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Samsung built its mobile success on copying the iPhone in the early years, and whatever Apple does still influences Samsung’s decisions. But if there’s one iPhone trick that Samsung couldn’t replicate successfully so far, that’s recycling last year’s phone design. Apple used to launch a new iPhone design every couple of years, but that trend stopped with the iPhone 6, a design that Apple kept in place for three more years, for the iPhone 6s, 7, and 8 series. The iPhone X design was then used for all 2018 and 2019 devices, and the company is expected to drop a new iPhone design next year. Samsung’s Galaxy S9, meanwhile, was almost a Galaxy S8 replica that sported better specs and camera features. But the phone didn’t sell as well as expected. The Galaxy S10’s hole-punch display turned things around for Samsung. An insider claimed recently that Samsung won’t make any huge changes to the Galaxy S11 next year. However, the phone is still expected to deliver a display feature not available on any other Galaxy model to date.
According to different tweets from Ice Universe, the Galaxy S11 won’t have a waterfall screen like the Mate 30 Pro. Waterfall displays are curved at the edges, just like the screens Samsung introduced many years ago, but those curvatures are more extreme, going almost all the way to the back of the handset. The design minimizes side bezels, and can help handset vendors remove physical buttons from the sides of the phone — Samsung is working on a more daring design that would feature a variation of this screen typology.
The same Ice said recently that the Galaxy S11 hole-punch camera might be placed centrally, like on the Note 10, rather than on the side. The camera opening might be even smaller, however. But, overall, the Galaxy S11 would look a lot like a 2019 Samsung flagship phone.
This brings us to his latest tweet, which references one of the potential Galaxy S11 signature features:
90Hz is 100%, and 120Hz is also very likely.
— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) November 19, 2019
This isn’t the first time the leaker claimed next-gen Samsung phones will ship with higher refresh rate screens. Considering that rivals OnePlus and Google launched non-gaming Android flagships this year with 90Hz display, it makes sense for Samsung to at least match them. After all, Samsung still is the undisputed king of the smartphone OLED market, and it probably wants to make sure its 2020 flagships rock the best possible display tech available. The fact that iPhone 12 is also rumored to ship with a 120Hz screen might be an extra motivation for Samsung.
While it’s unclear whether Samsung will go for 120Hz screens, it sure looks like, in a worst-case scenario, the Galaxy S11 will have a 90Hz display, which is still a notable upgrade over the S10 and Note 10 phones.
Smartphone vendors started making gaming handsets a couple of years ago, and popularized smartphone display with high refresh rates. These gaming devices featured 90Hz or 120Hz screens rather than the 60Hz screens found on regular handsets. But it’s not just games that can benefit from higher refresh rates. The overall smartphone can be improved by a smoother, more responsive display, which explains why OnePlus and Google adopted 90Hz screens this year.


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Tencent is holding its Arena of Valor 2018 International Championship, and there's a lot of money on the line if you're a skilled player.
The tournament, which will find its semifinals and finals taking place on December 15 and December 16 in Thailand. Arena of Valor competitors will have the change to win some of the biggest prize pool the company has offered to date: $600,000. Tickets will be sale for the tournament starting the week of November 19, so if you're interested in attending, you'll want to snap those up quickly if you planning on being in Thailand. Sounds like Tencent will certainly be taking care of players.
“Thailand is not only a dream destination for many international travelers, it is also home to some of the most active and passionate Arena of Valor fans in the world,” said Ramon Hermann, director of esports at Tencent America. “This event is the marquee opportunity to capture that fandom and project it out to a global audience."
The event's top four teams will go on to Thailand, where the other 12 will head to Vietnam afterward to compete in a special qualifier that will start on November 23. If you're interested in playing, you can try the game out on Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android – just don't get sucked in, because there are a lot of games coming out next week you'll want to have time for, too.

domain: news


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Kenya's largest telecoms operator, Safaricom, is joining forces with Google in a mobile financing project to get more 4G-enabled smartphones into the hands of Kenyans.
Safaricom is trying to enable Kenyans with 2G or 3G phones to upgrade to 4G devices and the partnership with Google will allow qualifying customers to buy 4G-enabled smartphones and pay them off in very low installments of as little as 20 Kenyan shillings (US$0.20) a day.
Safaricom has around 35.6 million customers in Kenya and Omdia research shows that only about 2.5 million of its customers are using 4G services, while over 21 million are still on 2G and almost 12 million are now on 3G.
Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa said in a launch video on his Twitter page that the partnership is a world first and he is confident it will be "transformative" to the lives of Kenyans despite the tough economic times they are facing.
"Smartphones in the hands of our customers possess life-transforming possibilities. They open a new world. We aim to take that world into the hands of every consumer through affordable means," Ndegwa said.
Android platform partnerships director for Africa, Mariam Abdullahi, Safaricom customer Evans Angwenyi and Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa test out the Neon Ray Pro 4G-enabled smartphone in Nairobi.
"Together with our key partner Google, and specifically Android, we are aiming for an additional 1 million customers who will be able to access and leverage the power of the Internet, and this is just the beginning, connecting them to the economic opportunities presented by Internet access," he said.
Ndegwa said Safaricom's smartphone penetration is only at around 42% of customers and specifically 4G handset penetration is only at 17%, which presents an opportunity for growth. In contrast he said that Safaricom's 4G network covers around 77% of the population in Kenya, while 2G and 3G coverage is about 95% of the population.
Mariam Abdullahi, Android platform partnerships for Africa director, said that Android's goal has always been to bring the power of computing to everyone.
"Access to the opportunities the Internet offers is critical for any nation's economic growth and social inclusion. We believe that this collaboration will bring more Kenyans online and help them take advantage of the opportunities that exist online," she said.
"One of the most significant barriers to mobile Internet adoption has always been that of smartphone affordability. We team up with mobile network operators and device manufacturers across the world so that we are able to extend our impact on Internet usage to drive digital economies," she added.
The deal has been dubbed "Lipa Mdogo Mdogo" – which roughly translates from Swahili as "pay a small amount" – and the Google smartphone that subscribers can finance is the Neon Ray Pro. The smartphone usually retails locally for about KES5,999 ($55.70) but can now be purchased for a down payment of KES1,000 ($9.30) and then payed off in installments over 12 months.
"Through smartphone device financing, we plan on ensuring that every Kenyan can use a 4G device for the first time without putting a dent on their wallets," Ndegwa added.
Safaricom said that the eligibility of the financing plan will be based on customer credit scores. Those who want to access the financing plan have to be between the ages of 18 and 75 and will need to have been a Safaricom customer for at least one year already.
This year did not begin the way most people expected it to, so what does the future of the telecoms sector look like in Africa in 2020? In this Connecting Africa online event, local analysts and industry stakeholders will discuss what African operators’ priorities for the year should be and the most significant market trends expected to dominate in 2020.
Will MNOs focus on sweating their current assets rather than investing in new technologies like 5G?
What impact will COVID-19 have on the continent’s networks?
What are the hot market trends in Africa when it comes to voice, data and mobile financial services?
The majority of 5G in Africa is still in the testing stage. However, as operators prepare their networks for the technology jump, what strategies are they deploying to ensure they gain the full value that 5G can offer Africa? This digital symposium will give you an insight into the opportunities and challenges facing Africa’s 5G rollout, with some country specific case studies unpacked.
How 5G-ready is African enterprise?
Is 5G a priority for in Africa, should it be? Or can operators and businesses focus on growing their 3G and 4G networks for enterprise instead?
What are the most significant enterprise business applications for 5G deployment on the continent, and where can 5G facilitate IoT applications?
Africa was the birthplace of Mobile Money and while it continues to rise in popularity, the industry is quickly evolving and launching more mobile-based financial services every day. In this Connecting Africa online event, local analysts and industry stakeholders will discuss how telcos are disrupting the financial services space and what the rise of Mobile Money 2.0 will look like for Africa.
From cash to mobile: heading towards a cashless society
Expanding MFS offerings beyond mobile money transfers
MNOs vs banks vs fintechs: an evolving competitive landscape
Unconnected and unbanked: fintech to improve financial inclusion
The rise of micro-loans and insurance through mobile platforms
Africa has the fastest growing population in the world and also the youngest, with 60% of Africans under the age of 25. It is clear that the next billion connected are going to be the mobile-only generation. This digital symposium will bring industry experts together to discuss Africa’s digital divide and how to get devices into the hands of young Africans and empower them to join the digital revolution.
Who’s Driving? The role of government & regulator, private tech companies, and public-private partnerships
Device affordability: are we reaching a tipping point?
Status check: Satellite vs Fiber and the enduring infrastructure gap
Exploring the wider societal and economic benefits of a connected, digitally literate continent


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Until the end of the current month in sale top of the range flagship smartphone OnePlus 3T. It will differ from other modifications by the presence of 128 GB internal memory. The wait is a little over a week. The top version of the smartphone OnePlus 3T will be released on December 22, but so far only in China, and its price at the moment is unknown.
Recall that OnePlus 3T is an improved version of the smartphone OnePlus 3, released in June of this year, and in her Arsenal is more modern processor, and firmware that reveal the full potential of the 6GB of RAM. We also add that this year the company OnePlus is celebrating its third anniversary and that’s a lot for startup. In honor of this event, it will hold what we all love so much — a very large sale that will be held for three days. 17, 19 and 22 December everyone will be able to purchase a smartphone OnePlus 3T with 64 GB of internal memory at a reduced price and without delay with the shipment of the goods purchased.
The list of features of the monoblock consists of 6 GB of RAM, Snapdragon 821 with a frequency of 2.15 GHz on four cores and IPS screen of 5.5 inches with Full HD resolution and a completely metal body. OnePlus 3T supports LTE network and runs on Android 6.0.
© 2016, z-news.link. All rights reserved.


