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FOOD SECURITY SNAPSHOT
- Paddy production in 2020 forecast at near-average level
- Cereal import requirements estimated slightly above-average in 2019/20
- Prices of rice in last quarter of 2019 were lower than year-earlier levels due to larger national supplies
- Prevalence of food insecurity expected to remain high in southern regions during first half of 2020
Paddy production in 2020 expected at near-average level
Harvesting of the main 2020 season paddy crop began in April and national production is anticipated at a near-average level.
In most of northern and central regions, weather conditions from the start of the main season in October to early December 2019 generally favoured the development of paddy crops. However, torrential rains in late December in northern areas triggered floods and caused localized crop losses, while an uneven distribution of rainfall in January and February 2020 dampened yield expectations in some of the main paddy-producing areas in the central highlands. Minimal damage to crops was caused by the passage of Tropical Cyclone Herold in mid-March, which brought strong winds and heavy rains to northeastern regions and caused localized floods.
In southern regions, including the rainfed paddy-producing districts in Anosy and Ihorombe, rainfall has been erratic and seasonal totals have been well below average, hindering crop development. Consequently, paddy yields in these areas are forecast to be below average in 2020.
Harvesting of the 2020 maize crop is underway and the output is forecast at a below-average level. The expected low output reflects localized crop losses in the north caused by floods in January and a reduced area sown with maize, as farmers preferred to plant alternative crops that were considered to be less susceptible to attacks by Fall Armyworms.
Cereal import requirements estimated slightly above-average in 2019/20
The aggregate import requirements of cereals in the 2019/20 marketing year (April/March) are estimated at an above-average level of 820 000 tonnes. Despite the rebound in paddy production in 2019, import requirements of rice, which account for the largest share of cereal imports, are forecast at 450 000 tonnes in 2019/20, 15 percent above the average, as the country seeks to replenish its stocks and buffer domestic availabilities following two consecutive years of below-average paddy harvests.
Prices of rice in last quarter of 2019 were lower than year-earlier levels due to larger national supplies
In line with the seasonal trends, prices of imported and local rice varieties increased between July and November 2019 and remained stable in December when the new supplies from the 2020 minor first season harvest boosted market availabilities. In December, prices of imported and local rice were, on average, about 4 percent lower than one year before, reflecting the overall improved national supply situation following the 2019 bumper harvest. Stable exchange rates and international prices of rice contributed to limit imported inflation in 2019 and lessened the upward pressure on domestic rice prices.
Prevalence of food insecurity projected to remain high in southern regions during first half of 2020
The number of people experiencing acute food insecurity in early 2020 is estimated to have declined by almost 30 percent compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, mainly due to improved domestic availabilities of staple foods (rice, maize and cassava) and lower prices of cereals. However, according to the latest IPC acute food insecurity analysis, in southern and southeastern regions still an estimated 415 000 people were projected to be in IPC Phase 3: “Crisis” and Phase 4: “Emergency” during the April-June 2020 period. This localized high prevalence is mainly due to limited availability and access to food, owing to reduced cereal production and limited income-earning opportunities for rural households in southern regions.
The risk posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, both through the negative impacts associated with a reduction in economic activities and the potential adverse effects on localized supply levels, is an additional concern for food security across the country. An updated assessment of the food insecurity situation is expected to be available by the end of April and will provide estimates on the number of people assessed to be facing IPC Phases 3 and 4.
COVID-19 and measures adopted by the Government
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, all national borders were closed for a period of 30 days from 19 March 2020 and quarantine restrictions were implemented in the two main cities of Antananarivo and Toamasina from 23 March and in Fianarantsoa from 5 April. These containment measures, however, have not been applied to individuals within the agriculture and food supply chains. For example, agricultural labourers are exempt from travel restrictions and the movement of food and agricultural inputs are permitted.
To temper the potential excessive price movements, a price ceiling has been established for rice products, set at MGA 1 800/kg. In addition, the Government has expanded a pre-existing food subsidy programme through the establishment of new distribution points that will increase the geographic coverage. Furthermore, a new food assistance initiative will distribute 240 000 baskets of basic food items to persons that have been assessed to be most vulnerable to the impact of quarantine measures.


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- Top 10 Recession-Proof IT Jobs
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- Top 10 Accessories for Your iPad Air
Network World - Workers bringing their own devices to work was one of the biggest challenges IT departments faced in 2011... and in 2010... and in 2009 as well. And guess what? It's going to be one of the biggest challenges in 2012 too.
And now that the Kindle Fire has made Android tablets more popular, IT departments can only expect to see a wider array of new devices coming to work in the coming months. Forrester Research analyst Christian Kane says this wide variety of new devices is leading some companies to rethink how they manage mobility in the enterprise by managing access instead of devices.
"In general, there's a concept right now that you should start managing the user rather than managing the device," he says. "So you should understand that workers can use one type of device at home and another type at work but you'll still give them access to the applications they need."
What this means for users, says Kane, is that the company will let them bring any device they want to work but it won't take responsibility for repairing that device if it gets broken or replacing it if it gets lost. Rather, the job of the enterprise will be to provision access to certain applications that the user needs on their phone and to ensure that enterprise applications are effectively walled off from whatever other applications that users may download onto their own devices.
"Apps need to be controlled and monitored because they're the single biggest source for malware and security breaches," says Dan Croft, the CEO of wireless administrative services provider Mission Critical Wireless. "I know there are all kinds of cool apps that people want to download. But once you download an app to a tablet you need to be confident that the app isn't going to be conducting activities that could hurt the company."
There are a few ways that companies can get a handle on this, both of which will require some investment. The first way is for companies to build up their own private clouds to exclusively handle data used by enterprise apps. SAP CIO Oliver Bussmann says that private clouds will give companies the ability to effectively segregate sensitive data while still ensuring that workers have easy access to it on their mobile devices.
"A lot of companies are grappling with how to provide access to sharing for documents across all mobile and desktop platforms because there's a challenge right now if everything can be moved to a public cloud," he says. "So you need to find a solution that provides that kind of functionality in your own private cloud. With mobile device management software, for instance, we now have the opportunity to block users from putting documents onto iCloud or other public clouds."
The second solution for companies looking to get a handle on mobile applications is to simply build their own mobile app stores that workers can use to get all approved applications for company use. This can ensure that companies can preapprove popular apps for users and thus know exactly what apps have access to their corporate network. And as Croft notes, companies will want to keep their workers using their own app stores by offering a wide array of popular games and non-work apps so that you create a "user-friendly environment to have apps that can be fun and not just business apps." In other words, companies should expect to support Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja on their company stores along with mission-critical productivity apps.

