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Chinese tech in electric cars spark motor industry buzz
Shanghai, China: Did you think Big Tech was taking over your life with smartphones? It may be coming for your car next, as Chinese companies lead a stampede into auto manufacturing in their search for more customers.
Cars are the next major prize in the fight for digital territory, industry insiders claim, and the deep pockets and data muscle of big Chinese tech firms would drive even faster growth in "smart-electric" vehicles — and probably hasten the arrival of autonomous cars.
Chinese mobile giants Huawei and Xiaomi, e-commerce pioneer Alibaba, and even DJI, the world's biggest drone designer, have all thrown their hats into the ring in recent weeks.
"This sort of competition is a good thing and will greatly accelerate innovation," William Li, founder, chairman, and CEO of Chinese electric vehicle (EV) producer NIO, told AFP in an interview just ahead of the Shanghai Auto Show.
The first major auto industry meeting of the year begins Wednesday, with the global industry looking to China – the world's largest and fastest electrifying auto market – to lead the way into a post-pandemic future.
WATCH: Electric cars and a chip shortage are getting attention at this year’s Shanghai Auto Show pic.twitter.com/q1e74Jtx2D— Reuters India (@ReutersIndia) April 20, 2021
Sales in China fell two percent last year to 25.1 million vehicles – nearly one-third of the global total – but are quickly recovering thanks to the growing popularity of electric vehicles.
Only a tiny fraction of Chinese sales until recently, EVs accounted for about nine percent in March, according to official figures.
The Chinese government expects new energy vehicles, which incorporate cutting-edge driving technology, to account for 25% of car sales by 2025, and recent announcements tend to support this prediction.
Xiaomi, which has quickly become one of the world's largest smartphone suppliers, expects to invest $10 billion in a smart EV subsidiary over the next decade, while Huawei will invest $1 billion this year.
AutoX, an Alibaba-linked autonomous driving unit, has partnered with Honda of Japan to expand testing on Chinese roads.
And, on Monday, tech behemoth Baidu announced that its Apollo self-driving navigation system would be installed in one million vehicles over the next three to five years.
The moves will draw new attention to Apple's top-secret effort to build a self-driving car.
Cars reflect a new opportunity for companies such as Huawei, which is rushing to build its own software ecosystem after US sanctions barred it from using Google's Android.
According to Chen Yusheng, chief technology officer of procurement analysis company Shanghai Autodatas Co., Huawei has recognized its existing "business limits."
"(Huawei) will enter a new track in the future, and with its own advantages, including combining software and hardware, will help promote lightning-fast development of smart cars and autonomous driving," Chen said.
Also, future rivals seem to be impressed.
"This is very reassuring. (Tech companies) see there is an opportunity in this industry, which means that this industry still has a very bright future," said Antoine Barthes, managing director of the automaking joint venture Dongfeng Nissan.
"And they are probably going to shape the industry."
Tesla sets the standard
Autonomous driving is still in its early stages, but China is generally expected to take the lead due to government support, modern infrastructure, and a head start in implementing the required 5G networks.
According to NIO's Li, the Shanghai auto show demonstrates how quickly things can change in China.
It was already dominated by conventional internal combustion engines only four years ago.
"But today, every booth in the hall has electric vehicles, new-energy vehicles. This is a huge change and the very big driving force has been a technological change," he said. Tesla was the most recent spark.
Elon Musk's company established its third factory in Shanghai in 2019 and is now selling one-fourth of its production in China.
Tesla, the world's best-selling EV brand, is energizing the Chinese market and setting the pace for a slew of competitors.
New entrants face numerous obstacles, including a lack of automaking know-how, which may require them to collaborate with existing manufacturers, providing the "brains" of cars while the latter builds the bodies, rather than following Tesla's self-contained blueprint.
Another impediment is a global semiconductor shortage, which has disproportionately impacted the car industry.
According to Li, the shortages caused NIO's production lines to be shut down for five days in early April. He anticipates more pressure in the coming months but sees it as a blip.
China's official EV goals are, in reality, too ambitious for Li.
"I'm much more optimistic," he said.
"I think that by 2030, more than 90 percent of new cars sold in China will be smart EVs."
The Shanghai Auto Show 2021: what to expect?
On Monday in China's financial hub, the Shanghai International Automotive Industry Exhibition kicked off a multiday event to showcase the best and brightest developments in the vehicle market worldwide.
The main trend of electric vehicles and smart-driving technology was backed by everyone from entrepreneurs to the most renowned carmakers – as well as new technology cabals, including Chinese telco giant Huawei Technologies Co, Bloomberg Quint reported.
Despite the burgeoning cases of the virus sprouting from across the world, the Shanghai Auto Show 2021 being held in all its physical glory is quite a spectacle in itself.
China has largely controlled the virus, meaning there's no bar for such public gatherings.
According to Bloomberg Quint present at the show's venue, among the many highlighting aspects of the opening main day, a public walk staged by the CEOs of two of the most valuable firms participating in the event took the limelight.
Nio Inc. CEO William Li and Xpeng Inc. CEO He Xiaopeng, two leading lights of China's EV onslaught, staged a very public walk around each other's stalls, attracting hundreds of onlookers who whipped out their phones to capture the moment.
At one point, Nio CEO Li knelt to inspect the undercarriage of Xpeng's P5 sedan drone, which will be available later this year.
Li also carefully listened to He's explanation of Xpeng's model flying car and inquired about some of the components used.
COVER IMAGE COURTESY OF BLOOMBERG QUINT.


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Following yesterday’s announcement that Cadillac’s Pirelli World Challenge GT3 programme has been terminated, GM has confirmed to DSC that Callaway Competition can begin selling its Corvette C7 GT3 to American customers for use in the IMSA GTD and the Pirelli World Challenge series.
In a statement sent to DSC, Mark Kent, Chevrolet director of motorsports competition said simply:
“The conclusion of the Cadillac Racing programme in Pirelli World Challenge GT will provide new opportunities for Callaway Competition to compete in both the PWC GT and the IMSA GTD series with their Corvette C7 GT3.”
Prior to Cadillac’s PWC exit, Callaway Competition was unable to sell and race its ADAC GT Masters-winning C7 GT3 to American customers, due to agreement with GM signed by the German company when the car was originally FIA homologated.
In conversation with DSC last year, Callaway Competition’s owner Ernst Wohr explained to DSC that Callaway had originally intended to race the C7 GT3 in the USA but that Cadillac’s commitments in PWC as a factory stood in the way:
“When I got the signature from GM to say that I could homologate it with the FIA, we had to sign that we wouldn’t run it in North America. They don’t want competition with Cadillac and their future programmes.
“The plan was to build it (the C7 GT3) in the USA and run in Pirelli World Challenge.
“If we ever go to America, it’s because they’ve retired the Cadillac, we would build a lot more cars, and build them here and in the USA.”
DSC has reached out to Callaway Competition for further comment.

domain: news


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- Caesars and MGM Resorts recently experienced a homegrown attack that compromised data and cost each company tens of millions of dollars
- Casinos and other businesses often store data, including names, addresses, and other private information, all of it potentially subject to hacks, in spite of assumed protections
- Sekur Private Data offers a suite of superior protective products, with encrypted emails, secure messengers, and strong communication tools, all utilizing Swiss-based servers designed to safeguard information
The gaming industry in the United States has been shown to be targets of successful cyber-attacks. Two recent attacks against Caesars and MGM Resorts have left the companies paying out tens of millions of dollars to regain control of their systems, leaving patrons’ information vulnerable during the attack (https://ibn.fm/RQmQr). This past week on New to the Street, internationally acclaimed internet privacy expert Alain Ghiai, CEO of Sekur Private Data (CSE: SKUR) (OTCQB: SWISF) (FRA: GTD0), a cybersecurity and internet privacy provider of Swiss-hosted solutions for secure and private communications, and multi-media journalist Ana Berry, discussed the significance of the casino’s stolen data (https://ibn.fm/L9UZS).
According to the segment, the attack occurred from a source within the United States, and the FBI is still investigating the crime. They hypothesize that the hackers are selling the data stolen on the Dark Web. The initial attack appears to have come from an email, and most casinos and other businesses use…
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to SWISF are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/SWISF
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…..big hitters through the doors this week include a monster-rare 1st press Led Zeppelin debut LP with that all important turquoise lettering, a stonkingly rare John Lennon promo 7″ from 1974 (the 43rd rarest record in the world according to Record Collector – yikes!) more super-rare Smiths artwork, a mega-Queen collection with all manner of vinyl, imports and memorabilia, a 1978 Rolling Stones 7″ blue vinyl,Steven Wilson/Porcupine Tree rarity and much much more….find it all here here
Looking for new and back catalogue vinyl, rare pressings and collectable vinyl and CDs?
Exploreeil.com… the world’s largest online retailer of rare and out of print vinyl, CDs and music memorabilia – since 1987.
Killer list of new release and reissued vinyl – including Record Store Day rarities, 180g reissues and new releases, all in stock and all released within the past year, click here to see the full list […]
The high street music and entertainment chain is planning stores for Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and more HMV has announced plans to expand into the Middle East. The company will open 15 stores […]


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Let them send emails
Yesterday, Apple issued a press release that stated the company was willing to make a handful of changes to the App Store to try to wiggle out of a lawsuit regarding the App Store's billing policies. While many are positioning these changes as some long-awaited reversal of the App Store's anticompetitive practices, the strict facts of the concession are much milder. Apple has merely agreed that developers can tell users they can make purchases outside the iOS app.
Apple tries to wiggle out of in-app billing lawsuit by making the smallest changes possible was written by the awesome team at Android Police.Continue Reading


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ComplexCon returns to Long Beach Nov. 6 - 7 with hosts J. Balvin and Kristen Noel Crawley, performances by A$AP Rocky and Turnstile, and more shopping and drops.
Secure your spot while tickets last!
Weeks after teasing his Fall 2016 campaign, Alexander Wang has released the first promo video for the season. And he decided to kick things off with the help of Kylie Jenner, Tyga, and Skrillex.
Throughout the 30-second video, which was directed by Director X, the #WangSquad campaign stars are seen turning up at a mansion party among an impeccably dressed crowd. The drinks are flowing, there’s heavy PDA, and the music is bumping.
"I wanted to create this hybrid idea of a music video with my favorite movies growing up, referencing Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Can't Hardly Wait,” Wang told Yahoo! Style. “A lot of [the cast] are people that I’ve always really respected, collaborators, or models I’ve used for quite a long time, where I’ve seen them grow into their own.”
Dancing Astronaut pointed out that the track featured in the video is a new Skrillex joint that samples an earlier Skrillex production, Vic Mensa’s “No Chill,” a 2015 song that the DJ/producer co-produced with Jahlil Beats.
You can check out the campaign video above. The Fall 2016 #WangSquad campaign will also star A$AP Ferg, Big Sean, Zoe Kravitz, and Tinashe, as well as producers RL Grime and Metro Boomin. Stay tuned to see what Wang has in store next.


