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Computers are an essential part of just about any business, but with all of the options on the markets these days, it can be difficult to work out exactly what you need.
Mr Moggridge, a British industrial designer, was credited with creating the flip-open form of the modern laptop that is common today.
The students from Stanford and Finland’s Aalto University used Autodesk Inventor and Autodesk Inventor Publisher software to help develop and refine the innovative laptop during the school year.
Sometimes you see a simple solution to a problem and you just want to share it.
Diversifying its product portfolio, Re-feel is gearing up to enter the laptop services business by June this year, marking its venture into mainstream IT segment.
Absolutely a disruptive model.
Many employees — frustrated that their companies are unwilling to pay for the laptops, cellphones and other electronic devices that they want on the road — are spending their own money to get them.
There are a few things that we all know are banned from eBay: alcohol, guns, dead bodies.
For years I’ve been looking for a bag with compartments for all my gadgets that I could take on a plane or into a boardroom.
Here’s a nifty device that makes life a lot easier for execs who spend more time in the air than on the ground.


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Google with a new face very soon The "Same-Day Delivery"
October 26, 2012 10:37pm CST
Google is testing a new app called "Same-Day Delivery". This app will allow US citizen to buy a product while using their phone or computers and have it delivered in their home in the following minutes after the shipping. Google is still testing the app with several San Francisco retailers and delivered companies and only some Google employees can have access to it.

domain: news


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Equitas Small Finance Bank has partnered with Google Pay to offer Fixed Deposits (FD). As per the bank, opening an FD will be as effortless as making UPI payments. The users can schedule an FD via Google Pay under the 'Business and bills' section. Reportedly, the bank will provide up to 6.35% yearly interest rates on an FD. After maturity, the money will be sent to google's affiliated account.
Courtesy: Gadgets Now
Messaging giant Whatsapp has added a new feature that aids people to choose payment background while doing transactions. “With Payments Backgrounds, our effort is to bring excitement to everyday payments through WhatsApp and enable our users to express themselves if they wish,” said Mahesh Mahatme, Director of Whatsapp payment. The feature is similar to GooglePay where the user can avail backgrounds while doing money transactions.
Courtesy: Money Control
With a 7% hike, over 968.7 million UPI transactions were done through digital payment app PhonePe in January. The app, leaving behind its competitor Google Pay, processed a total value of Rs 1.92 trillion. Moreover, 42% of the total Unified Payments Infrastructure (UPI) transactions were made through the app. However, the transactions on Google Pay showed a slight decline processing 853.5 million (37%) UPI transactions.
According to the NPCI, online payments operators Google Pay and PhonePe have jointly accounted for about 81% of the total digital transactions in October. While the Google Pay logged UPI transactions worth Rs 1,65,654.71 crore, PhonePe registered transactions worth Rs 1,68,085.06 crore. Though PayTM (Rs 27,489.33 crore) and Amazon Pay (Rs 3,854.49 crore) have made significant leaps the… read-more
Google has announced a new feature for "Google Pay", which lets the users to add their NFC-powered credit and debit cards as a payment method, apart from the existing bank account option. Google Pay offers "tap-and-pay" functionality for NFC-enabled terminals, encouraging touch-less payments using a smartphone. The feature will be running in India as Google have partnered with Axis Bank and SBI bank.
Courtesy: Gadgets 360


