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One thing you have to now give Donald Trump credit for is that several days into his presidency he is turning rhetoric into reality.
The US President has made good on at least one of his election promises by signing an executive order confirming the United States' withdrawal from the 12-country Trans-Pacific Partnership.
While the move was flagged by Trump months ago, it is confirmation that Australia must pursue an alternative trade strategy in the region. Australia's relatively small domestic population means it will continue to rely heavily on exports to Asia, which means multilateral and bilateral trades are crucial for the country's economic health.
It is easy to criticise the federal government for clinging on to hopes that Trump would not axe US involvement in the deal. The problem for politicians such as Trade Minister Steven Ciobo trying to respond to anything Trump says is that it is hard to be 100 per cent sure what the entrepreneur-turned entertainer-turned President will do next.
The government did the right thing to keep the door open in case Trump's statements on the important trade deal were nothing more than bluster. It turns out they weren't and now Australia can choose to abandon the TPP altogether, wait it out and hope Trump changes his mind, pursue alternative trade deals or try and stitch something minus the single biggest member of the 12-nation block.
"In the end it will be an issue of resources and where do you focus negotiators' efforts," says Andy Crane, the boss of grains exporter CBH, who sits on a trade taskforce advising G20 countries on trade.
"If you are trying to do TPP and adding in India and Indonesia, why not look at the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) which is ASEAN plus China, India and South Korea already together. What does that give us?
"There is still a lot of work to be done – from an Australian point of view that is our backyard. That is where our products go and that's where the market is growing."
The RCEP agreement is being negotiated with the 10 ASEAN governments alongside Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.
There is no dressing up the fact this is not the outcome the Turnbull government wanted, but it also makes sense to salvage something from the ruins. The obvious losers will be the agriculture sector, particularly the sugar and dairy industry, which would have benefited from arrangements that removed tariffs on some products. The grain sector does not rely as heavily on exports to the US.
The plan B approach, which the government can now discuss openly, has been coined "TPP 12 minus one". While Australia and New Zealand want to push ahead, it is unclear whether other countries will want to remain without US involvement. Japan has already expressed doubts.
The 12 members would have accounted for 40 per cent of the world's GDP. Other countries included Japan, New Zealand, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam and Brunei.
There is now more urgency than ever to secure a regional trade deal. Trump's decision will have far-ranging implications for America's role in the global economy while allowing China to fill a void in global trade.
In a speech at the World Economic Forum, China President Xi Jinping said pursuing protectionism is like locking yourself in a dark room. "China will keep its door wide open and not close it."
The Chinese rhetoric is the polar opposite of Trump's and underscores the bizarre shifts of global politics in the past year.
There is no doubt pulling out of the TPP means the US will have less influence in Asia. The Washington Post compares the move to delays by US lawmakers in backing 2010 changes to the International Monetary Fund, which created a window for China to create the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
The TPP has been hugely divisive because it reduces barriers to traditional trade goods while setting up new regulatory standards. Critics did not want the US setting the rules to look after its own companies.
Crane, who says free trade is only good for jobs in a country such as Australia, says the real issues for industry have been non-tariff barriers, such as regulatory hurdles and technical standards and how they are harmonised across the region.
"Our track record shows our progress with bilaterals in the last few years that we have the relationships and the skills to establish these free trade agreements, so we should keep pushing along with a modified TPP or the RCEP," he says.
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NEW YORK: Smartphone major HTC announced that those with an unlocked HTC U11 device will now be able to install Android’s latest release, Oreo, starting today.
The same was announced by Mo Versi, the company’s VP of product management, who also claimed that HTC is working with Sprint to get Oreo on the carrier model “as quickly as possible,” reports The Verge.
Meanwhile, tech giant Google on Monday, released the final preview build of Android 8.1, a small update to Android Oreo, which is due next month.
However, this will be a big update for the owners of Pixel 2 as it supports the phone’s ‘Visual Core’, an imaging chip Google included but wasn’t ready to activate at the launch of the phone.[“Source-telecom”]

domain: news


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With The Avengers smashing box office records across the globe, Marvel and game maker Ubisoft have announced a new, motion-controlled project, Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth. It’s being handled by Ubisoft’s Quebec City studio, and is in development for Kinect on the Xbox 360, and Nintendo’s upcoming console, the Wii U.
The storyline of the new game is inspired by Marvel’s popular Secret Invasion comic series, where The Avengers must save Earth from a deadly alien invasion. If that sounds familiar, it’s because the books also inspired the blockbuster Avengers movie. Players will get to take control of twenty different Marvel heroes, including Iron Man and Thor, and then go up against the worst villains.
Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth will land on the Xbox 360 and Wii U before the end of the year.


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Back in March VRFocus reported on Academy Award winning Visual Effects Supervisor and Director Phil Tippett working on augmented reality (AR)/ virtual reality (VR) videogame HoloGrid: Monster Battle. Tippett designed the Holo Chess scene from the original Star Wars and today announced a Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign for the videogame based on that Star Wars idea, in conjunction with developer Happy Giant.
HoloGrid: Monster Battle is a hybrid Collectible Card Game (CCG) /turn-based tactical strategy game. Players will be able to play head-to-head, locally or online, as well as offline. A physical board will also be developed for non-digital gaming.
“For years I’ve been making monsters for Directors to play with, and now for the first time, I’m making monsters for YOU to play with,” said Tippett. “We’re excited about the new fields of Augmented and Virtual Reality, and to be working with our friends at HappyGiant to create HoloGrid: Monster Battle.”
“We’re excited to be launching this Kickstarter with Phil Tippett and his studio, and bringing to life a game so many of us have always wanted to play,” said Mike Levine, President of Happy Giant. “This is our first step into a new world of AR gaming, and while we are launching it on mobile initially so everyone can play it, out long term vision is to bring it to emerging AR and VR platforms.”
The Kickstarter campaign is looking to raise $100,000 USD in the next 34 days, with the current total at $10,375 already. Funding tiers start from $10 USD going up to $5,000. Access to the videogame starts at $25.
VRFocus will bring you further updates on the campaigns progress over the coming weeks.


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RF Tracking is launching PressurePro Pulse – a ground breaking Tyre Performance Management Solution – at the CV Show. RF Tracking has teamed up with Advantage PressurePro – the US pioneer in tyre pressure monitoring – to bring the product to the UK for the first time.
With tyres providing the only contact with the road, proper inflation is key for optimum performance and handling. Tyre problems are one of the most common causes of HGV breakdowns or accidents in the UK. With correct tyre pressures, PressurePro’s sensors monitor tyre pressure constantly – whether parked or on the move – and the system provides alerts when tyre pressures are too low or too high.
PressurePro’s new PULSE product offers not only the usual features of real time tyre pressure monitoring, but also several never before seen technology options, giving users unmatched features and ease of use.
The new in-cab PULSE display provides an easy to read screen, with quick glance alerts and fully adjustable vehicle layouts and screen views. Alert prioritisation and fully adjustable alert levels give users the ability to tailor design their monitoring to fit their needs and usage.
With the capability to monitor up to 80 tyres at once and store up to 5 pre-programmed units, PULSE allows users to monitor any type of vehicle or easily switch the display between vehicles for added freedom. With CANBUS and RS232 connectivity, built in data logging and microSD card storage, PULSE brings new levels of integration and data collection abilities.
“PressurePro PULSE really is a big step forward in live tyre performance monitoring, and will allow vehicle operators to take full advantage of the next generation of TPMS,” says Steve Cowper, Managing Direct of RF Tracking. “With advanced features such as the ability to monitor tyres of different trailers, and remote monitoring through RF and telematics integration, PULSE promises to add significant savings, efficiencies and safety to fleet management.”
As part of a range of hi-tech fleet management, security and safety solutions, RF Tracking will be launched a new long range RF Tracker and Tough Tracker, a virtually indestructible satellite tracking device for the protection of assets. These devices, together with Pressure Pro PULSE and the full range on RF Tracking’s tags, will be on display at the 2016 CV Show, Stand 3F119, 26 – 28 April, NEC Birmingham.


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SHANGHAI (Reuters) - ZTE Corp, China's second-largest telecoms equipment maker, warned its first-half profit could drop as much as 80 percent due to lower gross margins, foreign currency exchange losses and domestic operator networks postponing their tenders.
The profit warning comes as a report emerged that the FBI has opened a criminal investigation into the Shenzhen-based company over the sale of banned U.S. computer equipment to Iran and its alleged attempts to cover it up and obstruct a Department of Commerce probe.
A fall in the euro and many emerging currencies due to the debt crisis caused the ZTE to take a foreign exchange loss, compared to a gain in the same period a year ago, it said.
The postponement of the network tenders also meant ZTE, the world's fourth-largest mobile device maker with 4.2 percent global market share in the first quarter, missed its revenue growth target for the period, the firm said.
A slew of Chinese companies, including China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines Co Ltd and Li Ning Co Ltd, have recently issued profit warnings illustrating the impact the global slowdown on the world's second biggest economy.
(Reporting by Melanie Lee; Editing by Kazunori Takada and Mike Nesbit)


