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BeerBurger backs out of Iowa City
After less than a year at it's Iowa City location, BeerBurger has closed its doors. The restaurant was the second location opened by the North Liberty-based business.
Neither BeerBurger general manager Adam Douglas, nor building owner Jeff Clark could be reached for comment. However, former Zombie Burger co-owner Paul Rottenberg — who closed that chain's store in the same Iowa City location in February of 2018 after a little over a year in the same location — indicated lack of foot traffic might be the issue.
“While we thought building a Zombie Burger in the epicenter of a college town would be a slam dunk, it became clear that our high-volume, family-driven brand wasn’t a fit for the setting,” said Rottenberg, co-owner of Zombie Burger and president of Orchestrate Hospitality, in a news release at the time.
John Burchert, CEO of MAiNGREDIANT, which operates BeerBurger, said the company will be concentrating on its original location in a release sent to the Press-Citizen regarding the Iowa City closing.
"While responding to the ever-changing demands of the industry, we have decided to consolidate our BeerBurger resources into our original North Liberty, Iowa location to strengthen our position," a selection of the release reads. "We would like to thank all of our customers for their continued support as well as Iowa City and the Downtown District for recognizing the ongoing need for small business to thrive."
Local business, Estela's Fresh Mex, is right next door to the former BeerBurger location. Estela's opened in October of 2017, and co-owner Jerry Vazquez said the restaurant continues to grow its customer base.
“We’ve had a steady increase since we’ve opened; little bit of a dip in the summer but other than that (we've seen an increase)," said Vazquez. “Our numbers have increased between 20 and 30 percent from last summer.”
He attributes Estela's success in part to being owner-operated. Iowa City customers, he said, appear to be eager to support businesses like that. He also pointed out that though Chipotle and Pancheros offer similar food options, Estela's offers options they don't.
"The late night really does help us; late night is one of our busiest times," said Vazquez, referring to the fact Estela's is open from 7 a.m. to 3 a.m. three days of the week. While Pancheros has similar hours—open to at least 2 a.m. seven days a week—Chipotle closes earlier and neither venue is open during breakfast hours.
For Kevin Wu, manager and owner of Soseki Café, located in the same building, supplying a menu and services unique from other downtown eateries has helped him maintain a strong customer base.
Still, he knows it's been tough for many restaurants given the non-mandatory increase of Johnson County's minimum wage that took effect July 1. In his case, the cost of some of the goods he imports for his restaurant have gone up remarkably due to tariffs.
“I’m not really surprised that Zombie Burger or BeerBurger went away," Wu said. “When there’s something that’s happening, the first ones to go are the (businesses) that are a little slower."
Isaac Hamlet covers arts, entertainment and culture at the Press-Citizen. Reach him at firstname.lastname@example.org or (319)-688-4247, follow him on Twitter @IsaacHamlet


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09 julio 2012
"This is a fantastic vote in the future of the British economy and British businesses," said Lord Stephen Green, UK Trade and Investment Minister, as the World Investment Report placed the UK top in Europe and second in the world for attracting inward investment, after the United States.
According to a UK Trade and Investment press release, in welcoming the World Investment Report, Lord Green went on to say that foreign direct investment is critical to the UK economy, safeguarding and creating around 100,000 jobs a year.
"We all win from attracting foreign investment to the UK. Today (5 July), the Shard is opening in London thanks to investment from Qatar.
Iconic UK brands such as Jaguar Land Rover and Mini have been strengthened and revitalised by investment from India and Germany.
And investors from China and the Middle East are among those building the infrastructure that our country needs for the future,” Lord Green was quoted as saying.

domain: news


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Japanese automakers are very likely counting down the days of 2011.
Read This Article
The NHTSA and Subaru this morning announced a safety recall for 2009-2012 Subaru Forester SUV's that were manufactured from November 26, 2007 through March 13, 2012.
The 2014 Subaru WRX and WRX STI now have a price tag attached to it. Come and get 'em.
The 2013 Scion FR-S and the 2013 Subaru BRZ haven't been on the market long, but there's already a recall.


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This weekend, on the eve of its release, I took the 2017 Lincoln Continental for a test-drive. Heading to a friend’s house in Connecticut, I departed New York City by way of a gridlocked FDR Drive. The traffic allowed ample time to test out several of the innovative interior advancements. The adjustable leather seats offer temperature control and 30 other customizable settings, including a lower-back massage, which can be adjusted for area and pressure. Although I was stuck, bumper to bumper, with hundreds of frustrated drivers, I was momentarily quite content in my spalike sedan. Even the ubiquitous car honks that New York drivers are infamous for didn’t bother me, thanks to the noise-canceling-glass windows. As traffic cleared, I was able to test the capabilities of the 2.7-liter V-6 engine and, as a result, the innovative responsive braking system. I was only slightly speeding when my vehicle approached a new, unexpected traffic jam. Apparently, the car’s sensors felt I was slow in reacting, which resulted in red lights quickly flashing on the interior windshield and the stereo turning off to ensure my attention was focused on hitting the brakes (which I eventually did).
The weekend was ultimately a success, even if my golf score card didn’t suggest as much. Blame it on my poor swing, or to the fact that I was thinking about the 2017 Continental and whether the car lived up to the billing of Lincoln’s president, Kumar Galhotra, who declared that the new sedan would take “beauty and luxury to the next level.”
Below is my assessment of the 2017 Lincoln Continental, which is scheduled to be released in the U.S. next month.
Evolution of Design
In 2012, Ford (Lincoln’s parent company) announced plans to design four new cars in four years. After the MKZ, MKC, and MKX, the 2017 Lincoln Continental became the last model the company released to make good on its promise. The new Continental is now Lincoln’s flagship sedan, taking the reins from a discontinued MKS sedan. The 2017 car marks the tenth generation of the Lincoln—the model originated in 1939—and its first major revamp in 14 years. Since then, technology has rapidly changed within automobiles. And although the 2017 Continental doesn’t drive itself, per se, it does feature an adaptive cruise control; on a highway, the driver only has to steer while the car automatically accelerates or decelerates depending on the speed limit and external factors.


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The next entry in the King of Tokyo board game series will be a co-op board game called Monster Island.
In a Q&A with series creator Richard Garfield – who is also known for designing the trading card game Magic: The Gathering – it was confirmed that the next King of Tokyo board game will be called Monster Island. The designer also revealed that it would be a co-op board game, which will be a first for the monster fighting franchise, with all previous entries having players compete against one another to become the most powerful kaiju in the city.
The upcoming board game was initially revealed at the Essen Spiel 2021 convention, with a standee depicting a monster and a collection of tokens being displayed by series publisher Iello. No details regarding gameplay were provided, with the sand-filled bowl holding the components hinting at the Monster Island setting.
Apart from Monster Island, King of Tokyo and Magic: The Gathering, Garfield is also the creator of the unique deck game Keyforge, which was recently purchased by Ghost Galaxy – a studio owned by Christian T Petersen, the original founder of the card game’s previous publisher Fantasy Flight Games.
When asked about his reaction to the purchase, Garfield said “I am quite optimistic about the new direction, […] I have worked with the new owner a lot, in fact, he was the person who greenlit the game at Fantasy Flight. He and I are very much on the same page as to what the game is about and what its potential is.”
Besides Monster Island and King of Tokyo, Iello is also the studio responsible for Diamant – a board game previously known as Incan Gold that has players deciding whether to continue drawing cards in hopes of gaining treasure at the risk of more danger – and the fantasy board game Welcome to the Dungeon.
King of Tokyo is a board game for two to six players that involves rival kaiju fighting against one another for control of the Japanese capital. On a player’s turn, they roll a pool of dice up to three times in order to perform certain actions such as attacking, healing, gaining victory points and money. If players roll at least three of the same number, they’ll acquire that many victory points – pushing them closer to the ultimate goal of gaining 20.
Alternatively, players can attack whichever monster who’s currently in Tokyo in order to force them to leave the city, as monsters cannot heal whilst they’re there. Players gain victory points for every round they spend in Tokyo and can damage everyone outside the city whenever they attack. However, every attack from the monsters outside of Tokyo will be directed at whichever character is in the city.
According to Garfield, Monster Island is set to be launched “soon”, with a release date and retail price yet to be announced.


