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Some Things You Might Not Have Known About George Strait
When George Strait first hit Nashville in 1977 he was considered "too country" for the music scene at the time.
George Strait was in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Hawaii when he first picked up a guitar and started playing.
George Strait has charted 57 Number 1 singles , more than any artist in any genre, and he's not done yet.
These were just a few of the facts that i picked up in an article that i read about George over the weekend in an article in American Profile. You can read the rest of the article here.
This being veterans week and George Strait being a veteran, I also wanted to remind you of George's involvement with a program called the Wrangler National Patriot Program .Wrangler founded the program in December 2009 with a $50,000 donation. Since then, the company has donated a portion of proceeds from its National Patriot line of clothing and accessories to various charities that provide support to military veterans and their families. The shirts, jeans and other clothing items are sold at rodeos across the country, as well as at a number of retailers that carry the Wrangler brand.
And more information on George includes the announcement of his first round of concert dates with Martina McBride for 2012. You will find that story here.
Another fact about George is that he is about to become a grandpa. Trisha Berry has that story here
And of course an opportunity to win a guitar autographed by George is available thru our Facebook page, find that link here.


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Firepond to be sold for $11.7 million
- Mark Reilly
- Senior reporter
Firepond Inc., the prodigal software developer that returned from Boston to the Twin Cities last year, has agreed to be acquired by privately-held Jaguar Technology Holdings for roughly $11.7 million in cash.
Bloomington-based Firepond, which sells interactive-selling and e-mail software to companies such as Steelcase Corp., Deere & Co. and Ticketmaster, said an affiliate of Jaguar had agreed to purchase it for $3.16 per share.
Shares dropped below that offering price on Thursday.
Jaguar is expected to begin a formal tender offer before Oct. 22. The deal is contingent upon shareholder approval, but Firepond said that stockowners controlling nearly 47 percent of its stock had already agreed to sell.
About 45 percent of Firepond's stock is owned by General Atlantic Partners, a Greenwich, Conn.-based investment firm.
Little is known about Jaguar Technologies; officials at Firepond could not be reached for comment.
The deal will essentially take private a company that launched an initial public offering in early 2000 and saw its stock rise to $100, creating a market value of over $3 billion. That event was greeted with much angst by some in Minnesota; Firepond had moved to Boston the year before, and critics saw its market success as a blow to the state's prestige.
Firepond kept some development operations in the Twin Cities, and returned its headquarters here in 2002, limping from the tech bust. For the first nine months of 2003, revenue was $9.4 million, compared to $61 million for fiscal year 2000.
This summer, Firepond began an effort to build a new revenue stream through licensing agreements of its intellectual property. The company filed several lawsuits against rival firms it said were infringing on its patents.
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You may remember that leaked roadmap that we got our hands on last week, with several Sony Ericsson Android devices listed. One of them, the SE Kumquat (not a name we were particularly fond of to begin with), has resurfaced, and sources are reporting that it’ll be launched under the name ...Read More
HTC is rumored to offer up the new mid-range device at Mobile World Congress.Read More
Huawei, a company who is beginning to make a bit of noise on the Android front, is rumored to hit U.S. soil with a new ‘Diamond” series of devices. Expected to be announced at Mobile World Congress next month, this new line of Android smartphones is said to “take performance ...Read More
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Skiers on a lift at Stowe Mountain Resort, pre-COVID
Skiers at Stowe Mountain Resort this winter must make a reservation before hitting the slopes, one of several new protocols intended to combat the spread of coronavirus.
Vail Resorts, the Stowe slope’s Colorado-based parent company, announced the measure on Thursday, along with other changes to riding the lifts, hanging out in lodges and buying tickets during what will be an unprecedented ski season.
The new rules affect the company’s 34 North American resorts, including Stowe, Okemo and Mount Snow in Vermont.
“I realize not everyone will agree with our approach — [with] some feeling we are being too conservative or aggressive,” Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz said in a statement. “And I recognize the changes we are implementing will be an inconvenience. But I ask for your understanding and patience.”
The reservation system will limit the number of skiers on the mountain each day. Those who buy an Epic Pass, the resorts’ season ticket, will be able to request seven “priority reservation days” and can maintain seven reserved days throughout the season. They’ll also be able to reserve days ahead of each coming week.
All lift tickets will be sold online or over the phone only; no sales will be made on the mountain, though ticket windows will be open to distribute passes. By purchasing a single-day pass, one has effectively placed a reservation for the day chosen. If passes are unavailable on a certain day, the mountain is booked, though the company expects to accommodate “everyone who wants to be on our mountains” for “the vast majority of days during the season.”
Stowe is scheduled to open on November 20, Okemo on November 21 and Mount Snow on November 14. Single-day lift tickets go on sale December 8, though Epic Pass tickets are available now.
Face coverings must be worn at all times, except when “actively eating” inside. Skiers and riders are encouraged to wear them even while coming down the mountain.
Most restaurants are expected to open, though with capacity limits. Full-service bars will not be open.
Groups and family members will be seated together on lifts, but restrictions will be in place for people who don't know each other. Two singles will be seated on opposite ends of four- or six-person chairs, or on far ends of larger gondolas. Physical distancing will be enforced in lines, as well.
Vail Resorts said it is reviewing its uphill policy and has yet to announce if it will be allowed or under what conditions.
Thursday's news is the most comprehensive update from the company since mid-March, when it closed all of its resorts as the coronavirus began to spread nationwide.
“There is no doubt this season will be different, but we are committed to what matters most: working to protect your safety and wellbeing and providing you with great skiing and riding this winter,” Katz wrote. “I hope to see you on the mountain.”


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Shoppers take can-do attitude toward promotion
TOWN OF WALLKILL: This sale is a celebration of all things canned.
This time of year, ShopRite employees don't bother taking cans out of the cases when they restock store shelves.
The simple shortcut saves a lot of time and trouble for customers who want, say, 48 cans of tomato sauce for $6.
And that is just the sort of bargain shoppers look for during the annual Can Can sale, a two-week flurry of soup-to-nuts stocking-up at the 200-odd ShopRite stores in the Northeast.
At Wakefern Food Corp.'s warehouse on Ballard Road in the Town of Wallkill, the scene is just as hectic. For Wakefern, the cooperative buyer and distributor for ShopRite stores, Can Can is the supreme logistical challenge.
On the warehouse floor, forklifts whiz by toting two pallets apiece, as workers race to fill orders. Outside, some 600 tractor-trailers come and go, a quarter of them on rental just for the fortnight of Can Can.
You can fit some 36,000 cans of corn on a tractor-trailer. During last year's Can Can sale, Wakefern warehouses here and in New Jersey shipped 100 trailers of corn to ShopRite stores.
That's 3.6 million cans, enough to make every day at Yankee Stadium "Can of Corn Day."
But last year's sale was a little sluggish, because many folks had already loaded up on canned goods in anticipation of a millennial apocalypse that never materialized.
This year's sale, which runs from Jan. 7 to Jan. 20, figures to do a bit better.
"It gets bigger and bigger every year," said Carmine Caruso, director of operations at the Wallkill warehouse.
As the 900 employees at the Wallkill distribution center work overtime getting merchandise out the door, Caruso and his management team are already planning next year's sale.
Wakefern doesn't order cans, per se. It orders crops, contracts with canneries and leases extra warehouse space to store everything.
Wakefern's three grocery warehouses — Ballard Road plus two in New Jersey — move 10 million cases of dry goods during Can Can. That's the equivalent of six inventory turns at the 550,000-square-foot Ballard Road warehouse.
Laid end-to-end, those 10 million cases would bridge the distance from New York to California, where vegetables enjoy carefree, sun-worshipping lives until they are picked, packed and whisked cross-country in million-pound trains.
The day after Thanksgiving, the first wave of cans moves into the Wallkill warehouse, where workers fill trailers with advance orders for Can Can.
Besides corn, the big sellers include beans, peas and tomato products.
During a normal week, Wakefern trucks carry about 2,000 cases of crushed, pureed or sauced tomatoes. During two weeks of Can Can, they carry some 300,000 cases.
The sale also offers some lesser lights of the grocery universe a chance to shine. In the aisles of ShopRite stores, you'll find plenty of canned plums, zucchini, potatoes, baby clams, and even something called "ham spread."
If it comes in a can and is even remotely edible, you'll find it during Can Can.
That's how it's been for 30 years, since Wakefern created the post-holiday sales promotion and paired it with a rewrite of the can-can song featured in a late 19th-century French operetta. The jingle, and the can-can dancer ubiquitous in print and television ads each January, have become institutions in pop culture.
"It has become, ultimately, a phenomenon in the industry," said Wakefern spokeswoman Mary Ellen Gowin. "There have been other people who have tried to knock off the idea."
Price Chopper has been doing annual King Can sale each January for about a decade. The promotion began with a King Kong logo, then switched to an Elvis caricature last year.
Joanne Gage of The Golub Corp., which owns Price Chopper, dismissed the idea of a can-sale rivalry.
"Yeah, we're aware of (Can Can), but it's a natural this time of year."
For Big V Supermarkets, which operates more than 30 ShopRite stores and is Wakefern's largest member, this could be the final Can Can dance.
Big V, which filed in November for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, is attempting to leave Wakefern, and the Can Can, behind. CEO Jim Toopes promises Big V will offer a can campaign of its own.
That pledge should offer some reassurance to the Can Can faithful, folks like Joe and Kathy Dering of Greenville. As they walked through the Town of Wallkill ShopRite the other day, Kathy read items off a list and Joe dutifully filled their cart with cans. They had an assortment of canned vegetables and cases of tomato sauce and Vienna sausage. And they were far from done.
"Today, it's just a trip for cans," Joe said. Moments later, his wife explained: "This is our stock-up for the whole year."


