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October 29/November 5, 2018: Volume 34, Issue 10
By Ken Ryan
A steep rise in freight costs exacerbated by factors such as a shortage of drivers, government mandates, tariffs on Chinese imports and a stronger economy has wreaked havoc on the flooring distribution industry.
With freight inflation so dramatic, many distributors have no choice but to pass along the increases. At the same time, they are looking for ways to minimize risk by consolidating routes, using rail to bring in bulk items and turning to new technologies to be more efficient.
It cannot be overestimated how important freight trucks are to the U.S. economy. According to the American Trucking Association (ATA), freight trucks represent 70.9% of the nation’s freight by tonnage and 81.5% of the nation’s freight by cost spent. Wages continue to rise for America’s truckers as the trucking industry contends with driver shortages coupled with an increased demand for shipping services. The ATA estimates the U.S. is already short roughly 60,000 truckers, and within the next eight years the shortage is predicted to reach 174,000. As a result, distributors are forced to pay higher wages for truckers at a time when fuel has been rising.
At Mesa, Ariz.-based Longust Distributing, LLC, with multi-state locations throughout the Southwest, transportation costs are rising every month, according to Drew Mittelstaedt, president and partner. The increases are particularly acute in California, he said. “Wages, fuel, LTL (less than truckload), ocean—everything transportation related is going up. It’s also affecting delivery times from our vendors due to the shortage of drivers,” said Mittelstaedt.
In response to the trucker shortage and subsequent inflationary pressures, Mittelstaedt said Longust has taken steps to consolidate routes, arrange cooperative runs with other non-flooring distributors, modestly increase its freight rates, use rail to bring bulk items in where possible and work to ship more items direct. “I remain hopeful that it will reduce the number of distributors and suppliers that pretend to offer free freight,” Mittelstaedt said.
Outbound freight charges have had a deleterious effect on Jaeckle Distributing’s business, according to the company. Through 10 months of its fiscal year, the Madison, Wis.-based company’s outbound freight costs are up 34.2%, which is significantly greater than its percentage increase in business, according to Bill Simonson, COO of Jaeckle.
“We reacted to this by recently passing along a fair delivery charge increase,” said Simonson. “We are also in the process of rebidding all of our LTL carrier’s pricing and looking at opportunities with new carriers. We do this once a year and it normally yields us a 5% savings. However, this year I don’t expect to see a savings. Unfortunately, I am hearing some businesses are seeing 15% to 20% increases.”
There is no short-term fix to the higher freight costs, which is being magnified by the strong economy. Studies have shown there are fewer drivers entering the job market as fewer young adults want to pursue that particular career path. Furthermore, baby boomers are retiring, and that generation holds a good portion of the overall driver positions. The upshot? Fewer drivers to move freight. The ones that are staying are seeing huge pay hikes and bonuses. A recent study by the ATA of more than 100,000 employees and contractors showed the median salary of a U.S. truckload driver increased about 15% to $53,000 from 2013 to 2017. Pay for a private fleet trucker jumped almost 18% to more than $86,000. That outpaces the 10% average hourly earnings for all private workers in the U.S. during the same period, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Impact of ELD
The new electronic logging device (ELD) mandate that took effect in 2018 threatens to squeeze trucking capacity even more. This Congressionally mandated rule is intended to help create a safer work environment for drivers (truckers are limited to 11 hours a day on the road), and make it easier and faster to accurately track, manage and share records of duty status data. An ELD synchronizes with a vehicle engine to automatically record driving time for easier, more accurate hours of service recording. Jaeckle has been operating with electronic logs since 2008, so the ELD mandate hasn’t impacted how it operates. However, it has impacted other carriers by adding another layer of complexity for those new to the mandate.
Prior to ELD, over-the-road drivers had some gray area in which to work. The new rules have cut into drivers’ revenue, prompting many self-employed over-the-road drivers to shut down their trucks and work for someone else or leave the industry entirely. By some estimates 10% to 15% of drivers left the industry because they did not want to or could not afford to comply with the electronic logs. “We recently hired a self-employed driver who couldn’t justify driving for himself anymore with the constraints put on him with the ELD mandate, so he came to work for us instead,” Jaeckle’s Simonson said. “Carriers can no longer haul freight as effectively as they did previously due to the mandate.”
For many distributors with a large territory, freight increases have impacted factory direct shipments to flooring dealers and their job sites.
Jacksonville, Fla.-based Cain & Bultman, which covers the state of Florida and parts of Georgia, for example, absorbed an additional 47% on freight cost. “We were advised one day that the increase was immediate, causing major pricing problems on sold jobs that were on order waiting to be shipped,” Buddy Faircloth, president, told FCNews. “It has cost our company 50% of our gross margin in the direct-ship portion of our business. The direct side of our business is high volume, very low gross business to start with…and then being hit with a 50% loss of margin really hurts. There is nothing we can do if we want the business.”
As with others, Haines has certainly endured cost increases, particularly in the transportation arena where ELD mandates have caused a significant contraction of its capacity. Haines, the industry’s largest wholesaler, has worked over the past three years to find ways around what was then a projected increase in these costs.
“As this forecast has become reality, these plans are helping us,” said Michael Barrett, Haines president and CEO.
The wholesaler has worked with companies such as JB Hunt and CH Robinson to help ensure its costs are kept under control. “On the delivery side, we have a multi-year contract with moderate escalators that has aided us in managing through the cost component of transportation,” Barrett added. “Companies like Hunt also have much greater capability to ensure our driver pool is maintained through their capabilities in sourcing and hiring drivers. On the inbound freight side, the positive impact that CH Robinson provides is the ability to find capacity needed to move freight. We are seeing costs escalate here as well, and we continue to monitor to ensure we can achieve our goals.”
Jaeckle’s Simonson said the distribution industry in the past has been structured around affordable flat-rate deliveries and with the expectation that distributors will take on the burden of subsidizing freight. “What I see for the future is a movement toward a more realistic and fair understanding of what true freight charges are, and a more shared approach to burdening those costs.”


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Amway, global leader in direct selling, has opened its new business center in Berlin, Germany. The center is part of the company’s approach of integrating physical locations into its business model.
The Berlin location functions as an education and training hub where independent distributors can learn more about the Amway business, its latest products and demonstrate the benefits of each to interested individuals. For visitors, the center also serves as a place where they can try and buy products.
“We spoke with a cross-section of distributors in six cities across Europe as part of an 18 month effort to uncover and define the needs for physical space,” said Samir Behl, regional president of Amway Europe, Africa and India. “Based on those sessions, we were able to learn a great deal about the needs of distributors and develop a location in Berlin that meets many of those needs.”
The market analysis, led by the Amway Business Innovations team, has found benefits of making the Amway business tangible through an accessible location, the opportunity for a common space to strengthen an internal community between distributors, and ability for the company itself to create greater connections with all levels of distributors.
Amway has experienced success with integrating physical locations into its business model in recent years, notably in China. The company now has more than 300 storefronts in China, its largest market. Amway also has expanded the approach to select locations in other countries, including USA and Japan.

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Barcelona - Nokia's launch of a smartphone capable of running Android applications is not an admission that Lumia has failed.
The company which is set to be purchased by Microsoft for $7.2bn, announced at the Mobile World Congress the launch of the Nokia X series of smartphones capable of running most Android apps.
"No, I think what we shared today is that there is a set of capabilities that at a specific price point that we can serve with this device and we're taking advantage of it," Bryan Biniak, Nokia head of Global Developer Relations told News24 about the direction the company was set to take.
The X series has a price range that starts from €89 up to €109, indicating that it is aimed at developing markets like South Africa, India, Brazil and China among others.
The devices are expected to be on sale in SA within weeks as the company is in the process of concluding talks with mobile operators.
Android compatibility makes sense since the platform commands 80% of the global smartphone market share.
Biniak said that the new devices closed a market area where Nokia could grow its footprint, particularly in developing markets where it has a strong market presence and brand recognition.
"This is a segment that's growing that we weren't in and this is the best device to take advantage of it today," he said.
The X series sells for slightly more than the Asha devices and below the price point of the Lumia devices.
Analysts were positive about the new range of smartphones.
"This may be a few years too late, but it is a much needed move by Nokia to recapture share of the smartphone market by becoming part of the Android ecosystem," said David McQueen, principal analyst, Informa Telecoms and Media.
Biniak said that there was careful consideration in terms of pricing the X series, Asha, and Lumia devices. It is also worth noting that the target countries for the Asha and X phones are mostly prepaid markets where few people have the upfront cash to buy premium phones.
"In terms of the Asha devices continuing to do well and when you look at where they are in terms of abilities, where they are in terms of price points, they're pretty complementary," said Biniak.
He also promised that Nokia would not abandon the Asha range now that the X series was launched.
"We continue to work with developers for both devices, so the biggest developers are supporting applications on both devices concurrently, as well Lumia."
Nokia has a 44% market share in SA that includes feature phones. However the feature phone market is in serious decline and the company is racing to convert its users to migrate to smartphones.
To achieve this, it is driving down the price of its Asha range, and McQueen believes that Ahsa will eventually fade away.
"Over time, it is clear that Nokia will push down the price of these Android-based devices further, with the eventual aim of displacing its Asha range of phones," he said.
Biniak though said that the company is continuing to invest in its platforms, believing all three to be viable.
"From a validation standpoint, the fact that they're investing in all of them, suggests that there's a commercial opportunity for them to be successful."
This YouTube video illustrates Nokia's strategy with X series smartphones.
- Follow Duncan on Twitter


