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The Singapore tourism sector has the toughest year on record in 2020 but the industry fought back by reimaging its offerings and experiences, while supporting nationwide efforts to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Singapore’s tourism sector has had to fight for survival in 2020,” stated Keith Tan, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) chief executive, in a detailed review from the tourism body to mark the one-year anniversary of the Covid outbreak.
“Our tourism businesses have displayed immense resilience and adaptability throughout this difficult period, reinventing their business models and leveraging technology to find solutions in a Covid-19 world.”
Unprecedented global travel restrictions and border closures saw a sharp dip in both visitor arrivals and tourism receipts to Singapore. Visitor arrivals fell by 85.7% to 2.7 million (mostly within the first two months of 2020), while tourism receipts fell by 78.4% to SG$4.4 billion in the first three quarters of the same year.
STB revealed that despite the difficult times tourism businesses in the city-state bandied together to keep the sector going and helping to keep jobs through various intiatives and campaigns.
The STB statement detailed these collaborative efforts in 2020. Following is a snapshot of some of these efforts:
- Hotels offered their properties for various accommodation purposes; more than 70 have served as Stay-Home Notice Dedicated Facilities (SDFs) since March.
- Genting Cruise Lines and SATS-Creuers Cruise Services provided foreign worker dormitory on their ships as accommodation for thousands of workers who had recovered from Covid.
- Tourist guides, with their people and language skills, have stepped up as Safe Distancing Ambassadors (SDAs), with 150 deployed at tourism precincts, hotels and other tourism establishments since the start of the pandemic. In the coming months STB expects the number to grow to over 250 as business and leisure events gradually resume.
Tan expressed his gratitude to the industry players, “For their commitment to keep Singaporeans safe and well.”
He added that STB remains confident in the city-state’s position as “One of the world’s safest and most attractive leisure and business destination, and the long-term prospects of Singapore’s tourism sector.”
“While mass international travel is unlikely to resume in a major way in 2021, STB will continue standing together with our industry partners to prepare for recovery and to start building a better and more sustainable future for tourism,” he added.
STB has also unveiled a series of programmes and partnerships to accelerate recovery, rebuild for the future and support transformation:
- Setting up the Tourism Recovery Action Task Force (TRAC), comprising tourism leaders from both the private and public sectors to develop and implement joint recovery strategies.
- Formation of the Alliance for Action on Enabling Safe and Innovative Visitor Experiences under the Emerging Stronger Taskforce (EST) to explore new ways to facilitate safe and innovative visitor experiences in a Covid environment.
- Collaboration with the Singapore Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (SACEOS) and Enterprise Singapore to launch the Event Industry Resilience Roadmap.
- Working with the Singapore Hotel Association to support the hotels industry’s efforts in upskilling their workers.
- Launched a SG$20 million Marketing Partnership Programme (MPP) to support marketing efforts by tourism businesses to build demand. Alongside this are the Singapore Stories Content Fund (SGSCF) to encourage content creators to create compelling stories about Singapore, as well as the Business Improvement Fund (BIF) and the TIP-iT scheme motivate tourism businesses to innovate and adapt.
- Development of tools to further accelerate the pace of industry transformation, including the Tourism Transformation Index (TXI), and the Singapore Tourism Analytics Network (Stan).
STB opines that even with the development of several vaccines, it will take time for mass leisure travel and travelers confidence to return. It expects expect tourism arrivals and tourism receipts to remain weak in 2021.
The tourism board said it would continue to support tourism businesses to innovate to meet evolving consumer needs and emerging travel trends.


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The premium partnership with Maersk
We are proud to announce that Maersk will be premium partner for the coming 7th edition of the Master in Service Design.
Maersk is an integrated container logistics company working to connect and simplify its customers’ supply chains. As the global leader in shipping services, the company operates in 130 countries and employs roughly 70,000 people.
They focus on solving supply chain needs from end to end, taking the complexity out of container shipping. They are at the forefront of developing innovative supply chain solutions, fusing their global network and depth of expertise with pioneering digital innovations to enable our customers to stay ahead.
Maersk has set a new and ambitious target of net-zero C02 emissions by 2050. They’re driving the progress towards a carbon-neutral future of transport and logistics, calling on all industry players to join the global effort.

domain: news


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Ayumi Komura Starts Kami-sama no Ekohiiki Manga
posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda
The official website of Shueisha's Margaret magazine revealed last week that manga creator Ayumi Komura will launch a new manga titled Kami-sama no Ekohiiki (Favoritism of the Gods) in the magazine's next issue on March 18. The manga's first chapter will have a color opening page and will be 56 pages long.
The magazine teases a story about a god who has too much free time and meddles in a pure young man's love.
Komura ended her 17-volume cross-dressing shōjo manga Usotsuki Lily (Liar Lily) in May 2014, after a five-year run. Komura launched a spinoff of the manga digitally on the Margaret Book Store in December.
Komura launched the Full Dozer manga in December 2014, and ended the series in August 2015 before launching Mori no Takuma-san in October 2015. Shueisha published the fourth and final volume of Mori no Takuma-san in November.
Viz Media published Komura's Mixed Vegetables manga in print and digital forms in North America. The American Library Association's Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) division listed the first Mixed Vegetables volume among the "great graphic novels for teens" published in 2009.


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Call centre fraud increases 350 percent in 4 years
Pindrop, the pioneer in voice security and authentication, today announced in the global Pindrop Voice Intelligence Report 2018 that voice fraud has intensified and is on the up. Between 2016 and 2017, the overall rate of voice fraud increased by 47 percent, building on last year’s 113 percent increase. Over the last four years, the rate of voice fraud has climbed over 350 percent, showing no signs of slowing down.
With cybercrime valued as a $1.5 trillion industry, it’s unsurprising that the frequency of data leaks has contributed to the problem. It was recently reported that British Airways suffered a data breach that meant around 380,000 card payment details were compromised. While, in the US, as many as 1,300 breaches were tracked last year by the Identity Theft Resource Centre1. Moreover, fraudsters have become highly sophisticated, capitalising on the omni-channel shopping approach. For example, a fraudster may use social engineering to reset a password on a victim’s account, then use that reset password to commit online fraud.
Pindrop® Labs recently conducted a forensic investigation in the IVR (Interactive Voice Response) at a fortune 500 company. It concluded that suspicious activity in the IVR is the leading indicator of cross-channel fraud. On average, suspicious IVR activity resulted in a fraudulent transaction attempt 15 days later. For more than 85 percent of fraudulent transactions that originated in the IVR, Pindrop had a 24-hour lead time. This time gap in activity is typical of fraudsters who may be using IVR to verify lists of compromised accounts purchased on the dark web. The intention then may be to fine tune and resell that list (accounts identified as having higher activity are more attractive on the dark web). This activity aids cyber criminals to profit from data breaches without taking the risk of committing fraud.
The most-targeted industries: Insurance, banking and retail
Insurance companies are seeing the most significant increase in voice fraud, rising 36 percent from 2016 to 2017 and 248 percent since 2015. Banks come in a close second with a 20 percent increase in fraud year-on-year and an astonishing 269 percent increase over the last four years. Closely followed by retail which has seen a 15 percent increase and a 134 percent increase over the same four-year period.
Pindrop reported in June this year that business use of voice technology will triple in the next 12 months. However, the ‘internet of ears’ revolution is set to be the biggest opportunity, as well as the biggest threat to brand security. Pindrop’s Voice Intelligence Report 2018 reveals that synthetic voice is probably one of the most exciting, yet, potentially one of the scariest, technology threats to consumer data security. Businesses already use machine learning for device, behaviour, and voice matching. But fraudsters remain slightly ahead—using machine learning to create synthetic speech, spoof Automatic Number Identifications (ANIs) and conduct robocalls to mass attack and spider through an organisation’s IVR in order to verify stolen account information.
Vijay Balasubramaniyan, CEO and co-founder of Pindrop says: “A major reason that fraud rates increase is that most organisations struggle to find the right balance of security and customer service. When stronger traditional security measures are put into place, these measures typically impact customer experience—often to an organisation’s detriment. The proliferation of voice technologies will continue to put consumers’ security and identity at risk. Currently, fraudsters can easily get around existing authentication methods. But as businesses adopt the latest voice technologies for the majority of customer interactions, there will be a parallel need for top-notch security.”
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Piddle Patch, an eco-friendly real grass choose The company has secured a £50,000 investment from entrepreneur Steven Bartlett in Dragon’s Den on BBC One after rejecting three dragons.
In the deal, the brand handed over a 20% stake in founder Rebecca Sloan’s company in exchange for his investment.
Piddle Patch says it’s an “intuitive way” to train dogs to only toilet on grass, not textiles. This helps reduce domestic accidents and speeds up the home training process.
According to the company, it’s an “ideal solution” for potty training puppies, for dogs who don’t have easy access to outdoor spaces, or for owners who care for pets that are ill or incontinent.
To date, Piddle Patch has sold 13,000 soilless, real grass, dog toilets in the UK.
This brand of grass is 100% biodegradable and its packaging can be recycled.
Sloan said: “The inspiration for the Piddle Patch came from visiting a park. These dogs are happy to be in their natural environment and the stress associated with toilet time is gone because they instinctively know where to do business.
“Steven’s investment will allow us to fast-track Piddle Patch’s growth and launch developing. Steven’s advice, guidance, social media and marketing expertise will be invaluable and I am delighted to be working with him.”