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‘Interactive in a different way’: Visible’s head of experiential Kirstie Rivard on activating at SXSW
Digiday is at SXSW giving you the latest industry news out of the festival at Austin, Texas. More from the series →
Digital-only phone carrier Visible is back at South by Southwest this year, albeit virtually. The brand was last on the ground in Austin at the 2019 festival with a pop-up activation for the festival’s music portion.
Digiday caught up with Visible’s head of experiential, Kristie Rivard, to hear how the brand is approaching the festival this year as well as how the company is thinking about experiential later this year.
This conversation has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
You’ve done an experiential activation at SXSW in the past. What’s your approach this year to connect with a virtual audience?
2019 was the first year for Visible at SXSW. What attracted us to the festival was that in-person, hands-on activation, the experience and that feeling when you walk away from something thinking, ‘Wow I’ve never done that before.’ We had a transparent music box [for our activation at SXSW] in 2019. It’s really hard to replicate that without being in-person. What brands have done — and this is true for SXSW as well — is that you connect in a different way. It can be just as meaningful, different, but just as meaningful.
This year, we’re very digital. We’re supporting SXSW digitally as one of the major music festival sponsors. We’ve leaned into themes of connection through our blogs, our tweets and to remind people that it’s important to connect and be kind.
What are you doing to connect?
Specifically for SXSW, we’ve leaned into our blogs and tweets, all of the social aspects that they have. For a brand, even seeing your brand is important. We wanted to make sure we still supported the artists. We know it’s been incredibly difficult for them. It’s really important to stay active in that arena. In fact, we did a Red Rocks Unpaused activation last year when the pandemic hit. We wanted to do something that would still put the consumer at the center of an experience while still supporting artists. We wanted to do something enjoyable and interactive in a different way.
Why did you want to be at SXSW despite it being virtual?
SXSW has a very compelling community they’ve built. It still introduces us to new audiences we wouldn’t reach through our other marketing tactics. We’re a digital to consumer brands — we have no retail stores — that’s why the in-person and experiential offering at SXSW [in past years] was very compelling to us. But when you strip that out we still want to support music, artists and SXSW.
How has the last year changed how you’re thinking about experiential marketing?
I don’t know if it’s changed it. I think we understand it still services its purpose in the beliefs we held before of people connecting more intimately with the brand, they’re more likely to consider us, they’re more likely to activate. That’s all still true. If anything, it allowed us the opportunity to introduce people to using different formats to connect. For example, our Red Rocks Unpaused activation. We would’ve never done that had the pandemic not happened. The venue was closed. As a marketer, you have to think about how you can reach people and reach them at scale. We also had a captive audience because there wasn’t anything going on in real life to compete with that event.
As people are starting to get vaccinated and areas open up more, are you thinking about in-person events or in-person experiential for the second half of the year?
We are considering it. We do have a partnership with Denver Arts and Venues. They manage the Red Rocks property so we’ve already got some things we’re planning there. We’re also looking at a few other partnerships that would have in-person pieces to it. We’re definitely looking at it. We just want to make sure wherever we are that we’re thoughtful, people feel safe, and can enjoy themselves without worry. We’ll obviously adhere to all [Covid safety] policies.
More in Marketing
The New York Times is not becoming a gaming company. But as it continues to diversify its editorial offerings for the digital era, the Times has embraced puzzle gamers as one of its core captive audiences, and it is taking ample advantage of its advantageous positioning in the space in 2024.
Today’s marketing landscape is more fragmented than ever. Like consumer brands, business brands are looking to stand out in a crowded and competitive marketplace, making marketing tactics like streaming ads, influencers and humorous spots more appealing.
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Crazy Mountain Brewing Company in Edwards celebrates Colorado Craft Beer Week
EDWARDS — In celebration of Colorado Craft Beer Week, Crazy Mountain Brewery will host a series of events Wednesday through Saturday.
On Wednesday, Crazy Mountain Brewing Company will host a beer and cheese pairing from 5-8 p.m. Tickets are $12 per person and you receive four beer styles expertly paired with four international styles of gourmet cheese. Crazy Mountain Brewery will team up with The Dusty Boot in Beaver Creek Village to host a “Pint Night” on Wednesday. The first 50 people to purchase a pint of Crazy Mountain brew will get to keep the commemorative Crazy Mountain Brewery pint glass.
Make sure to get your game face ready on Thursday for Crazy Mountain trivia! Hosted by craft beer expert Oliver, this event will not only test your knowledge, but also your drinking skills. Trivia will begin at 6 p.m. sharp with the opportunity to win schwag and prizes throughout the event.
Crazy Mountain Brewing Company will host a “Straight from the Barrel” Tasting Night on Friday. For $20 you will receive a guided tour from our head brewer, a variety of tastes from our selection of wine, bourbon, and tequila barrels, along with a goblet of rare barrel-aged beer on tap. This behind-the-scenes sampling event will run from 6-7 p.m. and tickets will go on sale Thursday.
For more information on Crazy Mountain Brewing Company or the events, call 970-926-3009 or email firstname.lastname@example.org.


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The first images with the facelifted version of the Citroen DS3 have recently ended up onto the web, ahead of the model’s official unveil, scheduled for later on today.
The French based automaker Citroen is already known to work on an upgraded variant of the DS3 but it seems that the model in question is close than originally expected. The 2015 Citroen DS3 pictured below is showing the same stylish supermini which is now looking even more premium thanks to its new lines and this should be just enough to allow it new customers until its replacement will be coming, over the following years.
The facelifted version of the Citroen DS3 has received some new headlights, combining LEDs with xenon. The car manufacturer has also tweaked the cabin where a fresh design is expected, along with some new goodies to spice things up. The 2015 Citroen DS3 will go on sale in the second half of this year and the model will be officially unveiled later on today. Additional details on the facelifted version of the Citroen DS3 are limited for the moment and will probably be announced close to the model’s launch date. Meanwhile you can check it out in the leaked images posted below.


text: Tokyo: Japanese authorities on Monday hit former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn with a fresh charge of aggravated breach of trust, the fourth formal indictment against the auto sector tycoon. Public broadcaster NHK and local news agency Jiji Press reported that prosecutors filed the new indictment that paves the way for his legal team to apply for bail. The 65-year-old strenuously denies all allegations against him and insists they have been cooked up in a “plot” by Nissan executives wary of his plans to bring the Japanese car giant closer to its French partner Renault. Also Read – Thermal coal import may surpass 200 MT this fiscalProsecutors are looking into allegations that Ghosn funnelled funds from Nissan to a dealership in the Middle East and siphoned off around five million dollars for his personal use. Ghosn has already won bail once before — but under strict conditions such as agreeing not to leave the country and living under surveillance. The rollercoaster case of the executive, once revered in Japan for saving Nissan from the brink of bankruptcy, has gripped the business world and shone a spotlight on the Japanese legal system that has come in for some criticism especially from abroad.


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Quixote Studios is pleased to announce the acquisition of One Drop Rentals in New York City. Now known as Quixote Production Rentals New York, the team led by former One Drop partners Joe Elison, Tim Tobin and Michael Dos Santos have years of on-set, pre and post-production experience and are committed to fulfilling Quixote’s high-end service mission: To simplify the complexities of production by enabling producers and artists to do their best work with high-quality equipment, innovative tech and unyielding customer service.
At our new Drive-Thru warehouse located in the heart of Brooklyn, we have an entirely new stock of production equipment, walkies, high-speed proprietary wifi units, an expendables store, grip, photo lighting and digital equipment. We are also offering new 2017 Isuzu trucks, preloaded with a preset list of production supplies and expendables, that can be tailored to your liking as needed. The trucks also come with our own approved and trained Quixote driver for your convenience.
Quixote has also adopted One Drop’s industry renowned All-Star PA staffing service and plans to continue growing its army of standout production assistants by spreading the good word and values of the Quixote brand.
We are excited for what the future brings for Quixote in New York and promise to expand our services over the years to come.
“Thou hast seen nothing yet.”
― Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Don Quixote


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Annually, the iPhone price is getting higher though the willingness of many consumers remains the same. To test the people’s ability to buy an iPhone 12, the reports and analytics team of picodi.com has examined several countries based on their citizen’s average income of which country is more likely to buy an iPhone 12 Pro.
In the Philippines, iPhone Index 2020 shows that the average Filipino wage earner has 88.2 workdays to save all his income to buy an iPhone 12 Pro. The new phone neither includes a charger nor earphones in this year’s flagship box.
With the iPhone 12 Pro (128 GB) price in the Philippines that is 62,990, Filipinos have seen work full-time (without spending) to reach the price that is for the entire three months of pay.
According to Numbeo.com, Filipinos average monthly income is P14,999.02 (net) recorded in October. Picodi Analytics said that the Philippines scored worst among countries where the iPhone12 price is already known. However, in 2019, during the iPhone 11, the country is said to improve by eight workdays.
Switzerland ranks the highest on where Swiss have an average income of 6,502CHF (net) before tax that is equivalent to P344,277.23 (according to Federal Statistical Survey) by which Swiss allows to buy iPhone 12 in just 4.4 workdays.
Meanwhile, the United States ranks second allowing Americans to buy iPhone 12 in 6.1 workdays and Australia in 6.6 workdays.
The analysis was based on iPhone 12 local prices, average net wages, the average working day that is 21 days, and divided the salary by 5 to obtain the result.


