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February 17, 2021 at Rachawadee Resort and Hotel – Assoc. Prof. Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, M.D., President of Khon Kaen University presided over the opening ceremony of the Personnel Training Project during the Covid-19 situation of Khon Kaen. The meeting was organized by the Faculty of Economics, Khon Kaen University. At the opening session, Prof. Dr. Kalapaphruek Phewthongngam, Dean of the Faculty and Mr. Khemchat Somjaiwong, Honorary President of Khon Kaen Chamber of Commerce made a reporting speech. The participants at the training comprised entrepreneurs in the tourism, hotel and taxi industries. Guest speakers included Dr. Pongpan Satthathip from the Faculty of Business Administration and Accountancy, whose talk was on Building Impression among Customers and Excellent Service, and English language for taxi entrepreneurs; an officer from the Northeast Office of the Bank of Thailand, who gave a talk on Solving Financial Problem for Personal Loan Cases and Car Finance; an officer from Khon Kaen Office of Land Transportation talked on Regulations and Guidelines for Taxi Drivers; and an officer from Thailand Tourism Authority on Tourism Spots and Hot Hit Places in Khon Kaen.
Assoc. Prof. Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, M.D., President of Khon Kaen University said that he was honored as a representative of Khon Kaen Universty, that has taken the role in assisting, restoring, and stimulating the economy of the business sector of Khon Kaen under the spread of Covid-19, which has brought a lot of impact on the lives of Khon Kaen people. Dr. Noraongchai Akrasanee, Chairman of Khon Kaen University has had the thought to assist the community through the work of different faculties and organizations in KKU. The assistance is to be carried out for entrepreneurs under the budget allocated for arranging useful activities during February and March. In addition, there have been other activities that assist Khon Kaen people. For example, Srinagarind Hospital, the front-line screening place that provides health care to patients, also has the measure to take care of KKU students, such as providing scholarships, supporting online learning, increasing employment positions, allowing instalment payment of tuition fee, etc. In terms of health service, Srinagarind Hospital applies technologies to follow up the treatment, including the Tele-health or the use of information technology through the telecommunication system, the use of high-speed internet to provide health care service among the people living far away from hospitals or clinics. People can now receive service at their home, especially if they do not want to leave their home during the pandemic.
Prof. Dr. Kalapaphruek Phewthongngam, Dean of the Faculty of Economy said that the training to increase the competency of personnel during the spread of Covid-19 in Khon Kaen was aimed at stimulating economy among hotels in Khon Kaen and strengthening personnel in the tourism and hotel businesses. There were 15 hotels joining. Khon Kaen University sees the importance of the impacts from Covid-19 on entrepreneurs, and tourism and hotel entrepreneurs are mostly affected. Therefore, the Faculty of Economy organized this event, which has brought some revenue to the hotel where it was organized.
In addition, Prof. Dr. Kalapaphruek expressed her opinion as an economist about the economic recovery under the spread of Covid-19. “During the first pandemic, we can see that the economic structure was not in a severe situation in Thailand. The business sector temporarily had the employees stop working and wait for the better situation. After the lockdown, people began to come out and spend their money. Tourism started to improve. But the new pandemic has made many businesses fall. The mostly affected businesses this time include tourism industry, from taxi business, restaurants, hotels, to conference venues. If the situation ends or we receive the vaccine, the severity may recover, but if it is long, the impact will be widened and affect employment and a lot of businesses. Those receiving impact from being unemployed, however, are assisted by the government. These people may hold a supplementary occupation such as delivering food, selling food, selling goods online. We can see that under this situation, everyone must help each other in order to survive and successfully undergo the Covid-19 crisis.”
Mr. Khemchat Somjaiwong, Honorary President of Khon Kaen Chamber of Commerce talked about the impact from the spread of Covid-19 on Khon Kaen economy. The impact arising to the entrepreneurs of hotels, conference venues of Khon Kaen is really hard. Assistance from the government is less than last time. Many businesses have reduced their working hours to 50%. In one month, their employees are working only 15 days, and of course, with 50% less of the payment. These employees have to earn a special amount of income from riding to deliver food or being construction workers. “In this respect, I must thank Khon Kaen University for the assistance and for stimulating the economy by arranging a meeting and seminar. Those who manufacture raw materials or foods can benefit from the event. If there is no assistance, I think many businesses may have to close down in March this year. I would say that in Khon Kaen, there is still the purchasing power from the local people and the governmental sector, which still has the budget. If possible, I would like the government sector to use the budget by organizing workshops and seminars just like Khon Kaen University. We, as entrepreneurs, can only economize on the use of electricity and tap water, or by increasing working efficiency. While we are free from work at the moment, we must improve our work places, service skills and come up with differences.”
Written by: Chutinan Panjarung
Photos: Chaicharn Lada


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The rush toward self-driving cars just accelerated as California issued permits to privately held Wheego and Valeo North America last week, bringing the total to 17 companies with testing permits.
The state’s Department of Motor Vehicles said the two new companies now have approval to run tests with a single vehicle each, operated by up to four people, the Wall Journal reported.
Those who have followed electric cars for awhile may remember Wheego as the Atlanta-based company that sourced bodies from China that looked like a Smart ForTwo and assembled electric cars in the U.S. that garnered few sales.
The company’s website says it now builds electric vehicles designed “for a global market” and focuses on the benefits of connected tech in making vehicles aware of their surroundings.
Valeo North America is a subsidiary of Valeo SA, a global automotive car parts supplier based in France which manufactures everything from powertrains, to lighting and wipers, to driving assistance and connected car components.
Valeo’s autonomous test car, called the Cruise4U, was on the Paris Beltway a full 24 hours in one driving session in late September, with 99 percent of that time spent under fully autonomous drive mode, except for the breaks it took to swap out human test drivers.
The two new permits follow a California bill passed at the end of September that allows the testing of driverless cars in select locations.
Vehicles can be tested without a driver and minus a steering wheel, brake pedal and accelerator pedal, but testing must take place “only at a privately owned business park designated by the authority, inclusive of public roads within the designated business park” and at speeds below 35 mph only.
It’s apparent at this stage that Valeo and Wheego aren’t at that level of autonomous driving, but expect companies such as General Motors, Google, Ford, Nissan, Uber and Honda to quickly find one of the state approved business parks for testing.

domain: news


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Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries is coming up with a public-funded rights issue after almost 30 years on Thursday. Before this, RIL had released rights offer in 1991 when it issued convertible debentures. A company releases a rights issue to its existing shareholders to buy additional new shares of a company, thereby giving them right but not obligation to buy the company's shares.
RIL will also declare its results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended March 31, on April 30. "The meeting of the board of directors of the company is scheduled on April 30, to consider and approve the standalone and consolidated audited financial results of the Company for the quarter/year ended March 31, 2020," RIL said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange on Monday.
"The board will recommend dividend on equity shares of the company; and consider a proposal to issue equity shares to existing shareholders on rights basis, as may be permitted under applicable law, subject to such regulatory/statutory approvals, as may be required," it added.
The board meeting led by RIL Chairman Mukesh Ambani will consider the proposal of issuing new shares to its 23 lakh stakeholders. Notably, the Ambanis hold 50 per cent stake in India's biggest conglomerate, which has market cap of Rs 9.1 lakh crore.
Analysts said that the RIL could raise just over Rs 40,000 crore on the basis of Monday's closing price of shares if it goes for 5 per cent equity dilution. It may also help RIL meet its target to become a 'zero-net debt' company before March 2021, the analysts also said.
RIL is also expected to report fall in profit for March quarter due to inventory losses in the wake of a slump in crude oil prices in the international market. The RIL's announcement comes days after its subsidiary Jio Platforms Ltd inked a deal with social media giant Facebook Inc.
Facebook bought 9.99 per cent stake in the company for Rs 43,574 crore on April 22, making it the largest minority shareholder in Jio Platforms Limited. Facebook has said it will focus on collaborating its messaging platform WhatsApp with Reliance Jio's e-commerce venture JioMart and help people connect with small businesses. Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani said the RIL-Facebook deal would be a milestone for the government's 'Digital India' initiative.
Share price of Reliance Industries dropped 2.68% intraday to the day's low of Rs 1,391.95 in early trade on Tuesday. Later, RIL shares closed 0.02% lower at Rs 1,429 on BSE, and 0.02% higher at Rs 1,430 on the NSE.


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The musicians of the National Philharmonic Orchestra and four artists will join in a concert, which they will offer on August 12, with songs created with the help of ChatGPT.
The musicians of the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Costa Rica and four Costa Rican artists will join in a concert, which they will offer on August 12, with songs created with the help of ChatGPT (Artificial Intelligence).The show is called “BAVAR.IA”, since it is the beer brand that organizes this show that will be held at the Convention Center.
In this concert, attendees will be able to enjoy songs from the following genres:
These genres will be interpreted by the artists Sebas Guillem, Mau Madriz, Rowena Scott and Iriabelle González.
Purpose and passion
“We have purpose, passion and most importantly, we are made with soul, for this reason, we decided to launch “BAVAR.IA”, a project never seen in the country that merges new technological trends making it clear that it is impossible to replace human talent,” said Andrea Quirós, Bavaria’s brand manager.
He added: “’BAVAR.IA’ was born as a result of the brand realizing that AI is improving everyday life in many aspects, but that it lacks an essential component that gives life to everything we do in this world.
To do an exercise on this topic, Bavaria consulted ChatGPT if it had a soul. The system responded that it was an AI model created to process language based on data, but that it does not have a soul, personal experiences, emotions or its own conscience, the beer brand said in the statement.
How to participate for tickets to live this experience?
Enter the site almabavaria.com and complete the registration form to participate.
Venue: Costa Rica Convention Center.
Date: Saturday August 12, 2023.
Event only for adults.