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Following an earlier report that Apple Maps will be adding Transit in iOS 9, a follow-up report by 9to5Mac provides more details on Apple’s initial rollout plans, indicating that at launch the service will be limited to a handful of cities around the world. According to sources familiar with the project, Apple’s Transit service will be coming to only a half-dozen cities at first, with the list including San Francisco and New York in the U.S., Toronto, Canada, and London, Paris, and Berlin in Europe. Despite this short list, however, Apple is reportedly already making plans to expand the service further, and is considering Boston, Massachusetts and Tokyo, Japan as two of the next cities on its list.
Apple has designed iOS 9 to support Force Touch capability — rumored to be coming in next-generation iPhones — and is making improvements to the OS keyboard, according to a report from 9to5Mac. Apple’s updated iOS 9 will offer similar functionality to the Force Touch trackpads in new MacBooks, integrating the new technology to bring pressure-sensitive scrolling to media players. Force Touch will also modify the way users look up words, allow them to add new events in Calendar, and drop pins in the Maps app, according to sources who have used the new iPhone prototypes. Since the updated iOS 9 will also power upcoming iPads, there is speculation that Force Touch capabilities will end up in future iPads, as well. Apple is also weighing options for keyboard updates, including easier access to the QuickType keyboard, an improved Shift key that makes it easier to see when Shift or Caps Lock is active, and a “longer” design with additional editing controls in portrait mode. Updates to iMessage are also expected, including improved read receipt settings and preferences.
A new report by 9to5Mac provides some insight into Apple’s plans for iOS 9, expected to debut at WWDC early next month. As previously reported, iOS 9 will focus primarily on stability and optimization, however this new information reveals some new details about some of the features and improvements Apple is working on, particularly in the areas of security and legacy device support.
A new security feature, dubbed “Rootless,” is expected to significantly improve iOS security at the kernel level by preventing even “root” level administrative access to certain protected files on Apple devices. Sources have also indicated that Rootless will be a major deterrent to jailbreaking on iOS, making it much more complicated to hack iOS devices and install unauthorized apps. Apple is also said to be working on leveraging iCloud Drive for more of its back-end services. Services such as Notes — which currently uses IMAP to store notes on an email server — and the CalDAV-based Calendar and Reminders are being re-architected to store their data directly in iCloud Drive, which will provide better end-to-end encryption and faster and more reliable syncing services. A new “Trusted Wi-Fi” feature is also under development to improve security by allowing iOS devices to more transparently connect to specific, authorized wireless routers, although it’s unclear whether this last feature will be incorporated into iOS 9 or pushed back until a future point release or beyond.
In contrast to earlier reports which speculated that iOS 9 could possibly drop support for all but 64-bit devices, Apple is apparently optimizing iOS 9 to run more efficiently on older iPhones and iPads, even going so far back as the iPhone 4S and original iPad mini. The company is said to have restructured its software engineering process to ensure older hardware is better supported with iOS updates, building a “core version” of iOS 9 targeted at older devices and enabling features individually, as opposed to the former approach of building iOS 9 for newer devices and then disabling features to try and improve performance.
Apple plans on bringing its own San Francisco font seen on Apple Watch to iOS 9 and OS X 10.11, 9to5Mac reports. The font will replace Helvetica Neue, which debuted in iOS 7 in 2013. Though the San Francisco font was developed “specifically for legibility,” the idea to bring the font to iOS appears to have a mixed reaction within Apple — the report claims that higher-ups believe the font will help “iOS and OS X to avoid becoming stale,” but also notes that some Apple engineers don’t like the font, “which may look particularly rough on non-Retina screens.”
Apple will be discontinuing support for the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS effective June 9, 9to5Mac reports. Citing Apple internal documents, the report notes that the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3G (China), iPhone 3GS, and iPhone 3GS (China) will be designated as “Obsolete” in Asia-Pacific/Canada/EU/Japan/Latin America and all Apple Retail Stores, while these models will be designated as “Vintage” in the U.S., where Apple is still required to provide hardware service for a longer period of time as required by California law. The original iPhone, which was declared obsolete outside of the U.S. in 2013, will also lose its U.S. “Vintage” status and be added to the U.S. “Obsolete” list as well. Apple typically declares products “Vintage” when they have not been manufactured for more than five years, but less than seven. “Obsolete” products are those that have not been manufactured for more than seven years.
Visiting Beijing to tout Apple’s environmental strides in China, Apple CEO Tim Cook told Xinhua he is “very bullish on Apple Pay” for the country, despite a series of snags that has kept the payment system from going live there. Once Apple Pay is available, Cook said he believes China will adopt it even faster than the U.S. has. China has already become a more lucrative market than the U.S. for iPhone sales, with Apple overtaking local phone maker Xiaomi to become the top smartphone vendor in China. “I think China is a market where everyone will own a smart phone,” Cook said, adding he hopes to convince “a reasonable percentage” of that market to carry the iPhone. Apple is rapidly expanding its retail presence in China to meet growing demand, opening seven more Apple stores since the start of 2015 and planning to nearly double the current total of 22 stores by the middle of 2016. “Forty is a good objective for us for mid next year,” said Cook, “That is not where we want to end. We’ll keep adding from there.”
In a note to investors, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo — who seems to be right about Apple products more frequently than most analysts — has made 11 big predictions about new iPhone models to be released this year. Kuo sees new 4.7-inch and 5.5 inch iPhone models in mass production by late August, but doesn’t think a new 4-inch model is coming in 2015 for those turned off by the new larger iPhones. His predictions for the new “iPhone 6s” and “iPhone 6s Plus” models include Force Touch, an A9 processor with 2GB of RAM, a 12-megapixel camera and a rose gold color option. Here’s the full list:
(1) Force Touch will be the biggest upgraded selling point, but also one of the main bottlenecks of the supply chain. Force Touch can enhance user experience due to more input methods and support of handwritten signatures, which is beneficial for expanding in the commercial market;
(2) Screen will remain at 4.7 and 5.5 inches, with resolution the same as existing models. There will be no new 4-inch model;
(3) There will be an additional casing color, rose gold, matching the rose gold Apple Watch Edition;
(4) The camera will have a pixel upgrade, likely to 12 MP;
(5) One microphone will be added near the speaker to enhance voice quality;
(6) The A9 processor with upgraded 2GB LPDDR4 will be adopted;
(7) The bending issue will be improved by using different casing materials and internal mechanical design changes;
(8) If drop test issues can be resolved, the 5.5-inch model will have a limited number of units with sapphire cover lens;
(9) The recognition rate of Touch ID will be improved further in a bid to promote Apple Pay;
(10) Gesture control support; and
(11) It’s expected that mass production will start in mid-to-late August. Total shipments will be 80-90mn in 2015, with a 2:1 ratio of 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models.
Apple has released its third beta of iOS 8.4 to developers, continuing to focus on the new iOS Music app. Featuring a build number of 12H4098c, the release is also accompanied by a new Xcode 6.4 beta to support the new APIs and development environment. The release notes for this latest beta indicate both improvements and limitations in App Extensions, the iTunes Store, Siri, Videos, and WatchKit, as well as with the new Music app. The new Music app appears to continue having a long list of issues that remain to be addressed, with limited progress since the first beta, although the language of several has been softened from phrases such as “does not work” to “may not work” suggesting that Apple is perhaps slowly working on improvements in these areas.
During yesterday’s quarterly earnings call, Twitter CEO Dick Costolo said his company is working on injecting more tweets into the Spotlight feature on iOS and OS X. Spotlight already displays information from Twitter when users search for specific Twitter handles or certain hashtags, but how the search prioritizes hashtags is unclear. A search for hashtags including terms already occurring in a user’s stored messages can return no Twitter results at all, and even when a hashtag search produces results from Twitter, the results don’t match up with the same search in the iOS Twitter app. Costolo said Twitter is “working with Apple to surface great Twitter content and accounts directly in Spotlight Search on iOS and OS X, that also makes it easier and quicker to find great things on Twitter.” No timeline for the added integration or information about how it will function within Spotlight was offered. [via 9to5Mac]
Apple sold more iPhones in China than the U.S. for the first time in Q2, Reuters reports. Apple’s revenue in the country was up 71 percent to $16.8 billion over the quarter, fueled by gift buying around Chinese New Year. Apple sold 61.2 million iPhones overall in the quarter, up 40 percent from last year’s Q2, but down from the previous record-breaking holiday quarter. The larger-screen iPhone 6 and 6 Plus have proven popular with customers worldwide, helping Apple overtake Samsung in global smartphone sales last quarter.
Apple has released its second beta of iOS 8.4 to developers, a release that continues to focus on Apple’s new Music app introduced in the original iOS 8.4 beta. Featuring a build number of 12H4086d, the release is also accompanied by a new Xcode 6.4 beta to support the new APIs and development environment. The release notes for this latest beta indicate both improvements and limitations in App Extensions, CarPlay, App Store, iTunes Store, MFi GPS accessories, Videos, and WatchKit, as well as with the new Music app. Notably, the list of limitations in the Music app remains the same as in the first beta, suggesting that the development process may be proceeding more slowly than expected.
Researchers at Skycure have exposed an SSL certificate security flaw allowing them to create a ‘No iOS Zone’ where most apps on iPhones and iPads running iOS 8 will crash while connecting to the Internet, even crashing the devices themselves in some cases. While the exploit is normally triggered by users manually joining these rogue Wi-Fi networks, hackers can also take advantage of the WiFiGate vulnerability to create fake Wi-Fi networks with names that iOS devices on some carriers will automatically join — for example any iPhone on AT&T will join any nearby Wi-Fi network with the name “attwifi” without requiring any user interaction. Once the device is connected, either automatically or manually by the user, apps attempting to make a secure connection with a server will crash. Heavy use of the device while it is exposed to the fake Wi-Fi location can even cause the device’s OS to crash. In some instances that crash led to a repeatable boot cycle, rendering the device useless while within range of the fake Wi-Fi hotspot. Users can avoid the problem by disconnecting from the offending Wi-Fi network and generally avoiding connecting to suspicious free Wi-Fi networks, although in the case of carrier-defined Wi-Fi networks, the user may be required to move out of range of the Wi-Fi network entirely, as many of these carrier settings cannot be overridden. Skycure has reported the problem to Apple and speculates that iOS 8.3 may have fixed some of the underlying issues. [via 9to5Mac]
Google has announced that the YouTube app will cease to function starting in May for iOS devices running an OS older than iOS 7 — this likely refers to the older Apple-developed YouTube app that was discontinued in iOS 6. The change also impacts second-generation and older Apple TV units, which won’t be able to access YouTube starting in May unless Apple chooses to provide a software update for the older model. Users of the YouTube app on these older devices are already seeing a video notifying them of the change, but the app is still functional for now. In early May, users will only see the notification video, and will be unable to access any video content through the app. Google’s support page has directed users of older iOS versions to visit YouTube’s mobile site to view videos. Notably, Google’s official YouTube app for iOS remains listed as compatible with “iOS 6.0 or later”, so it’s unclear why iOS 6 users may be unable to access YouTube unless Google simply plans to drop iOS 6 support in the native iOS app.
Less than a week after the public release of iOS 8.3, Apple has already begun the developer beta cycle of the next iOS update, with the release of the first iOS 8.4 beta to registered developers. As expected, iOS 8.4 appears to focus primarily on a redesigned Music experience to pave the way for Apple’s upcoming streaming music service, with a number of significant changes to the built-in Music app, paralleling some iTunes features such as Now Playing, Mini Player, and support for adding to and managing the Up Next queue.
The Music app redesign is apparently being overseen by Trent Reznor, the creative head at Beats Music, who has reportedly been working on a secret project at Apple since at least last fall. This first iOS 8.4 beta, featuring a build number of 12H4074d, is also accompanied by an Xcode 6.4 beta to support the new APIs and development environment, and notes about a dozen limitations with the new Music app at present.
It is expected that most of these are just issues related to the new Music app not being entirely finished in this first beta, and the app experience should improve through the remainder of the beta cycle.
With yesterday’s release of iOS 8.3, users on Sprint and EE in the UK can now take advantage of Wi-Fi calling. While the feature was initially debuted in iOS 8, only T-Mobile supported it at initial launch; for whatever reason other carriers seem to have been excluded up until this most recent iOS update, with Sprint issuing a formal press release, and EE more quietly announcing it via a posting in their community forums. An update to Apple’s support article on Wi-Fi calling provides confirmation that the service is now available specifically on “T-Mobile and Sprint in the United States and EE in the United Kingdom.”
Apple has publicly released iOS 8.3, noting more than 50 new fixes and improvements across areas such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, Messages, CarPlay, Family Sharing, Accessibility, Enterprise features, orientation and rotation features, and more. The update also boasts improved performance for launching apps, responsiveness of apps, Messages, Wi-Fi, Control Center, Safari tabs, third-party keyboards, and other features. Notably, with iOS 8.3, Apple has also removed the “beta” label from its iCloud Photo Library feature which debuted last fall, optimizing it to work with the new Photos app now available in OS X Yosemite 10.3.3. Other notable fixes and improvements include a new Emoji keyboard featuring over 300 new characters, the ability to filter out Messages not sent by people in your contacts list, a way to report junk iMessages directly from the Messages app, italic and underline formatting options on the iPhone 6 Plus landscape keyboard, and the ability to remove shipping and billing addresses used with Apple Pay. iOS 8.3 can be downloaded by going to the iOS Settings app and choosing General, Software Update, or by connecting your iOS device to iTunes and using the Check for Update option found on the iTunes device summary screen.
Apple’s rumored expansion of its iPhone trade-in program to include non-Apple devices went live today in the U.S. and Europe, French blog MacPlus reports. The U.K. website for Brightstar, a third-party company that handles Apple’s trade-ins, indicates Apple is now offering Apple Store credit in exchange for select handsets from Sony, Nokia, Blackberry, Samsung, NTC and LG. The change to Apple’s exchange program was handled with little fanfare in the U.S., with the announcement buried on individual store pages according to 9to5Mac. This would seem to imply U.S. stores are accepting non-Apple devices for trade-ins, but it’s unclear when Apple’s website will provide a link to allow online U.S. users to get an estimate for the value of their Android phones.
Apple may be planning to release three different iPhone models later this year, essentially adding a new 4-inch model to the lineup, according to the often-dubious DigiTimes. Citing “industry sources,” the report notes that the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus would be directly upgraded to the “iPhone 6S” and “iPhone 6S Plus”, respectively, and that a new “iPhone 6C” would be added to the lineup — a four-inch model that would presumably be the spiritual successor to the iPhone 5s. The devices would allegedly all include Corning Gorilla Glass, with the 6S series using A9 chips and the 6C using the current A8 chip, and all devices would include NFC and Touch ID hardware. The report’s sources also indicate that Apple would likely use different manufacturing partners for the smaller-sized iPhone.
While any early reports — especially from sources such as Digitimes — should be taken with an appropriate grain of salt, the move would not be entirely unexpected for Apple, particularly if demand for iPhones with the more “traditional” screen size remains high. As has been the company’s practice in previous years, Apple is currently still selling the older four-inch iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c alongside the larger iPhone 6 models, providing customers with a variety of screen sizes to choose from. However, as newer models are introduced, the company may not wish to leave these users with only significantly older hardware options.
Apple has released its fourth beta of iOS 8.3 to registered developers; it’s the second beta in the new iOS Public Beta program. This latest beta features a build number of 12F61 and details few changes in the release notes from the prior beta, with minor issues related to CarPlay, WatchKit, Spotlight and UIKit.
As with the third beta released earlier this month, this latest update is once again accompanied by a new beta build of the Apple TV Software, although it is unclear at this point what has changed in that particular version as Apple TV betas are generally not accompanied by release notes.
Apple’s iOS 8.2 eliminated the FREAK security flaw in Safari, but FireEye researchers found a handful of popular iOS apps are still vulnerable to attack even when running on iOS 8.2. Hundreds of others still connect to vulnerable HTTPS servers, leaving them open to attack when running on iOS versions lower than iOS 8.2. Shopping, medical and finance apps were all mentioned as possible targets in FireEye’s plea for app developers to remedy the lingering issues.