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Chennai port is now in news reports on smuggling of rice. You may recall that Chennai port was in news in December 2008 for food and fruits import clearance bribe taking by Chennai port health officer.
There are some interesting information on smuggling of rice:
- Presently price of average quality rice (non basmati) is around Rupees 40 per kg at Chennai.
- Tamil Nadu government is providing since September 15, 2008 rice for Rupee 1 per kg through Public Distribution System (PDS) to a maximum of 20 kg every month. Smuggling of PDS rice goes on despite efforts by law enforcing agencies to stop it.
- Justice D P Wadhwa Committee in its report submitted to the Supreme Court on March 25, says that “PDS is inefficient and corrupt. There is an unholy nexus between the transporters, fair price shop owners and officials of the department of food and civil supply.”
- A news report from news webindia 123 dated September 30, 2008 says “The Docks Intelligence Unit (DIU),attached to Custom House, seized 1,684 bags of rice, attempted to be smuggled to Singapore from Chennai Port in the guise of exporting sugar”
Now The Times of India, Chennai Edition (page 4) dated March 26 reports that smuggling of rice through the Chennai port has gone up.
News report is given below:
Chennai: Smuggling of rice through the Chennai port has gone up, reportedly fuelled by the increasing demand for local varieties in East Asian countries. Sleuths of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested an exporter on Wednesday on charges of rice smuggling. Another person had been nabbed two weeks ago. Recently, 28.5 tonnes of several rice varieties were seized at the port.
The two arrested persons told DRI officials they had already exported 1,193 tonnes to Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand and Indonesia.
“One of the exporters smuggled 1,043 tonnes of rice and the second person 150 tonnes. The varieties included Ponni (both boiled and raw), par-boiled, Jeera Samba, white and red rice. They pick up a huge margin on selling these varieties as the prices have gone up in these countries,” a DRI official told The Times Of India.
The arrested, who confessed to having smuggled rice to several foreign countries over the last four years, have been operating through Chennai-based export firms. One of them also smuggled rice through a Mumbai-based firm, sources said.
Officials said these countries have a huge population of Indians and since the Indian government had banned the export of rice (except Basmati) to safeguard local supplies and to cut food price rise, the availability of rice in these countries was affected and the prices had soared.
“Now, Indian varieties are priced between Rs 120 and Rs 150 a kg in these countries. Unscrupulous exporters procure rice at 25-35 per kg here and send it across. There is a lot of money involved. There is a regular outflow of processed food items through the Chennai port with each container having 100-150 packages. Rice is concealed and smuggled out,” an official added.
He said the names of the arrested were withheld as investigation was progressing. “We are trying to break the network, as rice-smuggling is rampant in several parts of the country. We do not want to alert other smugglers now by exposing the accused.”
The accused will be booked under the Customs Act and also under Sections of the Essential Commodities Act, the officials added.
Officials said large-scale smuggling would defeat the purpose of the ban on rice export and would further inflate prices.
“Large-scale smuggling will also affect availability. If the smugglers offer a price higher than the market rate, rice dealers will also try to sell the maximum to these unscrupulous exporters,” another official added.
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It is unclear if and when Post Office counter services will return to the Higher Irlam district after the present outlet will close on Tuesday 1st September.
The original Higher Irlam Post Office at Hurst Fold in Irlam closed some years ago with Post Office counter service moving into the McColl’s Store on Fiddlers Lane. Now the Higher Irlam Post Office, inside McColl’s at 25-27 Fiddlers Lane, will be closing at the start of September.
A Post Office spokesperson told the Local Mag, “The operator for Higher Irlam Post Office has resigned and the branch will be temporarily closed from 1st September at 9pm. McColl’s, which operates the branch has made the difficult decision to close the shop. We understand how important a Post Office is to a community and the vacancy is advertised on www.runapostoffice.co.uk “
McColl’s shop will finally close a couple of weeks later on the 18th September with the loss of seven jobs. McColl’s have been a feature of Fiddlers Lane for more than 30 years and the closure is a great loss to local residents including those at Holly and St. Clements Court nearby.
A spokesperson for McColl’s told the Local Mag, “Having explored all options, regretfully we have taken the difficult decision to cease trading at the McColl’s store on Fidders Lane in Irlam, Salford. The store’s last day of trading will be Friday 18th September. We are saddened to no longer be operating the store and our priority has been to support all affected colleagues.”
In the interim alternative branches include Irlam and Cadishead. The full addresses of alternative branches are:
Irlam Post Office, 570 Liverpool Road, Irlam, Manchester, M44 6NZ
Cadishead Post Office, 104-108 Liverpool Road, Cadishead, Manchester, M44 5AN.
In Glazebrook the popular Glazebrook Post Office and Shop, known locally as Pete’s Post Office after the well-respected owner, has been closed for several months.
A Post Office spokesperson, added, “Glazebrook Post Office is temporarily closed due to staffing issues caused by the Covid-19 pandemic as there are underlying health concerns. It is not known at this stage when this branch will re-open. We apologise for any inconvenience caused by this temporary closure as we know how important a Post Offices is to a community and Post Offices are designated as an essential retailer by the UK Government.”
In the interim, alternative nearest Post Offices are in Irlam, Cadishead and at Hollinfare Post Office, 36 School Lane, Hollinfare (Hollins Green), Warrington, WA3 6LL.
The ‘last post’ for Higher Irlam and Glazebrook Post Office services? Let’s hope not…


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According to some media reports, Bush had been battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and congestive heart problems in recent years.
"Hainan will further expand its connections with countries and regions participating in the Belt and Road Initiative to open itself further," Shen Xiaoming, governor of Hainan, said on Monday during a panel discussion at the four-day Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2018, which closed on Wednesday.
BEIJING - The speech by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the founding of Hainan province and the Hainan Special Economic Zone has been published.
No wonder Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert on Monday reminded Japan to "honestly live up" to its role in the horrible events of the 20th century. He said only on the basis of this honest accounting is it possible to build a future with former foes, a conviction Germany has taken to heart.
The rich countries boast the largest number of the biggest multinational corporations (MNCs), like Apple, McDonald's and IKEA. These MNCs have operations overseas, where operation costs are lower, to jack up their profits and then remit back the lion's share of that, leaving the assembly line workers in developing countries with only crumbs.
"The partnership with GLP will help HNA to further expand its logistics business, and strengthen its position to become a provider of high-value logistics and supply chain management," he said.
So what has led to the rise of anti-globalization sentiments in the West? The key reason is the increasingly unequal distribution of the economic pie despite the fact that it is growing larger.


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The former RadioShack stores, which became La Source stores in Canada in 2005, will once again change their brand image to become Best Buy Express.
Best Buy Canada and Bell Canada announced they have entered into a partnership under which the U.S. retailer will operate 165 Bell-owned La Source stores. The name and image change is scheduled for the second half of 2024.
In the eyes of the electronics retailer accustomed to large-scale stores, the partnership will above all allow it to grow its presence in Canada.
“We are very proud of our in-store experience, and these modern convenience stores are sure to attract new and existing Best Buy customers,” Ron Wilson, president of Best Buy Canada, added in a press release.
The new Best Buy Express store will stock the electronics products the chain already sells, in addition to offering Bell communications products exclusively.
However, the change means that nearly half of the La Source stores still open in Canada will close, The Guardian reports. Globe and Mail Noting that Bell Canada has approximately 300 La Source stores across the country.
RadioShack electronics stores arrived in Canada about fifty years ago and quickly spread throughout the country.
In 2005, the stores changed their name to The Source in Canada, when their operator InterTAN lost the right to use the RadioShack name north of the border. There were then about 900 chain stores in Canada.
Four years later, Bell Canada acquired about 750 La Source stores, a number that has continued to decline ever since.
“Music guru. Incurable web practitioner. Thinker. Lifelong zombie junkie. Tv buff. Typical organizer. Evil beer scholar.”


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Waterproof smartphones such as the Sony Xperia Z5 aren't a terribly new thing, and while they can save you a trip to a phone repair store if you drop them in shallow water, if the handset takes a plunge in anything deeper it might as well have been as waterproof as a sponge as you ain't getting it back.
The Comet smartphone aims to change all that by being the first smartphone in the world that can float on water, so if you're feeling particularly clumsy around large bodies of water, at least if you lose grip of your Comet phone it should be easy enough to retrieve.
According to the makers of Comet, who have set up an Indigogo campaign to fund mass production of the floating handset, 82.5 million smartphones have been damaged and lost in pools, beaches, oceans and – a bit worryingly – toilets, so there is a real need for floating handsets.
As well as being able to float, the Comet is IPx7 water-resistant, which means it's protected against being immersed in water for 30 minutes up to a depth of one metre.
It also comes with a “high speed” processor – though the makers are being a bit vague on that front, as well as a 16MP camera and Android 5.1.
If the Comet campaign reaches its goal it will retail for around $399, but you can save some money by helping fund the campaign, with an Early Bird donation of $249 getting you a 32GB Comet, with delivery expected around April 2016.


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Folks, Tata Motors has announced the launch date for the upcoming Tata Punch SUV. Wait, did the company not announce the Tata Punch India launch date already? Well, yes, it did; the company had previously said it would launch the upcoming micro SUV in India on 20 October 2021. However, the home-grown automaker has changed the plan a little and will now announce Tata Punch's price in India on 18 October. The company has not explained the decision yet and really, who is even complaining, right? Anyway, now that we have shared the new launch plan, let us quickly also go over what we know about the upcoming Tata SUV so far.
Set to be positioned below the Tata Nexon sub-compact SUV in the automaker's portfolio, Tata Punch is underpinned by the same ALFA architecture that has been also used for the Tata Altroz hatchback. Tata Punch gets 187 mm of ground clearance, 16-inch tyres, high approach and departure angles, etc. -- all with the aim to enable the car to take on rough terrains with ease.
In order to ensure Tata Punch is a competitive proposition, the carmaker has loaded the upcoming SUV in Indua with ample features, such as automatic projector headlamps, LED DRLs, rain-sensing wipers, automatic AC, push-button start/stop, idle stop/start, a seven-inch touchscreen, iRA connectivity suite, seven-inch TFT display for the semi-digital instrument cluster, dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, corner stability control, cruise control, and brake sway control among other things.
Tata Punch will come powered by the 1.2-litre Revotron engine which generates 85 bhp along with 113 Nm of peak torque. The company has also equipped the upcoming Tata SUV's engine with Dynapro technology which feeds the engine with ram air for improved combustion. Transmission options will include a five-speed gearbox and an AMT.