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2025 Acura MDX Reveals Its "Significant Enhancements" Ahead of Time, And Only in CGI
Following an incredible year for US vehicle sales in 2023,
American Honda provided a highly positive forecast for the future of its automotive industry back in January, citing big improvements for both Honda and Acura.
The two companies recently reported 1.3 million in combined sales, a 33% increase over 2022.
As a result, the business was optimistic, projecting that Acura would add another 150k units this year and that Honda alone would surpass 1.3 million.
Of course, there are many innovations that support this approach.


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On Thursday, Urban Science announced the highlights of mid-2022 Franchise Activity Report (FAR), which shows continued stabilization of the franchised dealer network in the United States despite continued inventory shortfalls during the first six months of the year.
As of July 1, Urban Science said there are five (rooftops) dealerships in the country compared to the same date in 2021 (18,235 this year compared to 18,230 last year).
Experts said the number of franchises — brands sold by the agent — fell slightly from 31,646 last year to 31,579 over the same period.
According to an Urban Science report, 99% of primary statistical areas (CBSAs) in the United States had almost no net change (plus or minus one store) in agents.
Experts said 91% of CBSAs had no actual net change in dealerships, while 4% of (net) CBSAs lost at least one store and 5% (net) gained at least one store.
Urban Science discovered that the most significant changes statewide were net increases in California (top 12) and Texas (top 7) and net decreases in Michigan (bottom 5), Florida (bottom 4) and Indiana (bottom 4).
With the current range of industry sales forecasts for 2022 slightly lower than last year and the number of dealers remaining stable throughout Q1/Q2 of 2022, Urban Science expects average productivity—the number of vehicles a dealership sells—to drop just below 826 units. per store in the past year to 821 units in 2022.
But while average productivity is expected to decline, experts said dealers stand a great opportunity to gain momentum and competitive advantage by positioning themselves to meet rapidly evolving consumer needs, including increased demand for electric vehicles (EVs).
While industry sales declined slightly during the first quarter/second quarter of 2022, experts said electric vehicle sales in the US continued to grow.
Urban Science reports that US electric vehicle sales increased 41% in the first half of 2022 compared to the same time frame in 2021; The share of electric vehicle sales increased from 3.6% of total new vehicle sales in the United States in the first half of 2021 to 6.2% during the same period in 2022 – an increase of 72% year-over-year.
According to Urban Science DataHub | New sales, two states are the primary drivers of electric vehicle sales in the United States:
—One third of all electric vehicles sold in the US were sold in California during Q1/Q2 2022.
—Florida has the second largest electric vehicle sales volume in the country but expanded its margin in Q1/Q2 of 2022 compared to last year.
—While Florida also ranked second in electric vehicle sales during Q1/Q2 of 2021, it overtook New York by a margin of about 1,000 units.
Florida’s lead over New York expanded to more than 10,000 units during Q1/Q2 of 2022.
—Thanks to a 64% annual increase in EV sales in Florida during Q1/Q2 2022, the Southeast became the fastest growing EV sales region in the US over the same period with a 52% increase in EV sales overall .
“While adoption of electric vehicles continues to climb sharply nationally, Urban Science continues to lead the auto industry forward by helping manufacturers and dealers adopt science-based approaches to electric vehicle forecasting, network planning, and agency infrastructure that help them meet—and benefit from— The high prevalence said Mitch Phillips, global data manager at Urban Science, in a press release.
“We leverage the power of near-real-time industry sales data to give our customers instant insight into EV adoption – right down to the narrowest of geographic scales – that enables OEMs and dealers to ensure their stores are prepared to meet testing, shipping and service demands effectively and efficiently, in a way that will enable them to thrive in the short future. and the long-term for electric vehicles,” Philips continued to say.


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Old Mutual brings fitness bonanza
As part of celebrating the unveiling of new funeral policy, theMalawi Stock Exchange (MSE) listed company Old MutualMalawi Limited, has organized a day-long fitness Bonanza at College of Medicine in Blantyre scheduled for Saturday, May 5 2018.
Old Mutual Head of Marketing and Corporate Affairs, Ms.Linda Poya said all is set for the fitness bonanza and the launch of the new product on the market.
“As part of the celebration, marking the launch of our new product on the market, we have organized a fitness bonanza where people will be introduced to the new exciting product while, they get a chance to exercise and promote their health status with friends and family.
“Our society has been hit by manyhealth issues like cancer, heart diseases, diabetes e t c, that are linked to inactivity and lifestyle. Old Mutual as a Life Insurance company, our mission is to protect people and their families at every stage of their lives. We therefore believe that we can encourage healthy living among our customers and the society, while we are also helping them achieve their lifetime financial goals,” she said.
The activities on the day will start with a walk from Old Mutual offices in Blantyre to College of Medicine, three hour of aerobics session with Ulaya classic as an instructor and thereafter, a mini basket bonanza
This woman sakukalamba bwanji?


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Tablets are changing US cash registers
The humble cash register, a device that seems sprung from the imagination of an accountant, has become the darling of designers, albeit with a dash of style.business Updated: Apr 22, 2013 20:49 IST
The humble cash register, a device that seems sprung from the imagination of an accountant, has become the darling of designers, albeit with a dash of style.
With the advent of tablets, particularly the iPad, many stores have traded in their clunky cash registers for mobile devices. Now, though, they are dressing up those tablets with inventive accessories to make them both more pleasant to look at and more practical for cashiers.
Retailers from doughnut shops to department stores are putting in tablet-based cash registers that hang on the wall or can swivel around like desk lamps to face customers. At Coco Donuts in downtown Portland, Ore., iPad registers hang on a track on the wall, and employees slide them over to customers at the counters, who can sign for their bill, barely missing a bite.
Some designers are using eye-catching materials like bamboo to make iPad enclosures that scream for attention; others are using minimalist designs that make the register all but disappear. And sales associates are plucking the tablets off countertops so they can take orders from anywhere in a store using tiny credit card readers attached to devices.
Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Cream is ditching the button-encrusted Casio monoliths at its Seattle stores, replacing them with six Apple iPads that sit on stylish, handcrafted plywood pedestals.
In addition to being more attractive, the new registers are more flexible and user-friendly. Along with the new physical designs are new payment technologies that turn mobile devices into registers on the fly. The most prominent of these - a card reader, app and payment system from the San Francisco company Square - turns the earphone port of certain tablets or smartphones into a credit card reader.
For a small merchant, it's not only convenient, but also saves him about 20% on credit card transaction fees compared with his old system.
On Etsy, the online marketplace for handmade goods, Rob Redick sells iPad cash register stands made out of pieces of transparent acrylic, between which he can sandwich customized designs featuring merchant logos.
So far, the iPad has a big lead on other tablets that are being repurposed as cash registers.
First Published: Apr 22, 2013 20:47 IST


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Coca-Cola has unveiled plans to make its bottle caps from carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere.
The company – one of the world’s biggest consumers of plastic – is funding a three-year trial at Swansea University as part of the company’s 2040 target.
Most of the current plastic packaging is made cheaply from fossil fuels.
However, it aims to ‘capture’ CO2 from the air or factory emissions to make the main component of plastics..
“Plastics produced today emit a lot of carbon dioxide into the environment,” said Professor Enrico Andreoli, the project’s lead researcher.
“Our starting material is carbon dioxide,” he said, “so we completely eliminate the process and make plastic without fossil fuels and fossil carbon.”
Industrial chemist Professor Andreolis said “the magic happens” in a tiny black electrode where an electrical charge is passed through a mixture of CO2 and water to produce ethylene, a key component of the flexible plastic used in bottle caps.
“We want to prove the technology in the lab,” he said, explaining how “success” would suggest ways to scale up the process.
Coca-Cola’s goal is to use “captured” carbon dioxide as a resource, taking it either from the air near its factories or directly from its smokestacks.
Ethylene is currently produced as a cheap byproduct of petrochemical processing, when fossil fuels are heated to more than 800C (1472F), “breaking” the molecules needed to make plastic.
According to the Climate Monitoring Group, in 2020 this process released more than 260 million tons of CO2, or nearly 1% of global CO2 emissions. Global Coal Project.
Craig Twyford, Coca-Cola’s venture director for Europe and the Pacific, said the company’s pledge by 2030 reducing carbon emissions by 30% will be mostly about more recycled plastic.
“From 2030 to 2040, we have to start making more radical bets…looking at many different technologies.”
“If humanity begins to reduce CO2 in large quantities, what good can we do with it?”
“We could use it to carbonate our drinks. Or we could use it – like Swansea – to make some packaging.”
In a similar project, the company is funding research in California to convert CO2 into artificial sugar.
“Bacon fanatic. Social media enthusiast. Music practitioner. Internet scholar. Incurable travel advocate. Wannabe web junkie. Coffeeaholic. Alcohol fanatic.”