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1000 Farmers Selected To Grow GMO Cotton In Kenya.
1000 Kenyan farmers have received the country’s first genetically modified cotton seeds through the ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries headed by cabinet secretary Peter Gatirau Munya.
These seeds have been improved with a Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) gene which will help the farmers provide resistance to the harmful African bollworm complex across the country. In March this year, the first seeds were issued and cultivated.
According to Rajeev Arora, chairperson of the Bt Cotton Task Force, the aim of engaging the 1000 farmers is to showcase how the inbuilt insect resistance can lead to savings in chemical pest control and higher effective yields in farmers’ fields.
“With the assistance of the government’s technical support, the farmers will demonstrate the right use of the technology to the society particularly interested farmers and the way they will save on chemical pest control as well as production of higher yields .”, Arora said.
“The main agenda is to build capacity of at least 40,000 farmers in Bt cotton”, he added, noting that mentoring the mentees will enable faster spread of the information.
According to Arora, the Kenyan government, which previously had banned GMO , has encouraged the utilization of technology after being exposed to accurate information about crops developed through the science of biotechnology and assessing their contribution to improving farmers’ productivity.
The Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Peter Munya, created the task force to spearhead the commercialization of Bt cotton and revitalization of Kenya’s textile industry in response to the December 2019 approval of the crop by President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Cabinet.
“The government’s “Big 4” agenda identified the cotton, textile and apparel value chain as a priority manufacturing sector economic driver projected to contribute eight to 15 percent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP)”, Arora noted.
“We hope to interact with 40,000 to 200,000 farmers in commercial planting by 2022,” Arora added.
“Our demand now is close to 50,000 bales of cotton and we hope to reach 200,000 bales by next year, “he said.
“Bt cotton is predicted to enhance cotton production by reducing crop losses to insects and interesting farmers in arid and semi-arid areas where they’re not currently growing crops”, said Arora.
“Part of the general production strategy is to strengthen local cooperatives and empower ginners to extend capacity and establish new facilities,” Arora explained.
The textile manufacturing industry is currently exporting goods totaling some US$500 million and aims to reach US$1 billion by 2022.
Based on the earlier report, the government plans to create over 50,000 textile industry jobs primarily for women and youth through the introduction of Bt cotton as well as adding more employees in already existing industries in Kenya like Rivatex in Uasin Gishu county.
According to Professor Dorington Ogoyi, chief executive officer of the NBA the Cabinet’s decision to approve the commercialization of Bt cotton, the National Biosafety Authority (NBA) was authorized to allow the environmental release of Bt cotton and introduce it to the market.
“The NBA approved Bt cotton for commercial use last year December, which suggests farmers can cultivate the crop under certain stipulations”, Ogoyi explained.
“For instance, Kenyan law requires that each one GMOs need to be labeled”, he added.
“The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) put out by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) was applicable when there was a ban on GMOs; however, since the ban has been lifted, we don’t get to repeat the EIA,” said Arora.
The insertion of the genes from B. thuringiensis causes cotton cells to supply crystal insecticidal proteins, often mentioned as Cry proteins. These insecticidal proteins are effective in killing some of the most injurious caterpillar pests of cotton, such as the budworms and bollworms.
This new technology for managing insect pests was approved for commercialization within us by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in October 1995 and is now available from several seed companies in Kenya as well as in many other cotton-growing countries around the world.


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The central topic of the seminar will be blockchain technologies, the development of cryptocurrencies and various aspects of their security.
"One of the strategic directions of the FKTK is FinTech support, as well as promoting innovation in the financial system. In cooperation with other public institutions the intention of the FKTK is to create a friendly environment for FinTech, which would promote innovative financial services in Latvia and attract new companies to provide these services," said the regulator.
Experienced foreign Financial Technology (FinTech) experts will share their experience and knowledge in the online seminar, which will cover the following topics: security and development of blockchain technologies, cyber risk management, various aspects of cryptocurrencies, with a more specific focus on both Bitcoin and Libra.
The aim of the seminar is to accelerate the development of FinTech and to make the European Union (EU) a leader in financial technologies. The two-day program of the event is available on the seminar website and is being run by Kaunas University of Technology in Lithuania as a partner of the H2020 FinTech project.
Registration in advance is necessary and the registration deadline 17 November 23:59.


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This week, Paul Fraser Collectibles offers you a free VIP pass into Julien's Auctions' exhibition of the Michael Jackson Memorabilia Collection. The expo was held prior to the company's Icons & Idols sale in Beverly Hills, over the weekend.
Well, we haven't actually got you a 'free pass' - the above video will have to suffice. Filmed during Julien's VIP reception, last Tuesday (November 29), it offers you a fascinating look at some of the rare and coveted Michael Jackson items which appeared for sale in Julien's auction.
These rare Jackson memorabilia items have found new buyers since Julien's December 3-4 auction. Not surprisingly, the sale offered a wealth of coveted King of Pop treasures.
Among the sale's major Jackson highlights was the unusual inclusion of an autographed werewolf mask, worn by the singer during his 1996 HIStory Tour.
Signed "Love Michael Jackson" on its inside, the latex mask had a high $12,000 presale estimate. In the end, it brought an incredible $60,000.
Another sale highlight took the idea of a 'dinner jacket' to a whole new level. Designed by Dennis Tompkins and Michael Bush, this Jackson jacket is adorned with miniature utensils.
The 'dinner jacket' significantly surpassed its $6,000 presale estimate to bring $67,650. And it's easy to see why such a piece would appeal to bidders: it is certainly a unique memorabilia piece.
Both this and the mask are great reminders of the playful and humorous aspects which sometimes crept into Jackson's performances - which is probably be why each piece proved so popular in Julien's Beverly Hills auction.
Since his death in June 2009, Michael Jackson continues to posthumously prove himself as one of the 20th century's foremost icons and entertainers. In fact, the King of Pop's average autograph value has grown by 60% in the last 12 months.
It's incredible to think that, had you bought Jackson's autograph for £750 a year ago, it could today be worth as much as £1,200. Needless to say, the lucky winning bidders at Julien's weekend sale could have some valuable appreciating assets on their hands.
Meanwhile, Jackson continues to top Forbes' "Top-Earning Dead Celebrities" list.
"Michael Jackson's earning power shows no signs of slacking. The King of Pop once again tops our list of the biggest earners in the afterlife, this time with $170 million," wrote Forbes earlier this year.


