text:
Robotic gantry picking builds mixed pallets, saves space
In a press conference held Tuesday, RMT Robotics unveiled new robotic gantry designs for automated case, layer and crate picking in food and beverage distribution facilities.
in the NewsKnight-Swift to add 400 trucks, drivers with Abilene tuck-in acquisition Panjiva says trade fundamentals are strong, despite concerns over tariffs NEXT Trucking and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines partner to service SMEs Solving the Labor Shortage Crisis: The Four Benefits of an Automated Warehouse CBRE research points to expected gains in cold-storage warehouse space More News
In a press conference held Tuesday, RMT Robotics (Booth 3821) unveiled new robotic gantry designs for automated case, layer and crate picking in food and beverage distribution facilities.
Intended for high-volume, high-SKU, mixed-pallet distribution, the scalable systems do not require fixed infrastructure like racking or shelving, said Bill Torrens, director of sales and marketing.
“The compact design of the storage space under the gantry ensures higher processing rates per square foot than most picking systems,” he noted.
Additionally, the systems generate rainbow-style pallets, accommodating the high level of SKU variety demanded by retail customers. “Manual operations simply cannot keep up with that level of demand,” Torrens continued. “The systems are also ideal for cold-storage environments.”
Other benefits of the robotic gantry picking systems are space-savings through the compact storage footprint beneath the unit for higher processing rates per square foot, error-free picking and improved traceability, with the system providing details about the location of all products.
ProMat 2011 will be held March 21 - 24, 2011 at McCormick Place South in Chicago. The tradeshow will showcase the latest manufacturing, distribution and supply chain solutions in the material handling and logistics industry.
Subscribe to Modern Materials Handling Magazine!Subscribe today. It's FREE!
Find out what the world’s most innovative companies are doing to improve productivity in their plants and distribution centers.
Start your FREE subscription today!
Conveyors & sortation: Carrying the e-commerce burden 2018 Productivity Achievement Awards View More From this Issue


text:
The Dutch Spill Group's Asian soft gaming operation is going from strength to strength in a market with huge potenial, according to Spill Group Asia's CEO, Marc van der Chijs, who also co-founded video sharing Web site Tudou.com.
Interviewed this week by China Interfax, van der Chijs said that despite regulatory challenges the huge potential of China's game industry has attracted many foreign companies.
China had 120 million online gamers as of the end of 2007 with online gaming industry revenues reaching RMB 9.36 billion ($1.29 billion) that year, up 57 percent on an annual basis, according to a CNNIC report. The report predicted that revenues of China's game industry will hit RMB 13.02 billion ($1.79 billion) in 2008 and RMB 17.03 billion ($2.3 billion) in 2009.
Government policy requires that overseas online games sites be operated in partnership with Chinese companies. However, there is no such stipulation for overseas-operated portals, which are simply required to register a company in China and apply for an Internet Content Provider (ICP) licence.
Van der Chijs's Spill Group, a Dutch company that owns Flash game portals in around 20 countries, was one of the earliest foreign game portals to enter China. In January 2006, it opened its Chinese office in Shanghai and, six months later, started to develop games for the local market.
These have been picked up by two Chinese portals and have also been translated into other languages for use by Spill Group's portals in other countries. Currently, Spill Group has two game portals in China: Game.com.cn was established in 2006, while Xiaoyouxi.com was acquired from a Chinese company in 2007.
"When we make a purchase, we take into account the person that manages the website, as well as its traffic," van der Chijs told Interfax. "A talented and professional manager is one of the main reasons we will choose to acquire a company."
Currently, Xiaoyouxi.com's average daily concurrent user number exceeds 1 million, and is rising by 15 percent to 20 percent per month. Game.com.cn's average daily concurrent user number, currently at 800 000, is also on the rise.
Though the purchase of Xiaoyouxi.com has been a success, van der Chijs said Spill Group has no further acquisition plans in China for this year. "Instead, we plan to cooperate with some mobile game companies and launch mobile games in China," he said.
The company will continue to focus on Web games this year. "Web games are one of the most interesting parts of Internet and growing very fast with much potential. They are the perfect kind of game for those wishing to relax but who have limited time."
The two main user groups that Spill Group targets in China are students and women over 30.
"There is a global trend that sees women playing more games. They are also a key target for advertisers," van der Chijs said.
Most of Spill Group's revenues in China come from advertising. Van der Chijs is positive about the country's online advertising sector, although it currently lags behind television and other forms of advertising. In 2007, television ads accounted for over 70 percent of the advertising sector's market share, while online advertising accounted for just 3 percent, according to figures from CTR Market Research provided by Interfax.
"It won't take long for online ads to surpass TV ads in China. The current problem is that most people in China's advertising industry are not familiar with Internet ads, but are familiar with TV ads. The same thing happened in the United States and the United Kingdom five or six years ago," van der Chijs said. "It's getting easier to make advertisers use the Internet in China. There is a lot of potential," he added. He said most of those advertising via Spill Group's China Web sites are electronics producers, games companies and cosmetics companies.
As well as earning money through advertising, he said games should look to selling virtual items to generate revenue, rather than charging users to enter games.
The popularity of Web games has also attracted Internet companies from other sectors. In April this year, China's largest search engine, Baidu, launched Youxi.baidu.com, a Web site dedicated to Web games, in partnership with Shanda, Gogo.net and 51wan.
Spill Group was founded by Dutch entrepreneurs Peter Driessen and Bennie Eeftink, and has become a major player in the soft games business, operating 30 game portals in 20 countries worldwide. It generates around 75 million visitors a month on a games inventory that contains 3 500 online games of all genres; casual games, skill games and download games.
Spill’s games are non-gambling, online games that can be downloaded to own for payment. Genres include puzzle, sport, racing, shooting, action and strategy games, which can be played alone or with several players.

domain: news


text:
Picketers stood in front of the Gig Harbor Fred Meyer earlier this month to spread awareness of contract negotiations between employees grocery store managers. It was just one of many locations across the Puget Sound where grocery store workers picketed.
Three unions are working on contract negotiations: UFCW 21, UFCW 367 and Teamsters 38. Negotiations have been ongoing since March, according to a news release from UFCW 21 Communications director Tom Geiger.
CEOs from Safeway, Albertsons, Fred Meyer and QFC are proposing to modify health care coverage, cut wages and eliminate sick days for employees, Fred Meyer checker and spokeswoman Jessica Roach said on July 3.
“We are not being greedy, we just want what’s fair,” she said.
This is not the first time contract negotiations have gone on for a significant period of time. In a similar situation in 2010, workers negotiated from March to November with no compromises, they said. Grocery store workers voted to strike that November, according to the UFCW 21 website, and 94 percent of workers approved the strike.
Before workers went on strike, a compromise was reached.
Roach said this year’s negotiations are not going well.
A number of grocery store workers from around the area gathered at Fred Meyer to join the picket line. Roach stood in front of the store to spread word to customers.
“Today we are informing customers that we are in contract negotiations,” Roach said.
As a checker, Roach interacts with customers every day.
“I know customers on a personal level and have received a lot of support,” she said.
Picketers asked customers to wear a sticker in support. Workers gave away about 300 in the two hours they were outside, Roach said.
Customers also were encouraged to talk to managers to show support for employees.
“We’ve had a positive reaction so far,” Roach said.


text:
December 22, 2011
|CEO Gerard Doyle gearing DiscountVouchers.co.uk towards the daily deals market|
London, UK (rushPRnews) 12/22/11 — Last three months of business see voucher codes specialist sign up 10,000 new users per day
Money saving website DiscountVouchers.co.uk - the online resource which offers shoppers deals redeemable at more than 800 retailers - has announced record subscriber growth across the past three months. The site has signed up its 6 millionth user at a rate of 10,000 a day.
Gerard Doyle, CEO of DiscountVouchers.co.uk, commented: “We are of course delighted with these new figures and they are testimony to our new daily deals service. 10,000 new users per day is fantastic stuff and we're really looking forward to 2012.”
For further information please see: www.discountvouchers.co.uk
Content- Legal Responsibility - All material is copyrighted - You may repost but you MUST link back to the original post on your page and acknowledge Rush PR News as the news source. Rush PR News is not legally and/or morally responsible for content of press releases, opinions expressed or fact-checking.
Rush PR News cannot be held legally responsible for material published and distributed through its newswire service or published in its press-room and therefore cannot be sued for published material. Third-party must be contacted directly to dispute content.
Rush PR News is not the contact for material published.


text:
Toyota to launch 1st all-electric Lexus in Thailand
BANGKOK, NNA - Toyota Motor Corp. will launch its all-electric Lexus model for the first time in Thailand, following its debut in China, Europe and Japan earlier this year.
The new Lexus UX300e, a compact crossover with an electric motor system, will carry a price tag of 3.49 million baht (about $115,000) and come in 13 exterior colors with delivery expected to start in March, the Japanese automaker said Friday.
The first-ever all-electric Lexus vehicle went on sale in China in April, in Europe in September and in Japan the following month. It has a maximum driving range of 360 kilometers on a single charge and can be charged up to 80 percent within 50 minutes on a quick charger, according to the company.
The automaker will import completed vehicles of the model from Japan for the Thai market.
Besides Thailand, Toyota said it will also release the new model in Indonesia, anticipating growing demand for electric vehicles in these Southeast Asian markets.
The Thai government has promoted the use of electric vehicles, giving tax incentives for green cars, with the aim of having 1.2 million EVs nationwide in 2030. (NNA/Kyodo)


text:
O2 believes that its newly launched O2 Wallet will attract new customers, but will not use the available-to-all service to dangle offers to join the network.
O2 Wallet has very deliberately been created to work across all networks rather than tied to just O2 customers – something that O2 Money MD James Le Brocq told TechRadar was vital.
"What we are doing is very much seen as a differentiator for O2," said Le Brocq.
"You can reserve differentiators for your customers of your core business or you can say 'for this to work most effectively it has to be open to all'. Clearly with O2 Money to be effective it has to be open to everybody.
"Secondly, this becomes a new means of acquiring customers because they see O2 in a new light, they are attracted to it."
With the app potentially on thousands of phones belonging to customers to other networks, the shopping and deals element seems an obvious marketing opportunity for O2, but Le Brocq insisted that this had not been part of the planning.
"We don't have a plan to do that," he said. "To be clear it's not our intention to push anything down the throats of users with O2 Wallet."
Le Brocq is aware that the arrival of another major player – in Barclay's Pingit service – will draw comparison, but believes that the services offer different things.
"The money message thing is the hook and thing that will get people using it," he added. "It is novel and it is innovative.
"I know that for a lot of people [Pingit's attraction] is getting the balance of your Barclays account, not having to go through the internet banking service that appeals."


