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NEW PRODUCT LAUNCH
TATA with its HorizoNext-the four pronged customer centric approach plans to launch TATA Kite. In a new teaser featuring brand ambassador Lionel Messi, the automaker christened TATA Kite Hatchback as the Zica. TATA motors looks to re-establish its image in the entry-level hatchback segment, where currently it had only Indica eV2, which again has lost its charm as it seems outdated when compared with competitors such as Maruti’s Swift and Hyundai’s Grand i10.
PULSE - latest candy launched by Pass Pass
The entry of this new candy into the market by Noida based DS Group (makers of products like Rajnigandha Paan Masala and Pass Pass) might not be new to people from states like Delhi and Rajasthan, but now the entire nation will be privileged to get a taste of it. A simple Re.1 candy is showing new trends, wherein consumers are making bulk purchases of 8-10 candies at once as against a usual behavior of buying only a single piece at once.
HDFC introduces sonic marketing by developing the first ever Mogo (musical logo). It’s for the first time that music will be used by a large, main stream corporate for purely branding purposes. HDFC plans to use their mogo at various touchpoints at a pan-India level, through ATMs, phone banking, mobile banking app and the website. The company aims at capturing the interests of the youth as use of new age technology and ways of branding not just appeals to the target but also establishes a better recall probability.
In a very trendy manner, HTC and Snapdeal not just captured the hearts of Delhi-ites but also twitteratis across the network. They announced their partnership in a storyline when executives from both the companies went across NCR clicking pictures of the monuments, streets and people. They tagged each other in every post by eliciting response by the other one. They also used the opportunity to market the fine camera of HTC’s upcoming phone One A9. Looks like this team is here to give others a ride for their buck.
Though this ad is not a new one, it deserves a mention this time around as it is the only Indian ad to feature on the prestigious list of the Best 20 Commercials of the 21st Century, as per the Gunn Report. Prasoon Joshi from McCann Worldgroup India, the creator of this ad deserves accolades for capturing the attention of the consumer in the most quirky and innovative way that could be. All we Indians were in love with this ad, and now, the world is going bonkers over it.
While all other condom brands are struggling to hold ground and going the usual “pleasure” way to advertise, Durex always has something much more interesting. And this time to on World Aids Day on December 1st, Durex encouraged its customers to call upon the Unicode Consortium, who oversee the introduction of new emoji, for an emoticon depicting safe sex. Their aim was to make more and more people comfortable to have a conversation about the importance of Safe Sex, and hence a condom. What a way to integrate societal marketing with digital media.
Scrabble’s new ad says more than just playing with words
“Words” is the first thing that strikes you the moment you come across Scrabble, but their new advertisement capturing the same in a set-up that is most expected in the holiday season, is so exceptional that feelings become the more dominant proposition for the board game. Leveraging the festivities and the spirit of joy and celebration to connect with their consumers they ensured to pull their attention towards the game with the use of anagrams.
NEW BRAND LAUNCH
The American apparel and accessories retailer plans to foray into the Indian markets in collaboration with the Arvind Group of Arvind Lifestyle. Aeropostale is a mall-based retailer targeting young women and men, hence reaching out to a very large segment of the Indian retail population. The brand aims at having 30 standalone stores along with 25 shop-in-shop (or multi-brand retail store) locations in the next three years.
The Moson’s Group, a Kerala based maker of Indulekha range of personal care products which has been acquired by HUL, has announced a new brand by the name of ‘Indian Woman’ under which it will sell non-personal care products. They plan to do the same through the Self Help Group (SHG) model with the primary objective of providing quality education to the to the Indian girl child.
Mobile Advertising - Tango Media
Tango media, a subsidiary of Mogae Group, launched a mobile advertising platform helps the companies in connecting with consumers, without the pre-requisite of data connectivity. Its patented technology uses keywords that it sells to various players who can directly communicate to the customer keying in ** followed by the particular keyword. Tango has currently tied up with five telecoms for carrying out the activity, hence reaching out to a humongous consumer base.


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The Australian entertainment industry is bigger now than ever before. It has generated almost $36 billion over the years, growing at a steady pace since 2008. However, as popular as the industry is, there are still sectors within it which could use some much-needed improvements.
Here, we'll look at 5 trends in the entertainment industry in Australia which are currently shaping the sector.
1. More women being encouraged into the gaming sector
The gaming sector is one of the most lucrative in the entertainment industry in Australia, racking up way more than the film industry. However, while the sector is undoubtedly booming, more women are desperately needed to bridge the significant gender gap.
Statistics show that a staggering 82% of employees within the sector are male. This is a shocking statistic when you take into account that half of gamers are actually female. In particular, more women are required within senior positions in order to normalise women in the industry.
However, in a bid to encourage more women into the industry, events are being held such as the latest #SheHacksGames, which takes place in April and features an all-woman gaming marathon.
2. Advertising is becoming increasingly important
Due to how fast the entertainment industry is growing, it's opening up thousands of additional job opportunities. The advertising sector is particularly lucrative right now, with spending expected to reach around $17.3 billion by 2021.
While traditional advertising such as newspaper and television ads are declining, internet-based advertising is on the increase. It's estimated that by 2021, 55% of the advertising market in Australia will be made up from internet advertising.
3. Some sectors are growing at a faster rate than others
Not all areas of the entertainment industry are experiencing significant growth. Some sectors are set to grow at a more substantial rate than others this year including online video.
Although initial predictions are that video-on-demand services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime will grow at a rate of 16.4%, it could be an underestimation. The Australian public have adopted services like these at a much more elevated rate than previously estimated.
4. Legal frameworks set to be updated
One thing businesses within the entertainment sector in Australia need to be aware of, is the legalities involved. A lot of changes have been made within entertainment law already due to the rise in digital streaming. This year, it is expected the legal frameworks within the industry will once again be updated.
5. Smartphones make up large proportion of revenue
There's no getting around the fact that smartphones have taken over the entertainment industry. It's thought that 88% of Australians now own a Smartphone and they largely use them for entertainment purposes. This is only set to become more prevalent throughout 2019 and beyond.
As you can see, there are a lot of trends currently surrounding the Australian entertainment industry. The above are just the top 5 trends to watch out for.

domain: news


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Snapchat update leaked some of its iOS app's source code
Someone briefly posted the code on GitHub.
US bill forces tech companies to disclose foreign software checks
Companies have allowed foreign agencies to scour source code for vulnerabilities.
Tesla releases source code for some of its in-car tech
It's not everything, but it's finally here.
Google's Pixel 2 portrait photo code is now open source (update: not quite)
You could see other apps using similar image detection tricks.
Apple's original graphical OS will be available for free in 2018
The Lisa's source code has been recovered with Apple's approval.
New York City ordered to share code for DNA evidence software
It's an all too rare instance of accountability in law enforcement tech.
Apple releases kernel source code tuned for mobile chips
Just don't expect to make a homebrew iPhone or an ARM-based Mac.
Reddit turns off access to its main source code
The company sees this as a competitive necessity now that it's grown up.
Windows 10 source code leak is an embarrassment for Microsoft
It's less serious than initially thought but still important, given security is high on everyone’s mind.


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Not too long ago, we came across concepts of vertical gardens to cover the pillars of flyovers and metros in a city to cover up for the dearth of open spaces and the drastic reduction in the natural landscape. Now, a novel idea takes this concept further, which could prove to be a ‘Green Revolution’ of the 21st century – Vertical Agriculture
eVolo, a magazine that holds competitions to invite path-breaking skyscraper concepts, announced the Mashambas skyscraper as the winner. Mashambas is a Swahili word that means ‘cultivated’. It is a vertical farm that can feed an entire town in the sub-Saharan Africa!
This farm can also be disassembled to shift to a newer locations as per requirement! Pawel Lipiński and Mateusz Frankowski, the Polish architects have designed the farm where crops would be grown on its upper floors and will have the provisions to store seeds and fertilizers.
The remaining floors would have kindergarten classrooms, a doctor’s room, and a docking port for drones that would be used to transport food from the farm to far-off regions. The ground floor will open its doors to an open-air market, where farmers will sell their produce. This project, which one from over 4000 entries, is yet to be executed, and is touted to be the next big reformation to end starvation in many African regions.


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This is the fund's first investment in the consumer Internet sector and also marks its foray into the healthcare technology sector.
LoveCycles founder John Paul said they plan to use the funds raised for its India expansion and localize the product for the country. Hindi language support is the first step in this direction with 6-7 more regional languages being added in the forthcoming months.
Founded in early 2012, LoveCycles enables women to keep track of their menstrual and physiological health through a mobile app. Using this tracker, women can record their monthly cycles and associated symptoms to help them manage their menstrual health better.
It also allows women to increase the accuracy of contraception and conception besides providing information and support on understanding how their fertility works and managing their reproductive health. The app is available as a free download across Android, iOS, Windows Phone and Windows platforms.
Paul claims that LoveCycles currently has 1.2 million monthly active users from 6 million downloads across 190 countries and hopes to have 4-5 million active users by the end of this year. United States, Brazil, Italy, Mexico South Korea and Russia are currently its top markets, although Paul believes that India will be among its top markets over the forthcoming months.