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Tolu is a cryptocurrency and blockchain enthusiast based in Lagos. He likes to demystify crypto stories to the bare basics so that anyone anywhere can understand without too much background knowledge. When he's not neck-deep in crypto stories, Tolu enjoys music, loves to sing and is an avid movie lover.
PayPal has released its quarterly report for the third quarter of 2019. The company has exceeded all analysts’ expectations.
PayPal Holdings Inc. has announced its earned figures in its quarterly report for the third quarter, showing a notable increase in the company’s volume of total payment. According to its report, the company pulled in a $4.38 billion revenue, representing a 19% increase.
Furthermore, the company’s earnings per share also increased, going higher than the proposed estimate by market analysts. Experts had estimated a 52 cents per share earnings but PayPal surpassed this, hitting 61 cents which is still an increase from last year’s 58 cents in the same period.
PayPal has also announced a prediction that the fourth quarter should end with earnings of between 81 and 83 cents, just around experts‘ estimate of 81 cents on the dot. The reported figures seemed to have also been held back a little bit, by investments in ride-hailing company Uber, as well as in Argentine e-commerce company Mercado Libre. Without these two, figures might have been a bit higher.
Furthermore, PayPal’s third quarter saw an increase in the number of active accounts by 16%. This means that 9.8 million new accounts signed up, effectively driving the company’s total number of accounts to about 295 million. In addition, its total payment volume (TPV) surged by 25% and hit $179 billion. PayPal, however, predicts that by the end of the year, it should hit a total revenue of up to $17.76 billion and earnings per share should sit somewhere between $3.06 and $3.08.
PayPal President and CEO Dan Schulman in a news release said:
“We had an excellent quarter financially and operationally, reporting 19% revenue growth, more than 200 basis points of operating margin expansion, accelerating TPV growth and nearly 10 million net new active accounts.”
Last month, PayPal secured approval to enter the Chinese market by acquiring 70% of GoPay by the Guofubao Information Technology Co., Ltd. Even though none of the companies announced any specific details at the time especially regarding specific figures, it is expected that the deal will be fully completed by the end of the fourth quarter and will solidify PayPal’s position as the very first non-Chinese payments company to receive license from Chinese authorities to offer its services in the country. Schulman has described this as “a very significant development that has the potential to meaningfully expand our addressable market.”
A few months ago, Facebook announced plans for its Libra, released a whitepaper, and also announced a Libra Association, the governing body for the digital asset. PayPal along with more than 20 others, was announced as one of the founding members of the association. However, since the announcement, U.S. authorities, especially Congress, have expressed their displeasure with the project and due to regulatory bottlenecks, PayPal was the first firm to announce its official departure from the Libra Association. At the moment, Stripe, MasterCard, Visa and a few others have also followed PayPal out of the association.


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The NYT has a moderately interesting article up about a new revenue sharing agreement between Korn, EMI, and the Live Nation promotion company (recently spun off from Clear Channel).
Actually, the article isn't interesting at all. What is interesting is the managerese spouted by the founder of the company that brokered the deal.
"Instead of thinking about 'How do we get back $200,000 on the Fresno show?' they're thinking, 'How do we maximize the Korn brand?' They're more likely to invest dollars, ideas, thinking time."
"We've taken the biggest promoter and one of the biggest record labels and incentivized them to think long term and to think career about our band," Mr. Kwatinetz said. "We believe long-term career planning is what's been lacking in the business. We believe that's part of the solution to the woes the music business is experiencing."
Yup, that's the problem alright.


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The Lifelong Benefits of a Single Psychedelic Trip
For decades, numerous scientific studies have set out to determine the benefits of psychedelic trips. From stabilizing moods to boosting creativity, substantial findings support the positive impact of psilocybin. But, a slew of recent work—specifically a survey conducted by Johns Hopkins—suggests that trips could do even more: they can instill newfound purpose and a sense of connectedness that lasts a lifetime. Often, these come as a byproduct of an encounter with “ultimate reality”—something that teeters between an internal revelation and an acknowledgment of a “God” figure. Read more about the studies and the lasting effects of a trip at Psychology Today.
Jewelry Could Replace Contraceptive Pills and Implants
Developed by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology, a tiny patch might change the future of contraception. Potentially replacing traditional options for birth control (from pills to IUDs and implants), the small contraceptive patch will administer contraceptive drugs through consistent skin contact and therefore can be attached to accessories—from earring backs to the back of a watch. Engineer Mark Prausnitz says, “The more contraceptive options that are available, the more likely it is that the needs of individual women can be met.” Read more about the concept at Dezeen.
Alzheimer’s-Detecting VR Game
VR game Sea Hero Quest—developed by game studio Glitchers, Deutsche Telekom (a German telecommunications company) and several European universities—is capable of identifying the early stages of Alzheimer’s Disease in players. The game takes players on an ocean voyage, during which they are tasked with controlling the ship and navigating a specific route—first with a map, and then without. Apparently, “every two minutes spent playing the game is equal to five hours of lab-based research” and since the game has been downloaded around three million times, researchers have acquired the equivalent of around 1,700 years of research into the devastating disease. Developers and researchers hope that the data collected will offer the medical field vital information in order to provide treatment to those in need—before their illness worsens. Read more at Kotaku UK.
Iceland’s Mother Nature Fan Club
Perched on Reykjavik’s coastline, three rows of bleacher seats look out onto the Skeljanes Bay. They didn’t wash up on the shore but rather were positioned here as a “ready-made” art installation by Atelier Tobia Zambotti. The rocky shoreline naturally arches as a stadium would, but visitors here are encouraged to bask in the natural beauty of mother nature—hence the work’s name, “Mother Nature Fan Club.” This is for “the people who think that sunsets and rainbows are more exciting than any kind of sporting events,” Zambotti says to designboom. It’s also a stark reminder that what you see now may not be the same in the future. Read more there.
The $400 All-in-One Oculus Quest VR System
It may not be the most powerful VR system on the market, but the just-announced Oculus Quest has the potential to be a breakout hit. The system’s wireless headset and two Oculus Touch controllers offer six-degrees-of-freedom (6DOF) experiences—meaning you can walk, crouch or jump in the real world and your character moves in the virtual one. Games drop players right into the middle of the action. And, the OLED panel offers a solid 2880×1600 resolution. According to Ars Technica, “That full head and hand tracking makes the Quest a completely different class of VR than other untethered ‘mobile’ headsets.” With that functionality at an affordable price for such a system, many barriers to entry into the VR world have been lifted. Read more at Ars Technica.
The Credit Card That Tracks Your Climate Impact
Using a calculation system called the Aland Index, Doconomy (in partnership with Mastercard) is offering credit card holders the opportunity to have their purchases tracked for carbon emissions—and ultimately, card users that exceed a set climate impact limit will have their spending capped. It’s an important reminder that everything—from apparel to plane tickets—comes with associated climate impact and carbon emissions. In fact, 60% of carbon emissions are a result of consumption. The card itself is kinder to the planet and is made from bio-sourced material with ink rendered from air pollution particles. Read more at Dezeen.
Link About It is our filtered look at the web, shared daily in Link and on social media, and rounded up every Saturday morning.


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AUGUST 27, 2002
Jaguar, Red Bull and an Arrows revival
The news about Jaguar casts some doubt on the status of the Jordan deal that was announced in Hungary unless we accept that Ford has now saddled itself with two "factory" teams competing against one another with different brands. The deal with Jordan makes sense in that if there is a deal between Ford Europe and DHL for parts distribution the engine operation will pay for itself with savings made by Ford. The need for Jordan to have more than just customer status can be explained as a question of the team maintaining credibility without actually enjoying the full benefits of a factory deal and at the same time giving Ford a lever with which to squeeze more out of Jaguar Racing, its recalcitrant factory operation. This is not unusual behaviour for Ford bosses as throwing people up against one another creates competition and hopefully increases performance. There is an implied threat that the team which does the best job will end up with official status.
It would not be the first time that Ford has done this sort of thing. Back in 1993 when Benetton was underperforming badly, Ford did a deal with McLaren to supply its engines to the Woking team. Ayrton Senna blitzed the Benettons and the intense embarrassment led Benetton to redouble its efforts to be successful. The result was a World title for the team in 1994, albeit in highly controversial circumstances.


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Having concluded over the weekend, Taipei Cycle Show organisers have today told BikeBiz that early figures show 11.3 per cent growth in international visitors.
By region, over 50 per cent of visitors came from Asia, with China (including Hong Kong), Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand among the top 10. Nearly a third of overseas visitors travelled from Europe and North America, with United States, Germany, and France among the top 10. Visitors from Australia rose four per cent.
European trade organisation Coliped had already requested for more space in 2014, in order to accommodate growing interest from European exhibitors.
As reported earlier last week, 1,103 exhibitors filled the 58,000 square metres of exhibition space, with 3,289 booths booked from 36 countries.
Though the 2014 show has been scheduled for March 5th to 8th, again overlapping three days with TaiSPO, to be held March 4-7, the 2015 event could be moving to a summer schedule, according to Giant’s Tony Lo. Taitra has stressed the goal for any change to the show would remain on how Taipei Cycle could best serve the global cycling industry.
Links to each of the show daily magazines can be found here.


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Mobile Retail Search Rockets
According to the Online Retail Monitor Q2 2011 report, from the Google-BRC partnership, mobile search volumes rose 216 per cent year-on-year, which contributed to a 27 per cent growth in retail search volumes in Q2 2011, compared to the same quarter last year.
The news comes in the wake of the IT in Retail research published last week by Martec International, which found that the main area of investment for "leading retailers" is mCommerce and eCommerce.
According to the Martec report, investment in eCommerce and mCommerce grew from 17 per cent last year to 23 per cent this year, outdoing investment in store systems, which has been the focus for the previous nine years.
Eric Abensur, CEO at mCommerce platform provider Venda, says that this shift reflects consumer habits.
"The mobile presents a truly convergent retail space, supplementing in-store, social and online channels," he says. "With location-based offers driving footfall and constant connection to social sites enabling customers to advocate your brand, the mobile device presents multiple opportunities for retailers. As mobile use becomes ever more ingrained, investment in the converged eCommerce and mobile commerce space will pay dividends for retailers, in both complete transactions and marketing power."
The BRC-Google report also found that the growth of retail search volumes for multichannel retailers reached 14 per cent in the second quarter of 2011, compared with 21 per cent for pureplay online retailers.
The number of overseas consumers searching for UK retailers grew by 34 per cent in the second quarter of 2011 compared with the same quarter a year earlier, while the number of UK consumers searching for overseas retailers grew by 76 per cent in the second quarter of 2011 compared with the same period a year earlier.
There is also an urban skew to the stats - London comprised of 36 per cent of all retail search volumes in the UK.