domain: news


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Austrian doubles down on export success
Austria set out plans to build on the record export growth achieved by its wine producers in 2021 as the country welcomed visitors back to the first VieVinum trade show in four years.
The three-day event at the Hofburg in Vienna attracted more than 1,000 international visitors from 53 countries, with the general public also admitted each afternoon. Visitors could taste wines from around 500 producers, with the additional chance to attend 23 masterclasses or tutored tastings. As a minor concession to Covid-19, which forced the cancellation of VieVinum 2020, visitor numbers were reduced and exhibitors were given extra space.
Chris Yorke, CEO of the Austrian Wine Marketing Board, hailed the country’s 2021 wine export performance as “the largest growth we’ve ever had.” From a total value of €183 million in 2019, rising to €187m in 2020, 2021 saw Austria’s wine exports leap to €217m, including a major peak in February and March as many of the world’s restaurants reopened.
“In the last two years we’ve had to support whatever channels were open and so we needed to be very flexible,” outlined Yorke as he stressed the high level of activity maintained by the AWMB despite severe obstacles posted by the pandemic.
2021 saw the organisation run 24 masterclasses in four countries, arrange an online tasting for Germany, its largest export market, and host several digital press trips. It was eventually even possible to take 103 producers to Switzerland, Austria’s second largest export market, for a two-day event in Zurich, which Yorke noted was not only the AWMB’s biggest event of 2021 but also the largest wine event to take place in Switzerland that year.
“My biggest concern of the last two years was that Austria wines were dusting up on the shelves,” he remarked. To prevent this stagnation, Yorke explained, “we ran a lot of promotions in-store for people to try Austrian wine. Particularly in retail it was really important that we continued to drive things.”
Back at the AWMB offices, the team created a “Digital Wine Hub” green room that could be used as a film studio and has continued to be useful even as pandemic restrictions ease. “It gives us all sorts of opportunities if we can’t travel,” observed Yorke.
One major educational project of the last four years has been to digitise the extensive vineyard information available for each of Austria’s wine regions. The interactive website www.austrianvineyards.com allows users to zoom into maps right down to the level of individual vineyards. Layered on top of this map is detailed geodata showing factors including orientation, incline and climate. The tool was further strengthened recently to overlay data on the grape varieties planted in each vineyard.
Looking ahead, Yorke expressed an ambition to move the US market up a spot from its current position as Austria’s third largest foreign market, with an 8.7% share of exports worth €18.9m. The US was a particularly strong growth area for Austria in 2021, with shipments here leaping by 23% in value. Canada also saw a major value rise of 65.5%. Exports to the UK, Austria’s eighth largest overseas market, rose by 17.9% to reach a total of €5.7m.
Despite this record international growth, Yorke maintained there remains considerable scope to develop Austria’s wine exports, which still account for a small proportion of the country’s total production. He noted: “Three out of four bottles produced in Austria are drunk in Austria.”


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WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) -- Tricia Shore thought she was fulfilling her daughter's dream when she ordered Justin Timberlake concert tickets 8 months ago for her 21st birthday.
She bought them from a website called gotickets.com. That dream was shattered Thursday night when the ticket-taker told her daughter the tickets were fake.
"She was in line, in line for probably an hour," said Shore Friday morning. "She calls me bawling because they won't allow her to get in there, the ticket was invalid."
While JT was rocking the Kansas City Sprint Center Thursday night, Shore's 21-year-old daughter and her friend stood outside.
"They wouldn't let her in," said Shore. "I was helpless."
The 2 tickets cost Shore $500.
"They said the tickets are 100% refundable, but that isn't the case," said Shore.
The website promotes that it has tickets to nearly every concert, sporting event and show around the country. When Deb Farris spoke to the Sprint Center media relations person, she said she had never heard of gotickets.com before. She says when buying tickets, it's buyer beware, something Shore now knows all too well.
"They stole my money, but my daughter was so excited about it, you can't get that back, you can't refund that," said Shore.
At first, Gotickets told Shore it wouldn't refund her money, but after KAKE News started making calls, the website told her she would get all of her money back, plus a $100 credit if she wants to use them again in the future.
Posted by: Nick Viviani


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Tesco has slashed the price of its ISIS TV - but says the decision has nothing to do with the fact that the set shares its name with the group of jihadist extremists.
The manufacturers of the 39in LED HD TV have no connection to ISIS, responsible for recent atrocities including the beheading of a British aid worker.
But consumers have questioned whether the coincidence possible has persuaded the supermarket giant to cut the price of the set by £50 from £229 to £179.
One shopper said: "I guess not a lot of people would want to own an ISIS branded TV at the moment even if it has nothing to do with the extremists.
"Maybe that's why Tesco has dropped the price by £50.
"I guess some shoppers could be tempted but others may be put off regardless."
According to the Tesco website the TV, which is available in-store and online, uses "a combination of LED technology and high quality audio to offer an immersive experience that can be enjoyed in the comfort of your own home".
It also includes an HDMI connection and USB port for access to external data including movies, pictures and music.
But whether shoppers will see it as a bargain buy or not remains to be seen.
Would you by an ISIS television?
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A Tesco spokesperson said the price cut was unrelated to the brand name and they "had a number of promotions" on TVs at the moment.
Other businesses who share the ISIS name have also caused confusion for customers.
The owners of a spiritual shop revealed how they had been subjected to tirades of abuse after being accused of supporting the extremist group.
Derek Morgan and Lisa Warburton - who opened the Isis Centre in Stockport three years ago - said they had been called "terrorists" and described the shop's name as an "unfortunate coincidence".
Watch footage of two RAF Tornados taking off from Cyprus as they set off on their first combat mission against ISIS militants in Iraq.


