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Snezana Markoski announces fashion blog as she is primped for a photoshoot after saying she is 'in the best shape' thanks to trainer fiance Sam Wood
She went from a science medical sales representative to reality starlet in a matter of months.
And Snezana Markoski can now add another feather to her cap, as she releases a brand new fashion and lifestyle site.
The 35-year-old - who won the heart of Sam Wood on The Bachelor last year - took to Instagram on Wednesday, sharing a video of herself getting primped ahead of a photoshoot for the blog.
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Behind-the-scenes: Snezana Markoski, 35, took to her Instagram on Wednesday while getting primped for a photoshoot to announce the release of a brand new fashion and lifestyle blog
'So excited, coming soon #fashionlifestyleblog Thank you to my amazing team...', wrote the brunette beauty.
She posed casually in an oversized black blouse, fitted trousers and heels.
The budding entrepreneur was seen getting being fussed over by a team of hair and makeup artists while standing in front of a glass backdrop that looked out across the city.
Primped: The brunette beauty was seen getting attended to by a team of hair and makeup artists while standing in front of a glass backdrop that looked out across the city
Last week Snezana took to Instagram to show a snap working at her home office as she sported a casual look of a grey cardigan and faux leather tights that hugged her trim pins perfectly.
She let her brunette tresses fall effortlessly to one side and appeared in business mode with a pair of chic spectacles.
'Turned my @sleepingduckhq mattress into my home office this morning,' she captioned the shot.
She also added in the hashtags #sleephappy and #comfyofficeday.
Specs appeal: Last week Snezana took to Instagram to show a snap working at her home office as she sported a casual look of a grey cardigan and faux leather tights that hugged her trim pins perfectly
Her impending blog won't be the first instance Snezana has fraternised with the world of fashion - she was announced as the ambassador for Hagar Australia's Style for Life Day earlier in the month.
The former reality star will be joined by the likes of Elyse Knowles, Rachel Griffiths and AFL player Travis Cloke to promote the campaign.
Taking to Instagram to announce her involvement, she shared a photo of herself draped in a Style For Life branded shirt, captioned: 'I'm so proud to be an ambassador for Hagar Australia's Style for Life Day.
'Where every dollar raised will go to supporting survivors of slavery in Cambodia and Vietnam. Book in at participating hairdressing salons on #styleforlifeday July 31.'
For charity: Snezana was announced as the ambassador for Hagar Australia's Style for Life Day earlier in the month
Trim: Late last year the mother-of-one took on Sam Wood's 28-day health and fitness program and as a result gained one impressive bikini body
Late last year the mother-of-one took on her boyfriend's 28-day health and fitness programme and as a result gained one impressive bikini body.
Personal trainer and former Bachelor star Sam Wood, developed a four-week fitness plan for Snezana, and put her on a diet that included smoothies, lower-carb bread lunches and hearty dinners.
Hunky Sam previously told NW about the first time he took his leading lady into his Melbourne gym, The Woodshed.
'She was great,' he said, adding, 'she was pretty impressive actually. She's tough, she does boxing and circuits and stuff back home,' the star added.
Fit couple: The stunning personality and her personal trainer beau often enjoy working out together
Reality TV romance: Snezana won the heart of Sam on The Bachelor last year with the pair quickly becoming in engaged afterwards
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This year, there may be less people eating leftover turkey sandwiches through December.
According to Bloomberg.com, 12 to 14 pound turkeys are becoming more popular. They claim this smaller size trend is thanks to smaller families and growing concern over waste. Each year, an estimated 200 million pounds of turkey meat is thrown out over the Thanksgiving holiday.
But bigger turkeys haven’t been forgotten. We spoke to one shopper who bought a 25 pound turkey to share with friends over the weekend.
“I like the leftovers.” (What kind of leftovers do you do?) “I do turkey soup and casserole .. or sandwiches,” says Sandy Williams, Minot Resident.
For that reason, she said she doesn’t mind buying larger turkeys.

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Staff told to work from home and 10pm curfew brought in for bars and restaurants
The Prime Minister Boris Johnson has today announced further measures to restrict the spread of coronavirus which will affect the fragile retail and hospitality sectors the most.
A number of measures will be introduced in the coming days in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Johnson highlighted the following points which could remain in place in England for six months:
- Office workers who can work from home should do so. Where it’s not possible, such as in the construction or retail industry, they should continue to attend their ‘covid secure’ workplace
- From Thursday, all pubs, bars and restaurants will only be able to operate table service and will be required to close at 10pm (not just last orders). This excludes delivery services
- Extend the requirement for face coverings in retail, taxis and hospitality for staff and customers
- From Monday, a maximum of 15 (down from 30) people can attend wedding receptions and ceremonies. However, up to 30 can attend funerals
- The ‘Rule of Six’ will also apply to indoor team sport
- Large sporting events and conferences which were due to take place from 1 October will now not go ahead
- Fines of up to £10,000 will be applied to firms breaking the rules while for Brits, they’ll be fined a higher £200 for a first offence, up from £100
- For those who were told to shield at the height of the pandemic, they don’t need to shield except in local lockdown areas, though this will be kept under constant review
- Schools, colleges and universities can continue to be open as now.
The measures come as Johnson revealed that England is now in the second wave of coronavirus. Just a month ago, 1,000 people a day were testing positive for coronavirus, but the figures have risen to nearly 4,000.
With winter approaching, this could mean 10,000s of new cases next month and in the past couple of weeks, hospital admissions have doubled. Further just 8% of people have coronavirus antibodies.
Johnson said the devolved administrations will also take similar steps to get the ‘R’ number – the coronavirus reproduction rate down.
He said: “This is the moment to act. If we can curb daily infections and reduce the reproduction rate to one, this will protect the NHS and shelter the economy.
“We’re acting on the principle, a stitch in time saves nine. We’re sorry this will affect businesses just getting back on their feet.
“If all actions fail to take the ‘R’ rate to below one, there will be significantly further restrictions. We want to avoid taking this step but we will only be able to avoid this if the new measures work and behaviour changes.
“We can assume that these restrictions remain in place for six months. Coronavirus is a fact of our lives and our fight against it will continue.
“These are decisive and appropriate steps to protect jobs, lives and livelihoods.”


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WASHINGTON – The National Confectioners Association revealed today that an overwhelming 91% of Americans plan to share their favorite confectionery treats with family, friends and other special people in their lives during the 2022 Easter season. Additionally, more than 90% of Americans who make Easter baskets plan to include chocolate and candy in their baskets as part of this special occasion, according to NCA.
“Many traditions during the Easter season give Americans a chance to celebrate spring with their family, friends and loved ones – something many of us are craving after countless special moments and holidays apart,” John Downs, president & CEO of NCA, said. “Sharing a little bit of confectionery is a time-honored tradition this time of year and an important consideration for consumers when they purchase chocolate and candy.”
The Easter season is a major moment for the confectionery industry, totaling about $4 billion in sales in 2021 alone. 2022 Easter confectionery sales are expected to be 5% to 7% higher, building off the record-setting sales seen in 2021 thanks to a longer lead-up to the Easter holiday and consumer enthusiasm for extending seasonal celebrations.
As revealed in NCA’s new 2022 State of Treating report, consumers also turn to confectionery during seasonal celebrations like Easter to share their enthusiasm with loved ones and support their own emotional well-being, with 72% of consumers saying they feel their physical health and emotional well-being are connected.
The type of candy included in Easter baskets varies widely. 44% of Americans say the best Easter treats are chocolate eggs and bunnies, while 20% prefer jelly beans in their Easter baskets. Candy-coated eggs (18%) and marshmallow candies (15%) round out Americans’ top four favorite Easter basket items. But no matter which candy they prefer, Americans can agree on one thing: celebrating the Easter season wouldn’t be the same without a sweet treat.
84 percent of Americans agree that chocolate and candy are a fun and important part of special celebrations and traditions like Easter. People in the U.S. enjoy chocolate and candy 2-3 times per week, averaging about 40 calories per day and just one teaspoon of added sugar per day from confectionery items.
To provide Americans with more fun facts and information during this year’s longer Easter season and all the fun confectionery treats that come along with it, the National Confectioners Association created Easter Central, a one-stop digital hub for Easter holiday tips and tricks for treating. Visitors can find information on the history of the jelly bean, a breakdown of how Americans really eat their chocolate bunnies and more sweet Easter insights. Visit Easter Central at AlwaysATreat.com/Easter.
About the National Confectioners Association (NCA):
The National Confectioners Association is the leading trade organization for the U.S. confectionery industry, which generates $42 billion in retail sales each year. NCA advocates for an environment that enables candy makers to thrive and works to ensure that chocolate, candy, gum and mints are celebrated for their contributions to culture, society, the economy and everyday moments of joy. The industry employs nearly 58,000 workers in more than 1,600 manufacturing facilities across all 50 states and supports an additional 635,000 jobs in related fields. The U.S. confectionery industry has made a commitment to increasing transparency, providing more portion guidance options and educating consumers about the role of confectionery in a happy, balanced lifestyle. Learn more at CandyUSA.com or follow NCA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.