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Consumers warned that TV’s are not Digital Ready
The recent trials of DTT services in Ireland are thought to be confusing buyers into purchasing equipment unsuitable to receive official DTT services. The current trials are taking place using the MPEG-2 digital compression standard used in the United Kingdom and not the newer MPEG-4, H.264 standard that is to be used in Ireland. Consumers that have already purchased “Digital Ready” equipments to view the trial services will have a shock on the 31st July when their pictures go blank as the trial also switches to MPEG-4.
Broadcast enthusiast Brian Greene made the situation clear when he said that “it’s important that organisations ranging from the Department of Communication, Energy and natural Resources to BCI, RTE and various consumer bodies should be warning customers not to buy products in the mistaken belief they are optimised for DTT just because they say “Digital Ready””.
”The state should warn retailers not to sell pig in a poke TV sets. If the set is not going to be Digital Ready (MPEG-4) then stickers should be removed and shoppers should be warned that UK digital sets will not work here,” Greene warned.
Item added: 15th July 2008


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With more consumers saying they will shop online this year than ever before, brick and mortar retailers need to find new ways to attract local holiday shoppers. - Elizabeth Kraus
Seattle, Washington (PRWEB) October 17, 2014
DB Squared has just announced the release of an eBook titled, 12 Days of Holiday Marketing, which details twelve unique holiday observances that provide opportunities for small business owners to attract shoppers during the upcoming holiday season. Citing both a weak retail forecast as well as a significant drop in Nov-Dec 2013 in-store foot traffic, the eBook seeks to highlight specific themes retailers can use to attract local shoppers during November and December.
Those who would like to download 12 Days of Holiday Marketing can do so free of charge by subscribing to DB Squared email updates. Marketing manager Elizabeth Kraus points out that even though experts are forecasting a modest year over year gain for holiday retail sales, Main Street retailers may find it challenging to compete with online retailers for the consumer’s holiday shopping dollars.
“In January, the Wall Street Journal published a ShopperTrak/CoStar Group report which revealed a big drop in retail foot traffic for November and December 2013,” Kraus explained. “It points to a big discrepancy in the retail arena, where gains overall might not translate into business growth for local retailers and small businesses. Compared to a count of nearly 35 billion consumers visiting brick and mortar locations in 2010, in November-December 2013 this number was only 17.6 billion consumers; that’s a drop of 50% in just 3 years.”
The 50% drop referenced by Kraus does not seem to be a one year anomaly as it was precipitated by drops in retail foot traffic in both 2011 and 2012. Whether the downward trend continues as more shoppers embrace the convenience of online shopping may depend on whether retailers can effectively reach local holiday shoppers and entice them back into stores to shop.
In their new eBook, 12 Days of Holiday Marketing, DB Squared puts the spotlight on twelve unique themes that a small business can deploy in order to attract local holiday shoppers beginning with Halloween through to New Year’s Eve. Kraus hopes that retailers will begin to view the holiday season as bigger than Black Friday and the Thanksgiving weekend, and that viewing the Halloween-to-New Year season as a connected whole will help them build momentum with local holiday shoppers.
“Local retailers need to go further than sending out a couple of holiday flyers and use social networks and email marketing to engage their readers prior to the onset of and throughout the holiday season. In effect, they need to give local shoppers a reason to make visiting their business a part of their holiday shopping rituals.”
Those interested in obtaining the download can do so here or via the company’s Facebook page, located at http://www.Facebook.com/dbbusinessfinance.
Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington, DB Squared is a wholly-owned subsidiary of a 30 year old private consumer finance company specializing in business cash advance financing and receivables financing (or invoice factoring). For more information, visit DBSquaredInc.com.


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Förderverein Informationstechnik und Gesellschaft
DN: IP/04/136 Date: 02/02/2004
TXT: FR EN DE PDF: FR EN DE DOC: FR EN DE
Brussels, 2nd February 2004
Commissioner Liikanen calls for more international cooperation to combat 'spam'
Enterprise and Information Society Commissioner Erkki Liikanen today called for global cooperation against 'spam' at a two-day OECD workshop in Brussels. Building on efforts by many countries to combat 'spam', the OECD should rapidly agree a five-point framework to promote effective legislation against spam, cooperation between enforcement agencies, self-regulation by industry, technical solutions, and greater consumer awareness.
"Spam is a global problem that requires global action", Erkki Liikanen said. "If we want to combat spam effectively, efforts made in the European Union and other regions of the world must be echoed by similar efforts at the international level, not only by governments but also businesses and consumers".
Unsolicited commercial communications by e-mail, otherwise known as 'spam', have reached worrying proportions. More than 50 percent of EU e-mail traffic was estimated to be spam in December 2003(1). Global estimates are even more worrying.
Spam is a problem for many reasons: invasion of privacy, deception of consumers, and potential harm to minors. It also causes extra costs for businesses, lost productivity, etc. More generally, it undermines consumer confidence, which is a prerequisite for the success of e- commerce and, indeed, for the Information Society.
The EU has reacted by agreeing a 'ban on spam' in 2002. EU Member States had until the end of October 2003 to adapt national laws accordingly. In January 2004, the Commission presented a Communication identifying a series of actions to complement these rules and make the 'ban on spam' as effective as possible. International cooperation is a key component of this policy, since most spam comes from outside the country where it is received.
At the UN level, the World Summit on the Information Society recently recognised that spam should be dealt with at appropriate national and international levels (Geneva, 10-12 December 2003).
At OECD level, the Commission offered to host today's workshop to generate a better understanding of spam among all OECD member countries and build consensus on the next steps to be taken.
According to Commissioner Liikanen, an OECD framework should aim to promote:
An effective 'anti-spam' law in all countries;
Cross-border cooperation on enforcement in specific cases;
Self-regulatory solutions by market players e.g. on contractual and marketing practices;
Technical solutions to manage or reduce spam, like filtering and other security features;
Greater consumer awareness about, e.g., how to minimise spam and how to react to spam and complain.
Background information on the OECD workshop on spam, as well as the Commission Communication on unsolicited commercial communication or 'spam' is available via:
(1) Source: Brightmail, 2004.


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More than 15 minutes of fame
For food-service professionals, a lot can be at stake when reality show cameras start rolling
Send this to a friend
(Page 9 of 11)
How do businesses get discovered by TV producers?
Finding opportunities for local business owners to get TV exposure is a good strategy, marketing experts say, especially in an increasingly crowded marketplace.
“It has gotten much more challenging to reach consumers because the communication channels are so fragmented,” said Dana Alden, professor of marketing at the University of Hawaii Manoa’s Shidler College of Business, referring to technology’s effect on the industry. “The 30-second spot on TV is a challenge to get folks to watch and not skip over. ... In the old days, before cable, there were only three or four major networks. That was it. There weren’t recorders; people can now skip commercials, which has presented a challenge. How do you create commercials that people won’t skip?”
That’s why getting on TV shows has such high value, he said.
“If you can get on TV, as far as programming, it’s golden,” he said. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to communicate directly with consumers — people watch it.”
And, as a bonus, marketing that comes as a result of being featured on a TV show doesn’t come off as pushy, so consumers tend to be more receptive.
“The motives people might think you have when trying to market something are largely missing when you are the program; so it’s much more credible, and therefore its value is hard to compare with another form of communication,” Alden added.
Larry Gilbert, owner and president of Gilbert & Associates, agreed.
“The food channel and travel channel weren’t always necessarily that significant, but now all of these people are getting famous,” Gilbert added. “It wasn’t that way five, 10 years ago, and so [that platform] is becoming more important.”
Jenna Blakely covers health care and nonprofits for Pacific Business News.
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The company formerly known as Facebook isn’t the only tech giant trying to sell you on the metaverse. Microsoft is rolling out some new virtual collaboration features designed to make working in a virtual office less terrible or something. In Microsoft’s metaverse version of the office, you’ll use a 3D avatar to represent you, which promises to be infinitely better than keeping your camera on at all hours of the work day.
Let’s back up: The metaverse, as folks like Mark Zuckerberg describe it, is a merging of the virtual and physical worlds. You still have to go to work, but you’re wearing a virtual reality headset and your face is an avatar. Sounds cool, right? Not content to let Facebook (or Meta, whatever we’re calling it now) dominate the metaverse—especially when Microsoft is known for its productivity software—the Office maker is getting in on the action. At the company’s annual Ignite conference, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella described the idea of shared virtual worlds as a completely new platform that will allow people to “embed computing into the real world, and to embed the real world into computing—bringing real presence to any digital space.”
Microsoft has already invested in bringing elements of augmented and virtual reality into the real world, specifically into the office, with a framework called Mesh. Now Microsoft Teams, the company’s video-conferencing and collaboration platform, is part of Mesh.
What this means for real people is that Teams is gaining new customizable 2D and 3D avatars that people can use instead of a traditional profile picture or a video of their face in video conferences. This makes it easier for people to work together either in person or virtually, I guess, although really it just makes it easier to keep your camera off for video calls while your 3D avatar makes interested facial expressions.
Microsoft has also created a collection of pre-built virtual spaces that will be available in Teams, allowing people to choose from different-looking environments to hold meetings in. In the future, Microsoft says Teams users will be able to customize meeting spaces with virtual objects like whiteboards, billboards, and floating displays, while 3D models of a new product or prototype can hover on virtual tables or displays in the middle of the space.
The idea of diving deeper into virtual work might feel like a burden after so many have been working remotely for so long, but Microsoft points out that the use of digital avatars might actually reduce meeting fatigue by making it easier and more acceptable for you to turn off your webcam during meetings.
Microsoft says that users wearing a VR headset like an Oculus Quest 2 (er, Meta Quest 2?) will be able to use customized 3D avatars that will “take audio cues so as you talk your face will animate” along with “animations that bring additional expressivity to the avatars,” including hand movements. And in the future, Microsoft says better sensors will allow Mesh for Teams to work better on all sorts of devices (smartphones, laptops, etc.), while your avatar could make you easier to recognize when jumping between traditional flat 2D meetings and 3D meetings in virtual spaces.
The idea of being even more online is that last thing most people want. But with the pandemic forcing so many of us to work remotely—and many workers hoping to continue working from home or finding a balance between in-office and remote work—at least Microsoft’s metaverse features have some merit. Zuckerberg’s version? Who even knows.