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On January 21, 2019, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) published a policy paper on the authorisation of new retail payment systems for stakeholders’ feedback, with the aim of encouraging more competition and promoting innovation in pan-India payment platforms.
Due to technological developments, non-bank entities have been given access to traditional payment systems in India, and the RBI’s framework recognises and facilitates contribution of non-bank entities.
The RBI is responsible for authorising banks and non-banks to set up and operate payment systems. By the end of 2018, there were authorised 89 non-bank payment system operators (PSOs) in the country.
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- Silicon Valley's 19 Coolest Places to Work
- Is Windows 8 Development Worth the Trouble?
- 8 Books Every IT Leader Should Read This Year
- 10 Hot Hadoop Startups to Watch
Macworld.co.uk - Apple's share price continues to break records, passing the $300 (around £189) barrier this week, having been worth just $28 (£17) ten years ago.
Apple stock reached a high of $301.96 in Wednesday trading, closing slightly lower at $300.14.
Strong iPad sales, a predicted bumper "holiday season" and plans for a new Mac OSX update dubbed Lion, to be unveiled next week, have all helped maintain interest in Apple analysts say.
Brian White, analyst with Ticonderoga Securities, believes Apple can sell 45 million iPads next year, despite stronger competition from rival tablet makers Samsung, Toshiba, Microsoft and RIM.


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Someone has reportedly picked up the Pagani Zonda originally owned by Formula One ace Lewis Hamilton.
Quattroruote reported in December that Hamilton sold the Zonda for 10 million euros (approximately $11.3 million), pocketing himself a handsome profit in the process. According to the Italian publication, the car, which was ordered new by Hamilton seven years ago, originally cost 1.4 million euros (approximately $1.6 million).
A reason for the sale wasn't mentioned but Hamilton in 2020 said he no longer drives many of his supercars for environmental reasons, preferring electric cars instead, and occasionally hybrids. His collection includes classics like the Shelby Cobra, as well as newer machines like the McLaren P1 and Ferrari LaFerrari. No doubt Mercedes-Benz AMG's One hypercar is also set to join it shortly.
Hamilton's Zonda is a unique example known as the Zonda 760 LH. It features a 760-hp version of the AMG 7.3-liter V-12 found in the Zonda line, as well as a manual transmission. It also features a distinct shade of purple that made it easy to spot on the streets of Monaco where Hamilton resides. Hamilton even caused a minor accident in the Principality back in 2015 while driving his Zonda.
Famously, he said in a 2018 interview with The Times that the Zonda wasn't exactly the best driver's car.
“The Zonda is terrible to drive,” he said. “It’s the best-sounding car I own, but handling-wise it’s the worst.”
Hamilton ended 2021 by missing out on a record eighth Formula One title due to a controversial decision by Race Control in the closing laps of the final race. Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen went on to win the race and the season.
Hamilton is currently slated to continue racing in F1 with Mercedes this season, though there are rumors he may also retire to focus on other pursuits, including a potential fashion label.


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David Jaffe quitting Eat Sleep Play to start new studio
Twisted Metal creator insists he has “zero plans to make games like Farmville and Angry Birds”.
God of War and Twisted Metal creator David Jaffe confirmed his surprise exit from Eat Sleep Play, the studio he co-founded.
Jaffe said, however, that he will remain at the studio during the post-launch period of upcoming PS3-exclusive title, Twisted Metal.
Writing on Twitter, the outspoken developer posted a series of tweets explaining the reasons behind his decision to leave Eat Sleep Play, while citing the long distance between where he lives and the studio’s location as one of them. He also wants to start his own studio in San Diego.
“I’m leaving because – again – games are just getting too big to direct from 300 miles away and I miss the day-to-day of working direct with [the] team,” Jaffe said wrote on Twitter.
“I have zero plans to make games like FARMVILLE and ANGRY BIRDS,” he added. “I never said what I was doing post TM (and I’m still on TM along with ESP for the next months as we launch it and balance it in real-time and make sure it’s a perfect game and continue to support it).
“At the same time I will be opening a game studio here in San Diego because I really miss internal game development.”
Eat Sleep Play’s rebooted Twisted Metal, which has been in development for over three years, hits US shelves on February 14, next month in Europe.


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Williamstown: Tag sale includes former inn contents
The remaining contents of the former Williams Inn, also known as "Williams Inn On the Green," will be sold in a three-day tag sale from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday through Monday, Nov. 9-11, at 1090 Main St.
Hotel/motel owners interested in purchasing larger quantities of items should contact the event organizers in advance of the sale. A 50 percent off clearance event will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Nov. 11.
The sale is hosted by the ABC program and the Mount Greylock Nordic Ski Team, with proceeds benefiting several area nonprofits. The contents and use of the former Williams Inn have been donated by Williams College.
Information: 413-663-4881 or firstname.lastname@example.org.
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Computing: Tablet makers wait on Honeycomb
Published 6:30 am, Tuesday, January 11, 2011
LAS VEGAS — CES has long been a great source of vaporware - promised products that never materialize. And last year, the huge annual electronics show, with its horde of e-readers and tablets, was a vaporware watershed.
At first blush CES 2011, which ended Sunday, looked like a rerun: Lots of tablets, but many not available right now. Want that one? Sorry, in most cases you'll have to wait. And wait. And maybe, you'll wait some more.
But there's a difference this time, and it's an important one.
Most of the tablets announced at CES will use Google's Android operating system, and many will be running a new version, 3.0, code-named Honeycomb. Unlike previous Android releases, Honeycomb is designed specifically to be used with tablets.
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Until last week, Honeycomb had been something of a mystery. Google kept the new interface under tight wraps - the only time it had been glimpsed was when Android chief Andy Rubin pulled out a prototype version of a Motorola tablet during the D8 tech conference last year.
I held a Xoom
On Wednesday, the wraps came off when Google released a short video highlighting Honeycomb's new look-and-feel. And Motorola gave a name to the tablet Rubin flashed - the Xoom. Unlike other vendors that were showing future tablets but not turning them on, or running them with an older version of Android, Motorola was not so shy. It started showing Honeycomb in a limited fashion, boasting that the Xoom would be the first tablet released with the newer operating system. The device is scheduled to launch sometime this quarter.
Earlier in the week, I got a chance to see and hold the Xoom. I didn't get to use the tablet - it was being demoed by a Motorola rep. What I saw was cool, and I could see why all these Android tablets can't launch yet: Honeycomb is still very much a work in progress.
The tablet was mostly running a series of screen animations showing different features. But the Motorola rep had to reboot the machine frequently. It crashed often.
Of course, there's no telling exactly why that was going on. Motorola may have put a particularly unstable build of Honeycomb on that unit, or the prototype may have had hardware issues. But it was illustrative of the difficulty in developing complex new technology. Under a veneer of simplicity is often a complex jumble of code and dependencies. Getting every component - hardware and software - to play well together is seldom easy.
At the very least, it helps explain why Honeycomb isn't yet ready.
At Google's mercy
Talking to many of these vendors, I got the distinct impression that they'd be ready to launch now if Honeycomb was in their hands. Several privately expressed frustration at having to wait. And even when Honeycomb's bits are handed over, there will be more delays while they make sure it works with the hardware they've developed.
To a certain extent, the companies that have opted to benefit from free access to the Android operating system are at Google's mercy. If Honeycomb is delayed, their products are delayed.
Some have opted to forge ahead with a full line of tablets and develop hardware for Honeycomb later. ViewSonic, for example, has a 10-inch tablet that dual-boots between Android 1.6 and Windows 7; a 10-inch tablet that runs only Android 2.2; a 7-inch Android 2.2 tablet; and a 4-inch Android-based phone that's in the prototype stage.
ViewSonic didn't wait
Jeff Volpe, ViewSonic's vice president of Global Brand and Emerging Technologies, says the company's 2011 road map adds Honeycomb-based tablets to the mix later this year. But the company isn't waiting for Google to finish the software - it jumped into the game several months ago.
There's a similar issue with Windows-based tablets, or "slates," as Microsoft prefers to call them. Windows 7 is generally regarded as a lousy operating system for touch-based tablets, and while there are some tablets available with Windows 7 on them, all eyes are on the next version of Windows. Microsoft has indicated it will be better able to run on tablets, but it's at least two years off, if not more.
Ditto for HP and the webOS technology it got in the acquisition of Palm. Its tablet computers won't be unveiled until later this year, possibly at a planned Feb. 9 press event.
But again, the real flood of tablets will begin once Google releases Honeycomb. A lot is riding on that release. If you were feeling grandiose, you might say the entire industry is waiting to exhale based on Honeycomb's launch. They're hoping Google gets it done sooner rather than later, and gets it right.


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Through its Ag Fund, Advantage Capital targets growing middle-market food and agriculture companies that create jobs in rural America.
Kettle Cuisine’s soups are meeting demand from consumers who want convenient, healthy food, a trend Kainos Capital was watching when it bought the business in 2015.
Transitioning leadership in a middle-market family-owned business is never easy, but having a plan in place goes a long way.
Moderators from ACG's EuroGrowth conference offer insight into blockchain, cross-border M&A and global leveraged finance.
The Distilled Spirits Council's chief economist discusses growth opportunities in the spirits market, the impact of tax legislation, and more.


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Americans’ Preferred Hot Dog Toppings Vary By Region
It's National Hot Dog Day today and what's more American than hot dogs? It turns out that Americans trend dress up their hot dogs with a variety of toppings based on the region where they live. According to a Harris poll conducted on behalf of the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC), mustard is the all-american favorite topping but those that live in the South tend to enjoy chili, cheese, and coleslaw on their hot dogs. Meanwhile, North-easterners like sauerkraut, Westerners like a kick with jalapenos, while Mid-westerners tend to be conservative with just ketchup.
Personally, I like to mix it up toppings. I like almost anything except sauerkraut and my feeling is that the more toppings on a hot dog the better!