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Cllr Andrew Waller, Executive Member Economy and Strategic Planning, has written to the Chancellor to call for an urgent support and recovery package to be introduced for the hospitality industry, as the return of more stringent public health restrictions leave businesses facing a challenging winter period.
This comes as the York Lib Dems continue to call on the Government to back York and our city’s businesses to seize the opportunities that would enable us to lead the recovery in our region and across the North of England.
The hospitality sector has been particularly hard hit by Coronavirus prevention measures. While we have seen residents and visitors return to the city, York’s hotel and restaurant businesses, dependent on indoor spaces and social interaction, are operating in a limited capacity with the observation of Covid-secure measures. Uncertainty around the impact of further restrictions, put in place to control the spread of the virus, is already affecting business and consumer confidence at this challenging time for the economy.
Writing to the Chancellor, Cllr Andrew Waller, commented:
“A considerable amount of work has gone into reopening the city centre and support the return of customers for retail and hospitality, with footfall in the city centre well above the national average for high streets.
“With the added complexities of evolving government restrictions, it is clear that the hospitality industry will continue to be impacted and will need to keep adapting. With no way of making up the income lost and with the prospect of schemes such as furlough coming to an end, many hospitality businesses are facing a cliff edge.
“We’re calling on the Government to introduce a support and recovery package tailored to the needs of the hospitality industry to protect jobs and give the long-term confidence businesses need to survive the coming challenging months.
“Whilst public health must always remain our top priority, we must not underestimate the impact that this health crisis continues to have on businesses across the country, who remain faced with ever-increasing uncertainty as Government support schemes come to end just as further restrictions are put back in place. Enhanced restriction measures must be accompanied by comprehensive government support to minimise the damage to business and save the livelihoods of millions of people across the country.”


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Tata Motors Ltd on Friday launched an institutional share sale to raise as much as $525 million to reduce debt and grow its business, three sources with direct knowledge of the transaction said.
The leading vehicle maker with about two-thirds of the local market is raising about $325 million by issuing shares with differential voting rights, while the remaining would be raised by selling ordinary shares, the sources said.
The sources declined to be named as they were not authorised to speak to the media.
Shares with differential voting rights are normally issued to protect the stake of founders in a company. Such shares allow investors to get higher dividends, but in return they have to surrender their voting rights.
Sources said shares of Tata Motors with differential voting rights are being sold at a floor price of Rs 764 ($17.2) each ,representing a discount of nearly 32 per cent over its closing price of Rs 1,118.85 on Friday.
The company, a part of the diversified conglomerate Tata Group, is selling ordinary shares to institutional investors at a floor price of Rs 1,074 each, a discount of 4 per cent over its current market price, sources said.
Credit Suisse and Citibank are the lead managers for the issue, sources said.
Officials at Tata Motors, Credit Suisse and Citibank were not immediately available for comment.
In June, Tata Motors had said it planned to raise about Rs 4,700 crore ($1.1 billion) through a combination of shares, bonds, debentures and other equity-linked instruments.
Tata Motors has been looking to deleverage its balance sheet through selling its stake in group firms, internal accruals and raising equity.
The company, which had net debt of about $4 billion on its books at the end of March 2010, has reduced its debt-to-equity ratio to 2.05 from 4 in March 2009.
Last year, Tata Motors raised about $750 million through the issue of global depository shares and convertible notes, and paid off the entire outstanding debt incurred in its acquisition of the Jaguar and Land Rover (JLR) brands from Ford in 2008.
Earlier this year, the firm retired debt worth $345 million by offering early conversion to its foreign currency bond holders.
In 2008, Tata Motors had issued shares with differential voting rights to fund the Jaguar Land Rover buy, but the issue was undersubscribed and had to be picked up by the founders and group firms of the Tatas.


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Wearing a face mask has become part of daily life during the pandemic – but what about donning two?
Double masking is particularly popular in America – President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have been seen wearing two masks at once – with the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) saying: “Wearing two masks can improve fit and give you better protection.”
What is double masking?
‘Double masking’ refers to wearing two masks, one on top of another. However, you shouldn’t layer any type of mask – it should be a tightly fitting surgical mask followed by a cloth mask over the top.
What are the potential benefits?
For NHS consultant and co-founder of skindoc Dr Sreedhar Krishna, when it comes to the effectiveness of masks, “it all comes down to the fit”, which double masking could potentially help with.
“If you want to wear a surgical mask inside and a cloth mask outside to seal up the surgical mask’s fit, that seems very reasonable,” he says, but notes a single, well-fitting mask would also do the job.
When might you not want to double mask?
If you have a really tight and well fitting mask, “I would suggest it’s probably not a good idea to put a second mask on, because it will probably restrict airflow to the extent where even someone with normal respiratory capacity could end up with some difficulties,” says Krishna.
What do you need to wary of with double masking?
For Krishna, one problem is people thinking they’re “invincible” when double masking; it shouldn’t mean other precautions like social distancing, following lockdown measures and regular hand washing go out the window.
“In itself, it’s not a golden bullet, and I’d probably be a bit reticent because people may think they’re invincible if they’re wearing a double mask, which is definitely not the case,” he says.
He also warns against using the wrong types of masks. “If your internal mask is poorly fitted and you put something else up top – like two surgical masks one on top of another – you may actually be making things worse for yourself,” Krishna suggests.
What common mistakes are people making with masks?
Krishna calls ill-fitting masks a “big, big problem”. Whether you’re wearing one mask or two, Krishna says they need to be “encroaching on your nose” and “a little bit uncomfortable”.
If your mask isn’t tight, the doctor explains, “although you may be protected from droplet spread if somebody coughs in your face, if you’re in an infected environment with aerosol transmission, it could just slip in through the top of your mask very easily.” Not regularly washing reusable masks can also “create lots of difficulties”, he says, including skin issues such as acne.
“The best available scientific evidence is that, when used correctly, wearing a face covering may reduce the spread of coronavirus droplets in certain circumstances, helping to protect others,” notes official face covering guidance on gov.uk.
“Because face coverings are mainly intended to protect others from coronavirus (COVID-19) rather than the wearer, they are not a replacement for social distancing and regular hand washing.”


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What does your next Volvo have in common with your iPhone?
THE FIRST MADE-IN-CHINA Volvos for Singapore are on the way. The Swedish carmaker is moving production of its flagship sedan model, the S90, to a factory in Daqing, one of three manufacturing plants it operates in China.
A spokesperson from Wearnes Automotive, the local distributor for Volvo cars, said that all Volvo S90s sold in Singapore are currently made in Sweden, and that China-built ones will be “made available at a later stage” here.
The Swedish carmaker is building new factories to meet growing demand. This year it is opening a plant in India to supply the market there, and in 2018 a new factory in the USA will build up to 100,000 cars.
Volvo’s new plant in Daqing in northern China is just one of several planned new factories
The USA was the first-recipient of China-made Volvos when the company began exporting the S60 (a smaller sedan than the S90) there in 2015. The new US plant will be the global production home of the next S60.
That makes it likely that US-made Volvos will eventually be sold alongside the China-sourced S90s in Singapore.
Volvo continues to build cars in Sweden (the XC90 and new XC60, both crossover cars) and Belgium (the rest of the range).
Nevertheless, its ties with China look set to deepen. The new China-Europe railway link now makes overland transport of cars between the two territories feasible. Compared to shipping, it cuts the transit time from factory to Volvo’s distribution point in Belgium from 60 days to just 20 (and very likely, bypasses Singapore in the process).
Volvo has also been developing its next range of compact cars together with its corporate parent, Zhejiang Geely, and will export its first electric vehicle from China when it goes on sale next year.
Geely has owned Volvo since 2010.
The Swedish carmaker sold a record 534,332 cars worldwide in 2016, and has an ambitious target to reach 800,000 annual sales by 2020.
China, now the world’s largest car market, will likely fuel much of the demand for all those Volvos. But it is also looking like an ever-growing source of supply, as well.
Not all Volvos are big. The V40 T2 R-Design is a VW Golf challenger that looks snazzy. It’s yours for $152,000 with COE…


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Street Fighter 5’s executive producer Yoshinori Ono has stated that Capcom are planning to support Street Fighter 5 as far as 2020, maybe even longer.
Yoshinori Ono was interviewed by Famitsu (the interview has been translated by Events Hub). Famitsu asked Ono “how far does your current road map for Street Fighter 5 development go?” Ono’s replied by saying: “It’s not just a 1-2 year thing. We’re looking pretty far ahead … We’ve planned out as far as 2020 or so.”
Yoshinori Ono then went on to talk about Capcom releasing a new non street fighter game before the next SF title was released:
“I’d be happy if we could. But first, we’d have to solidify Street Fighter V as an eSports title. I said in the beginning that we’ve seen a higher number of entrants than we had in the Street Fighter IV era, but we’d like to heighten that even further.”
“The more people participate, the bigger tournaments we can host, and the more people are going to watch them, which is directly connected with our sales, and that’s going to decide the future.”
So it looks likely that at least Yoshinori Ono will be supporting Street Fighter 5 for a fair few years yet. The next character to be coming to Street Fighter 5 will be Akuma, who will be making his appearance at the PlayStation experience next month.


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Hyderabad, Mar 8 (PTI) The Telangana government today launched a start-up incubator here to exclusively promote entrepreneurship among women.
The facility was launched on the occasion of International Women?s Day.
The incubator, named We-Hub, is the country?s first state-led incubator exclusively for women entrepreneurs, a state government release said.
"We-Hub will promote women-led, women-owned enterprises in Telangana. It is a platform which is open to all kinds of innovations including a tech start-up, a start-up in social innovation or an idea which is completely radically different," IT and Industries Minister K T Rama Rao said.
Defence scientist Tessy Thomas, Vani Kola, Managing Director, Kalaari Capital along with industry leaders and others were present on the occasion.
We-Hub would provide an entrepreneurial platform for aspiring women from rural and urban backgrounds, the release said.
"The vision of this initiative is to empower women and make them independent to overcome the societal barriers,? it said.
Six MoUs were signed at the We-Hub launch event. The six partnerships would help promote women entrepreneurship through co-incubation programs, events, workshops and social innovation programs, it added. PTI SJR RSY


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She replaces Choi Yen Pan and will report to CEO Sriram Krishnamurthy. Goh was previously the marketing director at GCH Retail Malaysia. Wipro Unza’s spokesperson declined to comment on A+M’s queries regarding Choi’s next move.
Goh told A+M in an exclusive statement that she was inspired by the company as it exhibited a “strong entrepreneur spirit”. “If you can imagine or articulate a new product vision, you have the freedom of creativity to realise the product innovation locally,” Goh said.
She added that employer branding is a focus moving forward for Wipro Unza, and the company has already been recognised in the HR industry. The other interesting part of the role in Malaysia, Goh said, is that the marketing team is not only brand builders, but also in charge of new product development, something which she describes as “a true blue start-to-end marketer”.
For 2019, Goh hopes to aid Wipro Unza in remaining at the forefront of product innovation, piquing consumers’ imagination by delivering better value than conventional products and by addressing emerging trends. Goh previously worked at L’Oreal, Johnson & Johnson and Unilever Malaysia. She has over 15 years of experience in the FMCG industry.