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Stolen passports have been altered in Whakatane to purchase goods through finance companies.
Whakatane Sergeant Caoin Macey said the stolen and altered passports had been obtained by Mongrel Mob associates who had used them to buy goods through finance companies.
He said two vehicles and a high end smart phone had been bought using the fraudulent passports in both Whakatane and Rotorua.
"Chinese, Australian and New Zealand passports in particular have been fraudulently altered," Mr Macey said. "Police wish to alert local businesses who may accept passports as identification to be alert to this activity.
"It is often difficult to tell that a passport used as identification has been altered but there are some tell tail signs. Businesses should be extra vigilant if Chinese or Australian passports are used as identification and photocopies should never be accepted."
Mr Macey said three forms of identification should be requested and these cross checked against the passport.
"If in doubt call the police who can quickly and easily check the authenticity of the passport."
A 34-year-old man appeared in the Whakatane District Court on Wednesday on forgery and drugs charges and was remanded in custody until next week.


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San Diego Comic Con has just begun and it’s already got fans buzzing across social media. Fans have been criticizing Disney for a lot of their choices and stories that they have released. One of the biggest disappointments fans had … Continue reading The Clone Wars Returns!!!!
Alright, so by now we have all seen the season 2 midseason trailer for Star Wars Rebels. So many questions about what is going on that we have to wait to see the story unfold. One the biggest things that … Continue reading Who is Old Master? Star Wars Rebels Season 2 Spoilers


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A Baltimore County man convicted in May of a 2008 jewelry store robbery at Valley Mall was sentenced Monday in Washington County Circuit Court to 20 years in prison.
A jury found Bashawn Moneak Montgomery, 33, of Reisterstown, Md., guilty of robbery for intimidating an employee at King’s Jewelry into allowing him to purchase rings using a stolen credit card number June 8, 2008, according to trial testimony.
The jury also convicted Montgomery of several theft and credit card theft offenses, but acquitted him of false imprisonment, court records show. Circuit Judge Daniel P. Dwyer sentenced Montgomery to 30 years in prison, suspending 10 of those years.
There was no suspect in the case until April 2010 when the Washington County Sheriff’s Office began investigating a credit card fraud case at Prime Outlets, the application for statement of charges said. At that time, an investigator spoke with Montgomery, who was an acquaintance of a suspect in the fraud case, the document said.
That led investigators to look into earlier credit card fraud cases, including the 2008 incident at King’s, the charging document said. An employee identified Montgomery from a photo array and told investigators he intimidated her into running a stolen credit card number to buy the rings.
The employee told investigators the man became aggressive, told her to keep her hands on the counter and demanded she run the credit card number, which was written down on a piece of paper handed to him by another man, the charging document said.
A Gaithersburg, Md., woman testified at the trial that the rings were charged to her credit card account without her knowledge or consent.
After the verdict was announced in May, Assistant State’s Attorney Christopher McCormack told Dwyer he would seek an enhanced sentence because Montgomery had a 2003 conviction for an armed robbery in Baltimore City.


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The short-form video application TikTok has captured the world by storm. This platform offers users special effects and filters, allowing them to make a variety of videos. TikTok also pays special attention to local content and highlights trends through hashtags. While the company’s popularity has been rising, its past history with the US government has led to some conflict.
The platform is owned by a Chinese tech giant called Bytedance. Although the U.S. government has been trying to curb its growth, TikTok has now reached 800 million users worldwide, making it one of the fastest growing social networks. This makes it one of the most important channels for brands in today’s digital media landscape.
Although TikTok is a harmless and fun platform for teens, it is important to monitor your child’s use of the service. Parents should teach their children to use privacy settings and to report inappropriate content and users. TikTok also provides a limited version of the application for kids, which can help protect younger users.
The popularity of TikTok has grown exponentially in just two years. Currently, news daily india TikTok is the most popular app in the world. It is also the most used among Gen Z teens. In fact, many trending songs were first uploaded on TikTok. TikTok has a convenient trending page that shows you what is popular. Business accounts on the platform can even receive notifications when a trending video is posted.


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The company expects headcount to grow in India to about 600 people over the next couple of years; Pune will be the HQ of Ensono
Ensono has completed its acquisition of Wipro’s Hosted Data Centre Services business in India and moved into its own facility with its headquarters in Pune. The Chicago-based firm had already acquired Wipro’s Hosted Data Centre Services business in US, Europe and Singapore.
Wipro’s data center business was acquired for $405 million, according to Ensono CEO Jeff VonDeylen, who was in the country to officially launch Ensono’s India operations, headquartered in Pune.
As per the terms of the deal signed between the two companies, Wipro has also committed a business of $90 million to Ensono for the next three years. “The understanding between the two companies would continue and Wipro will be carrying out sales for the infrastructure business and outsource it to Ensono,” VonDeylen said.
Ensono also works with other IT firms like Sungard and Infosys, offering hosted infrastructure solutions for their clients.
Following the acquisition, VonDeylen said, the company has invested millions of dollars more on the new facility and it will continue to invest on resources over the next two to three years.
The company began shifting its team into its new facility beginning October 1 and plans to complete in the next 30 days. While Pune will be the HQ of Ensono, additional facilities will be in Chennai and Bengaluru.
Expects headcount to grow in India by 15% every year
At present, Ensono has an employee base of 450 people who were transferred from Wipro at the start of the month across Pune and Chennai. The company expects headcount to grow in India by 15% every year over the next couple of years.
VonDeylen said, “As business continues to grow, we expect to increase our headcount to about 600 people over the next couple of years in India. The India operations will support our existing customers in the US and Europe, who so far were supported from the US.”
He claimed that the acquisition has helped the firm almost double its revenues. “With this acquisition, we have more than doubled our revenues from $200 million to $555 million and will end this year at $570 million as the sector is growing at 10% to 15% a year,” he asserted.
However, Ensono is not likely to work with Indian companies in the immediate future. “The business is focused on the US and Europe at present and is likely to remain this way for the next two-three years,” VonDeylen said.


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Enter Kim Kardashian’s world
Philip Ellison 07 August, 2014 at 10:08
There’s no getting away from Kim Kardashian. While we’ve come to expect to see her on our TV screens and on the covers of magazines, her latest platform, “Kim Kardashian: Hollywood”, came a little out of left field. That’s right; Brand K now includes mobile gaming.
The aim of the game is to climb the social ladder of the celebrity world and become more famous – which, while addictive, also dovetails with our fascination with the lady herself. “’Hollywood’ brings to light a truth that many of us only begrudgingly admit,” says Amirah Mercer at MIC.com. “Kardashian is not a flash in the pan, a silly party staple or a mere reality star – she is one of the most important celebrity figures of our time and is the face of one of the most brilliantly savvy businesses out there. The business of Kim Kardashian.”
Meanwhile, Sonia Saraiya at The AV Club believes the venture has a satirical edge; “KKH is aware of the foibles of fame. They’re built right into the game’s design, with an underlying message that says: you know that thing Kim Kardashian has? It’s silly and achievable. And hard. But also pretty damn fun.” Regardless of whether the game is slyly self-aware or not, it’s a hit. It gets around 100,000 new downloads every day, and while free, offers players a wide range of in-app purchases, helping your Hollywood avatar keep up their energy levels to attend that A-list party or jet off to Miami.
Considering Kim’s ubiquity, it was only a matter of time before she made her debut in the highly lucrative gaming app space. According to Claudia Oropeza at Glu Mobile, Kim Kardashian and mobile gaming are “the best brand fit in the world”. The app is Glu’s first partnership with a celebrity, and they are already enjoying the benefits; shares in the company have risen by nearly 40% since the game launched. “We now expect to generate more revenue in the second half of 2014 than we did for the entirety of 2013,” says CEO Niccolo de Masi.
While Glu are aware that enthusiasm for the game is likely to wane once the novelty wears off, they are already planning updates that will broaden the virtual world of the game and mirror events in Kim’s life. “It is a narrative, and it can be extended infinitely,” says de Masi. “There will be a lot of opportunities to work with Kim to expand her brand and awareness… Ultimately, she’s just getting started.”


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Snapdeal Goes Multi-lingual; Will Support 11 Regional Languages By Jan 26December 15, 2015 2015-12-15 13:46
Snapdeal Goes Multi-lingual; Will Support 11 Regional Languages By Jan 26
Starting today, Snapdeal’s user interface on the mobile will be available in Hindi and Telugu.
In time for India’s Republic Day on 26th January 2016, Snapdeal will be available in English and in 11 different regional languages – Hindi, Telugu, Gujarati, Tamil, Marathi, Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Oriya, Assamese and Punjabi.
With this, Snapdeal expects to reach to an additional 130 Million smartphone users in India, who use internet in regional languages.
“Snapdeal’s multilingual user interface has been developed on the basis of the feedback it received from both its buyers and sellers. A significant percentage of the user base opts for Hindi and other regional languages to speak to their customer care representatives. With this multilingual platform, these customers can now shop in their native language. The platform allows users to pick the language of their choice for browsing, for payments and for order tracking,” said the company in a statement
The multilingual platform is built on top of Snaplite–Snapdeal’s website for mobile browser, which is 85% lighter and consumes less bandwidth.


