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Dutch potato growers and potato processing firms will start talks on Friday to determine who is to pay for the problems with this year’s harvest, broadcaster NOS said.
Some 80% of the Dutch potato crop is sold under contract to potato processors such as the French fries industry for around nine cents a kilo.
The price of potatoes which are not sold in advance varies considerably from year to year. Last year they sold for around three cents a kilo because there was a surplus, meaning that the processors overpaid for their produce.
But this year, potatoes sold on the free market are reaching 30 cents a kilo and the price is expected to rise still further. Farmers now say the processors are getting too good a deal and want them to help pay for extra watering.
But the processors say that farmers are contracted to provide a good crop and should water their potatoes if necessary. ‘Farmers have to take care of the land under contract like a good father,’ Hylke Brunt, from the processing industry lobby group, told NOS. ‘And that means watering them.’
Another problem this year is the length of the potatoes. ‘We make deals about the quality in the contracts and the length is important,’ Jaap van Wenum, of the farming organisation LTO said.
‘Processors want potatoes that are at least 40 millimetres in diameter but farmers won’t make that this year.’
The actual damage for farmers will not become clear until mid September when the main harvest takes place.
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Posted 09/14/2012 at 9:24 AM
Posted 5 years ago
The smartphone market is a very crowded one in 2012 with multiple operating systems and numerous manufacturers unveiling new software by the day. Of course, with so many phones and tablets available, it is hard to guarantee that every piece of tech released from the factories is perfect, which is why T-Mobile has come up with a solution.
According to T-Mobile themselves, most of their customer returns are due to unsatisfactory software glitches, this is why the company came up with a robot named ‘Tappy’, to test out the different phones and tablets offered by T-Mobile before they are offered to the consumer.
In a new video released by T-Mobile showcasing the robot, the name Tappy makes perfect sense. The role of Tappy is basically to tap away on various smartphones and tablets to make sure they are worthy of retail.
A recent blog post by vice president of engineering services and quality assurance for T-Mobile USA, Grant Castle explains what Tappy is all about:
“In 2007, T-Mobile noticed a trend that as mobile operating systems got more and more sophisticated, software was appearing more frequently as a reason noted for device returns. So an innovative T-Mobile engineer decided to create his own way to test the hundreds of functions on every phone and tablet, and in true geek fashion, he built a robot.”
“To pass Tappy’s test, a phone or tablet has to run continuously for 24 hours executing hundreds of tasks without a single hiccup, stall, freeze or glitch. Since Tappy’s debut five years ago, along with many other quality improvement programs, T-Mobile has been able to reduce device return costs by 75%.”
There is no doubting that the robot is a very good piece of kit, and it is quite interesting to watch Tappy in action on the video. What gets me about the story is that the robot was actually built – and has been in use since – 2007.
So why after five years has T-Mobile finally decided now is the time to show off the skills of Tappy to the world? My guess is that T-Mobile are feeling a little left out at not being selected as a carrier partner for the iPhone 5. This week has been dominated by the release of the new iPhone, and T-Mobile is not involved. Therefore, they are trying to draw attention to themselves in others ways.
First of all they made headlines earlier in the week by introducing an advertising campaign to bring people with older versions of the iPhone to the network, as reported by the New York Times blog. Now it is the Tappy story, which aims to tell smartphone consumers that buying from T-Mobile will ensure you receive a phone that works as it should.
The blog post also goes on to say that “Tappy has been so effective that other well-known wireless companies and industry organizations, which shall remain nameless, have asked us if they can purchase one. Unfortunately for them, though, T-Mobile isn’t in the test robot business”
A cry for attention? I think so.

domain: news


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Blaise Morrison is saving the world one bite at time, free of meat, eggs and dairy.
"Veganism, a lifestyle without the use of all animal products, is possibly the most healthy and environmentally friendly lifestyle," said Morrison, the graduate adviser of the University Veggie Club.
A vegetarian for 13 years and a vegan for four, Morrison said the environmental and health effects are just two of the reasons he decided to become a vegan. But while many students might be discouraged by a lifestyle free from animal products, Morrison said veganism is a completely "doable" change that can make a huge impact.
"Veganism is not a diet of restriction, it just takes a little learning," he said. "It is one of the most important and powerful acts of activism."
Jane Crandall, University dietitian, said that a vegan diet is a safe and healthy way to live.
"There are a whole slue of health care professionals that promote a vegan diet because it can help fight cancer and obesity," she said. "But unlike radical diets, veganism is a lifestyle change that doctors not only deem safe but maybe the healthiest way of living."
Crandall said vegans also tend to have lower body masses, blood pressure and high risk for stroke.
But she said vegans can eat poorly too.
"Some don't like fruits or vegetables so they just eat peanut butter," she said. "To live the vegan lifestyle, you have to change your attitude about the food you eat so you get the nutrients you need."
She said the only setbacks of being vegan are getting the adequate amount of vitamins and minerals not naturally found in produce or grain, like B12 necessary for digestion. But she said supplements and fortified foods can help bridge the gap.
Nick Hennessy, the University sustainability coordinator, said the vegan lifestyle is also environmentally sustainable.


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Recent media reports suggest that Huawei is developing its own proprietary operating system for mobile devices. The Chinese smartphone manufacturer seems to have been working on this OS since as early as 2012. South China Post has suggested that the plan to develop a new OS is a backup plan and it is being developed by Huawei, in case they get banned from using Android.
In 2012, the US had started investigation Chinese telecom equipment manufacturing giants ZTE and Huawei. The Department of Justice (DoJ) imposed a ban on ZTE, which would prevent them from buying manufacturing parts from the US. Similarly, Huawei has been under the scanner for a potential breach of US sanctions in Iran. The US House Intelligence committee subsequently labeled ZTE and Huawei as “national security threat because of their attempts to extract sensitive information from American companies and their loyalties to the Chinese government”.
Huawei’s Shift Towards Its Own OS
The US sanctions seems to have prompted Huawei to move towards developing its own operating system. Huawei is one of the largest telecom equipment manufacturing company in the world and this move could lessen their dependence on other organisations, like Google, over which they have no control. In an event that they are banned from using the Android OS, Huawei would not want be stuck in no man’s land, as mobile sales form a big chunk of its global revenues.
Currently, Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android OS account for 99.9% of mobile operating systems across the globe. In a bid to counter a potential ban, Ren Zhengfei, Huawei’s founder, commissioned a plan to build a proprietary operating system. However, the OS hasn’t been made available to the public yet, as it isn’t deemed as good as the Android operating system. Moreover, the Android environment features numerous apps that have been developed by third parties and this is something that Huawei currently lack.
The Chinese giant, however, has its own operating system for its lineup of tablet devices and personal computers and if its OS is extended to their smartphones as well, this could see them become similar to Apple, whose devices are powered by in-house software and hardware.