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"It's 24 hours a day, seven days a week," Uzzi said. "It's a challenge."
During the recession and its aftermath, the number of people over 50 who started their own companies grew. Often, it was because of the stiff job market. Sometimes, family or personal circumstances necessitated a change to something more flexible.
Almost always, running a business after decades of working for someone else is turning out to be an adjustment.
Uzzi's Nurse Next Door franchise is the second business he started after taking the buyout in 2010. He first launched an executive-coaching business that drew on his experience as a manager. But he was bored and not making the money he wanted. He began looking for a franchise and settled on Nurse Next Door because of his background in health care.
Running the franchise comes with myriad duties, drumming up sales and hiring among them.
"The constant drive to get clients, the constant sales calls . . . finding good caregivers," said Uzzi, who runs the franchise in Orange County, Calif. He is continually looking for new contacts - local lawyers and churches, for example - who can refer clients. He has 15 and is hoping for more.
Research by the Kauffman Foundation, which studies trends in entrepreneurship, shows that more people ages 55 to 64 turned to business ownership during and after the recession. Its index of entrepreneurial activity among people in that age group rose from 2007 to 2009 and logged a scant decline in 2010.
Some older entrepreneurs keep working in the industry where they've spent their entire careers. That was a big confidence booster for Lori Ames, who started the PR Freelancer in 2010.
"Being 53 and having enough work and life experience made me go into this in a smart way," said Ames, who launched her business after her 22-year-old son was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. She decided that running her own company would give her the flexibility to care for her son and work near her Babylon, N.Y., home.
She wasn't worried about getting clients - she had done book publicity and other public relations in Manhattan for more than 20 years. More daunting was the prospect of becoming an employer for the first time.
Ames' business grew so much that nine months after she started the company she was able to hire the first of two staffers. Being responsible for someone else's salary, too, proved stressful.
"That was more nerve-wracking than starting a business," she said.
A lot of older entrepreneurs turn to franchises - they can start making money sooner. Franchises come with ready-made business and marketing plans, not to mention some well-known names.
Uzzi spent $100,000 to buy and set up his Nurse Next Door franchise, a far cry, he said, from what it would take to establish a new business.
"I didn't have $20 million to dump into establishing a brand," he said.


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Cablevision Plans to Offer Travel Bookings on TV
The service would allow Cablevision customers to book trips through their TV sets, says John Pasmore, president of Voyages North America, the provider that is in discussions with Cablevision. The companies are discussing services that would allow users to book flights, hotels and tours. Voyages recently began offering travel videos through Cablevision systems.
The new service would build on an existing on-demand service begun two years ago. At that time, Cablevision started a travel channel promoting Walt Disney theme parks. With that service, viewers can push a button on their remote control labeled "Talk to Agent," and a live Disney booking agent will telephone within minutes. Of those who push the button, 23% book a Disney vacation package, Cablevision says.


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Beyond Gaming writes: So, as we have mentioned so many times before, microtransactions will continue to ignore user experience, they will slowly become a norm and we can see them evolving every day.
Activision's marketing department is probably right. There is a galactic tidal wave of stupid people out there that are more than willing to be siphoned like the lemmings they are.
Also known as buying what you want with your own money.
...and fucking up game mechanics for everyone else in games like in Destiny 2, Forza 7, Shadow of War, NBA 2K17 and Fortnite. That's just games this year where games have been built around microtransactions.
I'm not saying it's right but clearly the number of people that enjoy them outweighs the rest of us. Can't win them all but you can vote with your wallet. Problem is, so can they.
Thats what gaming as a service is. Its where its headed and its eventual downfall.
Obviously it doesn't, you're stretching your mind thin with such baseless speculation. It's actually much simpler and less insidious than you're imagining. It costs them nothing to give away the coins. They don't have to produce content or manufacture trinkets. They aren't doing that because they think it will generate more sales, they are doing it because it costs them nothing to do and it's another thing to tack onto the preorder incentive.
N4G is a community of gamers posting and discussing the latest game news. It’s part of NewsBoiler, a network of social news sites covering today’s pop culture.


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Kim Brink is leaving her marketing role at NASCAR to become chief operating officer of Global Team Ford, the WPP-owned group of agencies dedicated to Ford.
Brink led all NASCAR marketing initiatives since 2011 and launched NASCAR's current Hispanic outreach efforts, along with the development of the youth marketing platform, Acceleration Nation.
NASCAR will replace Brink internally with senior vice president Jill Gregory, who will add leadership of NASCAR marketing to her responsibilities.
Gregory will still oversee the Industry Services department, which handles driver, team, event and marketing services and industry operations.
Gregory will report to Chief Marketing Officer Steve Phelps on marketing and will continue to report to Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O'Donnell on industry services.


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- Ashburn, United States
- Mar, 24th, 23
Pakistan’s exports to the top three markets declined during the first half (July-December) of the current fiscal year 2022-23, WealthPK reported. Exports to the United States of America, China and the United Kingdom declined by 11.38%, 29.24% and 11.52%, respectively, during the period under review. According to provisional data released by the Ministry of Commerce, Pakistan’s exports to the US were recorded at $3.004 billion during July-December FY23 against $3.409 billion during the same months of last fiscal year, with a negative growth of 11.38%.
China remained Pakistan’s second-largest market during the period under review with an export volume of $1.074 billion. Exports to China declined by 29.24% during July-December against the same period of the previous year when export volume was recorded at $1.518 billion. With export volume of $984 million, UK remained the third-largest market for Pakistan during the first half of 2022-23. Exports to UK dropped by 11.52% during the months under review against the corresponding period of the previous year.
With export volume of $859 million, Germany stands as the fourth-largest export destination for Pakistan during the period under review. Exports to Germany rose by 2.87% during July-December FY23 compared to the same period of last fiscal year. Germany also remained Pakistan’s largest export destination among the European Union (EU) countries. The Netherlands remained Pakistan’s fifth-largest market during July-December FY23 with export volume of $774 million, registering a growth of 7.35%.
United Arab Emirates (UAE), Spain and Italy are also among the top 10 export markets for Pakistan during the months under review. Pakistan’s exports to UAE, Spain and Italy were recorded at $773 million, $662 million, and $569 million, respectively, during the said months of 2022-23. According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the country’s total exports were recorded at $14.249 billion during the first half of the current fiscal year against $15.125 billion during the corresponding months of 2021-22, with a decline of 5.79%.
Decline in the country’s total exports during the period under review also caused negative growth in exports to the top three markets. Pakistan’s textile exports also dropped by 7% during the months under review which hurt the exports to US and European countries. Pakistan’s combined exports to US, China and UK were registered at $5.062 million during July-December, which accounted for 35.52% of the country’s total exports during the first half of the financial year.
According to ministry of commerce, US, China and UK also remained the top exports markets for Pakistan during December 2022 followed by UAE and Netherlands. Pakistan’s top exported items during July-December include textile products, cotton yarn, cereals, rice, chemicals, pharmaceutical products, leather made garments and sports goods.
According to Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), US remained Pakistan’s largest export destination during the last fiscal year 2021-22, followed by UAE and China. UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy and Afghanistan were among the top ten markets for Pakistan during the last fiscal year. Pakistan’s exports to the US were recorded at $6.701 billion in 2021-22, $3.169 billion to UAE and $2.969 billion to China.
Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk


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Several years ago, Mark Henning fell in love with a car – and he’s been on a wild ride ever since.
“I had to retire because of an accident, so my wife told me to go out and get a hobby,” he said. “I kind of like old cars, so I found one to restore.
“It was a Studebaker.”
It was a humble start to what’s become a real passion in Henning’s life.
Beginning June 28, Studebaker enthusiasts from around the world will be attending the annual Studebaker Drivers Club International Meet, which will run through July 5 at the Dover Downs Hotel & Casino and the Dover Downs International Speedway.
It will be the 50th anniversary of the meet and the first to be held on the East Coast, said Henning, who is chairman of the event. The Delmarva Studebaker Club, which is sponsoring the meet, is expecting to play host to at least 500 of the vehicles.
One man has shipped his right-hand drive 1962 Studebaker Lark from Sydney, Australia, just to take part, he said. Owners are coming from 11 other countries, including Norway and South Africa.
Why so much interest in a car whose last model rolled off the production line almost 50 years ago?
“You can go to a classic car show and you’ll see a whole bunch of Camaros, a whole bunch of Mustangs and a whole bunch of Corvettes,” Henning said. “How often do you see a Studebaker?”
Once one of the most popular car lines in the nation, the Studebaker company got its start manufacturing wagons and carriages, including the famous Conestogas that carried pioneers in the 1800s. Studebaker was the only firm to make the transition from horse-drawn to horseless carriages in the early 1900s, and was a major supplier of vehicles to the U.S. Army during World War II.
Studebaker’s M29 Weasel, a tracked vehicle used to great effect during the war was manufactured at the company’s plant in Indiana, but modified and painted for overseas use here in Dover.
But bad management eventually doomed the once-thriving company, and it went out of business in 1966.
In addition to a Studebaker-built Conestoga and several examples of the M29, the show will feature everything from a 1926 Standard Six, which was built on a wooden frame with wooden wheel spokes to the 1966 Commander, the last Studebaker model built.
Car fans no doubt will be on the lookout for examples of the Commander, whose projectile-shaped front end earned it the sobriquet “Bullet Nose.”
People at the show will be able to take free rides in the M29, and also will get a chance to inspect other wartime vehicles, including the 2.5-ton US-6 and the 5-ton M-17.
Clubs affiliated with Henning’s Delmarva organization also will be on hand, including owners of antique Studebakers and the much admired Studebaker Avanti, the first mass manufactured car with an all-fiberglass body. Built only for two years, the Avanti was sold as the first high-performance passenger car and quickly set a number of land speed records, several of which still stand today.
Seminars on the Studebaker will be held throughout the week, and several will be taken out for a drive around the Speedway’s Monster Mile on Wednesday. A number of cars will be on display Thursday and kids will get a chance to finger paint a 1951 Bullet Nose, much like the one driven by Fozzie Bear in 1979’s “The Muppet Movie.”
“We just want people to come in, wander around, and get interested in Studebakers,” Henning said. “This is going to be one of the largest gatherings of Studebakers since the company went out of business and the largest variety of Studebakers in one place at one time, ever.
“We hope people will come out and get a feel for the Studebaker and its history.”