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Huggies forced to pull 'insulting' ads after fathers complained it made them sound useless
- Commercial showed fathers ignoring their babies' needs because they were distracted by sport
They might well have thought they were on to an advertising winner when they came up with the idea for their latest commercial.
However, diaper company Huggies has been forced to change its latest advertising campaign after commercials depicting fathers as 'clueless' sparked outrage.
The company launched a campaign titled 'Have Dad Put Huggies To The Test' to demonstrate the performance of diapers and baby wipes 'in real-life situations'.
Scroll down to watch the video
Mixed messages: The advertising campaign has now been changed after Huggies admitted its needed to do 'a better job' at communicating
The commercials - uploaded to the company's Facebook page - featured a string of fathers, seemingly clueless as how to care for their infant, too busy watching sport to check their babies' diapers.
A voiceover in the advert tells viewers that the scenarios put the products to the test to prove they can 'handle anything'.
However the stunt backfired when it attracted scores of complaints - from fathers as well as mothers.
Stay-at-home father Chris Routly, from Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, was so infuriated he wrote an open letter to Huggies' manufacturer Kimberley-Clark on his blog and launched an online petition to get the ads removed.
After 1,000 people signed the petition, the company decided to remove the offending adverts and change the tack of the campaign.
Mr Routley, a father of two young boys, told ABC News: 'Dads were being put to the test, not the diapers.
Outdated stereotype: The 'insulting' commercial infuriated parents for depicting fathers as clueless when it comes to caring for babies
'I was disappointed; they tried to do right by dads, but played up the stereotype while claiming to celebrate fatherhood.'
Instead, the company's Facebook page now features commercials showing father cradling their babies during nap time.
Joey Mooring, from Kimberly-Clark and the Huggies brand, told ABC News in a statement: 'We recognise our intended message did not come through and that we need to do a better job communicating the campaign’s overall message.
'We have listened and learned.'
Now watch the video
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Whitewashing is an issue commonly seen in K-Pop where idols are made to look paler than they are. Recently, ARMYs have hit back at HYBE for whitewashing the members of BTS.
In particular, while whitewashing is predominant in the K-Pop industry, ARMYs have always loved sharing the natural pictures of the BTS members without editing and embracing their natural skin tones.
While BTS has always promoted the idea of loving yourself, it seems like BIGHIT might not have got the memo as they’ve come under fire for whitewashing the members ahead of the group’s book release.
BTS is set to release a book to celebrate their tenth anniversary, and it’s not surprising that the group’s social media account has been promoting the book in any way possible.
‘BEYOND THE STORY : 10-YEAR RECORD OF BTS’
— BTS_official (@bts_bighit) June 20, 2023
Of course, although many fans couldn’t hide their excitement about the book, but some were not as happy with the cover. In particular, many ARMYs slammed the obvious whitewashing of the members on the cover.
— meru⁷ (@meruroo_) June 21, 2023
— jungkook thinker (@wayjks) June 20, 2023
why my tannies the same color as the white background ☹ blending in to the background is crazy bighit https://t.co/hfaA2QVAJd
— keke⁷ (@stallseok) June 20, 2023
Some fans even took matters into their own hands and showed what the company had missed out on after editing the photo to showcase the members’ natural skin tones.
— flower⁷ (@tulipstfu) June 21, 2023
never forget what #THEY are taking away from us, tried to edit the original and literally took 30 seconds, we’re constantly being robbed of seeing their natural skin tones, what is this obsession to have them look like milk cartons, im tired https://t.co/sorVRGbCFS pic.twitter.com/ODxMiRf3jE
— adri⁷ (@SUG4DRI) June 22, 2023
One netizen pointed out that the photos used of the members were actually from 2020…
am i tripping or these photos are actually from 2020 https://t.co/Pq04xB8vKM
— tay (tae)⁷ (@kimgayism) June 20, 2023
And another fan shared the photos she believed might have been taken around the same time. In particular, in the OG photos, all the members showcase their natural skin without any harsh editing.
Considering how beautiful idols are without all the editing and how much BTS promote loving yourself, ARMYs were disappointed to see the whitewashing on the cover of a book that is meant to tell the story of the group.


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The stock was the top gainer from the BSE midcap space. It has touched a 52-week high of Rs 851.05 per share.
Domestic tractor sales in January grew by 1.4 percent to 5,845 units, but exports declined 4.8 percent YoY to 218 units during the month.
The agri sector will continue to drive growth whereas Infrastructure sector may take some time to recover (35-40 percent of sales).
HSBC has a buy rating on the stock and says that a strong margin recovery in Q3 should allay street concerns.
It meant Jhunjhunwala sold 5.25 lakh equity shares of Escorts during the quarter and at the end of December quarter, he has 94.75 lakh equity shares of the company in the portfolio.
Company said domestic tractor sales dropped 9.6 percent to 3,806 units.
Investors are not confident in mid-caps and small-caps due to slowdown and are focusing on large-caps and that is why large-caps have outperformed.
Net Sales are expected to decrease by 4.6 percent Y-o-Y (down 6.2 percent Q-o-Q) to Rs. 1,334.1 crore, according to Reliance Securities.
HSBC has maintained buy rating on the stock, though it slashed price target to Rs 770 from Rs 980 per share amid lower sales growth.
HSBC has maintained buy rating on the stock, though it slashed price target to Rs 770 from Rs 980 per share amid lower sales growth
Trends on SGX Nifty indicate a flat opening for the broader index in India, with a 0.05 percent loss or 6 points. Nifty futures were trading around 10,935-level on the Singaporean Exchange.
Rupee successfully retested its multi-year breakout zone of 69 and is poised to retest its previous zone of Rs 74.5/$ and could even breach it
The company's export rose 179.5 percent at 355 tractors versus 127 tractors sold in July 2018.
Total income was down 5.70 per cent during the quarter under review to Rs 1,458.38 crore as against Rs 1,546.67 crore in the corresponding period a year ago.
Net Sales are expected to decrease by 7.7 percent Y-o-Y (down 14.5 percent Q-o-Q) to Rs. 1,394.6 crore, according to Kotak.
Even its sales for the quarter ended June 2019 declined 14.1 percent to 21,051 tractors against 24,494 tractors sold in the same quarter previous year
ICICI Direct recommended hold rating on Escorts with a target price of Rs 600 in its research report dated May 08, 2019.
For 2018-19, the company reported a net profit of Rs 484.91 crore, up 40.7 per cent as compared with Rs 344.72 crore in 2017-18.


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Vodafone lab to show open RAN does exactly what it says on the tin
Disappointed by your Nokia radios? Feel like replacing them with Fujitsu but keeping Nokia for baseband? Buy open RAN and you will never have to worry about supplier interoperability again. Simply finish with the Finn, slot in your new Japanese hardware and fire up your service.
That is the basic pitch made by open RAN's proponents. But no one trusts it will be that easy. Cue the need for test facilities where service providers can make sure Nokia and Fujitsu will sing in perfect harmony before they make their commercial debut. Vodafone, accordingly, is to open what it calls a "test and integration lab" at its Newbury headquarters in the UK. Staffed by roughly 30 engineers, it will be the operator's first open RAN lab and one whose influence is likely to go beyond the UK.
The lab's activities will not be confined to interoperability checks but encompass everything from ideas generation to lifecycle management. Above all, it will aim to ensure some of the weird and wonderful technologies dreamed up by suppliers are commercially feasible. Vodafone is understood to be in talks with several vendors about their participation at the lab, although details of any partners have yet to be announced.
Vodafone remains the only one of the UK's four mobile network operators that have firm plans to use open RAN as a replacement for Huawei, a Chinese vendor the government is banning. It aims to deploy the technology at about 2,500 mobile sites currently served by Huawei in western and mainly rural parts of the UK. All that makes the opening of the lab an important step.
Playing the pioneer
Local rivals seem unlikely to follow suit. Howard Watson, the chief technology officer of BT, has played down the probability of a prominent role for open RAN in the incumbent's network until 2027. Its 5G rollout will probably be handled entirely by Ericsson and Nokia, with which it has already signed contracts. Rival operator Three is switching from Huawei to Ericsson, and CEO Robert Finnegan thinks open RAN has come too late for his own 5G deployment. As for O2, it has no Huawei equipment to replace, having relied entirely on the Nordic suppliers before the days of government intervention.
None of that will please a government worried about overreliance on Ericsson and Nokia. Just this week, its Telecoms Diversification Taskforce recommended that operators use alternative suppliers or open RAN across 25% of their networks by 2025. Nor will Vodafone be happy about the lack of enthusiasm. Without sufficient demand, a competitive market for open RAN products may be slow to develop.
But Vodafone's rivals may have a close eye on the lab to see what emerges. Many will be interested in knowing if products are strictly compatible with specifications developed by the O-RAN Alliance, the main industry group, and in the extent to which this simplifies integration. The lab's efforts will certainly matter for other parts of the Vodafone Group. Under its latest technology strategy, the company wants products pioneered within particular countries to be usable across its entire European footprint.
The ultimate hope is that a lab will be another catalyst for open RAN, a technology that has strategic importance to Vodafone and some of Europe's other big players. "We want to avoid a Catch-22 situation, where operators wait to buy perfect products, but the open RAN vendors need investment to perfect their products," said Andrea Dona, Vodafone UK's chief network officer, in the company's statement. "This is why we are announcing this investment in a new R&D lab, as well as committing to 2,500 open RAN sites in the UK countryside."
A handful of open RAN sites are already carrying live traffic for the UK network, said Vodafone today. But the wider commercial rollout would be a brave move while competitors stick with the tried and trusted. "Nobody ever gets fired for buying IBM," goes the saying. Vodafone must pray its lab helps to make open RAN similarly risk-free.
- UK risks own goal with open RAN diversity plan
- Open RAN has missed the 5G boat, says Three UK boss
- Vodafone UK to swap big part of Huawei for open RAN
- BT inks deal to ditch Huawei, use Ericsson RAN
- Ericsson swings into 5G RAN action at Three UK
— Iain Morris, International Editor, Light Reading


