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Amazon the e-commerce titan and tech giant is looking to setting up a pitstop for its supply chain -warehouses that will float in the sky, and will be carried and held aloft by blimps.
Amazon aims to change the ground-based delivery system to the airspace above where drones would zip quietly overhead, carrying paper towels, toasters and printer cartridges to consumers with efficacy and in time which will lead to substantial cost savings for the $887 billion company.
The “aerial fulfillment centers” as Amazon describes them, would be serviced by a fleet of drones. “An AFC may be positioned at an altitude above a metropolitan area and be designed to maintain an inventory of items that may be purchased by a user and delivered to the user by a UAV that is deployed from the AFC,” the patent document says.The blimps, or “airships,” will stay afloat using gases such as helium, or heated air.
By allowing these AFCs to float Amazon has rid itself of the limitation of stationary fulfillment centers. Providing the AFCs, with mobility, would also drastically lower the energy required to deploy delivery drones to their final destinations. Proximity and energy efficiency are the two primary incentives. These aerial warehouses would will also store an inventory that corresponds with whatever metropolitan city it is hovering above. Additionally, customers will also be able to browse the specific list of items the specific AFC above them has in stock.
Additionally the AFCs will allow the online retailer to have items “delivered within minutes of a user placing an order,” this aerial system would not only improve the purchasing experience for its customers but also decrease operations costs for Amazon.
Stationing a floating warehouse over a city and having drone traffic released from it raises safety concerns that Amazon patents have already identified. The company has patented a system that would make a drone to fragment in case of malfunction, to reduce the falling-object hazard. Amazon has also noted that drones could fly into buildings, or be hijacked by “nefarious individuals.”
Cutting costs wherever possible is a corporate bottom line that Amazon certainly does believe in. Amazon also tirelessly ensures that the company stays ahead of in terms of innovative interaction with the end-user. The idea of placing Amazon’s own warehouses in the sky directly above its customers’ heads, while satisfying them with an exciting shopping experience, seems like a smart, albeit bold move.
The United States is still seemingly in early stages of establishing secure, thorough nationwide drone regulations to manage fleets of commercial drone traffic overhead. A combination of the right kind of regulation, governmental legislation, and corporate luck, Amazon could have warehouses stationed above major American cities in the near future, ready to deliver toothpaste and DVDs to its customers from the skies above.
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The second generation of Audi’s handsome A5 is expected to arrive in time for the 2018 model year, which puts its showroom arrival sometime in the second half of 2017, although the car may end up being launched earlier that year. These are our first spy shots of a prototype for the car (earlier shots showed a test mule).
The shots show only evolutionary changes for the 2018 A5’s styling, with the most significant changes taking place at the front where the design team has given the car a slightly more aggressive look. A similar look is pegged for the 2017 A4, a prototype for which can be seen testing alongside the new A5 in some of the shots. Both cars ride on a common platform.
That platform is Audi’s latest MLB (modular longitudinal) platform, which will eventually underpin most Audi models from the A4 up. The first vehicle to utilize the platform, nicknamed the MLB Evo, is the 2016 Q7. Other MLB Evo-based models already spotted in the wild include this A5 as well as the aforementioned next-gen A4 and a next-gen A8 flagship.
Previewed in Audi’s Sport quattro concept from 2013, the new platform uses a combination of ultrahigh-strength steel, aluminum and even some composites to help get weight down. We could be seeing a weight-saving of up to 200 pounds in the 2018 A5. The Sport quattro concept also hints at the styling we can expect for the car.
Audi Sport Quattro Concept - 2013 Frankfurt Motor ShowEnlarge Photo
Current trim levels will carry over, with the base 2018 A5 continuing with a 2.0-liter TFSI engine, the S5 with a supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 and the RS 5 dropping its naturally aspirated 4.2-liter V-8 in favor of Audi’s twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter mill. Expect power on this latter variant to reside around the 475-horsepower mark.
Front-wheel drive will remain standard for the 2018 A5 while quattro all-wheel drive will continue to be offered as an option. The standard transmission should be an S tronic dual-clutch unit, possibly with eight forward gears. One of the key benefits of the latest MLB Evo platform is that it’s been designed to be compatible with alternative drivetrains. Look for a plug-in hybrid model, perhaps with a ‘through-the-road’ hybrid all-wheel-drive system (e-quattro in Audi-speak).
Tech goodies will include LED and laser headlights with Matrix beam capability, an advanced infotainment system with Wi-Fi, a head-up display, and semi-autonomous electronic driving aids.
The 2018 Audi A5 should be revealed sometime in 2016, with sales in Europe to commence before that year is out. A U.S. launch will take place the following year. Further down the track, new versions of the A5 Cabriolet and A5 Sportback will be launched, though once again only the former is expected here.

domain: news


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I’m keynoting the workship on Food, Ethics, Politics at 4:00 with a reception to follow. My talk, “”Food, Ethics, Politics: The View from 2022,” will be in the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, Maeder Hall, Room 002. This event is part of the University Center for Human Values (UCHV) Conferences, Workshops & Special Events. To register to attend, click here.
Deli chain bans HFCS
Food Chemical News (December 1) reports that Jason’s Deli, which has more than 200 outlets throughout the U.S., is banning high fructose corn syrup from all its products as well as trying to figure out how to get it out of soft drinks. Apparently, the chain polled customers and 65% (of nearly 3,000) said they wanted it gone. A spokesman for the chain said they consider pure cane syrup and sugar to be “more real and…not as processed or fooled with as high-fructose corn syrup.” Maybe, but they have the same number of calories and the same effects in the body!


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Lidl Ireland has today announced a multi-million-euro deal with Coolock-based Manning’s Bakery to the value of €10 million.
The move will see the Irish supplier’s artisan baked goods on the retailer’s shelves here in Ireland as well as more than 800 Lidl stores in Europe.
From humble beginnings, the Manning’s family business grew from a small bakery on the steps of Croke Park in the 1950s to developing a long-standing relationship with Lidl.
The Dublin bakery has been supplying the retailer for more than 11 years with customer favourites such as traditional Irish soda bread crafted with Patsy Manning’s homemade recipe – originally developed more than 70 years ago and now available exclusively in Lidl’s 168 stores nationwide today, Lidl said.
Supplying Lidl Ireland since 2010, Manning’s was one of the first suppliers to fill Lidl’s fresh bakery shelves when the feature was first added to stores and the success has allowed the family business to develop an additional new state-of-the-art 5,000sq metre production facility in recent years, it added.
According to Lidl, 35 of the Mannings’ 250 employees are dedicated solely to develop and produce products for Lidl and Manning’s has also invested in purpose-built equipment to produce the retailer’s bestselling baked goods.
Speaking about the new deal, Eamon Manning, chief executive officer, Manning’s Bakery, commented, “Our partnership with Lidl has continuously grown over the past 11 years, and as a family business we are extremely grateful for the many opportunities the team have made possible for us including this substantial new contract to supply Lidl Great Britain and Lidl Northern Ireland."
The bakery now delivers to 13 of Lidl’s regional distribution centres five days a week across Ireland, Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
“Building long-standing relationships with our supplier network is a win-win for our business,” said Gary Murray, head of buying at Lidl Ireland.
“Not only do our customers benefit from high quality, delicious products but we also help our suppliers build efficiencies and economies of scale which means we can also offer the best prices on the market,” he added.
© 2021 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Donna Ahern. Click sign up to subscribe to Checkout.


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Germany's Siemens delivered stronger-than-expected first-quarter results thanks to growth in most of its units and the sale of a subsidiary and set new targets for its divisions.
Siemens, which is being investigated worldwide on corruption allegations, said group operating profit in the quarter ending Dec. 31 was 1.72 billion euros ($2.51 billion), up 16 percent compared with the previous year.
Analysts polled by Reuters had on average expected an operating profit of 1.55 billion euros on sales of 18.76 billion euros.
Siemens said revenue in the first quarter rose 8 percent to 18.40 billion euros and orders increased 9 percent to 24.24 billion euros.
The Munich-based company said net income rose to 6.48 billion euros mostly thanks to a 5.4 billion gain from the sale of VDO, a maker of car electronics, last year.
Siemens Chief Executive Peter Loescher, charged with overhauling Siemens, has slimmed down the unwieldy company, molding it into three major sectors aligned with global growth trends: energy, industry and healthcare.
By October 2010, the operating margin for energy operations is expected to rise to a range of 11-15 percent from previously 9-13 percent. The Industry sector is seen at a range of 9-13 percent from 9-11 percent before.
Siemens had announced its target operating margin range for healthcare operations of 14-17 percent in November.
Loescher reiterated sales this fiscal year should increase at twice the rate of global GDP growth while operating profit should grow at least twice as fast as the top line.
The trains-to-lightbulbs conglomerate also said its planned buyback program will begin on Monday.
Siemens plans to repurchase some 2 billion euros worth of shares up to the end of April 2008.
Siemens stock has lost around 20 percent in value in the past six months to a current share price of 84.69 euros. Its shares were up 2.5 percent at the market close.
Siemens trades at around 13 times estimated 2008 earnings compared with rival General Electric (GE is CNBC's parent company) at around 14 times, according to Reuters Estimates.


