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The Samsung Galaxy S3 Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update has yet to begin inside the United States though signs point to a roll out that is set to begin at some point in the near future. With Galaxy S3 owners on edge thanks to rumors and a roll out that has begun elsewhere in the world, we want to take a close look at what U.S. Galaxy S3 owners in particular should expect from the upcoming Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update roll out.
In September, Samsung took the stage and announced the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, its brand new Galaxy Note model that landed in the United States back in October. However, the company also announced something else, an update for the Galaxy S4, Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2 that would deliver support for the company’s $299 Galaxy Gear accessory.
At the time, many believed the update to be the long rumored Android 4.3 update and those suspicions were confirmed last month when Samsung finally dished on the updates and many of the features that would be coming with them. In typical fashion, Samsung declined to offer any type of roll out timeline for owners in the United States or elsewhere, forcing them to rely on third-party information.
Last month, we saw the Samsung Galaxy S4 Android 4.3 update touch down in the United States and we should see Sprint and Verizon joined by AT&T and T-Mobile in the near future. The Galaxy S3 and the Galaxy Note 2 updates on the other hand, remain out of reach, and we still don’t know when they will be rolling out to deliver not only Galaxy Gear support but features like Samsung KNOX and more.
We do, however, have our finger on the pulse of the situation and we’ve been seeing information start to flow, particularly for the Galaxy S3 Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update. This new information allows us to present some expectations for Galaxy S3 Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update roll out in the United States. Here are those expectations.
Galaxy S3 Android 4.3 Jelly Bean Release Date in U.S.
The big controversy surrounding the Galaxy S3 Android 4.3 Jelly Bean release date in the United States right now is fact that the Sprint Galaxy S3 update missed its supposed release date last week. A leaked document, that proved accurate for Galaxy S4 owners in the United States, suggested a roll out on November 6th. However, November 6th came and went without any release for Sprint Galaxy S3 owners.
This week, we think we figured out why. It appears that Sprint was forced to come out with a new Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update build, a sign that there might have been a bug or two or three on board the software it planned to roll out on November 6th. And from what we’ve seen, it appears that Sprint was indeed planning to roll out the software on November 6th.
Thanks to a chat transcript sent in by a reader, it appears that Sprint was ready to push out a Galaxy S3 update on L710VPUCMJ9 on November 6th. Chat operators aren’t always reliable but he presents very specific information leading us to believe that this was, at one point, Sprint’s plan. Yesterday, we saw build L710VPUCMK3 emerge from the shadows. K follows J so we assume that this is a new build.
So, this likely means that Sprint experienced a temporary delay with the update and that it’s working to get the software pushed out as soon as possible. It also means two possible things for owners of other Galaxy S3 smartphones in the U.S.
- Sprint is the only one dealing with issues and these other rumored dates are still intact.
- Or, the other carriers are dealing with issues as well and we could see some, if not all, miss their scheduled release dates due to further testing.
Fortunately, we should find out tomorrow as that is the day that the AT&T Galaxy S3 is slated to be getting Android 4.3 Jelly Bean.
Lengthy Roll Outs
The other interesting thing that arose from this chat transcript is the length that the chat operator suggested it would take for the roll out to complete. He says that the software, which was supposed to start on November 6th, would take until December 19th to completely roll out. That’s an extremely wide window and leads us to believe that Sprint will be rolling this update out extremely slow, possibly so that it can catch any issues that may arise during the OTA.
We would not be surprised to see this apply to other carriers as well. This is an older device that runs complicated software and from the looks of things, Samsung and its carriers are trying to move fast to get Galaxy Gear support out in time for the holidays. So, we wouldn’t be surprised if they use extremely slow roll outs to monitor the situation.
Galaxy S3 Android 4.3 Jelly Bean Update Issues
We fully expect there to be Android 4.3 update issues inside the United States. While we can’t say for sure what bugs might be on board this software, there are two reasons why users should start preparing for problems after updating.
- No software update is ever 100% perfect.
- Galaxy S3 Android 4.3 users in other parts of the world have encountered issues.
So far, the biggest complaints that we’ve seen are about battery drain, something that always happens after a major update, and a sluggish user interface. Users are saying that there is a delay between tapping the home button and getting results on screen. Now, it’s possible that these issues are isolated but we wouldn’t be surprised to see them reach the shores of the U.S., particularly with Sprint delaying its software upgrade.
As we’ve said before, now is a perfect time to find a place that will offer solutions for these issues. XDA-Developers forum is a fantastic place to join, for those that haven’t already, as it will be a great place to ask questions or for help once the Android 4.3 updates start arriving.
This article may contain affiliate links. Click here for more details.


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Over the past two years, India’s top IT companies began to break out the contribution of digital services to their revenues. The numbers reflect their attempt to win business from their largest clients—banks, car makers, oil exploration companies, airlines, retail chains and so on—by tapping the power of digital.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) had quantified the digital services component of its overall revenue at 13.7 percent at the end of December 2015. Two years on, that has increased to 22.1 percent, TCS reported on January 11, when it released its third-quarter earnings results.
The proportions aren’t different at Wipro and Infosys. Wipro said the revenues earned from its digital services have grown from 17.9 percent of its overall revenues in April 2016 to over 25 percent at the end of December 2017. While Infosys hasn’t broken out its digital services contribution on a quarterly basis, about a fourth of the company’s revenues has new-age digital flavour, COO UB Pravin Rao said during the latest earnings results discussions on January 12.
Adding digital services—typically a combination of software solutions and services that help clients take advantage of data analytics, and the move to the cloud computing model—to their portfolio, and the more difficult ability of “problem finding” (as ex-Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka put it), have become a matter of survival for the outsourcing services providers as nimble startups and internet giants offer alternatives to traditional IT software.
That the digital route is paying dividends is evident from reports that Wipro has won multimillion dollar contracts on the back of intellectual property from Appirio, a cloud solutions company it acquired last year for half a billion dollars. TCS can probably build complex virtual “twins” of turbines for Rolls-Royce, not only saving time, effort and money, but also, potentially, identifying problems with, say, manufacturability before they arise. The company won a $50 million contract in the digital services area during the latest quarter— it’s biggest to date. Even in traditional IT outsourcing, that value would make the contract a large one, and here, it implies “digital has come of age”, as the company puts it. The problem is, traditional outsourcing—shipping application development and maintenance to cheaper centres in India—isn’t growing. And it’s only going to wane in the future. The question now is whether the Indian IT companies have enough time to cash in on the growth in their digital services and scale it.
(This story appears in the 16 February, 2018 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)

domain: news


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Bashneft will supply oil for 83 billion rubles to "Trade Nafta" company
UFA, 21 November 2014. /Bashinform News Agency, Elvira Latypova/.
Yesterday Bashneft concluded a contract with LLC "Trade Nafta" on supplying petroleum products and petrochemicals, according to the materials of Bashkir oil company. The transaction amount is up to 83 billion rubles.
Under the contract, the maturity date is one year with a possibility of shipment extension for another year, and in part of payments and delivery period – till their full completion.
The transaction was approved by the Board of Directors of Bashneft on October 29.


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In view of several states coming on board to raise revenue so that they do not have to depend on Centre for compensation, the GST Council at its meeting next month is likely to consider a proposal to do away with the 5% slab by moving some goods of mass consumption to 3% and the remaining to 8% categories, according to news agency PTI report.
As of now, GST is a four-tier structure of 5, 12, 18 and 28%. Besides, gold and gold jewellery attract 3% tax. Additionally, there is an exempt list of items like unbranded and unpacked food items which do not attract the levy. Sources said in order to augment revenue the Council may decide to prune the list of exempt items by moving some of the non-food items to 3% slab.
Sources said that discussions are on to raise the 5% slab to either 7 or 8 or 9%, a final call will be taken by the GST Council which comprises finance ministers of both Centre and states.
As per calculations, every 1% increase in the 5% slab, which mainly includes packaged food items, would roughly yield an additional revenue of ₹50,000 crore annually. Although various options are under consideration, the Council is likely to settle for an 8% GST (Goods and Services Tax) for most items that currently attract 5% levy.
Under GST, essential items are either exempted or taxed at the lowest rate while luxury and demerit items attract the highest tax. Luxury and sin goods also attract cess on top of the highest 28% slab. This cess collection is used to compensate states for the revenue loss due to GST roll out.
With the GST compensation regime coming to an end in June, it is imperative that states become self-sufficient and not depend on the Centre for bridging the revenue gap in GST collection.
The Council had last year set up a panel of state ministers, headed by Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, to suggest ways to augment revenue by rationalising tax rates and correcting anomalies in the tax structure.
The group of ministers is likely to finalise its recommendations by early next month, which will be placed before the Council in its next meeting, likely by mid-May, for a final decision.