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Luxury cars/SUVs to cost more as govt okays cess hike
The Centre today approved a 10% hike in cess on luxury cars and SUVs - from 15% to 25%. This is in addition to sales tax. The decision came about after total tax incidence on motor vehicles fell with the launch of GST. It happened due to an 'anomaly' that crept in while GST rates were being decided; producers could effectively pocket unauthorized gains as a result.
Why the raise?
Before the GST, the total tax incidence on motor vehicles was about 52-54.72%. Post-GST, it came down to 43%. A 25% cess rate was needed to make up the gap, but the ceiling on compensation cess was 15% earlier. Now it has been raised.
Which cars will be affected?
Vehicles falling under headings 8702 and 8703, to which the hike would apply, include mid-segment vehicles, SUVs, large cars and motor vehicles which can carry not less than 10 and not more than 13 people. Hybrid vehicles with engine capacity over 1500cc and mid-segment hybrid cars below 1500cc are also included. The GST Council will decide from when the hike will be implemented.
But manufacturers say the move has many drawbacks
Luxury vehicle manufacturers including Toyota Kirloskar Motor, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW have protested the decision. They say such a shift would weaken the spirit of liberal market dynamics, throw long-term plans into uncertainty, and ultimately affect expansion under the 'Make in India' initiative.Share this timeline


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Planning to go to Boulevardia in June?
Tickets to the annual Kansas City street festival sponsored by Boulevard Brewing Co. go on sale Feb. 22. And this year, some packages will set you back a few dollars more.
General admission single-day tickets cost $20 and get you into the festival (which moves to the Stockyards District this year) on Friday, June 16, from 4 to 11 p.m. and Saturday, June 17, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. General admission passes cost $15 last year. They are not expected to sell out.
Single-day VIP passes cost $75 and come with general admission, three beer tickets, access to a private area with a bar and view of the main music stages, exclusive band performances, complimentary water and private restrooms. VIP passes cost $65 in 2016.
Tickets to Taps & Tastes, the craft beer festival portion of Boulevardia, also are rising $10 in 2017. Tickets cost $85 and allow access to unlimited tastings from more than 45 national and international breweries, plus food samples from local chefs, yard games, music and a keepsake beer glass. You must be 21 or older to attend Taps & Tastes, which typically sells out quickly.
The price for tickets to the Father’s Day Beer and BBQ Brunch remain $65, but this year, the brunch will be on Saturday instead of Sunday (which is actually Father’s Day), because Boulevardia now spans two days instead of three. The brunch, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., features unlimited food and beverages for ticketholders.
Those looking to purchase an Ultimate VIP Weekender Pass will get a price break: Those cost $900 instead of $1,000 this year and include two VIP tickets to both days of Boulevardia, two Taps & Tastes tickets, two Father’s Day Beer and BBQ brunch tickets, a commemorative poster and hotel accommodations on Friday and Saturday.
Boulevardia has yet to announce this year’s music lineup or a list of breweries that will attend Taps & Tastes. For more info on the ticket packages, go to boulevardia.com.
In other beer news, we tried Boulevard’s new year-round beer, and it made us long for pool days, backyard barbecues and hammock naps.


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DIMOCO’s Payment Service Act License Passported to the EU
DIMOCO, an operator of a payment institute for direct carrier billing, today announces that its established payment institute, that holds a payment service act license from the Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA), had its license passported to all 28 EU member states during February 2016. With this expansion of its license, the Fintech company is now a European-wide regulated payment institute with its payment service act license notified at the central banks across the EU.
“We are now in a solid position to support our telecom carriers and merchants in their EU-wide business efforts as the number one payment institute for carrier billing in Europe,” said Gerald Tauchner, DIMOCO president & CEO.
This license makes DIMOCO one of the first companies to be in compliance with the requirements of the Payment Services Directive (PSD) and the respective national regulations.
Leave a ReplyWant to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!


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The vast majority of respondents (68 percent) spend an hour or less each day on social media sites, while 19 percent spend no time at all. Only 13 percent spend an hour or more each day.
More than a quarter of people surveyed from around the world are going online in their hunt for work, but many are growing nervous about the potential career fallout from personal content on social networking sites, according to the latest survey results from global workforce solutions leader, Kelly Services® (NASDAQ: KELYA) (NASDAQ: KELYB).
The findings are part of a new report, “The Evolving Workforce: Social Media/Networking,” based on results of the Kelly Global Workforce Index, which obtained the views of approximately 97,000 people in 30 countries covering the Americas, APAC and EMEA regions from October 2010 through January 2011.
In the survey, respondents were asked a series of questions relating to their use of social networking as an employment tool, including identifying what social networking sites are most frequently used for searching for jobs and by what method they obtained their last job. The survey also sought to identify the impact of social media content on people's careers, and issues regarding the use of social networking within the workplace.
Top 12 Job Search Sites for IT Professionals Top job boards providing job search, resume advice, survival tips and job-hunting guidance.
Top 10 Metro Markets for Tech Employment Dice.com has identified the top tech job markets.
Seven Leadership Skills CIOs Need to Drive Results CIOs must have the right leadership skills in place to deliver on today's heightened expectations.
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The government has recently begun a program to provide free feminine hygiene products in schools. The programs intent is to supply feminine products for all girls until they leave school and eliminate the need for parents to supply their own products. We have signed up for this program and have received a stock of various hygiene products.
The girls have all been informed that there are now products available for them and know where they are if they require them. They are accessible to them to take home or use at any time without them needing to notify a staff member.


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Honest and rugged, Subaru's famous Forester is an iconic Crossover SUV.
This March will see the launch of Audi's A3 Cabriolet in Ireland. Motors went to the compact premium car's European launch centre in the south of France to put it through its paces.
Tourneo is Ford's name for its people carrier range, which is derived from its vans.
Corolla is as popular as ever. and that's very popular!
The electric BMW i3 is a significant car.
McLaren has seen the final development objective for the now-sold-out McLaren P1 achieved: a sub-seven minute lap time of the Nürburgring circuit!
Ford Motor Company has delivered the global debut of a motoring icon that is set to go on sale in Europe for the first time - the new Ford Mustang.
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According to a recent infographic by howmuch.net, cryptocurrencies account for $100 billion of the overall $84 trillion in the world. Bitcoin accounts for $41 billion .
Bitcoin Breaks The Fourth Wall Of Liberty — Bitcoin Magazine Supports Bitcoin Cash (BCH) and Bitcoin (BTC). The fastest Bitcoin wallet ever created. Easily buy Bitcoin Cash (BCH) and Bitcoin (BTC) Store Bitcoin and SLP tokens in one safe place. Pay faster than ever before with InstantPay. Live price charts for BCH and BTC. Other versions. More than 10 million wallets created so far. Jeffrey
Bloomberg has predicted that the rest of the year is likely to go very smoothly for bitcoin, and that it’s price will continue to grow.
All You Need To Know About This Whole Segwit Vs. Segwit2x Thing 29 Jan 2018. The block size increase would have enabled Bitcoin's network to. This alert examines SegWit2X, the greater block size debate, and the. transaction data (“ SegWit”); and (2) doubling the block size from 1MB. volatility rule – time flies, so we will not have to wait too long to find out. What our
The following is a contributed article from a content partner of The general trading direction of bitcoin has been mixed.
19 Jul 2018.
But, bitcoin has one indisputable advantage: its emission is 100% predictable, unlike gold.
7 maart 2020.
Infographic: bitcoin en de belastingen. Sinds 1 maart kun je belastingaangifte doen, maar hoe werkt dat als je bitcoins hebt? In de meeste.
Bitcoin is dull in daily trading Friday as stock markets have a big day. Cryptocurrency stakeholders see it as a temporary.
Bitcoin Etf Approved The entire crypto industry has been waiting for approval of the Bitcoin ETF by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for one and a half years, dozens of applications from funds were postponed and rejected. For a long time the price didn’t respond to SEC decisions, because everyone already knows the outcome. But what happens
13 Jul 2014.
Companies that specialize in buying and selling gold have made announcements that they will be expanding into Bitcoin. According to Richard.
Leading dealer of investment-quality gold bars and silver coins from the U.S. Mint and other suppliers. Get free shipping and portfolio advice.
Quite a few traders have been discussing the recent rally of Bitcoin to recently breach the $10,000 level on May 7, 2020.
Share this infographic on your site or within a blog post: (Copy Paste This Code).
There are far more ways to capitalize on blockchain than just buying bitcoin.
Birth Month & Year: November, 1964; Favorite Hobby: Goldmining in Nome, AK; Favorite.
Both bitcoin and oil were relatively calm Monday, but that when it comes to volatility over the past couple of months, it’s.


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Canadian start-up gives EV batteries a new life
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s top trade official claimed a diplomatic victory for Canada on US electric vehicle tax credits proposed in a deal between senators Chuck Schumer and Joe Manchin.
In a statement on Thursday, Trade Minister Mary Ng said her government’s advocacy played a role in preventing these credits from being restricted to vehicles built by unionized US workers.
The Senate deal announced on Wednesday revives much of President Joe Biden’s tax and climate agenda, but the legislation changes the language on the tax credits so they apply to vehicles built in the North American auto industry, not just in the U.S.
“It took Team Canada advocacy for us to get here,” Ng said in an emailed statement. “Since the Prime Minister’s first meeting with President Biden last year, we have been relentless in underscoring that the original proposal would be harmful to both Canada and the US, so we’re glad to see that recognized in the new version of the bill.”
Canadian officials had made a major diplomatic effort over the winter to argue the original version would roll back decades of integration in the North American auto sector. Mexico’s government also slammed the initial proposal, calling it self-defeating for the US.
The original version of the tax credits, which were in Biden’s Build Back Better bill, was also opposed by companies such as Tesla and Toyota, who argued it gave an unfair advantage to the Detroit-based automakers and their unionized factories.
The new legislation, which could still change as it moves through Congress, will allow carmakers to continue offering US$7,500 in tax credits for the purchase of new “clean cars” with some conditions: they will need to be built with minerals that are extracted or processed in a country the US has a free trade agreement with, and have a battery that includes a large percentage of components that were manufactured or assembled in North America.