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Crypto Inventory Mania Examined By Falling Costs and Falling Bitcoin
A drop in cryptocurrency-related shares following the autumn in Bitcoin and the uneven debut of Coinbase World Inc. is prompting a rallying cry from optimists dismissing fears the sector has peaked.
A world basket of shares, hosted by Bloomberg, linked to crypto buying and selling or Bitcoin mining has fallen by round 9% over the previous week, lowering the 2021 surge to round 130%. A Bitcoin weekend plunge rocked the crypto mania, however the token has since minimize some losses and stays up 690% up to now 12 months.
“Validating the Bitcoin public market and your complete Coinbase itemizing house will encourage individuals who can spend money on the markets to take action,” stated Jehan Chu, managing companion of crypto advisor Kenetic Capital in Hong Kong. There are indicators that retail traders have benefited from the autumn in Bitcoin, he added.
Bitcoin climbed to 2.3% on Monday and was buying and selling at US $ 56,691 at 6:08 am New York.
Day merchants additionally pushed up shares comparable to Bitcoin miner Marathon Digital Holdings Inc. and crypto dealer Voyager Digital Ltd., which rose at the very least 8,900% final 12 months. For some, the US $ 68 billion market worth for the Coinbase digital token trade justifies betting on a breakthrough in crypto adoption. Others concern the record and Bitcoin’s swings are a part of an unsustainable, stimulus-fueled frenzy.
“Passions run deep” on the near-term outlook for crypto “however the declines are clearly supported,” Chris Weston, head of analysis at Pepperstone Group Ltd., wrote in a observe Monday.
Coinbase, the most important cryptocurrency trade in the USA, fell 2.6% in US pre-market buying and selling after closing at US $ 342 on Friday, after a excessive of US $ 429.54 reached within the U.S. first minutes of his debut on April 14. Marathon and Voyager misplaced about 20% final week.
On Monday, in Asia, shares of firms comparable to Japan’s Monex Group Inc., which owns a crypto trade, and Woori Expertise Funding Co. – which owns a stake in a serious South Korean digital token dealer – had been within the highlight. pink. Cryptocurrency-related shares fell within the US pre-market as properly, with Riot Blockchain Inc. down 8.4% and Marathon down 7.2%
Nonetheless, analysts who’ve began overlaying Coinbase are bullish, averaging a 52% rise over the following 12 months. Firm CEO Brian Armstrong described the itemizing as a change in legitimacy for your complete cryptocurrency trade.
Gross sales facet
In response to Henri Arslanian, World Crypto Chief of PwC based mostly in Hong Kong, the truth that extra analysts on the promote facet are being pressured to have interaction within the digital token trade is a optimistic growth for him.
“This now requires promoting firms to cowl Coinbase and crypto in a extra sensible and detailed method,” Arslanian stated. “This can deliver not solely extra expertise, but in addition extra experience within the asset class.”
Many pitfalls stay: The Bitcoin increase may flip right into a collapse but, and regulators are poised to tighten oversight of digital tokens and related companies as they achieve higher acceptance.
However for now, the cryptocurrency craze continues. For instance, Dogecoin – a token created as a joke – almost tripled to succeed in a market worth of round US $ 50 billion on Friday. The demand was so excessive that traders attempting to commerce it on Robinhood crashed the positioning.
“It is nonetheless early within the recreation,” stated Dave Chapman, government director of Hong Kong-based BC Expertise Group Ltd., which operates the OSL digital asset platform. “Buyers have the chance to take part and achieve a first-come benefit.”
– With the assistance of Nisha Gopalan and Joanna Ossinger.


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We have seen the first 10nm Intel Cannonlake chip show up officially on Intel's webpage a few days ago and today, we are looking at another 10nm Cannonlake chip courtesy of TUM APISAK. The Intel chip that we saw a few days ago was part of the Cannonlake-U family while the one that has leaked now is part of the Cannonlake-Y family.
Intel's 10nm Cannonlake-Y Core M Processor Leaks Out - Comes With Integrated GPU, Dual Core 1.5 GHz Base Clock, Sub 5W TDP
The Intel 10nm family has taken way too long to reach consumers. It is still not officially out yet, but some retail stores in the Asia Pacific region are offering Cannonlake-U equipped notebooks as was reported in the previous article.
Intel's Cannonlake-Y series is part of the ultra-low power design which has the lowest TDP parts for power conservative and fanless designs. These chips are clocked lower to meet the specifications of such devices, allowing maximum battery times and silent running performance. Intel has been branding the Y-series parts under the Core M lineup. The latest part based on the 10nm process will be known as the Core M3-8114Y.
In terms of specifications, we are looking at a dual-core design with four threads. The CPU runs at a base clock of 1.5 GHz. The previous Kaby Lake Core M3 lineup featured a base clock of 1.1 GHz that boosted up to 3 GHz on the flagship part so we can take a hint here that the boost clock will end up being a slight bit higher than 7th Gen Core M processors. Other details include support for LPDDR4 memory and most surprisingly, a design which comes with an integrated GPU enabled.
When the Core i3-8121U was revealed, we saw that it had no iGPU and notebooks had to make use of a discrete graphics solution. That's not the case here as the chip is the first Cannonlake 2+2 part. The M3-8114Y comes with the Intel UHD graphics chip and the entire processor has a rated TDP of 4.5W. There's no mention of how many execution units will be available on the iGPU. We expect more details from Intel to be revealed at their Computex keynote in early June.


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ltechnologygroup.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.http://tctechcrunch2011.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/nvidia-ces-2018-0440.jpg
Nvidia revealed a lot of news about its Xavier autonomous machine intelligence processors at this year’s CES show in Las Vegas. The first production samples of the Xavier are now shipping out to customers, after being unveiled last year, and Nvidia also announced three new variants of its DRIVE AI platform, which are based around Xavier SoCs.
The new DRIVE AI offerings include one focused on putting augmented reality into vehicles, in ways that Nvidia says could enhance and transform the driving experience. The company’s automotive lead, Danny Shapiro, believes that just as AR has become an increasingly fundamental part of the smartphone experience, so too will it become natural and even essential in cars.
DRIVE AR offers developers an SDK that will allow developers to build experiences that tap into computer vision, graphics and artificial intelligence capabilities to do things like overlay information about road conditions, points of interest and other real-world locations using interactive in-car displays.
DRIVE IX, another of the three new platforms it’s unveiling based on Xavier, will make in-car AI assistants easier to build and deploy, with capabilities that incorporate both interior and exterior sensor data to interact not only with drivers, but also with passengers on the road. All automakers will likely eventually have their own proprietary Alexa built into vehicles, and Nvidia could be a big driving force behind making that happen with DRIVE IX.
Nvidia’s last new DRIVE AI-based platform is actually a revision of its existing autonomous taxi brain, Pegasus. The new version of Pegasus improves on the previously revealed preproduction edition by comping two Xavier SoCs with two Nvidia GPUs into a package that’s roughly the size of a license plate – down from the trunk-filling physical footprint of the original.
Nvidia is working with at least 25 customers on using Pegasus to power their self-driving robotaxi fleet, and it’s going to ship the first samples of Pegasus to a select group of those clients starting in the middle of this year. In total, over 320 partners are working with Nvidia on autonomous driving.
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Call Toll Free (855) 999-6425 for a FREE Consultation from L Technology Group, https://www.ltechnologygroup.com.


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What You Need To Know About The Pet CBD Business
Cannabis's new customers may have four legs, but the market for them takes some savvy to navigate.
Like adorable puppies in a store window, the booming industry of CBD for pets is hard to resist. Sales within the sector quadrupled in 2018, going from $8 million in 2017 to $32 million just a year later, according to the cannabis research firm Brightfield Group. By 2022, it predicts, the market could reach $1.16 billion. But despite the barkfest, making a profit in the space is no surefire bet. We caught up with a few founders and execs on the ground for guidance.
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Titanfall is headed to mobile as a card game. It has been confirmed today that Titanfall: Frontline will be a free-to-play card game for mobile devices powered by iOS and Android. Frontline is described as a strategy card game where players take on the role of brigade commanders and face other players in real-time head-to-head combat. The experience sounds a bit familiar like other digital card games like Hearthstone but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
A new studio called Particle City is developing Titanfall: Frontline while it’s going to be published by Nexon which previously worked with Titanfall developer Respawn Entertainment to release a free-to-play PC version of this game in Asia.
“Not only does Titanfall: Frontline capture an experience that feels distinctly Titanfall,” Respawn CEO Vince Zampella says, adding that “it delivers quick and strategic action that anyone with a smartphone will be able to download and enjoy.”
No further details about the new mobile title have been provided as yet but we can be sure to hear more in the months to come. It has been said today that Titanfall: Frontline is going to be released for iOS and Android later this year.
What Titanfall fans are more concerned with currently is the next title in this franchise which is also going to be released for PlayStation 4. Titanfall 2 is going to be released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on October 28th. Unlike other EA-published titles, there will be no early access for EA Access members.