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The News: HPE revenue reached $6.95 billion for the third quarter of fiscal year 2022, up one percent from $6.9 billion for the same quarter one year ago, as the global technology vendor reported its latest earnings on August 30. The Q3 revenue just beat analyst consensus estimates of $6.97 billion for the quarter from Yahoo Finance. Read the full earnings Press Release on the HPE website.
HPE Revenue Hits $6.95B for Q3, Up 1% YoY, Beating Estimates
Analyst Take: HPE revenue results for Q3 arrived in line with expectations, giving the company a bit of breathing room as many tech companies in the tech space are continuing to report revenue and profit challenges amid a still roiling market.
Overall, HPE’s results are aided by the company’s low exposure to consumer markets, which are seeing more turmoil due to global inflation, lower demand, and other factors.
Here are HPE’s Q3 FY2022 earning results by the numbers:
- Q3 FY2022 revenue of $6.95 billion, up one percent from $6.9 billion for the same quarter one year ago. The Q3 revenue just beat analyst consensus estimates of $6.97 billion for the quarter from Yahoo Finance.
- Q3 FY2022 non-GAAP net earnings of $629 million, up one percent from $623 million one year ago.
- Q3 FY2022 non-GAAP basic and diluted net earnings per share (EPS) of $0.48, which is up two percent from the $0.47 basic and diluted net EPS price from one year ago. The EPS met consensus estimates of $0.48 per share from analysts at Yahoo Finance.
- Q3 FY2022 non-GAAP gross profit of $2.4 billion, which is up 0.8 percent from $2.39 billion in the same quarter one year ago.
- Q3 FY2022 non-GAAP gross profit margin of 34.7 percent, which is unchanged from one year ago.
- Q3 FY 2022 cash flow from operations of $1.3 billion, which is up by $124 million from a year ago, and free cash flow of $587 million, which HPE said is in line with normal seasonality.
- An Annualized Revenue Run-Rate (ARR) of $858 million, which is up 22 percent from one year ago. HPE said it is “confident” in delivering on its recent guidance of an ARR of 35 percent to 45 percent compounded from FY2021 to FY2024.
- HPE also announced that it recorded a $36 million pre-tax charge in Q3 related to its managed exit of its remaining business in Russia and Belarus due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February.
HPE’s latest quarterly results provide clear evidence that the company is continuing its pivot from requiring CapEx-heavy investments from customers as it has in the past to its maturing strategy of focusing on an ARR model. This smart transition is changing the ways that this mature and previously more cautious company is seeking to do business with its enterprise and other customers. Times are changing and HPE has been wisely adapting to meet those new customer demands. We believe that this is the right direction and strategy in today’s global marketplace.
HPE’s Sales Market Breakdown for Q3
For Q3, HPE again generally performed well, with growth in its Intelligent Edge and High Performance Computing and AI units. HPE revenue was down slightly in HPE’s Compute, Storage and Financial Services units. Here is the complete breakdown:
- Intelligent Edge revenue totaled $941 million, up eight percent from $871 million one year ago.
- High Performance Computing (HPC) and AI revenue was $830 million, up 12 percent from $740 million one year ago from the prior-year period in actual dollars and 15% when adjusted for currency, with 3.4% operating profit margin, compared to 3.8% from the prior-year period. HPE also reported that its HPC market share expanded to 39 percent and includes four of the global top 10 supercomputers.
- HPE’s Compute unit saw its revenue hit $3 billion, which is down three percent from $3.1 billion one year ago.
- HPE’s Storage unit saw its revenue total $1.15 billion, down two percent from $1.175 billion one year earlier.
- The company’s Financial Services revenue hit $817 million, down three percent from $844 million one year ago.
HPE’s segment performance was notable, especially due to the ongoing tough market conditions being faced in the tech sector around the world by many companies.
At the same time, HPE beating or meeting analyst revenue and EPS estimates was positive news, particularly as many tech and consumer markets everywhere continue to be roiled by a tumultuous global macroeconomic environment which is continuing to see the effects of the lingering Covid-19 pandemic, the Russian war in Ukraine, supply chain issues, and other disruptions.
Yet despite the lingering effects of the pandemic and significant macroeconomic challenges, HPE continues to be well-positioned to take advantage of secular trends such as edge computing, hybrid cloud, multi-cloud, storage, HPC, AI, and other market segments.
A good part of that success, of course, is attributable to leadership. HPE President and CEO Antonio Neri, has wisely set the company’s path to future success by touting an ARR mantra as he molds the monolithic HPE into providing deeper as-a-service models to better serve customers that want to use them. We believe that this strategy of recurring revenue is the right move for HPE as it battles its competitors in the marketplace. Neri has said previously that this transition will take some time to complete – perhaps by the end of 2023 – but we continue to believe that it will be well worth the time and investments to make it happen.
HPE Provides Q4 Earnings Outlook
The edge-to-cloud vendor also provided HPE revenue and earnings guidance for Q4 and for the full fiscal year of 2022 as part of its Q3 FY2022 financial report.
For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022, HPE said it expects non-GAAP diluted net EPS to be in the range of $0.52 to $0.60 per share.
For the full fiscal year of 2022, HPE said it expects non-GAAP diluted net EPS to be in the range of $1.96 to $2.04 per share, reflecting unfavorable currency exchanges and constrained supply environments.
HPE also provided fiscal full year 2022 free cash flow guidance to be in the range of $1.7 to $1.9 billion.
The company also reiterated its earlier estimate of full FY2022 revenue growth of three to four percent, adjusted for currency exchanges.
HPE Q3 Overview
Overall, Q3 2022 was a pretty good quarter for HPE, especially when viewed through the challenging global economic lens of 2022.
Every quarter, we seem to repeat our views from the prior quarter, echoing our messages of solid earnings from HPE amid the recent supply chain and other challenges. HPE is continuing to make smart and bold moves to keep itself ahead of the tough environment and we are continuing to see reasonable growth spread across its business units, even with the minor revenue disappointments in the compute, storage, and financial services areas.
It will be interesting to watch HPE’s ongoing performance through 2022 and into 2023 as Neri and his executive team continue to execute their “everything-as-a-Service” (XaaS) model and drive more dependable and lasting ARR revenue for the long term.
Disclosure: Futurum Research is a research and advisory firm that engages or has engaged in research, analysis, and advisory services with many technology companies, including those mentioned in this article. The author does not hold any equity positions with any company mentioned in this article.
Analysis and opinions expressed herein are specific to the analyst individually and data and other information that might have been provided for validation, not those of Futurum Research as a whole.
Other insights from Futurum Research:
Image Credit: Barrons
The original version of this article was first published on Futurum Research.
Daniel Newman is the Principal Analyst of Futurum Research and the CEO of Broadsuite Media Group. Living his life at the intersection of people and technology, Daniel works with the world’s largest technology brands exploring Digital Transformation and how it is influencing the enterprise. From Big Data to IoT to Cloud Computing, Newman makes the connections between business, people and tech that are required for companies to benefit most from their technology projects, which leads to his ideas regularly being cited in CIO.Com, CIO Review and hundreds of other sites across the world. A 5x Best Selling Author including his most recent “Building Dragons: Digital Transformation in the Experience Economy,” Daniel is also a Forbes, Entrepreneur and Huffington Post Contributor. MBA and Graduate Adjunct Professor, Daniel Newman is a Chicago Native and his speaking takes him around the world each year as he shares his vision of the role technology will play in our future.


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Google and Apple are two technology companies that most (including yours truly) constantly obsess about. From minor software upgrades to new half-baked betas, dozens of websites, hundreds of blogs and mainstream media report on Google and Apple. Whether that is a good thing or not, who knows. (I have argued before that if start-ups focus on Apple, they are likely to get more buzz, and early adopter adoption.)
It was fun to note that obsession amongst enthusiasts is reflected in the stock prices of the two companies. Cowen & Company’s technology strategist, and our good buddy, Arnie Berman in his Technology Focus reports points out the convergence between the Google and Apple stocks.
Considering that Google’s and Apple’s businesses have almost nothing in common, the correlation in the prices of the stocks has been remarkable. But as hot growth stories with seemingly unstoppable financial momentum and business models levered to the emergence of the “digital consumer”, the stocks became connected in the minds of many investors.
Interestingly, the two stocks have been heading down for most of 2006. Since the second quarter, there has been increased divergence between Apple and Google.
Hey maybe people are quite worried about the rumored iPod killer from Microsoft? I wonder if this disconnect is permanent or will it be business as usual in a few months, especially after the Apple’s Developer Conference. Any thoughts?


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Economic Measures by India Against China | 04 Jul 2020
Why in News
India is considering a range of economic measures aimed at Chinese firms amid the border tensions between two countries.
- The ban on 59 Chinese apps is one of the economic measures taken by India, with other measures likely to follow if tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) continue without disengagement.
- India wants to indicate that China cannot continue trade and investment relations as normal if China does not agree to return to the status quo of April before its incursions along the LAC began.
- Economic Measures Planned by India:
- The government is considering trade and procurement curbs targeting China.
- It is also increasing scrutiny of Chinese investments in many sectors, and weighing a decision to keep out Chinese companies including 5G trials.
- Recently, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways has announced that Chinese companies would not be allowed to take part in road projects.
- Overall India-China Trade:
- In the India-China economic relationship trade is lopsided in China’s favour as China’s exports to India account for less than 3% of its overall exports. Thus China could inflict immediate economic pain if it chose to.
- In 2019-20, India’s imports from China accounted for $65 billion out of two-way trade of $82 billion.
- Dependence on Chinese Goods:
- India remains deeply dependent on Chinese goods, whether they are procured from China or through other countries.
- India also relies on China for crucial imports for many of its industries including auto components and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs).
- Between 70- 90% of APIs needed for the pharma industry of India come from China.
- On the investment front, Chinese investment in Indian tech start-ups has crossed $4 billion spanning major investments in companies including Paytm, Swiggy, Ola and Flipkart.
- Possible Harm to Chinese Economy:
- The economic measures taken by India could potentially cost Chinese companies billions of dollars in contracts and future earnings.
- For TikTok, one of the 59 apps banned, India is the biggest overseas market with more than 100 million users. Thus, the app is anticipating a loss of more than $6 billion, most likely more than the combined losses for all the other Chinese companies behind the other 58 apps banned in India.
- A move to restrict Chinese companies from India’s 5G rollout would also have the similar effect of costing hundreds of millions of dollars in potential revenue.
- Moreover, losing Indian market would come at a time when the Chinese economy is facing its own challenges in the wake of the pandemic and facing increasing barriers in many Western countries.
- Overall India-China Trade:
- China’s Stand:
- China has asked India to review its recent economic measures taken against it.
- It has also stated that these economic measures are selectively and discriminatorily aimed at certain Chinese apps, going against the general trend of international trade and E-commerce.
- It has also stated that such measures are not conducive to consumer interests and the market competition in India.
- Chinese State media have also widely criticised calls in India to boycott Chinese goods.
China’s History in Trade and Procurement Curbs
- Economic sanctions have been one of the key tools of Chinese coercion.
- China usually uses economic sanctions with the countries with whom China faces territorial claims where sanctions include restrictions on trade, encouragement for boycotts, and cutting off tourism.
- China used these measures to inflict immediate economic pain.
- China’s coercive actions are always selective and focused on targets where the economic cost of coercing is low but the impact is high.
- Affected Countries:
- South Korea:
- China had boycotted South Korean goods in 2016 and 2017, when South Korea had deployed the U.S. Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system. In October 2017, South Korea had issued a list of assurances meant to clarify to China that it would not expand the scope of THAAD.
- China had also placed curbs on tourism to South Korea, costing the country millions of dollars in tourism revenue.
- In 2010, China had restricted the exports of rare earth elements to Japan – a key ingredient for many electronics industries – following a collision near disputed East China Sea islands.
- Two years later, mass protests organised by China led to boycotts of Japanese brands and, in some instances, violence targeting Japanese branded-cars and stores.
- A dispute over the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea in 2012 led to China curbing imports on bananas and restricting tourism, costing the country millions of dollars in revenue.
- South Korea:
- Losing a contract to India may cause some pain to companies, but will have a minimal impact on the scale they are operating.
- Thus, India needs to be very selective in its measures. For example, India can curb Chinese firms' involvement in the telecom sector in India, especially 5G trials. But at the same time a large part of the infrastructure India already has in place in the 4G network is all Chinese, so India will still need China for maintenance and servicing.
- The problem for India is it cannot inflict serious pain on the five-times-larger Chinese economy as a whole, even if it could hurt individual companies.


