Txapita Mobility, who installs tracking devices in Public Transport allowing passengers, from their cell phone, know the location and time that the bus arrives. has been named “Best Startup in Mozambique” for its innovative sustainable solution.
Txapita Mobility, will represent Mozambique at the Seedstars Africa Summit, win an all-inclusive trip to the Seedstars Africa Summit and the chance to win a spot at the Seedstars Global Summit in Switzerland where the winner will take home a 500K USD investment prize.
In addition, the winner will receive 3 months access to the investment readiness program.
OUTPUT – Tech Solution – Xiphefu, with its simple device that can be controlled local and remotely to switch on/off electricity into your electrical devices without internet., came second and Cliko , with its online and mobile delivery company dedicated to creating unlimited delivery service grabbed the last spot in the top 3.
The other startups invited to pitch were Milliban Technologies, Design Thinking, Ethale Publishing Lda, POSsoft Multiservice, Explicador Inc, LDA, Txapita Mobility LDA, TxekaMoz, Somodec.
Continuing on its world tour of fast-growing startup scenes in emerging markets, Seedstars World’s next stop is at BongoHive, to select the best startup in Zambia.
Traffic gridlock in Kenya accounts for billions of shillings in loses annually, both in time and human capital according to a study conducted by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA). This catastrophe has been a huge challenge for years even with the billions of shillings spent in the expansion of the transport infrastructure. Not only does traffic congestion have a negative impact on a country’s economic competitiveness and attractiveness to investors it also results in a nose dive in the overall GDP and an increase in air pollution which results in ill health amongst residents.
Due to the increased rate of urbanization coupled by motorization, Nairobi has been ranked as one of the most congested cities globally.
In a bid to decongest Nairobi traffic, Huawei in partnership with Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) implemented the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) to use intelligent surveillance cameras, traffic flow cameras, variable timing traffic lights, and a control center to monitor and manage traffic. The traffic flow cameras collect data that is used to change traffic light timings thus ensuring efficient flow of traffic whilst surveillance cameras enable monitoring of traffic violations and rapid response especially if there are traffic accidents ITS is not only limited to controlling traffic congestion and information but also improves the overall road safety for both vehicles and pedestrians, and improves the infrastructure usage.
So far the system has been implemented in 7 major junctions from Yaya Center along Kilimani and Kileleshwa Ring Roads to Riverside with the aim to expand to various other junctions’ across the city in the future.
In conclusion managing traffic has been a challenge and continues to be a pressing issue with every passing day. Though important, it cannot only be addressed by constructing new roads, bridges and underpasses which are expensive, takes time, and requires land. An important part of the solution lies in taking a unified approach to traffic management and leveraging advanced technologies and intelligent solutions to improve traffic flow and safety.
How can you tell if the rental you want is actually fake?
Let me tell you a story. A few years back, I saw a really nice house on social media, it had everything I wanted and was in the location I preferred. I excitedly called the owner and he seemed very nice at first, but some things stopped making sense especially when he said that his daughter’s name was the same as mine. He then asked me to send him half of the rental money first and that’s when I knew that he was a con. This same man had claimed that he was an army guy who wanted to get rid of his house, he had a beautiful story. There are very many houses on social media that are fake and if you’re not careful you will be in a terrible scam. How do you know if they are fake?
So you’re there been told about a 2 bedroom house in Lavington that is 20k, the house looks like a big bungalow and it looks out of this world. Does this really make sense? If a place looks too good to be true then don’t even bother asking or inquiring further because that is definitely a scam.
2. They want money before even seeing the place
You should never give money before seeing a place and even signing a contract. Some scammers may even ask you to meet in a place and you need to be careful just in case they’d like to kidnap you, anything is possible in Kenya guys. Never give money for viewing or as a deposit unless you’re actually sure that you have sealed the deal and you like the house.
3. You’ve seen the same house on different platforms but different amounts
Ever seen the same house that looks so familiar on Facebook and other social media platforms as well? The craziest thing is that the same house can be everywhere but different amounts, this is one of the most obvious signs that this is not a real place.
4. They will probably block you once you’ve paid anything
If you’ve paid anything and the next thing your realtor’s phone is off, there’s a problem, you have been scammed. If your realtor is also using multiple numbers to communicate then there’s a chance that he/she is just planning to con you very soon and you need to stay alert or just stop talking to that person.
5. You know it’s impossible to get a house for that amount in that location
Like we mentioned earlier if you’re getting an offer on a house that is in a very good location and it is not a bedsitter of a servant’s quarter you need to ask yourself if that is possible.
How do you avoid scammers?
It’s always best to get an agent that has a good reputation and has good results. This way you can avoid working with someone who is new to you at the same time, use a platform or a page that is actually trusted and is known to yield results.
Insert an image, because a picture is worth a thousand words. Roll the credits.
Kidding aside, not reaching a minimum word count feels a lot like hitting a dead end. You may feel unmotivated to even finish your piece or find other words to say – yet when deadlines call, who are we but to answer?
If I were you, I’d think twice before rephrasing that thing I’ve already said five times. As Einstein once put it, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again.” If you’re doing it right, increasing word count takes a lot more than just repeating sentences.
Think of it this way: a bodybuilder wouldn’t just eat any kind of food to build muscle. Similarly, adding bulk to your work should always be quality over quantity. These 5 writing techniques will not only increase your word count but make you write better:
Examples
One sure-fire way to increase your word count is by adding examples. Each time you make a statement, always have an example to follow up on your point.
Ex: Social media is like an extension of ourselves. Do you still know someone who doesn’t have Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram accounts?
The use of examples not only adds volume to your work but helps readers understand and visualize your concepts better.
Different perspectives
When writing about certain topics, addressing different sides is important. For example, some people may like pineapple on pizza, but some think it’s disgusting. Others don’t even eat pizza, or just don’t care.
Ex: The new Joker film is receiving wide acclaim for its psychological narrative and Joaquin Phoenix’s masterful portrayal, but the other side of the spectrum claims people just aren’t used to seeing depth in comic book adaptations.
Exploring different views not only add words to your piece, but it balances your work when you elaborate on your topic without bias.
Clarify statements
Similar to the statement-example technique, clarifying sentences not only adds bulk but shows your mastery or grasp of the topic.
Ex: Writing is a discipline as much as it is an art. Although we have the liberty to be creative, form and grammar are still important factors.
In the short blurb above, the first sentence was a somewhat abstract statement. The second sentence clarified the meaning of the first sentence. A good writer knows that not everyone will understand figures of speech or obscure references. Because of this, clarifying statements should be given in your writing.
Quotations
A good way to catch attention and make a point is through quotations. If you’re writing about music, quoting Bob Marley could be an interesting way of beginning your piece. However, it doesn’t always have to be someone from a related field – as long as you can use it in the context of your piece.
Ex: If I were you, I’d think twice before rephrasing that thing I’ve already said five times. As Einstein once put it, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again.”
Einstein was really more of a science guy than a literature guy, but quoting him strengthened the point made in the first sentence and added an easy 17 words to your piece. You can be creative with your quotations. You can quote song lyrics, fictional characters, your mom, your dog – the possibilities are endless.
Resources
Resources not only add content to your work, but they are necessary to make your piece credible.
If you’re writing about the dangers of smoking, citing the World Health Organization on lung cancer data could strengthen your point and persuade readers more. If your topic is on poverty, statistics from UNICEF would make readers visualize the problem better.
Adding resources tells readers that your work isn’t just a self-indulgent opinion, but a well-researched piece with a basis for everything you wrote. In fact, for academic writing, citations are a must.
With these techniques, you can keep your writing from sounding like a broken record. Whether it be for academics or for a presentation, following these methods will make you write on the fly and make your writing be like a persuasive essay. You’ll never have to run out of words to say ever again. With some practice, you’ll be whipping out Pulitzer-worthy manuscripts in no time.
The power of social media is quite evident in this day and age.
We all know the influence social media has on most people in this era. Facebook was recently under attack for allowing sponsored political adverts to marginalize certain groups of people. A lot of information is passed around and Twitter happens to be the most important platform where political influencers and people interested in politics share their sentiments.
Well, the debate has been there for some time now but no real decision has been made until now. Twitter announced that they have banned all political ads on it’s platform in order to distance itself from such concerns.
Here’s what they said:
We’ve made the decision to stop all political advertising on Twitter globally. We believe political message reach should be earned, not bought. Why? A few reasons…?
The whole point of this move is to make sure that politicians earn their audience based on what they post on social media rather than paying for it. What does paying for an ad on social media entail? It would mean that it would be specifically targeted to certain groups of people since it would be highly optimized which would also be unfair to people who can not afford to put more money in their social media ads as well.
“A political message earns reach when people decide to follow an account or retweet. Paying for reach removes that decision, forcing highly optimized and targeted political messages on people. We believe this decision should not be compromised by money.”
The reality is that social media advertising is used to influence millions of people.
Currently Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was in trouble for allowing political advertisements on his platforms, both Instagram and Facebook. He claimed that people should have the freedom of speech and the right to say whatever they want in their ads, from there people should be able to choose what they want to believe and to debate the topics given.
However Twitter’s CEO Dorsey said:
“Internet political ads present entirely new challenges to civic discourse: machine learning-based optimization of messaging and micro-targeting, unchecked misleading information, and deep fakes. All at increasing velocity, sophistication, and overwhelming scale. These challenges will affect ALL internet communication, not just political ads. Best to focus our efforts on the root problems, without the additional burden and complexity taking money brings. Trying to fix both means fixing neither well, and harms our credibility.”
