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Daimler partners with BYD to introduce new Denza electric car in China
Daimler has partnered with BYD in China to unveil a new long-range all-electric car under its Denza brand. The new Denza electric car unveiled for the Chinese market is called the DENZA 500. It is an upgraded model of the DENZA 400, which was launched in 2017.
The unveiling of the new DENZA 500 electric car indicated Daimler’s attempts to accelerate its electrification effort in China, in order to comply with the local ZEV directive which is scheduled to take effect in 2019.
The expected base price of the new DENZA 500 electric car will be 298,800 Yuan ($47,600 USD), thanks to the local incentive which China offers on the sales of electric vehicles in the country.
According to the details shared by Denza, the new DENZA 500 electric car will be equipped with a 70 kWh battery pack which will be more energy dense than the 62 kWh battery pack of the DENZA 400. Denza has also claimed that the range of DENZA 500 has been extended up to 500 km (nearly 310 miles).
With regard to the power of DENZA 500, Denza said that the new electric car will available in two versions with electric motors which will have the capability to produce a total output of 86 kW or 135 kW. Denza also added that DENZA 500 will boast “a refreshed and unique exterior design,” along with “upgraded connectivity services.”
US electric vehicle maker Tesla Motors has deployed the first 100 Powerwalls project for a virtual power plant in South Australia. As a result of the deployment, a Powerwall and a 5 kW solar array have already been received by 100 households.
Electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla Motors has updated its ‘certified pre-owned’ (used) vehicle policy this week.
In a move which marks the latest electrification effort by UPS, the parcel delivery giant has placed an order for 1,000 electric delivery vans with Ohio-based truck manufacturer Workhorse.
In a recent email sent to clean technology website CleanTechnica, plug-in electric vehicle fast-charging firm Fastned -- based in The Netherlands -- has reported that it has recorded a whopping year-on-year growth of approximately 140% in the 2018
In an apparent attempt to catch up with its competitors in the electric vehicle (EV) arena, Japanese automaker Toyota Motor has revealed that it will be launching an electric car in China this year, a fully electric ix4 sport utility vehicle (SUV)
In a recent statement, the Uganda cabinet has revealed that it has given its go-ahead to the Kiira Electronic Vehicle Project. The project underscores a plan for commercial production of electric vehicles (EVs).


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Jason Meldrum and his son Carter hit the streets of the Elk Valley on Easter Monday to raise funds for the Elkford Bike Park.
“It’s great to take my son with me and show him what is involved in raising money, and how to talk to people and explain the project we are trying to achieve,” said Meldrum.
“He may only be 6, but from the beginning he has been involved in almost every process of getting a bike park built and off the ground.”
Meldrum, who is the founder and organiser behind the Elkford Biking Club which is pushing for the bike park, said the two of them visited businesses in each town.
“Some comments were that local businesses, even in Fernie would be happy to help. They understand that people in Elkford support them as well, including buying vehicles and shopping in Fernie, its still considered local to many. Donations were immediately promised from some, and in one instance a cheque was basically written on the spot in support of the bike park.”
Meldrum said that support for the bike park and the rationale behind building one in Elkford – to give young kids more to occupy themselves with outdoors – was awesome.
“Not only will this benefit children and adults alike, economic spin off can be great as well. We have some great restaurants and a grocery store, even two gas stations in close proximity to the proposed bike park. From a marketing perspective, this is a great opportunity for local companies to have their name displayed as investors in the park. The hope is to eventually name certain runs, and portions of the park after businesses.”
The bike park, should it go ahead will be located in central Elkford in the Boivin Corridor, though the location is yet to be formally revealed.
Donations for the future bike park are welcomed. If you’d like to donate you can also do it online through the Elkford Biking Club’s email at email@example.com.
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Further investment in skateboard platforms by Hyundai
12 February 2020
12 February 2020
Hyundai Motor Group has continued its mission to develop electric vehicles (EVs) by investing in start-up companies, announcing its latest venture with Canoo.
The Californian company will work with the Korean manufacturer to jointly develop an EV platform using its proprietary skateboard design. As part of the collaboration, Canoo will provide engineering services to help develop a fully scalable, all-electric platform to meet Hyundai and Kia specifications.
Hyundai Motor Group expects the platform to help facilitate its commitment to delivering cost-competitive electrified vehicles, ranging from small-sized EVs to purpose-built vehicles (PBVs), which meet diverse customer needs.
Canoo, a Los Angeles based company creating EVs for subscription only, offers a skateboard platform which houses the most critical components of the vehicle with a strong emphasis on functional integration, meaning all components fulfil as many functions as possible. This feat of engineering reduces the skateboard size, weight and the total number of parts, which ultimately provides more interior cabin space and a more cost-effective EV offering. Also, the Canoo skateboard is a self-contained unit that can pair with any cabin design.
The Korean carmaker expects to develop an adaptable all-electric platform using Canoo’s scalable skateboard architecture to allow for a simplified and standardised development process for Hyundai and Kia electrified vehicles, which is expected to help reduce the cost that can be passed on to consumers. Hyundai Motor Group also expects to reduce complexity of its EV assembly line, allowing for rapid response to changing market demands and customer preferences.
With this collaboration, Hyundai Motor Group doubles down on its recent commitment to invest $87 billion (€80 billion) over the next five years to foster future growth. As part of this drive, Hyundai plans to invest $52 billion (€48 billion) in future technologies through 2025, while Kia will invest $25 billion (€23 billion) in electrification and future mobility technologies, aiming for eco-friendly vehicles to comprise 25% of its total sales by 2025.
′We were highly impressed by the speed and efficiency in which Canoo developed their innovative EV architecture, making them the perfect engineering partner for us as we transition to become a frontrunner in the future mobility industry,’ said Albert Biermann, Head of Research and Development, Hyundai Motor Group. ‘We will collaborate with Canoo engineers to develop a cost-effective Hyundai platform concept that is autonomous-ready and suitable for mass adoption.’
′We have been working diligently to develop a bold new electric vehicle and partnering with a global leader like Hyundai is a validating moment for our young company,’ added Ulrich Kranz, In Charge of Canoo. ′It is a real honour for us to help Hyundai explore EV architecture concepts for their future models.’
Hyundai recently invested in UK start-up Arrival, putting €100 million into the business that also produces skateboard architecture, predominantly for commercial EVs. The company has since announced a deal to provide such models to delivery firm UPS.


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Published on: January 18, 2023 @ 19:22
Reporter: Aniruddha Pal
SPT News, Kolkata, 18 January: Efforts have been initiated at the government and private level to promote the tourism and travel industry. After the corona pandemic, the improvement of this trend is observed. Keeping an eye on that, a grand event of tourism and travel business is going to start in Kolkata from tomorrow. Named Global Panorama Showcase, it is a premium business networking event. The event is being held at the Lalit Great Eastern Hotel in Kolkata for the next two days. Mr. Harmandeep Singh Anand, Chief Person of the event said that all those involved in the travel and tourism business participating in the event will benefit. Travel Agents Federation of India or TAFI Chairman (Eastern India) Mr. Anil Punjabi is very optimistic about this event.
The event provides a platform to understand the tourism potential of the region- Mr. Harmandeep Singh Anand
Mr. Harmandeep Singh Anand told Sangbad Prabhakar Times that the Global Panorama Showcase is starting tomorrow Thursday at the Lalit Great Eastern Hotel in Kolkata. This event will end on Friday, January 20, 2023. Basically business-to-business trade shows will be organized here. The event provides a platform for interaction between travel traders and tour operators and to understand the business and tourism potential of the region. Members of various tour operator organizations, various tourism boards, airline companies, hoteliers will also participate. Harmandeep Singh Anand also said that they have been organizing this event in Kolkata since 2016.
Purpose of GPS
To boost both domestic and international travel demand, the Global Panorama Showcase has announced its edition for 2023 in 13 cities across the country. The Global Panorama Showcase (GPS) is an initiative to uncover the tourism potential of Tier II and Tier III cities in India. GPS provides an opportunity for the travel trade to meet, network, educate and conduct business with tourism suppliers, hotels, DMCs, technology providers, airlines, cruise companies, tourism boards etc.
Also to create and strengthen brand awareness. To develop new markets. Identifying and attracting new partners and distributors along with distribution channels. Also providing coverage for existing distributors is also one of the aims of this event. .
This event is very productive – Anil Punjabi
Anil Punjabi, chairman of Travel Agents Federation of India or TAFI, told SPT – GPS is a very good platform for travel business. This event is very productive. From tour operators to hoteliers, various tourism boards can plan their own business as well as many businessmen are met here. This event is very good platform for travel business. They give us importance every time here.
What’s in the event?
Registration, inauguration, product presentation and educational seminars will be held on the first day i.e. January 19, 2023 of this two-day event. On the second day i.e. January 20, B2B event will be held for trade and corporate buyers.
The first day will discuss the GPS Hybrid Networking Hub opportunity along with the inaugural launch. Team Visit Britain will give a presentation on Destination UK. Team Travcare will give a presentation about Explore South Africa. Global Travel Seamless Connectivity – This topic will be presented by Team Next Cellular. Team Vertil will also talk about the direct connectivity of global airlines with NDC. Team Trans Globe will talk about the business of starting your studies abroad, Team Lotus Voyager will shed light on Explore Eastern Europe. There is also more.
In other cities that will be
Cities in India where GPS is going to organize their next event are – Bhubaneswar, Nagpur, Lucknow, Pune. This year will be held between January to March. July to December will be held in Ahmedabad, Kochi, Visakhapatnam, Indore, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Guwahati.