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Feb 15 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals were reported by 1015 GMT on Wednesday:
** Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp said it has agreed to buy Fortress Investment Group LLC for about $3.3 billion, looking to add investment expertise as it prepares to launch the world’s largest private equity fund.
** Germany’s Pfeiffer Vacuum publicly rejected a takeover bid from rival Busch, saying it lacked a control premium and did not reflect the growth potential for vacuum pumps.
** Trian Fund Management LP disclosed a $3.5 billion stake in Procter & Gamble Co on Tuesday, taking aim at the maker of Pampers diapers as it moves to boost sales and shed unprofitable brands.
** Shares in Toshiba Corp skidded after the conglomerate said it would book a $6.3 billion hit to its U.S. nuclear unit and may sell a majority stake in its prized flash-memory chip unit as it scrambles for cash to stay in business.
** After Norway’s Yara pulled out as a potential bidder, Vale SA has resumed searching for a buyer for four fertilizer plants that were not included in a $2.5 billion sale to Mosaic Co, according to three people with direct knowledge of the matter.
** European bourse operator Euronext said it planned to become a content provider of reference on agricultural products and other commodity markets, and would seek “a suitable acquisition target.”
** Slovenia hopes to sell 75 percent of its largest bank, state-owned Nova Ljubljanska Banka (NLB), for at least 1 billion euros ($1.06 billion), newspaper Delo reported citing unofficial sources.
** U.S. rail operator CSX Corp said its board has called for a special meeting of its shareholders to discuss requests made by hedge fund Mantle Ridge LP, which is trying to install Hunter Harrison, outgoing chief executive of Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd as the company’s chief executive.
** Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc was an aggressive buyer of stocks in last year’s fourth quarter, nearly quadrupling its stake in Apple Inc and increasing its stake sevenfold in the four biggest U.S. airlines. (Compiled by Vishaka George in Bengaluru)


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Savannah-based Enmarket has acquired Handy Dan’s in Ridgeland, S.C., the company announced last week. They assumed operations of the store at 8250 Main St. in Ridgeland, on Sept. 20.
“Our southeastern footprint is expanding rapidly,” said Brett Giesick, Enmarket’s president.
“With our recent acquisition of Joker Joe’s and now Handy Dan’s, we’re thrilled to increase our presence along Interstate 95 in South Carolina.”
Enmarket plans to remodel the station to feature both hot and cold grab-and-go items prepared fresh in store, including biscuits, fresh doughnuts and pastries.
The store will have an expanded beverage area featuring bean-to-cup coffee, freshly brewed ice tea, expanded fountain offerings with chewy ice and frozen beverages. A new cooler and beer cave will be added.
Founded in 1963 by Robert Demere as Interstate Stations, Enmarket is part of Savannah-based Colonial Group Inc. and operates 122 convenience stores and 14 quick-serve restaurants throughout Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
Earlier this month the company acquired Joker Joe’s Truck Stop in Hardeeville, S.C., and recently doubled its presence in the region with the acquisition of 34 E-Z Shop convenience stores in the Palmetto State and 34 Clyde’s Markets in southeast Georgia.


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President comments, "This sucker is fast!"
The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning officially comes out tomorrow night, but President Joe Biden was at the Ford plant in Dearborn today and gave us all a pre-embargo sneak peek. The President was in town talking electric vehicles with The Blue Oval and even had the chance to drive the truck, which looks very fast.
"The future of the auto industry is electric. There is no going back," Biden said in remarks from Ford's electric vehicle plant. "Right now China is leading in this race. Make no bones about it. This is a fact."
"Folks, the rest of the world is moving fast. They're moving ahead. They're not waiting for the United States of America," Biden continued. "We have a playbook that'll work. We're going to set a new pace for electric vehicles."
A few weeks ago at a two-day climate summit, Biden pledged to to cut emissions by 50%-52% from 2005 levels, which was the country's peak at about 7,500 million tons, by 2030. Those emissions include CO2, methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases. CO2 makes up the lion's share of this. The most popular vehicle in the world adding an electric variant would certainly help.
We expected the F-150 Lightning to be fast, but Biden's takeoff looks otherworldly. We're sure there are a few Tesla Cybertruck fans, including Elon Musk himself, watching breathlessly. Biden took a shot at guessing the 0-60 sprint time too, saying it felt like 4.3 or 4.4 seconds. Ford brass told him that info hasn't been released yet. Even the President gets stiff-armed sometimes.
Check back here tomorrow at 9:30 PM for the big reveal. Ford built a mega movie screen at its HQ in Dearborn to project the introduction live to tons of fans. But you can just come here for all the details instead. And check back Thursday morning to see how it drives.


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In better-late-than-never news, Hollywood Mom Blog favorites: Chloe Moretz, 14, Hailee Steinfeld, 14, and Elle Fanning 13 recently joined forces for a gorgeous Vogue shoot. It’s no surprise to us that this trio were chosen for the piece as they’ve quickly become fashion icons not only for the 16 and under set, but for the entire age spectrum of the fashion conscience. While many of their contemporaries are wearing colorful and festive attire fashionable for children, these three young ladies have each uniquely managed to walk the line of age-appropriate and ageless simultaneously with their design choices. It’s certainly a new and more sophisticated breed of child actor we’re growing here in Hollywood these days.
The pictorial, which was shot by Bruce Weber on location at the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood, ran in the May edition of Vogue Magazine. As you may recall, Elle recently shot “Somewhere” at the famed hotel. Elle’s big sister, Dakota Fanning and top model Natalia Vodianova also make appearances in the pictorial.