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The majority of us have been guilty of sharing our Netflix password with friends and family. Customers in the UK may soon be prohibited by law from doing so, though, which might affect their ability to use Netflix.
Netflix may choose to pursue customers who exchange passwords in the UK in accordance with the country’s piracy laws. It remains to be seen if Netflix goes the legal way to stop people from sharing passwords or whether it just starts charging such accounts more. This image was provided by Netflix.
The United Kingdom’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has warned that violating anti-piracy rules in England, Wales, and Scotland by giving out your Netflix login to people you don’t live with poses a criminal risk, even if they are friends or relatives.
According to a recent guideline provided by the IPO, exchanging passwords for streaming accounts may constitute “secondary copyright infringement.” Netflix has already said it would begin charging customers for password sharing in the first few months of the next year, as part of its stepped-up attempts to persuade rebellious members to pay up.
The IPO has released new guidelines this week, warning users that they may be breaking the law if they access movies, TV programmes, or live sports events using Kodi boxes, hacked Fire Sticks, or other applications without paying a subscription fee.
According to the IPO, the streaming giant has the right to sue if it feels it’s necessary, and any wrongdoers would be punished to the fullest extent of the law.
Customers who disclose their credentials to non-household members will now be subject to harsher consequences from Netflix.
The streaming giant estimates that more than 100 million more homes were using the same account as one of the almost 222 million paying customers.
Wide-ranging adjustments are being made to how Netflix members may utilise the service. Netflix is cracking down on password sharing after introducing an ad-supported tier. The massive streaming service is also working to increase the variety and breadth of the content it offers.
Netflix just introduced a new “Profile Transfer” option that would allow users to transfer their personal profile from someone else’s account to a new one, making it simpler for consumers who have been using shared passwords to create their own account.
Recently, Netflix made an announcement that they will be partnering with Nike Training Club to create fitness-themed programming. Additionally, they’ve been heavily advertising their gaming service.
It remains to be seen if Netflix goes the legal way to clamp down on customers who share passwords or whether it opts to just penalise accounts by charging consumers more.
Subtly charming pop culture geek. Amateur analyst. Freelance tv buff. Coffee lover


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GM, Peugeot mull European joint venture
General Motors and PSA/Peugeot-Citroen are exploring ways to combine their European operations in a second phase of the alliance they forged earlier this year, sources say.
One option is for GM's Opel/Vauxhall unit to merge with PSA's automotive operations in a joint venture, Reuters and the French newspaper La Tribune reported, citing sources who asked not be identified because the discussions are confidential.
GM and PSA are looking at ways to stem their losses in Europe's slumping auto market.
Discussions began soon after the initial alliance deal and have covered "selling Opel to Peugeot, buying Peugeot's automotive business or putting them all together in a new entity," one of the sources said.
GM would have a 30 percent stake in the joint venture and would inject up to $10 billion into the new company, a source familiar with GM's thinking told Automotive News Europe.
By taking a 30 percent stake, GM would not have to consolidate Opel's financial results, thus removing the U.S. automaker's biggest financial liability, the source said.
GM would inject cash in the venture because of the imbalance in annual revenues between PSA -- 25 billion euros in European sales -- and Opel, with revenues of 17 billion euros.
La Tribune said the discussions had also divided the Peugeot family, which controls the French automaker through a stake of about 25 percent, commanding approximately 38 percent of its voting rights.
Volume car makers, which have lost market share to low-cost and premium car brands in recent years, are bearing the brunt of a Europe's downturn car that shows no signs of ending.
As tight budgets keep buyers away from showrooms and industrial overcapacity saps earnings, mass-market players need to find new ways to cut costs to survive.
The discussions between GM and PSA on a deeper tie-up to save costs are still at an early stage, sources said.
"To the extent that GM is able to cut its losses in Europe or get another manufacturer to share some of their burden, that would seem to make sense," New York-based analyst Brian Sponheimer said.
"Structure is obviously the key," said Sponheimer, whose employer, Gabelli & Co, is a subsidiary of GM shareholder Gamco Investors.
Analysts don't expect that GM, which has lost money in Europe for 12 straight years, would announce anything until after it reached a new labor deal with its German hourly workers. But analysts have said automakers can't seriously tackle their costs in Europe unless they close plants.
German union IG Metall said on Friday it wants an agreement with Opel, which is looking to restructure its German business, by October 26, which is five days before the U.S. automaker is scheduled to report third-quarter results.
However, Guggenheim Securities analyst Matthew Stover called a joint venture a "gimmick," and said it will take a long time for GM to fix its money-losing European unit.
"I don't think it would solve the problem, putting two troubled companies together and expecting it to become a better company," said Stover, who has a "neutral" rating on GM shares.
GM and PSA both declined to comment on the report. "We haven't commented on previous reports and we're not going to on this one," PSA spokesman Jonathan Goodman told Reuters.
GM spokesman Selim Bingol said in an e-mailed statement: "We don't comment on speculation. We are focused on earning the benefits from our alliance with PSA that we have identified."
Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas said last month that GM needed to sell Opel because of dwindling sales and deteriorating pricing. GM has lost about $16 billion in Europe over the past dozen years. Jonas forecasts another $1 billion in annual operating losses for Opel, on average, through 2021.
PSA has said it is burning through 200 million euros in cash a month and does not expect to be in the black until 2014.
GM and PSA unveiled their initial agreement in late February with the goal of saving at least $2 billion annually within five years, evenly split between the partners.
GM paid 320 million euros for a 7 percent stake in PSA as part of the original alliance deal, though the value of that stake has plunged with the French automaker's shares. GM said in August it may have to write down the value of its investment.
PSA and GM outlined five possible joint vehicle programs following talks with French unions in March: a family of small cars for emerging markets; larger sedans; a fuel-efficient subcompact design; compact crossovers or SUVs; and a dual-clutch transmission.
Reuters contributed to this reportContact Automotive News


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The building will house various research labs dedicated to semiconductors, LEDs and displays, staff in sales and marketing, and other support areas, the company said.
Meanwhile, the company’s president of its U.S.-based device solutions operations, Jaesoo Han, said that the move “represents a major milestone as we open our most strategically important Samsung facility in the U.S., and also our biggest investment in Silicon Valley.”
Samsung also announced that it has established a $ 1 million STEM College Education Scholarship Fund. In its own words:
Deserving university students who are currently enrolled in STEM-focused programs at a California State or University of California school will benefit from this program, beginning with a $ 50,000 gift to San Jose State University this year. Each scholarship will cover tuition and living expenses for one year.
But the announcement of the new office has been largely overshadowed by news in virtual reality today: We reported that the Samsung Gear VR will launch as a consumer product this November for $ 99. (You can read our full roundup from today’s Oculus event here.)
Earlier this week, Samsung unveiled its new fonts-inspired Serif TVs, and shared more about how it relies on startups to stay ahead on technological innovation.
If you happen to be passing through the area, Samsung’s new building certainly looks worth checking out.
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- Oracle Utilities Introduce a Network Management Platform - February 3, 2017
- Oracle Cloud Platform Launches Easy to Scale Cloud for SMBs - November 15, 2016
- Microsoft Kick Starts Its New UK Data Center Regions for Business - September 8, 2016


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Linkedin is cutting 6% of its global workforce. In a LinkedIn post, the company’s CEO Ryan Roslansky explained that due to the pandemic having a sustained impact on demand for its recruitment products, 960 sales and talent acquisition roles will be reduced. “I want you to know these are the only layoffs we are planning,” Roslansky said.
TikTok plans to add 10,000 jobs in the U.S. in the next three years. The company plans to hire for jobs in engineering, sales, content moderation and customer service, particularly growing workforces in California, New York, Texas, Florida and Tennessee. "It’s supporting the tremendous growth in the country and follows our strategy of building out teams where we have users," TikTok’s corporate comms head Josh Gartner told Axios. Since January, TikTok’s number of U.S. employees has risen from 500 to 1,400.
Coca-Cola reported a 28.5% drop in quarterly revenue. The company reported net revenue of $7.2 billion for Q2 ended June 26. Organic revenue fell 26% in the quarter. Net income fell to $1.78 billion from $2.61 billion a year earlier. Sparkling soft drinks’ volume fell 12% in the quarter; Coke saw volumes decline by 7%; tea and coffee volume plunged 31%; and water and sports drinks saw volume decline by 24%. Meanwhile, volume of juice, dairy and plant-based beverages sank 20%. CEO James Quincey said in a statement that the company believes Q2 will likely be the most challenging of the year.
A new hire for the White House press team. Brian Morgenstern is joining as deputy communications director and deputy press secretary. He was previously the deputy assistant secretary for external affairs at the Department of the Treasury, where he served as a senior aide and chief speechwriter to Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Morgenstern will “amplify the President’s focus on safely reopening our economy, and creating more jobs and higher wages for hard-working Americans,” press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a statement.
Will these sell out as quickly as they did last year? Ahead of National Wine and Cheese Day on Saturday, limited-edition boxes of Cheez-It White Cheddar crackers paired with rosé House Wine will go on sale on Thursday at OriginalHouseWine.com. Last year, Cheez-It crackers and House Wine teamed up with limited-edition boxes that sold out in under an hour. Weber Shandwick is supporting the campaign.