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US Publishers test micropayments
A new startup, Blendle, has launched in beta in the US today, pushing micropayments for articles, as publishers begin to look for new ways around the ad-blocking threat. Big name publishers like The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal have all signed onto the platform, testing 19 to 39 cent payments for articles. While micropayments have existed in the publishing world previously, Blendle is notable for allowing customers to ask for a refund, if they don’t like the story they have paid for.
Vice's Shane Smith is Cannes' media person of the year
Cannes Lions has named Vice founder Shane Smith as the 2016 Media Person of the Year. Philip Thomas, CEO, Lions Festivals says: "Shane is an influential figure in today's media landscape. Not only is he responsible for taking Vice, which started life as a punk magazine, expanding it to become the world's leading global youth media company, but also, beyond this, he's a critically acclaimed journalist."
Aldi shuts online liquor offering
After two and a half years, Aldi has closed its online liquor store. The challenger supermarket brand flagged its intention to close the online store in February, with Aldi stating at the time that due to its expansion plans to South Australia and Western Australia it was throwing its resources behind those pushes. The closure doesn't effect its liquor products in store.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at email@example.com


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Chicago -- ShopperTrak announced the beta release of a new interior counting system for retailers in North America and the United Kingdom. The system builds on the company's existing Managed Service people counting solution by adding wireless location technology from WirelessWERXT.
Offered as an enhancement to its Managed Service offering, ShopperTrak's new interior counting system includes both in-store hardware and proprietary software. The system is easy to set up and adapts to ever-changing store merchandise displays. The enhanced offering will enable retailers to make better decisions based on anonymized foot-traffic numbers and conversion rates at the store, within individual departments and in front of product displays, according to ShopperTrak.


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Air travel company British Airways has settled a group action lawsuit brought forth by customers and staff affected by their 2018 data breach.
This breach, first revealed on the 7th September 2018, had caused the personal data of 420,000 staff and customers to be leaked.
This included the financial and personal details contained in bookings and changes on BA’s website and mobile app between the 21st August and the 5th September that year.
British Airways was hailed at the time for its appropriate and quick response which mirrored the new General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). However, a subsequent investigation by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) came to a far harsher conclusion.
It was found British Airways had been processing huge amounts of personal data without robust security measures in place when it fell victim to the attack. Furthermore, the ICO argued the airline did not appreciate and respond properly to the full seriousness and scope of the attack at the time.
The ICO argued that British Airways should have identified and fixed weaknesses in its cyber security to protect the data of its staff and customers, slapping the company in 2018 with a colossal £20 million fine.
Years later, the financial consequences continue. The successful resolution between British Airways and the claimants hinged on a confidential settlement, not including any admission of liability by the company.
The claimants, those affected in the data breach, were represented by law firm PGMBM, who had this to say on the case:
“The Information Commissioner’s Office laid out how BA did not take adequate measures to keep its passengers’ personal and financial information secure. However, this did not provide redress to those affected. This settlement now addresses that.”
PGMBM in addition to working on the British Airways case is also representing claimants in a lawsuit against EasyJet. A company which in 2020 faced a similar breach that saw the data of nine million passengers compromised.


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HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) - The Wild Bean Coffee Company coffee truck is serving everyone's favorite morning beverage Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. until around 10 a.m. in downtown Huntsville.
"We like to serve up joy and happiness, you know the mornings are hard for a lot of people," Owner and Operator Shelby Ward said.
For Ward, the idea for a small coffee business started in Houston when he worked at a roastery.
"I got inspired," Ward said. "I turned into a caffeinated soul."
When his journey brought him to the Rocket City, the inspiration came from seeing the food trucks.
"It's amazing what the food culture is doing here in Huntsville with the food trucks, and it's cheaper," Ward said.
Thus, the Wild Bean Coffee Company was born. Ward said his small business gives him the chance to make personal connections with his customers.
"I just want to serve people with a smile and kind of go above and beyond, just be kind to people," Ward explained.
You can find the coffee truck parked just across from Below the Radar, at 219 Holmes Avenue, every weekday morning.


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Fintechs have long relied on their superior customer experience to win market share from incumbent financial institutions (FIs), and it now seems this strategy is paying off for fintechs in most geographies, according to new data from Capgemini and Efma.
Globally, about 40% of the study’s circa 5,000 respondents reported a positive overall customer experience with non-traditional financial firms, compared with 37% for traditional financial players.
Here is a breakdown of customer satisfaction with fintechs by region:
- North American consumers are happiest with fintechs. Nearly 58% of customers in North America reported a positive experience with non-traditional FIs, compared with about 50% for legacy FIs. This suggests North American incumbents remain heavily focused on profitability and compliance, distracting them from devoting greater attention and resources to the customer experience. In addition, the authors say, the US especially has tended to be an early adopter of innovative technologies, which means consumers have been exposed to the industry for longer.
- Fintechs in APAC came in second. About 40% of APAC consumers had a positive experience with non-traditional financial firms, as opposed to around 33% for legacy firms. In emerging markets like China and India, this is probably due to their large unbanked populations, whose first access to the financial market has been via fintechs. In addition, consumers might be more acclimatized to using non-traditional providers’ services because tech giants like Ant Financial and WeChat are already active in the financial services space. In developed markets like Australia and Singapore, satisfaction is attributable to a lack of banking competition, and thereby incentives to please customers. These regions have also seen heavy government investment in fintech.
- EMEA customers are least impressed with fintechs. EMEA proved the exception to the global trend, with around 33% of consumers pleased with non-traditional FIs, compared with 36% for incumbents. However, in the UK and Turkey, fintechs won out over incumbents by about 9% and 12%, respectively, which the authors attributed to the greater presence of neobanks in these markets. This suggests that in the rest of EMEA, lower reporting of positive fintech experiences is due to a lack of consumer familiarity with these newcomers, and low usage of their services, rather than downright dissatisfaction.
In places where fintechs haven’t yet beaten incumbents, the culprit appears to be lack of exposure. The authors found a direct correlation between fintech penetration and customer reporting of positive experiences with these players, which suggests that as the fintech industry matures, and customer awareness and usage improves, newcomers will rapidly close the experience gap and overtake incumbents.
This means it will become more imperative than ever for incumbent FIs to start putting customer experience at the forefront of their business strategies. They will have to realize that simply investing in new apps and front-ends does not constitute a customer-centric organization — new services must work well, be personalized, and take customer feedback into account. Moreover, incumbents will have to integrate all components, from product through customer assistance to account closure, to deliver a holistic user experience.
- Explains why the profitability question is increasingly being raised.
- Outlines why fintechs in different segments are failing to turn a profit.
- Gives examples of just how large some fintechs’ losses are.
- Explores how fintechs are striving to solve the profitability problem.
- Outlines vital considerations for fintechs and their investors.
You can also purchase and download the full report from our research store.


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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's plan to suspend parliament has been met with protests, as well as pledges by opposition parties to fight the move.
Yesterday, the Queen approved the plan to suspend parliament in the week beginning September 9th until October 14th.
Mr Johnson has insisted it's simply to allow for a new 'Queen's speech' - a traditional event which details the legislative agenda of a new government.
The Monaghan-based bottled water company Celtic Pure has been placed into examinership.
Declan McDonald of PwC was appointed interim examiner following an application to the High Court.
Examinership gives a company protection for a period of up to 100 days.
Thousands of childminders will have to register with Tusla under new proposals being put forward by the Government.
Children's Minister Katherine Zappone today launched a draft action plan focused on "improving access to high quality and affordable early learning and care".
Currently, there are only 81 childminders registered with Tusla - with most of the country's thousands of others exempt from registration.
A primary school in Co Wicklow has banned the use of smartphones.
St Cronan's boys' national school in Bray carried out a survey in June, and more than 91% of parents voted for the ban.
With pupils returning to school following their summer break today, smartphones are no longer allowed.
US tech giant Apple is to allow independent repair businesses to fix its devices.
It has announced a new repair program, offering customers "additional options" for the most common out-of-warranty iPhone repairs.
The company has said it will provide more independent repair businesses - large or small - with the same parts, tools, training, repair manuals and diagnostics as its Apple Authorised Service Providers (AASPs).