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Minneapolis-based retailer Target told investors on Wednesday that the company will not be taking sides on the anti–gay marriage amendment slated for the 2012 ballot. The shareholders meeting in Pittsburgh, the first held since a nationwide boycott targeted the stores last fall over its corporate contributions to Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer, drew protesters critical of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision and members of the LGBT community. Target’s announcement comes as Twin Cities LGBT Pride festivities get under way — an event for which Target is a major sponsor.
The Minnesota Legislature passed an amendment last month that would let voters decide whether to codify a ban on same-sex marriage in the Minnesota Constitution. State voters will decide that issue in 2012, though same-sex marriage is currently illegal in Minnesota.
“Our position at this particular time is that we are going to be neutral on that particular issue, as we would be on other social issues that have polarizing points of view,” CEO Gregg Steinhafel told shareholders. “We’re a retail store, we welcome everybody,” he added. “We have a broad team-member base, every shape and size and color. And so we are a very inclusive organization… We’re going to continue to monitor, we’re going to continue to assess, and see how that develops.”
Target took heat last fall when campaign finance reports showed Target giving $150,000 to MN Forward, an independent expenditure committee that produced ads in support of Emmer who has been a staunch opponent of rights for LGBT Minnesotans. The revelation sparked a nationwide boycott.
And at Wednesdays’ shareholders meeting the issue came up again and again. Nearly a dozen shareholders grilled Steinhafel on Target’s political giving, according to the Pioneer Press.
Target made some changes to its corporate political expenditures in February but, as the Minnesota Independent reported at the time, it was not enough to dissuade those critical of Target’s donation to Emmer.
Thomas Waters, advocacy chair of the Delta Foundation, an LGBT group in Pennsylvania, also attended the protest and noted that it’s incorrect to label Target as homophobic.
“One problem with that boycott effort was that Target got painted as being ‘homophobic.’ This isn’t really accurate,” he said. “Target, the corporation, has had business values of respecting everyone and being pro-gay in the sense of being welcoming and supporting of the LGBT community. That was still true, even while, as a corporation, they were giving vast sums of money, which was knowingly going to anti-gay politicians.”
He said that corporate giving to politicians that oppose rights for LGBT people was not in line with Target’s typical policies on inclusion.
“They acted in a way that was not aligned with their corporate values. That doesn’t make them homophobes, but it does call into question their value system,” he said. “Is their support for the LGBT community real? More likely, it is real, but there is a problem in the way the corporation acts and makes decisions regarding how they will use profits.”
Target has in the past been a major sponsor of Twin Cities LGBT Pride, where Target temporary tattoos and tchotchkes are ubiquitous. And the retailer will again be one of the prime sponsors of the monthlong series of events.
But on a larger scale, protesters at Wednesday’s shareholder meeting are concerned about unbridled corporate spending in political campaigns.
Mike Dean, executive director of Common Cause Minnesota, a group that works for more transparency in politics, attended the demonstration at the shareholders meeting in Pittsburgh.
“Target should stick to business and stop meddling in our democracy,” he said. “Target Corporation has failed to learn from the controversy last year by continuing to make corporate political donations.”


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Turning to the machines: New algorithm uses ML to identify cyber-bullies on Twitter
The algorithms 'learn' how to tell the difference between bullies and typical users by weighing certain features.
BSB singer Nick Carter says brother Aaron has 'intentions of killing' his pregnant wife Lauren Kitt, files restraining order
Aaron denied the...
Prime Minister Modi turns 69 today, will spend most of his day in Gujarat
PM Modi has a packed schedule and will spend most part of the day i...
Worried machines will take your job one day? Vala Afshar tweets some food for thought
The automation threat to jobs is not a new one.
Anand Mahindra tweets Pixel praise, says Google device's camera is sharper than iPhone X
The top boss also said that he has been told that Samsung camera is even better.
Birthday greetings make me feel 74 years young, says Chidambaram
Chidambaram is in judicial custody in connection with alleged corruption in clearances given to INX Media when he was Finance Minister.
Doordarshan turns 60: Amul celebrates anniversary with a colourful 'Surabhi' post
The cultural show telecast between 1990 and 2001 and presented by Siddharth Kak and Renuka Shahane.
Xiaomi alleges attempt to hurt product sale by fake Twitter accounts
‘Handlers’ of these bot/fake accounts tried to make Redmi K20 look like a bad purchase for consumers, Xiaomi said
Donald Trump has caused a tweet effect
When a tiny post from the US President results in a large disruption in the market.
Govt to take Hindi to new heights by 2024 polls: Shah
Hindi Diwas is celebrated every year on September 14, marking the significance of the day when the country's Constituent Assembly adopted Hindi as the official language of India.
Facebook global executive meets IT minister, discusses cross-border data flows
Terming India as a "huge market" for Facebook and its group companies, Nick Clegg said the US tech giant is "keen to make progress" on rolling out its payments services on WhatsApp.
PM Modi crosses 50 mn followers on Twitter; behind Trump by 14 mn
Former US President Barack Obama has 108 million followers on the platform.
ISRO says Chandrayaan's Vikram lander located; Twitter brims with pride, hope
From Twitter to Facebook, netizens expressed a range of sentiments - pride, curiosity, hope and patriotism and many shared pictures of the lander or the Indian tricolour.
Sushant Singh Rajput-starrer 'Chhichhore' going strong at BO, rakes in Rs 74 cr during 2nd week
At Box Office, the Nitesh Tiwari directorial performed well during its first week.
Copyright © 2019 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service


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18 September 2014
SIP of Germany has announced that "unfortunately – and for the first time in our history – we have to recall one of our products".
The recall concerns a series of SIP shock absorbers for certain Vespa models, sold since June 30, 2013.
12 August 2014
This year’s show, to be held as usual at The Spa, takes place on Saturday, October 25, 2014 and entries are invited now as they are once again to be limited to 100 scooters so that the rest of us can have the space to walk around them all and appreciate your pride and joy fully.
- The late Margaret Farquhar
- Free 32-page supplement with this month's Scootering
- Warning - Unsafe Jiekai crash helmets sold in UK
- Unibus at the Jet Age Museum
- National Ride to Work Week
- Brazil World Cup - Scooters For Goalposts
- A great send-off for Tony Class
- Tony Class - RIP
- Racing legend Surtees reunited with the only F1 winning Ferrari that wasn't red
- New Vespa GTS ABS/ASR arriving soon
CLOSING DATE: Wednesday, 31st December 2014
We have teamed up with Teng Tools to offer our readers the chance to win this whopping tool kit worth over £3500! This 569 piece tool kit is built up using the Teng Tools TC tray system and the SV tool boxes with a six drawer top box, three drawer middle box and seven drawer roller cabinet.
29 August 2014
As the scooter boom of the 1950s carried on unabated into the 60s, many shops began to adapt standard scooters into their own ‘dealer special’ models. Arguably the most famous of all came from Watford based Arthur Francis who brought us the S-Type Lambretta; 50 years on it still inspires Lambretta owners to build scooters like this one.
Other Feature Articles
29 August 2014
We’ve all tried to explain the goings-on of an average scooter rally
to non-scooterist types, but it’s quite often stranger than fiction and many stories are probably met with disbelief. Here’s just an ordinary weekend in Weston-super-Mare...
Other Rally Reviews
Current Issue: Sep 2014
Including Scooter Trader
♦ Action cameras on test
♦ What makes Mad Dog's PX go so well?
♦ Mike Webster interview
♦ Armandos extra special replica
♦ 5-speed Lambretta AF S-Type replica
♦ Scooter rallies ♦ Scooter racing ♦ Scooter news
♦ Scooter products ♦ Scooter interviews
• Next issue on sale: September 25, 2014