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iPhone 13 Mini Will Be The Last 5.4-inch iPhone Model According to Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo
Apple’s iPhone 13 lineup isn’t yet upon us but we already get the feeling that the iPhone 13 mini will be our last chance to get our hands on a 5.4-inch iPhone.
That’s now being backed up by supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo after a new research note suggested that there will be no iPhone 14 mini at all.
Apple first launched a 5.4-inch device last year with the iPhone 12 mini. Since then the device has been dogged by stories of low sales numbers.
While Apple hasn’t shared details about sales numbers itself, supply chain experts say that sales have been poor, with Apple planning to can the size next year.
That means we will still see an iPhone 13 mini this coming September, with the 2022 lineup shipping with two 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch phones. We’d suspect that means an iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Max, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max or similar.
While many said they were looking forward to seeing the arrival of the iPhone 12 mini it seems that few people actually bought one. Those who did are thought to adore the miniature iPhone, but that doesn’t seem to have been enough to keep the product on the market beyond this year.


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Boris Johnson signalled his support for tens of thousands of workers in Coventry and Warwickshire when we asked him about the future of the region’s automotive industry.
He spoke as dire warnings circulated about the post-coronavirus future of the world-leading sector in what should be a national heartland of engineering and manufacturing.
The Prime Minister told CoventryLive at the Covid-19 press briefing on Wednesday, June 3, that he was committed to protecting people’s livelihoods through turbulent times, especially by providing businesses with millions of pounds in grants and investing in revolutionary green technology.
Uncertainty currently hangs over the future of the automotive industry, with speculation that the Government is in talks to step in and support major employer Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) as it struggles with pressures including the impact of the pandemic on the global supply chain.
At the time, the Prime Minister said: "The West Midlands was the home of the original automotive revolution, that's where it all began, the internal combustion engine, and already in the West Midlands you're seeing an incredible profusion of low carbon technology, low carbon vehicles.
“That's what we want to champion. That's the future."
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Since then a series of shockwaves have rippled through the struggling industry, with thousands of people in the sector being told that they will no longer have jobs.
The Government has responded by announcing a £73.5 million recovery package for cutting-edge ‘green recovery’ in the automotive sector, with Coventry and Warwickshire firms standing to receive a major share of the investment. But will it be enough?
Here’s what happened after our questions to the Prime Minister.
Boris Johnson pledges his support to the region’s automotive industry at the Covid-19 press briefing.
He says grant payments amounting to £42 million have been made to Coventry businesses and cites green technology and the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre as examples of the bright future that awaits.
Aston Martin announces plans to cull up to 500 jobs.
The Warwickshire firm said the roles would go in a plan to try to return to profit. The new strategy is intended to deliver £10m in operating savings each year.
The same day, Rolls-Royce announces that around 240 jobs are to go at its sites in Ansty and Solihull.
The cuts are part of a huge restructure which will see 9,000 jobs axed from the aerospace giant’s global workforce of 52,000 due to a dramatic slump in the aviation industry caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
That was announced by Rolls-Royce the previous month but at the time the company did not give a breakdown of where the cuts would fall.
More than 400 jobs are at risk of redundancy at a major JLR supplier based in Warwickshire, it emerges. Sertec, which is based in Coleshill, is consulting 428 staff at six plants across the Midlands, including two in the county, according to Unite, the country’s biggest trade union.
News breaks that JLR is cutting 1,100 temporary production line agency roles - with 400 to go from Solihull alone. Unite describes the axing of agency jobs as a “devastating blow” for the auto sector.
The Government announces that Britain’s automotive industry will be given £73.5 million to develop green technologies and safeguard jobs – with companies in Coventry and Warwickshire set to benefit.
Nadhim Zahawi, business minister and Stratford-upon-Avon MP, announces that 10 projects across the UK will receive a share of the new investment to develop cutting-edge technology for the next generation of electric taxis, cars and vans – including recyclable batteries, advanced electrical systems and ultra-lightweight components.
More than 14,000 UK research and manufacturing jobs will be safeguarded by the move, according to the Government.
Companies set to benefit include Ford Technologies, BMW Motorsport, JLR and the London Electric Vehicle Company, manufacturer of electric taxis.
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street says the region needs £3.2 billion to save it from financial disaster.
This includes £250m to bring a massive ‘gigafactory’ making batteries for electric vehicles to the region, creating 10,100 jobs.
Thousands of jobs involved in supplying JLR cars hang in the balance in a fresh blow to the auto giant. The proposed cuts will fall on all of JLR’s major factories in the north-west and the West Midlands including Castle Bromwich, Ellesmere Port, Halewood, Hams Hall, Midpoint, Solihull and Tyrefort. Some 2,200 jobs are under threat, according to union Unite.
That reflects as much as 40 per cent of the entire workforce employed by DHL, who are logistics partners to the Coventry car giant.
Rishi Sunak unveils a plan for jobs in a £30 billion mini-budget he said was designed to get the country through the economic crisis triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Chancellor stuck firm to the October deadline for the job retention furlough scheme to end, but said it would be replaced with a new Jobs Retention Bonus.
Employers who bring back furloughed staff and continuously employ them through to January will be paid a £1,000 bonus per employee as long as they are paid at least £520 on average a month.