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An Original Quake Remaster was announced at Quakecon 2021 today 8/19/2021.
You can now buy the game on all current consoles as well as get an update on the Steam version of the game.
This release is said to have mod support on consoles even with carefully selected mods! This is big news for the Quake community as this opens up the opportunity for a bigger audience!
Quakefans.net will be doing an impressions video soon over on youtube so be sure to look for a video and hit that subscribe button.
The Original Quake hasn’t seen a console release since the Sega Saturn!


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The Friends Shop Winter Clearance Sale, Friday, Jan. 21
The Friends Shop at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt is having a Winter Clearance Sale on Friday, Jan. 21, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Select winter merchandise is 50 percent off. We are located on the second floor of the hospital. Please call 322-7018 with any questions.


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June 25, 2020
- Launches 12 families of UV-C-based products for professional markets
- Acquires GLA to complement its portfolio with luminaires for upper-room air disinfection
- Increases its UV-C light source production capacity by a factor 8 this year
Eindhoven, the Netherlands – Signify (Euronext: LIGHT), the world leader in lighting, is increasing its UV-C lighting production capacity and expanding its UV-C product portfolio. The company is leveraging more than 35 years of expertise in UV-C lighting to address the growing global need for the disinfection of air, surfaces and objects.
By increasing capacity and broadening the UV-C portfolio, Signify is helping keep people safe in a world that’s adjusting to a new normal. Its UV-C lighting is well-proven and trusted as an effective disinfectant. This was recently validated in a laboratory test by Boston University, showing that Signify’s UV-C light sources inactivate the virus that causes COVID-19 in a matter of seconds. This is crucial as it comes at a time when organizations are seeking ways to continue operations and provide service in a safe environment.
Signify’s new UV-C product range includes luminaires and chambers for a wide variety of professional applications.


text: WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- Boston Communications bcgi on Thursday said that Verizon Wireless will launch its own internally-managed prepaid phone service this week, but that the move won't affect the company's second-quarter results. Since Verizon accounts for almost half of BCGI's business, however, investors worry that sales will take a hit later in the year. BCGI said it will update Wall Street on July 20 after it issues quarterly results. The company, which helps wireless carriers to offer prepaid phone plans, said it will take steps to improve growth in other parts of its business. In the second quarter, BCGI is expecting to earn 23 cents to 25 cents a share. In late Thursday trading, shares of BCGI were halted at $10.45, up 2 cents.


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Is the dragon a crouching tiger?
CHINA, by far the most populous country on earth, will finally join the World Trade Organisation this weekend after 15 years of trying. Pundits pushing the 'China story' say membership will lead to a massive influx of investment - great news for Chinese stock markets and their investors.
China's economy is tipped to become the world's largest within 25 years, leap-frogging the US, Japan, Germany, Britain and France. And its population of 1.3bn is expected to have greater spending power than any other country within just 10 years.
And to top it all, China recently clinched the right to host the 2008 Olympic Games, prized as a multi-billion pound money-spinner.
Michael Watt, manager of the Henderson TR Pacific Investment Trust, says: 'There's been a genuine change in China. While other countries in the area are falling into recession, China remains robust because of its consumer growth.'
The potential of this consumer growth rings true with mobile phones. Around 70% of adults in the UK own a mobile phone. Henderson's Watt estimates that in China, already the biggest mobile phone market in the world, only 10% of people are connected. As that figure rises, companies like China Mobile will boom.
The miracle growth of China's neighbours also helps explain why all eyes are on China. The likes of Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and South Korea have been labelled tiger economies due to their fierce growth since the Sixties as they embraced new technologies. South Korea, for example, has gone from Third World laggard to the world's 12th largest economy in just three decades.
As strict Communist rules have been relaxed over the past decade, observers say the same is happening to China. And admission to the WTO raises hopes that the dragon's transformation from crouching tiger will come even sooner.
China's appeal has increased in recent months because of its insulation from the world slowdown. The country sells most of its wares to its own vast population whereas most countries in the Far East are big exporters to the US, which is on the brink of recession.
China's economy is predicted to grow 7% this year and 7% next year compared with an estimated average of 1% and 1.2% for the developed world. Even when the UK was booming in the late Nineties, growth failed to rise above 4%. Other short-term factors come into play, but over the long-term economic growth added to inflation should equal stock market performance.
So surely investors would be mad to miss out on such a boom? Financial advisers agree to a point but warn investors to beware of the dragon.
Anna Bowes of Bath-based adviser Chase de Vere says: 'We've heard a lot of good things about China but it is a very unstable market.'
Jason Hollands of London-based adviser Bestinvest says reasons for investing in China in the long-term are 'extremely compelling' but he also highlights the dangers.
'There is the potential for political instability, particularly if the situation with Taiwan ignites,' he says. China refuses to recognise Taiwan's independence. If a war broke out between the two, the region would be thrown into turmoil and stock markets would tumble.
Critics also argue that deep-rooted corruption in China may hamper the country's economic development.
Advisers say investments in China should make up no more than 5% of a balanced portfolio because of the risks. It is also worth remembering the Chinese stock market is closed to foreign investors. Fund managers get around this by investing in Chinese countries listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange. The downside is that a falling Hong Kong market will pull down the Chinese stocks.
Very few funds invest purely in China. JPMF China Dragon unit trust comes close. It is 75% invested in China and Taiwan, with the rest invested in companies that have vested interests in China. It charges 1.5% a year and 5.5% upfront and remains a favourite of Chase de Vere after annual average growth of 17% over the past three years.
Bestinvest suggests picking a general Far East fund, most of which have spotted the benefits of China and are heavily invested anyway. For instance, the Henderson TR Pacific Investment Trust has 18% of assets in China compared with the industry benchmark of 9%.
Bestinvest recommends the Fidelity South-East Asia fund, with initial charges of 5.25% and annual fees of 1.5%, or the cheaper First State Asia Pacific fund with upfront charges of 4% followed by 1.4% a year. The First State fund has returned an annual average of 21% over the past three years.
The Henderson TR Pacific fund is the cheapest charging just 0.9% a year.
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Understanding Devices in Construction
Which piece of hardware is ultimately the right fit for the construction industry? From laptops, to tablets, to smartphones, contractors have a number of options to choose from to access and manage data at the jobsite. But what type of device is the best fit? While it ultimately comes down to the needs of each individual company, there are a number of factors to consider.
Gartner, www.gartner.com, Stamford, Conn., recently announced its forecast for the shipments of devices in 2014. This includes PCs, tablets, and mobile phones. The mobile phone is still one of the largest segments of the overall device market, and is expected to reach 1.9 billion units this year. This is a 4.9% increase from last year.
Looking at the tablet space, overall adoption is anticipated to grow very quickly at a rate of 38.6% this year. On the flip side, traditional PCs are forecast to decline 6.6% in 2014. Still, Ranjit Atwal, research director, Gartner, says tablet substitution of notebooks will start to dissipate from this year onwards, as businesses begin to align the right device with the right usage pattern.
So which device is right for construction? For many, it depends on the type of business function required. For instance, checking email can easily be done on a smartphone, while a thorough safety inspection might require a larger device like a tablet.
When looking at the various types of connected devices available, many in construction might immediately go to the Android vs. iOS debate. Gartner says iOS growth has slowed in North America, and more than one billion Android devices will be sold this year.
Still, for the construction industry, there is another option—rugged Windows devices. While there are many options that fit in this category, Motion Computing, www.motioncomputing.com, Austin, Texas, recently announced a new rugged Windows-based tablet that is designed for the jobsite.
The Motion R12 Rugged Platform is a lightweight 12.5-in. tablet with a SlateMate data-acquisition module, EasyPair wireless keyboard, and Secure Mobile vehicle dock. The company says with the desktop mount companies can easily use the tablet in the office or at the jobsite.
The number of device options for the construction industry continues to grow. Ultimately, the decision will come down to the needs of each construction company.