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- Malaysia Air has suffered years' worth of problems
In an industry notorious for impoverishing shareholders and irking customers, Malaysia Airlines has stood out for its restructurings and losses. Now it has global recognition of a far more unfavorable kind.
- Stock futures decline as China concerns mount
- Obama to push for stronger rules on overtime pay
- 'Candy Crush' maker seeks $7.56B IPO valuation
- Starbucks invites digital tips from mobile devices
- Agency suing American Airlines over tax incentives
- Feds reportedly open criminal probe of GM recall
- Ackman accuses Herbalife of breaking China laws
- The perils of trying to profit by chasing high yields
- YouTube's 10 biggest moneymaking stars
- 6 great funds that succeed with small portfolios
- Super-batteries and other new moneymaking tech
- Disney finds magic in tracking park visitors | DIS
In some cities, nearly a third of the population continues to work during the traditional retirement years, according to 2012 Census Bureau data.
- Wall St. to open lower as China concerns mount8:55 AM ET | Reuters
- Wall St. cash bonus pool up 15 pct to $26.7 billion in 2013: NYS Comptroller8:53 AM ET | Reuters
- Candy Crush-maker King sees up to $7.6 billion IPO valuation8:23 AM ET | Reuters
- Ackman accuses Herbalife of breaking laws in China5:41 AM ET | Reuters
- Brazil's economy faces trouble after World Cup, election7:06 AM ET | Reuters
- Alibaba's Tsai says will 'never' change partnership structure for Hong Kong IPO8:12 AM ET | Reuters
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January 7, 2013 11:09am
We’re inside at LG’s early 8am CES Press Conference and we’re expecting to see a couple Android-powered devices, some new televisions and, if you glance to the right of the above photo, evidence of some new “connected” washing machines.
LG has committed to adding Android to a number of new products, including fridges, washing machines and more.
The company is quite confident that, like it did in 2012, this year will be profitable and bring the company more into the mainstream in North America, especially in the smartphone department.
Today’s new slogan is, “Touch the Smart Life.” Let’s see.


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Europe's new data and privacy rules take effect a week from Friday, clarifying individual rights to the personal data collected by companies around the world for targeted advertising and other purposes.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requires businesses to protect personal data and privacy of EU citizens for transactions that occur within EU member states.
With the May 25th GDPR deadline fast approaching, there is a mixed picture across Europe when it comes to readiness.
The European Union's new data protection rules, which take effect on May 25, will give people more control over the way their personal information is used online.
Protecting privacy & innovative use of data cannot be a trade-off: UK’s Digital Secretary Matt Hancock
Hancock thinks there is a very important role here for rules, whether that is legislative rules or norms of behaviors, so that big tech companies take their responsibilities seriously.
Pichai's call came after Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on Monday stressed that the company is determined to ensure users' data and is building secure solutions towards preserving data privacy.
The General Data Protection Regulation is a comprehensive set of directives put in place by the European Union to protect personal data of all its citizens.
Only new laws will incentivize enterprises to look at security as more of blended-in rather than bolted-on: IBM Resilient’s Bruce Schneier
New laws will help build cyber resilience. GDPR will make a change. That’s the big experiment right now.
Organizations are in search for security and privacy professionals even as the deadline for adherence to the General Data Protection Regulation in the European Union looms close
After the massive Facebook data scandal, it has now come to notice that Twitter had also sold users' data to a Cambridge Analytica researcher who collected the data of nearly 87 million Facebook users without their knowledge and permission, The Sunday Telegraph reported.
88% Indian cos ensure personal ID information is anonymized, encrypted across on-premise services: Survey
A fifth of companies lack continuous encryption for personally identifiable information, and only half have the systems required to meet Articles 16 and 17 of the GDPR legislation.
The EU GDPR will usher a new data and privacy protection regime to give regulators unprecedented power to impose fines, requiring large-scale privacy changes across organisations.
Facebook is keen to reduce its exposure to GDPR, which allows European regulators to fine companies for collecting or using personal data without users' consent.
Facebook has introduced a third-party fact-checking programme to combat the spread of “false news” on its platform, starting with a pilot in Karnataka.
“It is vital that CIOs/ CISOs are familiar of the landscape when they work with companies based out of EU and are processing the personal information of their data subjects” Jaspreet Singh, Partner- Information Security, EY said.
US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen warned on Tuesday that a European data privacy law taking effect next month may have "unintended consequences" that harm the United States' ability to protect itself from cyber attacks.
Despite the reported security incidents, respondents with a Cloud-First strategy still believe that public cloud is safer than private cloud.


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What should Singaporean businesses and professionals expect this 2022? As part of a new insights series, YCP Solidiance will be releasing several in-depth articles that feature emerging business trends in Singapore, guided by research and analysis from our team of professionals in the country.
Read the second installment below to understand how businesses will continue to utilize digitalization as a transformative tool for post-pandemic recovery in Singapore for 2022. To read future issues of this article series, subscribe to our newsletter here.
Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges that it has presented, businesses continue to accelerate digitalization efforts as it will play a critical role for businesses in 2022.
For Singapore specifically, the country has emerged as one of the most technologically equipped economies within Asia. By way of digitalization, Singapore has become a hotbed of investment for domestic and international players alike. To properly capitalize on such opportunities, Singaporean businesses, and professionals – whether small or big – must continue to move toward the trend of digitalization because it is here to stay.
Supporting Digitalization in the Long-Term
The Singaporean government and several associated bodies have developed initiatives that are geared toward ensuring the digitalization of businesses that need assistance. These programs will ultimately help shape the digital future of Singapore.
For instance, two government agencies tasked with regulation and enterprise development, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and Enterprise Singapore (ESG) respectively, have launched the Digital Leaders Programme (DLP). This initiative aims to support companies as they journey toward adopting digitalization to build capability, while also ensuring that they have the capacity to technologically develop in the first place. Meanwhile, a similar initiative entitled the Better Data Driven Business (BDDB) programme aims to equip SMEs with the necessary resources to remain competitive in the digital economy.
These initiatives reflect that the public and private sectors have become increasingly aware of how advantageous digitalization can be. It also shows that collaboration between these sectors will play an essential part for businesses hoping to capitalize. As digitalization is expected to trend for many years to come in Singapore, especially as ASEAN embraces the fourth industrial revolution (4IR), expect further initiatives that aim to stimulate digital transformation.
Securing Your Investment
As a result of how flexible and dynamic digitalization can be, its application is not limited to a singular industry. Rather, digitalization may be adapted and scaled depending on the needs of the business. Evidenced by its application within industries like e-commerce, manufacturing, or even agriculture, the flexibility of digitalization also means that investment may occur across a plethora of sectors and industries. Here are some examples:
- Work Arrangements: With remote work being an evident possibility, businesses are now exploring how else digitalization can be leveraged to improve traditional work arrangements. Platforms that facilitate such set-ups could stand to benefit the most (e.g. Zoom, Poly, Google Meet, Salesforce)
- Artificial Intelligence: The labor shortage has allowed digitalization to somewhat fill the gap through automation and the application of AI. The National Research Foundation (NRF) has invested 150 million SGD to research how AI capabilities within the country can be enhanced and boosted across several sectors.
- Cybersecurity: As businesses and customers continue to activate online, the risk of security breaches and data leaks (e.g., personal information, financial records, etc.) also increases. Thus, there is an urgent need for digital protection.
- 3D Printing: In some instances, 3D printing can be used as an accessible alternative for specific objects, especially with objects that are hard to purchase or procure.
While digitalization is the current trend, one must consider its staying power, especially when remembering that it is a tool that helps prepare businesses for the transition toward 4IR. Digitalization is not merely a trend that presents short-term profit. Instead, investors should look at it as a movement that heavily influences and dictates the direction in which businesses will head toward in the future. Digitalization is helping shape the future as we know it.