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What began as an outcry against a well-known cryptocurrency exchange, Celcius, has led to a domino effect that has affected the entire crypto market.
What happens to foreign creditors?
Celsius, which filed for bankruptcy in July, has faced numerous legal issues regarding recovering its clients’ funds. In August, several creditors filed a complaint to recover over $22.5 million worth of cryptocurrency held in the firm’s custody service.
Due to the various difficulties that cryptocurrency investors have experienced this year, many insolvencies have occurred among crypto lenders. On July 13, Celsius Network, a crypto lender, filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company cited the extreme market conditions for its decision to go through with the bankruptcy.
David Adler, on Twitter, has pointed out that in addition to the misrepresentation/fraud claims, there are Celsians in every state and foreign country, each of which has specific laws. Additionally, Celsius has specific conduct (refusal to honor withdrawal, involuntarily liquidations, etc.).
Earlier he has stated that Celsius investors should add all of their claims to the proof of claim form. This is because, depending on the country where they live, they may have different claims.
According to Adler, he has also been speaking with creditors who have had their positions in various companies, such as Nexo, liquidated due to Celsius’ failure to transfer their crypto.
Core’s profit margin shrank
The price of bitcoin has dropped from around $69,000 in November 2021 to around $20,500. That caused Core’s profit margins to shrink. The company’s competitors have also started to exert more pressure on it, and the rise in energy prices has impacted its operations.
In a statement, Core noted that the prolonged decline in the price of bitcoin and the increase in electricity costs have negatively affected its operations. The company also said that the increase in the global hash rate, which refers to the computing power of miners in the bitcoin network, has affected its liquidity.
The company also noted that it has been struggling due to the legal actions taken by Celsius Networks LLC. Before it filed for bankruptcy earlier this year, Celsius was one of the leading providers of crypto lending services. It offered investors annual returns of almost 19%. On the positive side, the fees Celsius charged for its legal actions against Core should decrease.
Despite the company’s efforts to sell all of its bitcoin in June, Core’s cash position has decreased to around $26.6 million. It also noted that it could run out of money by the end of the year. Despite its efforts to restock its coffers, Core still noted that it could run out of money by the end of the year.
Privacy and doxxing issues
In a recent court filing, Celsius Network revealed that its CeFi platform had exposed over 14,000 pages of customer data without their consent. That was a shocking reminder that privacy is not always protected.
In October, Celsius Network, a financial services provider, disclosed its customers’ personal information in a bankruptcy court filing. Although its users followed standard Know Your Customer procedures to open accounts with the company, none of them could have anticipated the scope and scale of this disclosure.
Before the company filed for bankruptcy, they revealed that Alex Mashinsky, its founder, and Daniel Leon, its chief strategy officer, had withdrawn millions of dollars from the company. The disclosure also prompted many CeFi users to rethink their privacy protections.
The mass data dump by Celsius Network suggests that the company’s distrust of authority and transparency is not limited to just one organization. There are a lot of gray areas when it comes to the intersection of law and on-chain finance. Due to the rapid emergence and evolution of the blockchain industry, the conflicts and disputes generated by this sector have not been resolved by established case law or legislative frameworks.
Despite the significant changes that have occurred in the legal landscape in the blockchain industry, courts are still not prepared to uphold the standards of the on-chain domain.
So, what has the Celsius saga done to the crypto market?
Monsur Hussain, a senior director at the rating firm, said that liquidating Celsius would lead to a wider spread of negative effects within the cryptocurrency industry.
Celsius, a decentralized financial institution, has various assets in the DeFi world. One is the staking ether, which promises users rewards on deposits. According to Omid Malekan, an instructor at Columbia Business School, if the company goes into liquidation, it would have to sell these assets.
Well, for starters, it’s caused confusion and uncertainty. People don’t know who to trust, so many are pulling their money out of crypto altogether. That is causing the market to crash, and it doesn’t look like it will recover soon.
Cracks in the lending sector
Celsius was one of the platforms that allowed companies to park their cash with Anchor. That was a major factor in the cascade of failures that occurred after the collapse of the UST project.
According to financial expert and Bitcoin Layer founder Nik Bhatia, companies must find ways to source yield, often moving their assets into risky instruments.
According to analyst Prashant Bhatia, the company’s $1.2 billion balance sheet gap was caused by its poor risk models and the collateral sold off by its lenders. He also noted that the company lost its customers’ deposits due to the UST project’s failure.
The cracks in the lending sector of the crypto market are not the only ones. According to Carter, the various factors that have affected the industry include the increasing number of banks and investors withdrawing their liquidity, the tightening of underwriting standards, and the testing of solvency. He noted that this has the potential to drive up yields.
As you can see, the ripple effects of Celcius are far-reaching and have caused domino effects in the crypto world. Celsius’ collapse is the latest in a series of CeFi industry bankruptcies. While the platform’s billion-dollar deficit in bankruptcy filings is less than the norm, it is still significant.


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Summer 2020 COVID-19 U.S. Bag Ban Update
How Has COVID-19 Impacted the Bag Ban Movement?
The bag ban movement appears to be moving forward again after the COVID-19 pandemic briefly slowed things down. While some bans were temporarily lifted, others have been delayed and efforts to implement new measures are starting up again.
You can get a big picture view of the movement by checking out a map of all of the bag bans in the United States.
Or you can keep reading to find out what’s been happening with the bag ban movement this summer.
Vermont Goes Green
Single-use plastic bags were banned in Vermont effective July 1, 2020.
While nearby states either reversed or delayed bans, Vermont decided to continue with their initial plan and launched their bag ban on schedule.
It’s only been about a month, but so far the ban appears to be working out nicely in Vermont.
Massachusetts Allows Reusable Bags Again
While a statewide bag ban has yet to pass in Massachusetts, a staggering number of cities and towns have passed their own bans.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the governor of Massachusetts temporarily banned reusable bags based on a false concern over the safety of reusable bags.
This ban on reusable bags has since been lifted and many cities, like Greenfield, Reading, and Milton have all reinstated their single-use plastic bag bans.
Other Bay State cities, such as Newton, Cambridge, and Boston intend to slowly phase their bag bans back in over the next several months.
Golden State Reinstates Bag Ban
California took similar action and suspended its state-wide bag ban back in April. Many cities and counties that had preexisting bans followed the state’s lead and temporarily lifted their bans.
These suspensions have since expired and disposable plastic bags are once again banned throughout California.
Delayed Start Dates
Lots of cities have chosen to push back the implementation dates for bag bans that were approved prior to the spread of the Coronavirus.
Logan, Utah was all set to launch their bag ban back in April, but are now planning to make their bag ban official on January 1, 2021.
Franklin, Massachusetts had planned to roll out their bag ban on July 1, but are now looking at a start date of November 1, 2020.
The bag fee in Edwardsville, Illinois has been delayed multiple times since the initial implementation date of May 1, 2020. This measure is now scheduled to begin on the first day of 2021.
Several cities are making plans to add proposed laws to the November ballot so voters can make the decision. A proposed single-use plastic bag ban in Colorado Springs, Colorado will be decided by voters this November. While in Louisville, Colorado, voters will determine if a possible fee on disposable plastic bags will become a reality.
Do Your Part
Reusable bags are safe and it is nice to see the bag ban movement get back underway this summer.
If you or your customers live in an area impacted by a single-use plastic bag ban then you understand the need and marketing value of reusable bags.
We have been helping our customers create their very own cost-effective and completely custom reusable bags for over 10 years. Since we work directly with our factory we are able to keep costs low and streamline the process.
If you’re ready to help your customers, your brand, and the planet you can create your own customized reusable bags for marketing.Tagged


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XRP, the native asset of San Francisco-based Ripple’s XRP Ledger, skilled a flash crash on Hong Kong-based derivatives alternate BitMEX on Thursday.
At precisely 14:00 UTC, the worth on the XRP/USD pair shortly plummeted from 33 cents to 13 cents, a 60 % drop. Throughout that minute, quantity spiked to $6 million, in line with BitMEX knowledge. The cryptocurrency shortly recovered inside a second and closed at $0.3277, suggesting a big leveraged commerce was shortly worn out.
CoinDesk reached out to BitMEX CEO Arthur Hayes by way of electronic mail concerning the incident however has but to listen to again.
An all-cryptocurrency platform, BitMEX presents extremely leveraged trades of as much as 50 instances margin on collateral. If a guess goes the unsuitable manner, a dealer could be mechanically liquidated, wiping out the collateral steadiness on the alternate immediately.
BitMEX presents some novel devices not usually seen within the conventional monetary derivatives world, together with an revolutionary “perpetual” swap spinoff that doesn’t expire.
Lengthy referred to as a bitcoin (BTC)-only derivatives alternate, BitMEX has added further cryptocurrency property prior to now few years. Ethereum (ETH) buying and selling was launched in 2018.
XRP is BitMEX’s latest addition, added on Feb. 5. The corporate has places of work in Hong Kong however is licensed and registered within the Seychelles, the place its gray-area regulatory standing permits it to supply very dangerous bets on crypto. Bitmex has been investigated by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission and prohibits U.S.-based merchants on its platform.
Disclosure Learn Extra
The chief in blockchain information, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the very best journalistic requirements and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an unbiased working subsidiary of Digital Forex Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups.


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Will the most exciting Galaxy phone of 2018 copy iPhone screen tech from 2015?
Samsung is expected to release three flagship smartphones this year, including the “boring” Galaxy S9, the Galaxy Note 9, and the first-generation Galaxy X. The latter isn’t some sort of iPhone X rival that Samsung just came up with. It’ll be Samsung’s first foldable smartphone and it has been featured in several reports well before Apple’s iPhone X unveiling.
The Galaxy X may turn out to be Samsung’s most exciting flagship of the year, at least when it comes to design. The Galaxy S9 will be a “boring” update design-wise, and the Galaxy Note 9 may have a similar fate, considering the current state of Galaxy rumors. The Galaxy X, however, will do something no other Galaxy phone can do, and that’s offer users a screen that can fold like a wallet. That way, the phone can transition from a compact mode to a tablet mode. If Samsung gets it right, the Galaxy X may be the first smartphone-sized device that can transform into a tablet whenever more screen real estate is needed.
BGR Top Deals:
- There’s a way to have a Super NES Classic in your hands by next week
- Popular Bluetooth earbuds from Anker are just $19 today on Amazon
Trending Right Now:
- The Galaxy S9 chip that will let Samsung copy the iPhone X is official
- Scientists are developing self-healing robot muscles that work just like our own
- Marlboro maker Philip Morris just said it’s done with cigarettes
Will the most exciting Galaxy phone of 2018 copy iPhone screen tech from 2015? originally appeared on BGR.com on Fri, 5 Jan 2018 at 13:43:37 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.