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If you're thinking about buying a used car, get ready for a surprise that even local dealers didn't see coming. If you're thinking about selling your used car, plan on making more cash than you probably thought. People are holding on to cars and trucks for about a year longer than they did before the recession, which has created a tight supply of used vehicles. So few are on the market that prices have risen to their highest in at least 16 years.
"People are absolutely buying pre-owned instead of new. I would buy something like this car last year for about 20% less than what I'd pay for it now," said Sacramento used car dealer Amir Daneshear.
The economic ripple effect has smacked the car industry from all sides. Not a lot of people want a new car because once you drive off the dealership lot, the car is worth thousands less than it was before you left. Fewer new car sales translates to fewer people pumping up the used car market with trade-in's and that's where the standard supply and demand equation comes into play.
"They might have bought a car two years ago and now they're trading it in and getting more money than they paid for it," said Daneshear.
When dealers have to compete for vehicles, they pay more and that increase in price is passed on to buyers. Daneshear told us the prices he seeing now could be on average 20% more across the board.
"When I sell cars, my biggest concern is how am I going to replenish those cars for the next week. I used to go to one auction and get five cars, now I got to five auctions to get one car," said Daneshear.
Fewer people are leasing cars too and returned leases are a big part of the used car market. Some models are worse than others when it comes to the jump in price. Toyota and Honda sedans have increased the most, but the biggest jump was Toyota's Prius. Last year's Prius model is worth almost $4,000 more than the original sticker price.
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Over one third of Irish companies plan to spend more on marketing as they face what is likely to be a tough year for many businesses.
Of these companies, 79% plan to invest in their website or e-commerce - while 49% plan to invest more in advertising according to the data gathered by MediaCom Ireland and The Irish Times.
It reports that on average Irish firms are spending just 7% of annual revenues on marketing activity - this is below an average of 10% in the US and the UK.
74% plan to advertise across social media - it is the most popular form. It's followed by 39% using search engines and a further 39% advertising with print and online news publishers.
Commenting on the research, Peter McPartlin, CEO of MediaCom Ireland said, "The research points to continued growth in overall marketing budgets but there is a changing focus by decision-makers on new priorities and different communications channels – not all of which are the expected ones."
Eimear Moran, Media Solutions Director, The Irish Times, added "As a media publisher, we wanted to understand exactly where our commercial focus should be and what support and innovative solutions we can provide to marketers in the coming year."
This research was conducted by iReach using their large online panel of business people across small, medium and large enterprises, including government and semi-states. It was based on over 200 responses.


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This week, I had the pleasure of appearing on Hilary Topper On Air on BlogTalk Radio, along with my colleague Paul Rubell, to discuss legal rights of individuals in social networking and some of the legal issues individuals and companies should be aware of on social media.
The show is hosted by Topper, a leader in the public relations and social media industry. In 2009, Topper wrote the book “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Social Media, but were afraid to ask… Building Your Business Using Consumer Generated Media.” The book has received accolades from the PR industry and the business community. Topper is also a founder of the Long Island Social Media Association, which is an exciting new group that includes many bloggers, reporters and social media enthusiasts on Long Island. I first got to know Hilary when sharing a stage with her at the Long Island Digital Summit in May 2012.
On Hilary Topper on Air, we had a chance to discuss a range of trending and interesting social media topics and legal issues. As individuals and companies increasingly turn to social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter for everything from conversations to business, the amount and variety of legal issues that spring up on social media have grown. I have had the opportunity to cover a range of interesting social media legal issues for Young Island, including: whether a Facebook “like” is entitled to First Amendment protection, why Twitter tweets are fair game for a subpoena, whether individuals may be served a lawsuit through Facebook, and how deleting Facebook posts could lead to a lawsuit. There are many other issues arising through social media, almost daily now.
That is not to say, however, that individuals and companies should avoid using social media altogether, as we discussed on air. Rather, individuals and companies should be mindful of the potential issues that may arise through social media use, consult with a professional when necessary, and realize that they can get the most out of social media by utilizing its many benefits while safeguarding against it potential pitfalls. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience on Hilary Topper on Air and discussing this interesting field. For anyone interesting in listening to our full conversation, you can access it here.


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Never Mind That IPO–Adnexus Acquired by Bristol-Myers Squibb
Just a month after filing for an $86 million IPO, and less than two months after raising $15.5 million in a Series C financing round, Adnexus Therapeutics announced yesterday that it is being acquired by Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY). Under the terms of the deal Adnexus, which develops biologic therapeutics derived from the protein fibronectin, will net $415 million in cash and will be eligible for another $75 million in milestone payments. The Waltham-based firm will remain where it is, as a subsidiary of BMS.
Noubar Afeyan, managing partner and CEO of Flagship Ventures (which contributed the largest share of the $70.5 million in venture funding raised by Adnexus) says that the acquisition “follows a series of prior deals where Pharma companies acquire biotechs with proprietary product platforms to strengthen their pipelines.” Both Afeyan (an Xconomist) and Amir Nashat, a general partner at Polaris Venture Partners—another Adnexus investor—say that the trend is particularly strong in the protein therapeutics arena.
Adnexus and BMS began collaborating in February, when the firms announced a deal to use Adnexus’ patented protein-design system to supply BMS with oncology product candidates. According to Nashat, “This collaboration proceeded extremely well both technically, as well as in the people dimension, as the mutual respect and regard between the two groups of scientists continued to build.” Afeyan says that “BMS has signaled a growing commitment to biologics for a while,” including building a manufacturing plant in Devens, MA.
So what about the IPO filing? Was Adnexus serious about going it alone or, as PEHub’s Dan Primack suggested in August, was the company really trying to position itself for an acquisition all along? Afeyan and Nashat both insist on the former. “Adnexus had taken all the necessary steps and was committed to the IPO process, and had every confidence that it could mature its technology and products in the context of a stand-alone business,” says Nashat. Still, says Afeyan, the BMS deal has its advantages. “The acquisition provides far greater resources for the company’s platform to be expanded and utilized to produce multiple therapeutic products. In addition, the shareholders are rewarded at a valuation that is likely higher than an IPO would produce in the short term.”


