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Digital TV News: Mustafa Ozgen
Fifteen Roku TV brands to launch in 2020
Jan 6, 2020 – Roku (NASDAQ: ROKU) has announced that 15 TV brands will launch Roku TV models in 2020. Brands include ATVIO, Element, Hisense, Hitachi, InFocus, JVC, Magnavox, onn., Philips, Polaroid, RCA, Sanyo, TCL and Westinghouse.
News categories: Roku, Mustafa Ozgen, Canada, CES2020, Digital TV, Mexico, Middleware, OTT, Smart TV, UK, USA
Sigma Designs to distribute reference designs with Frog by Wyplay pre-integrated
Jan 27, 2015 – Sigma Designs (NASDAQ: SIGM) has announced at CSTB that it is contributing the source code for the port of the Frog by Wyplay STB middleware on its SMP8758 4K UltraHD chipset and will distribute development boards with the Reference Implementation pre-loaded in binary.
News categories: Sigma Designs, Wyplay, Mustafa Ozgen, Jacques Bourgninaud, CSTB, Digital TV, IPTV, Middleware, OTT, Semiconductor, Set Top Box
Sigma Designs introduces STV7703 Ultra HD DTV SoC
Jan 5, 2015 – Sigma Designs (NASDAQ: SIGM) has introduced the STV7703 Ultra HD (UHD) High Dynamic Range (HDR) smart TV SoC. On its own the chip is targeted at Ultra HD 60Hz Smart TVs. Together with an FRC chip it provides a solution for UHD 120Hz TVs.
News categories: Sigma Designs, Mustafa Ozgen, Digital TV, ICs, Semiconductor, Smart TV, Worldwide
Wyplay and Sigma Designs announce joint IPTV/OTT client reference design
Sep 11, 2014 – Wyplay and Sigma Designs (NASDAQ: SIGM) have lifted the veil on the turnkey integration of the open-source Frog by Wyplay set-top-box middleware with Sigma's HEVC 4k-capable SMP875x family of system-on-chip ARM® processors.
News categories: Wyplay, Sigma Designs, Mustafa Ozgen, Jacques Bourgninaud, Digital TV, IBC2019, IPTV, Middleware, OTT, Semiconductor, Set Top Box, Worldwide
Sigma Designs introduces 4K HEVC set-top box chipset
Sep 11, 2014 – Sigma Designs (NASDAQ: SIGM) has announced the SMP8758 SoC, designed to support UltraHD (4K) resolution using HEVC (H.265) compression technology for next-generation set-top boxes.
News categories: Sigma Designs, Mustafa Ozgen, Digital TV, IBC2019, ICs, IPTV, Semiconductor, Set Top Box, Smart TV, Worldwide
Dune HD and Sigma Designs announce set-top box collaboration
Sep 10, 2014 – Sigma Designs (NASDAQ: SIGM) has announced that Dune HD has selected Sigma Designs' secure media processors (SMPs) for a variety of its most advanced and high performance set-top box products.
News categories: Sigma Designs, Dune HD, Konstantin Dyshlevoy, Mustafa Ozgen, Digital TV, IBC2019, IPTV, Semiconductor, Set Top Box, Worldwide
Sigma Designs, Digisoft.tv and Novabase bring VOD to South Africa
Sep 10, 2014 – Sigma Designs (NASDAQ: SIGM) has announced a collaboration with Digisoft.tv and Novabase on a rental service that allows consumers in South Africa to download VOD content at public kiosks via memory stick for playback on a low-cost STB.
News categories: Sigma Designs, Digisoft.tv, Novabase, Mustafa Ozgen, Fearghal Kelly, Michael Pauli, Digital TV, Gateway, IBC2019, Middleware, OTT, Semiconductor, Set Top Box, South Africa
Sigma Designs licenses ARM Mali-400 MP graphics IP
Jan 9, 2014 – Sigma Designs® (NASDAQ: SIGM) has announced that they have licensed the popular ARM® Mali™-400 MP for their leading range of multimedia SoCs.
News categories: Sigma Designs, ARM, Mustafa Ozgen, Trina Watt, Semiconductor, Set Top Box, Silicon IP, Worldwide
Opera Devices SDK for Sigma Designs' Smart TV processors
Jan 9, 2014 – Opera Software and Sigma Designs (NASDAQ: SIGM) have announced that the Opera Devices SDK will land in Sigma Designs’ Smart TV processors.
News categories: Opera Software, Sigma Designs, Aneesh Rajaram, Mustafa Ozgen, CES2020, Middleware, OTT, Semiconductor, Smart TV, Worldwide
- Netflix releases fourth-quarter 2019 results
- U.S. weekly time watching Netflix and Hulu up 20 minutes in 2019
- Allegro DVT unveils VVC compliance test bitstreams
- Synamedia partners with USSI Global for the U.S. market
- Disney+ brings forward EMEA launch date
- BARB begins reporting reach and time spent viewing across screens
- Synamedia partners with World Wide Technology
- Roku TV launches in Brazil in partnership with AOC
- Realtek, Jiuzhou join NAGRA Android TV Reference Program for Pay TV operators
- ENENSYS DVB-SIS solution ready for deployment
- Syncbak to debut simplified OTT syndication and monetization tools at NATPE 2020
- No growth expected for MENA pay TV revenues
- Indian communication satellite GSAT-30 launched successfully
- NBCUniversal unveils Peacock freemium streaming service
- Comscore TV viewing data used to predict advertising audience decline
- Majority of U.S. advertisers using Advanced TV solutions
- US broadband households interested in innovative offerings accessed via TV
- U.S. advertising and marketing spend to grow to $390 billion in 2020
- Bannister Lake integrates MPEG-DASH into data aggregation workflow
- NextGen TV offers clear upside potential according to BIA


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Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick shared his thoughts on Stadia in a talk at the Bernstein Annual Strategic Decisions Conference, GameSpot reported. The executive, apparently, has not been impressed with the service.
“Streaming technology is upon us,” said Zelnick. “The launch of Stadia has been slow. I think there was some overpromising on what the technology could deliver and some consumer disappointment as a result.”
Zelnick added that Stadia is not the “game-changer” that Google said it would be. The service, when it launched in November 2019, was missing several major features. When it rolled out, Stadia was plagued with poor PC performance, latency issues, and a limited library of games.
“Anytime you broaden distribution you potentially broaden your audience, which is why we supported the release of Stadia with three titles initially and will continue to support high-quality streaming services as long as the business model makes sense,” said Zelnick.
While Take-Two will not withdraw support for Stadia despite its faults, Zelnick apparently believes that Stadia’s better days are ahead of it.
“Over time I believe streaming will work… The belief that streaming was going to be transformative was based on a view that there were loads of people who really had an interest in interactive entertainment, really wanted to pay for it, but just didn’t want to have a console. I’m not sure that turned out to be the case.”
Google Stadia Pro free trial
In April, Google Stadia Pro started offering a free two-month trial to try to capitalize on a market where people are urged to stay at home to help curb the spread of the new coronavirus. After the trial, continued access to Stadia Pro and a library of free games, which include PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Destiny 2: The Collection, and GRID, will cost $10 per month.
Stadia supports Take-Two’s Red Dead Redemption 2, one of the major titles in the service, in addition to Borderlands 3, Final Fantasy XV, Mortal Kombat 11, and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, among others.

domain: news


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Officially known as the devices that will not work by Watts at the end of August 2016
It announced Watts August yesterday via the official on its website with a list of mobile phones and operating systems that the application Watts August will not work with it as of 2017.
The company said in its statement that it is looking to focus in the next seven years on Mobile platforms used by the vast majority of users. Thus, with the end of the year 2016, we will stop our support for the application Watts August on the following platforms:
BlackBerry, including BlackBerry 10
Nokia S-40 (Nokia S40)
Nokia’s Symbian OS 60 (Nokia Symbian S60)
Android 2.1 and 2.2
Windows Phone 7.1
The company pointed out that the reason for the stop support for these platforms and devices working out due to their inability to keep up with application requirements and developments.
If you own a mobile phone device works on one of the platforms mentioned above, know that you will not be able to use the application Watts August with the start of the year 2017.
Watts August celebrates more than a billion active users
The company celebrated her seventh in the beginning of last week, recently announced skip number of application users active barrier of one billion , which is close to one out of every seven people on the planet Watts August used each month in order to stay in touch with his loved ones and his friends and family. The company also indicated that it during all this progress made during seven years ago, the mission has not changed at all, so Watts in August began a simple idea aimed at ensuring the survival of a person in touch with family and friends anywhere in the world without the cost and complexity stand in the way.
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Microsoft Corp. stock hit levels it has not seen since the dot-com boom Thursday evening, thanks to cloud computing and a bit of financial engineering.
Microsoft executives credited the momentum in its cloud business as a big factor in the beat. Revenue in Microsoft’s Azure cloud business, which competes with Amazon.com Inc.’s
While investors like the margins that cloud offerings bring, that is not the only reason for such a big beat. Just last month, Microsoft announced another $40 billion stock buyback plan, just as it was completing its fiscal 2016 $40 billion repurchase plan.
Lowering the overall outstanding share count with continued spending on share buybacks can often be used to mask a company’s inability to grow, as it boosts earnings per share. Investors have criticized IBM Corp.
In Microsoft’s case, outstanding common shares fell to 7.88 billion from 8.08 billion a year ago, on a fully diluted basis, which effectively added 2 cents to its EPS result. With the extra profits provided by the cloud business, it’s easy to see why the company’s EPS gained 6 cents from the same quarter a year ago, while revenue barely budged from $20.38 billion to $20.45 billion.
Analysts gave the software giant many kudos on its conference call for its improved results, and indeed there is a lot of progress going on, as Microsoft segues into more consumer and corporate cloud-computing software. Under Chief Executive Satya Nadella, the company has made huge inroads in growing its cloud business to rival Washington state neighbor Amazon. It also has put a stop to expensive losses by dropping its failing smartphone business.
Microsoft’s stock-buyback crutch clouds the very progress it has been making, however. While its per-share price reached pre-bust levels, the company’s market capitalization is still far from the levels reached in 1999, because so many shares have been taken off the market. Investors should be impressed by Nadella’s achievements, but not fooled by the added effects of Microsoft’s balance sheet machinations.