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Tesco has agreed a deal with e-commerce delivery firm InPost to deploy automated parcel machines (APMs) in up to 500 stores, potentially eliminating a quarter of a million last mile deliveries. The parcel lockers are seen by the retail giant as an extra hook to attract customers in the run-up to Christmas and provide shoppers […]
Clipper Logistics has won a new contract with specialist online retailer Loveknitting.com that will see it store and manage the distribution of a wide range of yarns, patterns, needles and other knitting accessories.
Yodel has appointed a new legal director specialising in retail and logistics.
Advanced Supply Chain Group (ASCG) – part of the Reconomy Group – has recruited former Wincanton head of operations Keith Lawrence (pictured) as its new business operations director to support long-term growth.


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Massive data security breaches at retailers, such as The TJX Companies and more recently at the Hannaford supermarket chain, are a good case in point. In both instances, significant amounts of financial data were compromised by hackers, potentially exposing millions of consumers to credit card fraud. And in both cases, multiple lawsuits were filed shortly after the data intrusions became public.
Circumstances surrounding the Hannaford breach, which exposed up to 4.2 million card numbers, are still surfacing. Yet, more than a year after TJX disclosed the largest credit and debit card data breach in history, banks continue to file lawsuits claiming damages due to card reissuance costs, monitoring expenses or fraud loss. That's on top of millions of dollars in charges TJX has already taken against earnings, plus up to $40.9 million for breach-related losses that TJX agreed to pay Visa in a settlement reached last fall. TJX has spent or set aside about $250 million for costs related to the breach in the past year. But that doesn't include lost business or reputational costs.
According to the Ponemon Institute, data breaches cost companies an average of $197 per record in 2007, and the average cost of a data breach was $6.3 million, up from $4.8 million in 2006.
If responsibility for shoring up a company's defenses against data leaks falls into your camp, ask yourself, “Does this solution conform to best practices for encrypting payment data? More fundamentally, are we storing and safeguarding that data in the best possible way? Or does outsourcing to software-as-a-service professionals make more sense than doing it ourselves?” In an era of continually cheaper data storage options, it's easy not to think critically about how much data should be retained, where it makes the most sense to store that data, and how best to protect it – until it's too late.
By defining quality you'll help build a culture of security awareness and responsibility that extends from the executive suite to the receptionist and all points in between.


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Relaunching as a Vegan Deals community, SneakQIK.com is Set to Revolutionize Vegan Shopping with its Unique Platform
SneakQIK.com has relaunched as vegan deals and specials hub and is on a mission to revolutionize vegan shopping.
SneakQIK's parent company, AdAvenue Media, has been in the coupons and deals industry for over a decade, driving millions of sales for thousands of Australian brands and retailers.
"The moment has finally arrived. We're thrilled to share the news. We've made the switch to a full-fledged vegan website! We wish we had made this change sooner. Our platform is now your go-to destination for all things related to the plant-based lifestyle. By embracing a vegan lifestyle, individuals can make a positive impact on the environment, by reducing carbon footprint, promoting sustainability, preserving natural resources, halting deforestation, reducing harm to animals, and ultimately saving our planet for future generations." said the vegan founder of SneakQIK.
SneakQIK's state-of-the-art platform gives a sneak peek into the best vegan deals & finds from all your favourite stores that includes vegan specials, coupon codes, secret vouchers, exclusive offers, sneak peeks and QIK Deals, all in one place within the shopper's personalized offer-feed.
SneakQIK's AI-powered platform and personalized feed empower deal-seekers and vegan shoppers to effortlessly follow their favourite brands and stay updated on their top specials and offers, all conveniently in one place. For brands, SneakQIK offers the opportunity to create their profile and showcase their exclusive deals, allowing them to grow their deals community for long-term engagement. Additionally, brands can target shoppers based on their interests and preferences.
At the core, we want to bring vegan brands and shoppers together on a single platform where they can interact and engage with each other and get the most value out of vegan discounts and coupons."
SneakQIK's charges a small monthly fee for brands. The company wants to build a large, comprehensive database of vegan brands and retailers, small to big, with a focus on online brands at the moment.
"The offers we have don't last, and neither will the planet earth if we don't adopt veganism for a sustainable and climate-friendly future. Let's make a difference for everyone in this world." said the vegan founder of SneakQIK.
SneakQIK's logo also features a ticking clock, which serves as a powerful reminder of the urgency we face. Time is rapidly ticking away, not just for the limited-time offers we have but also for the well-being of our precious planet Earth.
SneakQIK is currently live in Australia, featuring a curated collection of top vegan and plant-based offers and coupons from various brands, including exclusive deals providing shoppers with unique opportunities to save. SneakQIK also has plans to develop a mobile app set to launch this year. Expansion plans are already underway for the Indian market, which will be followed by the launch to US, UK and the rest of the world.
Email:contact @ sneakqik.com (attn: Katt)


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APRIL 29, 2016 — The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has revoked the bunker craft operator license of Seaquest Tanker Pte Ltd and the bunker supplier and bunker craft operator licenses of Vermont UM Bunkering Pte Ltd, with effect from April 26 and 27 respectively.
The two companies will no longer be allowed to operate as bunker suppliers and bunker craft operators in the Port of Singapore.
As part of MPA’s on-going regulatory efforts to ensure the safety, reliability and quality of bunker supplies in Singapore, checks were conducted on Seaquest Tanker Pte Ltd in 2015 and Vermont UM Bunkering Pte Ltd in 2016.
MPA says that its separate investigations into the two companies revealed discrepancies and wrongful declarations in the records kept on board their bunker tankers. There were also separate incidences of transfers of bunkers between bunker tankers that were conducted without MPA’s approval. As such, says MPA, it has revoked the companies’ licenses as they had breached the terms and conditions of their bunker supplier and bunker craft operator licenses.
MPA is reminding all licensed bunker suppliers and bunker craft operators to adhere strictly to the terms and conditions of their bunker licenses. MPA says it will take firm action against any licensee that has acted in contravention of its licenses, including suspending or revoking bunker licenses, as appropriate.


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Last night, the stock prices of Apple and Tesla attracted the attention of global investors. Apple’s stock price rose by 2.85% as of the close, the market value rose by 400 billion yuan, and Tesla’s market value continued to evaporate…
Apple wants to build a car?
On December 22, Reuters quoted people familiar with the matter as saying that Apple is advancing self-driving car technology and plans to produce a passenger car in 2024, which may include breakthrough battery technology developed by the company itself.
Reuters reported that people who know Apple’s battery design have learned that the core of Apple’s project (automotive project) strategy is a new battery design that may “fundamentally” reduce battery costs and increase car mileage. . According to reports, Apple plans to use a unique “single battery” design to increase the volume of the single battery and release the space inside the battery pack by omitting the packaging and modules that contain battery materials. Apple’s design means that more active materials can be filled in the battery, making the car’s potential cruising range longer.
According to the timetable reported by Reuters, Apple will not officially launch the vehicle until four years later, which is consistent with previous expectations that Apple will launch the vehicle in 2023-2024.
The day before, Chinese Taiwanese media reported that Apple is expected to release Apple cars in September next year. The report also said that dozens of Apple Car’s first prototypes have been secretly tested in California, and Apple has recently requested many auto parts manufacturers in Taiwan.
We don’t know how the future will evolve, but judging from the innovative actions of the technology giants, this may be a new milestone. In the future, when we see Apple Car, it may be the same as when we first saw the iPhone.
Apple’s market value rose by 400 billion yuan overnight
The layout of new energy vehicles does not start today
As early as 2007, Jobs met with the then CEO of Volkswagen Group Martin Wendern to discuss a product called “iCar”. However, as for the development path of new energy vehicles, Apple has always been in a state of strategic uncertainty.
After the news of Apple building a car, the stock price rose 5% last night, and then the increase narrowed. As of the close, it rose by 2.85%, and the market value rose by 400 billion yuan.
Some netizens even joked that Apple’s stock price is now very cheap, with a price-earnings ratio of only 40 times, but now it is an electric vehicle company with a price-earnings ratio of 700 times. The fair price target is $2280!
Is Tesla stock scared?
From Monday to Tuesday, Tesla’s stock price fell for two consecutive days, with a cumulative decline of 7.86%, and the market value evaporated by 51.8 billion US dollars (about 340 billion yuan).
According to reports, Vitali Kalesnik, partner and head of European research at Research Affiliates, a US investment research firm, said that although Tesla is a great company, the current Tesla stock has a very strong high. Estimate signs.
On December 23, Beijing time, Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted that in the darkest days of the Model 3 project, he had found Apple CEO Tim Cook (Tim Cook) Discussed the possibility of Apple acquiring Tesla, but Cook refused to meet.
Apple really wants to build a car? Big bank opinions are now divided
Although Apple has not publicly acknowledged that it is developing Apple Car, the market believes that everything is possible, and the entry of technology giants is bound to become an important competitor of Tesla and have a certain impact on Tesla.
In this regard, Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas said that the bank’s long-term consensus is that Apple will one day design and manufacture cars by itself. But Citi analyst Jim Suva said on Tuesday that he “quite doubt” whether Apple will actually make cars. He said that because the profit margin of the automotive industry is much lower than that of Apple’s main business, the end result may be that Apple will push its OS deeper into the consumer and enterprise markets.