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Confex Marketing Theatre: how to reach new event audiences with PR
The final Marketing Theatre session of International Confex 2021 Day 1 was presented by Katie Morhen, director at specialist communications agency for event tech, 52eight3.
In the session, Morhen explored how to create impactful event PR campaigns that both re-engage audiences and ensure events are at the epicentre of the industry’s comeback.
Morhen said PR strategies are always important but even more so in some cases such as when the event has a new team or is a launch. She suggested effective event PR can build brand awareness, open doors to new conversations, help to get seen by new audiences, improve reputation and change conversations.
As a result of event PR, Morhen said organisers can expect increased traffic on a website, improved SEO, incoming enquiries, increased social media following and engagement, and a stronger and more authoritative voice in the market.
Before starting a campaign, she said organisers should define a strategy, understand their current situation, identify their key audience and craft campaign ideas.
Morhen suggested that organisers should not just have one campaign in event PR and instead need to have multiple campaigns.
“This keeps the interest,” she said. “Digital event PR is like a monster that you need to keep feeding.” She said such campaigns need to be creative, emotive and interesting.
She added: “Does it link back to your website and would you talk about it with your mates in the pub? If the answer is no, ditch it.”


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Speakers at the 12th annual Automotive Logistics China conference pointed to efforts at both the government and industry level to improve services, become more efficient, market orientated, and international, particularly with growth slowing down. Christopher Ludwig and Rachael Hogg report from Shanghai
There is no getting around just how big the world’s largest market for vehicle production and sales is. Last year, China’s new light and commercial vehicle market grew by nearly 7% to 23.5m units. Global carmakers, tier suppliers and their local joint ventures continue to open up new production plants in the country, expanding their supply chain and sales networks not only along China’s wealthy east coast in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, but deeper into central and western China, including Shanghai Volkswagen’s upcoming new plant in Changsha, new Changan Ford and SAIC-GM-Wuling plants in Chongqing and Volvo Cars in Chengdu.
This expansion in production regions, along with fast-growing demand for new vehicles in smaller cities and rural areas, has been fuelling demand for complex, reliable logistics services.
Automotive logistics remains fiercely cost driven according to Xu Guangqing, logistics engineering and operation management director at Shanghai GM.
Although the rate is high by western standards, this slower rate is part of wider changes in the Chinese economy that are having ripple effects throughout industry. For industrial sectors, there is a notable slowdown in growth. The purchasing managers index, which measures the rate of investment and purchasing among manufacturers, was 49 for the first quarter (readings below 50 indicate a contraction), compared to 55 in the first quarter of 2014, said Cai. The March reading was back above 50, and the readings for mass products and consumables have been rising, but China is feeling the effects of changing policies, including a reduction in excess capacity in certain industries as well as the government’s anti-corruption drive.
China’s total vehicles sales in the first quarter saw a 3.9% increase compared to 2014, surpassing 6.1m vehicles. Light vehicle sales saw stronger growth, however, rising around 9% to 5.3m units, according to Xiao Zhengsan, general secretary of the Chinese Automobile Dealers Association. However, a number of indicators, including rising vehicle inventory and discounts, suggest that business is getting more difficult. “Dealers are having a hard time, whether it’s high inventory, production chain issues or that the eco-system is getting worse. Expect to see more reporting of these issues this year,” said Xiao.
Still big, needs more strength
Few really expect that the Chinese market is heading towards a scenario in which its automotive logistics sector won’t remain huge. Ma Zengrong, general secretary for CFLP’s China Automotive Logistics Association, pointed to forecasts that expect vehicle production and sales growth to remain around 7% per year for the rest of the decade. However, transitioning from ‘big to strong’ – this year’s conference theme and a popular government slogan representing its economic aims – remains a challenge.
Automotive logistics remains fiercely cost driven, for example, with expectations for efficiency and price cuts of around 10% per year, according to Xu Guangqing, logistics engineering and operation management director at Shanghai GM. This competitive pressure is required, he said, since carmakers can’t compete on quality alone. However, it has led to limited innovation in logistics processes and technology.
“The logistics industry is conservative and there’s still room to make profit, so we are not forced to carry out innovation,” said Xu. “Technology is not yet mature enough; people have not really heard of concepts like ‘Industry 4.0’ for example. So they just follow the waves.”
CFLP’s Ma pointed to disjointed and burdensome regulations, as well as differing standards across national, local and industry levels. For example, requirements for moving goods by truck or rail might have a certain set of requirements at a national level, but with considerably varied standards among municipal governments. Such variations exist on fundamental logistics operations such as truck lengths, packaging equipment and IT protocols, all of which contributes to a lack of efficiency in the automotive supply chain.
“China is really big, but currently we’re all over the place with few regulations,” Ma said.
Nevertheless, the ambition towards a more balanced, innovative and efficient economy is in the works, at least at the macro level in China. Much of this change is rooted in reforms that that were first outlined at the Communist Party’s ‘3rd Plenum’ conference at the end of 2013. Included in that document was the statement that market competition and private industry would play the leading role in the economy.
He emphasised that the government was going to make efforts to “get out of the way” and help make the logistics business less bureaucratic and cumbersome for companies. “We need to delegate more power to local regions and companies, eliminate bureaucracy, unnecessary administration and approval processes,” said Liu.
He did, however, acknowledge that the government has a big role to play in developing infrastructure and international trade. Along with a number of speakers, Liu pointed to multimodal investment initiatives, including River Delta improvements and China’s “One Belt, One Road” project that includes improving rail and sea links between China and its Asian neighbours, as well as with Russia and Europe. Recently, the Chinese government has also been spearheading a new development bank that would focus on investing in infrastructure across Asia.
Projects that will be launched in the future also include developing distribution centres and multimodal transport, as well as more free trade zones, said Liu. The Ministry of Commerce is also working with Chinese railway companies to develop multimodal routes connecting ports and rail.
Xilong also emphasised a move towards greater market transparency and more competition in the logistics sector. “Chinese policies will be committed to making an open market so that both domestic and international companies can compete with each other on a level playing field,” he said. “The message I’m giving is that the logistic market in China will be more open, compliant, transparent and stable in the future.”
Making progress [sam_ad id=6 codes='true']
Chinese officials and policymakers have a particular talent for using reform-minded language when it comes to business, and thus executives might use some caution in measuring their expectations. However, there do appear to be changes, not least as the government’s very visible anti-graft campaign continues. Many parts of the industrial sector, which has historically been dominated by inefficient, state-owned enterprises, have also seen accelerated change. Tertiary, private industries now account for between 48-50% of the economy, and are likely to top 50% this year.
According to Cai, the economy is ahead of schedule in implementing some reforms, particularly in reducing overcapacity. “A sustainable industry pace for the first quarter showed declining steel volume for the first time in China’s history,” he said. “That brings some economic pressure with it, but the long-term results are good.
“In the meantime, we have seen a sharp growth in emerging industries, such as mobile technology and e-commerce, which we expect will grow faster than manufacturing industries.”
While automotive logistics companies might not take much heart in the idea of consolidation and focus on other, faster growing industries, there have been phenomenal signs of development within China. Ma Zengrong pointed out that automotive logistics continues to grow by at least 10% per year, and that many in China have developed into nearly world-class players.
“Companies such as Anji, Changan Minsheng and Beijing Changjiu Logistics had very humble beginnings. Ten years ago, we were not that good at what we do,” he said. “But now, those companies are able to compete and provide services at a level similar to the world’s largest logistics providers.”
And indeed, the ‘One Belt, One Road’ project is part of an effort by the government to further encourage logistics growth as well as to help Chinese logistics providers expand their international services. “Some leading automotive companies are already exploring how to go global, whereas in the past they merely focused on exploring their existing customers,” said Ma.
The new silk railroad
Discussion around rail services between Europe and China were among the striking features at the conference, with companies including UTi, Gefco, Autolink and others revealing trials or plans for block train services for both components and finished vehicles. Tier suppliers, including Inteva Products and Continental, have used the service, along with a number of prominent German carmakers sending parts, knockdown kits and finished vehicles.