text:
Starbucks’ first franchised UK business partner, 23.5 Degrees, will open its 50th store on 20 June in Hull.
The business opened its first Starbucks store in Liphook, Hampshire in February 2013. The 50th opening is part of an ambitious expansion programme for UK firm, with plans to expand further over the coming years.
It plans to open seven new Starbucks stores by August 2018, and a further 20 new stores planned to open in the next 12 months, and is actively seeking both freehold and leasehold drive-through opportunities sitting on main arterial routes, close to major retail destinations or on large industrial estates that can be designed into three standard sized units: 1,500, 1,800 and 2,200 sq ft.
23.5 Degrees has opened 11 drive-thru stores in under two years, and now has more than 700 employees. That number is expected to more than double as the Starbucks stores currently in development are rolled out.
The firm has invested more than £18m in the UK economy to date through building and buying stores.
Mark Hepburn, managing director, said: “Reaching our 50th Starbucks store in just five years is a great achievement but we’re not stopping there. The UK coffee market is continuing to grow and with our local expertise, we hope to extend our store count considerably in the coming years.”
According to consultancy firm Allegra Strategies, the UK coffee shop market will exceed 31,400 outlets with a turnover of £13bn by 2022 – up from the total of 24,061 outlets and turnover of £9.6bn in 2017.
Source: Catering Today


text:
I recently began an internship with Tech Data’s Mobility Solutions team. At the time I joined as an intern, I thought I had a good handle on what mobility was all about. I’ve since learned that its role is much broader and has a far bigger influence in the daily lives of everyone - globally. The future of mobility is going to be exciting.
A “mobile” device literally is one that you can take with you on the go, like a smart phone. Sounds simple enough right? Being part of the generation that saw everyone with a cell phone, my understanding was that the appeal of mobile devices was their ability to keep us constantly connected interpersonally. While being connected to friends, family, etc. via talk, text, etc. is great, it’s the ability to keep us connected informationally that’s really amazing.
Mobility is much bigger than just smartphones. It includes tablets, smart watches, laptops, and anything that can be taken with you and connected to Wi-Fi, or enabled using a cellular data plan. So, while I did have a practical understanding of what mobility was, I didn’t really understand its larger significance.
With just a few short weeks into my internship with Tech Data’s Mobile Solutions team, I have learned what 5G is and its potential to completely reinvent the mobility landscape. There’s excitement on the 5G horizon and it promises economic advantages and major innovation.
Here are a few top reasons supporting the importance of mobility or, why mobile matters:
- According to emarketer.com, in 2019, U.S. adults will spend more time using mobile devices than watching TV. This illustrates the huge shift in how Americans get their news and entertainment underscoring the growing dominance of mobility individuals’ daily lives
- Mobile devices are not simply dedicated to audio, video, email and SMS, they are increasingly becoming a key element in healthcare. According to a survey by jamf, mobile devices in healthcare makes for happier patients. The survey also found that 90 percent of survey takers (healthcare professionals) either were already using or were in the process of implementing a mobile device initiative to improve patient care and communications between the patient and their care team.
- Mobile technology can augment the Internet of Things (IoT). As technology evolves, its integration into our daily lives increases. The emergence of IoT devices are expanding through the Internet, supporting lifestyle conveniences by automating routine tasks. Personal use “smart” products, including watches, appliances, thermometers, security cameras, etc., are everywhere. As these devices have grown in popularity many realize how much bandwidth they take up on home Wi-Fi systems, and because many of these devices are controlled remotely via smartphone, they also use a significant amount of data. One potential solution is enabling IoT devices to be 5G compliant.
Mobile devices are not new. The technology they rely upon is constantly evolving. At Tech Data we’re excited for the future of mobility and are constantly thinking two steps ahead for the latest and greatest mobile solutions.
Tremendous opportunity exists for our customers to help their end users prepare for the network changes with device refreshes and new activations. As one of the largest solutions aggregators in the world, Tech Data’s expertise, resources and know-how can help. We have a dedicated team of mobile business experts that can help you drive revenue and profitability through total solutions. Contact us at MobilitySolutions@techdata.com or 800-237-8931 ext. 83662.
About the Author
Julia Andresen is currently interning in Tech Data’s Mobile Solutions department. She will be a senior at the University of Florida in the fall, and will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Advertising in May 2020.


text:
PPI payouts are 'mad' says Carphone Warehouse founder Sir Charles Dunstone
Speaking out: Carphone Warehouse founder Charles Dunstone
The founder of Carphone Warehouse has described the compensation paid out to millions of customers mis-sold payment protection insurance as ‘mad'.
Sir Charles Dunstone, a non-executive director at HBOS between 2006 and 2008, said banks had buckled under pressure to pay out more than £11bn and claimed PPI was not mis-sold deliberately.
He told the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards: ‘The numbers seem completely mad to me. I don’t think the policies were mis-sold as the FSA says they were. It seems to me that the banks have just surrendered – that they are so unpopular that they should pay the money.’
The comments sparked an angry reaction from consumer groups, which described Dunstone as ‘completely out of touch’.
During a scandal lasting more than a decade, an estimated 31m PPI policies were sold alongside loans and credit cards.
They were meant to be a safety net for those who lost their jobs or became too ill to work, and could not afford to keep up with their repayments.
But in many cases bank salesmen earning commission foisted them on people who would never have been able to claim on the policy, such as the elderly and the self-employed.
Banks were finally forced to pay compensation when they lost a crucial High Court case in April last year.
PPI is now the biggest mis-selling scandal in UK history, with experts predicting the total bill could top £15bn.
Between 2001 and 2008 mobile phone tycoon Dunstone was also employed by HBOS.
He was a member of the retail risk committee at the lender that was responsible for monitoring potential misselling. He chaired the committee between 2006 and 2008.
Most watched Money videos
- Ford unveils brand new five-seater Puma model in thrilling promo
- Take a first look at the Nobe 100 electric car
- Richard Farleigh reveals how he chooses shares to invest in
- The solar car that is powered using energy from the sun
- Alauda Racing presents the new flying sports car Airspeeder
- Lotus' new £2million electric car has top speed of more than 200mph
- Highways England explains why drivers should not ignore Red X
- Bentley teases first ever electric car launching at EXP 100 GT
- Ray Massey drives Aston Martin's DBS Superleggera Volante
- Bentley's EXP 100 GT car of the future revealed
- Boris Johnson denies he's already 'measuring the curtains' for No 10
- What next for Neil Woodford and his investors?


text:
All this month we’re looking at different aspects of LGBT culture in comic books in honour of LGBT History month. While it’s been a positive journey so far it wouldn’t be honest to write about this period in history without covering the bad points as well. Today we’re looking at ComicsGate.
ComicsGate define themselves as “…an online movement that believes the comic book industry (especially publishers Marvel and DC) is oversaturated by political messaging that appeals explicitly to only one demographic that is not interested in the medium, to the detriment of the existing consumer base and the industry as a whole.”
In other words: it’s a group of sexist, racist, homophobic “fans” who can’t cope with anything that doesn’t put their needs front and centre, or that people who don’t look like them might be interested in comics.


text:
Apple taking the wraps off its first Berlin retail storeApple's latest retail store, and its first in the city of Berlin, is nearing completion, as employees have begun removing the scaffolding in front of the construction.
The new Apple Store in Berlin is set to open next month, and on Wednesday workers began removing the black, concealing temporary wall that has existed in front of the shop. Pictures of the project were provided by AppleInsider reader Mikey Fritz.
Apple's new Berlin store will be its biggest in Germany. The site used to be home to a movie theater in the city's Ku'damm 26 district.
Ku'damm is the city's most expensive shopping district, located in West Berlin. Apple's new store will be located across from the Hard Rock Cafe.
In recent years, Apple has focused its attention on expanding its highly trafficked retail stores overseas. As of the end of its last quarter, Apple had an average of 396 open retail stores, which hosted a record 121 million visitors during the three-month span.
On Topic: General
- Kate Winslet, others rumored to join cast of upcoming Steve Jobs movie
- Led by Whole Foods shoppers, Apple Pay accounted for 1% of digital payment dollars in November
- Apple slams BBC report on suppliers, says provided facts were 'clearly missing' from broadcast
- Apple CEO Tim Cook gives 'substantial' sum to gay rights initiative
- Undercover video shows alleged worker rights violations at Apple supplier