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Earthwise pole hedge trimmer with nearly 10-feet of reach falls to $97 in New Green Deals
Ditch that gas-powered or corded electric pole hedge trimmer for this 20V cordless model that’s on sale for its second-best price of the year. That’s right, you can ditch both gas/oil and cords when picking up this Earthwise cordless pole hedge trimmer for $97 at Amazon. The pole allows you to reach up to nine foot five inches from the ground, making it quite versatile all around. We also have a wide selection of Tesla and e-bike discounts in today’s New Green Deals, so you won’t want to miss that either.
Head below for other New Green Deals that we’ve found today and of course Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.
Amazon is offering the Earthwise Cordless 20V Pole Hedge Trimmer for $97.39 shipped. Down from a normal going rate of around $110, this marks the best price that we’ve seen since February and is the second-lowest of 2022 so far. While normal hedge trimmers are great for using with smaller bushes, today’s lead deal helps you easily reach up to nine foot five inches. That’s thanks to its 6-position adjustable extension pole which makes this hedge trimmer quite versatile all around. On top of that, it doesn’t use a single drop of gas or oil to function, making it a planet-friendly choice when it comes to trimming your hedges. The 20-inch dual-action blade also can cut up to 5/8-inch branches which is pretty thick all things considered.
Rad Power celebrates 500,000 riders with up to $400 off e-bike sale: RadExpand 5 $1,399, more
Today, Rad Power Bikes is celebrating its 500,000th rider by launching an up to $400 off sale across its popular selection of e-bikes. Shipping is free across the board. While the savings apply to many different form-factors of electric vehicles, the RadExpand 5 Electric Folding Bike at $1,399 is a top pick. This model just launched earlier in the year for $1,599 and has been selling for as much since. Today’s offer now delivers $200 in savings alongside the first chance to save and a new all-time low.
Delivering a space-saving design, the RadExpand 5 merges all of the usual Rad Power Bikes features with a build that can fold closed when not in use. Its 750W electric motor can carry 275 pounds at up to 20 MPH over a 45-mile range. We found it to be a worthwhile option in our hands-on review from the spring. Though if you’re looking for something more full-featured, there are some other top picks from the sale at 9to5Toys.
Google Nest Learning Thermostat regulates fall temps with Assistant at $189 (Save $50)
Several retailers are now offering the latest Google Nest Learning Thermostat starting at $189 shipped courtesy of Adorama. Over at B&H and Best Buy, you’ll also be able to save but score the smart home upgrade for $1 more. Down from the usual $249 price tag you’d normally pay, today’s offer is $1 under our previous mention and delivering the best price of the summer or fall in the process. Perfect for ensuring your smart house can handle the fluctuating temperatures this fall as the summer heat wave begins to break, the Nest Learning Thermostat will help automate your climate control settings. It sports one of the more aesthetically-pleasing form-factors on the market, with a touchscreen at the center of the design that combines with Assistant and smartphone control to deliver an energy-saving package for your smart home.
New Tesla deals
After checking out the pole hedge trimmer on sale above, if you keep read, you’ll find a selection of new green deals that will make your Tesla experience better in multiple areas. From storage to keep recordings on to phone mounts, car chargers, and anything else we can find, it’ll be listed below. Each day we’ll do our best to find new and exciting deals and ways for you to save on fun accessories for your Tesla, making each trip unique. For more gift ideas and deals, check out the best Tesla shop. Keep reading on for e-bike, Greenworks, and other great deals.
New e-bike deals + electric scooter discounts
If you’re looking to get out and enjoy the sunshine still after using your new electric mower, than we recommend you experience it than on another e-bike or electric scooter you just got at a fantastic price through one of our deals and sale below. You can use it for fun, exercise, or even transportation to and from work or the coffee shop. We have several people here that will regularly commute to coffee shops or offices on their e-bike, as it cuts down on fossil fuel usage as well as allows them to enjoy some time outdoors on nice sunny days. Below, you’ll find a wide selection of new e-bike deals and electric scooter deal in all price ranges, so give it a look if that’s something you’d be interested in picking up. As always, the newest e-bike deal and electric scooter discounts and sales will be at the top, so shop quick as the discounts are bound to go away soon.
Additional New Green Deals
After shopping the pole hedge trimmer on sale above, be sure to check out the other discounts we found today. These new green deals are wide-ranging from outdoor lawn equipment to anything else we find that could save you money in various ways, be that cutting gas and oil out of your life or just enjoying other amenities that energy-saving gear can bring. As always, the newest deals will be at the top, so shop quick as the discounts are bound to go away soon.
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H2FLY to build aviation center at Stuttgart Airport to support hydrogen electric plane testing
Zero emission powertrain developer H2FLY has announced a joint project alongside Stuttgart Airport to develop and erect a Center for Excellence in Hydrogen Aviation. Together, the aviation teams will implement a purpose-built facility at the airport specifically designed to support hydrogen electric plane testing for passenger flights.
H2FLY is a company that specializes in the development of hydrogen electric aviation technology, hoping to be one of the first to deliver a qualified propulsion system to market. We’ve recently covered news of other companies completing their maiden testing flights using hydrogen electric planes, but H2FLY’s first flight was all the way back in 2016.
The HY4 hydrogen electric plane that completed that flight is still going through testing and broke a world record in 2022 when it soared above 7,000 feet in the sky during a 77-mile journey across Germany.
With nearly a decade of experience in zero-emissions aviation, H2FLY says it is continually seeking out ways to support its partnerships and accelerate its technology in Germany and the rest of the EU. As a Stuttgart-based company, H2FLY has found support at its local airport, where it will implement a new facility for hydrogen electric plane testing, research, and development.
Stuttgart to become hub for hydrogen electric plane testing
H2FLY states that the Hydrogen Aviation Center at Stuttgart Airport will be developed and constructed as a joint project between both parties and will be supported by the government of Baden-Württemberg using funding from its Ministry of Transport.
The Center itself will provide a centrally located aviation facility where businesses and scientific institutes alike can perform development and testing of hydrogen electric propulsion with the goal of delivering zero emission passenger planes someday. Minister-President of Baden-Württemberg Winfried Kretschmann spoke:
We’ve been following our own hydrogen roadmap in Baden-Württemberg for two years. With hydrogen set to play a crucial role in tomorrow’s transport and logistics sector, one of our aims is to establish ourselves as a leading region in the transformation of aviation. To achieve this, we need concrete actions – such as the new Center of Excellence for Hydrogen in Aviation at Stuttgart Airport which is being co-financed by the government of Baden-Württemberg to the tune of €5.5 million. Aircraft such as those being developed here point the way to the future of emission-free flight. This project will enable our region to become not just a center of R&D for hydrogen aircraft, but eventually also a manufacturing center, and demonstrate how we are countering climate change with a spirit of innovation.
This footprint in Stuttgart will eventually consist of a dedicated hangar with testing stands, workshops, plus an integration area for hydrogen electric plane conversions or installations. The joint project is also planning an outdoor area for demonstrations.
H2FLY states the testing infrastructure will require mega-watt scale components and subsystems as well as close collaboration with the airport, commercial companies, and scientific institutes. Looking ahead the next few years, H2FLY expects hydrogen electric planes to be able to transport 40 passengers distances of up to 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles), but there is still plenty of testing that will need to take place.
The Hydrogen Aviation Center is expected to open in late 2024 and is expected to become the hub for hydrogen electric plane testing and development and H2FLY welcomes all interested organizations to utilize the facilities.
Genesis X electric sedan concept will enter production as flagship EV – report
Genesis gave us a glimpse into what the brand’s future will behold by revealing the X Convertible EV concept at last year’s LA Auto Show. According to new reports, the luxury electric sedan will go into production as Genesis’s new flagship EV.
After an overwhelmingly positive response to its Genesis X Speedium Coupe Concept EV revealed last April, the automaker completed its concept trilogy by revealing the X Convertible Concept in November.
The X Convertible takes the best features from its first two Concept vehicles, the X (a two-door grand tourer that highlights Genesis athletic design) and the X Speedium (a more progressive representation of the brand’s elegance), materializing it into one.
One of the most distinct features you see when looking at the luxury EV sedan is the front headlight bars that replace the iconic Genesis front grille. Genesis says the look integrates the new EV face and forms an abstract of the Crest Grille.
At the time of its release, executive vice president and chief creative officer Luc Donckerwolke told reports:
At the moment we’re showing the search for an icon for the brand, and this is one of the possibilities.
The company may have found its icon, as a new report from Automotive News suggests the X Convertible concept is headed to production as the brand’s flagship EV.
Genesis X Convertible EV to enter production
According to Peter Lanzavechia, chairman of the Genesis National Dealer Advisory Council, at Genesis’s annual meeting, Donckerwolke told dealers the X convertible Concept would go into production.
When he said that at the dealer meeting — to say it in front of a couple of hundred Genesis dealers — that’s a pretty good sign.
Genesis dealers are requesting an electric performance GT coupe, according to Lanzavechia, as he adds:
I guarantee we’re going see a lot of Bentley Continental convertible trade-ins on that when it comes to our showrooms.
Genesis, Hyundai’s luxury brand, has already released two electric vehicles. Its first, the electrified G80, is a luxury electric sedan adapted from its gas-powered G80. And The Genesis GV60, its first dedicated EV – based on Hyundai’s E-GMP platform – that buyers began receiving in May 2022.
If the Genesis X Convertible concept does enter production, Lanzavechia said, “It would be a true halo flagship for the brand.”
Genesis plans to become an all-electric brand, halting ICE car development in 2025 and selling only electric models from 2030. What do you guys think? Do you want to see the X Convertible go into production?
TravelCenters (TA) to deploy 1,000 Electrify America DC fast chargers at 200 locations across major highways
The largest publicly traded full-service truck stop and travel center, TravelCenters of America (TA), is teaming up with Electrify America to deploy DC fast chargers along major highways to meet the growing number of electric vehicles on the road.
People are buying electric vehicles at a record pace as interest in zero-emission EVs has never been higher.
New EV sales volume reached over 800,000 for the first time last year, an increase of 65% compared to 2021, according to Kelley Blue Book.
More electric vehicles on the road mean additional charging infrastructure is needed to accommodate the surge. Although over 80% of charging is done at home, expanding the number of available public chargers can give EV drivers confidence on long trips or on the highway.
Electrify America currently operates one of the largest DC fast-charger networks across the US, with 3,435 fast chargers across 791 stations, according to their website.
Unlike many publicly available EV chargers, EA offers some of the fastest charging speeds. EA’s Ultra-Fast 150 kW and Hyper-Fast 350 kW options make them suitable for public deployment, especially along major highways.
TravelCenters teams up with Electrify America
In a significant partnership, TravelCenters is teaming up with Electrify America to offer EV charging at select TA/Petro locations.
The first stations are expected to roll out this year with a goal of deploying around 1,000 individual EV chargers at 200 locations along major highways over the next five years.
President and CEO of Electrify America praised the company’s new partnership, saying:
Electrify America is pleased to collaborate with an industry leader like TravelCenters of America to provide the critical infrastructure needed for EV drivers of today and tomorrow. Our combined strengths allow us to take bigger steps toward our shared vision of a more sustainable future.
Electrify America will handle the infrastructure deployment process and maintenance. Meanwhile, TravelCenters will gain access to the company’s charging network, allowing the locations to become visible to EV drivers to access via its mobile app.
In addition, the company says the network of charging stations will be available for most EV models.
The partnership is a win all around. Electrify America continues expanding its network with one of the most prominent truck stops and travel centers. TravelCenters will see additional traffic as more and more drivers switch to zero-emissions EVs over the coming years.
And perhaps, most importantly, EV drivers will have more fast charging options along major highways.
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Customers say goodbye to Unity Pharmacy
Two local pharmacies are closing their doors, and the owner says it's not the number of customers, or even the pandemic, that is the problem.
Monday was the final day of sales for Unity Pharmacy in Fairfield and customers were almost in tears as they stopped by to say farewell.
Owner Naga Mulpuri says changes in insurance reimbursements have made the business less profitable and saw no way to keep going.
"To let go of something that is so personal, it is sad," Mulpuri said. "I am coming to terms with it because you have to be practical too."
"It's nice to be able to come in and someone knows your names and what you are about," said Sue DeThomas, of Fairfield.
The Bridgeport location will close Tuesday.
"I wish that she could get another pharmacy, start over," said Lois Caron, of Bridgeport, a loyal customer and cancer patient. "It would be a pretty world, but that is not the way things work."
Mulpuri opened the business eight years ago.
"Me and my husband worked for a long time, we invested our own savings," she said.
But the business lost more money over time.
"Say your meds cost me $10. Sometimes [the insurance] will pay me $8, 'Take it or leave it.'"
Mulpuri says if independent pharmacies want to survive, there needs to be a change in insurance reimbursements.


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Jakarta, 7 August 2020 - Security and safety in the work environment is a reflection of the company's commitment to employees. Especially in a factory environment with high mobility, work safety and security can be a measure of company success. Recently, Danone Specialized Nutrition (SN) Indonesia managed to record achievements in occupational safety and health by recording 4500 Zero Accident Days at the Sugizindo Factory in Citeureup, Bogor, West Java. The Sugizindo factory is one of the four factories owned by Danone SN Indonesia.
Delta Deritawan, Manufacturing Director of Danone SN Indonesia explained that the company is committed to creating a safe and comfortable work culture for all our employees, especially in production facilities or factories. "We make various efforts to control and anticipate the potential hazards in the work environment. This achievement of 4500 Accident-Free Days is a joint achievement that makes us proud and encourages us to be even better, "said Delta.
Security and safety in the work environment are measured by the absence of workplace incidents or accidents that injure, cause loss of life, and make sick employees or partners in the company work environment. The achievement of 4500 days without accidents is a form of cooperation and high commitment between various parties. Management, employees and companies move together to make the Danone SN Indonesia factory in Sentul a safe place to work.
"To get this achievement is not easy. We carry out various activities and efforts to provide safe and qualified facilities in the production process at the factory. A safe working environment is a basic requirement so that we can deliver quality products and meet quality standards for the health of mothers and children in Indonesia. " added Delta.
Not only does it stop at the factory environment, this achievement also inspires employees at the SN Indonesia Danone factory at Citeureup - otherwise known as Sentul Factory - to share experiences and implement safety in the factory to be applied to their respective families at home and surrounding communities . So hopefully, all employees at the Sugizindo Factory can become agents of change and model security and safety, Delta explained.
In the future, Delta continued, his party will continue to set new targets to measure the extent of future achievements. "We will target 5000 days without accidents so that we can continue to be motivated to involve all employees and related parties in the factory," concluded Delta.
Danone SN Indonesia is part of the Danone company in Indonesia which produces various nutritional products for mothers and children. Danone SN Indonesia's factory in Sentul has been operating since 1987 and employs 132 employees.