The two CEO’s have very different ideologies when it comes to political advertising.
On one hand, social media is still a business that has to be run and has to do well, however, on the other hand where do ethics come in? Where is the integrity that social media is actually meant to have just as we have media rules and ethics for traditional media? We have all freedom of speech but what can these speeches do and how can they affect other people? We currently don’t have enough guidelines that really control what is spread out there. What do you think?
I tried Tinder for a couple of days a few years back and I wasn’t exactly amused. But, there are millions of people on Tinder, people who are looking for both casual relationships and serious ones too. Am one of those people who believe in physically meeting people but that’s because I am traditional. But most people around me are either swiping right or left, liking people’s pictures and flirting around on Tinder. If you’re on Tinder here are few things you should know.
The first 10-15 profiles you see in any given session are attractive users that haven’t swiped right for you. This way, it looks like there are a ton of hot people using Tinder. So basically, you’re getting people that didn’t like you as options, it’s rather tricky because it just means that the chances of you getting that person is really low.
2. The ones you swiped right appear next
The whole point of Tinder is to make matches, so the ones you swiped right will definitely appear and the ones who didn’t will show up to keep it interesting for you. This also stops you from swiping right for people just because you think they liked you.
3. You have a score you don’t know about
Tinder has an algorithm and a system that is able to know how attractive you are based on how many people swipe right for you. This system is known as the Elo score, it was developed in 2 months so it’s not something they would like to disclose.
4. Frequently active users are rewarded
There are a group of people who just download Tinder but hardly use it. Then there are people who live on Tinder, they get a match and act on it every time they get the chance to. How do they know that you’re active? Your level of activity includes actually engaging in conversations rather than just swiping.
5. Interactions with other people are monitored
The length and frequency of your conversations are actually monitored. This just proves that you are an interesting person which then goes with how attractive you are which puts you on Tinder’s priority for matching.
6. There are very many cheaters
But who doesn’t know this? A research was done in 2015 and they found that only 54% of Tinder users were actually single. This is quite sad as it proves that online dating has actually enabled a lot of cheaters, it basically makes it too easy to meet someone.
7. When you move to a new location your profile gets pushed to the front
When you move to a new location Tinder wants to ensure that you’re connected as fast as possible. So, when you move to a new location you will definitely be put as a high priority.
8. Tinder knows your preferences
Based on who you swipe on Tinder knows the kind of people you like and these include proximity, friends in common, age, interests, and education level.
9. There’s a special tinder for celebs
It is known as Tinder select and you’re definitely not part of that team. This service is invitation-only and is generally reserved for celebrities and the top 1% on Tinder.
There are several issues that I personally have with guys who hit on me on social media. To begin with, I always wonder if they are catfishing me or does that guy really look like Trey Songz? Let’s admit it, many guys on social media awkwardly hit on you and they are just the worst. Most of them are weird, too sexual and just seriously creepy. But, what if you’re actually a nice guy with a face that does look like Trey Songz and you’re trying to get that special girl? Here are the mistakes you should avoid making.
You may think that not having any photos at all makes you look mature or private but if you’re hitting on someone on social media they will definitely want to see your real picture. From your photo, they can tell your age and if they are interested in you or not. There’s no point in having a serious conversation and then when she sees you she will not be interested. Put yourself out there because you can’t hide behind your keyboard forever.
2. You send too many messages at the same time
We get it, you like the girl, you love her social media stories and who she is, but please don’t be the desperate guy who keeps sending many messages. This is just creepy and will land you on the blocked list together with all the other creepy guys. Wait for her response when you send a message otherwise it will feel like you’re nagging and just annoying.
3. You like all photos at the same time
Yes, you like her face and all her inspirational quotes, but keep that like in your heart. Liking a few pics is okay to display interest but nothing more or less. Liking all her photos is just obviously showing her that you’re stalking and her and though we all do this when we like someone online, you are meant to do it silently, okay?
4. You send sexual images
This is a no, no and is very disrespectful at the same time. Sending sexual images to a woman just shows that you’re only interested in sleeping with her and it’s honestly disgusting. There’s no point in sending images of your body, if you woo her nicely you may get to that point one day but not on social media.
5. Ask for her number too soon
Don’t be that guy who expects to send a “hi” and “what’s your number?” all too soon. Asking for her number too soon will make you look entitled if you don’t have a back story to it. You need to create a conversation first get to know each other, make her feel comfortable enough to actually want to give you her number then you can ask for it.
6. You sound serious or like a job interview
If you’re going to ask a girl a million and one questions on the first day then she will feel like you’re interrogating her and that’s just wrong. Have a bit of personality and character, be funny and interesting at the same time, things will fall into place.
Most of us start and end our days on social media. The other day I was having a discussion with two of my friends and one said that she took a break from social media because there was too much pressure that came with it. I didn’t really understand because I hardly ever feel any pressure from social media. But then why should you take a break from social media?
There are many people who look at what people post on social media and tend to compare themselves to them. If you find yourself looking at people on social media and wishing you were more like them then you need to take a step back and take some time for yourself. If you find yourself obsessed with what other people are doing then this is a sign that you need to be more obsessed with your life.
2. You are mostly envious of people on social media
Do you see people on social media and just feel bad all the time? We tend not to see the struggles or low points in the lives of others, which makes us feel more conscious of our own flaws. So, you’re there admiring people who would never post their own low moments and feeling bad about your own life. This would then pressurize you into trying to live beyond your means or showcase a life that is not truly yours in the first place.
3. You constantly need people’s validation
Do you feel like you constantly post to just see how many likes you’re going to get? Are you always living your life on social media trying to seek validation?
4. You think communicating on social media is enough for maintaining a friendship
Most people nowadays tend to assume that checking up on friends on social media is enough to keep a friendship going. We assume we know what is going on in other people’s lives just because you see their stories or what they constantly post. However, if you mostly keep checking up on friends or family but never actually take the time to hangout with them physically, there could be a big problem.
5. Your relationship is suffering
Do you keep checking on your partner’s status? do you keep stalking your partner on social media? Well, social media can have serious negative effects on your relationship especially if your partner is very popular on social media. You might need to take a break so that you maintain your sanity and your relationship as well.
Lastly, if you feel like social media overwhelms you and makes you feel lonely or just out of touch with reality then trust me you need a break from the online community. You can take this time to know yourself a bit more, have real conversations and create new and interesting hobbies.
As of October 2019, the rate of Remote Gaming Duty (RGD) in the UK is increasing by 6%. Providers of internet, telephone and TV gambling will soon see a dramatic increase in their tax bills – and this could be very bad news for players, if the costs are passed onto them.
Online casinos are already cutting back on the promotional rewards and bonuses they offer to players, in order to offset the expected costs. With the new tax rate now in effect, the cost of gambling online could rise even further. Game odds and payouts could even be slashed.
What is Remote Gaming Duty?
Any gambling that takes place through electronic communications media – such as telephone betting, live TV betting, and all kinds of internet casino gaming – is subject to a tax known as Remote Gaming Duty. Until 2018, this was fixed at a rate of 15% on all revenue. However, the Government raised the tax level in that year’s budget, so now remote gambling is charged at a rate of 21% – an increase of 6%. This takes effect from late 2019.
Why has the rate been raised?
The increased tax is a response to a cut in Fixed Odds Betting Terminal (FOBT) stakes. These betting machines, often found in high street bookmakers, are thought to be responsible for a sharp rise in problem gambling. As a result, the government – under pressure from lobby groups – significantly dropped the maximum stake on FOBT bets.
This is bad news for the operators, who make a large portion of their income from FOBTs. It also means a cut to public funds. Taxes on FOBT profits are now greatly reduced, leaving the government with a hole in the treasury’s purse; the new tax may mitigate this loss.
Operators and players feel the pinch
Many UK gambling operators already faced significant losses when the FOBT stakes were reduced. William Hill, for example, has reported a 12% profit slump in early 2019 – a decline of £63.5 million – and is expected to close hundreds of its betting shops. The overall cost to the bookmaker could exceed £ 1 billion by 2020. Other companies have fared better so far, thanks to strong online gaming revenues which have mitigated some of the losses. However, the rise in Remote Gaming Duty is going to seriously cut into online profits.
In order to balance out their lost profits, many gambling operators are passing some of the burden onto their customers by raising the cost of their services. Most are doing so indirectly, with a reduction in welcome bonuses, loyalty rewards and player comps. Some are even going so far as to cut the odds on their games, so the house takes a higher cut, and decreasing the prizes available. Players might find that their favourite game is suddenly less profitable, or their membership carries less perks, thanks to the higher tax rates.
Can online casinos weather this storm?
Online gambling is increasingly popular, with a huge number of online casinos establishing themselves in the past decade. From sports betting to live casino tables, many players are opting to place their bets online, via their computer or mobile phone, instead of attending a physical casino or bookmaker. Games are available around the clock, and can be played anywhere there is an internet connection. There are thousands of different game types – from online video slots to live bingo games – and many unique rewards and bonuses.
Even with the raised taxes, subsequent losses and increased prices, the online casino industry is expected to hold strong and retain players ver the coming months and years. New and advanced games, plus the convenience of mobile play, are key reasons why UK gamblers will keep flocking to their favourite casinos, regardless of the price increase. However, if the industry is hit by further taxes in future, the impact could be devastating for both small independent companies, and the country’s biggest names in online gambling.