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NEW YORK — Patrizio di Marco, Gucci’s global president and chief executive officer, doesn’t rule out the power of the Americas market.
Far from it. In fact, di Marco, who currently directly oversees the Americas region while the company searches for a new president for Gucci America, said that the region will play a key role in the luxury brand’s future — and Gucci has many strategic plans here.
“Aside from the ups and downs from a macroeconomic point of view that you can always have anywhere, it’s a very strong economy,” di Marco said in an exclusive interview at the Academy Mansion venue here, where the brand presented its resort 2013 offering last week. “It’s a very young country. You have the rise of what we can call the middle class, but also ‘minorities’ who are rising on the social ladder, which makes them consumers of goods in general and especially of luxury goods. It’s an incredibly important market.”
There is also historic significance. North America was the first market Gucci expanded to outside of Italy in 1953, and the brand will celebrate six decades here next year. Beyond history, the Americas represents about 18 percent of Gucci’s total business, or about $750 million.
Di Marco said he doesn’t understand those people who consider America’s luxury potential mature.
“When you have a market with this kind of demographic — young, with a number of cities and markets, and some markets totally intact — I don’t see how you can possibly define it as mature,” he said.
That said, it takes a lot of work to maintain a competitive edge in the crowded luxury space, and in the past few years, Gucci implemented several strategies to better express the core brand values.
Di Marco conceded that Gucci, for a while, put too much emphasis on opening price points here, and didn’t communicate enough its artisanal values — the brand is proudly “Made in Italy” — and social responsibility initiatives, like its programs with UNICEF. “We had to recoup the lost time,” he admitted.
Worldwide, the brand currently operates 390 directly operated stores, of which 64 are in the Americas. Recently, the company embarked on a mission to overhaul the stores by relocating some, expanding others and rolling out the new interior look conceived with creative director Frida Giannini.
Gucci has also been in talks with its retail partners to convert its wholesale presence into directly operated departments. The strategy kicked off with Saks Fifth Avenue, where the Italian company now operates 38 shops for handbags and ready-to-wear directly (footwear still runs as a wholesale division). Gucci is working closely with Saks to give the shops an integrated feel inside the stores.
“They are our partners and will remain our partners, and not simply be landlords,” di Marco noted. “We don’t want to create a segregated world within department stores. We will keep on working closely with them, but we will run these stores, because it’s essential for us in terms of brand integrity.”
In late October, Gucci will also be strengthening its 10-year old e-commerce business by launching m-commerce.
Di Marco is looking at the segmentation of product categories into freestanding retail as a key vehicle for growth, citing men’s as the most logical first division. “You can go from sportswear to formal to casual and made-to-measure, and that’s just rtw,” he said. “We have something equally rich in shoes and leather goods. We are definitely thinking about men’s-only stores.”
Specific leases for such units have not yet been signed, but di Marco projects 10 such stores in the U.S. within the next three to five years. A dedicated men’s store is slated to open at the JK Iguatemi mall in São Paolo, Brazil, next month.
Freestanding units could also make sense for children’s wear, which launched in 2010.
As far as other markets in the Americas, di Marco cited Brazil as one with significant growth opportunity. By the end of the year, there will be five Gucci stores in Brazil, including one slated to open in Rio de Janeiro in the fall.
“Brazil is enjoying an incredible GDP growth rate,” he said. “You have a number of high net worth individuals, similar to Russia and more than India, which says a lot about how important the market is. I think we’ll have more opportunities there.”
Brazil is not the only market the brand is eyeing for growth. Gucci considers the entire Latin America region as an opportunity alongside the Middle East, India, Russia and the rest of Eastern Europe and existing markets — regardless of the constant barrage of doom and gloom news.
“I’ve been in this industry for 25 years,” di Marco said. “I’ve been around ups and downs, many of which were pretty much shaky — the First Gulf War, SARS, the Second Gulf War, the tragedy of the Twin Towers, 2008. Still, this industry is probably the most resilient. Yes, sometimes you have almost a perfect correlation between the economic downturn and the luxury industry, but much less so than in other industries.”
Asked about the state of the search for a U.S. president (Laura Lendrum left earlier this year), he said that Gucci is currently considering several candidates from both inside and outside the organization, with an announcement expected to be made after the summer, and “definitely within the year.”
“At the same time, I’m not concerned at all about this vacancy because I have a truly fantastic team,” he said.
Di Marco’s criteria for the role is not confined to the fashion and luxury world. “Whoever runs a company of this size and maturity has to be a good coach, a person interacting with people, leading them, but not substituting them,” he said.
On a personal front, di Marco has also had to juggle his professional relationship with Giannini with the personal one the two have shared.
“It’s a mess,” he said, laughing. “No, joking aside, the only true problem is to be good enough — we are getting there, it’s a process — to separate; to go home and really manage to have a part of your life that is truly private, because, inevitably, we are both pretty busy.”
But it does also have its benefits. “Sometimes we have to make decisions and there are certain decisions that can’t wait,” he said. “In terms of velocity and efficiency in making decisions, that’s much better. We can decide ‘like this’ what to do and how to do things, but at the same time we’re very much respectful of each other’s position and confidences.”
“My personal philosophy to beauty is paying attention to oneself. I love to be outdoors, lots of fresh air, trying to take care of yourself as best you can. I always notice that comes through,” says Felicity Jones, the global face of @shiseido-owned @cledepeaubeauteus, which launches today. Head to WWD.com to read more about the actress’ love for beauty and how she prepared for her new role in “The Basis of Sex,” playing the young Ruth Bader Ginsburg. #wwdbeauty (📷: @dandoperalski)
For men’s fall 2018, @giuseppezanotti drew on elements from streetwear, sport, biker, combat and rock ‘n’ roll. Pictured here are a pair of shoes from the collection, featuring zippers, rhinestones, and silver hardware. Head to WWD.com to see a roundup of the accessories from Milan’s men’s fall 2018 shows. #wwdfashion (📷: Andrea Delb)
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of @ralphlauren’s snowboarding collection, the brand is mining its archives. The iconic brand is reintroducing vintage styles and dropping new designs for a color capsule that will be available in Ralph Lauren stores and @openingceremony on January 25. The capsule will consist of 10 pieces, including the Snow Beach Pullover, pictured here, which is a collector’s item that rapper Raekwon wore in Wu-Tang Clan’s “Can It Be All So Simple” video. #wwdfashion (📷: Tom Gould)
For @rochasofficial’s pre-fall 2018 collection, creative director Alessandro Dell’Acqua channeled the sophisticated and intriguing Catherine Denevue in the film “Belle de Jour.” Polished collarless coats, midi skirts, suits and ’60s graphic motifs were all featured in the collection, adding a sense of discreet luxury. See the rest of the photos on WWD.com #wwdfashion
“We tried to produce clothing of that couture quality, but the most daunting part was that we only had a matter of days [to do it],” said costume designer Lou Eyrich, who recreated Gianni Versace’s iconic looks for @americancrimestoryfx. Eyrich searched online retailers and vintage shops for original pieces from the design house and for @penelopecruzoficial, who plays Donatella Versace. Head to WWD.com to read how she created the Versace world. #wwdfashion
Only three months after her stellar debut catwalk season, @kaiagerber has inked her first big design collaboration –– with @karllagerfeld. The collection blends Lagerfeld’s Parisian chic aesthetic and the model’s signature West Coast casual style via RTW, accessories, footwear and more. The #KarlLagerfeldxKaia collection will launch in September with a series of events. Get all the details on WWD.com. #wwdnews #wwdfashion
Harrods plans to remove the famous statue of Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed from the bottom of the Egyptian escalators and hand it back to Mohamed Al-Fayed. “We are very proud to have played our role in celebrating the lives of Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Al Fayed at Harrods and to have welcomed people from around the world to visit the memorial for the past 20 years,” said Michael Ward, Harrods managing director. “With the announcement of the new official memorial statue to Diana, Princess of Wales at Kensington Palace, we feel that the time is right to return this memorial to Mr. Al Fayed and for the public to be invited to pay their respects at the palace.” More on the news, with reporting by @loreleimarfil, at WWD.com. #wwdnews


text:
CNET Top 5
CNET's reviews of the best desktop computers include photos, video, and user reviews
Apple skips 4K and goes directly to what the company calls a 5K display in this expensive, extravagant all-in-one iMac desktop that will appeal to photo and video professionals -- or anyone else looking for the best possible screen resolution.
Apple's tablet lineup has expanded from six configurations to more than 50 in four years. Has the product lineup become too complex?
Apple is counting on the $249 iPad Mini to draw you into its stores. But it's hoping you end up buying a $499 iPad Air instead.
CNET's Dan Ackerman takes a look at Apple's new 27-inch iMac with a 5,120x2,880 resolution. The new iMac's start at $2,499 and is available starting today.
The off-contract ZTE ZMax is equipped with an 8-megapixel camera, Android 4.4, and an expansive 5.7-inch LCD screen.
The Samsung U32D970Q is a pricey, ultra-high resolution display aimed at professionals who need color accuracy and room to spare.
Sharp's no-bezel smartphone offers premium design at an affordable price.
It's Black Tuesday! How else to explain such an impossibly good deal on such a spacious TV?
Sporting a big 5.7-inch display, 8-megapixel camera, and Snapdragon 400 processor, the ZTE ZMax is T-Mobile's latest supersized handset.
The Chinese handset maker gives its 5-inch Ascend P7 a sapphire display which will make it more resistant to scratches.