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Jeddah Rosewood gears up for holiday rush
Jeddah, August 21, 2010
Jeddah-based Rosewood Corniche has found the perfect formula to attract all types of tourists, from business travellers to holidaymakers, honeymooners and pilgrims, said a top official at the landmark hotel in Saudi.
Rosewood Corniche, recently named Saudi Arabia’s Leading Hotel and Leading Business Hotel, enjoys a unique location in Jeddah and offers its guests world-class service and facilities, remarked Hans-Peter Leitzke, managing director at Rosewood Corniche.
The hotel’s continuous efforts to meet and exceed international standards were recently rewarded when the Saudi Commission of Tourism and Antiquities classified Rosewood Corniche as one of Jeddah’s few five star hotels, he added.
According to Leitzke, the Rosewood Corniche offers the city’s business population as well as business travellers a comprehensive range of corporate packages.
With six meeting rooms and three Majlis designed to receive up to 24 people, the premier hotel offers key meeting facilities and invites its business guests to enjoy all-day use of Rosewood Corniche’s modern amenities, flawless service and world-class catering at special corporate rates, he added.
Rosewood Corniche, opened three years ago, is the Middle Eastern boutique hotel of US-based Rosewood Hotels and Resorts.
“In recent years, Jeddah has been positioned as a lucrative business destination,” Leitzke said. “Yet more than a business hub, Jeddah is also the Kingdom’s favourite leisure destination and we are counting more and more holidaymakers and honeymooners from across the GCC and the Middle East,” he added.
Jeddah, which means ‘Grandmother’ in Arabic, is commonly believed to be home to Eve’s Grave, the mother of humanity. The city has attracted pilgrims from all over the world for centuries even before Islam.
Today, it is the main entrance to the cities of Makkah and Madinah and counts more religious visitors than ever with almost 8 million Muslims visiting the Holy Cities every year.
“From pilgrims who value a comfortable way to perform their pilgrimage, to business and leisure travellers who wish to make the most of their visit and perform an Umrah or Hajj trip during their stay in Jeddah, we have been receiving an increasing number of religious visitors as a result of our close proximity to Makkah and our efforts to always anticipate, adapt and fulfill our guests needs,” Leitzke said.
'Throughout the year and during Ramadan, Rosewood Corniche is offering Muslims a flawless personalised service and focus on inner purification and faithfulness, and offers a special limousine service for trips to and from Makkah and Al Masjid Al Haram,' he explained.
Moreover, guests staying in the premier hotel during the first 20 days of Ramadan can also take advantage of great promotions available on the hotel’s luxurious rooms., he added.-TradeArabia News Service


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Industry 4.0 Summit & Expo 2019 – Show Report
The first industrial revolution took place in the cotton mills of Manchester in the 18th century. Today we are in the midst of the 4th industrial revolution, a digital one often referred to as industry 4.0.
>> Our flagship event , The Industry 4.0 Summit and Expo returned in 2019 – bigger and better than ever in Manchester this April.
For those of us who braved the snow in 2018, this year’s spring sunshine was a real treat – but even that paled by comparison with the gems of insight that came tumbling out of the conference and Expo halls this year.
April saw a gathering of global digital innovators converging in Manchester at the UK’s largest digital manufacturing event, the Industry 4.0 Summit & Expo at the Manchester Central Convention Complex.
Focused on the future of manufacturing from an expert perspective, the Summit showcased the very latest technologies and solutions designed to make manufacturing smarter all set to a backdrop of compelling round table events, real-world case studies, networking and seminars delivered by a global panel of thought leaders.
Featured topics across the two-day Summit included seminars and round tables on pressing issues such as increasing the uptake of digital technologies in manufacturing, upskilling, delivering profitability in manufacturing and supply chain with Digital Transformation and IIOT, achieving incremental improvements, Introducing factory digitalisation step by step , made smarter funding & using AR/VR in a manufacturing environment.
Manufacturers eager to gain knowledge on how to adopt new management strategies to help improve their operations gained unprecedented access to a world-class roster of Industry 4.0 experts, including representatives from government and industry associates. The two-day event will also offered deep dive into government policy, facilitate access to finance and provide guidance and support for those ready to adopt the latest business models.
Event Director Gary Gilmour commented, “Our event attracts visitors across the manufacturing spectrum eager to get a better understanding of how to adopt industry 4.0 and then put this into practice. Our event provides knowledge and solutions, and plenty of case studies from companies who have already started their digital transformation.
“We made a real effort to attract more SMEs to the show too. Over 15% of attendees have purchasing authority of more than GBP£500k, which we believe reflects that senior management will only attend a couple of important events a year, this being one.”
The Expo portion of the show included the hands-on Intel IoT workshop, designed for engineers, software developers and researchers. The expo brings together market leading companies across the areas of automation, software, big data, cloud, robotics, sensors and VR/AR. Notable exhibitors and sponsors included Bosch Rexroth, Dell Technologies, Beckhoff, Made Smarter, Innovate UK, ifm, protolabs and intel.
Industry 4.0 Expo Highlights –
Industry 4.0 Summit
Meet the Innovators at Innovation Showcase –
New to the exhibition floor this year was the Innovation Showcase – a corridor of emerging talent and companies bringing their solutions to the UK for the first time. Amongst them was Joe Handsaker, winner of last year’s Innovation challenge, who returned to the Industry 4.0 Summit 2019 having productised his winning idea.
Joe was really impressed by the new Innovation Showcase area. “It’s been really good,” he said. “We’ve talked with some really interesting people with some really interesting problems and, most importantly, they seem really interested in us.
Digital Innovation Challenge Winner
One of the highlights of Day One of the Expo is always the presentations from new talent in the Digital Innovation Challenge, sponsored by Protolabs.
The competition has international reach. This year, judges assessed hundreds of entries from around the world before shortlisting the eight finalists who presented their Industry 4.0 innovations on the Expo floor.
This year’s finalists:
The winner of 2019’s Digital Innovation Challenge was Emmanuel Ayodele. His winning entry is a wearable textile with the capability of using the Internet of Things (IoT) and motion capture to assist rehabilitation.
SME Clinic Answered Your Questions
Another new initiative at this year’s Industry 4.0 Expo was the SME Clinic, sponsored by Value Chain. Here, visitors were invited to bring their challenges to the booths staffed by industry experts to access in-depth advice.
Alasdair Pettigrew, CEO of Tricorn, spent some time manning the Big Data clinic. He said, “The conversations I’ve had today have really been about what are the implications and opportunities of Big Data in manufacturing in general. And for me where it becomes transformational is where you can dice that data down to specifics. Understanding the clear ownership of data is important, especially for SMEs because they can’t do it all in-house.”
Also manning the clinic was Valuechain Chief Operating Officer, Michael Schraps who agreed that many SMEs aren’t yet collecting data.
Thursday’s panel discussion on the main stage focused on the skills gap facing the industry – from identifying which skills are required, to strategies for recruiting and retaining talent.
Join us in 2020: Industry 4.0 Summit and Expo, March 30 – April 1, 2020 in Manchester.


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Stocks fell over the week as protectionist trade policies weighed. The S&P 500 dropped 1.2% and the Dow fell 1.5% for the week. Internationally, Japan gained 1.0% and Europe ticked down 0.1% for the week. The yield on the 10 year Treasury bond eased to end the week at 2.85%. Article
Inflation eased in February rising 0.2% with core inflation posting the same increase. Over the trailing year the CPI rose 2.2% with core prices up 1.8%. The slower pace reduced concerns the Fed would move faster to raise interest rates. Article
US retail sales declined 0.1% in February despite strong employment and improving wage growth surprising economists.
The Trump administration blocked Broadcom’s $117 billion hostile takeover bid of Qualcomm on grounds that it’s a national security concern.
Toys “R” Us announced it would sell or close all of its US stores.
Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes agreed to settle with the SEC after being charged with fraud alleging that the company deceived investors about the capabilities of the company’s technology.