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NEW YORK — Apple Inc. broke antitrust laws and conspired with publishers to raise prices of electronic books significantly in spring, 2010, a federal judge ruled Wednesday, citing “compelling evidence” from the words of the late Steve Jobs.
U.S. District Judge Denise Cote said Apple knew no publisher could risk acting alone to try to eliminate Amazon.com’s $9.99 price for the most popular ebooks so it “created a mechanism and environment that enabled them to act together in a matter of weeks to eliminate all retail price competition for their ebooks.”
“Apple seized the moment and brilliantly played its hand,” Judge Cote said. She wrote that Apple’s deals with publishers caused some ebook prices to rise 50 percent or more virtually overnight. She said the evidence was “overwhelming that Apple knew of the unlawful aims of the conspiracy and joined the conspiracy with the specific intent to help it succeed.”
Judge Cote did not determine damages. She said a damages trial would follow, though none was immediately scheduled.
Her decision was not surprising, because she had urged Apple to settle before trial and said the company had only a slim chance of winning. She identified five trial witnesses as “noteworthy for their lack of credibility,” including Eddy Cue, a top Apple executive described as Mr. Jobs’ right-hand man.
Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr said the Cupertino, Calif.-based company will appeal. “Apple did not conspire to fix ebook pricing and we will continue to fight against these false accusations,” he said.
Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer called the ruling “a victory for millions of consumers who choose to read books electronically.”
Amazon declined to comment.
The government claimed Apple and the publishers agreed to a pricing policy that forced millions of consumers to pay several dollars more for most online books. In her ruling, Judge Cote said, “Compelling evidence of Apple’s participation in the conspiracy came from the words uttered by Steve Jobs, Apple’s founder, CEO, and visionary.”
She quoted Mr. Jobs, who died in 2011, as saying he understood publishers’ concerns that Amazon’s $9.99 price for new releases was eroding the perceived value of their products and that Apple was willing to try pricing ebooks at $12.99 and $14.99. She noted that on the day Apple’s online bookstore launched, Mr. Jobs told a reporter Amazon’s $9.99 price for a particular book would be irrelevant because soon all prices will “be the same.”
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Chris Paine gets his ‘Revenge’
When Chris Paine pulls his Chevrolet Volt into a Culver City parking lot and plugs it into the solar-powered public charging station, two other electric vehicles are already there: a low-slung Tesla Roadster and a hatchback Nissan Leaf. Just five years ago, the director of “Who Killed the Electric Car?” wouldn’t have believed such a scene would even be possible.
After Paine released his 2006 documentary about the demise of General Motors’ groundbreaking plug-in vehicle, the EV1, his take-away was “a sense of loss.”
“There was no way to buy an electric car,” added Paine, an EV1 lessee whose car was reclaimed and crushed when GM abandoned the endeavor.
It’s the rare documentary filmmaker who gets to make a sequel with a happy ending. Rarer still is the documentarian invited into the very corporations he once vilified to witness the development of some of the most groundbreaking and tightly guarded vehicles ever produced. But Paine has done just that with “Revenge of the Electric Car,” which arrives in theaters Friday.
A few months after his first EV documentary was released, Paine received an email from General Motors executive Bob Lutz; the communication culminated with an invitation to track the development of the EV1’s successor, which at the time was called the MaliVolt.
“Lutz had to convince his team that we weren’t going to Michael Moore them,” Paine said. “GM has not had a good track record with documentaries, with ‘Roger and Me’ and then our film.”
Paine had already received the green light to do a documentary about Tesla Motors from its chief executive, Elon Musk, but he expanded the film’s concept in light of GM’s offer. Nissan agreed to participate after learning that GM and Tesla were on board — and after sending two emissaries from its corporate headquarters in Japan to Paine’s Culver City home for an extensive discussion about the project.
“It was a big risk for [all three companies] to let a documentary crew in when we weren’t exactly flattering of American corporations in our first film,” said Paine, who assured each automaker that he wouldn’t release any footage until 2011, after each company’s electric cars were on the market.
And it was also a big risk for Paine, who won wide praise from environmentalists and electric vehicle enthusiasts for the first film. The tone at the beginning of his sequel is wisely skeptical.
Early in “Revenge,” narrator Tim Robbins introduces GM’s Lutz as “Mr. Horsepower.” He refers to the film crew’s entry into the company’s Detroit headquarters as “going behind enemy lines.”
Paine and his producer, Jessie Deeter, and cowriter, P.G. Morgan, “didn’t want to be a part of GM’s green washing process, so we had to take care,” said Paine, noting that GM had advertised against his first film. Paine said GM purchased Google search words associated with “Who Killed the Electric Car?” and ran ads in Variety encouraging readers to get the whole story on the electric car.
As for General Motors’ participation in the new film, “We had to answer the question: If not the EV1, then what?” said Dave Barthmuss, a GM spokesman who was featured prominently, and negatively, in the first film and who appears in the follow-up saying, “I’m not Darth Vader.”
“We had to answer that question in a very credible, open and honest way, and the best way to do that was to bring Chris under our tent, behind the scenes,” Barthmuss said. “In our opinion, the electric car was never killed. Its life was put on pause until we were able to put out a vehicle we believed would appeal to a mass audience. Everyone seemed to have this opinion we had this secret technology we were unwilling to put in our products because all we wanted to do was make Hummers.”
General Motors was the first major automaker to mass-produce an electric vehicle. From 1996 to 1999, it leased 800 EV1s to customers in select markets in California, Arizona and Georgia for $349 to $574 monthly. The second-generation EV1 was capable of traveling as far as 140 miles per charge. In 2002, after losing more than $1 billion on the cars, General Motors pulled the plug on the program. Many of the EV1s were crushed. Some were donated to universities and museums with the stipulation that the cars’ drivetrains be deactivated.
GM’s participation in the sequel was “about trying to humanize the company and recapture the hearts and minds of the folks in the EV community that we disappointed with the way we handled the decision to end the production and marketing of the EV1,” Barthmuss said.
When “Revenge” premieres in L.A. this week, one private after-party will be held at a Tesla showroom. Representatives of all the automakers featured in the film will attend and bring their cars — an effort Paine likened to negotiating the Treaty of Versailles.
Nissan, also featured heavily in the new doc, has purchased select screenings in L.A., San Francisco and Nashville and will be giving free tickets in markets where the Leaf is sold.
“We love the movie,” said Nissan North America spokesman Tim Gallagher. “It is a film that can drive broader appreciation of this emerging trend in transportation. One of the key challenges of EVs is expanding the reach of understanding.”
Paine said “Revenge” cost $1.2 million to make — about the same as “Who Killed the Electric Car?” The cameras started rolling in October 2007 and didn’t stop until the GM, Nissan and Tesla EVs had come to market. During that time, Paine and his crew captured the ups and downs of electric vehicles’ development amid the Great Recession — when GM went bankrupt and its executives made the blunder of flying to Washington, D.C., in private jets to seek federal bailout money; when Tesla Motors almost missed payroll having built only 100 cars and spent $100 million; and when Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn was grilled by the press about the $6-billion gamble he was taking on the Leaf.
Paine, 50, grew up in the San Francisco Bay area, where his mom helped start an environmental education program for kids and his dad cofounded the Peninsula Open Space Trust to buy land from developers and keep it in a natural state. He is best known for his electric car documentaries, but he has a long history in film.
In the mid-'80s, he studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York. He also studied film at New York University and Stanford. After moving to L.A. in 1989, he worked on big-budget films, including “The Player,” and on a documentary series for MTV Europe. He was inspired to write and direct “Who Killed the Electric Car” by his own experience as an EV1 lessee in the late ‘90s.
Paine is working on a comedic documentary about the apocalypse, inspired by Kurt Vonnegut.
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365telugu.com,online news,Hyderabad 20th July 2020 – The much awaited Bigg Boss Season 4 is almost here. The logo was launched today and has captured the fan’s attention immediately. The impressive eye this time depicts the lens that shall be ever captive and bring to fore everything that happens in the house. The eye reflects how curious we are. The vibrant logo also hints at an extremely dynamic and pulsating season of Bigg Boss. The fourth season of BiggBoss Telugu promises to live upto its brand of bringing in loads of fun, excitement and an all-in-one package of emotions for every member of the household. #BiggBossTelugu4 is all about entertainment, wittiness and more than what meets the eye.
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Only a few weeks remain until NBA 2K14 officially hits the streets. Hopefully you’re ready after hearing about all of the new gameplay features, as well as getting a look at the dozens of new sneakers available in the game. Today, the folks at 2K Sports unveiled a brand new Developer Diary to showcase the mode “MyTEAM.”
This mode is all about building a team with the players you want, and this year you’ll be able to go online and take on other players or battle against the AI. The tournaments look like they’ll be pretty fun to play, and some will play out depending on what’s going on in the NBA season. You can also name your team now, and can customize the city and the logo. Watch the video below for more.
What do you think?
Follow Sean on Twitter at @SEANesweeney.
Follow Dime on Twitter at @DimeMag.
Become a fan of Dime Magazine on Facebook HERE.


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EV sales set to surge as batteries get better
Newer EV batteries are not only energy efficient but also high performing and will not only reduce the time it takes to fully charge a vehicle, but also allow it to travel further distances compared to the batteries currently on the market.
The EV battery market is growing quickly, with everyone from traditional tech companies to vacuum cleaner manufacturers and watchmakers hoping to come up with a the battery that charges the quickest.
Most recently, Japan’s Toshiba announced earlier this month that it has succeeded in developing a next-generation battery that can be fully charged in just six minutes.
With the fully charged Toshiba battery, a vehicle will be able to travel a distance of 320 kilometers (199 miles), which is the same as Tesla’s Model 3. The current batteries, however, take more than an hour to charge.
The key to the Japanese company’s success in significantly cutting back the recharging time while increasing capacity is the use of titanium niobium oxide in its anode material.
The company is planning to further develop the battery so that its range reaches 400 kilometers before commercializing it in 2019.
Even Israeli company StoreDot, which turned heads when it introduced a charger that could recharge a smartphone in 30 seconds, is working on developing an EV battery.
The business is the recipient of $60 million of investment from companies including Germany’s Daimler AG as well as Samsung Ventures, Norma Investments and Lucion Venture Capital as well as several Israeli and Chinese financial firms.
The Tel-Aviv based company is working on a battery made of organic compounds and nanomaterial that will result in a battery that can be fully charged in just five minutes and could travel 480 kilometers.
Honda and Nissan are developing a battery that can charge in just 15 minutes and travel 240 kilometers.
Dyson and watchmaker Swatch are also jumping in to the battery game. Dyson is working on a solid-state battery, which it is hoping to commercialize by 2020. Swatch is planning to introduce a battery that takes half the time to charge.
“It is likely that the year 2018 will be the point in time when we see a significant surge in the EV market thanks to innovative developments in battery technologies and the expansion of infrastructure,” said Kim Pil-su, automotive engineering professor at Daelim University.
While global competition is heating up, Korean companies seem to be falling a step behind when it comes to the ultra-fast recharging race as they are more focused on increasing capacity.
LG Chem, Samsung SDI and SK Innovation are currently competing to develop batteries with a range of 700 kilometers by 2020. The only Korean company that is showing an interest in ultra-fast charging is Hyundai Motor.
“If Korean companies fail to convert into battery recharging technologies, they could face a devastating crisis,” said Han Jang-hyun, a professor of automobiles at Daeduk College.
BY KIM YOO-KYOUNG [email@example.com]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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BOSTON -- The enterprise is rapidly changing and companies need a digital transformation strategy to stay in the game.
That's what IDC senior vice president and chief research officer, Meredith Whalen, told audience members attending IDC Directions 2019, a technology conference aimed at IT suppliers.
Organizations are going to need a digital transformation strategy to keep pace with the changes, Whalen said, particularly with the growing presence of "unicorns" around the world, which she described as privately held companies valued at $1 billion or higher. Traditional organizations are particularly vulnerable to newer, more innovative competitors that don't have the burden of maintaining legacy systems.
"There are thousands of these disrupters across dozens of industries, and [traditional organizations] need to go through digital transformation before it's too late," Whalen said.
Digital transformation gets real
However, the reinvention of traditional organizations has started and a digital transformation strategy that integrates new technologies to create new business models is developing.
To illustrate this, Whalen said that by the end of this year, 30% of Global 2000 manufacturers will enter the product-as-a-service business; by 2021, 55% of utilities will derive at least 20% of gross revenue from distributed generation and storage packages; by 2023, 50% of cities will use crowdsourcing for establishing budgets and neighborhood decision-making; and by 2024, 25% of airlines will use blockchain for identity and payments.
"These industries will reshape and redefine themselves and then they configure with other industries to create new digital economies," Whalen explained.
For example, auto manufacturers need to develop a digital transformation strategy not just around monetizing automobiles, but monetizing the passenger experience as well. She said this is only possible when auto manufacturers work with different industries, such as advertising, the entertainment industry, and transportation services, thereby creating a new economy.
Digitally determined vs. digitally distraught
However, as the new digitally transformed economy takes shape, Whalen predicted there would be a divide between the digital haves and have-nots. IDC estimated that 46% of organizations worldwide are "digitally determined," and have the right digital transformation strategy and processes for their organization.
Digitally determined organizations are rebooting their culture and recognizing that they have to change the way they work and how they're organized, Whalen said.
"They organize themselves around one single digital strategy, which means that they have one digital roadmap and tend to have or are moving to one technology footprint," she said. "They are also making the case to investors that digital has inherent value, so this is something that they should invest in long term."
The other 54% of organizations are "digitally distraught," which means they are in danger of being left behind in the digital economy. These organizations may want to undergo a digital transformation, and may even attempt to do so, Whalen said, but they haven't changed their culture yet and each functional area or line of business tends to have its own approach.
"It's really hard to make this transformation if everybody's moving in their own direction ... and there's a technology footprint for every one of the digital strategies as well," she said. "So you don't get the ability to scale so effectively."
Digitally distraught organizations often struggle to demonstrate that digital transformation is good for the company on the whole because they're working at a project level so they only demonstrate ROI project by project rather than see a cumulative effect.
Digital transformation strategy may pay off
The question most companies have is whether a digital transformation will actually pay off, as the investment is considerable. One IDC study provides evidence that digital transformation is doing just that for manufacturers, according to Whalen.
The report looked at the financials of digital manufacturers and nondigital manufacturers over a four-year period and found that revenue for digital manufacturers grew by 1.2% and profits grew by 2.3%. For nondigital manufacturers, revenue shrunk by 3.1% and profits shrunk by 2.1%.
Still, transforming the way a company operates at every level is not for the faint of heart. "Digital transformation is a business transformation and companies need to break it down and think about transforming culture, transforming the way you engage with customers, transforming the way you manage data and turn it into intelligence, transforming your operating model, and transforming the way you work with employees and the way work gets done," Whalen said.