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BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIM) is to cut some 2,000 jobs worldwide as part of global restructuring plans, various reports have said.
Those plans could be implemented in the next couple of weeks, The Globe and Mail reported, citing sources close to the company.
AllThingsD also reported the job cuts from RIM’s current staff number of about 16,500.
RIM itself has said its policy is to not comment on rumours and speculation.
The company’s CEO, Thorsten Heins, did say in an earnings call in March that the company is focusing on driving excellence in efficiency and operating metrics.
It’s been a bumpy time for RIM lately. The company’s head of global sales Patrick Spence resigned last week, and former co-CEO Jim Balsillie, resigned as director on its board in March.
At the time, the company also reported its revenue for the fiscal fourth quarter was US$4.2bn, down 19pc since the previous quarter with a US$125m net loss.
IDC also recently reported that BlackBerry continued its downward trajectory, as demand for older BlackBerry devices decreased and the market awaits the official release of BB 10 smartphones later this year. In addition, many companies now permit users to bring their own smartphones, allowing competitor operating systems to take away from BlackBerry’s market share. Although RIM has not officially released BB 10, initial glimpses of the platform have shown improvement.


text: In 2021, several YouTubers made videos investigating the phenomenon. On August 23rd, YouTuber Mr Ferrante posted a video on the phenomenon, claiming he saw videos so disturbing he wouldn’t dare mention them in his video. Specifically, videos with a title akin to “…ø·ø ̈ùšù„ø© … ø£øoù†ùšø© ù„ù„ø£ø·ù ø§ù„ … ù„ùšø ̈ùšø§” had the most disturbing content. His video racked up over 1.1 million views in three months (shown below, left). On October 31st, YouTuber YourEveryDayTheorist posted about the search, explaining that most of the videos brought up by the search were well-known creepy viral videos or shitposts, gaining over 310,000 views in roughly two weeks (shown below, right).


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Long & Foster Real Estate has announced that its Innsbrook sales office will support the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve in its Toys for Tots campaign this year. The office launched its toy drive for Toys for Tots earlier this month and will collect toys through December 9. Toys may be dropped off at the Innsbrook sales office, located at 11225 Nuckols Road in Glen Allen, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This year marks the company’s 26th year participating in the holiday collection campaign.
Citizen Staff Reports 11/08/2016 Business
Dominion Packaging, a provider of packaging solutions for the tobacco and quick service restaurant industry, will invest $25.1 million to expand its operation in Henrico County to support a new contract with Anheuser-Busch. Virginia successfully competed against Pennsylvania for the project, which will create 60 new jobs.
“Dominion Packaging is an incredible success story for Henrico County and the Commonwealth,” said Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe. “This company began in a basement in 2004 with a single piece of equipment and has grown exponentially, employing more than 280 Virginians. This homegrown business’ continued expansion is proof that Virginia offers the right infrastructure, regulatory environment, education system and skilled workforce for success. We will continue to find new, innovative ways to help small business thrive across Virginia and expand our products to a global marketplace as we build a new Virginia economy.”
Citizen Staff Reports 11/08/2016 Business
Applications are now open for the Dominion Memorial Scholarship Fund, which will award six new scholarships for the 2017-18 academic year.
Now in its 10th year, the program was established in memory of three college students with close ties to Dominion who were slain in the 2007 Virginia Tech shootings. Each scholarship provides as much as $5,000 for tuition and fees and is renewable for up to three years, for a total of four years.
Citizen Staff Reports 11/07/2016 Business
The U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Veterans Business Development this week announced a $300,000 funding opportunity for women and veteran-owned businesses through its Women Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Program. SBA expects to make up to six awards through this program with a minimum award of $25,000.
Successful applicants will be organizations with a demonstrated history of providing successful entrepreneurship training to women veterans, women service members, and women spouses of service members and veterans.
ChamberRVA has announced the winners of the 2016 IMPACT Awards which honor local businesses that are making an impact on the local economy, the community and their employees: Small Business Category – Workshop Digital; and Large Business Category – Keiter. Other finalists for this award included Piascik, TrueTimber Arborists, Inc., Dominion Packaging and Dominion Payroll Services. The Innovation Award, part of the Chamber’s i.e.* initiative, was awarded to Nutriati, Inc. Other finalists for this award included Iggbo, MAXX Potential and Tenant Turner. All winners were recognized at the 29th Annual IMPACT Awards Celebration Dinner, held at the Richmond Marriott Nov. 3.
Citizen Staff Reports 11/03/2016 Business
CSi Packaging, an advanced manufacturing firm based in the Netherlands, has signed a lease for a center in Eastern Henrico County, where it plans to employ 20 workers. The employees will be new hires. CSi plans to invest $260,000 in it new sales and service office.
“We’re excited to call Henrico County, Va., home to our new facility,” said CSi’s Director of Operations Jim Coddington. “The region is known as a robust market for supply chain management. Since packaging solutions is an important piece of that industry, we see CSi as an option to many existing companies not only in the local area, but to all of the Americas.”
Citizen Staff Reports 10/28/2016 Business
The 24th annual Saxon Shoes for the Needy collection to benefit The Salvation Army launches Nov. 1, and donations will be accepted through Dec. 24 at Saxon Shoes at Short Pump Town Center. The collected shoes will be presented to The Salvation Army Adult Rehab Center in Richmond.
Saxon encourages individuals, families, businesses and groups to clean out their closets and donate gently-used shoes.
Equity Concepts, a Richmond-based financial services firm with offices in Henrico County and Carytown, recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. Founded in 1991 by Michael Thaler, the firm started off as a two-person operation that has now expanded to two area offices, as well as two additional associate firms in Altoona, Penn. The company serves more than 2,000 households and oversees approximately $800 million in assets. It recently was ranked sixth on this year’s Richmond BizSense annual list of area wealth and asset management companies. Thaler has also established his own nonprofit, Effective Ministries, Inc. (EMI), also known as The LINK. The LINK oversees partnerships and projects that meet the physical and spiritual needs of the communities it serves in Richmond and Niger, Africa.
Holiday shopping options in Short Pump will be twice as nice this year with T.J.Maxx now open and seven new retailers in various stages of construction in West Broad Marketplace in the 4th quarter of 2016. Newly signed retailers include b.good, Essex Bank, Hair Cuttery, Rack Room Shoes, Escape Nails and Spa, Mattress Firm, and Verizon Wireless.
The openings of these retailers will closely follow the Wegmans’ opening which occurred in August.
Purveyor of healthy fast food, b.good, has chosen West Broad Marketplace to open its 39th restaurant and continue its growth from where it was founded in Boston. The restaurant will serve locally harvested kale and grain bowls, seasonal salads, burgers and sandwiches, along with smoothies and shakes.
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ClassifiedsSr. SAS Programmer Analyst w/MS degree & 1 yr. exp.: provide analytical support to perform data analysis, backend testing, adhoc reporting, custom./modify. to standard reports, dev. strategies to increase bus. Profitability, build/modify valuations models for bus. transactions; generate, prioritize new product, bus./channel ideas, conduct competition analysis, set up marketing tests; conduct cost benefit analysis, dev. strategies to create operational capabilities; conduct Data query, numerical analysis, dev., maintain computer fin’l, statistical models; skills: SAS, UNIX, PERL, KORN Shell, Teradata, SQL, Excel VBA, MACROS, Oracle, Statistical Sampling, Modeling, Design of Experiments, Cost Benefit Analysis, Data Mining & Competitive Data Analysis. Send resumes to Hanusoft, Inc., 7206 Impala Dr., Ste. 214, Richmond, VA 23228
CalendarThree Lakes Nature Center will offer “Mini Reindeer Moss Gardens” for ages 8-10 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Keeping a terrarium is a great way to grow your very own miniature forest indoors. This mini garden will feature moss, other moss varieties, plus a little surprise. Cost is $10. To register, call 652-1433. Full text


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Presumably we’ll see a Kickstarter soon
Jasco might have recently announced that supporting the originalMega Manboard game (pictured above) was a complicated issue they didn’t know how to address, but they currently have their hands full withStreet Fighter: The Miniatures Game and…another Mega Manboard game?
Announced by way of a Kickstarter update for the original, Jasco is now in the process of “contracting out designers” for both the first board game and will begin work on a second. If you blink you’ll miss half of that statement: they’re seemingly going to update the original, despite explaining in April that they couldn’t fix it, noting, “Our design team decided the issue with the game’s length lies with the board, and this is a component that cannot be easily changed and released for free as a digital file.” Maybe a second edition? Either way the long length and convoluted rules for the original never really bothered me, but if potential tweaks bring more players in — that’s a win-win.
Odds are they’ll spring for another Kickstarter for the upcoming follow-up, as Jasco usually runs them for basically all of their projects and it’s a way to get guaranteed pre-orders.
The Future of Megaman the Board Game! [Kickstarter] Thanks Jeff!