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Search for a specific post in the news feed
01/15/2018 14:33:51 PM
The Vuzix Blade AR glasses unveiled at CES in Las Vegas bring much less dorky AR glasses to consumers.
01/13/2018 18:18:27 PM
Pico this week announced a substantial increase in the content they have available for their VR headsets by partnering with 360 video platform The Dream VR.
01/08/2018 23:55:59 PM
Announced today at CES 2018, HTC will be releasing a wireless solution for their HTC Vive VR Headset (Regular and Pro versions.)
01/08/2018 23:00:00 PM
The screen door effect sucks, it just does. Looking at the world through millions of dots breaks realism and immersion. Thankfully, HTC agrees and has released an update to their HTC Vive headset called the HTC Vive Pro. Vive Pro includes dual-OLED ...
01/05/2018 00:19:50 AM
The TPCast device to add wireless HDMI to the HTC Vive has been shipping for a little over a month, allowing VR fans to use their HTC Vive without any wires tethering them to a PC. After a month of use, is it worth it?
12/28/2017 21:06:28 PM
The headset is now available for pre-order for qualified business customers and developers for $749.00
12/19/2017 04:00:00 AM
Now until January 2018, customers who spend $30 will recieve three months of Viveport Subscription free. Popular titles such as Google’s Tilt Brush, Knockout League and the newly released L.A. Noire will qualify for this special promotio ...
12/17/2017 20:58:55 PM
Train Runner VR is an original, family-friendly game in which players are immersed in a magical world where they discover a stranded puppy named Panda
09/28/2017 05:00:00 AM
Movie theater sales are down. AMC stock value has even dropped by 50% this year due to slipping movie ticket sales.
09/27/2017 12:14:20 PM
For many brands, augmented reality is expensive or technologically hard to pull off. That changed on Sept. 12, when Apple introduced iOS 11, which makes it easier and faster for developers to build AR into their apps. Brands including Wayfair ...
09/22/2017 13:23:12 PM
PIMAX are running an 8K VR Headset now on Kickstarter. But should you buy one?
09/18/2017 11:38:32 AM
The folks over at Cinera plan to create a new headset based movie watching experience and Kickstarter fans appear to agree with them. The Cinera goal of $50k was smashed with over $255k.
09/15/2017 14:06:42 PM
The story in Sonar is around an asteroid that emerges from the darkness of space, sending out some signal. Sonar is a six-minute VR experience.
09/12/2017 11:43:12 AM
The developers of the popular spellcaster fantasy game, The Wizards, have added a much requested feature of free movement.
09/08/2017 12:51:23 PM
Developer Cherry Pop Games have released a cross-platform update to SportsBar VR to include support for HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and PSVR all at the same time!
09/06/2017 13:14:24 PM
The FLAIM Trainer places firefighters in the most realistic VR training scenarios. The gear is now starting to roll out to firefighters to assist in their training.
09/04/2017 13:30:18 PM
Well folks, the sale ends TODAY. Today is your last chance to pick up the bundle for $399 and you have until midnight (11:59) September 4 PST.
08/31/2017 20:53:32 PM
Humaneyes has continued to improve on the camera with enhancements to the software, including Mac support and the addition of an $2,995 underwater housing for the Vuze camera
08/29/2017 11:26:00 AM
Sony is launching a new bundle that includes the PlayStation VR headset and PlayStation Camera for $399.
08/25/2017 13:00:00 PM
Starting in September, UPS will add Virtual Reality (VR) to their training programs. Headsets such as the HTC Vive and gaming wheels will help drivers avoid road hazards.
08/23/2017 12:36:00 PM
Bethesda has now firmed up the release date of Fallout 4 for the HTC Vive as December 12 (12/12.)
08/22/2017 13:45:00 PM
Taking a look at how VR, AR, and Mixed Reality will change the online Casino industry. We compare all the technologies to see which one may come out on top,
08/21/2017 12:42:58 PM
Starting today, HTC is aiming to make VR more accessible by dropping the price of their flagship HTC Vive VR headset by $200 to $599.
08/17/2017 17:10:50 PM
You can now pick up the Oculus Rift + Touch for $374. This is $25 under the already reduced price of $399.
08/16/2017 09:01:00 AM
Warzone will be playable on the PS4 or PC with or without a VR headset. It is a true cross-platform and cross-reality game!
08/11/2017 07:24:10 AM
If you enjoy walking into an arcade and playing some games, then Operation Warcade VR is for you. Inspired by the '80s classic war arcade and available on Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.
08/10/2017 10:00:00 AM
War Robots is rolling out into the VR space with War Robots VR: The Skirmish, arriving on Steam today. This new virtual reality freebie puts you in the pilot seat of your very own mech as you explore a cyberpunk city that’s been cast into ...
08/07/2017 06:50:00 AM
Flight sims are one of the game types "meant for VR." VTOL VR is available on the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive with full motion controller support.
08/05/2017 09:10:00 AM
Neurable is working on integrating a brain-interface into the HTC Vive allowing developers to create brain-controlled content for VR (Virtual Reality).
08/03/2017 06:33:02 AM
Quill was originally built as an internal production tool for the VR film Dear Angelica. After Oculus announced the closing of Oculus Story studio back in May. Quill was also expected to fade away over time as no more updates were to be provided. ...
08/02/2017 10:55:00 AM
Full review of Archangel, a Mech VR shooter available on the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PSVR. Archangel puts you in control of a six-story tall Mech with full motion controller support.
08/01/2017 06:03:00 AM
Starting today, Gunheart is available on the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive early access. Players on the Rift and Vive will be able to play together in this cross-platform shooter.
07/31/2017 12:03:00 PM
After the recent announcement that AltspaceVR would close on August 2nd. Palmer Luckey asked "Should I try to save AltspaceVR?"
07/30/2017 15:26:00 PM
Thanks to user by the name of Nibre on Githib, we now have a new VR Alien Isolation mod by the name of MotherVR for the Oculus Rift.
07/28/2017 10:13:17 AM
AltspaceVR was the first successful social VR start-up. In a blog post today. AltspaceVR has decided to shut down AltspaceVR due to unforeseen financial difficulty.
07/27/2017 13:33:00 PM
HTC Vive will be heading to the Supergirl event in Oceanside, California. The Supergirl event features VR demos, VR panels and even a VR esports competition.
07/26/2017 10:50:00 AM
Swedish startup have released their vision into VR called the Moggles. Moggles is a collapsible VR headset powered by your phone.
07/25/2017 12:22:00 PM
Microsoft is busy working on their second version of Hololens. The second version of the HPU will be able to natively and flexibly implement Deep Learning.
07/24/2017 13:34:00 PM
Play the role of Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) as a former Special Forces operative who now works as a mercenary in the Deadpool VR experience.
07/20/2017 11:32:00 AM
Oculus and others are working on standalone VR with six degrees of freedom. The Snapdragon 845 CPU could be powering the first standalone headset from Oculus.
07/18/2017 13:08:00 PM
Parents of young children are concerned about too much TV, tablet or phone use and more recently, too much VR. A recent study showed that moderate VR use has no negative health effects.
07/16/2017 15:45:54 PM
Thanks to a deal with Intel, the developers of Echo Arena, Ready at Dawn, will make the game FREE to anyone for the first three months starting July 20th.
07/15/2017 16:31:02 PM
Head of VR at Oculus, Brendan Iribe has revealed on Twitter the new price will be $499. However, the new bundle will forego the Oculus Remote and XBox controller.
07/13/2017 20:45:00 PM
If you enjoy EVE: Valkyrie and own one of the recent high-end video cards from nVidia. Then you are in for some additional graphical niceties.
07/10/2017 22:20:18 PM
Oculus has announced the best deal for any high-end VR headset . The Oculus Rift and Oculus Touch bundle are now selling for an incredible $399!
07/07/2017 17:06:53 PM
In Christopher Nolan’s action thriller Dunkirk, based on the true story of 400,000 Allied soldiers trapped on the beach of Dunkirk, France, with their backs to the sea as the enemy closes in.
07/07/2017 12:57:00 PM
Ridley Scott's last adventure into a VR related movie was with Alien Covenant. Now, Blade Runner 2049 is getting some VR treatment during Comic-con this month. Blade Runner 2049 experience begins as guests enter through a gallery of art from ...
07/06/2017 14:42:00 PM
Google continues its advance into VR software with the release of Google Blocks. Blocks allows you to build 3D shapes quickly and easily and works with Google Tilt Brush.
07/05/2017 12:19:00 PM
We try Sprint Vector from Survios during E3 in Los Angeles on the HTC Vive. Our review covers how the innovative movement differs from any other VR title.
07/04/2017 16:42:23 PM
Apple announced ARKit at the WWDC event last month. Here are some of my favorite and coolest ARKit videos created by developers.
07/03/2017 13:31:00 PM
We play Gunheart on the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift at the same time during E3 2017. We review the great cross platform VR shooter. Warning, there is screaming!
06/30/2017 17:31:25 PM
Revive is the best way to play Oculus games on the HTC Vive. Revive developer Jules has confirmed Palmer Luckey is contributing $2,000 a month to Revive.
06/30/2017 02:30:00 AM
I am not a big fan of attaching devices to my walls and running cables to control and power them just for tracking. Could the Pico Neo CV do away with these sensors?
06/29/2017 02:30:00 AM
How would you like to explore the USS Eisenhower in VR? If you have an HTC Vive, Google Cardboard, Google Daydream then get ready!
06/28/2017 02:30:00 AM
The Wizards is now officially coming to Steam Early access on July 28th priced at $24.99 for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift
06/27/2017 21:00:00 PM
UK based VR Startup Hologram today announced a new VR headset called Hologram which plays VR Porn, and nothing else. The VRotica headset is priced at $220.
06/27/2017 20:08:00 PM
Video games are not done evolving. The number of gamers worldwide is estimated at 2 billion with 35 years as the average gamer age.
06/27/2017 08:00:00 AM
Front Defense, developed by Fantahorn Studio brings WW II room-scale VR action. Play in the role of an Allied Forces hero defending a fictional European town.
06/26/2017 13:39:00 PM
Oculus is running their summer sale with money off Rift and Gear VR software until 10:00 am PT on July 5.
06/23/2017 20:53:00 PM
This weekend from June 23rd to June 25th Echo Arena is free to try during the open beta for any Oculus Rift and Touch owner to try.
06/22/2017 13:59:00 PM
Vive is joining in on the annual Steam® Summer Sale. With every HTC VIVE purchase, discounted to $749.99 for the Summer Sale, all new Vive customers will also receive a $50 Steam gift card that can be redeemed and used immediately for the Summer ...
06/22/2017 02:30:00 AM
During the 2017 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple announced Metal 2, the second version of the graphics API. Today, Epic games are releasing a preview.
06/21/2017 11:42:00 AM
Starting next year for the Winter Olympic Games. Intel will bring VR, drones, and 5G technology together to make the games a VR geeks dream.
06/20/2017 19:40:00 PM
TPCast is preparing to launch in the US in Q3, 2017. VRCircle chats with Michael Liu CEO of TPCast with thoughts on the competition and TPCast updates.
06/19/2017 12:44:00 PM
HTC have expanded their retail availability of the HTC Vive. HTC Vive is now available at retailers such as Best Buy, Walmart, Jet.com, and B & H.
06/18/2017 13:22:00 PM
What if weddings could take place entirely in VR? This way, I could attend from my sofa and avoid the travel, terrible food and small talk with strangers.
06/17/2017 08:05:00 AM
HP and Nvidia are working with the TEC to create a Virtual Reality Experience to simulate what it could be like to have 1 million people living on Mars.
06/15/2017 13:32:00 PM
Gleechi is one of those companies working in the background to make your VR experiences more lifelike. Gleechi specializes in accurate hand and finger animation.
06/14/2017 15:49:00 PM
E3 2017 and we spent much of Day 2 hanging out and exploring the Sony Booth. Booth is probably a little bit of an understatement; it is a very vast area. With multiple gaming sections and parts built into two floors. In the world of VR, Sony ...
06/13/2017 21:21:00 PM
Day 1 of E3 2017 is complete. My feet are sore and the iPhone battery is taking its last breath. After successfully beating back the crowds all vying for a look at the new Xbox One X. I can report that some of the new PSVR games are looking ...
06/12/2017 21:14:00 PM
During the Sony Press Conference at E3 today. Sony announced that Skyrim is coming to PSVR in November 2017.
06/12/2017 12:06:48 PM
Bethesda’s E3 briefing brought us Doom VFR and another favorite among fans Fallout 4 VR, available in Q4 2017.
06/12/2017 11:49:04 AM
Bethesda's E3 2017 press conference showed off a demo of their new VR version of Doom, titled Doom VFR.
06/11/2017 17:12:48 PM
Lucky's Tale originally launched alongside the Oculus Rift. For those who enjoyed Lucky's Tales then it is coming to Xbox One in November as part the Microsoft play anywhere.
06/11/2017 16:23:08 PM
During the E3 2017 press conference. Microsoft officially named the “Project Scorpio” the Xbox One X available in November 2017.
06/11/2017 10:53:00 AM
The press conferences start before E3 Doors open. Today, the Microsoft event starts at 2 PM PT and tomorrow is Sony's turn at 5:30 PM.
06/09/2017 14:28:00 PM
The Mars 2030 experience is developed in partnership with NASA to allow you to you to take in 15 square miles of Mars on the Rift, Vive, and PSVR.
06/07/2017 14:19:00 PM
We can expect to see at least a few PSVR demos. E3 Media Showcase is set for 6 p.m. PT on Monday, June 12.
06/06/2017 12:24:00 PM
THX has recently recognized and bestowed THX certification on the ODG R-9 AR Smartglasses. The ODG R-9 are the very first AR glasses to be THX certified.
06/05/2017 13:44:00 PM
The new AR Kit allows the camera to recognize the environment around you. The AR kit allows you to add computer-generated objects into the environment in real-time.
06/05/2017 11:40:00 AM
If you have ever played Dead Space, then you'll be right at home here. In The Persistence, you even get to impale your dead victim with spikes and pull their body apart.
06/02/2017 21:17:00 PM
Detached is one of the best real VR space based experiences out there. No teleportation movement here, go where you want, how you want. It is up to you!
06/01/2017 13:34:00 PM
Intel is working with HTC to make their headset wireless and remove those pesky wires. Intel is working with their WiGig technology to make this possible.
05/31/2017 13:40:00 PM
Imagine an IMAX screen in your living room, on the train or a plane. Royole Moon gives you the effect of an IMAX screen and is great for movies and gaming. Read our full review.
05/31/2017 13:00:00 PM
Question: what's the overall aim of VR? Answer: to make something that's not real, feel real. However, if that was its only aim, then we might as well just do the real thing, right?
05/28/2017 21:22:28 PM
Oculus has been behind in the VR hardware wars. Now, Oculus are adding support for a third Touch controller for mixed reality support.
05/28/2017 21:00:37 PM
The casino industry has often been the first to adapt to new technology. Casinos existed on the web way before bingo moved to an internet setting, and also before video streaming sites replacing the need for VHS and DVD rental shops. Online ...
05/27/2017 02:01:00 AM
With the way most people appear almost surgically attached to their mobile device. You would think you would have to pry the device out of their dead hands.
05/26/2017 17:11:08 PM
The ability to go anywhere and do anything has served as all the marketing video games have needed for the past four decades, all 45 years of consoles and PCs.
05/23/2017 11:41:34 AM
The gaming event of the year known as E3 kicks off in just a few weeks from June 13 - 15 in Los Angeles. During the event, we can expect a long list of announcements from the usual suspects such as Bethesda, Epic Games, Ubisoft, and many others. ...
05/21/2017 16:05:19 PM
Ace Combat 7 is now delayed till 2018. However, the game will be shown at E3 in June in Los Angeles.
05/19/2017 10:45:00 AM
Resident Evil developer Capcom is creating a free PSVR experience for the upcoming CG movie Biohazard: Vendetta. This time, you get to play as a zombie!
05/17/2017 18:05:00 PM
Google announced that the Daydream platform is expanding to support a new category of VR devices, standalone headsets. HTC Vive is one of the devices coming later this year.
05/16/2017 13:10:00 PM
ZeniMax lawsuit is with the Gear VR headset build in collaboration with Oculus. The successful suit by ZeniMax with Facebook/Oculus now sets the precedent for the suit against Samsung.
05/15/2017 02:01:00 AM
Liminal VR announced its new consumer psychology VR platform will launch early next year. They have opened for applications to join their partnership program!
05/13/2017 11:55:00 AM
Here are some great deals for the PlayStation VR (PSVR) which is still the cheapest way to get into non-mobile VR experiences.
05/12/2017 12:39:00 PM
Vertigo Games are turning their attention to PlayStation VR (PSVR) and bringing some Arizona Sunshine zombie killing onto the PSVR.
05/11/2017 14:26:00 PM
TPCast is at the GTC conference in San Jose this week. I met with Frank Zhou, CTO of TPCast to discuss the wireless technology and shipping dates.
05/10/2017 18:07:00 PM
The Mars Alive PSVR game is designed with an open world in mind with multiple possible endings depending on your decisions made during the game.
05/09/2017 11:33:00 AM
Several new PlayStation VR PSVR bundles are coming for $499. The bundles include everything you need to get started.