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Honda Plans Partnership with Asian Ride-Share Company
Honda Motor Co. has signed a memorandum of understanding with Grab Inc., a Singapore-based ride-share service, to expand Grab’s motorcycle-sharing service in the region.
The company says it will collaborate with the startup on techniques to reduce urban traffic congestion, in part by using the carmaker’s telematics and other technologies. The partners also will test “green” versions of Honda motorbikes as part of Grab’s existing GrabBike motorcycle-sharing business.
Honda says it sought the partnership because of the rise in a “sharing economy” in which consumers share rather than buy vehicles for personal transportation.
Grab was launched in 2012 as GrabTaxi by two Harvard Business School graduates as a taxi-hailing app in Malaysia. Two years later the company added GrabCar in Malaysia and Singapore and GrabBike in Vietnam. The company currently operates in 30 cities across six countries in southeast Asia.
When Suzuki developed the GSX1300R, it set out to build the fastest mass-production motorcycle on the market. As competitors gained ground and stringent emission regulations were set, Suzuki set out to reinvent the bike.
A class-action lawsuit has been filed against General Motors Co. over claimed flaws in the company’s 8-speed automatic transmission used in 2015-2019 model rear-drive vehicles.
The little car that could still can. And this time as a car that not only gets great fuel economy, but which has ride and handling that makes it more than an econo-box (and its styling is anything but boxy).


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Hot on the heels of the announcement by Apple chief executive Tim Cook thatcomes the news that Taiwanese design manufacturer Foxconn is to expand its North American operations.
"We are looking at doing more manufacturing in the U.S. because, in general, customers want more to be done there," said Foxconn spokesperson Louis Woo in an interview with Bloomberg.
No further information was given as to who the customers prompting the expansion are, but among those who rely on Foxconn are big names such as Apple and HP.
"Supply chain is one of the big challenges for U.S. expansion," Woo said. "In addition, any manufacturing we take back to the U.S. needs to leverage high-value engineering talent there in comparison to the low-cost labor of China."
Foxconn currently has factories in California and Texas involved in the assembly of products such as servers.
In an interview that is scheduled to be broadcast later today on "Rock Center" on NBC, Cook unveiled company plans to move some Mac manufacturing to the U.S. next year at a cost of some $100 million.
"I don't think we have a responsibility to create a certain kind of job," Cook said. "But I think we do have a responsibility to create jobs."
"When you back up and look at Apple's effect on job creation in the United States, we estimate that we've created more than 600,000 jobs now," he added.
Apple doesn't make a secret about where its products are made. On the back of many Apple products are the words "Designed by Apple in California. Assembled in China." The company has, however, been criticized for manufacturing products abroad, and the company hasn't manufactured a single product in the U.S. since the 1990s.
Image source: iFixit.


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One of the most anticipated phones of the year,* the HTC U12+, might be available in four different variants, black, red rose, violet and “translucent” according to serial leaker Roland Quandt.
HTC U12+: Black, Red Rose, Violet and "Translucent" variants planned. Comes with 6in screen and 64GB in Euroland. Single and Dual SIM models planned. And it won't be cheap.
— Roland Quandt (@rquandt) May 9, 2018
What’s new here is actually the ‘Violet’ variant a colouring we’ve yet to see on a HTC U device.
Last year’s HTC U11+ was featured in a “Translucent” variant and one of the HTC U11 variants sported the ‘Solar Red’ colour.
Quandt also stated that the phone has a 6-inch display with 64GB of storage in Europe, with single and dual SIM models. He also mentions that the phone won’t be cheap, however, doesn’t give an indication of the price. What he did say was: “the prices I am seeing are very high, but probably way off, so I can’t really tell.”
Previous rumours indicated that the phone will likely be cheaper than other flagships currently on the market, so Quandt is likely right in saying he’s “probably way off.”
Other claims point to the U12+ sporting a Snapdragon 845 chipset, up to 6GB of RAM, an 18:9 aspect ratio and a 3,420mAh battery.
HTC will officially unveil the HTC U12+ on May 23rd. Stay tuned to MobileSyrup for all your news regarding the upcoming handset.
Source: Roland Quandt
*At least by me.


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Volvo is gearing up to launch a successor to the XC90, a model that has been developed as an electric vehicle but expected to offer hybrid powertrains in some markets.
According to the British publication, the entry-level crossover will be a pure electric model and, like the XC90 successor, will have a real name instead of an alphanumeric moniker.
Volvo’s smallest models at present are the XC40 compact crossover and coupe-like C40 Recharge. However, Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson during the reveal of the C40 Recharge earlier this year said the company was planning a model to sit below the 40 series.
According to Autocar, the new baby Volvo crossover is being developed on the SEA modular EV platform from Volvo parent company Geely. The platform made its debut earlier this year in the 001 hot hatch from fellow Geely brand Zeekr and features an 800-volt electrical system for high-speed charging.
The baby Volvo will likely be built in China to keep costs down. Geely has built a state-of-the-art plant in the Chinese coastal city of Ningbo for production of SEA-based vehicles.
It's not the first time we've heard plans for Volvos sized smaller than the 40-series. In 2017, Lex Kerssemakers, head of commercial operations at Volvo, hinted at a new 20-series subcompact range.
“It’s pretty straightforward: the 90 is the biggest, and the 40 is the smallest,” Kerssemakers said in an interview with Car and Driver. “And when there is a 20, it will be a smaller one.”
Interestingly, Kerssemakers also said that Volvo “only makes global cars,” suggesting perhaps that a future baby Volvo will be offered in the U.S. We could certainly imagine the model competing with pint-sized electric crossovers like an upcoming Mini Countryman EV and the Hyundai Kona Electric.


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by Michael Tarsala
If history is any guide, expect founder Richard Schulze’s offer to buy out Best Buy (BBY) to turn into a messy battle.
At last check, the stock was up only 11% to $19.65, reflecting some doubts that $1 billion from the stake he already owns and a roster of private equity partners can buy out the company.
Questions already are being raised about the fairness of the offer price. Even at the high end of his offer range, BB&T analysts noted that the deal would be at 3 times trailing EBITDA, a common earnings measure used in takeouts. That’s far less than the multiple of past retail leveraged takeouts, the analysts noted.
A low-multiple offer from a former exec is not uncommon. Takeout deals started by management teams tend to offer lower bidding premiums, according to academic researchers Matthew D. Cain and Steven M. Davidoff at Notre Dame and Ohio State. Their study of management-led buyouts from 2003 to 2009 was published in the Delaware Journal of Corporate Law.
What’s more, deals that start with a below median offer price – as BB&T suggests is the case with Best Buy – are more subject to lawsuits and attempts by shareholders to defeat or renegotiate the offers.
That is not to say that this deal might be different than ones in the past. Maybe a fair offer will be reached quickly.
Of note, though, a law firm already just hours after the buyout announcement issued a press release, supposedly on behalf of shareholders. It said that Schulze’s offer is too low; the real value of the company is $36 a share.
Uh huh. See what I mean about gettting messy?


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South Korean multinational conglomerate Lotte Group held a groundbreaking ceremony for its Eco Smart City project in Ho Chi Minh City on September 2.
Lotte Group chairman Shin Dong-bin was present at the kick-off ceremony of the $856 million (VND20.1 trillion) construction of the Lotte Eco Smart City Thu Thiem.
The eco smart city complex will be built on a total area of more than 74,500 square meters. The property will serve as a financial, commercial - service center, and multi-functional residential area.
Chairman Shin said that the project has a large construction scale with five basements and 60 floors, including hotels, residential areas, and commercial areas, all using smart technology. He added that Thu Thiem district is being developed as an economic hub that has been inspired by Pudong District in Shanghai, China.
“Since entering Vietnam with the food group in 1996, Lotte Group has been expanding its business in distribution businesses such as shopping malls and marts, and in various fields such as food, hotels, and chemicals, employing about 20,000 employees,” Shin told the local media. “It was possible because of the interest and encouragement of the government and the people.”
Lotte Group plans to build the best smart complex in Vietnam by 2030 and intends to provide over five million jobs throughout the project.
“Lotte Group will expand investment in Vietnam with this project as a starting point,” said Shin. This year marks the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Vietnam. The Lotte Group aspires to make Eco Smart City a Vietnamese landmark.
The groundbreaking ceremony was also attended by Lotte Group’s Sang-hyun Kim, General Manager of Distribution Group, Se-jin Ahn, General Manager of Hotel Group, and Seok-joo Ha, CEO of Lotte E&C.
Ho Chi Minh City government officials also graced the event, including the Korean Ambassador to Vietnam Park No-wan, Chairman of the People’s Committee Pan Van Mai, and Central Party Member Nguyen Thanh Pong, 150 people, and local developers and construction companies.
Lotte Corporation operates over 90 business units, employing 60,000 engaged in diverse industries such as candy manufacturing, beverages, hotels, fast food, retail, financial services, industrial chemicals, electronics, IT, construction, publishing, and entertainment.
Lotte Corporation is the fifth-largest chaebol (a large family-owned business conglomerate) in South Korea.