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Smartphone Use in America: Is It Contributing to Cognitive Decline?
I may not be a genius, yet I do believe I possess critical thinking ability. While my refusal to allow myself to be hijacked by the siren song lure and promise of smartphone dependence and over-reliance, I recognize that I’m likely in the minority. Still, a growing body of scientific evidence points to the possibility that smartphones, despite their usefulness, may be culprits in the dumbing down of America. In short, smartphones may be making us dumber.
Already, I can hear the cries of outrage and imagine the flurry of protests. After all, smartphones have made our lives simpler, brought technology to our fingertips (literally), erased geographic boundaries, connected us in ways never possible, and so much more.
Granted, the technology behind smartphones has done all this. Yet, there’s a dark side to such seeming benevolence. It manifests itself in insidious ways, resulting in an unhealthy dependence on that beckoning device we must carry with us always, so much so that we literally forget how to think for ourselves.
Factors researchers have uncovered to bolster the findings that Americans’ use of smartphones is responsible, at least in part, for a decline in cognition include:
Smartphone use results in decreased attention span.
Flicking from one message to another, furiously texting a reply or posting to social networks via smartphone causes more than a problem with aching and overused fingers and thumbs. Being unable to resist an incoming text, call or post notification and feeling the urge to instantly view and/or respond creates the perfect storm for disrupting attention. Indeed, heavy smartphone users touch their devices an average of 5,427 times daily, compared with 2,617 for average users. The top 10 percent of heavy users averaged 132 separate phone sessions daily, versus 76 for average users. No wonder so many obsessive smartphone users can’t sit quietly without reaching for their mobile device, or find actual real-life conversations boring and too slow. They’re used to instant gratification, the thrill of receiving a non-stop influx of must-see material. A 2015 study exploring Internet addiction, problematic mobile phone usage and cognitive failures in daily life found that among those with lower working memory and poorer attention control are less resistant to the distractions of digital media and technology and present higher problems with cognition as self-reported.
Users demonstrate an over-reliance on a digital information source.
It’s just too easy to rely on digitally-available information. The results are also so much quicker. Yet the costs to cognitive cognition from such over-reliance on information readily available on the Internet is high. One 2015 study found that smartphone users forego analytical thinking in favor of the easy and fast response they get when they allow their devices to do their thinking for them. In addition, concluded the researchers, those smartphone users who are “relatively less willing and/or able to engage effortlessly reasonable processes may compensate by relying on the Internet through their smartphones.”
Smartphone users are increasingly unable to think for themselves.
Smartphones offer a tantalizing and ever-increasing variety of functions, all designed to captivate and hook users into using the devices for all manner of reasons – even some they’re not consciously aware of. To wit, smartphones are the portable pocket communicator, a convenient venue for mapping, shopping, attractions, gaming, research, and all manner of requests. The lure is so persuasive and convincing that users flock toward the latest smartphone technology in a desire to get the latest, fastest, smartphone technology that offers the most and best apps. One of the negative consequences of such pervasive and obsessive smartphone use is that users are increasingly unable to think for themselves.
Constant smartphone use contributes to a lazy mind.
Why bother to use your brain when you can just Google whatever you want to know? Stumped about geography or state capitols or past Presidents or who won the Super Bowl a certain year? You know this stuff, but you tell yourself it’s so much quicker just to tap into the always available information repository through your smartphone. Researchers studying smartphone use found that the “checking habit” — “brief, repetitive inspection of dynamic content quickly accessible on the device” supports the conjecture that the devices are habit-forming and provide opportunity to make the devices both more personal and pervasive. A 2016 study found that mobile phone dependency negatively predicted attention and positively predicted depression among users.
Research finds that smartphone use highjacks concentration.
Even if users don’t immediately pick up their smartphones, the ringing and buzzing of the devices serves to break concentration and focus. Authors of a 2015 Florida State University study said that “although these notifications are generally short in duration, they can prompt task-irrelevant thoughts, or mind wandering, which has been shown to damage task performance.”
The mere presence of smartphones nearby reduces cognitive capacity.
Frightening in its implications, 2017 research by Adrian Ward and colleagues in two experiments explored the “brain drain” hypothesis that just having a smartphone nearby “may occupy limited-capacity cognitive resources, thereby leaving fewer available resources for other tasks, while also “undercutting cognitive performance.” The researchers found that even when smartphone users are successful in abstaining from attending to their smartphones, the presence of the devices alone was enough to diminish available cognitive capacity. Furthermore, these cognitive costs, they said, are highest for those with the highest dependence on smartphones. Specific cognitive capacity measures the researchers used were associated with capabilities that supported “fundamental processes such as learning, logical reasoning, abstract thought, problem solving, and creativity.”
Studies and surveys have proven that smartphones are highly distracting.
Whether driving and simultaneously trying to surreptitiously use a smartphone or being distracted by a mobile device while walking down the street oblivious to traffic and other dangers, there’s no discounting the fact that the mind simply cannot fully attend to two cognitive functions at the same time. Ditto the effect of smartphones on productivity at work – or performing any task that requires sustained and uninterrupted concentration and focus.
Anxiety and sleep problems are other common consequences of obsessive smartphone use.
One study found that depression, anxiety and problems with sleep may be consequences of or associated with excessive smartphone use. Specifically, researchers said that overuse of smartphones may lead to anxiety and/or depression, which in turn may lead to sleep problems. Other researchers found that adolescents’ nighttime excessive use of smartphones is a risk factor both for the development of sleep disturbance and depression. Women are particularly prone to smartphone addiction, leading to potential problems with depression, social anxiety, and low self-esteem.
Work engagement suffers with excessive smartphone use.
In addition to contributing to and aggravating sleep problems, excessive use of smartphones for work at night results in diminished work engagement the next morning, although researchers pointed out the lowered morning work engagement only seemed to apply to employees with low job control. There’s also evidence that work-home interference and burnout result from employees’ intensive use of smartphones.
Kane, S. (2018). Smartphone Use in America: Is It Contributing to Cognitive Decline?. Psych Central. Retrieved on October 20, 2020, from https://psychcentral.com/blog/smartphone-use-in-america-is-it-contributing-to-cognitive-decline/


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Realme Narzo 20 Series Release Date
Realme introduced Narzo 10 and Narzo 10A back in May. Now the company is going to present a new line of Narzo 20 Series. The Realme Narzo 20 Series expected release date is September 21, 2020. The launching event is most likely to be broadcast on the company’s official YouTube channel and social networks.
Realme Narzo 20 Series
Journalists have already received an invitation to the presentation. In the box, the Realme brand has placed energy bars and a portable game console with retro games such as Super Mario and Contra. The kit also includes a postcard that points to a large battery and shows that the Narzo 20 line consists of three smartphones – Narzo 20, Narzo 20A, and Narzo 20 Pro.
The new products will come with several cameras, and the settings will be different. Two models of the line are also equipped with fingerprint scanners mounted on the back. In addition, the line will support fast charging.


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Croatia's Atlantic Grupa buys back 3,851 own shares
ZAGREB (Croatia), November 24 (SeeNews) - Croatian consumer goods distributor Atlantic Grupa [ZSE:ATGR] said on Wednesday it owns 15,591 own shares, representing 0.47% of its total share capital, after repurchasing 3,851 stocks on Monday.
Atlantic Grupa bought back the shares at an average price of 1,580 kuna ($235/210 euro) apiece, it said in a bourse filing.
Atlantic Grupa's share capital of 133.4 million kuna is divided into 3,334,300 shares of 40 kuna in par value each, bourse data shows.
The company announced in March it plans to buy back up to 22,000 of its own shares this year. Atlantic Grupa will offer the repurchased shares to employees at the company or its associate firms as part of an employee share option programme, it added in an earlier bourse filing.
Shares of Atlantic Grupa traded at 1,590 kuna on the Zagreb Stock Exchange (ZSE) intraday on Wednesday, down 0.63% from the previous closing price.
(1 euro = 7.523 kuna)
Feature Image: Author: Atlantic Grupa. License: All rights reserved.


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Consumer electronics firms and beauty care brands have been on product launching spree to tap the growing demand
Analysts believe that at-home grooming products are need of the hour but it will not replace salon services completely
New Delhi: Limited accessibility to salons and the fear of stepping out has created a huge demand for easy-to-use grooming tools and do-it-yourself (DIY) beauty products in last three months. Consumer electronics firms and beauty care brands have been on product launching spree to tap the growing demand.
Philips India said that it has seen 60-70% increase in demand for grooming products as compared to pre-covid days. Sensing the opportunity, the company has launched a new range of DIY female grooming products including a facial pen trimmer. Additionally, the company has also launched SenseIQ technology enabled hair dryer and straightener that provide salon like finish to the hair.
“Apart from the pent-up demand, we are also expecting a change in the consumer behaviour where they would want to experiment with their look and invest in DIY tools," said Gulbahar Taurani, vice-president, personal health, Philips Indian Subcontinent.
In June, Havells India also launched a mini facial hair trimmer along with two advance range of beard trimmers. During the pandemic, products such as trimmers have witnessed pent up demand. Havells said there has been a 5X spike in the sale of beard trimmers in the recent months (April-June) as compared to the pre-covid period.
“We are witnessing demand for trimmers, hair dryers and shavers as people continue to avoid salons for a while. We are planning to tap this growth in demand by launching new products in the facial care category going ahead," Ravindra Singh Negi, president – electrical consumer durables, Havells India.
Beauty brand L'Oreal India has launched eye mask while promoting sheet masks as an alternative to salon facials. The brand has also launched one-time use hair colour sachet in eight fashion colours priced at ₹49 for colouring hair at home.
According to Pankaj Sharma, director, consumer products division L’Oréal India, skin nourishment products such as masks and moisturisers have witnessed increased consumption. “We are also positioning using eye and face masks as a ‘Me Time’ beauty routine which people are missing due to lockdowns and increased workload. Hopefully, this would become a habit in the next two to three years," he added.
L’Oréal Professionnel has launched e-diagnosis initiative where customers can avail online consultation with a hairstylist and order suggested products which will be home delivered through partner salons including Jean Claude Beguine, Enrich Salons, YLG, Geetanjali and Looks. The service is available across these salons throughout the country.
With restrictions being lifted across states, Urban Company (formerly UrbanClap) resumed at-home services for haircuts, salon and related grooming services across 18 cities. The male grooming category -- with an average spend of ₹500 – has witnessed three times growth from pre-covid days and is doing better than women grooming category.
“We are cracking 100,000 male grooming related deliveries a month and the category has scaled fairly well post-covid. The sentiment among women taking an at-home services is still muted possibly because of absence of festivals and work from home schedules," said Mukund Kulashekaran, senior vice - president, business at Urban Company.
Analysts believe that at-home grooming products are need of the hour but it will not replace salon services completely.
“I believe the trend is temporary given the exceptional situation and restrictions on salons. All companies are trying to see how they can reach consumers and ensure that their products remain relevant even in such challenging times," said Ankur Bisen, senior vice-president, retail and consumer, Technopak, a management consultancy.