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The Board of Airline Representatives of South Africa (BARSA) represents the interests of its African and International members to government, airport operators and other stakeholders in the airline industry with the aim of facilitating and further developing a safe, efficient and viable aviation industry in South Africa.
The Great Company We Keep
BARSA members represent some of the top global airline brands that connect South Africa to world markets, both as a tourist and as well as an investment destination of choice. This makes BARSA a key role player in the development of South Africa’s aviation industry and air transport sector – and a strategic partner in growing the country’s economy, sustainable employment and skills.
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It seems this past week, Google had been on a buying spree and they had purchased the browser-based messaging service, Meebo and shortly after that, the tech giant acquired Quickoffice. If a report by Dvice and a banner on the site is anything to go by, then it appears that Meebo will soon be shutting down.
As per the report, the Dvice's Travis Andrews states, “Google recently purchased social media site Meebo and has announced a shutdown of most of Meebo's products, leading to a fairly sad set of new banners on Meebo's site. The first states "Google has recently acquired Meebo!" The second: "Meebo.com will be shutting down July 11, 2012.”
What is Google up to?
On a post by Meebo, a list of the services that will be deleted on the 11th of June, 2012 have been stated. The products of Meebo that will be discontinued are Meebo Messenger, Sharing on Meebo, Meebo Me and all Meebo Mobile Apps. For more information on retrieving your chat log and downloading your history, click here.
When Google acquired Meebo, they had stated, “We are happy to announce that Meebo has entered into an agreement to be acquired by Google! For more than seven years we've been helping publishers find deeper relationships with their users and to make their sites more social and engaging. Together with Google, we're super jazzed to roll up our sleeves and get cracking on even bigger and better ways to help users and website owners alike. We've had a blast building Meebo so far and we're really excited to start the next leg of our journey.”
Talks about the Google and Meebo merger started off in May, when All Things D reported talks about an asking price of $100 million for the start-up. More than the web-based messaging feature, which Google already has in their Gmail web interface, they will most likely be interested in the social toolbar and other sharing aspects of Meebo, which they could transform in to a new upcoming product. Since Google+ didn’t exactly take off like they expected it to, this could be their way of trying something new.
Let us know your thoughts on Google shutting down various Meebo services in the comments section below.
Published Date: Jun 11, 2012 10:03 am | Updated Date: Jun 11, 2012 10:03 am


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Over 75,000 sellers to make Amazon Prime Day debut
Amazon India’s flagship event ‘Prime Day’ will see over 75,000 sellers from more than 450 cities make their debut during the sale event. Amazon will host its flagship sale event on July 26-27.
During the event, over 100 small and medium businesses (SMBs) including start-ups, women entrepreneurs, artisans, and weavers are expected to launch over 2,400 new products across categories like fashion, beauty, jewellery among others.
Commenting on the sale event, Pranav Bhasin, director selling partner experience at Amazon India, in a statement said: “In continuation of our efforts to empower small businesses to bounce back, we are dedicating this Prime Day to SMBs including more than 75,000 local neighbourhood offline shops on Amazon who will make their Prime Day debut.”
“Each Prime Day, we see sellers launching new products for customers. With high customer interest in the event, we look forward to their success, helping bolster their business as they gradually emerge from the pandemic disruption," he added.
Amazon’s Prime Day sale will also see around 300 new product launches from brands such as Adidas, FCUK, Max, Woodland, My Glamm, Mamaearth, The Moms Co, Dabur, among many others.
Last year, Amazon India had reported sales of around $500 million (Rs 3,326 crore) over the two-day sale period.
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Today we get our first glimpse of the carnage in the housing market from August. With mortgage rates having soared and homebuilder sentiment tumbling (and permits plunging), it should be no surprise that existing home sales were expected to fall for the 7th straight month (-2.3% MoM vs -5.9% MoM in July).
existing home sales
Newsfeed: “We’re Witnessing A Housing Recession”: Existing Home Sales Crater 20% In July As Affordability Collapses
Another month, another plunge in housing.
Hot on the heels of the latest catastrophic homebuilder sentiment print and plunging single-family starts and permits, analysts expected existing home sales to accelerate their recent decline with a 4.9% MoM drop in July.
Existing-home sales sagged for the sixth straight month in July, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. All four major U.S. regions recorded month-over-month and year-over-year sales declines.
With interest rates now hovering around 5%, existing-home sales are down more than 14% from last year. Some potential buyers are sitting on the sidelines until rates or prices or both decline, while sellers are hoping the market picks up again so they can get a higher price.
Newsfeed: Housing correction is ‘dead ahead,’ warns Moody’s chief economist Mark Zandi — here’s how he sees things playing out over the next several months
Existing home sales showed a 5.4% decline in June from May, but prices remain elevated, according to the National Association of Realtors. The median sale price of existing homes in the U.S. set a new record high of $416,000 in June, marking a 13.4% increase from a year ago.
Existing-home sales dropped for the fifth straight month in June, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. Three out of four major U.S. regions experienced month-over-month sales declines and one region held steady. Year-over-year sales sank in all four regions.
On the heels of ugly homebuilder sentiment and tumbling single-family home starts and permits, analysts expected existing home sales to extend their recent decline with a 1.1% MoM drop in June.
Newsfeed: US Pending Home Sales Unexpectedly Rise In May, NAR Warns Housing Market “Transition” Underway
After an unexpected jump in new home sales and larger than expected drop in existing home sales, today’s pending home sales print is the tie-breaker for sentiment in the housing market in May as homebuilder sentiment soured and mortgage rates and applications soared.
Following the disappointing tumble in existing home sales (to 2 year lows), analysts expect a modest drop in new home sales in May of just 0.2% MoM (after April’s 16.6% MoM plunge). Instead, new home sales spiked 10.7% MoM (from an updwardly revised -12% MoM print in April) – despite soaring mortgage rates…
Have you heard? There’s been some bad weather lately….and it seems to have sub-marined much of the U.S. economy. At least that’s the official spin. But is it all doom and gloom or is there a chance of sunshine? Here to rise above the clouds of confusion to see what the latest economic stats mean


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The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has welcomed the passing of a new law which brings into force tougher penalties for those who attack shopworkers.
The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act received Royal Assent on April 28, with new provisions coming into force to make attacking an individual who serves the public an aggravated offence. This follows years of campaigning from groups such as ACS and the shopworkers union USDAW to better protect staff who face abuse when doing their job.
Figures from the ACS 2022 Crime Report show that in the last year, 89% of colleagues working in convenience stores have faced abuse in their job, with more than 35,000 incidents of violence taking place and over 16,000 incidents including the use of a weapon.
ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “We strongly welcome the introduction of this Act, which the retail sector has been calling for over a number of years. It’s essential that the penalties for attacking a shopworker serve as an effective deterrent.
“Introducing tougher sentences for those who attack people providing a service to the public, including shopworkers, marks a significant step forward, but it does not solve the problem by itself. We need to ensure that abuse is not seen as part of the job and that all incidents are reported, and in response, police and crime commissioners must prioritise crimes committed against retailers and their colleagues. We must also put the right interventions in place to stop those with substance and alcohol dependencies from reoffending.”
ACS has co-ordinated with over 100 retailers and trade bodies the Home Office backed ShopKind campaign, urging customers to be respectful of colleagues in stores. Polling conducted for the #ShopKind campaign shows that more than a third of consumers have witnessed violence and abuse against shopworkers.


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Arm’s first new architecture in a decade is designed for security and AI
Chip designer Arm has announced Armv9, its first new chip architecture in a decade following Armv8 way back in 2011. According to Arm, Armv9 offers three major improvements over the previous architecture: security, better AI performance, and faster performance in general. These benefits should eventually trickle down to devices with processors based on Arm’s designs.
It’s an important milestone for the company, whose designs power almost every smartphone sold today, as well as increasing numbers of laptops and even servers. Apple announced its Mac computers’ transition to its own Arm-based processors last year, and its first Apple Silicon Macs released later in the year. Other manufacturers like Microsoft have also released Arm-based…


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Monday saw the bigwigs of television broadcasting and the computer industry meeting in Washington to discuss the specifications for digital TV. Meanwhile, the DTI announced that finalised rules for implementation in the UK are on the way. However, commercial delivery may be delayed by the continuing government delays on both sides of the Atlantic.
Under duress from Susan Ness, commissioner at the US Federal Communications Commission, TV and computer manufacturers and representatives of the broadcasting community met in Washington on Monday to agree on how signals should be compressed and delivered.
As yet no decision has been made as to which video format is to be adopted - the broadcasting and computer industries favour different standards. TV and computers can be manufactured to receive both signals and the likelihood is that both signals will be used, and it will be left to consumers to choose.
Industry chiefs are predicting the first digital television sets will hit the market in early 1998, assuming government licensing bodies don?t drag their feet.
The DTI has announced a two-week consultation period before issuing licensing laws. In a written answer to a question, Charles Hendry MP made clear that the purpose ?of these regulations is to ensure that all broadcasters can gain access on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms, to any digital set-top boxes which can receive their signal.?
In the UK BSkyB has been promising commencement of digital broadcasts in autumn next year. However, analysts now suggest that they may delay the order of 900,000 digital set-top boxes used to receive the service.
The industry watchdog Oftel is to be given sweeping powers to stamp out anti-competitive behavior. Government actions come in response to complaints from cable operators that fear a BSkyB monopoly.
BSkyB is unlikely to proceed in the face of such uncertainty. Its competitors believe that the regulations will only address part of the problem.
The filmmakers, meanwhile, are petitioning to have the standards changed altogether. They will not be happy until TV sets are formatted to display wide angled films.
The real bad news is that even if all these problems can be ironed out by the end of next year, prices of sets are expected to range between $1,000 and $3,000.
Digital television promises a personal cinema in your front room, with the clarity of the projected image, CD-Rom sound, interactivity of top range video games and hundreds of channels to choose from on a pay-by-view basis.
Resetting the telemetry circuits and associated boards brought the instrument back to operations mode
Fortnite news and updates: Flaw in Fortnite authentication could have helped attackers steal player login credentials
Attackers could have used Fortnite security flaw to buy in-game currency on players' stored credit cards
New photos show cotton seeds sprouting in sealed container - with other plants expected to sprout within days
Sudden increases in availability of sniper rifles on Vikendi