text:
In the wake of the Paris attacks, France's finance minister, Michel Sapin, says that European authorities need better access to Swift data in the fight against terrorism.
Ben Milne, who founded Dwolla in 2008 after growing frustrated with high credit card fees, talks to Finextra about America's slow move towards faster payments, his firm's foray into the exchange world, the blockchain, and the idea of being bought by Apple.
London-based business finance outfit Ebury has snagged a massive $83 million funding round led by Vitruvian partners.
The Canadian Payments Association estimates that the cost benefits to businesses of a move to the ISO20022 standard could be as high as $4.5 billion over five years simply from the elimination of cheques
Blockchain payments startup Align Commerce has closed a $12.5 million funfing round led by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB).
A new certification programme claims to be the first global qualification exclusively for technologists working within financial institutions.
HSBC has opened a fintech innovation lab in Singapore that will focus on developing digital and mobile banking services tailored to clients in Asia Pacific.
Financial services firms should begin planning for the avalanche of new data that will hit them through the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT), which, if used correctly, could bring huge benefits to the industry, according to a Deloitte University Press report.
In a rare session for Sibos 2015, having almost no mention of blockchain, leading technologists from three of the world’s largest banks shared their views on the transformative effect of digital technologies on the business of banking.
A group of financial market infrastructures have endorsed a Swift-driven Charter to jointly implement a global framework for ISO 20022 harmonisation across the industry.
Global transaction banking revenues are set to nearly double over the next ten years, reaching $2 trillion by 2024, according to a report by the Boston Consulting Group in conjunction with financial messaging network Swift.
© Finextra Research 2015


text:
Latest Fuel economy in automobiles Stories
Enclosed three-wheeled vehicle to launch in 2015, will get 84 mpg, trap less CO2 than a year's worth of one cow's farts TROY, Mich., April 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Yes, we said it.
TORONTO, April 10, 2014 /CNW/ - AJAC has been in discussions with Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) regarding its new fuel consumption ratings for 2015 model year vehicles with regard as to how
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., March 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- -- All-new 2015 Chrysler 200 highway fuel economy improves five miles per gallon compared with the outgoing model,
Intensive deposit cleanup significantly improves power, performance and fuel economy for up to 4,000 miles WARMINSTER, Pa., March 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- CRC Industries, Inc., manufacturer
Futuristic vehicle to retail for $6,800, Achieve 84 mpg PHOENIX, March 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Elio Motors isn't just building a new vehicle.
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Feb.
SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- C.R.
- Two-motor hybrid system that debuted in Honda Accord lineup delivers both class-leading fuel efficiency and excellent performance TORRANCE, Calif., Jan.
- To say in too many words; to express verbosely.
- To express in too many words: sometimes used reflexively.
- The leading idea or a repeated phrase, as of a song or ballad; the refrain; burden.


text:
Odom Hydrographic Systems, Inc. is pleased to announce the debut of its completely new shallow water hydrographic multibeam system. The ES3 was developed with data quality, efficiency, and R.O.I. in mind.
For those who previously believed that a multibeam system was beyond their means due to high cost or perceived complexity, the new technology offered in the ES3 eliminates these last obstacles to ownership. Its compact and rugged design coupled with startling affordability, paves the way for unlimited new multibeam applications.


text:
Huma Adnan’s solo show, featuring her winter/festive collection for 2020 at the beautiful Beach Luxury Hotel, was a breath of fresh air. At a time when the coronavirus has brought public affairs to a standstill, strict SOPs were followed while the event featured an exclusive guest list and inclusive ideology that is the demand of the hour. Like always, the collection was a perfect Huma Adnan take on colour and craft.
The show promoted inclusivity and targeted a range of women, from the very young and daring to plus size girls, looking just as fiery in festive finery. Not only did the collection feature a wide range of possibilities when it comes to bridal ensembles, but it was also modeled by an equally diverse set of models. The idea behind the show was most definitely: Be Yourself.
“We wanted to show women comfortable in their own skin,” Huma commented after the show, crediting Tabesh Khoji for helping her with the model selection.
One of the models in the headdress, she shared, was Dr Sehrish Batool, a front liner at one of the Covid wards in Karachi.
The show was all about responsible evolution, inclusion, and appreciation for those who were putting their lives at risk by helping those in need.
“My personal idea of luxury is having a voice, having freedom, and clean air to breathe. As an artist, I believe my craft transcends nationalities and boundaries which is why through this collection – I want to make sure our stories are heard across borders,” said the designer about her recent collection which also featured the signature Craft Stories gold plated jewellery made by refugee artisans, launched last year in March.
Sun kissed brides at our intimate wedding showcase. Set against the Chinna Island at the #beachluxuryhotel – Pakistan can certainly be the next destination for weddings 💚🤍🇵🇰 #humaadnan #destinationwedding pic.twitter.com/DXkBIuL2Ug
— Huma Adnan (@humaadnan) November 19, 2020
- with information from Aamna Haider Isani


text:
Sony has finally confirmed the release dates for its revamped PlayStation Plus gaming subscription service for different global regions. It is planning to launch the new PlayStation Plus first in Asian markets, excluding Japan, which will get it later followed by the Americas and Europe (that includes India). Additionally, the Japanese tech giant has announced that it will be expanding cloud streaming access to a total of 30 countries — no India, sadly — by bringing in Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Republic of Cyprus, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. These locations will now also offer the Premium tier from the PlayStation Plus service at launch.
According to the update posted by Sony on the official PlayStation blog, the new PlayStation Plus will arrive in Asia on May 23. However, the Japanese launch is set for later on June 1. This will be followed by a June 13 release in the Americas and a June 22 release in Europe. Since India comes under the European region for PlayStation, it will be among the last countries to receive PlayStation Plus.
The new PlayStation Plus service comes with three subscription tiers: PS Plus Essential, PS Plus Extra, and PS Plus Premium. Sony has already announced the official pricing for these subscriptions for global regions. Unconfirmed reports had then hinted that the PS Plus Extra and PS Plus Premium might come in at Rs. 800 and Rs. 1,000 monthly, but doubts have been cast on those prices since then. Sony India has yet to comment. PS Plus Essential is tipped to cost the same as the current PS Plus.
PS Plus Essential will offer the same benefits as the current PS Plus membership. PS Plus Extra will provide access to a catalogue of up to 400 PS4 and PS5 games. The PlayStation Plus Premium subscription will include up to 740 games, which will feature PS3 games and games from older consoles like the PS2, PS1, and PSP.


text:
New rule for pseudoephedrine sales
It will soon be mandatory for NSW pharmacists to record the details of OTC pseudoephedrine sales.
From 23rd March pharmacists will have to use an online system called ProjectSTOP.
The electronic recording of pseudoephedrine sales must be in a system that meets specific criteria, says the NSW department of health.
The only software that currently meets these criteria is ProjectSTOP.
“The Ministry of Health has engaged the Pharmacy Guild of Australia (NSW branch) to assist community pharmacies to access ProjectSTOP and to provide training on its use,” the


text:
Tag Archives: mobile game
- iSoftBet launches its latest branded slot based on the iconic TV series: 24
September 25, 2015
iSoftBet is proud to announce the launch of its latest branded title, based on the highly acclaimed TV drama “24”.
- Bodog launches no download, 3D mobile slot games
December 3, 2014
Mobile slot games, sure. 3D Mobile slot games, sure. But with no download? Now that’s a big deal.
- An Interview With Coinding Founder, Mauro Velazquezz
February 18, 2014
The young Argentinean wanted to attract enough funds to create his own business and decided that online poker would be a better way.
- All Slots Casino Rolls out Two Great New Games for November
November 15, 2013
All Slots Casino release two new slot games for November, including the hugely popular Thunderstruck II, and Racing for Pinks.
- Realistic Games releases Hot Cross Bunnies
August 22, 2013
British slots and table games supplier Realistic Games has revealed its latest three reel slot game – Hot Cross Bunnies.
- NET ENTERTAINMENT RELEASES LUCKY ANGLER ON MOBILE
April 10, 2013
Net Entertainment announces the release of its latest mobile game, Lucky Angler Touch™.
Over 100 million online casino transactions exposed
January 22, 2019
Banking Destinations for Online Casinos Part 2
October 6, 2016
The main online casino trends of 2018
January 30, 2018
The Power of Branded Slot Games
March 22, 2012


text:
Tony Xu, co-founder and main executive officer of DoorDash Inc., smiles during the Wall Street Journal Tech Stay conference in Laguna Beach, California, U.S., on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019.
Martina Albertazzi | Bloomberg | Getty Pictures
DoorDash described Q4 2020 earnings soon after the bell on Thursday. It conquer analyst income estimates but included a significant internet reduction in its very first launch as a general public organization.
The stock fell as significantly as 13% in the course of soon after-several hours trading following the report.
Right here are the essential quantities:
- Profits: $970 million, vs. $938 million predicted, in accordance to a Refinitiv survey of analysts
- Decline for each share: $2.67, unadjusted
CNBC does not examine claimed earnings to analyst estimates for a company’s first report right after heading public for the reason that unsure share counts can skew expectations.
The enterprise reported a web GAAP, or normally recognized accounting principles, loss of $312 million, which it said was largely owing to IPO-relevant prices and inventory-based compensation. That’s nevertheless more than double its $123 million GAAP internet reduction in Q4 2019.
Its earnings for the quarter represented 226% year-more than-calendar year development.
DoorDash’s first general public giving occurred as Us citizens continued to rely heavily on food shipping and delivery providers though having safety measures to lower the spread of Covid-19. DoorDash saw booming need, with whole orders in Q4 up 233% yr more than calendar year at 273 million.
But DoorDash advised shareholders it expects some of the tailwinds it experienced from keep-at-household orders across the U.S. will flip close to after the place gets the virus below control.
“We hope marketplaces will begin to open up up shortly. As that takes place, we hope declines in purchaser engagement and regular get values, even though the precise sum stays unclear,” the firm wrote. “In any state of affairs, we will continue to be focused on cutting down friction on our Market and executing towards the components that will drive long-time period buyer adoption: range, encounter, and price.”
The corporation warned that outlook for the year “remains extremely unsure” but furnished some steering centered on its assumption of a “prosperous rollout of COVID-19 vaccines.”
The corporation predicts to start with-quarter altered EBITDA, or earnings just before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, will fall concerning $ and $45 million and variety from $ to $200 million for the complete year 2021. It expects gross get price on its market to tumble in between $8.6 billion and $9.1 billion for the first quarter and concerning $30 billion and $33 billion for the comprehensive yr.
On a get in touch with with analysts, DoorDash CFO Prabir Adarkar mentioned the platform has continued to see progress in weekly get volumes in markets that have loosened Covid-associated restrictions. Continue to, when DoorDash noted 227% progress in marketplace gross order worth in Q4, the midpoint of its assistance places marketplace GOV at 27.7% progress for 2021.
DoorDash started trading on the New York Stock Trade in December, ending its to start with buying and selling day up extra than 85% with a current market cap of $60.2 billion. The inventory has given that dipped down below that valuation, at the moment sitting down all over $53 billion.
The corporation revealed $149 million in losses on earnings of $1.9 billion by September 2020 in its IPO prospectus, displaying significant progress and narrowing losses from the year right before. In 2019, DoorDash had a web decline of $533 million on income of $587 million in the course of those exact same 9 months.
The pandemic has shined a brighter highlight on gig workers for applications these as DoorDash, Lyft and Uber, which count on a workforce of independent contractors. The wellness disaster renewed phone calls from progressives to give gig workers the protections of employees, which includes health-treatment benefits and paid ill go away.
But California voters handed the gig firms a big victory in November when they voted to support their ballot measure, Proposition 22. The evaluate said that application-based mostly foodstuff delivery and rideshare personnel could continue being unbiased but could be entitled to supplemental protections, this sort of as assured minimum amount earnings and portable rewards.
DoorDash observed in its earnings release that the upcoming quarter will be its to start with whole quarter operating beneath Prop 22 “and ongoing cost controls.” The corporation claimed these will probably negatively effect its take price and adjusted EBITDA.
Adarkar advised analysts that DoorDash will absorb the large the greater part of expenses connected to Prop 22, like least earnings for motorists and additional added benefits, so that it can go on to prioritize scale. He mentioned trying to keep expenditures very low for individuals will assistance merchants mainly because consumers will want to get more.
View: Delivery staff are risking their life to deliver persons groceries during coronavirus — here is what it is really like for them