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Xavier connection: Mayor Zamora buys overpriced COVID testing machine from Omnibus cartel
San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora is one of the local government who bought an allegedly overpriced COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test machine from controversial Omnibus Bio-Medical Systems owned by the couple Van And Evelyn Co.
Multiple Politiko sources said Omnibus sold a PCR test machine to San Juan for P2.5 million.
This is 42 percent more than the P1.75 million for each test machine paid or by the private-led Project ARK which bought directly from the equipment maker, Sansure Biotech of China, and ditched the middleman, Omnibus. The Department of Health bought its PCR machines for P4 million each from Omnibus which has raised charges of corruption.
San Juan’s purchase was facilitated by Zamora’s right hand man, John Cheng, who is a batch mate of Van Co at Xavier School.
The sources said Zamora also bought P3.5 million worth of swab test kits as part of the PCR machine package. The sources said the swab kits were normally given as rebates to buyers.
President Rodrigo Duterte has asked the National Bureau of Investigation to investigate Omnibus and the Co for profiteering from the sale test machine sand other protective gear during the pandemic.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque and other Department of Health officials have reportedly centralized all COVID-related purchases through Omnibus to control supply and jack up prices. When confronted by the President, Duque denied knowing the Cos.
Omnibus is the local distributor of Sansure but their ties got strained hen the Chinese firm frowned on the Cos practice of pricing its product two to thee times the suggest retail price.
Omnibus is based in Green Hills, San Juan. Van Co is the son of Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry vice president William Go.
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EMC Thursday reported financial results for the second quarter of 2005, achieving double-digit, year-over-year revenue growth for the eighth consecutive quarter. EMC said its growth was once again driven by sales of its midrange storage systems and by its services business.
EMC reported US$2.34 billion in revenue for the quarter, up 19 percent over the same period last year. Net income for the quarter was US$293 million, 52 percent higher than the US$193 million it reported for the second quarter of 2004.
EMC CEO Joe Tucci said in a statement that the company is committed to strengthening and expanding its product portfolio this year. EMC is scheduled to release the seventh generation of its high-end Symmetrix array this fall, although sources have said it may come even earlier.
EMC Symmetrix revenue was up this quarter, growing 4 percent year over year and sequentially. That compares with a 5 percent sequential drop in revenue last quarter. EMC's midrange Clariion sales cooled off a bit during the quarter but remained a star performer, with 32 percent revenue growth over the previous quarter. Sales of the midrange array have now grown by at least 30 percent for 10 consecutive quarters.
Given the company's solid showing in the quarter, Kaushik Roy, an analyst at Susquehanna Financial Group, said he was surprised EMC is forecasting flat revenue growth for the next quarter. "Typically, they'd [project] 2 percent to 3 percent growth for the September quarter. We're also sensing end demand is not that great," he said.
Roy said he doesn't believe EMC's flat growth projections have anything to do with new high-end and midrange products recently announced by Hewlett-Packard, IBM and Hitachi Data Systems. "They're executing well," Roy said, referring to EMC.
Bill Teuber, EMC's chief financial officer, said the software group reported 16 percent revenue growth in open, platform-independent software, while backup, recovery and archive software license revenue increased 28 percent. It represented the strongest performer within the EMC Software Group.
EMC subsidiary VMware saw record quarterly revenue of US$91 million, representing 93 percent leap year over year. Software license revenues were up 70 percent from the same period in 2004, while services, including maintenance and consulting, jumped nearly 200 percent, Teuber said.
"Our focus on driving profitable growth while gaining market share is working exceptionally well, as evidenced by our 11th consecutive quarter of meeting or exceeding our major financial targets," Teuber said.
Software license and maintenance revenue grew 26 percent from a year ago to US$832 million and represented 37 percent of total EMC revenue. Professional services, systems maintenance and other services revenue grew 26 percent to US$375 million during the quarter, Teuber said.


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We ve got your Tuesday tech news right here.
PayPal goes after Apple Pay security in a New York Times ad: We the people want our money safer than our selfies. (PayPal is alluding to the recent posting of nude photos stolen from celebrities iCloud accounts.)
Facebook, Google, Twitter and others launch the TODO Project, an open-source software alliance.
Gartner says 75 percent of mobile apps will fail basic security tests through 2015.
Apple tells people how to remove the free U2 album from their iTunes accounts.
FCC says it received 3 million comments about net neutrality. The deadline was midnight Monday.
University of California plans $250 million venture fund to invest in startups by its students and faculty.
Uber ban overturned in Germany.
The top advertiser on Google? None other than Amazon. Also near the top: Microsoft.
It looks like Boeing will beat out SpaceX for NASA contract for astronaut space taxis, says the Wall Street Journal.
Roku reports milestone, saying it has sold 10 million players.
Photo from Associated Press archives


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Oppo has launched quite a lot of phones in the recent past. Now there are leaks about them planning to release another mid-range smartphone. The recent device that they released was the Oppo A1K, the full review for which will soon go live on our YouTube channel. Recent leaks from China’s telecom mobile phone libraries suggest that the Oppo K3 smartphone is going to be launched soon. Read on to know more about Oppo K3 specifications and price in India along with other relevant details!
Oppo K3 specifications and price in India
The model number for Oppo K3 is PCGM00. It would come equipped with a 16MP primary and a 16MP + 2MP rear camera. The phone would come with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 chipset and the pricing is expected to be around 23K INR.
According to the leaks, the Oppo K3 has specifications similar to the standard version of Oppo Reno. This device comes with a 6.5″ full screen and a pop-up camera style design. The device would come in three colours i.e. Secret Black, Nebula purple and Morning white colours.
The device is expected to be 9.4mm thick. It would have a USB-C type connection interface and a 3.5mm jack as well. The versions leaked till now showcase 8GB RAM and a 128GB storage capacity. There are also rumours about a 6GB RAM version.
The device is also expected to support 20W fast charging. It comes with a 2340*1080px FHD+ resolution. It’s expected to weigh around 191g.
So guys what do you think? Is the Oppo K3 smartphone going to be a good phone under 30K INR? Do let us know in the comments section below!
Keep visiting for more such awesome posts, internet tips, gadget reviews, and remember we cover,
“Everything under the Sun!”


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AUO's Flexible e-paper to take on Stretch Armstrong in Battle of the Bendiest
There's nothing better than unplugging on a Sunday afternoon with a newspaper and a cup of Joe, which is exactly what AU Optronics hopes to facilitate with its 6-inch Rollable Organic TFT E-paper. We've heard rumblings about the foldable photovoltaic device before, but the company has finally delivered a working prototype that is completely solar powered and elastic enough to make even Gumby jealous. Made of organic TFTs, the SVGA e-paper has an amorphous silicon PV battery, which turns natural or indoor light into solar energy without requiring a power plug.
HP Does a Double-Back Flip
But WebOS Still in Limbo.
HP yesterday announced plans to keep its PC division, and said it would have a decision regarding webOS in the next few months, so where does that leave the HP TouchPad?
Oh Yeah, Kindle FIRE seemed a Better DEAL!


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Marriott International reported a steep increase in direct online bookings in the third quarter, with Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson attributing the surge to the successful rebranding of the company's loyalty program.
"Our guests are increasingly booking online," Sorenson said during a call with investors on Tuesday. "Our direct digital channels leveraged the popularity of Marriott Bonvoy and offered the lowest cost per reservation. Those channels -- Marriott.com and Marriott mobile -- accounted for 32% of our room nights booked in the third quarter, [which was] over 400 basis points higher year over year."
Over the same period, the company reported, online travel agent (OTA) bookings declined nearly 100 basis points year over year.
According to Sorenson, progress on the direct-booking front comes as consumer perception of the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program has improved significantly. Launched earlier this year, the rebranding effort, which combined the group's Marriott Rewards, Starwood Preferred Guest and Ritz-Carlton Rewards platforms, was initially met with some backlash.
"Social media feedback about the program has become decidedly favorable," Sorenson said. "Marriott Bonvoy is on a roll. Global room revenue from Marriott Bonvoy members is up 12% year to date over the last nine months, and members contributed 52% of systemwide room nights, a 320-basis-point increase year over year."
Over the past nine months, he added, Marriott Bonvoy membership has grown by 12 million, to roughly 137 million members. Notably, around 40% of that increase came from the Chinese market.
Sorenson said the company would continue working to limit its dependence on the OTA channel.
"The most significant thing we've done with the OTAs, and not just with the new agreements, is that we have been more aggressive in essentially dialing back the business we'll take to OTAs when we project we'll have high occupancies," explained Sorenson. "We've had that right for a few years, but we weren't using it as aggressively as we're using it now."
For the third quarter, Marriott reported RevPAR growth of 1.5% worldwide, including a 1.9% RevPAR gain outside North America and a 1.3% RevPAR rise within North America.
Third-quarter revenue, however, was down 23% from the same period last year, to $387 million.


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Two days of being paralyzed by a winter storm in North Texas has taken it’s toll on small businesses.
This is definitely from the don’t try this at home file.
Plummeting temperatures didn’t stop Hypnotic Donuts from holding its second annual Polar Plunge Sunday.
In a segment that starts out with jokes about the defense lawyer in the George Zimmerman trial, somehow the conversation turns to who makes the best donuts.
It seems like you can find a donut shop on every corner in the DFW area but these are the best.
More than just a convenience en route to work, the donut is a smile-inducing DFW fixture found on every street corner and shopping center.
Wednesday morning in Fort Worth involved three bakeries, three robbers and back-to-back holdups.
It may be a case of a misplaced decimal point, or a few stray zeroes.
Would you ever eat a 4500-calorie cheeseburger? How about a nacho pizza cake? Check out some of the crazy creations Americans have stuffed into their mouthholes.


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IHOP Launches Limited Edition Breakfast-Inspired Clothing Line
It’s called “PancakeWear”
It’s an undisputed fact that breakfast tastes better when you’re in pajamas, and it seems like IHOP has picked up on this notion. The franchise announced today that they will sell limited editions of breakfast-inspired onesies, lounge pants, and socks this spring. Calling the clothing line “PancakeWear,” IHOP said in a statement that they were inspired to create the line from their love of all things breakfast. The PancakeWear is part of their “60 Days of Giving” campaign, in which a portion of the proceeds from every piece of clothing will go to the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
“Breakfast and laid-back loungewear just go together at IHOP,” said Stephanie Peterson, Executive Director of Communications at IHOP in a press release. “We thought it would be fun to design a limited-edition merchandise collection that reflects the spirit of brand and what we see in our restaurants all the time—people in pajamas enjoying pancakes.”
The PancakeWear was launched to celebrate IHOP’s 60th anniversary as a brand, but the company didn’t want to celebrate their success without giving back to the community. Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals is IHOP’s largest charity partner, helping over 10 million kids every year. Planning to donate a portion of money made from every sale of the PancakeWear, IHOP hopes to raise $5 million for children’s charities during the 60 Days of Giving campaign.
As of March 7, the limited edition PancakeWear collection is available for purchase on eBay For Charity. IHOP’s 60 Days of Giving campaign will run through March 31, 2018.