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Meet Beauty Industry Group’s Director of Value Creation, Kevin Runolfson, and Global-e’s CEO, North America, Matthew Merrilees. Together they discuss how multi-portfolio businesses can capitalize on the cross-border eCommerce opportunity as a gro...Read More
GELF LA ’22 lives on! Thanks again to all the speakers, sponsors and attendees at GELF LA 2022 – it was great to get the West Coast community again after way too long apart. One of the best ever GELF LA VIP Dinners set the tone; in fact i...Read More
Alibaba successfully concluded its 13th annual 11.11 Global Shopping Festival (“11.11”), which generated RMB540.3 billion (US$84.54 billion) in gross merchandise volume (GMV) during the 11-day campaign. “This 11.11 Global Shopping Festival ...Read More
Thanks to host Chris Parson at Delivering Ecommerce for featuring GELF in this interview with GELF Co-founder Kent Allen. If you’re curious about the early days on ecommerce – and the origins of the Global Ecommerce Leaders Forum (GELF) &...Read More
>>IMPORTANT<< To avoid registering separately to access each Accelerate session, please follow the two steps below: Go to the Series Registration page and register, then Come back to this page on the same device and you’ll be a...Read More
Canadian shoppers continue to shift their shopping online – accelerated in part by the pandemic and changing consume...
This spring the Global Ecommerce Leaders Forum (GELF) has launched GELF’s TechTalks, a series of programming that includes podcasts and webcasts/webinars. Check out our podcast – Global E-Commerce Tech Talks (GETT). If you’re a global ecommerce leader at a direct-to-consumer (DTC) retail brand, don’t be shy about reaching out and getting ...Read More
Global direct-to-consumer e-commerce company ESW announced on Monday it has acquired Los Angeles-based e-commerce platform Scalefast, with the deal expected to drive growth in revenue and product innovation across the group’s integrated c...Read More
The deal is worth up to approximately $500 million (in equal portions of cash and Global-e shares). It comprises a base consideration of approximately $425 million and up to approximately $75 million in potential additional consideration based on cer...Read More
Global-e and Trascosmos are working together to help Japanese merchants optimize their cross-border e-commerce offerings to boost international traffic conversion rates and open up new global ecommerce opportunities. Japanese brands and retailers ca...Read More
For years, GELF Co-founder Jim Okamura has been fond of saying “It’s high time for the global logistics team t...


text: I guess not many people want to spend $3-$5 bucks on a card someone is just going to throw away anyway. Hallmark Cards plans job cuts Kansas City-based Hallmark Cards Inc., told employees today that its North America business must eliminate 225 to 250 positions by the end of the year. Hallmark public relations director Julie O'Dell said some cuts will come through attrition. Others will be decided based on "redundancies and efficiencies." Hallmark employs about 8,500 workers in the United States, with about 3,900 in Kansas City. The company also announced to its employees an internal reorganization. O'Dell said the company's existing core businesses will be structured "according to customer need, such as humor or encouragement" rather than segmented according to the greeting card, party supply or gift wrap divisions. Submitted by Diane Stafford on October 1, 2009 - 3:55pm.


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Myntra Stylecast Rolls Out College Campus Ambassador Program
Introduced in December 2021, Myntra StyleCast was launched as a separate section on the app, with ~7000 styles
Myntra launched its College Campus Ambassador program to engage with its thriving cohort of Gen-Z consumers in the country. This is one of the two-part creators campaign being driven by Myntra StyleCast, which collectively comprises over 1000 influencers, that aims to bring together uber-trendy Gen-Z who are passionate about fashion and can create awareness around fresh and affordable fashion on StyleCast within their clout, including circles on campuses. With this program, Myntra aims to further strengthen its position as India’s foremost destination and expert on all things fashion, among young shoppers, while enabling opportunities for the young fashion enthusiasts in the content creator space. The latter includes the chance to learn the ropes of content creation through mentoring and guidance from popular macro Myntra Style Squad influencers as well as getting a chance to be featured on Myntra’s live commerce propositions, Myntra-Studio and M-Live and social media channels to give their content creation pursuit the right launch pad.
Introduced in December 2021, Myntra StyleCast was launched as a separate section on the app, with ~7000 styles. StyleCast has scaled its offerings by 5 folds since launch to over 35,000 styles, offering the cohort a good shopping experience, during the ongoing 16th edition of EORS, international and domestic brands for the Gen-Z milieu, including the likes of Urbanic, H&M, Forever 21, Missguided, Zalora, bebe and Trendyol among a host of other brands. The influencers that partner with the platform for the campaign are given access to a range of Instagram-worthy merchandise with an opportunity to get featured across Myntra's social pages and application.
Myntra StyleCast Campus Squad includes an array of students aged 17-21 years, from universities in the country including Indian Institute of Art & Design, Pearl Academy, NIFT, Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University, Mount Carmel College - Bengaluru, Indian Institute of Fashion Technology and Symbiosis Institute of Design - Pune to name a few. These campus ambassadors are the faces of Myntra on their respective campuses. They are among the coolest and the most fashionable kids on campus that everyone looks up to for their fresh and edgy fashion sensibilities and these campus influencers will create strong FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) around the Myntra StyleCast range among their college circles. Myntra has bolstered this ever-growing army even further, to create content around themes such as body positivity and inclusion on their social channels to build awareness and consideration for Myntra StyleCast and also post content on their Myntra Studio profiles to drive end conversions for the StyleCast charter on the App.
Myntra chooses campus influencers on the basis of their relevance with the Gen-Z audience, relevance in the content creation industry, their knack for edgy and trendy fashion, and their diversity and reach. Through the Campus Ambassador program, Myntra intends to achieve over 250 million impressions on social media over the course of this year.
Around The World


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It has been said that good oral health can lead to longer life expectancy and this holds some truth. A healthy set of teeth and gums can either mean that you do not present symptoms to certain illnesses or that you have a job with a steady income.
In the UK, a study found that people who still had 20 or more teeth by the age of 70 stood a higher chance of living longer than their peers who had less. As the chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation noted, the wellbeing of our mouth is a good barometer for our overall health. Pains that we may experience in our gums and teeth can indicate underlying grave medical conditions. This only makes a lot of sense because mouths are the main gateways to human bodies. It is the entrance of various bacteria and germs that eventually find their way into our guts and our systems.
Dental hygiene and income
No experiment is needed to tell us that a nice toothy smile can form a great first impression during that blind date. A flash of those pearly whites is sometimes all that’s needed for a decent introduction. But despite the significance of dental hygiene, 22% of people in the US still reported being actually afraid of visiting the dentist back in 2015.
According to the American Dental Association, 29% of low income adults they surveyed in the same study confessed that “The appearance of my mouth and teeth affects my ability to interview for a job.” This has translated to a fifth of low income adults attesting to poor oral health. Though the causality between dental hygiene and income can benefit from further research, the numbers show that they are inextricably linked.
Oral health in the time of COVID-19
Dental consultations have since significantly been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Dentists have had to reduce their clinic hours as well as prioritize those who are in need of emergency procedures. People who weren’t afraid to go to their dentists before the COVID-19 crisis are probably afraid now because of the possibility of infection. As a quarter of adults in the US report that they are still behind on their bills, these have all added to a general decline in all kinds of medical visits.
Since a lot of jobs involve representing companies to clients, people who need these jobs will still have to see their dentists despite their present worries. An employee’s actual physical appearance can have an impact on the client’s perception of the company’s brand. Bad teeth can lead to unsuccessful job interviews and a higher rate of unemployment. But to get people back to their jobs, they need to get back on their feet first, and this means going back to hospitals and clinics to get regular checkups once again.
Electronic medical consultation
The good news is today we have the technology to easily communicate with other people without having to go out of our houses. No one has to miss a much needed appointment if they can simply send a text message to their practitioners. Needless to say, everyone should see to it that they take excellent care of their teeth. This is important to us not just for the long-term but most especially in the short-term.
At this point in time, the world can really benefit from the assurance of a good smile. On top of everyone’s anxieties, however, concern for privacy can easily get neglected. As more people choose to communicate electronically while weathering the pandemic, everyone needs to be reminded about the importance of safe and secure communication.
Heartburn is caused by a condition called acid reflux when acids travel back to the throat. Also known as gastroesophageal disease, it causes a burning sensation in the chest. This condition may happen when people consume too much oily and spicy foods. The number of spices and oil increases the cholesterol level in the body. Read more
Taking care of our skin and hair requires different kinds of cosmetic products. When you search for a particular product, you will come across a number of brands providing the same. But not all of these cosmetic products are reliable and safe. You can not risk trying each one of them as they may cause a bad effect on your body. To keep your skin safe and healthy, you shall buy acne cream in Australia. Let us now discuss some of the major ways to select the perfect cosmetic products. Read more
Though CBD is still fairly new, products infused with the cannabis compound have become some of the most talked-about products in the health and wellness space. The profitability and visibility of the industry have driven competition and innovation in a noticeable way, which has given consumers more options than ever before when they're shopping for CBD. While, overall, that's great for consumers, it does make it more challenging to choose, especially if you're a newer user. If you're thinking about buying CBD products in the near future, keep reading to find out why you should consider checking out Naternal. Read more


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Grocer and beverage manufacturing groups want to rewrite Iowa’s beverage container law and opt for a statewide recycling program instead.
The Iowa Grocery Industry Association and the Iowa Beverage Association introduced a proposal Tuesday that would repeal the 5-cent bottle deposit law in exchange for an approach incentivizing curbside recycling.
The associations plan to push the proposal in the Legislature’s 2018 session.
Under the proposal, the beverage industry would finance a fund to expand recycling and encourage landfills to include more bottles and cans in their efforts.
Grocery stores would no longer need to redeem bottles and cans.
State figures show Iowa recovers 86 percent of its beverage containers.
Opponents worry that scrapping current law will create roadside litter issues and drop the high recycle rate.