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Digital TV News: ITV
ITV and BBC sign agreement to launch BritBox
Jul 19, 2019 – ITV and the BBC plan to launch BritBox in the UK in the fourth quarter of this year. BritBox will be full of the UK's favourite programmes and the home of the largest collection of British boxsets. BritBox is also commissioning a range of original series.
News categories: BBC, ITV, Carolyn McCall, Tony Hall, Digital TV, OTT, UK
EE unveils broadband plans that include Apple TV 4K
Jun 27, 2019 – EE has announced a range of EE Home Broadband plans that include Apple TV 4K and access to BT Sport. With Apple TV 4K, customers can easily access TV shows and movies through the Apple TV app and by using Siri, as well as enjoy thousands of other apps.
News categories: EE, Apple, Apps, Digital TV, IPTV, Set Top Box, UK
ITV to launch addressable advertising platform with Amobee
Apr 4, 2019 – ITV has announced that it has signed a UK and Ireland licensing agreement with Amobee for programmatic buying and selling of video inventory on the ITV Hub. This will enable ITV to launch a fully programmatic, advanced advertising platform.
News categories: ITV, Amobee, Carolyn McCall, Kelly Williams, Kim Perell, Chris Williams, Adam Pace, Advertising, Big Data, Digital TV, Ireland, OTT, UK
US operators failing to make the most of customer data
Apr 3, 2019 – Paywizard has announced that a study of major US broadcasters, pay-TV operators, Telcos and OTT service providers has revealed that none are currently making the most of their data to more effectively engage customers and prospects.
News categories: Paywizard, Bhavesh Vaghela, Ben Keen, Big Data, Digital TV, Market Research, NABShow, USA
Involuntary cancellations a huge problem for the SVOD industry
Mar 19, 2019 – Vindicia (NASDAQ: DOX) has released a study that delves into consumer relationships with streaming video services and viewing behaviors. The study found that 70% of households in the U.S. and 40% of U.K. homes have a subscription to at least one streaming video service.
News categories: Vindicia, nScreenMedia, Anthony Goonetilleke, Colin Dixon, Digital TV, Market Research, OTT, USA
BBC and ITV confirm streaming service discussions
Feb 27, 2019 – The BBC and ITV are in talks about launching a streaming service for UK audiences, to be called BritBox. BritBox would provide British boxsets and original series, on demand. The BBC and ITV anticipate that other partners will be added to BritBox.
News categories: BBC, ITV, Tony Hall, Carolyn McCall, Digital TV, OTT, UK
Manhattan launches T3 Freeview Play 4K Smart Box
Feb 11, 2019 – UK-based set-top box specialist Manhattan has announced the launch of their first Freeview Play set-top box, the T3 Freeview Play 4K Smart Box. Building on the Freeview Play offering, the T3 also includes YouTube and YouTube kids.
News categories: Manhattan, Freeview UK, Alex Arbab-Zadeh, James Jackson, Digital TV, HbbTV, OTT, Set Top Box, Terrestrial, UK
Ooyala teams with DPP on metadata for news production
Feb 5, 2019 – Ooyala has announced that it will work with the DPP on its efforts to advance global news-industry standards for metadata. The DPP’s initiative is designed to help establish standards for application in every step of delivering news content.
News categories: Ooyala, DPP, Bea Alonso, Mark Harrison, Big Data, UK, Worldwide
Freeview UK launches mobile app for iOS
Jan 22, 2019 – Freeview UK has launched its mobile app for iOS devices. In just three taps, users can stream live shows from the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 and on demand content from BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4, My5, and UKTV Play whenever and wherever, all free.
News categories: Freeview UK, Owen Jenkinson, Apps, Digital TV, OTT, Terrestrial, TV Everywhere, UK
- Virtual Assistant shipments to exceed 2.3 billion in 2023
- CEVA acquires Hillcrest Labs
- Global semiconductor revenue forecast to decline 9.6% in 2019
- iflix secures new round of funding
- Malaysia runs analogue switchover pilot in Langkawi
- ITV and BBC sign agreement to launch BritBox
- Inca ABR transcoder approved for MOBITV CONNECT deployments
- UK CE market forecast to grow 4% in 2019
- India: 79% of the smartphone users using OTT apps for entertainment
- Peach advertising delivery platform launched
- Liberty Global Vodafone deal approved by European Commission
- Altice France unveils SFR Box 8
- ATEME and Eurovision Services run BISS-CA watermarking trial
- Netflix US streaming subscribers down 126k in 2Q 2019
- Pay-TV Innovation Forum releases sports OTT report
- One million downloads for Sinclair's STIRR app
- Cifra and Flussonic offer integrated IPTV/OTT solution
- Vodafone Portugal enhances the TV user experience
- Mirada to empower pay TV operators with Netflix integration
- DNA sells pay-DTT business to Digita


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Growing very slowly, but growing. That’s the latest word on the West Michigan economy, according to the data collected during the last two weeks of September.
New Orders, our closely watched index of business improvement, flipped back to positive at +6, up from August’s -4. The Production index also turned positive at +2, up from -6. It was gratifying to see the Employment index jump to +10. Industrial inflation, reported as our index of Prices, retreated to +8 from +12. With both of our Inventory indexes nearly flat at +4 and +3, respectively, it appears our local firms are doing a credible job of managing inventories. Barring economic disruptions at the national or international level, the current trend of slow growth should continue.
As we look at local industrial groups, some auto parts firms say new business may not come until October or November when the major firms begin assessing acceptance of 2014 models and fine tune their forecasts for the winter and spring selling seasons. Others are at full capacity and see no change in the immediate future. The office furniture business remains stable and profitable, although reports were mixed. Business conditions for industrial distributors also were mixed, but the bias was to the positive side. Because of the end of the vacation season, the business reports from capital equipment firms were generally positive. Many would-be buyers hold off major decisions until summer is over.
At the national level, the report from the Institute for Supply Management, our parent organization, reported that New Orders for ISM’s manufacturing index remained relatively high at +17, down from last month’s +18, but up from July’s +7. The Production index eased slightly to +15, down from +20. ISM’s Employment index eased to +6 from +7. Adding these numbers together, ISM’s overall manufacturing index edging up to 56.2 from 55.7, while the overall non-manufacturing index edged up to 58.6 from 56.0.
A contrasting view of the U.S. economy comes from Markit.com, the British economic forecasting firm. For September, Markit’s manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index, edged slightly lower to 52.8 from 53.1. Although still positive, Markit’s index of New Orders eased to 53.2 from 55.7. The index of New Export Orders flipped negative to 49.0 from 52.0. Overall, the Markit report concludes the U.S. economy is still modestly positive but less robust than three months ago.
Turning to the international level, the October reports from some purchasing organizations continued to show modest improvement. Keeping in mind that an index of 50.0 is the up/down dividing line, JP Morgan’s “32 nation” Global Manufacturing PMI edged up to 51.8 from 51.6. HSBC’s China Manufacturing PMI rose to 50.2 from 50.1. For Brazil, HSBC’s Manufacturing PMI rose to 49.9 from 49.4. One of the strongest reports came from Canada, where the Royal Bank of Canada’s PMI bounced to 54.2 from 52.1 driven by sharply rising exports. However, the Markit Eurozone PMI eased to 51.1 from 51.4. Greece, which came close to break-even last month at 48.7, dipped to 47.5. Russia, which had been modestly positive for the past two years, now seems stuck at the August and September index of 49.4. Recalling that the Markit.com September U.S. index rests at 52.8, we are left with the conclusion that the world economy is edging in a positive direction, but the improvement rate is still very slow.
In this month’s survey we added two new questions relating to future business outlook. The first asked survey participants about their view of business conditions for the next three to six months. For September, we recoded the index of Short Term Outlook to be a rather modest +12. The second new question asked about business conditions for the next three to five years. It was gratifying to report our first Long Term Outlook index to be a whopping +64. For the future of the West Michigan industrial economy, the perception looks very promising.
In Michigan, it is typical for the employment picture to improve slightly in August, and this year was no exception. The August unemployment report released by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget Sept. 26 noted the state seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate fell to 8.7 from 9.7. Similar results were reported at the local level, as noted by Kent County’s unemployment rate falling to 6.4 percent from 7.2 percent. The rate in Kalamazoo County fell to 7.2 percent from 8.3 percent. The second lowest county rate in the state was reported for Barry County, which fell to 5.8 percent from 6.5 percent. Ottawa County came in at 6.6 percent. With so many of our unemployment numbers consistently landing well below state and national rates, it is easy to claim the West Michigan economy is doing better than most.
For the first time since May 2011, the monthly report for automotive sales was not positive. Although a shift in the accounting period that gerrymandered a couple sales days to the previous month can account for some of the difference, the U.S. sales rate fell a little more than expected from +17 percent to -4 percent.
Bucking the trend, Ford led the way with a 6 percent increase, followed by Chrysler up a scant 1 percent. But the other big players were all down. General Motors fell 11 percent, Honda slipped 10 percent, Nissan eased 6 percent and Toyota tapered by 4 percent. The standardized rate of sales, the SAAR rate, came in at 15.3 million units, the weakest showing since April’s 15.2 million rate. However, as we have reported in previous months, a SAAR rate of about 15 million units is about what the current market can absorb without creating an industry bubble. Having sales rates in the 16 or 17 SAAR may sound appealing, but such a rate is not sustainable. Hence, this month’s automotive sales rate can be regarded as positive for the long term, even if it is a little lower. Excess auto sales could set us up for an unwelcome boom-bust cycle. Furthermore, at the present sales level, most of our local auto parts firms are still very profitable and still hiring. The Detroit Three auto firms are also profitable and expanding for the first time in many years. Since a record of more than 1 million cars produced in the U.S. were sold overseas in 2012, there is still room for expansion. Last but not least, many of our West Michigan auto parts suppliers now are “world competitive” in terms of price, quality and service.
With all of the issues, egos, scenarios, risks, hopes and opinions, the outcome of the shutdown in Washington is almost impossible to predict. Obamacare began Oct. 1, and we are beginning to get reports of the good, the bad and the ugly. Proponents claim the computer glitches and numerous burdensome taxes are the price we have to pay for the new insurance program. Opponents claim the cost alone to the federal government could bankrupt the country and run our unemployment rate up to about 27 percent like Greece. The budget fight will probably not even be resolved before the second fight over the debt ceiling begins. Approximately 1 million “non-essential” federal workers are now on furlough. Budget hawks say if they are truly non-essential, they should be permanently furloughed. The reports on consumer confidence have turned very negative. For Michigan, we will probably see little economic impact unless the shutdown lasts more than a month.
Brian Long, Ph.D., is director of supply chain management research at Seidman College of Business, Grand Valley State University.