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Financial Analyst Terry Sacka Breaks Down The Nine Data Points That Help Consumers Avoid Debt Traps
In society there are debt traps that consumers regularly fall into which leads to not only staggering figures of consumer debt. Terry Sacka, AAMS breaks the points of data that consumers can use to avoid these traps that put them in debt.
By: Cornerstone Asset Metals
The first data point is a factor that deserves a great deal of attention - the smart money. The smart money, or institutional money that is "in the know", is getting out of stocks at a rate we haven't seen since just before the financial crisis of 2008 as according to a chart on the Bloomberg "Smart Money Flow" Index.
This and more charts can be seen in the video below:
Mr. Sacka has also made the statement, "I believe we are in a cyclical economic recovery very similar to 2008 where we may be secular in a bull market but we will eventually see a cyclical bear. Depending on how the world handles it, there could be a 40% - 50% correction."
About The Wealth Transfer show
A weekly television program where Terry Sacka, AAMS discusses global economics, biblical & financial principles, and the protection and preservation of wealth & hard assets. We aim to reverse that process through strategic education and to put "we the people" back in charge of our wealth and our future.
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Where on one hand the world is still recovering from the ripple effects of financial meltdown, India is emerging stronger in terms of growth, skilled manpower and amiable business environment. The Indian consumers, highly optimistic about their financial well being in the future, are enjoying benefits of consumerism due to the availability of wide options and players in the market.
According to the latest edition of the Nielsen Global Online Consumer Confidence Survey (which tracks consumer confidence, major concerns and spending intentions among consumers) for the second quarter of 2011, Indian consumers stand most optimistic globally. India fared at 126 index points for the survey, followed by the Philippines (115) and Indonesia (112).
The household consumer expenditure survey for 2009-10, released by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) reveals that rural Indian households are spending more on consumer goods like durables, beverages and services as compared to their expenses on such things five years back. The 66th round of the National Sample Survey showed that monthly per capita expenditure (MPCE) in rural India was Rs 953.05 in 2009-10, an increase of 64.6 per cent from 2004-05.
India Inc’s appetite for mergers and acquisitions (M&A), private equity (PE) and venture capital (VC) deals remains strong according to research firm VCCedge, the financial research platform of VCCircl&. M&A deal value stood at US$ 1.36 billion across 58 deals during July, 2011 while PE and VC deal value was up 19 per cent to US$ 980 million across 35 transactions during the month.
Retail In India
The US$ 413 billion Indian retail market entails only 6 per cent of itself as organised retail segment as of 2010, according to Booz and Co. (India) Pvt. Ltd. Food and groceries is the largest segment in organised retail, followed by apparel, footwear and consumer electronics.
“Over the next five years, we expect organised food retail (through convenience stores, supermarkets, and hypermarkets) to grow by over four times from the current US$ 8 billion,” said Raghav Gupta, principal, Booz and Co.
The BMI India Retail Report for the fourth-quarter of 2011 forecasts that the total retail sales will grow from US$ 411.28 billion in 2011 to US$ 804.06 billion by 2015. The report has underlined factors like economic growth, population expansion, increasing wealth of individuals and rapid construction of organised retail infrastructure as major drivers for the optimistic forecast figures.
Moreover, India has been ranked as the fourth most attractive nation for retail investment among 30 emerging markets by the US-based global management consulting firm, A T Kearney, in its Global Retail Development Index (GRDI) 2011.
AT Kearney has also conducted a different study which says that organised retailers should follow hypermarket concept to penetrate through India’s US$ 435 billion industry. According to the report, given the gigantic size of the Indian retail market, it is no surprise that many Middle East retailers, most recently Lulu, have announced their interests to extend their retail operations to India.
Cumulative foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows in single-brand retail trading during April 2000 to April 2011 stood at US$ 66.69 million, according to the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).
Jubilant FoodWorks Ltd, which operates fast food chain of Dominos Pizza in India, will invest over (INR 70 crore) (US$ 15.47 million) in the FY12 on new stores and commissaries.
Reliance Industries’ Reliance Retail (that runs supermarket and hypermarket chains) is planning massive expansion across the country by doubling the number of stores in several specialty formats in 2011.
The brand ‘More’, operated by Aditya Birla Retail, will open 12 hypermarkets and 150 supermarkets in fiscal 2012. After the expansion, its supermarket stores tally will reach 715.
Shoppers Stop Ltd, which has 43 departmental stores and 10 hypermarkets under the brand Hypercity, plans to open four more hypermarkets and 10 departmental stores in 2011.
According to a report by research firm CB Richard Ellis India, over 6 million square feet of retail mall space was added across India in the first six months of 2011; primarily due to aggressive expansion by organised retailers.


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With next door neighbours such as Mothercare and Dixons reporting profit warnings amidst declining consumer confidence, the leisurewear specialist is on a roll.
In the nine weeks to the end of March sales were up 10.3% to £236 million. Margins also seem to be protected - profits are up 7.3% to £88 million.
All of which is encouraging Sports Direct to extend a share bonus scheme for its 2500 staff. If certain targets are met, staff see 75% of their salary converted into shares priced at 125p.
That's a significant benefit, given that the shares were today up 0.1p at 199p.
Chief executive Dave Forsey said: "The board believes that the bonus share scheme has been a significant contributor to our success. It is our intention to extend the scheme for 2012 and 2013 and beyond incorporating more aggressive targets."
Sports Direct was founded in 1982 by Mike Ashley, whose empire now includes Newcastle United Football Club. He floated the business on the stock market in 2007 at a price of 300p, crystalising a near £1 billion fortune. The shares subsequently collapsed as low as 60p, allowing Ashley to buy back some shares. He owns 72% of the stock.
The company has been investigated by the Serious Fraud Office more than once, with no charges brought.
Sports Direct issued a slightly curious statement to the Stock Exchange yesterday noting that regulators have raided Adidas' Japanese arm amid suggestions the company was pressuring retailers not to discount Reebok EasyTone shoes. Sports Direct noted that "Should the issue arise in the UK... [it] would not face any risk of sanction".
It doesn't sell the shoes, presently stocked over here by archrival JJB, but it would clearly like to.
Retail analysts took the statement as a sign of its frustration that Adidas won't do a deal with it on EasyTone, worn by Kelly Brook among others.Reuse content


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Westport Police: NY woman charged with larceny
WESTPORT — A New York woman, allegedly connected to clothing stolen from a downtown merchant, turned herself in to police on Jan. 22.
After one woman stole over $300 in clothing from the merchant on Oct. 24, 2017, a second woman entered the store, returned the stolen items, and received a gift card for the items’ value. The woman who returned the items told the store employee her name was Kathy Deacon and a police investigation later confirmed Deacon’s identity.
Deacon, 65, turned herself in to Westport Police on an active arrest warrant and was charged with larceny and conspiracy to commit, both in the sixth degree. Deacon, of Hyde Park, N.Y., was released after posting a $25,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Norwalk Court Feb. 2.


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EU consumers' protection to be reinforced
The EU is taking steps to boost consumer protection. Following an agreement with the European Parliament last March, the Council recently (08 November 2019) adopted a directive that modernises EU law on consumer protection and facilitates the enforcement of consumers' rights.
Anna-Maja Henriksson, Finnish minister of justice recently said:
Consumer protection is an essential part of the internal market. The Directive guarantees higher standards of protection for EU consumers when they buy products or services online. It also provides for more robust measures against unfair or misleading trade practices across the EU.
The directive provides for:
- enhanced harmonisation and streamlining of some of the criteria used to determine the level of penalties for infringements of EU consumer law;
- a right to individual remedies for consumers when they are harmed by unfair commercial practices, such as aggressive marketing;
- enhanced transparency in online transactions, in particular regarding the use of online reviews, personalised pricing based on algorithms or higher ranking of products due to ‘paid placements’;
- the obligation of online marketplaces to inform consumers on whether the responsible trader in a transaction is the seller and/or the online marketplace itself;
- the protection of consumers in respect of 'free' digital services, meaning those for which consumers do not pay money but provide personal data, such as: cloud storage, social media and email accounts;
- clear information for consumers in case of price reduction;
- the removal of disproportionate burdens, such as the obligation to use outdated means of communication, imposed on businesses by existing legislation;
- clarifications on member states' freedom to adopt rules to protect the legitimate interests of consumers with regard to some particularly aggressive or misleading marketing or selling practices in the context of off-premises sales;
- clarifications on the way misleading marketing of 'dual quality' products should be dealt with by member states.
The directive amends the unfair commercial practices directive (2005/29/EC), the consumer rights directive (2011/83/EU), the unfair contract terms directive (93/13/EEC) and the price indication directive (98/6/EC).
Following the adoption of the directive, member states will have 24 months to adopt the measures necessary for its implementation. These measures will start to apply 6 months later.
Together with a proposed directive on representative actions for the protection of the collective interests of consumers, this directive is part of the 'New Deal for Consumers', launched by the Commission in 2017.
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US car buyers' satisfaction has rebounded as domestic and mass-market brands improve, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).
Customer satisfaction with automobiles was up 3.8% to 82 on ACSI's 100-point scale. Luxury cars have dominated driver satisfaction rankings for years but the top tier is now evenly split between mass market and luxury vehicles.
"The rise of mass-market vehicles may well be at the expense of luxury brands in the sense that buyers now see little differentiation between luxury cars and regular ones," said Claes Fornell, ACSI chairman and founder. "If there is little difference, why pay more? Exclusivity may not be enough."
Among 24 vehicle brands tracked by ACSI, 16 improved while five declined – three of which were premium brands. The most notable decline was for Volkswagen, which is embroiled in an emissions-cheating scandal that has angered customers, government officials, and consumer and environmental advocates. In a year dominated by improving customer satisfaction, Volkswagen dropped 3% to 78, tied for lowest among mass-market vehicles.
"The combination of fines and fallen stock price are a big hit to Volkswagen's finances, but it may prove even harder to recover from the reputational hit the company will take for deceiving customers and the general public," said David VanAmburg, ACSI director. "Many customers or would-be customers could be turned-off of VW for life and it's hard to put a value on that."
All domestic automakers improved customer satisfaction overall this year and the highest-scoring car was an American brand. Ford's Lincoln took the lead with a 5% jump to an ACSI score of 87. Honda claimed second place with an 8% gain to 86 while Toyota and BMW each advanced 4%, placing these luxury and mass-market brands in a tie for third place at 85.
Lexus, which previously held first place, is now matched by GMC (+8%), Subaru (+2%) and Nissan's Infiniti – the leading gainer with a 9% jump to 84. Audi (+6%) and Chevrolet (+5%) followed close with 83. The rest of the industry came in below the industry average. The Ford brand edged up 3% to 81, catching up with Mercedes-Benz (-2%) and Hyundai (unchanged).
Nissan moved 4% higher to 80, matching Mazda (unchanged), while the Chrysler nameplate climbed 7% to meet Cadillac, Buick, Kia and Mitsubishi at 79. Honda's Acura lost ground, falling 8% to 76 at the bottom of the category.
"Year-to-date sales are looking pretty flat, and demand for cars may slacken some," said VanAmburg. "But the good news for Detroit is that higher levels of customer satisfaction will make it more competitive."
Among domestic automakers, Ford kept its lead, stepping up to 84, followed by GM (81) and Fiat Chrysler (78). In comparison with foreign-made cars, which have long had the highest customer satisfaction, domestics are catching up, rising to 81 overall. European automakers also did better, matching Japanese and Korean manufacturers at 82.
The ACSI report was based on 3,776 customer surveys collected in the second quarter of 2016.
ACSI is described as "a national economic indicator of customer evaluations of the quality of products and services available to household consumers in the US and uses data from interviews with roughly 70,000 customers annually as inputs to an econometric model for analysing customer satisfaction with more than 300 companies in 43 industries and 10 economic sectors, including various services of federal and local government agencies.