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Having successfully organised the logistics for Die Toten Hosen on their 2015 Argentinian tour, in cooperation with our Dusseldorf team and the company Waivers, we employed this winning formula once again last year.
For many years we have enjoyed a profitable and untroubled cooperation with Waivers, a service provider well known for their expertise in organising band tours and trade fairs in Argentina.
In the past QCS has also been able to organise more difficult tours for Die Toten Hosen, such as in Myanmar. And this time everything once again went smoothly, thanks to the well-established cooperation between Dusseldorf and Berlin, and we were able to impress with our excellent service. The foresight and engagement of a QCS colleague from the Dusseldorf office prevented the airline from refusing the freight. He had checked the pieces for possible dangerous goods and discovered batteries which he removed as a precautionary measure. According to IATA dangerous goods regulations these batteries are excepted from categorisation as dangerous goods according to “Special Provision A 67”. Nevertheless goods containing these batteries are still at risk of being refused by the airline.
Therefore we contacted the concert organiser to obtain batteries locally, so that we could remove the batteries from the shipment as a precaution. The customs inspection the following day was successful and the instruments could begin their journey. The freight arrived in Buenos Aires on 25th September and was put through customs clearance directly by Waivers, before being delivered at the concert location on 30th September. As time was very tight for the return flight and the equipment would be needed for the next show in Dusseldorf, we donated three concert tickets for the Lufthansa Cargo team in Buenos Aires as an additional motivation. On 8th October the equipment was punctually collected after the show and flew as planned to Dusseldorf via Frankfurt.


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Stakeholders in the maritime industry have described 2018 as a terrible year for operators.
The stakeholders said the maritime sector performed well below expectation, as there was little or not effort by government and it various agencies to address major challenges facing the sector.
The Director General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Muda Yusuf, described 2018 as “one of the worst” for the maritime sector.
“Last year was one of the worst in recent times. We have never had it so bad. First, the challenge of access road to the port was a major problem in 2018. Apparently, there has not been enough attention to invest and develop the maritime sector.
“If the Lagos ports that accounts for almost 80 percent of import duty could suffer the kind of neglect it suffered in 2018, then it is not a good commentary on the way we set our priorities in the country.
“This affected the cost of operation at the port, cost of goods and services and it led to diversion of cargoes to neighbouring countries and loss of business by many operators in the sector. It also led to loss of revenue even by government. All the transits cargo that normally comes through our port no longer comes through our port.
“As we speak, our scanners are not working. How can we, as the biggest economy in the Africa continent with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of about $450 billion, be operating a port where it is still doing physical examination?
“That is unheard of in this day and age. All the effort to introduce the single window did not materialize. Issue of security of ships being attacked was also recorded. So, it has been one of the worst years as far as the sector is concern,” he told SHIPS & PORTS DAILY.
Also speaking, the National President, National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Lucky Amiwero blamed the non-appointment of technocrats as heads of key agencies in the sector by government as factors that contributed its poor performance.
“Those who took over as heads of the parastatals are trainees — whether Customs, NPA, NIMASA. They are all strangers to the maritime system. Most of them have not seen vessels before.
“Because they are not technocrats, they will first have to go and learn, and it is in the learning process that we have all this effect. This administration did not pick any professional; they are all politicians and that is why we continue to have this set back,” he said.
The respected freight forwarder also said the deplorable port access roads was a major challenge faced by operators last year, which he said forced many companies to close shops while others have relocated elsewhere.
He said the nation’s import and export cargo clearance procedures are still archaic, a situation that has placed Nigeria on a low ranking on the Ease of Doing Business.
He said, “2018 is a terrible year for the maritime industry. For a lot of practitioners, it is not too healthy for them and they have relocated out of the country. The few ones that are here are just managing.
“Apart from the port access road, our procedures are archaic, no scanners at the port. On Ease of doing business, which has to do with trading across borders, we are 184 out of 190 countries.
“NPA is acting like a revenue agency instead of using their revenue to build and dredge the port. When you look at other ports like Benin, Togo, Ghana and Cameroon; they all have channels better off than Nigerian channels. Megaships cannot come into Nigeria because of low channel and they diverting to other ports that can accommodate them. So we had a very tough time in the sector in 2018.
“We control 70 to 80 percent of cargo within the sub-region. We have a terrible port system where we cannot access the port and that created a lot of problem whereby almost 60 to 70 percent of companies in Apapa have to give way.
“People divert their cargoes to neighbouring countries because they find it difficult to clear from the port with containers litter all over the place.”
Maritime Lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mike Igbokwe, also scored the industry low.
He said, “We did not fare any better. With the gridlock in Apapa and the fact that out ports are hardly attractive to foreign ships, the issue of armed robbery and piracy at sea and reduction in importation has generally affected not just the economy but also business of lawyers and operators in the sector.”
Recommending suggestions on how to move the industry forward in 2019, he said, “A lot of suggestions on how to solve the Apapa gridlock should be implemented so that a very quick solution can be found.
“The use of rail should be deployed to complement road transportation. The long awaited piracy bill should be enacted before the election so that implementation will help deter piracy and insecurity on Nigerian waters.”
On his part, President, Nigerian Ship Owners Association (NISA), Aminu Umar, also said the sector did not fare any better in 2018.
“The sector did not meet up with our expectations in 2018. As a ship owner, I believe there are a lot of things that need to be done which were not done although we have been canvassing for them for years. Things like the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF), implementation of the Cabotage Law and of the Local Content Act to improve on the operations of the Nigerian ship owners.”
He however expressed hope that 2019 will be a better year for ship owners with the renewed engagement with the government through the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to commence disbursement of the CFVV “in no distant time”.
Copyright Ships & Ports Ltd. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit given to www.shipsandports.com.ng as the source.


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The smoked salmon recall from last week has been expanded.
The following items have been added to the recall list:
Smoked Salmon, Maadanei Miki brand, any size package with the dates listed below.
Production Dates: Expiration Dates
Anyone who has purchased these products is instructed not to consume them.
contact Maadanei Miki's customer service to arrange your return. They
can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org or 1-700-505-540 0r


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Dubai’s hotels and restaurants have been told to suspend brunches as authorities further tighten the rules on social gatherings.
Dubai Tourism singled out brunches – which typically have all-you-can-eat-and-drink deals and entertainment – in an email to hotels and restaurants.
The authority told managers to “postpone any activity that leads to large gatherings such as weekend brunches”.
Tours or parties on yachts were also restricted to 10 people. Previously, vessels were allowed to sail with 50 per cent capacity.
It reiterated that hotels must operate at no more than 70 per cent occupancy and no further bookings or extensions should be made until that figure is complied with.
Dubai Tourism said “any failure to comply with precautionary measures will result in serious action against the venue”.
On Monday, the government cut mall and venue capacity, a move that also affected cinemas, pool use and sports complexes.
Any licensed venue classed as a “pub or bar” – which includes nightclubs – but that is not a restaurant was to close immediately.
Despite the decision, restaurants and bars that serve food to people seated at tables can stay open. The decision was seen by the industry as a lifeline, allowing them to serve residents and tourists at a time when the global hospitality sector is in crisis.
Although “brunches” are now off the menu, special offers and set fees for meals and alcoholic drinks were not specifically ruled out.
On Wednesday, hotels and bars told The National they were still taking orders for scaled back "set deals" this weekend, and would have various distancing measures in place to ensure compliance.
All serving of food and drinks must be to customers seated at tables, officials reiterated.


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Sport & Recreation Show opens at Jamestown Civic Center on Feb. 4
The free event runs Saturday and Sunday in Jamestown.
JAMESTOWN – The Sport & Recreation Show hosted by i3G Media runs Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 4-5, at the Jamestown Civic Center. The free show is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days, said Lynn Lambrecht, show manager and general manager of i3G Media.
"We have quite a few new vendors this year, I'm especially excited to try the Wut-a-Nut, Jimmy Knots and Freda's Freeze Dried Candies,” she said. “And we plan to give away at least one door prize every hour, including the 2023 season Minnesota Twins tickets. Shake your cabin fever and come enjoy the weekend with us."
Look for displays that include boats, campers, UTVs, golf carts and motorcycles.
Besides displays from 11 businesses and organizations, there are at least 24 vendors including concessions from Reister Meats & Catering (brats/pop) and Sweet Dreams Mini Donuts.