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Self-driving Startup AutoX Applies for a Permit to Test its Vehicles Without a Human Backup Driver in California
【Summary】Autonomous driving startup AutoX is looking to join Waymo as one of the only two companies granted a permit by the state of California to test self-driving vehicles on public roads without a backup safety driver.
Silicon Valley is already a hotbed for self-driving car development. Driverless vehicles from companies such as Waymo, Nvidia, Mercedes Benz and a host of other autonomous driving startups are a common sight on Silicon Valley streets and the vehicles can usually be spotted by their roof full of sensors.
However all of these "self-driving" vehicles actually have safety drivers behind the wheel ready to take over in any unexpected situations. So far, Waymo, self-driving arm of Alphabet, is the only company granted the required permit to operate driverless vehicles with no human behind the wheel.
Now autonomous driving startup AutoX is looking to join Waymo as one of the only two companies granted a permit by the state of California to test self-driving vehicles on public roads without a backup safety driver. AutoX has applied for a permit in California for the testing of autonomous vehicles without a safety driver in California, Reuters has learned. If granted the permit, AutoX will become the second permit holder in the state.
AutoX would be able to test its self-driving vehicles using a remote operator, instead of having a driver physically present in the vehicle. The new permit is another step forward in the race to deploy the first commercial driverless delivery vans or robotaxis in the state.
"After three years of efforts, we believe that we have a technology that can go in deep, and safe for the public," AutoX Chief Operating Officer Jewel Li told Reuters, confirming it had applied for the permit.
The remote monitoring technology AutoX will use is known in the industry as "teleoperations", where a remote human operator can control the vehicle as though they were behind the wheel using a setup that resembles a racing video game.
Using a low-latency 4G connection to the vehicle, a remote teleoperator can maneuver the vehicle using a live feed from the vehicle's forward or rear facing cameras. The remote operator can even be hundreds of miles away and can turn the steering wheel, switch on the turn signals or hazards or even drive safely to the side of the road if needed.
The teleoperations provide an extra level of safety when testing autonomous vehicles on public roads. It also gives any passengers riding in a robotaxi a little piece of mind knowing that there is a human ready to take over if needed.
AutoX already holds a permit to test its vehicles with a driver present, joining around 60 other companies in California including BMW, Nvidia, Ford Motor Co and Tesla that were granted the autonomous vehicle test permit by the state's DMV.
AutoX was founded in 2016 by former Princeton professor Jianxiong Xiao, a specialist in 3D learning, computer vision and robotics. The company's backers include Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba and automaker Dongfeng Motor Group, one of China's "big-three" automakers.
The Hong-Kong-based company has raised $143 million so far in funding from investors, according to Reuters. AutoX is deploying 100 robotaxi vehicles in ten Chinese cities, including Shenzhen and Shanghai, as well as in San Jose, California, where it has its U.S. headquarters.
AutoX is also developing a grocery delivery service as part of its autonomous driving development.
In August 2018, AutoX announced it was launching an autonomous grocery delivery pilot in San Jose. As part of the pilot service, users were able to order and receive fresh produce and other goods from grocery delivery company GrubMarket.com and have their order delivered by one of AutoX's neon green painted self-driving cars. The pilot was made available to customers in geo-fenced areas near the company's headquarters.
In June 2019, AutoX was granted a Class A Charter Party Certificate in California for a "autonomous vehicle passenger service pilot" which allows the company to carry passengers in its robotaxi pilot as long as there is a driver present. AutoX is also one of only four firms holding this separate permit. The others are autonomous driving startups Zoox and Pony.ai, as well as Waymo.
Current laws in California do not allow AutoX or any other companies to charge passengers for any types of experimental robotaxi services using autonomous vehicles as the state bans permit holders from collecting fares. However, AutoX, as well as Waymo, are pushing for California to change the rule.
resource from: Reuters
Originally hailing from New Jersey, Eric is a automotive & technology reporter covering the high-tech industry here in Silicon Valley. He has over 15 years of automotive experience and a bachelors degree in computer science. These skills, combined with technical writing and news reporting, allows him to fully understand and identify new and innovative technologies in the auto industry and beyond. He has worked at Uber on self-driving cars and as a technical writer, helping people to understand and work with technology.
Toyota Launches its Vehicle Throttle Suppression System to Prevent Unintended Acceleration
Chinese EV Startup BYTON to Suspend Operations for 6 Months, the Company’s Future is Uncertain
Xpeng Motors Begins Deliveries of its Electric P7 ‘Smart Sedan’, Creates New Competition for Tesla in China
Amazon Signs Agreement to Buy Self-Driving Startup Zoox for More Than $1 Billion
Electric Truck Startup Lordstown Motors Unveils its Battery-Powered Endurance Pickup
Tesla Under Investigation by the NHTSA Over Failing Touchscreen Displays in the Model S
Lyft is Tapping its Drivers to Collect Data for Improving its Self-Driving Vehicles and Build HD Maps
Mercedes Benz & NVIDIA Are Developing a New Software-Based Vehicle Architecture That Supports OTA Updates
- Amid the Coronavirus Crisis in the U.S., the Trump Administration Moves Forward on Rolling Back Vehicle Fuel Economy Standards
- Hyundai's Kona Electric SUV Will Get a Range Boost to 301 Miles Starting This Month
- Toyota Patents Autonomous Workhorse That Can Help You Shop
- Autonomous Delivery Startup Nuro Gets Approval From California's DMV to Deploy its Vehicles Without a Human Backup
- Goodyear’s Latest Tire Concept is Capable of Regenerating New Tread
- Tesla is Now the World’s Second Most Valuable Automaker as Shares Top $1,000 After CEO Elon Musk Announces Plans to Build its Semi Truck
- Mercedes-Benz Officially Launches the EQV, its First Fully-Electric Passenger Van With a 100 kWh Battery
- Ford’s Mustang-inspired Mach-E Crossover Secures Reservations in all 50 States
- Kia Motors Partners with Google Cloud on a AI-based Vehicle Owner’s Manual
- Ford Motor Co is Working to Make Vehicles Much Quieter on the Inside