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Wes Ward Auto Repair has been serving the North Country since 1981, and they’ve been at their current location on Portland Street in St. Johnsbury since 1999. This means they’ve serviced thousands of vehicles in the North Country, for residents and businesses alike.
Now, coming up on March 20th is a change to how the state of Vermont is inspecting vehicles, and it’s creating a lot of confusion for folks.
Wes Ward Auto Repair is a Parts Plus Car Care Center, and their mechanics are all ASE Certified Master Technicians, so you can definitely trust them to have answers about the new procedures rolling out officially on March 20th of this year. Wes Ward says there’s been “a lot of confusion in the industry, for both customers and shop-owners.”
“First and foremost, inspection laws haven’t changed,” Wes says. “You still have to have your vehicle inspected and we still have to look at all the safety features on your vehicle.”
What the change is about: “Basically, when a shop could put an inspection on a car that had a “Check Engine” light on, they could put a sticker on it. Now they cannot,” Wes explains.
The shop on Portland Street has been using the new system since January of this year as a Beta Station for the state of Vermont. Wes explains how it’s a really easy system to use, and the only changes that are happening is how they’re reporting inspections to the state of Vermont.
Basically, they’re using a new tablet that’s connected to the central computer in Montpelier for all inspections, where the tablet scans a barcode on your vehicle and the shop has to take a picture of the vehicle up on the lift, as well as the vehicle’s registration. “This has nothing to do with huge price increases,” says Wes.
“The benefits of this system will soon be apparent for everyone,” Wes says. “Now when you go to buy a used vehicle, you can see where the car has failed inspection before, and you have a chance to be informed about any recalls on your vehicle that you might have missed.”
“And of course, if you have any questions, just come into our shop on Portland Street, reach out to us on Facebook, or send us an email through our website at www.wesward.com. And you can even check out a video on our YouTube channel where we explain this all."


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Meat Prices to Rise
Meat prices must rise if the UK's livestock industry is to survive, according to a business advisory firm.
Deloitte have warned that a combination of disease, flooding and rising feed prices has pushed the industry to "breaking point".
With producers facing almost 100% price rises in feed costs, consumers must expect a rise in meat price at retail level if production is to remain viable.
"Consumers will hold the key to a more resilient future. UK shoppers will have to pay more for their meat," said Richard Crane, food and agriculture partner at Deloitte.
"Increased prices will allow farmers to continue to meet the increasing demand for local, high quality meat.
"This is likely to be the inevitable cost of securing and also safeguarding the future of UK meat production."
Crane added that the FMD outbreak compounded the impacts of rising production costs for farmers.
"The UK's meat business has suffered a major blow. The meat business came to a complete standstill," he said.
Richard Lowe, MLC chief executive said:
"Deloitte are right to raise the issue of feed prices. The noise being made about the issue is beneficial for farmers because it conditions consumers to expect modest increases in meat prices."
To keep up with the volatility of meat prices subscribe to Meat Trades Journal by clicking onto the 'Subscribe' button and get all the latest news and meat prices free.
01 - 03 March, 2017
02 March, 2017
Meat & Poultry Processing Awards
08 March, 2017
The UK food supply chain: sector developments, the impact of Bre
13 - 19 March, 2017
National Butchers’ Week


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“Armenia would be pleased to export processed meats to Turkey,” Arayik Makaryan, director of Global Armenia Businessin Andarag Ltd., told the Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review on Tuesday after the India-Turkey-CIS Business Forum in Istanbul. “Business has limits and we are here to make business. For us politics has no priority at all.”
Vladimir Galstyan, president of the Armenian Sector Union of Farmers and Tanners, said his company exported 120,000 live cattle to Iran last year. “So why not to Turkey?” he asked.
Albert Ohanjanyan, a meat producer from Armenia, said his company is proposing to provide Turkey with 1,000 tons of fresh or frozen meat. “The border between the two countries should be opened as soon as possible [to enhance the meat trade],” he said.
As part of a tender by Turkey’s state-owned Meat & Fish Enterprise (EBK), 14,000 head of cattle, representing nearly 7,000 tons of meat, from Uruguay arrived in Turkey on Aug. 17.
EBK head Muhammet Kaya told the Anatolia news agency that the corporation had earlier announced a tender to buy 50,000 tons of livestock from abroad.
The Turkish government temporarily relaxed the tax on livestock imports from 135 percent to 40 percent until Dec. 31, 2010, to encourage imports in an attempt to balance skyrocketing red meat prices.
EBK decided to import livestock from the United States, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, Australia, Iceland, Norway, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Hungary, rather than neighboring countries. Due to long-lasting political disputes between Armenia and Turkey, trade between the two counties is typically done through third parties, such as Russia, Georgia or Iran, Ohanjanyan said.
Annually, Armenia exports 250 tons of rawhide to Turkey through Russia and Georgia and imports 25 percent of its processed leather from Turkey, he said, adding that the two countries are still trading with each other even though the border remains closed and political relations are still “wavy.”
“We also invite Turkish investors to build integrated meat plants in Armenia,” Ohanjanyan said, adding that Armenia has sufficient cattle stocks and could export processed meat to neighboring countries in collaboration with Turkish companies.
As of 2008, Armenia holds nearly 630,000 heads of cattle, of which 314,000 are cows, according to the “Regional Roadmap for West Eurasia” report written by Khachik Sargsyan and Satenik Khartyan. Even though Turkey has nearly 10.8 million head of cattle and nearly 21.7 million sheep and goats, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute, market demands, and consequently prices, remain high.


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According to yesterday's report from The Wall Street Journal, major US retailers have been flooded with calls from anonymous scammers in recent months. The malicious actors threaten retailer employees with bombs and demand ransom payments, mainly in Bitcoin but also in cash and gift cards.
The Journal cites one such incident that occurred in a suburb north of Chicago. An extortionist called Whole Foods Market and demanded a payment of $5,000 in Bitcoin (about 0.16 BTC at press time), claiming there was a pipe bomb in the store.
Instead of complying with the scammer's demand, the store management contacted the police, who did not find a bomb.
Walmart and Kroger are also among the most frequent victims of the fake bomb scam.
Although it is a great relief that the threats made by scammers are not real, such events are rather disruptive to the work of stores.
"If I’m a retailer, I have to close the stores and call law enforcement. And send the customers out," Doug Baker, vice president of industry relations at food trade group FMI, told The Wall Street Journal. Interestingly, some of the extortionists asked retailers for just several hundred dollars.
Whole Foods Market recommends other retailers create a bomb protocol and implement it with employees.
Ransomware demands are one of the most popular types of attacks today, and cryptocurrencies are widely used for such ransom transactions. However, Chainalysis found that total losses due to ransomware attacks in 2022 dropped significantly from $766 million in 2021 to $457 million. One of the possible reasons for this trend is the unwillingness of victims to pay ransom.


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ISC’12 – NVIDIA Tesla K10 GPUs offer performance breakthroughs on popular high performance computing (HPC) applications — ranging from seismic processing to life sciences to video processing — according to new benchmarks NVIDIA released today.
Based on the new NVIDIA Kepler computing architecture, the Tesla K10 GPU delivers the industry’s highest single precision performance (4.58 teraflops) and highest memory bandwidth (320 GB/sec) in a single accelerator. This is 12 times higher single precision flops and 6.4 times higher memory bandwidth than the latest-generation Intel Sandy Bridge CPUs.
The Tesla K10 GPU outperforms CPUs and previous-generation GPUs across the board on the most popular, compute-intensive applications for four key market segments, including:
- Defense: video analytics, video stabilization, orthorectification, computer vision
- Life and material sciences: molecular dynamics
- Oil and gas: seismic processing, reverse time migration
- Media and entertainment: video editing, video rendering/transcoding, ray tracing
“A distinct advantage of the Tesla K10 GPUs is that it excels in two key areas that have a dramatic impact on overall application performance: floating point operation and memory bandwidth,” said Sumit Gupta, senior director of Tesla business at NVIDIA. “Together, these enable the K10 GPU to deliver substantial out-of-the-box performance increases for the top science, engineering and commercial applications with little or no effort on the part of the developer.”
New Performance Records on AMBER and LAMMPS
On AMBER, a leading biomolecular simulation software application, four Tesla K10 GPUs achieved world record performance, delivering far superior results than what was available on multiple racks of servers just a few years ago.
The Tesla system achieved performance of 76 nanoseconds of computer simulation time in a day for a 23,558 atom molecule, outstripping the previous record set with four Tesla M2090s last year, providing supercomputing performance to thousands of individual researchers to fuel further innovation in such areas as new drug discovery and more effective materials.
“In biomolecular science, adding a few more nanoseconds of simulation time can make a world of difference in the ability of researchers to study and better understand the behavior of complex biological systems,” said Ross Walker, assistant research professor, San Diego Supercomputing Center. “It still blows my mind that a single Tesla K10 outperforms some of the largest CPU clusters. The benefit it offers researchers is tremendous, enabling them to accelerate the search for new and better treatments for a host of diseases and disorders.”
The Tesla K10 GPU also delivers the highest performance on LAMMPS, another application widely used by the life sciences research community. Running the LAMMPS Lennard Jones Liquid Benchmark, a single Tesla K10 GPU outperforms a Tesla M2090 GPU by 80 percent, delivering the equivalent performance of a cluster with 64 x86 CPUs.
Accelerating the Search for Energy
NVIDIA Tesla GPUs continue to deliver the highest performance on reverse time migration (RTM) applications for seismic processing in the oil and gas exploration industry, and for image processing in the computer vision industry. Petrobras, the national oil and gas company of Brazil, achieved an 1.8x speed up on its RTM application on the Tesla K10 GPU, as compared to a Tesla M2090 GPU within the same power envelope.
NVIDIA Tesla K10 GPUs are available from leading OEMs, including Appro Supercomputer Solutions, Dell, HP, IBM, SGI and Supermicro, as well as through NVIDIA distribution partners. More information about the Tesla K10 is available on the NVIDIA Tesla website.