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Microsoft today announced it's "open-sourcing the full .NET server core stack and introducing a new free and fully featured edition of Visual Studio."
The Microsoft Open Technologies group has released an initial preview of a new plugin for JetBrains' IntelliJ IDEA Java IDE and the open-source Android Studio IDE.
E-commerce giant puts faster query speeds, SQL functionality and Multidimensional Online Analytical Processing (MOLAP) into its distributed analytics engine and open sources it as project Kylin.
The Eclipse Foundation today announced a new initiative to create an open source community focused on "technologies, platforms, and tools necessary to enable the delivery of highly integrated cloud development and cloud developer environments."
Anonymous Unix administrators have threatened to fork the popular Debian distribution of Linux and go their own way on further development unless granted their wish to have the open source project proceed without requiring systemd, a component so controversial it has led to death threats against its main contributor.
Upgrades of enterprise Hadoop-based distributions from two of the top three vendors -- Cloudera Inc. and Hortonworks Inc. -- dominated Big Data news this week, while the third, MapR Technologies Inc., added the MapR-DB NoSQL database to its offering.
Java runtime maker Azul Systems announced today that its build of the OpenJDK known as Zulu is now freely available on the open-source Docker container platform.
Pivotal Software Inc. has upgraded version 4.1 of the open source Spring application framework for enterprise Java with new messaging, caching and Web capabilities.
Here's a roundup of recent Big Data product announcements from Solix Technologies, MongoHQ and GoGrid, Appfluent Technology, and Actian.
Hortonworks and Pivotal Software are teaming up to further development work on the open source Ambari project for managing Hadoop clusters.
Software development toolmaker JetBrains has announced a new milestone release of Kotlin, the open-source, Java Virtual Machine (JVM)-targeted programming language developed by the company.
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Salesforce harnesses Mulesoft to connect data silos
Salesforce Integration Cloud makes it easier for businesses to target customers with relevant content across the entire business
Salesforce has announced Salesforce Integration Cloud, taking advantage of its recent acquisition of MuleSoft to surface relevant customer data and turn it into valuable insights to better target them through relevant content.
The company explained it would use MuleSoft's technology to power its integration cloud, although Salesforce made it clear Mulesoft's standalone Anypoint Platform would continue to develop in its own right.
Salesforce's Integration Cloud allows marketers to build a comprehensive profile of the customer from all sources of data, all accessible from one place, making it much easier to manage interactions and touchpoints without having to bounce from app to app, platform to platform.
This means administrators can find the best ways to target customers with relevant information across sales, service, marketing and commerce.
An integral part of Salesforce Integration Cloud is Lightning Flow, which allows developers other parts of the business to build workflows based around customer data. It's a visual way of building processes, which makes it easier for everyone in the organisation to understand, resulting in increased productivity and less waiting time for customers.
The company will also give developers the chance to integrate Einstein into their apps, embedding Einstein Analytics and live updates, alongside third-party Quip live apps.
"Companies of every size and industry need to transform how they operate in the digital eraand that transformation starts and ends with the customer," said Bret Taylor, president and chief product officer of Salesforce said.
"The Salesforce Platform empowers our entire Trailblazer community, regardless of skill levels, to harness the latest advancements in technology and deliver the connected customer experiences that will take their companies and careers to new heights."
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Subaru announced a great deal on any of their 2016 vehicles just in time for the Holidays. Subaru customers in the U.S. who purchase a new 2016 Subaru equipped with navigation will receive a free 3-year subscription to SiriusXM Traffic and SiriusXM Travel Link as well as three years of free navigation software updates from HERE. This is an $800 value over the three years.
HERE is a leading provider of map data, to supply maps that download directly to the car’s navigation system and they are partnering with Subaru now. Subaru of America says customers will receive annual reminders from the Map Update Program and customers will have the option of purchasing updates after the subscription runs out in three years.
Customers who purchase a 2016 Subaru with satellite radio will continue receiving a 4-month audio subscription to SiriusXM’s All Access Package. The package comes on all new WRX/STI, Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, Impreza, Legacy and BRZ models.
Subaru did not say when the free offer will end, but it’s good now on any new 2016 Subaru WRX/STI, Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, Impreza, Legacy or BRZ. The three-year free subscription and free annual maps is a good deal for the Holidays and is available now at all Subaru dealers in the U.S.
Source: Subaru of America


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Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) fans, more popularly known as “Teslovers”, strike a similar chord to Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s “fanboys.” Both the brands have a cult-like attraction alluring buyers with a market-changing product, says a report from ABC News.
Tesla Lovers Encouraging Others
Lara Burns, who is an owner of a Model S from Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA), had to wait many months before getting the keys to her red Model S. Tesla Model S. Electric Teslas can be seen frequently in California, but only few hundred of the cars have been registered in Massachusetts. However, more Model S will likely be seen soon as customers like Burns are encouraging their friends and family to take a look at Tesla “constantly, on a daily basis” despite three recent fires.
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“It stands to reason that with a new car and new technology you’ll understand you’re a beta tester and things will turn up that you don’t expect,” said Burns.
She said that those who are buying Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) Model S support the social mission of the company to save the planet from global warming. “That’s not an element of Apple’s mission.”
What’s Driving the Fans?
Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) continues gain popularity and make converts, according to a recent consumer report. Tesla Model S, which is priced at $70,000 to $100,000, topped the customer satisfaction survey with a record score of 99 out of 100.
Additionally, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA), was named as the Businessperson of the year for 2013 by prestigious Fortune magazine, which adds to the glitter of Tesla.
Like Steve Jobs, who survived incredible ups and downs in building Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Elon Musk has also dealt with major controversies including three recent Tesla fires in past six weeks. The causes of the fires are under investigation.
Ben Kallo, senior analyst for Robert W. Baird covering energy technology and resource management, noted that the cult-like following of Tesla Model S was front and center when the company held a car owner’s event in the San Francisco Bay Area two months ago.


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The Micromax Canvas Evok has just gotten announced in India and is all set to hit e-commerce site Flipkart on May 17. The brand is looking to target young working professionals with the new offering, hoping that the combination of its low Rs 8499 price tag and decent specs attracts potential buyers.
Diving into its specs, the dual-SIM Micromax Canvas Evok comes with a 5.5-inch IPS 720p display which outputs a pixel density of 267ppi. The phone is powered by an octa-core 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 415 processor. The SoC is aided in its tasks by an Adreno 405 GPU and 3GB worth of RAM.
Micromax has fitted the smartphone with a fairly large capacity 3000mAh battery to keep its engines running. The device additionally runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop, a disappointment considering the fact that some of its cheaper phones run on Marshmallow now.
As for its photography capabilities, the Canvas Evok houses a 13MP autofocus rear snapper accompanied by 5P Largan lens and dual-LED flash. Even the phone’s 5MP front-facing snapper is paired with an LED flash unit, useful for pictures taken in low-light environments.
A rapid-rundown of the main specifications of the Micromax Canvas Evok:
– Display: 5.5-inch, 720 x 1280 pixels
– OS: Android 5.0 Lollipop
– CPU: 1.4GHz octa-core Snapdragon 415
– GPU: Adreno 405
– Memory: 16GB, expandable till 32GB
– RAM: 3GB
– Battery: 3000mAh
– Camera: 13MP rear, 5MP front
– Connectivity: 4G, dual-SIM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, microUSB 2.0, A-GPS, USB OTG
Like we said above, the Micromax Canvas Evok will be available on May 17 at Rs 8499 via Flipkart.