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The Cragar Camaro Could Be Yours!
October 18th, 2016
The Cragar Camaro Could Be Yours! #43
This week on PowerNation Katie features the Cragar Camaro. Yes the very one built up by Marc & Tommy in Detroit Muscle that you can enter to win. Laren Harmon from the Carlstar Group, owners of Cragar, joins Katie with some history on the iconic wheel brand, including how the Cragar SS wheel just turned 50 and the Camaro is turning 50 too. They’re using this contest to rollout a whole new line of muscle car wheels, including the 620 wheel that’s on this Camaro. Plus Summit’s Tim Wilkerson has a tech tip on trailer security. It’s a full weekend of tech so make sure you tune in. Details on the Camaro at www.CragarWheel.com


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Austin, TX — May 7, 2022 — Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) is recalling 48,184 2018–2022 Tesla Model 3 compact sedans whose unit of speed might not appear on the speedometer. The risk of a crash increases if the driver is not aware of how fast the vehicle is traveling.
The subject vehicles have a function called Tesla Track Mode, which is set to increase its driving performance when driving on “closed circuit courses.”
In this mode, the unit of speed, i.e. miles per hour (mph) or kilometers per hour (km/h), may not be displayed on the speedometer even though the speed itself does appear. This is due to a firmware issue.
The driver may not know how fast the vehicle is traveling which increases the risk of a crash.
Other recent Tesla recalls
In April, there was a Tesla Model 3 recall due to a faulty pedestrian warning system. The April recall superseded another recall issued in February this year.
In February, multiple models were recalled because their windshields may fail to defrost or defog, reducing the driver’s visibility and increasing the risk of injury or a crash.
Prior to that, over 817,000 Tesla cars were recalled for a seatbelt chime fault. The system failed to remind the driver to wear the seatbelt, increasing the risk of injury to those in and around the subject vehicles.
Tesla will perform a free over-the-air (OTA) update to resolve the issue.
Owners can expect to receive further communication from Tesla regarding the repair program by June 6, 2022.
Is your vehicle part of this recall?
Nearly 50,000 Tesla vehicles are included in this Tesla speedometer recall. To do a Tesla recall check, please use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.


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While some consumers wouldn't dare to shop in a poor mood, it may not be such as bad idea after all. A new report published in the Journal of Marketing Research suggests stress is what prevents people from overspending.
The report asserts that relaxed shoppers tend to assume products have higher value. This is because they are more likely to ask themselves how a given product will help accomplish a particular goal, while stressed consumers tend to focus less on abstract considerations and more on concrete thoughts such as price and specifications.
"Everything else being equal, consumers will be willing to pay higher prices if marketers are able to relax them first," the researchers wrote, according to MainStreet.com. "This may partly explain why luxury products and services (luxury hotels, high-end boutiques, first-class lounges, etc.) are typically provided in relaxing environments."
This underscores the value of developing a shopping environment that is calming and replete with helpful customer service, as such practices may influence shoppers to spend more. A mystery shopping strategy can help provide business owners with a view of their store atmosphere and service standards.


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Published on May 26th, 2015 | by Subhash Nair0
Mazda Make Its Millionth CX-5
Mazda recently announced that they’ve produced their millionth CX-5 at the end of April this year.
Sure, the Mazda3 hit the million mark first, but consider the fact that the CX-5 is a completely new nameplate and that it was Mazda’s first stint at a mid-sized crossover and it’s a lot more impressive.
The high number of SUVs made can be attributed to the car’s global appeal. Not only has been crowned Car of the Year in Japan between 2012-13, it has also racked up over 60 other international motoring awards.
The CX-5 was one of the first to bear the KODO design language and is produced in a number of countries, including Japan, China, Russia, Vietnam and of course right here in Malaysia as well.


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“The Architects Challenge is an opportunity for Marvin to recognize architects who take creative advantage of the design flexibility we build into our products,” said Dondi Kazukewicz, senior manager of brand communications at Marvin Windows and Doors. “But it is also an opportunity for us to honor their vision and expertise. With each year’s submissions, we are inspired to refine our products and services to help meet the challenges they face.”
Winning entries will be announced during an ARCHITECT Live event at the 2017 American Institute of Architects (AIA) Convention, April 27- 29 in Orlando. Marvin will provide conference travel, lodging and registration for the winners.
In addition to the trip to the AIA Convention, the six winners of the Architects Challenge will receive a VIP trip to Minneapolis and Marvin’s headquarters in Warroad, Minn., earning AIA-CES credits during the visit. The project awarded Best in Show will be featured in Architectural Digest magazine, and all of the winning projects will be featured in ARCHITECT magazine and extensively promoted. All winning projects and architects will also be featured in Marvin’s yearly Architects Challenge book, distributed to customers and industry partners.
For more information and to submit a project, visit MarvinWindows.com/ArchitectsChallenge.
About Marvin Windows and Doors
Marvin Windows and Doors brings its Built Around You® philosophy to life with every customer and every solution. A premier manufacturer of made-to-order wood and clad wood windows and doors, Marvin offers the industry’s most extensive selection of shapes, styles, sizes and options to fit the diverse needs of builders and match the personalities of homeowners. Marvin’s tradition of delivering the finest craftsmanship in windows and doors began in Warroad, Minn., a small town just six miles from the Canadian border, where the privately-held, family-owned and operated company is still headquartered today. Visit www.MarvinWindows.com to learn more.


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It looks like Amazon is taking steps to actually make Amazon Instant Video at least a little bit more attractive. The service, which is free if you are a Prime member, has had poor streaming options right from the start. This week Amazon struck a deal with CBS that will bring a total of 2,000 new episodes to Amazon Instant Video, making it a bit better.
The deal with CBS will grow the Instant Video library from approximately 6,000 episodes/movies up to 8,000, a total of one third larger. The text of the press release details some of the shows which will have full seasons for viewing right off the bat,
“Amazon Prime customers will be able to instantly watch thousands of episodes from the CBS library at no additional cost to their membership. With the deal, Amazon will add 2,000 episodes to grow the total number of Prime instant videos to more than 8,000 movies and television shows, and offer full seasons for 18 popular television series, including “The Tudors,” “Numb3rs,” “Medium,” the complete “Star Trek” franchise, “Frasier” and “Cheers.” Starting this summer, dozens of CBS shows will also become available to Amazon Instant Video customers.”
While not specifically detailed, it would make sense that CSI and it’s slew of spinoffs are also included.
The specifics of the deal and what drove Amazon to go after CBS content in the first place aren’t known. It’s easy to speculate that with the recent hoopla over Netflix and their price increase, that Amazon is seeking to steal away some of those customers. Or rather, Amazon is getting the content in place to be able to entice users to try their service instead. If Amazon can increase their offerings on Instant Video it could be a compelling service. The benefits of Prime (free 2 day shipping) and the bonus of unlimited streaming of the Instant Video library all for $80 a year could be a hit to Netflix, if Amazon could just get enough content in place to make the service at all interesting.
Hopefully now that Amazon and CBS have made a deal other networks will follow suit. It would also be nice to see Amazon offer some newer movies on Instant Video. One of the great issues with most streaming services is that content isn’t available via streaming day and date with DVD. The first company that solves that problem will be the one most likely to get the business from customers looking to ditch DVDs and go digital.


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Landmark Amazon union vote count begins in Alabama
The results will determine if the first-ever Amazon union in the U.S. is formed.
Vote counting began on Tuesday to determine if workers in Bessemer, Alabama, will form the first-ever labor union at an Amazon warehouse in the U.S.
The unionizing efforts at one of the largest employers in the nation has drawn the attention of lawmakers and beyond, as many view the watershed vote as a keystone moment in the organized labor movement that has languished in the U.S. in recent decades.
"Amazon is such a huge player in the economy, and the tech sector hasn't been one that the union movement has much representation in at all," Alex Colvin, the dean of Cornell's School of Industrial and Labor Relations, told ABC News Tuesday. "It could be a real shift if we started to see organizing at Amazon."
Colvin said a union formation in Alabama could set a "precedent" and inspire other Amazon workers across the country to follow suit.
"Amazon has a lot of facilities around the country and a lot of employees," he added. "If this is the start of a broader movement towards unionization at Amazon, that would be a big deal to the economy."
The National Labor Relations Board began tabulating the votes from some 5,800 workers at the Bessemer Amazon facility on Tuesday, though it is not immediately clear when the results for the vote are expected to come in.
If successful, the warehouse workers will be represented by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU).
"This campaign has already been a victory in many ways," RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum said in a statement. "Even though we don't know how the vote will turn out, we believe we have opened the door to more organizing around the country; and we have exposed the lengths to which employers will go to crush their employees trying to gain a union voice -- this campaign has become the prime example for why we need labor law reform in this country."
Colvin told ABC News that regardless of the way the vote turns out, "We should anticipate a certain likelihood of an extended period of conflict over establishing collective bargaining at the workplace, we commonly see that after elections."
The Alabama workers' unionizing efforts have drawn support from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
Last week, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., visited Alabama to meet with some of the workers involved in the unionizing efforts.
"All I want to know is why the richest man in the world, Jeff Bezos, is spending millions trying to prevent workers from organizing a union so they can negotiate for better wages, benefits and working conditions," Sanders tweeted ahead of his visit.
His tweet drew ire from Amazon executive Dave Clark, who responded to Sander's tweet by noting that Vermont's minimum wage is $11.75 an hour compared to Amazon's $15, adding, "The Sen should save his finger wagging lecture until after he actually delivers in his own backyard."
On the other side of the aisle, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., has also publicly thrown his support behind the union in an op-ed published by USA Today earlier this month.
On the day voting began for the union, President Joe Biden released a video on Twitter voicing his support for labor unions and encouraging workers to "make your voice heard."
In response to a request for comment on the vote count commencing, Amazon told ABC News in a statement Tuesday that, "RWDSU membership has fallen 25% during Stuart Appelbaum's tenure, but that's no justification for Mr. Appelbaum to misrepresent the facts."
The statement continued: "Our employees know the truth -- starting wages of $15 or more, health care from day one, and a safe and inclusive workplace. We encouraged all of our employees to vote, and their voices will be heard in the days ahead."
Republican base sounds ready for Trump's promised 'retribution,' with some exceptions
- Feb 25, 8:07 AM
ABC News Live
24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


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Hoenn region Pokemon from the third generation of games have started to pop up in Pokemon GO in recent weeks. This has included Pokemon like Torchic, Spheal, Whiscash, and many others. But it's not all of them and on Tuesday, Niantic Labs announced that it has rolled out a couple of more.
Players who log into Pokemon GO will find 23 more pocket monsters from the Ruby/Sapphire generation. This includes Flygon, Aggron, Camerupt, Solrock, Lunatone, and more. This is on top of the Gen 3 Pokemon already roaming the lands, as well as Legendary Water-type Kyogre currently inhabiting Gym Raids.
Details on the announcement can be found on the Pokemon GO website.