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Clarity matters, especially during turbulent times. Almost buried in the main news this week is the world’s largest stock listing getting shut down right before its launch. Ant Group, the financial technology giant, was set to raise $34.5 billion in the Shanghai and Hong Kong stock exchange, which would have translated into a market valuation of $313 billion.
If the initial public offering (IPO) were to happen, Ant Group would have exceeded the size of JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, and Wells Fargo. But then this IPO veers off course.
Chinese authorities have cited “major issues” for halting the IPO, but major issues do not show up this late in the game. A record 19.05 trillion yuan ($2.85 trillion) worth of bids was received from retail investors for Ant’s shares on Shanghai’s Star Market, exceeding the supply of shares 870 times.
All these point to Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba who personally controls 8.8% of Ant. He gave a talk last month in Shanghai criticizing regulators in China. “We shouldn’t use the way to manage a train station to regulate an airport,” Ma said. “We cannot regulate the future with yesterday’s means.”
Now we know who the real boss is.
Why You Need Clear Thinking Now
If you are like me, this is too much drama. There is too much information. What you and I want to know is really the future of finance. We want to know that the sort of fintech made by Ant will continue to gain traction.
If you work in the financial sector, you want to know if these innovations will still spread around the world. If you are retail investors, you want to know if the creditability of the Chinese stock market has been annihilated. Should you still diversify your pension plan with Chinese holdings or not?
In short, we have too many data points. We need clarity instead, to make decisions on things within our control.
How Future-ready Are Your Banks?
At the Center for Future Readiness at the IMD business school, we have been tracking companies’ readiness. In the financial sector, this is evaluated based on firms’ ability to leverage robo-advisory, artificial intelligence, mobile services, and blockchain. These are capabilities that CEOs have long recognized.
Here is what we have found. Those who ranked high in our study turned out to have followed a set of distinct logic. They acted less like a bank. They orchestrated ecosystems. They scaled fast.
1. ANT GROUP
3. SQUARE, INC.
4. VISA INC.
5. PAYPAL HOLDINGS, INC.
6. JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
7. PING AN INSURANCE (GROUP) CO. OF CHINA LTD
8. CREDIT SUISSE AG
9. BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION
10. ALLIANZ SE
11. AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
12. UBS AG
13. WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
14. AXA SA
15. HSBC HOLDINGS PLC
Rankings of leading financial services companies based on a “leap readiness index.” To arrive at these rankings, we relied on hard market data. This included 7 categories with 23 measurements.
Note that every financial institute—regardless of ranking—has its own digital strategy. But the top players scale digital innovation faster than others, and Ant does it to an extreme extent.
I remember visiting Ant’s headquarters in Hangzhou 18 months ago. Sitting down with a manager, I asked about staff growth. Despite the runaway growth in revenue, Ant was not on a hiring binge.
“You don’t need more people?” I asked.
“No. We automate everything once a new business stabilizes.”
“So where do those people go?”
“They go to develop another new business,” the manager said.
A business is built by humans and then run by machines. Then the humans are redeployed to other ventures. It is the logical thing to do. However, only a few companies besides Ant could do it with such ferocity. You may ask, is Ant totally unique? Is this a new strategy unseen by the world?
Not really. If you were to look at Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, Square, or Ping An, they are all on the same trajectory. What that means is this: The kind of fintech revolution wrought by Ant will not stop. Ant or not, the inevitable remains the same.
Should I Invest in Ant When It’s Ready Again?
There is no single authority responsible for regulating fintech products and services. The main regulatory bodies include the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC), and the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC). In other words, it is a diffused political system.
But since they can pause the world’s largest IPO, this also meant they share a similar viewpoint. They all want to send chills down Jack Ma’s back. His success is a story tied to the national narrative, both in substance and in form. Any deviation from it will have consequences. No one is too big to attack.
And so Ant is likely, and already is, regulated like any other banks. That means meeting the same capital requirement, auditing criteria, and compliance standard. It will be a challenge for a data-driven, AI-first enterprise like Ant. It will mean that, for the first time, software programmers at Ant need to still move fast but not break things.
Is it still a good investment opportunity? Well, depending on the revised price level. Here’s one way to look at it.
Ant has made a $3.5 billion profit in six months. Let us assume it stops growing for the next six. It will still end the year with $7 billion. Compare that with a truly mature tech company like Netflix, whose P/E ratio is around 80. Ant would still have an estimated valuation of $560 billion.
But maybe you want to use a Chinese firm as a benchmark. Let’s take Tencent, another Chinese technology giant with a fast-growing payments business. It is trading at about 40x earnings. Applying the same multiple to Ant, that would imply a $280 billion valuation. Again, it’s assuming no profit growth in the second half of the year. Such a scenario is virtually impossible. Ant’s profit for the first half exceeded the full-year total for 2019.
A $280 billion valuation is still huge. Obviously, all eyes will still be watching the IPO of the decade, delayed.
PS. Who are your favorite fintech disruptors? How do you see the future of retail banking? Given the current circumstance, any thoughts on Chinese tech giants versus those from Silicon Valley? Join in the discussion below. I’d love to hear from you.


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A study conducted by Persistence Market Research has estimated that the global market for smart city technology will reach 3.48 trillion US dollars with a growth rate of over 18 percent over the next 10 years to 2026.
Robust urbanization and supportive government policies are expected to promote the concept of smart cities across the globe. Growing concerns over energy wastage and reducing carbon emission may encourage the development and adoption of smart city infrastructure.
However, a lack of network infrastructure and poor funding will continue to slow the adoption rate in developing countries.
Integration of advanced technologies into existing facilities and rapid digitization are also expected to boost the overall growth of the market.The study also suggests that further growth will be funded using crowdfunding, public-private partnerships and other options.
In 2015, smart energy technology had an 18 percent share of the market in terms of value due to the installation of a large number of smart grid systems. However, the report suggests that this market share will decrease in coming years as the popularity of other types of smart technology including smart education and smart healthcare increase.
Smart security is expected to grow over the next ten years. In 2015, it accounted for 15 percent of the market. The report predicts that its value could increase as high as 780 billion dollars by 2026. Smart hardware will retain its dominant position in the market with more than 35 percent value share. However, this area is anticipated to lose ground post-2021 with the smart services expected to rise in value.
The report’s other findings include:
• The market in North America will reach 750 billion dollars with at 14.5 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2016 and 2026. However, the region may experience a slump during the end of this period.
• Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) will also have a robust CAGR of 22 percent with a market value of 1 trillion dollars by 2026. The report predicts that this market will be outgrow the market for smart cities in the US over the next ten years.
• In Europe, cities in the UK, France and Germany are predicted to be the main adopters of smart technology.
• Mexico and Brazil are predicted to be the driving forces behind the overall growth of the Latin America smart cities market.
• Governments in various countries are coordinating with smart city technology and service providers in order to deploy smart city infrastructure.
• Demand for smart lighting is an emerging trend which is expected to influence market growth over the next couple of years.
• Several clean and green technology firms are gearing up to launch a wide range of products and services including smart apps, to tap into market opportunities expected to develop in the near future. Demand for more environmentally friendly alternatives may be a strong influence on market trends.
Key players operating in the global market for smart cities include Philips Lighting, SAP SE, Cisco Systems, Inc., IBM Global Business Services, Ericsson, Hitachi Data Systems Corporation, Microsoft, AT&T, GE and Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
Persistence Market Research is a third-platform research firm whose research model combines data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses.
More information about the report is available at http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/smart-cities-market.asp


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Last week, a huge number of leaked documents from Microsoft's gaming division, including important data about Bethesda projects, appeared online.
Among a large number of potentially interesting and even unexpected projects, "some game based on an unnamed franchise" was spotted.
Here's What We Know
On the air of The Xbox Two podcast, well-known insider Speshal Nick revealed an interesting detail. According to his information, this unnamed Bethesda project is a game based on one of Disney's media holding company franchises. And it's definitely not an Indiana Jones game, which is being handled by MachineGames Studios, as it's listed separately in the documents.
Speshal Nick has no information yet, which Disney intellectual property will be the basis of the new Bethesda game, besides, the leaked documents are dated 2020 and there is a possibility that the development of the project has been stopped.
If we engage in speculation, the most likely option is another game based on the Star Wars universe.
AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE Some posts may contain affiliate links. Gagadget.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates
Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking


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The recent years have witnessed the trends of eCommerce and technology integration have been booming in the SEA market with the appearance of new players known as eCommerce enablers who provide end-to-end eCommerce services to brands that want to sell their products online and cross-borders. Prime Commerce has soon followed the early players and surprised the Vietnam market with their capability and potential in the field after being awarded as Top 30 Startups of the Global Accelerator Programme (GAP) in Malaysia in 2019 held by the Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre (MaGIC). Mr. Han Mac - Prime Commerce Founder & CEO has shared that joining GAP was such a great opportunity that gave them a deep understanding of how eCommerce is vitalizing technology and is a booming trend in Vietnam, Malaysia, and SEA. Therefore, not only staying in the current playground, Han and his teams have kicked off a project with Flix (Koppa) - a Malaysian startup with some significant achievements since GAP 2019 with the vision and ambition to encourage digital transformation in Malaysia.
Founded in 2018, Prime Commerce is a tech-driven startup focusing on enabling SMEs to sell through all channels with their proven and experienced management team with deep industry knowledge. This promising startup has impressed the market with its all-in-one technology ecosystem and end-to-end solutions encompassing all aspects of the e-commerce value chain. Its ecosystem consists of an omnichannel distribution and POS management platform, website builder, Influencer Marketing, customer care management, integrated dashboard, and warehouse management system. Brands and SMEs can rely on such a solid technology platform to feasibly operate and optimize their eCommerce business. Prime Commerce also provides immense services covering IT solutions, business growth, eCommerce operations, marketing strategy and execution, customer services, cross-border warehousing, and fulfillment.
From the end of 2020 until now, Prime Commerce has successfully launched its beta version of the ecosystem with more than 800 active users within a precise time. Since then, more than 40 regional partners have found their potential to join the Prime Commerce network to leverage their ability with the technology to enhance user experiences with actual-in-demand features. Meanwhile, several clients of Prime Commerce who are big brands and SMEs have highly recommended Prime Commerce social and digital services and are pleased with the results. Further than that, being an official IT solution partner with Unilever Vietnam at the end of 2020 and about to conclude a long-term contract with Lazada Vietnam regarding exclusively operating and maintaining Lazada Service Marketplace are the great pride and joy of Prime Commerce in their developing journey. In 2021, the Nextran Vietnam Startup Report Q1 2021 has well-recognized Prime Commerce as an eCommerce enabler.
MaGIC’s GAP Programme ever since has made much of a contribution to Prime Commerce's growth and its subsequent growth achievements and has become a stepping stone for Prime Commerce to penetrate the potential Malaysian market. Till May 2021, there was an official release of a complete cycle system for SMEs synergizing all seven Prime Commerce products in data synchronization, API integration with the online payment providers (portal and e-wallet), and logistics partners. Thanks to such an honourable opportunity with MaGIC, more queries from global brands (Vietnam-based office) for restructuring and optimizing on-demand features to serve their business as a separate in-house system have been required to the Prime Commerce team.
In the event of penetration to Malaysia, Prime Commerce brings about its mission to not only serve brands and SMEs in their national boundary but also allow them to bring their business across borders. Brands and SMEs are now supported by a cross-border influencer platform, cross-border selling platform, and cross-border dropshipping platform that allows them to get orders and fulfil them from anywhere and anytime. The model has brought Brands and SMEs to the new level of the eCommerce industry and helped them seize every chance to approach new customers and grow their business.
Continuing to expand the markets and serve more, Han Mac and his team have oriented their focus on increasing awareness of Prime Commerce's end-to-end and cross-border solution platform for SMEs in Vietnam and Malaysian markets through the digital transformation programme. They are continuing to serve SMEs and brands with on-demand digital and social services with a double team of experts in the industry. Prime Commerce always aims to propose a comprehensive partnership with every SMEs they have been working with, leveraging their capability and potential for sustainable business growth.