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Hyundai is gearing up to launch the new QXi, which will be slotted below the Creta.
At the 2016 Auto Expo, Hyundai had showcased the Carlino compact SUV concept and now the automaker is in the final stages of testing the vehicle. Hyundai is going to reveal the new vehicle in April and it’s launch is likely to take place in May. The automaker has now released a new video which also teases the upcoming QXi which will rival the Maruti Vitara Brezza, Mahindra XUV300, Tata Nexon and Ford EcoSport.
The video released, shows the Hyundai QXi making its way out the company’s manufacturing facility in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. A well-camouflaged test vehicle which shares a lot of similarities with the spy shots making rounds can be seen. In terms of exteriors, the Hyundai QXi will sport a similar design language used by the company. The compact SUV will sport split-LED headlamps and a DRL setup. It is likely to carry some design elements from the Kona. The QXi also gets a chrome-accented lattice grille, pull-type door handles, roof rails and dual-tone alloy wheels. The glass work is quite similar to the Hyundai Creta.
Hyundai cars are always known to come with good equipment on offer and the QXi won’t be different. Expect the vehicle to be loaded with kit like projector headlamps, touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, climate control, sunroof, electrically folding and adjustable ORVMs and a lot more.
Coming to the powerplant, the Hyundai QXi compact SUV, would likely be getting three engine options. A 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine making 100 HP and 172 Nm of torque and a 1.4-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine along with the 1.4-litre, 4-cylinder diesel engine, most likely to be borrowed from the Hyundai Verna. The turbo petrol engine will mostly get a DCT, while the 1.4 petrol will get an MT. The diesel engine might be offered with both AT and MT options.
Hyundai QXi Teaser
– The Hyundai QXi has been teased by the company in an official video
– Will make its debut in April 2019, launch by May
– It could get three engine options along with a host of safety and comfort features


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1K Kirana, an Indian startup that operates an eponymous hyperlocal shopping app and retail distribution network, has raised $25 million in a new funding round to help brands and convenience stores reach more consumers.
The three-year-old startup’s Series B funding was led by Alpha Wave Global, Info Edge Ventures and Kae Capital. A number of angel investors, including Amrit Acharya, founder and CEO of Zetwerk, also participated in the first tranche of a larger round of funding, the startup said.
Convenience stores can be found in tens of thousands of towns and villages in India. They have survived – and thrived – despite the billions invested by the country’s retail giants. But they struggle with securing stocks in large quantities and at good prices.
1K Kirana tries to solve it with a multi-layered approach. The startup serves as a distribution network for these stores and also helps them with digital marketing to reach more consumers. 1K Kirana also operates an app for consumers to discover, order, and pay for their purchases.
“We control their entire supply chain. We deliver the goods, we do the marketing and we ensure that the customer frequency in the store increases. These shops act as franchise partners and make money on commissions instead of playing on margin,” explained Kumar Sangeetesh, co-founder of 1K Kirana, in an interview with TechCrunch.
Consumers can either have the order delivered to their home or pick it up at a nearby store. If you have ordered an item that is not available in store, 1K Kirana will ship it to the store.
The vast majority of items sold in convenience stores are in the FMCG category. The challenge of operating in the universe of this category is that store owners make single digit profits by moving these items. The industry agrees that this problem is worth tackling as these stores are moving the majority of their inventory, so reaching them – and vicariously their customers – is critical to everyone’s success.
What 1K Kirana is trying to do at a fundamental level is help these stores significantly increase the number of items they sell so they can scale. At the same time, 1K Kirana serves consumers by giving them access to a larger catalog of items, more choices across all categories, and discounts.
“In our case, I collect supply demand from stores, go to manufacturers, lower costs, and pass the cost advantage on to consumers,” said Sangeetesh, adding that 1K Kirana is not a Kirana tech startup but a consumer play .
“The impact that 1K has made in the lives of consumers and franchisees alike in a very short amount of time is extremely difficult to replicate. The 1K Mall app has already enabled thousands of non-urban Indians to shop online for the first time,” said Kitty Agarwal, partner at Info Edge Ventures, in a statement.
“We believe the 1K team is building an iconic company that is transforming the way non-urban India shops for everyday essentials by expanding its selection with higher quality and more affordable options. The founding team is exceptional in their execution and we are delighted to strengthen our partnership with them.”
1K Kirana, which currently has a network of about 1,000 stores, says it has served over a million customers in more than 25 districts in Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. It plans to use the fresh funds to hire more tech talent to expand 1K Kirana’s reach to over 100 districts, he said.
The startup will also explore various monetization opportunities, including with data, he said.
“Sangeetesh, Abhishek and Sachin have built a company that combines strong growth with attractive profitability. We are excited to partner with them as they bring a modern retail experience to underserved consumers in India’s $600+ billion grocery market,” said Navroz D. Udwadia, Founder and Partner of Alpha Wave Global, in a statement.
1K Kirana raises $25 million for its hyperlocal shopping and distribution platform – TechCrunch Source link 1K Kirana raises $25 million for its hyperlocal shopping and distribution platform – TechCrunch


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Innovation in the times of a global pandemic
The covid-19 pandemic has thrown unprecedented challenges to businesses across sectors in India. The times have been particularly challenging for startups, however, many of them have risen to the occasion and have been aiding the fight against Covid-19 in big way. In this episode of Forbes India presents Ultimate 120 in association with Oppo, we bring to you a special conversation with three startup founders who have accelerated innovations in their organizations to help India fight Covid-19.
By: Forbes India
Published: Aug 10, 2020


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Railways minister Suresh Prabhu has cleared a new catering policy that offers licences for opening multipurpose stalls (MPS) at railway stations.... ...http://www.mydigitalfc.com/news/rail-kiosks-sport-look-airport-shops-431
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella unveiled a suite of products tailored for the Indian market including Skype Lite and Project Sangam, aimed to boost the... ...http://www.deccanherald.com/content/597730/nadella-unveils-tech-boost-skill.html
India's growth is projected to slow to 6.6 per cent in 2016-17 fiscal due to the strains that have emerged in the economy as a result of "temporary... ...http://www.rediff.com/money/report/indias-gdp-projected-to-slow-to-66-post-demonetisation-imf/20170222.htm
The adoption of the GST could help raise India's medium-term GDP growth to over 8% and create a single national market for enhancing the efficiency... ...http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report-gst-can-raise-india-s-gdp-growth-to-over-8-says-imf-2331698
Since its most popular mascot is no longer handy to win it elections, the Gujarat BJP has felt compelled to go to the voters with a populist... ...http://www.catchnews.com/politics-news/going-to-polls-without-mascot-modi-gujarat-bjp-banks-on-populist-budget-52687.html
The promotion of goods and services...


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Access Bank Rwanda on Friday, March 26, awarded three outstanding small and medium start-up businesses owned by women.
The competition was organized by the bank in partnership with ITC SheTrades Rwanda Project, and the African Development Bank’s Affirmative Finance in Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA).
Awarded businesses are Avo Care Ltd that produces cooking and hair oil from avocado, Ishyo Foods Ltd that produces jam, and Champion Grocers Ltd which produces fresh juice.
The first winner was given Rwf3 million, the second winner Rwf2 million, and the third one Rwf1 million.
According to Nadine Rutabayiro, Head of Women Banking department at Access Bank (Rwanda) Plc, the competition sought to celebrate women doing business.
“We dedicated the month of March to celebrate women in business, and by doing so, we had to award the best projects with working capital to acknowledge their resilience despite facing several challenges,” she said.
She added that among criteria that were considered while selecting stand-up businesses include the perseverance shown by the business owners through continuing production despite Covid-19 effects, checking whether that given business promote Made in Rwanda initiative and also solve different challenges that society is facing.
According to Access Bank Rwanda, the competition attracted 72 contestants of which 50 businesses were selected, before choosing the three finalists.
Rutabayiro says that besides the financial awards given to three finalists, training will be provided to 50 business-owners who made it to the semi-finals.
“We will train all 50 first contestants to help their businesses grow, thanks to efforts of our partners,” she noted.
Meanwhile, Ephrosine Mugeni Niyidukunda, the first winner in the competition, said that the prize comes at the right time.
“Our sales had reduced because of Covid-19, and the Rwf3 million will help me to invest more and even put in place all requirements that will enable me to get a registration certificate from Rwanda Foods and Drugs Authority, and then in future be able to export my products,” she said.
Sharon Kanyana who owns Ishyo Foods Ltd that was ranked second also underscored that the money she received will boost her scale of production.
“We thank Access Bank Rwanda for organizing this competition. Personally, the prize comes at the right time when I had plans to start producing yogurts, and therefore will help me to implement the plan,” she said.
A stepping stone to already existing efforts
According to Jean-Claude Karayenzi, the Managing Director of Access Bank Rwanda, among the lender’s priority include empowering women.
“This competition was just an awareness of what we have in store for women. Access Bank Rwanda has designed a value proposition to respond to the needs of women-owned SMEs in Rwanda including access to finance,” he said.
He added: “Access Bank Rwanda’s objective is to become the bank of choice for women and the Women Initiative was established in 2015 to accomplish that objective.”


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With the growing demand for Distributed’s Elastic Team platform, the new capital will be used to further improve its technology and expand its UK workforce.
Founded only two years ago, Distributed has already established itself as an innovator, changing the way businesses work. With its Elastic Team platform, customers only have to briefly describe the technical outcome that they are looking for. Then, with its rich data sets, combined with a global network of specialists, Distributed will deliver the best outcomes possible through its machine-learning technology. It requires no talent management from the customer and provides a dedicated project manager who will ensure that the customer and their team has everything they need.
In its freshman year, the company has already been able to acquire 50 industry leaders as customers. Mastercard, Sytner Group, Heron AI, REISS, and RBS are just some of the customers in Distributed’s ever-growing portfolio. And with its first-year revenues of over $1.3 million, it continues to make a mark in the business world as a proponent of change, shifting the way businesses in the UK are delivering work in the digital age. Now, with the seed funding it has received, Distributed will only keep growing. In fact, its UK team is expected to grow by 600% by the end of 2019, which coincides with the public availability of its platform via Distributed, allowing it to accommodate increasing demands.
“In a world where tech talent is in increasingly short supply, it’s clear that maintaining the pace of delivery required by modern businesses, via hiring direct or outsourcing, is no longer working. We created Distributed to answer this problem,” said Callum Adamson, CEO of Distributed. “Using our AI-powered global workforce, the best talent is deployed into work that is meaningful to them as individuals, and organizations achieve both their business goals and a better return on their spend.”
Mark Pearson, Founder of Fuel Ventures, adds, “The need for software development is accelerating at an unprecedented rate, which we expect to exceed trillions of spend over the coming decade, and Distributed will be positioned front and center of this growth. We believe the majority of businesses should focus on their own core competencies and use the Distributed platform to create better digital products for their customers.”
“This next evolution of Distributed will allow us to grow our team, our network of partners and speed the innovation of our platform,” continues Adamson. “We’re aiming to raise the benchmark on the delivery of digital work, and we’re executing against a tremendous opportunity here in the UK. Our ultimate goal is to make great work available to millions of digital specialists worldwide, while simultaneously removing resourcing, HR and talent headaches for businesses large and small.”
With its innovative technology, Distributed aims to enable a market shift from asset-focused organizations to outcome-focused organizations, connecting complex supply with complex demand through the understanding of rich data. This allows businesses to overcome the global talent shortage and to continue their growth and innovations despite the increasing cost and scarcity of specialist digital talent.
Photo Credit: Distributed