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There is a lot of confusion surrounding Apple’s new MagSafe charger. Apple claims that the device allows users to charge the new iPhone 12s at speeds of up to 15W, twice the charging speed compared to regular wireless charging on current iPhones. However, recent tests have found that using it with an older iPhone charges it at insanely low speeds of 2W.
However, it turns out that maybe you might need to buy additional accessories to get MagSafe charging at max speeds. According to YouTuber Aaron Zollo of Zollotech, he ran some tests and discovered that if you want the MagSafe charger to charge at the advertised 15W, you will need to buy a 20W charger, one that Apple conveniently sells separately.
Apple has stopped including power adapters with its iPhones claiming it’s for environmental reasons, but it seems that if you want to really take full advantage of the MagSafe charger, you’ll have to shell out an extra $19 to buy the 20W charger. Oddly enough, this only works with the 20W charger that Apple makes.
Zollo tested out MagSafe with other Apple chargers, including the 96W charger that comes with the MacBook Pro and found that oddly enough, it only puts out 10W with MagSafe. He also tested it with third-party chargers like Aukey’s 65W power adapter and that only managed to get 8-9W of power from MagSafe. It is possible that this is a safety feature to prevent overheating or damage, but it does seem a bit strange and also something to think about if you’re considering buying the MagSafe wireless charger.


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As you may have been reading in the news this week, there’s been another breach in a merchant credit card system, this time hitting 63 Barnes & Noble outlets across the country. While the breach — and resultant damage — seem to have already been contained (since the original hack occurred in September, but wasn’t announced until now, per the wishes of FBI investigators). Customer swipe machines at various B&N’s were compromised, and sent account info to the hackers themselves, who seem to have briefly used the information for purchases throughout the fall, though those curtailed.
What was interesting is that while states, including California, require that companies notify customers of a breach if their names are breached in association with other info such as credit cards, or driver’s license or Social Security numbers, many states make an exception for encrypted information. As long as companies shroud their consumer information in basic encryption, they don’t have to tell the customers themselves about the breach. So as a customer, it might be possible that you’d never hear of a breach of one of the databases your various numbers reside in.
And yet, as a New York Times article on the B&N hack reported, “Attacks on point-of-sale systems are growing exponentially,” according to Tom Kellermann, a vice president at the security company Trend Micro. According to the article, “Mr. Kellermann said this was, in large part, because encryption no longer provided a deterrent for skilled hackers.” Which brings up the somewhat daunting prospect that state laws which assume encryption is “safe,” in terms of the need for timely action on behalf of consumers, may themselves become as antiquated as the “signature” method is, in terms of guarding against credit card fraud, whether you accept online payments, or only have brick-and-mortar retail merchant accounts. Or both.
Here at AVP Solutions, we take pride in knowing that our own fraud solutions are some of the industry’s best, in terms of protecting our own merchants from credit card fraud. Those solutions are constantly being updated — just as, sadly, hacking methods are. If you’d like to keep up, be sure and contact your AVPS rep today, to make sure you’re as fully protected as you can be. After all, of course you want up-to-date merchant services. But you don’t need a book to tell you you want them to be safe, too.


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We've had so many messages asking about the Sainsbury's Toy Sale and now we have a confirmed date! The Sainsbury's Half Price Toy Sale will start in stores on Wednesday, 17th October 2018 and we're told it's going to be their biggest and best yet! It runs for just one week, ending on 23rd October so make the most of it while you can!
We have been told that it will be in-store only, so this is your chance to get a big chunk of your Christmas toy shopping done at bargain prices.
The sale will be 'up to' half price, including big brands with half price off all Marvel and Thomas toys, up to half price off Vtech, Disney Princess, Nerf and Barbie and 1/3 off Paw Patrol.
Here's a sneak peak at just a few of the half price bargains in the toy sale:
- Nerf Nitro Duelfury Demolition was £50 now £25
- Chad Valley Dream Kingdom Jumbo Unicorn Castle was £45 now £22.50
- Vtech Grow & Go Ride On was £60 now £30
- Barbie Sisters Snow Fun Set was £51 now £25.50
- Porsche 911 GT3 R Remote Control Car 1:10 scale was £60 now £30
- Black & Decker First Workbench was £35 now £17.50
- Chad Valley Auto City Construction Remote Control Digger was £50 now £25
- Thomas TM Fiery Rescue Set was £65 now £32.50
- Playmobil Plane 6081 was £40 now £20
- Toddler Doll & Horse Assortment was £50 now £25
- Crayola airbrush was £23 now £11.50
- Steffi Pumpkin Carriage was £40 now £20
Start time is said to be at 6am, or at store opening on 17th October, depending on which one comes first, though lots us will he heading there straight after the school run. See you in Sainsbury's!
EDIT 17/10/18: Here's some more of the bargains spotted in store this morning:
- 20% off ALL Lego
- Paw Patrol Sub Patroller was £50 now £25
- L.O.L. 3 Pack Puzzle & Game Assortment was £10 now £5
- VTech Toot Toot Drivers Construction Site was £50 now £25
- Hot Wheels Roto Revolution Playset was £50 now £25
- Chad Valley Emergency Fire Engine was £35 now £17.50
- Chad Valley Dino Land Helicopter Playset was £50 now £25
- PJ Masks Headquarters Playset was £50 now £33.33
- Smart Supermarket Playset was £50 now £25
- VTech Sit To Stand Music Centre was £50 now £25
- VTech Bounce & Discover Frog was £35 now £17.50
- Shopkins Shoppies Skyanna's Jet Playset* was £50 now £33.33
- Chad Valley Large Queen Unicorn was £7 now £3.50
- Paw Patrol Advent Calendar was £25 now £18.75