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Created by a highly experienced and passionate team of business experts, advisors and insiders, Corporate Vision (CV) Magazine provides discerning readers worldwide with a wealth of news, features and comment on the corporate issues of the day. Of the Awards they say, “Every day across the globe, large businesses continue to grow and run successfully in this ever-changing, competitive industry. Established companies who are raising the bar within its sector or surging ahead of its competitors with its latest results. With these large businesses creating new waves in the industry, and reaching such remarkable heights, it is only right that they are recognised.
The 2017 Large Business Awards are designed to highlight the truly special firms and give them the recognition that they so justly deserve. We have identified those whose innovative methods, outstanding results, growth (both financial and personnel) and drive for success has seen them surge ahead of the competition.
Emma Geeson, Awards Co-ordinator, commented on the awards programme: “Every one of my deserving winners has demonstrated extreme ingenuity, business acumen and commitment to excellence, and as such I am incredibly proud to showcase their work in these awards. I would like to congratulate them and wish them the best of luck going forward.”
To learn more about these illustrious winners, and to find out the secrets behind their success, please visit www.corp-vis.com.”
Help us: champion research; stimulate discussion; enhance public understanding; and share our extraordinary heritage. Donate directly to the Society now.


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The 3-D technology is the most boasted-about feature on HTC's new EVO 3D smartphone, which went on sale in the US on Friday (June 24, 2011).
You can watch 3-D movies and play 3-D games without putting on annoying glasses. You can shoot 3-D photos and videos, too.
The inclusion of 3-D is gimmicky and might make you feel nauseous, but it is creative at times and the EVO 3D is a fine smartphone overall.
The phone costs $200 with a two-year service plan with Sprint Nextel Corp.
Text: Rachel Metz, Associated Press


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Online food company Deliveroo has today announced the launch of new delivery services and features under its corporate offering, ‘Deliveroo for Business’ in Australia, which now provides food delivery services to hundreds of business customers in Australia.
Building on its successful Australian launch in 2016, which came in response to the growing number of Australians ordering Deliveroo at their place of work, Deliveroo for Business has been expanded to reach more corporate customers with a range of new features and services, offering further opportunities for people to receive food deliveries outside of their homes. Globally, Deliveroo is working with over 7,000 corporate customers around the world.
The new services which will be available for businesses to take advantage of include:
- Hotels: Following a trial partnership with Meriton Suites in Australia, Deliveroo for Business has now rolled out its hotel room service capabilities in Australia and globally. This service will reach up to 9,600 hotel rooms across Australia from partners including Meriton Suites, Quest Apartments and TFE Hotels which includes Adina, Travelodge, Vibe and Rendezvous Hotels. This will allow travellers to order Deliveroo from their hotel rooms; it also allows hotels to reduce costs from expensive room service in-house.
- Events: Deliveroo for Business will offer catering services for large-scale events. In an August trial, Deliveroo for Business catered the world’s largest drone racing championship in the United Kingdom. As we approach the Summer months Deliveroo for Business is anticipating strong demand for catering at Christmas parties and end-of-year functions across Australia.
- Fruit Basket & Snacks: Deliveroo for Businesses will begin trialling a service in the coming months that will allow businesses to use Deliveroo to arrange regular deliveries of fruit & snacks to their offices.
A rollout of these services commenced in Deliveroo’s 13 international markets last month and are now available in Australia. Deliveroo for Business will continue to provide office catering from select restaurants nationally, allowing offices to upgrade from the standard sandwich platter to bao platters, for example.
Deliveroo Australia Country Manager Levi Aron said that with a range of new features and services, Deliveroo for Business demonstrates that Deliveroo is fulfilling its mission of becoming the definitive food company, offering people food wherever and whenever they want it, and providing the opportunity for restaurant partners to reach even more customers.
“Deliveroo is going from strength-to-strength in Australia, and we now have a network of 6,500 riders delivering food from over 7,000 restaurants. With the expansion of Deliveroo for Business, we are helping businesses streamline the process of providing meals to staff and hotel guests, while ultimately providing even greater opportunities for Australians to access their favourite foods from Deliveroo in even more settings. We are also creating further opportunities for restaurants on our platforms to reach more customers at more times.”
“We first launched Deliveroo for Business in Australia two years ago in response to a growing trend of local customers ordering Deliveroo to their office, providing them with more choices and benefits when working late. Since then we have seen significant uptake from corporate customers, and we are excited to be offering even more services and features.”
Deliveroo for Business has been exceptionally well received in Australia over the past two years, with a number of businesses telling Deliveroo that the service has helped them provide greater food selections to employees, improve delivery efficiency, and take the stress out of catering work events. Businesses to use Deliveroo for Business in Australia include Eventbrite, LinkedIn and Flagstaff Partners.
Deliveroo for Business key facts (past 12 months):
- Italian has been the most popular cuisine
- Wednesday and Thursdays are the most popular ordering days
- Top restaurants have included Macchiato in Sydney and Hawker Hall in Melbourne
- Top professional industries by orders include technology & telecommunications, management consulting, and law
- CBD locations are the most popular ordering areas for Deliveroo for Business
- 137 Pillars Hotels First Anniversary of CSR Partnership with Nature Park
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- Tourism Leader Rolls Up His Sleeves To Help With Staff Shortage
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- “Made in Vietnam”: Wink Hotels Weaves Local Travel Memories
- Muster provides invaluable work experience


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A total contingent of 57 people including designers Joy Mitra & Samanth Chauhan and vocalist Rekha Bhardwaj will participate in Shaan-e-Pakistan in Lahore.
By KARAN BHARDWAJ
“I’ve told everyone back in my country that they (Indian designers) are our guests and they should get the best of our hospitality. Let them come and experience us. I assure they will never forget this bilateral event,” Huma Nassr, organiser of fashion-centric cultural event Shaan-e-Pakistan, loftily assured Indian designers while addressing scribes at Eros Hotel, New Delhi.
Nassr, also the founder of fashion brand Braahtii, is looking forward to host second edition of Shaan-e-Pakistan, an event she incubated in Delhi, where she hosted the first installment of the show. “This is going to be bi-annual affair, one in India and the other in Pakistan,” she said.
For this season, a contingent of 57 people from India will be in Lahore in a week’s time. It includes designers, chefs, artists, bands and singers. Prominent names being flashed include vocalist Rekha Bhardwaj, designers Samanth Chauhan and Joy Mitra.
“We have fought for over 60 years. It’s high time citizens from both sides get up and break the walls. This initiative is our attempt to foster people-to-people connect,” said Nassr.
Huma Nassr, founder, Shaan-e-Pakistan in an exclusive interaction with Born of Web:
Below is the break-up of three-day event (March 20-22):
Day 1 will start with ‘Ek Shaam’, a series of musical performances by artistes Rekha Bhardwaj from India and Asrar & Mai Dhai from Pakistan followed by a culinary feast prepared by the best chefs from both the countries.
Day 2 will see an open exhibition by all participating retailers/craftsmen including Amina Sultan, Anand Khanna, Elisha Wadhwani among others.
Day 3 will host a celebratory fashion showcase of 16 designers from Pakistan, India and Bangladesh including Ahmed Bilal, Aisha Imran, Barae Khanom, Bibi Russell (Bangladesh), Fahad Hussayn, Joy Mitra, Jyoti Sachdev Iyer, Samanth Chauhan among others.