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However, the accessories business can be a lot like the clothing industry, with styles and fads going in and out of fashion. It's tough enough getting failure rates right for "regular" automotive products; correctly determining the whims of motorists' tastes in automotive accessories is another story. The changing nature of the accessories market can make figuring out what to stock or manufacture a tough one indeed. That's often easier said than done from the perspectives of WDs, stores and manufacturers.
Manufacturers are in an even tougher position because they need to know what's going to be "hot" not only now, but in the future as well, so they can prepare tooling and design enough in advance so stocks can be ready to ship when demand starts to spike.
"We get information from industry sources on vehicle sales by different categories," said Nathan Espinosa, director of Channel Marketing for Lund International. "We look at pickups, SUVs, vans and CUVs (crossover utility vehicles). We plan out what we're going to build two or three years ahead of time, keeping those things in mind and trying to keep up with the trends."
With trends changing as much as they do, keeping up with them can be a challenge.
"Originally, appearance accessories really hit in the '80s with full-size Fords, Chevys and Dodge pickups," continued Espinosa. "We had bug shields, toolboxes and running boards. And then over time, those vehicles became more aesthetic - they weren't just farm or utility-type vehicles. We've come out with more products that are more custom. So the problem is that you've got so much proliferation in your SKU counts, that it's hard for the retailers to [stock] effectively."
For stores and WDs, getting advance intel from manufacturers is important since it helps these businesses know what to stock.
"Typically we provide (to our distributors) the top-selling SKUs based on our history. And with our sales reps, we tell them, 'here are the ones we think you should be carrying.' It may be a dozen or so part numbers within each product line. And then a lot of times, they'll special order the C and D movers that they need from us."
A Growing Market
Just how big is the accessory market? According to the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), sales of accessories have greatly increased over the last seven years, from $8.3 billion in 1995, nearly doubling to $15.5 billion (at retail) in 2002.
The climb in the accessories market has been steady, with year-to-year gains hovering around 10.4 percent. This is, of course, no secret to the car manufacturers, which have been adding accessories to their line up of products available for installation right at the dealership or from the factory. Just walk the SEMA Show in Las Vegas and you'll see that the OEs are dead serious about attacking this important, growing market.
According to SEMA, market share among accessory retailing has undergone a subtle shift over the past four years. As you might imagining, specialty installation outlets have historically garnered the greatest share of market. But their market share has eroded, thanks in large part to the efforts of mail order and automotive parts chains.
Espinoza said that a growing number of accessories are not for the DIY crowd and require professional installation, which is good news for those parts stores that deal mostly with mechanical and body shops.
"A lot of the more popular parts are DIY, but we have so many parts that have to be painted and professionally installed," he said. "A lot of our products don't lend themselves to retail because it requires a level of professional installation."


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A crackdown on “compensation culture” has been announced in the Queen’s Speech, but there was no direct mention of the dramatic rise in holiday sickness claims.
Reading out the intentions of the new government, the Queen said her new government intends to “ensure there is a fair, transparent and proportionate system of compensation in place for damages paid to genuinely injured personal injury claimants”.
There has been an average rise of 500% in holiday sickness claims among Abta members since 2013, which is regarded from operators as a mass fraud on the travel industry.
The speech – through which the new government sets out the bills it wants to pass into UK law – came on the same day Abta launched its Stop Sickness Scams campaign to lobby holidaymakers to report claims management firms touting for false business this summer.
Travel Weekly had already begun galvanising the trade by launching our own Fight Fake Claims campaign on June 8, with hundreds of firms already backing our calls to cap the amount claims management firms can make off claims and bringing personal injury claims made abroad in line with those made here in the UK.
Despite no mention of holiday sickness claims, the Civil Liability Bill specifically mentioned false whiplash claims in motor incidents. The government says it is focussed on creating a “fair” culture, protecting genuine claims.
It says a crackdown on false whiplash bills would save motorists £35 a year on their insurance premiums. Tour operators and hoteliers have said a failure to tackle the issue of false holiday sickness claims could see a sharp rise in the cost of foreign holidays and could lead to hotels scrapping all-inclusive options for British guests.
Travel Weekly and Abta will continue to press the government for changes that will tackle the scourge of fake holiday sickness claims.
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All post are the individual views of the respective commenter and are not the expressed views of Travel Weekly.
By posting your comments you agree to accept our Terms & Conditions.


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Islanders will have the chance to make the most of the outdoors this summer, thanks to the return of Les Amis’ VW Camper Van raffle competition. Les Amis has teamed up once again with Jacksons and Motor Mall to offer one lucky winner the chance to win the latest model of the VW California Beach Camper Van.
This year’s raffle boasts an even better prize, with the addition of a bespoke pull-out kitchen to the van. Tickets were on sale on Saturday at the Jersey International Festival of Motoring, where Les Amis took a stand with Motor Mall to allow people to view the prize worth in excess of £50,000.
Jason Loveless, Head of Support Services, Les Amis said: “We were overwhelmed by the response we had to the competition last year, tickets having sold out well before the final draw date. This year we think they will sell even quicker, so we urge people to get their tickets as soon as possible! We may not be promising the chance to become a millionaire, but this prize will certainly allow you to make the most of our wonderful island and long summer nights.”
5,000 tickets were available for purchase at the Jersey International Motoring Festival, and will be at pop-up locations around St Helier during the summer, as well as at Les Amis head office at Five Oaks. The proceeds of the competition will go towards Les Amis and its residents, helping those with learning disabilities and/or associated conditions to reach their full potential.
Neil Wiseman, General Manager, Motor Mall said: “We are really proud to be able to support Les Amis on this competition once again, supplying the van to them at cost price and hosting the draw at Jacksons showroom.”


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State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said Barneys agreed to the settlement.
Schneiderman's office began an investigation nine months ago into charges that black customers were likely to be followed by store detectives and accused of shoplifting and credit card fraud. The attorney general said in a statement that some sales personnel tried to avoid serving black customers because store detectives harassed them about accepting their credit cards.
"This agreement will correct a number of wrongs, both by fixing past policies and by monitoring the actions of Barneys and its employees to make sure that past mistakes are not repeated," Schneiderman said.
The agreement includes a commitment to provide additional training for staff and take other steps to prevent future problems.
Mike Lee, the Barneys CEO, said in a news release that the store is a "progressive company" with no tolerance for racial discrimination.
"During the entirety of our 90-year history, Barneys New York has prided itself on providing an unparalleled customer experience to every person that comes into contact with our brand -- open and welcoming to one and all," he said.
Barneys, founded in 1923 as a store selling fashionable clothing at a discount, now has branches in Chicago and Beverly Hills, Calif., along with smaller stores elsewhere, as well as its flagship Manhattan store.
A number of black shoppers in the past 20 years have said they were detained when they used their debit cards to buy expensive items. Rapper Jay-Z refused to drop a partnership with Barneys under pressure from fans, although he eventually insisted the store put him on a committee to deal with racial profiling.


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THE centre helping small businesses across Falkirk district has a new boss.
Russell Parker has taken over as the director of Falkirk Enterprise Action Trust (FEAT). He replaces Sandy Riddell, who retired in September.
Mr Parker (45) said he was “delighted” to take on the position. He was previously assistant director of the Enterprise Trust, which is based at Newhouse Business Park in Grangemouth.
“As a Small Business Gateway outlet, we provide advice and training for anyone starting or growing a business, much of it free,” he said. “I’m happy to say the number of new firms FEAT is helping is increasing each year – and I want that trend to continue.”
Mr Parker’s links with the Enterprise Trust go back to 1990, when he took up a post as marketing manager. An honours graduate in marketing and a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, he left to become a partner in a creative consultancy a year later.
He returned to FEAT in 1995 as a business adviser, becoming business development manager in 1998 and assistant director in January 2001.
“My time here has been really varied and I’ve had the pleasure to help a wide range of people and businesses,” said Mr Parker.
“As well as Small Business Gateway services, FEAT runs a regular marketing club – helping local companies gain the exposure and sales leads they need. I’m also kept busy dealing with partners such as BP and the other Small Business Gateways in Stirling and Clackmananshire.
“Planning and running events such as our successful Start Your Own Business Show, E-Business Forums and Employment Law Seminars are also a time consuming and rewarding activities.
“We also provide room hire and training facilities for businesses and other local organisations.
“We provide such a wide variety of services here. Life at FEAT is never boring Â– and that’s why I’m so pleased to take on the director’s job.”
He added: “The staff at FEAT our Trustees – supported by, Scottish Enterprise Forth Valley, Falkirk Council our sponsors and partners – are excellent. Our main aim now is to build on the results achieved so far and help even more people realise their dream to start and run a business.”
You can find out more about FEAT by logging onto the website at http://www.feat.org.uk or e-mailing: firstname.lastname@example.org. Or you can call 01324 665500. Training and support for new businesses is provided free of charge. Call for details.
NOTE TO EDITORS:
During the 2001/2002 year, 268 businesses started up with FEAT’s assistance, creating 519 jobs. The number of new businesses helped increased by 12 per cent and the numbers of new jobs created increased by 8 per cent.
Full details are available in the 2001/2002 annual report. Click here read the report online
For further information contact:
Russell Parker at
FEAT on 01324 665500
Adrian Mahoney at
The PR Store on 01506 823714
or 07967 150560


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WAUSAU PILOT AND REVIEW
Police in Marshfield are asking for the public’s help identifying three people connected to a counterfeit cash investigation.
According to a notification from the Wisconsin Crime Alert Network, three unidentified suspects arrived on Sunday, Jan. 20, at a Marshfield convenience store in a vehicle that appears to be a silver Mazda CX-9, possibly a 2018 or 2019 model. The vehicle did not have any license plates displayed.
Police say the suspects entered the store after fueling the vehicle and allegedly passed two counterfeit $100 bills as payment.
Initially, two women entered the store. The woman wearing a black hat allegedly paid for the fuel and some small food items with the first counterfeit bill. The women then returned to the vehicle.
Several minutes later their male companion, who was operating the vehicle, entered the store and presented the second counterfeit bill as payment for additional food items, police said. The man was dressed in distinctive fur type hat and coat. The suspects were reportedly also observed entering a large retail store in the immediate area.
Police did not specify the name or exact location of the convenience store or the retail store nearby.
Anyone with information about the identity of these suspects should call Wood County Crime Stoppers at 1-877-325-STOP. Callers can remain anonymous.


