out their own items as reasons they chose to shop in-store. Instead, more consumers tend to shop online as much as possible than in August, especially during a surge.
However, mobile push notifications that guide consumers to shop in-store and upload receipts for cash back could be the answer, as almost half of shoppers said they look for ways to save money during a COVID surge.
Purchasing in bulk may still be a common behavior during surges, as 37% noted they typically plan to stock up on food, an increase from 30% in August. They also look to purchase more cleaning supplies when COVID is higher in their area.
Will You Be Picking Up?
Contactless delivery and curbside pickup saw a boom during the start of COVID as consumers looked for shopping options that took away the risk of being in-store. And in today’s world during local COVID surges, it’s still a popular option as 20% of consumers use curbside pickup for groceries, household, and personal items.
Restaurants are also seeing the demand for contactless delivery, as a quarter of consumers admitted to ordering pick-up or delivery more often during the recent Omicron surge than they did in August.
COVID may have changed how consumers shop, but that doesn’t mean you can’t increase your conversions! Learn how you can move products off of shelves and drive sales volume with our flexible marketing solutions.
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“There's a lack of clarity about what e-commerce regulation is intended to do, and it is looking in the wrong places for where the problems are,” said Vikram Sinha of IDFC Institute, at a media roundtable organised by Chase India to discuss the government's proposed Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC). He added that the draft e-commerce rules need to recognise that pain points exist on the business end of the spectrum instead of the consumer end. India’s proposed amendments to the e-commerce rules were conceived as a response to antitrust complaints against e-commerce giants like Amazon and Flipkart. The changes include new rules to limit who can sell on marketplace platforms, the establishment of a grievance redressal mechanism, new display and labelling criteria for foreign goods, the prohibition of flash sales, restrictions on promotions, fall-back liability, among other things. But the proposed rules were met with severe criticism from almost all quarters, including from within the government itself. Read: Summary of the proposed amendments to E-Commerce Rules, 2020 “I don't see the regulations address problems like unilateral rewriting of contracts, and customised contracts that are essentially extortionary that businesses face on intermediary platforms. The problem is that when you do not look at these issues then it does not matter if you build an ONDC because you're still going to face market consolidation,” Sinha responded when asked about the shortcomings of the proposed rules. He was also skeptical about the ability of regulators to extract “algorithmic transparency” needed for enforcement.…
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Gacha RPG SINoALICE is going to release another anime collab in February, this time with Fullmetal Alchemist. Check out the details below.
SINoALICE to Collab with Fullmetal Alchemist
SINoALICE Japan has announced a collab event with Fullmetal Alchemist. No details at the time of writing as to if/when this will come to the Global version. Check out the promo video below.
SINoALICE Launches Kakegurui xx Collab
Mobile game SINoALICE has launched a collaboration event with the anime Kakegurui xx. Check out all the details here.
SINoALICE Releases Collab with Final Fantasy Brave Exvius
SINoALICE has just begun its collaboration event with Final Fantasy Brave Exvius. Check out more details below.
Why NieR Reincarnation is Not “Just Like SINoALICE” or “Just Another Auto Battler”
Within the first week of NieR Reincarnation‘s release, many people who went through the first 4 or so story chapters repeated 2 specific things:
- This is just like SINoALICE
- This is just an auto battler
I’ll explain as best I can why both of these statements don’t make that much sense.
SINoALICE Celebrates 1st Global Anniversary
SINoALICE is currently undergoing its first global anniversary campaign with free summons, a new Breaker class, story events, and more. Check out the info here.


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For Startup Warehouse Nasscom, Tamil Nadu Ink Pact. Nasscom and Tamil Nadu government Wednesday consented to an arrangement to set up the primary ‘startup distribution center’ in the state.
The distribution center, to be spread over a territory of 8,000 sq ft Chennai, will oblige upto 50 new businesses and give different assets to the new organizations.
Data Technology Department and Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu (ELCOT) authorities traded archives within the sight of Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa at the Secretariat Chennai, an official discharge said.
The distribution center would be set up under the ‘Nasscom 10,000 Startups’ drive, which is gone for scaling up the startup biological system in the nation and empowering hatching, subsidizing and bolster for 10,000 innovation new companies throughout the following ten years.