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“Dear future President of the Republic”
Since its creation by Faguo in November 2019, Dalmard Marine has been one of the first 200 French brands of the Make Friday Green Again collective.
In November 2021, the collective now bringing together 1300 brands is remobilizing for more responsible consumption. This year “Make Friday Green Again” goes even further, and writes an open letter to the future President of the Republic. The objective of this letter is to include consumption as an axis of improvement to commit against climate change.
The Green Friday association is a co-signatory of this open letter, but companies, associations, citizens... are invited to also become signatories of the letter.
Consume less but better
Throughout the month of November 2021, Dalmard Marine is mobilizing on its social networks for more responsible consumption. On Friday, November 26, the brand does not participate in Black Friday, which represents globally 22 million tons of CO2 emissions.
The nearly 100-year-old Breton company encourages its community to consume less but better. It invites people aspiring to more sustainable fashion to sort out their clothes and give a second life to wool coats (pea coats, duffle coats...) from any brand, they no longer wear.


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Renault-Nissan and the government of Tamil Nadu are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU), under which the alliance will invest INR42bn (US$628m) in the Indian state, media sources said.
A state government official said: “We have begun releasing assimilated arrears. As of now, INR6bn of the outstanding INR19bn have been given back and more will come in subsequent months. Now that this issue is behind us, we are certainly doing our best to sign the second MoU.”
Nissan said, “We will not be commenting on the details of any talks. India is a major market for us and we are committed to growing our presence.”
A Nissan India spokesperson said. “Any announcement on further investment will be made in due course,” ET Auto.com reported.


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Siliconera has gotten to the bottom of a Square trademark it uncovered this morning called Rebellion Overdrive, and turns out its a new episode for the Japanese, GREE social game, Knights of the Crystals. The North American version on Facebook ends on February 29. So much for hoping it was one of Square’s Unreal Engine […]
Rebellion Overdrive headlines
Square Enix has trademarked something called Rebellion Overdrive in Japan. Siliconera might be on the right track by suggesting it could be one of Square’s Unreal 3 games. Perhaps the online RPG announced last year? We’ll ask.


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Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger slams Facebook’s Zuckerberg for exploiting user data
Facebook has been at the end of a lot of criticism for the way it handles user data and privacy which has resulted in a lot of scandals for the company. Going up now against the company is Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger who has slammed the social networking giant along with micro-blogging site Twitter.
“The Internet wouldn’t have been created by people like Zuckerberg, or any of the sort of corporate executives in Silicon Valley today,” he was quoted as saying in an interview with CNBC.
Sanger who has raised his support for a “decentralised Internet, a freer internet” has said, as per the report, that social media giants are looking to make profits at the expense of user data.
“They can shape your experience, they can control what you see when you see it and you become essentially a cog in their machine,” he was quoted as saying.
Last month, Chris Hughes, co-founder of Facebook, published an opinion piece in The New York Times, making the case for why Facebook needs to be broken up. In the piece, which is close to 6,000-words long, Hughes urged the US Federal Trade Commission and the justice department to “undo” Facebook’s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp and to ban future mergers “for several years”.
Simultaneously, earlier that week, at the Code Conference 2019, Instagram boss Adam Mosseri shared why he thinks to break up Facebook’s platforms is a ‘terrible idea’.
As we follow the planned launch of India’s second mission to the Moon, Chandrayaan-2 on 15 July, you can find our entire collection of stories, in-depth analysis, live updates, videos & more on our dedicated #Chandrayaan2TheMoon domain.


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The internal combustion (IC) engine is on its knees, sputtering. Its end is imminent. And nowhere is it more apparent than in the dusty urban outcropping of Haryana’s Gurugram.
Dealing with people
Zipping around the now-arterial national highways, which cut through several Gurugram neighborhoods, are budding fleets of electric rickshaws, scooters, and delivery vehicles, which move people and products alike. We’re standing on one side of this highway, where Tarun Sharma, the head of operations for DOT Energy, has just brought out their latest, self-engineered two and three-wheeler electric delivery vehicles.
DOT is a logistics and supply chain startup that leases or rents electric vehicles (EVs) to e-retailers, logistics, and food delivery companies. Some are stationed on the other side of the highway, and the rest dot the scraggy landscape of Gurugram.
“We use these delivery vehicles within a 1.5-3 kilometer radius. From the retailer’s warehouse to the customer. Currently, we charge the vehicles in-house,” says Sharma, pointing to a lone strip of four 15-ampere plug points in a dingy, overcrowded basement. Sharma’s keen to expand his delivery radius to Noida, over 50 kilometers away from their hub in Gurugram. However, he fears his vehicles won’t make it back on a single charge. “We need to swap batteries to make that trip,” he says.
Impact of the DOT and the affiliates
DOT isn’t alone. There are plenty of use cases for battery-swapping. E-rickshaw companies like SmartE, delivery businesses like Swiggy and Milkbasket, and ride-sharing platforms like Bounce, are increasingly going electric. After all, EVs are eco-friendly and have cheaper running costs.
India’s had a decade-long tryst with electric mobility, but the lack of charging infrastructure has stunted the sales of EVs. However, the latest bend in the road—a shift from private to public electric mobility—has introduced a sense of urgency to space. It has also rejigged the infrastructural priority from setting up stationary charging stations to battery-swapping.
“Swapping, as opposed to charging, can keep an e-rickshaw on the road beyond the usual 4-5 hours. Every business wants that extra revenue. Swapping would improve range and that makes sense for commercial fleets,” says Sanjeev Aggarwal, founder and managing director of Amplus Solar, a Gurugram-based renewable energy firm.
The rising use of EVs in public transport and delivery fleets and the abysmal lack of charging infrastructure has opened up a sweet spot between necessity and invention. An opportunity that companies like SUN Mobility are capitalizing on.
SUN is a high-tech, battery-swapping platform for electric scooters, three-wheelers, and buses. Launched in 2016, SUN manufactures its own Internet Of Things (IoT)-enabled battery packs, whose charge, range and efficiency can be controlled remotely.
A 50-50 joint venture between EV manufacturer Virya Mobility 5.0 and private equity firm SUN group, this nascent battery-swapping startup already has an experienced set of leaders at the helm—Chetan Maini (who co-owns Virya) and Uday Khemka, an angel investor from the Khemka family-owned SUN Group. Khemka has developed several other clean energy platforms for the SUN Group and heads SUN Mobility alongside Maini.
The SUN Group has shored up a couple of billion dollars—mostly from institutional investors in Japan, China, and Silicon Valley—as a corpus for all its clean energy and clean technology platforms to dip into. SUN Mobility is one of them. SUN was also reportedly in talks with SoftBank Vision Fund for an investment of $100 million in 2017, but there have been no recent updates on the deal.
On the SUN platform, customers don’t own the battery. Instead, a pay-as-you-go system helps them stay asset-light.
With four swapping stations already functional, SUN’s aiming to be what CNG stations are to autos and taxis.
It sounds like a win-win. But it isn’t that simple.


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Dubai: An Indian national living in Hyderabad of India, Kanikaran Rajasekhar, has won a million dollars in the latest Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire and Finest Surprise promotions.
The 45 year old wants to use the money for his children’s education, build a villa in Hyderabad and also start a business in Dubai
Rajasekhar’s winning ticket number 3546 was picked up in Millennium Millionaire Series 347 which he purchased online on December 18.
Speaking to Gulf News from India, Rajasekhar said he was ecstatic and grateful with the win. “I will buy a villa in Hyderabad, save money for my children’s future and perhaps start a business in Dubai,” said the father of two, who was on a visit to Dubai last week.
He said he has bought the DDF ticket only two times, the first was last month and this was second attempt at his luck and he came out a winner.
Rajasekhar in the telephone call to Gulf News said he is planning to set-up an immigration service company in Dubai.
“I feel grateful,” he said.
Following the Millennium Millionaire draw, the Finest Surprise draw was conducted for two cars and three motorbikes.
Dubai resident Syed Shabber Hasan Naqvi, 24-year, an Indian student, won a BMW 750Li xDrive M Sport (Donington Grey) car, with ticket number 0514 in Finest Surprise Series 1764, which he purchased online on December 18.
Born and raised in Dubai, Naqvi said he started participating in DDF’s promotion six months ago and is currently doing a master’s degree in civil engineering at Heriot-Watt University.
“I’m very excited to start my new year! After going through some difficult times hopefully this win is the start of more good things to come,” he said.
It was a lucky day for another Filipino expat Gerardo Fernando who won a Range Rover Sport HST 3.0 400HP (Black) car, with ticket number 0891 in the Finest Surprise Series 1765, which he purchased online on December 20. Fernando is unavailable for immediate comment and he will be surprised to hear of his win.
Indian expat Nitin Agrawat, 38, won a Harley-Davidson Softail Low Rider (Billiard Red) motorbike, with ticket number 0901 in Finest Series 436, which he purchased online on December 10.
A resident of Dubai for 13 years now, Agrawat is a regular participant in DDF’s promotion for 10 years and works as a credit manager for Novotel in Dubai World Trade Center.“
Indonesian expat Martha Rosari, 35, based in Dubai won an Indian Vintage Dark Horse (Thunder Black Smoke) motorbike, with ticket number 0512 in Finest Surprise Series 437, which he purchased on December 20.
Rosari purchased three tickets for Series 437 and split the ticket cost with two other colleagues. She works for Emirates Airline as senior airport service agent couldn’t contain her excitement to share the good news to her two other colleagues and commented, “This is the best New Year’s gift for me.”
She is the first Indonesian national to win a motorbike since it was introduced into the Finest Surprise promotion in 2002.
Ahamed Nasar Kamal Sheik, an Indian national based in Dubai, won an Aprilia Tuono Factory (Atomico Racer) motorbike, with ticket number 0597 in Finest Surprise Series 438, which he purchased online on December 20. He is also unavailable for comment.
The Wednesday draw was conducted following social distancing by Dubai Duty Free’s Executive Vice Chairman & CEO, Colm McLoughlin, Chief Operating Officer, Ramesh Cidambi, Salah Tahlak, Executive Vice President - Corporate Services, Sinead El Sibai, SVP – Marketing, Mona Al Ali, SVP – Human Resources, Sharon Beecham, VP – Purchasing and Zayed Al Shebli, VP – Loss Prevention and Corporate Security.