Gefco, for example, which is controlled by Russian Railways, revealed that it had trialled finished vehicle shipments by rail via Russia from Duisburg, Germany to Chongqing, in western China, which had a transit time of about 25 days, or roughly half of the combined travel time for sea and inland transport. In future, the company intends to start offering a block train service along the route, which will lower costs substantially, according to Jason Xu, sales director for China.
For inbound material, UTi has also been running trials for material consolidated in Germany, and then shipped along the ‘northern route’ via Belarus and Russia (one of five potential routes available from Europe to China), crossing the border to China in Manzhouli and ultimately arriving close to Shanghai, according to Yao Yao, senior manager for client solutions. Transit time is around 17 days compared to 32 days for the fastest possible shipping route to Shanghai from Hamburg.
Such services are not without their challenges. The coldest stretch of the route in Siberia can reach -52C during winter, which will be too cold for some material. Without special wrapping and measures for products, water will freeze within the containers. On the other hand, Yao said that the service runs 12 months a year and has shown an on-time ratio of 97-98%.
The other major barrier is price. Yao revealed that, at $7,400, moving a 40ft container by rail to Shanghai costs more than ten times the price that it does by ocean – although it is about one-third the cost of air freight. Christian Matzanke, manager of logistics for Europe and Asia Pacific for Inteva Products, as well as Andreas Subbe, director of logistics and supply chain management for Asia Pacific at Continental Automotive, both said that their rail trials were successful and that the inventory impacts of the shorter transit time could make the service viable for a certain number of critical shipments.
“We see it as a potential substitute or supplement to air freight,” said Subbe.
UTi plans to start running a block train that will combine material from two OEMs together from Germany to China, and will also have capacity open for tier suppliers, allowing the smaller manufacturers to get the bargaining power of their larger customers. “When we start running our own block train we will also be able to lower the rate considerably from what it is right now,” said Yao. “In the future, we could envision taking the cost down by thousands of dollars per container.”
Other executives at carmakers saw the benefit that the expansion of such multimodal services could offer, especially in services extended to the Shanghai region.
“Capacity for logistics will expand, and companies located in Shanghai will gain from the project,” said SGM’s Xu. “It will be easier to ship products south-west, more efficiently and at a lower price.”
Focus on quality
Along with the potential for new services by rail, logistics executives also demonstrated that they are investing in systems, processes and knowhow to make their services more efficient. Ford’s Richard Li, who is responsible for vehicle logistics in Asia Pacific, described how the carmaker was using a global order management IT system to trace the full supply chain of its premium Lincoln brand, which it started importing to China from North America in autumn 2014. Ford, which will launch six Lincoln models in 60 dealers across China by 2016, has invested millions of dollars in the system which helps it to track Lincoln at every stage of distribution, from its plants in Louisville, Kentucky and Hermosillo, Mexico, to the port of Portland, Oregon on the west coast and then after arrival to the port of Shanghai.
"The message I’m giving is that the logistic market in China will be more open, compliant, transparent and stable in the future" - Liu Xilong, National Development and Reform Commission
“Our logistics provider works with our system, scanning in vehicles at every stage of the process to give us full visibility of the order-to-delivery cycle,” said Li. “It allows us to keep our customers informed, but also for us to review KPIs every month to track and monitor logistics performance.”
Li also revealed that, as exports to China grow, Ford will consider adding the ports of Tianjin, in the north, along with Guangzhou, in the south.
Hande Ari, supply chain solutions specialist at Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics, also emphasised the importance of designing a complete system for the supply chain, which includes consideration for all factors, including not only transit time, damage and handling, but also inland transport, compound management and inventory carrying cost. For example, the added handling time and damage potential for moving a vehicle in a container, or by rail on the Trans-Siberian railway, could undo savings made in transport time, she says.
Magnus Ödling, project lead for inbound China at Volvo Cars, a carmaker that is currently ramping up production in China as it aims to sell 200,000 vehicles in the country in the medium term, revealed how the carmaker – owned by China’s Geely Motors since 2010 – is putting logistics at the heart of its expansion strategy, with a strong logistics management team and global IT system. He encouraged logistics providers in China and globally to work with Volvo to understand its needs and requirements, including whether that was ‘1PL’ or ‘2PL’ direct transport services, or more ‘3PL’ or ‘4PL’-style integration of several services.
SGM’s Xu also noted that logistics providers and suppliers in China needed to work hard to understand their customers. “Many of you don’t know as much as you think you know,” he said. “For example, not all logistics providers know how many part suppliers we have for every model, or the sales volume for every model in each city in China. A service orientated provider will also work to know us better.”
Ödling, who has been in China for about six months, said that while he has not been in the market long enough to comment on its developments, he was encouraged by the ambitions set out by the industry and government towards more transparency, market-led economics and multimodal solutions. He also pointed to the growing importance of logistics for Volvo Cars, which is expanding not only in China, where it has two assembly plants and an engine plant, but will also launch a factory in the US by 2018.
“Volvo will also become the first premium brand to export a car from China to the US, the supply chain for which my colleagues are currently working on,” he said.
There will be pain
However, not all developments in China are happening as quickly as the industry would like – nor will all reforms benefit everyone equally. As has been long reported, for example, the Chinese trucking sector is rife with overloading and illegal equipment. While official lengths for car carriers are 16 metres, trucks may be extended to double this length, carrying as many as 30 cars. While the practice has kept trucking costs low in China, there are many safety and quality concerns.
Among some global logistics companies, the lack of standards is also barrier to investment. Bill Pawluk, chief executive officer of Convertible Trailer Manufacturers, which with France's Lohr builds car carriers that can carry vehicles and general freight together, said that he does not see a viable way for his company to build and sell his equipment in China without an agreed standard.
Ma Zengrong revealed that, following years of consultation, the Chinese government is expected to set a new truck standard towards the end of 2015 or in 2016. “The new car carrier measurements are still under discussion. We could ship two more cars with a 22 metre-long car carrier, while 20 metres would put us on a par with our European counterparts,” he said. “We have also agreed on a transition policy, which allow the industry 2-3 years to retrofit or phase out non-compliant equipment.”
"Many of you don’t know as much as you think you know. For example, not all logistics providers know how many part suppliers we have for every model, or the sales volume for every model in each city in China. A service-orientated provider will also work to know us better" - Xu Guangqing, Shanghai GM
However, Ma admitted that many in the industry, including CFLP, are nervous about the new standards, if not dreading them altogether. “This standardisation will result in a much higher cost of shipping. Once the cost goes up, it’s difficult to charge a higher price, which is why I’m excited and nervous at the same time,” he said.
“However, we’ll work together to implement the standards and guide the industry. It’s a critical step.”
SGM’s Xu added that the truck standardisation would lead to major change in the industry, including higher costs and even to a series of mergers and acquisitions as logistics companies struggle to make enough money on higher logistics costs. “During that time we are adjusting to changes, OEMs may not be able to ship all the cars they need, and it will result in a price war which will lead to lower profit margins. It is likely there will be some bankruptcies, too.”
While such issues, together with economic consolidation and reform, may well bring some pain to the automotive logistics industry, Xu and others also pointed to opportunities for optimisation. He suggested that the cost rise in using shorter trucks could be compensated, at least in part, by increasing the use of rail and multimodal logistics for example. “However, there would need to be an expansion of such services and infrastructure,” he said.
He also suggested that the Chinese government would intervene to some degree to help companies transition. “The government does not want to see companies go out of business. The automotive logistics industry is too important.”
In that way, the challenges of China’s automotive supply chain in going from ‘big to strong’ remain formidable. However the conference certainly suggested that there is the momentum, talent and desire within the sector to make the necessary advances. Ma pointed out that a 7% annual growth in vehicle sales was, first of all, still a high level, and would be much higher in certain parts of the country like rural areas. That growth would help the industry in its transitions.
“Chinese people are very industrious, they are eager to learn, hard-working, smart, down-to-earth, and they pay attention,” he concluded.
Automotive Logistics China 2015 was the 12th annual instalment of the conference. The 2016 conference will be held in Beijing.
Video recordings of the main sessions are available on the programme page of the event website.
The next conference in the global Automotive Logistics series will be FVL North America on June 2-4th in Newport Beach, California.