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After the always-online debacle saw many Xbox faithful jump ship to Sony and the PlayStation 4, Microsoft basically lost this console generation’s sales competition right out of the gate. However, Xbox One has still sold pretty well in the US, all things considered, and they’ve achieved small victories here and there, such as Xbox One being the best-selling console during E3 2015 week, showing that consumers are impressed with games Microsoft is bringing exclusively to Xbox in the near future.
Microsoft has always found at least marginal success with the Xbox brand in North America, but they have failed to find even remotely close to the same audience overseas in Japan. The Land of the Rising Sun simply does not seem to care about Xbox, and it’s not for lack of trying.
Last generation, Microsoft enlisted famous Japanese game designer and the creator of Final Fantasy, Hironobu Sakaguchi, and his studio Mistwalker, to create JRPGs exclusively for Xbox 360, including Blue Dragon and the fantastic Lost Odyssey, but the 360 still sold poorly in Japan. Microsoft hasn’t tried quite as hard this gen, and as one could expect, they’re still selling horribly.
Unlike North America, which has its sales numbers released typically on a monthly basis, Japan has its sales numbers released every week. They hit a record low when the Xbox One sold a pathetic 100 units in the week of June 8th to 14th of this year, a sharp decrease from when the Xbox One launched in Japan to the tune of 25,674 consoles sold, which was still pretty bad, all things considered. Now last week’s hardware sales in Japan are available.
The full console hardware sales for Japan last week can be found right here:
- PlayStation 4 – 24,266
- New 3DS XL – 19,432
- PlayStation Vita – 13,190
- Wii U – 11,028
- New 3DS – 5,437
- PlayStation 3 – 1,376
- 3DS – 1,376
- 3DS XL – 726
- PlayStation Vita TV – 618
- Xbox One – 242
Xbox One was the worst-selling console in Japan last week, putting out a measly 242 units. It was outsold by hardware like the PS Vita, which, by comparison, has performed very poorly outside of Japan. So, why is the Xbox One selling so poorly in Japan?
Mainly, Japanese consumers are typically very loyal to Japanese brands, which makes it a very tough market to crack. Microsoft realized this before releasing Xbox One in Japan, and they are disappointed in their Japanese performance, but as last generation showed, even acquiring major JRPG exclusives won’t convince Japan at large to rush out and buy an Xbox One.
That being said, Xbox One gives the Japanese audience even less of a reason to own it than the Xbox 360 did by not having these games. Furthermore, the controversy surrounding the always-online status of the original Xbox One pitch did not sit well with consumers all over the world, including Japan, and that is reflected in the Xbox One’s sales everywhere. While they may manage to pick up some slight victories here and there against the PS4 sales-wise, most of the time the best-selling console of each month is indeed the PS4, as was the case in June.
What would it take for the Xbox One to bounce back in Japan? Do you think Microsoft can close the sales gap between the Xbox One and the PS4 by the time this gen comes to a close? Let us know in the comments below!
Source: Game Informer


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JOHNS CREEK, GA – Oct. 26, 2016 – Saia, Inc. (NASDAQ: SAIA) announced today that Saia LTL Freight will be expanding its network into the Northeastern United States in 2017. Currently, Saia’s plan includes opening three to five terminals in the second quarter of next year, targeting major markets in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Today, the company is ranked as the ninth largest less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier in the United States providing industry leading service in 34 states.
“These new markets line up perfectly with our existing geography and allow us to offer more direct shipping points for our loyal customers,” explained Chief Customer Officer Ray Ramu. “Not only do we plan to invest in new facilities and equipment, but we intend to invest heavily in certain areas of our existing network so that we will be able to handle the increased freight flow to and from these new markets. We estimate that the Northeast LTL market represents approximately $7 billion in annual market revenue opportunity.”
Read more at www.saiacorp.com


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Recently inaugurated Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) is seeking collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service to achieve a sustainable capacity development framework for Nigerians to participate meaningfully and actively in freight forwarding practice and also ensure seamless trade facilitation.
Chairman of the Council, Honourable Tony Nwabunike made this appeal in Abuja last week when he led the Council members on a working-visit to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Alhaji Hamman Bello Ahmed in Abuja.
According to him, the recent inauguration of the Council by the then- Minister of State for water transportation, Prince Okechukwu Emeka has paved the way for the sanitization of freight forwarding practice in Nigeria.
He assured that with the new law which created the Council, it will now be easier to check activities of “wharf fats” which had given the impression that freight forwarding profession is a business for all. Stressing that the Council is committed to smooth, efficient and transparent practice in freight forwarding, the chairman advocated for a common protocol for the processes governing custom brokerage which is an integral part of freight forwarding.
Responding, the Customs Comptroller General agreed on the need to work together with the council, even as he expressed happiness that Nigeria Customs Service is represented on the board of the Council and expressed the need to develop a multi-modal means of transporting goods from one location to another.
He assured that the Customs hierarchy was working assiduously so as to ensure that clearance of goods is done within 48 hours and thereby discouraging usage of neighbouring countries ports in line with the government desire.
Alhaji Ahmed who was represented by one of his deputies Comptroller General, Dr. Bernard-Shaw Nwadialor also solicited for the cooperation of all in the maritime industry as “no one group should see itself as most important. He also enjoined the Council to stick to its statutory functions despite seeming overlaps and stressed the need for inter agency cooperation.


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Ingraved announce a new deal with Power Pain Records. The German label will release the band’s new album “Onryou” on October the
31st. It will be a mix of modern extreme metal and hardcore elements with lyrics based on Japanese culture and folklore.
Onryou will be available in many on line stores, ITunes and other digital platforms.


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French startup La Belle Vie announced a new funding round of $6.5 million earlier this week (€5.5 million). Julien Mangeard, Thibaut Faurès Fustel de Coulanges, Louis Duclert, Kima Ventures and Shake-Up Factory participated in the founding round.
Online grocery shopping is becoming quite competitive in Paris. You can order groceries from Amazon using Amazon Prime Now. And all the traditional supermarkets are launching or relaunching services to order and receive groceries within a couple of hours — Carrefour Livraison Express, Franprix’s mobile app, etc.
But all those services aren’t necessarily designed for this kind of offering. With Franprix’s app for instance, a rider is going to pick up your groceries in the nearest store and bring them to you. With Amazon Prime Now, Amazon has a big warehouse in the North of Paris filled with Kindles, books and tomatoes.
La Belle Vie wants to focus exclusively on your groceries and optimize all the steps. It starts with a big inventory. La Belle Vie sells you basic groceries, organic stuff, meat, fish and vegetables. Last year, the company acqui-hired 62degrés to sell fresh prepared meals too.
La Belle Vie has developed all its tools from scratch, including its ERP, a warehouse management service and a delivery management service. In 2017, the startup generated $3.5 million in sales (€3 million) in sales.
With this funding round, the company plans to launch a second warehouse in Paris and new cities, starting with Lyon. But the best part is that you can order croissants without going to the boulangerie — finally a croissants-as-a-service startup.


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Daniella ScottMon, 29 March 2021, 9:08 am
Lil Nas X has hit back at critics of his new “Satan Shoes” with a faux apology video which he shared on YouTube late last night. The video comes in response to people who have criticised the trainers, which allegedly contain “60cc ink and 1 drop of human blood”.
We’ve all had his new single Montero on repeat since he released it last week, and Lil Nas X followed up the song’s video release with an announcement that he’s working in collaboration with streetwear brand MSCHF on a limited number of Montero-inspired “Satan Shoes” – black Nike Air Max ’97 which supposedly contain “60cc ink and 1 drop of human blood” and are limited to “666 pairs, individually numbered.”
It didn’t take long for backlash to begin and it went on long enough that Nike eventually issued a statement to clarify that they have no involvement with the new shoe: “We do not have a relationship with Little Nas X or MSCHF. Nike did not design or release these show and we do not endorse them,” Nike said in a statement.
The conversation has been going on Twitter for a few days, and late last night Lil Nas X himself released an “apology” for the shoe’s critics.
Holding up one of the trainers, he begins the video by saying, “Okay guys, I see everybody’s been talking about this shoe and I just want to come forward and say-,” at this point the apology cuts to the lap dance scene from the Montero music video.
I can’t imagine this will be the end of this.


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Lincoln's first Costco store will open its doors later this month.
The Washington-based warehouse chain has announced it will open the Lincoln store to members Oct. 28 at 8 a.m.
The 156,000-square-foot store is at 1620 Pine Lake Road, just east of the northeast corner of 14th Street and Pine Lake Road.
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“We are thrilled to be bringing Costco’s low warehouse prices to the residents of Lincoln,” manager Clay Bradshaw said in a news release. “They have been asking us to open here for a long time, and we already have made an impact on the local job market. We look forward to contributing to the community in many ways.”
Costco spent years looking for a site in Lincoln before deciding on the 16th and Pine Lake location last year.
Despite Costco's popularity, the store faced stiff opposition because of its location just blocks from two schools and concerns about traffic. Nonetheless, the City Council approved the plan in January.
The Lincoln Costco will have a bakery, deli, food court, pharmacy, optical center, hearing aid center and a tire center. The store also has a separate gas station with 16 fueling stations.
The Lincoln warehouse is the third location in Nebraska, joining two in the Omaha area.