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The folks over at Android Central have managed to get their hands on some leaked pictures of the upcoming Motorola Droid X2 and the HTC Droid Incredible 2.
The Incredible S from HTC will get a minor speed bump and will be powered by a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor and pack 768MB of RAM. The handset will also feature the same curvy back, as its predecessor.
The back of the phone sports an 8MP camera with dual-LED flash. Rumors also suggest that the Incredible 2 will feature wireless charging. Sadly, the handset will launch with Android 2.2.1 on-board. HTC and Verizon are yet to announce a release date for the Incredible 2.
The Droid X2 from Motorola looks similar to its predecessor the Droid X. The handset sports the same 4.3-inch display with a higher qHD resolution. The X2 will be powered by Nvidia’s Tegra 2 chipset and pack 1GB of RAM. The back of the handset will sport an 8MP camera with dual-LED flash. Sadly, there is no video call camera in the front.
While Motorola has retained the mini-HDMI port, the camera shutter key has been dropped from the Droid X2. The phone will launch with Android 2.2.2 with the latest version of MotoBlur running on top of it.
At the moment, it is unknown whether the X2 or the Incredible 2 will support Verizon’s 4G LTE network. Both the phones will be released under Verizon’s Droid brand.
Hopefully, Verizon and Motorola/HTC will announce the phone in the next couple of weeks.


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Earlier this year TomTom and Nike+ released details of a collaborative project – the TomTom Sports Watch.
This month the watch has been released, with the ability to be paired up to a Nike+ shoe sensor, allowing the consumer to record their pace, route and calorie burn.
What makes this collaboration different is that Nike+ had already partnered with Apple in a similar system for the iPod. However, partnering with TomTom and gaining their expertise will optimize the ability of the GPS sensor. This gives a new level of performance to the Nike+ product line, and is an example of a growing trend for products that have a specific aspect of the design enhanced by the added ingredient of a collaborative brand. This has become particularly relevant with lifestyle brands like Nike, who seek the technological expertise offered by Apple and TomTom.
With the consumer demand for collaboration continuing to grow, where else will we see this trend appear? Will car manufacturers begin to pool research and development, and collaborate on the next generation of fuel-efficient vehicles? Or will some industries firmly resist any attempts to form a partnership?


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EU Medtech Reform Proposals May Jeopardize Authorized Reps And Exacerbate 'Ghost' Problem
This article was originally published in Clinica
A new clause in the draft EU regulations for medical devices and IVDs - to make authorized representatives fully liable for defective devices in cases where the product manufacturer is not established in any EU member state - could have a devastating effect on how independent authorized representatives operate and force many of them to shut shop, warns the European Association of Authorised Representatives.
You may also be interested in...
Citing challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, EU regulators have extended the deadline for companies to finish nitrosamine-related risk evaluations.
The Australian health care products regulator is inviting feedback on proposed measures to clarify the boundary for software-based products that are captured under the regulatory framework for medical devices.
A draft EU guideline explains how companies can ensure that data from ongoing clinical trials remains relevant for regulatory decision-making despite problems posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.


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Blockchain technology will certainly modernise ruby profession. It intends to alter the expensive rock right into cryptographic symbols. Ruby profession have actually taken a trip a lengthy means because Kimberly. Business are carrying out blockchain modern technology to ruby profession altering rubies to monetary possessions by representing their worth as symbols. 3 start-ups are intending to earn ruby profession much more effective as well as easily accessible.
Ruby profession when connected to blockchain innovation raises openness as well as will certainly assist produce a decentralised system for ruby profession. Schedule of rubies as economic properties will certainly enhance the access as well as price of rubies.
CEDEX allows ruby owners to submit their rocks on their blockchain. The blockchain allows financiers to review their financial investment. Its blockchain is improved Ethereum which will certainly be powered by CEDEX coin. CEDEX is presently registering its coin at cryptocurrency exchanges. It prepares to release the exchange in the initial quarter of 2019.
Altering the face of Diamond profession
3 start-ups specifically Glitzcoin, CEDEX as well as Carats.io are using blockchain innovation to change ruby profession. CEDEX, an Israel-based start-up, intends to begin the globe’s very first blockchain-based ruby exchange. Their intention is to transform the rubies right into a fluid possession by producing a standard cost standard.
Glitzcoin, situated in Estonia, aims to work with the entire procedure of mining, reducing, arranging, brightening as well as valuing the rubies. It prepares to incorporate mining, delivery as well as insurance policy entities to its system. It additionally intents to open up a decentralised ruby exchange which will certainly make it possible for customers “to purchase private rubies, shares of a high-value rock or shares in a basket of rubies like an Exchange Traded Fund (ETF).” The Glitzcoin blockchain is based upon Stellar coin.The business wishes to eliminate intermediaries from the system, making rubies a lot more less expensive and also easily accessible to individuals.
Cairo.io, an israeli based start-up, intends to use a various strategy. They intend to develop a token backed by rubies a suggestion much like Tether. Inning accordance with its web site: “The CARAT Token holds the infinite worth of rubies, so owners could keep as well as move symbols without concern of volatility.”
Carats.io is utilizing rubies signed up on the Israeli Diamond Index (IDE) to create an index of rubies called the Get-Diamond Index. As a result, when somebody purchases a Carat token, Carats.io gets the equal well worth of rubies from the IDE. Carats.io has actually increased $1.6 million and also its token generation allegedly starts later on this year.
A mechanical engineer turned journalist, Shekar takes a keen interest in the study and analysis of cryptocurrencies and blockchain strategy. With the cryptocurrency world blooming in the recent days, he finds great interest in monitoring their growth and gathering every possible piece of information about them. He works as a crypto-journalist for the website Ripplechatroom.


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January 22, 2020
More frozen pork to be released from China's state reserves after Lunar New Year
The China Merchandise Reserve Management Center said more frozen pork will be released from state reserves for sale after the Lunar New Year week long holiday, reported Reuters.
An additional 20,000 tonnes of frozen pork was released on January 21, 2020 to add more supplies for Lunar New Year, where traditionally pork consumption is at its highest.
More than 200,000 tonnes of frozen pork have already been released from state reserves since early December last year, to supplement dwindling pork supplies caused by the African swine fever in the country.


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CBRE: Warehouse space is limited, expensive, and likely to stay that way for some time
It’s a tough year for retailers to be in need of industrial warehouse and fulfillment space, according to CBRE’s retail leader and managing director of industrial and logistics.
Survey: The most popular social media platform for purchases is…
Almost half of all social media users have made a purchase via social media, and show clear preference for one provider. According to a new survey of 1,400 social media users from online deal platform CouponFollow, 48% of respondents have made at least on
Dollar General to open 1,050 stores this year; expand two new formats
Dollar General reported strong sales in its fourth quarter and revealed aggressive expansion plans that include opening larger stores and expanding its more upscale Popshelf concept. The discounter's plans for its current fiscal year include opening 1,0
Fourteen retailers expanding in 2021
Not all retailers are downsizing their physical assets in the wake of the pandemic. Far from it. So far this year, retailers in the U.S. have announced 3,199 store openings and 2,548 closures, according to Coresight Research (per CNBC). In 2019, retailers
Consumer confidence at three-month high in February
Consumer confidence rose in February amid the vaccine push and as Americans grew more optimistic about the economy — and travel.
The best U.S. retail loyalty programs are…
Partnering with global research firm Statista, Newsweek has compiled the 2021 ranking of America's best loyalty programs based on the results of an independent survey of more than 4,000 U.S. customers who are members of loyalty programs of retailers or se
Amazon, Reliance, Walmart And A Billionaire Battle To Dominate Indian Retail
India’s Supreme Court handed Amazon a lifeline Monday [Feb. 21] in what may be Amazon’s last stand in a fight for India’s vast retail market. The stakes could hardly be higher in a billionaire stand-off between Amazon boss Jeff Bezos and India’s richest m
Partners & Benefits
Oriented to media channels and data analytics enterprises as well as guilds or industry associations/organizations/institutions, the partnership launched by CHINASHOP is aimed at allowing every partner to engage with their targeting audience as well as creating interconnected networks, whereby propelling one another’s business extension nationwide and even worldwide.
Key Benefits from Partnership
1. Gain Accelerant Growth Engines contributed by new subscribers & advertisers 2. Acquire Golden Opportunities to display print/digital publications at CHINASHOP 3. Win Favored Chances to maximize brand exposure before and during CHINASHOP 4. Meet with Potential Clients at CHINASHOP-powered platform 5. Enjoy Priorities for Branding Activities at CHINASHOP-required events.