text:
TEL AVIV—The spat between Israel and Sweden over a newspaper article escalated on Sunday, spurring a debate about anti-Semitism and free speech on the eve of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's trip to Europe.
Mr. Netanyahu called on the Swedish government to condemn the article, published last week in the Stockholm daily Aftonbladet, which claimed that Israeli soldiers were involved in trafficking the organs of some Palestinians they had killed.
Copyright ©2023 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
Continue reading your article with
a WSJ subscription
Already a subscriber? Sign In
50% off + free delivery on $20 orders with DoorDash promo code
Wayfair Coupon - 20% Off
Walmart Spring Coupons, Sales, Deals & Rollbacks - Up to 80% off
Nike promo code: Members save up to 50% on select styles
Hotel Promo: Up to 40% Off + Extra 10% Off Barcelo coupon code
30% off using this SHEIN coupon code


text:
Virtual veterinary care platform Dutch has raised $20 million in Series A funding led by Forerunner Ventures and Eclipse Ventures. The latest round from the San Francisco-based company comes seven months after its launch and brings total funding to $25 million. Dutch uses licensed veterinarians and provides a digital health platform for pets and their families to make animal care more accessible.
The platform was launched in July 2021 and was inspired by the personal experience of Dutch founder and CEO Joe Spector. Spector told TechCrunch that he realized there was an opportunity to create a modern form of accessible veterinary care after seeing his brother’s anxious dog go untreated. He noted that many pet owners wait until their pet has a much bigger problem so they can get the most out of one vet visit and just one fee, but pet owners shouldn’t be doing this anymore.
“Like tens of millions of other Americans, my wife and I were given a pandemic puppy,” Spector said. “While we’ve been using telemedicine for ourselves and our kids during the lockdowns, I realized that just about any interaction I would need for my new pup would require me to drag him to the vet’s office, which isn’t just expensive. is, but also time-consuming. It didn’t make sense that people and even babies could chat with a doctor online and get medicine, but pet parents couldn’t. I realized there was a much-needed opportunity to have a modern form of accessible, high-quality and reliable veterinary care for everyday ailments.”
Since its launch, Dutch has helped more than 25,000 pets through 100 licensed veterinarians. To get started with the platform, pet owners are asked to provide some information, after which they can arrange a time for a video call. Once you have completed your first visit, you can contact a vet again at any time via the platform. The Dutch team of vets can help with a range of issues including itching, tremors or shivers, hair loss, fear of being alone, diet and nutrition, fear of new places or people, red or inflamed skin, vomiting and more.
As for the new funding, Spector says Dutch will use it to invest in its intellectual property and expand its electronic health record database to make it easier for pet owners to collect and manage their pets’ data and prescriptions. parts. The funding will also be used to expand the pharmacy network to enable same-day and next-day delivery. In addition, Dutch plans to hire people in different divisions and double its customer acquisition tools, while also expanding its veterinary network.
Looking ahead, Spector says Dutch plans to expand its membership benefits, as well as introduce more ways for customers to choose how they want to communicate based on their pet’s condition.
“Our North Star is to put the power of pet health in the hands of consumers,” Spector said. “With the consumer at the center, we want to focus on bringing as many services as possible to the consumer and at the moment of the consumer. We want to make our product offerings and pricing transparent, valuable and adaptable.”
Dutch’s Series A investment follows the Jimmy Fallon-backed $5 million seed round announced last year. The seed round was led by Forerunner Ventures and included participation from Bing Capital and Trust Ventures.


text:
Goulet Motosport’s Hawkesbury Bike Fest can’t help but be a hot topic.
Last year, for its 3rd edition, Bike Fest entertained over 20,000 people.
This year is a rather special case because the fourth edition of Bike Fest isn’t even upon us and for weeks, people have been discussing it.
It all started when, a few months back, news of Bike Fest’s cancellation for 2018 exploded in the local news and on social media.
According to Yves Charlebois, Goulet Motosport Sales Rep and one of Bike Fest’s organizers, the 2017 edition (despite being a resounding success) only managed to break even, financially.
“To be clear, the goal of Bike Fest isn’t to make money… but losing money can’t be an option either,” said Charlebois.
“If Goulet Motosport invests tens of thousands of dollars in the event and we end up losing it because of rain, that’s all folks.”
To prevent this, Bike Fest organizers tried to obtain financing through grants. Sadly, the solicited government entity declined, stating “too many applicants” as the reason for their refusal.
Jump starting the 4th edition
News of Bike Fest’s cancellation spread like wildfire.
According to Charlebois, feedback was so intense that organizers couldn’t help but give the whole thing another go.
“We gave ourselves two weeks to find a bunch of local sponsors. What really helped us gain momentum is the Town of Hawkesbury’s contribution. They offered to pay for our emergency services, police and firefighters, during the event. It’s a huge help, since that amounts at roughly $10,000.”
In terms of local businesses, the event found itself a new, major sponsor with Caisse Populaire de Hawkesbury.
The COMZAC-BIA also joined the list of sponsors, alongside many anonymous donors. Indeed, Bike Fest’s reputation has grown so much in the past few years that a group of 100 bikers from Thunder Bay, recurring Bike Fest visitors, sent $2,000 to help this year’s edition.
More sponsors wanted
“We haven’t yet reached the full amount we need to produce the event, but we managed to gain enough support to kickstart the process,” said Charlebois.
Currently, Bike Fest organizers are running an aggressive recruitment and financing campaign with the hope of getting new sponsors and volunteers.
Charlebois stated that Bike Fest is open to giving new, major sponsors various perks.
Anyone interested is sponsoring the event or volunteering can contact Yves Charlebois at Goulet Motosport (613 632-3462 or [email protected]).
The 4th edition of Bike Fest will take place on August 30, 31 and September 1st, 2018. The festival grounds will surround Main Street between John and McGill. The event will feature games, music, shops, food and anything worthwhile related to the motorcycle culture.
While you are here, we have a small ask.
More people are reading The Review than ever before — across our many platforms. So far, we have not put up a paywall to limit the stories you can read. We want to keep you in the news loop. But advertising revenues are increasingly going to the big two: you know who they are. If you value The Review’s independent, local community journalism, or you value the many ways we support dozens of community organizations in their endeavours, consider supporting our work. It takes time, effort and professional smarts to stay on top of community news and present well-researched, objective news articles on issues which matter to you.
If you read stories on this website, or you have come here from an Instant Article post on Facebook, think about subscribing. It would be a vote of confidence for the work that we do, and for the future well-being of your community.
Latest posts by Cedrik Bertrand (see all)
- Meo Bicycle and The Blue Corner Flea Market – An exhilarating shopping experience that transcends past, present and future - November 1, 2018
- Sarah Cole Cider tackles Ontario market from new home base in Vankleek Hill - October 16, 2018
- Local company helps the Ottawa Wolves bring the Bingham Cup rugby tournament to Ottawa - October 5, 2018


text:
This article is more than 1 year old
BMW slams ad machine into reverse, screeches out of pirate den
Flash motors parked alongside dodgy MP3 downloads
Musicians are claiming a small victory in pressuring BMW to rethink its internet advertising policies.
The car maker, which posted revenues of €68bn in 2011 - making it more than twice the size of Google - has promised to review how it promotes itself on the internet after the Trichordist blog noticed the German giant was touting its flash motors on pirate music sites.
The blog stated that a BMW promotion ended up appearing on downloads den MP3Crank beside the Drive movie soundtrack, scored by the former Magic Band and Red Hot Chilli Peppers drummer Cliff Martinez.
"These are not 'millionaire rock stars' being exploited," noted the blog. "They are regular, hard working musicians who caught a lucky break. That break unfortunately is not for the profit of the artists, but rather this site who is contributing nothing to the artists themselves."
After a write-in campaign the car giant has pulled the ads and vowed to review its policies, notes contributor Chris Castle.
Recent years have given lazy journalists an easy story to write. The poor artist is enslaved to an evil record company, which tries to stamp out internet freedom. Pirates can set them free. It's partial and simplistic, at best - and this year, with indie musicians frustrated by the lack of success in overcoming timid legislators, they've increasingly taken direct action themselves.
But they can't do it on their own. Castle adds a caution for sites tempted to use ad networks:
"I seriously doubt that any ad network or ad exchange is clean. It is an occupation that is at best suspect and at worst a haven for money laundering. It is also very likely that your paycheck includes profit from human misery from copyright infringement to mail order brides."
BMW had not responded to our request for comment at press time.
We interviewed Trichordist founder David Lowery recently, here. ®