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More than two years out from its unveiling at the Tesla Design Studio in November 2019, the head-turning truck — before the reveal, CEO Elon Musk said the design would be “heart-stopping” and look like something out of Blade Runner — it sometimes seems like Tesla is no closer to shipping the truck than it was when it was revealed.
The oft-delayed truck certainly serves a purpose, drawing eyeballs towards the rest of Tesla’s lineup. And boy, is it a looker. With angular shapes and supposedly bulletproof windows, the Cybertruck certainly lives up to its name. But while the Cybertruck remains stuck in development, other electric trucks are finally making their way to customers.
We reviewed the terrific Rivian R1T last fall, while the conventional-looking Ford F-150 Lightning is just a few months away from its first deliveries. Even the insane GMC Hummer EV pickup, which is probably the most bonkers electric vehicle yet to go on sale, has made its way to dealerships.
But what about the Cybertruck? Back in January 2022, Tesla removed all references to a 2022 release date from its website, as Reuters reported, on January 14, 2022, that the truck’s production was pushed back to 2023.
And now Elon himself has confirmed that report, saying in an event for the opening of Gigafactory Berlin that Tesla aims “to complete the development of Cybertruck this year and be ready for production next year,” according to a report from Electrek.
Elon himself has admitted that he sets unrealistic timelines, but that it’s the result of his own personal optimism. He also pointed out that even if Tesla’s projects are late, they eventually happen. We’re not sure how Cybertruck reservation holders feel about the delay, but at least there’s confirmation that the truck is coming... eventually.
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Let’s talk about that design: Four lines dominate the vehicle. The front, the windshield, a slope toward the back, and the rear. That is essentially Cybertruck. It’s ugly, but it's future ugly. And like every Tesla vehicle that has been released to date, it’s an absolute curiosity, inside and out.
Since the launch, Musk has ratcheted up the hype by cruising around the streets of California. During a February 2020 earnings call, four months after the reveal, Musk made a bold claim about initial pre-orders: "We've never seen this level of demand."
He also hinted in a May 2020 tweet that a smaller truck for non-U.S. markets might be in the cards someday.
Of course, that still depends on when the car will launch. Originally expected to enter production in late 2021, the car may not hit roads until nearly four years after its unveiling — a wait still not quite as bad as the Roadster, first unveiled in 2017 but expected to launch sometime after the Cybertruck.
What are the Tesla Cybertruck’s features?
Its body, made from that stainless steel alloy, also boasts a 100 cubic feet of lockable storage in the bed and a 6.5” length. Tesla says it will sport up to 3,500 pounds of payload capacity and have a maximum towing capability of more than 14,000 pounds. The top-of-the-line tri-motor AWD variant will sport a 0-60 time of less than 2.9 seconds and handle the quarter-mile in 10.8 seconds. With up to 16 inches of ground clearance and adjustable air suspension, plus approach angle of 35 degrees and a departure of 28 degrees, Tesla is setting the Cybertruck up to be an off-road powerhouse, too. Naturally, it houses both 110-volt and 240-volt power outlets to plug in all your toys.
Musk said in a March 2021 tweet that Cybertruck owners will be able to plug a tiny house — or a towable camper — into the Cybertruck to power it.
Its angular design, Musk later revealed, comes from the fact it uses ultra-hard 30X steel. Where regular hot-rolled steel is rolled at a temperature of over 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit, this steel is further processed in cold reduction mills to make it even stronger. That means the company can't stamp the panels, Musk explained, as it would "break the stamping process...even bending it requires a deep score on inside of bend, which is how the prototype was made."
Musk said during Tesla’s fourth quarter 2020 earnings call back in January that Tesla would be purchasing a first-of-its-kind 8,000-ton casting press to manufacture the rear-body casting of the Cybertruck. The new press is expected to be installed at Tesla’s Gigafactory Texas in near Austin.
The least-curious thing about Teslas, it seems, is that they happen to be electric.
Musk revealed more details about the truck in the months after the launch:
- The car will pump the HVAC to the rear bed while the tonneau cover is closed.
- The rear will likely be accessible from the second row of seats.
- A "partial" Bioweapon Defense System, used to filter the air, is expected to be included.
- Tesla is aiming for a best-case drag coefficient of 0.30 – "insane for a truck."
- The truck will offer the option to add solar panels to the rear, boosting range by 15 miles per day. A fold-out version could raise that figure to 40.
In October 2021, Musk revealed that owners will be able to easily remove the side mirrors for a more streamlined look. While the prototype demonstrated at the opening event showed the car used a series of cameras instead for rear view, legal barriers mean the company will have to ship the Cybertruck with traditional mirrors.
What is the Tesla Cybertruck price?
The base price – $39,900 – caused the live audience to gasp and then cheer. “You can order right now if you’d like,” Musk said, before dropping the URL: tesla.com/cybertruck.
The truck will come in three versions:
- A $39,900 single-motor rear-wheel drive with over 250 miles of range, over 7,500 pounds of towing capacity, and 0 to 60 mph in less than 6.5 seconds. Musk revealed that, as of November 23, 17 percent of buyers had opted for this model.
- A $49,900 dual-motor all-wheel-drive with over 300 miles of range, over 10,000 pounds of towing capacity, and 0 to 60 mph in less than 4.5 seconds. As of November 23, 42 percent of buyers had opted for this model.
- A $69,900 tri-motor all-wheel drive with over 500 miles of range, over 14,000 pounds of towing capacity, and 0 to 60 mph in less than 2.9 seconds. As of November 23, 43 percent of buyers had opted for this model.
Tesla’s “full self-driving” feature runs an extra $12,000.
When is the Tesla Cybertruck release date?
It’s an endlessly moving target. At the opening of Gigafactory Berlin in March 2022, Musk said the goal was to complete development of Cybertruck in 2022 and to be ready for a 2023 start of production.
It’s also worth noting that this wasn’t a promise, but instead a hope. His exact quote was “we want to complete the development of Cybertruck this year.” Does that mean the Cybertruck will finally arrive in 2023? Perhaps!
A 2023 launch date seems to have been consistent for Cybertruck over the past few years.
Reuters reported in January 2022 that the Cybertruck likely wouldn’t enter production until the first quarter of 2023. This delay, the wire service claimed, was because “Tesla is changing features and functions of the electric pickup to make a compelling product.” That same month, Tesla removed all references to a potential Cybertruck release date from its website.
How do I pre-order the Tesla Cybertruck?
Interested buyers can secure their spot with a $100 refundable deposit on Tesla’s website, but it’s worth noting that Tesla reportedly has more than 600,000 pre-orders. It’s likely that regardless of when it goes on sale, potential Cybertruck buyers who haven’t yet placed a pre-order will be waiting quite a while.
How does the Tesla Cybertruck compare to the Ford F-150?
During the November 2019 unveiling, Musk took several shots at Ford — maker of the F-150, the best-selling vehicle in America. A member of his team hit a Ford truck door with a sledgehammer during a comparison test; Musk showed a video of the Cybertruck towing a Ford in a tug-of-war; he knocked “Built Ford Tough” slogan when he said, “If you want a truck that’s really tough — not fake tough — you want a truck you can take a sledgehammer to, doesn’t scratch, won’t dent…”
Musk did note at the top of his presentation that there was a bigger reason for making a pickup truck, more than an homage to dark sci-fi and an excuse to wear a lot of leather. After all, more than 1.5 million pickup trucks were sold in 2019, a screen behind him informed the audience.
“We need sustainable energy now. If we don’t have a pickup truck, we don’t solve it. So I present to you the Cybertruck.”
For its part, Ford released the first-ever hybrid version of its best-selling F-150 pickup in 2021 and has teased a fully electric version of the F-150 for release in 2022.
What is the Tesla Cyberquad?
The “one more thing” moment at the Cybertruck event was the introduction of a Tesla ATV, which was driven onto the stage and into the bed of the truck, where it was plugged in and charged from the truck.
The ATV was later named in press materials as the "Cyberquad." It's a two-person electric vehicle that will ship as an optional extra with the Cybertruck. Little else is known at this stage, but eagle-eyed fans have spotted similarities with the Yamaha 700 Raptor ATV. Yamaha has denied any affiliation.
While it's a whole new space for Tesla, competitors seem unfazed by the idea the company may soon disrupt another industry. A representative from DDR, an Ohio-based electric ATV manufacturer, described the Cyberquad's design as "8-bit" to Inverse.
On the ground at the event, there were several cars from classic sci-fi movies, including the Spinner police car from Blade Runner (1982) and the DeLorean from the Back to the Future films.
At the company’s 2021 shareholder meeting, Musk claimed the company wanted to “do some things with the suspension, adding that “it’s going to be the ATV that won’t roll.”
In December 2021, Tesla released a smaller version of the Cyberquad. The $1,900 Cyberquad for Kids, built by toy manufacturer Radio Flyer, can run for 15 miles on a single charge.
What else should buyers know about the Tesla Cybertruck?
Following the launch, Musk has played up to the futuristic design. He's suggested the truck could fly on the SpaceX Starship, the rocket designed to send humans to Mars. He's also declared that the "Cybertruck (pressurized edition) will be official truck of Mars," perhaps forming the first vehicle for the city expected to take shape in 2050.
Musk has talked about the Tesla pickup for years.
“I can’t talk about the details, but it’s gonna be like a really futuristic-like cyberpunk, Blade Runner pickup truck,” Musk said in a November 2018 interview. “It’s gonna be awesome, it’s gonna be amazing. This will be heart-stopping. It stops my heart. It’s like, oh, it’s great.”
A few hours before the unveiling, Musk tweeted that the design was influenced partly by The Spy Who Loved Me, the 1977 James Bond film with a car that turns into a submarine. He also joked (maybe) that the pressurized edition of the truck would be the “official truck of Mars.”
Musk even went as far as to say that “I actually don’t know if a lot of people will buy this pickup truck or not, but I don’t care,” before adding that “I do care, eventually” as “we wanna get gasoline, diesel pickup trucks off the road.”
Based on the company’s 2016 master plan, the truck can be seen as the third step in a three-part plan to transform Tesla from a premium automaker to a mass-market manufacturer. That started with the Tesla Model 3, a sedan that entered production in July 2017 and starts at $35,000. It continues with the Tesla Model Y, a compact SUV expected to hit roads next summer starting at $39,000. Although it’s expected to have limited appeal compared to these other two, the Cybertruck was listed as the final piece of the proverbial puzzle.
“Cybertruck doesn’t look like anything I’ve seen bouncing around the Internet,” Musk declared in January 2020. “It’s closer to an armored personnel carrier from the future.”
Abbreviated Tesla pickup hype timeline
- Musk tweets with fans about what they want in the truck (June 2018)
- Musk says the will debut in the summer of 2019 (January 2019)
- Tesla shares mysterious image of the “Tesla cyberpunk truck” (March 2019)
- Musk gives his biggest hint yet about the design (October 2019)
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Selangor govt launches Selangor E-Bazar Chinese New Year Campaign
By Digital News Asia February 3, 2021
- Campaign starts 1 Feb till 7 Mar 2021, targeting 25K SME participation
- State govt to channel almost US$500K in form of discount vouchers
Following the success of the Selangor E-Bazar 11.11 Mega Sales Campaign last year, the Selangor state government has launched the Selangor E-Bazar Chinese New Year Campaign, held from 1 Feb until 7 March 2021.
For this, the state government will channel US$494,000 (RM2 million) in the form of discount vouchers to Shopee and Lazada. The campaign targets the participation of 25,000 SMEs as well as micro businesses, including 12,500 new e-merchants expected to be on-boarded.
[RM1 = US$0.248]
The campaign is jointly organised by Selangor Information Technology and Digital Economy Corporation (SIDEC) Sdn Bhd and Invest Selangor. Like previous rounds of the Selangor E-Bazar campaign, the goal is to assist SMEs and micro businesses in Selangor to embrace digitalisation in order to survive in the challenging business environment caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Apart from benefiting businesses, the Selangor state government hopes that the campaign will also provide a safe environment for people to buy online with more choices of products with discounted prices.
Selangor executive councillor for Industry and Trade, Teng Chang Khim says that with the current re-imposition of the MCO, going digital has never been this urgent for businesses to ensure a continuous cash flow.
“While people must maintain social distancing to break the chain of Covid-19 transmission, let us not forget to maintain social connections with our family and friends. The Selangor E-Bazar CNY provides a safe marketplace for family and friends to discuss the latest popular festive goods and food. You may buy mandarin oranges, festive biscuits and hampers and deliver them to your parents and friends who stay in your hometown to reconnect with them,” Teng says.
“We may not be able to go back to our hometowns this year but buying gifts through the E-Bazar platform shows how our affection for our parents, family and friends will never be disrupted even by the Covid-19 pandemic,” he continues.
Teng iterates that the previous two Selangor E-Bazar campaigns created millions of direct sales, which proved that the digital economy agenda utilised by the state government is providing assistance to merchants during the pandemic.
From the two rounds of the Selangor E-Bazar campaigns in 2020, SMEs successfully generated a total of RM1.39 billion in ripple effect to the economy through direct sales worth RM43.76 million, from the RM3 million in vouchers channelled by the Selangor state government.
“I believe we still have ample room to expand our digital economy. With the acceleration of digital consumption following the Covid-19 pandemic, this trend should be continued,” Teng adds.
“Local businesses should make full use of this so that they can increase their income further. Especially under the new norm, I believe this would be possible.”
Related Stories :