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Hargreaves Land has secured Cloburn Quarry Company as a new tenant at Ravenstruther Rail Terminal, near Lanark, South Lanarkshire.
Cloburn is one of the leading decorative aggregate suppliers in Europe and extracts a range of premium red granite aggregate products as well as industry leading rail and concrete aggregate products from its quarry close to the site. Cloburn intends to commence exports via rail from this well-established freight location to service its existing customers throughout the UK and Europe.
Andy Johnson, Head of Asset Management at Hargreaves Land said: “We are delighted to secure Cloburn as a long term tenant at Ravenstruther and it will be great to see rail freight back on the national network from this location.”
Stuart Clingan, Director of Cloburn Quarry Company said: “The acquisition of the leasehold at Ravenstruther represents a significant advancement in the company’s long-term supply strategy and will undoubtedly strengthen our unique market position”.


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Chipotle is changing the way they do their annual Halloween 'BOOrito' givaway this year! Normally they have you come to the restaurant wearing your costume, but they are making some changes this year because of the Pandemic. Read below for more!
"For the 20th anniversary of "Boorito," Chipotle will be giving away half a million BOGO entrée codes for customers. Between October 29th and October 31st, Chipotle will be revealing special keywords on Tik Tok, Twitter, and Instagram. From there people can text that keyword to 888-222 for a shot at a free entrée."
Click HERE for even more details!
photo credit *Getty Images*


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PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate is projected to rise to 4.7% in 2024, supported by the recovery in external trade and sustained development in domestic demand, said MIDF Research.
Its director and head of strategy Imran Yassin Yusof said positive job market conditions, income growth, and continued recovery in the tourism sector would also support the domestic spending outlook.
“Moreover, stabilisation of monetary policy in major countries, a stronger recovery in China, and supportive global commodity prices are expected to boost Malaysia’s external front in 2024,” he said at the “2024 Market Outlook Presentation: Cruising Along” today.
In addition, he said the research firm is cautiously optimistic about the economic and equities market growth prospect for 2024, albeit at a steady pace, with many of the factors that influenced 2023, such as inflation and interest rates, seeming to have waned.
Imran also said commodity prices are expected to remain stable, with forecasts for both crude palm oil and Brent oil prices to average RM3,600 per tonne and US$84 (RM392.74) per barrel, respectively, for next year.
“The domestic economy is expected to be anchored by continuous steady consumer spending, busier tourism-related activities, and construction of infrastructure projects.
“Malaysia’s job market remains in good shape as reflected by the continuous growth in employment, as there is a decline in unemployment and lower jobless rate,” he said.
However, he stated that the inflation rate would likely hover above 3% next year amid the roll-out of targeted fuel subsidies.
Real wage growth is anticipated to remain in positive territory even though the inflation rate is forecasted higher due to subsidy rationalisation efforts, he said.
In terms of the global economy, Imran said growth in 2024 would remain moderate, below the average of 3.8% recorded during the 2010-2019 period.
“As it will be constrained by several downside risks, including the policy tightening by central banks to tackle inflation and geopolitical risks.
“While global production activities could pick up, recovering from the lows this year, consumer spending will remain a key factor to support growth next year on the back of easing inflation, healthy labour market, and rising income,” he pointed out.
For trading countries, he noted that growth prospects would be more encouraging in 2024.
“Mainly benefitting from the recovery in global production and trade activities but potentially limited by the expected slowdown in demand from the advanced economies.
“The factor of US rate hikes will likely dissipate in 2024,” he said.
Moreover, MIDF said it expects that the recovery of China’s economy will continue into 2024, supporting the recovery of Malaysia’s external trade.


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There's a rumor making its way around the internet that PayPal plans to launch a stand-alone, NFC-based in-store payment app early next year, according to Payment Week.
It's seemingly based on a line in the press release announcing PayPal's new partnership with Bank of America about an upcoming NFC mobile wallet experience. The app could serve as a companion to PayPal's existing mobile app.
For now, this is solidly a rumor, but there are reasons that such a move might make sense.
- PayPal has been leaning into mobile. In Q2, PayPal saw $36 billion in mobile payment volume, worth just over a third of its total payment volume (TPV). That's about a 50% annual increase — a number the firm has maintained for the past few quarters. And these gains come about a year-and-a-half after PayPal launched a redesigned mobile app with mobile payments and commerce at the forefront that kickstarted this bump in usage. That's indicative that the firm has a captive audience for mobile payments among its existing commerce and P2P offerings, and provides a compelling basis for new mobile tools.
- The firm's partnership push is bringing robust in-store access. Many of PayPal's newly inked deals — 24 in 18 months — have opened doors to in-store payments; deals with Visa and MasterCard allow PayPal users to pay anywhere NFC-based payments from those cards are taken. Likewise, PayPal is now a payment option in popular wallets like Samsung Pay and Android Pay. And a recent partnership with Apple could eventually result in a PayPal-Apple Pay integration. This push makes a proprietary offering, which could be equally or more convenient for the wallet's 200-million-plus customers, seem like a logical and smart next step.
That's especially true in light of PayPal's existing strategy. As in-store mobile payments are poised to rise, there's an obvious revenue play at stake for PayPal. But more broadly, an in-store mobile payments push comes at a time when PayPal has been working to become an omnipresent player in its users' financial lives. By taking on the one area of payments it hasn't yet conquered, PayPal could be setting itself up to ensure top-of-wallet status for all of its customers purchasing needs, ultimately ensuring its positioning and helping guarantee success moving forward.
- Explains what hurdles universal mobile wallets have faced.
- Details what features retailers have adopted into their mobile wallets that have been successful
- Analyzes the use cases of retailers that have successfully leveraged their mobile wallet offerings to push growth.
- Identifies how universal mobile wallets will eventually slow growth for retailer-based mobile wallets.
You can also purchase and download the full report from our research store.


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This article is more than 1 year old
Microsoft dropped Vista hardware spec to raise Intel profits
'Gotta sell those chipsets'
You know this stuff goes on. But you're still gobsmacked when the proof turns up.
According to an email sent last February by Microsoft general manager John Kalkman, the software giant lowered Windows Vista's minimum hardware requirements to ridiculous levels only because Intel needed to sell more graphics chipsets.
The email was just one of many released in response to a federal class action suit that accuses Microsoft of misleading the world with those "Windows Vista Capable" logos it slapped on new PCs in the run-up to the operating system's debut. The logos appeared on system more than nine month before the OS was unveiled.
Judging from these emails - unsealed by the court this week and spewed to the digerati by Todd Bishop of Seattle Post-Intelligencer - the case has a pretty good chance.
"In the end, we lowered the requirement to help Intel make their quarterly earnings so they could continue to sell motherboards with the 915 graphics embedded," John Kalkman wrote to Scott Di Valerio, who oversaw Microsoft's dealings with PC partners.
Intel told The Wall Street Journal that the bit about its earning was not true, arguing that Kalkman "is not qualified in any shape or form to have knowledge about Intel's internal financial forecasts related to chipsets, motherboards or any other product".
Meanwhile, Microsoft informed the paper that it included the Intel 915 chipset in the Windows Vista Capable program "based on successful testing of beta versions of Windows Vista on the chip set and the broad availability of the chip set in the market." And it said the unsealed emails showed how its execs "were trying to make the marketing program better for Microsoft partners and consumers".
You could argue, however, that Kalkman's email is far from the best of the lot. In another message, a Microsoft board member tells Steve Ballmer he's decided against "upgrading" one of his machines to Vista. "I cannot understand with a product this long in creation why there is such a shortage of drivers," he says. ®


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For Immediate Release:
December 14, 2020
Nicole Meyer 202-483-7382
Bend, Ore. – The results are in for PETA’s 2020 ranking of the Top 10 Vegan-Friendly Towns and Small Cities in the U.S., and Bend’s vegan companies and food—including dozens of vegan-friendly restaurants—have landed it the number nine spot on the list. In recognition, PETA has sent an award certificate to Mayor Sally Russell.
For many years, PETA has named the most vegan-friendly big cities in the U.S. This year, as so many people are migrating to less-populated areas in the midst of the pandemic, PETA has shifted its sights, too, picking the country’s top 10 most vegan-friendly small cities.
“The small cities on PETA’s list are big hot spots for the delicious animal-friendly cuisine that today’s diners demand,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “Whether you’re looking for a vegan radio show, a cruelty-free beauty company, or just a hearty helping of BBQ jackfruit ribs, Bend’s got it.”
Bend’s many standout vegan restaurants include Root Down Kitchen, where customer favorites include the hoisin and roasted cauliflower tacos (drizzled with green tahini sauce) and the sesame Dijon tempeh sandwich. For meals on the go, don’t miss food truck Lively Up Yourself and its Buffalo jackfruit mac and cheese bowl, and for dessert, there’s the dairy-free sorbetto at Bonta, available in a variety of flavors, from chocolate coconut to marionberry blood orange. Unique to Bend are “All Things Vegan” (airing the second and fourth Tuesday of every month at 5 p.m. on 88.9 KPOV); Broken Top Candle Company, a vegan candlemaker; and Axiology, a local vegan lipstick company that sells its products around the world.
The number of vegan Americans has increased by 600% in just three years, according to research firm GlobalData. Each person who goes vegan prevents nearly 200 animals a year from enduring daily suffering and a terrifying death; dramatically shrinks their carbon footprint; reduces their risk of developing heart disease, cancer, and diabetes; and helps prevent future pandemics. SARS, swine flu, bird flu, and COVID-19 all stemmed from confining or killing animals for food.
Topping PETA’s list is Asheville, North Carolina, followed by Dayton, Ohio; Frederick, Maryland; Tacoma, Washington; Boise, Idaho; San Marcos, Texas; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Ann Arbor, Michigan; and Bisbee, Arizona.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, which is a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.