The generators that are being used today can be traced back to a simple device invented by British physicist Micheal Faraday in 1831. It was then made of a tube, wire, and a bar magnet with cotton insulation. From then to now there have been many advancements in the generator technology. Though the speed of innovation in this industry is not as fast as other industries it has not lagged behind too much either.
Generators and types:
Generators are backup power sources that become the primary power supply in case of power outages. Before learning more about the latest advancements in generators it is essential to know what is a generator and what are the different types available in the market. There are three main types of generators.
Portable generators
Inverter generators
Standby generators
Portable generator: This is a backup power source that is run on fuel like gas or diesel and can provide electricity to homes temporarily. Some of the features it provides are:
Uses a combustion engine to produce electricity
Electrical appliances can be powered through the sockets present in generators
Can run large home appliances like AC, TV, refrigerator, etc and also be used for lights and power tools
There are various power output options available and the buyer can calculate power requirements and buy one with the required capacity.
Can be hooked to the subpanels of main circuit
Due to its portability, it can be used in remote sites, campsites, etc
They are small in size and can be carried in the trunk of a car
They have handles fitted and also wheels which help to move it from one place to another
It is useful as a backup source in case of storms, earthquakes or other such natural disasters when the main power line is no longer functional.
Inverter generator: It uses fossil fuels to run the combustion engine. The energy is produced through electromagnetic induction where mechanical energy is converted into electrical energy. It is a step up from the conventional generator that needs the engine to run at a speed of 3600 rpm to produce electricity irrespective of the load. But the inverter generator is such that the AC has to be converted to DC and stored in an inverter battery which converts into AC and powers the wall outlets. The power generated from the inverter generator is clean and free of fluctuations and hence can be used by sensitive appliances like the ones used in hospitals too.
Some of the features of inverter generators are:
They are portable and are very quiet with very less noise
They are small in size and lightweight
They are more fuel-efficient than normal generators
Can run appliances for a longer time
Is safe for use on all types of appliances
Standby generators: These are generators that are permanently installed at home and provides automatic backup when the main power supply shuts down. If you are looking for a generator for sale then this is the one that you need to invest on. These generators are placed outside just like an AC unit and deliver power to the home’s main power supply unit. This device has an automatic transfer switch that powers up a device when there is a power outage. Some of the characteristics of a standby generator are:
Gives power protection permanently
Automatically switches to a backup source when there is an outage
Operates on natural gas or liquid propane
Conducts self-tests to check if it can react to a power loss properly
Monitors the main power constantly
Mainly used in safety systems like elevators, life support systems, fire protection systems, etc.
New technologies for generators
Domestic generators were invented so that the lights and other important appliances run even when there is a power cut. There are many drawbacks of generators, a standby generator may automatically switch from the main power supply to backup but it can put a lot of stress on the appliances. Whereas in the case of portable generators they have to be hooked up which takes time to install. Moreover, the generator’s control panel has to be monitored to know that it is working properly.
To overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks, the following latest technology has been used:
Direct power installation technology: It is a new method to install the standby generators in case of failure in the main lines. It helps to lessen the installation time span by close to 60% and thus power backup is up and running in less time than before.
Wireless monitoring system: The generator’s control panel has to be monitored to check the performance which is a hassle for consumers. But with the new wireless monitoring device, the monitor audits the performance and other activities and sends messages to your mobile, laptop or any internet-enabled device.
Power Management Systems: When there is a power outage and the backup generator kicks in the power will not be evenly distributed to some appliances and parts of your house. Due to this uneven distribution, some appliances get more power and others less than what is mandated which can damage the appliances. The Power Management system is a viable solution where it ensures that all the equipment gets the required power without the need for any manual intervention.
Carbon Monoxide(CO) sensing and auto shutdown technology: These days generators come with a sensor that can detect the leakage or buildup of CO over the optimal limit. Though generators are supposed to be kept in well-ventilated spaces, more often people ignore this, thereby risking leakage. These CO sensors will automatically shut down the generator when these gases are detected and this latest safety technology is a critical one which is a must-have in all generators.
Use of natural gas: The use of natural gas for the generator is not new but it has gained popularity in the past few years. There are several reasons for it and some of them are
The reduction in prices of natural gas and the increase in the price of diesel
The power generated by this type of fuel is cleaner, efficient and less expensive compared to other non-renewable fuels.
It does not produce a bad odor which is usually generated by diesel or oil
Generator controllers: A generator has complex machinery inside a seemingly simple-looking device. It needs an easy user interface so that its operations can be monitored for efficient working and also if there is a need for intervention. The electrical signals that are produced by these generators vary due to various reasons like overheating, weather conditions, wear and tear of parts, etc. These signals need to be controlled so that the machine performs optimally. To accommodate such control, controllers are used which detect the changes and produce signals accordingly. Modern generators that use the latest technology have such sensors that detect the changes and display them on a control panel.
Emerging technologies that can power the future
Use of sodium and solar energy to generate electricity: This unique engine has no movable parts and is called the Thermo ElectroChemical Converter that uses solar energy to make sodium redox reaction which results in less heat leakage and more efficiency. There are other technologies like the flexible charging pump being developed. But this technology can use the sun’s energy to generate power that can be used at home. Not just the sun, it can also use biomass, natural gas as fuel and the engine can be placed in the backyard and power an entire house.
Radio waves recycling: This technology which initially started off with the potential to generate watts from a TV channel can now recycle radio waves from Wi-Fi, cellular signals, electronic devices and harvest the power. The technology has the ability to receive signals of various frequency ranges through its antennas, has charge pumps that can maximize charging, circuitry uses origami principles to change its shape as per the electromagnetic signals. The technology can also use other energy forms like vibration, solar, kinetic energy, etc.
Energy generation through friction: There are a few researchers who are working on producing electricity through friction. This is an energy source that had been ignored until now, but now engineers are working to produce mechanical energy that can be used by generators to operate small devices. The system uses human movement to first charge a capacitor and then transfer the energy to a battery. Even a few seconds of rubbing palms can generate power that can open a wireless car lock. The technology is being developed to convert other sources of energy like wind, waves of the ocean, tire rotation, etc to electric signals that can be used by generators.
Though slow to start off with, generators technology is slowly but surely progressing at a rapid rate making up for the slow start and helping generators become cleaner and more efficient.
With the advent of the mobile phone, SMS (or Short Message Service) Marketing has become one of the biggest forms of advertising in the world. Companies like Calbulk SMS report that SMS marketing can easily target a large number of audiences at a go and has huge impact on reaching more users easily and instantly.
SMS or simply texting, has become important to marketing just like print, TV, radio, social media and brochures. The benefits of SMS marketing makes it a great choice for any kind of business looking to reach more of its customers.
Cost-Effective
It doesn’t cost much to run an SMS Marketing campaign. Whether you are sending a single message to a customer or sending bulk messages to hundreds or thousands of customers, the cost will never be a problem. SMS is much more affordable compared to other marketing options, such as Facebook ads, Google ads, Banner ads, Email marketing among others.
Wider Reach
Cell phones and other mobile devices have become cheaper and therefore used by hundreds of users from across the globe. Running an SMS marketing campaign, therefore, is an assurance of a wider reacher compared to other platforms such as email newsletters. Every business can benefit from SMS marketing as the mode reachers everyone and there is an assurance that the messages will be read.
Marketing executives only need to identify their demographics, draft proper messages and then share them with their audiences and can ask for feedback if needed.
Great For Customer Engagement
SMS marketing enables users to engage with their customers more and makes big corporates accessible to all their customers regardless of the customers success. SMS makes individuals be part of the business no matter how far or how big the firm is. SMS makes customers feel that the company remembers or actually knows them.
Great ROI
SMS Marketing has a great return on investment when done right and to the right demographic.
For example, the British motor racing circuit Silverstone sent a text message to 45,000 people in their database, inviting them to buy tickets for an upcoming Formula 1 race. Just this single message resulted in 680% ROI.
Therefore, SMS marketing can result in massive results when executed carefully. SMS marketing can be used by firms of any size and even reporting is easier than other marketing campaigns.
Generate word of mouth
You also use SMS Marketing to not only engage your existing customers but also drive new business to your company. If you have something of value to offer your customers, they will spread the word to family, friends and colleagues. Word of mouth is a powerful tool and SMS promotes this with instant communication.
Improve communication
SMS is a great tool in building relationships because communication is key to building any long term relationship be it in business or romantic relationships. Because it is instant and personal, SMS Marketing can be of great benefit for promotional offers, deals and gratitude messages to your customers.
Apart from improving communication, SMS Marketing is easy, fast and reliable and can be used to target any demographic in the society.
Opt-In Option
With the opt-in option, SMS Marketing can help a user build their database fast and reliably. It can allow customers to hear from you, or follow up a sales process you had already started. You can send your clients new offers, new products or any events right away. Calbulk SMS Bulk SMS offers you Promotional Bulk SMS that can be used for Brand Promotion, Offers, product marketing, and general awareness.
Opt Out Option
Calbulk SMS specializes in bulk SMS services to schools, churches, NGOs, SACCOs, SMEs, corporates and other organisations. The firm allows a business to give its customers an opportunity to unsubscribe from further text messages and prevent spamming according to Data Protection Laws. These allows businesses to also take stock of how many customers are still left in their database.
Fast Delivery
SMS Marketing is instant and once sent, customers cannot reverse it easily. It can also be stored for future reference and if customers reply, feedback is also instant unlike other forms of marketing.
SMS marketing also requires very little prep time and there are no materials to gather or printings to wait for. There are no designs to complete or people to contact.