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Alok Sharma joins Global Advisory Board for Suventure Services
Bangalore, India (Wednesday, February 20th, 2013)
Suventure Services today announced that Alok Sharma joins today newly founded “Global Advisory Board” for the organization. Alok has 23 years of executive management experience in technology companies in India and Asia for some notable brands namely Apple, Sun Microsystems and WIPRO. As Managing Director of Apple India, he grew revenues from less than $10M to over $100M in 5 years. Earlier, he was in Sun for 8 years heading partner management for India, and later for South Asia based out of Singapore. Prior to Sun, Alok was heading the Northern Region for a SBU at Wipro.
Since 2009, Alok has turned an entrepreneur. Since then, he has co-founded and invested in start-ups across sectors: Nature Ecoventures (an incubation fund); Allgreen Ecotech (energy management for buildings and enterprises); Vittal Innovation City (a 300 acre innovation science park near Bangalore in India); Tech Live Connect (focused on providing technology support to US consumers); Proficio Business Solutions (focused on Management and Sales consulting); and Cloudatix (focused on solutions on Cloud, Big Data and Analytics).
Vir Bhanu, MD and CEO – Suventure Services, said the advisory board has been created to provide vision, strategic directions, and corporate governance, to the organization, The board now has individuals who are well known and respected members of the international IT services community. “We are pleased to have Alok’s insight and experience available to us in developing and offering our next generation of technology solutions,” said Vir.
“I’m very excited to join the Suventure advisory board. Suventure has a strong and dynamic leadership team that has already demonstrated their ability to grow the company by focusing on delivering superior customer value. I’m also impressed with the caliber of the other members of the advisory board.. Suventures has chosen to focus on market segment which are high growth and high margin potential both for the India and global markets. This makes this such an exciting opportunity to be part of this story. “said Alok Sharma, CEO, Nature Eco Ventures.


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The French Potato Interprofessional (CNIPT) has published in its latest bulletin an analysis of the consequences that the war initiated by Russia in Ukraine could have on the potato sector.
According to the CNIPT, the situation in Ukraine could amplify the already high inflation in the costs of agricultural raw materials, packaging, and, mainly, energy. "We expect strong tensions on energy (Russia is the leading exporter of natural gas to the EU, accounting for 44% of its imports) and by extension on the price of nitrogen fertilizers. Tensions over oil are likely to increase. Thus, logistics flows would be interrupted by transport difficulties (road and sea), costs, and lack of drivers."
"The war will most likely affect the current flows of conservation potatoes to the countries of Central and Eastern Europe," the interprofessional stated. "Ukraine is a major producer of this tuber, but due to its significant domestic consumption, it imports nearly 250,000 tons each year. Its main suppliers are Poland, Lithuania, and Romania. France doesn't export much product directly to Ukraine, but it sends significant flows of potatoes to neighboring countries that re-export them to Ukraine. ”
"Russia imports up to 100,000 tons of frozen chips (and other processed potatoes), exclusively from the EU (Netherlands, Poland, Germany, Belgium, and France). The conflict could paralyze these flows which would be transferred to other destinations."
"The potato's advantage in these times of crisis is that it contributes strongly to France's food sovereignty and constitutes a qualitative and healthy refuge food for all European populations," the CNIPT highlighted.


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Romanian car manufacturer Dacia is to install solar panels on the roof of the Mioveni car factory and will thus enter the local energy market, according to Ziarul Financiar. Dacia’s parent company, French car maker Renault, has already installed solar panels at all six of its production plants in France (in picture).
The Renault solar panels are above car parking areas for staff and new cars waiting for distribution and have the added benefit of protecting vehicles from the sun. Renault’s solar electricity generation system is the largest of its kind in the car manufacturing industry with a 59 MW capacity able to produce 52,600 MWh of electricity a year, enough for a town of 15,000 people.
The idea appears to be catching on in Romania, with several other companies considering developing such schemes. IKEA could install solar panels at its store in Baneasa, Bucharest while supermarket/cash & carry Selgros is already making money from the energy market via solar energy, according to Romanian business and economic news organization Ziarul Finaniar.
Dacia did not provide further details to the local media, indicating that more information would be provided at an appropriate time.
No mention was made of trading in green certificates, but with very favorable conditions currently in place in Romania for renewable energy producers, it is surely an extra incentive for other companies to follow Dacia’s lead.
photo source: renault.com


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Intel CEO Paul Otellini, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison and Mark Hurd, former CEO of Hewlett-Packard and current Oracle president, are among those listed to testify in the upcoming trial between HP and Oracle in their dispute over Intels Itanium platform, a case that is generating a lot of headlines this month.
The executives were among almost four-dozen witnesses listed in a May 14 court filing in the case, which is expected to start later this month or in June.
At issue is Oracles decision last year to discontinue software development for Itanium chips, a move company officials said came after hearing from Intel engineers that the giant chip maker was planning to kill off the controversial platform in favor of its more popular x86-based Xeon server processors.
HP officials accused Oracle of trying to force joint customers off HPs high-end Itanium-based servers and onto the SPARC/Solaris systems the software maker inherited when it bought Sun Microsystems in 2010. HP is suing Oracle for allegedly breaking an agreement the two companies had to support technologies used by their 140,000 or so joint customers. HP claims the agreement was part of the settlement ending litigation over Hurds hiring by Oracle.
Oracle has countersued, accusing HP of false advertising by not being truthful with customers or the industry about what officials said is the imminent demise of Itanium, and for failing to disclose that HP has paid Intel more than $500 million to keep Itanium development going. Executives with both HP and Intelincluding Otellinihave disputed Oracles claims about the chips future, saying that Intels product road map for Itanium runs for much of the decade.
Interest in the case has ramped up in recent weeks after Santa Clara Country Court Judge James Kleinberg refused requests by HP and Oracle to dismiss key portions of their each other’s case, and a lawyer for Oracle told the judge that there was little if any chance the two sides could reach an agreement in the case. HP is seeking $4 billion in damages from Oracle.
On May 16, Oracle posted an open letter to customers along with several court exhibitsmostly internal HP memosthat draw a picture of an Intel tired of losing money on Itanium and a desperate HP that, after considering several options that included buying Sun, decided the best alternative was essentially paying Intel more than $500 million to continue developing Itanium. HP is by far the top Itanium customer, and has based its high-end Integrity and NonStop servers on the chip platform.
Oracle officials pointed to the documents as proof of Intel wanting to kill off Itanium as early as 2007, and HP trying to keep that from happening and to keep news of the possibility from getting out to the industry and customers. In response, HP officials have said the documents prove the long-term viability of Itanium. Some industry observers see the payments from HP as smart moves to protect its Business Critical Systems (BCS) unit.
The witness list carries some well-known names from HP, Intel and Oracle. Aside from Hurdwho was CEO of HP until August 2010 and then became a president at Oracleother notable witnesses from HP include David Donatelli, executive vice president and general manager of HPs Enterprise Servers, Storage and Networking unit; Ann Livermore, a long-time HP executive, who at one time was considered a viable candidate for CEO; Martin Fink, who at one time was senior vice president and general manager of BCS; and Cathie Lesjak, executive vice president and CFO at HP.
For Oracle, the list includes company President and CFO Safra Catz; John Fowler, executive vice president of systems at Oracle and a former Sun executive; and Thomas Kurian, executive vice president of product development.
From Intel, the list includes Otellini; Kirk Skaugen, vice president and general manager of Intels PC Client Group; and Renee James, senior vice president and general manager of Intels Software and Services Group.


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AstraZeneca's lung cancer drug trial setback is "not the end of the story but as good as", broker Jefferies has commented this afternoon.
Jeff Bezos, now the world's richest man with a net worth of over $90 billion, loves books. For one, the company that made him a multi-billionaire started as an online book retailer.
Jeremy Darroch has also been awarded 600,000 shares, worth �5.8m, under the Sky incentive scheme. Photograph: Sky. Sky plc. Sky chief gets �11.5m share payout as it reports profits slide.
A lap dancing club allegedly drugged customers and charged thousands of pounds of unauthorised transactions to their credit cards, a report claims.
London's landmark “Walkie-Talkie” skyscraper has been sold for �1.3bn to Hong Kong investors, in a record-breaking transaction for a single building in the UK.