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By Timothy Ang
For Chinese youngsters, choosing a cosmetic surgery procedure has become as casual as picking out a new pair of shoes.
Dubbed the “Facebook of cosmetic surgery,” nip-tuck app SoYoung (新氧 xin yang) has achieved a billion-dollar valuation by piggybacking on the exploding popularity of plastic surgery in the world’s second-largest economy.
China is home to the world’s fastest-growing cosmetic surgery market, which more than doubled in value between 2015 and 2017 to reach RMB 193 billion ($28.1 billion), according to Deloitte. By the end of the decade, the Chinese market is predicted to be worth RMB 334 billion, making it the second largest in the world behind the United States.
SoYoung has been the largest beneficiary of this boom by appealing directly to China’s self-conscious millennials. According to the company’s research, China is unusual in that 96% of people undergoing cosmetic procedures are under 35 years old, compared to just 25% in the US.
SoYoung aims to hook in young people by creating an online community for those going under the knife. The app not only allows users to find nearby clinics and compare prices for different procedures, but also to upload photos of their treatments for their friends to admire.
The approach has been hugely effective in terms of attracting investor capital. In 2018, SoYoung raised $160 million, allowing it to join China’s growing list of tech unicorns—startups valued at over $1 billion.These cash injections have helped SoYoung cement its position as the dominant player in China’s plastic surgery market, fending off closest rival Gengmei (更美). SoYoung now hosts more than 7,000 clinics across 351 cities on the app, which company CEO Jin Xing—himself the son of a cosmetic surgeon—claims accounts for more than 90% of China’s licensed service providers.
The Changing Face of China
The rise of SoYoung comes amid an exponential rise in demand for beauty treatments that started long before the company was founded in 2013, according to Jonathan Sullivan, Director of the China Policy Institute at the University of Nottingham.
“Chinese attitudes toward consumption and presenting the ‘self’ have changed as material wellbeing has increased and social media have become popularized,” says Sullivan.
Just ten years ago, wearing makeup was often frowned upon. Today, China is arguably even more selfie-obsessed than the West, with young people feeling enormous social pressure to conform to strict beauty standards online.
Photo-editing app Meitu has attracted more than 350 million active users due to its ability to heavily touch up selfies to give its users the perfect porcelain white skin, pointy chin and large, sparkling eyes associated with Japanese or Korean pop stars.
“Many people in the West edit their selfies, but in general Westerners’ selfies are more ‘realistic’ than the Chinese ones,” says Andrew Zhao, an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Louisville, Kentucky, who studies fashion in China. “These kinds of image-enhancing apps have the effect of heightening people’s consciousness of their imperfections.”
The pressure extends into the offline world too, fuelling the desire for a surgical fix. During last year’s graduation season, hospitals and clinics reported that the number of procedures tripled as students, particularly female graduates, underwent surgery in the hope that it would boost their chances in a job interview.
A 99-page report by Human Right Watch earlier this year found that sexist job listings were rife in the Chinese employment market, with many companies asking applicants to be certain heights, body shapes or “aesthetically pleasing.”
It’s not just women, either. Chinese men now make up over one-fifth of all cosmetic procedures, according to data from Gengmei, and around a quarter of total industry spending. Again inspired by Korean pop and soap stars, the “little fresh meat” look is driving men towards popular non-invasive treatments such as acne removal or hair transplants.
Plastic Surgery for the People
The success of SoYoung has played a major role in democratizing cosmetic surgery, for better or worse, for China’s young people.
By bringing thousands of clinics onto one platform, the app is a powerful tool for connecting small clinics hidden away in dingy shopping malls users that might be unaware of their existence.
“I found out that this clinic was just 20 minutes from my house after scrolling through SoYoung,” says Yi Hua, a 25-year old who recently underwent a procedure to make her cheek bones appear more defined. “I wanted to have something done for my birthday, and my mum said she would pay for it as my present.”
The ability to see ratings and comments by other users is also key to SoYoung’s success. Like many sectors in China, the cosmetic surgery industry has grown extremely quickly with a shocking lack of regulation.
A report by SoYoung found that there were more than 6,000 surgery clinics in Guangdong Province, but only 43 of these had an official license.
“By creating an online community for patients to share their experiences and rate clinics, beauty service apps are becoming trustworthy sources of information that helps consumers make better choices,” Liu Xiao, Vice President of SoYoung, told Caixin.
But though the ratings system helps build trust among consumers, SoYoung is also fuelling an aggressive, ultra-competitive culture that could put patients at risk. This is pushing down prices for consumers, but at a cost.
With little regulation to police behaviour, surgeries are resorting to dangerous cost cutting to remain in business. An industry report by HSBC in 2016 found that botox injections were being supplied at up to 60% discounts in order to keep up with the competition magnified by apps. In that same year, according to research website Cnii.com, over half of botox products in China were fake or smuggled into the country illegally.
Then there is SoYoung’s financially successful but questionable practice of allowing clinics to pass on discounts to customers in return for posting pictures and reviews. If financial incentives are geared toward volume of circulation, a clinic’s rating can quickly become detached from its quality.
The company has also come under fire for partnering with lending agencies, which advertise enticing loans to app users who may be a few yuan short of their next operation. An investigation by Caixin found that users could borrow up to RMB 200,000 ($29,100) at 1% interest, after only uploading basic personal information such as employment status and your last pay cheque. SoYoung claims that between 70% and 80% of all loans made in-app are approved.
A Future Transformed
It remains far from certain whether SoYoung will be able to justify the enormous investment it has received so far.
On the one hand, the fundamental trends all point toward a continued increase in demand in China for beauty treatments. Economic growth and increases in income levels, though slowing, are still fast by global standards.
Demand for surgery does not spring merely from app-fuelled egotism but from deeper roots in East Asian culture, which has long promoted more rigid ideas of beauty. As a result, it is difficult to imagine Chinese consumers turning away from cosmetic surgery en masse.
Yet the cosmetic surgery industry, and by extension SoYoung, does face a number of challenges. Above all, it remains intensely vulnerable to an increase in regulation. Crackdowns in China can often lead to massive closures of unregistered businesses. This would likely push up prices for customers.
At a time when consumers are already cutting back on spending in anticipation of tough economic times ahead, this could slow down growth in the industry significantly.
A loss of momentum would create problems for SoYoung as China’s tech sector feels the chill from a slowdown in investment. Many apps have raised hundreds of millions of dollars from investors despite making large losses. That will become much more difficult this year, as investors will be looking for a return on investment.
And although a large-scale turn against cosmetic surgery is unlikely, it is possible that its popularity could be dented by a change in fashion. According to Sullivan, China will inevitably develop a counterculture opposed to mainstream, image-focused values.
“China, Japan, Korea all have dominant ‘mainstreams’ but also healthy subcultural scenes,” says Sullivan. “I expect that individual responses to what can be cloying conventions in China will continue to find expression in diverse ways.”
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Chinese brands focus on e-book readers good for Taiwan.
PVI is the world's leading supplier of e-paper displays, while Hon Hai supplies 80% of e-book readers as the largest manufacturer globally. In addition to Amazon's globally-famous Kindle, the two firms have also landed orders from Barnes & Noble, Inc. for i'nooki? e-book readers and Datang Telecom's AirPaper.
Scott Liu, chairman of PVI, indicated that rising product familiarity among consumers has led to marked increases in the number of clients recently, hence driving it to launch more cutting-edge products, including the flexible e-paper display to be debuted by the end of this year and a color model slated for the third quarter of next year. The popularity of e-book readers has enabled the firm to score a new high of NT$1.47 billion (US$45.23 million at US$1: NT$32.5) in sales in September.
Liu said that its existing display panel factories, including three Korea-based that have been already acquired by PVI this year, will run at full capacity soon. But, the firm has secured extra production capacity from Chi Mei Optoelectronics Corp. recently, enabling it to vie for new orders from Chinese clients.
NextGen Research's report shows that the scale of the global market for e-book readers, driven by Amazon's Kindler, is expected to reach US$25 billion by 2013 at a compound annual growth rate of 124% starting from 2008, assuring Taiwanese makers a promising outlook.
|Printer friendly Cite/link Email Feedback|
|Publication:||The Taiwan Economic News|
|Article Type:||Brief article|
|Date:||Nov 4, 2009|
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The astraglass-hugging and lightweight AstraZeneca is about to enter the next phase of its evolution.
The company’s first foray into the vehicle segment, the AstraZeph, has been launched this month and is a direct response to the increasing demand for the type of vehicle for which it was created.
“This is a big opportunity for Astra Zeneca, because we want to help the customers who have not yet decided which car to buy,” says John McAlister, Astra Zeph CEO.
“They are looking for a high-performance, fuel-efficient vehicle with an attractive price tag.”
The company will roll out the Astragalus to dealers in January 2018 and then to the general public later in the year.
The AstraZEBUS is a two-seat sports coupe that features a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine and electric motor, coupled to an aluminium body.
It has a range of 320 kilometres on a single charge, and a top speed of 217 kilometres per hour (157 mph).
Astra is the first vehicle to make the switch to the new engine, which has been engineered with “aero efficiency and performance in mind”, according to the company.
“The AstraZeBUS delivers up to 8 per cent greater fuel economy than the Astraspeed and the Astravale,” says McAlisters.
“With an aerodynamically optimized engine, the new Astra zeBUS offers greater fuel efficiency and is ideal for everyday driving, with a greater ability to achieve a more comfortable and secure driving position.”
The Astragalaspeed has a similar fuel efficiency as the Astrakispeed, which is based on the same V8.
“It is an extremely competitive, high-horsepower sports car,” says MacAlister.
“There are many different levels of performance, and we have the best in the world.”
It is also expected to be able to achieve even greater fuel-efficiency, with the Astrapass range of 350 kilometres on charge and a maximum top speed.
“If you look at the cars we have sold, the performance levels are not what they were before,” says Mr McAlisher.
“We think that there is a need for more people to take advantage of the Astralike and Astraze cars, and for the consumer to benefit from all of that.”
The car also has a new and improved aerodynamic system, which includes a new front wing, new rear wing, and an improved air intake system.
The new design also features the company’s “Elevator” system, with an aerodynamic design that uses aerodynamic deflection in the form of “a massive ‘halo’ of air that rises from the front of the vehicle to the rear.”
It features “an array of air intakes, which provide air flow to the car to allow for maximum power transfer.”
The team says that the Astracast has a “low centre of gravity” and can reach a top speeds of up to 240 kilometres per trip (187 mph) on a fuel-injected, 1.5-litres V8 turbocharged petrol engine.
Astra says that it is working with BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, Audi and Volvo to create a future “global” car that will provide the best possible experience for consumers.