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Photon Rao promoted to VP Legal Affairs
Jim Millis added to Advisory Board
BERKELEY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#ESG—Lygos, Inc., a vertically integrated provider of safe and sustainable specialty ingredients, today announced the promotion of Photon Rao to Vice President of Legal Affairs and the appointment of Jim Millis to its Board of Advisors.
“These appointments underscore Lygos’ recent growth as we steadily increase our offerings of high-quality sustainable organic acids and cannabinoid ingredients,” stated Eric Steen, PhD, CEO of Lygos, “Photon’s scientific and legal acumen, in addition to his proven track record of driving business priorities, will continue to help position Lygos for long-term success in this dynamic and evolving market. Jim’s deep experience in the commercialization of numerous bio-based products along with his technology expertise will be an invaluable resource during this exciting time of continued growth.”
Dr. Rao has more than 15 years of business-focused IP strategy, procurement and protection experience, in addition to legal affairs expertise. His background includes establishing strong IP platforms for emerging companies as well as participating in IP-related deals totaling more than $2 billion. Prior to joining Lygos in 2018, he worked at an American Lawyer 100 firm and as the Director of IP at Threshold Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Rao received his PhD from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and completed his post-doctoral research at the Louis Pasteur University (Strasbourg I) and the University of Florida, Gainesville. He has co-authored several important papers in peer-reviewed journals, including Angewandte Chemie, and is a named inventor in numerous patents and patent applications.
Mr. Millis brings over 30 years of experience in the commercialization of numerous bio-based chemicals. He is currently the Chief Technology Officer of Nature’s Fynd, a leading food company growing sustainable protein from a microbe with origins in the geothermal springs of Yellowstone National Park. Previously, Mr. Millis was the Chief Technology Officer of BioAmber Inc. and President and CEO of Draths Corporation. Earlier in his career, he was Technical Director of Industrial Bioproducts at Cargill and Process Development Director at Codexis. Mr. Millis earned his Bachelor of Science from Cornell University and Master of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh.
Lygos has created a full-stack biological engineering platform focused on organic acid specialty ingredients, health & wellness ingredients, including cannabinoids and bio-monomers. Lygos’ sustainable, bio-based chemicals replace expensive, environmentally degrading alternatives from traditional industrial suppliers, enabling customers to create better, safer products with value-added performance. For more information, visit www.lygos.com and follow us @LygosBiotech.
Lygos and the Lygos logo are trademarks of Lygos, Inc. Any other brands may be trademarks of their respective holders.


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The Indian Automobile Manufacturers Association (SIAM) recently announced that sales of two-wheelers fell dramatically by 65% to 3.52,717 units, up from 9.95,097 units in April.
Overall motorcycle sales fell 56% in May to 2.95,257 units, up from 6,67741 units sold in April this year. In terms of scooter sales, there was an 83% drop in land to 50,294 units last month, up from 3,00,462 units in April this year.
(Read also: Car dealership saw Bloodbath in May, sales fell 55%)
Sales of all three wheels were also successful, falling 91% to 1,251 units from 13,728 units in April.
“Most of May was blocked in many states, and thus affected overall sales and production. Many members closed manufacturing plants to divert oxygen from industrial use for medical purposes,” said SIAM CEO Rajesh Menon.
With the introduction of Covid restrictions in several states in the country, enrollment in all categories fell to 5,35,855 units last month, compared to 11,85,374 units in April 2021.
(Also read: Bajaj Auto sold 60,830 units in May despite pandemic problems in domestic market)
Menon said India’s automotive industry is committed to supporting the government in the fight against the Covid-19 Pandemic by increasing oxygen availability through various initiatives to promote health infrastructure and local communities.
(With agency tickets)
Be Updated with all the Latest Automobile News


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October 4, 2022 | 4 min read
Comprised of media practitioners, retail strategists, and senior business leaders, the PMG Insights Team creates compelling thought leadership, spearheads proprietary consumer research, and drafts editorial content on the current and future state of the advertising, media, and technology industries.
The upcoming midterm elections are driving record political ad spend, as controversial ballot issues and several high-stakes races transform advertising channels like broadcast, CTV, social, and programmatic into a battleground for engaging voters ahead of Election Day. This politically-charged media environment, with political ad spend estimated to reach nearly $10 billion this cycle, takes shape just as holiday sales get underway for major retailers and other brands, requiring non-political advertisers to adopt a flexible, brand-safe approach to navigating this critical moment. To help advertisers adapt to unexpected market and consumer signals, this report offers advertisers a few considerations for brand media investments during this time.
Political ad spend is expected to reach nearly $10 billion as high-profile races, coupled with partisan down-ballot contests, fuel a politically-charged media environment.
Streaming services like Hulu, Roku, and YouTube TV have emerged as popular platforms for political ad investments, while Big Tech companies like Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok announce new ad features, safety teams, and content policies to maintain election integrity, improve transparency, and curb misinformation or coordinated online behavior.
As Election Day draws near, advertisers must be ready to shift plans and adapt to unexpected market and consumer signals. Rising ad costs are to be expected in the days leading up to November 8. Keeping an eye out for unusual performance trends, such as spikes in CPMs, CPCs, or dips in ROI—while monitoring user sentiment—can help advertisers make the most of their ad dollars during this time.


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- Ethiopia to join the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative
- Ethiopia prepares to host international conference on development financing
- Kaizen management philosophy helps Ethiopia save over 268 million birr
- Chinese Ambassador calls for collaboration in exploring business opportunities in Ethiopia
- MIDROC farms to increase coffee and tea output
|BHEL commissions steam turbine generator unit|
1. Do you think Ethiopia will become a middle income country by 2020?
2. Do you think Ethiopia will become the third largest economy in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2017?


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Dear readers, With the launch of e-newsletter CUHK in Focus, CUHKUPDates has retired and this site will no longer be updated. To stay abreast of the University’s latest news, please go to https://focus.cuhk.edu.hk. Thank you.
Quintina Leung’s pursuit of happyness
Jack Kong eyes emerging industries
Tim Chan infuses public relations with technology
Leona Wong straddles the creative and the entrepreneurial
Eric Ng starting up to help startups
Jimmy Chan Reignites the Hong Kong Spirit
Lap Man Navigates the Local Startup Scene
Meet Alan Yip, digital marketing guru
Engineering student Jeffery Liu talks about his startup Panjury which organizes web comments, considered the flotsam and jetsam in the seas of information, to derive measures of public sentiment.
The 38-year-old tells how he plunged straight into business immediately after obtaining his engineering doctorate, and why he is moving out of his comfort zone again to make personalized children's storybooks.
Cindy Chow strives to expand the startup ecosphere
Eric Kuo’s career path straight out of campus
Laurence Chan and Martin Tsang Push the Frontier of Electric Vehicle Development
The online grocery A Store in CUHK, founded by Wu Yee Sun College students, offers another shopping option by selling unique local products.
The first person who introduced Nokia handsets to the Chinese market, Steve Lau morphs into an angel investor to empower young startups.
Engineering alumnus Rex Sham develops the world’s most advanced fire detection robot, achieving public good and profit at the same time.