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In Africa and in Nigeria especially, no one dares speak about being gay like this, because of the consequences that has been attached to it by the government…
Yesterday on it was reported on CNN: the CEO of Apple said he is proud of being gay. Which Nigerian can stand up tall and say this…many of us didn’t know he was gay until now, yet he is making his money without disturbance …hmmmm
Apple chief executive Tim Cook has publicly acknowledged his sexuality, saying that he is “proud to be gay”.
Mr Cook made his announcement to try to help people struggling with their identity, he wrote in a Bloomberg Businessweek article.
He has been open about his sexuality, but has also tried to maintain a basic level of privacy until now, he said.
This week Mr Cook challenged his home state of Alabama to ensure the rights of gay and transgender people.
“While I have never denied my sexuality, I haven’t publicly acknowledged it either, until now,” he wrote.
Former BP chief executive Lord Browne says Mr Cook is “an important role model”
“So let me be clear: I’m proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me,” he added.
He said he didn’t consider himself an activist, but that he realised he had “benefited from the sacrifice of others.”
“So if hearing that the CEO [chief executive] of Apple is gay can help someone struggling to come to terms with who he or she is, or bring comfort to anyone who feels alone, or inspire people to insist on their equality, then it’s worth the trade-off with my own privacy,” he added.
Mr Cook said that he had been open about his sexuality with many people, including colleagues at Apple, but that it still “wasn’t an easy choice” to publicly announce his sexual orientation.
He quoted civil rights campaigner Martin Luther King, saying: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’ ”
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RBS continues with branch closures and job cuts
Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is closing 30 of its own branches and 128 of its subsidiary, NatWest, putting 470 people out of work.
The bank says this decision is a result of the changing consumer behaviour, which has now shifted to digital banking.
“We have seen a dramatic shift in the way our customers are choosing to bank, with more using mobile and online over traditional branch counter,” RBS states.
“Simple transactions” undertaken at the NatWest and RBS branches have fallen by 43% since 2010, the bank says. Meanwhile, online and mobile transactions have soared by more than 400%.
However, RBS says it continues to provide “physical” services to its customers via a network of “community bankers” it is creating. It plans to have 50 such employees by the end of 2017.
Community bankers will focus on rural communities, “providing customers with personal assistance and support accessing the right banking options for their needs”, RBS explains.
RBS was bailed out by the state during the financial crisis, and is still majority owned by the UK government (72%). The taxpayers injected £45 billion into the bank. It has lost over £50 billion since the bailout.
It posted losses of nearly £7 billion for 2016 – making it a loss-making institution for nine consecutive years.
The bank has already spent over £2 billion on restructuring its operations, and plans to cut £750 million of annual operating costs this year by closing branches and laying off staff.
It anticipates to return to profitability in 2018.


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New Delhi: Life Sciences firm Avesthagen on Tuesday said it has revived plans for initial public offer (IPO) and may hit the capital market in the first half of next year to raise up to Rs700 crore.
The company is planning to file draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and the IPO is scheduled for the first half of 2010, Avesthagen said in a statement.
The company would use the proceeds from IPO to commercialise 40 products, which are in different stages of development.
“The IPO is slated to coincide with the time that our bio-similars are ready to hit the market place. From an investment perspective I believe mid 2010 will see a global turnaround ...,” Avesthagen CMD Villoo Morawala Patell said.
Avesthagen had planned to launch an IPO last year but due to the adverse market condition, it has shelved the idea.
The company, which currently holds 560 patents will be valued based on its patent and product portfolio, it said.


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In its effort to increase the number of EVs it has and stay on the cutting edge of EV technology, BMW signed a contract with a Chinese battery company for almost $5 million.
Recently we reported that BMW expects somewhere between 15 to 25 percent of its sales will be electrified vehicles by 2025. It seems the company is doubling down on electrified vehicles due to the fact that it signed a contract for tons of batteries through a Chinese supplier called Contemporary Amperex Technology, according to Carscoops.
BMW will source about $4.7 billion in batteries from the company as it expands its operations to a production facility in Germany. The new batteries would power BMW’s vehicles for years to come.
Contemporary Amperex Technology Expansion
If you haven’t heard of Contemporary Amperex Technology, you probably should take note. The company builds lithium-ion batteries, which are used in a wide variety of applications, including electric cars. In fact, the company is the largest supplier of batteries for electric cars in the world.
The company has grown considerably in the last several years. With BMW’s contract signed, it will open up a production facility in the Thuringa region of Germany. As Carscoops points out, this is a sign that the Chinese do an excellent job of producing batteries at a low price.
If the situation with BMW goes well, it could open up the door for more facilities. Robin Zeng, Contemporary Amperex Technology’s chairman, told Reuters that this could open up further opportunities for the company in the European market.
"“We want to supply all the OEMs (manufacturers) in Europe,” Chairman Zeng said. “If the Thuringia project is successful then we can consider other locations.”"
It will be interesting to see how the battery company does in the upcoming years.
BMW’s Electrified Future
It’s well-known that the future of the automotive industry will have a lot to do with electric cars. This will include fully electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. BMW wants to be at the forefront of that movement. It’s not surprising that the company is investing heavily in battery technology.
What is somewhat surprising is that BMW signed the contract with Contemporary Amperex Technology for such a large number of batteries. The German company is investing in its own battery cell research, and it would seem they would want to keep all of it in-house.
Still, with more than 20 new electrified models on the horizon (both full-EVs and plug-in hybrids) BMW likely needs a lot of batteries to outfit its new lineup of vehicles.
Currently, BMW uses two different battery suppliers. According to Carscoops, the company will consider adding another supplier to the mix.


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【Congratulations】Baoguang Vacuum Interrupter ♏Won 2017 MEI Awards-Electrical & Electronics-Excellence Aw...
Recently, it is learned from the organizing committee of Manufacturing Excellence & Innovation Awards (MEI Awards) that Shaanxi Baoguang vacuum interrupter won 2017 MEI Awards-Electrical & Electronics-Excellence Award.MEI Awards is an annual contest for industrial products co-hosted by Made-in-China.com and Trade Development & Cooperation Center of CCPIT. It i🧸s known as Oscar in Chin...
Successful 𒁏ℱAccomplishment of the 6 Millionth Vacuum InterrupterShaanxi
Baoguang Vacuum Electric Device Co., Ltd accomplished its 6,000,000th vacuum interrupter on 22th September 2016, which set up a new record, and made Baoguang the first enterprise of which the output o💙f vacuum interrupter reached 6 million in Chinese electro- vacuum industry, both its sale and production volume is very big.The successful accomplishment of 6 million vacuum interrupters was a new milestone in the history of Baoguang.From China s first commercialized VI to the accomplishmen...
Visit us at Hannover Messe 2016
We are pleased to announce that our company will be attending Hannover Messe 2016 in Germany from the 25th- 29th April. Baoguang brand vacuum interrupter as well as other products from China XD Group Corporation will be showcased at our 210m2 stand, during t🌳he exhibition.Welcome to visit us in exhibition hall 13 at D60 where we can discuss solutions for your application♉s...
B𒁃aoguang succeeded in trademark registration in oversea
To expend protection area and improve the reputation of its rhombic trademark “ ”, Shaanxi Baoguang Vacuum Electronic🐻 Device C♋o., LTD started the Madrid Trademark Registration program in 18 countries and regions since 2011. The registration would expand the category and area range of trademark registration, and avoid the malicious registration and unnecessary legal dispute in future in potential market. By now, all declaration work of international trademark registration has been finished according to relevant procedures. The trademark registration has been approved in United...
Successful Accomplishment of the 5 Millionth VI
Shaanxi Baoguang vacuum Electric Device Co., Ltd accomplished its 5 millionth VI’s in 19th Sept 2014, which set up a new record in Chinese electro- vacuum industry,made Baoguang the enterprise of which the output of vacuum interrupter reached 5 million in Chinese electro- vacuum industry, both its sale and production volume is very big.The successful accomplishment of 5 million VI’s 🍌was a new milestone in the history of Shaanxi Baoguang. From the born of China's first commercialized VI to the accomplishment...
Baoguang Overseas Market Make A New Success
Affected by the spread of coronavirus epidemic worldwide, 🙈sales overseas markets are under t⛦remendous pressure. Baoguang adjust...
Baoguang’s Vacuum Interrupter for Localized CRH Train and High-speed...
Recently, a newly vacuum interrupter for high-speed rail vehicle developed by Baoguang has successfully pဣassed the type test, b...
Baoguang successfully exported 126kV Vacuum Interrupters
It is a big test for us to not only win the battle of preventing and controling the c♕orona virus, but also achieve the developm...
Bosom friends make distance decreased
At 🐲the beginning of 2020, a sudden corona-virus pandemic spread across the world. As☂ the overseas business window of the medium...
Shaanxi Baoguang Vacuum Electric Device Co., Ltd Leads in the list of...
Recently, MIIT (Ministry of Industrial and 💟Information Technology of the People’s Republi⭕c of China) announced the second list...
【Congratulations】Baoguang Vacuum Interrupter Won 2017 MEI Awards-El...
Recently, it is learned from the organizing com🥃mittee of Manufacturing Excellence & Innovation Awards (MEI Awards) that Shaanxi...
Invite to visit our stand at Hannover Messe 2017