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Shoppers have been put on alert over fears that batteries may be found inside chocolate bunnies.
The Co-op is recalling its Hollow Milk Chocolate Bunny because of an alleged product tampering where the treat was found to contain a small battery of the type used in watches.
The Food Standards Agency said: “The presence of a small battery makes this product unsafe to eat and presents a risk to health.
“The product may contain a small battery which may be a choking hazard and can cause burns if swallowed.”
The bunnies come in packs of 120g. All batch numbers are affected.
The Co-op said no other product was affected by the scare.
A spokesman for the Food Standards Agency said: “If you have bought the product do not eat it.
“Instead, return it to a Co-op store for a full refund, or contact their Customer Relation Team on 0800 0686 727.
“Point of sale notices will be displayed in all retail stores that are selling the product.
“These notices explain to customers why the product is being recalled and tell them what to do if they have bought it.”
Around 3,000 have already been sold.
A police investigation has started by the The National Crime Agency.
The chocolates are understood to be manufactured in Germany, but the alleged tampering may have taken place in this country after they were imported.
Watch batteries of any sort pose a substantial risk to adults and children if consumed and could cause serious internal burns, causing permanent injury or death.
The product was in sale across all of the 2,800 Co-op stores. Among the latest new shops opened by the Co-op was one in Whitley Bay.
A spokesman for the Co-op said: “The health and safety of our customers is uppermost in our minds.
“We are concerned about one incident of alleged product tampering involving our hollow milk chocolate Easter bunny foil figure, which has been found to contain a small battery inside.
“This follows an incident at Christmas when two similar products were targeted and contaminated.”
The previous incident involved chocolate santas.


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Sky business news provides up to the minute reports on markets, share prices and the world economy, alongside expert business commentary.
What's not to like? Investors pile in as the social network boasting 1.32 billion users posts a surge in its key numbers.
The wild weather last Christmas left a million homes without power and the firms responsible for reconnecting them red-faced.
The ban, hailed as a "great victory" by Hamas, was imposed after one of its rockets landed a mile from the airport.
Major banks are considering outlining new risks associated with a Scottish Yes vote at their half-year results, Sky News learns.
The company is one of a number of technology giants who are looking towards the sector to help meet soaring energy demands.
The European Commission orders the airline to hand back cash from foreign airport contracts on grounds they are unfair.
The boss of UKTI agency tells Sky News Britain's exports regime is "transparent" despite a row over arms sales to Russia.
The auto maker recalls 718,000 vehicles, bringing the company's recall total to a record 29.7 million cars and trucks this year.
British firms continue to sell missile parts and rifles to Russia despite concerns they could be used in the Ukraine conflict.
PayPal's small business users will be able to apply for a cash advance that is paid back through their daily sales.


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India’s top economic adviser said a V-shaped recovery for the economy is possible this year, provided a vaccine is found to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The recovery will happen after that uncertainty from the health side is taken care of,” Krishnamurthy Subramanian, the chief economic adviser to the finance minister, said in an interview with Haslinda Amin at the Bloomberg Invest Global virtual conference. “If it so happens that in the latter half of the year we have the vaccine, then one can anticipate V-shape recovery starting in the second half.”
In the absence of a vaccine, the economic recovery will have to wait until next year, although that too is likely to be V-shaped given the experience after the Spanish flu of 1918, he said.
India’s manufacturing and services activity took a heavy knock in the quarter started April owing to a nationwide lockdown to stem the coronavirus pandemic. That’s put Asia’s third-largest economy on course for its first annual contraction in more than four decades this year, with some economists seeing a return to 8%-plus growth rates taking as long as a decade.
But Subramanian is confident that support measures unveiled by the government, in addition to a low-base effect, will help lift economic growth next year.
What Bloomberg’s Economists Say
“The extended lockdown, cratering production, still-rising Covid-19 cases, inadequate fiscal policy support and limited space for further conventional monetary easing mean the recession will be more pronounced than anticipated and a V-shaped recovery out of reach.”
-- Abhishek Gupta, India economist
India’s government unveiled a 21 trillion-rupee ($276 billion) package to support the economy, including easing access to credit for small businesses and offering cheap loans to workers and farmers.
“Because of the measures we have taken on productivity, we do anticipate growth to be back actually to the high level of 7% and 8% for sure,” Subramanian said.
- Front Page
- Pure Politics
- Brands & Companies
- Big Apple Harvest: India to be Major iPhone Maker
India is set to emerge as a major hub for iPhone manufacturing as US smartphone giant Apple looks to diversify production units outside China.India may Export Handsets Worth $9 billion in FY23
India is likely to export mobile phones worth about $9 billion in FY23, up from $5.8 billion in the year before, as manufacturers step up production and outward shipments.Russia Biggest Oil Supplier to India for 2nd Month Running
Russia remained the top oil supplier to India in November, the second month in a row, ahead of Iraq and Saudi Arabia, according to energy cargo tracker Vortexa.
Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
ETPrime stories of the day
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Indiana lawmakers to consider Sunday alcohol sales
INDIANAPOLIS -- For the first time, Indiana lawmakers voted Wednesday to consider a bill that would allow Sunday carryout alcohol sales in Indiana.
But House committee members' decision earlier in the day to amend the bill to include restrictions on grocery stores, pharmacies and convenience stores could undermine support for the measure.
The House Public Policy Committee formally adopted the amendment which would force new restrictions on alcohol sales by retailers other than package liquor stores. The committee later voted 10-2 in favor of the amended bill, which moves it on to the full House for a vote.
Those restrictions would ban self checkout of alcohol products and require clerks to be 21. It also would require beer to be sold in a designated area, and liquor to be sold from behind a counter.
"Prohibition is over," said Chairman Tom Dermody, R-LaPorte, who said the amended measure is about convenience for consumers, not about helping package liquor stores or big box retailers.
Dermody said the change is needed because the the state is being viewed as "behind the times" and the ban on Sunday carryout sales is hurting employment recruiting efforts.
Lawmakers also were concerned about the placement of alcohol displays throughout grocery stores, he said, citing beer displays next to back-to-school promotions, for instance. That is one reason why the amendment says beer and wine must be sold in a separate aisle or room, away from other products.
Grant Monahan, president of the Indiana Retail Council, said the visibility of alcohol in stores won't increase minors' access to it. Children are already surrounded by alcohol at places like Colts games and Chuck E Cheese's, he said.
Monahan expressed reservations about the proposed change to the bill, calling the amendment "no compromise," "a liquor store wish list" and "anti-consumer."
He also said the new restrictions, if passed by the legislature, would cost $100 million in store remodelings.
Attempts to legalize Sunday carryout sales in recent years have been strongly opposed by the state's powerful liquor store lobby, which fears the measure could increase costs without generating any additional revenue.
Big Red spokesman Matt Bell said the package-store chain now supports the Sunday alcohol sales bill, with the new restrictions proposed for grocery stores and other retailers.
Bell admitted that Sunday alcohol sales had long been opposed by his company, saying it could cost them $420,000, or about $8,000 per store. It also could force some stores out of business.
But he said the public policy gains make the change worth it.