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Ducati has marked its return to one of the world's most important motorcycle markets. You'll never guess where the Italian bikemaker's largest store is...
Ever wondered what a Jeep would look like as a cop car? This Renegade's kitted out in police livery and is undergoing a six-month police trial!
Toyota has touted its hydrogen-powered sedan, the Mirai, as the future of frugal commuting. See how far it can go on a tank...
Tesla is on track with its third model. First deliveries of its new SUV, the Model X, will arrive in just a few months.
A tiny Himalayan kingdom on the Chinese border has the power - literally - to lead the world in electric cars - but for one problem...
Nissan UK has launched a seven-seat battery NV-200 which goes on sale in July. Why? Because customers were asking for it.
Motorcycle deaths are on track to decline for a second year in the US thanks to a so far - on bikes - little-used road safety accessory.
Dynamite, little packages - yeah, you've heard if before. But for a fresh take on the phrase, as KATHY MALHERBE did, try a Suzuki Jimny, off-road.
Nissan and BMW have teamed up to provide a nationwide network of high-speed recharge stations for their electric and hybrid vehicles. Now things are moving...!
It's official: emergency autonomous braking works. Now it just needs to be fitted to all vehicles and we'll all be safer on the road.
Hyundai's first mass-production fuel-cell vehicle, the ix35 Fuel Cell, is now selling in the UK. But what will the crossover FCEV cost...?
Peugeot's diesel 208 hatchback has set a long-distance fuel-sipping record - nearly the equivalent of Cape Town to Harare on a tank!
Clutch-and-toe gear-changes are, well, automatic to a regular biker but DAVE FALL has been commuting on Honda's 750cc six-speed autobike.
Honda's unveiled its latest HR-V headed for South Africa. Take a look.
Bentley built a 426kW monster called the GT3-R, we drove it at Killarney.
Mercedes-Benz have combined luxury, performance and versatility to make the GLE range. Did they get right?
16 finalists have been revealed for 2015's round of Bike of the Year.
Kia SA show off its 2015 Sorento SUV. Thought your Merc was quiet...huh!
Power boost, design tweaks, new 'Motorsport Edition'.... Mercedes-Benz has given its A-Class a facelift.
Stuntman Terry Grant has broken his own record for the fastest mile travelled on 2 wheels in a 4-wheeled vehicle.
1 in 5 grown-ups admit to playing with cars... even when no kids are around.
Automotive quality improved in 2015 but Japan can't keep pace with Korea, Europe and US. We reveal the best and worst automakers for quality cars.
Arriving at the scene of road crash is a terrible experience but spare a thought for how YOU might help an emergency crew. Here's how...
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PETALING JAYA (April 16): Sime Darby Property Bhd will launch its RM586.84 million transport-oriented development called Cantara Residences (pictured) in Ara Damansara said managing director Datuk Jauhari Hamidi.
Cantara Residences has a gross development value (GDV) of RM586.84 million and is slated to be launched this month.
The project is a 23-storey tower with 888 serviced apartments that will have built-ups of 650 to 1,500 sq ft and 13 retail units.
The property arm of conglomerate Sime Darby Bhd also has a few other projects lined up for this year – including the Quarza Residence project at KL East in Desa Melawati next month and Lapis Seri, a mixed-use development in the RM8 billion Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club.
Quarza Residence will comprise two 37-storey towers of 508 serviced apartments, with built-ups of 651 to 865 sq ft.
The project had acquired 1,500 registrants so far, he said.
Meanwhile, Lapis Seri is a four-acre project that will include serviced apartments as well as retail and commercial units.
Jauhari is confident that these launches will be well received and the group will be able to hit its initial sales target of RM2.5 billion.
Read the full story in the April 18 issue of City&Country, the property pullout of The Edge Malaysia business weekly. Subscribe here for your personal copy.


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MANASQUAN — The 24th annual Ocean Mile Swim in Manasquan has been canceled due to heavy weather in the area.
“The event is cancelled,” the beach patrol announced on the race’s page on raceforum.com. “We will still be set-up at Seawatch Beach to give out t-shirts from 8 to 10 a.m.”
“All participants who registered before July 10 will be guaranteed a t-shirt, all others will be offered a t-shirt on a first-come first-serve basis,” the announcement said. “At or before 10 a.m. we will be selling available t-shirts for $15, cash only and exact change if possible.”
The race will not be rescheduled, according to the raceforum.com post. There are no refunds, as per the event’s waiver information.
For more on this story, read the next edition of The Coast Star—on newsstands Thursday or online in our e-Edition.
Subscribe today! If you’re not already an annual subscriber to The Coast Star, get your subscription today! For just $38 per year, you will receive local mail delivery weekly, with pages and pages of local news and online access to our e-edition on Starnewsgroup.com.


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A report released at the African Green Revolution Forum in Accra finds that millions of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) rarely are dependent on big multinationals for their raw materials but directly rely upon millions more smallholder farmers across Sub-Saharan Africa.
The report finds that, overall, only about 20 percent of the volume of food consumed in Africa fits the conventional notion of subsistence agriculture—food consumed directly by the farming households that grow it.
“All this represents a profound turnaround from mere decades ago, ” said Dr. Thomas Reardon of Michigan State University, a lead author of the report. “There has been a ‘Quiet Revolution’ in agrifood private sector value chains linking small farmers to burgeoning urban markets and growing towns in Africa. This has spurred farmers’ participation in food and farm input markets.”
SMEs provide a range of services, from transport and logistics to the sale of inputs such as fertilizer and seed to farmers. Their activity is driving a “Quiet Revolution” across African agriculture, connecting smallholder farmers to commercial markets at an unprecedented rate.
The majority of what Africans eat flows through what are known as privates sector “value chains” managed by SME businesses that purchase commodities directly from smallholder farmers and then process, package, transport and sell food products to the urban and rural consumer.
SMEs also play a large, growing and vital role in markets for inputs like fertilizer and seed, as well as farm machines and pesticides.
The 2019 Africa Agricultural Status Report (AASR) from the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) highlights how the private sector-led “hidden middle” of the agri-food supply chains has undergone a Quiet Revolution. Its rise has been largely unrecognized by policymakers (hence “hidden middle”), even as it has bridged gaps that previously separated most small-scale farmers from commercial markets.
“SMEs are the biggest investors in building markets for farmers in Africa today, and will likely remain so for the next 10-to-20 years,” said Dr. Agnes Kalibata, President of AGRA. “They are not a ‘missing middle,’ as is thought, but the ‘hidden middle,’ ready for support and investment to thrive further. Today, we bring them out into the light.”
In terms of the actual value, AASR finds that traders, truckers and processors constitute about 40 percent of the total gross value of the agri-food system in the region – this is the same as the share coming from farms. Retailers constitute the remaining 20 percent.
Changing conditions have set the stage for the growth of these SMEs. Among these changes are: increases in farm productivity that make more raw material available; initial government investments in infrastructure such as roads; rapid and massive urbanization; diet change with rising demand for processed food; and rising investments by the entrepreneurs themselves.
Compared to SMEs, and counter to common belief, the report shows that large enterprises play a relatively minor role in directly supporting small-scale farmers. For example, only about five percent of rural farmers are directly linked to large firms through contract farming. Nonetheless, with proper support, large African businesses, including supermarkets and large processors (which now comprise 10-to-20 percent of the agri-food economy), present a huge opportunity as they are likely to play an expanding role in how farmers access credit, markets and will ultimately impact employment and rural incomes.
The report identifies other pivotal changes in African rural economies. It notes that although 70-80 percent of people in rural Africa work on their own farms, this work is often part-time, and comprises only 40 percent of total labor time in rural areas.
Meanwhile, 60 percent of rural labor time is spent off the farm, and about 40 percent of this non-farm labor time is in agri-food system work such as wholesale, logistics, processing and retail (through both self-employment and wage labor). SMEs are the key employers in this sector, intertwined with rural family farmers. This interdependence makes their survival and growth even more crucial, with women and youth particularly benefiting.
Although the growth of SMEs in the “hidden middle” of agrifood supply chains has been profound, the report notes that progress has often taken place despite large barriers and that much more can be done to foster the growth of SMEs. Processors, wholesalers and logistics firms, in particular, face major constraints that drive up the cost of doing business. Excessive costs for equipment and energy, inadequate infrastructure, especially of roads and wholesale markets and mobile phone connectivity, and some financial and credit restraints make it difficult for SMEs to compete with imported goods that cost less to produce. Outdated laws and regulations also inhibit business growth.
“We live in a global market,” Kalibata said. “Our job today has to be to ensure that these SMEs are grounded enough to provide the right kind of support to family farms; and to be competitive so that they can survive and thrive in an increasingly interconnected and global market. Their success will determine the future of agriculture and food security in Africa.”
The policy recommendations laid out in the report stress that governments and donors should not “reinvent the wheel” by duplicating the work of the private sector. Setting up state-supported or subsidized businesses, even in remote areas, would crowd out grassroots entrepreneurs. Instead, the key is to create conditions that make it easy for businesses to establish, develop and grow.


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The New Juaben South Municipal (NJSM) Department of Agriculture has established a Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) Farmers’ Market to promote the selling of farm products at a relatively cheaper price to customers.
The new market has aided farmers around the 55 settlements of NJSM, including Nyamekrom, Baakokrom, Densoano, Ada, Old Estate, Osabene, Kentenkren, Ntronan, Agavenya, and Atekyem to get a location for the exhibition of their farm products for sale every Tuesday and Thursday.
These farm products includes Plantains, cassava, yams, sweet potatoes, palm nuts, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, goats, and chicken birds.
Ms. Tharzia Numako Akwetey, the Director for the Department of Agriculture of the NJSM in an interview disclosed that, the sale of farm products under the PFJ at a relatively cheaper price to customers was an initiative introduced by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
“We received a directive from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to replicate the assembling of farm produces under the Planting for Food and Jobs to sell as did in Accra.”Ms. Tharzia Numako Akwetey
However, Ms. Akwetey revealed that the NJSM Department of Agriculture created a PFJ farmers’ market away from the main market to allow farmers to trade without any interference from the market queens in the main market.
“It was difficult for new traders to get into the main market to trade due to the demands of the market queens. We want the farmers to be able to sell at lower prices and still make their profits.”Ms. Tharzia Numako Akwetey
According to Ms. Akwetey, the agricultural officers will have more time to carry out their tasks rather than assembling farm produce to sell to residents at the assembly, as it was done in Accra’s market square.
She praised the Eastern Regional Director of Food and Agriculture and the Mayor of New Juaben South for their contributions and assistance in creating a new market for farmers.
Good Implications Of The PFJ Farmers’ Market
A survey conducted between the PFJ farmers’ market and the major marketplaces in Koforidua indicated that, the prices of agricultural produce offered in the new market were cheaper than in the main market.
During an interaction with Ms. Elizabeth Kwakye, a public servant in NJSM said that, the prices of a bucket of onions sold for Gh¢70 at the main market was sold for Gh¢60 at the new market and palm nuts sold for Gh¢15 and Gh¢20 in the main market, was sold for Gh¢10 and Gh¢15 in the new market.
Ms. Kwakye further said a bunch of plantain which could be sold at a higher price in the main market was being sold at lower prices such as Gh¢15.
“Prices here are better than the main market even though things are expensive these days.”Ms. Elizabeth Kwakye