The only thing you need to do is come up with your message and send it away to your customers. And, because we already know that texts are far more likely opened than emails, you can be certain your customers will see your important news as quickly as possible.
Higher Open Rate Than Emails
SMS marketing is effective because texts have 98% to be opened when received by your customers, therefore, giving SMS a higher open rate than any other advertising options. SMS marketing doesn’t go ignored, unlike spam emails and brochures. Businesses need to use SMS more because there is a high likelihood that their customers will open and read text messages and respond to them if needed.
More Benefits of SMS Marketing
Regardless of what industry your firm or business is operating in, SMS Marketing will never fail you. It’s great for business, it’s great for friendship and it’s great for any form of personal communication. Though SMS is not as trendy as social media, it does get results quickly and its benefits are instant. Users who also need quick feedback need to try out Facebook. SMS marketing will give your business that extra edge it needs to stand above all your competition.
on Calbulk SMS and send bulk SMS cheaply from 0.4 per SMS. You can send one SMS at a time or thousands of messages all at once. The platform allows you to send dynamic SMS and personalized messages from your secure online messaging dashboard.
The dashboard allows you to upload contacts from Excel, upload a message from Excel with different fields, group your contacts into customers, employees etc and complete with your unique company name.
If you are an Amazon seller, having the best software and tools can help improve your sales and increase profits. Different Amazon Seller tools have different functions. Choosing the best FBA software is not easy. If you are serious about growing your profits and breaking even, read on to get the best amazon software in 2019, or contact professionals like Nuanced Media so they can advise you on the best practices.
The software gives a comprehensive plan for different functions. For instance, it has a customizable profits dashboard to help you track your profits at any time. A keyword tracker is used for tracking and ranking keywords for better listing. Another similar tool for FBA, is eBusiness boss, it gives you the information required to successfully build your website.
2. Jungle Scout
The Jungle Scout is Amazon seller software that helps you choose what products you should sell on your online store. The software analyzes the data and metrics on Amazon such as reviews and bestsellers to estimate the number of sales on a product.
It is accessible using chrome extension and web application for quick and easy browsing. Other similar software you can use for determining what to sell on your Amazon store is Unicorn smasher.
3. Cash Cow Pro
If you are running an online store, having the right information is highly essential. It gives you all the data and the insights you want all in one place and access to information such as the time you have spent on the page, the conversion rate, and gives you the testing tools. CCP costs $50 per month.
Here is what you get from CPP.
A keyword tracker
A global bestseller analysis
The sales process data analysis
An automated feedback collection
Inventory monitoring
4. Feedback Whiz
Customer feedback is essential for the growth of your business. Feedback Whiz helps you to monitor, manage the product reviews, orders, feedback, and automate emails. Additionally, this software enables you to create professional templates, emojis, and gifs.
Here is what you get from Feedback Whiz:
Customer data management
Intensive analytics
Review management
Overall feedback optimization
Review management
Email automation
5. Listing Eagle
Listing Eagle is an essential tool for fetching notifications, and it gives the seller instant feedback and alerts. The immediate feedback and notifications help to act quickly on the issues arising on your business.
Listing Eagle has several packages with different pricing depending on the number of ASINs you need. It takes just a few minutes to load bulk ASINS, which saves you time.
Here what you get with Listing Eagle:
Instant notifications
Bulks ASIN upload
24/7 monitoring
Ready to use letters
6. Sellics
Sellics is an essential tool when it comes to online businesses and especially for the FBA. It has seven features that help in running the business. With Sellics, you can manage the product reviews, PPC sales, profit calculation by SKU, Keyword tracker, Product research, Competition monitoring, inventory management, and Sponsored products manager.
It translates the metrics and data from Amazon into simple and actionable steps to help you run your online business effectively.
Conclusion
The above tools come in handy when operating an online business. The list is not exhaustive, research to find the best software to help you in running your Amazon store. Note, a few of the software is offered for free and others at a fee.
PDF (Portable Document Format) documents have become popular by the day as businesses get automated globally. In offices and institutions around the world, PDF documents are the standard format for all official documentation.
PDF has become popular because it enables a user to present and exchange documents reliably, independent of software, hardware or operating system. However, converting documents to and from PDF is still a major obstacle to many users and some of the softwares used to convert documents to or from PDF are expensive and require advanced computers to access them.
PDF WIZ, a free and simpler way to convert and edit your PDF files also helps users convert PDF to other file formats. It enables one to convert PDF to Microsoft Word files, PDF to Powerpoint or PPTX slides, PDF to Excel, PDF to editable TXT files, PDF to Html, PDF to Image files such as JPG, PNG, TIFF or other image formats.
PDF Wiz also allows users to convert other files to PDF such as Word to PDF, DOC or DOCX to easy-to-read PDF files, Image to PDF and users can merge multiple images into one PDF files.
Why should you use PDF WIZ?
Offline use
PDF WIZ is simple to use. It’s a desktop program for Windows computers and can be used with or without internet. Unlike online PDF converters, users don’t have to worry about internet access.
Free with no feature limitation PDF WIZ is free of charge and users have access to as many features as possible. Users only need to download the software and use it on their computers then have full access to all its features.
Multidevice use PDF WIZ can be used on any device and users can convert or edit their PDF files with just a few clicks. Because it uses a few storage space, users find it easy to work on document or image compression algorithms.
How to convert PDF to Microsoft Word by using WIZ
Step 1.Download PDF Wiz, launch it on your computer. Click on”convert PDF to”to go to the next screen.
Step 2.On the screen that follows, either directly drags the PDF file to the converting box and drop it, or click the box field to select from your computer the PDF file you want to convert at the same time.
Step 3After putting the PDF files you want to convert to the converting box, click”all” below “sel page” to choose which pages from the PDF you want to convert, and click OK. You can also choke how and where to save the converted files by ticking the options below.
Step 4.When you are ready, click on the Convert Now button below, to start conversion. When the status goes to100%, it means the conversion has completed. Then you can open the converted file or go to the saved location directly by click on the buttons”open” location”
Why PDF wiz is a better option.
It can be used without access to the Internet in comparison to using other online PDF converters and the information security will still be safeguarded. In addition, it’s offered for free without any feature limitations. Once downloaded to the computer, a user will gain access to all features.
Handling PDF is simplified, with a few clicks, a user can be able to convert or edit PDF files they wish to.
Who can use PDF WIZ
PDF WIZ can be used by the following category of users;
A lawyer who has tons of legal documents to deal with
A graduate student who needs to prepare for his or her thesis
An official who deals with tons of government documents
Apple announced its Q4 earnings results for 2019 yesterday, top-lined by revenues of $64 billion, slightly higher than last year’s quarter: Services revenue grew sharply, while earnings from both iPhones and Macs fell somewhat below last year’s levels. In other words, Apple’s strategy to de-emphasize hardware sales and bet more on subscription services seems to be working.
Back in July, Apple told analysts to expect Q4 revenues to be in the $61 to $64 billion range, with a gross margin between 37.5% and 38.5%. Ahead of the announcement, analysts expected sales of $63 billion, up only slightly from actual sales of $62.9 billion in Q4 2018, and $2.83 in estimated earnings per share, down from $2.91 one year ago.
That $64 billion in revenue is up 2% year over year compared to Q4 2018, with quarterly earnings per diluted share of $3.03, up 4% from Q4 2018, though net income was down to $13.686 billion from $14.125 billion.
Apple’s biggest moneymaker, iPhone sales, still continued to decline compared to last year, bringing in $33.36 billion in revenue compared to $36.76 billion last year, a drop of roughly 9.2%. On the flip side, Apple reported that it had reached a record high for its services business, which brought in$12.5 billion in Q4 (compared to $11.46 billion last quarter, and $10.6 billion year over year).
Mac revenue was also down nearly 5% to $6.99 billion, although iPads ($4.65 billion in revenue) and Apple’s wearables/home/accessories unit ($6.52 billion in revenue) both saw sizable jumps compared to last year.
Here’s a better look at the key numbers and how they compare against analysts’ expectations and the company’s performance the same quarter one year ago.
Q4 revenue: $64 billion. Analysts were looking for $63 billion. In the same period a year ago, the company posted revenue of $62.9 billion.
Q4 earnings per share: $3.03. Wall Street was expecting $2.84. In its fourth-quarter last year, Apple earned $2.91 a share.
Q1 revenue (guidance): $85.5 billion to $89.5 billion. Analysts were expecting $86.51 billion. Apple saw sales of $84.3 billion in the first quarter of 2019.
Q1 earnings per share: Apple didn’t provide a per-share earnings forecast, but the guidance it did provide implies it expects a first-quarter per-share profit of between $4.15 a share and $4.63 a share, assuming its share count remains about the same. The midpoint of that range is $4.39 a share, which is slightly below analysts’ estimates of $4.42 a share.
Apple says that it now has over 450 million paid subscriptions across the services on its platform, compared to over 330 million just a year ago.
“We concluded a groundbreaking fiscal 2019 with our highest Q4 revenue ever, fueled by accelerating growth from Services, Wearables and iPad.
With customers and reviewers raving about the new generation of iPhones, today’s debut of new, noise-cancelling AirPods Pro, the hotly-anticipated arrival of Apple TV+ just two days away, and our best lineup of products and services ever, we’re very optimistic about what the holiday quarter has in store.”