The determination of new companies for the distribution center in Chennai would be finished by a choice panel containing partners from the legislature and industry, the announcement said.
“We have tremendous ability and excitement here and needed to assist energize and bolster the business people through our 10,000 new companies program. The stockroom will support almost 200 business visionaries to encourage advancement under one rooftop,” Nasscom 10,000 Startups’ Vice-President Rajat Tandon said.
New businesses using the stockroom space would get a large group of offices, including 10 Mbps broadband and different offices, it said.
The activity by National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) intends to cultivate business enterprise and fortify early stage support for tech new companies.


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30 November 2022, Virtual
12 December 2022, etc.venues Monument, London
Business Travel Show Europe, presented by The BTN
Expotel appoints sales and marketing director
Expotel has announced the appointment of James Steventon as sales and marketing director.
Mr Steventon joins Expotel from Computacenter Plc where he held an interim managing director role.
In the past, Mr Steventon has held sales positions at Misys Plc; business development leadership at Sopra; and a number of high profile, pan-European positions at Cable & Wireless.


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Blizzard officially announced Diablo 4 during the BlizzCon 2019 opening ceremony, saying the new game will bring the series back to its darker roots with plenty of blood and gore. This direction reverts to pre-Diablo 3 aesthetics, which some fans did not enjoy. Diablo 4′s dark tone, then, is sure to have many series veterans hotly anticipating its release. This begs the question: What is the Diablo 4 release date, and what platforms is it coming to? We’ll cover everything we know so far below.
What is the Diablo 4 release date?
Blizzard revealed plenty of information about Diablo 4 at BlizzCon 2019, including a Diablo 4 cinematic trailer that revealed the game’s protagonist as Lilith and a Diablo 4 gameplay trailer that revealed three of the game’s classes: the Barbarian, the Sorceress, and the Druid. Onstage, Blizzard announced Diablo 4 will include PvP zones and emphasized the game’s focus on combining the best parts of the past three Diablo games.
Unfortunately, all of that info included nothing specific about the Diablo 4 release date. Blizzard did, however, give one detail about the game that provides us with an idea of when it could be coming out. Diablo 4 Game Director Luis Barriga specified before the gameplay trailer that the game is “developed for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.”
Since Sony has already officially confirmed the PS5’s holiday 2020 launch window and Microsoft announced Project Scarlett is also launching in holiday 2020, there doesn’t seem to be any reason why Blizzard would need to avoid saying Diablo 4 is coming to next-gen consoles if it was releasing after those consoles launch. Based on this, it’s somewhat safe to say Diablo 4 could be released before those consoles, putting its potential release sometime in early-to-mid 2020. However, Blizzard is known for putting out games when it pleases, so it may be coming some time after 2020. It’s hard to say because Blizzard probably doesn’t know either.
Before Diablo 4′s official announcement, leaks said it would be “dark, gritty, and gross,” and its initial trailers certainly seem to confirm this. The cinematic trailer, for instance, shows three adventurers’ blood sprouting from them to form a portal — and, subsequently, a really nasty cape — for Lilith.


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Brownell (No. 35 on Travel Weekly’s 2022 Power List) recently promoted Kerry Dyer to chief development officer, a new post at the Birmingham, Ala.-based agency. Dyer will oversee marketing and talent development and, specifically, expand the hosting and mentoring programs. Senior retail editor Jamie Biesiada recently caught up with Dyer to talk about her new role, what the future holds and more.
Q: What is your focus in your new position?
A: We spent a lot of time during Covid, when things weren’t selling, helping people rightsize their businesses and prioritize their businesses. We helped to clean out the closet while there wasn’t a lot going on, and now we know what they need for that next level.
There’s a lot of focus on getting our people together by region. And then another huge part of that is marketing, whether that is marketing for the advisors to their clients and their consumers and getting the message out about their business or marketing of the Brownell brand. For example, as people have decided during Covid they didn’t want to be an attorney anymore, they didn’t want to be the CMO (chief marketing officer) of Pepsi, they wanted to get into travel, we wanted to make sure that we were there with the mentoring program to get them there. Also, [marketing to] existing travel advisors who decided … they needed more engagement and support, so they knew Brownell was a place that they could come.