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Food Trucks, Restaurants Held To Different Health Standards
Nearly 60 Percent Of Food Trucks Cited During Inspections
Food trucks are not held to the same standards as brick-and-mortar restaurants, according to the Sacramento County Environmental Health Division.
Supervising Environmental Specialist Zarha Ruiz said food trucks are generally inspected once a year, while traditional restaurants are inspected about three times annually.
Restaurant owners such as Chris Nestor, of House Kitchen and Bar, receive surprise inspections, Ruiz said.
"If we were to schedule an appointment, I think there might be some special arrangements that happen as they wait for us," Ruiz said.
Said Nestor: "They come in any time they want. It is pretty stressful."
However, Ruiz said mobile food trucks get to schedule their yearly inspections because they are hard to track down.
"These mobile vehicles ... It's all over the board," Ruiz said.
During an inspection, Ruiz said food trucks don't have to be open for business, so an inspector could approve a truck to operate without seeing any of the menu items being prepared.
Often, the trucks meet inspectors in the county Health Division parking lot. Their counters are often spotless, with no customers to deal with, no employees around and no food on the grill.
KCRA 3 asked how inspectors can approve the trucks without seeing them in action.
"Well, when we do a fixed-facility inspection, it is also a snapshot," Ruiz said. "So, we rely on a lot of the fixed things we can look at."
Ruiz said some of those things include refrigeration and hot and cold running water.
According to Health Division records, nearly 60 percent of the food trucks inspected last year had a least one violation, and more half of them were so critical, the truck had to be re-inspected before getting approved for business.
"Can you imagine what it's like when they are not being inspected?" Nestor asked.
Lisandro Madrigal owns Chando's Tacos.
His food truck failed two scheduled inspections in a row last year when he was cited for a lack of hot and cold water.
"Things happen, things break," Madrigal said. "We fixed the issue, addressed it, and made sure we were compliant."
Chando's isn't alone.
Two trucks competing to be named "America's Greatest Food Truck" by the Food Network were among the nearly 100 trucks cited last year.
Drewski's Hot Rod Kitchen was written up for a "blocked hand sink," and "food stored at the wrong temperatures."
The inspector for Mini Burger wrote that a food handler "grabbed buns without washing his hands," and that a sink was "filled with buckets and dirty dishes."
"The reality is, that is something that can happen at any facility," Ruiz said.
Since then, both trucks have passed other inspections without any violations.
Ruiz said her division is trying to make improvements to the current system, and tracking food truck routes.
By the end of the year, she said, inspectors will be giving food trucks surprise inspections as well.
But even with those changes, things still won't be entirely equal.
The Health Division said food trucks will be inspected about twice a year, but traditional restaurants will be inspected about three times a year.
Even with the element of surprise, the failure rate for traditional restaurants in Sacramento County is much lower than it is for food trucks, according to the Health Division.


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A lack of competition in the home credit market means customers are being overcharged to the tune of £100m, competition watchdogs have found.
Consumers are paying a high price for doorstep loans, the report says
The Competition Commission estimated that customers pay 9% too much for loans from doorstep lenders.
It called on lenders to provide better information on prices and share information with other lenders to make it easier for customers to shop around.
It warned that it may impose price caps if these solutions were unsuccessful.
Home credit lenders offer short-term, small loans to people on low incomes, collecting repayments weekly or fortnightly with collectors calling at customer's homes.
"Customers value home credit because it suits their needs very well but the fact is that they are paying too much for it, because of the lack of competitive pressure in the market," said Competition Commission chairman Peter Freeman.
"Price competition between the existing lenders is weak, partly because customers seem insensitive to prices, given the greater value they place on factors such as the convenience of the loan and the difficulty in comparing prices between companies."
Six large lenders account for 90% of the market, with one lender, Provident Financial, accounting for more than half of the £2bn industry.
The report also found that over the past five years there had barely been any fall in charges - resulting in lenders making £500m in excess profits.
In addition, few customers had switched lenders, the commission found, partly because lenders with an existing relationship with a customer had a major advantage over other firms as they had more knowledge of the client's circumstances.
The OFT investigation was sparked by a super-complaint lodged by the National Consumer Council (NCC).


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Europe's leading home appliance brand Beko has developed Hygiene Shield, a ground-breaking portfolio of household products that use ultra violet light technology heat and steam for at-home disinfecting eliminating more than 99 per cent bacteria and virus, including Covid-19.
The household products have been created in response to emerging consumer needs in the post-lockdown era, providing a level of reassurance unrivalled in the market place, according to the company.
The seven appliances under the HygieneShield series are: Combi refrigerator with disinfection drawer, HygieneShield Washing Machine, HygieneShield Washer Dryer, Built-in Oven with Saturated Steam and Heat, HygieneShield Dishwasher, Tumble Dryer with UV Light Technology and UV Cleaning Cabinet.
Singer Bangladesh, the exclusive distributor of Beko appliances in the country, shared the information in a statement.
The Hygiene Shield has been developed as a result of in-depth consumer research conducted across the globe and with innovative new technology, according to Beko, which is owned by Turkish company Areclik, the major shareholder of Singer Bangladesh.
"As a member of the Arcelik family, Singer is proud to be a part of this humanitarian innovation in response to the global disaster caused by the Covid-19 pandemic," said MHM Fairoz, CEO of Singer Bangladesh.
"We are expecting to offer these HygieneShield appliances line up to the consumers of Bangladesh soon."
The appliances line has been developed with in-built disinfection programmes and functions to disinfect packaged food and belongings to help consumers adjust to the 'new normal' at home, according to the statement.
The formal announcement of the breakthrough product line came from a virtual press conference attended by Arçelik CEO Hakan Bulgurlu, Chief Marketing Officer Zeynep Yalım Uzun and top medical researchers on October 7.
"We are excited to introduce Beko's latest innovations and our first ever full product line to market," Bulgurlu said at the event.
"The products have been tailored to help consumers achieve professional levels of hygiene at home and protect them from infections and diseases."
Beko's consumer research across 31 countries revealed that one of the primary concerns is hygiene.
People have increased the amount of cleaning and laundry in their homes, with some people disinfecting bedding for the first time.
Around 75 per cent of the people are cleaning the house more often, 64 per cent are doing more laundry and 68 per cent are paying more attention to the cleanliness of the packaging on purchased products.


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REGIONAL—Hy-Vee announced today (Wednesday, Aug. 14) it is conducting an investigation involving its card payment system.
The West Des Moines-based grocer has N’West Iowa locations in Sheldon and Sioux Center.
According to Hy-Vee, the investigation “is focused on transactions at some Hy-Vee fuel pumps, drive-thru coffee shops and restaurants.”
“After recently detecting unauthorized activity on some of our payment processing systems, we immediately began an investigation with the help of leading cybersecurity firms,” said a news release from the company.
“We also notified federal law enforcement and the payment card networks. We believe the actions we have taken have stopped the unauthorized activity on our payment processing systems.”
Locally, this potential breach could include the Hy-Vee C-Store in Sheldon and the Fast & Fresh Express in Sioux Center.
Those sites have different point-of-sale systems than those located at Hy-Vee grocery stores, drugstores and inside of its convenience stores.
Hy-Vee director of public relations Christina Gayman said they can’t provide more precise details at this time.
“It’s in the earlier stages, but we are working to determine specific locations and time frames involved,” she said.
Hy-Vee restaurants impacted include Market Grill and Market Grill Express locations and its three Wahlburgers locations.
“It wouldn’t even apply to your readership, but food service — so the Asian, the Italian, comfort food, Hickory House, salad bar and that kind of thing — those were not affected,” Gayman said.
“We don’t have a specific time frame of when we can provide more information. Sometimes these things can take weeks. We are hopeful that we will have something sooner than later, but we definitely wanted to get out in front of this and let our customers know this is an investigation, this is something we recognized internally — it is a self-reported payment card issue — and we are working as hard as we can to get additional information.”


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Back in 2016, Malaysians beamed with pride when an Ipoh-born chef operating a chicken rice hawker stall in Singapore
was awarded a Michelin Star.
The news instantly garnered worldwide attention because prior to that, it’s very uncommon for Michelin to award a star to hawker stalls.
Fast forward to 2018, it seems like another Ipoh-born Malaysian has been awarded a Michelin Star but this time, this chef made history as she became the first ever Malaysian female to receive the prestigious accolade.
reported that the star was awarded to the Pertinence Restaurant in Paris, which is co-owned by Kwen Liew
and her Japanese husband Ryunosuke Naito
The award was part of the 2018 Michelin Guide France
On the guide’s website, it stated that "just seven months after opening their restaurant, Japanese Ryunosuke Naito (who trained at some of the most prestigious restaurants in Paris – including Taillevent and Le Meurice) and Malaysian Kwen Liew were awarded a Michelin Star for their interpretations of French cuisine.”
Liew also became one of only two female chefs to receive the recognition this year.
Pertinence Restaurant opened its doors in March 2017 and only serves 18 guests at one time. Wow, it must be very exclusive!
Congratulations! We know many Malaysians would love to get a taste of your Micheline-star dishes.
Maybe come back to Malaysia and open a pop-up restaurant, pretty please?