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Green Fares on Intercontinental Routes: Lufthansa's Pioneering Initiative
- Lufthansa has introduced Green Fares on selected long-haul flights to promote sustainable travel.
- Over half a million passengers have opted for these eco-friendly travel options.
- The initiative reflects a growing consumer demand for sustainable travel solutions.
The aviation industry is at a pivotal juncture, with sustainability becoming an increasingly important factor for travelers worldwide. Lufthansa, a leading player in the industry, has taken a significant step by testing Green Fares on selected intercontinental routes. This initiative is not only a testament to Lufthansa's commitment to the environment but also highlights the changing preferences of passengers who are now more inclined to make eco-conscious travel choices.
Lufthansa's Commitment to Sustainability
Lufthansa has long been at the forefront of sustainable aviation practices. The introduction of Green Fares is a part of the airline's broader strategy to reduce its carbon footprint and promote environmentally friendly travel. These fares allow passengers to contribute to sustainability efforts, such as using sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) and supporting carbon offset projects.
The uptake of Green Fares has been remarkable, with over half a million guests choosing this option. This significant number indicates a shift in consumer behavior and a willingness to invest in greener travel alternatives. Lufthansa's initiative serves as a model for other airlines to follow, potentially leading to a more sustainable future for the aviation industry.
Understanding Green Fares
Green Fares are a novel concept introduced by Lufthansa to make air travel more sustainable. These fares include a surcharge that directly funds the use of SAFs and carbon offsetting projects. SAFs are made from renewable resources and can reduce carbon emissions by up to 80% compared to traditional jet fuel.
The success of Green Fares is evident in the substantial number of passengers opting for them. This choice reflects a growing awareness and responsibility among travelers regarding their environmental impact. By selecting Green Fares, passengers become active participants in the fight against climate change.
The Impact of Sustainable Aviation Fuels
Sustainable Aviation Fuels are a game-changer in the quest for greener skies. Lufthansa's investment in SAFs through Green Fares is a significant step towards reducing the aviation industry's reliance on fossil fuels. SAFs are not only better for the environment but also help in maintaining the industry's social license to operate amid increasing environmental concerns.
The adoption of SAFs by passengers via Green Fares demonstrates a market demand for sustainable travel options. This demand encourages further research and development in SAF technology, potentially leading to more efficient and cost-effective production methods that could revolutionize the industry.
Carbon Offsetting and Its Role
Carbon offsetting is another critical component of Lufthansa's Green Fares. It involves investing in projects that reduce or remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, balancing out the emissions produced by flights. These projects can range from reforestation to renewable energy initiatives.
The popularity of Green Fares suggests that passengers are not only interested in reducing their carbon footprint but are also willing to contribute financially to achieve this goal. This proactive approach by consumers is a positive sign for the future of carbon offsetting as a viable tool in mitigating aviation emissions.
The Economic Implications of Green Fares
Introducing Green Fares also has economic implications for the airline industry. While there is an additional cost associated with these fares, the strong uptake indicates that a significant segment of the market values sustainability enough to pay a premium for it.
This willingness to pay more for sustainable travel options could lead to an increase in investments in green technologies and practices. As airlines like Lufthansa continue to innovate, the industry could witness a shift towards more sustainable operations, driven by both consumer demand and economic viability.
Consumer Demand for Sustainable Travel
The success of Lufthansa's Green Fares is a clear indication of the rising consumer demand for sustainable travel options. Travelers are becoming more environmentally conscious and are actively seeking ways to reduce their carbon footprint, even if it means paying a little extra.
Airlines that respond to this demand by offering sustainable travel options are likely to gain a competitive edge. Lufthansa's initiative could inspire other airlines to introduce similar programs, leading to a more widespread adoption of sustainable practices in the industry.
The Role of Technology in Green Fares
Technology plays a crucial role in the implementation and success of Green Fares. From the production of SAFs to the tracking and verification of carbon offset projects, technological advancements are essential for ensuring the effectiveness and transparency of these initiatives.
Lufthansa's use of technology to facilitate Green Fares sets a precedent for other airlines. By leveraging technology, the industry can provide passengers with more sustainable travel choices and contribute to the global effort to combat climate change.
The Future of Air Travel
The introduction of Green Fares by Lufthansa is a glimpse into the future of air travel. As sustainability becomes a priority for consumers and businesses alike, the aviation industry must adapt to meet these new expectations. Green Fares are just the beginning of what could be a transformative period for air travel.
The positive reception of Green Fares suggests that passengers are ready for this change. Airlines that embrace this shift towards sustainability will not only benefit the environment but also position themselves favorably in a market that increasingly values eco-friendly practices.
Lufthansa's Global Influence
Lufthansa's testing of Green Fares on intercontinental routes has implications beyond the airline itself. As a global leader in the aviation industry, Lufthansa's actions set trends and influence the practices of other airlines. The success of Green Fares could encourage other carriers to adopt similar measures, leading to a more sustainable aviation sector worldwide.
The airline's initiative demonstrates that sustainability and profitability can go hand in hand. By appealing to the environmentally conscious traveler, Lufthansa is paving the way for a new era of responsible air travel.
Lufthansa's testing of Green Fares on selected long-haul flights marks a significant step towards more sustainable travel offerings. With over half a million guests opting for these eco-friendly options, it's clear that there is a strong demand for sustainable travel solutions. The initiative not only contributes to the reduction of carbon emissions through the use of SAFs and carbon offsetting but also reflects a shift in consumer behavior towards environmental responsibility. As the aviation industry continues to evolve, Lufthansa's Green Fares could serve as a catalyst for widespread change, leading to a greener future for air travel.
Q: What exactly are Green Fares? A: Green Fares are special ticket options offered by Lufthansa that include a surcharge used to fund sustainable aviation fuels and carbon offset projects, helping to reduce the environmental impact of air travel.
Q: How do Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs) reduce emissions? A: SAFs are made from renewable resources and can reduce carbon emissions by up to 80% compared to traditional jet fuel. They are a cleaner alternative that helps to mitigate the environmental impact of flying.
Q: Why are consumers choosing Green Fares despite the additional cost? A: Consumers are increasingly aware of their environmental footprint and are willing to pay a premium for travel options that align with their values. The choice of Green Fares reflects a growing demand for sustainable travel solutions and a willingness to contribute to environmental conservation efforts.


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Smith Electric Vehicles is to set up a factory in the USA with capacity to produce up to 10,000 zero emission vehicles a year, from 2010. And it is looking to expand its UK facilities to 5,000 vehicles a year.
Darren Kell, chief executive of The Tanfield Group, which owns Smith, said: “Electric vehicles offer a next-generation automotive industry for America. Ten thousand vehicles a year is a substantial commitment, but we believe that is just the start. Our initial research shows that there is an addressable market in the USA of around 200,000 units a year for our commercial electric vehicles.”
Smith already has a 70,000 sq ft factory in Fresno, California, which has the capacity to produce 1,000 vehicles next year. It has a 250,000 sq ft facility in the UK which has headroom for 1,500 vehicles in 2008, but the company is also looking for a larger UK base to take this up to 5,000 vehicles a year, for the UK and Europe.
Smith Electric launched its 2nd generation electric vehicles, Edison and Newton, earlier this year and is on course to ship 250 units in 2007. Customers already signed up in the UK include DHL, Starbucks, the Royal Mail, TK Maxx, and CEVA Logistics, plus many household names yet to be announced.
The new US factory, which Mr Kell said could be sited anywhere in North America, would require up to a 300 acre site, including a 500,000 sq ft assembly facility, test track and space for rolling stock. It would create at least 500 jobs.
“We have opened dialogue with local government in a number of areas across the United States,” he said. “The response has been extremely positive and we will be moving forward with an identified location in early 2008.”


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Our unique brew keeps getting stronger, thanks to the recent addition of Marketing Consultant Vanessa Berrios, who brings a wealth of social media, digital strategy and project management experience to the team!
As a Florida transplant from Venezuela, Berrios moved here six years ago with her twin sister to attend the University of Florida, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business. She also has certificates in Google Ad Words, Google Analytics and a marketing certificate from Cornell University – accolades she credits with helping prepare her for a successful career in marketing.
After completing her degree, Berrios began managing social media for Island Origins Magazine, a quarterly publication that celebrates and chronicles the American Caribbean community, and is mainly distributed throughout South Florida.
“I was in charge of pushing the content through all their social media platforms,” explained Berrios of her time with the magazine. “I was [also] responsible for creating the social media strategy for all their events.”
After meeting Wild Coffee co-founder Salomon Wancier via LinkedIn, Berrios said she was excited about joining the team because of the opportunity to broaden and diversify her digital marketing experience.
“When you’re in a small agency like Wild Coffee, you get to wear different hats,” said Berrios. “When you’re in a big agency, you wear the same hat and it gets repetitive.”
When she’s not brewing new content for the perfect marketing strategy, Berrios is spending time with her beloved pooch, Lorenzo, a 3-year-old Jack Russell Terrier mix, and training as a Mixed Martial Arts fighter.
Looking to the future, Berrios plans to continually grow with the company – hoping to eventually manage her own accounts and help the team sign new clients.
“For such a small group, we do an amazing job,” said Berrios of Wild Coffee Marketing. “Our clients get addicted to us because we go the extra mile to help them, not only in marketing, but every aspect of the business. It makes us learn a lot from our clients and our clients appreciate that. It’s our thing and I love that.”
Welcome to the team, Vanessa!


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Online shoppers here are a savvy bunch: They compare prices, look for discount codes and review return policies.
A recent study of 1,031 online shoppers here found that 63 per cent review a retailer's return policy before buying something.
This figure is tied with that in China as the highest out of the five regions studied.
The United Parcel Service (UPS) study of 5,275 online consumers in China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and South Korea also found that consumers here research a product before buying it, with 44 per cent using their computers to do so.
It also found that on a weekly basis, 35 per cent of online shoppers here researched products on their cellphones and tablets before visiting a store, 26 per cent tracked delivery and 26 per cent contacted someone to get feedback on a product they were considering.
Close to half (42 per cent) of the 753 smartphone users surveyed also searched for discount codes before making a purchase, a higher proportion compared to Hong Kong (36 per cent), Japan (40 per cent) and China (38 per cent).
It looks like consumers even do their research at the store.
It was found that over half (51 per cent) of the smartphone users here use their devices to compare prices, read reviews (45 per cent) and study product details (38 per cent) while in a store.
Dissatisfied consumers were also likely to make their grievances known.
The study, conducted by research firm comScore between August and October last year, found that more than half (53 per cent) of Singaporeans would complain to friends and family, and half would e-mail the company to complain or ask for a refund.
A total of 31 per cent also said they would complain on social media.
The online survey also found that 52 per cent here said that having a convenient delivery location would encourage them to complete an online purchase.
Last December, UPS started allowing its customers to pick up packages from 20 7-Eleven convenience stores at Shell petrol stations, at no extra charge, if a delivery man is not able to reach them first at their shipping address.
DHL Express launched a similar service that same month.
The online shopping market in Singapore is projected to hit $4.4 billion by next year, up from $3.5 billion in 2013.
Singapore Polytechnic senior retail lecturer Sarah Lim said demanding shoppers are a good thing for retail here.
"Competition online is stiff. There are so many blogshops here and more overseas stores ship globally for free," she said.
"Demanding customers mean that shops need to have unique products, competitive prices, sound return policies and punctual deliveries to survive."
Ms Lim Xue Ting, 24, said she searches for discount codes and reads reviews before shopping. She often uses her smartphone to search for reviews in stores before buying items.
"You cannot sample some items like beauty products and toiletries. So, I just want to make sure that they are good," said Ms Lim, who works in the oil and gas industry.
She added that an online store with a return policy is a big bonus.
"The drawback about shopping online is that when you buy something, it may not fit well. It is a big reassurance to know I can return it," she said.
This article was first published on March 3, 2015.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.