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In their Twitter Q&A this afternoon, Funko made the surprising announcement that they have no plans for their popular annual Pop! Up Shop to return during Comic-Con.
The past two years, Funko has opened up their “Funko South” design studio in downtown San Diego to the general public as an exclusives store during SDCC. Last year, the shop took on a Saturday Morning Cartoons theme and fans lined up several days in advance for a chance to purchase the exclusive Pop!s and other merchandise that was only available at the Funko Pop! Up Shop.
Funko’s downtown location has been used in the past to host charity art shows — last year they hosted a Marvin the Martian custom Dorbz exhibit after the shop had closed — so the company may still have something else up it’s sleeve!
Funko will, of course, have their regular booth of exclusives on the San Diego Comic-Con convention floor.
What are your thoughts on the Funko Pop! Up Shop not returning this year? Leave a comment below!


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Kudos to the team that put together Pakistan’s first transgendershoot but will the cause be taken beyond the visual?
Every time you hear the word ‘transgender’ an image of a flamboyantly decked-up cross dresser comes to mind. Transgenders, in our part of the world, are rarely respected and most of them lead lives of abuse, violence, exploitation and misery. These are the same people whose existence in South East Asia dates back more than 4000 years and who appeared in ancient texts as bearers of fortune and fertility but in the so called modern society today, they face open discrimination and ridicule.
Our mental blocks do not allow us to think about ‘transgenders’ beyond what we see (or ignore) at traffic signals. Around the world, transgenders are gracing magazine covers as big as TIME and giving inspiring TED Talk speeches. The case in point here is Geena Rocero, founder of Gender Proud, whose TED speech was labelled as one of the most inspiring speeches of 2014 and has been viewed more than three million times since then. Then you have Carmen Carrerra, who plays a hairstylist in Ricki and the Flash, a movie starring Meryl Streep. Lea T, known as the first transgender supermodel, has been Givenchy designer’s muse since 2010. From America’s Next Top Model to Game of Thrones, transgenders have had their fair share of success in iconic international projects.
Given the recent incidents of violence against transgenders in the country, Pakistan unfortunately may not be the best place for the tolerance and acceptance of the transgender community but a recent fashion shoot by a Pakistani fashion stylist, Waqar J Khan - that features the renowned transgender Kami Sid - has stirred the issue up on the internet.
“For me it was not a fashion shoot. It was more like a cause, an awareness campaign. We are capable of all sorts of respectable work provided we are given a chance.” – Kami Sid
In conversation with Instep, Waqar mentioned, “I was deeply shocked by the incident that recently happened in Faisalabad when a transgender was beaten up barbarically. Then what saddened me even more was how conveniently our society takes away from them the right to lead a normal life. A transgender birthday party was called off hours before the function as they were denied access to the hall. These events are thought provoking and moved me from within. So I discussed the idea with Saba Khalid and we engaged Kami Sid who is a very well-known activist for their community. The fashion industry, like any other business, has a social responsibility and this was just an effort to create awareness about the potential that lies in these people and the space they deserve. The shoot is not about the makeup, photography or the dresses; it’s about the fact that if we treat them like any other person, together we can put an end to this discrimination which is unfair at so many levels.”
About the shoot, he added, “Kami instantly agreed to do the shoot. We had names like Haseeb Siddqiui and Nighat Misbah from Depilex on board who voluntarily came forward to be a part of this project. We used Kami’s own wardrobe for the shoot and we have not diluted the message by adding any designer wear.”
Instep also got in touch with Kami Sid who shared, “For me it was not a fashion shoot. It was more like a cause, an awareness campaign. Unfortunately our people think that our community is only good for begging and dancing publically. We are capable of all sorts of respectable work provided we are given a chance. I hope this campaign serves the purpose and creates the right kind of awareness.”
Kami Sid, who is a well-known activist, represents Pakistan at the Asia Pacific Transgender Network and is in a process of establishing her own NGO. She is also flying to Zurich next week to speak at one of the LGBT events organized by the UN.
For a society to progress in its true sense it needs to be tolerant and it needs to encourage diversity. This campaign is definitely a step in the right direction, especially since we see transgenders employed in the beauty industry worldwide and also, to some extent, in Pakistan. Let’s just hope that our designers wake up to the cause and help make runway stars like Ines Raus and the Lea Ts of this world.
– Sadiq Saleem is a Dubai based entertainment journalist. He is also an Instep correspondent and can be contacted on his page fb/sidsaidso


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|Yet another Mobile POS: Adyen's Shuttle
We've previously highlighted our concerns over the issue of consumer trust in these devices. But that can be alleviated through greater exposure and resultant familiarity to the product, coupled with a brand that they trust. Being able to deliver larger volumes of units will help with the former, and white labelling the latter.
But if there's one thing we can be certain of...the space around Mobile POS is only going to get more crowded, not less.
Read the full article on the gigaom website


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The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has shone a spotlight on the importance of resilient supply chains. Assumptions about the work that goes on in the background to provide next day delivery or fresh produce were challenged by supply shortages and empty shelves. It’s an age old problem. Supply chains are taken for granted when they work, and scrutinised when they don’t. Now with public awareness high, companies are having to state how they’ll ensure resilience and protect against volatility.
Our figures suggest an above average possible fall in economic output of more than 37% for the industrial manufacturing sector. So as we assess the impacts of one of the most disruptive events in recent history, what challenges do companies face when resuming supply chains? And with Brexit swiftly approaching, how can they ensure issues identified during the pandemic don’t happen again?
Read the full insight on the PwC website


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Travis Perkins plc (TPK) Receives Consensus Rating of “Hold” from Brokerages
Shares of Travis Perkins plc (LON:TPK) have been assigned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the fourteen research firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, ten have issued a hold recommendation and three have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is GBX 1,286.14 ($16.44).
A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on TPK shares. Numis Securities reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a GBX 1,188 ($15.19) price objective on shares of Travis Perkins in a research note on Wednesday, August 1st. UBS Group cut Travis Perkins to a “neutral” rating and reduced their price objective for the company from GBX 1,715 ($21.92) to GBX 1,515 ($19.37) in a research note on Thursday, July 12th. Liberum Capital reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Travis Perkins in a research note on Tuesday, July 31st. Citigroup cut Travis Perkins to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 25th. Finally, Peel Hunt cut Travis Perkins to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 31st.
TPK opened at GBX 1,121 ($14.33) on Friday. Travis Perkins has a 52 week low of GBX 1,233.50 ($15.77) and a 52 week high of GBX 1,709 ($21.85).
The company also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 9th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, October 4th will be issued a dividend of GBX 15.50 ($0.20) per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 4th. This represents a dividend yield of 1.31%.
In other news, insider Coline McConville bought 75 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 1st. The stock was bought at an average cost of GBX 1,192 ($15.24) per share, for a total transaction of £894 ($1,142.78). Also, insider Ruth Anderson bought 66 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 1st. The shares were purchased at an average price of GBX 1,366 ($17.46) per share, with a total value of £901.56 ($1,152.45). Over the last quarter, insiders have bought 261 shares of company stock valued at $347,844.
About Travis Perkins
Travis Perkins plc operates as a builder's merchant and home improvement product retailer in the United Kingdom. The company's General Merchanting division supplies building materials for various types of repair, maintenance, and improvement projects, as well as new residential and commercial constructions.
Featured Story: How do investors use RSI to grade stocks?
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Source: Michael Grothaus
It appears other countries besides China are heading toward a bleak dystopian future where a human being is scored by their online activities. Only this time, it’s a tech company and not a government implementing the social credit score. While not as bleak as China’s social credit system, today Line, Japan’s dominant social media company, introduced a slew of new products—the most alarming among them, Line Score, reports the Verge.
Line Score will use AI to give a social credit score to Line users. The strength of their social credit score will allow them to get access to better special deals and offers that Line users with lower social credit scores will not have access to.