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Last month we have reported that the platform game developed by PixelJam Potatoman Seeks The Troof was going to be released soon on the App Store. Today, we finally know when this “soon” is.
The team has confirmed todat that the game will become available for purchase on the App Store next week, on January 22nd. If you’re looking for a really unusual game to play, Potatoman Seeks The Troof is the game to get.
Potatoman Seeks The Troof has been released recently on Steam and it’s one of the more interesting platform games released last year on any platform. The game is a really unique combination between platform and arcade shooter games like Galaga, alternating the two different experiences constantly during the game. This constant changing between platform and shooting sequences makes Potatoman Seeks The Troof an incredibly engaging experience, always keeping players on their toes.
Potatoman Seeks The Troof will be released on the App Store on January 22nd. The game will be available for both iPhone and iPad. Make sure to check the game out if you like platform games and are not afraid of playing one of the more unusual titles of the genre released in recent times.


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Shares of Netflix, Apple and other giant technology companies that have powered a market rally have taken an uncharacteristic pause.
NYS Entity Status
NYS Filing Date
MAY 05, 2014
NYS DOS ID#
NYS Entity Type
DOMESTIC BUSINESS CORPORATION
2014 - ALI & SONS TRADING COMPANY INC.
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This is not good news for Snap Inc. The parent company of Snapchat saw its shares tumble in after-hours trading today after it reported disappointing user growth in its Q2 2017 earnings. It’s only the second earnings report since Snap went public in March, and hopes for a turnaround are deteriorating. Shares fell to $11.90 after … Continue reading “Snap stock is tanking again after user growth slows down”
This is not good news for Snap Inc. The parent company of Snapchat saw its shares tumble in after-hours trading today after it reported disappointing user growth in its Q2 2017 earnings. It’s only the second earnings report since Snap went public in March, and hopes for a turnaround are deteriorating. Shares fell to $11.90 after hours, an all-time low. Snap debuted on the NYSE at $17 a share. It fell below that price a month ago and hasn’t recovered. The company reported daily active users growth of 7 million to 173 million total, but analysts were expecting about 8 million new users, CNBC reports. You can check out Snap’s full earnings release here. We’ll have more after the call later today.
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Ho ho ho! Microsoft's getting into the holiday spirit—but the gift of SkyDrive has a few strings attached.
Bitcoin. The Surface Pro 2. GIFs! Against all odds, these unknowns and underdogs became leaders of the pack in 2013.
Netgear says Asus is illegally juicing its routers, and it looks like the accusations will get their day in court.
The push to bring PC gaming to your living room draws nigh.
The Samsung 840 EVO mSATA SSD packs 1TB of storage into hardware a full inch thinner than traditional notebook drives.
Windows 8.1 and Xbox arrived. Ballmer's leaving, but he bought part of Nokia first. Just another year in the life of a company struggling to stay relevant.
An Android flashlight app downloaded more than 50 million times has been sharing your location and phone ID with advertisers, even when you asked it not to.
Leap Motion's finger-waggling tech is coming stock in a slew of HP desktops. Too bad the Leap Motion idea outshines the implementation.
This crucial feature was a long time coming, but now you can ditch the third-party backup tools and arcane workarounds.
It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Jetpack, a customizable SteamOS-compatible gaming PC that you'll never actually have to look at!
"We all want to live in a world that is safe and secure, but we also want to live in a country that is protected by the Constitution."
Turbo F.A.S.T., a DreamWorks-made series, is just the vanguard of an onslaught of streaming shows targeting kids.
So much for the air gap defense.
Mere days after OCZ declared bankruptcy, Toshiba's agreed to buy its assets for $35 million. But where does that leave your warranty?
Don't let the variety daunt you. Revel in the choices, from hybrids that pull apart to desktop replacements that keep it all together.