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By Simon Crookston, Corporate Tax Partner at Crowe UK
Many tax and finance professionals will have noted a trend in recent years, whereby there is greater emphasis on the processes and controls in place to ensure good tax governance.
As a consequence, many large and owner managed businesses are increasing their focus on tax governance, ensuring robust processes and controls are in place; the emphasis is now on ‘how’ tax compliance is dealt with and making sure the right amount of tax is paid at the right time.
The on-going COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated this process, as finance teams have been forced to proactively manage their cash flows, while also reassessing the robustness of their working practices, systems and controls. In some instances, processes and controls based around physical proximity of staff have been shown to be out of date and in need of re-designing.
Ensuring that there is tax integrity within your business is now critical and reflects the wider changing climate in which businesses and tax advisors now operate. Factors influencing this trend include:
- significant amounts of change in the tax regime, both domestically and internationally
- digitisation and new technologies leading to new business models and ways of selling goods and services to customers
- tax authorities focussing on the use of technology to provide real time reporting, for example Making Tax Digital for VAT and Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme claims to HMRC
- finance departments being tasked with providing certainty over the integrity of all taxes
- the implementation of the corporate criminal offence regime, which potentially carries an unlimited fine for all businesses that fail to implement reasonable procedures to prevent the facilitation of tax evasion
- the recent DAC 6 EU regulations requiring the reporting of tax schemes
Tax has also become a reputational risk to businesses. Organisations now operate in a world where tax is considered a moral issue and is front page news. Consequently, many boardrooms and owner managers are focused on ensuring that they do not face negative publicity from their tax affairs.
This trend is expected to continue with increased scrutiny by the media of the taxes paid and claims made by companies in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the punitive measures being taken by HMRC to challenge tax evasion and difficult economic times.
Robust processes and controls can also make it easier for your business to adapt to change. This could be change within the business such as new supply chains or entering new markets, or it could be change driven by external factors, such as changes in tax legislation or events such as Brexit.
The impact of poor governance
Over the last few years HMRC’s powers have increased with the introduction of new information and data gathering powers and with the greater use of technology to identify those people and organisations who are understating and underpaying their tax liability.
As well as receiving information from overseas tax authorities, HMRC’s Connect Computer System, which is essentially a supercomputer, draws huge amounts of data and information from numerous sources including tax records, online platforms, social media information, government departments and websites, bank data and web browsing information to build up a complex ‘tax picture’ on organisations and individuals.
With such a rich source of data HMRC have the ability to evaluate and determine if there are inconsistencies in the tax information which is declared as part of return filings.
As a consequence, those businesses that have received HMRC enquiries over the last couple of years which lead to adjustments, enter into tax planning schemes or take a more aggressive approach to minimising their tax are generally considered to be of higher risk from a tax authority perspective.
Where an enquiry is opened this will typically lead to additional management time being required to justify to HMRC the tax positions taken. If HMRC are successful at arguing that tax adjustments are required then this could lead to the organisation suffering penalties and late payment interest.
We are consequently seeing an increasing number of businesses recognising the merits of keeping a “risk register” of known tax risks that the business is managing. This can help to mitigate or negate the risk of unexpected tax costs, as well as demonstrate to HMRC that the business is proactively assessing and complying with its tax obligations.
As HMRC’s internal machinery and enquiries in relation to corporate criminal offence start to further bite, this will become of increasing importance. Areas of particular focus may include those organisations which have overseas employees, operate in different countries, operate in high risk sectors, have sales teams with lots of discretion or have sales based reward structures.
Some recent examples
A starting point to undertaking a tax governance risk assessment is typically to assess the business’s overall tax risk covering a number of areas. These will typically consist of looking at the business’s: inherent, corporate, vat, employee and international tax risk, to build up an overview profile of the business’s main areas requiring further attention and consideration.
Over the last couple of years we have assisted a number of clients across various sectors with their governance, systems and processes reviews. Some examples of recent reviews include:
|Business overview||Steps and benefits|
|Vehicle equipment manufacturer
· Expanding rapidly in Europe and globally with 70% of the businesses sales from overseas.
· The rapid expansion led to some tax integrity concerns around the business’s VAT, corporate tax and employment tax obligations being able to keep pace with commercial expansion of the business.
|· A supply chain review was undertaken to identify and document where potential VAT supply chain problems existed so action could be taken.
· Identification and rectification of permanent establishment issues that had potentially been created.
· Business education programme on how to proactively identify and manage tax integrity matters for future expansion opportunities.
|Independent boarding and day school
· The school required an employer compliance review to get comfort that the organisation had appropriate processes and controls in place to correctly account for all employment taxes due.
|· Identification of risk areas and establishment of a remediation plan as to how the organisations processes and controls could be improved.|
· Had concerns over its UK VAT and employment taxes position.
· Required an independent review of their processes and controls to ensure the group was correctly accounting for the taxes due.
|· Identification of potential risk areas.
· Formulation of an implementation plan.
· Implementation of changes and submission of appropriate disclosures to HMRC.
What should I do now?
As all businesses are different and dynamic unfortunately there is not a ‘one size fits all’ approach to managing tax risk and the development of robust processes and controls. However, from our experience, here are few example areas for consideration to ensure your processes and controls are robust:
- Do you have a process in place to identify changes in the tax regime that are relevant to your business? Similarly, what is the process whereby the finance/ tax team find out about new developments within the business?
- What systems are used in your tax compliance and is the output provided ‘fit for purpose’ or does it require significant manual manipulation?
- How robust are your accounting and tax processes and procedures and where are the risk areas if the finance team is operating from home or remotely?
- Is remote working increasing your organisation’s vulnerability to cyber-crime?
- What training are the staff involved with taxes given? How often is their knowledge refreshed / kept up to date?
- Who has review and sign-off responsibilities for tax returns to ensure that the numbers to be submitted are accurate and that any payment due is made on time?
- What links are in place with the commercial teams that develop new products or win new business to ensure that new sources of revenue are treated correctly for tax purposes?
- New overseas activities can commonly lead to unexpected tax consequences. What processes are in place to consider the corporate tax, VAT and employment tax implications of undertaking activities abroad? This review should ideally be undertaken before the activities commence.
Clearly, these are just examples and in order to get a good overview of the tax risk areas across your business – a more thorough and detailed review is required.
A starting point is to consider the main tax areas of your business (these are typically corporate tax, VAT, employment tax and international matters) and to undertake a high level risk review of these areas. This can be done by way of a manual review or by the use of a technology tool, such as a Tax Integrity Scorecard, to provide an assessment of the level of tax risk from low – high in each tax area.
Crowe has developed a Tax Integrity Scorecard which can be used for this purpose. It can help businesses understand their UK tax risks and assist them in prioritising where to focus their resources to guard against unexpected tax costs, adverse publicity and to improve tax process efficiencies.
The value of digital identity in payments
By Vince Graziani, CEO, IDEX Biometrics ASA
In ever more challenging times, the payments industry needs to maintain trust by finding a way to protect consumers from the constant threat of payment fraud and theft. Consumer’s wishing to limit physical contact during the current pandemic has led to the popularity of contactless payments which has accelerated in multiple territories.
In the US, one in five shoppers have made a contactless payment for the first time during the pandemic according to research published in August by the National Retail Federation and Forrester. The bad guys have unfortunately taken note. This has led to a real need for the industry to fight back with enhanced security.
At the 2019 Money2020 Europe conference, there was a universal call for a comprehensive form of digital identity (ID) to enable digital payments. A form of digital identity that would make cashless payment interactions – secure, intelligent, efficient and private. The feeling was unanimous: without functioning digital ID, the payments revolution will stall.
Unlocking the payment ecosystem
In an increasingly connected world, consumers find themselves needing to authenticate their identity daily. Whether that be with financial institutions, retailers, government departments or healthcare providers. Yet, it is rarely known where consumer data is stored, how secure it is or how it may be traded. Privacy regulations such as the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) have attempted to restore some trust, but the industry still has a way to go.
Currently, authentication is fragmented and unwieldy. It requires a mix of hardcopy documents, online login credentials and digital wallets. This is not only frustrating for consumers but leads to the reuse of passwords and PINS that make the user vulnerable to fraud. Mastercard believes there is a clear need for a verified identity that is accepted globally and across multiple digital touchpoints and doesn’t involve aggregating more information in potentially vulnerable data stores, but instead gives the individual control over their identity data.
An integrated digital ID scheme would enable the payments industry to fight fraud on a global scale. It would also meet the pressing need for a payment authentication system that consumers can access anytime, anywhere, and on any device. This joined-up approach is vital to ensure no consumer is left behind as the world continues its digital transformation.
Providing access to a singular, unified digital ID will not only streamline the identity process, but also unlock new and enhanced consumer experiences during this digital transformation. Particularly in the new breed of smart buildings and cities, where everything from travel to payment systems will be connected to a user’s identity.
What form should our digital ID take?
While the need for digital ID is well established, the form it will take is less clear. There are two main challenges that payment providers need to overcome with a potential new identity solution: onboarding new users and ensuring the digital ID is compatible with all transactions.
Placing individual consumers at the centre of their own digital interactions will ensure confidence and broader adoption of new technology payments and services. Yet, for this to be successful, the payments industry must adopt a process that is simple, familiar and easy to understand.
Fingerprint biometrics as a digital identity
The use of fingerprint authentication to unlock a smartphone is now deeply entrenched. As far back as 2016, 89 percent of users with compatible iPhones were using fingerprints to unlock their devices. The solution for a frictionless onboarding has been at our fingertips the whole time.
Payment providers can incorporate fingerprint biometric sensors directly into their new breed of smart payment cards. A biometric payment card may be a new concept, but payment providers and retailers across the world are already using contactless card technology in the payment process, so it is the next logical step. Consumers are now used to carrying a card and tapping it for contactless payments. Plus, as we have seen, consumers are used to using their fingerprint as an authentication mechanism. Perhaps biometric cards could be the catalyst for financial inclusion desired by the World Bank, as they don’t require the ownership of expensive smartphones in developing nations.
Building a chain of trust with biometrics
Continuous developments in payment regulation mean that secure authentication is imperative. Under the second Payment Service Directive (PSD2) European banking regulation, all payment transactions will soon require Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) to validate users at the point of transaction to reduce fraud and increase security for customers. SCA requires two forms of authentication for every transaction above the contactless limit. While one is generally something you have like a smart card, the second can be something you are like a fingerprint. Using a fingerprint means that it can be used across multiple platforms and is always at hand. There should be no trade-off between convenience and privacy and fingerprint biometrics delivers on that expectation.
Biometrics can play an essential role in digital ID, significantly limiting exposure to potential fraud and criminality. The addition of a biometric sensor onto a payment card creates a secure ‘chain of trust’ that indelibly connects the user to the card. Furthermore, digital ID has the scope to be extended far beyond payments and used as a unique identifier in areas such as access, government ID and even across IoT devices.
Securing the future of the payments industry
While the world is becoming ever more cashless, commentators and analysts all agree – without a fully functioning digital ID, the payments revolution will stall. As Tony McLaughlin, Emerging Payments and Business Development at Citi put it recently: “If we fix digital identity, we fix payments”. I couldn’t agree more. Both consumers and the payments industry need a user-centric digital ID that is owned and managed by the individual, so they can unlock the full advantages of a transformative digital payment ecosystem.
Using fingerprint biometrics as a digital ID in a payment card will transform the way people authenticate transactions. This integration would enable consumers to confirm their identity wherever they are, on any device, and across every transaction. It will change the face of digital identity as we know it.
We believe that digital interactions should be privacy-enhancing, secure, intelligent, and efficient. To facilitate this, consumers require a user-centric digital identity that is owned, managed, and controlled by the individual. It is time to place individuals at the heart of their digital interactions globally.
It’s time to press ‘reset’ on travel and expense processes
By Rudy Daniello, EVP of Corporations, Amadeus
Travel & Expenses(T&E) is a large spend category for companies across the globe. In fact, for many firms, T&E is the second largest indirect spend category. While we all know the inherent value personal, face-to-face meetings bring, it’s important to quantify and manage the cost, especially in today’s climate.
While business travel has slowed due to COVID-19, many companies have accelerated their digital transformation during this period, especially in the way their teams work. One area that is under the spotlight as organisations look to transform digitally and control costs and processes better, is T&E.
Poor business travel spend management can frustrate staff, and lead to cost and productivity inefficiencies. Within the context of COVID-19, controlling T&E spend is likely to be even more important, so companies need a clear strategy around their travel and expenses.
To understand how organisations were assessing their T&E at this extraordinary time, Forrester Consulting conducted research on behalf of Amadeus, surveying more than 550 key decision makers involved in T&E solutions at large organisations worldwide.
The report, titled Digital Transformation For Travel & Expense: Balancing Process Efficiencies, Compliance, And Employee Experience highlights the challenges organisations face as they assess their T&E systems and processes before business travel picks up again.
The good news is that nearly three quarters (74%) of respondents agree that the improvement of T&E management processes and tools is critical to reducing costs, increasing efficiency, improving employee engagement, and forms part of their digital transformation.
All of these factors are key business objectives, so how can organisations address their T&E?
Focus on Systems
The research found that a lot of organisations are still relying on outdated systems to manage their travel and expenses. More than one in five (22%) of centralised companies still use spreadsheets to track expenses and just 15% of organisations use a cloud-based T&E solution.
Many decentralised companies also still rely on manual processes – either fully or partly – for their T&E. These outdated processes and systems add pressure on staff, managers, auditors and accountants. Reassess T&E Processes
Having the right systems in place will help rethink T&E processes, from researching hotels and appropriate transport, to making expenses claims post-trip. Travel managers surveyed difficulties around compliance-related expense tracking, reconciliation and auditing as a key challenge.
Three quarters (74%) of travel management leaders want to increase automation to reduce their reliance on manual processes. However, one in five (20%) organisations do not feel they are getting the analytical and reporting capabilities they need, despite data being a core priority.
The research shows that Human Resources (HR) and IT have key roles to play in redefining their organisations’ T&E processes.
Enable Smarter Booking
The research also finds that T&E leaders want to be able to manage the huge amount of content out there so that they can make clear decisions when making travel bookings. Multinational organisations need a global solution so that they can access the best deals and make more informed business travel booking decisions.
Integrated T&E solutions deliver cost and efficiency benefits
According to the research, those organisations that use an integrated T&E tool are much less likely to receive complaints from their traveling staff. More than a quarter (27%) of organisations that use an integrated T&E solution reported zero complaints from employees.
Integrated T&E solutions are essential for companies as they help their employees, take advantage of the best offers for the business trip. They also streamline expense processes, making it quicker and easier to claim and have their expenses approved and paid back.
Firms that do not have integrated T&E solutions report a 29% increase in delays in reimbursing expenses. Almost all (96%) of organisations interviewed that use integrated tools are satisfied with their T&E processes. Nearly three quarters (73%) of them even plan to expand or upgrade further.
Improving T&E is a team effort
What the Forrester Consulting research demonstrates clearly is that there is consensus across the board that T&E systems and processes can be improved.
Three quarters (74%) of IT leaders are focused on improving end-to-end experience of T&E processes, and 73% are committed to improving integration between T&E tools and other systems (73%).
And it’s not just IT leaders who see the value in integrated T&E solutions. More than four out of five procurement managers see improvement of T&E tools and processes as a key part of their organisation’s digital transformation, the highest of any group interviewed by Forrester.
While online conferencing has become the norm for many organisations, nothing can replace the value of face-to-face meetings. When business travel picks up again, companies with integrated T&E systems and processes will quickly see the benefits.
Covid-19 and the rise of remote payment fraud: how do we catch a digital thief?
By Evgenia Loginova, co-founder and co-CEO of Radar Payments
Covid -19 is finding different ways to hurt our finances – and like the virus, the threat is invisible.
Each time we tap our payments cards or make a purchase online, there’s always a risk of getting caught out by a digital fraudster. Yet during the global pandemic, the issue has not only escalated, but the ways in which people are conned have changed to reflect new social distancing and lockdown behaviours.
Indeed, the crisis has transformed the way we buy and shop – and those that are being targeted most are the millennial generation.
What are we doing differently?
It’s all down to the way we are interacting with service providers.
Since the World Health Organisation issued a pandemic in March, global payment fraud went up 5% with 100 million suspected fraud attempts from the period between March – April.
According to TransUnion, the firm analysing the data, billions of people around the world have been forced to spend time at home, which has led to industries such as financial services, ecommerce and healthcare to experience disruption in ways that have not been seen for generations.
This is due to the spike in online transactions, as more people adjust to the new normal of spending less time at the shops and more time doing everything on their digital devices. And with so many transactions shifting online – fraudsters are spending more time there too. These culprits are fully remote and are always on the lookout for vulnerable victims – as well as vulnerabilities within the payment systems.
Digital savvy criminals
Businesses that come to grips with the problem will manage to stay afloat – but they won’t be able to do it without fraud prevention tools that can identify suspicious activity without adding friction to the customer payment experience. In other words, customers must be protected from theft – as well as the truth. They shouldn’t even know that they’re under attack in the first place. It’s all about prevention- or at least as much as what technology can provide.
Without some technological intervention, there won’t be prevention, as companies simply cannot keep up with the proliferation of digital thieves. Culprits are operating individually or in criminal gangs or both – and usually in countries that are often forgotten by global leaders. For example, the telecommunications sector witnessed a 76% increase in card fraud a month after the global pandemic was declared – and the top country for suspected fraud origination was Timor-Leste – how many people even know where that is? (East Timor – formerly part of Indonesia, if you must ask!). Financial services saw an 11% increase in identity theft that same period – with most suspected culprits based in war torn Syria.
Despite their location, fraudsters are quickly adapting to consumer behaviour, and finding ways to attack. With less in-person transactions taking place, criminals are doing things like infecting online points-of-sale with malware that enables them to skim credit card details of previous customers.
From our experience with our fraud detection networks the numbers point out that missing card fraud, in particular, has shot up by 70% over the past few months. This is where people’s card details are being used by criminals to make purchases, when they are not in possession of the card. They’ve just stolen the numbers and additional critical security information such as expiry date and CVC2/CVV2.
Identity theft is also on the rise, as well as phishing and social engineering attacks. For example, in the UK alone there’s been a rise in criminals impersonating trusted organisations like the NHS or HMRC to trick people into going online and paying for services that are fake or giving away their money and information to charities and other organisations that are fake.
Local councils in Britain have noted a 40% increase in reported scams since the start of the pandemic, while Citizens Advice believes one in three people have been targeted by a Covid scammer.
This is a problem that is too big to ignore. The moment the fraudsters have your payment details – whether they’ve stolen it or you’ve given it to them under false pretences, the problem leads to losses for the victim and the businesses and organisations too.
With Covid and lockdown, fraud has gone fully remote and everything from e-commerce and digital banking has been a target for abuse.
In this ‘new normal’ world we find ourselves, the prevention of suspicious transactions through customer profiling and enhanced analytics, use of AI and machine learning models becomes very important.
Fortunately, digital theft is now being taken seriously. Spending on security has skyrocketed in recent years, and the sector supplying protection predicted to grow by $6 Trillion by 2021.
Businesses that survive the pandemic must be able to anticipate and strive to block 100% of the digital theft they encounter. But to win the war against these online criminals they require a robust security strategy.
Here are some tips to consider.
Security policies should be enforced internally and across payment channels and distributed networks. This includes the core and cloud networks as well.
Security gaps should be closed. A lot of risk can be mitigated by performing regular checks and plugging security holes, settling on a unified security framework based on interoperability, centralising visibility and control, segmenting the network to restrict the fluidity of malware and high performance, and deep integration.
Invest in AI capabilities. Artificial intelligence possesses the sophisticated power to replicate the analytical behaviour of human intelligence, as well as enable decision-making in real time and offer predictive security notifications.
Investing in AI based security systems can significantly reduce digital attacks and spot suspicious activity. The best ones are integrated with artificial neural networks (ANN), which combined with deep-learning models, can speed up data analysis and decision-making. It also enables the network to nimbly adapt to new information it encounters in the network.
Prevent fraud in online and then investigate. It is crucial to stop fraud before it happens. As most of the payments became remote, reaction should be super fast: high-risk transactions should be declined, low-risk passed with no friction and suspicious challenged. This raises the importance of finding the balance between customer experience and risk mitigation as never before. And even with AI and enhanced analytics for complex cases an expert with natural intelligence should be equipped with all needed information for relevant and adequate decision-making.
Digital crime won’t disappear as long as there’s an opportunity that criminals can exploit. As the world braces for a new wave of lockdown measures, businesses operating in the online sphere must remain vigilant and prepare for more attacks – or face losses that could be impossible to recover from during these challenging economic times.
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An Israeli court has banned the advertising of online marketing services in the country, in an attempt to stop a major surge in internet advertising revenues.
The High Court of Justice ruled Tuesday that the ban violates the Israeli legal framework, and it will take effect on Thursday.
The ruling came after a legal challenge by the Electronic Privacy Information Center, an advocacy group.
The case centered on an Israeli website that posted advertisements for an online marketing service called “Etsy” that allowed consumers to bid on items.
It was based on an agreement between Etsy and a local advertising agency.
The ads appeared on the site in the hopes of attracting business and customers.
The court ruled that the advertisements violated an Israeli law that prohibits the marketing of products online, and also the laws of other countries that regulate the internet.
The court ordered the agency to stop advertising the service and its services, and ordered the ad agency to pay the legal costs incurred by the court.
The advertising campaign did not mention the legal proceedings or the legal cases against the company, and did not disclose any details about the product or its sale.
The advertising campaign was also not included in the site’s registration.
The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to the court’s decision, the law on advertising that is “intended to appeal to a public interest” and not to promote a product or service is “an unconstitutional restriction of freedom of expression and a violation of the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Fourth and Fifth Amendments.”
The law is not applicable to websites that offer a product for sale.
The ads on Etsy were placed in the company’s official advertising, but the court ruled they were also posted to other websites.
“The advertisements on the company website were not intended to appeal the ruling or the decision of the High Court,” the court wrote.
The ruling came less than a month after a similar ruling that allowed online advertising to continue in Israel.
The law on online advertising that was enacted last year has faced criticism for being vague, and the court found that the law is insufficient to prevent a rise in advertising revenues in the Internet age.
The High Court, however, said that it could take action against the law in future if it found that it violates the rights of others.
The decision has raised concerns about how the advertising market will evolve over the next year or two.
The ban will likely be challenged in the Supreme Court, where justices will consider whether the law violates the right to privacy.
The Israeli advertising agency, AdSight, did not return a request seeking comment.
The Electronic Privacy Data Center, which has lobbied to end the ban on online ad campaigns, is a nonprofit research group that seeks to protect online privacy and freedom of speech.