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Headline results for the second quarter:
- Innovative medicines sales: $10.6 billion, up 15%
- Sandoz sales: $2.4 billion, up 11%
- Overall revenue: $13 billion (forecasts of $12.5 billion), up 14%
- Profit: $2.9 billion (forecasts of $3.4 billion), up 55%
Note: All changes are versus the prior-year period unless otherwise stated
What the company said:
"Novartis delivered a strong second quarter, driven by the momentum of our key growth brands, including Cosentyx, Entresto, Zolgensma, our oncology portfolio and the launch of Kesimpta which continues to accelerate," remarked CEO Vas Narasimhan.
- Oncology product sales: $3.9 billion, up 11%
- Tasigna: $523 million, up 9%, mainly driven by emerging growth markets
- Promacta/Revolade: $513 million, up 22%, driven by use in chronic immune thrombocytopenia and as first-line treatment for severe aplastic anaemia
- Tafinlar/Mekinist: $425 million, up 15%, with increased demand in BRAF+ adjuvant melanoma and non-small-cell lung cancer
- Jakavi: $398 million, up 28%, led by "strong" demand in the myelofibrosis and polycythemia vera indications
- Gleevec/Glivec: $263 million, down 9%, hit by increased generic competition
- Kisqali: $225 million, up 42%, with continued growth in Europe, emerging growth markets and the US
- Kymriah: $147 million, up 25%, mainly due to growth in Japan, Europe and emerging markets
- Lutathera: $118 million, up 12%
- Piqray: $82 million, up 4%, with growth from launches in Europe and emerging markets partially offset by declines in the US due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
- Cosentyx: $1.2 billion, up 24%, boosted by demand in the US and Europe, as well as "strong" volume growth in China following the drug being put on the country's National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL) in the first quarter
- Entresto: $886 million, up 53%, led by demand for use in heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction
- Gilenya: $721 million, down 2%, hit by increased competition
- Lucentis: $551 million, up 37%, benefiting from a low prior year comparison due to COVID-19 related disruption and strong growth in China following NRDL listing in 2019
- Xolair: $355 million, up 23%, driven by the chronic spontaneous urticaria and severe allergic asthma indications
- Zolgensma: $315 million, up 54%, driven by expanding access in Europe, while US sales were broadly in line with the year earlier
- Aimovig (ex-US territories excluding Japan): $53 million, up 61%
- Kesimpta: $66 million
- Biopharmaceuticals: $524 million, up 12%, despite increased competition particularly in Europe
- Emerging growth markets: $2.7 billion, up 17%, with sales in China growing 18% on a constant-currency basis to $811 million
Novartis reaffirmed that it expects sales to rise this year by a low- to mid-single-digit percentage in constant currencies, while core operating income is projected to grow in the mid-single digits, ahead of sales. The company added that innovative medicine sales are forecast to make mid-single-digit gains in 2021 as well, with Sandoz revenue declining in the low- to mid-single digits.
The drugmaker noted that "while demand is starting to return to pre-COVID-19 levels in most geographies and therapeutic areas, we still see a slight impact on parts of our business for example in oncology, generics and certain geographies." Chief financial officer Harry Kirsch explained that the coronavirus pandemic was still affecting cancer patients' diagnostic rates, thus hitting sales of products sold via hospitals. He estimated that business was probably averaging 80% to 90% of pre-COVID-19 levels.
Novartis said it expects "further easing of COVID-19 restrictions in the second half of the year with a positive impact on business dynamics."
What analysts said:
Stefan Schneider of Vontobel noted that the results clearly beat expectations, but Novartis' failure to lift its guidance "indicates that the pandemic situation has not yet returned fully to pre-pandemic levels and that the situation remains somewhat unpredictable due to the emerging variants."
Novartis disclosed that its recent FDA resubmission of Leqvio (inclisiran), an siRNA therapy targeting PCSK9, has a target action date of January 1 next year. The agency had previously issued a complete response letter citing "unresolved" issues at a third-party production facility.
The company added that it discontinued development of ECF843 in moderate-to-severe dry eye disease as results from a Phase II did not support continuation of the programme. In 2017, Novartis exercised an option to in-license the recombinant human lubricin (rh-Lubricin) protein from Lubris.


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Photos: Tremont officially rebrands as Embassy Suites
Hotel completes $14 million in renovations
Embassy Suites officially took over the former Tremont Suites Hotel on Monday, marking the end of a $14 million renovation to the property.
The changes include a revamped lobby, new restaurant and lounge and renovated bathrooms for the 300-room hotel at St. Paul and Saratoga streets. James LoBosco, the hotel’s managing director, said he thinks the refresh combined with the Embassy Suites name, a Hilton brand, will help drive business that the Tremont could never achieve. He said the independent Tremont struggled to draw guests because travelers didn’t recognize its name.
“It really opens it up to a new customer,” LoBosco said. “The brand is going to be the main attraction.”
LoBosco expects the hotel will reach occupancy rates in the mid-to-high 70 percent range — a significant jump, he said, though he declined to disclose the hotel’s current occupancy rate. Stays at the hotel start at about $160 per night.
The renovation includes a more open lobby, which lead upstairs to an entirely revamped bar, restaurant and lounge. An improved fitness center, revamped bathrooms, heated pool — it wasn’t heated before — and a new “e-lounge” are among other additions to the hotel.
The new restaurant, B’more Bistro and Lounge — formerly Tug’s Bar & Grille — will seat 225, whereas Tugs only sat about 40 guests. B’more Bistro will serve three meals a day from a Chesapeake Bay-inspired menu with more sophisticated options than Tug’s previously offered, LoBosco said.
LoBosco said the menu prices are approachable at B’more Bistro, and the restaurant is looking to cater to hotel guests as well as local customers from the neighborhood. The restaurant is currently working to develop a mobile app where customers can order their meals for carry-out or dine-in, LoBosco said.
Sarah covers hospitality/tourism, minority business, marketing and new media
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Economic report disneyland paris
Study: disneyland drives more than $57 billion economic activity in southern california. Welcome to the official website of disneyland paris discover 2 disney parks, 7 disney hotels, a golf course and disney village for even more magic and fun. Disneyland paris is facing a pricing probe following accusations that uk and german customers are being frozen out of promotions available in other. University of central florida harrison buzz price papers report economic impact of the disneyland recreation complex on the city of anaheim 6-30-1964. Economy of paris disneyland paris is an amusement park and resort key figures 2008 – 2008 economic report published by the regional chamber.
Tourism analysis of disneyland resort paris print reference this apa mla the company reports billion-dollar deficits: economic factors include interest. What would you consider to be the two most important economic advantages of disneyland paris give some reasons to support your answer. Disneyland paris disneyland resort new study shows disneyland resort’s local economic impact the disneyland resort commissioned an economic impact study. Disneyland paris, originally euro both nations saw the potential economic advantages of a disney theme park and offered competing (some reports give a figure.
What would you consider to be the two most important economic advantages of disneyland paris it would probably be the concession stands and beautiful scenery. Disneyland paris, europe’s number one tourist destination and major contributor to the economy and employment euro disney sca reports first quarter revenues. Winners and losers in the sharing economy trump, xi and a report a mispronounced word disneyland paris found itself at the centre of a storm of negative.
Disneyland® paris comprises two theme parks the economy and developing val d'europe into a major economic hub east of paris here our report on. A twenty-year study of the disneyland paris economic and social impact confirms its long-term contribution to developing the french economy and the eastern paris. If visitors to disneyland paris are a bellwether of europe’s economy, then britain is doing much better than most of its eurozone counterparts.
- Disneyland paris resort: financial report operator of disneyland® resort paris we recognize we are not immune to the impact of a sustained economic.
- Best economic travel from cdg to kyriad hotel - disneyland paris forum best economic travel from is it safe to go to disneyland trip reports by.
- Paris (afp) - the operator of struggling disneyland paris blamed the difficult economic environment in europe for the group's problems.
Disneyland paris latest breaking news, pictures, videos, and special reports from the economic times disneyland paris blogs, comments and archive news on. The inter-ministerial delegation for the euro disney project in france has directed a new study of the economic and social impact of disneyland paris.


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Cuban Puts Landmark Theatres, Magnolia Pictures Up for Sale
Billionaire Mark Cuban has put his Landmark Theatres and Magnolia Pictures up for sale, saying entertainment companies are attracting “huge valuations.”
Cuban, 52, is “just testing the waters,” he said yesterday in an e-mail in response to a question from Bloomberg News. “We won’t sell unless the offer is very, very compelling.”
Moelis & Co., a New York-based investment bank, is handling the auction, according to a person familiar with the situation. Bidders are expected to file their offers next week, said the person, who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly.
Landmark Theatres, founded in 1974, operates 55 cinemas with 245 screens in 21 cities, including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. The decision to put it on the block comes as U.S. box-office sales have declined 20 percent this year, according to Hollywood.com Box-Office. Magnolia Pictures distributes independent films in theaters and for home entertainment.
Both are part of 2929 Entertainment, a holding company for Cuban and business partner Todd Wagner’s media assets that also includes the HDNet cable channel and HDNet Movies.
With Magnolia, known for films such as “Man on Wire” and “The Girlfriend Experience,” Cuban and Wagner have experimented with releasing movies simultaneously across theatrical, television and home-video platforms.
Andrea Hurst, a spokeswoman for Moelis in New York, declined to comment.
In addition to the box-office slump, cinema chains face demands from studios to shorten movies’ exclusive theatrical runs. The industry is also investing in digital projection systems to upgrade facilities and offer premium enhancements such as 3-D showings.
AMC Entertainment Group Inc., the second-largest U.S. movie-theater owner, purchased 93 Kerasotes Showplace Theatres for $275 million last year. Walt Disney Co. (DIS) sold its Miramax Films in December to investors led by Ron Tutor and Colony Capital LLC for $663 million.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Anthony Palazzo at firstname.lastname@example.org


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Ellipsis are very pleased to introduce our Support Staff for the World Ultimate Club Championships this year! We are extremely thankful to all of these people for volunteering their time to assist the team – your contributions will ensure we have the best possible foundation for success at Worlds.
Ellipsis Ultimate are excited to announce that we are forming a Mens team in 2019, with the aim of competing at the Australian Ultimate Championships.
Liminal VR and Ellipsis Ultimate have today announced they will collaborate in investigating the use of virtual reality experiences to harness emotional states and maximise performance in sport.
Over the past three years Australian company Liminal VR has been examining research from fields as diverse as psychology, neuroscience, music, animation, and computer games. Liminal’s team of neuroscientists and VR developers have built on this research to create short VR experiences to reliably change people’s emotional and cognitive states in just a few minutes.