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A challenge of riding the white elephantEditorial | Mary Ma 30 Oct 2018
Underutilization of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge since its opening nearly a week ago is within expectations in view of the restrictions that only vehicles are permitted to use it.
Criticisms won't increase usage until the restrictions are lifted. But that's a political rather than a traffic-management issue.
For now, what Secretary for Transport Frank Chan Fan may do to stop people from decrying the multibillion-dollar bridge as a white elephant is to improve a situation that can only be helped by offering a lot more park-and-ride spaces in the short term, before ultimately removing the restrictions.
Scenes on Sunday of hundreds of home-bound commuters waiting for "golden buses" on the Hong Kong side were truly dramatic.
However, it would be unfair to blame the shuttle-service operator, who, one must admit, responded quickly to the sudden surge in demand. Understandably, there's bound to be a limit in the ability to cope with such an emergency situation.
The operator has since committed to deploying all double-deckers to provide the bridge service during daily peak periods - except this would mean the company won't have any to serve other routes that are equally demanding during the peak hours.
Critics may be tempted to ask for a fleet expansion, additional drivers and double-deckers. But would low demand for the rest of the day justify the cost without incurring losses?
Now that the mega bridge is open, the authorities can only do whatever is feasible to improve usage. The extremely low use by the logistics and cargo-handling sectors is a greater cause of concern than the Sunday incident.
If the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link is meant to provide an efficient alternative to transporting passengers, the world's longest sea bridge across the estuary is supposed to offer a direct route primarily for goods transportation - if economic benefits expected of the engineering marvel are to be realized.
That preference is evident in the toll structure. Lorries and container trucks using the bridge are charged 60 yuan (HK$68) and 115 yuan, while the toll for private cars is 150 yuan. Cross-border and shuttle buses are charged 200 and 300 yuan.
By comparison, tolls at Western Harbour Crossing are HK$70 for private cars, HK$105 for medium goods vehicles, and HK$135 for heavy trucks.
The tunnel's toll structure conforms with the commercial principle of charging users according to vehicle sizes, while the toll system of the mega bridge is clearly policy-driven - to make the facility as user-friendly as possible to the trades.
So far, bridge usage by trucks has been extremely low - averaging only 22 goods vehicles and six container trucks a day.
How could this not be a huge concern, given that Chan has said all 12,000 Hong Kong trucks carrying local and mainland licenses are permitted to use it from day one. Of course, he would lament the fact that less than 1 percent of those vehicles are doing so. Why?
The minister must find the answer - and quick!


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Tech News in brief of 16th September: News are just after the Table Of Contents.
Amazon Great Indian Festival 2019 Sale introduces From September 29
The E-commerce giant Amazon will introduce its 1st festive season sale of the year, Amazon’s Great Indian Festival 2019 from midnight of 29th of September. This sale will open early for Prime members from 12 noon on September 28 and end at midnight of 4th of October.
Flipkart’s Big Billion Days sale will also start from the same date of Amazon’s sale.
This sale of Amazon will give discounts on smartphones, TVs, home appliances, consumer electronics, and other products. And this sale also promised to bring the ‘lowest’ prices on selected products.
Tata Sky Multi TV Users Get HD Set-Top Box at Discounted Price of Rs. 1,199
Now, the company is giving offer on its HD set-top box at a discounted price of Rs. 1,199 to multiple TV subscribers. Tata Sky offers a maximum on three multi-TV connections, and the primary connection HD set-top box will be priced at Rs. 1,499. After that, the second, third, and fourth connection HD set-top box will be priced at a reduced tag of Rs. 1,199, a report claims.
Tata Sky is going to offer a discount of Rs. 300 on HD set-top boxes to multi-TV users. Company claims that this offer might lasts for a small interval of time to convert users into HD content subscribers. To get more subscribers, Tata Sky recently cut the prices of its set-top boxes once again, and the HD set-top box is currently available at Rs. 1,499, while the SD set-top box is now available at Rs. 1,399.
BSNL Bharat Fiber Rs. 777 Broadband Plan Reintroduced:
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) reintroduced its broadband plan from Rs.849 to Rs. 777 in the country.
BSNL announced this offer because of Jio Fiber broadband plans starting from Rs. 699/- in the country. This BSNL offers gives speeds of up to 50Mbps with a data FUP of up to 500GB for the 30-day validity period.
YouTube Charts Launched in India, Aimed at Empowering Local Artists:
On Monday, YouTube announced its “YouTube Charts” in India. Main intention of this feature is to showcase country-specific trending music lists, top songs, artists and music videos at one place.
This “YouTube Charts” feature is already available in 56 countries. And having two billion plus global users and 265 million monthly users.
MoviePass Cinema Subscription Service to Shut Down:
On Friday, The owner Helios and Matheson Analytics (HMA) of cinema subscription MoviePass said that they are shutting down this service. This service used to allow users to see as many films as they want for a flat monthly fee.
This service founded in 2011 and 2 years ago it lowered the price of its all-you-can-watch service to Rs. 710 per month.
Lenovo Carme Smartwatch With Heart Rate Monitor, IPS Colour Display Launched in India at Rs. 3,499:
On Saturday, Lenovo Carme (HW25P) smartwatch made its debut in India and carrying a price tag of Rs. 3,499.
The new smartwatch coming with an IPS colour display with touch support, a 2.5D curved surface design, 24-hour heart rate monitor and sleep tracking. This watch will come for sale through Croma and Flipkart. And it coming with two distinct colour variants — Black and Green.
WhatsApp Traceability: Facebook Offers Alternative Ways to Help India
Facebook Vice President Nick Clegg said that India pressing for traceability of WhatsApp messages to check the spread of fake news. Global Affairs and Communications offered another ways to help the country, without any reference towards tracing the origin of the WhatsApp messages.
Earlier WhatsApp said that the government’s demand to trace the origin of messages on its platform is not possible as it “undermines the privacy of the people”.
A professor from IIT-Madras recently said that this issue can be easily resolved without hampering end-to-end encryption and affecting the privacy of users. When a message is sent from WhatsApp, the identity of the originator can also be revealed along with the message. So the message and the identity of the creator can be seen only by the recipient.
Nokia 3.2, Nokia 4.2 Price in India Cut, Now Start at Rs. 7,999:
Nokia 3.2 and Nokia 4.2 have again received a price cuts in India. The Nokia 3.2 gives a price cut of up to Rs. 1,791 whereas the Nokia 4.2 gives a price cut of Rs. 1,491.
The Nokia 3.2 currently carrying a price tag of Rs. 7,999 for the 2GB RAM + 16GB storage option and Rs. 8,999 for the 3GB RAM + 32GB storage option. The phone was originally launched at Rs. 8,990 and Rs. 10,790, respectively.
And the Nokia 4.2 currently carrying a price tag of Rs. 9,499 for the 3GB RAM + 32GB storage option. The phone was originally launched at Rs. 10,990.
Moto E6s With Dual Rear Cameras, Interchangeable Back Cover Launched in India:
Motorola launched a new affordable Moto E-series smartphone Moto E6s in India.
This phone is coming with dual rear cameras, a removable back cover as well as battery, a 6.1-inch display with a waterdrop notch. And also coming in two colour options with a glossy finish.
The Moto E6s is carrying a price tag of Rs. 7,999 for the 4GB RAM/ 64GB inbuilt storage variant. This phone will go on sale from 23rd of September via Flipkart.
Therefore, i hope that the article was helpful.
Above was the Tech News in brief of 16th September. For such kind of daily News please follow us on below social pages-
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If you always fall victim to the chips, candy, and soda on display by the cash register, you’ll be thrilled to learn that Target is moving in a more healthy direction. Next month, there will be 30 stores that swap out junk food offerings in the checkout line with lighter options like Kind Bars and Target’s own Simply Balanced brand of healthy snacks. While Target won’t be totally eliminating unhealthy items from the checkout line ¡ª?just cutting down on its volume ¡ª?it’s hoping that having healthier picks handy will make the smart snacking on the go easier for shoppers.
This is just one of the new initiatives Target recently rolled out to support the health and wellness of its customers and employees. In addition to heavily discounting its C9 clothing and offering healthier cafeteria options to workers, Target will also be outfitting all 365,000 of its employees with a Fitbit ¡ª talk about work perks!
Image Source: Shutterstock


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Record 2Q for CP Foods
Record high shrimp exports helped push Charoen Pokphand Foods’ second-quarter net profit to THB 4 billion (USD 125.3 million, EUR 96.3 million), up 25 percent from the same period last year.
CP Foods is one of Thailand’s largest agribusiness conglomerates and one of the world’s largest shrimp exporters.
In an interview with Reuters earlier this month, CP Foods President Adirek Sripratak said the company expects its net profit to grow more than 20 percent this year, as it transitions from farming to ready-to-eat products. The company projects its sales to reach a record THB 180 billion in 2010, up from THB 168 billion in 2009.
“This year should be quite a remarkable year for us in terms of profit and revenue,” said Adirek.All Supply & Trade stories >


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Six children have lost their lives since the beginning of 2016 due to faulty Ikea furniture.
Ikea recalled dressers over what seems to be an endless chain of tragedies. The Sweden-based company has issued a general recall order for no less than 29 million dressers and chests, which can potentially be hazardous to children.
In June 2016, after the local authorities from the United States have linked a fourth child fatality with a piece of furniture distributed by Ikea, the company decided that the best course of action is to issue a mass recall order.
Over 20 million chests and dressers from the so-called Malm family are being shipped back to Sweden because of this new tragedy. According to the coroner’s report, the fourth victim was a 2-year old Caucasian boy living in Woodbridge, Virginia, who died as a result of the dresser toppling over and falling on him.
Unfortunately, it would seem that the long series of unfortunate events do not end here. Since the mass recall order was issued, two more infants of the same age lost their lives in furniture-related incidents.
In an open statement, the Sweden-based company expressed its condolences towards the grieving families and took the opportunity to discuss the importance of securing furniture.
Furthermore, in the same statement, the company declared that the client should always secure the dresser, by using the wall mount included in the package. In addition, if the client in unwilling to secure his furniture, he or she should at least keep it out of children’s reach.
In their written statement, Ikea also declared that these tragedies could have been averted if the owners would have secured the dresser’s drawers to the wall. After Ikea recalled dressers, the company said that clients could return them at their leisure if they are not satisfied with the product.
Ironically enough, it would seem that this is not the first time Ikea recalls its products for this reason. This Thursday, Ikea issues another recall order for 80,000 baby gates, after ten children were injured as results of the gates coming unlocked.
Also, in early February, the furniture retailer was also forced to recall several thousand HYBY and LOCK ceiling lamps, after 11 people were hospitalized as a result of the retaining clips breaking and glass shattering.
Ikea recalled dressed since June 2016, but it would seem that more and more Ikea-related accidents are discovered each day.
Image Source: Flickr