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In a confectionary SCANDAL that’s been rocking New Zealand this week, one sweets company has been exposed for their production of the country’s beloved Pineapple Lumps.
Pineapple Lumps are a chocolate-covered confection with a soft, chewy pineapple-flavoured middle manufactured by our New Zealand cousins.
But after an investigation by TikToker Courtnay Adele, it’s been revealed there is more to Potter Brothers’ Lumps than consumers thought, leading the company to release an official statement.
Listen below as Courtnay explains to Matt & Alex – All Day Breakfast what she discovered:
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Apple CEO Tim Cook earlier on Friday announced that the company doubled its business in India, but does this indicate that iPhones have now become favourites in the country? It actually is because just hours later, we have numbers from a market research firm that says Apple now has a 44 per cent share in the premium phone market.India Today
On Clubhouse app, I keep asking those who live in India that how many people you see with iPhones. And mostly the reply is its all Android. Unless I meet someone who lives in affluent neighborhoods of Mumbai and Delhi, where the reply is, “all my friends and family have iPhones”
I went to a high end night club in Pune and there were 500 people on dance floor and instead of enjoying the music and my beer, I like a nerd was counting how many people on dance floor have iPhons. around 30% had iPhones.
So iPhone Vs Android is not a feature issue. It’s a money issue. As Indian economy grows and Indians become rich, it is clear iPhones will sell more. I don’t see it any other way.