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If you're a vinyl junkie, it's time to start thinking about cloning yourself.
Saturday is Record Store Day, and the local purveyors of new, used and rare musical goodness have unboxed treasure troves of limited releases for the annual event.
Many of the special, one-time releases will go quick, so area stores will open early to accommodate savvy collectors. For the rest of us, local store owners have planned a wealth of special events, from in-store performances to concert ticket giveaways. Here's a look what's happening:
, 239 Harrison St. in Oak Park
The venerable Harrison Street shop will open 10 a.m. Saturday. Everything in the store — new and used in all formats — will be on sale, excluding the special Record Store Day releases.
An in-store performance from Jim Haptonstahl and Friends begins at 1 p.m.
"They'll play a very wide range of familiar material, Beatles to Stones to Simon and Garfunkel, a whole cross section of rock and folk," said owner Val Camilletti. "He'll play until he feels tired of playing. That could be 7 p.m. We close at 7 p.m."
, 179 S. Oak Park Ave. in Oak Park
Owner Alan Heffelfinger opens the door on special deals at 10 a.m. Discounts will likely include "a couple dollars off on CDs or a dollar off vinyl over $4.99."
As for the special Record Store Day limited edition releases, Heffelfinger said he plans to impose a purchasing limit for the first hour — an effort to reward his loyal customers and to fend off "one guy coming in here and going to town."
The Old School Records, 7446 W. Madison in Forest Park
They'll open at 10 a.m. with 25 percent off budget CDs, budget LPs, all 12" singles and all cassettes. In-store performances include:
F. Patrick Kevil — 11 a.m. to noon
Sonorama (DJ set) — noon to 3 p.m.
Morris Mills & Friends — 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Soul Clap (DJ set) — 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Cyklopx Records, 7511 W. Madison St. in Forest Park
If contests for Arcade Fire tickets and autographed posters and giveaways of free donuts and coffee aren't enough to get you into the store, maybe the sweet sounds of Chicago's booty-shaking soul revival act J.C. Brooks and the Uptown Sound will. They perform in the store at 1 p.m.
The store has also confirmed on its website some of the special limited releases they'll have in stock Saturday, including music from The Black Keys, Phish, Iggy & The Stooges, Mumford & Sons, Yeasayer and Velvet Underground.


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Tulsa’s Young Professions, or TYPros, is making strides to build up business north of the IDL.
The group’s annual Street Cred events create a temporary design of how unused areas could grow.
Every year the group picks a different spot around town to highlight - this year it's the area north of the Brady Arts District.
There's always so much growth happening in the Brady District, but less than a quarter mile away - at Fairview and Easton - there's bare land.
TYPros wants to change that by bringing attention to the area through its street community redevelopment initiative.
The idea is, for one day, set up a temporary business district where people can get a feel for the type of business that could fill the empty space.
Organizers said it's essentially “the other side of the tracks" in comparison to the Brady District.
They also said the highway isn't just a physical barrier, but often a racial and socioeconomic barrier, so instead of neglecting that area, they want to build it up.
The people who attended the event Sunday heard live music, sampled food trucks, but, most importantly, bought from local vendors.
One business there, Nuni Products, is owned by a 17-year-old and 15-year-old.
"We want to help build up those communities. We want to spread our message to anybody who wants to listen. That's really our goal. We’d like to encourage other youth to start their own businesses," they said.
One of the primary goals for TYPros is to build business, but also encourage young entrepreneurs to open shop and stay in Tulsa.
You can find more information on TYPros and their events here.


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The flagship real-time payment system in the U.S., The Clearing House’s RTP® network, reaches 65% of all demand deposit accounts in the country, according to The Clearing House, and any depository institution can connect to the RTP network through more than 20 technology providers. Experts predict that the U.S. real-time payments transaction volume will reach 8.9 billion by 2026, up from 1.8 billion last year.
The RTP network has dominated the real-time payments industry in the U.S. since its 2017 launch, but there is a new kid on the block in the form of the FedNow Service. Backed by the U.S. Federal Reserve, the system is raising awareness about real-time payments in the United States and will start the long journey to build volume and attract banks and credit unions. It remains to be seen which businesses will stick with the RTP network, which will hop on board with FedNow as their first real-time rail, and which could potentially switch systems or use both in tandem. Whatever the case may be, payments in the U.S. will never be the same again.
The “Real-Time Payments Tracker®” examines how the launch of FedNow changes the real-time payments industry in the U.S., and how it compares to existing options like the RTP network.
Canada was set to make a big stride this year with the launch of its Real-Time Rail (RTR) scheme, but Payments Canada has decided to delay the rollout. The organization noted in a statement that “current delivery delays, unrelated to the exchange technology components, are impacting the launch date of the RTR.” Payments Canada said that it will review its delivery risks over the next three months in anticipation of the launch date and use this time to undergo additional testing and investments.
India’s real-time payments journey hit a huge milestone, with the country announcing in June that its real-time transaction count has topped 9 billion in a single month. This marks a 58% increase year over year. The system — United Payments Interface, or UPI — was originally launched in 2016 with 21 banks, but the system is now leveraged by 350 banks around the country. The system plans to widen access to non-resident Indians in several countries, including those residing in Singapore, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the U.S., over the coming years.
For more on these and other stories, visit the Tracker’s News and Trends section.
In many ways, FedNow is an extension of the winning formula that the RTP® network pioneered in the U.S., but despite similarities, its introduction could still rock the payments space. The addition of a new real-time option could foster healthy competition, which means more options for consumers and a better environment for everyone involved.
Expectations of small- to medium businesses (SMBs) regarding payment service providers have never been higher, with owners and employees expecting the speed and convenience in payments that they experience in every other part of their digital lives. In the U.S., the only widespread real-time option was The Clearing House’s RTP network, but that is changing with the launch of FedNow.
This month’s PYMNTS Intelligence examines FedNow’s capabilities, exploring the key differences and similarities between the two real-time rails.
The “Real-Time Payments Tracker®,” a collaboration with The Clearing House, examines how the launch of FedNow could change the real-time payments industry in the U.S., and how it compares to existing options like the RTP® network.


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One perception of the Alliance for Open Media is that of an aggressive body comprising technology and internet behemoths intent on disruptive monopolization of the entertainment industry; another is that advanced codecs should be a commodity. What we don’t expect to hear is how the royalty free AV1 patent licensing group is on the ultra-defensive, having set up a World Council and Legal Defense Fund – preparing for all manner of sticky situations which may arise from the plethora of patented intellectual property within the alliance.
According to AOMedia’s Executive Director Gabe Frost, of Microsoft, the idea is for every member of the alliance to sign a patent agreement before joining, applying the same policy as the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium). Crucially, a company does not have to be an AOMedia member to license the technology, meaning if you implement AV1, you then can’t sue others for using it, according to Frost, speaking to Faultline Online Reporter.
“We are creating an environment where commercial deployments can exist and thrive, not trying to build a codec to end them all,” said Frost.
AOMedia, driven by Google, Netflix, Microsoft, Intel, Amazon, Cisco and more, has drafted in legal and engineering experts to assess the AV1 processing conducted independently by member companies, an arduous and rigorous process, assured Frost.
Tightening up defenses for potential patent litigation cases is the ugly but essential side of the business. The interesting aspect is where AOMedia sees future disruption through AV1 support occurring. Following the official launch of AV1 a few weeks ago, the alliance is now waiting patiently for the critical silicon stage – as the fledgling codec embarks on its first phase of product adoption.
The initial phase involves bitstream specification to unblock silicon implementations, using an unoptimized version of the reference software codec, from which reference streams for production validation are then made available and binding specifications for popular media formats and encryption. Into Phase 2 we will see the first commercial AV1 codec projects emerging, through adoption by content creation tools and desktop browsers, using a better optimized reference codec based on open source tools and developer frameworks.
Phase 3 is when next-generation silicon in AV1-enabled PC, mobile, TV and set tops will emerge, with commercial video tools for greater optimization and efficiency for scale. This sets the stage for Phase 4, in which AV1 becomes available on all modern silicon, with devices supporting AV1 playback, camera capture and real-time communications.
AOMedia expects to reach Phase 2 later this year, initially in desktop browsers before games consoles and other streaming devices from the end of 2018 into early 2019, planning to reach Phase 4 by 2020. Frost could not divulge whether “other devices” includes smartphones, preferring not to directly address product roadmaps due to the compute versus battery trade off debate around mobile devices. However, Frost said he has seen Netflix content encoded with AV1 on his phone, so we can rest assured it can already be done.
In the meantime, AOMedia is busy addressing swarms of queries coming in from companies preparing to support AV1. French firm Ateme is perhaps the only AOMedia member which we would refer to as a traditional encoding company, but Frost assured us that discussions with others are underway, as many vendors await widespread device support before investing in AV1. “Companies like Beamr are great, but with someone like V-Nova there is some conflict,” said Frost, referring to the second-generation Perseus codec due out in a couple of years. V-Nova has said in the past it doesn’t see AV1 as a competitor, claiming it can work alongside Perseus as a sort of “turbocharger”.
Frost was also dismayed at how AOMedia has been blamed for its repeated delays, insisting the member companies discussed a goal to arrive at and this was reached, apparently conveying the wrong message about AV1 rolling out in early 2017. “There has never been a codec done in under 3 years. Of course we were hoping to launch earlier, but there were no technical setbacks,” said Frost.
AOMedia is caught up in a three-way flux with two HEVC patent licensing pools HEVC Advance and MPEG-LA. MPEG’s chair and co-founder Leonardo Chiariglione recently, and very publicly, slammed AOMedia, essentially describing how the success of AV1 would, in short, destroy the industry – shifting more power into the hands of a few internet and chip giants away from traditional device makers.
“We admire Leonardo so much and everything he has done for the industry. But the governance and rules around his own organization has handcuffed the ability to do stuff in the way AOMedia does. There are some narrow views on innovation, in that monetization typically comes via license fees, but this is just one bullet point. Added value comes from apps and services – pushed up the monetization stack. This is what has hit HEVC,” said Frost. He gave the example of how people criticized Microsoft for the Xbox games console, calling it a loss leader, yet the company has made a lot of money from additional software and services in the gaming market.
HEVC Advance has responded by recently eliminating some royalties, specifically for subscription and title-by-title content distribution. “We would encourage HEVC Advance to go completely royalty free, but we would be surprised,” said Frost. Although AV1 is royalty free, users will still need to pay implementation costs and fees to look after it all.
“The entire world is using AVC, now AV1 is making 65% savings versus AVC. Compression has the most impact in delivering video beyond built-up areas,” said Frost.
AV1 also claims 30% savings against current generation codecs including HEVC and VP9, according to a test by Bitmovin. A recent study by Moscow State University showed that AV1 was between 2,500 and 3,000 times slower than its competitors. However, Frost confirmed our suspicions, saying the test used a 6-month old version of AV1 with no optimization tools, and the research team never reached out to AOMedia. “The code we produce is experimental, meaning the codec comes with different options, so you need to write the code through the lens of different bit streams and apply optimization afterwards. Moscow State University is doing some good work,” highlighted Frost.
A final burning issue to address is that of Samsung’s AOMedia membership, which seemed all but confirmed in early February, but rumors have since tailed off. Frost confirmed Samsung hasn’t backed off and a membership is on the cards, but there a lot of questions to be addressed. “Some 82% of all internet traffic will be video by 2021, mostly from AOMedia member companies, but devices don’t sell content – whether on the big screen or small. Membership is not a prerequisite for content. It’s the end users who are important,” said Frost.