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Materialise (Nasdaq: MTLS) has bought additive manufacturing (AM) software firm Identify3D and will integrate its security features into its own recently launched CO-AM platform. The company hopes that it will improve the safety, integrity, and quality of 3D printing for itself and the industry at large. To learn more, we spoke to Vishal Singh, founder of Link3D and, now, Senior Director for the CO-AM platform.
Improving 3D Printing Security, Integrity, and Quality
Using encryption, Identify3D traces and ensures the integrity of 3D printed parts. Additionally, the software ensures that the right materials and settings information are distributed along with the build file. With this in mind, Materialise believes more companies will be able to exchange files free from fears of them being hijacked, altered, or counterfeited in some way. Moreover, it aims to bring this integrity to its cloud-based CO-AM platform, which provides companies with a solution for manufacturing, analyzing and processing 3D printed parts.
In a press release, Materialise CEO Fried Vancraen elaborated on the necessity of file security in AM, saying, “We believe that the factory of the future will not be a single, central location. Instead, future manufacturing, enabled by smart technologies like 3D printing, will take place at multiple digital production sites, distributed around the world, closer to customers. But this will only be possible when companies are sure that their design and production data remains secure. This acquisition allows manufacturers to secure the flow of digital parts and maintain a competitive advantage.”
Joe Inkenbrandt, the CEO of Identify3D, echoed this sentiment: “At the center of a digital supply chain is movement of valuable data from design through manufacturing, Our mission has always been to address the security and integrity of that data. Integrating our software in the Materialise CO-AM platform allows us to fully unlock its potential and give customers security and control of their data in a way never seen before in the industry.”
Vishal Singh Weighs in
Vishal Singh was able to discuss the acquisition in greater detail. Singh is emphatic about integrating the digital thread and making Materialise tools accessible for manufacturing. To that end, he explained the issue of sharing operator expertise in a digital manner:
¨With CO-AM, we’re trying to plan, do, and check. We look at costs, quoting, planning, scheduling, post-processing, and a check phase for QMS and QA. But, a plan-do-and -heck phase is not good enough without, learn. For example, operator knowledge is invaluable, there is a huge amount of knowledge in the operator’s head. But, how do we get this knowledge and make it sharable? How can we track, trace, and have all of our software solutions in one ecosystem?
He further elaborated on the way in which third-party apps can increase the capabilities of the CO-AM platform and, therefore, 3D printing overall.
“We hope to let customers ramp up to production in additive and have higher return of investment. We’re doing that through our connected ecosystem, which also has an app store, with which third parties build software, as have Castor and AM-Flow,” Singh said. Castor is a unique software designed for identifying 3D printable parts within a company’s inventory, while AM-Flow is a developer of 3D printing automation solutions.
Speaking more specifically about the role of Identify3D within CO-AM and AM at large, Singh suggested that security will enable users to more easily scale their 3D printing capabilities.
¨Because of systemic shocks, war, and supply chain interruptions people are looking more at additive and managing additive. CO-AM, allows distributed manufacturing to happen,” Singh said. “We’re really there for people who are scaling AM in-house and are scaling third party supply. With us, they can now guarantee quality, security and integrity. The Identify3D acquisition allows CO-AM to become the most secure platform to scale their business. Overall, it will enhance the security of our [CO-AM] platform. In addition it will help to securely manage third party data and how to control it. How to manage data security and data integrity is important.”
However, Identify3D goes beyond security features alone. According to Singh, the software will also improve overall quality within a 3D printing operation. That, therefore, extends to the qualification of a production process and parts, particularly for industries where traceability standards are key. He explained:
“Another key challenge is a company qualifies a build internally, how to they then communicate this data with external parties. How do we know that the printer is using the same settings? In some cases, the build file is controlled by the printer. In other cases, the settings are established on demand. We help deliver the settings and the build file. We don’t just transfer data. We help you manage your recipe in a compliant and traceable way. We see outsourcing is happening more and more. More companies also have mixed environments, where they are doing production internally and externally. We can power these different factory workflows, internally and externally, in a secure manner.¨
Singh was able to tell us how exactly Materialise will move forward with CO-AM. In particular, he spoke to the ability of the software to connect to a business’s existing software tools, as well as the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in CO-AM.
“We want to eliminate artificial inflexibility in the ecosystem, work deeply with hardware and software vendors to make everything more frictionless. We will have a modular system that is very open to integration with PLM, ERP, and MES, with connectors available out of the box. We believe that better software will lead to capacity expansion and better ROI for the industry,” Singh said. “We also have a learning component that can let companies improve. We believe in a layer of machine learning above the data. Combining operator knowledge with expert-based rules and AI components will let us make more recommendations for improvement similar to how Spotify makes music recommendations for you.¨
With this latest development, not only is Materialise advancing its CO-AM platform, but we’re seeing the larger AM industry fall in line with the trends outlined in the “Automation, Additive Manufacturing and the Factory of the Future” report from SmarTech Analysis. While automation will, of course, include new robotic hardware for conveying 3D printed parts and powders around a factory floor, this will be nothing without a strong software backbone the likes of which Materialise is currently building.
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What would you do for a lifetime supply of snacks? According to new research, a sixth of Americans would completely shave their head.
The survey of 2,000 Americans found snacks aren’t the only thing to drive respondents to extremes — the same number (16 percent) would also shave their head for a lifetime supply of chocolate.
Respondents are truly willing to go above and beyond for their treats — 18 percent of those surveyed would forgo all of their electronic devices for one full month to snag a lifetime supply of snacks.
Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Moonstruck Chocolate Co., the survey looked to see how much respondents would save if they took these drastic measures.
At $9.22 a week, Americans’ beloved snacks add up to $479.44 a year — meaning the average respondent will spend $28,766.40 just on snacks during their lifetime.
The survey also examined American’s snacking preferences and their favorite snack combinations.
When it comes to deciding whether to go sweet or salty, respondents were split — with 37 percent preferring something sweet and 34 percent
Salty snackers also love their milk chocolate, coming in behind potato chips at 63 percent.
Respondents also seemed to be all for combining chocolate with other goodies. Four in 10 said the top chocolate combo is alongside caramel, with chocolate and nuts closely following at 39 percent.
“Each type of chocolate offers a distinctive tasting experience, allowing for a wide variety of pairing opportunities to create unique flavor combinations,” said Megan Jeans, Research and Development Manager for Moonstruck Chocolate Co.
Results showed that Americans are willing to imbibe in some unique combinations for snacking as well.


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Meat from older cattle exposed to BSE could have been sold for human consumption recently by traders who faked the animals’ identities, Nigel Gibbens, the Chief Veterinary Officer, has told The Times.
Officials imposed new restrictions on moving older cattle today to reduce the risk of new cases of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), which is caused by eating meat infected with BSE.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) acted after “several lines of inquiry” indicated that traders who supplied abattoirs had been trying to buy cattle born before August 1996.
More than 53,000 of these animals are still alive but they are banned from the food chain because they could have been fed with the infected remains of other cattle. Restrictions on…


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This was originally posted at ZDNet's Between the Lines.
eBay's first-quarter results were better than expected, and the company argued that it is operating with more discipline and smarter.
For the quarter ended March 31 (statement), the company reported net income of $357.1 million, or 28 cents a share, on revenue of $2.02 billion, down $171.6 million from a year ago due to poor performance in its marketplaces unit. On a non-GAAP basis, eBay reported first-quarter earnings of $499.9 million, or 39 cents a share.
Wall Street was expecting earnings of 33 cents a share on revenue of $1.94 billion. Meanwhile, the second-quarter outlook was in line with estimates. Wall Street was projecting earnings of 35 cents a share on revenue of $1.98 billion.
eBay is arguing that it is operating smarter. Is it? I'd give eBay a qualified "yes" on operating improvements. To wit:
- The indicates that there's more focus. It fetches a decent valuation;
- The shows that eBay is doubling down on e-commerce;
- eBay is also .
- The marketplaces unit--eBay, Shopping.com, StubHub, Kijiji--saw revenue fall 18 percent from a year ago to $1.22 billion.
- The payments unit revenue was $643 million, up 11 percent from a year ago. was up, . (Bill Me Later may be a worry spot, going forward, though eBay says charge-offs were in line with expectations.)
- Skype's first-quarter revenue was $153.2 million, up 21 percent from a year ago.
- eBay ended the quarter with $3.06 billion in cash.
The big question is whether operating smarter will really help eBay in its battle with Amazon. eBay's quarter was relatively solid, but the picture is mixed. By the numbers:


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Out of 11 telecom operators only five top mobile players were able to add new customers.
New Delhi: Telecom subscriber base in India grew by about half a per cent to cross the 121 crore mark at June-end, with the mobile segment accounting for the lion's share of growth with a net addition of over 60 lakh customers. Broadband subscriber base, dominated by mobile users, topped 30 crore, from 29.16 crore in May, Trai said in a report.
"The number of telephone subscribers in India increased from 1,204.98 million at the end of May 2017 to 1,210.84 million at the end of June 2017, showing a monthly growth rate of 0.49 per cent," the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India said in the monthly subscribers report.
Out of 11 telecom operators, only five top mobile players -- Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, BSNL, Vodafone and Idea Cellular -- were able to add new customers. Loss of mobile subscribers by Tata Teleservices, Reliance Communications, Telenor, Aircel, Sistema Shyam and MTNL held back the growth rate.
With a net addition of about 60 lakh, overall mobile subscriber base in the country grew to 118.6 crore at the end of June, up from 118 crore at the end of May. Mobile operators jointly added about 1 crore new customers, of which over 60 lakh were added by Jio alone. In May, Jio had added over 47 lakh.
It was followed by Bharti Airtel, which added over 20.47 lakh new customers compared with 20.98 lakh in May. State- owned BSNL and Vodafone were neck and neck with 9.95 lakh and 9.88 lakh net customer addition, respectively. Idea could add only 35,541 new customers in June.
Tata Teleservices lost 17.25 lakh subscribers, RCom 10 lakh, Telenor 6.82 lakh, Aircel 4.1 lakh, Sistema Shyam 2.48 lakh and MTNL 250 mobile subscribers. Out of total mobile subscribers, 102.27 crore were found active in June.
The landline segment remained a net loser of customers, with BSNL losing over 1.5 lakh subscribers -- highest by an operator. MTNL lost 10,438 landline customers, RCom 3,690 and Sistema Shyam 1,397. Private operators such as Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, Quadrant and Tata jointly added about 15,000 landline customers though.
Total landline subscriber base in the country declined to 2.4 crore at June-end, from 2.41 crore at the end of May. In the broadband segment, there were about 28 crore wireless mobile broadband connections and 1.83 crore fixed line ones.
"Top five service providers constituted 89.08 per cent market share of the total broadband subscribers at the end of June 2017. These service providers were Reliance Jio Infocomm (12.33 crore), Bharti Airtel (5.53 crore), Vodafone (4.11 crore), Idea Cellular (26.37 crore) and BSNL (2.17 crore)," the report stated.