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CNC today announced the launch of the Bangkok Haiphong (RBH) service that will provide weekly connectivity between South China, Thailand and Vietnam.
CNC today announced the launch of the Japan Malaysia Vietnam (JMV) service that will provide weekly connectivity between North Asia and Southeast Asia.
CNC today announced that the Japan Thailand Vietnam (JTV) service is extending its port rotation to the Philippines and within South China. The refined service will be calling three additional ports in Manila, Shekou and Nansha as part of its service rotation.
CNC, the intra-Asia specialist brand of the CMA CGM Group, is pleased to announce its Haiphong China Express (HCX) service today became the first container ship service to call at the Nghi Son International General Port in the Thanh Hoa Province of Vietnam.
CNC will adjust the Terminal Handling Charge (THC) for all outbound and inbound Intra Asia laden shipments from/to Japan.
CNC today announced the launch of a new weekly service, China Malaysia Service (CMS) which connects North, Central and South China to the niche ports of Port Klang, Penang and Pasir Gudang in Malaysia.
CNC will launch a new coverage, CS3, linking Hong Kong/SPRC to Kaohsiung and Philippines. Effective 16th Jan, 2019
CNC is delighted to launch a new service called CSX, from Hong Kong/South China to Taiwan and Philippines. Effective 18th Jan, 2019.
CNC will adjust Vietnam Terminal Handling Charge (THC) for all outbound and inbound Intra Asia laden shipments.
CNC will adjust the Container Imbalance Charge (CIC) for all Intra Asia shipments into Cagayan De Oro (CGY), Davao (DVO) and General Santos (GES) in Philippines.
New IMO regulation on Low Sulfur will be implemented for all China ports from 1st Jan, 2019, Thus, CNC will extend the LSS collection in all China ports from 3rd Jan, 2019.
CNC decide to adjust the Inbound Documentation Fee for all Intra Asia laden shipments into China ports.
Consider the equipment status in Manila, we will adjust the Container Imbalance Charge for all Intra Asia (Any Other Than Japan) laden shipments into Manila, Philippines.