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House of Fraser
House of Fraser chose Abu Dhabi as its first destination to launch outside of the UK, not once but twice. Why? Because in terms of retail potential, in our capital, the sky is the limit. After the success of its first UAE store at Abu Dhabi’s World Trade Center Mall, a second one will open at Yas Mall in mid-2015. The British-born premium department store dates back to 1849 and stocks exclusive fashion, beauty and homeware brands. The new store will pay homage to Middle Eastern talent by housing a selection of pieces by local designers – expect the likes of Lady Fozaza and Queen of Spades. Not to mention a host of international brands making their HOF debut – including Tadashi Shoji, Monique Lhuillier, and True Religion.
Whatever your price range there’s something for everyone. HOF is about the whole shopping experience – think complimentary personal shopping service – including your own private suite to try pieces on, as well as beauty treatment rooms so you can unwind after a busy day flexing your credit card. Sweet talk children with the promise of a trip to the in-house Hamley’s toy store or visit the first dedicated mother and daughter spa by Hello Kitty. While the UAE has its fair share of department stores, House of Fraser is the place to shop this year thanks to its luxury experience at affordable prices.
French department store Tati opened its doors in Mirdif City Centre in November 2014 and the budget retailer – prices start at just Dh19 – has already been very popular amongst on-trend bargain hunters, with a whole party outfit costing around Dh100! The gold strapless dress and black heels (right) are our faves! The store caters for men, women and children and also stocks home and beauty products. With over 140 stores in France, Tati has made its name as the one-stop affordable department store.
While Dubai is known for its luxury, there are many consumers looking for an ultra-luxe look at a lower cost and Tati is all about great quality and style that won’t blow the budget. Speaking at the store’s official opening, CEO of Tati, Emmanuel Deroude, told Friday: “Dubai and the United Arab Emirates in general are perceived as super-luxury markets. However, there is a huge middle-class that wants modern goods, but at affordable prices.” There are already plans to open at least two more stores in the UAE – we can’t wait!
Tati, Mirdif City Centre.
While UAE-based designer Reema Al Banna will be launching her ninth collection in the Middle East this S/S season, she’s still pretty new to the mass market, but we predict in 2015 she’ll become a household name. With her on-trend pop-art prints, striking colours and unusual cuts, her designs are like nothing else in the UAE.
As Reema’s former career as a graphic designer shines through, with this season’s collection using sports items such as boxing gloves, it’s all very on trend! Invest in one standout piece such as the blue printed coat (below), or pair two together for a charming statement look. Prices from Dh600.
Reemami is available at S*uce, Bloomingdale’s and The Cartel.
British high-street brand Jigsaw’s understated classic style is adored by the likes of the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton and Hollywood actress Emma Watson, and now UAE residents can buy its simple-yet-chic looks at The Dubai Mall store, which opened early last year. Jigsaw dates back to 1969 and has already expanded outside of the UK to America and Australia, but Dubai was its first step into this region. The latest collection features chunky knits, classic houndstooth prints and staples like denim jackets and pencil skirts, with polka dots, florals and checked pieces adding a fabulous feel. The day-to-night blue-green dress (bottom right) is the piece our wardrobes have been missing.
Jigsaw, First Floor, The Dubai Mall.
Dadu Luxe is the newest luxury brand website to launch in the UAE, thanks to Middle East-based fashion duo Dur Fayez and Selina Neri. Dadu Luxe launched in the GCC in September 2014 and has been dubbed by fashion editors and bloggers alike as Middle East’s answer to Net-a-Porter. It started out as Dadu – an accessories boutique in Jeddah – until Dadu Luxe was created as the sister brand. You’ll find trends and tips, as well as a huge range of international designer brands such as Elie Saab, Manolo Blahnik and Mary Katrantzou. But Dadu Luxe prides itself on a very personal service – including viewings at home before you commit to a purchase – and you won’t find this anywhere else in the region. Don’t be put off by prices being in dollars – many of the pieces are sourced from the US but will still be with you two days after your order. While you won’t be bagging a bargain on this site, it’s perfect for stand-out pieces for that glam event, with none of the stress of the mall.
French brand The Kooples first opened its doors in Paris back in 2008 with its unique concept of using real couples to front its advertising campaigns. Each promotional image comes complete with details of how long the couple has been together and sees them wearing matching, or similar ensembles. While it aims to stay true to its Parisian roots, The Kooples’ grunge-meets-hipster style is very British, with each collection featuring leather pieces, skinny jeans and 1960s mod-inspired pieces (hence why Kate Moss is a huge fan). Each of the brand’s female looks has a male alternative, meaning it’s a perfect his-and-hers store. The first shop in the Middle East opened in The Dubai Mall late last year and is set to make fashion-forward street style the look to have in the region for 2015.
The Kooples, Ground Floor, The Dubai Mall.


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Apple will announce a gold iPad model in October to boost slumping sales of its 9.7-inch tablet, according to Bloomberg. People familiar with Apple's plans told Bloomberg that the next-generation iPad will be available in silver, gray and now gold, just like the iPhone 6 model pictured below. This will be the first time Apple has offered the iPad in anything but silver or gray, since it first introduced new colors with the release of the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c.
The anonymous source said Apple hopes the new color will regain people's sagging interest in tablets due to availability of larger mobile phones on the market. Bloomberg also cites a note written by RBC Capital Markets analyst Amit Daryanani, which claims iOS users have been losing interest in the iPad after "shifting to iPhones with larger screens". Daryanani's research corroborates with other rumors that Apple will discontinue the iPad mini due to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus being more phablet-like.
Bloombeg also mentioned Apple's long rumored 12.9-inch iPad, which is expected to be released in 2015. This is the second time Bloomberg has mentioned that larger tablet dubbed the "iPad Pro" by the press. The iPad Pro is expected to feature a new A8x chip and up to 2GB of RAM.
Other evidence uncovered in the first beta of iOS 8.1 suggests iPad Air 2 will ship with Touch ID and Apple Pay. Apple is expected to announce its new iPad lineup sometime later this month.


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Meghan Hudgel is restaurant manager at Mason Jar Eatery and Catering Co., located across the street from Jackson Elementary. David Grace photo.
KINGSPORT — Mason Jar Eatery and Catering Co. has opened for business at 604 Donelson Drive, across the street from Jackson Elementary School in Kingsport.
Restaurant manager Meghan Hudgel and her family moved to Kingsport from Lake Havasu City, Ariz., three years ago “for a change of pace and scenery,” she said.
Hudgel met her fiancé, Joshua Holman, last May and soon discovered that his mother, Kimberly Winkle, was a wonderful cook.
Meanwhile, Hudgel’s mother, Heather Whittle, had always dreamed of starting her own restaurant, so Hudgel and Holman introduced their two mothers, who decided to open a restaurant together.
“Originally we wanted the restaurant to serve all home-cooked Southern meals, but it quickly turned into more of a fresh-cooked burger joint because that’s what the customers seemed to like best,” Hudgel said.
She said her mother is big on buying fresh and locally produced ingredients. The restaurant gets its beef, bacon and chicken fresh daily from Kingsport Provisions and Hamilton Meats in Johnson City. And Judy’s Bakery provides fresh-baked breads every day.
“We use only the freshest ingredients possible,” Hudgel said.
The restaurant also cuts its fries every morning from Idaho potatoes and fries them to order.
“We use our freshly baked grilled sourdough bread on all of our burgers,” Hudgel said. “We have delicious hand-breaded onion rings and chicken strips. We also offer root beer floats and hot fudge sundaes.”
The family-owned business is operated by Hudgel along with her mother, Heather Whittle, sister Alexus Whittle, and occasionally her fiancé, Joshua Holman, and her father, Dale Whittle, who owns Johnson City Handyman and has worked to remodel the restaurant.
Hudgel said the restaurant currently offers mainly carry-out, delivery and catering, but it does have two indoor tables for customers who want to eat there.
Customers can call in their orders or order online through www.masonjareatery.com or through the Facebook page.
Hudgel said the restaurant is currently working on building a bar inside to provide space for about three or four more customers, “and there is also talk about building an outdoor patio on the side of the barber shop in our building,” she said.
The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Hudgel invites folks from the area to drop by and give Mason Jar Eatery a try.
“We love every minute of our job, and we strive to provide the absolute best meals and customer service to every customer who walks into our establishment,” she said. “We also love getting to know our customers because we believe in making it the most comfortable and personable experience possible.”
For more information, call (423) 401-8660 or (423) 765-2273.


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Heinz will lay off 80 workers in Pocatello.
“Following the discontinuation of its T.G.I. Friday’s frozen meals, Heinz conducted a thorough evaluation of the production needs at its Pocatello, Idaho factory. To ensure the number of employees is in line with production needs, Heinz has made the difficult but necessary decision to lay off 80 full-time, hourly team members, effective March 4, 2013,” the food manufacturer said in a written statement to Local News 8 on Tuesday.
Heinz said the factory will adjust its production schedule “to maximize efficiency and effectively manage costs, and ensure the talents of the remaining hourly workforce are being properly leveraged.”
It also said it employs more than 400 full-time workers at its Pocatello facility, which produces frozen meals and snacks.


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With the Olympics safely out of the way, London is now setting its sights on design excellence
September 12th, 2012
The next few weeks see the city consumed by designer products, brands and design lovers who will exhibit, discuss and forge relationships across a string of industry focussed events.
A relatively new addition to the event calendar is designjunction. Though only two years old, this unconventional hub has already established itself as one of the country’s leading showcases for the finest selection of international design brands.
Taking over a deserted 1960’s postal sorting office, the edgy vibe is the result of a conscious and engaging step away from the banality of many trade show environments.
120,000 square feet of space across three expansive levels will play host to over 100 brands from around the world – incorporating large installations, pop-up eateries, entertainment zones and workshops.
The designjunction kicks off on September the 19th and will run until 5pm on 23rd September 2012.
INDESIGN is on instagram
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed


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Hornby has posted the statement below to the Stock Market this morning at 0701hrs when the market opened.
Although called a 'trading update' it is, in effect, a profits warning, which it is required to make if trading changes from previous market statements it made.
The Stock Market hasn't reacted well, and the share price fell by 40% (down 32p) to trade at 48.5p by 0900hrs this morning (10 February 2016). The price might recover later in the day.
Please remember that Hornby also includes other divisions other than model railways (e.g Corgi) and that no other manufacturer is Stock Market listed, so does not have to give (and doesn't provide) any financial information.
On a personal note, I'm not surprised about the results of the stock take, given that some items shown as 'in stock' online, turn out not to be on Hornby.com. When I suggested a stock take (around Christmas), a reply came back saying this had been done.
I, and I hope everyone on this forum, wish Hornby well, and that product supplies and model development is not unduly affected by this. Hornby - we need you!
UPDATE ON TRADING AND TRANSFORMATION PLAN
Hornby Plc ("Hornby"), the international hobby products group, is updating shareholders on progress made so far in its turnaround strategy.
The Group has made significant progress in implementing changes to its business model to modernise product sourcing, improve management of the supply chain, upgrade the logistics, warehousing, stock control processes and accelerate the distribution routes to customers. This, together with the rollout of the new ERP system, has required major investment and resulted in disruption which has had a significant impact on the trading performance of the business, as previously disclosed on 8th December last year.
In the UK the Group saw a strong sales performance in the key November and December period as sales opportunities were maximised in the run up to Christmas. Like for like sales in this period were up 17% overall year on year, though this masks some volatility within the period. However, subsequent trading since the start of the New Year has been in stark contrast, with a disappointing response to January product promotions combined with poor underlying sales resulting in negative year on year revenue growth and sales for the month being substantially below expectations. While we are expecting performance in February and March to improve on January, it will not reach previously anticipated levels.
As disclosed at our interims, there has been a significant reorganisation of the management and distribution operations of the European subsidiaries. The impact of this has been that trading in the international businesses was disrupted last autumn as the restructuring took place. Hornby is now through the main period of major disruption. Improved sales in the last two months have reflected the changes that have been made to the logistics, stock handling and distribution operations and like-for-like sales across December and January combined were up 5%. Despite this being the first positive like for like sales performance this financial year, this is still significantly behind the Board's previous expectations.
The Group now expects to report a substantially wider trading loss than previously forecast in this current financial year. The team has also conducted a full stock take at the Group's consolidated warehouse in Hersden and a balance sheet review following the reorganisation of the European subsidiaries which will result in a £1.0m write off. The disappointing sales performance experienced in the New Year is expected to result in a trading profit deterioration of between £2.5m - £3.0m, with approximately half due to UK performance. In total the Group is now expecting to report an underlying loss before tax in the range of £5.5m - £6.0m, which represents a substantial setback in our recovery plan for the business.
As a result the Directors consider there to be a risk that the Group will breach a covenant of their banking facility in March 2016. The Group has enjoyed a long and supportive relationship with its lender, with whom it is currently in discussions.
The Directors are continuing to execute the Group's turnaround strategy. At the same time, the Board is now analysing the causes and consequences arising from this poor start to the new calendar year. We will update the market on the Board's progress and our revised expectations for the financial outlook for the business in due course.
Richard Ames, Chief Executive of Hornby commented,
"This has been a real year of change at Hornby. Undoubtedly this is a disappointing result, but we have a strong portfolio of brands that we are determined to see flourish.
"The feedback from customers at the recent International Toy Fairs was encouraging and we are facing the future where, with the right platform, we can build value for our shareholders and drive the Group's recovery."
Edited by Mel_H, 07 April 2017 - 14:48 .