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Maruti Suzuki, India’s largest car manufacturer, is betting big on SUVs to grow its dominance in the passenger vehicle segment. The company currently has a market share of 45 percent and it aims to increase the share to 50 percent in the near future. In an interaction with Express Drives, Shashank Srivastava, Senior Executive Officer, Sales & Marketing, Maruti Suzuki, reveals the company’s SUV onslaught plans. He also talks about the company’s growing CNG portfolio, electrification goals, supply chain issues and more.
Sport Utility Vehicles, for the win!
Maruti Suzuki’s medium-term objective is to achieve a 50 percent market share in the overall passenger vehicle segment. In the non-SUV category, its dominance was in excess of 65 percent current fiscal but the presence in the SUV space was just 10.5 percent and so cumulatively its market share came down to 45 percent.
“We examined the SUV market share and found that there are 46 brands in the market in this segment and we had only one – the Brezza. Though it’s the highest-selling SUV in its segment, it could not get to a market share above 11 percent. One of the basic corrective measures was to get more models in our portfolio and that is why we got the Grand Vitara in September last year,” said Shashank Srivastava.
Also Read: Express Drives Garage: Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 [First Report]
He further added, “Next year, we’ll have the full-year sale available for the Grand Vitara and now we have also got these two vehicles, the Jimny and the Fronx. With four vehicles, we hope to increase this market share substantially and I guess if we touch 25%, it should be good for us to be number one in the SUV segment.”
The all-new Maruti Suzuki Fronx will be launched in India next month while the prices of the Jimny 5-door SUV will be revealed in May this year. Both these sub-compact SUVs made their global debut at the Auto Expo 2023. Pre-bookings for the same are already open and they have collectively garnered 40,000 bookings yet.
Varied powertrains to remain future-proof
Maruti Suzuki stays committed to varied powertrains to remain future-proof amid the changing dynamics of the Indian automotive industry. The company is looking at a mix of technologies to achieve emission targets, which includes conventional internal combustion engines, flex-fuel, CNG, biogas, mild-hybrids, strong-hybrids and of course electric vehicles for the long term.
Suzuki Motor Corporation, the parent company of Maruti Suzuki, has already announced that six EVs will be launched in India by 2030 with the first electric SUV incoming in FY24. The eVX, showcased at the Auto Expo 2023, will be Maruti’s first electric SUV for India. By 2030, the company plans to have a portfolio of 60 percent ICE cars (including CNG & flex-fuel), 15 percent electric vehicles and 25 percent will be hybrid models.
Follow: Express Drives on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook
Slight rebound in the hatchback segment
The sales of entry-level hatchbacks have been dwindling ever since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. According to Maruti’s Srivastava, the hatchback segment used to be about 45 percent of the overall market just two years ago but now it has come down to 35 percent. There are various factors associated with it as it’s a price-sensitive segment. But this year, it is said to have witnessed a rebound of almost 20 percent and should close the year around 13.60 lakh from 11.60 lakh units a year ago.
Supply chain woes and upcoming products
Shashank Srivastava also addressed the supply chain woes that have been playing a spoilsport in the automotive sector. He said that while the semiconductor issue still persists, it is much better than what it used to be earlier. Currently, the company is able to produce around 95 percent of its production plan and the supply chain disruptions are confined to select models such as the Maruti Brezza, Ciaz, Grand Vitara, XL6, etc.
Watch Video | Maruti Suzuki Jimny at Auto Expo 2023:
Maruti Suzuki recently introduced the Brezza S-CNG in India. Now, out of the 15 Maruti models on sale, 14 cars are offered with a factory-fitted CNG kit and the Ciaz remains an exception. While the company didn’t reveal its future product plans, save for the launch of the Jimny 5-door and the Fronx, Maruti Suzuki and Toyota are rumoured to be working on Maruti’s derivative of the Innova HyCross MPV.
Also Read: 2023 Bajaj Pulsar NS160, NS200 first ride review: Minor changes, big impact?
Stay tuned with Express Drives for more updates and also, do subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest auto news and reviews.


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The Basque cooperative Fagor Ederlan Group has inaugurated a new factory in the Gipuzkoan municipality of Bergara specialized in the production of low-pressure aluminum suspension components for the automotive sector, which has meant an investment of 55 million euros.
The event, held on November 18, was attended by Iñigo Urkullu, and the Minister of Economic Development and Infrastructure of the Basque Government, Arantxa Tapia. The event was also attended by the president of the Mondragón Corporation, Iñigo Uncín, the president of Fagor Ederlan, Aitor Axpe, and the general director of the same group, Juan Mari Palencia.
The new headquarters in Bergara, which adds to the other three active plants of the company located in Mexico, China and Arrasate, is a commitment to technological development and will allow to produce 1.7 million pieces per year.
“Among all the cooperatives we have been able to open the doors of this plant, offering a job and future opportunity for many people. We are clear that we have a great social responsibility and our goal is to achieve sustainable development, ”said Aitor Axpe, president of Fagor Ederlan.
The Basque firm plans to create 220 new jobs in this new production plant. Fagor Ederlan Group specializes in the manufacture of components to supply international automotive brands such as BMW, Mercedes or Jaguar LandRover.


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In a letter to the two agencies, Klobuchar noted that after acquiring T-Mobile, AT&T would serve 42 percent of US wireless subscribers, reducing the top four carriers to three.
Combined with its primary competitor Verizon Wireless, the top two US carriers would control 73 percent of the American market.
"Although this deal may spark innovation in the wireless industry," Klobuchar wrote, "I remain concerned that increased concentration will, at the same time, lead to fewer choices, higher prices and reduced service for wireless consumers."
Klobuchar added, "I urge you to take a close, hard look at this proposed acquisition and ensure that consumers are provided with adequate choice in the wireless market."
Conservative Heartland Institute says "don't dither"
At the same time, Bruce Edward Walker of the Heartland Institute wrote, "one hopes the Federal Communications Commission doesnât dither over the T-Mobile/AT&T deal to the extent it did over the Comcast/NBCU merger last year. In the latter instance, the FCC stalled and delayed a determination for nearly a year in order to eke out ridiculous concessions that had no bearing whatsoever on the FCCâs authority in the matter.
"Most of the FCCâs âconcernsâ were in fact within the purview of the Department of Justice and employed as nothing more than an unnecessary redundancy used to further expand the commissionâs draconian regulatory agenda."
A solution for two struggling carriers
T-Mobile's poor performance began shortly after Apple released the iPhone, which drew significant subscribers to AT&T and created greater awareness of smartphones among mainstream users. T-Mobile had been capitalizing on Sidekick devices, which offered text-centric mobile communications at cheaper data rates, albeit lacking the multitouch features and web browser savvy of the iPhone.
Deutsche Telecom had been rumored to be in talks with Sprint, a deal that conceptually would have bolstered the weakest two carriers of the top four, creating a third major player to take on AT&T and Verizon. However, Sprint and T-Mobile lack much in common, particularly in their current and future wireless technologies. Sprint had earlier partnered with Nextel in a similar merger of incompatibility, without much success.
AT&T grew interested in T-Mobile after finding it difficult to line up enough bandwidth to maintain its existing customers while working on a future network capable of keeping pace with the increasing demands of its subscribers. AT&T as a carrier is an amalgam of various GSM providers originally named Cingular, and only rebranded as AT&T after signing on to carry the iPhone in an exclusive deal with Apple in 2007.
AT&T has struggled to keep pace with its main rival Verizon, which had began building out its own 3G network years earlier. Verizon is now beginning to build out a new LTE data network which will be usable by some new phones by the second half of the year. AT&T has its own LTE plans, but in the interim hopes to expand its existing HSPA and HSPA+ networks, which are backwardly compatible with existing phones including iPhone 4.
Better use of T-Mobile's network capacity
T-Mobile is currently strongly disadvantaged as a carrier because its 3G network uses AWS spectrum (UMTS band IV), the oddball, US-only 1700/2100 MHz band T-Mobile uses for its existing 3G service and which it planed to build out nationally as HSPA+. This prevents T-Mobile from benefiting from economies of scale in obtaining popular phones (including Apple's iPhone), given that it only has 35 million subscribers. T-Mobile has also suffered from subscriber churn as customers come and go, forcing it to offer lower costs plans that are not profitable.
By acquiring T-Mobile, AT&T hopes to initially jointly service both carriers' subscribers with shared infrastructure, then transition T-Mobile's customers to its own expanded 3G/HSPA+ network, eventually transitioning T-Mobile's AWS spectrum for use in carrying future LTE service to suburban and rural areas. AT&T already has plans in place to build out urban LTE service using 700MHz spectrum it acquired from Qualcomm.
This shift would dramatically speed up America's mobile capacity, putting it on par with what Europe has had for a few years. It would also put T-Mobile's AWS spectrum to more effective use, rather than building an additional, non-standard set train tracks to every city in the US. It would give hardware makers like Apple a solid, robust, nationwide GSM/3G/HSPA+ network in the short term, and a nationwide LTE network in the long term (and years sooner than otherwise).
Further, once Verizon and AT&T are both operating LTE networks, the major US carriers will finally be capable of roaming their subscribers between the two company's networks, as long as phones are designed to make use of the bands LTE will use.