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Saga PLC (LON:SAGA) saw its shares plunge today after it warned of more “challenging trading” in insurance broking and said the collapse of Monarch Airlines has affected its tour operations business.
In early morning trading, the FTSE 250 listed stock had dropped over 23%, or 42.6p to 138.70p.
In a trading update for the period from 1 August 2017 to 5 December 2017, the over-50’s travel and insurance specialist said it expected its full-year underlying pre-tax profit to grow by just 1%-2%.
The FTSE 250 listed group added that its tour operating business would see one-off cost of about £2mln due to the impact of Monarch Airlines going into administration.
However, Saga said its travel segment “continues to trade well and is expected to be strongly ahead of the prior year.”
For the full year, it added, the written profit of its retail broking business is expected to be ahead year on year, with a strong performance in motor partially offset by a challenging trading environment in home and travel insurance.
Saga also said it had completed a review of its operating structure and would see about £10mln of annualised cost savings next year expects to incur a one-off cost of circa £4mln relating to these changes.
READ: Over-50's specialist Saga says core insurance, travel businesses continued good start to the year
The group added that it expects the current year dividend to be in line with its expectations, and “remains fully committed” to its stated dividend policy.
Lance Batchelor, Saga’s CEO, said: "Against a backdrop of some challenging trading conditions in our final quarter, we continue to develop the business for the long term.”
He added: “We are confident that the actions taken will ultimately see a better quality of earnings and profit growth across the business, supporting our progressive dividend policy for the benefit of our shareholders."
-- Adds share price --


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Read into what recent sales from Yuga Labs projects could mean for the NFT market
The past week was interesting for Yuga Labs NFT collections – such as Mutant Ape Yacht Club (MAYC), CryptoPunks, and Otherdeeds for the Otherside. In contrast to the general market sentiment, the floor price of all these collections increased, as did purchases of NFTs with specific metadata. But how can we read this? Let’s dive in!
- Mutant Apes kept climbing the charts with a storytelling project;
- Otherdeed for Otherside Metaverse with Mega Koda was sold at 200 ETH;
- CryptoPunk #2924 sale makes NFT the most expensive in recent times.
Yuga Labs collections kept leading the NFT sales rankings this week. However, some events stole the Web3 community’s attention. Let’s get to know what’s up. First, have a look at this week’s top-selling NFT collections via DappRadar data.
Mutant Apes kept climbing
There was an increase in interest and prices, especially for the Mutant Ape Yacht Club NFTs.
Compared to BAYC, MAYC is a low-value entry point into the ecosystem – the floor price stood at $21,220 while the first collection stood at $111,820. However, as you can notice on the DappRadar charts, both collections saw a similar rise of around 18% in floor prices. This could be a reason for this increase in numbers.
What’s behind it?
A storytelling project with the Mutant Ape Yacht Club NFTs called Applied Primate Engineering could be behind this hype. Despite not being affiliated with Yuga Labs, this BAYC and MAYC communities project has been active since May, taking a creative narrative to ApeFest NY in June 2022, involving different NFTs in a unique story.
Applied Primate Engineering is keeping Apes engaged in games and storytelling with the famous NFT collections. Fragment, the team behind the project, has added a new Mega Mutant Ape to its collection this week – now with 5 of these rare NFTs. Their founder confirmed their purchase and further plans on Twitter:
“We added Mega Noise to the Fragment team yesterday. One of my all-time favorite Megas! Our friends at Yuga Labs are becoming the Disney of Web3, and we want to build the next Marvel Studios inside the Yuga universe. The Megas are the Avengers, of course.”
The most expensive land in the Otherside metaverse was sold
An investor bought an Otherdeed with a Mega Koda for 200 ETH – around 279,052. The wallet where this Mega Koda now sits has over $1 million invested in major NFT collections such as BAYC, MAYC, Bored Ape Kennel Club, and also Azuki, CloneX, Meebits, and several other Otherside lands.
What’s behind it?
Yuga Labs’ the Otherside is a metaverse virtual land that will take the NFT collections experience to a whole new level. Lands NFTs in this world are known as Otherdeeds, and users can build whatever they want on them, as long as they own them.
And, of course, each land is different and comes with its unique characteristics – such as Kodas, Otherside’s rare native creatures.
Interest in the Otherside Metaverse has increased over time since Yuga Labs announced its development in early 2022. So far, sales of Otherdeed land have collected over $1 billion – and the virtual world hasn’t even gotten past the testing stages.
The gamified metaverse uniting the most famous NFTs in the world is not something you want to lose sight of. By bringing together so many powerful issues of the moment, it is a self-justifying project.
CryptoPunk NFT purchase breaks record at $4.4 million
For the meager amount of 3,300 ETH, CryptoPunk #2924 changed hands yesterday. This movement defies bearish trends, in the biggest sale of a single NFT in months – and the fourth highest-value Punk ever sold.
What’s behind it?
The OG collection CryptoPunks joined the Yuga Labs ecosystem in March 2022, and is hardly ever found out of the top 10 NFT collections of our Rankings.
The new owner of this particular Punk has no other large investment registered in the same address but made the headlines of the biggest Web3 media as to the contrast of high investment in a bear market.
As pointed out in our latest report, NFTs have become assets that can store value properly – even in a bear market. Especially when they are Yuga Labs’ blue-chip NFT collections.
Therefore, whoever bought this rare CryptoPunk, with a value estimated at more than $4 million, is making a solid long-term investment.
“While no one can accurately predict the future of the global cryptocurrency market and its components, such as non-fungible tokens, it is expected that NFT markets will continue to be expanded by the many market players (…) The forecast for NFT markets, which generated about $25 billion in sales in 2021, seems favorable.”Sara Gherghelas, Blockchain Analyst at DappRadar
Track trending NFTs with DappRadar
If you always want to be one step ahead to know the biggest trends in the NFT space, the DappRadar tools are indispensable.
In fact, they were very useful in understanding the market movements, what is behind the investments, and how the collections have been behaving.Get to know DappRadar Portfolio Tracker to manage and track your NFT wallet and any other address. Keeping up with the latest sales, stats, and more is everything in this industry.
The above does not constitute investment advice. The information given here is purely for informational purposes only. Please exercise due diligence and do your own research.