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Solid-state storage earned a hot technology’s badge of honor — a backlash — on Wednesday at the Diskcon conference in Santa Clara, California.
Storage components based on NAND flash chips have recently been promoted as an alternative to spinning HDDs (hard disk drives) in netbooks, laptops, servers and enterprise storage platforms. Flash advocates claim they offer higher performance and greater reliability because there are no moving parts. But on Wednesday, even companies that are selling flash-based products cautioned that certain benefits may come only for certain applications or aren’t here yet at all.
It’s “stupid” to use SSDs in a network-attached storage device that overwrites a large amount of data over and over, because of the tendency of flash chips to wear out every time data is written to them, said Mike Workman, chairman and CEO of storage equipment maker Pillar Data Systems.
Workman, who helped create IBM’s storage business, believes good engineering will eventually overcome flash’s limitations but complained that the market today is consumed by hyperbole.
“One of the claims is that because the SSD’s solid-state, it’s more reliable. Bullshit. It’s not,” Workman told attendees. “I’ll tell you right now, the data that I have in the lab, it should make the solid-state guys be embarrassed,” he said.
“The solid-state guys’ll win,” Workman said. “But they’re not there yet.”
Workman’s company didn’t come to the conference as a rival to flash vendors. Pillar already offers flash options on its storage platforms. But Workman emphasized that the new technology is just one component of an overall enterprise storage strategy.
An executive of another seller of SSDs, flash chip vendor Smart Modular Technologies, issued her own caveats about them. Flash chips deliver spectacular performance while in a “virgin” state, when the first bits are being written to them, but their write speed falls off dramatically within hours, as new bits are written over on the same silicon, said Esther Spanjer, Smart’s director of SSD technical marketing. This is a normal occurrence, but some testers have tested chips in the virgin state, giving unrealistic results. Likewise, an SSD may need time to adapt after switching from sequential to random tasks. An ideal test would take it through that process, she said.
Today, makers of flash silicon may test their products with any combination of tasks and configurations, because there are no standard benchmarks, she said.
“Things are pretty much all over the map, and it can be very confusing” for makers of storage platforms that want to use flash in them, Spanjer said. The Storage Networking Industry Association and other organizations are working on these standards, she said.
A deal that Smart announced on Tuesday marked a breakthrough for a new approach to flash storage. The company agreed to buy flash controllers from SandForce, which claims it has the technology to make flash price-competitive for a wide range of enterprise uses. Its controllers manage MLC (multilevel cell) flash, the high-volume, relatively inexpensive type used in consumer products such as portable media players.
Thad Omura, SandForce’s vice president of marketing, told the conference that only MLC flash can compete with HDDs on cost. Most enterprise products today use SLC (single-level cell) flash, which will never fall to the needed price levels because it’s a specialized product, Omura believes.
SLC flash stores only one bit per cell, so it packs less capacity into a given space. But this type is used on enterprise products because it’s better-suited to both reading and writing data, and less prone to flaws that can reduce a chip’s capacity over time. SandForce’s controllers are designed to manage MLC chips so they last longer. Smart will use the SandForce controllers in enterprise SSDs built with its MLC flash chips.
Enterprises may eventually embrace MLC flash, especially in products such as midpriced x86 servers, where buyers concentrate on price, said TrendFocus analyst John Chen, who spoke at Diskcon. But the controller’s ability to prevent chip degradation will be key to flash storage, he added. “I think it’s all about the controller,” Chen said. SandForce isn’t alone in trying to leverage low-cost MLC silicon, with bigger vendors such as Marvell developing such controllers too, he said.
The next big step will be for more vendors to qualify their flash storage products for enterprise environments, a process that should bear fruit next year, Chen said.
Despite these technical concerns, next year should be a big one for enterprise flash. Most of the major enterprise storage vendors have put flash offerings on the market this year, and the partnership announced last year between Intel and Hitachi Global Storage Technologies is on track to deliver its first products in the first half of next year, said Dean Amini, director of enterprise product marketing at Hitachi GST. Intel already sells flash silicon for enterprise storage.
The companies plan to make flash products, in HDD form factors, that match the performance of Fibre Channel HDDs under any type of workload, according to Amini. A slide of technical goals showed they plan to offer advanced power management and MTBF (mean time between failures) of 2 million hours.
The enterprise flash business is in such an early stage that the dominant provider of chips, STEC, even welcomes competitors.
“The industry and the market is growing rapidly … and I think adding another credible vendor, somebody that can pass the qualifications, will just increase the market even more,” said Scott Stetzer, STEC’s director of marketing for enterprise SSD products.
Diskcon concludes on Thursday.


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According to official Blizzard news, the first global content updates will cover all release regions at the same time, as Diablo Immortal officially releases on July 8 at 9am in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
The Season 2 Battle Pass goes live on July 8 at 6am and will allow players to collect Season 2 utility rewards and defeat the new Hellbone Box team leader.
Blizzard also previewed the subsequent updates, saying that this update is just the beginning. Since the game’s release, Blizzard has been paying attention to player suggestions and feedback, and looks forward to sharing subsequent updates through more update files in the future. Blizzard says it doesn’t want to spoil everyone’s fun by spoiling too much content, so for now it can only reveal the following information: career changes and other additional new content that will debut in the next update later this month.
IT House has reported that last month, Diablo: Immortal’s national website released an announcement that Diablo: Immortal’s original June 23 launch plan would be delayed, with no new launch time announced. The Diablo: Immortal project team said that the development team is making a number of optimization adjustments to the game: a larger range of device support, the highest image quality on more models, a lot of experience, network and performance optimization, and so on.


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SOUTH CAROLINA (WMBF) - A recent database break allowed hackers access to 3.6 million South Carolinians' social security numbers, but the state is not the first to report such a security breach.
Major retailers ward off potential hackers with top-of-the-line security guarding their customers' personal information, like debit and credit card numbers. However, when those databases are compromised, the customer may be the one to pay.
Just last week Barnes & Noble reported it had been hacked, potentially affecting customers at 63 of its stores in nine state. While the Palmetto State was not included in the list of affected stores, it does raise the question of how can consumers better protect their money and identity?
Anyone can call one or all of the three credit reporting companies to place a fraud alert and to place a security freeze on their credit report. Contact information is below:
- Equifax: 800-685-1111
- TransUnion: 800-680-7289
- Experian: 888-397-3742
If you feel your credit or debit card is being used without your consent, make sure to change the PIN numbers on debit cards and review account activity for unauthorized transactions. If any unauthorized purchases or withdrawals are discovered, notify your bank immediately. Be sure to check for cash advances on credit cards, as the fraudulent activity may not always show up under "purchases."


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TOLD YOU SO… Kind of. I recently wrote a post about the latest iPhone 8 Rumors and Release Date and one of the biggest expectations from the whispers gliding round the internet was that a Red iPhone 8 would be on the cards.
If you don’t have Instagram why are you here. For those of you who do, you’ll be more than familiar getting excited because your phone buzzes only to find out that
As most of you know the iPhone releases have become more and more disappointing as the years have gone by since the first generation launch. but in the lead up to a new iPhone release I cant help but read into all the rumors around what we might be looking at next! AND keep reading till the end to find out why you might be waiting a LONG LONG time to get your hands on the latest model.
Old Nokia Phones Making a Comeback
We have been meme-ing about this phone for some time but I can finally say the GOD of all mother fucking mobile phones is back. Que the Nokia 3310… again… Recently unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Re-launched 17 years after its debut this indestructible brick of shit is showing how phone companies are using nostalgia to (rape our pockets) their advantage.


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Both the healthcare and consumer packaged goods (CPG) industries have reached an inflection point. Healthcare costs have risen dramatically in the past few decades and are slowly getting to be out of reach for many consumers. At the same time, consumers are increasingly looking for more holistic solutions than just products. Digital technologies hold enormous potential to ease this tension. AI and IoT promise to transform healthcare from a provider-centric to a patient-centric model whereby consumers can get access to low-cost healthcare in the convenience of their homes. Likewise, sensing and connectivity are enabling a unique data layer on existing products, thereby allowing companies to offer personalized experiences and launch new business models.
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led to a rapid acceleration in these trends. Overnight, physicians and hospitals have gone from seeing their patients in-person to seeing a majority of their patients virtually. This has led to an explosion in the use of telehealth solutions. Other related products, such as wearables and connected medical devices, are also seeing a sharp surge. With a significant decline in retail traffic, CPG companies have had to launch e-commerce, smartphone, and D2C channels almost overnight, which has now intensified competition. The battle is now on to use IoT and AI to understand consumer needs in order to offer products and sell them through channels that are stickier with consumers.
As we reflect on 2020, we look back at some of the most important developments that occurred in our digital health and future consumer coverage.
- Teladoc Health acquired Livongo Health for a whopping $18.5 billion, which allows Teladoc to bolster its more traditional video conferencing approach to telehealth with Livongo's remote monitoring and mHealth capabilities and thereby differentiate itself in an increasingly crowded telehealth space.
- Pear Therapeutics obtained FDA approval for a digital therapeutic for chronic insomnia via both precertification and 510(k) preapproval. The 510(k) is a turning point in the approval process for digital therapeutics and opens the door for other similar products and solutions.
- Singapore's A*STAR developed a point-of-care diagnostic that uses an extremely rapid amplification method to diagnose COVID-19 within five minutes. Unlike most other techniques, which require expensive machines to run and experts to carry out the tests, the kits are designed to be portable and simple to use.
- Movano, a provider of a sleek and stylish noninvasive glucose monitoring solution, raised $10 million in bridge funding and moved out of stealth. The company is fully leveraging trends around decentralization and personalization in healthcare.
- The U.S. Federal Communications Commission decided to provide $200 million to U.S. hospitals to bankroll telehealth equipment in the midst of COVID-19. However, hospitals are likely to continue using this equipment well after COVID-19 passes, thereby removing many of the infrastructural hurdles that have hindered the adoption of telehealth and speeding up the transition from a provider-centric to a patient-centric health system.
- Amazon launched a new wearable health tracker called Halo that competes with Apple and Fitbit. While the device itself is priced on par with Fitbit, users have to subscribe to an app to gain access to additional features.
- MyAir began offering stress management nutrition bars with formulations that are personalized based on users' current physiological and psychological state. This is determined by analyzing data from online questionnaires completed by the users as well as data collected from wearable devices and smartwatches.
- Fitbit launched a new product that allows for monitoring users' stress levels via temperature and electrodermal sensors. While measuring stress levels has been an elusive goal for years, Fitbit may be able to collect sufficient data through its device to develop a reliable digital biomarker for stress.
- Apple introduced new health and fitness features in its watchOS 7 that will leverage the synergy between the Apple Watch and the iPhone to derive new insights on user wellness.
- Caltech tested new wireless sweat sensors to quantify stress levels. The sensors use graphene-embedded porous structures coupled with cortisol antibody molecules and are therefore very sensitive and accurate.
- Lululemon, maker of athletic apparel, acquired home fitness startup Mirror for $500 million. The company will likely use Mirror's workout solutions to improve consumer engagement, offer personalization, and tap into the growing home fitness market.
- Google added a new feature to its Assistant whereby it offers personalized recommendations for restaurants and recipes based on users' search history and smart device data.
- Pepsi launched a new IoT product called SodaStream Professional. This product uses consumers' preferences, drink history, water intake, and daily hydration goals to recommend drinks while also allowing them to customize flavors and carbonation levels.
- Adidas unveiled a smart soccer insole that uses Google's Jacquard to sense and analyze users' movements, such as kicking power, running speed, and distance. Users can use this data from real-world soccer games toward rewards for EA's FIFA Mobile game.
Additionally, the Lux Digital Team curated the following "Analysts' Choice" for further reading on the personalized products and services storyline.
- "Back in Business: Using Technology to Open During COVID-19." As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage the world, companies are under tremendous pressure to reopen for business while keeping employees safe. In this report, we assess 23 technologies across seven metrics, including regulatory compliance, cost, and efficacy against the virus, to help businesses make informed decisions when reopening.
- "Printed Electronics." Printed electronics are a manufacturing method to produce electronic devices via printing or coating methods. While the technology has failed to gain traction due to scalability and cost challenges, there is reason to be cautiously optimistic about this space, especially as IoT and supporting technologies mature in parallel.
- "Building Personalized Consumer Products Using AI and IoT." This report not only examines the most active CPG segments in adopting AI- and IoT-driven personalized products in terms of the key players, technology use cases, and value proposition but also identifies the typical types of collected data, personalized features, and enabling technologies in the products. It also presents a qualitative analysis of the degrees and types of personalization achieved at the product purchase and utilization stages.
- "COVID-19 brings unprecedented opportunities to test electronic textiles." The pandemic has created an opportunity for technologies that can remotely screen, diagnose, monitor, and treat COVID-19. Developers of electronic textiles, such as Myant and Hexoskin, have designed smart garments that, in partnership with healthcare providers, measure biometrics like body temperature, cardiac activity, and respiration to triage and treat COVID-19 patients.
- "Innovation Digest: The Lux Take on the Future of Digital Biomarkers." Digital biomarkers are biomarkers based on noninvasive and continuous data collected via devices like wearables and smartphones and analyzed using advanced analytics to extract previously invisible insights. In this report, we explore the readiness of digital biomarkers, a key component of digital health, and identify opportunities in this space.
This blog is part of the Lux Digital Team's Year in Review series examining the highlights and key developments in digital transformation in 2020. For an overview of the other storylines in Digital Transformation of Physical Industries, be sure to subscribe to our digital newsletter.