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The release of the popular Trade Numbers statistical publication has been a significant part of the World Trade Week program for the past 10 years. On November 1, 2016, LARExC in cooperation with the Irvine Chamber, the Port of Los Angeles and Los Angeles World Airports presented a program of updates on vital trade statistics. Serving and informing our business community was the mutual goal of this event, as insightful trade intelligence can assist with global market planning.
Trade Numbers defines the dollar value of air and sea cargo moving through our local ports and airports in Southern California. This publication also highlights, in an easy to read format, the yearly ranking of our major trading partners as well as the key products moving through our Customs District.
The program was introduced by Linda DiMario, Vice President, Economic Development & Tourism for the Irvine Chamber of Commerce. Linda introduced the two featured presenters:
- Ken Roberts is the President of WorldCity which publishes Trade Numbers for several key cargo gateways around the U.S. He is based in Coral Gables, Florida. He shared his strategic analysis on where trade is headed this year.
- Michael Webber, President of Webber Air Cargo, Inc. is based in Austin, Texas. Michael is a respected consultant in the air cargo field and shared interesting information on the growing strength of our air cargo market share and capacity in Southern California.
The two main presenters were joined by several trade experts in a panel after the presentations and engaged in a lively dialogue with the audience. This panel was chaired by Marv Sepe who heads the Irvine Chamber’s International Committee.
The genesis of this collaboration with the Irvine Chamber began with a very successful Orange County World Trade Week Breakfast & Forum held last May at the Irvine Marriott. As a follow up to this World Trade Week event, the Irvine Chamber continues to cooperate with partners on international trade programs throughout the year.
With Orange County as the second largest County in terms of cargo flowing through Southern California, our businesses play a leading role in international trade in our region. And with international cargo trends being a key instrument in planning future business development strategies, we felt that it would be very helpful if our local business and trade leaders could see where we stand in a fast changing environment.
Participants showed great interest in a follow up meeting when 2016 figures have been released and analyzed.


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Designing a Brand: 125 Years of Coca-Cola
28th May, 2011
To celebrate its 125th anniversary, Coca-Cola has just opened a new display on the history of its visual identity at the Design Museum in London.
The exhibition fills the Design Museum's glass tank and features some rarities from the Coke archives, commonly housed in a vault in the Coca-Cola headquarters in Atlanta.
The display also shows that while differently shaped Coke bottles have come and gone, the brand's visual identity has survived largely unchanged in 125 years.


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Rocket Internet, the German startup incubator that was once the darling of Europe’s technology sector and a thorn in the side of the Silicon Valley startups whose business models it shamelessly ripped off, announced Tuesday that it plans to delist from the Frankfurt and Luxembourg stock exchanges after seeing its shares fall 13% this year.
Rocket says it has plenty of access to money to fund its startups from private investors and doesn’t need the public markets anymore. But it’s hard to read Rocket’s decision as anything other than a humbling blow for Oliver Samwer, Rocket’s brash cofounder and chief executive officer, who once boasted that he wanted to “own the Internet” and claimed his Berlin-based “startup factory” could churn out one successful tech firm after another.
Founded in 2007 by Samwer and his two brothers, Rocket’s formula was to find promising new online business models—usually copying those of fast-growing U.S. e-commerce firms—and rush to create copycat versions in different parts of the globe before the originals could expand internationally. Samwer claimed its companies could execute faster and better than tech firms elsewhere, giving them a competitive advantage.
Rocket helped put Berlin’s startup scene on the map. Many of the young business school graduates who flocked there to work for companies being incubated by Rocket have gone on to found their own technology startups or became local venture capitalists.
But Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and investors have long griped that Rocket merely produced “built-to-be-bought” clones that did little but exact a tax on American innovation—forcing the U.S. pioneers to spend more to enter new markets. Critics also accused Samwer of pumping up the valuation of Rocket’s startups through venture capital rounds led by his own, separate startup investment fund, Global Founders Capital.
Rocket did not respond to Fortune’s request for comment.
Controversial growth metrics
Rocket’s tendency to overvalue its own startups became apparent once the company went public in October 2014. Rocket used a controversial metric, called last portfolio value, or LPV, which valued these startups based on their last financing round—even though those rounds often involved Rocket itself or related funds and might not reflect current market dynamics.
The difference between Rocket’s valuations and more conventional ones became apparent when investors compared Rocket’s books with those of Swedish investment firm Kinnevik, which was once a big shareholder in Rocket and had coinvested in many of its startups. Kinnevik used far more conservative metrics to value these young companies. Its figures and Rocket’s were often miles apart. For instance, the Swedish firm valued Westwing, an e-commerce retailer, at $304 million in June 2016; at the time, Rocket said the company was worth $576 million. Rocket’s valuation of Home24, another home decor merchant, was seven times what Kinnevik thought the company was worth.
To be fair, Rocket has had some big successes: Zalando, which started as a German Zappos clone and has become one of Europe’s top online clothing retailers. Publicly listed, it is now worth $24 billion. Delivery Hero, an online food delivery app Rocket backed, also went public and is now worth $22 billion. It was added to Germany’s blue-chip Dax last month.
HelloFresh, a meal-kit delivery company, is listed and worth $8 billion. Earlier, Rocket made a killing off its investment in CityDeal, a coupon clone of U.S. company Groupon, that the original acquired in 2010. It also created Lazada, a Southeast Asia–focused consumer electronics e-commerce play that Alibaba eventually spent $1 billion to acquire majority control of in 2016.
Hits and misses
But it’s never been clear Rocket’s winning formula was anything of the sort. The company has more misses than hits—anyone remember once high-flying African e-commerce firm Jumia? It went public at lofty valuations only to see its shares tank. The same happened with Home24 when it eventually went public. Brazilian fashion retailer Dafiti has limped along through a succession of down rounds. Meanwhile, the crop of startups Rocket has launched and incubated since its own IPO have not exactly become overnight successes. (Grosenia? FlashCoffee?)
Of course, the whole model of venture capital is that most portfolio companies won’t make it. VCs typically depend on just one or two blockbusters to make their fund’s promised returns. But Samwer always claimed Rocket wasn’t a typical venture capitalist. By copying business models and extensively sharing resources and back-office technology between its portfolio companies, he had supposedly removed much of the risk from startup investing.
Well, not so much. Once worth more than $8 billion, Rocket’s market valuation is now just $3 billion. That’s a significant discount to the net asset figure of $4.9 billion it reported in December 2019. (The company has said that the COVID-19 pandemic may have significant impact on the valuation of its portfolio companies as slower global economic growth dims their prospects.)
Rocket’s investors are being offered €18.57 in the going-private deal. That’s below the stock’s 200-day moving average—no great thank-you for those who had faith in Samwer’s vision.
Samwer himself isn’t going anywhere. He’s not tendering the 4.5% of Rocket he owns, and his investment fund, Global Founders, is retaining its 45% stake too.
Samwer, never shy, has often been quick to boast of his “own the Internet” entrepreneurial prowess. Of course, it’s easier to brag when your accounts aren’t subject to public scrutiny.


