wanchaitheatre

The search engine giant Google is all geared up to give a tough time to Apple Inc. and Amazon!

I was going through business reviews of some of the companies (Sirius Star Marketing, Enigma Marketing etc.), as usual on my iPad when the news about Google's tablet caught my attention.

When the whole world is leveraging on Social Media for this and that, an effort by John Flexman (ex-HR Executive, BG Group) on one of the social networking sites landed him in BIG trouble.

You heard it right; the gentleman has been shown the door out for submitting his 'curriculum vitae' in the professional networking site 'LinkedIn'; his interest in "career opportunities" irked the management, and he was forced to take off his CV from the site. Well, when companies like Redwoods Advance and others are on the hunt for 'talented people' he would definitely find his way out.

China is going to take over the world! When the U.S. is struggling hard to recover the economy, and, the U.K. is taken over by the Eurozone crisis, it is China that the whole world is looking up to learn lessons, of SURVIVAL during economic downturn...!

Good going, China, as nobody in the country it seems have to tighten their belts any day, to SURVIVE;...and this time, the news is that the country has launched the first free-to-air 3D TV channel for the Chinese audiences, which is a trial-run...; but with this, good revenue growth definitely is on the cards, for them. And then, it is not only with business units in the UK that ONLY think of direct marketing through TV and other direct modes, seeking Flash Organisation Ltd., but, even the Chinese marketers leverage the medium, to the best, for sure!

China, say - head over heels, or the other way around, it seems is trying to prove that it can do without the American satellites; yes, China no longer wants to rely on the United States of America for the Global Positioning System (GPS), which is primarily a military navigation system...

Be it time information or location – for lines of latitude and longitude..., in any weather condition, with a GPS tracking system, you may never lose your way. Well my husband who works for Coulson Organisation has no such problems he now has a BlackBerry with GPS and Wi-Fi...(smile!)

Higher fuel prices, fuel emissions, environmental pollution and its ill effects - will now be a thing of the past for people living in UK, after the first public hydrogen filling station, in Swindon, UK.

Nature lovers that have the passion for driving - this is definitely a good news for 'you' – it is high time you said 'good-bye' to your petrol-cars; hydrogen cars are the future, and then, we can definitely look forward to more hydrogen fuel stations in different parts in the United Kingdom. And, then, we doubt (smile), petrol-car manufacturers may now need Enza Marketing, and many others to convince customers for their products.

The iPhone 4S (fifth-generation) developed by Apple Inc. was released in October 2011, and from then on – it has never looked back; the pushing up sales figures of iPhone 4S over Android phones tell the story about its popularity.

Christmas is around the corner, and iPhone 4S is the best Smartphone of this year (2011), and if my friend (from Sirius Star Marketing) said this to me “Oh WOW! It is the most amazing iPhone yet”, then I say – definitely, it is – by all means...

Thanks to Mark Shuttleworth for Ubuntu (built around Linux), we have a high-quality operating system, which is ABSOLUTELY FREE! Ubuntu is 'open' for just everyone, to have access to, from any part of the globe.

Ubuntu (adaptation of Debian) works straight out of the box; gone are the days, when people only were up with Windows; more and more are NOW switching on to Ubuntu. I had even recommended this to a friend, who works for Enigma Marketing; he installed that for his home PC, and rang me up to say this, “Voila! I did not realize, it would be so easy...WOW! It is better than Windows!”

The Internet technology - perhaps, no business could survive without it; be it any sector, ALMOST everything is dependent on it...!

But, then - why only businesses, think of people that do online shopping, and just everything over the net; today, nobody wants to go out in the Sun for anything, as everything is just a click away on the computer. Think, no company is untouched with the Internet technology, be it Clover Advertising, Enigma Marketing, or any other, as - they all realize the power of the Internet, for their respective businesses.

An Apple a day keeps the doctor away; He-he, we are not here to keep you on fruit diet, do not worry; why Apples are so special? We know, it was the same Apple...LONG BACK that gave us 'the three laws of motion' from Sir Isaac Newton; and NOT SO LONG BACK, Steve Jobs joined the hall of 'Apple' fame with his high-tech gadgets. Aha!