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Kroger Co. is digging deeper into the natural and organic foods business, this time by adding a vegan burger that’s gaining popularity partly because it looks and smells real to the point that it "bleeds" when you cook it.
Cincinnati-based Kroger (NYSE: KR), the nation's largest operator of traditional supermarkets, has started carrying Beyond Burger at 605 of its stores in 13 states. The move nearly doubles Beyond Burger's distribution. It’s now available in almost 1,300 locations. Whole Foods is its biggest outlet, with nearly 400 Whole Foods stores carrying the products. Another close to 300 Safeway stores in the West carry the burgers.
Beyond Meat, the maker of Beyond Burger, spent years developing a vegan burger that tastes, looks, feels and has the juiciness of a real burger. It makes the burger from a mix of plant-based products, including coconut oil, wheat and potato proteins, pea protein and yeast extract. Beet juice gives it a burger-like reddish color.
The company has big-name backers. Bill Gates is an investor in Beyond Meat. So is Twitter co-founder Biz Stone. And Tyson Foods owns a 5 percent stake in the company.
Beyond Meat sees its burger as so close to the real thing that it’s going after not only vegans but all consumers of burgers. But a package of two 4-ounce patties typically sells for $5.99 — about twice the cost of regular meat. Still, the product has been met with huge popularity at Whole Foods.
Kroger's partnership with Beyond Meat began when Russ Richardson, Kroger's vice president of meat and seafood, read about the company in a trade magazine, Kroger spokeswoman Kristal Howard told me.
"As customers' eating habits are evolving toward smaller packages, leaner meats and healthier options, pursuing a partnership with Beyond Meat to offer our customers a new and exciting plant-based protein option was the right thing for our business," Howard said. "The interest in and popularity of this category continues to grow with our customers, and offerings like the Beyond Burger align perfectly."
It doesn't hurt that Kroger has been taking aim at Whole Foods and the natural and organic food space. Kroger’s natural and organics sales hit $16 billion last year. That’s more than Whole Foods' total sales.
Watkins covers banking and finance, insurance and sports business


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It's a rare feeling when you finally understand the hysteria people must have felt in the late 1930s as they listened to a supposed alien invasion taking place across the nation from the comfort of their own homes.
While it's no Orson Welles radio drama, the fear and mass distress expressed by many on social media when they learned that Trader Joe's would be closing all stores by 2017, might as well just be the equivalent of what listeners felt that fateful Halloween night.
— Jackson Reynolds (@jackreynolds_jr) April 1, 2016
— l-e-i-a (@lleiayoonn) April 1, 2016
— Leila Najafi (@LeilaNajafi) March 31, 2016
— Ashlee Elizabeth (@miss_mulatto) March 31, 2016
— Rob Tiffany (@RobTiffany) March 31, 2016
— Touka (@reinetouka) April 1, 2016
The #TraderJoes April fools prank is the worst thing that's happened to me this year. And this is the year Trump is running for president.
— Jess (@jessparkhurst) April 1, 2016
— Christine Deakers (@deakhaus) April 1, 2016
What is this I hear about #traderjoes going out of business, is this a joke?!!!! ITS NOT FUNNY!
— Stacy Ike (@onetakestace) April 1, 2016
— Emilie Tan (@_emtan) April 1, 2016
#TraderJoes What kind of sick and twisted bastard puts stuff like this online?
— steamboatwilliestyle (@theavengersdude) April 1, 2016
I'm not laughing #TraderJoes !
— Mary Gallagher (@myfriendmary) April 1, 2016


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DENVER (KDVR) — Downtown Denver businesses hope to experience a financial shot in the arm as Major League Baseball’s All-Star Week is underway in the Mile High City.
Lower downtown has been buzzing.
“It’s thanks to baseball, and I thank the Denver community for coming back into town,” Union Station’s Sarah Hendricks said.
Preparations are underway at Union Station for an event they call LoDo Rocks the Block.
“Free entertainment, food, drinks — just celebrating MLB weekend,” Hendricks said.
Music, food, games — and hopefully, customers. A far cry from last year this time.
”There isn’t a comparison, unfortunately. I mean last year this time, I think the majority of the city was still shut down,” Hendricks said.
Getting people out, then into Union Station for a little retail experience, is “absolutely vital,” said Ed Blair, Crawford Hotel at Union Station general manager.
“When you think about what’s happened in the hotel business, the restaurant business, retail as we navigate the last 16 months, this gives a tremendous lift,” Blair said.
So far it seems to be working, just like Elroy Williams, who is glad to be back working as the manager of valet operations at the Crawford Hotel.
“Our valet is through the roof. Yesterday was so busy, and Sunday we’ve seen so many people come through the valet, it was crazy, absolutely crazy,” Williams said.
The road to financial recovery will take a lot longer than the length of the shut downs, Blair said.
On that note, let’s get back to business.


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South Island’s Pet Central: A Heartbreaking Liquidation Shakes the Pet Community
Rising Concerns as Pet Central Shuts Its Doors
Christchurch, Aug 7 – The South Island’s beloved pet haven, Pet Central, has been thrust into a heart-wrenching ordeal as multiple branches cease operations and dedicated staff members face sudden layoffs.
This shocking turn of events has ignited a wave of questions and concerns, shedding light on the intricate challenges faced by the pet retail industry.
The Unveiling of a Harrowing Closure
Christchurch, New Zealand – A cloud of uncertainty has descended upon the pet-loving community as news of Pet Central’s liquidation makes headlines.
Known for its wide range of offerings, including dog grooming and daycare services, Pet Central’s sudden closure has left both employees and customers grappling with emotions of disbelief and sorrow.
A Message From the Owner: A Difficult Decision
Late in the evening on Sunday, August 6, owner Matthew Pizzo conveyed the disheartening news through a text message to the dedicated staff members.
The message acknowledged the challenges faced by the company, attributing the decision to an inability to withstand mounting pressures, including rising inflation, escalating wholesale costs, and the economic strain on Kiwis’ disposable incomes.
Questions Arise: An Inside Look at the Allegations
As the news spread, former employees and industry insiders have begun to raise questions and share their insights into the circumstances that led to Pet Central’s untimely demise.
Speculation about financial mismanagement and alleged impulsive decisions has cast a shadow over the company’s closure.
From Prosperity to Liquidation: A Tale of Struggles
Sources reveal that signs of trouble emerged after Matthew Pizzo’s acquisition of the company in April of the previous year.
The subsequent challenges seemed to intensify, impacting various branches across the South Island, including Queenstown, Timaru, Hornby, Shirley, Papanui, Kaiapoi, and Moorhouse Ave.
The Human Cost: Job Losses and Community Impact
The ripple effect of Pet Central’s liquidation has been deeply felt, as employees from different branches face abrupt layoffs. These job losses extend to doggy daycare staff, retail personnel, groomers, and administrative positions.
The closure’s impact on local suppliers and businesses further highlights the interconnectedness of the community.
A Community in Mourning: Farewell to a Trusted Companion
Customers, too, have shared their heartfelt tributes to the company and its staff. A poignant message from a Papanui customer expressed gratitude for a skilled groomer’s expertise and care.
The closure marks the end of an era for loyal patrons and pet owners who cherished the services provided by Pet Central.
An Uncertain Future: Seeking Clarity and Resolution
Amidst the chaos, the community yearns for transparency and accountability. Calls for explanations regarding the company’s financial state and management decisions have grown stronger.
The pending release of the Liquidator’s first report offers a glimmer of hope for understanding the full scope of events that led to Pet Central’s unfortunate fate.
Chris Lynch Media remains committed to uncovering the truth and providing comprehensive coverage of this unfolding story. For the latest updates and in-depth analysis, stay tuned to our ongoing coverage: Chris Lynch Media.
In this time of uncertainty, our thoughts are with the affected staff, loyal customers, and cherished pets who have been impacted by this distressing turn of events.
Together, as a community, we stand united in seeking answers and forging a path toward healing and resolution.
We appreciate you for taking the time to read this article!
Finally, we hope you found this article interesting? And what do you think about ”Pet Central’s Heartbreaking Liquidation Rocks South Island’s Pet Community!?”
Please feel free to share or inform your friends about this article and this site, thanks!
And let us know if you observe something that isn’t quite right.