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With the growth of connected computing devices expected to reach 22 billion within the next decade, there will be a greater need for video professionals to move their data to cloud-based services. You can count TV broadcasters among those users.
A new GfK Business and Technology survey presented at the CTIA Wireless show in New York City, found that nearly half of all consumers are aware of the cloud. But, only 9 percent fully understand it and its inherent benefits, including cost savings and more operational flexibility.
Cloud computing is used to describe applications and services hosted and run on servers connected to the Internet that end users do not have to maintain or support. For example, Chyron offers broadcasters its AXIS graphics platform, a cloud-based service that cuts hardware and staffing costs and streamlines graphics creation. The company said graphics can be finished and sent to air within minutes.
Used by a number of broadcast groups, including Fox, Gannett Broadcasting, Sinclair Broadcast Group and Scripps, Chyron’s cloud-based services include high-resolution maps, 3D charts, financial quotes and a virtually unlimited set of tools for topical news graphics production. The staff is supplied with prebuilt templates that they can use to quickly create graphics for multiple outlets, including websites, mobile devices and print publications. Individual stations within a group can also share graphics created from a centralized location.
In another example, Vidyo has launched VidyoCast, a suite of broadcast products and services for TV networks and stations to employ cloud-based services. VidyoCast offers software and hardware to provide SD/HD video transport, remote contribution, ENG, sports production, master control backup and disaster recovery. It also integrates into existing broadcast infrastructure and workflow.
There is a wide selection of components in the VidyoCast system. The VidyoEncoder/Decoder adds network-aware adaptive optimization to enable high video quality through a given IP connection. It is available in a point-to-point configuration or in conjunction with an enterprisewide multicast control system. VidyoNetReturn receives return feeds from the station back to field operations such as a satellite truck. VidyoTransmission provides professional broadcasting encoders and decoders with SD/HD-SDI or analog interfaces for backhauls and feed distribution to/from local affiliate stations. It includes a point-to-multipoint feature for TV network and subnetwork distribution and optional encryption. VidyoContinuity provides backup for satellite and fiber-optic feeds. VidyoMCR is a cloud-based master control backup, while Zone Control provides traffic interface, schedule execution and path redundancy for MCR backup. A local, remote or data center origination feature is also included.
Cloud-based computing has also stimulated the rapid growth of mobile computing devices. As 4G data networks begin to roll out over the next year, consumers will need to access greater amounts of data across all of their connected devices, which may have limited storage capabilities.
As cloud computing spreads to consumers (Amazon, Apple and Google all offer remote data storage services), the prices will fall for all users, both consumer and professional. The latest in the news is Amazon’s Cloud Drive service, which allows customers to store digital files, such as music, on its servers for retrieval from computers and mobile devices. The service will give customers 5GB of storage for free.
“Consumers are now facing similar challenges once only faced by enterprises in needing to securely manage massive amounts of data,” said Rob Barrish, senior vice president of GfK Business & Technology. “When rolling out cloud-based services, it will be important for marketers to keep in mind that consumers want to be able to access content on all of their devices across multiple platforms.”
There’s also the issue of trust.
“Because security of the data within the cloud is the biggest concern across all age groups, marketers need to address this up front when communicating the benefits of using cloud-based apps and services,” Barrish said. “There’s also an overall need for greater education about the cloud in order to move consumers from general understanding to active utilization.”
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Ask a question about League or Riot, and we’ll try to answer it. Answers go live every other Thursday at 1:30 pm (PT)
We are excited to announce yet another partner for League of Legends Esports – AXE®! Through this multi-year esports sponsorship, the world’s No. 1 men’s fragrance brand will now be the official men’s grooming partner of League of Legends Esports’ global events: Mid-Season Invitational, World Championship, and All-Star Event. The partnership will launch immediately at the 2019 League of Legends World Championship with a fully integrated campaign, created by AXE with 72andSunny Amsterdam.
AXE Gaming aims to inspire more confident play for League of Legends esports pros and fans alike. Fans can look forward to seeing AXE Gaming celebrate professional League of Legends play as well as the community at live events, on broadcast, at retail, and more.
“AXE has a rich history of championing youth passion points, from music, sport, and culture. We are thrilled to be the first men’s grooming brand to partner with League of Legends Global Esports,” said Gaurav Raisinghani, Global Director for AXE. “We hope to create value for the community and encourage fans to fearlessly express their passion and moves and seize the opportunity, both in and around the game.”
AXE is a brand icon in the portfolio for Unilever, which partners through its brands a multitude of properties around the world, including ROKit Williams Racing in Formula One, NCAA, Copa Libertadores, La Liga, City Football Group, Chelsea Football Club, Boca Juniors, River Plate, and more.
“We are delighted to partner with Unilever’s AXE on League of Legends’ most prestigious esports events,” said Naz Aletaha, Head of Global Esports Partnerships and Business Development for Riot Games. “AXE is a brand that celebrates individuality, inspires confidence, and shares our passion for esports. That perspective, combined with their expertise in activating around major traditional and emerging sports, is sure to enhance our fans’ experience.”
AXE first introduced AXE Gaming last year in an attempt to champion the countless ways people are using gaming as a way to confidently express themselves and connect with others. This will be the brand’s first partnership with an esports league, joining League of Legends Esports’ best-in-class partners which now include Louis Vuitton, Mastercard, Alienware, State Farm, Secretlab, OPPO, and Red Bull.


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Chicago’s StyleMax, the largest women’s apparel market in the Midwest, countered the questionable economy with higher-than-expected attendance this month and, at the same time, unveiled a new facet, National Prom Market Chicago.
Susan McCullough, senior vice president for apparel for Merchandise Mart Properties Inc., said she was pleased with the amount and consistency of activity at the market, noting there were still handfuls of buyers looking to do business when StyleMax, which ran from Aug. 9 to 12 at the Merchandise Mart, ended.
“There were still a lot of stores on the floor,” McCullough said, noting the show’s August edition enjoyed a single-digit percentage increase in attendance over last year. “In this economy, I was pleased. I was worried because everyone is saying retail is so terrible now.”
McCullough, who would not release figures, said the slight jump may be attributed to more area retailers questioning the expense of traveling to New York to do their buying.
The market’s newest addition, a 20,000-square-foot section devoted to prom and special occasion resources, likely attracted new buyers as well, she said.
“Prom has been a major success for us,” said McCullough about the area, which featured some 40 vendors including Alyce Designs, Tony Bowls for Mon Cheri, Faviana and LaFemme. “The manufacturers opened new accounts and were very happy.”
McCullough launched the section responding to many retailers who said it was difficult to buy both bridal and prom fashions at Chicago’s expansive National Bridal Market in October. “It’s so hard to do it all at once,” McCullough said. “The [bridal] show is so huge. It’s easier to shop separately. The stores like it.”
Retailers, meanwhile, continued to weather the economic downtown, with some faring better than others.
Carrie Arrouet, co-owner of Lela in Milwaukee, said her 1,400-square-foot store, which houses a mixture of new, vintage and consignment clothing, is seeing sales about 10 percent higher than last year.
Business has been buoyed by increased foot traffic due to Anthropologie moving in next door. “It’s increased the visibility of the neighborhood and brought credibility to the district as a shopping destination,” she said of her store’s location along North Broadway. “People see value to our product.”
Anthropologie opened in January in the area, which is known as an arts district and is populated with many warehouses, located just south of downtown Milwaukee, she said.
Arrouet, who was shopping StyleMax mostly for accessories, picked up patent envelope clutches from Big Buddha in purple, green, yellow and black, and also opted for oversize handbags in the same colors, as well as in pewter, silver and gold metallic shades. She also ordered leather and pounded metal jewelry from Bauxo, specifically buying hammered gold hoops and distressed leather cuffs for women and men for holiday gift-giving.
Penny Meisel, owner of Necessities in Glenview, a north suburb of Chicago, said she has become more conservative in her buy, purchasing less on first orders with plans to reorder merchandise that sells. At StyleMax, she liked fashion jackets with bell sleeves from Luii in gray, red, black and plaids, as well as lightweight scarves from VSA in gray, black, purple and plaid.
Meisel also bought 100 percent cotton sweaters from Willow, one of her best-selling lines, in purple and deep caramel and printed chiffon V-neck tops with lace trim from Sienna Rose.
Lastly, the retailer picked up lacy tanks and layering T-shirts from G. Wheels in black, beige and white.
Business, she said, has been “OK. I was already feeling it last year,” she said. “And I’m not finding it too much different this year.”
In turn, Meisel said she widened her assortment, buying new lines of accessories and adding more clothing. “Now I can do multiple sales,” she said. “When they buy an outfit, I can suggest a purse.”
Overall, the economic climate may be tougher for newer stores, McCullough said. “For stores that have been around a while, they’ve been through this before,” she said. “I don’t think people are going to stop buying clothes, period. But business is tough for everyone. We all have to work smarter.”


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The winning ticket for Wednesday's Lotto jackpot was sold in Cavan, it has been revealed.
The lucky winner has scooped a total of €2,895,277 after purchasing a Quick Pick.
The ticket was bought on Tuesday in the Spa XL Service Station in Swanlibar and it is the second Lotto Jackpot win for the shop in five years.
Swanlibar is a small village in north-west Cavan, close to the Fermanagh border.
Francis O’Reilly, the shop's owner, said: "We’re certainly lucky up this part of the country. We sold a €2 million Lotto Jackpot ticket in 2013.
"We are just thrilled for one of our lucky customers this morning.
"We do get some passing trade coming through the town but the majority of our customers would be local so we’re hoping that one of them has won this truly life-changing prize."
This is the 5th Lotto jackpot win so far this year.
The winning numbers were: 05, 21, 25, 29, 41, 43 and the bonus was 31.