text:
The skincare brand has launched its new digital retail concept, The Clinique Lab, available online and mobile accessible to all, anytime, anywhere. This virtual storefront infrastructure is a photorealistic 3D environment. The Clinique Lab brings the retail experience of the iconic Clinique Counter to the virtual world where brand lovers and new consumers can discover, interact, play, learn and shop, all at the touch of one’s fingertips.
"Inspiration for The Clinique Lab stemmed from the success of our newly renovated brick-and-mortar retail Labs in Shenzhen and New York City, which fuses personalized diagnostics with immersive shopping. The Clinique Lab serves as a digitalized expansion to retail marketing," says Michelle Freyre, Global Brand President Clinique and Origins. "The launch of our new online retail concept now provides customized skincare solutions attainable to consumers globally. The digital Clinique Lab integrates best-in-class consumer experiences with accessible retail."
Anchored in an immersive virtual experience, The Clinique Lab allows users to create a custom avatar and explore the world through six environments, including product storytelling, gamification, personalized engagement with Clinique Consultants, unique offers and immersive on-site shopping.
To debut The Clinique Lab, the Brand spotlights its top performer, Moisture Surge™ 100H Auto-Replenishing Hydrator and the new ’Protect Your Glow’ campaign. The concept reveals how Moisture Surge 100H helps skin rebound from daily dehydrators, such as pollution, blue light, [MJ1] and extreme weather. The campaign is brought to life within the digital Clinique Lab via interactive elements and explorative storytelling. Users can research product ingredients, formulation, benefits, and application techniques, all on their phone, tablet, or computer. Consumers will be able to browse and purchase hero products including Moisture Surge 100H directly in the virtual shop, as well as other brand favorites, with exclusive offers.


text:
Intuit plans to debut QuickBooks 5 for Mac at Macworld Expo San Francisco next month, MacCentral reports.
QuickBooks 5 will be the first update to the company's Mac version of its small-business financial software in seven years. Intuit originally planned to abandon the Mac. The release signals a "multi-year" commitment to the platform, the report states.
Cary Rosenzweig, Intuit's Macintosh Products business leader, said the decision to return to the platform was driven by two factors: continued activity in the Mac market; and the fact that the company has sold over a quarter of a million copies of QuickBooks for Mac over the years – over 12,000 Mac users have contacted Intuit asking for a new version of this application.
The report also looks at the potential impact of the release in terms of getting business owners to switch to Mac. Over half the respondents in a poll said they'd migrate to OS X if QuickBooks was available on the platform.
QuickBooks Pro 5.0 for Mac will work with OS 9, but will have an Aqua interface and a dramatically improved feature set, says MacCentral.
The application's features are easier to find, according to Intuit. The company has also been able to improve and add features as a result of working with Apple's new operating system.
New features will include: a Report Finder; the ability to save documents as PDFs and a tip dialog.
Intuit is also putting a PC-to-Mac-conversion service in place, says MacCentral, though details of this remain to be finalized.


text:
8.5m VWs affected by EU recall
On Thursday German authorities ordered a recall of all Volkswagen cars fitted with emissions test-cheating software, a decision that will affect 8.5 million VW diesel vehicles across the 28-nation European Union (EU).
The Federal Motor Transport Authority announced that the recall would affect 2.4 million vehicles in Germany. Under EU rules cars that are cleared in one country are automatically approved across the bloc, so the repeal also affects Volkswagen vehicles elsewhere in the union.
Austrian authorities have already said some 363,000 VW cars there are affected by the recall.
Volkswagen said in a statement that it would approach customers, who can already enter their car's serial number on a special website to find out whether it is affected. Apart from the company's VW brand, Audi, SEAT and Skoda cars can also be checked.
The fix will be free for customers, it said.
Also on Thursday, US environmental regulators said they expect to get a proposed fix from Volkswagen next week on about 90,000 of the 482,000 cars with the cheating software in the US. The fix must be tested before the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will seek a recall. It's unclear when the remaining US cars would be fixed.
In Germany, Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt said Volkswagen would have to present replacement software for certain cars that have a 2.0 litre diesel engine this month and begin fitting vehicles with them next year.
"VW is ordered ... to remove the software from all vehicles and to take appropriate measures to ensure that the emissions rules are fulfilled," Dobrindt told reporters in Berlin.
The dpa news agency reported that the Motor Transport Authority, which answers to Dobrindt's Ministry, rejected a Volkswagen proposal for a voluntary recall. Dobrindt refrained from publicly criticising Volkswagen, saying co-operation with the German automaker was "extraordinarily good."
He indicated that the recall may last through 2016 because vehicles fitted with smaller 1.6 litre diesel engines will require physical adjustments, rather than just a software update. Those hardware changes, which may not be ready before September 2016, will determine the timeline, he said.
In a letter to Dobrindt provided to The Associated Press, Volkswagen's chief executive Matthias Mueller said the recall would "stretch through the 2016 calendar year."
The company recently disclosed the existence of further suspect software in 2016 diesel models. Dobrindt said additional tests were underway that would include examining emissions outside the lab.
Asked about German media reports that more than two dozen Volkswagen managers had been suspended by the company amid signs that knowledge of the defeat devices was widespread, Dobrindt said his Ministry had "no information about who decided where, when at Volkswagen about the use of such software."
Volkswagen has said that some managers had been suspended, but said the report Wednesday of up to 30 "lacks any basis."
Volkswagen has said around 11 million cars with the software were sold worldwide, 2.8 million of them in Germany. Dobrindt said only 2.4 million Volkswagen diesel cars with the software are still registered in Germany.


text:
Journalism.co.uk | The Guardian | The Onion | Yahoo News
The Guardian is turning a profit with its “frictionless sharing” Facebook app, director of digital development Tanya Cordrey says, having generated enough ad revenue to cover the development costs. She also predicted that thanks to this app the Guardian will soon get more digital readers via social media than via search. That would stand in sharp contrast to most news sites, which get twice as much traffic from search engines than social media, according to PEJ’s State of the News Media report.
In other Facebook app news, The Onion just launched its own automatic-sharing app called “Our Dumb Readers,” offering to “Shove The Onion down your friends throats.” And the Yahoo News homepage now heavily features friends’ reading activity for logged-in users who participate in its frictionless sharing app. The Onion and Yahoo both chose to build the sharing apps into their own websites, rather than embed an app on Facebook.com like the Guardian or The Washington Post.
Earlier: How news orgs are reaching millions through Facebook’s new apps (Poynter)


text:
Writer Joseph Oliveira has created a steady stream of quality titles under the Afterlight Comics banner that he founded and it shows with the number of his books I still had to catch-up on…..
Posted in Comic Reviews, Indie |
Tagged A Comic A Day in May 2020, Adrian Manuel Garcia, Afterlight Comics, Anabela Turlione, Dominic Racho, Francesco Iaquinta, Ghost Island, Joseph Oliveira, Rise of the Goatman, Shindy Reehal, Stay Awake, Vukasin Ivkovic, Wendigo Wood |
first issue of from Afterlight Comics saw creator Joey Oliveira take subtle beginnings and then mess with our heads in the best possible way…..and a visit to round two was overdue. Wendigo Wood
Joey Oliveira has already impressed with the previous titles he’s produced under the Afterlight Comics banner and I was due a catch-up on the latest issue that smashed through its Kickstarter targets earlier this year.


text:
“Obie, which is a product that helps encourage physical and mental gaming for the elderly, beat out four other finalists and will now head to the international final of the Startup of the Year Competition.”
“You really see the residents light up and interact and when you see that resident actually being their true self - it's something really nice to see.”
“Obie has been our tech answer and is part of a broader industry of tech-driven devices and innovations explicitly created for seniors.”
“Its new Obie brand uses a smart projector to provide stimulating games designed specifically for seniors.“
"Obie uses a special projector and motion sensors to turn any tabletop into a colorful interactive video game to promote exercise and comradery"
“Obie turned out to be the perfect solution to fill the almost endless free time their residents had with meaningful activities that enhance their quality of life.”
“The EyeClick product has proven to provide much needed amusement, respite and even exercise for the senior population”
“Using an interactive projector, seniors can engage in physical and cognitive games helping them keep active while isolating”
Siga las notas musicales mientras tocan melodías y secuencias conocidas. Cuando los jugadores tocan las teclas, crean música que despierta emociones y activa la memoria, por lo que es un excelente medio para conectar con el pasado. Maestro es una actividad musical que estimula la creatividad y el pensamiento independiente, mejora las habilidades cognitivas y promueve el sentimiento de bienestar.