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European players discuss what lies ahead for PVC after holidays
Production hiccups there but not alarming
Sellers failed to achieve larger hike attempts as overall PVC supplies were deemed sufficient despite the recent production hiccups in downstream PVC plants. Comfortable import availability also did not give rise to supply concerns on the buyers’ side.
Still, players confirmed that a few suppliers’ PVC availability is tight due to unplanned cracker outages across the region.
KemOne has put its PVC customers on allocation for April due to a feedstock shortage stemming from a shutdown at Ineos’ Naphtachimie cracker in Lavera, France. A company source noted, “We lost many tonnages and had to reduce our deliveries to PVC buyers.”
Poland’s Anwil, meanwhile, was reportedly running their plant at reduced rates after resuming operations in Wloclawek. The company had to shut the plant for two weeks due to a feedstock disruption, according to a source close with the matter.
Japan’s Shin Etsu started a planned maintenance work at its PVC plant in Pernis, the Netherlands by mid-April 2019. The planned shutdown is slated to last for a month.
Demand in Turkey, main export outlet, remains low
In Turkey, a large exporter of European PVC, demand failed to show the expected recovery amid parity fluctuations and a slow construction sector. A few traders reported that some European suppliers’ export allocations might be limited for May. Some players also reported, “We faced some delivery delays from Europe due to the holidays.” However, this has not led to any concerns due to smooth prompt supplies.
K70 is the only exception as it has been already tight in Turkey. According to them, k70 may see modest hike attempts due to this factor.
Ethylene contracts expected higher
Early expectations for May ethylene contracts are calling for increases of €30-40/ton and a few players also voiced expectations of larger increases of up to €50/ton.
This stems from higher energy costs as well as rising spot ethylene prices for the past three months. Spot ethylene prices have stabilized at around their highest levels in 7 months recently, according to the weekly average data on ChemOrbis Price Wizard.
Further hikes on the way but to what extent?
Higher costs are likely to lead to price hikes for another month in PVC markets. Prospects of improved demand in May also contributed to the increase expectations. Some players argued that sellers may continue to seek margin improvement next month.
A buyer affirmed, “PVC demand may see a recovery in May while we expect to see hike attempts beyond the 50% of the ethylene’s outcome for next month due to producers’ aim to recoup their margins.”
“If spot naphtha and crude oil prices sustain their uptrend, PVC prices may see increases that go beyond the half of the ethylene increase,” opined a compounder.
Demand will have the final say
On the other hand, some players think that disappointing demand may put a cap on PVC hikes. The month of May might bear a resemblance to the previous months unless demand improves, they argued.
On another note, a Taiwanese major’s price cuts to China and India has weighed on the global PVC sentiment for May pricing.
More free plastics newsPlastic resin (PP, LDPE, LLDPE ,HDPE, PVC, GPS; HIPS, PET, ABS) prices, polymer market trends, and more...
- European PE markets set for 2nd bullish month on rising costs
- Turkey’s PP and PE markets propelled to a firm start to H2 despite vulnerable conditions
- Asian PVC sees V-shaped recovery in Q2, what will Q3 bring?
- Will capacity additions cast cloud on ethylene upsurge in Asia?
- US PVC offers in Egypt rise steadily but resistance grows in tandem
- PE buyers’ resistance grows in SEA; duty-free origins more competitive than Mid-East
- Polymer demand cools in Turkey: Is price correction ahead for PP, PE and PVC?
- China’s rising PET trend takes a pause, but longer-term outlook remains firm
- Uptrend in China’s import PP market continues but cautious mood returns
- Hikes in Asia July PVC offers baffle some buyers, further rally under discussion


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A new study suggests that eating potatoes may actually help to decrease body weight gain.
A team of researchers at McGill University fed mice an “obesity-inducing diet” along with a polyphenol-rich extract made from lots of Irish potatoes (about 30 per daily dose). The mice who didn’t get the potato serum gained “about 16” grams, while the ones who did only gained seven.
The results so shocked the researchers they repeated the experiment with “potatoes grown in another season.”
The potato compound may help prevent obesity and type 2 diabetes, according to researchers.
While this may seem like good news to all the potato lovers out there, lead author Stan Kubow warns that no one should take this as a sign to eat 30 potatoes a day. However, the study says that “a simple potato extract may limit weight gain from a diet that is high in fat and refined carbohydrates.”
The benefits of the extract, which the research team hopes to patent, are due to its high concentration of polyphenols.
The discovery may also shed light on the so-called “French paradox” — how do French people eat the way they do and still remain so skinny?
“In the famous French diet, considered to be very healthy, potatoes – not red wine – are the primary source of polyphenols,” says Kubow.


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Recall Update: Spice World Dried basil leaves
The Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) has released the following information.
Dried basil leaves sold under either Spice World brand or Roma brand. Recall
The Spice World brand was coded with "0912" on the label.
The Roma brand was not coded. The firm recalled product distributed
between January 4, 2002, and May 23, 2002.
Spice World Inc., Orlando, FL, by telephone on July 16, 2002 followed by
letter and press release on July 17, 2002. Firm initiated recall is
The product was contaminated with Salmonella.
VOLUME OF PRODUCT IN COMMERCE
76 cases of 24/1 oz and 220/5 lb. and 310 1.5 lb.


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Demand for British sparkling wine soars as vintages are sold off before they are even ready to drink
- British vineyard will join Bordeaux and Burgundy to offer wine as ‘en primeur’
- The Rathfinny Estate, East Sussex, launched its first vintage last year
- Owners have now set aside 800 cases of their 2017 Rathfinny Classic Cuvée
- Connoisseurs buying it now will pay just £19 a bottle, compared to the £38
It is a rare distinction afforded to only the finest wines: selling a vintage years before it is ready to drink.
Now, for the first time, a British vineyard will join the great chateaux of Bordeaux and Burgundy and offer wine for future consumption, known as ‘en primeur’.
The Rathfinny Estate in East Sussex is leading the way after launching its first vintage last year and finding that demand far outstripped supply.
For the first time, a British vineyard will join the great chateaux of Bordeaux and Burgundy and offer wine for future consumption, known as ‘en primeur’ (file image)
Owners Mark and Sarah Driver have now set aside 800 cases of their 2017 Rathfinny Classic Cuvée – a sparkling wine made from a blend of pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot meunier grapes – to be sold en primeur.
En primeur reds are left in the barrel. But, as a sparkling wine, the Rathfinny Classic Cuvée is lying in the bottle in a temperature-controlled cellar until it is ready in 2021.
Connoisseurs buying it now will pay just £19 a bottle, compared to the £38 that 2015 wines from the vineyard currently fetch. But buyers – who will have to buy a minimum of 24 bottles – will need to pay excise duty and VAT before they can take their wine home.
The Drivers’ estate is ideally suited for growing sparkling wine grapes. The light soil over a bed of chalk provides very similar conditions to those in the Champagne region. However, land in Champagne costs more than £1 million a hectare, while a comparable plot in east Sussex is only £25,000.
Owners Mark and Sarah Driver have now set aside 800 cases of their 2017 Rathfinny Classic Cuvée – a sparkling wine made from a blend of pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot meunier grapes – to be sold en primeur
The two regions are matched in another way: Sussex now enjoys official protection as a geographical trademark in a similar fashion to Champagne, Stilton cheese and Melton Mowbray pork pies.
Master of Wine Richard Bampfield said: ‘Selling en primeur is a proven commercial practice for fine wine. They’ve been doing it in Bordeaux and Burgundy for many years.
‘From the consumers’ point of view, these wines can be hard to get hold of, and also people appreciate being the first to buy a product – and that adds something to the attraction.
A harvest at The Rathfinny Estate in East Sussex. It is is leading the way after launching its first vintage last year and finding that demand far outstripped supply
‘The advantage to the producer is that they get cash in a little bit earlier than they would otherwise.
‘This is a reflection of the progress English wine has made in the past ten to 15 years, that now people have this sort of ambition.’
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AI Dating: 66% Prefer AI to Regular Dating Apps
- The online dating scene is about to witness a major transformation.
- That's because the advent of the metaverse will usher in a new era of artificial intelligence-powered dating apps.
- These online dating apps will enable users to connect their virtual worlds faster, efficiently, and in more fulfilling ways.
The coming of the metaverse is promising to transform the online dating scene radically. Another shift that could advance online dating is artificial intelligence and how AI infused dating apps could advance online dating app user experiences. According to a BanklessTimes analysis, 66% of online daters would pick an AI dating app over a regular one.
BanklessTimes' CEO Jonathan Merry agrees that AI could revolutionize the dating scene. He says:
"Many online daters are craving immersive and interactive experiences that regular dating apps can't provide.
Merry adds, “AI dating apps will allow users to benefit from features like predictive matching and real-time guidance. Thus, they can automatically screen profile photos for inappropriate content and weed out false profiles. As a result, AI will make online dating safer and more efficient, leading to better matches and more fulfilling relationships.”
AI and Matchmaking
It's no secret that AI is becoming increasingly important in our lives. From how we commute to how we do our shopping, AI is slowly but surely becoming woven into the fabric of our everyday existence. So it's not surprising that many people believe AI will also soon be playing matchmaker.
According to a recent survey, 60% of respondents believe AI will most likely choose our partners for us ten years from now. While the idea of AI choosing our partners may seem daunting at first, it's not all that far-fetched.
With the advent of AI, the line between our physical and digital worlds is increasingly blurred. AI will likely play an even bigger role in helping people connect. That said, 13% of the respondents don't see the likelihood of that happening. The remaining 27% don't hold any opinion on that or are unsure about it.
Many Prefer Real-Life Partners Over Virtual Ones
While VR has many potential applications, one of the most popular is its use in creating virtual partners. This raises the question: would people rather meet someone in real life or create a perfect partner in a VR world?
The Value of Human Interactions
According to our analysis of Tidio’s survey, more than half of potential online daters would prefer to meet someone in real life. VR can be a great way to escape reality, but people still value human connections.
At the same time, 31% of respondents said they would willingly engage with a VR partner, and 16% said they wouldn’t mind having both. VR may still have some way to go before it becomes mainstream, but it’s clear that there is a demand for virtual partners.
Married People Have a High Preference for VR Partners
Further, as many as 43% of married people prefer to create a perfect virtual partner. That contrasts with 11% of singles and 22% of those in an open relationship/marriage.
This suggests that many married people are not satisfied with their current partner and are looking for something more. A virtual partner could provide the perfect solution, as their partners can customize them to meet every need and desire.
Men Are More Open to Virtual Love
Interestingly, men are more willing to engage in a relationship with a virtual partner than women. This tallies with the AI trends study that revealed that 35% of men are open to falling in love virtually. It seems that men are more comfortable with the idea of virtual relationships than women (27%).
Perhaps this is because virtual relationships offer more flexibility and freedom than traditional relationships. Or maybe it's because they can customize their virtual partners to their liking. Whatever the reason, it's clear that virtual relationships could rise with men leading the charge.