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Tales of financial woe are commonplace for nearly every major industry today, and the music business is no exception (aside from its oft-rumored impending death ever since home taping began.) However, just how accurate are assertions that the CD is dead and record labels are quickly becoming extinct?
Fanatic Promotion partner Sean Boyd, interviewed on the Fox News Network debunked many of the current myths about the music industry (watch HERE). “All of the press coverage is unfairly presenting the point of view of the major label companies,” Boyd suggests in a written statement. “Further, they are obfuscating the real issue by saying the industry is dying and that music sales will cease to be part of the equation and that songs will simply become adjunct content for other entertainment media as well as advertising. This is not the case at all.”
In the Fox Business interview segment, Boyd elaborates how the industry is changing. “Over the last 10 years, the amount of recordings sold has increased even though revenue is going down,” Boyd explains. “The reason for that is we’re paying less for music -- 99-cents per song on iTunes and AC/DC is selling for $8.99 at Wal Mart, 3 million copies. Basically we’re paying less for music but selling more.”
What is the music industry doing to survive?
“Lawsuits. They’re suing [illegal file-sharing sites] and that’s the main income for most of those large companies because they can’t adjust to the new retail price quickly enough to remain profitable. So, [the major labels’] biggest revenue stream is coming from suing people who are giving music away.” While the Recording Industry Association of America recently announced plans to abandon its practices of suing individuals for illegal file-sharing, the major labels’ lobbying group has instead enlisted the aid of Internet Service Providers in tracking and prosecuting violators.
“The industry is strong and will be here long after the majors are dead, and we will all still buy music,” Boyd says. “The story we are not getting is that there are more units sold than any other time in history.” Meanwhile, tales of the music business collapse overlook the rapidly strengthening new paradigm for the industry.”It’s all about newer companies coming out with lower expenses,” Boyd says.
While Fanatic has already positioned itself as one of the pioneers in a new breed of promotion companies, its latest venture, Fanatic Records (LINK) launches soon and will take advantage of the knowledge that Boyd exemplifies in the Fox piece. The record label branch adds all-inclusive recording at its own state-of-the-art studio, as well as album production, marketing and distribution to its comprehensive and innovative means of developing its artists.
More about Sean Boyd:
Sean Boyd has had success in managing business in a diverse array of industries. His first venture was Reasonable Resources, a firm specializing in supplying office supplies manufactured from post-consumer recycled materials. To offset the additional expense of products with recycled content, Reasonable Resources had its own in-house graphic design team. By taking advantage of the advent of desktop publishing technology, artwork for collateral was created at a lower price than clients were familiar with so the overall cost to the consumer was the same as buying products manufactured from non-recycled materials. His next venture was Grove Restaurant in Greenwich Village. Serving as many as 300 customers per day and well received by the New York press, the restaurant had revenues of over a million and a half dollars per year. For the past 10 years, Boyd has been the owner and in-house producer of Artfarm Recording (LINK), a state-of-the-art recording facility in upstate New York that includes housing for bands. Joining Fanatic Promotion in 2006, Boyd was instrumental in bringing efficiency to the data systems, financial management and human resource management of a company already successful in the promotion realm.
More about Fanatic Promotion, Inc.
Fanatic Promotion, Inc. began in the summer of 1997 with a passion for building connections. Now, working in the areas of radio promotion and press relations, it is an organization of a dozen “Fanatics” with the connections to channel those passions. As the name implies, Fanatic is made up of an innovative collective of music enthusiasts who have learned to work within the increasingly consolidated major label system while still utilizing their contacts within the already existing and thriving independent scene. Fanatic believes that artists should have the right to grow their careers in an intelligent and strategic manner that suits their particular style, market and technical expertise. Fanatic enables artists and record labels to navigate the industry, develop a buzz, and properly distribute their products by offering an array of proven marketing techniques.
Known for nearly a decade of marketing and promoting expertise, Fanatic has proven itself time and time again as a loyal and successful promotions partner for breaking new artists. The list of artists that Fanatic has represented is not only impressive, but makes up much of its collective record collection. Throughout the years, Fanatic has created a strong reputation among tastemakers in all of the key media markets. This has created a focused and effective outlet for artists to develop the fan base and tools necessary to succeed. With an extensive contact list, experience in the field, and a unique ability to cross-market and cross-promote their projects, Fanatic can expose both new and established artists. Fanatic’s combination of underground and commercial media contacts, together with its long-term industry relationships creates a way for clients to develop the concentrated campaigns which they feel their artists deserve.
Music Industry To Abandon Mass Suits:
AT&T First To Test RIAA Antipiracy Plan:
The Orchard Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2008 Financial Results:
Downloading Increases While CD Sales Decline:
AT&T Learns From Mom In Fighting File Sharing:
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You might not know it if you don't regularly peruse the less-traveled sections of your local electronics store, but Garmin and its competitors have been making impressively sophisticated GPS watches for years. They only escaped the "smartwatch" label because the buzzword hadn't been invented yet. Now Garmin, like Timex, is approaching the smartwatch from the other end, adding more and more features onto a design that's been present for quite a while.
Back in September, we heard Google's official plans to update Android Wear and add more functionality to the platform and its watches. The first update promised to bring GPS and offline music playback capabilities, so that Wear watches could be used without a phone to track activities and listen to tunes via Bluetooth. The second update is supposed to add native support for watch faces. And it looks like LG's G Watch is the first Android Wear device to start benefiting from these additions.
As a platform, Android Wear is in its infancy. Even Google itself is still figuring out some of the applications and limits of Android in a wrist watch form factor. But that's not stopping them from adding in a bunch of goodies, even at this early stage. Google's Director of Engineering for Android Wear David Singleton spoke with Cnet on the subject, and let loose a few snippets that should excite Wear fans.
Has your AT&T Galaxy Note 3 been having trouble finding and keeping a GPS signal? Then you're in good company, if the posts from aggravated users on AT&T's official support forums and XDA are any indication. One of these users contacted us to complain, and we can confirm that it's a problem with at least some AT&T Galaxy Note 3 units - one of the AP team member's personal phones demonstrates the same behavior.


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Could ATI beat nVidia to 65nm?By Justin Mann
Last week, nVidia became the first GPU vendor to have an 80nm part on the market. With their new GeForce Go 7700, the 80nm process card will become an ideal choice for notebook manufacturers looking to improve battery life and integration further. They beat ATI to market by a significant margin, who still doesn't have a date set for 80nm rollouts. But perhaps ATI will beat nVidia to 65nm, a feat even more impressive than 80?
A June 16 article cited Edward Chou, marketing director of ATI Technologies Asia-Pacific division, as noting that ATI's scheduled timeframe for a complete migration to 80nm production would come without delay. By 2007, ATI expects to start implementing a 65nm production node, in an attempt to bring better cost efficiency, Chou stated in the report.
nVidia hasn't made any claims about their 65nm roadmap. ATI is falling behind, so this may be their chance to catch up. There's probably a lot of turmoil involved in the merger, which may be impacting their R&D at this time. But with a claim of 65nm by 2007, they must have something up their sleeve.


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Gold rarely loses luster with investors, remaining one of the most attractive assets for years. In early 2021, experts recorded a surge in demand for gold. Demand for gold may increase even more in the second half of 2021. From time to time, the precious metal experiences high volatility and moves downwards. According to analysts of major banks, this year, gold will remain under pressure due to a number of factors
This year, investors should focus on the IT sector, analysts say. They consider this industry to be the most profitable one. Experts recommend investing into the top 5 tech companies which are projected to become the leaders of the information technology sector in 2021
Every year China becomes increasingly attractive for partners and investors. In general, the image of this country is gradually changing. Now China is not just a global manufacturing hub but also a state experiencing a remarkable growth spurt. Moreover, the country is focused on stimulating demand and developing new technologies rather than on supply. Perhaps every leading power will seek partnerships with China in the near future. This means that investors should take a closer look at this country
The e-commerce market is developing rapidly. Online shopping is growing considerably quicker than brick-and-mortar stores. It is no surprise that online retailers are sure to dominate the market as well as influence consumers in the near future. Small firms that are engaged in e-commerce and carved out their niche only regionally can suddenly become market leaders. Experts distinguish three small-cap companies that are set to boom in the foreseeable future
Scientists make new predictions about the future of humankind every year. Some of their forecasts come true. Other ideas come to nothing. Let us remember the prophecies of scientists made last year and see which of them actually came to fruition
When markets are gripped by high volatility, investors are caught between a rock and a hard place: which currency should they bet on - the euro or the US dollar? Investors have to pick a proper funding currency. It is a means of payment necessary to open carry trades in emerging markets. In other words, funding currencies are used to exchange against the asset currency. Most investors are leaning towards the US currency
On Wall Street, there are always companies which enjoy steady popularity among investors and there are outsiders. Nevertheless, it would be a good idea to know those companies whose stocks have not gained recognition from analysts but still deserve investors' attention. In fact, there are a lot of underestimated companies in the US equity market. Let's get to know some of them as their shares could make up a gainful investment portfolio
In February 2021, experts acknowledge a sharp surge in home sales in the US and a number of European countries. The ultra-loose monetary policy of low interest rates and an affordable mortgage (in the range of 1.5% - 2.5% per annum) boosted demand for residential property, analysts pinpoint the reasons. Interestingly, demand increased notably in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Forbes experts make a conclusion. This trend is especially evident in 4 European countries and a few states in the US.
According to a Bloomberg study of developing markets, some countries showed a relatively good performance last year. This means that these economies may well be included in the ranking of developed countries in the near future. Based on 11 indicators of economic and financial performance, 17 developing markets are set to mitigate the damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic almost immediately. Thus, 2021 could open up doors to a brighter future for them.
Nowadays, digital technologies allow people to achieve high efficiency of business processes. However, the team of analysts at Accenture Technology suggests that the world is approaching the post-digital era when the use of latest technologies becomes widespread. Experts warn that when this happens, it would leave many business industries uncompetitive. Therefore, in order to stay aloft, companies will have to look for new competitive advantages. Read about the five tech trends that will become an integral part of the post-digital age according to Accenture Technology
Humanity has always sought to make impossible things become possible. Some of the most bizarre and ambitious projects have already been part of our everyday life. Curiously enough, not so long ago, these things were the products of the wild imagination of some sci-fi authors and cinema blockbusters. Experts are confident that this trend will only strengthen in the near future. So, let us find out the top-8 fantastic things that have become the objects of high demand nowadays
The coronavirus pandemic has forced almost all countries to look for the most efficient ways to combat the virus spread. Japan has become one of the few countries that have logged the lowest death rate from the coronavirus. Curiously enough, Japan did not introduce a nationwide lockdown as well as it did not conduct mass testing like its neighbors. Yet, the country is handling the pandemic quite effectively. Find out what approach Japan uses to curb the pandemic in our photo gallery