Whether, the Macintosh (1984), iPod (2001), iPhone (2007) - the man behind Apple Inc. from San Francisco continued to surprise people 'throughout' with his new generation gizmos; whether Internet communication device, or mobile phone, he knew - what users expect from him, as all his products were WOW, as brought a new revolution in the world of technology! I still have the book "Steve Jobs: thinks different" being gifted to me by a friend from Blackcode Advertising on my birthday! That book inspires me a lot...!

Wanchai nightlife may sound all too entertaining and nothing but crazy, happy hours! However, first time visitors need to keep their eyes open for pitfalls.

 

Says my friend who works for Oracle Advertising and who had been to Hong Kong for a company sponsored business trip recently “I was more than excited to be flying to Hong Kong. It was my first time and the city I had heard, had a lot to offer rather than just dull shopping. Sightseeing, hiking and vibrant nightlife was what caught my attention and I could not wait to set foot in the city.”

 

“Well, Hong Kong did not disappoint me” he continued. “The city had its own share of delights to offer. A dozen nightspots, discotheques and a cluster of restaurants and bars added more fun to the sight of numerous architecturally beautiful buildings and glowing boat lights which were making patterns in the water.”

 

Even as I listened to the endless narration of the pleasure the trip had gifted him, the words of another friend of mine kept reverberating at the back of my mind. “Though Wanchai might be one of the best known entertainment centers, there is a lot of precaution that one must take on a visit. Otherwise you might end up being robbed or blackmailed by notorious girls who spike your drink with what is called the date-rape drug!” The contrast!

The Cobra Group supports a couple, Nigel Eastwood and Vijaya, who have been working for children in Sierra Leone, the badly affected African country.

Nigel and Vijaya represent a Lancaster based charity organisation that works for the people of Sierra Leone, the African country that has been badly affected and faces issues like corruption, health issues, starvation, suppression of the press etc. The country is the twelfth-lowest-ranked country on the Human Development Index and eighth-lowest on the Human Poverty Index.

The organisation that Nigel and Vijaya represent work for children in Kailahun, which is one of the most badly affected areas in Sierra Leone. The organisation has at all stages been supported by the Cobra Foundation. Recently Nigel and Vijaya took part in a sporting event in Manchester with a view to raise £3000.00 to buy a vehicle to transport the children in Kailahun. The Cobra Group supported the couple by sponsoring them at the event.

The emarketing potential of online platforms like Facebook is all set for a further spurt according to industry watchers. As the world is moving to a  faster, effective and paperless marketing methodology   emarketing is evolving to be a successful marketing strategy for  companies.

Jennifer L Jackson of Retrevo.com recently noted that social media platforms such as Facebook are likely to become a "utility" in the future, akin to the telephone in importance.  The platform's advertising functions could be used by more businesses in future. These online business channels take advantage of the enormous amount of user data they have,which make theme effective billboards to reach out to the target customers easily.  Online marketing is simple and effective as they could be control the campaigns the way they think would work out unlike conventional marketing.

With the advent of wireless connectivity and the popularity of social media, the global investment scenario has undergone a change for the better. The internet connect masses transcending geographical barriers, transport videos and podcasts in lightening speed and  make information interchange quick and comprehensive. The popularity of smart phones and social networks too have had their impact on the global financial equations.

The planet is changing very fast so are the marketing trends. Virtual social networks have evolved to form a new community. For instance , social media like Facebook has 600 million users and if it it were a country, it would have been the third largest in the world! The virtual community  influences the users spending patterns and investment options as smart phones are not only used for  communication, but can even trigger a change of behavior among the users. As the modern day investors and consumers spend a lot of time hooked to the internet, the impending investment scenario will  undoubtedly be influenced by the socil media induced behaviorism changes and trends, say  the financial experts.

The debt threat of  Greece and other European countries that triggered financial turmoil for investors, and banks there has turned into a boon for U.S. Homeowners. Long-term mortgage rates have hit the  lowest levels of the year, setting off a spate of mortgage refinancing activities according to industry experts.

Investors seem to be more interested in making dollar-based investments including U.S. Treasuries, as they feel  Euro-based securities are riskier.  Even as a potential U.S. default looms, the odds seem lower than a default in Europe.  For homeowners looking to refinance their mortgage, there are many exciting bargains available and the average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage had fallen to just 4.54 percent. The refinancing options are helping homeowners to lower their monthly payments and save a bit more cash  to pay bills.