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MPS to unveil rebranding
MPS announced that it will be launching a new corporate vision and brand identity. With ‘Connect to Grow’ as the new brand tagline, MPS aims to enable customers to realise the full potential from their printing presses to gain maximum performance and maximum return on investment.
“Label- and flexible packaging printers nowadays face a rapidly changing market with increasing pressure on price and higher demands on quality and flexibility. At the same time, they must cope with different printing techniques, more changeovers, and a growing shortage of experienced operators. Whether printers are using a flexo, offset, or a digital hybrid printing press, they strive for maximum performance and maximum return on investment. This requires expertise, use of unbiased data, real-time data from the actual printing press,” said Atze Bosma, CEO of MPS.
The new rebranding will be revealed in a virtual event themed ‘Grand Prix of Performance’ on 10 June. MPS will be showing their new logo, branding and website. Free seminars and expert talks will also be held concurrently.
The event will go live twice a day to accommodate different time zones. Those in Asia can catch the 8am CET or 2pm SGT timing.
More information about the event program and registration available at: https://www.mps4u.com/news/mps-grand-prix-of-performance/


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E-retail in India is expected to surge previous USD one hundred sixty billion mark by 2028, a report released by Bain & Company in collaboration with Flipkart mentioned on Wednesday. The E-retail market is anticipated to be round USD 57-USD 60 billion (Rs four.75 Online Shop News lakh crore to five lakh crore) in 2023, with an annual shopper base of round 240 million representing an annual addition of USD 8-12 billion since 2020. Technology tools can help retailers turn away unwanted customers without also turning away wanted ones.
- With so many choices out there, it may be troublesome to find eCommerce websites that you could belief.
- It’s already held some livestream buying with brands over the Black Friday weekend however now it’s producing and hosting its own two-day occasion anchored by Rylan Clark-Neal, with influencers, music and a quiz.
- With the assistance of this complete information, you’ll be well on your method to building a successful online retailer.
- Trying to ensure a great experience for the theme authors and customers, signifies that theme necessities change every so often.
- These organizations offer highly effective instruments to help entrepreneurs start and run their companies and transfer online.
- The pandemic has changed shopper conduct in massive and small ways — and retailers are responding in kind.


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Microsoft Gold Certified Partner Calvert Technologies has invested in “greening” its operations by buying a Mercedes smart car to reduce carbon emissions produced by its staff making service calls.
Calvert has purchased the Mercedes smart fourtwo coupe, powered by a new micro hybrid drive (mhd). The $25,000 car is driven by Calvert’s field technicians, who attend client sites to install new equipment and address issues that cannot be resolved remotely
Managing director Dean Calvert said the new car handled very well. “The decision to buy the smart car was driven by a beautiful blend of pragmatism and idealism,” he said.


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The United Auto Workers may be out of the hole now that President Bush has approved a $17 billion bailout of the U.S. auto industry, but the union isn't out of the bunker just yet.The UAW is proud of Black Lake Golf Course.
Even as the industry struggles with massive losses, the UAW brass continue to own and operate a $33 million lakeside retreat in Michigan, complete with a $6.4 million designer golf course. And it's costing them millions each year.
Since opening in 2000, the UAW golf course has piled up numerous awards. Black Lake Golf Club placed 25th in Golf Digest's "100 Greatest Public Courses in America" 2005-2006 rankings. The course was also named one of the Top 50 public golf courses for women in the country by Golf for Women magazine.An annual membership is bargain-priced at $1,000 per UAW member.
Hey Gettelfinger, remember the uproar when Big 3 management flew by private jets to beg for money before Congress? By the same token it's hard to take your organization seriously when the UAW shakes down auto workers so that UAW leaders can keep their swank private golf club and resort.


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Campaign: Rebranding of Switch as Maestro
Client: S2 Card Services
PR team: Starfish Communications
Timescale: January 2004-January 2005
S2 Card Services, a British inter-bank company that operates the Switch brand, announced that UK debit cards would be re-branded under the internationally accepted Maestro brand in 2002. With the switchover still ongoing though, Starfish Communications was hired to mount a campaign to maintain presence and inform customers of the new system and its benefits. Objectives
To help inform both customers and retailers of the migration from Switch to Maestro and its benefits. To ensure the continued strength of Switch/Maestro as one of the dominant UK debit cards.
Strategy and Plan
Because the story had already been covered, Starfish Communications concentrated on cementing the Switch and Maestro names together.
A previous ad campaign by the Advertising Agency had used a pair of penguins - 'Miss Switch' and 'Mr Maestro' - who got married and assumed the name 'Mr and Mrs Maestro'. Starfish Communications chose to continue this theme, handing out fluffy penguins on a roadshow around UK shopping centres.
In an effort to court the media, the campaign enlisted the help of Changing Rooms presenter Anna Ryder Richardson - who was photographed with penguins at London Zoo. The campaign team thought the popularity of the show and its reputation for successful makeovers would highlight the transformation of the brands perfectly.
Starfish Communications also sought to bring what was in fact an old story back into the newspapers by publicising a number of new Switch/Maestro-sponsored surveys. The aim was to see the two names together, through turning old data from the banks involved into new stories. The campaign released reports such as 'The Cost of Christmas', 'The Cost of Summer Holidays' and 'The Death of the Cheque'.
Radio and local press competitions were also released under the dual-brand, posing such questions such as, 'Which name did musical maestro Reg Dwight switch to?' incorporating the brands and the makeover theme.
Measurement and Evaluation
Starfish Communications hired media Metrica to analyse coverage. It reported 600 pieces during the campaign.
The reports were covered in almost all national dailies, and 'The Cost of Christmas' report saw 13 TV spots.
Eight-nine per cent of coverage explicitly linked the Switch/Maestro brand.
Prompted awareness rose from 39 per cent in September 2003 to 73 per cent in November 2004, with unprompted awareness up from 24 per cent to 51 per cent. Spending on Switch/Maestro during the campaign increased by 16 per cent to a record £68.7bn.
"We thought it was really interesting and were keen to talk about how retailers dealt with it,' comments Liz Hamson, The Grocer news and features editor. 'Starfish set us up with the right people and refined the angle.'


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This man ran off with £250 taken from a corner shop after telling the shocked owner to hand over the till's takings.
Raj Patel, who owns Arran Street Mini Market in Roath, Cardiff, has been left shaken after the robber walked into the shop and demanded the money - and was caught on CCTV as he did so.
The man, now wanted by police, then ran off towards Albany Road and Connaught Road at about 7.30pm last Friday.
Detective Constable Allan James, from Cardiff Central CID, said: 'This man has entered the shop and told the shopkeeper to hand over the money in the till, which he has sensibly done.
'He has been left very shaken by this.
'There was nobody else in the shop at the time, but we hope there were other people in the area who may remember this man leaving the shop or running past them in the area of Albany Road and Connaught Road, as he would have clearly wanted to get away from the scene as quickly as possible.'
The robber is described as Afro-Caribbean, aged between 20 and 30, and 5ft 8ins tall. He was of thin build with a thin face and was wearing a black hooded top, black trousers and light trainers.
Anyone with information should call Cardiff Central CID on 029 2022 2111 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.


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Adidas has just made a pair of sneakers using ocean-recovered garbage.
If you didn’t already know it, the oceans are indeed teeming with trash. Everything from consumer plastics to paper to discarded fishing gear litters the seas, polluting the water and threatening wildlife.
Adidas is hoping that its new kicks, unveiled earlier this month, will help to highlight the ocean-based environmental issue and promote efforts to get on top of it.
The concept shoe is the result of a collaboration between the German sportswear company and Parley for the Oceans, a New York-based ocean conservation group.
According to Adidas, the unique shoe upper is made “entirely of yarns and filaments reclaimed and recycled from ocean waste.” It’s actually knitted using a method Adidas has been developing for a while and that’s already led to a range of lightweight Primeknit footwear from the company.
Speaking to FastCompany about the design, Adidas board member Eric Liedtke said, “Knitting in general eliminates waste, because you don’t have to cut out the patterns like on traditional footwear,” adding, “We use what we need for the shoe and waste nothing.”
Adidas says it has no plans to launch the footwear commercially but adds that it gives consumers a peek at the kind of products and designs – made with ocean-recovered plastics – that it plans to launch before the end of the year.
Liedtke said its work with Parley forms part of its continued sustainability efforts and allows the company to “tap into new areas and create innovative materials and products for our athletes.”
- Adidas has created a running shoe that’s made to be remade
- Inside the Ocean Cleanup’s ambitious plan to rid the ocean of plastic waste
- Boaty McBoatface’s new Antarctic mission will be its toughest yet
- SpaceX’s main Falcon Heavy booster is lost at sea after falling off drone ship
- The world’s most eco-friendly shoes are made of algae, cork, and bison fur