text:
With the fashion industry rising at a fast pace, Pakistani models too have found a decent boost in their career, thanks to the fashion designers and fashion shows which are becoming more familiar among the local audience of the nation day by day. However, it would be wrong to take modeling as an easy profession as it takes a lot of confidence, hard work and consistency to launch yourself as a successful model in the fashion industry.
We previously did cover news on the backstage life of all models which explained the hard work and dedication they put in their every show and here we are again with similar news.
In a recent fashion show, model Iqra quaked on the ramp during her walk but as professional as she could be, she soon take the control over her fear and continued to present her persona to the best. Her exceptional confidence was appreciated by the live audience who witnessed the changing colors of her expressions during the walk.
See video here.
It is indeed a pleasure to see our senior models giving tips and suggestions to the newcomers so that they can learn from them and take the fashion industry to the next level of success.
Share your views,


text:
What on earth has happened to Detroit Electric, of late? The electric car maker seems to be stuck in a pit for some reasons. The Detroit-based automaker says production of its SP:01 sports car will be delayed by at least a month. The reason is being attributed to problems with securing a manufacturing facility.
It was almost confirmed by the Detroit Electric executives, when the SP:01 debuted in early April, that a facility in the metro Detroit area would be used to produce the SP:01.
But now, the Detroit News reports that the company is at present holding talks for a partially occupied space in Plymouth Township and it hopes that a green signal will be seen soon.
The production unit is expected to start running from September with an annual production capacity of 2,500 units. More than 100 new employees will be appointed.
Detroit, lumpsum funded by private investors, also plans to launch a sedan and a hatchback model in the years to come in partnership with China’s Geely. Let’s wait for an official announcement on the launch.


text:
Chinese Communist Party (CCP) expands control of global supply chains
Doctor Antonio Graceffo, professor of economics and China economic analyst, in an article entitled: “China’s Control of Global Supply Chains Will Extend to the Sea, Moon,” mentioned that the CCP is increasing its control over the global supply chain.
Antoni said that nearly all electronic equipment depends on China no matter where it is manufactured.
When it comes to supply chains, all roads lead to China, even if products are “made” elsewhere. A laptop sold in the United States, labeled “Made in China,” is assembled in China, and many components are also sourced from China.
Some laptop brands advertise themselves as “not made in China,” but it also depends on China. A typical laptop computer contains many elements sourced from countries worldwide but controlled by the CCP: graphite, cobalt, lithium, chromium, vanadium, magnesium, antimony, and copper.
China supplies or controls half of the raw materials used worldwide. Graphite used in rechargeable batteries is found in China, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, and Madagascar, but 69% comes from China. Cobalt originated in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where Beijing controls 35 mining companies. China holds 86% of the global magnesium supply, although the element can be found in the United States, Israel, Brazil, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Turkey.
90% of the world’s lithium comes from Chile, Argentina, and Australia. China now controls 59% of global supply through investments in local companies. Developing countries are giving up their resources in exchange for Chinese cash. In Australia, China currently owns 91% of all lithium mining and 75% of the country’s reserves.
Two of the significant sources of vanadium are Kazakhstan and South Africa, both of which are members of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI, also known as “One Belt, One Road”). In Kazakhstan, the China Development Bank (CDB) heavily funds the mining sector. And in South Africa, Beijing is now planning to invest in vanadium mines.
Chinese companies also buy significant stakes in the largest copper mines in DRC. China owns 30 overseas copper projects in the operation stage, and another 38 projects are in the exploration stage.
In addition to investing in other countries, China is currently vying for dominance in a newer area of undersea and lunar mining.
What is the purpose of the CCP’s increased control of the global supply chain?
Increasing the dependence of countries around the world on China
Former U.S. Navy Captain Stu Cvrk, in an article entitled “The Chinese Regime Aims to Influence and Control All Human Endeavors” mentioned that Beijing had succeeded in gaining control of the strategic items for many years. Beijing is also accumulating strategic reserves, both as a hedge against inflation and as a means of manipulating markets to influence the countries it targets.
Strategic goods are raw materials or agricultural products that are important to a country’s economy. Therefore, the economy will be significantly affected if trade activities and strategic goods supply are disrupted.
The city government of Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, told a local newspaper that it “could turn the crisis into an opportunity to strengthen the confidence and dependence of all countries around the world on “Made in China” products. Implying that, as long as the CCP grasps the global supply chain, other countries will have to depend on the CCP.
For example, China is the dominant global supplier of pharmaceuticals and the largest supplier of medical equipment in the United States, including such equipment as MRI machines, surgical gowns, and devices measuring oxygen levels in the blood.
The supply of these essential products is still ongoing. Still, if China is unable to supply such equipment to the United States, thousands of Americans could die. This is entirely possible and should raise alarm bells for the United States and the world about the dangers of depending on Chinese goods.
Replace the “Made in USA” brand with “Made in China”
Stu Cvrk also said that, since 2013, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) under the leadership of Xi Jinping has diligently pursued two strategic initiatives to build a colonial empire on the Chinese Mainland worldwide and bring China to global leadership: “Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)” and “Made in China 2025.”
Initially, the CCP implemented the “dual circulation” model. The goal is to make the Chinese economy less dependent on advanced foreign technology and supply chains. Chinese companies will become independent after ‘learning foreign know-how’ (which is essentially stealing), thereby actively creating products popular worldwide in domestic China.
For example, in 2009, Sony Bravia televisions were advertised as “Made in China,” but in reality, most of their parts were made by companies that weren’t from China. By 2017, one of the best-selling TV lines was the TCL S-Series, primarily manufactured by parts belonging to the Chinese company. This means that the CCP has gradually no longer depended on technological products from abroad. They were able to manufacture their high-tech products.
After that, the CCP started monopolizing and controlling the world energy supply. The CCP understands that holding future energy supplies will give it essential geopolitical leverage. That is why they fully exploit their competitive advantage to dominate the worldwide energy production market. Controlling the world’s energy resources means controlling the world’s economies.
The next step is for the CCP to find a way to replace American brands with Chinese brands. This may seem like a simple competition, but the matter is much more complex and vital in reality. The reason is that every brand has an association with the place of origin, and the CCP will most likely use the big brands to exert cultural and psychological influence on shoppers.
Change the world economic order, take the CCP as the mainstay
The famous American China expert Michael Pillsbury in the book “The Hundred-Year Marathon: China’s Secret Strategy to Replace America as the Global Superpower” analyzed, the CCP has a strategic plan. In the long run, that is in the 100 years since the CCP established the government, overthrew the world economy, the political order dominated by the United States, and claimed the world.
In the film “Combat without a sound” by the National Defense University of China, China demonstrated its malice to fight with the United States: In the process of carrying out its “great cause” to dominate the world, China “Of course, faithfulness comes with friction and struggle with the American hegemony system, this is a clash of the century that is not shaken by the will of man.”
This plan is sequentially embodied in the CCP’s five-year plans for slowly mastering the parts of the global supply chain that Stu mentioned in his article.
The CCP’s 11th and 12th Five-Year Plans encourage Chinese companies to invest abroad, which already includes financial commitments and support from Chinese state-owned banks. One of the goals highlighted in the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015) is strengthening China’s position in metals.
We are coming to the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020), “the decisive battle phase,” which seeks to control the global non-ferrous metal industry. This strategy, along with “Made in China 2025”, aims to significantly expand the CCP’s strategic and defense sectors, as well as science and technology. To this end, an action plan for China’s metal industry to achieve world power status was announced by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in October 2016.
The CCP’s Five-Year Plans, Made in China 2025, and achieving world status in metals all include directives for state-owned enterprises—funded by international banks business—to buy and control mines in resource-rich countries around the globe.
The CCP has controlled the most important raw material mines in the global supply chain and gradually moved towards its ultimate goal through such steps.
For example, the CCP controls the global production of electric vehicles by taking control of the chemicals needed to make batteries and manufacturing the cathode and anode, which are the core building blocks of lithium batteries-ion. Simon Moores, chief executive officer of Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, has called China’s control of the industry the “Global Battery Arms Race.” The CCP then constrained the global supply chain by dominating metal smelting and battery-grade chemical production, a dominance that limited the world’s ability to produce electric vehicles (EVs).
The trend of ‘shifting’ the global supply chain away from the CCP
The CCP’s ambition could not be realized.
Multinational companies are looking to reduce their reliance on China. Due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and U.S. trade restrictions on Beijing, they are pushing to reduce their dependence on Chinese goods.
In 2019, China’s exports of 1,200 products accounted for 22% of the world’s export market share, down three percentage points from 2018, according to a new study by Baker McKenzie and consulting firm Economic Silk Road Associates. For consumer goods, the country’s global market shares fell four percentage points to 42%.
Washington has “targeted” Beijing with wide-ranging measures aimed at shifting U.S. companies’ supply chains that are dependent on China and thwarting ambitions to “become a global technology power” by Beijing.
On August 17th, Washington extended restrictions on semiconductor supplies to Huawei (introduced earlier this year) to cut nearly all chip shipments to the public corporation of this Chinese technology.
Anne Petterd, head of international trade at Baker McKenzie in the Asia Pacific, said that companies are looking to diversify their supply chains in the face of disruption caused by the pandemic. Geographies, building more “safety layers,” and monitoring them more rigorously.
Tech hardware companies (one of the most manufacturing-focused industries in China) have moved some production out of China over the past three years. For example, Quanta Computer, the world’s largest laptop contract manufacturer and a major supplier of cloud hardware to companies like Google, Amazon, and Facebook, has moved server production out of China to Taiwan and the United States.
Data compiled by Silk Road Associates shows that China’s share of worldwide exports of computers and tablets fell four percentage points to 45% in 2019. In the handset industry ( where China is even more dominant), its market share fell three percentage points to 54%.
Many researchers point out that the pandemic and the disruption it has caused to global supply chains (centered in China) are accelerating the transition.
Silk Road Associates CEO Ben Simpfendorfer said that supply chains built in China would be gradually replaced over the next 20 years, but things take time.