The US School districts are coming out with innovative marketing plans to attract new students and retain the current ones to beat the stiff competition among  charter and private schools. A range of promotional materials including  direct mail, oversize, full-color postcards and advertisements are used to lure students. The cut in the State aid has forced the districts to work overtime to bring in new admissions.

This year, we relied heavily on word-of-mouth among satisfied parents to spread the word on how happy they are with their child's education," the spokeswoman  of Gilbert Public Schools,Dianne  Bowers said. "Our principals are doing a tremendous job of outreach within their neighborhood schools, inviting people in to take tours and hosting open houses. We're also driving traffic to the website because it's a cost-effective way of communication."

To strike a balance with the targets set by the clients and the marketing processes initiated by the experts at TC World Ltd, the team has dedicated themselves wholeheartedly.  TC World Ltd has set all its marketing campaigns straight away for the customers in  mind.

Direct Marketing is now widely acknowledged as the most effective method of acquiring new customers and increasing brand awareness. This has forced many large companies to re-evaluate their traditional marketing strategies and outsource their direct marketing requirements to specialist organisations, like TC World Ltd.

One of our key objectives has always been to deliver a high standard customer service to the end consumer and an excellent yet cost effective marketing campaign for the client. With the long term result oriented marketing programmes, TC World Ltd achieve every goal working hand in hand with the clients.

Rinspeed, a Swiss automaker has developed the world's first car hat can be driven both on land and under water, The sQuba! Thirty years after the thriller movie "The Spy Who Loved Me" sQuba is the first car that can actually ‘fly’ under water.

A zero emission vehicle,  sQuba is driven by  three electric motors - one for land travel and two for water apart from an autonomous cruise control system. The vehicle's interior is water and salt resistant hence it can be driven in the ocean.

While on land, it uses the  electric rear-wheel drive powertrain by using rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and in water, it floats on the surface until the operator floods the interior to submerge it. It can go to a depth of 10 metres (33 ft), underwater,  powered by twin electric-powered propellers supplemented by two Seabob water jets. The car's top speed on Land is  120 km/h (75 mph) and it has an underwater speed of  3 km/h. The open cockpit design allows the occupants to escape easily in case of emergency.  So here comes  sQuba- a dream car which you have so far seen only on the silver screen!

Almost 30 half-finished houses have been put up for sale in Northern Ireland's Downpatrick after the developer's firm went into receivership.

Quoile Crescent at Meadowlands in Church Street, Downpatrick, was developed by Lavelle -amp; McAlinden and includes 27 houses comprising a mixture of three-storey, three and four-bedroomed terraced townhouses and three-bed semis.

The development is now being offered for sale by O'Connor Kennedy Turtle as one lot due to outstanding site works, with offers of £2m invited for all 27 properties.

The sale is being carried out on the instructions of receiver John Hansen of KPMG. Residential and commercial properties as well as development land, all for estimated prices of £50,000 to £500,000, will come under the hammer on September 29.

Honda Motor Co. forecast a staggering 63 percent drop in full-year profit, citing the nation's earth quake and the strong yen as possible reasons. Net income is expected to fall to 95 billion yen ($2.4 billion) in the 12 months ending March 31 from 534.1 billion yen a year earlier, the company said today.  The quake hit factories and power shortages have forced the companies to work on a scaled down  production  capacity. Honda's global vehicle sales may decline 6 percent this year to 3.3 million, while Japan's strengthened currency will also erode profit, the company said today.

Toyota, Japan's biggest carmaker is also likely to make a 31 percent decline in its profits  as the global vehicle sales decrease 0.9 percent to 7.24 million.  "The outlook is worse than I expected," said Koji Endo, an analyst at Advanced Research Japan in Tokyo. "It seems as though Honda won't be able to recover in the second half, even though Toyota and Nissan may be able to."

The battle for global supremacy among automakers is going to be a dogfight. it is an anxious thing to know that who will win the title this year for the best automaker. It has been a two-company race this century. In 2007, Toyota Motor Corp. ended General Motors' decades-long reign as global sales leader. Toyota held its lead last year with sales of 8.4 million, to GM's 7.6 million.

Many analysts expect GM to reclaim the title this year, with Toyota still reeling from mass product recalls and production constraints. But resurgent rivals now want a shot at the crown. And they aren't shy about touting lofty sales goals.