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The state of Texas is reportedly aiming to become a world leader in blockchain technology in general and cryptoasset mining in particular following the latest crypto crackdown in China.
According to a Forbes report released yesterday (October 2), former US Army Captain Lee Bratcher, founder and chairman of the Texas Blockchain Council, is hosting the one-day Texas Blockchain Summit on Friday, October 8, where many of the top luminaries crypto – such as Senator Cynthia Lummis (Wyoming), Senator Ted Cruz (Texas), Senator John Cornyn (Texas) and Coin Metrics co-founder Nic Carter – will speak.
The Texas Blockchain Council is “a nonprofit industry association made up of businesses and individuals who work in a variety of industries related to blockchain technology.” It aims to “make the State of Texas the jurisdiction of choice for blockchain innovation.”
The Forbes Report went on to say that Texas Governor Greg Abbot had met with the Texas Blockchain Council twice and tweeted his support for digital assets.
Here are some of the crypto-related tweets from Abbot over the past few months:
Apparently, the president of the Texas Blockchain Association said:
“Texas is poised to become the jurisdiction of choice for blockchain innovation for several reasons, including; the business-friendly climate that has been cultivated in Texas for many years, the efforts of our Texas Blockchain Council working alongside lawmakers like Representative Tan Parker and Senator Angela Paxton to create legal and regulatory frameworks that enable entrepreneurs to innovate.“
The views and opinions expressed by the author, or anyone mentioned in this article, are for informational purposes only and do not constitute financial, investment or other advice. Investing in or trading cryptoassets carries a risk of financial loss.
Image by “12019” via Pixabay


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Fab equipment spending will hit record numbers in 2021 thanks to the growth of the memory market, according to SEMI.
Fab equipment spending in 2020 will increase 8% from a year prior to US$63.2 billion.
Next year, this will increase by 13% year over year to reach US$65.5 billion, SEMI said.
Demand from PC, gaming and healthcare rose this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Demand for memory were especially high from data centers and servers. Company’s increasing their stock in light of the US-China trade dispute also increased demand.
Spending will be the highest in the memory sector. Fab equipment spending in the memory sector is expected to be US$26.4 billion this year. This will increase by 18% to US$31.2 billion in 2021.
3D NAND spending will increase by 39% this year and 7% in 2021, SEMI said. DRAM on the other hand will grow 4% in 2020 and 39% in 2021.
Spending in foundry will be the second highest in 2020 at US$23.2 billion, a rise of 12% from 2019. This will increase by 2% next year.
MPU equipment spending however is expected to drop 18% this year. In 2020 this will rise again, increasing 9% to US$6 billion.
Analogue semiconductor spending will increase by 48% in 2020 and 6% in 2021. This is thanks to aggressive spending in mixed-signal semiconductor and power semiconductor.
Image sensor spending will be US$3 billion in 2020 but this will grow 11% in 2021 to US$3.4 billion.


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Reflecting on native culture
When fashion gets the color of culture, the outcome is always something new from the maker’s end. In same way ‘Indypindy’ has brought fashion items dedicated towards women but it also presents a fusion of international and local cultural extravaganzas. ‘Indypindy’ organised a two-day fashion couture event recently at LGF Navjeevan Vihar in the national Capital.
It houses some of the best designers in their domains to deliver top notch and state-of-the-art products whether it is a saree, skirt or a clutch! The event witnessed the gracious presence of Sandeep Marwah, Director AAFT who encouraged the budding designers for adapting the idea of ‘Indypindy’ which focuses on the concept of ‘Make in India’.
The event was also graced by the presence of Dr Shalini Sharma who imparted solutions at her special sessions on palmistry mixed with numerology to give the visitors simple solutions to their life issues. ‘IndyPindy’ is a brand name inspired from two words “Indian” and “Pind” which means an Indian village. As the name suggests it is a group of Indian nomad designers who travel across the country and showcase their designs and unique collection to the diverse audience present in each part of India.
The designers take up the designs from the rural and local area reflecting the native culture and fashion of the place and driving it to a national and international platform give rural handicrafts and designs complete exposure.


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Ed Boon, one of the founders and creators behind the Mortal Kombat franchise, continues to troll his fans by hinting at the next piece of content coming to the game. Right now, he’s been going back and forth with fans with several of his hints pushing the envelope of Mortal Kombat 11 introducing that Joker as the next DLC character.
The earliest hints came from Boon’s Twitter account when he tweeted on June 20.
Some people call me the Cowboy…
— Ed Boon (@noobde) June 20, 2019
For those unfamiliar, those lyrics are to a song by the Steve Miller Band, called The Joker. Boon’s tweet is not a direct quote of the song, but it’s close enough for many people to locate the reference if they dug deep enough.
Many people are placing their bets on the Joker arriving in Mortal Kombat 11, given that there was a massive leak of DLC characters coming to the game right before the title launched earlier this year in April.
The leak detailed adding characters Shang Tsung, Nightwolf, the Terminator, Sindel, Spawn, Ash from the Evil Dead series, Sheeva, and Fujin. The Joker was also one of the leaked characters. So far, Shang Tsung, Nightwolf, Spawn, and Sindel have all turned out to be accurate, justifying the leak’s information thus far.
Additional support for Mortal Kombat 11 adding the Joker comes from other tweets from the game’s development team.
Now are we talking about a standard cowboy or a space cowboy? pic.twitter.com/fk0ad8JWma
— DEREK KIRTZIC (@DKirtzic) June 21, 2019
As of this writing, none of the team have confirmed who the last two DLC characters in Mortal Kombat 11’s first Kombat Pack are going to be. We’ll have to wait for additional details to come out.