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Portuguese ICT company, jp.ik has unveiled a range of premium ICT devices assembled at the MU Technologies Digital Assembly plant based within Moi University’s Rivatex Complex in Eldoret town.
The devices launched under the brand name ‘MU’ consist of desktop computers, laptops, servers and NUCs that are targeted at SMEs, Higher education students and faculty, government as well as enterprise companies.
jp.ik and Moi University have jointly invested over US $5 million towards the assembly plant which has a capacity to produce 4,500 devices per day translating to over 100,000 devices per month in 3 shifts. The plant currently employs 100 people directly and over 1000 people indirectly. It, however, has a capacity to employ 300 people directly and 3,000 indirectly when production is at its peak.
Speaking during the launch, the Moi University VC, Prof Isaac Kosgey said that the Digital Assembly Plant was officially inaugurated this year and has so far assembled 150,000 ICT devices for the Kenya Digital Literacy Program and a further 70,000 tablets for the recent government census.
“Our next frontier is to diversify our portfolio to include a broader range that will appeal to local businesses and consumers. As a university, we are proving that Kenya has the skills and capacity to build local technology that can compete on a global stage.”
Nick Broda, jp.ik’s Head of Sales Worldwide, expressed confidence in the assembly plant’s capacity to meet demand from local and regional markets.
“As we continue to develop our sales channel, we will work with local and regional companies that have a wide distribution network of consumer goods and an interest in distributing and selling ICT devices. We have done our market research and established that there is a big market for these products and are fully invested in developing this market. We are able to customize our devices based on customers’ demand which gives us a competitive edge over what is already in the market,” said Broda.
Also present at the launch was Jerome Ochieng, the ICT PS, who urged Kenyans and counties to support local ICT innovations. “It is our joy and pride as a government when we see local universities taking up the challenge of growing manufacturing in this country which is one of the pillars in our big 4 agenda.
I urge Kenyans to buy these locally assembled computers because buying Kenya ultimately builds Kenya. We are also calling upon County Governments to support this initiative and order their ICT devices directly from the MU Digital Assembly Plant.”
The new products namely MU Fortune Slim Book and MU Trigono which are both 360° convertible laptops, MU Fortune Slim desktop, MU Fortune Liva Z Plus Vpro which is a mini PC, MU Fortune desktop, MU Fortune All in One, MU Fortune Workstation and MU Fortune Workbook run on the latest Intel-based technology and Microsoft’s Windows 10.
They are designed to appeal to the young spirits and on the go users. The Intel Core laptops which will retail from Kshs 50,0000 have over 11 hrs battery life and are designed to be elegant, sleek and light. Built with high-quality international standards, Moi University and jp.ik said the devices will comfortably compete with well-established computer brands in the market.
They plan to take an aggressive approach in selling the products locally and regionally and called upon local IT resellers and distributors to partner with them.
“We are positioning our university to participate in the realization of the big four agenda under the manufacturing component and also look forward to making Eldoret an ICT innovation Hub,” said Prof Kosgey.
With operations in over 70 countries, jp.ik has implemented more than 20 educational projects of global scale and has impacted more than 15 million students.
With in-depth and extensive knowledge and experience in the technology sector at a local and global level, the jp.ik includes a diversified series of businesses, spread over the areas of Education, Distribution, Services and Investments.
jp.ik distributes more than technology, ensuring the transfer of knowledge as a key success factor, supporting the sustainable development of communities.


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Kroger Starts Testing Grocery Deliveries Using Driverless CarsKroger will begin testing grocery deliveries using driverless cars in Arizona. The same-day or next-day delivery orders can be made online or by using a mobile app.
Spacewalkers Flinging Satellites, Installing Bird TrackersSoon after leaving the International Space Station, Russian cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev released all four research satellites by hand.
Proposed 2019 Emojis Include Service Dog, Deaf Person And Mixed Race CouplesNew emoji candidates including a service dog, deaf people, and mixed race couples were added to the draft emoji list for 2019.
Twitter Suspends Conspiracy Theorist Alex Jones For 1 WeekTwitter says it is suspending the account of the far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones for one week after he violated the company's rules against inciting violence.
Kroger To Start Selling Products Directly To Chinese ShoppersKroger will start to sell some of its products to Chinese shoppers through a website owned by internet giant Alibaba.
How To Find And Delete Where Google Knows You've BeenEven if you have "Location History" off, Google often stores your precise location. Here's how to delete those markers.
Tech Giants Still Stumbling In The Social World They CreatedWho knew connecting the world could get so complicated? Perhaps some of technology's brightest minds should have seen that coming.
'Hidden Figures' Women Could Be Awarded Congressional MedalThe U.S. Senate may award a Congressional Gold Medal to the women portrayed in the 2016 film "Hidden Figures."
Ford Celebrates Production Of 10 Million Mustang Sports CarsFord marked the production of the 10 millionth Mustang on Wednesday with celebrations at the automaker's headquarters and at the plant where the iconic sports cars are made.
New Disney Hotline Adds Character Voices To Children's BedtimesIt can be tough trying to get kids to sleep after a long day of summer fun, but Disney is here to help, by lending the voices of some of their most beloved characters.
Advocates Condemn Psych Techniques Used To Keep Kids OnlineChildren's advocates want the American Psychological Association to condemn the tech industry's practice of using persuasive psychological techniques to keep kids glued to their screens.
Disney Says New Streaming Service Won't Rival NetflixDisney's upcoming streaming service won't try to compete directly with Netflix, the company said, but will focus instead on quality and original programs from Disney's multiple brands.


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The Nokia 110 2022 feature phone has been launched in India. Also, the Nokia 8210 4G phone has gone official in the country. HMD Global brought two new Nokia-branded phones into the Indian market. These devices carry the Nokia 110 2022 and Nokia 8210 4G monikers. The Nokia 8210 4G phone sports a larger display than most feature phones. Also, it supports 4G connectivity and dual VoLTE for calling. It houses a single rear camera setup, as well.
The Nokia 110 2022, on the other hand, is a pocket-friendly mobile phone. It will set you back to less than INR 2,000. To recap, the Nokia 110 4G feature phone went official in the country in July last year. The 2022 version of the Nokia 110 adopts a sleek design. Moreover, it uses a robust battery to draw the juices. The Finish company has been on a launch spree in India this year. It launched the Nokia C21 Plus smartphone in the country last month. Also, it unveiled the Nokia T10 tablet for the Indian market.
Nokia 110 2022, Nokia 8210 4G Price & Availability In India
The 2022 edition of the Nokia 110 is available in three eye-catching color options. These include Rose Gold, Charcoal, and Cyan. Notably, the Nokia 110 2022 feature phone’s price in India is INR 1,799. Also, you can get free earphones worth INR 299 when you purchase the feature phone. The device will be available for purchase in India on offline retail stores and leading online stores. Likewise, the Nokia 8210 4G carries a price tag of INR 3,999.
Gizchina News of the week
A dedicated microsite for the Nokia 8210 4G is currently live on the official Nokia India website. The feature phone will come in Red, Dark Blue, and Sand color options. Further, it will be available for purchase on Amazon starting tomorrow, August 6. Notably, the device retains a familiar, yet refreshed design. Moreover, it offers a slew of 4G connectivity benefits. Despite adopting a more chic design, the Nokia 8210 4G offers the same toughness. Also, it can offer a standby time of several weeks.
Further, the 8210 4G sports a 2.8-inch display with QVGA resolution. It comes with a 0.3MP sensor on the back. The phone gets a Unisoc T107 processor that pairs with 48MB of RAM. However, the device ships with 128MB of internal storage. You can use a microSD card to expand the built-in storage to up to 32GB. This Nokia feature phone comes with an upgraded display frame and function keys. The phone supports Bluetooth 5.0, 4G, and dual SIM. It has a 3.5mm headphone jack, as well.
Likewise, the Nokia 110 2022 has received a new sleek design. However, the build quality is pretty strong. It comes with an ergonomic physical keyboard. Also, the 2022 edition of the feature phone has a rear-mounted camera. Moreover, it has an auto-call recording option. The phone supports internal storage expandable up to 32GB via a micro SD card. A 1,000 mAh battery keeps the power running. Other notable features include a color display, FM Radio, pre-loaded games, and a built-in torch.


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Apple supposedly working with Intel to build 'smart watch'
This entry was posted on Thursday, December 27, 2012.
Apple rumors never cease to appear, keeping the company always in limelight. The latest rumor originated in an Asian news website, claiming that Apple is working with Intel on smart watch. This smart watch will connect to your iPhone wirelessly and enable you to perform various functions, including voice calls, on your phone.
The news was first published in a Chinese publication called 163.com, which explained that the watch will be powered by Intel, and will be released by Apple sometime in first quarter of 2013. The watch will connect to your iPhone via Bluetooth 4.0 and will have a 1.5 inch OLED screen to display notifications. The screen is reportedly being manufactured by a Chinese maker of OLED displays. The name of this manufacturer is Ritek, and it’s based in Shenzhen, China. The touch sensitive screen will have an indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass layer over it.
While skepticism about this news remains high, geeks and tech enthusiasts maintain that an Apple smart watch is an obvious thing. This might be the ultimate accessory people are waiting for, which will work seamlessly with their iPhone and iPads. The concept of a smart watch is definitely not new; Sony had released an Android smartwatch which could connect to an Android smartphone via Bluetooth. The watch failed to generate much interest among users because of the presence of too many bugs and miserable battery backup.