While then Ford Motor Co., the world's No. 5 automaker last year, expects to increase global sales 50 percent by 2015, to 8 million, largely by reversing its laggard status in Asia. Ford, which spent decades in the No. 2 spot before slipping in 2004, is pivoting to growth mode after years of retrenchment.

Then there's the naked ambition of Volkswagen AG. In 2007, VW threw down the gauntlet. It had planned to replace Toyota as the world's largest automaker during this decade. It set a sales target of 10 million units by 2018.

Not to be overlooked: Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group, the fastest-rising of the top five. The Korean carmaker leapfrogged Ford last year to capture the No. 4 spot. It hasn't proclaimed heady forecasts a la Ford and VW, but it's no secret that Hyundai-Kia fashions itself after market leader Toyota.

The battle to be biggest carries risks. GM's fixation with market share at the expense of profits sent it on a slide that eventually left it bankrupt. And Toyota's very public quality problems have been blamed in part on its push for growth as it sought to displace GM.

Toyota’s sales last month slumped significantly compared to May 2010. The Toyota Division counted a total sales of 96,082 units in May, a decrease of 26.0 percent on a DSR [daily selling rate] basis from May 2010. On a raw volume basis, Toyota Division sales were down 31.6 percent from the year-ago month.

The disaster in Japan is still largely to blame for Toyota’s sales decline, as the automaker continues to deal with decreased inventory. Toyota builds a higher percentage of its vehicles in Japan than do the other major Japanese automakers, so Toyota inventory is short of many key models. Because of inventory shortages, Camry sales fell to fifth place among midsize cars, below Malibu, Altima, Fusion and Sonata, and just ahead of Accord. Among compact cars, Corolla fell to fifth place behind Cruze, Focus, Elantra and Civic.

For June, the majority of Toyota’s deals are on new Camry and Tundra models, which feature zero-percent financing for 60 months or cash back in most areas. The base Tundra starts at $24,435, which means you’ll pay $407 per month for 60 months with no money down and no trade-in, if you qualify for Toyota’s financing offer. By comparison, the current incentives on the base Ford F-150 aren’t nearly as good. Ford is currently offering $1,000 cash back and 4.9 percent financing for 60 months on the F-150, which starts at $22,790, $1,645 less than the Tundra. Despite the F-150’s lower base price, the Ford will end up costing you $410 per month if you take the cash back and Ford’s financing. That’s $3 more per month, and $180 more over the course of your loan. Additionally, the F-150 can’t match the Tundra’s standard features, which include dual-zone climate control, cruise control, power windows and door locks and keyless entry.

Twitter have finally launched its rumoured new Photo Sharing Service and New Search Features. Now you will be able to use Twitter to share your images with your friends.

Twitter will feature photo sharing built in, you will be able to upload a photo direct to Twitter and then automatically share it with your followers.

Twitter’s new search feature is designed to deliver more relevant results, and when you search for something on Twitter you will now also be shown related images and videos.

German company Car Film Components has decided to pack a style and flashes of color  to the outgoing Volkswagen New Beetle. Though it might appear odd to think about the design modification for a car that’s leaving the marketplace soon, the company hopes its sticker package will enhance its popularity and people would love its all new look

The foil-wrap aesthetic upgrade extends along the fenders, bumpers and side skirts along with some interior spaces. This enhanced look is not cheaper by any means as the customers need  to pay around €5,000 to achieve that look.  The New Beetle is younger, stylish and peppy that you woudl love to drive it around.

The CFC experts have applied sticker bombing comprising of  high quality digital printings and high quality cottonized polyamide fibers. So, in case you cannot pluck your eyes off this traffic stopper, make sure that you own this adorable car of all times!

Ford sees a big chance to snatch buyers away from Japanese automakers battling production delays caused by the March earthquake and tsunami, and vehicles in the works could help deliver it growth in a long-difficult market.

Like other U.S. automakers, Ford Motor Co. has lagged in a market dominated by local manufacturers such as Toyota Motor Corp., Nissan Motor Co. and Honda Motor Co.