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Judging from the latest news humming around the Intertubes, the Coca-Cola Company seems to have gazed into a crystal ball and discerned an interesting supply chain problem looming in the low carbon economy of the future. Let's call it the carbon dioxide dilemma. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas responsible for global warming, but for Coca-Cola and other soft drink makers, the problem could be not enough of it, rather than too much.
Or not, as the case may be. Coca-Cola has hit upon a high tech solution that could prove, once again, that the low carbon economy of the future is one in which bottom line and sustainability goals intertwine.
It's no accident that carbonated drinks became popular on the heels of the industrial revolution. Almost all commercially available CO2 is captured from large scale breweries and biogas operations, or from industrial processes with a high carbon content, such as lime (used in cement) or ammonia manufacturing.
Supply chain cracks are already beginning to show. Just last summer, for example, The Grocer attributed a "CO2 crisis" in the United Kingdom and Europe to a seasonal problem. Summer is the season when ammonia and bio-ethanol plants often shut down for maintenance, and across Europe more plants than usual went offline.
The U.K. was especially hard hit. It also experienced a shortfall in CO2 purifying capacity last summer, which exacerbated the problem. Several purifying plants shut down for routine maintenance while others experienced technical difficulties, leaving just one plant in operation for a time.
A transportation bottleneck also came into play. There was a shortfall in specialized delivery trucks, which The Grocer attributed to the gas industry's failure to plan ahead "develop the logistical capacity needed to keep pace with growing demand," partly due to skyrocketing growth in the brewery sector.
As a corporate social responsibility bonus, an ambient air carbon capture system would also help companies like Coca-Cola offset their carbon footprint in a very simple and direct way.
The main stumbling block to ambient air capture has been cost, but global warming has provided the financial motivation for startups to tinker around with the technology and come up with commercially viable systems.
The latest news from Coca-Cola could have broad implications for the decarbonization. As reported by Gasworld earlier this week, Coca-Cola has partnered with the startup carbon capture company Climeworks to draw CO2 from ambient air, and use it in a bottling plant.
Climeworks has developed a modular, automated system it calls Direct Air Capture, in collaboration with the leading CO2 supplier Pentair Union Engineering (Denmark-based Union Engineering was acquired by the global water solutions company Pentair last year).
The company is a spinoff based on research from the renewable energy program at Switzerland's ETH Zurich. The basic steps of its carbon capture process are relatively straightforward.
Air is drawn into the system where it encounters a filter. Once the filter is saturated with CO2 it is exposed to heat, at a temperature equal to the boiling point of water or 212 °F. This relatively low level of heat enables the system to operate on a diverse energy platform, including geothermal as well as other renewables.
Once heated, the filter releases the CO2 and it is collected as a concentrated gas. According to the company, the filter can be used for several thousand cycles.
The first to try the new technology will be Coca-Cola HBC Switzerland's sparkling water brand Valsa. Though it's a pilot project aimed at helping Climeworks scale up the technology, Coca-Cola is already thinking big: the Swiss subsidiary is its second-largest anchor bottler.
Other areas of interest include fresh meat and vegetable packing, dry ice manufacturing, and the bulk gas used for carbonation by bars and restaurants as well as synthesizing fuels, plastics and other materials.
Photo: via Coca-Cola.
Tina writes frequently for TriplePundit and other websites, with a focus on military, government and corporate sustainability, clean tech research and emerging energy technologies. She is a former Deputy Director of Public Affairs of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, and author of books and articles on recycling and other conservation themes.
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Hamro Patro, Nepal’s most popular mobile app, has started its telehealth services today. The new service, Hamro Patro Health, allows users to consult specialist doctors on-demand. This service is starting from Monday as a pilot rollout. “It is available on android devices for now, with an iOS version set to be released within two months.”, said Shankar Uprety, Founder and CEO of Hamro Patro, Inc.
What Is Hamro Patro Health?
Hamro Patro Health allows patients to consult with specialist doctors on-demand. Users will have to update their Hamro Patro app for the new service.Introduced to improve access to healthcare for Nepalis that live beyond the reach of healthcare systems. The platform is open for any doctor recognized by the Nepali Medical Council (NMC). After buying an online ticket, users can directly call an available specialist if they are online. A ticket costs NRs 500, and users have access to a physician for one week for follow-ups and report submissions. Doctors can also send prescriptions and recommend medication through in-app features.
Before consulting a doctor, users will have to enter their name, age, and health condition to create an online profile. In addition, users can upload lab reports and other relevant documents to their online profiles to provide a clearer case of their health condition. As of today, twenty doctors have already enrolled in the platform, according to Hamro Patro. The pilot phase will run for two months, after which a full version will be released to public users and other doctors.
Doctors enrolled in Hamro Patro Health can come online as per their availability, and users can call any online doctor. Furthermore, a matching system to automatically connect patients to appropriate doctors will be introduced in the near future.


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Updated March 4th, 2024 at 22:01 IST
Union Ministers meet Google, app developers over Play Store delisting
The affected startups raised their concerns and sought support from the government over delisting from Google Play Store.
Rounds of meetings: Union Ministers from the Electronics and Information Technology on March 4 held several rounds of meetings with Google and delisted startups from its Play Store.
There has been no solution as Indian companies allege Google of exploiting its dominant position in the Android ecosystem.
The startups met Union IT and Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, and the Minister of State for IT and Electronics Rajeev Chandrashekhar to raise concerns around the issue, seeking support from the government.
Google representatives held a meeting with Union Minister Vaishnaw earlier in the day to present their version, explaining the reason for their action as per sources.
Google has imposed an 11 to 26 per cent fee on in-app payments after anti-competition body CCI ordered the scrapping of an earlier system which charged developers anywhere from 15 to 30 per cent.
Google on March 1 removed the apps that were not paying up, after the Supreme Court did not provide interim relief to these companies disputing the search giant's app marketplace fee.
While IT Minister Vaishnaw did not share details of the meeting, MoS IT Chandrasekhar held a virtual meeting with the Alliance of Digital India Foundation, a body representing Indian app developers.
"Today, startups presented their concerns regarding a few policies of Google. Assured them that MeitY will take it up with Google for a sustainable and long-term solution," Chandrasekhar posted on X.
There has been a deep and decisive transformation in India’s startup ecosystem over the past 10 years, the Minister said.
“From fewer startups in 2014, the country has more than 1 lakh startups and 113 unicorns with the potential to add 10 lakh startups and 10,000 unicorns in the coming decade," his post further read.
ADIF said that its members met both ministers to voice out their concerns and seek support from the government.
"The government has assured us support for both immediate resolution and long-term framework. They extended support for our concerns, which were mainly about discriminative pricing, arbitrary revenue share, and Google misusing its dominant position in the market," the industry body said.
As per Stage OTT app CEO Vinay Singhal, Google is misusing its dominant position in the market and price gouging to extract unnecessary exorbitant revenue from small start-ups.
“Most payment gateways charge 0.5-2 per cent charges, whereas Google charges 15-30 per cent for the same. Google is using its dominant position to price itself at a 30 per cent revenue share, without giving any justifications," he said.
"The service of Google Play Store remains exactly the same for big names like Amazon, Uber and relatively smaller players like Kuku FM, Stage, Kutumb, and Truly Madly, but there is discrimination in charging where they are charging 15-30 per cent from small apps, while they are charging nothing from the big names,” said Snehil Khanor, Co-founder and CEO of Truly Madly, a matchmaking app.
The founders said that they are obligated to use Google’s API while implementing any Google model, which gives them access to all of the company’s customer data, which is a clear violation of CCI’s order. “In the name of real-time billing, they want access to all our data. Moreover, Google has also asked for audit rights, which is an infringement of the DPDP act,” they said.
More than 200 apps have been delisted by the app store Play, out of which less than 15 apps have been reinstated.
"The apps that have been reinstated are those who have complied with Google's policies. Most of us had to comply to get reinstated to maintain our visibility. People started considering us as fraud because they are unaware of what is actually happening".
The troubled founders said that their revenues dropped by more than 40 per cent in the last 3 days, since they were not acquiring any new customers.
They said that Google's action has put a halt on our businesses.
(With PTI Inputs)
Published March 4th, 2024 at 22:01 IST


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Lawyers Brace as Facebook Makes Usernames Available to 200 Million Users
Gentlemen, start your search engines. The race to grab your Facebook user name starts at midnight this coming Friday, reports The National Law Journal. At that time, Facebook will allow an
estimated 200 million users to select their "usernames," which can
include a trademark, brand name or personal name. And if the owner
hasn't registered the trademark first with Facebook, it's up for grabs.
Until now, Facebook’s profile pages were delineated by an awkward
string of letters and numbers. That made it difficult for users to include links to their Facebook page on a business card or in other PR. So now, as a Facebook user I can identify my page as www.facebook.com/CarolynElefant instead of typing out a string of gobbledygook.
Of course, Carolyn Elefant isn't really a particularly desirable name (except for me), so it's not likely to be snatched up. But what about "McDonald's" or "Barack Obama?" The ability to use those names, even as a sub-directory of Facebook, could carry some value.
So that's why Facebook's announcement also has lawyers racing to advise their clients of the importance of registering their trademarks at Facebook before "the land rush." Why is this so important? Brian Fergemann, a law partner at Winston & Strawn explained to the NLJ:
This is really a way for someone who has a distinct or famous
trademark to let Facebook know that others should not be allowed to
register that page," said Brian Fergemann, a partner and intellectual
property attorney at Chicago's Winston & Strawn, which issued a Web
alert to clients this week, urging them to register their trademarks
with Facebook. "They can just say, 'Please don't let anyone use my
registered trademark,'" Fergemann said.
Fergemann said that cybersquatters and name-squatters -- those who
squat on the trademark rights of others -- are a rapidly growing
problem on the Internet, where people are setting up bogus accounts
under company names or celebrities' names
To prevent cybersquatting, Facebook is giving brand owners a chance
to pre-emptively protect their rights and block their trademarks from
being used by others by registering the trademark before Saturday. And
if a company misses the deadline, Facebook will feature a grievance
procedure allowing brand owners to report that someone's username
infringes on their intellectual property or publicity rights.
Still, name disputes will be unavoidable. Speaking with The New York Times, Tim Cole, chief registrar liaison for ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) wonders if Facebook knows what it is getting itself into. Says Cole:
This sounds like the early days when Network Solutions started
doing domain registrations, and they didn’t anticipate the nature of
the trademark issues that started arising and weren’t prepared for the
flurry of lawsuits they started receiving,” Mr. Cole said. “It wouldn’t
surprise me if the same thing happened here...Unless they have a really distinctive way to prevent abuses from
arising, I have to believe disputes will arise fairly quickly as soon
as people start registering names.
Seems like Facebook's announcement will also have lawyers racing to the bank. Let's see which law firm will be the first to register this address: www.facebook.com/facebooknamedisputelawyer.
Posted by Carolyn Elefant on June 12, 2009 at 03:17 PM | Permalink
| Comments (2)


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Orchard Advertising has created the campaign to promote the three-day Great Indian Summer Sale on Amazon.in
BestMediaInfo Bureau | Delhi | May 8, 2015
Amazon.in has launched its online shopping festival â The Great Indian Summer Sale. The three-day online event took place from May 6 to 7. To launch the sale, Amazon.in and Orchard Advertising have launched a campaign, titled âWhattey Deal, Whattey Feelâ.
The campaign shows people suddenly break into a dance â at a railway station, a restaurant and a market place. It all starts with them getting an awesome deal on the Amazon app.
RajDeepak Das, Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett, commented, âThe visuals of this campaign are dynamic, showcasing how real people are celebrating the Amazon sale in a real way. A catchy jingle and a whole lot of fun unfurls at real Indian locations. âWhattey Deal, Whattey Feelâ â the key lyrics from the jingle are inspired by the colloquial use of the phrase âWhat aâŠâ commonly pronounced as âWhatteyâ by Indians. The campaign succeeds in creating excitement around the Amazon Great Indian Summer Sale.â
Manish Kalra, Integrated Marketing Director, Amazon India, added here, âAfter having established that Amazon India is the largest online marketplace with more than 2 crore products on offer, we wanted to delight our customers with the greatest online sale to have taken place. This campaign uses an infectious track and ecstatic visuals to deliver the message.â
Client: Amazon India
Manish Kalra, Integrated Marketing Director, Amazon India
Agency: Orchard Advertising
Chief Creative Officer: RajDeepak Das Executive Creative Directors: Neel Roy, Vinod Lal Heera Eshwer Planning: Abhijith Shetty Vice-President and Branch Head: Neha H Contractor Account Management: Morarji Anand, Praveen Potti