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Find out the similarities and differences between the LG G7 ThinQ and the Samsung Galaxy S9 through this comparison review of their specs and features.
As expected, the LG G7 ThinQ comes with a notch on its display along with a bunch of AI features, including Google Assistant integration.
Facebook also teased a major redesign for the Messenger app that would simplify the user experience and bring in the new dark mode.
Facebook announced a bunch of new features for Instagram during its F8 conference.
Here’s what you need to know about the new Windows 10 April 2018 Update.
The upcoming ruggedized version of the Samsung Galaxy S9 is said to come with a 4,000mAh battery.
Parents will soon be able to approve individual videos and channels in the YouTube Kids app.
The changelog for iOS 11.4 beta 1 reveals that Messages in iCloud and AirPlay 2 are back.
Samsung has detailed how it came up with the Super Slow-mo feature of its latest flagship phones.
Facebook Messenger now supports 360-degree photos and HD videos.
A mini version of the Samsung Galaxy S9 could be in the works based on a new Geekbench entry.
Snapchat users will soon be able to do a group video chat with their friends.
OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei also explained in an interview why the company decided to implement a notch as part of the OnePlus 6 display.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has revealed some of the possible specs and features of the next-generation Apple Watch smartwatch.
The Huawei P20 and P20 Pro both share much of the same features, but the latter comes with a triple-camera setup that's a first of its kind.
The Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S looks a lot like its predecessor but it packs some new features powered by the Snapdragon 845 processor.


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Small businesses and their IT departments looking to take advantage of Microsoft’s latest server operating system now have an option to try out.
Windows Server 2012 Essentials is now generally available, Jeffrey Snover wrote in a blog post on Microsoft’s Windows Server blog.
The Essentials product is a stripped-down version of the feature-rich, “kitchen sink” Windows Server 2012, which became generally available in September.
Essentials boasts a simpler set up process while maintaining low costs. It also brings over many of the same features from the Datacenter version. This includes data protection and backup, client computer health monitoring and simple VPN setup.
It supports up to 25 users and 50 devices and is primarily positioned as an on-premises option for companies.
A trial version is available from Microsoft for 180 days.
In this monthly feature, we round up the most popular content of the previous month and share it with you.
For October, our most popular pieces involved this year’s best ways to manage Windows Server, features in Windows Server 2012 and a busy Patch Tuesday.
Here are last month’s most popular stories on SearchWindowsServer.com.
October’s Patch Tuesday: vulnerabilities in Word and Kerberos, rereleases
Last month’s Patch Tuesday was a busy one with seven bulletins and cumulative updates for Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8. Although there was only one critical patch, vulnerabilities in Kerberos and Word caused concern. A certificate authentication error meant patches from August had to be rereleased.
Our five best tips for managing Windows Server
We put together this year’s five most popular tips for Windows Server management. Features in PowerShell, ReFS, IIS 8 and Remote Desktop Gateway are highlighted.
Clustering improvements in Windows Server 2012 ease administration
Up until Windows Server 2012, clustering had specific limitations and dependencies. In the latest version of Windows Server, these changes offer admins more flexibility and include read-only domain controller support, a lack of complicated scripts and no more Active Directory dependency to boot.
Windows Server 2012 and scale-out file servers
Continuous availability is the name of the game with Windows Server 2012. This tip tells admins the best way to set up scale-out file servers and make zero downtime a reality.
Make sure hardware is compatible when upgrading to Windows Server 2012
Before making the jump to Windows Server 2012, it’s important for admins to ensure hardware will still be compatible after the upgrade. Our expert offers admins some suggestions about what to look for.
What content of ours helped you in October? Let us know in the comments on this post, or on Twitter @SearchWinServ.
Microsoft’s big data products inched closer to a public release today, as the company released refreshed previews of Hadoop products.
They also gained new names: Windows Azure HDInsight Service and HDInsight Server for Windows.
The products will help admins manage unstructured data “of any shape or size,” according to Microsoft’s big data page, where the HDInsight products are available for evaluation.
The feature list includes access privileges managed with Active Directory and the ability to manage HDInsight clusters with System Center 2012.
Late last year, Microsoft said it partnered with Hortonworks to deliver big data frameworks for the cloud and on-premises versions of its software.
Still up in the air: the official version 1 launch date of the HDInsight, as the company is keeping quiet on its release date.
By Stuart J. Johnston, Senior News Writer
It’s not as though it wasn’t already apparent, but Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has made it official: Microsoft’s future lies beyond Windows in the realms of devices and services.
That was the message Tuesday when Ballmer published his annual letter to shareholders, customers, partners, and employees in the run up to the company’s annual meeting at the end of the month.
“It’s important to recognize a fundamental shift underway in our business and the areas of technology that we believe will drive the greatest opportunity in the future,” Ballmer said. “This is a significant shift, both in what we do and how we see ourselves — as a devices and services company.”
The soon-to-be-released Surface tablets as well as cloud computing spring to mind when devices and services are mentioned, of course. The question is how will this shift play over time with the letter’s constituencies?
To those who question the wisdom of seemingly changing businesses — even business models — in mid-flight, Ballmer had some answers. Microsoft isn’t in the device business? Take a look at Xbox and Kinect, and don’t forget mice and keyboards. He didn’t mention the KIN phone disaster, but it’s hard to argue that the Xbox hasn’t helped bring computing and connectivity into the family room.
What’s so notable is that the company has so much at stake in this shift, and yet has the conviction that without moving in such new directions the company may not survive — like The Innovator’s Dilemma. The world is changing by the millisecond and unless the company tears down its own foundation and rebuilds itself, faster competitors will eventually eclipse its dominance.
Here’s the $74 billion question: Can Microsoft’s corporate culture make the switch, along with changing the whole product orientation, and do it in a manner so as to not tear the company apart in the process?
Besides devices, Ballmer is betting that cloud services — for both businesses and consumers — will produce larger, more stable revenue streams over time, and change the way users compute, although the company hasn’t reported any figures for its cloud offerings so far.
Microsoft implies that these new business models will not compete with partners or shatter the well-developed third-party ecosystem. Of course, given the letter’s audience, Ballmer is aggressively optimistic.
Like campaign promises, however, there are a lot of holes to fall into, not the least of which is Windows 8, which some observers criticize as trying to be all things to all users. A failure in Windows sales could unravel two and a half decades of work, as could sluggish sales of cloud services.
With the launch of Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, and the Surface, Ballmer is taking perhaps the biggest bet-the-farm move the company has ever made.
“Apple has proven that hardware and software must go together in this new world … and you have this whole services thing happening,” said one source close to the company. “[this] implies we are abandoning the old stuff. Legacy is a bad word,” the source said.
By Stuart J. Johnston, Senior News Writer
Microsoft this week began beta testing a set of cloud features designed to give Windows Server 2012 customers the ability to provide Windows Azure services to users. The additions for Azure, first announced last spring, will enable hosting providers and on-premises users to offer cloud capabilities similar to Microsoft’s own Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) offering, although initial releases are targeted towards hosting partners.
It’s all part of a larger plan that Microsoft has dubbed Cloud OS — an umbrella concept to let customers run cloud applications on Windows Server 2012 on-premises, in third-party hosting centers or in Microsoft’s own data centers.
“As datacenter computing continues to evolve, customers should ultimately have full flexibility to decide where their data center resources are deployed (in their data center, a service provider’s data center, or Microsoft’s data center) and not have to worry about increased management burden or costs,” said Chris Van Wesep, senior product manager, in a post on Monday to Microsoft’s Server & Cloud Blog.
The company first announced the updates to Azure in early June and shipped community technology previews (CTP) of the Windows Server 2012 features at its Worldwide Partner Conference in July. Windows Server 2012 began shipping in early September.
“We’re now moving in the final phase of testing and bug fixes to make sure these technologies will be fully released along with the System Center 2012 Service Pack 1, which is scheduled for early 2013,” Van Wesep said.
What do you think of this news? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter @SearchWinServer.
Windows Server 2012 Essentials was released to manufacturing and will be generally available in less than a month, Microsoft said Tuesday.
Sinead O’Donovan, director of program management for Windows Server Essentials, said Essentials will be generally available beginning Thursday, Nov. 1. O’Donovan added that OEM partners will ship server systems carrying Windows Server 2012 Essentials by the end of this year.
Windows Server 2012 Essentials, a cloud and on-site server hybrid, is meant to replace Small Business Server and Home Business Server. A trial version of Essentials is available for download beginning today.
Windows Server 2012 Essentials will cost $425 and has a 25-users limit. Essentials is one of four editions of Windows Server 2012, alongside Datacenter, Standard and Foundation.
Microsoft altered pricing and reduced the number of editions from seven to four, which made some IT shops prepare for a potential cost increase.
What do you think about the Essentials RTM news? Let us know in the comments on this post, or on Twitter @SearchWinServ.
Halloween entails kids trick-or-treating for candy, but administrators will get some treats from Microsoft in this month’s Patch Tuesday to avoid potentially harmful tricks.
According to an advance security bulletin released this week, October’s Patch Tuesday includes seven bulletins to address vulnerabilities. Admins running Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 have two important bulletins to watch out for. Those bulletins also affect Windows client versions.
The other four bulletins are marked at “important” for elevation of privilege, remote code execution and denial of service vulnerabilities. Other affected software in these bulletins include SharePoint, Lync and SQL Server.
The lone “critical” bulletin of the month addresses remote code execution vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office. The patches in the bulletin are for Microsoft Office 2007 SP2 and SP3, as well as Microsoft Office 2010 SP1.
Internet Explorer is a notable absence for the second month in a row; the company released a fix last month for security problems that plagued the browser.
This month’s Patch Tuesday is a significant increase from September, which had the lowest bulletin count of the year.
What do you think of this month’s patches? Let us know in the comments on this post, or on Twitter @SearchWinServ.
After ten months of silence, the public finally has a glimpse of what Microsoft has been up to with Hadoop.
Hadoop for Windows Server is in the private preview stage, Mary Jo Foley reported. It originated in a Sept. 21 presentation given by Denny Lee, the technical principal program manager for SQL Business Intelligence.
According to Lee’s slides, Hadoop for Windows Server will include remote-desktop support and an interactive management console. Hadoop on Azure, which is still in preview, will include elasticity and simplified deployment and management.
Lee’s presentation also indicated that there are other components in the works, including Excel Hive Add-in, Sqoop, Apache Pig, Hive ODBC and more, Foley said.
Hadoop is a Java-based framework that supports large data set processing in a distributing computing environment. Last fall, Microsoft said it would implement Hadoop for Windows Azure and Windows Server with Hortonworks as its partner.
The last update about the project came in December, when Microsoft set the Hadoop for Azure general availability for March of this year and Hadoop for Windows Server date for June.
What do you think of the latest news about Microsoft and Hadoop? Let us know in the comments on this post, or on Twitter @SearchWinServ.
In our new feature, we’ll round up the most popular content of the previous month and share it with you.
For September, our most popular pieces had to do with (surprise!) the Sept. 4 general release of Windows Server 2012.
Here are last month’s most popular pieces.
Windows Server 2012: questions answered
In this FAQ, we answer the most pressing questions you have about the newest version of Windows Server, including new features, what versions are available and deciding when to upgrade. See also our review of Windows Server 2012.
Taking a look at Microsoft Online Backup Service
Our expert breaks down the integrated cloud backup service in Windows Server 2012 with the advantages and disadvantages you need to consider before adopting it.
What’s changed with DCPromo?
In this tip, you’ll get a look into what’s changed since DCPromo’s first appearance in Windows Server 2000, including Install From Media, mass DC deployments and manual DC demotion.
System Center 2012 SP1 lets IT manage Windows Server 2012… eventually
This news story looks at the timing of the System Center 2012 SP1 beta release and how it has some IT pros frustrated.
Sorting out issues with remote PowerShell commands
When PowerShell commands start giving you a headache because they don’t run remotely like you want them to, this tip helps you figure out what’s causing the problem and how to fix it.
What content of ours helped you in September? Let us know in the comments on this post, or on Twitter @SearchWinServ.
We’ve heard it from plenty of IT pros in the last year: they like what they see in Windows Server 2012, but they’re just not ready to jump ship. If they needed another reason to stay within the confines of Windows Server 2008, today they got one more.
Microsoft extended the support end-date two years to Jan. 13, 2015 Mary Jo Foley reported this week. Until then, the product will continue to receive its regular Patch Tuesday fixes and other, non-security fixes.
From there, Windows Server 2008 will go into extended support, which ends Jan. 14, 2020, according to the product lifecycle page on Microsoft’s website. Windows Server 2008 R2 has the same support end-dates.
As Foley notes, this isn’t because Windows Server 2008 is so popular that Microsoft felt it needed to continue to support it (and, it isn’t yet widely used, according to our Purchasing Intentions survey last year). Rather, the launch of Windows Server 2012 kicks in a protocol that “provides a minimum of five years of Mainstream Support or two years of Mainstream Support after the successor product ships, whichever is longer.”
Does this change help you decide when you’ll make your Windows Server 2012 purchasing decision? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter @SearchWinServ.