text: Rick McConnell took the helm of Hanley Wood Exhibitions in 2009, charged with shoring up the company's portfolio of construction industry events during a downturn that had eroded face-to-face spending. “Across the trade show industry, shows were under duress,” McConnell said. “As [the construction markets] cooled off, it had a real impact. We had downward pressure on pretty much every show across the portfolio. It was important to create strategies that solidified our strengths.” McConnell and his team took a multitiered approach. They investigated untapped markets, developing high-growth niches such as sustainable products. “The construction industry was going through hard times, but there were bright spots,” McConnell said. “We built strategies off those bright spots.” McConnell grew the company's sales force and increased its focus on recruiting new exhibitors. Hanley Wood also introduced a loyalty program that rewarded existing marketers for early commitments and the expansion of booth footprints. “There are a lot of moving parts,” McConnell said. Since the nadir in 2009, Hanley Wood's core events have grown, McConnell said, and that trend is expected to accelerate as the construction industry recovers. The company has found new revenue through show management contracts and is considering additions to its own portfolio. “Until this year we haven't been in a mode of acquisition, but we're starting to heat that engine up again,” McConnell said.


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HOUSTON, TX / ACCESSWIRE / August 2, 2023 / Sewio, a UWB-based real-time location system (RTLS) vendor, announces an exceptional 71% annual billing growth for FY 2022, showcasing its accelerated adoption and recognition as first-time-right technology for Industrial RTLS.
Sewio’s remarkable fiscal year witnessed a significant global expansion, with services now available in 15 additional countries, making for a total presence in 45 countries worldwide. This expanded footprint underscores Sewio’s adaptability to various market needs and reinforces the company’s viability as a leader in the RTLS industry.
The company’s solutions have been chosen by several industry giants, with names such as Denso, Volvo, Hyundai, KIA, Witte, Arconic, Engel, and Scania among its valued customers. Furthermore, Sewio’s RTLS technology has been deployed across 1,672,000 square meters of industrial shop floors in FY2022, marking a significant milestone towards the company’s ambitious vision to transform 10,000,000 m² by 2028.
“Sewio’s unprecedented growth in fiscal year 2022 signifies a pivotal moment in our journey,” said Milan Šimek, CEO and Co-founder of Sewio “Our steadfast dedication to providing cutting-edge RTLS solutions has enabled us to enter new markets and strengthen our relationships with both our partners and industry leaders. We remain committed to our mission to create the most efficient and safe environments possible and look forward to another year of innovation and growth.”
Additionally, Sewio has further expanded the world’s largest RTLS partner network, welcoming 20 new partners and increasing the total to 112 with a strong presence of 78 in Europe and 17 in the USA. It remains committed to its customer-centric approach, with the broad partner network allowing clients to select from a pool of unique expertise.
Looking forward, Sewio aims to continue its momentum into its 10th year in the market, focusing on further innovation, growth, and success. The upcoming annual Sewio Summit, scheduled to take place in Prague, Czech Republic this September, will be an exciting platform to explore the future of RTLS and celebrate the company’s achievements.
For more information about Sewio and its suite of RTLS solutions, please visit: https://www.sewio.net/sewios-record-breaking-fiscal-year-7-aspects-of-remarkable-growth-in-fy-2022/
About Sewio Networks
Sewio Networks is a manufacturer of a real-time location system (RTLS) that drives business results for manufacturers, warehouses, distribution centers, OEMs, and more. The Sewio system is built on ultra-wideband technology (UWB) and delivered with RTLS Studio, remote management and visualization software.
By giving partners and customers a precise, easy-to-integrate, reliable and fully scalable IoT solution for indoor location tracking, this enables companies to achieve greater efficiency, profitability and safety. Founded in 2014, Sewio has offices in the USA, UK, Germany and the Czech Republic. Sewio has 100+ system integration partners and powers customers in 45 countries. Sewio customers include Volkswagen, Toyota, Budweiser Budvar, TPCA, Škoda and ENEL. All product and company names herein are trademarks of their respective owners.


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Slipknot’s Clown Becomes Latest Musician to Launch Cannabis Line
Slipknot’s Shawn “Clown” Crahan is the latest musician to launch their own cannabis line.
The line is appropriately named Clown Cannabis. Its official website states the line will launch on May 17, but there are currently no other additional details. Those interested can follow the new brand on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and subscribe to email updates at ClownCannabis.com.
Crahan joins an ever-growing list of musicians and other celebrities to get in on the cannabis/CBD game. Scroll through the gallery below to see who else has their own line of cannabis/CBD products.


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RSA 2018: 12 Security Execs Reveal The Company They're Most Excited About -- Other Than Their Own
Matthew Moynahan, Forcepoint CEO
Amazon's leading position in the public cloud arena gives the company the opportunity to raise the watermark on what constitutes basic or acceptable levels of security, said Forcepoint CEO Matthew Moynahan.
Moynahan said it will be interesting to see how well Amazon can interface with the security ecosystem given the level of trust businesses have placed in the company to keep their information and data safe. Although history hasn't been kind to technology vendors that attempted to become security companies overnight -- particularly in the enterprise – Moynahan said Amazon has always been a unique company.
"I think they're trying to figure out what their future is in security," Moynahan said.


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June 02, 2014 1 min read
Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference, or WWDC, is only hours away from starting off with a Keynote presentation to break down all of the things we can expect from Apple this year. Expectations […]
The post Here’s how to watch the Apple Keynote live today appeared first on Geek.com.
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Why car rental company Myles is considering expansion after COVID-19
Founded in 2013, Myles is an Indian driverless car rental services company that is experiencing rapid growth in the automotive industry. With operations in 21 cities across the country, Myles offers service subscriptions and car rentals to its customers.
Speaking of how Myles handles the holiday season, Sakshi Vij, Founder, Myles, says domestic travel has increased dramatically as COVID-19 restrictions have eased and customers have started taking cars and traveling to their destinations.
âIn terms of numbers, we have seen an increase of almost 100% as the holiday season is also associated with the opening of many restrictions after COVID-19,â she said. Your story Daily shipping. The numbers have also increased on the subscription side.
Sakshi Vij, Founder, Myles
She explains that the automotive industry has faced two types of challenges over the past year. The first was foreclosure, which was a big challenge for the industry, but as markets opened up it saw a significant increase in subscriptions.
“The number of electric vehicles now available on the market has increased by more than 40%,” says
Sakshi. Apart from that, another trend that was noticed was the used car subscription boom.
Speaking of the key pillars of growth, Sakshi says Myles has already partnered with a large number of original equipment manufacturers. (OEM) such as Maruti Suzuki, Toyota and MG Motors, and they provide subscriptions to all of their customers. The company intends to launch at least five more OEMs over the next year.
She adds that they are seeing a huge increase in the used car and electric vehicle segment. âToday, we have nearly 2,000 vehicles on our platform. We believe that next year’s growth over the next five years will be multi-faceted, âshe said. Turnover has almost quadrupled between the past two years. Myles hopes to have at least 10,000 cars on their platform over the next 18 months.
Sakshi says Myles is currently operating in the self-driving segment in about 21 cities and they have received great demand from Tier I cities. They are planning to expand their subscription business to places like Jaipur, Kanpur, Indore and Lucknow.
Commenting on the fundraising scenario, she says Myles was initially self-funded, then funded by angel investors. Due to aggressive expansion plans, the company may be looking at fundraising opportunities next year. âOur numbers are kind of opening up now, the markets are really great and we’re getting a lot of investor interest as well,â Sakshi said.
Finally, she says Myles is exploring the possibility of introducing smaller segment vehicles such as two-wheelers and also serving the subscription-based last mile delivery segment. âWe are exploring it, not yet launching but hopefully in Q2 2022,â Sakshi said.


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The Ministry of Planning stopped publishing inflation figures in February over fears that outrage at the spiraling costs of goods could descend into unrest.
The government halted the monthly publication of the Consumer Price Index to averting the possibility of "disorder and turmoil," said San Sithan, the ministry's director general.
Publication would resume "when the inflation rate is down and the situation is calm," Sithan told the Post on June 20.
Inflation in January – the last month data was available – stood at over 18 percent, and prices have continued to rise since then, putting basic goods out of reach for many.
Fears of unrest over inflation have already struck several countries in the region, including neighboring Vietnam, where workers staged strikes earlier this year to protest the rising costs of goods.
Sithan said the ministry planned to resume publishing the CPI in three or four months, adding that an overhaul in the ministry's computer system also necessitated that the service be temporarily halted.
Khin Song, the deputy director of the ministry's general statistics department, confirmed that he had been ordered to suspend the publication of the CPI figures, but said that he had never been informed of the reason why.
"I was not given a reason; they just asked me to suspend its publication," Song told the Post on June 19, adding that at least 100 copies of the CPI were usually published each month, mainly for government officials.
An official at the ministry who requested anonymity said the suspension order was also aimed at preventing political parties from highlighting rising inflation during the campaign for general elections on July 27.
Independent economist Sok Sina, however, criticized the suspension.
"They should not suspend publication of the monthly CPI report; it is needed by the public so they can learn the general price of goods and by the government so it can enact policies to tackle inflation," Sina told the Post of June 20.