text:
Latest From Lauren Nardella
The Organic Trade Association expects the USDA final rule to “protect organic integrity throughout the supply chain,” promote consumer trust, and incentivize cosmetics brands to seek certification under a more robust National Organic Program. But foundational problems linked to alleged organic deception in beauty and personal care still exist.
Agency’s recent responses denying three petitions filed in 2001 by US industry trade groups and in 2002 by pharmaceutical ingredient and chemicals firm explain the changes requested can be proposed in “OTC monograph order requests” pathway established in program overhaul.
Root Wellness execs address the company’s scrape with the Direct Selling-Self Regulatory Council and resulting referral to the Federal Trade Commission.
States’ efforts on prohibiting sales to minors of OTC diet drugs as well as weight loss and bodybuilding supplements to minors didn’t advance in 2022, setting stage for more showdowns in 2023.
Titanium dioxide stakeholders argued successfully in the Court of Justice of the European Union that TiO2’s hazard classification in 2020 under the CLP was based on shoddy science and a flawed interpretation of EU law. The industry win comes as the European Commission is finalizing a regulation to establish new CLP hazard classes, including for endocrine disruptors.
The must-pass federal spending bill includes the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act, which previously appeared as a rider in US Food and Drug Administration user-fee legislation but was cut from the final iteration.


text:
Nov 02, 2017
Apple Inc. plans to release fiscal fourth-quarter earnings after the market closes Thursday, a day before actual sales of the new iPhone X begins. While the numbers Apple releases Thursday will include early sales of its other new smartphones, the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, investors and analysts will be looking for any clues about how Apple views its ability to deliver the iPhone X to willing...Proceed to the page: http://linkis.com/Ayo3PRm
Investors got a last look at the company's business ahead of a highly anticipated iPhone launch.
It is important for Caterpillar to have timed its strategic inventory buildup accurately. If Caterpillar has moved too early, it will likely be sitting on idle inventory while having incurred manufacturing costs, which may impact margins. However, the past few quarters have proved Caterpillar's...
Gold futures ended lower on Thursday as investors awaited further clues on the US Federal Reserve’s plan for interest rates from the ke...
History shows investors should pay heed to American corporations’ increasing reliance on nonstandard accounting measures.
Apple is finally back to growth in China. The company has broken a run of sales decreases that stretches back six quarters thanks to promising early signs..
Press release - Market Research Future - Asia Pacific Cancer Immunotherapy Market is expected to grow at an approximate CAGR of 15.5% | Top Competitors - Amgen, Inc. (US), Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (US), Eli Lilly and Company (US) and many - published on openPR.com
Article : [Official] "Best numbers since birth of company" BTS agency Big Hit earns 92.4 billion won in sales for 2017 Source : OSEN v...
Britain will announce a task force on Thursday to exploit the technology underpinning cryptoassets, such as bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, as part of new plans to help fintech companies to find more customers.
Twitter Inc. shed a big chunk of its market value on Thursday, after the social network jangled nerves on Wall Street with its weaker-than-expected user base growth. But despite the huge one-day drop, Twitter is still outpacing Facebook and LinkedIn when it comes market cap gains in its first 90...
Tips on how to understand pretty much everything there is to learn concerning amazing sheos in five simple and easy steps.
Welcome to The Players’ Tribune Global.
See the products @jump91key has been discovering on Wanelo, the world's biggest shopping mall.


text:
Kosher consumers are considering ditching a popular brand of baking product after it was revealed the company’s founders were Nazis linked to Hitler.
German firm Dr Oetker produces home baking ingredients sold in Britain under the supervision of the Manchester Beth Din.
The products are used in thousands of kosher homes.
But amateur bakers and store owners this week said they would stop buying Dr Oetker items after the company admitted the depth of its involvement with the Third Reich.
Company founder Rudolf-August Oetker was a member of the SS who trained at a college connected to the Dachau concentration camp. Jewish victims from the camp were used as cleaners at the school.
Details of a three-year research project ordered by his son, August Oetker, were revealed in a book published this month and showed that the company’s original bosses funded and influenced Nazi policy and had close ties to Himmler.
Chuny Rokach, owner of Kosher Kingdom in Golders Green, north-west London, said Dr Oetker’s Nazi past was “something to take into consideration” before a decision was taken on whether to stop selling the products.
Kosher cake company boss Batya Bassin said: “I would definitely rethink using the products and look elsewhere — for the same reason I wouldn’t buy a BMW. My husband’s family were survivors. I wouldn’t support something like that.”
Jenny Hollander, who runs a baking business in Hendon, said she was shocked. “I wouldn’t automatically go to the product now.”
Rabbi Yehuda Brodie, of the Manchester Beth Din, said the full details of what happened at the “prestigious company” during the Holocaust were “disturbing”. But he added: “We are gratified to learn that … following an investigation it has recognised and acknowledged the sins of the past.”
There was some sympathy for Oetker’s relations, who uncovered the scandal. Anna Shenkin, a 24-year-old mother-of-four from Prestwich, Manchester, has regularly used Dr Oetker products for birthday cakes.
She said: “I support how the family has made such an effort to turn things around, come out in the open and spent a lot of money doing that. It’s commendable,” she said.
Shopper Alex Cohen said: “Personally, I’m not bothered. They’re not Nazis any more. If a Volkswagen is cheaper than a Toyota, buy the Volkswagen. If they were still spouting Nazi ideologies or antisemitism, that would be one thing. But the fact is they now seem to be an ethical company with decent products.”


text:
Many of us considered migrating to New Zealand after the Liberals won the federal election earlier this year. If you’re still on the fence about a happily ever after in Jacinda Ardern’s magical realm, we’ve got some (iced) tea to spill that might just convince you to grab your passport and run.
There’s no better way to incite a feisty conversation in Australia than to ask your comrades whether they put certain foods in a refrigerator or a kitchen cupboard.
The correct storage of chocolate has divided national opinion for years and finally the results are in; we prefer our chocolate chilled. The clear divide shows 56 per cent of the nation says the sweet stuff belongs in the fridge, while only 44 per cent champion the cupboard.
The survey, conducted by Mitsubishi Electric Australia as part of its 2019 Home Trends Report, revealed we’re also split when it comes to the gender divide – with blokes choosing to keep it chilled (63 per cent), while women prefer it at room temperature (51 per cent).
State by state the vast majority (75 per cent) of Queenslanders, (59 per cent) South Australians, (68 per cent) West Aussies and (52 per cent) NSW prefer to refrigerate their chocolate, while Victorians buck the national trend with 61 per cent instead keeping it in the pantry.
So, where should we be keeping our chocolate?
Ed Halmagyi, Mitsubishi Electric ambassador and celebrity chef, says:
“Technically, there’s no reason chocolate has to live in the fridge. Chilled chocolate can taste different as cooler temperatures alter the flavour. I’d recommend storing your chocolate in a cool, dark, airtight space, unless it’s high summer and you enjoy a sticky, melted mess.”
More than half of Australians store their tomato sauce in a refrigerator, according to a national survey conducted by Mitsubishi Electric Australia. Tomato sauce has divided the nation with 57 per cent choosing the fridge as the victor. Most of NSW (63 per cent), Queensland (63 per cent) and South Australia (56 per cent) store their tommy sauce chilled while Victoria and Western Australia disagree and prefer it fresh off the cupboard shelf.
Whilst a majority of people place eggs inside the fridge, a somewhat disturbing 10% do not. One in ten people in the country do not refrigerate their eggs (maybe these guys don’t want to waste fridge space on eggs they only purchased to throw on politicians?)
Jam was also an overwhelming fridge favourite, with 73 per cent of Australians choosing to keep it cold. Vegemite (74 per cent) and bread (61 per cent) are primarily pantry foods, however.
Environment and climate play a major role in our differences in opinion, with spread storage proving the most diverse – 37 per cent of Queenslanders opting to keep Vegemite in the fridge (WHY, Queensland?), more than double their Victorian and South Australian neighbours (both 18 per cent).
Queensland residents also go against the grain with jam, with 85 per cent placing it in the fridge, compared to only 64 per cent of South Australians.
In Queensland homes, you’re also much more likely to find bread in the fridge, with almost half of respondents (48 per cent) opting for chilled loaves, well above the national average of 39 per cent.
Ed Halmagyi says proper food storage is vital to a healthy kitchen:
“It’s important to store household staples properly, just as you would with any fresh produce. Outside of visible signs, it can be difficult to know when something’s reached its use-by date. A good old sniff test is always advisable but refer to the product’s packaging instructions if you’re still unsure.”
Where do you place your staple groceries in your kitchen? Let us know in the comments below!


text:
Maccess Group to close Gwaelod-y-Garth store in shake-up
About a dozen staff have lost their jobs at a South Wales car parts firm after its head company decided to close a number of stores across the UK.
The Maccess site, at Gwaelod-y-Garth near Cardiff, is one of 11 of the brand stores being shut by Maccess Group Ltd.
The company also plans to close some Pacific Retail Ltd stores, which operate under the Motor World brand.
There are eight Motor World stores in Wales - however, it is not known if any Welsh sites are affected.
A company spokesman said: "The dynamics of the industry have changed and the customer base has declined to a point where business is no longer viable."
In total, 34 of the Pacific Retail shops across Britain will be hit - but the firm said it planned to buy 32 of the former store branches back from administrators, and operate them under the Motor World brand.


text:
New Fortnite leaks suggest that the Scoped AR and Heavy AR (AK) will be returning to Fortnite in future updates.
The Fortnite Machine Pistol that was leaked a while back might be the next weapon coming to the game based on recent balance changes.
All hero abilities are now available in Fortnite Battle Lab.
Fortnite’s next update is finally here and we’ve got you covered with a rundown on everything included.
Epic shipped a secret change to Fortnite's reboot vans without telling players in v14.00.