Q: Industrywide, I’m seeing a lot of hires and promotions, especially in positions dedicated to supporting independent contractors. What are your thoughts?
A: I think that people understand the power of the individual business owner underneath their brand and their company. Covid was an opportunity for things to slow down for five minutes, as painful as it was. But it did give people the time to think and consider what’s next. For us, we’ve had some blueprints out there that we really planned to get rolling in 2020 and 2021. Then those blueprints got shoved in a drawer. I think that’s also what’s happening with [other companies] — they had these plans they just couldn’t execute for two years, and now there’s a backlash of initiatives and intentions they’re finally able to execute.
Q: Has Covid brought about any fundamental changes to the host agency model?
A: Covid was an awakening moment of, “What do I really want to be doing?” Travel is a big thing that people wanted to do. I think the level of person that is coming into the travel industry are those professionals in different fields. As they’re making that switch, they want to be entrepreneurs. They don’t want to be employees. If this person was a CMO of a company, imagine what their compensation was. To be an employee travel advisor, you’re not going to get anywhere near that. But if you’re an entrepreneur and you’re launching your own business, the sky’s the limit of the compensation that you can have.
I think that is where that host agency idea has become even more prevalent, because these are individual business owners who want to create their own destiny, and that’s what that allows them to do. Everyone is really investing in that idea because it is not only here to stay, but it’s a huge growth opportunity.
Q: Are there more changes to come for hosts?
A: Where we’ve started to see investment is in the training component of it. We’ve had our mentoring program — our first class was in 2006, and I think we’ve got class No. 26 starting in August. One of our blueprints that I was mentioning is that we need an evolution in that, and that is something on our mind. Not to say we’ll be leaving behind what we have always been doing, but what are people looking for that may be different? How can we get ahead of that game and accommodate? I think a lot of other people have been entering that realm of training and helping people get into the travel business.
I also think there’s more awareness of the importance of community. This is what Covid also brought to mind. Because you are an independent contractor, you are an independent advisor, you are an entrepreneur and you’re at home by yourself. We’ve always been very big on community, but I see a lot of other agencies coming to that, too. How are we making people feel included? How are we connecting with them to ensure that they’re a part of the bigger community?
Source: Read Full Article


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Until recently, drones were best known as stealthy flying machines, with wing-mounted missiles or advanced surveillance designed for high-risk military missions. While such drones do exist, the potential for drone applications in the commercial sector is moving to the forefront.
Amazon’s pursuit of small, propeller-driven drones to remotely deliver lightweight parcels virtually anywhere in the world has garnered most of the public’s attention, forever altering the prevailing image of what an everyday drone might look like. With drones smaller than radio-controlled airplanes already on the market, industry experts are no longer debating the viability of such technology – they are predicting its economic impact.
HERE TO STAY
Although commercial use of drones is currently prohibited in the United States, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is developing guidelines for release by the end of 2015. In late 2013, the FAA also published a plan for integrating commercial drone use into the nation’s complex aviation system.
“The FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 was the first bill that included language requiring the FAA to integrate unmanned aircraft with manned aircraft into the national airspace system,” said Ben Gielow, general counsel and senior government relations manager for the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) in Arlington, Virginia (USA). “Before then, the FAA viewed commercial use of unmanned aircraft more like a fad and wasn’t taking it too seriously.”
In the US, AUVSI, a nonprofit organization devoted to advancing unmanned systems and robotics, has worked with members of the US Congress to encourage the FAA to devote more resources to the commercial use of unmanned aircraft systems, Gielow said, primarily due to projections of the technology’s economic impact.
In 2013, AUVSI projected that the expansion of commercial drone technology could create more than 100,000 US jobs by 2025, with an overall nationwide economic impact of more than US$82 billion in the first decade of operation.
Until the FAA issues guidelines, however, drone enthusiasts will have to keep their enthusiasm in check. Because commercial use of drones without proper authorization is currently illegal, the FAA recently halted a Minnesota brewery from testing a drone to deliver beer to ice fisherman. Inspired by Amazon’s drone project, Lakemaid Beer posted an online video showing a 12-pack of beer taking flight under a six-propeller drone. Lakemaid’s President, Jack Supple, said he doesn’t plan to give up hope on his brewery’s idea and plans to be ready when the FAA gives the approval.