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- Pixel 3
Welcome to CHEAP, our series about things that are good, but most of all, cheap. CHEAP!
There has been plenty of chatter around Google’s upcoming Pixel 4 phone. In June, the company teased its design and confirmed it’ll have a dual-camera setup. A recent leak also suggested the device will feature an astrophotography mode. There’s no official announcement on the launch date yet, but you certainly expect Google to launch it next month.
However, that means you’ll find a ton of deals on last year’s Pixel 3. The 64 version of the phone is currently selling on Amazon for just $489, down from $799. That’s an amazing deal for a phone with such a great camera. Plus, its spec sheet shows it’s built to last.
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
- Screen: 5.5-inch full HD display
- RAM: 4GB
- Rear camera: 12-megapixel
- Front camera: Dual 8-megapixel cameras (wide-angle and standard)
- Battery: 2,915mAh
- Software: Android 9.0 Pie
Since you’ll be buying a Google-made phone, you can expect it to receive software updates for at least three years.
This post includes affiliate links to products that you can buy online. If you purchase them through our links, we get a small cut of the revenue.
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Mediterranean diet plus olive oil may reduce breast cancer risk
Over time, eating a Mediterranean-style diet that emphasizes fish, vegetables and particularly olive oil, may lower women's risk of breast cancer compared to following a low-fat diet, suggests a new study from Spain.In the five-year trial that randomly assigned women to different kinds of diets, those instructed to eat a Mediterranean-style diet with four tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil per day had about half as many breast cancer diagnoses as those on a low-fat diet."With an overall healthy diet plus extra virgin olive oil there is a reduction in the hard endpoint of breast cancer," said senior author Dr. Miguel A. Martinez-Gonzalez of the University of Navarra in Pamplona and CIBEROBN in Madrid."We have now evidence to support that olive oil is causally related to reduction in risk of breast cancer," he said.The fact that the findings are based on a randomized trial, the gold-standard of research, "immediately impressed" the journal editors, writes Dr. Mitchell H. Katz, deputy editor of JAMA Internal Medicine, in an editor's note accompanying the study.
Israeli mother and daughter arrested in Jaffa stabbing


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‘Use by’ or ‘best before’? Nestlé signs food waste pact to tackle label confusion on-pack
10 February 2020
The UK’s Food and Drink Federation has repeated its pleas that it wants to keep trading ties closely aligned with the EU’s after British prime minister Boris Johnson dismissed fears about food standards as ‘mumbo jumbo’ and implied that GM food imports from the US would be allowed.
Read the full article here


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It was arguably one of London’s most beautiful stores: a lofty urban paradise that centred around an open courtyard topped by a vaulted glass atrium.
Entries are now open for the Drapers Digital Awards, part of the Digital Festival 2020. We have 15 categories up for grabs, so make sure you enter your business now!
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Guide London has taken an independent approach to business to withstand the troubles of a shrinking high street.
Entries are now open for the Drapers Footwear Awards 2020. We have 18 exciting categories up for grabs, so make sure you enter your business now!
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Sainsbury’s Anna Clarke prefers face-to-face conversations, and believes in making sure you are remembered.
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Ahead of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Drapers explores how international retailers can enter this dynamic market.
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Acne Studios AW13
More from Paris
18 July 2013Jill Geoghegan
Premium brand Acne is set to continue its global expansion following the opening of a 2,289 sq ft store in Kensington, west London on July 18, its second in the UK.
14 January 2020Emily Sutherland
Farfetch-owned platform New Guards Group, which operates Off-White and Palm Angels, has bought Opening Ceremony.
5 November 2019Harriet Brown
Luxury British accessories label Mulberry and cult Scandi brand Acne Studios have launched a collaboration of bags and leather accessories.
9 October 2019Harriet Brown, Isabella Fish
A new experiential retail store called Dairal has opened in Barcelona, offering designer fashion, art and lifestyle products.
27 November 2019Kirsty McGregor
Menswear showroom concept Just Around the Corner is expanding into a second venue in London for its next edition in January, Drapers can reveal.
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Your Chance to Be a Part of Danny Brody’s Cannabis Inner Circle
In May, one of the most established recreational markets in the United States, Colorado, announced sales hit an all-time high of $192 million.
Arizona and New Jersey could legalize recreational cannabis in November, and state officials around the country have realized cannabis is medicine, so they are deeming it essential.
With the cannabis industry evolving at such a breakneck speed, it has become more important than ever to have an insider edge to navigate all of the new opportunities that lie ahead.
That’s where Danny Brody comes in.
He’s one of the most well-connected players in cannabis – this guy lives and breathes it.
Danny is the architect behind three IPOs which, at their peak valuations, created $2.5 billion in new wealth. He is also currently the CEO of Elements of Green and TGOD Acquisitions Corp., Partner at RADD Capital, and Chief Corporate Officer at HempFusion.
He’s the perfect person to help navigate a new era of profit opportunities in an industry some expect could be worth $1 trillion.
That’s why we created Danny Brody‘s Cannabis Inner Circle.
When you’re in his Inner Circle, it’s full of jam-packed benefits.
- Real-Time Profit Alerts that tell you exactly how to make trades and when to take profits.
- Insider Field Reports where Danny will pull out his phone and record updates on breaking news when something big happens, no matter where he is during that particular moment. He could be touring a cultivation center or having lunch with key executives. It doesn’t matter. Right then and there, he’s going to shoot a video and send it to you ASAP.
- The Founder’s Roundtable featuring leaders of major cannabis companies. You won’t have to just read quotes from CEOs in press releases anymore. You will hear from them directly.
- The Cannabis Insider Network is a closed-door online group – access is only granted to individuals who have joined the Inner Circle; it’s just you and your fellow insiders. Inside the network, you can ask questions, share ideas, and get to know the other members of this group.
And that’s just a small taste of the benefits and features this service has to offer.


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MOSCOW: Advertising expenditure in Russia slumped in 2015, with only internet spending bucking the general downward trend as the economy slowed, according to new figures.
Data from the Association of Communication Agencies of Russia (AKAR) showed that the advertising market was worth some 307.5bn roubles ($4.1bn) in 2015 – 10% down on the previous year, the Moscow Times reported.
Internet spending rose 15% to 97bn roubles ($1.3bn) but all other media saw double-digit declines.
The print market was hardest hit, plunging 29% to 23.3bn roubles ($315m). Outdoor was down 21% to 32bn roubles ($433m) while radio fell 16% to 14.2bn roubles ($192m).
Television, the single biggest advertising market, emerged from a difficult year with a 14% decline in ad revenues, to 136.7bn roubles ($1.8bn).
Bad as they are, these figures represent an improvement on those in Warc's International Ad Forecast which had posited an overall 13.4% fall in for 2015 before barely returning to positive territory in 2016 at +0.9%.
But these expectations may have to be reviewed in light of the central bank's recent warning that it anticipated "a more sizeable GDP contraction in 2016 than forecast previously". It also suggested that positive growth wouldn't return until 2017 and even then it would be low.
The country's economy has been hit by falling oil prices while the EU and US have also imposed sanctions following events in the Ukraine and Crimea.
GDP contracted 3.7% in 2015, retail sales were down sharply in December (-15.3%) while real wages fell for the 14th month in a row.
But amidst all these negative indicators, Barclays economist Daniel Hewitt discerned light at the end of the tunnel, as he said January data indicated the recession could be "bottoming out" as the rate of decline in measures such as retail sales and unemployment was slowing.
Data sourced from Moscow Times, Financial Times; additional content by Warc staff


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Bengaluru: Freshdesk Inc., one of India’s most well-funded and valuable Software as a Service (SaaS) start-ups, has rebranded itself as Freshworks Inc.
In an interview, founder and CEO Girish Mathrubootham said the company’s core customer support helpdesk product will continue to be called Freshdesk, which will exist under the Freshworks umbrella.
“We realized that the Freshdesk brand was limiting our ability to tell customers what we were all about because Freshdesk was both the product brand and the company brand and most people knew Freshdesk as the customer support product… Now that we have multiple products, we felt that the Freshdesk brand was not doing justice to the other products,” said Mathrubootham.
Freshworks currently offers a number of business software products other than Freshdesk, including Freshservice (an IT services product), Freshsales (a business software solution that is geared towards helping sales professionals) and Freshcaller (a cloud-based call centre).
Mathrubootham said that one of the triggers for the rebranding was an incident at a trade show where a customer mistakenly thought Freshservice was a competing product against Freshdesk.
“There was a Freshservice trade show and somebody thought Freshservice was competing with Freshdesk—they didn’t know it was the same company,” said Mathrubootham.
“We decided nearly a year and a half ago to go through this exercise, but as you know, rebranding is a hard exercise and we were waiting for the Freshsales product to launch. But now we’ve decided that the timing is right and we wanted to do it sooner rather than later,” he added.
Freshworks, which is based in San Bruno, California, and has a large presence in Chennai, raised $50 million from Tiger Global Management in April 2015. In November, the company raised $55 million from investors such as Sequoia Capital and Accel Partners.
Freshworks has raised about $150 million till date, making it one of the most well capitalized product start-ups in India. Google Capital was an early investor in the company.