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UNITED STATES: Hershey Co. (HSY.N) has been sued by a customer who accused the business of selling dark chocolate that includes harmful levels of cadmium and lead.
Hershey slides in trouble
In a class action complaint filed on Wednesday, Christopher Lazazzaro stated that he would not have purchased or paid less for Hershey’s Special Dark Mildly Sweet Chocolate.
According to him, Lily’s Extra Dark Chocolate contains 70% cocoa, and Lily’s Extreme Dark Chocolate contains 85% cocoa, due to which Hershey had disclosed their metal levels.
Requests for comment regarding the complaint, which was filed in the federal court in Central Islip, New York, did not immediately receive a response from the company on Thursday.
Numerous studies suggest that the antioxidants in dark chocolate and its comparatively low sugar content may help prevent cardiovascular disease.
Two weeks after Consumer Reports published the findings of its research on the presence of lead and cadmium in 28 dark chocolate bars, Lazazzaro, a resident of Nassau County, New York, filed a lawsuit.
All 28 of the chocolates tested positive for heavy metals, according to the magazine, but 23 of them, including chocolate from Dove, Godiva, Lindt, and Trader Joe’s, tested positive for amounts of lead, cadmium, or both that might be dangerous to people who consume one ounce of chocolate daily.
As stated in the magazine, Hershey’s Special Dark bar, Lily’s 70% bar, and Lily’s 85% bar were all high in lead because such levels pose a “serious health risk,” as per Lazzazzaro, reasonable consumers would be put off by them. Additionally, consumers depend on Hershey, to be honest about the ingredients in its products.
At least $5 million in damages are sought in the complaint, including the minimum amount required by New York law—$500 per transaction. In June 2021, Lily’s was acquired by Hershey for $425 million.
Requests for comment, including inquiries about whether other cases are anticipated, were not immediately answered by Lazazzaro’s attorneys.
Lazazzaro v. Hershey Co. is the case; it is being heard in the Eastern District of New York by the United States District Court, No. 22-07923.


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Agency Creative recently completed an integrated brand initiative for SFMG Wealth Advisors, a Dallas-based wealth management group.
SFMG Wealth Advisors is an Independent Registered Investment Advisor group offering fee-only financial planning and investment strategies based on an individual’s life stage and goals.
“SFMG is a first-class team of advisors who help individuals and families target their personal financial goals,” said Mark Wyatt, president of Agency Creative.
Agency Creative met with the managing partners at SFMG to create a focused strategic marketing approach for their brand. The brand insight that emerged is summarized in the company’s new tag line: Confidence for Life.
“The Agency Creative team took the time to understand the complexities of this highly regulated industry,” said David White, managing director at SFMG. “But, best of all, they took the time to unearth the brand qualities that separate SFMG from the pack.”
In addition to creating a strategic brand positioning statement and supporting rationale, Agency Creative developed a responsively designed website with fully optimized copy, marketing collateral and more.
“The management team at SFMG is thrilled with how everything turned out,” said White, “Calling on Agency Creative was one of the best marketing decisions our firm has ever made.”


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Fake cash being passed at Cape businesses
Fox 4 investigatesPhoto: Video by fox4now.com
CAPE CORAL, Fla. - Passing Fake Cash? A surveillance video shows a young woman buying a coke at Jet's Pizza in Cape Coral late Wednesday afternoon.
She paid for the soda with a $20 dollar bill and the employee checks to see if it's real. But after the customer leaves, the employee checks the 20 dollar bill again and senses something just isn't right. The pizza shop manager says he was notified of the sketchy bill.
"After she left he noticed something funny about the bill, it felt funny so he brought it to my attention he thought it may be fake,' said Joe Kefer.
So, they used a special counterfeit marker on the twenty to see if it was real and according to the test, it was. But, then they took a much closer look.
"It didn't have the hologram of the face in the right hand corner nor did it have the strip that says twenty," said Kefer.
The police were called and began to ask other businesses in the plaza if they too had been scammed. They weren't surprised by what they found. 2 other businesses were victimized.
Rib City told us the same story. A young woman ordered a small drink and paid for it with a bogus 20 dollar bill. According to the police report, a nearby liquor store may also have been fooled.
FOX 4 NEWS


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The biggest product launch of the year for Honda is at risk as the company struggles to roll out the new 2012 Civic.
Like its Japanese competitors, Honda has been hard-hit by the Japanese earthquake, tsunami and subsequent nuclear crisis, with production in the home market only set to resume next week. The good news for the maker is that nearly 90% of the vehicles it sells in North America are produced in the U.S. or Canada – but even those facilities are feeling the pinch, confirms Honda’s top American executive, in an exclusive interview with TheDetroitBureau.com.
“The situation is changing every day,” says American Honda Executive Vice President John Mendel. The worse part, he admits, is “We don’t know yet” the full extent of the parts shortages created by last month’s natural disaster. “The situation changes day-to-day. It’s very fluid,” Mendel says, adding that all Honda products use at least some components imported from the home market.


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Expect the unexpected – it’s a common business motto, but when the unexpected is a volcano erupting for the first time in 200 years who could have predicted the chaos it would cause?
Air traffic across Europe ground to a halt, leaving thousands of holiday makers stranded in far-flung places, but more importantly for the logistics and transport industry, it left international supply chains without a critical link.
Airfreight may only be used to transport a small proportion of goods in the UK compared to road, rail and sea, but it accounts for some 25 per cent by value, so the financial implications could have been significant.
“It was a drastic and unheard of situation for the industry to be in,” says Susanne Oud, operations director, Europe for Bellville Rodair International, which had its airfreight operations halted throughout Europe. “Some of our offices are purely airfreight so that caused quite a few issues, but we got around it by offering customers alternative routes, especially those with urgent shipments.” When flights were first cancelled BRI moved goods by road to Amsterdam, and then when Amsterdam went down it trucked loads to Madrid and Barcelona for onward movement to the US and South America.
“The only real issue for us was not knowing how long it was going to go on for, so we weren’t sure whether it would be best to find alternative routes for customers or to wait until the situation cleared.”
It was a similar story for DHL. Despite having contingency plans in place for unusual situations, Jörg Wiedemann of DHL Express Global/Europe says the volcanic ash cloud was different because it caused simultaneous breakdown of all air traffic over a wide area of Europe.
However, Wiedemann reckons the size of DHL’s network helped it to swiftly adjust to the situation. “Size and geographical reach definitely matters,” he says. “Global logistics services providers like DHL have a big advantage, owing to the fact that their networks stretch around the world and they either own or have access to vast air or road capacity. This gives a high degree of flexibility when reorganising parts of operations during a regional crisis.”
DHL used its hubs and gateways along with airports which were still open in southern and eastern Europe to get intercontinental shipments in and out of Europe. For intra-European deliveries it made an early switch to alternative transport modes such as trucks and rail to keep the flow of shipments going. “In other cases, where air space was closed and shipments could not be trucked,” continues Wiedemann, “we stored them in warehouses close to airports to have them ready for quick loading once air space would be reopened.”
For many however, storing consignments until the ash cloud moved on just wasn’t an option owing to the nature of the load, so in order to cope, extreme lengths had to be taken to rescue the situation.
Emergency logistics company Evolution Time Critical saw a surge in requests for deliveries from vehicle manufacturers when air space was closed and during the aftermath, which managing director Brad Brennan says demonstrates a need for more extensive contingency planning.
“The majority of problems currently being experienced by our OE customers relate to delayed parts deliveries from Tier 2 to Tier 1 suppliers, with electrical components among the most badly hit,” explains Brennan. “Many of the electrical components from Tier 2 suppliers to Tier 1s are scheduled by air because of the high value to weight ratio and physical distance between the two companies.”
Evolution used a combination of on-board couriers, dedicated road transport and airfreight to carry out urgent deliveries, selecting routes via airports in southern Europe. For one company it moved a shipment of electrical components en route from China, but delayed in Hong Kong, as the shipper had been unable to make an airfreight booking. It booked a seat on a flight bound for London Heathrow and an on-board courier carried the shipment as excess baggage. The parts were then picked up by a driver at the airport who took them to a waiting helicopter. The goods were eventually delivered 15 minutes before it would have been necessary to stop the manufacturer’s assembly line.
Problems such as this have been further exacerbated by the fact that inventories have been reduced over the past year to free up cash to better cope with the recession.
Mawgan Wilkins, senior director technical services at Cisco Systems, says: “Many companies have taken lean to the extreme and become anorexic, so much so that they have no safety stock to respond to unforeseen circumstances such as this.”
Prior to the recession, and depending on the type of business, it was not unusual for a company to overstock by around 20 per cent which meant in an emergency there was enough inventory to tide it over until the situation abated.
“With no safety stock, if an unprecedented situation arises, or there is any kind of disruption, it will have a huge impact,” explains Oracle’s Andrew Spence, and a company could very quickly run into difficulty.
The correct level will differ from business to business, but Spence says it’s vital for companies to have good quality data so it’s based on fact rather than guesswork.
Norbert Dentressangle operates one of the UK’s largest perishable air freight handling centres at Heathrow Airport, so like many others had to think quickly when the volcano erupted. However, despite the chaos, solutions and operations director Brian McDill says Norbert wasn’t adversely affected.
“We just transferred from air to road – networks are designed for that flexibility. They have the inherent agility to cope with demand increases and decreases. In fact I’d say they are as flexible, if not more so than a dedicated service. Agility is their key.” McDill points out that considerable savings can also be made by switching to a network.
“In general, customers can save in the region of five to ten per cent from switching from a dedicated to a shared user network, but it’s very difficult to put a specific figure on it without knowing the network we’re talking about.” It can also take ten to 15 per cent of food miles off the road and reduce carbon footprint, he adds.
“It’s a smart way of doing business,” agrees Susanne Oud. The financial savings can be significant, but she points out that transit times are likely to increase so it’s a case of weighing up what is most important. As an example, she says the road freight rate for moving four pallets with a maximum loading metre (LDM) of 1,765kg from the UK to Hungary is £520 for a groupage service compared to £900 for a dedicated service, based on a 7.5-tonne truck with a maximum payload of 3.2 tonnes. However, the dedicated service will arrive in just 48 hours, while the groupage service will take four days.
Fabio Manto, brand and marketing manager at Palletways Europe, says that networks work particularly well for smaller loads. Cost savings are “significant in the case of a dedicated pallet network operation,” he explains. “We can offer major cost efficiencies from consolidating small consignments of goods from different customers on the same vehicle to be delivered to multiple destinations across Europe.
“In addition, our networks support a growing requirement for smaller volumes of goods to be delivered more frequently, so there is less inventory in the supply chain. Moreover pallet network operations enable customers to move away from fixed costs, adopting a variable cost structure for their transport and releasing valuable financial resources.”
Palletways recently launched an online scheduler, claimed to be an industry first, which provides customers across Europe with lead time information before their consignment is dispatched helping to boost visibility and promote better management.
The company has also introduced a door-to-door pallet rate card for its pan-European operations. This allows customers to find out which pallet size is applicable to their consignment, check to see where their pick-up postcode is and in which country and decide on their destination postcode before referring to the tariff tables to find the price.
“This means that a customer in Birmingham with consignments bound for Europe can now use the pioneering online scheduler to see when Palletways can deliver the goods and use the new simplified tariff rate card to find out the cost straightaway,” explains Manto. “The goods can then be collected together and dispatched to their respective destinations, while being tracked throughout their journey.”
- Supply Chain
- Corporate Insight
- Digital Magazines