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Check out our video highlights of yesterday's 'Pitch the Buyer Live' event at Natural & Organic Products Europe. Full report coming soon.
While NPN's reporters are busy writing up news reports from this week's Natural & Organic Products Europe, our 60-second 'show highlights' video will hopefully give you...
Check out NPN's video highlights of this year's Natural & Organic Products Europe. Full show report coming soon!
“Engaging authentically with our customers – that’s our big opportunity as independent retailers.” So says Food For Thought owner Alan Martin in a new video interview for Natural Products News.


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Uncertainties over trade agreements, market access, the free movement of labour and agricultural policy – along with the likely loss of access to EU promotional funding worth £5 million over the past ten years – were some of the key issues that might have had the organisation crying into its beer.
But, launching the review, QMS chairman Jim McLaren remained upbeat and said that the sector was used to challenges – and that it simply had to ask itself what it needed to do to maximise the opportunities presented by the new circumstances.
And he was in no doubt as to where priorities had to lie for the securing a future for the red meat industry.
McLaren said that securing the right agreements in trade deals was of paramount importance. And that message is likely to be hammered home again today when Andrea Leadsom, the UK secretary of state for the environment, food and rural affairs, makes a whistle-stop visit north of the Border.
“I’ll be reiterating the fundamental importance of the getting the trade agreements right not only for our farmers but for our whole food industry as well,” said McLaren, who admitted to concerns that some parties might not have a full understanding of the importance of food exports to the country’s economy.
The organisation’s financial report showed that, while levy income had risen, there had been a considerable drop in grant incomes from both the Scottish Government and the EU.
However, Scottish funding worth £1.2m over the next four years to set up nine new monitor farms in association with the Agricultural & Horticultural Development Board was secure.
While McLaren was reluctant to comment as discussions were still ongoing, there is no doubt that a resolution of the long-running saga of the “repatriation” of red meat levies on Scottish stock slaughtered south of the Border – estimated to be worth more than £1m a year – would help plug any shortfall in the promotional budget.
And although grant funding in general was proving more difficult to come by, QMS chief executive Uel Morton gave a categorical assurance that there would be no increase in levy charges next April.
Instead he called on government bodies to step up to the plate on their promises to encourage exports.
“We are currently involved in the considerable amount of work required to get our abattoirs and supply chains certified to re-start exports to the US after they lifted the ban on beef imports,” said Morton.
“A lot of costs are involved here and at the moment these are being met by producers’ levies, whereas in other countries – such as Ireland – these are being met from government coffers.”


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The need for Nigeria to eliminate impediments to trade facilitation on major highways was the plea by stakeholders at the Road Governance Caravan organised by the United States Agency for International Development in Nigeria (USAID NIGERIA) for states on the Lagos-Kano-Jibiya (LAKAJI) Corridor.
Development of LAKAJI Corridor as a multimodal major trade route in Nigeria is an initiative of USAID NIGERIA through the Nigeria Expanded Trade and Transport (NEXTT) project which is designed to promote inclusive economic growth through an integrated approach to trade and transport competitiveness.
Speaking at the caravan in Abeokuta, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works in Ogun State, Kayode Ademolake, noted that “impediments must be removed for trade facilitation to reduce the cost and time of moving goods and services. This will impact positively on reducing poverty on the corridor and the country.”
“Economic development of Nigeria is expansive and all challenges and encumbrances must be removed to improve trade,” he added.
In 2013, USAID conducted a baseline study on the LAKAJI corridor, which revealed that it costs over $3,000 and takes approximately 12.5 days to send a 20-foot container from Jibiya (border town in Katsina State) to Lagos, while it costs nearly $5,000 and takes approximately 19.5 days to move a 20-foot container from the Lagos port to Jibiya. The cost and time was the highest when compared with similar corridors between two different countries in West Africa and states in the US. The high cost to transport goods along the corridor is largely due to the lengthy clearance time and associated costs at the port with series of bottlenecks and fines along the express way.
A transport specialist from West Africa Borderless Alliance (another USAID initiative), Mr Noel Kosonu, noted that the preponderance of non-trade barriers is responsible for the low level of economic development and integration in Africa. Economic integration in Africa is at less than 11% when compared with over 71% in Europe and 53% in Asia.
According to Mr Kosonu, Nigeria is losing out from serving neighboring landlocked countries in West Africa due to its high cost and time of moving goods. Describing the Lome-Ouagadougou corridor as the most competitive corridor in the West Africa sub-region, the transport specialist stated that “landlocked countries like Niger and Burkina Faso are routing their goods to be moved through Togo because the country has drastically reduced the number of checkpoints, hence movement of goods through the country is faster and at a lower cost.”
“Nigeria can become a lot more competitive for trading in West Africa by the removal of barriers to trade and transport with harmonisation of procedure,” he added.
The Deputy Chief of Party of the NEXTT project notes that about 90% of Nigeria’s population reside along the LAKAJI Corridor, “hence the need to transform this corridor into an economic corridor because the economic development of the corridor which host the two most populated states in Nigeria will trigger the nation’s economy.”
The week-long road governance caravan is an advocacy platform by USAID NIGERIA, which aims to remove non-tariff barriers to enhance the competitiveness of the LAKAJI corridor for necessary investments. The caravan began in Lagos on Monday and it will run along the Southern LAKAJI Corridor states from Lagos to Abeokuta, Ibadan and Ilorin.
Leading agricultural producers, traders, transporters, officials from Federal Road Safety Corp, Nigeria Customs Service and financiers at the caravan proposed and advocated for systemic and practical improvements to the movement of goods, transport, capital, and services across the country.
By Augustina Armstrong-Ogbonna


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Puma appointed Julie Legrand as senior director of global brand strategy, reporting to company Vice President Brand and Marketing Richard Teyssier.
Legrand brings 20 years of experience in marketing and brand management to the role. Most recently, she worked as H&M’s global brand director. She also held senior positions in marketing and brand at Procter & Gamble.
“With Julie, we have found an experienced leader to head up PUMA’s global brand strategy,” said Teyssier. “She will define and execute our strategy to drive higher brand visibility and strengthen the PUMA brand and its perception around the world.”
Legrand’s hire follows the company’s decision in June to reorganize its global brand management and marketing operations and relocate them from Boston to Puma’s headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany.
At the start of 2023, Puma sharpened its strategic priorities and defined brand elevation as one of its top three priorities for future growth.
“Puma is one of the most recognized names in the sports industry with a fantastic brand heritage. I am very proud to be in charge of further sharpening the brand’s positioning and preference with consumers,” said Julie Legrand. “I look forward to working with the team in Herzogenaurach to further elevate the Puma brand.”


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EDS’ efforts to penetrate the Auckland market, a declared direction of the company last year, have proved less fulfilling than expected, at least in terms of clients, says Frank Chechile, executive director of the Telecom account for EDS.
Despite having 500 to 700 staff in Auckland, “at this time, our business there is still small”, he says. Hopes for customers in the Auckland commercial sector have proved substantially unfulfilled.
“Compared with a year ago, the economy has changed a great deal. We have decided to put our resources where our opportunities are, and that’s in Wellington."
The capital is the company’s traditional base, having founded itself in New Zealand on government and then-Wellington-centred banking business.
From the support perspective, however, the Auckland operation is thriving, Chechile says.
“We find we’re doing much more service delivery out of Auckland than we were a year ago.”
That business concerns ongoing client servicing, such as the operation of helpdesks, he says.
Auckland is becoming the central point for such services over New Zealand and Australia, and could in the future be the central point for these activities for the whole of the Asia-Pacific region, Chechile says.
A transtasman perspective is also making itself felt through the outsourcing of Telecom’s datacentre operation, LAN services and application development. EDS is equally a partner of Telecom in its expansion in Australia, says Telecom information chief Mark Ratcliffe.
Telecom is tight-lipped over the financial savings that the outsourcing arrangement has meant for it, but says it's about 5% for this quarter compared with the corresponding quarter last year.
The esolutions partnership with Telecom and Microsoft is thriving, Chechile says, and has resulted in development of a good many products in the area of infrastructure and “tools to sit on top of that”. But applications service provision, one of its original big planks when set up two-and-a-half years ago has proved “not nearly as lively as we thought it would be”, he acknowledges.
“We don’t really know what went against adoption of ASP, but the market wasn’t ready, not even in the US,” he says. Telecom's Ratcliffe says the complexity of licensing arrangements could have worked against the concept, along with the desire of many corporate users to want to tailor applications to the shape of their own operations, rather than just adopting them “out of the box”.