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By James Jenkins
The new Kingston smart cards can wipe Oyster cards clean of travel credit.
Kingston Hill students discovered the fault after the new cards were introduced at their campus.
The University issued a warning about possible problems on their website, but some business and law students have still complained about the card. The cards give students access to the new £26m business school.
Law student Jeff Yen said: “It was ridiculous. I had almost £20 on my Oyster card.
“When I was getting the bus I regularly take without any problems, it suddenly said I had nothing left.
“I always make sure I have enough credit on my card, so I knew something was wrong.
“I had no idea the new student cards could do anything though. Only after I spent half an hour on the phone to Transport for London did I realise the Oyster wasn’t the problem.”
Jeff said: “I was quite annoyed to say the least; why they can’t just keep the same old swipe card system, I don’t know.”
The university has since issued a warning about it online and is aware of the problems.
For some it’s too late
Student support officer at Kingston Hill, Ruth Cope, said: “We have been saying to students around the campus not to keep their Oyster and KU cards together, but for some it’s too late, and we have had a few complaints.
“Not everyone looks on the website all the time, so it could have been missed by some students.”
One business management student, Henry, has also experienced Oyster card problems, but didn’t lead to him losing money.
“You just have to take your KU card away before your Oyster works, the cards operate on the same frequency so they can interfere.”
The warning on MyKingston advised students to keep the Oyster card separated from the KU smart card, as well as other credit or debit cards.
Kindi Moore, another student support officer, said: “If that is the case, they could provide students with the same holders that us staff members have, to keep them separated.”
Nothing to be done
Ms Cope added: “We hope students can get their cards fixed, but unfortunately there’s nothing we can do at the University for damaged Oyster cards.”
The new cards can be used to enter university and also print and copy.
They will be introduced to other campuses by September this year.


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TORONTO – BlackBerry Ltd. (TSX:BB) has signed an agreement with Ford Motor Co. to expand the use of the firm’s automotive and security software in the car manufacturer’s vehicles.
The deal will see a team of BlackBerry employees work directly with Ford to beef up how its technology is used to create safe, connected vehicles.
The head of BlackBerry QNX, John Wall, says the agreement is the first to cut out the middleman between BlackBerry and an automaker. Previously, automakers would buy products that use QNX software from other companies.
He said the company hopes to sign similar deals with other automakers in the future.
BlackBerry’s QNX software already powers Ford’s interactive SYNC 3 infotainment system and is in more than 60 million cars.


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The complex will be three times bigger than Ski Dubai, the former number one indoor snow park
People of Shanghai will soon have the opportunity to spend their afternoons skiing while not even having to leave the city. By 2022, China’s largest city by population will be home to world’s largest ski and snow park, three times larger than the famous Ski Dubai that opened in 2005 in the United Arab Emirates.
Dubai not only served as a place of inspiration, but Majid Al Futtaim, the company that opened the former world’s first and biggest indoor snow park, will deliver the operation to Shanghai an will help develop the complex of unprecedented size.
In a press release, the Dubai-based retail giant announced that the ski and snow resort will be called Wintastar Shanghai and will be 90,000 square meters in size. It will feature three ski slopes, each with a different gradient. The company described one of them as the “Olympic standard for training”.
For those who are not enthusiastic about sliding down a snowy hill, the complex will also offer 25 different wintery activities.
After launching operations in Dubai and Egypt, this will be the first time Majid Al Futtaim will deliver a similar project outside the Middle East.
“We’re confident this represents the beginning of an extensive international footprint when it comes to indoor snow entertainment facilities,” said Ahmed Galal Ismail, chief executive officer of the ventures division of Majid Al Futtaim, in the release.
The project will feature unique architecture designed by international award-winning Italian architect Massimo Mercurio of Rome-based Mercurio Design Lab. Mercurio draws inspiration from famed European alpine ski towns, natural iceberg formations and the charm of the Alps.
The project will be conducted by Singapore-based developer KOP Limited that announced the project in August.
Ong Chih Ching, the executive chairman and executive director of KOP, said: “The timing for Wintastar Shanghai could not be better, with Chinese consumers yearning for travel, leisure, novel experiences, and winter sports being the next big thing in China because of the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022.
“This is KOPL’s largest project so far, and like our past track record of iconic projects, we are excited to work alongside our strong local partners to push new boundaries and introduce new and innovative concepts to the Chinese market.”
The complex will beat the current record holder, which is based in China as well, by 10,000 square metres. Located in the city of Harbin in the country’s far northeast, the Harbin Wanda Indoor Ski and Winter Sports Resort opened in 2017 and is 80,000 square metres in size.


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By Daphne R
Kmart has put new meaning into “Jingle Bells” with the launch of a new commercial showcasing the Joe Boxer line of men’s undergarments. “Show Your Joe” commercial shows a chorus line of men decked out in bow ties, tuxedo shirts and blazers with colorful, cute boxers showing off their muscular legs while gyrating to the music of the familiar Jingle Bells Christmas song.
What was meant as a fun, playful commercial has created quite a stir of controversy among viewers, especially mothers who believe the display of men in their boxers, moving their hips is inappropriate and offensive.
It didn’t take long for the “Show Your Joe” ad to go viral with more than 7 million views on YouTube and more than 33,000 likes. But one group of women has expressed that they don’t like the commercial. One Million Moms, an advocacy group, has decided to launch a social media campaign urging others to voice their concern and call for the ad to be pulled from television. The group has denounced the ad as being “disgusting”, “filth”, “inappropriate” and not family-friendly.
The group also accuses Kmart of making “a deliberate decision to produce controversial advertisements instead of wholesome ones. This is a terrible plan in Kmart’s part, especially at this time of year!
In their social media campaign they’re asking everyone who agrees with their stance to specifically post to their Facebook the following message, “Kmart’s distasteful new commercial has to go! This ad should be pulled off the air immediately”.
Kmart doesn’t seem to be phased by the negative posts and remarks and have released their own statement. “The Kmart ‘Show Your Joe’ commercial playfully showcases Joe Boxer’s men’s clothing available at Kmart. We regret if some people found the commercial offensive, as that was not our intent.”
It appears that the number of people who like the commercial outnumber those in opposition. And I have to say I was one of them. I enjoy the commercial each time it airs.
Daphne R is an experienced marketing and communications professional that provides social commentary, self-help, tips, and reports news of events that matter to African Americans.
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Musashi Seimitsu, a Honda affiliate, will install AI-powered robotics solutions developed at Neve Ilan near Jerusalem in its assembly line. The AI-powered robots were developed in a joint venture by Israeli entrepreneur Ran Poliakine and Musashi Seimitsu, a tier-1 supplier of parts to the Japanese auto industry. Poliakine is known as the founder of Powermat, which developed technology for wireless charging of smartphones.
Last month, Musashi Al, the joint venture, completed a pilot with Honda for one of its products - a robot for testing the quality of parts on the production line. The company now reports that it has received orders from customers in the auto industry, headed by Honda, which will install the robot in its assembly line in the coming months. The company is not revealing the size of the order, but market sources say that the deal with Honda is in the tens of millions of dollars.
Musashi Al has been working at Neve Ilan for six months, and has 30 development employees. The company also has dozens of production workers in Japan. Following completion of the pilot, the company is expanding, and plans to increase the number of its employees to 100-200 by the end of the year.
Poliakine holds 49% of the shares in the joint venture through SixEye Interactive, his software company, while Musashi Seimitsu holds 51%. Poliakine founded Powermat in 2006 with former Blackberry CEO Thorsten Heins. Two years later, a dispute in the company between Poliakine and some of the shareholders led to the replacement of Heins and the appointment of Elad Dubzinski as CEO. Powermat still operates; its charging stations are deployed in Starbucks branches in the US.
"1.6 million Japanese test components manually"
The joint venture has developed two products for automated assembly lines so far: an optical system for detecting defects in metal parts on auto production lines and an automated forklift for factories. The company displayed both of them at the artificial intelligence (AI) exhibition in Tokyo this month. The quality testing robot completed a successful pilot at Honda, while the forklift began a pilot in October. "It was very difficult to develop a machine to replace a human being in quality testing, because it operates the hands, which is robotics; sees, which is optics; and makes a decision, which is AI," Poliakine told "Globes."
According to Poliakine, Israel has a great deal of know-how in computer vision and AI, while Japan has a lot of expertise in robotics. The combination of these led to the development of a robot for testing the quality of components. To the best of Poliakine's knowledge, this will be the first such use of a robot. The robot contains an arm that holds parts and puts them into a box in the robot's "chest," where it scans the parts using cameras and sensors and detects defects in a few seconds, based on AI and machine learning capabilities.
"The automotive industry in Japan consists of eight million people, 1.6 million of whom, 20%, test the components manually. If a machine can do this work, these people can do something else productive, because there's no productivity in quality assurance," Poliakine adds. He says that in addition to the lower cost of these machines in comparison with quality assurance employees, such a robot can provide a country like Japan with a solution for another problem: lack of personnel.
In contrast to Western countries, where replacing people by robots arouses alarm, the attitude towards this process in Japan is different. The Japanese population is aging because of its especially low fertility rates, leading to a shortage of people for Japanese industry. Robots are likely to solve this problem. There is therefore a great emphasis in Japan on promoting AI technologies, and SoftBank is one of the leaders in this trend.
The Japanese minister of economy, who visited Israel at the head of a senior delegation early this year, attended the signing of a cooperation agreement between Poliakine and Musashi Seimitsu. It was the largest delegation of Japanese leaders ever to visit Israel. A conference in honor of the visit celebrated improvement in relations between the two countries. This improvement was reflected in Israeli exports to Japan, which reached $1.16 billion in 2018, 42% more than in 2017.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on April 15, 2019
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2019