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Adult Industry News
Sat, Mar 22 2014 12:00pm PDT
Hot House Entertainment has announced the release of its "Hard Time," prison fantasy film.
Sat, Mar 22 2014 06:00am PDT
The Puba network of porn star sites will celebrate the birthdays of managing partners Ivan and Ben this Wednesday with a party doubling as a toy drive at Page 71 nightclub in Studio City.
Fri, Mar 21 2014 05:00pm PDT
Veteran distributor Williams Trading Co. announced that the full Coco-Licious line from CalExotics is in stock and ready for immediate shipment.
Fri, Mar 21 2014 04:30pm PDT
An adult retail chain based in Minnesota and North Dakota that did business under the name Fantasys has changed its brand name as part of a lawsuit brought on by rival Fantasy Gifts.
Fri, Mar 21 2014 03:30pm PDT
SexEntertain, a leader in leased adult content products and managed services, has partnered with Marc Dorcel to deliver exclusive Dorcel content to almost any device.
Fri, Mar 21 2014 03:15pm PDT
Adult star Sophie Dee has launched her new official website with the VNAGirls.com Network.
Fri, Mar 21 2014 03:00pm PDT
“Porn Studies,” a Routledge-published scholarly journal studying the effects of cultural and historical porn, quietly debuted today and is now available for free online.
Fri, Mar 21 2014 02:45pm PDT
Empowered Products has announced that regional U.S. grocery chain H-E-B will be offering Pink Silicone, Pink Water and Pink Indulgence Cream in its stores throughout Texas.
Fri, Mar 21 2014 02:00pm PDT
Belle Knox has penned a new piece for XoJane.com defending her dual affiliation as a feminist and sexual submissive.
Fri, Mar 21 2014 11:30am PDT
Planning for the financial future after the spotlight might not be on the mind of most porn stars, but CNBC reminded them of it in a video news piece today.


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The lights are on
A Tweet this afternoon from hacker group Anonymous claimed it acquired tens of millions of accounts from PlayStation Network. The claim was quickly debunked, and Sony clarified to say it was not hacked.
"We’ve confirmed that the recent claim that PlayStation Network was illegally hacked and that customer passwords and email addresses were accessed is completely false," Sony said in a statement. Anonymous has been previously linked to the hacking of PlayStation Network in 2011.
The tweet from Anonymous has since been deleted.


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Seven top E.U. judges ruled Thursday that a leading Internet news website was legally responsible for offensive views posted by readers in the comments section.
Airbnb's dispute with New York state regulators heated up on Wednesday with the company saying it filed a motion in New York State Supreme Court, objecting to a subpoena for information on 15,000 participating hosts in the city.
File this one under oops -- Twitter may have inadvertently revealed, at an earlier point, its plans to go public on Nov. 15, according to a recent PrivCo report.
When's dinner? Just ask Google ... Maps.
Can't find an item in your grocery store? Some retailers want to help, but it could mean tracking your every move as you wander through the aisles.
Internet access can be expensive, especially in developing countries. Google is backing a new project that aims to change that.
How many eyes see a tweet about television? Nielsen wants to find out, and let marketers know so they can make more informed advertising decisions on Twitter.
Twitter doesn't seem to have a problem attracting users in international markets, but it definitely has problems making money off them.
Snapchat is giving photos and videos captured with its app some longevity.
Sources aware of Google's plans have "let slip" that an iOS version of Google Play Music All Acccess should be out by the end of October.
Twitter has fewer users and less revenue than Facebook, but in mobile advertising Twitter appears to have dodged the problems that dragged down Facebook's stock after its public offering last year.
Ads are coming to Instagram in the next couple of months, the photo- and video-sharing app maker said Thursday.
Twitter has filed for its long-awaited initial public offering, revealing a fast-growing company but one that lost money in each of the past three years.
A vulnerability found recently in an OpenID-based feature of the Mozilla Persona online identity management service prompted the company to advise Web developers to check their OpenID implementations for similar issues.
The U.S. government demanded from email service provider Lavabit access to all user communications and a copy of the encryption keys used to secure web, instant message and email traffic for its investigation into several Lavabit user accounts, accor...
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Vodafone New Zealand has unveiled a new business marketplace for New Zealand business owners to purchasing different top-tier software solutions.
"Having the right apps and services to work digitally is a key part of business success, especially in light of COVID-19, and Vodafone wants to make the lives of business owners across the country easier," the telecommunications company says.
Vodafone Business Marketplace will help businesses discover, purchase, and manage leading business applications and services.
The first three vendors for these products are:
- Microsoft 365 gives users the Microsoft software necessary day to day collaboration and productivity, such as Word, Excel, Teams, and more.
- Acronis Cyber Backup delivers the data protection that meets todays demands. It helps keep your business running, protecting any workload, and avoiding costly downtime.
- Vodafone Business Web Solutions provides a robust platform that helps businesses to build, expand and manage their online presence through a single intuitive interface. The platform helps business owners to build a website, get business email, and start selling their products online with eCommerce.
According to the company, one key added benefit of Vodafone Business Marketplace is the 24/7 on call support available through Vodafone, which provides a single point of contact for help with all your tools. Users can expect this roster to continue to grow with curated solutions by the digital experts at Vodafone. Vodafone Business Marketplace can help businesses all the way through their digital journey, from selecting leading digital products, and to setting them up, to the ongoing support they will need.
Annaliese Atina, Head of SME at Vodafone, plans for this product to remove pain points for New Zealand businesses across the country.
"Our economy is made up of small businesses and with the global developments over the past year these business owners have a lot on their plate," says Atina.
"Our Business Marketplace will remove some of this stress for our customers and give them a seamless experience, so they continue to engage with their customers, manage cashflow better, and grow digitally to keep up in a competitive marketplace," she says.
Glenn Johnstone, Head of ICT Practices at Vodafone, adds, "Technology is a vital component of doing business in the modern age.
"The pandemic dramatically accelerated digital adoption so, for smaller businesses to stay competitive, they must jump on board. As a trusted partner to our customers across the country its imperative we give them access to leading digital tools," he says.
"As an added value proposition to our customers, they can book in a free-of-charge Digital Expert Session with a member of our talented staff. This includes a rundown of the digital tools we have available and the best bundle tailored to each individual business."