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Spring water and natural mixer company Llanllyr Source has launched its still and sparkling water into cans as part of an effort to move away from plastic packaging.
The company officially stopped producing plastic bottles for its water range in June 2019 and anticipates that all plastic will be out of distribution by the end of the year.
Using a mix of premium still and sparkling spring water, the new cans come in a sleek 330ml single serve format (rrp 99p) and feature labelling inspired by Llanllyr’s glass bottles range, which are also 100% recycled and recyclable.
In keeping with the brand’s eco-friendly stance, the cans will also be distributed in recyclable cardboard boxes to ensure no plastic is used in the primary or secondary packaging of the water.
Llanllyr Source founder and environmental enthusiast Patrick Gee commented: “In 2009, we recognised that the two biggest issues in the beverage industry were recycling and the misuse of the earth’s natural resources. Given that our water comes from a sustainable source we pioneered water in cans to ensure we had recyclable packaging. We felt we found a way into the convenience market that was consistent with the environmental principles that we have always committed to on our family owned organic farm. However, 10 years ago the market was not ready and the cans did not translate into sales so we had to remove them from retail.”
“Consumers are now much more familiar with beverages in cans including cold brew coffees, coconut waters and wine. The re-introduction of cans and the removal of plastic bottles from our range is just the beginning of the next chapter for Llanllyr. The time for change is now and as a brand we need to be more accountable and responsible. We are preparing for re-launch in 2020 and this will mark a significant stepchange for us which will accelerate our aim to become the category leader for the responsible production and distribution of premium spring water products around the world.”


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The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued an updated warning after more deli meat products have been found to have possible contamination.
Levitts Foods Inc. is recalling its Compliments brand and Levitts brand deli meat products from the marketplace after possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination, according to the CFIA.
The recalled products include a 175-gram Compliments Montreal-style smoked meat, Levitts 150-gram corned beef and 150-gram New York Style Pastrami, all with a best before date of January 20, 2021.
Earlier this month, the brand had recalled eight of its products, including the same products, with the best before date of December 11, 2020.
“There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products,” said the CFIA. “However, there has been one reported illness that may be associated with the consumption of the products included in the Food Recall Warning of December 7, 2020.”
The CFIA has shared images of the recalled products:
The federal food agency says the products have been distributed in Alberta, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Quebec.
A food safety investigation is underway by the CFIA, which may lead to the recall of other products and are verifying that the industry is removing the recalled products from the marketplace.


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Mercedes will officially debut its new ultra luxury sub-brand next week in conjunction with the L.A. Auto Show. Continue Reading...
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Rolls-Royce officially confirmed today that it plans to launch a new converitble in 2016. Continue Reading...
Bentley has plans for a big luxury coupe and convertible based on the Mulsanne. Continue Reading...
Rolls-Royce is reportedly code-naming its SUV after the world’s largest diamond. Continue Reading...
Bentley will occupy its booth in Detroit next week with the Continental GT V8 S. Continue Reading...
Daimler’s über luxury Maybach division was quietly discontinued last year but rumors seem to indicate the brand could be coming back. Continue Reading...
In a thoroughly rigorous demonstration of the potential in its bespoke program, Rolls-Royce revealed its one-off “Ghawwass” Phantom Coupe. Continue Reading...
Plans for Aston Martin to sell an SUV are still limping along, likely helped by a recent agreement between Mercedes’ AMG and the British automaker. Continue Reading...
A utility vehicle from Rolls-Royce to fight Bentley’s upcoming crossover is still possible. Continue Reading...
If you’ve been saving your nickels and dimes in hopes of snapping up a Bugatti Galibier once the high-dollar four-door became available we have some bad news. It sounds like the car has been canceled. Continue Reading...
Super-luxury automaker Rolls-Royce just announced a recall of its 2013 Phantom lineup. Call backs are never a good thing, but they can be especially embarrassing at the ultra-premium end of the market. How does the company treat its “high rolling” customers when something unexpected happens? Continue Reading...
Left languishing in the wake of Saab’s failure, Swedish luxury supercar maker Spyker desperately needs investors to stay afloat but it may be too much to ask for the company to overcome its current catch-22. Continue Reading...
Marco Mattiacci, CEO of Ferrari North America, has officially been given the 2012 Automotive Executive of the Year award and is the first Italian executive to receive the award. “This year, the nominating committee chose to recognize Marco Mattiacci as an emerging leader whose accomplishments are certainly impressive and worthy of recognition,” said Robert Djurovic, executive director of the Automotive Executive… Continue Reading...
It turns out that owning a Rolls-Royce isn’t rare enough on it’s own for the majority of people buying these ultra-luxury cars. No, the people willing and able to shell out for the best of the best seem to be afraid the valet will confuse their Ghost with the others outside the country club. According… Continue Reading...


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Investors have had concerns about McCormick's (MKC 0.12%) business in 2019 as the spice and flavorings specialist works to establish a steady growth pace following its massive acquisition of the French's and Frank's condiments brands. That buyout has helped boost profitability while keeping McCormick near the top of the packaged foods niche. However, sales gains appear to be slowing from management's long-term 4%-6% target.
This week, the consumer staples giant confirmed that it will likely miss that goal in 2019. Yet McCormick is still on pace to post market-thumping sales growth and rising profit margins.
Let's take a closer look.
Sales growth slowed
CEO Lawrence Kurzius and his team suggested last quarter that sales growth might speed up in the second half of the year, but that didn't happen in Q3. Instead, revenue gains landed at 2% after accounting for currency exchange rate shifts compared to 3% in fiscal Q2. Not only does that represent a deceleration, but it's also below management's wider 2019 prediction from July that forecast gains of between 3% and 5%.
As expected, the U.S. consumer segment saw a lift from improving weather conditions and the late start to grilling season. However, McCormick noted pressure from weak pricing at home that kept growth at 3% to mark just a modest uptick compared to the prior quarter's 2% growth.
The bigger factor in the slowdown was the 2% sales decline in the flavor solutions division. That slump appears to be temporary issue, though, as management said it was driven in part by the timing of retailer stocking moves and the launch of a new storage warehouse. "Demand from our flavor solutions' customers remains strong," Kurzius said.
Profitability is strong
There was plenty of good news on the financial front even though price boosts moderated this quarter. McCormick launched several popular new products, expanded distribution for its French's and Frank's condiments, and slashed costs.
These moves allowed gross profit margin to rise by a full percentage point and pushed operating margin up by 1.7 percentage points. As a result, operating income grew 9% to $261 million after adjusting for one-time charges. Reported earnings grew even faster – up 14% -- thanks to reduced taxes.
Still bullish about the future
The lower tax burden has helped management dedicate more cash toward paying down the debt it took on to fund its French's and Frank's acquisition. After extinguishing over $200 million of those bonds this quarter, the company is in a good position to begin hunting for new buyouts or to resume stock repurchase spending as early as 2020.
As for the near future, McCormick sees earnings rising at a faster pace than originally predicted thanks to a surprisingly low tax rate. Sales growth will now land between 3% and 4%, executives say, which constitutes a slight downgrade from the prior target of between 3% and 5%.
From there, investors are hoping that the portfolio moves McCormick is making over the next few months, including ramping up advertising support and brand launches around the key holiday cooking season, will position the company to start climbing back toward its 5% annual growth goal beginning in 2020. Yet even if the company falls short of that ambitious target, it's likely that adjusted earnings will continue expanding at an almost double-digit rate.