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FN Platform turns five this year, and the trade show has plenty to celebrate. Since its 2010 debut, attendance has grown by over 30 percent — and the exhibitor roster has swelled by more than 62 percent. “It’s been incredible to witness [the show’s growth],” said Leslie Gallin, president of footwear for parent firm Advanstar Global. Roughly 115 brands will present their collections for the first time this year. Here, Gallin gives the inside scoop on five not-to-be-missed new exhibitors:
“Black Dioniso is the ultimate sneaker lover’s fantasy. They create breathtakingly creative and forward-thinking styles that are wearable for every day.
“Andrew Kayla showcases the perfect point of view for today’s woman: a balance of class, function and sex appeal. He enhances classic silhouettes with unexpected details and crafts each shoe to complement the woman wearing it.”
“They’re a vanguard European brand that’s bringing cool, edgy sneakers with flair. The founders are inspired by the sounds and vibes of London’s underground districts, so the styling epitomizes East London.”
“Aigle has been in business for more than 150 years and gives the classic rainboot a run for its money. They’ve taken the rubber boot and evolved it into a full fashion-and-active lifestyle brand.”
“This Dutch collection is produced in Italy and is simply timeless. Panara is subtle in appearance, offering classic silhouettes with an emphasis on quality craftsmanship and materials.”


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CHINESE technology conglomerate LeEco is looking to sell a 20-hectare US Silicon Valley property less than a year after buying it from Yahoo Inc, sources said, in what is the latest effort by the firm to ride out a cash crunch.
LeEco, one of China's most ambitious...


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Chinese smartphone rivals Realme and Xiaomi. Are known to throw barbs at each other on Twitter for quite sometime. With Poco gearing up, launch new phone on February 4, brand took Twitter to share launch details Poco X2.
Poco India general manager C Manmohan, shared his excitement about the new launch in a tweet,
which along with announcing the launch date of the phone (February 4), said, ”We’re here to redefine the value of X.
After Manmohan’s tweet, there was an unexpected tweet from the OnePlus’ former product manager Szymon Kopeć. In the tweet Poco is copying the OnePlus’ tagline and said “imitation is sincerest form of flattery”. Kopeć went further and tweeted,..
Meanwhile, all eyes are now on the return of the brand Poco in the smartphone market, after it went nearly radio silent after Poco launch. And as we go ahead in 2020, we are carving out as a separate
More from OnePlus
OnePlus is ready to announce their new TV Line Up today. Most of the customers are eager to see what …
OnePlus has got us all excited for it's upcoming Smartphone. The name might not be what we expected but the …


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COVID-19 slows down regulators’ rollout of digital banking licences
Regulators in many APAC economies have begun setting the rules and issuing licences for digital banks, but the COVID-19 pandemic has affected some of these plans and initiatives.
Financial regulators in many Asia Pacific countries have already begun their digital banking – also known as neo, virtual, and challenger banking – licence journeys. Australia, Hong Kong, China, India, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan have framed their own virtual banking regulations and issued digital banking licenses. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is reviewing applications, while Malaysia and Thailand are at the inception stage of drafting their digital banking frameworks.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic has inevitably resulted in economic instability and has also affected the deployment of virtual banking. While it is unclear how long the pandemic will last, regulators seek to prevent another systemic risk buildup similar to the global financial crisis of 2008.
Digital banking has taken relative importance amid social distancing measures. The use of online and mobile banking has increased and challenges from fintechs and bigtechs have emerged, prompting various lenders to enhance their digital offerings. These circumstances have made it necessary to review the current status of digital banking licences in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia.
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has issued eight virtual bank licences since March 2019 to various local banks, fintech, insurance companies and bigtech companies. The launch of virtual banks is said to be one of the key components of HKMA’s Smart Banking initiatives.
These virtual banks are expected to open within the next six to nine months, but the pandemic has affected such plans. Some of the approved virtual banks have failed to launch within the indicated time period.
Only ZA Bank has officially begun operations following a three-month trial in March 2020. ZA Bank launched a new product called ZA Savings Go, which offers high-interest-rate and introduced the first 30-minute personal loan pledge in Hong Kong, with $1.3 (HKD 10) for each minute delayed capped at $64.5 (HKD $500).
Four virtual banks – Airstar Bank, Ant Bank, WeLab Bank and Mox Bank – are piloting operations in the HKMA’s Fintech Supervisory Sandbox. Virtual banks commenced pilot operations to serve around 2000 customers with a range of digital-only services offering easy account opening, fixed deposits and savings accounts and other round-the-clock services. One innovative product to come out of this was the issuance of a numberless debit card from WeLab and Mastercard.
Ping An OneConnect Bank, Fusion Bank and Livi Bank have not disclosed planned launch dates.
The current rollout of virtual banks appears to be well-received. HKMA will continue to assess customer feedback, market acceptance and the impact on the banking system. Presently, the Hong Kong regulator is not considering issuing additional licences to more virtual bank players.
As a financial hub in APAC, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) opened its door to digital banking and established a strong digital licence framework since August 2019.
MAS plans to issue five digital bank licences, with two digital full bank (DFB) licences and three digital wholesale bank (DWB) licences. A DFB licence allows a licensee to serve the retail segment and receive deposits from customers, while a DWB licence covers small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and non-retail segments.
For DFBs, successful licensees would first operate within a restricted phase before being allowed official, unrestricted operations. The differences between the two stages of a DFB are in the restrictions of offering complex investment products and deposit caps.
As of 31 December 2019, MAS has received 21 applications for digital bank licences – seven for DFB and 14 for DWB licences.
Digital bank licensees would compete directly with traditional incumbent banks in retail and SME banking with products that do not need face-to-face interaction. Both local and overseas players have joined the digital bank licence competition, including Ant Financial, Razer Fintech and ride-hailing giant Grab and telecommunications services provider Singtel.
MAS initially planned to announce the application results in June 2020 and licensees were expected to start their business operations by mid-2021. However, the pandemic has forced the regulator to extend the assessment of applications to the second half of the year. MAS said the delay would “allow the digital bank licence applicants to dedicate their resources and attention towards managing the immediate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their businesses.”
At the end of 2019, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) issued an Exposure Draft on Licensing Framework for Digital Banks. The regulator showed interest in granting five new digital bank licences in 2021 and it is keen on licensing qualified applicants who can establish digital banks that conduct either a conventional or Islamic banking business. The aim of the rollout for digital banks is to offset the market gaps and to provide financial products and services to the underserved and unserved segments.
Licence applications will only start after the issuance of the framework, but applicants will have to wait for now. Due to COVID-19, BNM has followed MAS and postponed its finalisation of the policy document on digital banking licensing framework to end of June 2020 or possibly beyond.
Amid Malaysia’s movement control order (MCO), there was an increase in the creation of online SME banking accounts for money transfer instead of depositing cheques at physical branches. As BNM extends its digital banking framework deadlines, how applicants utilise this phase matters during both the MCO and the post COVID-19 periods.
Countries such as Malaysia and Thailand, which haven’t begun the process of licence applications just yet, might have more time to prepare under the pandemic. For licensed banks, the crisis period would be a good test for service efficiency, customer experience and system architecture. With the markets under various stages of their planned digital banking licence rollout, it is likely that 2020 will usher in a new era of virtual banks in the Asia Pacific.


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A Norwalk Shell station has settled charges of price gouging during Sandy, paying the state Department of Consumer Protection $1,449.
From the DCP Thursday morning:
A Norwalk Shell gasoline station has signed an agreement with the Department of Consumer Protection and has paid $1,449 to the agency to settle allegations that the station raised its retail gas price by 10 cents per gallon on November 1, 2012, without there being a corresponding increase in wholesale gas prices for that day. The conduct occurred in the immediate aftermath of Storm Sandy. State law prohibits fuel suppliers from charging unconscionably excessive prices during times of abnormal market disruptions, such as storm-related disasters.
“Given that the state was in a period of abnormal market disruption due to the severe impact of Storm Sandy, we determined that the Shell station’s 10-cent per gallon increase was not justified and constituted an unconscionably excessive price for gasoline,” Consumer Protection Commissioner William M. Rubenstein said today. “The retailer sold 4,830 gallons of gasoline that day at the increased price, but we are requiring him to disgorge three times the amount of that unfair profit.”
The Shell station is known as Connecticut Avenue Shell and is located at 307 Connecticut Avenue, Norwalk. While the station does not admit to any wrongdoing, it entered into the agreement, which requires it to pay $1,449 to the Department of Consumer Protection for its complaint resolution, education and enforcement programs. In addition, Connecticut Avenue Shell agrees to comply with the letter of Connecticut’s anti-profiteering law, which protects consumers from improper price increases during emergencies and disasters.
“Connecticut will not tolerate unfair pricing from those who would take advantage of the misfortunes of others in times of disaster,” Rubenstein said. “Furthermore, would-be profiteers will not profit from their actions; the monetary payment in this case is triple the amount of the excess profit extracted by the price increase.”


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Anushka Sharma and brother Karnesh’s production house Clean Slate Filmz has backed content-oriented projects like Bulbbul, Paatal Lok.
As per a recent report, their banner has cracked a huge, 400-crore ($54 million) deal with OTT giants like Amazon and Netflix.
In the upcoming 18 months, Clean Slate Filmz will be releasing 8 films and series on these streaming platforms.
Out of these – 3 are confirmed to be Netflix projects. Amazon Prime is yet to respond to the development!
Clean Slate Filmz’s immediate upcoming projects include – the Netflix film Qala (starring Irrfan Khan’s son Babil) and the Netflix series Mai (starring Sakshi Tanwar and Raima Sen).
The post Anushka Sharma’s Production House Cracks A 400-CRORE OTT DEAL! first appeared on Instant Bollywood.