GLOBAL RULES VARY WIDELY
Drone laws vary greatly from nation to nation. Canada is known for having the most complex drone laws. For example, adding a camera to a “model aircraft” immediately changes its status to “unmanned aerial vehicle,” which requires Special Flight Operations Certificates from Transport Canada, the agency that regulates Canadian airspace. Mexico’s Civil Aviation Authority, on the other hand, is much more relaxed, encouraging peaceful uses of drones. The Mexican government is also using drones for drug enforcement and university research.
In Europe, drone regulations are case-specific and require special certification under the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Promising segments for drones that would be impacted by certification include humanitarian, disaster relief and medical applications.
Deutsche Post DHL, a delivery service based in Bonn, Germany, recently conducted its first successful package delivery using a drone. The company’s “Paketkopter” flew a bit more than 0.6 miles (1 kilometer) at an altitude of about 330 feet (100 meters), flying medicine from a pharmacy and over the Rhine River to one of DHL’s offices. The drone, which can carry a payload of up to 6.6 pounds (3 kilograms), was controlled remotely by a live operator, but DHL says an autonomous, GPS-piloted drone is possible.
“TECHNOLOGY WILL DISRUPT EVERY FACET OF EVERY JOB.”
In Asia, China currently confines drone use to government departments or state-linked businesses. Supervision of China’s mainland airspace is divided between the People’s Liberation Army and the Civil Aviation Administration, which is responsible for anything that flies lower than 3,280 feet (1,000 meters).
Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) limits drones to work purposes, including commercial operations. Drones are not for private or recreational use. To fly a drone requires a CASA-issued controller’s license, which in turn requires aviation knowledge in line with that of a private pilot’s license. Drones in Australia are approved to operate in unpopulated areas to a height of 394 feet (120 meters); they cannot operate in controlled airspace without special permission.
A HOST OF POTENTIAL USES
While Amazon’s delivery-drone concept has taken center stage, numerous practical commercial applications are in use or in testing, ranging from transporting lightweight parcels to more industry-specific applications. AUVSI predicts that one of the most promising industries for drone use is agriculture, where drone applications include creating aerial maps to optimize water and fertilizer distribution, fertilizer application and delivery of spare parts to farmers for equipment emergencies.
The first unmanned, remote-controlled helicopter for crop dusting was invented in 1987 by Yamaha Motor Company of Iwata, Japan. Today, approximately 2,400 Yamaha RMAX helicopters spray Japanese rice fields with pesticides or are used for planting, managing weeds and fertilizing.
In the heart of California’s Napa Valley wine-growing region, the University of California at Davis is testing Yamaha’s RMAX to fertilize its Oakville Station vineyard, thanks to special FAA clearance and restrictions. Such drone applications are ideal for agricultural sites where inclines are too steep for tractors, tight valleys that are unsafe for fixed-wing aircraft, or where the powerful downwash from standard helicopter blades can damage crops.
In the field of conservation, Conservation Drones, a global nonprofit group, uses drones to survey the rainforests of northern Sumatra (Indonesia) for orangutans’ nesting spots. The alternative – scientists walking with heavy equipment through the forests to document their findings – is more time-consuming, labor-intensive and costly than using drones. The images taken by the drones will help local organizations petition the government to protect national park land from developers who want to farm palm trees for oil.
Recently, both Google and Facebook have invested in drone technology to progress their mutual goal to enable Internet connectivity in underserved areas. In March 2014, Facebook acquired UK drone manufacturer Ascenta, whose aerospace engineers joined Facebook’s Connectivity Lab to focus on connectivity aircraft. A month later, Google acquired Titan Aerospace, a US startup founded in 2012 that makes high-altitude, solar-powered drones.
Drones are not limited to outdoor use, however. Qimarox, a material-handling company based in Harderwijk, the Netherlands, is studying the use of drones for picking goods off shelves and assembling them into pallet loads – inside a warehouse. The company envisions manufacturers of consumer products using drones to design a compact, flexible and scalable palletizing process.