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newsXpress Gympie (QLD) is promoting the latest newsXpress HOT Ink! deals on large posters placed on the footpath in front of their business. The brilliant posters draw attention to hero brand-name ink and toner products which feature in the HOT Ink! #14 catalogue produced by newsXpress and which has just been distributed to a million homes around the country.
Warrick and the team at newsXpress Gympie are demonstrating the importance of markeing by promoting the latest ink deals through flyers, posters in-store and these posters out the front of the shop. The co-ordinated saturation campaign makes it clear to everyone in Gympie that the best placefor printer ink locally is newsXpress Gympie.


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Any business worth its salt aims to grow revenue every year. Some get there by lowering prices or making large acquisitions, and others simply run their business with an eye to solid growth.
These three tech companies are growing their annual sales faster than 30% right now. From hardware specialist Arris Group (NASDAQ:ARRS) to social network Twitter (NYSE:TWTR), with cloud-computing expert salesforce.com (NYSE:CRM) thrown in for good measure, you'll find some very different growth strategies.
Let's dig in.
Twitter: Social butterfly?
When Twitter reported third-quarter results recently, the microblogging service's trailing sales had more than doubled year over year.
Twitter's combined revenue for the past four quarters rose 118% from the same span reported a year ago. The network only added 23% more users over these four quarters, stopping at 284 million monthly active users. But advertisers are latching on to Twitter's eyeball-grabbing value, and the rate per thousand ad impressions rose by 83%.
This company is growing sales the old-fashioned way. Twitter is introducing its advertising tools to new geographical markets, raising ad prices due to high demand for limited advertising spaces, and growing the core network at a respectable clip. There are no game-changing acquisitions at play here, no price cuts, and generally no financial trickery. Management is simply running its core business the best way it knows how, and good results follow naturally.
It's not all wine and roses, of course. Twitter is still barely profitable, and tends to burn cash on a regular basis. The company's cash balance is rising, but only thanks to a fresh $1.8 billion long-term loan. So Twitter has a long way to go before becoming a slam-dunk place to park your retirement portfolio, but the sales trends are moving very quickly in the right direction.
Salesforce: Head in the clouds
Salesforce is moving at a somewhat slower pace than Twitter, but then we're talking about a far older and more mature business.
This company has been around since 1999, making it nearly twice as old as Twitter. With gray at the temples comes a certain gravitas, but Salesforce has plenty of gas left in its high-growth engines.
The exciting thing about this customer management software specialist isn't that its trailing revenue is growing by 37% at the moment -- it's the way Salesforce's growth is accelerating in the long run:
This company's maturity shows on the bottom line. Salesforce is growing its operating cash flow and adjusted earnings per share roughly in line with its rampant revenue increases. CEO Marc Benioff likes to point out that his company is one of the 10 largest software companies in the world -- and grows faster than any of its top-10 peers.
Acquisitions are a key piece of Salesforce's growth puzzle. Last year, for example, the company paid $2.5 billion for cloud marketing specialist ExactTarget. This deal added about $150 million of new 2014 revenue, reduced non-generally accepted accounting principles earnings by roughly $0.16 per share, and added a new operation to Salesforce's bag of tricks. It's a long-term deal that will probably prove to be worth its steep up-front sticker price -- and then some.
In the long run, Benioff is aiming for at least $10 billion in annual sales -- a target that analysts expect the company to achieve by 2019. That would be more than double the current trailing revenue flow of $4.7 billion.
Arris: Wheeling and dealing
Salesforce's buyouts might be subtle, but there's nothing understated or delicate about Arris' acquisition strategy.
When the cable industry hardware maker took Motorola's set-top box business off Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) hands in 2013, the $2.4 billion agreement instantly tripled Arris' sales. Year-over-year comparisons have moved past the pre-buyout era, yet Arris still increased its sales by 32% in its latest quarterly report. Before the Google/Motorola buyout, Arris' sales growth was stuck at just 17% a year.
The deal did much more than simply increase the company's sales. Arris also increased its trailing free cash flow from $60 million to $468 million, and expanded its Rolodex with Motorola's top-tier telecom and cable customers. It's a perfectly executed game changer, and Arris shares have more than doubled since the buyout was announced.
Unlike Twitter and Salesforce, Arris sacrificd its profit margins on the altar of massive sales growth. But the drastically higher sales volumes more than make up for the lower gross margins, proving that there are many ways to skin a cat.


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We are delighted to be exhibiting once again at the British Parking Association (BPA) event Parkex at the Birmingham NEC from April 4th to 6th. Come and join us on stand P112 and find out more about how 3C Payment is transforming cashless parking through full end to end payment services and the latest contactless terminal technology
Parkex is Europe’s largest dedicated parking exhibition showcasing hundreds of the newest and most innovative parking technologies. The annual BPA event is where the profession comes together to find solutions to the latest parking issues. As an industry leading global payment provider 3C Payment has been ever present at Parkex for over 15 years providing valuable industry insight and showcasing the latest cashless parking payment solutions.
This year we are delighted to showcase our full end to end solution comprising the terminal device, terminal application, gateway services and full acquiring solution. This means 3C parking customers can now benefit from a single payment contract for all their services.
Come and visit us and find out more!


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Earlier this year, the Digital Economy Bill (DEB) was forced through causing many a sleepless night in the Internet community. And now it would seem that the record labels have been having a blast, throwing fines here there and everywhere. They’ve been given the power to threaten fines but have rarely asked to produce any evidence.
The Ministry of Sound have been caught up recently for sending out 2,000+ letters to people asking for compensation. Most of the people claim they didn’t do it. Whether they did or didn’t is another story.
More rich lawyers at the ISPs cost.
All these letters are costing the industry a lot of money. At the same time, they’ve made a lot of lawyers a lot richer. Until now, there’s been nothing to stop them from being sent either – no proof was particularly needed. But at last, it looks like the record labels will have to pay the ISPs to send them out.
However even this proposal is turning into a massive fiasco: “The new Act requires the evidential standards to be defined – but Ofcom are leaving this up the rights holders and ISPs to decide in the future”.
What’s more, it looks like the record labels are going to have to predict how many letters they’re going to send out over the next 12 months, and pay in advance. Ridiculous.
You cannot give companies the power to fine the consumer without some control. Likewise, you cannot insist they pay so many months in advance for something that hasn’t happened yet.
The DEB was introduced to reduce online copyright theft and who’d disagree. Downloading illegal movies and music is wrong and it’s damaging the economy. However, the main issue with the bill was the hastiness of it’s introduction which happened overnight.
We need some balance brought to the equation again. As it turns out, most lawyers actually agree that the Bill is unenforceable – the only way to actually fine someone is to prove they downloaded the file by seizing their computer and examining the hard disk.
An acquaintance (hello Russell) was telling me that the movie companies are actaully seeding their movies onto the Internet so they have someone to target. Isn’t that called entrapment?
What’s the next turn the DEB will take? I would hope, with time, that it settles down and we can all get on with providing Internet service to people around the UK. In essence, it’s a good ideas. But until then, we’re just going to have to cope with the endless roller coaster.