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Bearish Moving Average Cross by Costco Wholesale (COST)
Today, shares of Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) have fallen below their 10-day MA of $167.91 on a volume of 287K shares. This may provide short-term investors a chance for a short position, as such a crossover often suggests lower prices in the near term.
Over the past year, Costco Wholesale has traded in a range of $117.03 to $169.73 and is now at $167.21, 43% above that low. The 200-day and 50-day moving averages have moved 0.07% higher and 0.02% lower over the past week, respectively.
SmarTrend recommended that subscribers consider buying shares of Costco Wholesale on May 26th, 2016 as our proprietary SmarTrend analytics indicated a new Uptrend was in progress when shares hit $150.79. Since that recommendation, shares of Costco Wholesale have risen 11.7%. We continue to monitor COST for any potential shift so investors can protect gains and will alert SmarTrend subscribers immediately.
Keywords: moving crosses costco wholesale


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Global consumers spent more than five and a half hours on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter in December 2009, accounting for an 82 percent increase from the same time last year, according to The Nielsen Company. The new study found that overall traffic to social networking sites has increased over the last three years.
When ranked by average time spent online in December 2009, social networks and blogs were the most popular category, followed by online games and instant messaging. Facebook secured the number one spot as the most popular global social networking destination in December 2009, with 206.9 million unique visitors.
U.S. statistics from The Nielsen Company also reveal that Americans are spending more time on social networking and blog sites than ever before, with total minutes increasing 210 percent year-to-year and the average time per person increasing 143 percent year-over-year in December 2009. According to Nielsen data, year-over-year growth in terms of average time spent by U.S. users for both Facebok and Twitter.com, outpaced the overall growth in the category, increasing 200 percent and 368 percent, respectively.
Although month-to-month unique visitors decreased 5 percent, Twitter.com secured its first place slot as the fastest-growing U.S. social networking site in December 2009, increasing a whopping 579 percent year-to-year.


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Hyderabad, India and Princeton, NJ, USA. July 11, 2018— Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd. (BSE: 500124, NSE: DRREDDY, NYSE: RDY, along with its subsidiaries together referred to as “Dr. Reddy’s”) today announced the launch of Hydroxychloroquine Sulfate Tablets USP, 200 mg, a therapeutic equivalent generic version of Plaquenil® (hydroxychloroquine sulfate) Tablets, in the U.S. market, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA).
The Plaquenil® brand and generic had U.S. sales of approximately $215 million MAT for the most recent twelve months ending in May 2018 according to IMS Health*.
Dr. Reddy’s Hydroxychloroquine Sulfate Tablets are available in 200 mg tablets in the bottle count sizes of 100 and 500.
Plaquenil® is a trademark of Concordia International Corp.
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FTC Celebrates 100th Anniversary of its Regional Offices
Australian Military Bank Powers Digital Transformation with Infosys Finacle on Cloud
Alpana Kirloskar honoured with IWEC Award in Shanghai, China
TCS Democratizes Recruitment to Provide an Equal Opportunity to Young Engineers across India
Schneider Electric strengthens strategic partnerships with top suppliers
2014 The Global Indian New Network (TGINN)


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New campaign shines light on local businesses
100 percent of the proceeds made by the fundraiser will go towards purchasing gift cards for locally owned businesses
MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) - A new campaign is shining a light on local businesses who have struggled to keep their doors open during COVID-19.
Joshua Gosseck, the founder of the United Marquette campaign and NMU student, said his main motivator for starting this campaign was seeing how his grandmother’s business, Dance of the Sun Day, has been affected by the virus.
"Unite Marquette is a fundraiser that I put on to really promote the small businesses of Marquette. Since Coronavirus has made its way to the UP, people have been doing their day-to-day activities a little bit differently - probably doing a lot more shopping online."
You can support the campaign by purchasing a locally designed and printed shirts and masks using the “Shop Now” button on their Facebook page.
Shirt and mask fundraising will end August 31.
100 percent of the proceeds made by the fundraiser will go towards purchasing gift cards for locally owned businesses, which will be given away to community members in a Facebook drawing.
Gosseck said if you can’t support the campaign financially, share and like their page on Facebook so that more people can hear about it.
You can find more information on the campaign and how to enter the drawing through the Unite Marquette Facebook page.
Copyright 2020 WLUC. All rights reserved.


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Italian brand Tezenis has welcomed back Rita Ora as the face of its SS17 swimwear campaign.
Following on from last year’s partnership, Ora has signed on for another year and has become the face of the 2017 #ritaoraXtezenis campaign.
In 2015, Ora became brand ambassador for the brand. She then commented: “I chose to work with the Calzedonia Group when I discovered that all the brands are designed by women, so truly for women. Wearing Tezenis makes me feel confident, comfortable and beautiful.”
Tezenis, part of the Calzedonia Group, focuses on translating the latest lingerie and loungewear trends for women, men, and children, with new collections available in store every two months.


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German authors rights society GEMA has concluded a licence agreement with video portal YouTube settling a long lasting legal battle regarding royalties.
German media company ProSiebenSat.1 has set up Glomex -The Global Media Exchange, a B2B platform for trading premium video content.
Almost a quarter (23%) of internet users in Germany wanted to watch videos on the net which turned out to be inaccessible due to geoblocking.
WATCH VIDEO. Arris has released a new video explaining how the company is helping service providers prepare for the deployment of IP video over DOCSIS.
German media company ProSiebenSat.1 redesigns its free streaming video portal MyVideo.
The German TV/video app watchmi is now available on TV sets equipped with smart TV portals from NetRange following a partnership signed between the Hamburg-based service provider and watchmi operator Funke Digital TV Guide.
The total turnover of video-on-demand (VOD) services is expected to rise to €717 million in Germany this year – an increase by 24% compared with 2015 (€579 million).
European cultural channel Arte has published an interactive app through which the broadcaster will offer its latest programmes in the areas of 360° video and virtual reality for tablets and smartphones.
German commercial broadcast group Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland has launched its new video portal: RTL Next offers news and entertainment, customised for access on smartphones, tablets and latops.
Robert, the animated character used by Swedish DTT platform Boxer, is back.


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Lansing, Michigan (WLNS) – The first black bakery and coffee shop in the area opened its doors on Saturday.
Sweet Encounter specializes in all gluten-free desserts and foods.
Want to learn how to cook? The diner also has a classroom area just for cooking lessons.
The bakery started in a small room – in the Middle Village micromarket – where promising businesses are located.
Owner Nicki Thompson Fraser takes everything to a new level with its own showcase.
Thompson Fraser says he hopes such a downtown business will attract more people to the area.
“I am very happy to be here again today, a historic moment not only for me but also for Lansing,” said Nikki Thompson Fraser. “I am happy to help revive the city center. I think it’s so important that more people come downtown to help these businesses be able to travel. And there are a lot of interesting things if we all get together and do it in the city center. “
In addition, Thompson Fraser was able to start by winning the Lansing Built to Last competition in 2021.