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During a meteoric rise that now has it operating in hundreds of cities in nearly 60 countries around the globe, ride-hailing company Uber has encountered its share of opposition from regulators and the industry it's usurping. New York is no exception.
And the company known for its hubris is not engaging quietly.
"Uber is a very aggressive company -- they may not rest until they win. We'll see," Sarah Kaufman, assistant director for Technology Programming at the NYU Rudin Center for Transportation, said, referring to the company's campaign to literally fight City Hall, where a vote is expected as soon as Thursday on bills that would restrict the number of new licenses issued to for-hire vehicles.
In an op-ed piece published Saturday in the New York Daily News, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio wrote that the most congested parts of Manhattan are being overwhelmed by the addition of more than 2,000 new for-hire vehicles each month. "We're facing the addition of over 25,000 cars to our streets over the next year -- the rough equivalent of two times the total number of yellow taxis in all of New York City."
"While most businesses recognize the role of the city to set basic standards and look out for the broader public interest, Uber -- a $40 billion corporation -- is out with multi-million dollar ads trying to convince New Yorkers that it doesn't need more oversight," the mayor wrote.
Faced with measures supported by de Blasio that would curb the proliferation of for-hire vehicles in the city's five boroughs as the city studies congestion and other issues, Uber is striking back.
"The mayor is trying to cap Uber, cap Lyft, cap every service. What that means is it's a cap on jobs. It's killing over 10,000 jobs. It means poor service in underserved areas like the Bronx, like Queens. So we are going to fight this with everything we have," Uber senior advisor David Plouffe, a former aide to President Obama, told CBS This Morning on Tuesday.
Contacted by CBS MoneyWatch, Uber offered Queens resident Mohammad Hasan, who drove a yellow cab for five months and is now a full-time driver for Uber.
"I make my own schedule -- it's better for me and my family," Hasan said. "Our mayor should help people get more jobs, and Uber is giving a lot of people jobs, it's the best thing for the city."
Arguing its app-based ride service creates jobs and provides transportation in areas where mainstream cab service is sparse, the California-based company claims the bills under consideration have nothing to do with congestion concerns and everything to do with political contributions from the taxi industry to de Blasio's mayoral campaign.
"An electronic hailing system makes a huge difference in places where taxis don't travel to, so Uber fills a gap where transit doesn't exist, or is insufficient, although congestion is a legitimate issue in New York City," Kaufman said, adding that the city's bus system would benefit from future technologies that could employ "dynamic routing based on cell phone data, so that buses would know where people are going and when."
Uber would like to engage in a "a real debate about many of these issues -- from expanding our accessibility options, to providing added revenue for mass transit," Josh Mohrer, Uber's general manager in New York, wrote in an open letter to Tony Shorris, the city's first deputy mayor. "But that requires you to see beyond the interests of the taxi industry, whose proposed cap has nothing to do with the facts about congestion (or safety or workers' rights or whatever else you choose to add to the list), and everything to do with past campaign contributions."
The taxi app company also hosted a gathering of black and Latino religious and political leaders at a Harlem restaurant last week to solicit their help, arguing the bills would limit the creation of jobs in the community, with Plouffe among those on hand.
Uber is also putting its technology to use to lobby its customers, adding a "de Blasio" mode to its app. Selecting it takes the estimated wait time from a few minutes to 25, an illustration of what the company projects would be the scenario confronting users should its ability to expand be limited.
A de Blasio spokesman scoffed at Uber's contention that the mayor's actions came as political payback, noting the administration is being sued by four lenders that finance the purchase of the medallions needed to drive a yellow cab in New York for allowing Uber's growth.
"Every time this company has confronted a municipality or state that has tried to exercise some oversight, they turn to the same old playbook or tactics," Wiley Norvell, deputy press secretary for de Blasio told CBS MoneyWatch. "This is a $40 or $50 billion company trying to skirt regulation -- we're here to be sure the public is protected."
The latest feud with Uber is not the city's first, noted Norvell. "There was a battle when they first started, to license and regulate to ensure the safety of their drivers and vehicles. We are proud to have done that, but now, with the number and growth rate of drivers," the city faces additional issues, he said.
Hundreds of taxi drivers, community groups and labor leaders rallied at New York City Hall on Monday, voicing support for measures that would at least temporarily curb the number of new for-hire vehicles.
"New Yorkers want real economic development, not a predatory business model that classifies full-time employees as contractors to cheat them out of benefits," Bertha Lewis, executive director of the Black Institute, a non-profit public policy group, said.
"Clearly there is a need for a time out of some kind," Kathy Wylde of the Partnership for New York City said. "We did get a heads up that this legislation was coming down the pike, but City Hall did not threaten us," she added of a New York Post piece which quoted unnamed sources in saying Deputy Mayor Shorris had called business leaders including Wylde and threatened them to stay on the sidelines of the Uber controversy.
While New York is the current hot spot for Uber, its confrontations with regulators and the industry it is disrupting extend to other U.S. cities as well as overseas.
In recent weeks and months, Uber has been confronted with unwelcome developments on its home turf.
The California Labor Commission last month ruled a driver for the company to be an employee, not an independent contractor, and ordered it to pay restitution. And last week, a California administrative judge recommended the ride-sharing company be fined $7.3 million and gave it 30 days to come provide ride-logging information required by a 2013 law that legalized ride-hailing in the state.
Uber this month suspended its UberPop service in France after hundreds of taxi drivers demonstrated against the company in June, blocking access to major airports and train stations.
Britain is also grappling with Uber issues. "We talk to London on a weekly basis," Norvell said.
"In New York, you can't sell a single taxi medallion, but every six months, Uber adds the equivalent of all the yellow cabs already out there," Norvell said. "As innovative and tech-driven as New York City is, there are only so many vehicles you can spill onto the streets. We can quibble about what the tipping point is, but it's not infinite."
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We’re excited to bring Transform 2022 back to life on July 19th and virtually July 20-28. Join AI and data leaders for sensible conversations and exciting networking opportunities. Register today!
The use of cryptocurrencies is growing rapidly, as shown by the growth of more than 100% per year, and was adopted faster than the Internet in the early 2000’s. Even if the growth rate slows down to 80%, crypto will reach one billion users by 2024.
One of the main goals of cryptocurrency is to redefine global payments. Although global payments have grown significantly over the years, much of the systemic efficiency complements widely used currencies such as the US dollar or euro. As a result, emerging and ending international transport in developed countries has become more cost effective and faster. But relocations ending or emerging in emerging economies have not been as cost-effective, nor has the time for reconciliation been so quick.
As cross-border payments from emerging markets slow, costly and take many days to complete, even in 2022, the question still remains: how do we take international transfers to the next level?
This is where the rapid adoption of cryptocurrencies supports financial inclusion and accelerates the efficiency gains of the financial system in emerging markets.
The answer lies in a specific type of cryptocurrency: Stablecoin – the least volatile of them all. Stablecoins are designed to ensure that the price does not fluctuate when offering users the benefits of crypto. Their value is linked to government-issued currencies such as the US dollar, precious metals – gold, for example, and other assets such as algorithmic functions.
Emerging markets need better remittance solutions
International transfers or remittances are mainly seen through the lens of people living abroad in developed countries who send financial aid to their friends and family in developing countries. In fact, in 2021, according to the World Bank, the transaction volume reached $ 589 billion.
While remittances arising from emerging economies to developing economies are low in volume, they are certainly not as trivial as they are in the range of hundreds of billions of dollars. This type of international transfer still needs better solutions.
The consumer of the emerging country has disadvantages due to the financial system which includes serious challenges for international money transfer, starting with huge exchange fee markup of about 10%, high transfer fee and extended settlement time up to 5 days. In fact, according to the World Bank, $ 200 remittances can cost anywhere from 5% to 9.3%, depending on the destination country and the type of service used.
On the other hand, stablecoins such as USD Coins (USDC) are already a part of global payment networks such as Visa Inc. Integrated with, which allows transaction settlement using USD coins. In addition, McKinsey & Co. According to, two popular stablecoins, USDC and Tether, completed $ 3 trillion in transactions in the first six months of 2021.
What’s more, recently, Facebook and Coinbase decided to develop and incorporate stablecoin-based international transfers into their services. However, they still operate in mainstream payment corridors – from developed to developing countries. For example, Novi – a Facebook-based digital wallet, allows transactions from the US to Guatemala, but not otherwise. And that needs to change.
Since stablecoins are resilient to the price volatility experienced by traditional cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, they can act as a bridge between crypto and fiat, especially in the case of payment usage.
Restricting third parties to crypto for foreign transfers
International money transfers, when traditionally done, often involve four intermediaries. This traditional settlement process involves high transfer costs, as each of the providers involved adds their service fees and this multilateral settlement results in a delayed transfer process.
For example, when sending remittances abroad, the customer of the country of origin has to pay a transfer fee to the money transfer operator (MTO). These MTOs are financial institutions, not necessarily banks, that facilitate funds transfer abroad through their internal settlement network or using a third-party international banking network such as SWIFT or a major remittance service provider. In addition, MTOs may be required to pay on a regular basis for payment network setup, usage-based subscriptions, and system maintenance.
As a result of this settlement process, the recipient collects less funds in the destination country’s currency after deducting transfer fees and expensive currency conversions.
Simplifying this settlement process through cryptocurrency will reduce the number of intermediaries as it enables direct fund transfer between sender and recipient, thereby reducing transfer costs and settlement time.
Stablecoin settlement as an alternative to SWIFT
Crypto worldwide usage jumped more than 880% during 2021, with P2P platforms leading to the adoption of cryptocurrencies in emerging markets. Not surprisingly, Vietnam and India are at the top of the global markets in terms of adoption of cryptocurrencies by individual consumers.
This widespread adoption of crypto in emerging markets presents an opportunity to facilitate international money transfers through stablecoins settlement. However, at first glance, this may seem like an expensive solution because of the associated costs associated with both on-ramp collection and off-ramp payout. But, with the current crypto adoption rate, both on-ramp and off-ramp costs are already competitive compared to the global average in some payment corridors.
As cryptocurrency continues to be adopted, the facility of international money transfer from many other emerging markets will become faster and cheaper than traditional payment rails. In particular, with the enhanced role of stablecoins in global payment networks for settlement, this set of cryptocurrencies will empower the next generation of international money transfers.
A good use case for this stablecoin settlement process from emerging markets could be the international education market. With over 6 million international students originating from emerging countries, the cost-effective and fast way of saving billions of dollars of cross-border payments is undoubtedly a matter of time.
Abhinov is the CEO and founder of Balago’s Pax Credit.
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The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has alerted the media to
the preliminary findings of its inspection of the Chinese facility
that supplied the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) for
Baxter's heparin - now recalled...
The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) urged the World
Health Organization (WHO) to change its International
Nonproprietary Names (INN) policy for biological products at a
meeting last week in Geneva.
As the US Food and Drug Administration continues its deliberations
on generic biopharmaceuticals, the industry body representing
generic drug manufacturers has said that the time has now come for
the agency to make some hard decisions,...