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The Kraken trading website for bitcoin, the popular cryptocurrency that’s also known as bitcoin cash, has shut down as investors flee the site.
According to the CoinDesk article, the trading site is now in a holding pattern due to the volatility in bitcoin.
The article noted that the trading club was launched on July 18.
The trading club features a forum and an exchange where members can trade bitcoin for bitcoin cash.
Kraken is one of the largest bitcoin exchanges and is known for its high trading volumes.
The CoinDesk report added that traders can use Kraken’s trading account to exchange bitcoin for other currencies and services.
However, some investors are reportedly trying to get back into bitcoin trading after the closure of the trading website.
A Reddit user who goes by the handle of MrPumpkin posted an article on the BitcoinTalk subreddit that said he had lost $100,000 worth of bitcoin during a trading session in December.
According the article, MrPumperkin had bought about $100 worth of bitcoins from the trading platform, and had traded the coins on the exchange.
The user said he would be interested in trading on Kraken again after the site’s closure, but that the website had been “slow to implement a feature that would allow me to trade in bitcoin on Kraken.”
MrPumpkins account was eventually reopened on July 24.
The Reddit user said that the price of bitcoin was “still way below $100” in November, but was higher than it had been for about six months.
Kraken said that it is investigating the cause of the issue and will “take whatever action is necessary to protect the safety of our customers.”
The company said it has received more than 1,300 complaints about the issue so far.
The company added that it has “seen an increase in bitcoin trading volume over the past two months, and we’re working to ensure it continues to stay stable.”


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Tourism in Egypt has for long contributed greatly to the country’s GDP with revenues amounting to $US 12.5 billion at its highest in 2010. However, the tourism industry -being one of the most sensitive sectors- has been influenced greatly in the recent years by political turmoil, taking a deep plunge to its lowest at $US 5.9 billion in 2013. As the state continues to battle various forms of “terrorism”, the industry’s revenue continues to waver.
Hoping to reduce the impact of political unrest and how the mainstream media covers it, several awareness campaigns have been launched over the years, reminding Egyptian and foreign travelers alike of the diverse beauty Egypt has to offer. Nonetheless, such campaigns remain solely reliant on social media and billboards, often overlooking the importance of executing such calls on the ground.
“In Egypt, we are famous for spending millions on campaigns that don’t relate to reality. It’s not entirely valid because you can’t create a brand or send a message when there is no reflection on the ground,” says Omar Samra, Egyptian adventurer, mountaineer and founder of the adventure travel agency Wild Guanabana.
Moving beyond words and void advertisement, Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper (AMAY) launched the #Discover_Egypt campaign in December 2015 where journalists and other members from the institution are joined by public figures and influencers from all walks of life for a grand tour that explores underrated and overlooked places and activities across the country.
“Even before the launch of #ThisIsEgypt, AMAY had started working on a campaign that aims to boost and promote tourism in Egypt,” says Deena Samir, marketing manager at AMAY. “However, #Discover_Egypt revolves around active participation on our end rather than solely using a hashtag.”
Unlike advertising campaigns that only accentuate the bright side, #Discover_Egypt ventures farther into acknowledging the negativities and inviting people to actively participate in solving them.
In collaboration with Wild Guanabana and UNDP Egypt, #Discover_Egypt took its first active steps by leading a clean-up at the Wadi Degla protectorate in Cairo. Within a limited space of less than two kilometers, the group of volunteers gathered over 100 trash bags.
“We chose Wadi Degla protectorate in particular because it’s the closest to Cairo, so it’s the worst in terms of how badly affected it is,” says Samra. “If you go to places like St Catherine’s for instance, yes there is trash, but it’s much less and it’s only limited to places closest to the town itself.”
However, despite the protectorate being the most proximate to Egypt’s biggest and most populous city, “most people didn’t even know there was a protectorate in Cairo,” Samir exclaimed. “There is a huge awareness gap when it comes to most Egyptians’ knowledge of their own country.
“Even though domestic tourism does not generate as much revenue as inbound tourism, it is important to start by educating Egyptians about their own country. When they are more aware of their country’s beauty, they will naturally spread a positive image about it in turn,” added Samir.
The awareness gap is an issue that similarly hit home with Samra as well. “Despite the positivity of the initiative, we still got negative feedback such as people mockingly commenting that we’re cleaning the desert, and that we should clean up the city first,” adds Samra.
Yet, as important as it is to acknowledge the negative aspects of reality and invite the community to be active participants in solving them, #Discover_Egypt is also keen on highlighting the beauty of Egypt that is often overlooked in the midst of the mainstream, traditional campaigning for tourism.
“To begin with, we are visiting places where the numbers of visitors have shrunk,” says Samir. “That’s why our first travel experience was in St Catherine. Afterwards, we plan to visit more places across Sinai.”
However, the campaign does not solely stop at promoting places, but also extends to promoting activities as well.
“When we went to St Catherine, we were trying to highlight a branch of tourism that is relatively overlooked,” says Samra. “We have amazing natural resources that should be utilized in a better way for eco-tourism and sustainable tourism.”
“Tourism that revolves around activities like hiking is in essence low impact; however the impact on those who venture into the experience is huge,” the adventurer adds. “Even though all those who joined the hike were Egyptians, they still talked about how it was transformational. Imagine how it would impact someone who comes from a different part of the world with different topography.”
Adding to Sinai’s rich topography and the activities it offers, it also has historical and Biblical significance as well. Furthermore, the Bedouin culture in Sinai is one of depth and richness that people from all over the world are willing to travel and be part of.
Nonetheless, despite the various initiatives which promote adventure travel, religious travel, meditative travel and more, Samra believes that the traditional means of promoting tourism remains impeding for the overall advancement of the industry.
“Because we’re focusing on the low value, cheap traditional tourism, we’re only attracting the wrong kind of tourists who opt for the all-inclusive packages and don’t spend any money outside their resorts or hotels,” he points out. “The general economy, the shop owners or taxi driver and so on, they don’t reap the fruits of this kind of tourism.
“We need to diversify the kind of tourists who visit Egypt, inviting more educated and sophisticated travelers. These kinds of travelers are more drawn to trips that are more authentic.”
For his part, UNDP country director Ignacio Artaza expressed his genuine enthusiasm for UNDP’s participation in the campaign saying: “We are very proud of the #Discover_Egypt initiative in partnership with Omar Samra and AMAY which sheds the light on Egypt’s beautiful treasures and promotes eco-tourism in Egypt.
“As we celebrate our 50th anniversary, we continue supporting environment protection through a unique approach that links conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources to improve the livelihoods of surrounding communities. In partnership with national authorities, NGOs and the private sector, we introduce basic services in those protected areas to make them financially sustainable and and sustain them as first class eco-tourism areas.”
According to Samir, AMAY’s #Discover_Egypt campaign is initially set to continue for six months, during which time the team will tour different places across Egypt, each time inviting over a team that specializes in an activity worth highlighting and spreading.
“Using the hashtags #Discover_Egypt and #اكتشف_مصر, we have also invited our community through our citizen journalism platform ‘Sharek’ to send us pictures of themselves from various places across Egypt that they think are worth promoting,” says Samir.
If you wish to actively take part in the campaign, be sure to use the hashtag, and spread knowledge about Egypt the way people should know it.


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1. Since the last Monetary Policy Statement in October 2021, there has been a further upward shift in Singapore’s inflation outlook, reflecting both global and domestic factors. MAS has therefore assessed that it is appropriate to make another pre-emptive adjustment in its monetary policy stance at this juncture.
2. In its October 2021 Monetary Policy Statement, MAS shifted to a gradual appreciation path for the S$NEER policy band, from zero percent previously. There was no change to the width of the policy band or the level at which it was centred. While monetary policy settings globally remained highly accommodative, MAS had assessed that a shift in its policy stance was necessary to ensure price stability in light of accumulating external and domestic cost pressures, even as the strength of the economic recovery remained uncertain.
3. Over the last three months, the S$NEER has broadly appreciated within the upper half of the policy band. The three-month S$ Singapore Interbank Offered Rate (SIBOR) was unchanged at 0.4%, while the three-month compounded Singapore Overnight Rate Average (SORA) edged up slightly to 0.2% in January this year.
Growth Backdrop and Outlook
4. Global economic prospects remain largely intact. The Omicron variant that emerged in late 2021 may temporarily dampen specific clusters of activity, but is unlikely to derail the broader ongoing economic recovery. Accordingly, global GDP is still forecast to expand at an above-trend pace for a second consecutive year in 2022, even as uncertainties remain.
5. Based on the Advance Estimates released by the Ministry of Trade and Industry on 3 January 2022, the Singapore economy grew by 2.6% on a quarter-on-quarter, seasonally-adjusted basis in Q4 2021, stronger than the 1.2% expansion in Q3. The economic recovery, which has thus far been led by the trade-related and modern services sectors, should extend to the domestic-oriented and travel-related sectors over the course of this year as domestic safe management measures and border restrictions are progressively eased. Barring fresh disruptions, the 2022 GDP growth forecast remains unchanged at 3–5%.
Inflation Trends and Outlook
6. The outlook for Singapore’s inflation has shifted higher since the last Monetary Policy Statement in October 2021, amid the confluence of recovering global demand and persistent supply-side frictions. There remain upside risks to inflation arising from the impact of pandemic-related and geopolitical shocks on global supply chains.
7. MAS Core Inflation stepped up over October to December last year. Energy prices have risen further while imported food inflation remains elevated due to regional supply disruptions. The CPI for airfares has also increased sharply, mostly reflecting the cost of COVID-19 testing requirements for international travel. The domestic labour market has tightened, with the resident unemployment rate now close to its pre-pandemic level and wage growth above its historical average. Against this backdrop, price increases across a broad range of goods and services have been stronger than forecast.
8. The factors that drove global and regional inflation higher in late 2021 are likely to remain in play for a period. Domestic inflation will be exposed to these external pressures as well as the tight labour market.
9. MAS Core Inflation is hence forecast to pick up further in the near term, and could reach 3% by the middle of the year before moderating. The ongoing external supply constraints should ease in the second half of 2022, leading to some moderation in imported inflation, although there is risk of further supply shocks. The domestic labour market should continue to tighten and lead to strengthened wage pressures. Cost increases are likely to filter through to higher services prices in the face of a pickup in private consumption. Car and accommodation cost increases are also likely to remain firm in the near term and drive an increase in CPI-All Items inflation.
10. Taking these developments into account, MAS is revising its inflation forecasts for 2022. MAS Core Inflation is now projected to be 2.0–3.0% this year, from the 1.0–2.0% expected in October. Meanwhile, CPI-All Items inflation is expected to be 2.5–3.5%, from the earlier forecast range of 1.5–2.5%.
11. The Singapore economy remains on track to grow at a creditable pace of 3–5% this year. The output gap is expected to turn slightly positive.
12. MAS Core Inflation is forecast to be higher in the near term in view of rapidly accumulating external and domestic cost pressures. While core inflation is expected to moderate in the second half of the year from the elevated levels in the first half as supply constraints ease, the risks remain skewed to the upside.
13. MAS will therefore raise slightly the rate of appreciation of the S$NEER policy band. The width of the policy band and the level at which it is centred will be unchanged. This move builds on the pre-emptive shift to an appreciating stance in October 2021 and is appropriate for ensuring medium-term price stability.