While AAPL earnings no longer include hardware unit sales, the company does provide this revenue breakdown by product category:
$33.36 billion: iPhone
$12.5 billion: Services
$6.99 billion: Mac
$6.52 billion: Wearables, Home, and Accessories
$4.66 billion: iPad
Apple is expected to refresh some of its laptops in the coming months and plans to imminently launch the pricy Mac Pro. Aimed at creative professionals, the Mac Pro’s price point makes it less of a mass-market device than the MacBook Air.
In recent months, Apple has also launched multiple subscription services, including Apple News+, Apple Card, and Apple Arcade, with Apple TV+ arriving tomorrow, perhaps its biggest bet yet on selling consumer subscriptions (although the number does include Apple’s new Arcade games service, which also launched back in September).
All eyes will be on Apple’s next quarter, traditionally its strongest by far, as it tends to include the bulk of its holiday sales, as well as the fact that it’ll be the first to include the upcoming TV Plus service. Last year, the company generated $84.3 billion in revenue in its first fiscal quarter for 2019, and the company seems to expect that its new products are going to be popular. It is forecasting revenue for Q1 2020 between $85.5 billion and $89.5 billion, compared what it made in Q1 2019.
If it manages to come in at the top end, it would likely be the company’s strongest single quarter to date. Also, if that comes to pass, it’ll be interesting to see how much of that revenue will come from new iPhone sales or other products.
Notably, many of Apple’s services, are driven by the iPhone and as such, the iPhone remains an important part of Apple’s business. As reported by Bloomberg earlier on Wednesday, the company expects the iPhone to return to growth in 2020 following the launch of four new iPhones, including three models that support 5G and one cheaper variant. Analysts also believe the introduction of 5G will be drive upgrades following next year’s expected iPhone launch.
That being said, on Apple’s earnings call, CEO Tim Cook did say that the iPhone 11 had already become the company’s best-selling iPhone since going on sale.
CEO Jack Dorsey announced Wednesday that Twitter will ban all political ads, in a move that will increase pressure on Facebook over its controversial stance to allow politicians to advertise false statements.
We’ve made the decision to stop all political advertising on Twitter globally. We believe political message reach should be earned, not bought. Why? A few reasons…?
Twitter had previously implemented rules and restrictions for political advertising. The announcement comes as Facebook is embroiled in a controversy over its decision to exempt ads by politicians from third-party fact-checking and from a policy that bans false statements from paid advertisements.
However, following the announcement. Twitter’s stock dropped more than 1% in after-hours trading.
Dorsey explained the company’s reasoning behind the decision in a series of tweets.
“A political message earns reach when people decide to follow an account or retweet.
Paying for reach removes that decision, forcing highly optimized and targeted political messages on people. We believe this decision should not be compromised by money.”
The Twitter CEO added on by saying that it would be “not credible” for Twitter to tell users it’s committed to stopping the spread of misinformation while allowing advertisers to target users with political ads just because they’ve paid the social media platform to do so.
Dorsey seemed to take a shot at the company’s rhetoric around political ads without naming Facebook or its CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Considering that Zuckerberg has recently been discussing the importance of “free expression” in connection to Facebook’s political ad policy, like at a Georgetown University event dedicated to that ideal.
While sharing the Georgetown speech, Zuckerberg said Facebook once considered banning political ads as well, and that they don’t even make up a significant portion of the business. Although, he warned about the difficulty of drawing a line in such a policy and said, “when it’s not absolutely clear what to do, we should err on the side of the greater expression.”
The Facebook CEO held firm on his political ads policy on Facebook’s earnings call, which came about an hour after Dorsey’s announcement. Facebook declined to comment and pointed to Zuckerberg’s prepared remarks from the company’s earnings call.
In his final tweet on the topic, Dorsey said pointedly,
“This isn’t about free expression. This is about paying for reach. And paying to increase the reach of political speech has significant ramifications that today’s democratic infrastructure may not be prepared to handle. It’s worth stepping back in order to address.”
And it’s very clear that Twitter can likely rip the band-aid on political ads simply because it makes far less money on those ads than other platforms do.
So far this year, the Democratic candidates for president have spent a collective $32 million on Facebook advertisements; Donald Trump has spent $13.7 million on Facebook ads in 2019 alone. Twitter, meanwhile, takes a much smaller piece of the campaign pie, meaning it faces much less potential backlash from pulling the out.
Twitter CFO Ned Segal tweeted that the company will see no difference to its Q4 guidance based on the change. Like at Facebook, political ad spend on Twitter is a relatively small portion of the business, clocking in at less than $3 million in sales during the 2018 U.S. midterm elections, Segal said.
Additionally, Dorsey also addressed the slippery slope theory in his tweets explaining the move, saying Twitter also considered barring only candidate ads but said issue ads present a way around this. In the end, he said, Twitter decided to ban issue ads as well since the company believed it’s unfair to allow everyone but the candidates themselves to buy ads on topics they care about.
Several key democrats quickly praised Dorsey’s announcement. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tweeted, “This is the right thing to do for democracy in America and all over the world. What say you, @Facebook?”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., also applauded Twitter’s new policy after having questioned Zuckerberg on political ads at a hearing last week. As a member of the House Financial Services Committee, he tweeted, “Not allowing for paid disinformation is one of the most basic, ethical decisions a company can make.”
And not to be left behind, President Donald Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign manager Brad Parscale called Dorsey’s announcement “a very dumb decision” in a statement posted to Twitter as well. Parscale said it was a move to “silence conservatives,” even though the policy applies to all political parties.
Dorsey made a call for regulation of his industry having borrowed from Zuckerberg’s approach. Though Dorsey’s appeal was for more forward-looking political ad regulation that takes into account the unique capabilities of internet advertising.
Twitter will begin enforcing its new policy on Nov. 22, after it releases its final policy on Nov. 15.
In case you hadn’t heard, Apple is releasing a new set AirPods today. They’re called the AirPods Pro, costing $249, and they deliver two new features to Apple’s headphone line.
However, the AirPods Pro are not a replacement for the standard AirPods but as the name suggests, they are a more premium version of them. The main features here are active noise cancellation, a new water-resistant design and a few other unique and interesting features.
These are the first AirPods to feature a noise-isolating design, with three sets of silicone ear tips that push into your ear canal, click into place and provide passive noise isolation even before the electronics kick into place. A vent system is used to equalize the pressure so the wearer doesn’t feel any discomfort, especially if they aren’t used to in-ear earphones.
The AirPods Pro is Apple‘s first headphones to use ear tips since the 2008 model and because of that the headphones now create a proper seal, they will presumably block out more sound by default.
They are also the first ones to offer active noise-cancelling, which uses two microphones to capture and mitigate background noise, one on the outside and one on the inside of the earphones. The external microphone monitors the ambient noise and then creates an inverse audio signal that cancels it out. The internal microphone monitors the sound within the earphones and automatically adjusts the noise cancellation for each ear based on the amount of noise seeping in. The company says the microphones continuously adapt the sound signal about 200 times per second.
The AirPods Pro also have a feature called Transparency, which essentially mixes in some of the ambient sounds in with the audio so that you can hear things like the traffic around you when you’re out for a run or announcements at the airport.
The new Airpods also have a new design that is IPX4 water and sweat resistant, meaning you can use them in the gym or on a run and don’t have to worry about ruining them with sweat plus the new in-ear design keeps them from sliding off your ear. Although, don’t be a fool and go use these in the pool and, only the earphones are water-resistant, not the case.
The earphones stalks are now also pressure sensitive, one can squeeze them to invoke various functions. You can press and hold to toggle between active noise cancellation and Transparency mode, press once to play/pause, twice to skip tracks, and thrice to skip back.
When it comes to the audio bit of it, the AirPods Pro use a new custom high-excursion audio driver with a new custom high dynamic range amplifier. The audio is constantly monitored using the internal microphone and adjusted on the fly hence you get the best audio quality regardless of the shape of your ear and the noise around you.
Just like the standard AirPods, with the AirPods Pro, you can just open the lid near an iOS device and have them show up for easy pairing. You can also pull them out of your ears to pause the music and then put them back on to continue playing.
Another great new feature with the AirPods Pro is the Ear Tip Fit Test, which uses the internal microphone to measure the sound level and tell you if the ear tip you have selected is the right size for your ear and if you need to adjust it for a better seal.
Image credits: Todd Haselton | CNBC
The AirPods Pro also supports the Audio Sharing feature with select iOS and iPadOS devices. Whereby you can have two sets of AirPods Pro connected to the same device and listening to the same content.
Notwithstanding all the new features and slightly smaller design, the battery life of the AirPods Pro is similar to that of the AirPods. They provide 4.5 hours of music listening time with noise cancelling turned on and 5 hours with it turned off. You also get 3.5 hours of talk time with noise cancelling on.
The case has been redesigned for the new AirPods Pro, and it’s main feature is that wireless charging is built-in and you don’t need to buy an optional case. It works with any Qi-enabled wireless charger, just like the iPhone. Or you can just charge it with a Lightning cable.
The case alos provides additional charges and takes the battery life to a total of 24 hours of listening time and 18 hours of talk time. On top of that, the case does fast charging and provides one hour of music or calls after just 5 minutes of charging.
If interested, the AirPods Pro are already available for purchase at Apple.com and will hit store shelves this Wednesday, 30 October. They will also be available in over 25 countries, including the US at the aforementioned price. The standard AirPods can still be purchased for $159 or $199 with the Wireless Charging Case, which is also sold separately for $99.
At the International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference, Samsung introduced a new rugged smartphone. The latest of Samsung’s field-ready devices, the Samsung Galaxy XCover FieldPro.