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The Bachchan Khandaan Gets Together at Shweta's Store Launch Event
Updated: September 02, 2018 19:08 IST
Shweta Bachchan Nanda launched her new fashion line in collaboration with designer Monisha Jaising on Saturday and the inaugural event was attended by the creme de la creme of Bollywood. The launch event was a star studded affair but it was the Bachchans, who took away all the attention for sure.
Amitabh Bachchan posed with his daughter Shweta Bachchan Nanda and grand daughter Navya Naveli Nanda.
Abhishek Bachchan strikes a pose with wife Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. They made an appearance at the event minus little Aradhya.
Katrina Kaif's sister Isabel accompanied her to the store launch event.
Karan Johar is quite a poser, isn't it?
All eyes on Suhana Khan and her mother Gauri Khan. The duo look stunning, don't they?
Isha Ambani accompanied her mom Nita Ambani for Shweta Bachchan Nanda's store launch event.
Maheep Kapoor posed with her daughter Shanaya Kapoor.
The parents-to-be Angad Bedi and Neha Dhupia pose for the paparazzi.
Sussanne Khan poses with Gauri Khan.
Tina Ambani was dressed in a white shirt and denims. She was all smiles as she posed for the paparazzi.
Karisma Kapoor dazzles in an all black attire.
Neetu Kapoor was accompanied by sister-in-law Rima Jain.
Mehr Jesia was dressed in a sleeve less top and high waist white pants.
Kiara Advani looks stylish in the stunning black outfit. Do you agree?
Tara Sutaria chose a white outfit for the occassion.
Neelam Kothari was photographed wearing a high neck black top and denims.


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NEW YORK — You could say that Tony & Tina Vibrational Remedies sees great potential in the skin care category.
The former indie brand has dabbled in the category’s development for the past six years, but now, as part of the Wella empire, its founders have turned their full attention to skin care with the planned launch of Pure Potentiality.
Hermès is launching a Laundromat pop-up shop in NYC - dubbed Hermèsmatic - where customers can bring their old scarves to be dip-dyed by an expert. Get all the details on WWD.com. #wwdnews (📷: @donstahl)


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USDJPY: Stalling ahead of the Japanese GDP
The Japanese yen (JPY) began November on the wrong foot as a result of recent efforts by US and China to begin a trade dialogue, a dovish Bank of Japan, and lack of surprise in midterm elections have taken the sparkle off the safe-haven that is the Japanese currency. The yen could deal with additional selling pressure this week if the gross domestic product (GDP) figures, due Tuesday, demonstrate a negative print. A worse reading would further push back the expected scheduling of the Bank of Japan (BoJ) exit from its massive stimulus program, as well as add to the deteriorating outlook for world growth in 2019.
The Japanese economy advanced 0.7% quarter-on-quarter in the June quarter, compared to the -0.2% contraction registered in the previous period and stronger than analysts’ forecast of 0.5% growth, boosted by an upward revision of business spending and a strong rebound in private consumption.
On the US side, the preliminary Michigan’s consumer sentiment index fell to 98.3 in November, comparing to 98.6 registered in October but slightly above analysts’ consensus of 98. It is the lowest reading in three months, driven by a drop in consumer expectations. Data collected was until Wednesday night so there was only a one-day overlap after the mid-term election. A high reading anticipates positive for the USD, while a low reading is seen as negative.
Since the beginning of the year 2018 until last Friday close, the USDJPY remains positive with a gain of over 1.0% and after the beginning of November, it managed to rally almost 0.8%. Nonetheless, ended the past week with a firmer tone gaining more than 0.5% although, on the daily time-frame, the currency pair closed in the red with a minor loss of 0.23%. Furthermore, the USDJPY is in a bullish phase since late October.
On yesterday session, the currency pair did not have the strength to continue the upward movement and fell with a narrow range, closing in the middle of the daily range, in addition, managed to close within Thursday range, which suggests being clearly neutral, neither side is showing control.
The stochastic is showing an extremely overbought market and is displaying a lack of momentum.
In early October, the currency pair made a new year-to-date high at 114.548 slightly above a daily resistance but found enough selling pressure to kick-start a downward correction that ended with a double bottom near the 111.618. November began on the right foot but since then the currency pair has been in an upward movement that seems to have stalled at a daily resistance zone near 113.957. Fridays’ price action shows signs of profit taking although this can trigger a downward move to a key level at 113.176. However, if it the USDJPY holds above the 113.520 price level we might see another push upward and even a new year-to-date high.
Watch out this Week:
On Tuesday, November 13 at 23:50 GMT (18:50 PM ET) the Cabinet Office is scheduled to release the preliminary Japanese gross domestic product (GDP) quarter-on-quarter for the third quarter which is expected to contract -0.3%. A high reading or a better than expected number is grasped as positive for the JPY, while a low reading is negative.
On Wednesday, November 14 at 13:30 GMT (08:30 PM ET) US Bureau of Labor Statistics, will release the US consumer price index (CPI) year-on-year in October which is expected an increase to 2.5%. The CPI is a key indicator to measure inflation and changes in purchasing trends. A high reading is seen as positive for the USD, while a low reading is seen as negative.
On Thursday, November 15 at 13:30 GMT (08:30 PM ET) the US Census Bureau is scheduled to release the US retail sales month-on-month in October which is expected to rise to 0.5% comparing to the previous 0.1%. A high reading is seen as positive for the USD, while a low reading is perceived as negative.
USD/JPY Daily Candlestick Chart
Written by Hugo O’Neill, External Analyst
*The information provided does not constitute investment research. The material has not been prepared in accordance with the legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such is to be considered to be a marketing communication.
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Touched by a family's misfortune, generous schoolgirl Cheree McGowan donated her toys to replace their stolen presents.
When Cheree, 12, from Walker, read in the Chronicle how Shelly Ashton's home had been burgled and all of her children's Christmas presents stolen, the youngster decided to do something.
She had planned to sell her toys to buy a mobile phone. Cheree said: "When I heard about Shelly I realised I don't need a phone desperately and thought Shelly's children would like my toys instead."
Shelly, 26, who has four children, aged three to nine, was devastated when the burglar stole hundreds of pounds' worth of presents.
Cheree's mum Judith Baker-Smith said: "I think it's so nice of Cheree. We have decided to buy her a phone for Christmas anyway because she's been so kind."
The toys include Bratz dolls, one of the presents stolen. Shelly, of Strathmore Crescent, Benwell, said: "The children are over the moon. We're very grateful."


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Mississippi’s first peanut seed certified
LUCEDALE — Mississippi agriculture will enter new territory when the first certified peanut seed grown in the state becomes available to growers in spring 2010. This industry first was achieved by brothers Mike and Heath Steede on 47 acres of their family-owned farm in Lucedale.
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- REVVING UP — Motorcars of Jackson is preparing to open its first-ever showroom on I-55
- Is cotton looking too good? Farmers facing weaker prices
- Jackson to get C Spire's high-speed internet
- Bryant issues executive order to establish Delta water task force
- New York firm buying majority interest in Tupelo mall, shopping center


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Notebook GTX 1070 gets an upgrade from 1920 to 2048 cores
On Monday, ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte Sager and other industry players partnered with system integrator Xotic PC to announce a new lineup of 60 gaming notebooks built using Nvidia’s Geforce 10-Series Pascal GPU lineup – more specifically, Geforce GTX 1080, GTX 1070 and GTX 1060 GPUs.
While Vega sticks with 14nm
A little birdie told us that Nvidia is giving its Volta the 16nm FinFET treatment. This product uses stacked DRAM too so it looks like the whole thing will be pretty bleeding edge.
10 partners to launch custom boards
Nvidia got back to us with the official pricing for the Geforce GTX 1060 with more details than our earlier article we posted last Friday. The card in the US will cost $249 + tax while EU cards with VAT will range from 279 Euro. The UK price is GBP 239 which is at current exchange identical to Euro pricing. They will launch on July 19th.
Best-selling high card in history sources claim
Many of our colleagues were writing about the shortage of Nvidia Geforce GTX 1080 and 1070 cards and they got things mostly right. Our multiple sources close to AIB partners told us that the 1080 is the bestselling high-end card in the history of GPU.
Priced at US $149.99
Samsung has added a new 500GB model to its budget-oriented 750 EVO SSD lineup, which comes with Samsung's MGX controller and is based on 16nm TLC NAND.
Helping out its contract chip makers
TSMC is thinking about dropping contract prices for its handset-IC clients to help ease the pressure of their declining ASPs and gross margins.
For less than $299
AMD is about to launch two GPUs soon. One is codenmamed Polaris 10 and will replace Radeon 390 cards and the other, the Polaris 11 should replace the Radeon 370 and take on Geforce 950 performance.
Jen-Hsun Huang just announced Pascal P100 a new GPU based on Pascal architecture, and it is in production, shipping "soon."
Coming to customers in Q3 2016
Helio P10 phones will start shipping before the end of Q1 2016 and Mediatek is already working on its P20 – a 16nm improved version of the chip.