“Because of capacity and ergonomic limitations, using people to stack goods on pallets is no longer an option for most manufacturers of fast-moving consumer goods,” said Jaco Hooijer, Qimarox’s operational manager. “Using drones, they can fully automate the palletizing process while retaining the much greater level of flexibility and scalability entailed when using people.”
AUVSI projects the expansion of commercial drone technology could produce an economic impact in the USA alone of more than US$82 billion in the first decade of operation.
Despite the FAA’s recently published drone plan, experts concur that US regulators have a long way to go in developing safety regulations for the commercial use of small, unmanned aircraft. The current deadline for the FAA to produce safety regulations is August 2014, but recent testimony by the US Government Accountability Office and the US Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General indicate that deadline is unlikely to be met.
Until safety regulations are in place, commercial applications of drones are all but grounded in the US. In the meantime, the FAA is setting up six drone research and test sites from Alaska to Virginia, the first of which should be operational by July 2014.
“Initially, we see the commercial use of drones limited to visual line-of-sight in daytime operations only, so they can be landed quickly in case of emergency,” AUVSI’s Gielow said. “They’ll also be flying below the floor for general aviation, at no more than 400 feet (122 meters).” For now, that ceiling excludes Amazon’s plans. “Amazon’s parcel delivery concept not only requires a drone that operates autonomously via GPS,” Gielow said, “but one with the proper sensing technology to avoid collision with another drone or other aircraft, and that is all still very much in the research stage.”
Command-and-control considerations are among the more immediate and critical drone safety issues, with important concerns such as how line-of-sight pilots will control a drone if communication is lost. For example, will the drone continue to hover at its existing altitude, return to its take-off point, conduct a preplanned orbit, or simply land somewhere else? Experts also are focused on protecting communication links from hacking and other types of interference.
ON THE HORIZON
Autonomous, unmanned flying drones are just the first of many autonomous transportation concepts lined up to change everyday life.
“Technology will disrupt every facet of every job,” US venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya, founder of the Social+Capital Partnership, recently told McKinsey Global Institute. The autonomous vehicle concept – including both automobiles and drones – is a disruptive technology that could significantly impact nations’ gross domestic products, Palihapitiya believes.
“Can you imagine a fleet of small electric cars that delivers mail? A fleet of drones that drops off parcels right at your doorstep? A fleet of trucks that doesn’t cause traffic congestion? An entire fleet of vehicles that provides public transportation in a predictable way? All of these things have massive potential impacts to commerce and to mobility of individuals.” ◆
Conservation drones survey orangutans’ nesting spots: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHLSuiEt5Lw


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The widow of murdered church organist Alan Greaves plans to expand the food bank she and her husband set up just weeks before he was fatally attacked last Christmas Eve.
Maureen Greaves, aged 64, announced the expansion plans following the success of Alan’s Appeal, launched by The Star in the run-up to Christmas.
Readers were asked to donate food and household goods to the food bank and shop which the couple ran for the needy in High Green.
Mrs Greaves said the appeal generated so much interest she hopes the donations continue to come in to secure the food bank’s future and to allow volunteers to expand the services on offer.
“We had so many donations in the run-up to Christmas we were able to provide every family who came to us with a hamper containing all they would need for a free Christmas dinner,” she said.
“But what we hope to be able to do eventually is to provide a free meal every week.
“Alan was such a humble person, more of a behind-the-scenes man, but this appeal would have overwhelmed him - we all feel very humbled by it all.
“I think that somehow what happened to Alan captured the hearts of people and I think they will keep on giving to our project in his memory.”
She said she hopes to eventually set up a larger furniture store to help needy families furnish their homes, and she would like to be able to set up a drop-in cafe, offering low cost food and drink.
“There are a lot of people who use the food bank and what was achieved in the run-up to Christmas made such a difference to so many. I hope we can build on it.”


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The new Indian ambassador to Azerbaijan Sanjay Rana has assumed office.
Today, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has received letters of credence of the ambassador.
During the conversation with him President Aliyev pointed to developing Azerbaijani-Indian partnership. He called economy, energy, trade, education, culture as promising areas for bilateral cooperation. In his opinion, promotion of investments, creation of joint ventures and development of trade turnover will assist to the development of relationships.