The device is purpose-built, equipped with Push-to-Talk capability, and keeps information storage compliant and secure. Its features make it suited for use by a wide range of enterprise customers ranging from federal agencies and local precincts to transportation professionals, field service technicians, and more.
The Samsung Galaxy XCover FieldPro comes with a 5.1-inch QHD display panel and runs on an Exynos 9810, the same chipset that powers the international variants of the Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+, and the Galaxy Note 9.
“We know from talking to our customers who work in physically demanding environments that durability, reliability, and power are necessities in the products they use.
We designed Galaxy XCover FieldPro with that in mind, and take it a step further by offering the industry’s only open, collaborative, and secure mobility platform. Our customers, whether first responders or factory workers, benefit from a level of customization that is truly unparalleled.”
Sandra Krief, Vice President, Carrier Sales and Channel Management, Mobile B2B, Samsung Electronics America.
Rugged enough for the harshest conditions. With MIL-STD-810G and IP68 certifications, XCover FieldPro can survive almost anything, from drops, shocks and vibrations to extreme temperatures, rain, blowing dust and even a half-hour in five-foot-deep water.
Powered to last the day. With a replaceable 4500mAh battery and POGO pin charging, running low on charge is never a concern. XCover FieldPro ships with an extra battery and is field replaceable, meaning staff can easily swap out batteries while at work.
Built for first responders, designed for flexibility. XCover FieldPro includes the top features first responders need while in the field. Dedicated physical push-to-talk and emergency request buttons are programmable to send location data or alerts and can be activated whether wearing gloves or in adverse weather conditions. The device is also Band 14- enabled, aka FirstNet, a dedicated channel used by first responders and currently run by AT&T. It’s used by ambulances, the Chicago police department, the Seattle fire department, FEMA and the US Coast Guard, among others.
Secure and Compliant. The defence-grade Samsung Knox security platform is CJIS, HIPAA and FIPS compliant and is also certified for use by the federal government, based on standards set by the National Information Assurance Partnership. XCover FieldPro uses an ergonomic rear fingerprint scanner for biometric authentication.
The device also features unique customization capabilities that define Samsung’s enterprise solutions, including Knox Manage and Knox Configure, and open compatibility with diverse third-party software, apps, and hardware to fit the one of a kind needs of Samsung users.
Galaxy XCover FieldPro is designed to be effective and tough no matter the circumstances.
Samsung Galaxy XCover FieldPro Specifications:
Display
5.1” QHD (2560 x 1440)
Chipset
Samsung Exynos 9810 Octa-Core 64bit, 2.7GHz/1.7Hz
LTE Support
Cat.11 3CA
Memory
4GB + 64GB, microSD up to 512GB
Camera
12.0MP AF (Dual Aperture) + 8.0MP, Triple LED Flash
Glocaltravel.io, with Africabookings.com who aims to be the largest provider of live inventory and bookings for a range of accommodation options across the continent, has been named “Best Startup in Zimbabwe” for its innovative sustainable solution.
Glocatravel.io will represent Zimbabwe at the Seedstars Africa Summit, and the chance to win a spot at the Seedstars Global Summit in Switzerland where the winner will take home a 500K USD investment prize. In addition, the winner will receive 3 months access to the investment readiness program.
Property Handle, which allows for real estate assets and projects to be tokenized so that they can be funded for fractional ownership; came second and Bitkesh, with its internet-based platform that allows people to send money and make payments across borders from their phones or computers., grabbed the last spot in the top 3.
The other startups invited to pitch were AsambeInc, Divcon Business Solutions, Eonra Health, Kumba Africa, The Housing Hub and Rejuvenate Umhlaba.
Continuing on its world tour of fast-growing startup scenes in emerging markets, Seedstars World’s next stop is Lusaka at Bongo Hive, to select the best startup in Zambia. Seedstars World is looking for smart startups that solve regional issues and/or develop profitable products for the global market.
Equitel has announced the release of a new telephony bundle that offers customers both talk-time and insurance cover.
Equitel will offer its customers the budle for as little as Ksh 1,249 per month. These will see customers enjoy 500 minutes across all networks plus a free Riziki cover of up to Ksh 2,500 per night in case of hospitalisation, under the new bundle.
Equitel customers can also receive 1,000 minutes and a free Riziki cover for the subscriber and their family once they purchase a bundle valued at Ksh 2499 In addition, the customer and any family member will receive up to Ksh 2,500 for per day as compensation for any lost income when hospitalised.
Riziki is a mobile-based insurance product provided through Equitel and underwritten by Britam that was officially launched in March 2018. The insurance cover secures daily earnings through a daily compensation to the customer, in the event of admission in hospital for three days or more. The insurance product is as a result of a partnership between Equitel (Finserve), Equity Insurance Agency, Britam Microinsurance and Inclusivity Solutions.
So far, there are over 280,126 Equitel subscribers on Riziki Cover and Equitel intends to use this offer to increase its value offering and attract more subscribers.
A typical business process goes through a linear route: Create a product or service, mass market it to all channels, and wait for sales to generate. But sometimes, it doesn’t always go as planned, especially if you’re in the startup journey.
For this reason, marketers have tried doing it the other way around — reach out to customers and turn their needs into wants. Lead generation is a viable strategy for all types of ventures to get their names out to their potential customers amidst the noisy e-commerce world.
The Whats and Whys of Lead Generation
Simply stated, a lead is any person who shows interest in your product or service in one way or another. Lead generation, therefore, is the process of looking for potential customers and attracting them to purchase (this depends much on what your business goals are).
This means utilizing any strategy, action plan, or tactic that will get them to give you their contact details, so you can reach out and market.
As we’ve mentioned earlier, the online world is filled with enterprises all trying to advertise their products. With lead generation, you can get heard and encourage purchase through relationship-centered personalized ads, as opposed to mass marketing.
When everyone else is doing it, what exactly can you do to maximize lead generation? We rounded up five effective tactics for startups to help you get a head start.
1. Create irresistible opt-in offers
When it comes to gathering contact information: the more opt-in opportunities, the better! If you’re an expert in your field, put up lead magnets such as PDFs and reports, webinars, and online demos. This will attract your audience to submit their details in exchange for resources.
2. Keep your signup forms short and user-friendly.
Most users will abandon a lengthy and difficult form — everyone is guilty of this. As such, keep an effective signup page by minimizing typing requirements, removing unnecessary fields (less is more!), and providing clickable options instead of drop-downs.
3. Run a giveaway centered on referrals
Consumers love two things the most: Sales and Freebies. Running giveaways is a proven effective way to gain not just engagement, but leads as well. Prizes can be as simple as a 10-percent discount in exchange for their contact information. You can skip on the extravagant giveaways. What’s important is to make it enticing enough to get your users to refer and invite more people.
4. Offer free trials and gated content.
Give your users a glimpse of what you have to offer through free trials or removing content gates in exchange for their contact information. Additionally, you put them one step closer to purchasing by allowing them to experience your product or service.
A quick word of caution: Gate only high-quality content. Restricting access to all of your articles and resources will only annoy your visitors.
5. Utilize lead generation tools
Ask any marketer: A good lead generation tool can do miracles for your business. Tools and plugins, such as a LinkedIn lead generation tool, are helpful to generate leads with minimal effort, alongside other strategies that you can put your focus and energy on.
Creating an object out of raw materials can range from reasonable prices to outright expensive costs. Engineers need those premium materials to form the best products and prototypes in the marketplace, but they also have a strict budget. Learn more about sheet metal fabrication and how to reduce its overall costs. There are clever ways to stay within budget when engineers focus on design.
1. Find a Direct Supplier
Raw materials have a certain cost. As they move between suppliers or even retailers, the cost slowly rises because of profit margins and other factors. Engineers can lower the costs of sheet metal by working with a mill-direct fabricator. They have more leverage when it comes to cost. There aren’t a lot of markups to cover shipping, handling, and various other price points.
Be sure to verify quality as price checking at mill-direct facilities continue. There may be a low cost, but compromising on quality should never be part of the deal.
2. Look at Design Features
Engineers may have a fancy idea in mind, but focus on simplicity during fabrication. Don’t select complex bends or tight tolerances. Be aware of inside radii equaling the material’s thickness. Working outside these values will only increase the price. Try to keep the object’s shape as simplistic as possible. Your costs will dramatically drop as a result.
Pick out standard sizes when it comes to gauge and sheet dimensions. Whether engineers need a 3D print or injection molding service, these material choices add up to lower costs in the long run.
3. Outsource Only Once
Moving sheet metal between several different fabricators will increase its overall cost. Each expert must add in his or her labor costs to the completed step. Look for a facility that can handle design verification, fabrication and assembly. These steps can be worked into a single labor charge so that costs are ultimately low.
Engineers also save time with this strategy. There’s no concern about moving the object between facilities, which will always increase the lead time. Saving time on the engineer’s end also creates cost savings on an entire project. This professional can move ahead to other projects without being bogged down by fabrication efforts.
4. Go Local
Most regions have a local fabricator. With 3D printing and injection molding service required by most engineers, working with a local facility is crucial to low-cost success. Engineers remove the cost associated with shipment and lost time.
Local fabricators are often experts in certain industries that are common to the region, such as aeronautics or construction. They can service a project with the necessary attention to detail that it demands. There’s practically no price on an expert fabricator’s skill when it comes to complex designs. Using other facilities just isn’t cost effective.
Explore every option in the sheet-metal world with an engineer’s eye for detail. Those slight changes to bend radii and other factors can make a huge difference in the overall cost. Fabricating an idea can now be an everyday option with today’s manufacturing options.