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Though Black Friday madness has now passed, we can still expect retailers to fight for our loyalty up until the festive break. From Nintendo's perspective it'll be targeting Wii U sales, and is no doubt hoping that retailers push exciting promotions — step forward Walmart with its latest deals in the US.
The retailer has released two new bundle deals, one is online-only and the other is in stores; both are priced $299.99 and include a free $50 Walmart voucher, making it a great opportunity to pick up some extras in addition to the bundle. Details are below, with the online deal hyperlinked.
Super Mario 3D World bundle — includes 32GB Wii U, Super Mario 3D World and Nintendo Land.
Mario Kart 8 Bundle — includes 32GB Wii U, Mario Kart 8 and Nintendo Land.
With this Holiday season being so vital for the Wii U, promotions like this will continue to be hugely important. Does this sort of promotion cut it, and do you think those on the fence will be tempted?


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Forty years ago, Major League Baseball's logo was designed by a man named Jerry Dior. In honor of the logo's anniversary, we're matching it up against the logos of the other leagues and letting you decide what's best.
Adobe, which is best known for its Photoshop, Flash, and Acrobat software, is looking in an entirely new direction with its $1.8 billion acquisition of web analytics company Omniture.
The New York Yankees know the recession happened. CNBC has exclusively obtained the 2010 ticket price list that the Yankees will send out to its season ticket holders in the coming days and prices for more than 80 percent of the stadium will remain the same.
Kim Clijsters picked up a significant bonus from her shoe and clothing sponsor Fila for winning the US Open. And while companies usually insure these bonuses, sources tell CNBC that Fila did not. That means the incentive money paid to Clijsters, said to be in the $300,000 range, will come out the company’s coffers.
Exploiting weaknesses in online ad systems is an increasingly common approach for computer criminals around the globe who hope to make a quick buck from the audiences of the sites they attack.
If you think you’ve seen everything on fantasy football, we’re here to tell you that you haven’t. That’s because you haven’t seen "Fantasy Football, The Musical?" We’re not kidding. It’s the brain child of David Ingber, who works at a company called Knewton by day, but combines his love of music and comedy by night.
In March, we told the world about the Michigan WhiteCaps' Fifth-Third Burger and named it our Minor League Concession Item of the Year. Every news outlet picked up the story about the 5,000-calorie gut buster. I followed up by becoming the first to try it.
Silicon Valley's watching Twitter to see whether and how it turns its popularity into profits. The social media site's new terms of service have everything to do with the goal of improving the service and starting a revenue stream.
It's been six years since Dan Brown's "Da Vinci Code" debuted, which has since sold more than 40 million copies, and now he's trying to break records and wow booksellers yet again.
Stock and options trading turned bullish on Focus Media yesterday as investors bet that the Chinese company will rally by this fall.
Forgive me if I'm naive, but I never heard about the Derek Jeter Yankees hit record until a couple weeks ago. Now his passing of Lou Gehrig as the Yankees All-Time Hit Leader is being celebrated everywhere I look. First at Modell's, where Jeter commemorative hit T's have been flying off the shelves.
The dream of quitting the day job and making a living from blog revenue has proved to be far-fetched for most bloggers. But a few entrepreneurs have found success in blog networks.
When I was growing up, the best store in all of New York City was a place called “Think Big!” I bought a big baseball bat, a big baseball, and for some strange reason, a big “While You Were Out” pad. I assume the store went out of business because, after a while the novelty wore off, and–to be honest–these items were hardly cheap.
Today NBC launches Jay Leno's new hour-long primetime show at 10 pm as part of a plan for the network to bring down costs and take a different approach to its primetime lineup.
At long last 3-D is finally rolling out to more theaters, which means great news for movie theater chains and studios who, with the technology, can charge more for tickets and pack theaters.
Kevin Ferguson, also known as Kimbo Slice, is one of the most marketable athletes in recent history. The name and the look is part of the lore. Then throw in the crazy street fights that lifted him off YouTube and into arenas across the country.
Measured training programs have become a nice cottage industry for the youth sports business. We’ve been impressed with SPARQ, which Nike aligned with, and the skill tests that they’ve done across the country in a variety of sports. Under Armour has done similar combines, well aware of the great branding opportunity that comes with grassroots training complete with athlete scoring.
There’s been much talk about the first billion dollar athlete. Tiger Woods is supposedly on track to reach $1 billion next year, though his agent Mark Steinberg told us he doesn’t keep an official tally anywhere. And many mention LeBron James as the guy who is most likely to follow Woods.
There's no better illustration of the degree of Disney fan obsession, than an arena filled with thousands of them, screaming like the Beatles had reunited when CEO Bob Iger takes the stage.
If an iPhone app is good or crazy, it’s going to get a lot of attention and certainly draw some downloads. While it’s probably not cool to have the medicinal marijuana locator app on your iPhone, the new iPhone app from Puma has all the ingredients of scoring plenty of viral buzz.