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Mobile phones and tablets accounted for nearly 7% of U.S. Internet traffic in August 2011. Mobile phones accounted for about 2/3 of the total, with tablets accounting for most of the remainder, according to a new report from comScore that “analyzes how cross-platform consumption has created a vastly different landscape as consumers utilize a growing number of devices to consumer digital content.”
“The popularization of smartphones and the introduction of tablets and other web-enabled devices – collectively termed ‘connected devices’ – have contributed to an explosion in digital media consumption,” commented Mark Donovan, senior vice president of mobile in a press release.
“As these devices gain adoption, we have also seen the rise of the ‘digital omnivores’ – consumers who access content through several touchpoints during the course of their daily digital lives. In order to meet the needs of these consumers, advertisers and publishers must learn to navigate this new landscape so they develop cross-platform strategies to effectively engage their audiences.”
Entitled, “Digital Omnivores: How Tablets, Smartphones and Connected Devices are Changing U.S. Digital Media Consumption,” the report’s highlights include:
- Mobile phones drive digital traffic around the world, while tablets are gaining steam. The share of non-computer traffic for the U.S. stood at 6.8 percent in August 2011, with approximately two-thirds of that traffic coming from mobile phones, and tablets accounting for much of the remainder.
- Increased Wi-Fi availability and mobile broadband adoption in the U.S. are helping drive connectivity. In August 2011, more than 1/3 (37.2 percent) of U.S. digital traffic coming from mobile phones occurred via a WiFi connection. That’s nearly 3 points higher in the past three months. Tablets, which traditionally required a WiFi connection, are increasingly driving traffic using mobile broadband access. In August, nearly 10% of traffic from tablets occurred via a mobile network connection.
- Today, 1/2 of the total U.S. mobile population uses mobile media. The mobile media user population (those who browse the mobile web, access applications, or download content) grew 19% in the past year to more than 116 million people, as of end August.
- iPads dominate among tablets in driving digital traffic. iPads delivered 97.2% of all tablet traffic in the U.S. in August. iPads have also begun to account for a higher share of Internet traffic than iPhones (46.8% vs. 42.6% of all iOS device traffic).
- In the U.S., tablet users display the characteristics of early technology adopters: young males in upper income brackets. In August, 54.7% of all tablet owners were male and nearly 30% were age 25-34. Nearly half (45.9 percent) of tablet owners belonged to households earning $100K and more.
- Nearly half of tablet owners made or completed a purchase on their tablet. Tablet owners exhibited significant use of their devices throughout the entire online shopping process – from doing the initial planning, conducting product and store research, making price comparisons, to finally transacting. In the past month, more than half of tablet owners looked up product or price information for a specific store (56%) and read customer ratings and reviews while on a tablet (54%).
- Nearly 3 out of 5 tablet owners consume news on their tablets; 58% of tablet owners consumed world, national or local news on their devices. One in four consumed this content on a near-daily basis on their tablets.
- Tablets facilitate real-time social networking. Nearly 3 in 5 tablet owners updated their social networking status or commented on others’ status on their device during September, while slightly less than half shared their location using a location-sharing site during.
- The incremental reach through mobile and connected devices should not be underestimated. In the case of a publisher such as Pandora, the incremental reach of additional channels, such as connected devices, is significant. In August 2011, the additional mobile and connected device audience for Pandora accounted for more than half of their total cross-platform audience.
At 43.1%, comScore researchers found that Apple’s iOS had the largest average share of connected devices in the three months ending August this year. Google’s Android ranked second with a 34.1% share and RIM’s BlackBerry third with 15.4%.
At 58.5%, Apple’s iOS mobile operating system (OS) also accounted for the largest share of Internet traffic from mobile devices. Google again ranked second, at 31.9%, and RIM third with a 5% market share.


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New Delhi, September 7: After Vodafone Idea Ltd rebranded itself as ‘Vi’ on Monday, the websites of both the telecom operators- Vodafone India and Idea Cellular, was merged as one- which is myvi.in. Earlier Vodafone customers used to visit Vodafone.in to get details about the services while customers who used Idea services, visited ideacellular.com. However, from September 7, customers of Vodafone and Idea will be redirected to a new website www.myvi.in.
Vodafone Idea came together as a merged entity two years ago on August 31, 2018. Under the merger, it was decided that both- Vodafone and Idea will continue to operate like before. Reports inform that the merger had led to the creation of India’s biggest telecom service provider with over 408 million subscribers. Vodafone Idea Rebrands Itself as Vi.
The new brand identity was unveiled via a virtual platform as the struggling telco looked to rediscover itself post the Supreme Court’s ruling on past statutory dues. VIL, which had about 280 million subscribers as of June, said that Vodafone and Idea brands will now be termed as ‘Vi’.
The rebranding news comes a week after the Vodafone Idea board approved fund-raising plans of up to Rs 25,000 crore through a combination of equity and debt instruments, to keep the company afloat. Talking about the new brand, Ravinder Takkar, MD and CEO, Vodafone Idea said that the new brand launch signifies the desire to not just deliver, but delight our customers, stakeholders, communities and our employees and signals our passion and commitment to be a Champion for Digital India.
He said VIL is now leaner and agile, and the deployment of many principles of 5G architecture has helped to transform into a future-fit, digital network for the changing customer needs. “The brand integration not only marks the completion of the largest telecom merger in the world, but will also set the company on its future journey to offer strong digital experiences to 1 billion Indians on its 4G network”, he said.
(The above story first appeared on Fool’s Corner on Sep 07, 2020 02:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website foolscorner.com).