Pineapple, a South Africa–based peer-to-peer insurance provider, has won the top investment of $1.5 million at VentureClash Global Challenge, organized by Connecticut Innovations (CI).
Pineapple is the only startup from Africa that participated in the 2019 VentureClash competition, the $5 million global investment challenge for early-stage companies in digital health, fintech, insurtech and industry 4.0.
Pineapple allows individuals to insure their possessions simply by snapping a picture and uploading it to the mobile application. Pineapple had previously won the $25,000 VentureClash Innovation Prize provided by Travelers, awarded to companies developing solutions and pursuing market opportunities in insurtech.
In all, 10 companies representing four countries participated in the finals pitch event, which was held at Yale University on Thursday, October 17. VentureClash judges awarded investments to eight of the finalists, all of which will also receive access to mentoring and customer introductions to help them grow and succeed.
Other investment award winners included:
Atidot ($750,000): An Israeli-based insurtech solution that uses artificial intelligence, machine learning and predictive analytics to help life insurance companies optimize their books of business.
Cinchy ($500,000): A company creating a new alternative to buying and building applications that brings data collaboration to the enterprise.
Covr Financial Technologies ($500,000): A company simplifying the way life insurance is sold by offering financial institutions a digital platform to sell leading insurance products in the most efficient way possible.
Curatio ($250,000): A Canadian company building a mobile platform that matches patients to others who understand what they’re going through in a private, secure environment.
DEEP ($250,000): An Israeli company developing a platform that uses AI and practical machine learning technologies to create contextual visual storytelling elements, including semiautomated video production.
EyeControl ($750,000): An Israeli company creating an innovative communication device for individuals who suffer from complete paralysis.
MothersChoice ($500,000): A company creating the next generation of personal care products scientifically proven to be healthy, safe and 100 percent natural.
The winning companies are required to establish a presence in Connecticut. As an investment award winner of VentureClash, companies are eligible for an investment from Connecticut Innovations, pending due diligence and approvals.
“Each year, the number of impressive and promising innovative young companies participating in VentureClash grows, and this year’s competition was no exception,” said Matt McCooe, CEO of CI. “We congratulate the winning companies, which, by engaging in the VentureClash process, have come to learn about the resources and opportunities available to them to grow and scale their businesses in Connecticut. We look forward to continuing to support these companies.”
Seedstars World, a Swiss-based startup competition in emerging markets, and the African Development Bank have partnered to support youth employment and entrepreneurship in Africa.
The partnership is in line with the Bank’s entrepreneurship and innovation lab under its Jobs for Youth in Africa (JfYA) strategy and its innovative ‘job creation track’ model.
The aim is to create 25 million jobs and equip 50 million young people with skills to enhance their employability and entrepreneurial success by 2025. The strategy will support countries to stimulate entrepreneurship, youth employment and economic development with a focus on young women.
As part of the ‘job creation track’, Seedstars World is adding the criterion “the potential for job creation” in selecting the local competition winners. The African Development Bank will select and award the startup demonstrating the most potential for sustainable job creation with three months’ access to the Seedstars investment readiness program.
The Bank will also be the main partner for the remaining local bootcamps, as well as a two-day private bootcamp during the Seedstars Africa Summit on 2-5 December, 2019 with an emphasis on improving gender balance across all activities.
As a catalyst for the best business and investment opportunities in the region, the Summit will bring together its network of startups, investors, mentors, ambassadors, partners and over 300 key stakeholders across the continent.
Tapera Jeffrey Muzira, Jobs for Youth in Africa Coordinator, said: ”This is a spectacular initiative which will jump-start Africa’s encouragement of youth involvement in business enterprise and job creation. This partnership between the Bank and Seedstars World is an electrifying component of the Bank’s continuing commitment to sustainable job creation for women and young people across the continent”.
Late last week, President Trump tweeted that “the button on the iPhone was far better than the swipe.” As far as everyone is aware, Trump uses multiple smartphones. He sends his tweets from one iPhone, while voice calls are made from another handset. The ‘Button’ Trump is referring to is the Home button which was found in all iPhones launched prior to iPhone X. Since the iPhone X, Apple introduced its FaceID tech that gave the home button a miss and added a swipe feature.
Plus with this particular complaint, Trump didn’t add any context to explain what it is that had him so upset about the iPhone interface.
As of now, no comment has been made by Apple or Tim Cook on the matter, but former Apple designer responded to President Trump’s iPhone critique.
Just like the US President, Dong didn’t add any more commentary with her thoughts on the situation. But after all the hard work she must have put in, as an iPhone UI designer, you need to have a thick skin. First, you have to defend your idea internally at Apple. Then you’re endlessly critiqued by members of the public upon release e.g iPhone 11’s ugly square bump. The one thing you probably don’t expect, though? For your painstaking creation to be slammed by the President of the United States.
☑️ Do the dishes ☑️ Go for a walk ☑️ Have the President of the United States tweet he does’t like the UX your team worked on ☑️ Water the plants pic.twitter.com/mZSqVt0eqk
Although, some people share President Trump’s frustrations as they criticized the removal of the iPhone’s Home button when it happened. Not long after the iPhone X’s introduction, Fast Company wrote that “You’re looking at a UX disaster, the result of eliminating what is probably the simplest, most intuitive form of navigation ever implemented in consumer electronics: the iPhone’s home button.”
Regardless, I personally believe that the swipe gesture is more intuitive and wastes less time in getting back to the home screen or switching between apps than performing the same actions using the home button.
However, most of us have gotten used to the change in UI as much as we still miss the simplicity of the Home button. Plus, I think it was a worthy sacrifice to get the bigger infinite display.
And if the 45th President of the United States really wants to see the home button that he sorely misses, he should either switch to the iPhone 8, the iPhone 8 Plus or wait for Q1 2020, since that’s the rumoured release timeline for the upcoming iPhone SE 2.
The iPhone SE 2 is said to come with an affordable $399 starting price, a Touch ID-supported home button, and Apple’s A13 Bionic SoC.
I recently hit a wall on my personal Gmail account when suddenly my inbox went quiet. After a few days of frustration, wondering whether I had suddenly been shut out of the platform, someone reached out via a different method of communication and told me that they couldn’t seem to get through to me on email. They wondered if I had randomly changed my email address, only to realise that I had hit my storage limit.
“Sorry!!! I just had to delete a bunch of emails, I ran out of storage.” This is something you may have heard or may have even had to tell someone who couldn’t reach you on email.
Google shook up the email business when Gmail launched in 2004 with much more free storage than rivals were providing at the time. It boosted the storage cap every couple of years, but in 2013 it stopped. People’s inboxes kept filling up. And now that some of Google’s other free storage offers are shrinking, consumers are beginning to get nasty surprises.
Some of you probably have 1,104 unread emails in your personal Gmail alone but haven’t yet experienced this and may find this surprising. But a recent Bloomberg report suggested this is all part of Google’s master plan: lure us in with free email storage and then make us pay.
Gmail-Bloomberg report
Bloomberg’s report reveals that Google has been rolling back its free storage offerings in recent months and pushing people onto its paid cloud subscription service Google One instead. Though the cost for consumers is minimal: like in Australia, 100 GB of storage is $2.49 per month or a discounted $24.99 per year. Given Google’s size, this could generate billions for the company.
Upon doing some calculations, the report shared that even if just 10% of Gmail’s more than one billion users signed up for Google One, it would generate almost US $2.4 billion per year for the company. That’s a lot of money to be paid on people’s reluctance to be managing their inbox.
However, when Google One replaced Drive earlier this year, users still receive 15 GB of storage for free, that didn’t change. But if you are more like me and have spent the past decade not deleting your emails, as well as picking up content to be stored like digital balls of lint, then it might be time for a clean.
Better yet, if you’ve got nothing to lose, you can just go nuclear and delete your entire inbox, and hope anything that’s important or urgent will receive a follow up from the sender. This may not be the best first option, but I did it, and as far as I’m aware, nobody died!
At the end of the day, Google is a business and is hoping that you will sign up for extra storage and then forget about those monthly payments for the rest of your life. Don’t do that if you are all about saving some coins, instead, declutter!
But, to check your Gmail account status and view the latest storage plans and prices visit the Google website.
The additional $6 million in debt from OPIC and Alpha Mundi. The firm will use the Series B to fund its proprietary technology and logistics assets to support the roll-out of its distribution system and lay the foundations for expansion into other cities on the continent.
According to Peter Njonjo, CEO and Co-founder at Twiga Foods, “This funding enables us to invest in our technology and organization to tackle the inefficiencies in Africa’s domestic food production and distribution ecosystems; a $300bn informal and fragmented market that is estimated to grow to $1trn by 2030. With the support of our investors, we are developing technology-driven commercial solutions and cooperating with existing industry players to solve the challenge of food security in Africa.”
Launched in Nairobi in 2014, Twiga has helped over 17,000 fresh food producers delivering 3 times a week on average to over 8,000 retailers. Twiga Foods’s end-to-end digital platform and logistics network links retailers with farmers and food manufacturers, presenting a convenient and reliable alternative to the current inefficient and expensive farm/factory-to-market processes.
In June, IFC partnered with Twiga Foods to boost the company’s food safety practices to global standards and ensure traceability of produce from the farm to consumers.
The two firms introduced global quality certification to food products destined for the domestic, rather than just for the export market. IFC also agreed to advise Twiga Foods on food safety and quality management systems in its produce handling facilities. Twiga’s staff will also be trained on internationally-accepted practices.