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On paper, everything at Lamborghini and its Sant'Agata, Italy headquarters should be splendid. The Urus is a massive sales success. In the first half of 2019, the Urus helped the automaker nearly double its sales, which has put it on track to deliver more than 8,000 vehicles by the end of the year – a record. But while things are dandy now, the company's future is uncertain. Automobile is reporting VW Group CEO Herbert Diess isn't happy with Lamborghini's financial performance, pointing toward Ferrari as the benchmark. Then there's the ongoing conundrum that is the Aventador's replacement, which has been pushed back even further.
Catch the latest Lamborghini news:
According to the report, the Lamborghini Aventador replacement is delayed again until 2024 with the next Huracán coming a year later. The reason? Audi, the company that owns Lamborghini within VW Group, doesn't want to spend the money to update the Aventador's V12 engine to Europe's new emission standard. Instead, the German automaker would rather invest in hybrid V8 engines for both supercar models, which would mean Lamborghini's flagship supercar might not feature a V12 engine. There's a good chance a Porsche-developed 4.0-litre V8 set to arrive in 2024 could be the new mill for the two.
Lamborghini is one of the few remaining supercar makers not to embrace some form of electrification. Porsche, Ferrari, and McLaren have jumped on the electrified bandwagon, and it appears Lamborghini could be next. A report from earlier this year suggested the Italian company could electrify the Aventador's naturally aspirated V12 with three electric motors delivering at least 1,100 bhp from the plug-in hybrid system. The April report also noted the timeline for the Aventador's replacement had been pushed back from 2020 to 2022.
Gallery: Lamborghini Terzo Millennio concept
If the Aventador replacement is delayed until 2024, which is rumoured to be based off the Lamborghini Terzo Millennio Concept (above), it would mean the top-tier supercar would be on sale for well over a decade. Aventador production started in early 2011; however, while the company has found success with limited-edition models, extending the Aventador's life for another four years could be difficult. The company may have to invest in a mid-cycle refresh to keep the Aventador and Huracán competitive, and that takes money.


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The flying car? It’s being manufactured. Now, Zintro experts list their top five coolest trends in transportation innovation.
Arne Elias, PhD MBA, an expert in social and technological change management, says that the coolest trends that also have future potential are:
- Solar aircraft, because it combines energy capture, storage, and light-weighting;
- e-bikes, because they allow anyone to take the majority of trips for virtually no cost (what’s missing is good safe infrastructure);
- intelligent transportation systems, both new and retro-fit such as moj.io; and
- High-speed rail to replace expensive (in this decade) air for short-haul applications.
“As an initiator of plug-in hybrid vehicles for the last decade, I’d have to add them because they do everything ordinary cars do in a much better and cheaper manner. They will be the dominant vehicle technology of the next decade.
Jet packs and flying cars have been cool for about 80 years but unlikely to go anywhere other than as a rich person’s toy,” says Elias.
Jim Bramlett, an expert in transportation management systems, says that in freight transportation, cloud-based technology is enabling real time information exchange with direct and tactical communication that shares both capacity and demand. “Cloud-based technology will transform the way the freight industry works. Not only will freight carriers publish dynamic pricing for contractual business, they will be able to quickly adjust to market demands and utilize yield management practices that airlines use, he says. “For the past 20 years, third-party intermediaries have grown exponentially, and in the next two years, direct marketplaces will prosper and eliminate the need for those intermediaries. Freight carriers will then publish capacity and match this data to shipments and vice versa. Even more powerful will be the ability for freight carriers to use push technology to alert shippers in advance where they have capacity and where they are offering incentives for shipments.”
Joseph Lombardo, an expert in carrier sourcing strategies, lists his coolest trends in transportation as:
- Movement to alternative fuels for Class 8 tractors, such as compressed natural gas and liquid natural gas, which have a lower price point than diesel and less pollutants.
- Apps for smartphones and tablets in transportation for communication with drivers looks like a low-cost solution that can level the playing field for smaller carriers.
- Use of RFID tags for trailer yard management applications at a shipper’s or receiver’s location. “Temporary tags are applied when trailer enters the yard which can provide location in real time,” says Lombardo. “This will improve efficiency of spotting tractors and give carriers real time information.”
- Use of social media by transportation companies for all modes truckload, 3PL, railroads, LTL carriers, brokers.
- Same day shipping in specific cities offered by Amazon.com and Wal-Mart.
- Collaboration, which has been talked about for years, is finally seeing traction as shippers/carriers/receivers work more closely together to drive out cost and improve service in their supply chains.
For a related story, click here.
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Move offshore garment manufacturing jobs onto American soil? They call that economic suicide.
Rachel Weeks and her School House clothing line are proving skeptics and industry apologists wrong on both counts -- no small feat for a 27-year-old CEO in this medieval economy.
As The Oregonian's Allan Brettman reported Nov. 11, Weeks launched School House after spending a year in Sri Lanka on a Fulbright scholarship. She was drawn to Sri Lanka by its campaign -- "Garments without Guilt" -- to attract apparel lines like Victoria's Secret and Nike.
"I was fascinated," the 2007 Duke graduate said, "that this tiny island nation was branding itself as a destination for ethically responsible manufacturing."
School House took a similar attitude, paying its garment workers $170 per month, three times the industry average. Companies built on targeting the cheapest Asian labor available have long argued that paying a "living wage" destabilizes the local economy. Weeks doesn't deny that those paychecks had an impact.
"People were able to send their children to school," she said. "They could take public transportation to work instead of walking for two hours because they could afford the 25-rupee fare. Suddenly, they could have lunch."
That bump in labor costs added between $1.50 and $2.50 to the retail price of School House T-shirts and hoodies. Eventually, it also slowed the factory's production schedule.
"When we started paying living wage, their turnover went from high to non-existent," Weeks said. "They were able to retain and recruit the most skilled technicians. Because they were one of the most efficient factories, they attracted other customers. They got volume opportunities ... and we have a boutique business."
Last March, then, Weeks took that business home to North Carolina. School House has created 350 jobs in five factories around the state, though she concedes there's still work to be done on salaries and pushing her sense of mission down the supply chain.
"If we're going to emphasize quality, we have to pay for it," she notes. "And that's not what the American manufacturing sector has done in recent years. They've raced to the bottom to keep up with China. They've lost sight of what craftsmanship means."
In pricing T-shirts at $30, Weeks is selling quality design and social responsibility. The market -- her clothing line is available on more than 100 campuses -- is responding. "Ten years ago, college students may not have cared about this, but they're graduating into the worst jobs climate in recent history," she said. "It's personal now."
Nothing, Weeks argues, prevents major apparel manufacturers like Nike from following her lead on Asian salaries and U.S. jobs: "I'm just a girl with an idea. They have volume, and volume buys you everything in the manufacturing world. They could walk into any factory in these developing countries and get them to pay living wages overnight."
By moving jobs into U.S. factories, Weeks said, they can also "give loyal customers a chance to vote with their dollars and support something innovative."
While they dither, Weeks wakes each morning thinking: "If not me, who else is going to do this? That's what gets me out of bed."
-- Steve Duin


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India's largest automobile manufacturer, Tata Motors Ltd., said Tuesday its net profit rose 12 per cent in the last quarter on strong local sales of trucks and buses in the most recent quarter.
Higher sales for the October-December quarter helped push Tata's net profit to 5.13 billion rupees (US$114 million), compared with 4.6 billion rupees ($102 million) in the same period last year.
The company's sales for the quarter rose to 69.56 billion rupees ($1.5 billion) helped by a 28 per cent jump in vehicle sales to 141,827 vehicles from 111,228 vehicles during the corresponding period a year earlier.
The growth was led by a 37.7 per cent surge in local sales of its trucks and buses. Tata Motors' sales of cars and utility vehicles grew 22 per cent to 52,991 units.
Tata Motors' executive director, Praveen Kadle, said the company was positive about the next quarter.
``We will continue to see growth in the fourth quarter,'' he told reporters in Mumbai, India's financial hub. ``We have ambitious plans in both the commercial vehicles and passenger car segments. Expansion plans are a continuous process.''
Shares of Tata Motors fell 63 cents, or 2.86 per cent, to $21.39 in mid-morning trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
Tata Motors is India's largest truck and bus maker.
The numbers released Monday conformed to Indian accounting standards. Numbers that meet U.S. accounting standards were not released.
The company was set up in 1954, and its cars, buses and trucks are marketed in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, South East Asia and Australia.
Under a joint venture with Italian carmaker Fiat, the company will this year manufacture cars and engines for the Indian and overseas market. As part of another joint venture with Thailand's Thonburi Automotive Assembly Plant Co., Tata Motors will make, assemble and sell pickup trucks in Thailand.
Tata Motors is part of the Tata group, one of India's leading business conglomerates with interests spanning steel, software services, hotels, chemicals, insurance and asset management, among others.


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From an article on ZDnet, it appears that Groove will be part of Office 12 in order to add much richer collaboration services to the next release of Office. This will include finding out if co-workers are online and available, then finding a way to share pre-determined data. This knowledge will include the IM services as well as Internet Telephony!
"The ability to handle voice over Internet Protocol technology is "one of the core features (Microsoft is) building into the next version of Office," said Hilf, Microsoft's director of platform technology strategy. The company also plans to continue adding more server-based productsto the Office family of products, he said."