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Chevy managed to oust Toyota's Prius in Consumer Reports' Top 10 Cars list. Hell has frozen over.
Consumer Reports just put out its Top 10 Cars list for 2018 and it's raising some eyebrows, in a good way. Old standbys saw some love, but it's the move toward a more pocket-friendly future that has Consumer Reports turning heads.
Toyota, not a stranger to the Top 10 Cars list, picked up four spots and Chevrolet etched out two spots. New kid on the block Genesis—Hyundai's luxury arm—ranked the highest-rated brand and the Chevy Bolt toppled the Toyota Prius as the best electric vehicle. Yes, that Chevy Bolt.
Consumer Reports' Director of Automotive Testing, Jake Fisher, said this upset in the industry is due to the Bolt's "further proof" that electric cars are bleeding into the mainstream more seamlessly as prices fall and performance improves.
How The Mighty Fall
Electric vehicles haven't made the impact car companies have wanted them to and that may have to do with the price tag. But last year the Bolt became the first EV to rice below $30,000 after cutting in the $7,500 federal tax credit. Plus, its battery-charge range has grown, now hitting an EPA-estimated 238 miles in distance.
Could the Bolt finally catch on or at least help in changing the game from a Toyota-dominated field?
And speaking of Toyota, the Japanese automaker still crushed the competition for the Top 10 Cars list. Even though the Prius got knocked off, four cars still stayed on top. The Corolla took honors as the top Compact Car for its fuel efficiency and practicality, and the Camry, probably the most underrated sedan out there, took home the prize for leading Midsize Car.
Other Notable Wins
Here's a look at some other winners who topped Consumer Reports' Top 10 Cars list for 2018:
- The Subaru Forester as the Top Compact SUV
- Ford's F-150 as Best Full-Sized Pickup Truck
- Audi's A4 as Best Luxury Compact Car
- The BMW X3 as Top Luxury Compact SUV
What's your consensus on this list? Anything overrated or missing? Let us know!
WATCH: Ford and Domino's Designed a Self-Driving Pizza Delivery Car


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Reality star Kylie Jenner takes birthdays seriously. The Kylie Cosmetics founder goes all-out not only for her birthday but for her daughter’s birthday as well. As the beauty mogul turns 23, we’re looking at back on some of the most expensive birthday parties Jenner has ever thrown — and in 2019, the cost totaled to more than $3 million in one year.
Kylie Jenner’s luxurious 22nd birthday trip to Italy cost close to $2 million
Jenner’s birthday party this year will likely be a little lower key than her extravagant 22nd birthday bash thanks to the coronavirus (COVID-19). But in 2019, Jenner spared no expense at celebrating her birthday in style. She chartered a yacht off the coast of Italy for a week, but it wasn’t just any yacht; it was Tranquility, a 300-foot mega yacht that cost $1.25 million per week to charter.
Jenner’s birthday week cost at least that much, but that’s not factoring in flights, food, and the exotic experiences she offered her friends and family throughout the week. Jenner tends to fly private, and chartering a mid-size private jet to Italy costs a minimum of $80,000 round trip for a 14-hour flight from California. Jenner might have even chartered a larger plane, depending on how many people she invited. It’s unclear how much the extras cost, but Jenner’s total bill likely came in right around $2 million.
Jenner’s birthday parties for Stormi are estimated to cost between $100,000 and $1 million
Jenner spares no expense for her daughter’s birthday parties, either. Stormi is only two, but her mother has pulled out all the stops to ring in each year in the best way possible. A massive inflatable Stormi greeted guests at the entrance to both year’s parties, and Stormi’s cake was crafted with butterflies, flowers, and a moving carousel.
Though the actual cost of Stormi’s birthday parties remains unknown, her first birthday was estimated somewhere around $1 million. As for her second birthday, Jenner didn’t go quite as crazy but still dropped an estimated $100,000 on the big day.
Jenner’s sweet 16 party favors cost $1,000 each — but she didn’t pay for them
Jenner’s lavish birthday bashes started long before her billionaire status; even her sweet 16 was incredibly expensive. Though Jenner likely didn’t pay for her own birthday party, she knew how to ring up a bill. According to Daily Mail, Jenner’s sweet 16 party favors cost an estimated $1,000 each — and every guest went home with one at the end of the night.
Surprisingly, though, Jenner was able to put together lavish party favors without paying a dime — that’s because Brand Placement supplied the goody bags, which included iHome speakers, jewelry, and makeup, among other products. Though Jenner got away with not paying for them, she could have footed the bill if she had wanted to.
Jenner reportedly spent $1 million on a gift for her daughter
While Jenner’s pricy parties are hard to beat, she might spend more on gifts. Jenner reportedly purchased a $1 million diamond ring for her toddler for Christmas — not quite a birthday party, but still an unbelievable present for a special occasion. The ring boasts 22 carats and is in the shape of a bow. The seemingly obvious problem with purchasing a ring this size for her daughter is that Stormi will likely grow out of it within the year. With that, fans slammed Jenner for spending so much money on something that won’t be wearable for very long, but that’s never stopped her before.


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Westmorland Gazette's wedding fair hailed 'best one yet'
CHAUFFEURS in top hats and a harpist welcomed bridal parties to another hugely successful Kendal wedding fair.
The event, held at the Stonecross Manor Hotel and organised by The Westmorland Gazette, provided a catwalk extravaganza of wedding gowns, plus the chance to see a range of wedding products and services from many exhibitors.
Organiser Trudi Allan, from the Gazette, said: "It is absolutely fabulous, and I think the best one yet. It’s great that it’s so busy and there is a whole array of bridal shop products on show.”
As well as the traditional cakes, dresses and accessories to decide on, there were some more alternative ideas - like installing a photobooth for guests to don props and create some more original wedding photographs, or hiring a 1940s style ice cream tricycle.
Florist Katie Robinson, who runs Made in Flowers based in Frothimoon, Kendal, said: “It is the first time I have been to this fair and lovely to see it so busy.
“I love weddings, they are my passion within the business and it is great to be a part of the couples’ special day.”
Agi Green, owner of Elegance Cakes based in Ambleside, moved her business from London seven months ago.
She said: “The fair has been very well organised and it is really encouraging so far. Knowing so many weddings take place in the Lake District it is a great to place to be.”
Bride-to-be Dawn Hardman said she was almost ready for her big day next May, and was just looking for some last details at the fair like invitations and favours.
Claire Otway, planning a low-key wedding next September, said: “It is lovely to come and see all the ideas.”


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Unfortunately in our modern world, access to a good education still isn’t easily accessible to everyone. But thanks to the evolution of computer and internet technology, this is beginning to change. Since Sebastian Thrun began offering free online courses in association with Stanford University last year, leading universities have scrambled to create their own online offering. MIT and Harvard are the latest to join in on this trend, teaming up to create EDX – a $60 million venture that will offer free, digital courses to students around the world.
This is just another example of how modern technology is capable of breaking down barriers, leveling the playing field and revolutionizing education. 20 years ago the thought of free courses at the world’s most prestigious universities would have been seen as insanity. Now it’s soon to be available to everyone.


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Lotus has revealed an all-new competition-spec GT4 version of the Emira sports car, called the Lotus Emira GT4.
Developed in collaboration with project partner RML Group, the race-ready concept is yet another milestone in the transformation which is taking place in every area of the Lotus business and brand.
Following the July launch of the Lotus Emira and its debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed, Lotus and RML Group are committed to writing a successful new chapter in the legendary Lotus motorsport story.
Each Lotus Emira GT4 will be homologated
Almost all modern Lotus road cars have had race-ready siblings and the Emira is no exception. Each customer car will be a homologated performance machine, hand-built with lightweight motorsport components and equipment to meet the latest safety regulations.
The Hethel-based development team has focused on precision engineering to deliver outstanding dynamics and high-speed stability.
The advanced composite bodywork makes the car exceptionally lightweight and, coupled with Toyota’s race-proven 3.5-litre V6 engine and optimised GT4 aerodynamics derived from the road-going Emira’s advanced exterior design, the Emira GT4 promises to be more than competitive.
Richard Selwin, Race Programme Manager, Lotus, commented: “The all-new Emira GT4 is an exciting next step following the hugely successful launch of the Emira road car. We have worked hard with the team at RML Group to ensure this next-generation of Lotus GT car will deliver race-winning performance.”
Simon Holloway, Commercial Director, RML Group, commented: “We are delighted to be collaborating with Lotus on the all-new Emira GT4 Concept. Both companies have a long and successful motorsport pedigree, and to bring that together at such an exciting time for Lotus is a welcome validation of our vision and values.”
Since the Mark 1
Lotus has been synonymous with racing success ever since the Mark I, a trials car hand-built by founder Colin Chapman in 1948, and the company has pioneered many of the technical innovations which make racing the thrilling sport it is today.
The impressive roll-call of honours includes seven Formula 1 Constructors’ titles, six Drivers’ Championships and the Indianapolis 500.
The return to world motorsport is a key pillar of the company’s transformation. Earlier this year Lotus Engineering, the consultancy division of the business, became technical partner to JBXE, the Extreme E race team led by F1 world champion Jenson Button.
The Lotus Emira GT4 will be officially launched later this year at an event on the Hethel test track, the iconic 2.2-mile circuit which has hosted the development of some of the world’s most famous race cars.