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Despite the global economic crisis and the aftermath of the corona virus pandemic, the development of China’s national cryptocurrency, the electronic payment of digital currencies, is steadily advancing. The increase in the number of large companies that join the Digital Yuan initiative as a partner in testing and implementing the technology is clear evidence of the progress the project is making in developing it.
Meituan Dianping, the country’s largest wholesale and product delivery platform, is the youngest company to volunteer to help China’s People’s Bank test and implement the initiative. The platform currently has almost 450 million customers and around 6 million companies who use it to sell their products.
Before, DiDi Chuxing, Uber’s Chinese counterpart with a customer base of around 550 million, and the Bilibili streaming platform, which is used by more than 170 million, also participated in tests of China’s national digital currency. Also, Simon Li, Founding partner of Chain capital, Cointelegraph revealed that DiDi will be the first private company in the world to accept central bank payments in digital currency.
What is there for these companies?
The People’s Bank of China started choosing the first traders to test DCEP in April. As reported by Cointelegraph, the list is said to be included mainly retail companies, especially food and beverage like Starbucks and McDonald’s.
The choice behind entities like DiDi, Bilibili and Meituan Dianping can be explained by the fact that their users carry out transactions worth several billion dollars a day. Such volumes They can significantly accelerate popularization and the introduction of a digital yuan.
The total number of customers for the three services combined is more than a billion people not only in China but also in Australia and various countries in South America, according to company statistics. If such a comprehensive approach is chosen, the DCEP could be given test access to a large user segment. These include representatives of large companies in the financial world. As a result, DCEP has exceptional chances of becoming popular in a timely manner.
Also, The companies mentioned will gain a significant competitive advantage if they are the first to introduce such new technology into their products. As infrastructures with a large flow of daily transactions, companies will take the opportunity to make transfers more reliable, cheaper and faster. Experiments have shown that, although in general It takes approximately 45 days to complete a full cycle of letters of credit involving banks from buyers and sellers in different countries. By using blockchain, the process can be reduced to a day or two.
It is still unclear how long the digital yuan trial will take. However, as the number of the largest Chinese companies using this technology is increasing rapidly, it can be assumed that the first test phase is underway.
According to the information available, DCEP tests are already underway in four cities: Shenzhen, Suzhou, Chengdu and Xiong’an. The aim is to test the theoretical reliability, the stability of the system, the functional availability, the convenience of the process, the applicability of scenarios and risk management. It is also the first time that regulators have confirmed the dynamism of the pilot project to convert the digital currency. as explained by Jianing Yu, President of Huobi University.
Before, Four state banks and a number of large companies, including Huawei and the telecommunications giants China Telecom, China Mobile and China Unicom, participated in the test phase. In April, The Agricultural Bank of China also confirmed its participation in the pilot project. However, you may still be far from completing the tests, e.g. Yu In a conversation with Cointelegraph, he remarked:
“We should see that these current tests are still in the research phase and are not preparing for immediate release. According to the latest report, Didi, Meituan, Bilibili and some other internet companies have teamed up with a list of companies and banks to help DC / EP. Meituan and Didi will study the use of digital currencies on the Smart Transport platform. Bilibili’s collaboration has started the stage of technological development. “
Are WeChat and Alipay removed from the list?
Total, So far, more than 20 companies have participated in the digital yuan project. However, It is noteworthy that Alipay and WeChat Pay, the largest payment systems in China, are not on the list of participants. based on information that is available to the public.
The South China Morning Post recently suggested that China introduce the digital yuan as an alternative to Alipay and WeChat Pay. Given that these peer-to-peer payment systems control about 90% of China’s digital payments market and outperform Mastercard and Visa together, It will be interesting to see if they will matter at the start of the CBDC system. The question that most analysts ask themselves The question is whether WeChat and Alipay will become the main providers of digital yuan services or whether they want to compete with the CBDC.
according to Jeff Chu, founding partner of BN Capital, Beijing, is not trying to replace Alipay and WeChat Pay with DCEP. Rather, it is likely that companies are integrated into the DCEP, as he said to Cointelegraph:
“The spread of P2P payments is gradually increasing and usage scenarios have changed from simple transaction payment scenarios to areas such as life travel, entertainment, healthcare and insurance. This type of electronic peer payment software has become an indispensable tool for payment scenarios in China. We have reason to believe that the relationship between CBDC and WeChat and Alipay will be more of a collaboration than a competition. “
Although 90% of contactless payments in China are made through digital platforms, The national cryptocurrency may offer the elements of the financial market that modern electronic payments lack. In a conversation with Cointelegraph, Yu discussed the problems that the DCEP can solve:
“First, the cost of cash in circulation is too high to track. There is a risk of money laundering. Second, the current electronic payment on existing bank accounts is based on tight coupling, which often leads to the loss of personal data protection information and cannot satisfy the public’s request for anonymous payments. “
In other aspects Yu noted that China’s payment platforms such as WeChat Pay and Alipay only cover part of all transaction scenarios, such as customer-to-customer transfers and small payments in the customer-to-business sector. However, Mobile payment systems currently available cannot facilitate situations such as business-to-customer salary payments and handling business transactions. Users with different needs may have qChoose between WeChat and Alipay or CBDC. Yu assumed that in the short term DCEP and third-party payment platforms can coexist. In the long run, however They will gradually merge into a single system.
As China tries to fully digitize its financial industry, Alipay and WeChat Pay may become even more popular as the payment systems of choice after DCEP begins to replace cash payments. Over time, The two platforms can also become important tools for the government to accelerate China’s transformation into a cashless economy. According to another scenario Alipay and WeChat Pay could act as digital yuan service providers. Li off, chain capital, he said to Cointelegraph:
“Although neither Ali nor Tencent have participated in DCEP’s research and development work, DCEP will impact WeChat and the payment. In the future, Alipay and WeChat Pay will play the role of channel or scenario providers, ie functions of the platform such as booking flight tickets, hotels, shopping, etc. “”
Given that Alibaba, the inventor of Alipay, and Tencent, the inventor of WeChat, have previously worked with provincial governments and also at national level on blockchain-related initiatives, they are unlikely to ignore the adoption of the DCEP. Musheer Ahmed, CEO of FinStep Asia, a consulting firm that helps financial technology startups confident that, given the scale of its use in China, the two will become key platforms for the local yuan launch; and said to Cointelegraph:
“The two techfins are an important and integral part of payment transactions. I hope that they are also an important part of local use of the digital yuan. As the digital yuan also helps to further enable cross-border use of the currency, both companies, particularly Alibaba, will play an important role in electronic commerce in OBOR / Digital Silk Road countries. “
The merger can be questioned
It may be too early to look into the future and see how government-to-corporate collaboration can take shape given the emerging blockchain technology and related regulatory issues. It is also unclear whether blockchain, which is used in part by DCEP, can work with a multitude of billions of transactions per day in addition to electronic systems.
Talk to Cointelegraph Olinga Taeed, board member and advisor to the China Electronic Commerce Blockchain Committee, gave full insight into why a large-scale collaboration between WeChat, Alipay and DCEP could be questioned, although WeChat owner Tencent is making its Meituan Dianping platform available to do that To control CBDC:
“As AliPay and WeChat Pay switch to blockchain transaction protocols, they currently consider it insufficient for the volume to manage. Bitcoin, for example, currently has a transaction speed of around 3 per second, but AliPay is around 300,000 per second with a scalability of over one Million, which is planned before the end of the year. “
Taeed also added that the protocols and blockchain architecture are inappropriate, Fifth-generation payment systems like AeMoney, developed by AliPay’s former chief technology officer, Hu Yan, are striving to implement a peer-to-peer system, but mock blockchain as a viable solution. .


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Yahoo Finance tech editor Dan Howley explains why Apple is pushing back its self-driving EV until 2026, along with the company loosening its App Store pricing rules.
(Bloomberg) -- Mobile industry bellwether Murata Manufacturing Co. expects Apple Inc. to reduce iPhone 14 production plans further in the coming months because of weak demand, which would force the supplier to again cut its outlook for its handset-component business.Most Read from BloombergTrump Companies Are Convicted in NY Criminal Tax Fraud Trial‘Huge, Missing and Growing:’ $65 Trillion in Dollar Debt Sparks ConcernWorld Economy Heads for One of Its Worst Years in Three DecadesEx-Deutsche Ban
While there's no certain way to do this, one idea worth exploring is investing in more dividend stocks. While dividend stocks can fall the same way as shares without dividends, many of them continue paying dividends as their share prices dip. While there are plenty of high-quality dividend stocks, one top idea is Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL).


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Bans on soft drinks currently available at American public schools, including South Middle School, will go into place soon, according to an article in today's Washington Post.
According to the article: "The agreement calls for eliminating sales of sodas, diet sodas, sports drinks, juice drinks, apple juice or grape juice in elementary schools. Water and more healthful juices such as orange juice could continue to be sold, but in only eight-ounce or smaller containers, according to sources who were briefed yesterday. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the plan had not yet been announced." At the middle school level, the article said, students would be able to drink 10-ounce containers of the same types of drinks. High school students will be able to have diet soft drinks, and the healthful drinks in sizes up to 12 ounces, the article said.
The official announcement of the agreement, which has been signed off on by Coke, Pepsi, and other major soft drink manufacturers, is expected to be made today. Soft drinks have come under fire in recent years due to the negative effect experts say they have on children's health.