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New Delhi: A digital strategy and software engineering firm, Luxoft on Monday announced its partnership with Microsoft to accelerate the delivery of connected vehicle solutions and mobility experiences.
By leveraging the Microsoft Connected Vehicle Platform, Luxoft will enable and accelerate the delivery of vehicle centric solutions and services that will allow automakers to deliver unique features such as advanced vehicle diagnostics, remote access and repair, and preventive maintenance, Swiss-based company said in a statement.
Collecting real usage data will also support vehicle engineering to improve manufacturing quality, the statement added.
“With our proven solutions and services for connected vehicles, automakers and their key partners are able to get the most out of the Microsoft Connected Vehicle Platform,” said Dmitry Loschinin, executive vice president, DXC Technology, and president and CEO, Luxoft. “Our collaboration with Microsoft gives automakers control and flexibility for creating highly differentiated, intelligent and beneficial connected mobility experiences for their customers.”
With the advances in autonomous and shared vehicles driving the mobility revolution, automakers are looking for new ways to integrate consumers’ personalized digital lifestyles into the driving experience.
Connected vehicle solutions need to enable potentially millions of vehicles located throughout the world to deliver familiar and intuitive experiences including infotainment, entertainment, productivity, driver safety and driver assistance.
Luxoft, a DXC Technology Company, is co-creating the technology platforms of tomorrow and engineering them at scale, enabling car manufacturers and their suppliers to design and develop safe and convenient customer experiences for personalized, smart and connected mobility – whether at home, in the car or on the go.
“Luxoft’s unique ability to combine innovation and execution with its global delivery network will allow us to accelerate the deployment of connected vehicle centric solutions and services based on the Microsoft Connected Vehicle Platform and Azure Maps,” said Tara Prakriya, general manager, Azure IoT Mobility, Connected Vehicles and Azure Maps at Microsoft.
German luxury carmaker Mercedes Benz, which has recently launched its second electric offering EQS 580 sedan for India, said that while the electric car is manufactured in Germany, India is the only country to locally assemble the EV outside of the home country. With this, Mercedes will also be the first and only luxury carmaker to assemble an EV in the country, thereby giving it an edge over its rivals in terms of pricing.
According to a complaint filed by Vivek Gupta, the Chief Financial Officer of JBM Group, Sector 44, it was on Friday that he received messages on WhatsApp requesting to transfer certain sums to bank accounts indicated in the messages.


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June 24, 2021 | 22:38
Herbalife has become an official sponsor of the AFF Suzuki Cup 2020, including financial support and sports nutrition products for football players.
May 31, 2021 | 08:00
John Agwunobi, CEO and chairman of Herbalife Nutrition, shared about the company’s efforts to provide the best nutrition products to people in Vietnam.
April 26, 2021 | 13:33
Herbalife Vietnam will sponsor 110 top Vietnamese athletes and 40 para-athletes with its products for the period 2021-2022.
December 13, 2020 | 09:02
The Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry has honoured Herbalife Vietnam as one of the Top 100 Sustainable Companies for 2020.
June 29, 2020 | 14:11
Herbalife Vietnam and the Vietnam Olympic Committee have organised an online training session on nutrition for athletes for trainers and nutrition experts.
June 23, 2020 | 17:22
The strain of our modern hectic lifestyles – involving the pressure of juggling a demanding job, family, and social life – not only stresses our bodies but also leads to us taking shortcuts and self-rationalising our suboptimal lifestyle choices, such as eating convenient but unhealthy fast food, or laying on the couch instead of exercising.
May 20, 2020 | 18:03
Herbalife Vietnam has just donated $100,300 to the Vietnam Fatherland Front, following the government’s call for contributions to the fight against COVID-19.
December 20, 2019 | 18:00
On the occasion of the company’s 10th anniversary, VIR had a talk with Vu Van Thang, general director of Herbalife Vietnam and Cambodia.
December 11, 2019 | 15:17
Herbalife Nutrition has just launched the 12th Asia-Pacific Wellness Tour to encourage healthy, active living among consumers, with a focus on healthy ageing.
November 26, 2019 | 12:53
Herbalife Nutrition has been operating in Vietnam since November 2009, bringing high-quality nutrition products to local customers ever since.
November 18, 2019 | 16:08
Herbalife Vietnam joined hands with the VOC to organise a send-off ceremony for 856 Vietnamese athletes and coaches bound for the 30th SEA Games.


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Apple announced its quarterly earnings report last week where the company narrowly surpassed Wall Street expectations. iPhone revenue grew despite the iPhone 14 series launch being soon, while Mac, iPad and wearables were hit by supply chain disruptions and suffered sales declines.
Apple reported that out of the $83 billion total revenue that the company posted for Q3, iPhone revenue accounted for almost 50% of that. Apple CEO Tim Cook cited supply chain constraints and unfavorable foreign exchange for the poor performance of Mac, iPad and wearables. Mac revenues were down 10% and although iPad managed to exceed analysts expectations, the category was also hit by supply shortages.
The ‘blip’ in Mac, iPad and wearables sales
Apple recently launched a redesigned MacBook Air M2 in June, but that didn’t get factored into this quarter since the MacBook Air only went on sale in July. Similarly, the 13-inch MacBook Pro M2 didn’t go on sale until a few weeks after it was announced. This impacted a few weeks in June-July sales and could account for Mac revenue coming in $1 billion lower than the same quarter the year before.
Mark Gurman of Bloomberg notes in his latest “Power On” newsletter that this is “probably more of a blip than the start of a downward trend” and that the Mac sales could rebound next quarter. Apple also remains optimistic about getting a good momentum from the new MacBook Pro 13-inch and the MacBook Air M2.
Apple blamed the decline in its sales of the tablets category specifically on the iPad Pro not selling as anticipated. But Gurman notes that “Apple doesn’t seem to have a problem with demand. Supply shortages were the main culprit”.
Apple’s wearables category, which includes Apple Watch, AirPods, HomePod, and Apple TV also reported lower sales. Tim Cook said this was because of a “cocktail of headwinds,” including macro-economic factors. Users seemed to be spending more on essentials like phones rather than this category.
Current shipping delays for Mac, iPad and Apple Watch
|MacBook Air M2
|Aug 23-Aug 30
|MacBook Pro 13-inch M2
|MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch
|iPad Pro 12.9 inch
Ultimately, Apple’s supply strain is showing on the shipping timeline of its products. The window between placing an order and actually receiving it is widening. Since the new MacBook Air M2 and 13-inch MacBook Pro launched, Apple has been struggling to stick to its shipping time.
Certain configurations of MacBook Air M2 that show an estimate of 3 weeks. However, the iPad Air 2022 and 13-inch MacBook Pro show an estimate of 4 days. In the U.S., if you order an Apple Watch 7 with a sports loop today, the shipping estimate shows it will arrive around September 7 to September 14.
iPhone 14, Apple Watch 8 and more on the way
Apple’s launch of the iPhone 14 seems to be on track even though the company navigates some of these supply shortages. We will have to see if the shipping of the products after launch also stays on track.
Apple is set to launch the iPhone 14 along with the iPhone 14 Pro. There could also be an iPhone 14 Max which is a 6.7-inch phone that is likely to replace the mini model in Apple's line-up this fall. There should also be an iPhone 14 Pro Max model in the works.
Along with the iPhone 14 series, Apple is expected to launch the Apple Watch 8 and AirPods Pro 2. The rumored launch date of these products is September 13. Until then, stay tuned to our hubs to find out more on the upcoming Apple devices and check out our Apple September event preview.
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Sanjana loves all things tech. From the latest phones, to quirky gadgets and the best deals, she's in sync with it all. Based in Atlanta, she is the news editor at Tom's Guide. Previously, she produced India's top technology show for NDTV and has been a tech news reporter on TV. Outside work, you can find her on a tennis court or sipping her favorite latte in instagrammable coffee shops in the city. Her work has appeared on NDTV Gadgets 360 and CNBC.


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Finnish flair focus of Habitare
Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, October 16, 2013
HELSINKI, Finland - Against the backdrop of Tuomiokirkko's gleaming white exterior and the sprawling vista of Suomenlinna, often described as one of the world's largest sea fortresses, more than 55,000 people arrived in Helsinki the week of Sept. 16 for Habitare, Finland's annual furniture and design market. Like many industry trade shows, Helsinki's Habitare included a variety of upholstery and case goods, as well as accent and lighting introductions. But there was also Salonki, an antiques section where local vendors offered the Scandinavian version of an indoor estate sale, and ArtHelsinki, a contemporary art fair. The eclectic mix attracted a variety of visitors from the industry and the public.
More than 460 exhibitors attended the 23rd Habitare, including many of Finland's signature companies like Isku, Hakola, Vep salainen and Indecoria. Although many Finnish companies have struggled during the recent European financial crisis, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development is predicting that things will continue to improve.
In a recent article (online at http://yle.fi/uutiset/furniture_business_ faces_tough_times/6843583), OECD states that Finland's economic growth will be zero this year, a stronger figure than the -0.6% forecast for the Eurozone. Additionally, the Organisation of Industrialised States predicts Finnish GDP growth of 1.7%. These forecasts, combined with Finland's strong financial history, prompted Moody's, the New York based bond credit rating business, to confirm the country's best-possible rating of AAA, noting that Finland is the only government in the EU that has never breached any of the Maastricht Treaty's fiscal criteria.
According to the article, furniture imports into Finland are increasing and exports of domestic product have slowed. Sweden and Estonia are the top importers, followed by China, leaving Finnish suppliers with the challenge of finding new domestic and international buyers.
Finsoffat offers more than a dozen fabric options on this two-overtwo model accented with rich wood trim.
Indecoria’s sofa features unexpected profile curves and classic white fabric paired with a casual Bohemian pattern on cushions and pillows.
Boknas showcases efficient function and elegant form in this living room setting at Habitare.
Helsinki Habitare included a Made in Finland section highlighting the work of Finnish manufacturers.
"Exports are not going very well right now," said Eero Rytkonen of Indecoria. "Many factories are bankrupt, and the state economy is not very good."
The Indecoria product line attracted a steady flow of visitors during Habitare, many drawn by the line's distinctive fabric combinations. Rytkonen said the company currently sells primarily in Finland.
"We produce our line at factories in Poland," said Rytkonen. "We show our models, as well as some from other collections, including a little from Italy.
"Scandinavian design is more simple than central European," he continued. "And we can normally ship within four weeks."
Arto Tiitinen, CEO of Isku, said in the OECD article that the small size of furniture companies in Finland can lower export figures, and he recommends that Finnish companies focus on design and produce high-quality items instead of concentrating on bulk shipping. Isku is also exploring the possibility of setting up a subsidiary company in Dubai. Habitare activities support a design-centric approach to growth. During the market, the Association of Finnish Interior Design Journalists chose four favorite exhibitors in various catego- ries. Roomage was recognized for creating a fun and inventive use of space that "spreads a good feeling." Studio Helsinki was chosen for its "airy, interesting space created by Finnish designers using simple elements." Lundia presented familiar products in a fresh light, according to the journalists, and Balmuir offered "laid-back luxury in an inviting overall design that matches the brand."
The Habitare Design competition was organized by Messukeskus and the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture. Architect and academician Juha Leiviska oversaw the competition, and the winners, announced on the opening day of the fair, included Elina Ulivo for "Heijastin" (Reflector) in first place, Top Makinen and Kirsi Ihalainen for "Ladon Uni" (Barn Dream) in second, and Tiia Viikila, Suvi Viitamaki, Anni Raasmaja and Anders Jonsson for "Kajo" (Dawn) and Mira Koymari for "Unes sanoma" in third.
The Trash Design exhibition and seminar drew a standing-room-only crowd during Habitare. The exhibition explored creative reuse of materials and possible alternatives to current consumption patterns.
International journalists were also given a behind-the-scenes look at Aalto University and the furniture design program at the school inspired by Alvar Aalto, arguably the top Finnish architect and designer of the 20th century.
Martin Relander, interior architect and lecturer at the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, spoke about the designers enrolled in the program and about the school's evolution.
"The Finnish system of higher education is going through big changes," Relander told the journalist group. "Aalto University is one of the most ambitious things that has been done in Finland and it is the biggest design university in Scandinavia.
"Finnish design has a particular position in furniture design," Relander continued. "Our students are working with real objects. It's impossible to talk about the quality of design in a mental way; you have to have the materials in your hands. Finnish designers like to understand materials.
"Cultural definition is very important for a new country like Finland, and its own material language is important," concluded Relander. "The tools of a Finnish peasant beat the tools of any other peasant in any place I have ever been and I think something of this ethos is still found with Finnish designers."
Multipurpose seating by Pedro offers compact sleep space for urban interiors and smaller homes.
This wall storage system by Indecoria can be adapted to several configurations to fit a variety of interior spaces.
Indecoria also showed a contemporary sectional with sophisticated black trim accents and a convenient storage option.
Playful color pairings enliven the modern profile of Hakola’s Habitare introductions.
Vepsalainen showed a streamlined orange sofa paired with a robin’s egg blue chair and Artek’s Aalto stool as a side table.
Furniture Today's Ray Allegrezza Speaks with Stephen Bogart about Fine Furniture's New Bogart Line