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It might be news to you, but mobile device users can find up-to-date sports scores through Google's search engine.
Derrick Eckhardt of the RotoNation fantasy-sports blog noticed the score of the Mets-Dodgers game displayed at Google on his BlackBerry on Sunday and shared a screenshot of the box score. He dug up some tidbits about Googlers showing some interest in the sports category, but it turns out the scoring service actually isn't new.
It turns out Google actually launched the service a little over a year ago for mobile users in the United States, though Google didn't announce it, said spokesman Michael Kirkland. When people type a team name into the search box, the service shows frequently updated scores for professional football, basketball, baseball, and hockey games, as well as for college basketball, he said.
"The use case we imagine is somebody out and about who's got to get the Mets score with the minimum number of clicks and inputs on a 12-key keypad," he said. Google obtains the data legally through undisclosed content providers, he added.
He wouldn't comment on any plans to offer the service to Web searchers using PCs, though. Curiously, because Apple's iPhone uses an ordinary search site, iPhone customers actually can't get the service, he added.
Nor would Kirkland comment on the possibility of Google gradually expanding from a search engine to a much more general-purpose Internet portal. Sports is one of the obvious specific areas of focus.
The results are part of Google's Onebox technology, which treats the search box as a command input field that can be used to extract specific results such as answers to math calculations, plane flight details, package tracking, and the time in London.
Mobile users also can get less up-to-date game scores through the Google SMS text-messaging service. Sending a text message with the team name will return recent scores and the schedule of the next game.


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Greene King sales fall despite a record Christmas Day
Source - SMW
Greene King's pub company had a record breaking Christmas Day but sales either side of the two Christmas weeks sales were slower.
The group said this reflected the tough underlying trading environment and the impact of snow and pub company sales for the 37 weeks to 14 Jan were down 1.4%.
The group said it traded well over the Christmas period with pub company like-for-like sales up 1.6% for the two weeks covering Christmas and New Year's Eve, in line with the market and against a strong period last year.
A trading statement said: 'Excluding the snow impact, LFL sales would have been up 3.4%.
'We achieved another record breaking Christmas Day in pub company with sales of £7.6m, up 2.6% on last year, and 154,000 meals sold.'
Drink and room LFL sales were ahead of last year while food LFL sales remained behind last year.
Pub Partners LFL net profit for the first 36 weeks of the year was up 0.2% while brewing & brands own-brewed volume was down 0.9% for the first 37 weeks, against a weak ale market down 3.0%.
The group said: 'We remain on track to deliver targeted cost savings of £40m-£45m this year and our brand optimisation programme continues to deliver attractive returns of 25%.
'Both our new build and disposal programmes are also on track with six new sites opened and 40 disposals completed in the year-to-date.
'Our additional investment to enhance the customer experience, including being more competitive on price, having more team members available at key trading times and strengthening local marketing activity, will help to improve our competitiveness and relative trading performance.
'Greene King has industry-leading brands, a strong and flexible balance sheet, and a sustainable dividend, leaving us well placed given the challenging market conditions.'


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This year’s Motor Transport Awards recognised former Hermes Europe CEO Carole Walker’s determination to redefine parcels delivery across three decades of hard work. After 32 years in the parcels delivery industry, Carole Walker took early retirement from her role as CEO of Hermes Europe earlier this year, days before she was announced as the winner of the Service to Industry Award. One judge summed her up as “the most outstanding CEO I have ever met”, a sentiment echoed by the […]
Hermes is offering UK-based retailers the ability to have their parcels delivered into its overseas ParcelShops for the first time.
Delivery company Hermes has announced plans to open a new, purpose-built depot in Bolton this autumn.
Hermes UK has added 54 Euro-6 Dafs from hire firm Ryder to its fleet, as well as renewing a three-year tyre-management contract with Michelin Solutions.


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Lee Cooper has confirmed this week that it has taken on Easytiger Associates as its European retail design strategist, as the company opens its first-ever standalone store in London’s Carnaby Street. The Derby-based group will work on brand positioning and graphics, in addition to retail strategy. Its identity for X-Line, Lee’s revamped Rosco label, is due to be launched in March 2004.
‘Our role will be to maximise the leverage of the brand’s collections,’ says Easytiger managing director Adam Devey Smith. ‘We are currently completing image materials across [in-store labels] 101, Union Alls, Originals, Youth and Core.’
Lee Cooper Europe marketing manager Jan Colpaert says Brussels-based Creneau International, the design group behind the Carnaby Street outlet (pictured), continues to be the lead retail interiors consultancy.
Arranged over a ground floor and basement, the 200m2 shop is the first to deliver the Lee jeans brand experience under its own roof. The design mixes concrete and distressed wood, alongside slate, zinc and unpolished steel to give ‘an untreated, industrial feel’, while ‘reflecting Lee’s heritage in a modern way’, says Colpaert.


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NEWS: Decor + Design will return to the Melbourne Exhibition Centre from 14 – 17 July, 2022. The 18th edition of Australia’s No.1 Interiors Trade Event has been postponed this year due to the recent COVID-19 outbreaks and ongoing issues with state border closures.
Decor + Design Exhibition Director Chris May says that the show will return at a time that’s right for the whole industry.
“Decor + Design is Australia’s most important forum for the design and furniture industry, and it’s crucial it takes place at the best time. Unfortunately, the events industry has been particularly hard hit by the uncertainties of COVID-19.”
“Given the recent COVID outbreaks in Victoria and NSW and each state government’s response, the sensible decision is to reschedule the show until 2022. Running the show this year would severely impact visitors and exhibitors from interstate, as well as overall attendance. July 2022 will be a time that’s right for everyone.”
As a major design industry event, this decision was not taken lightly. Trade and business events are essential to the Australian economy, contributing an estimated $23 billion (EEAA) in a usual year.
The past year has also proved to us how important in person gatherings are for the human spirit, as well as business. We look forward to returning in 2022 and will keep supporting the design industry through the latest news, product releases, exhibitor features and virtual masterclasses.
Be Inspired By Global and Local Trends – Virtually!
If you’re searching for the very best in design inspiration right now, Victoria Redshaw’s Virtual Major Design Trends 2022 Forecast is now available to stream online.
A Futurist at Scarlet Opus, one of the UK’s leading Trend Forecasting agencies, Redshaw’s design forecasts have become a legendary feature of Decor + Design.
As we design a new world, Victoria’s insights are more crucial than ever. Drawing on a wealth of knowledge regarding interiors, fashion, sustainability, technology, history and politics, Victoria will analyse and interpret the global forces shaping interior design trends. Discover the colours patterns, materials, finishes and styles which will dominate interior design and products in the coming year.
The Major Design Trends Forecast 2022 is $65 inc. GST, available to access now and watchable until July 31st 2022. Book your session now online, over the phone at 02 9212 4108 or via email@example.com


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While Honor is gearing up to launch its next flagship Honor 9, apparently the company hasn't forgotten about the Honor 8 owners. According to some users, a massive 815MB update is being rolled out to the smartphone.
Those who have received the update says that apart from the April 2017 security patch, the update has also brought about a few bug fixes. Honor 8 users used to face a microphone issue before. While using the Google Assistant or Camera Voice Recorder, they used to get a "microphone is already in use" message, which was quite annoying. So users had to disable the permission for Google in the meanwhile.
Well, this happened because of the "OK Google" Hotword detection using the microphone all the time. Not only Honor 8 owners, even some of the Huawei phones have the same problem.
Honor is yet to release a complete changelog for this update. So until that happens, we won't know what more this update has to offer. However, looking the large size, the update definitely has a lot of changes added to it. It brings in the April security patch, which is not so impressive considering it is June now. Still, it is better than getting nothing.
The Honor 8 is still running on Android 7.0 Nougat with a layer of EMUI 5.0 on top. And there is no word on when it will get updated to the Android 7.1.1 Nougat. There are chances that the company decided to update the smartphone with the latest Android O, which is likely to release later this year.
As of now, apparently, only the Honor 8 users residing in the US are receiving the update.