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Apart from launching three smartphones, Nokia re-launched its classic 3310 feature in the market. Though the device comes with the same moniker but there are certain visual upgrades.
Nokia 3310 will be available with a dual-SIM feature along with 2.4 inch QVGA display. Apart from that, there will also be a 2MP camera and microSD card slot. The company announced that, the phone will be available with 22 hour talk time and a standby time of 1 month. The device will also include the upgraded Snake game.
The phone will be available in different colour options like Red, Blue, Gray and Yellow. On top of that, the new version of the phone will be slimmer and it will be available in quarter two of this year at EUR49 or roughly, Rs 3,400.
HMD which has exclusive rights to create Nokia handsets has also launched the global version of the Nokia 6 smartphone. Apart from that, the company has also introduced the Nokia 3 and Nokia 5 Android 7.1 Nougat-based smartphones.
The new smartphones will come with built-in Google Assistant. The Nokia 6 starts at EUR229 (roughly Rs 16,100). Its special edition costs EUR299 (roughly Rs 21,000). The Nokia 5 will cost EUR189 (roughly Rs 13,300) while the Nokia 3 will be priced at EUR139 (roughly Rs 9,700). All the devices will be available in Q2 of this year.


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Mandarin Oriental Boston is helping guests fly efficiently this holiday season by providing real-time flight updates within the hotel.
Software and technology
- No categories
British automaker Jaguar Land Rover is working to eliminate drivers’ blind spots through the introduction of its 360 Virtual Urban Windscreen technology.
Toyota Corp.’s Lexus is creating a way to connect with consumers this holiday season through branded graphics interchange formats, or GIFs.
British automaker Jaguar Land Rover is unveiling a new way to launch an upcoming vehicle through augmented reality technology that allows consumers to experience the model prior to its release date.
MIAMI – Despite digital watches being around for multiple decades, traditional watches are still dominant, requiring a mix of the two for wearables to be successful, said an executive from Intel at The New York Times International Luxury Conference Dec. 3.
MIAMI – Technology does not replace bespoke manufacturing, but rather enhances the process and allows for a greater cooperation across industries as design grows with technological advances, according to an executive from Audemars Piguet at The New York Times International Luxury Conference Dec. 2.
British handbag label Anya Hindmarch is offering Christmas gift ideas with bespoke leather items that can be personalized in the gifter’s handwriting.
Reflecting the growing convergence of fashion, art and technology, the upcoming New York Times International Luxury Conference will explore how those in the industry can benefit from these relationships.
Physical and digital campaigns can no longer be separate, but must instead be intertwined to attract the attention of consumers on multiple platforms, according to a session Nov. 5 at ad:tech New York 2014.
British jeweler Astley Clarke is telling a craftsmanship narrative from a technology perspective to underscore how a modern luxury brand finds success.


text:
Press Release - Farum, May 1st, 2013
The new FREEDOM UV spectrometer from Ibsen Photonics covering 190-435 nm
Why not get into the spring cleaning spirit, and have your Phase mask library cleaned?
Two new spectrometer products from Ibsen Photonics
Press Release - Farum, March 6th, 2012
Press Release - Copenhagen, Denmark – July 6th, 2011
Bjarke Rose awarded the “Electro Prize 2011”
Copenhagen, Denmark – March 7th, 2011
Press Release. Copenhagen, Denmark – January 20th, 2011
Press Release - Copenhagen, January 17th, 2011. New CEO for Ibsen Photonics Henrik Skov Andersen starting February 1st .
Press Release - Copenhagen, Denmark – November 12th, 2010
Ibsen has released a white paper describing the benefits of transmission grating based spectrometer designs.
Press release - Copenhagen, August 23rd, 2010
Ibsen has introduced a new Phase mask product: Phase masks for 800 nm fs inscription
Press Release - Copenhagen, June 14th, 2010
Product Release - Copenhagen, May 10th, 2010
Press Release - Copenhagen, December 15th, 2008


text:
LOS ANGELES — Potterheads got to experience some magic at VidCon on Wednesday.
In a special event — one that seemed more fitting for Comic-Con than a digital video conference — Warner Bros. brought together a handful of YouTube creators from across the globe to talk all things Fantastic Beasts.
The event quickly filled up, with the Warner Bros. fan page with tickets closing just a short amount of time after going live. However, the panel was live streamed on both YouTube and Facebook. At its peak, over 30,000 people tuned in.
It's the first time the Hollywood studio has come to VidCon, an event geared toward younger fans who flock to the Anaheim Convention Center every year to see their favorite digital stars.
Though the studio had announced plans to have a presence at the conference, the event itself was shrouded in mystery. Fans began tweeting about it Tuesday evening, following the reveal of a new poster for the Harry Potter spinoff film.
The Fantastic Beasts Twitter account also began releasing images of YouTube creators from across the globe on set of the film.
They were then joined by Andrés Navy, Leticia Torre Walsh, Jack Maynard, Charlie McDonnell, Fátima Orozco, Javier Ruescas, and Holly Molly — all who shared their favorite tidbits from their set visits and nerdiest Harry Potter moments.
”I think what I’m excited to see the most is seeing the fandom that lives," Oakley told the audience. "And has continued to live since the original books came out, have something super exciting to come together again."
SEE ALSO: Hank Green's 5 tips for VidCon 2016
— Fantastic Beasts (@FantasticBeasts) June 23, 2016
Warner Bros. will also have a booth on the exposition hall floor, where attendees can train to be their own "wand masters," Oakley said.
Fantastic Beasts hits theaters Nov. 18. Until then, the creators promised lots of content from their visits to the set.
Plus, they teased that Thursday also has a Fantastic Beasts surprise in store.
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.


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The bloatware battle has reached the cloud. A new PC utility announced on Tuesday collects information from other users over the Web to help make computers run faster and free up disk space.
After dismantling the city's data center and moving it three times to avoid hurricanes, the IT team for the city of Altamonte Springs, Fla., decided to try a different approach. Instead of spending millions of dollars to build a facility that would k...
VMware has demonstrated a new client application for its vCenter management tools that runs on the Apple iPad.
We live in an age of invention and scientific discovery. But there are things about some inventions that science simply cannot explain. Here are 10 things that I simply do not understand about consumer technology:
Microsoft does not have immediate plans to port the Windows Phone 7 mobile OS to tablets, a company official said on Monday.
Hewlett-Packard intends to trim 1,300 jobs in the U.K. as part of a "hell-bent" effort to "butcher" the country's high-tech work force, <a href="http://www.unitetheunion.org/news__events/latest_news/unite_brands_hp_s_job_cuts__bu.aspx">union official...
IBM is putting more energy in building computers that mix CPUs with specialized accelerators to diversify its servers and target specific workloads, an IBM executive said this week.
An emerging class of extremely low-power servers is helping Internet companies and hosting providers to slash their energy bills, and proponents say they could have a role in the enterprise as well.
Development around the original Cell processor hasn't stalled and IBM will continue to develop chips and supply hardware for future gaming consoles, a company executive said.
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer says the software giant is "all in" when it comes to cloud computing and he's relying on Bob Muglia to play the hand in this high-stakes game. As president of the nearly $15 billion Server and Tools Division of Microsoft, ...
In what will surely provide a boost to Google's Android platform outside the smartphone arena, computer maker Acer reportedly announced on Wednesday that all of its upcoming dual-core netbooks will run both Android and Windows 7.
Customers of Google cloud services who are concerned about security better get used to being unable to check out first-hand how well their data is being protected, a Google spokesman told a high-tech leadership council recently.
A debit card breach disclosed late last week by discount grocer Aldi Inc. shows how hardware hacks are starting to pose as much of a threat to payment card data as software-based attacks.
Solid-state processor maker SandForce today announced a new line of controllers for enterprise-class drives that promise to double I/Os per second (IOPS) for those products.
Citrix has developed Project GoldenGate, a prototype e-mail application for smartphones and tablets that can secure e-mails based on location and adapt the user interface depending on the device.
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