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Time for a Checkup?
2014 is bringing a lot of changes to the health care market. Not only are insurance providers competing at the consumer level now, but employers, state and federal agencies have to educate people on the options available to them. If that doesn't scream "marketing opportunity," we don't know what does.
Do these new opportunities have you interested in selling to the health care market for the first time? Check out what industry experts have to say about selling to hospitals, medical centers and other wellness companies below.
WHAT'S SO GOOD ABOUT IT?
Besides the obvious answer of "there's money there," it's always nice if a particular market has other positives to selling into it. Thankfully, the health care market happens to be one of those.
"My favorite thing [about the health and wellness market] is that often times you are creating a positive experience for a patient or building awareness for a great cause," said Bradley Ellis, marketing manager for Via! for Travel and More, Corona, Calif. "It's a good feeling to be to be a part of that. Our particular products create a positive patient experience while the patient is being treated at a hospital or medical center," he said. "Knowing that our patient bedside kits or small comfort items, such as our eye shade masks, are making their visit a little more comfortable is awesome.
Chris Flynn, national sales manager for Fields Manufacturing/Better Life Line, St. Cloud, Minn., expanded on Ellis' idea of helpful products. Besides some products having helpful attributes themselves (sun care items, etc.), the messaging on the items is also something that can have a positive impact on the world. "My favorite aspect of selling health and wellness products is knowing that some of the messaging is truly going to help people and make a positive impact," said Flynn. "These products are not just useful advertising pieces; they are useful tools promoting a healthier lifestyle or [bringing] awareness to a cause."


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Author: vertical and horizontal source: Zhonghua city (id:hqsycn)
A few years ago, the United States brazenly launched the largest trade war in history, which has been declared a failure so far. The United States has been struggling all day whether to abolish tariffs on China.
Now, a message from Bloomberg News Agency also shows that the “science and technology war” launched by the United States is becoming more and more difficult to cover.
Bloomberg News Agency reported on the 21st that after the United States imposed a series of sanctions on Chinese technology, 19 of the 20 fastest-growing chip industry companies in the world came from China in the past four quarters. The top five with the fastest growth are Suzhou Guoxin, Cambrian, chuangyao technology, Kelun electronics and zhenradium technology.
Here is a set of data. In 2021, China’s orders for chip manufacturing equipment from overseas increased by 58%; Due to the increase of local supply, China’s cumulative chip imports in the first four months of 2022 decreased by 24billion compared with the same period in 2021;
In 2021, the total sales volume of Chinese chip related enterprises increased by 18%, reaching a record of RMB 1trillion, about US $150billion, while the global chip market was US $550billion.
This made the United States laugh and cry. It originally wanted to use the largest trade war in history to defeat China at one fell swoop, but failed; He tried to “jam” China with the science and technology war, but he didn’t.
In addition, chips are the focus of the “neck of the neck” of the United States, the benchmark industry of the scientific and technological war, and the core key to the United States’ attack. The United States has not won such an important “mountain”, but has brought vitality and prosperity to the Chinese chip industry. Why should the United States be embarrassed!
? Biden video screenshot
In fact, the author has bet that China can win these two battles from the beginning.
Now when we look at the trade war, we are basically from the perspective of God. It is very good-looking. However, at the beginning of the outbreak of the trade war, many people were worried or even scared, because many people felt that it was the legendary United States, which was incomparably powerful, and it was the largest trade war in history.
Some old readers should remember that the author said at the beginning of the trade war that the U.S. trade victory rate against China was not high. China seems to be the second largest country in terms of nominal GDP, but according to the GDP calculated by purchasing power parity, China surpassed the United States as early as 2014, and China is also the world’s largest market, the largest manufacturing country, the global manufacturing center, and the world’s largest foreign trade country… In this case, the United States wants to beat China in economy and trade, and the success rate can be imagined. Trump is not alone in fighting a trade war. George W. Bush and Obama before him have tried and failed without exception. I don’t believe trump can be much smarter than them.
Therefore, the failure of the United States in the trade war today has long been doomed.
Similarly, when the United States launched a technological war, the author still bet on the United States to lose.
There are three reasons:
1. China used to be poor and destitute, but it can still go today. With today’s Chinese science and technology, can the United States still seal it off?
In the early years, China had no money and could not even eat enough. It was impossible to talk about science and technology. In addition, China is also facing a severe blockade on science and technology such as the Batumi organization and the Wassenaar agreement.
However, it was in such an environment that early China developed high technology represented by “two bombs and one satellite”; Later, China developed space stations, supercomputing, stealth fighters, modern warships and other things that were severely blocked by the West.
Today, China’s GDP ranks the second in the world, and its economic strength reaches US $20trillion. In industry, China has become a global manufacturing center, and has the most complete industrial categories in the world. In addition, China’s scientific and technological foundation today… These conditions are more than onethousand times and tenthousand times better than when it was the first day when it was poor and the second day when it was white. At that time, it was impossible to seal China’s science and technology. Isn’t it a dream?
With this alone, it is absolutely right to bet on China to win.
2. The fact that Chinese people do not believe in fate also determines that China will make breakthroughs in science and technology
Foreign myths place their destiny on God. Prometheus stole the fire when there was no fire, and God gave Noah’s Ark when there was a flood… Looking at the stories of “Suiren drilling for fire”, “Dayu controlling the flood” and “Shennong tasting hundreds of herbs” in China, they basically rely on themselves rather than God; The stories of Hou Yi shooting at the sun, Kuafu chasing the sun, and making havoc in the heavenly palace also tell a truth, which annoys even the gods.
With this trait, the Chinese nation is naturally self reliant. It is impossible for anyone or any country to seal China off.
3. High tech is too important for China in the future and must be broken through
Take the chip as an example. It is related to the future development of smart cars, artificial intelligence, future manufacturing, and the interconnection of all things. We must break through it and have no choice.
In the industry, some of the low-end enterprises will migrate outward. If the high-end enterprises fail to break through, they will face the scenario of “not reaching the sky and leaving the ground at their feet”, which is the so-called “middle-income trap”. Therefore, this situation also determines that China must make breakthroughs in high technology.
Moreover, China has missed the first three industrial revolutions and cannot miss the fourth.
All of the above have determined that China will gather all the strength of the country to do this. Once China gets serious, when have you ever seen anything that hasn’t been done?
Based on the above three points, it can be concluded that the United States wants to seal China in science and technology, which is completely wishful thinking!
In 2018, the author wrote a paragraph, which is to be rewritten today: one day, we will thank the former 2018, the United States, and, by the way, trump, because that year, he launched a science and technology war with the United States under his administration, making China stronger and stronger again!