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Gold Spot Price today increased to $1,233.20 (+0.45%) per ounce, Silver Price $16.54 (+0.66%), Platinum Price $924.80 (+0.21%), Palladium Price $809.50 (+0.40%), Dow Jones index 20894.24 (0.13% decrease).
U.S. Dollar vs Precious metals
US Dollar came under pressure on Friday morning trading, because of the disappointing reports on the American economy. Economic data on US inflation and retail sales for April let down Wall Street expectations. In addition to the dollar weakness, investors were also trading US treasuries, sending yields lower. The markets will be looking for today’s Consumer Price Index Data. Gold prices moved higher on Friday because the recent political events in the U.S. continued to weigh down the US Dollar and boost demand for safe-haven assets like yellow metal. Silver price slightly increased, platinum and palladium prices are also higher.
Stock Market Today
U.S. stocks on Friday opened lower S&P 500 2390.93 (-0.15%) and NASDAQ Index 6117.39 (+0.03%), Dow Jones Industrial Average 20894.24 (-0.13%).
The major U.S. Index futures are trading lower opening on Friday following the release of a Commerce Department showing weaker than expected retail sales growth in April. The US policy uncertainty and weekly news from the new Trump Administration weigh down market stocks, which saw notable weakness in the previous session following news from the President Trump about ex-FBI chief. All these events could lead to major disruption to the market. Market attention is also focused on Eurozone data release next week, when Italian and Eurozone growth figures for the first quarter will be released. Experts hope to get a clearer picture of US President Donald Trump’s direction on important policies that he has yet to specify.
Economic data for today: Consumer Price Index, Retail Sales, Consumer sentiment.


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Luxembourg: Inflation jumps to record-high in April
Consumer prices rose 0.82% over the prior month in April, down from March’s 1.00% increase. The print came on the back of falling clothing and footwear. Moreover, housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels as well as transport prices rose at a softer rate.
Consumer price inflation rose to 7.0% in April from 6.1% in March. April’s reading marked the highest print since our records began in 1996. Meanwhile, harmonized inflation rose to a record-high 9.0% in April, from March’s 7.9%. Meanwhile, the trend pointed up, with annual average harmonized inflation rising to 5.4% in April (March: 4.9%).


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Students share posters, ad campaign to ‘Stop Modern-Day Slavery’
For many, the concept of human trafficking conjures up grisly images of young boys and girls, men and women, held captive and abused as slaves, very often for sexual exploitation.
But does the same vision arise when you take a bite out of a chocolate bar, sip a cappuccino, install a carpet, or buy a new outfit? In many countries, another major form of human trafficking is forced labor, particularly of children, through which victims are forced to harvest crops like cocoa and coffee beans, mine diamonds, produce textiles, and much more.
Mercyhurst University students in Dr. Nicole John-Danzell’s course on human trafficking are exploring the prolific problem in its many forms and locales.
“Students are often shocked to learn about the pervasiveness of Trafficking in Person (TIP), that it happens in their own back yards, and how complex this crime is than they originally thought,” said John-Danzell. “My passion for exposing students to this course is to offer them tools to better understand the complexity of this problem.”
Next month, her students will unveil human trafficking awareness posters illustrating their research and present an advertising campaign called STOP MDS – Stop Modern-Day Slavery. The Mercyhurst community is invited to view the presentations on Tuesday, Dec. 7, from 2 to 3:15 p.m. in Mercy Heritage Room.
Each of six groups will present research on a selected region, among them the United States, Asia, Latin America, Europe, and Africa. The posters will explore the larger historical, sociopolitical, and economic context in which human trafficking is conducted; notable forms of trafficking within their regions and consequences; the justice system, particularly prosecutorial practices; and trafficking rings and perpetrators in those regions.
Their research will also inform the audience on current initiatives aimed at mitigating the problem of human trafficking.
“I hope my course and students’ presentations bring heightened visibility to the problem of human trafficking, the role consumers and consumer culture play in human trafficking, such as consumption of seafood products, chocolate, and the plethora of everyday products that are tainted by the hands of trafficked victims via production and supply chains,” John-Danzell said.


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At the upcoming edition of Sourcing at MAGIC, attendees will be able to witness the factory of the future right on the show floor.
With a focus on automation and digitization in factories, the February installment of the Las Vegas trade show will highlight the micro factory and all that it’s capable of—which is essentially creating apparel on demand.
At the show, which takes place Feb. 11-14, attendees will be able to witness live demonstrations of what manufacturing will likely look like in very short order, watching a T-shirt go from CAD to clothing onsite.
“Automation will ultimately change where and how all apparel is produced—we are at a tipping point in terms of the technology necessary to move this forward,” said Sourcing at MAGIC president Christopher Griffin. “SOURCING at MAGIC felt it was a very compelling focus category that all buyers, brands and factories are interested in and are seeking guidance.”
The micro factory will showcase pattern making software, sew bot machines, auto drape technology and new digital printers for cotton, from companies like EFI, Optitex, EFI Reggiani, Klieverik, Zund, Eton System, and Henderson, which will bring the bots.
Seminars on “Moving into the Future of Manufacturing Fashion,” “Digitization of Sourcing and Agility in a Volatile World,” and “Smart Factories: The Future is Here,” will drive home the functionalities and benefits of this slew of new digital supply chain technology.
In other Sourcing at MAGIC news, UBM Fashion—which hosts the tradeshow, along with others in the industry—has been offered an acquisition deal by rival British business media group Informa that values the company at $3.8 billion pounds ($5.3 billion), the Financial Times reported.
When rumors of the potential deal emerged, shares of UBM stock rose more than 12 percent, while Informa saw a slip upward of 6 percent, as analysts weighed the benefits of the deal. As of publication time, UBM shares were trading down a half percent to 899 pounds ($1,247), and Informa’s shares were down 6.4% to 704 pounds ($976).
The deal would make for one of the world’s largest business event and exhibition operators. As a combined force, Informa would be able to expand its reach in the exhibitions business and piggyback on UBM’s strong presence in Asia where it’s been looking to expand.
Under the terms of the proposed deal, Informa’s shareholders will own 65.5% of the combined company, and UBM investors would hold the rest.


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Honda Motorcycle India launched its new two-wheeler, the Navi in the Indian market at the Auto Expo 2016.The latest news is that the Navi has gathered 500 online bookings in India within two weeks since its entry into the market.
Honda has opened the bookings for its two-wheeler crossover through its Navi Smartphone App. The Navi has been priced at Rs 39,500 and the delivery of the Navi is expected to begin in April this year.
The Honda Navi will be the first product to be designed and developed in India by Honda's R&D.
The Navi will be powered by 109cc 4-stroke engine, which can produce 7.83bhp of power at 7000rpm and 8.96Nm of torque at 5500rpm.


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Apr 6 2012, 07:36 PM
This has been a long time coming for MOTU fans! James Robinson is writing and Philip Tan on art. It also has a very interesting premise as well. First issue is out in July.http://geek-news.mtv.com/2012/04/06/dc-com...universe-comic/
Apr 6 2012, 09:39 PM
And watch whatever good this accomplishes be screwed up by Mattel, mark my words!
Like the IDW GI Joe reinvention and even recent Transformers stuff...I question this on the basis of...what impact will this ultimately have on the brand. Kids don't read comics anymore, so you are basically aiming for an adult demographics to sell a line of toys..they likely already know about. And Mattel's comments just a few months ago pointed to a conflicted view on how to handle the brand.
Unless some dips at Mattel finally realized "oh hey, we can make MONEY by letting these guys produce a comic on a property we are barely doing anything at all with"