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The professional networking site LinkedIn has finally announced the availability of an application for Android-based smartphones.
Our colleagues over at IDC caused some chuckles to break out across the tech world when they predicted that Microsoft's Windows phones will beat the iPhone in market share by 2015. Impossible! Absurd! seemed to be the default responses.
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has voted to require mobile carriers to enter into data-roaming agreements with competitors, despite objections that the agency doesn't have the authority to enforce the pacts.
Developers who want to take advantage of Nokia's cross-platform application and user interface framework can now access the latest release candidate.
Taiwanese PC makers said on Thursday that product prices would hold steady this year despite disruptions to raw material supplies after the massive Japan earthquake last month.
HTC will announce the launch of its Incredible S Android smartphone next Wednesday night after the Taiwanese manufacturer sent a 'briefing and product demonstration' invitation to the media this morning.
It's only been a few weeks since Motorola's top-of-the-range Android tablet and smartphone went on sale and analysts are asserting the Xoom and Atrix are duds. Motorola has not disclosed any sales numbers for its shiny new gadgets, but Pacific Crest ...
Bad news for Motorola: According to Pacific Crest analyst James Faucette, Motorola's Xoom tablet and Atrix 4G smartphone are failing to meet sales expectations.
Are two screens better than one? In recent years, device makers have been exploring this question with mixed results.
Rsupport this week launched a new application that will let IT departments remotely support and manage their users' Android-based devices.
Lawyers for Oracle and Google gave the judge overseeing their Java patent dispute a tutorial on Wednesday that underscored the complexity of the case between the two companies.
Just hours after launching a tool that let Windows Phone 7 owners grab smartphone updates directly from Microsoft, the developer yanked the utility from his Web site.
Microsoft is advising people not to use an unauthorized tool for downloading two software updates to Windows Phone 7 devices.
The Motorola Atrix is one of the first Android smartphones to come equipped with a 1GHz dual-core processor. Running Google's Android 'Froyo' 2.2 operating system, the Atrix has an HDMI-out port, records HD video, and can be transformed into more tha...
Root Metrics on Wednesday will start offering an Android app that lets users compare coverage of the various mobile operators and contribute to Root's network measurement service. "
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It’s already known that easy access to your kitchen is leading many Americans working at home to pack on the pounds, but a new survey says some are also tying one on while technically on the job.
The survey sponsored by alcohol-free beer alternative HOPWTR shows that 46% of those working from home have knocked off early at least once to have a drink during quarantine. Another 45% of the 2,000 respondents said they’ve had a drink while on the clock. 64% say they’ve participated in a virtual happy hour with co-workers since the quarantine began. One in five say they want to drink less next year. Other bad habits the respondents admitted to picking up during the pandemic include snacking too much on comfort food (40%), drinking too much caffeine (32%), and staying in their pajamas all day (23%).


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Ong Beng Seng, Wheelock Properties move to buy out HPL
Published on Apr 15, 2014 9:56 AM
SINGAPORE - Property tycoon Ong Beng Seng is tying up with Wheelock Properties to buy out his listed hospitality company, Hotel Properties Limited (HPL).
Their joint venture, 68 Holdings, has agreed to buy a 41.91 per cent stake in HPL and make a takeover offer for the rest of the shares.
68 Holdings is offering $3.50 per share in cash, it said on Tuesday. This is 12.8 per cent higher than HPL's closing price of $3.13 last Friday. HPL shares were suspended from trading on Monday.
68 Holdings will buy the initial 41.91 per cent stake from Mr Ong Beng Seng and companies controlled by him, Mrs Christina Ong, Nassim Developments, Mr David Ban Song Long and Ms Tan Quee Heong.
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Only a few days ago, 343 Industries said it is looking into hosting the first Halo Infinite multiplayer technical preview (flight) in the final weekend of July, and now, it has been confirmed. The bot-focused multiplayer flight will begin on July 29 and run through August 1. Halo Insiders who have been selected to participate should now have invites waiting in their emails (perhaps in spam).
As previously announced, this flight's focus is on testing gameplay with bots across three maps, the new Academy training facility, a multitude of weapon drills, UI elements, battle pass, and other features that's included in Halo Infinite.
Before the doors open tomorrow, 343 Industries will be hosting a livestream at 2PM PT later today, July 28, to showcase the technical preview's contents and information on how selected Insiders can download and enter the flight. The broadcast will happen on both Twitch and YouTube official Halo channels.
Players across PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S are being invited for this flight, but since there's a limited number of slots, not everyone who signed up to be an Insider will be getting access. However, 343 does plan to give everyone who signed up a chance to try out the game before pre-release tests conclude.
Update: Corrected title.


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Latvia economy reels in recession
Latvia economy reels in recession
By Damien McGuinness
BBC News, Riga
Empty shop windows in Riga, February 2010
Scores of empty shop windows now line the streets of Riga
Wrapped in furs, the ladies of Riga stride impressively across ice-covered streets on perilously high heels. Unfortunately Latvia's economy is not looking quite as confident.
It's been Latvia's coldest winter in two decades, with temperatures of -30C causing a surge in cases of frostbite.
The sheet of ice covering the country is an apt reflection of the frozen state of Latvia's finances.
Until 2007 this Baltic tiger was breaking economic records, from highest growth to fastest wage increases.
Today, more than a year after the financial crisis burst the bubble of easy credit, the tiger has lost its roar. And although the tiny country is still setting records, now it is for all the wrong reasons.
Unemployment, at almost 23%, is the highest in the European Union. And over the last two years economic output has dropped by almost a quarter.
The mood is resigned, with barely a street in Riga without a closed shop and all but the cheapest restaurants standing empty.
In a renovated 19th Century cobbled courtyard, stores sell minimalist furniture at not-so-minimalist prices. Every shop is deserted and in one, a chicly dressed shop assistant is slumped asleep across the counter.
The government is not doing anything to support businesses or create jobs
Yevgenijs Karelins, protester
No surprise, considering that in 2009 retail sales in Latvia dropped by almost 30% - another European record.
This dire state of affairs has been exacerbated - even the government admits - by government policy: a tough programme of austerity measures and spending cuts to balance the budget after years of overspending.
As wages have dropped, people have spent less, which in turn has made the recession even worse - the last thing Latvia needs, some say.
"Fiscal consolidation was unavoidable," said Latvia's Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis. "It would have been wiser to do it during the boom time."
"Unfortunately we are forced to do it now, knowing that it's just worsening the recession. But if you don't have financial stability, you can't have financial recovery."
Latvian Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis after a press conference castle some 70 km from Latvian capital Riga on January 22, 2010
Mr Dombrovskis has brought in tough spending cuts
Unlike other countries trying to boost economic growth by spending their way out of recession, Latvia has taken the opposite route and is effectively shrinking the economy.
"Only countries with reasonable fiscal policy during the boom times can now afford fiscal stimulus. Latvia's budget was not balanced even when we had double-digit growth," explained Mr Dombrovskis.
For the 2010 budget the Latvian parliament has passed tax increases and spending cuts of around 700m euros (£610m).
The International Monetary Fund is impressed with Latvia's fiscal toughness. In fact it was exactly these harsh measures which were the preconditions for the IMF-led loan rescue package of 7.5bn euros.
Financial markets also appreciate the efforts Latvia has made to calm their jitters about the country's economic stability. If the government stays the course with its fiscal consolidation programme, Latvia's credit rating may improve.
But for many Latvians themselves lower wages and worsening public services are disastrous. Some teachers have seen their wages halved and hospital budgets will be cut by 40% this year, making many medical operations simply no longer possible.
Protester Yevgenijs Karelins in front of tent
Protester Yevgenijs Karelins' transport business went bankrupt last year
Braving freezing temperatures and knee-high snow, protesters are showing their dissatisfaction by camping in a dozen tents in front of the prime minister's office in Riga.
They have been here day and night for most of the winter and intend to stay until October's elections.
"The government is not listening to us," explained one of the organisers, 24-year-old Yevgenijs Karelins, rubbing his hands over an open log-fire. His transport business went bankrupt last year. "They are not doing anything to support businesses or create jobs."
Some economists agree. "The government is ignoring the one policy which would work, which is devaluation," said Alf Vanags, economist at the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga. "That would make Latvian goods comparatively cheaper, and so boost exports."
But Mr Dombrovskis' government is committed to keeping the Latvian currency pegged to the euro. It has become an article of faith and is seen as the best way to gain accession to the euro by 2014.
Devaluing the currency, the argument goes, would make mortgage repayments too expensive for the high number of Latvian homeowners who have loans in euros.
But according to Alf Vanags, if real wages sink, then homeowners will see the real cost of their debts rise anyway.
For now, though, currency devaluation is not on the agenda, and the government is determined to continue with its severe austerity programme.
Latvians so far have been stoical about the tough measures, and recently there have been none of the riots which brought down the government a year ago.
But with a general election planned for October, and support for Mr Dombrovskis falling, voters could well show their discontent in the polling booths instead.
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While Microsoft preferred to keep mum on news related to Windows Phone 8 OS and its compatibility to older generation WP handset, anonymous sources of popular tech blogs also doesn’t help much either. Couple of days back we saw two contradictory statements from two different Windows Phone blogs and as usual we refrained from covering the link-bait news.
Now pops in yet another news that Apollo is being tested on Nokia Lumia 800 handset. Even, MS_nerd hinted about the same by tweeting that interim testing of WP8 OS on Lumia 610 handset is going on. While the news seems to be too good to believe, chances are high that has some value in it. If MS Nerd to be believed then it is somewhat shocking to know that Apollo will be available to Lumia 610 since it doesn’t qualify to receive Apollo due to lower hardware. For now, it is safe to assume that it could be just a lab rat testing or we could possibly see a small subset, with limited functionality and limited apps, empowering old generation device. This news lending credence to earlier rumor by MS_Nerd that all Windows Phone users will eventually receive Apollo update in ‘some’ form.
Reverting back to the latest whisper in Chinese Windows Phone community, Microsoft is dog-fooding Apollo to Lumia 800. How different is WP8 interface you ask? Well, according to the poster there is no major overhaul in design but Internet Explorer is available in whole new avatar. Alongside drastic change in IE browser, more language support, orientation lock, folders options are available in this new major OS update. Windows Phone users often complaint about bereft customization support. Should whatever posted by poster even close to true, then we will get some form of customization in next iteration.
Folders has already been made available by homebrew users but inclusion of this option in OS is a very welcome move by MS. All these seems illusion hints at brighter future of the platform. Not to forget that Windows Phone 8 dubs to support better hardware compared to earlier version.
Source: WPXAPTags: folders, lumia 800