text:
As interest in food delivery and easy home cooking has risen over the past decade, a corporate Chipotle alum and a vet of Gramercy Tavern and Eleven Madison Park have teamed up in attempt to disrupt — wait for it — frozen food, with meals costing up to $25 for two to three people.
Joshua Brau, who used to be brand director at Blue Apron and a manager at Chipotle’s corporate offices, and Micah Fredman, who worked at upscale restaurants before becoming a private chef, are the co-founders of Ipsa Provisions, a fine-dining take on the blocks of food lined up in the frozen aisle. It launches on February 11, with initial delivery service covering Manhattan and Brooklyn.
While most frozen meals like Lean Cuisine clock in the under-$5 mark, Ipsa meals — which feed two to three people — generally range in price from $21 to $25 apiece. The company offers dishes like beef and kimchi stew with Korean rice cakes, coconut curry with vegetables, and charred pineapple pibil with chicken, all made in a licensed commercial kitchen in Long Island City. Customers can place orders for weekly delivery as desired on Ipsa’s website, though it’s not on a subscription model, and meal prep typically involves not much more than defrosting the food using a stove. The minimum price for delivery is $55 per order, and Ipsa is delivery-only for now.Read Complete Article


text:
BWS launches new ‘wine-in-a-can’ range
One of BWS' new 'wine-in-a-can'
BWS is now selling a variety of wines packaged in cans across its Australian store network.
The 250ml cans include a variety of different wines with Italian Prosecco, French Rose and South Australian Shiraz all part of the range.
BWS is one of the Woolworths Group’s alcohol retail businesses.
Chris Mattes, Head of Wine at BWS, said traditional 750ml wine glasses can sometimes present safety concerns, be difficult to carry or keep cold, so BWS wanted to offer a packaging alternative.
“Innovations such as wine-in-a-can provide a smaller more convenient format that opens the enjoyment of wine up to significantly more social occasions as the cans chill faster than glass, are more light-weight while retaining the wine’s freshness and are easy to recycle,” Mattes said.
“The smaller format also provides for better monitoring of consumption. On average, a can contains approximately two to two-and-a-half standard drinks.This allows customers who enjoy a modest glass or two to enjoy a great wine without having to leave the remainder of a bottle of wine to sit in the fridge or on the kitchen countertop open and untouched.”
The cans are priced from AUD $5.00 – AUD $8.00 and are available in single serves or four packs. Each can has a two-year shelf life.
BWS’ full new wine-in-a-can range is as follows:
- Crafters Union Hawke’s Bay Rose
- Crafters Union Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
- Crafters Union McLaren Vale Shiraz
- Crafters Union Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris
- Le Chat M Pierre Rose
- Take it to the Grave Pinot Noir
- Take it to the Grave Shiraz
- Hootenanny Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
- Elephant in the Room Pinot Noir
- Elephant in the Room Chardonnay
- Mascareri Prosecco
Dairy Food Safety Victoria (DFSV) has released three new technical information notes for dairy manuf...
According to a CREST foodservice market research report for the NPD group, the consumption of alcoho...
Foods sold in David Jones in Australia will be 70 per cent private label products by 2020, says its ...
Coca-Cola Amatil, CCA, will be closing its South Australian manufacturing facilities and will be inv...
The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union has urged Australian consumers to boycott Streets’ ice cr...
A new study led by Australian researchers has found a probiotic that may help babies with colic.
Online takeaway food delivers like UberEats and Deliveroo are experiencing rapid growth in Australia...
IS Tesco's UK launch of a discount chain, 'Jacks', as a competitive response to the inroads of Germa...


text:
A rendering of the M7 by Migaloo.
A submersible design by Triton.
For those bored with multimillion-dollar mega yachts, with their ho-hum helipads and snooze-inducing jacuzzis, consider the 928ft-long (283m) M7, designed by the Austrian company, Migaloo Private Submersible Yachts.
If you are the helipad-on-a-sea-vessel type, the M7 not only has a place for your chopper to land, it has a swimming pool, VIP suites, multiple hangar bays, and a design inspired by the US Navy’s Zumwalt-class destroyers. (Alas, its engines are diesel-electric, not nuclear-powered.)
And unlike a yacht, which is just going to sit there on top of the water, floating around like a US$200 million (RM838 million) chunk of burnished driftwood, the M7 can dive to 1,500ft and cruise underwater at 20 knots. The real excitement, as Sebastian the Crab once sang, is “under the sea”.
Life may be better down where it’s wetter, but the M7 will cost you. There’s no precise price tag yet, says Christian Gumpold, chief executive officer of Migaloo. But the US$2.3 billion figure mentioned in this report is close. “This would make it for sure the most expensive private object worldwide,” Gumpold told us via email.
The M7 is not the only submarine available to those rich enough to afford one. For a couple of decades, companies such as Triton Submarines, DeepFlight Adventures, U-Boat Worx BV, and Seamagine Hydrospace Corp have been producing and selling “submersibles”. These are smaller vessels, capable of taking from two to eight passengers thousands of feet down to explore the ocean for hours at a time. OceanGate Inc, founded by the adventure-loving entrepreneur Stockton Rush, is planning to take passengers to the remains of the Titanic in 2018.
Submersibles can’t, however, regenerate their own power, and they rely on yachts or other vessels for long-distance transport and servicing. They’re pretty awesome, but they’re more James Cameron, less James Bond.
Full-on, luxurious, yacht-style submarines are a more recent development. Three companies — Migaloo, the Florida-based US Submarines Inc, and Ocean Submarine in the Netherlands — produce sub designs that aspiring Bond villains dream of: capable of travelling 1,000 miles (1,609km) or more, luxuriously appointed, and the kind of underwater headquarters from which you can plot world domination, or maybe just host friends for a week of exploration.
As you might expect, private submarines are phenomenally expensive. US Submarines’ Nomad 1000 begins at US$6.5 million. Its top-of-the-line, 213ft-long Phoenix 1000, which has more than 5,000 sq ft of interior, is estimated to cost US$90 million.
So while dozens of private submersibles are bobbing around the deep, there are currently no private luxury subs in existence. For all the renderings zipping around the Internet, subs such as the M7 and the Phoenix 1000 remain (mostly) theoretical.
“We’re not building anything right now,” said L Bruce Jones, the founder and chief executive officer of US Submarines, adding that his company, which is affiliated with Triton, is focusing on submersibles “because that’s where the market is”.
“It seems like a massively expensive engineering exercise — and an unproven one — in the recreational sector,” said Stewart Campbell, editor of Boat International. “Yachting is often a volume game — how much space can you pack into your hull and superstructure? There’s a cost-per-gross-tonne calculation that the super yacht world understands. I imagine with one of these big submersibles, that equation goes out the window. You’re not getting much volume for the money, and the equivalent yacht will give you more of everything.” — Bloomberg


text:
The General Motors Corporation said today that its sales slipped 1.2 percent in June from their levels a year earlier as consumer confidence weakened and auto dealers ran short of some models.
Wall Street analysts said it was unclear whether G.M.'s lackluster sales results pointed to a broad slowing of the industry, but added that the results were consistent with an economy that seems to have cooled slightly in June from its torrid pace in April and May. A number of Japanese and European auto makers reported mixed sales results today, while the Chrysler Corporation said on Monday that its sales rose 1 percent from a strong showing in June 1995.
General Motors sold 270,322 cars and 171,384 pickups, mini-vans and sport utility vehicles in June. But the strength of G.M.'s sales is particularly hard to gauge because the company drew down its inventories during a 17-day strike in March, only to face unexpectedly brisk sales in April and May. While many G.M. factory workers have been putting in a lot of overtime to catch up, dealers remain short of popular models.
A General Motors spokesman, Dean Rotondo, said the strike was still hurting sales, partly because the company deferred new car shipments to fleets and still had not caught up with the backlog. "I wouldn't say we're 100 percent recovered," he said.
Dealers that had plenty of cars and trucks on their lots when the strike hit said they found themselves with too few starting in late May. Michael R. Cook, a Buick and Mazda dealer in Arlington Heights, Ill., said, "The strike didn't hurt us during the strike, and now it is starting to catch up."Continue reading the main story
He has run short of his best seller, the Buick Le Sabre. "What the people want, we don't have," he said.
Sales should return to normal by mid-July when the factories are expected to have caught up with demand, he added. G.M. needs to catch up quickly before it begins shutting factories to retool for 1997 models.
Other auto makers reporting sales today posted mixed results. Nissan sales slipped 10.5 percent, Mazda sales slumped 27.1 percent and Mitsubishi sales fell 12.6 percent. Percentage calculations are based on a daily selling rate because there were 25 selling days last month but 26 days in June 1995.
But Honda said its sales rose 7 percent in June as its Passport sport utility vehicle sales rose 64.4 percent. Sales of the Civic rose 39.7 percent, while Accord sales rose 6.2 percent. And BMW, which has waiting lists for its Z3 roadster and its 5-series cars, saw sales jump 28.4 percent in June. Volkswagen sales rose 7.3 percent.
The Ford Motor Company and Toyota are expected to report June sales levels on Wednesday. Ford sales are expected to be flat or slightly down and today Ford announced a round of rebates intended to increase sales for a number of its 1996-model cars, trucks and mini-vans.
Starting Wednesday, Ford will raise to $1,500 from $1,000 the rebates on the Ford Aerostar and Windstar mini-vans and the Mercury Villager mini-van. In lieu of a rebate, customers who finance with Ford may choose cut-rate financing of 6.9 percent on the mini-vans. Rebates will also rise to $1,000 on the Ford Taurus and Crown Victoria as well as the Mercury Sable and Mercury Grand Marquis. Ford will offer a $2,000 discount on the Bronco and a $600 discount on the Ford Escort, Probe, Ranger and Thunderbird as well as on the Mercury Tracer and Cougar.
Wall Street analysts said that auto sales should finish the year relatively strong, as expected. They gave various reasons for the slowdown at G.M.
"The products that have been hot have stayed hot and the products that have been weak have continued to be weak, other than a few products where there has been a hangover from the strike," said Joseph S. Phillippi, an auto industry analyst for Lehman Brothers. The Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Yukon sold especially briskly, for instance, but many large cars made by Buick and Oldsmobile sold slowly, he said.
Ronald A. Glantz, an auto analyst at Dean Witter, said he was not troubled by G.M.'s results. "We were due for a slowdown anyway," he said, predicting that sales will generally level off in the second half of the year from their quick pace this spring.Continue reading the main story