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Intex Aqua 4G+ smartphone is aimed at those college going kids who want to have the latest but within their budget.
The first Sailfish 2.0 OS smartphone from Intex called Aqua Fish is expected by November.
Intex iRist comes with a voice-assistant and a iConnect app which syncs with the smartphone if the iRist is used without a SIM card.
Intex Technologies is looking forward to venture into the wearables market in India with its iRist smartwatch
Intex Aqua Extreme II smartphone runs on Android 4.4.2 KitKat operating system.
Intex is a decent LED option for people looking to buy a large screen without being hung up on bigger brands
Intex Aqua 4G+ has support for multiple languages and runs on a 1.3 GHz MediaTek quad core processor with 2GB RAM.
Intex Aqua 3G Pro and Aqua 3G Strong run on Android 4.4.2 KitKat operating system.
Singapore app firm Gentay Communications Pte Ltd has partnered Intex to make free calling app called nanu.
Intex Cloud M5 II smartphone runs on Android 4.4.2 KitKat operating system.
The Intex battery charger uses a Li-Polymer battery and has two output USB 2.0 ports.
Intex Cloud N runs on a 1.2GHz quad-core processor with 1GB RAM.
For now, the biggest market share among these new entrants is that of Lenovo, the numbers driven up primarily by its acquisition of Motorola, which has at least two very popular budget smartphones in India.
CMR’s India Monthly Mobile Handsets Market Review for May 2015 show a a 15 per cent fall in overall shipments.
The dual-SIM, slim smartphone runs on Android 4.4.2 Kitkat and weighs only 125 gms.
Best of Express


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Lumsden Design Partnership is working on in-store branding and interior design for food service giant Compass Group’s newly re-named Amigo convenience stores. The name, which replaces the previous Stopgap marque, was generated by Value Engineers, which also re-designed the logo.
Designed in collaboration with Stockholm-based studio Teenage Engineering, the collection aims to “democratise light and sound at home” with affordable modular pieces.
When the world’s biggest artists have a vision for virtual reality, London-based Acute Art provides the platform to make it possible.
Cape Town-based design conference and festival Design Indaba returns next month promising a special edition to celebrate 25 years.
The Yoto Player — a connected speaker with a light-up smiley face — can play stories, music, radio and podcasts for children.


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Facebook is a social utility that connects people with friends and others who work, study and live around them.
77% Of Web Users Prefer Social Login
These days there are so many websites competing for our attention that the easiest way to interact with most, if not all is to login via some sort of dedicated platform. That dedicated as far as social media is concerned is ‘social login’ and according to a new study, 77% of web users prefer to interact with most of their online accounts via this method.
Facebook is perhaps the best example of how social login works and although the social networking giant has a foothold on preference among most social web users, Google+ is fast becoming the login tool of choice. According to the study conducted by Janrain.com, Google+ is more popular as social login tool over both Yahoo and Windows Live. Facebook has a 45% popularity rating followed by Google+ with a 31% rating. Yahoo and Windows Live came in at 9% and 3% respectively.
Of course social login is much more than a convenient tool for online web users. It has become the quickest way for smaller social outfits to grow their user and tap into the much larger engagement pool. Pinterest for instance has a dedicated social login which piggy backs off Facebook. Users can share their pins all from within the comforts and familiarity of their Facebook account.
Social login is perhaps the future of online interactivity and so we can expect these numbers of the top players to increase as time goes on.


text: Tencent Holdings (OTC:TCEHY) recently led a consortium of companies, including Tencent Music Entertainment (NYSE:TME), in acquiring a 10% stake of Vivendi‘s (OTC:VIVHY) Universal Music Group for $3.4 billion. Before the deal closes in the first half of 2020, Tencent Music is expected to enter a second deal to acquire a minority stake in UMG’s Chinese business. Furthermore, the deal gives the consortium the option of buying an additional stake of up to 10% in UMG by Jan. 15, 2021.Tencent Music is already the top online streaming company in China, but these deals will improve its access to UMG’s lineup of artists, which includes Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, and The Beatles. It will also likely lower Tencent Music’s licensing fees for UMG songs, and bolster its sub-licensing business, which licenses its tracks to other Chinese streaming music platforms. This deal clearly benefits Tencent Music, but it could also hurt NetEase ( NASDAQ:NTES) Cloud Music, Alibaba‘s (NYSE:BABA) AliMusic, and other rivals in several ways.Some investors believed that the probe could derail Tencent’s Tencent’s talks with UMG, which started last summer. However, the deal was still approved — and will likely allow Tencent Music to license songs at lower royalties from UMG, then sub-license them back to rivals like NetEase and Alibaba at current rates for higher profits. To add insult to injury, Tencent Music will also reap profits from NetEase and Alibaba’s direct licensing payments to UMG.


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Dr Reddy’s gets US FDA approval to launch Suboxone generic1 min read . Updated: 15 Jun 2018, 08:44 PM IST
The US FDA approval means Dr Reddy's will be able to launch in the US a generic version of Suboxone Film, which accounted for 80% of Indivior's revenue last year
Mumbai: Shares of Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd, India’s second largest drug maker, soared over 3% in afternoon trade on the BSE, after the pharma firm said the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) had given it the go-ahead to launch generic versions a drug used to treat adults with opioid addiction. The original drug, Suboxone Sublingual Film, is manufactured by London-listed Indivior. Dr Reddy’s generics are called Buprenorphine and Naloxone Sublingual Film.
The approval means Dr Reddy’s will be able to launch a cheaper version of Suboxone Film in the US, which accounted for 80% of Indivior’s revenues last year.
On Friday, Dr Reddy’s shares rose 3.65%, Rs82.70, to Rs2,351.10 apiece on the BSE while the benchmark Sensex ended flat at 35,622.14 points.
“Buprenorphine helps suppress withdrawal symptoms caused by discontinuation of opioid drugs, and Naloxone reverses and blocks the effect of opioids. This combination of medications is used as part of a complete treatment program including prescription monitoring, counselling, and psychosocial support," the company said in a filing to the exchanges.
“With opioid addiction becoming increasingly prevalent in America, the full approval and launch of our generic equivalent of Suboxone could not have come at a more critical time to help patients," explains Alok Sonig, chief executive officer, developed markets, Dr Reddy’s.
According to a report of the council of economic advisers, part of the executive office of the US President, in 2015 more than 33,000 Americans died of drug overdose involving opioids.
US FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb said on Friday, “The FDA is taking new steps to advance the development of improved treatments for opioid use disorder, and to make sure these medicines are accessible to the patients who need them. That includes promoting the development of better drugs, and also facilitating market entry of generic versions of approved drugs to help ensure broader access."
According to IMS Health, Suboxone registered US sales of approximately $1.86 billion for the 12 months to April 2018. Suboxone Film, a principal product of Indivor, is taken orally to help reduce dependence on opiods.
Dr Reddy’s had bought the new drug application for a generic rival treatment from Teva Pharmaceutical industries in June 2016 for $70 million.


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Google, the first business to create a car without a steering wheel, accelerator, or brake pedal, just showcased a brand-new self-driving car prototype.
The arrival of the vehicle heralds the advancement of Google’s self-driving car initiative. It was inspired by the early 2000s Darpa Grand Challenges for robotic cars.
Google began working on its self-driving car project in 2008, and it has continued ever since. Initially with modified Toyota Prius vehicles and later with customized Lexus SUVs that added a rotating laser scanner to the top of the car’s existing sensors, like the cruise control cameras.
To test the next phase of its five-year-old self-driving car research, Google created the first driverless electric car prototype. It has two seats and adequate room for a small amount of luggage. Perhaps, it resembles a hybrid between a Smart car and a Nissan Micra.
It represents Google’s first concrete physical realization of what a self-driving car of the coming years would look like. However, it works in and around California, particularly in the neighborhood of Mountain View, where Google is based.
Without any user input, it transports two persons between two locations. Smartphone users can request a car to pick them up at their location and take them to their destination.
There is only a start button and a large red emergency stop button. There is no steering wheel or human control. A small screen in front of the passengers displays the weather, the current speed, and a brief launch countdown animation.
What does it feel like?
The new car has only been made available to a very small number of people outside of Google. The majority of the persons featured in Google’s commercials for the new vehicle rated the experience as “smooth” and “not even the slightest threat.”
One of the few test data riders was Kara Swisher and Liz Gannes from the technology website Recode. They said the car felt “a lot like a theme park ride,” despite being small and having “ample” room despite the lack of typical controls in the cabin.
Who designed it?
To avoid blocking any sensors or creating blind spots, Google started with the sensors and a frame to connect them before adding the cabin and, last, the body shell. A company in the Detroit region would manufacture roughly 100 prototype self-driving cars. Although, Google declined to say which one.
How does it function?
The automobile, which has an electric motor with a range of about 100 miles, combines sensors, software, and very accurate digital maps to locate itself in the real world.
When the automobile is roughly located using a GPS, similar to the satellite navigation systems in most cars, radar, lasers, and cameras take over to monitor the environment all around it in 360 degrees. The program can identify objects, people, cars, road markings, signs, and traffic signals.
It complies with traffic laws and accounts for a variety of unforeseen risks, including cyclists. It can even detect road construction, and it can safely go around it.
How risk-free is it?
The new vehicle is a development of Google’s self-driving vehicle. Although the new frame is not under testing, the company’s earlier models have logged more than 700,000 miles of testing on public roads.
Primarily in California, including more than 1,000 miles of driving in the most challenging conditions and cities like the hilly and congested streets of San Francisco.
The car’s top speed is restricted to 25 mph, which keeps it on particular roads. It also reduces the amount of kinetic energy it might carry in the event of a collision.
With a foam bumper and a flexible windscreen that is intended to absorb energy from a collision with a person’s head, the front of the automobile is also designed to be as kind to pedestrians as possible.
Additionally, the car has redundant systems, or what Google refers to as a “fault-tolerant architecture,” for both steering and braking, should the primary systems fail. There is also an emergency stop button that passengers can press at any time. Seat belts are essential for all vehicles on the road.
Google has also developed a defensive, considerate driving style. It is intended to protect both the passengers and other road users by using the information and driving habits it learned from its prior vehicles.
When can I purchase one?
Although testing would take longer than two years, Google claims that the vehicles should be road-ready by the beginning of next year. The technology will then go for the following phase, which is probably more extensive pilot testing.
It is currently anticipated that self-driving cars won’t be developed to the point where they can produce a real, non-prototype product for at least five years, but it may take much longer.