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News Articles Archive
10th October 2012
In its third consecutive year, The Campaign for Wool is becoming a truly global movement, with activities around the world planned to celebrate Wool Week.
Speaking to Knitting Industry, Peter Ackroyd, executive of the organisation, said: "Since its inception The Campaign for Wool has captured the... read more
9th October 2012
Lauren Conrad might be one of Hollywood's most famous faces but it seems that she has been harbouring a secret hobby.
The Hills star and TV personality claims to be addicted to knitting, and has been hard at work creating plenty of scarves for her friends and boyfriend, William Tell, to wear duri... read more
8th October 2012
Shetland Wool Week has begun, with a series of live demonstrations and exciting events.
The third annual occasion features Kate Davies, who has agreed to be the patron of the event celebrating the islands' wool and textiles.
Internationally renowned designer Kate Davies will be running a workshop... read more
5th October 2012
A knitwear designer from Jersey City, US, is preparing to unveil her new selection of maternity projects for expectant-mums.
With nine months of waiting on the cards, having plenty of knitting patterns at the ready could be a great use of your time, while also helping you get a little more prepar... read more
4th October 2012
An aspiring fashion designer has won the chance to have one of her knitwear creations sold in Harvey Nichols after winning a wool contest.
Tegan Kersey from Branston's jumper design is to be made available in the prestigious department store after finishing first in The Campaign for Wool competit... read more
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By Jeremiah Rivera
In celebration of their 20th anniversary, Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow versions were re-released as digital downloads on the Nintendo eShop for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems allowing a new generation of fans were able to get the opportunity to experience the original Pokémon games.
The Pokémon Company International has held a lot of fun engagements for the game, which made its debut in the United States in 1996.
“With classic graphics and timeless gameplay,” Nintendo said in a statement to GameSpot. “These versions of the original Pokémon adventure are proving to be a popular way for fans to celebrate the anniversary of the series.”
Originally known as Pocket Monsters, the franchise took Japan by storm. Pocket Monsters was created by Satoshi Tajiri and with the help of Gamefreak, the original pair of video games (Red and Green versions) were created.
“Every game is basically the same formula but something about it just makes it fun for me,” said Chris Tineo, a GameStop employee. “The goal of catching every single Pokémon gets more challenging with each new game.”
Tineo went on to say that he purchased the Pokémon 20th anniversary 3DS which came with Pokémon Blue and Red already installed. Pokémon Yellow was the first game he ever purchased from the franchise, so he was ecstatic to finally be able to play the original games he was unable to enjoy during its original release.
Debuting for Nintendo’s original Gameboy handheld system in 1995, the franchise centers around fictional creatures called “Pokémon” in which humans known as Pokémon Trainers (the player), catch and train monsters and battle other trainers to compete to become champion.
“I think Pokémon has been so successful because it stays true to RPG (Role Playing Game) elements,” said Brienne Kenlock, a student at York College. “Pokémon experiments with new elements each generation to see what works and what doesn’t.”
Kenlock went on to say that the variety of creatures and battle tactics the player can use to improve their monsters help create an experience of a virtual adventurer.
Pokémon fans have been able to be featured on Pokémon’s official website in celebration of the 20th anniversary. Using the hashtag #Pokemon20 fans are able to share their favorite Pokémon moments via social media sites like Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. According to their official site, Pokémon would choose their favorite submissions and send mysterious prizes to a selected few.
“At the end of the day I’m just happy I found #Pokemon20 and my 3DS,” said Pokémon fan, Corbyn Burik, in a tweet.
Nintendo World located on Rockefeller Plaza in New York, also took part in celebrating the anniversary.
“Whether you are a veteran or a newcomer, everyone was invited to ‘Pokémon Day’ here at the store” said Rachel Pardoe, a team member at Nintendo World. “We held a Pokémon Tournament at the end of February called Kanto Classic Online where players were only able to use the original 151 Pokémon.”
Not only did Nintendo bring back the old Gameboy games for their latest handheld system, but they also upgraded them. The re-released games were brought up to today’s standards of portable gaming. The use of a Gameboy link cable to play against other players is no longer required. For the first time in the history of the original Pokémon games, players are now able to connect wirelessly via the internet battle against or trade with players worldwide.
Since the launch of the 20th anniversary Pokémon Nintendo 2DS device before the beginning of Spring, Nintendo plans on continuing the festivities with the first ever Pokémon fighting game.
Developed by Bandai Namco, Nintendo’s Pokken Tournament is a fighting game that combines Bandi Namco’s Tekken series with characters from the Pokémon franchise.
Fans of the franchise got the opportunity to play Pokken Tournament at Nintendo World on Rockefeller when the game premiered on March 18th.
The Pokken Tournament and the Pokémon themed Nintendo 2DS devices are Nintendo’s prime showcases of them acknowledging one of their most lucrative and successful franchises. The classic Pokémon 3DS re-release continues to shatter eShop sale records according to IGN news.
The re-release of Blue, Red, and Yellow versions and the release of Pokken Tournament would not be the main events of the anniversary.
“There’s lots of stuff planned for the 2016 year but nothing I can talk about now” said the Pokémon Company International’s Director of Consumer Marketing J.C. Smith.
York College students are speculating what other surprises Nintendo could possibly produce to acknowledge this franchise.
“I heard their coming out with a Pokémon game for mobile devices so that could possibly be the next surprise Smith is referring to,” said Leroy Marda,19, an Art History major at York College.
The latest surprise in the anniversary celebration is the announcement of new additions to the Pokémon franchise. Pokémon Sun and Moon are the newest additions, which has sold more than 275 million video games since its debut. The game will introduce a new storyline and feature brand new Pokémon for players to capture but, some Pokémon fanatics would like to see fan favorite characters return to the new generation.
“I’ve been playing Pokémon since I was kid,” said Christopher Rodriguez, a Studio Art major at York College. “I really want them to bring back the legendary dogs for the new games and have an event based on Mew since he is one of the rarest legendary Pokémon.”
Nintendo is constantly amazed by Pokémon fans and inspired by their support.
“Their support has been a key reason for why we’re able to celebrate 20 years,” said Ashton Shurson, a media associate for Nintendo. “We’ve reached a point that our original fans are passing down their love for Pokémon to their children, now Pokémon fanatics span multiple generations.”


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It's been a while since anyone really played Warcraft 3 seriously. That hasn't stopped Blizzard from supporting the game 15 years after its initial release, with the developer announcing the first major patch for the game in years.
Tagged With warcraft 3
Remasters of the first two Warcraft games is out of the question, according to Blizzard, but Warcraft 3 is much more realistic proposition, especially with the StarCraft remaster just around the corner. And with Blizzard planning yet another update for the game, it's hard not to entertain the possibility.
It's not often that a brick-and-mortar retailer captures your attention in the middle of a gargantuan Steam sale, but that's how the tide has gone in the last few years. The sales just aren't as good any more -- and the fact that Australians still get slugged in US dollars makes it even less enticing.
But that's the opportunity EB are taking up right now, with a end of financial year sale. There's plenty of games that priced at surprisingly reasonable levels.
Days after surprising the internet with their ongoing support of Diablo 2, Blizzard has gone and released an update for WarCraft 3 as well.


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Korea, Columbia to launch FTA during Lee's state visit
By Kim Se-jeong
President Lee Myung-bak and Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos are likely to announce the launch of a bilateral free trade agreement this weekend when they meet in Bogota, Colombian Ambassador Jaime Cabal to Korea said Thursday.
The ambassador said the technical stages of the negotiations were completed last weekend, and now the two parties are working to finalize legal details before any formal announcement is made.
“We hope everything is going to be ready for the visit of President Lee to get a joint declaration with our President Santos,” Cabal told The Korea Times. The first round of negotiations began in December, 2009.
Lee will spend three days in Bogota between June 23 and 25, making him the first South Korean president to visit the country.
Official diplomatic ties between the two countries were established in 1962. But a strong bond was first established during the Korean War (1950-53) during which Colombia sent soldiers to support South Korea.
Colombian President Santos made a state visit to Korea last year.
Ambassador Cabal said the Colombian side is attracted by the possibility of selling more agricultural goods to Korea. For example, an 8-percent tariff currently on coffee beans entering Korea will be lifted. Colombian meat and dairy products, not sold in Korea will also be given advantages to compete in the market here. Correspondingly, the agreement will grant Korean automobiles and electronics the opportunity to compete with Japanese wares.
If realized, Korea will be the first Asian country with which Colombia has agreed a free trade agreement.
“One reason is political. We feel very close to Korea because of the war. We have a special relationship, so Colombia decided Korea should be the first country,” the ambassador said.
Colombia is conducting a feasibility study for a possible FTA with Japan, but he said that Bogota is skeptical about a future agreement with China. Colombia already has FTAs with the United States and the European Union.


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Used to having a sandwich or something shop-bought for lunch? Why not try and be a little more adventurous. With a little preparation, Brian Stormont challenges you to prepare and enjoy this three-course meal in your lunch hour - but you'll need to leave the washing up for later!
A popular Aberdeen cafe will reopen for takeaway only next week.
An Aberdeen garden centre will be reopening their restaurant on July 15.
Greggs has reopened four of their north-east stores for takeaway only today.
You may not be heading off to your favourite music festival this summer, but that doesn't mean you can't bring the flavours of it into your home.
Scotland is best known for its outstanding produce. Here, we take a look at some of the new items hitting the food market.
A new bakery will be opening in Aberdeen on Monday.
An Aberdeen branch of M&S will be reopening its clothes and home department from Monday.
A Labour MSP says plans to enshrine a right to food in Scots law will “send a clear message that hunger has no place in Scotland”.
A food bank has bought an electric bike to carry out speedy deliveries after receiving a £13,000 funding boost from Aberdeen Harbour Board.
Adults are borrowing food, purchasing items on credit and limiting their consumption so they can feed their children, a survey has found.
Continuing our weekly series, Brian Stormont reveals how you can make one of the UK's favourite takeaway meals at home.
All Primula cheese tubes have been recalled due to a potentially fatal bacteria threat.
An north-east bakery has announced plans to re-open two of their Aberdeen shops tomorrow.
Looking for the ultimate gifts for your foodie-loving father? We've got you covered...
The food industry must share the blame not only for the obesity crisis but also for the severity of the Covid-19 pandemic, scientists have said.
A quarter of 21 to 30-year-olds say the idea of going vegan has become more appealing to them since the coronavirus pandemic started, a survey has found.
A Scottish dietitian and a Slimming World consultant talk us through lockdown eating habits and and what we can do to keep our weight healthy.
As lockdown rules are relaxed and summer approaches, we take a look at the popularity and history of picnics, followed by some modern-day ideas for socially distanced al-fresco eating.
A dietitian on the Eat Well Age Well project tells us why malnutrition is a worry during lockdown, how to recognise the signs and what to do if you're concerned about someone.
The manager of a virtual marketplace for local farmers and an independent bakery owner tell us why online shopping is the future for artisan food producers.
Is your favourite fast-food chain open? We look at the brands beginning to operate again in Scotland
From Nando's to Greggs, McDonald's KFC and Wagamama, Nadia Vidinova takes a look at the chains beginning to open their doors as lockdown restrictions ease.
Gousto's copycat recipe shows you how to whip up this three-cheese Italian favourite with cupboard ingredients.
The fluffy, pillow-like Japanese milk loaf, Shokupan, is one of those iconic world breads and a breakfast staple in its home country.
Between minimal supermarket trips and constant self-catering, our fridges have become dinnertime battlegrounds of leftovers, forgotten ingredients and people opening it, only to shout, “There’s no food!” when you know for a fact it’s overflowing.
Two nutrition experts talk Nadia Vidinova through the science behind the bewildering array of cooking oils on the market and how best to use them.
Scotland's fishing industry receives postive boost as new survey shows an upturn in demand.
Scotland’s leading food sector bodies have welcomed this week’s announcement of the Government furlough scheme extension, which will give struggling businesses “a lifeline”.
Whether you’re confident in the kitchen already or building up your repertoire, you’ve probably had a lot more time on your hands to cook over the last couple of months.
I am constantly impressed with the ingenuity of local businesses to keep serving their communities through the coronavirus crisis.