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The Royal Mail is creating 1,000 jobs over the next four years through expansion of its Parcelforce business, as the group prepares to strengthen its appeal to investors ahead of a possible flotation in 2014.
Parcelforce, which delivered 66m parcels last year on behalf of customers including Amazon, is building new depots and processing centres to cope with growth in online retailing, which is expected to account for a quarter of all retail spending by 2016.
The Royal Mail said the "vast majority" of jobs will be full-time, representing a near-20% increase in its 5,300-strong workforce, with most roles related to delivering and collecting packages.
Moya Greene, chief executive of the government-owned group, said the £75m investment would help the Royal Mail become a more customer-focused company run on "commercial lines".
She added: "Our strategy is to convert the rise in parcel volumes into profitable growth." Parcelforce is in the division that runs the Royal Mail letters service, with the latter accounting for the majority of the unit's £7.2bn in annual revenues. Profits are marginal, however, and the unit posted a surplus of just £23m last year.
The Communication Workers Union, which represents 140,000 Royal Mail employees, claimed that 10 times more workers have left the Royal Mail over the past two years than will be taken on by Parcelforce. Nonetheless, the CWU said the announcement might help those whose jobs are under threat elsewhere in the company.
Dave Ward, CWU deputy general secretary, said: "These jobs will go some way to easing the impact of jobs lost elsewhere in the company as huge changes are brought in to address the altering profile of mail." The investment includes a new parcel processing centre in Chorley, Lancashire, and two new depots in Cornwall and Hampshire.
Royal Mail users gave a further glimpse of the company's future this month when they suggested replacing first and second class post with a single-class service that delivers mail over 48 hours. According to a consumer survey carried out by Ofcom, the postal regulator, nearly six out of seven households would prefer to have a single tier offering that is "less expensive than first class, but delivered in two days".
While Parcelforce is hoping to capitalise on growth in the express parcel market, Ofcom said its findings showed there is a "lesser need for speed in general".
But parcels remain an important part of the Royal Mail business, accounting for nearly half of the group's £9.5bn turnover last year.
Alongside the Parcelforce announcement, the Royal Mail has also launched a short-term hiring spree, advertising for 18,000 part-time staff to handle the Christmas post.
Last year 110,000 people applied for the same number of positions, underlining the pressure on the employment market. A Royal Mail spokesman said: "The recruitment programme began in September and there has already been strong interest. The 18,000 temporary positions will be helping to sort the festive mailbag at the busiest time of year for the Royal Mail and its customers."


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Multiple Businesses Robbed Saturday Night
Owner of Healing Touch Massage Clinic says she found a hole in her business door
Jimmy John’s off of S Louise Avenue was robbed at gunpoint last night, but that wasn’t the only business that was hit in that area.
Owner of Healing Touch Massage Clinic Julie Pommer says she arrived at her business this morning to find a hole where a lock used to be.
She says cash was taken from the massage clinic, but what’s more upsetting, is hers wasn’t the only store from that was targeted.
Multiple other businesses including the French Door were also robbed.
“It’s happening obviously more than I’ve heard about,” says Pommer. “I didn’t know anyone else got robbed until I woke up today and called the police back and talked to the locksmith, and they said ‘oh yeah well welcome to the club, it’s been going on’.”
Pommer says the robber was able to pop the lock off and took it with.
So today, the locksmith replaced her lock with an upgraded version.


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A recent coast to coast ride on e-scooters and bikes from Kollam to Chennai drove home the green message
D. Raghuram's office is a bit out of the ordinary. Riding gloves and cycling headgear compete with project reports for space. As president of TI Cycles, he can confine himself to strategic planning; but he wants to be more hands-on. He tries the cycles and e-scooters made by his company — not just on the test track. He spearheads a programme that involves long-distance riding by senior officials of TI Cycles and BSA Motors, the electric scooters division.
In February this year, Raghuram and a clutch of top officials pedalled 1264 km from Pune to Chennai. Later in November, he led a similar cycling expedition from Udaipur to Delhi. The upper crust of the TI group made news again early this week, when they completed what was dubbed the “BSA Hercules Coast to Coast Ride” from Kollam to Chennai.
The 743-km ride, undertaken on electric scooters and bikes, had halts in cities and towns along the way to promote the range. In Kollam, Kottayam, Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Kovilpatti, Sattur, Madurai and Tiruchi, the team met school children, cycle mechanics, customers, dealers and mediapersons.
Rajesh Mani, head, marketing, TI Cycles, says people warm up to electric scooters and bikes, because they understand that using them translates into considerable savings on commuting. The fact that electric vehicles promote a green environment may not be important to the individual, but Rajesh is confident that in the future this will be a reason for adopting this mode of transport. He believes awareness about the wider benefits of e-scooters is already on the rise. In Kerala, an eight-year-old boy said e-scooters don't emit poisonous gases and those that run on petrol do.
Backed by feedback from parents, Raghuram says a new category of electric bikes from TI — a form of cycles fitted with motors, but not shorn of pedals — will be popular with them. Since these e-bikes have a maximum speed of 25 km/h, parents are reassured that their children will not get into trouble.
The Government subsidy for electric scooters and bikes has improved the prospects of this segment in the automobile industry, says Raghuram. “The fact that this subsidy is provided only to manufacturers of these vehicles will act as a check on fly-by-night operators,” he says. “The electric scooter segment was earlier unorganised and, as a result, attracted adverse publicity. The situation having changed, it is poised for an exponential growth.”


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Developer Burst2Flame announced the release date for the full version of Stolen Realm. The turn-based tactical RPG will be available next month on several platforms.
Burst2Flame released a new update for Stolen Realm’s Steam Early Access version. The update includes a new Roguelike Mode for the turn-based RPG.
Burst2Flame announced a release window for Stolen Realm. The turn-based RPG sees players embark on procedurally-generated adventures solo or with friends.


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Two-thirds of Indian MSMEs moving to online sales post COVID-19: Report
Micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) are embracing digital services with about 66 percent moving to online sales post COVID-19, according to a report by fintech platformtitled "MSME Insights Report 2022."
MSMEs are digitally "much stronger" now, the report said. Small businesses in Hyderabad have the highest number of digital transactions followed by Bengaluru.
India houses about 6.3 crore MSMEs in India which contribute about 30 percent to India's GDP and employ over 11 crore people. COVID-19 affected the financial health of these enterprises, impacting their working capital needs, revenues, daily operations, supply chains, and more.
However, with economic activities now in full swing, MSMEs are hoping to bounce back to their pre-pandemic levels and some hope to surpass those numbers.
This report by NeoGrowth highlights key trends observed in the MSME ecosystem during different phases of COVID-19 disruption. The report is based on data from 40,000 customers over 25 cities which include a mix of metro and non-metros.
It also noted that small and medium-sized businesses are growing by focusing on three things—keeping their businesses updated with the latest technology (and compete against large corporates), getting services required to run their businesses efficiently, and finally, identifying recommendations and options to navigate the business transformation journey.
Another key observation was how the credit demand is getting back on track in the market after two years. For now, 85 percent of the credit demand has been revived in March 2022 versus February 2020.


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It looks like PC makers such as Dell
The Calvert Group, which manages some 30 socially responsible mutual funds, has argued that many more PCs need to be recycled instead of being thrown away and that industry-wide standards need to be set, such as forms of measurement, which can help the public track progress. (For example, tons of PCs recycled or the number of PCs recycled might be cited.) While many household and office products that end up in landfills or burned are somewhat harmless, computer equipment is full of hazardous materials, such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and various chemicals.
To get an idea of how few PCs are recycled these days, consider that according to a ZDWire Plus article:
- IBM took back 780,000 PCs in 2002 and 1.1 million in 2003, shipping 8 million and 9 million PCs in those years, respectively.
- During the 12 years that Dell has had a recycling program in place, it has churned out tens of millions of PCs (more than 25 million in 2003 alone) but has only recycled 2 million of them.
- Dell, Hewlett-Packard, and IBM shipped a total of 60 million PCs in 2003, and on average, about 50 million PCs are expected to be discarded each year over the next five years.
- "While most buyers replace their PCs every three to five years, the average age of a PC that is broken down by HP is between 11 and 13 years old and the average age of a PC collected by Dell at recycling events last summer was about 7 years old."
There's room for improvement on the recycling front. There's also a need for education on the topic, as many executives surveyed didn't seem to realize that throwing away computers isn't a good idea. (To be fair, many businesses donate old PCs to charity.)
What's motivating Dell and its peers? They may simply be realizing that recycling is the right thing to do, for the environment and shareholders alike. But more cynical sorts might note that there's movement among legislators to begin setting recycling requirements for the industry and that this kind of action might demonstrate that legislation isn't necessary. Small investors, meanwhile, may rejoice that some large investors, such as mutual funds, are pushing for progress.
To learn more about interesting and promising mutual funds, check out our brand new newsletter, Motley Fool Champion Funds .
Longtime Fool contributor Selena Maranjian does not own shares of any companies mentioned in this article.


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A look at the Porsche lineup shows that the company does not shy away from innovation. The luxurious Porsche Panamera series, the sporty and capable Cayenne and Macan SUVs, and the 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder — a gas/electric hybrid “supercar” — all show a car company that’s rooted in tradition even as it looks to the future. On the surface, one car in the Porsche lineup seems uniquely and stubbornly resistant to change: the legendary Porsche 911, which has existed in one form or another since 1963. That appearance, as it turns out, is a bit deceiving.
Anyone familiar with Porsche history, of course, knows that the 2015 Porsche 911 is a far cry from the first 911 introduced in 1963. The wheel base is longer, the suspension vastly improved. The body is stronger and lighter, with styling changes that reflect the changing times while remaining true to the traditional Porsche look. And of course, the engines are more powerful, with better fuel economy.
That last part gives an indication of where the 911 is headed next. According to “Car and Driver”, the next generation of the Porsche 911 abandons natural-aspiration engines for a smaller, more powerful turbocharged engine. Turbo engines are nothing new to Porsche, naturally; the company realized the performance advantages long ago, and the fact that the next generation of engines promises more horsepower while still delivering lower emissions certainly seems like a net positive, even if some purists bemoan the negligible acceleration lag introduced (in real-world use, that lag is offset by greatly improved in-gear acceleration).
So much of the Porsche name and mystique derive from the company’s unwillingness to compromise on even the smallest details. Its engineering and performance are second-to-none, and there’s a sinewy flow to the Porsche design aesthetic that ties even its newest and most forward-looking cars to the DNA of its storied past. The next evolution of the 911 Porsche shows that the company can embrace change while remaining true to its roots. Don’t want to wait until next year? Come to Porsche of Nashua and see the 2015 Porsche 911 up close!