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The ‘2021’ numbers were towed to Times Square last December in a Kia Sorento SUV after a cross-country ride that began at the automaker’s US headquarters in Irvine, California and traveled more than 5,500 miles, with stops in 15 states.
DETROIT – The auto industry may never be the same after 2021, an infamous year that brought huge changes fueled by supply chain problems and the coronavirus pandemic.
Supply chain problems – most notably a global shortage of semiconductor chips – have led to historically low vehicle inventories, but also led to record prices and profits amid sustained consumer demand and a shortage of affordable cars and trucks.
This is a situation in which some auto executives, such as Ford Motor CEO Jim Farley, have pledged to continue when the industry is not in crisis due to higher margins for the automaker as well as its dealers.
“This is the best way to do our business,” Farley told investors earlier this year. “I think we have the most sophisticated go-to-market system on planet Earth. We could simplify all of this with tighter inventories. ”
Instead of a 75-day or more delivery of vehicles, Ford plans to deliver a 50-day delivery. To deal with this, Farley wants to move the company to an order-based system instead of customers buying cars from dealerships. It will help reduce the automaker’s discounts and allow Ford to better manage its production, he said.
Lower vehicle inventory levels and higher prices this year are some of the few changes that auto executives and analysts say will never return to pre-2021 levels. Other changes have affected electric vehicles, supply chains and new competitors. Here’s more information on these and more.
From General Motors CEO Mary Barra, describing this year as a “watershed moment” for nearly all major automakers announcing the move to electric vehicles, this year has seen a significant shift in the tone of the auto and electric vehicle industry.
Much of these changes were driven by Tesla becoming the world’s most respected automaker by market capitalization at the end of 2020, as well as placing more emphasis on environmental, social and corporate governance.
A Rivian R1T electric pickup truck during the company’s IPO outside the Nasdaq MarketSite in New York, Wednesday, November 10, 2021.
Bing Guan | Bloomberg | Getty Images
While electric vehicles, including plug-in hybrids, remain a niche market at around 4% of the US industry, executives and experts expect aggressive growth over the next decade.
Specifically, pickup truck electrification began with deliveries of the R1T from Rivian Automotive in September and the GMC Hummer EV earlier this month. It is expected to be followed in the spring by an electric version of the Ford F-150, America’s best-selling car for decades, and by the end of next year by the Tesla Cybertruck.
Publication of EV companies through Special Purpose Acquisition Companies, or SPACs, was a trend that started in late 2020 but accelerated in 2021.
From battery and charger suppliers such as Solid Power or ChargePoint for electric vehicles like the Lucid Group, such companies have changed the automotive landscape. While some do not expect all companies to succeed, even one or two new companies can pressure older automakers to change direction, as Tesla has proven.
The factory closures, which began last spring due to the coronavirus pandemic and are now happening due to a global shortage of semiconductor chips, have resulted in a number of new cars available in the United States. to hit record lows.
Saving fewer vehicles is something the auto industry has played with in the past, but has never been able to continue to work; in particular, Detroit’s automakers, which typically have one of the highest inventory levels.
Tyson Jominy, vice president of data and analytics at JD Power, said the longer inventory declines continue, “the more likely it is that these changes can be made permanent.”
Dealer inventory levels across the country remain extremely low due to a shortage of semiconductor chips, leading to sporadic plant shutdowns and depletion of vehicle stocks in 2021.
Michael Wayland / CNBC
“The problem is that this is a fixed assets industry and we have a basic history of retreating and producing more because there is always the temptation to cheat, to produce another unit because of cost efficiency,” he said.
The auto industry had about 1 million new vehicles at dealerships in December, according to Cox Automotive, 1.8 million fewer new cars available for consumers to buy this year and 2.5 million fewer than in 2019. … JD Power reports that national vehicle stocks are 850,000 vehicles this month, while retail sales are typically 1.4 million.
Low supplies have led to record dealer profits as consumers are willing to pay more for a new car. Some dealers also add markups or “market adjustments” to high-demand items. Analysts say this is not unprecedented, but the volume and scope is greater than ever before.
“From now on, everyone will be making a lot more money because of this. I just don’t think it will go back to pre-Covid levels. ” Sonic Automotive President Jeff Dyck told CNBC earlier this year, saying that “the whole game” has changed over the past year.
JD Power reports 89% of new vehicles sold by consumers that are selling at a price close to or above the manufacturer’s suggested retail price, also known as the manufacturer’s suggested retail price or special price. For comparison, in December 2019 this figure was 12%.
Cox Automotive reports that the average list price for a new car last month was about $ 45,000, up from less than $ 40,000 a year earlier.
“I would probably argue that some of them might be permanent,” said Jeff Schuster, president of LMC America. “I don’t think prices will return to pre-deficit levels or incentives will increase.”
Chip shortages and electric vehicles are forcing automakers to rethink their logistics and supply chains as companies try to protect themselves from a repeat of this situation.
The changes range from more vertical integration of parts manufacturing to joint ventures or partnerships with battery and chip suppliers for electric vehicles.
Earlier this month, Toyota Motor announced the construction of a new battery plant for electrified vehicles in North Carolina. It follows similar announcements from GM, Ford and others to move battery component manufacturing for electric vehicles closer to home to lower costs and reduce the risks of supply chain disruptions.
“As you would expect, we intend to learn from this crisis to become a much stronger company,” Farley said earlier this year. “We are taking this opportunity to update our supply chain to address future vulnerabilities.”


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For a variety of reasons, Americans of all ages have been falling in love with adjustable bed systems, but now, a group of inventors has taken the term “electric bed” to a whole new level. Most electric beds allow you to easily find a more comfortable position while sleeping, or even regulate your comfort through adjustable bed systems with optional heat. But this concept takes the word “electric” in electric bed a little too literally.
That’s because you might very well be living amongst the most sleep deprived people in history. For a variety of reasons, Americans today have incredibly poor sleep hygiene. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that anywhere from 50 to 70 million of us suffer from chronic sleep or wakefulness disorders. At the same time, sleep doctors with the Harvard Medical School have said that as many as one in four U.S. workers has some degree of insomnia. Even more terrifying, all those insomniacs cost U.S. employers $63 billion annually in lost productivity alone.
And that doesn’t even include the spouses and significant others of the 90 million Americans who snore, 37 million of whom do so constantly.
This spring, a team of entrepreneurial inventors wants to capitalize off of the nation’s poor sleep hygiene with a shocking new device. Literally, it will shock you.
A team of inventors who go by the name Pavlok have invented a wearable device called the Pavlok Shock Clock, which delivers an electric shock to get you out of bed in the morning. First, the wristwatch vibrates, then it beeps, and if you still won’t get out of bed, it delivers a mild electric shock. The inventors turned to IndieGoGo for help funding the idea, and in about a month, they’ve already raised $239,651 from 1,939 backers.
The company doesn’t just want to help you wake up early, they want to train your brain to become a morning person. It’s based on Pavlovian conditioning, a technique in which a behavior is connected to a stimulus through repetition. By repeatedly shocking the wearer every time they try to hit snooze, the Pavlok team thinks you’ll slowly condition yourself to wake up faster.
If you’re really desperate to wake up on time, then check out the IndieGogo campaign. Of course, you can always find electric beds that are comforting and won’t shock you!