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ASHLAND, VA — June 6 — Cudas Footwear has renewed their silver level sponsorship for the Summer 2015 Outdoor Retailer trade show in Salt Lake City, UT.
“Signing on for a second year of OR sponsorship was an easy decision,” says Andy Jacobs, Cudas founder. “Outdoor Retailer gathers key decision makers for outdoor retailers, gear companies and outfitters in one place. We enjoy supporting the show and attracting a wide range of these footwear buyers to our booth throughout the exhibit days.”
Cudas thoughtfully crafted water shoes and sandals are the company’s flagship footwear lines and will be featured prominently in the Cudas boothspace. Recently, the Cudas umbrella company, AGS Footwear, has been selected as the national distributor for the iconic Austrian wool clog maker, Stegmann. The Cudas booth will include a few looks from Stegmann as well.
The four day event starts August 5, 2015.


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Deborah Kerr in The King And I recommended whistling a happy tune when afraid. Now fearful Americans can sing along to their favourite tracks while shooting anyone who causes them consternation with a 50,000 volt...
Windows 10: Three years, one billion devices - how is Microsoft doing so far?
Windows 10 Insider Preview build 14379 out now for PC and Mobile
Huawei's MateBook goes toe-to-toe with Surface
Microsoft: Windows 10 Anniversary Update available on Aug. 2 - here's what's new
99% of Windows 10 Mobile devices are Lumias (and other Windows phone insights)
Ransomware: what it is, and what you can do about it
Ebay UK is being used to sell illegal weapons such as vicious stun guns which can temporarily disable victims by delivering massive electric shocks. Although the online auction service prohibits the sale of firearms on...


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Tasty Baking introduces low-fat line
January 18, 2008
by FoodBusinessNews.net Staff
PHILADEPHIA — Tasty Baking Co. has introduced a new low-fat line of Tastykake products. The new line includes low-fat raspberry-filled koffee kake cupcakes and low-fat chocolate iced vanilla cupcakes. The company also has plans to introduce low-fat cake, cookie and snack bar options in the future.
"Sale of our ‘better-for-you’ products indicate that we can reach new customers by offering more choices," said Jon Silvon, director of marketing for Tasty Baking. "Tastykake’s tradition of wholesome fresh baked snacks was made famous by our sponge cake Krimpets, chocolate covered Kandy Kakes and fruit-filled pies. Not only are we continuing to innovate with these iconic products, we are translating that tradition into new, low-fat products that appeal to health-conscious consumers and live up to the Tastykake standard of freshness and quality."
The new low-fat products are now available in supermarkets and convenience stores as well as on-line at www.tastykake.com.
Other better-for-you products by Tasty Baking include the Sugar-Free Sensables line and 100-calorie products.


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July 28, 2020
After being shut down for months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Eastern State Penitentiary will resume operations on Friday, Aug. 14. It will be open Fridays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the prison museum's first reopening phase.
Before then, the 200-year-old historic site has invited members to special preview nights.
When Eastern State Penitentiary reopens its doors next month, the experience will be very different for both staff and visitors.
Timed tickets must be purchased in advance online and will not be available at the door.
However, reservations are not required for members, guests with free ticket vouchers or visitors who purchased tickets via a third party vendor.
Capacity will be limited to 25%, and both customers and employees must wear face coverings at all times. Eastern State Penitentiary masks can be purchased when ordering tickets.
Social distancing also will be required. The former prison will have markers to ensure visitors and groups remain six feet apart at all times. There will be one-way foot traffic.
In addition, staff has increased cleaning and disinfection of high-touch surface areas, and hand sanitizer stations have been set up across the facility. Doors will be kept open, whenever possible, to increase ventilation and plexiglass has been installed at any points of interaction.
Group tours remain banned, printed maps will not be available and all events will remain virtual until further notice. Audio guides will be available and will be thoroughly sanitized between uses. Disposable earbuds will be provided to visitors.
The museum store is closed but a limited number of merchandise will be sold at a small, pop-up store. Drinks and convenience items only can be bought with a credit or debit card.
Eastern State Penitentiary was part of a group of local museums that shared information on their reopening plans earlier this month, but until recently had only announced a "late summer" reopening date.
The prison in Fairmount has already suspended "Terror Behind the Walls" this upcoming fall and laid off 40% of its staff due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Eastern State Penitentiary was named a National Historic Landmark in 1965 and inmates were vacated in 1970. Tours of the site began in 1994, with more than 10,000 visitors the first years the building opened. Construction of the prison began in 1822 and the first inmate was moved there in 1829.


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Janis Fullilove, Bike Lanes, and Locavores: 15 of the Funniest Fly on the Wall News Parodies of 2013
5 of 16
(showing full size)
"Local Means Local," Local Locavores Say
Midtown— A group of staunch locavores have started a boycott of the Cooper-Young Farmers Market due to a recent discovery that some of the “local” produce not only originates from outside Midtown, it also comes from outside the Memphis City Limit, Shelby County, and beyond.


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SecuTix and Paléo Festival Nyon have hailed blockchain as a valuable tool in combatting fraudulent ticket sales following a pilot project.
SecuTix, a provider of a SaaS ticketing and audience management solution, and its long-standing partner Paléo Festival Nyon, the largest open-air festival in Switzerland, conducted a project to test the distribution and activation-transfer process of tickets using a mobile app based on blockchain.
The results were deemed a success in regulating ticket resales and protecting consumers
The pilot project was conducted in real-life conditions between July 18-23 during the 2017 festival.
SecuTix supplied the target group with a mobile app comprising a ‘secure wallet’ connected to blockchain and linked to the access-control software.
The mobile app allowed this first group of primary users (stand managers) to claim a quota of tickets, which could be distributed to users (stand employees) before entering the festival grounds on specific days and at specific times.
Each ticket transfer created a unique transaction ID that was posted to the blockchain repository. Once the ID of the ticket owner was recorded in the user’s wallet, the user simply had to present his or her smartphone at the ticket gate.
The mobile app itself generated a ticket in the form of a tamper-proof barcode several moments before being used to gain entry. Every stage in the life cycle of the ticket (issue, transfer, receipt and activation) was displayed in a dashboard giving a complete picture of the current status of each ticket.
This meant that more than 200 private stand managers and 2,420 employees had the benefit of using an entry ticket controlled by blockchain, which added up to nearly 10,000 entry tickets issued during the six days of the festival.
“This innovative technology is a tool that works directly for the good of our festival audience. Blockchain is a technology with great potential in terms of implementing new access controls to offer our spectators better protection,” said David Franklin, ticketing manager at Paléo Festival.
“From the users’ point of view, the results are equally satisfying. We have succeeded in proving that transferring a ticket is as easy as sending an SMS.”
Frédéric Longatte, chief executive at SecuTix said: “SecuTix is going back to its roots by offering a solution to the challenges which have dogged the industry since time immemorial: fraud and safety at large public events. As well as ratifying a number of technical issues, this pilot project conducted with Paléo has allowed us to test the end-to-end e-ticket, which will inevitably have a profound impact on B2C practices.”


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Jack Henry Associates, a technology and payment services provider, has partnered with Visa to work on speeding up person-to-person (P2P) payments.
According to Jack Henry, the P2P payments hit $375 billion around the world and by 2020 the US market alone is expected to hit $200 billion. The company says this increasingly valuable industry means companies must take the initiative and add benefits such as faster payments.
Visa will use Jack Henry’s solutions to allow recipients to receive funds on the same day or one day sooner based on the institution’s funding model. Customers can use their debit card number instead of account or routing numbers.
Greg Adelson, general manager of the JHA Payment Solutions group, commented, “P2P payments are fundamental to today’s financial experience. They help roommates pay bills and friends share expenses; they’re part of the everyday commerce that banks should own.
Earlier in the year, customers at US Bank and Bank of America started to make real-time P2P payments. The payments move over the clearXchange network, initially formed by a number of US banks including US Bank and Bank of America alongside Capital One, Wells Fargo, Chase back in 2011 to process P2P payments from email or mobile numbers.
Interview: “Not participating in immediate payments will be detrimental to a bank’s competitiveness”
This year, real-time payments are advancing in the US and Europe. Global financial services provider D+H has been working closely with the banks to help them prepare for this change. PaymentEye sat down with Moti Porath, Head of Product Management, Global Payments Solutions at D+H, to find out how the adoption of instant payments will affect the payments landscapes in these markets.
Brought to you in partnership with D+H: In a world where a global mobile network enables instant communication and delivery of online services, consumers have grown to expect immediate payments – an overnight wait for authorisation isn’t good enough. How should banks respond?
Eastern Europe is still very much a region finding its identity following the breakdown of the Soviet Union over 20 years ago. Countries in the region are at various stages of economic growth and payments infrastructure development, and the e-commerce landscape looks different as you cross borders.
The Global Business and Spending Outlook looks positive for the B2B payments industry.