American cars don’t enjoy much of a reputation in Japan, partly because they tend to be too large for Japan’s streets, and they have built an image over the years as gas-guzzlers. But Japanese car makers have not been able to produce at full capacity since the March 11 magnitude-9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami destroyed key auto-parts makers in northeastern Japan.

Some customers aren’t expecting their vehicles delivered for months in Japan, some until next year. And that is an opportunity for imports, including cars made by Ford, based in Dearborn, Mich.

Ford is planning 50 new products and powertrains over the next four years in the Asia-Pacific and Africa. It also plans five environmentally friendly models, such as electric vehicles, hybrids and plug-ins, globally next year, but declined to say if any would be sold in Japan.

Ford’s sales in Japan grew 5 percent in 2010 over the previous year, but it sold just 700 Explorer vehicles here last year. That contrasts with Explorer sales in North America totaling 42,000 in January-April alone.

Jaguar Land Rove could make  a major  turnaround in its fortunes when it made profits after being a loss making unit for decades. This car maker is on an expansion mode and is planning a  new £750million engine plant expected in either Wolverhampton, South Wales or India and is likely to  request for government grants if the jobs and production are to be in Britain.. The company owned by India’s Tata Motors reported an increase of over 51 percent increase in its revenue.

The company attributed various factors like higher sales volumes, improvements in margins and efficiency and a favourable foreign exchange rate environment for its impressive show.  The turnaround comes just weeks after Jaguar this month announced it is to build a £900,000 petrol-electric hybrid British supercar, the most expensive and ‘greenest’ Jaguar in its history, the CX75. It has charted out an ambitious plan of £1bn a year expansion over five years  that will not only create many new jobs but also will double up the sales of vehicles from m 5 year expansion plan and expansion plans in India and China.

Japanese electronics giant Sony has reported a loss of $3.1bn (£1.9bn) for the year to 31 March.

The net loss was largely due to writing off $4.4bn related to a tax credit, and the stronger yen had also affected earnings during the year. Sony's business was also affected by the earthquake in Japan in March.

This is the third successive year that Sony has reported a loss. However, it forecast that it would return to profit in the current financial year.

Sony is seeking to improve its profitability by cutting costs, and has forecast a profit of 80bn yen ($976m; £600m) for the current fiscal year.

Ford Motor Co. is on a plan to spend $72 million to expand an engine plant in India to support sales and export growth.

The investment in its Chennai engine plant will create more than 300 jobs. Ford plans to run the factory on three shifts per day.

When the expansion is complete in mid-2012, the factory will be able to build 80,000 more diesel engines per year than it does now. Currently the plant can make about 250,000 gasoline and diesel engines.

Pang Da Automobile Trade, China's largest listed vehicle dealer, aims to set up a manufacturing venture with Spyker Cars and a partner in China this year, in a bid to revive the lose making Saab Automobile.

"The plan is to start making Saab in China within two years but the exact timetable will be decided by several factors, including regulatory approval," Wang Yin, Pang Da's board secretary, told Reuters.
Under an agreement announced earlier this week, the retailer will open 50 Saab-exclusive sales outlets in China this year. The annual  sales target for imported Saab in China is 10,000 units this year.

Pang Da, based in the northern city of Tangshan, near Beijing, has 926 outlets, mostly in north China and handles as many as 83 global and domestic car brands like Toyota, Honda, Hyundai and Mazda among others. Pang Da is planning to open over 400 outlets this year though the vehicle sales in China is showing a downward trend.

Ford Motor Co. China passenger car venture will invest $350 million to build its first transmission plant in the Asian nation. This decision by the automaker was known from an e- mailed statement.

The plant, in China’s southwestern city of Chongqing, will have an initial production capacity of 400,000 units per year, the statement said. The factory will start production in the fourth quarter of 2013.

RIM is recalling over 1,000 of its BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, due to a software fault, as some models were shipped with a faulty operating system.

The fault stopped people running the initial setup of the tablet, although RIM has said that not many of the devices with the faulty OS had actually reached many customers and that they were still with retailers.

RIM determined that approximately one thousand BlackBerry PlayBook tablets (16 GB) were shipped with an OS build that may result in the devices being unable to properly load software upon initial set-up.

The majority of the affected devices are still in the distribution channel and haven’t reached customers. RIM is working to replace the affected devices. RIM said that if any customers have purchased a faulty PlayBook can contact RIM to arrange a replacement device.