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Vaping THC might be behind most of the serious lung diseases which have been linked with e-cigarette use––raising issues about an extremely popular means of eating marijuana, which numerous consumers view being a reasonably safe practice.
As much as 450 individuals have developed conditions as well as minimum four folks have died after making use of e-cigarettes, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials said on a call with reporters Friday. Whilst the CDC and Food and Drug management (Food And Drug Administration) never have discovered a device, item or substance that’s associated with all instances, a paper posted Friday within the brand new England Journal of Medicine suggests that lots of sick individuals vaped THC, a ingredient in cannabis, before developing a disease, either rather than or perhaps in cbd oil for sale addition to nicotine. CDC and public-health officials confirmed this choosing.
The research threatens to shatter people’s that are many of marijuana as natural and safe, an opinion that includes gained steam due to the fact medication is legalized in increasingly more states. A 2018 Gallup poll discovered that Us citizens mainly see both cannabis and e-cigarettes as less harmful than cigarettes, and therefore a lot more than 40percent of participants thought marijuana was “not too” or “not at all” harmful. But a number that is growing of evidently linked with vaping THC may change some users’ minds—and remove the health halo very often surrounds vaping.
Juul Once Seemed Too Large to Fail. Legal actions and Federal Regulations Are Changing That
The current diseases have amazed Ziva Cooper, research manager regarding the University of California Los Angeles Cannabis Analysis Initiative. About the risks of vaporizing relative to smoking, I would have had a very different answer based on the literature thus far,” Cooper says“If you had called me a month ago and asked me. “This is a concern that deserves instant attention.”
E-cigarettes work by warming substances—most often liquid nicotine, but additionally cannabis plants or substances suspended in oils—into aerosols that can be inhaled. Even though it’s a way to obtain debate, this method is believed to be healthiest than traditional smoking, since burning substances such as for example tobacco or cannabis creates byproducts that may damage the lung area and overall health. Cooper says a small number of studies on vaping cannabis have actually recommended that making use of e-cigarettes is less bad for the lung area than smoking marijuana.
Possibly in component due to that belief, vaping cannabis is continuing to grow ever more popular. In Colorado—the poster youngster of legal marijuana use—there was a 78% boost in the amount of marijuana concentrates (a category which includes vape services and products) offered to consumers from 2017 to 2018, relating to convey Department of sales data. (Marijuana plants nevertheless constitute a bigger share associated with the market that is total the data programs––but the proportion is evolving as concentrate sales increase.)
Also it’s not just appropriate users who will be vaping marijuana: About 13percent of senior high school seniors stated they’d in a federal survey released in December 2018. Additionally the CDC has specifically warned consumers against utilizing “bootleg” vape pen cartridges.
By 2022, U.S. cannabis concentrates product sales, driven by vaping items, are projected going to $8.4 billion—only slightly not as much as sales of cannabis plants, in accordance with a report from advertising firm Arcview, which centers on the cannabis industry.
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It’s likely that the processing of THC, as opposed to the mixture itself, may be the cause of present lung problems, states Jacob Borodovsky, an epidemiologist at Washington University class of Medicine in St. Louis who’s studied vaping. To create vape pen liquid, THC is suspended within an oil solution very often also incorporates chemical substances to alter the consistency or flavor for the combination, which users then heat and inhale. On the THC compound itself,” Borodovsky says“If I had to bet money on whether or not THC is causing these lung-related issues, I wouldn’t put it. “I would personally wear it the way in which the THC is prepared and delivered.”
Because the regulatory procedure for vape oils is “pure chaos now,he says” it’s hard to know which chemicals have been added, and even if what’s on the label is accurate. The FDA, for instance, has released multiple warnings to businesses making inaccurate claims in regards to the articles of items CBD that is containing mixture in cannabis.
The Food And Drug Administration is currently testing significantly more than 100 item examples utilized by clients whom developed lung diseases after vaping, in an attempt to discover precisely what’s inside them and just exactly what might be causing ailments. Ny state health officials on Thursday pointed to e vitamin acetate, an unauthorized additive in some marijuana vape pods, as a focus of these investigation. But on Friday, A fda spokesman stated, “No one substance, including vitamin e antioxidant acetate, is identified in most associated with the samples tested” because of the agency.
The representative included: “Importantly, determining any compounds which are contained in the examples is likely to be one bit of the puzzle but will perhaps not necessarily respond to questions about causality.”
Whilst the FDA tries to stop cannabis items from making wellness claims, it generally does not control THC vaping services and products––in part because cannabis continues to be unlawful under federal legislation. And even though some states need businesses to submit to random separate evaluating of these services and products, Borodovsky claims, there’s oversight that is little one thing goes to market—and also less for the “black and grey market organizations” that have actually popped up once the industry has grown. “Just since it states lab-tested in the label, don’t think that,” he states.
The Healthcare Industry Has To be much More Honest About Health Errors
Products that have significantly less than 0.3% THC don’t come under Drug Enforcement Administration purview. And the ones which contain more are at the mercy of a byzantine system that is regulatory can possibly prevent even scientists from studying their articles.
Since cannabis is categorized being a Schedule I drug under federal legislation, similar category as heroin and LSD, scientists require unique permission to utilize it, and they’re restricted to studying products which come from the actual only real center authorized to cultivate marijuana for research: the University of Mississippi, which usually does not create such things as vape oils and edibles. “We cannot study some products which can be found into the public, that will be a significant barrier to knowing the public-health implications,” Cooper, the UCLA cannabis researcher, claims.
While the research into lung conditions continues, the CDC is consumers that are advising “consider perhaps not making use of e-cigarettes,” and particularly prevent products which have now been modified or bought in the street.
Cooper agrees that individuals must certanly be careful, and notes that flowers might be a safer option to more prepared items. “There’s enough concern for here to be a broad declaration that individuals should always be really wary of vaping,” she claims. “It’s safer, if you’re likely to vape, to choose plant item with a known device.”


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Type an "i" and it could well be replaced by an uppercase A followed by a symbol. Apple has posted a support document advising that a future software update, likely iOS 11.1.1, will correct the problem.
These fixes aren't flawless but they'll do the trick until Apple issues an update to A [?] OS 11.1. The company suggests going into Settings General Keyboard Text Replacement, the tapping the plus sign to add an entry. Hit the + button, and in the phrase option type "I" plus "i" in the shortcut option box. The bandaid lets users replace a capital "I" with a lowercase "i" - which will look odd, but not as odd as the weird exclamation point-question mark combo. It involves setting up a text replacement.
Users can also disable predictive text completely, in order to halt the autocorrection.
The Apple iOS 11.1 was recently released as an update, advertised as Apple's first milestone upgrade.
It seems to affect iMessage, as well as other apps including Instagram and Twitter. Which, judging by the fact that "I" is a relatively important letter in the English language, will probably be sooner than later. The switch has impacted users on iOS 10 and 11.
The BBC has contacted Apple for comment.
The glitch arrived with iOS11.1, which was released last week, bringing with it hundreds of new emojis.


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Google released the latest Android distribution numbers. According to the report, Oreo is in 12.1% of devices, Nougat still on most phones.
Android Distribution Report
According to the report, Oreo is making progress as its now on 12.1% of devices. Oreo is currently the latest iteration of Android. Despite the increase, the low turnout can be attributed to manufacturers taking their sweet time in releasing the update.
Most devices are still on Nougat, as a whopping 30.8% of devices are still running the OS version. Marshmallow, on the other hand, is still on 23.5% of devices.
Surprisingly, 20.4% of devices are still Android Lollipop. This section might no longer see any progress, aside from devices on this OS being retired, most manufacturers are content on leaving this batch on its current version.
With Android P looming in the horizon, major smartphone manufacturers better pick up the pace if they hope to put Oreo in more devices.


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The legendary Rolex reference 6062 “Bao Dai“, which was once belonged to the last emperor of Vietnam himself during the Nguyen Dynasty, has now set a new record as the most expensive Rolex watch ever sold at auction. The price? A whopping US$5,060,427 sold at the Philips‘ Geneva Watch Auction. The record-breaking price has also eclipsed the Rolex reference 4113 Split Seconds Chronograph, which was sold 12 months ago at US$2,402,600.
However, this is not the first time the “Bao Dai” watch has set a record in auction sales. Fifteen years ago, the same timepiece was previously sold for US$235,000 in 2002. Back then, it was the most expensive Rolex watch ever sold at auction.
Apart from the watch’s exclusive ownership, it boasts a triple calendar with moon phase in yellow gold as well as a black dial and diamond markers.