Around the same time, Twiga Foods raised $5m from French investment firm Creadev to help Twiga achieve its ambitious goals. With deal, Twiga Foods has access to Creadev’s international retail network and financing for expansion to reach more small-holder farmers, informal retailers, and end customers.
Before that, Twiga Foods raised a $10 million investment from IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, TLcom, and the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) to expand operations and offer new services.
Small and medium-sized businesses (SME) in African countries often have difficulty accessing sufficient credit due to the complexities of financing processes, high loan costs, collateral requirements and lack of a credit score. Twiga Foods and IBM Research, therefore, partnered to help more SMEs access credit.
Twiga covers a range of fresh produce and a growing share of the overall shopping cart. Its fresh offering includes bananas, potatoes, onions, tomatoes and watermelons – popular staples in Kenya. More recently, Twiga Food began working with manufacturers to distribute processed food including rice, maize flour, cooking oil, milk, juice, sugar and snacks.
With Sub-Saharan Africa’s population set to double over the next 30 years, access to reliable and affordable food sources for consumers and guaranteed markets for farmers are essential for effective food distribution.
Twiga is also tackling inefficiencies in the supply chain, helping to reduce food prices for consumers. Currently, between 30 and 50 percent of fresh produce is lost through poor post-harvest processes. Through investment in its supply chain and material handling, Twiga has reduced the level of food waste by up to 70% compared to the market averages.
Jules Frebault of Goldman Sachs, “Twiga’s innovative model combines technology and modern logistics tailored to the local market to re-engineer the food supply chain. We are delighted to be backing Peter and the highly capable team as they scale operations and drive sustainable access to lower-cost quality food on the continent.”
iPhone 5 owners have started being warned by Apple to update their devices from their current iOS version to iOS 10.3.4 by November 3 if they want to stay online.
In July, Apple issued an update bringing some older models of iPhone and iPad to iOS 10.3.4, including the iPhone 5 with the release fixing an issue with GPS. A GPS time rollover issue started to affect products from other manufacturers equipped with GPS on April 6, but Apple’s affected devices are not impacted by the problem until just before midnight on November 3, 2019. The GPS time rollover issue will throw off features that require the correct date and time, Apple said.
Apple is so worried that the company has taken to sending out full-screen alerts and even posting a big note on its support website to remind iPhone owners that they’ll need to upgrade their iOS. The alert also offers links to update immediately or to find out more information.
In the alerts, the company warns of the need to update to iOS 10.3.4 before the cutoff date to “continue using App Store, iCloud, email, web, and other services.”
iPhone 5 iOS update alert
If updates are not performed in time, users “will be required to back up and restore using a Mac or PC in order to update, because over-the-air software updates and iCloud Backup will not work.”
Other devices that are affected and require to be updated to iOS 10.3.4 are the aforementioned iPhone 5 and the fourth-generation iPad with Wi-Fi and Cellular, which is only expected to lose GPS functionality. The iPhone 4s, first-generation iPad mini Wi-Fi and Cellular, iPad 2 with Wi-Fi and CDMA Cellular, and the third-generation iPad with Wi-Fi and Cellular should be updated to iOS 9.3.6.
Despite listing multiple models that are affected, the issue is only really a problem for the iPhone 5, as Apple explains it needs the update to “maintain an accurate GPS location and to continue to use functions that rely on the correct date and time.” It also appears the iPhone 5 is the only model to be affected in such a way that an update post-November 3 would mandate using the PC and Mac-based back up and restore procedure.
It’s good to also note that this issue does not affect iPod touch models or iPad models with Wi-Fi only, nor newer iOS models. Meaning that there won’t be too many people affected by this considering that Apple discontinued the iPhone 5 in Sept. 2013 and classified it as “vintage” on Nov. 2018.
Apple says that 9% of all iOS device users are running software earlier than iOS 12 as of October 15th, and many of those are using newer hardware.
Nevertheless, it’s not often that a company has to urge people to update a device seven years after it launched.
But if you still rock the 5, well, now you know, and to update to the bug-fix release, simply go to Settings -> Software Update.
Seedstars Harare fourth edition went down last week in Harare and below we have a list of the applicants from Harare’s startup scene that competed at the event.
The winning startup will represent the country at the Seedstars Africa Summit and the global Seedstars Summit in Switzerland.
Besides representing Zimbabwe at the Seedstars Africa Summit, the winner will win an all-inclusive trip to the Seedstars Africa Summit and the chance to win a spot at the Seedstars Global Summit in Switzerland where the winner will take home a 500K USD investment prize.
The top startups were:
STARTUP
ONE LINER
AsambeInc
AsambeInc targets rural smallholder farmers to ease access to markets by designing goods distribution logistics for them using GPS mapping.
Divcon Business Solutions
MedFind is a digital platform that brings together wholesalers, pharmacies and patients for efficient and secure transactions
Eonra Health
Eonra Health is pharmacy on demand platform which offers smart, simplified and safe online pharmacy experience like never before.
Glocaltravel.io
Africabookings.com aims to be the largest provider of live inventory and bookings for a range of accommodation options across the continent
Kumba Africa
Bitkesh is an internet based platform that allows people to send money and make payments across borders from their phones or computers.
The Housing Hub
A service provision platform that links tertiary students to decent and affordable off campus accommodation.
BITKESH
Bitkesh is an internet based platform that allows people to send money and make payments across borders from their phones or computers.
Rejuvenate Umhlaba
We are establishing a stock market for land restoration targeting mining and other companies that have a net negative impact on the land
Property Handle
PropertyHandle allows for real estate assets and projects to be tokenized so that they can be funded for fractional ownership:
South Africa’s Leadhome, has launched a rental service at zero percent commission. According to the CEO and co-founder, Marcél du Toit, the launch of this new service is part of a broader strategy to provide a full end-to-end range of boutique property services.
“Leadhome recognises that rental property management requires specialist skills. It is generally not an easy sector, marred by significant challenges, including a struggling economy. We have conducted extensive research into rentals and have gained valuable insight into the pain points faced by clients, as well as the pitfalls. This knowledge and know-how have enabled us to offer a compelling product to the market,” says Du Toit.
Marcel
Offering a zero percent commission, Du Toit says that Leadhome’s aim is to continue building solid customer relationships, adding value and building an ecosystem and community as opposed to simply just selling and renting homes: “According to Payprop, at least 40% of rental applicants are classified as high or very high risk and 23% of current rental tenants are in arrears. Adding further complexity, 12% of properties over the R12,000 per month category are vacant. There is now an oversupply of stock and undersupply of good quality tenants and a clear need for a disruptive rental proposition.”
According to Rupert Finnemore, head of business development, Leadhome, there is an understandably high level of fear associated with renting out your property due to a number of fears associated.
“Our no-strings-attached, zero percent commission will include a full listing, advertising on all major portals, viewing facilitation, lease negotiation, drawing up contracts, and facilitating ingoing inspections. We are in a beta test phase of our launch programme and will be looking to add additional products and services into this rental environment,” said Finnnemore.
Rupert
Many landlords struggle with the time to manage a leased property. Often finding the maintenance and management thereof a bind. Leadhome will thus offer this service at well below the prevailing market commission rates.
To ensure their offering remains in line with market conditions and sentiments, Leadhome is extending its research beyond its initial 20,000 customers and is inviting consumers to participate in the Gauteng-focused beta testing phase of its rental service.
Complete 1xbet Kenya login and bet on the matches of the 2nd round of the Champions League group stage turned out to be exciting and productive.
The matches of the 2nd round of the Champions League group stage turned out to be exciting and productive. Their results can be found on the sports statistics website if you complete the 1xbet kenya login.
The main sensation was in England, where Tottenham on the home field was unexpectedly defeated by Munich Bayern with a score of 2:7. The hosts started the match well and were the first to score. However, then almost every shot of the German team to the goals guarded by Lloris ended in a point. After this victory Bayern occupied the first place of the table, while Tottenham remained in the 3rd place with one point scored.
In group F, Barcelona hosted Inter. Conte’s players managed to score the debut point, but the Catalans made a comeback in the second half and scored the winning goal. Thanks to this win, Barcelona caught up with Dortmund Borussia in the number of points scored.
Zenit confidently outplayed Benfica in Group G, while Leipzig on the home field was defeated by the French Lyon. It is also worth paying attention to other matches played; their detailed statistics can be found on the reliable platform after you perform the login to 1xbet kenya website:
Valencia vs Ajax – 0:3;
Liverpool vs Red Bull 4:3;
Real Madrid vs Brugge – 2:2;
Gent vs Napoli – 0:0;
Lokomotiv vs Atletico Madrid 0:2;
Galatasaray vs PSG 0:1.
Betika log in allows you to access even the Europa League results
The second round of the group stage of the UEFA Europa League didn’t disappoint the fans and turned out to be pretty interesting. You can learn more about its results and statistics after you complete the betika log in procedure.
Arsenal London easily beat the Belgian Standard at home, sending four unanswered balls at its goal. The team of Emery scored six points and took the first place in quartet F.
Another famous team, Manchester United, could not beat the Dutch AZ Alkmar away. The Mankunians failed to create the necessary number of scoring opportunities, and they were more likely to lose than to win.
CSKA Moscow weakly started this European campaign, having suffered a second defeat in a row, this time from an outsider of the Spanish championship Espanyol. CSKA missed two goals in their home stadium and did nothing to score in return. The customers of the office could watch the broadcast of this match after they logged in to betika website or app.