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Calcium | 10.07.2020
Digital health analytics company empowers consumers to own their health data.Calcium, a digital health analytics company and creator of the world’s first consumer-driven health platform, announces the closing of $5 million in seed round funding. Since its founding in 2018, the Calcium platform has connected tens of thousands of consumers to their own health data, giving them the information they need to take control of their health with personalized “pathways” and tools and to securely share with their family and providers. Calcium also provides a comprehensive view of health data for employers-at-large, providers, partners, and payors; these entities see better health outcomes and engagement among their patients and employees who use the Calcium app. “With the growing desire of patients to be more active participants in their own health, the movement towards the consumerization of healthcare shows no sign of slowing down. Calcium is at the forefront of this movement. “We are literally putting all of a consumer’s health data – healthcare records, personal health metrics, treatment plans, wellness tools – in the palm of their hand via our mobile app,” said Calcium CEO Terrence Ryan. “By reshaping the way data is used, leveraging today’s technologies, Calcium is creating a fundamental shift to the healthcare ecosystem.” Calcium provides important benefits for consumers and for businesses, including:
Benefits for Consumers
- Better Outcomes, Easier to Manage – Proven reduction in acute care utilization, typically hospitalization
- Reduced Cost – Digital health provides cost savings to consumers.
- Caring for Loved Ones – Remote monitoring and connected devices enable family members to easily manage care, even from afar.
Benefits for Businesses
- Reduced Readmissions – Engaged patients have 15% fewer readmissions
- Financial Benefits – Reducing no-shows can increase revenue $25k per year per physician
- Fewer Errors – Engaged patients have 17% fewer medical errors.


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- Driivz has developed an EV charging operating system that is cloud based and used by more than 200,000 drivers worldwide.
- Centrica's investment in Driivz represents the latest example of a big business investing in the EV sector.
Global energy and services business Centrica made what it described as a "multi-million pound" investment in an Israeli start-up Monday. The business, Driivz, specializes in end-to-end software solutions for electric vehicle (EV) charging.
The investment in Driivz was co-led by Ombu Group and is part of a £9 million ($11.67 million) funding round, Centrica said in a statement.
Driivz, which has offices in both California and Tel Aviv, was set up in 2012. It has developed an EV charging operating system that is cloud based and used by more than 200,000 drivers worldwide.
Centrica's investment was made through Centrica Innovations, which was established in in 2017 with the goal of investing £100 million in new innovations and technologies.
"With 14 million EVs expected on U.K. roads by 2030, there can be no doubt that e-mobility will have a significant impact on how we manage the delicate balance of supply and demand to the grid," Jonathan Tudor, Centrica Innovations' director of technology and innovation strategy, said.
"This investment is a key opportunity for Centrica to support growing customer demand and work in partnership with Driivz to explore new offers for customers that connect home, work and on-the-road car charging, while also evaluating the role of EVs and potential vehicle-to-grid applications as part of the future energy landscape," Tudor added.
Centrica's investment in Driivz represents the latest example of a big business investing in the EV sector. In June, for example, BP entered into an agreement to buy EV charging business Chargemaster.
BP described Chargemaster as operating the largest EV charging network in the U.K. Founded in 2008, the company runs a public network of more than 6,500 EV charging points and designs, builds, sells and maintains EV charging units, BP said.
Of Centrica's investment in Driivz, the Israeli firm's CEO Doron Frenkel said that by working together the two businesses would be able to "expedite the adoption of EVs and … become a leading force in the distribution of energy."


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Peter Thiel, co-founder and chairman of Palantir Applied sciences Inc., speaks all over a recordsdata convention in Tokyo, Japan, on Monday, Nov. 18, 2019.
Kiyoshi Ota | Bloomberg | Getty Photos
Tech investor Peter Thiel criticized immense U.S. technology corporations for being too shut to China at a Tuesday examine a digital occasion held by the Richard Nixon Foundation.
Thiel, who co-founded PayPal and sits on Fb‘s board after making an early funding, is an outspoken snort within the technology funding world is identified for contrarian opinions and conservative leanings. He’s backed defense contractors fancy Palantir and publicly supported frail President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign for president.
On Wednesday, the Nixon session inflamed by China, and he was joined by frail Secretary of Inform Mike Pompeo and frail Nationwide Security Consultant Robert O’Brien.
Thiel criticized Google for its work on man made intelligence with Chinese universities, in part thanks to conversations he claimed to comprise with company insiders, per a transcript of the occasion reviewed by CNBC.
“Since the entire lot in China is a civilian- military fusion, Google was effectively working with the Chinese military, no longer with the American military,” Thiel mentioned. He furthermore unhappy that Google “insiders” urged him that they labored with the Chinese on story of “they figured they may possibly possibly possibly furthermore as effectively give the technology out the entrance door, on story of within the occasion that they didn’t give it – it may possibly possibly possibly to find stolen anyway.”
Thiel had beforehand criticized Google in 2019, asserting that the FBI and CIA have to unruffled investigate Google and quiz whether it had been compromised by Chinese spies.
A Google spokesperson mentioned at the time: “As we now comprise mentioned earlier than, we attain no longer work with the Chinese military.”
Thiel furthermore mentioned that Apple was no longer liable to confront China thanks to its massive present chain to procedure iPhones and other merchandise within the nation. He renowned that other immense technology corporations fancy Fb, Amazon and Microsoft originate no longer comprise as vast industry pursuits within the nation, in some cases for the reason that Chinese executive has restricted what they’ll attain there.
He called for the U.S. to position a “lot of stress” and scrutiny on Apple thanks to its labor present chain within the nation.
“Apple is potentially the one who’s structurally an real area, for the reason that entire iPhone present chain will get made of China,” Thiel mentioned. “Apple is one which has precise synergies with China.”
He furthermore perceived to interchange his tell on Bitcoin all over the debate. Thiel has invested in Bitcoin corporations and beforehand mentioned he was “lengthy bitcoin” and considers it the “digital equivalent of gold.”
On Tuesday, Thiel mentioned that Bitcoin threatens the U.S. dollar.
“Even supposing I’m form of an professional-crypto, professional-Bitcoin maximalist person, I attain shock if at this level Bitcoin have to unruffled furthermore be opinion in section of as a Chinese financial weapon in opposition to the U.S., the assign it threatens fiat cash, alternatively it especially threatens the U.S. dollar, and China wants to achieve things to weaken it, so China’s lengthy Bitcoin,” Thiel mentioned.


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Sunday, October 06, 2019
Deutsche Post now has 10,000 street scooters on the street.
(Photo: picture alliance / dpa)
Deutsche Post is expecting this year again for its electric transporter business
a clear minus. The street scooter is still a success story, affirms CEO Appel. The logistics company is still talking to prospective buyers.
The electric transporter Streetscooter will again cause a high double-digit million loss at Deutsche Post this year. The company therefore speaks with "potential partners and prospective buyers," said CEO Frank Appel the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung". After a loss of € 70 million in 2018, "a significant double-digit million amount" will again be a deficit this year, said Appel. Deutsche Post 28.88 For the street scooter, Swiss Post was "not the best owner in the long term alone." The investors wanted a logistics company, not a car company. "From the beginning it was clear that the mail would not be an automaker, said Appel.For the German Post DHL as the world's largest logistics group, the tariff conflicts" so far "would have an impact on the business, so Appel "That may change over the next few months, but the long-term trend is stable: world trade will continue to grow, and so will our business." He said he was "more confident than most about the escalating trade disputes," he said Post-Chief. "Globalization has brought prosperity for decades. That can not and will not be reversed. "The American government under President Trump is following a" clear plan, as well as the Chinese, "Appel said." Both sides are testing how far they can go and then eventually they will agree. "At the same time, Appel's fears of a crash in the economy in Germany contradicted." It is not very likely that we will see a recession next year. "Even in such a case," there will be no big increase in unemployment. The labor market is still very tense, there is a lack of skilled workers. "The fear of a massive job cuts as a result of technical progress considers Appel to be completely unfounded." Mankind has survived the PC, without mass layoffs. People have learned to do that. It will happen again this time. "


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Apple Releases iOS 7.0.4: Jailbreak Safe but You Should Probably Avoid it
Submitted by Marshall Walker on
Apple released iOS 7.0.4 to fix a FaceTime bug that caused "calls to fail for some users." Soon after the release, @iH8sn0w tweeted that the update “has no security changes.” iH8sn0w later added that the last few iOS updates "have not been directed as patching anything jb-related," and that Apple is probably waiting for the iOS 7 jailbreak to be released before they patch any exploits.
Soon after iH8sn0w's tweet, @MuscleNerd also confirmed that iOS 7.0.4 is jailbreak safe, but advised users to “avoid it" if they plan to jailbreak in the future. Apple's previous OS update, 7.0.3, was also found to be safe for jailbreakers by the evad3rs, who are the team of hackers working on the iOS 7 jailbreak.


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Companies keep trying to make neck speakers a thing. People must be buying them, though, because Panasonic is releasing a new one: the GNW10 SoundSlayer, a wireless neck speaker with AI voice isolation (which it confusingly calls “AI voice control”) for phone calls and in-game voice chat. The SoundSlayer is $299 and will be available in late October of this year.
This is essentially an updated version of the wired SoundSlayer neck speaker that Panasonic released two years ago. The biggest change is that the new SoundSlayer employs a small transmitter that plugs into your console or PC and sends audio with a proprietary 2.4GHz wireless protocol that Panasonic says is good for under 20ms of latency. That’s less than you’d typically see with Bluetooth audio, which can be delayed by hundreds of milliseconds, so the sound should be more immediate. That can be crucial in, say, a first-person shooter.
The other headline feature is what Panasonic is calling “AI voice control” (a confusing name for its beamforming noise-cancellation abilities since you can’t actually control the speaker with your voice). The wired SoundSlayer also has noise cancellation, but Panasonic claims that the new product will leverage AI to better cut out background noise and echo during calls. Whether it actually does a better job will remain to be seen until it makes its way to the public.
The new SoundSlayer also has a 60 percent larger housing than its predecessor did, which the company says will improve bass.
Like its predecessor, this SoundSlayer model has four speakers and six sound modes for different scenarios, including three distinct game modes for RPGs, first-person shooters, and dialogue-heavy titles.
Panasonic says it “identified points of fatigue and discomfort” commonly shared by neck-worn devices and designed the SoundSlayer not to “burden” your trapezius muscles — the muscles that run from your neck across your shoulders and down to a point in the middle of your back — or dig into your clavicle bones.
Similar wireless neck speakers include the discontinued Bose SoundWear Companion — which The Verge’s review called fun if often impractical — and Sony’s Bravia XR-focused neck speaker.