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NEW YORK (AP) - In a boost to animal welfare activists looking to get livestock out of cramped cages, Burger King will be the first major U.S. fast-food chain to give all of its chickens and pigs some room to roam.
SAN JOSE (AP) - Google is hoping to build the world's largest digital filing cabinet in the latest attempt to deepen people's dependence on its services.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The first new case of mad cow disease in the U.S. since 2006 has been discovered in a dairy cow in California, but health authorities said Tuesday the animal never was a threat to the nation's food supply.
U.S. officials announced a case of mad cow disease in a dairy cow in California. It is only the fourth such case detected in the U.S. since the first case was identified in 2003.
CUPERTINO (AP) - Apple Inc., the world's most valuable company, trumped skeptics once again by reporting blowout iPhone sales.
NEW YORK (AP) - Hidden in AT&T Inc.'s financial statements is a story that runs counter to its optimistic profit projections: The company is generating less revenue from each new smartphone subscriber.
CUPERTINO (AP) - Apple is set to report another record quarterly profit on Tuesday, continuing the relentless string of results that's made it the world's most valuable company. Those profits don't come out of thin air: A range of businesses -from the company's wireless carrier friends to its PC-making foes- are seeing their profits melt away and flow to Apple's bottom line.
MENLO PARK (AP) - Facebook's first-quarter net income fell 12 percent, weighed down by higher expenses even as its revenue soared, the social networking company said Monday, just a few weeks ahead of its expected initial public offering in May.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Social Security is rushing even faster toward insolvency, driven by retiring baby boomers, a weak economy and politicians' reluctance to take painful action to fix the huge retirement and disability program.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Netflix's comeback from a customer backlash accelerated during the first quarter, but the recovery wasn't impressive enough to ease more pressing concerns about the Internet video subscription service's ability to cope with tougher competition.
SANTA CLARA (AP) - Intel Corp. said Monday that PCs with chips from its new generation of processors, featuring a revolutionary design, will be available this week.
ATLANTA (AP) - Baseball is back, which means die-hard fans like me are hungry for updates and highlights when we're not near our televisions or computers.
NEW YORK (AP) - The worst appears to be over. Gasoline prices are going down.
Sometimes I am just blown away by the reaction I get to a column. I write what I think is the most innocuous and non-controversial answer to someone's question about Social Security benefits - and then, out of the blue, my email inbox is flooded with letters. Some of them have an inquisitive "this can't possibly be true" tone, while others are downright angry.
NEW YORK (AP) - Shares of Tesla Motors Inc. surged 16 percent Tuesday after a Wall Street analyst told investors that Tesla could shake up the electric utility sector as well as the auto industry.
LONDON (AP) - Early Tuesday, the world's most established exchange for bitcoin disappeared from the Internet, sending the price of the virtual currency tumbling and prompting fears that the world's biggest experiment in electronic cash could soon be strangled by fraud or regulation.
NEW YORK (AP) - Egg McMuffin, meet the Waffle Taco.
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) - Samsung sought Monday to frame its new Galaxy S5 smartphone as a lifestyle product, as it emphasized a built-in heart-rate sensor and improved camera features over its slightly larger size.
NEW YORK (AP) - Mark Zuckerberg, known for his outsized ambitions for Facebook, is applying a similar long-term vision to bringing the Internet to the billons of people around the world who don't already have access.


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Cat came up with its new smartphone Cat S60 during the Mobile World Congress that is being held in Barcelona. The main attraction of this smartphone is that, its the world’s first smartphone with built-in thermal camera and also world’s most waterproof smartphone.
The thermal camera is made by a leading company in thermal imaging technology, FLIR. With this type of camera, you will be able to detect heat loss in your house , spot the missing insulation, over-heating devices and even you can see in complete darkness. Up to 50-100 feet of distance you can measure heat and temperature. As the phone comes with waterproof compatibility, up to 5 meters for about one hour, your phone will be safe. Well, you can play your phone for your under water activities.
Some of the main specs of this phone are:
- 4.7 inch display of 720 x 1280 pixels with auto wet finger and glove support
- Corning Gorilla Glass 4 (1mm thick)
- Snapdragon 617 processor
- 3GB RAM
- 32GB storage with card slot for 128 GB support
- 13MP rear camera and 5MP front camera
- 4G LTE support
- 3800mAh battery
- Android 6.0 Marshmallow
- Accelerometer, proximity, compass, barometer, altimeter
The retail price is around $549. As is being popular for its new camera features meanwhile it might be pulled in security queries too.


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Tesla Inc. (TSLA) shares slipped by 2.75% last month after Morgan Stanley cautioned against the car company’s exceedingly large expenses and operating losses, as were reflected in their recent earnings report. Nevertheless, investors are currently more than optimistic with regards to Tesla’s future, despite concerns over the company’s dwindling cash reserves prior to the production of the highly anticipated Model III sedan, which is to be released in July. Moreover, one such enthusiastic party to add to the long list of Tesla supporters is none other than Apple Inc.’s Steve Wozniak.
Last week, the Apple co-founder claimed in an interview with Bloomberg Canada that the American automobile company had the capacity to surpass Apple as the most innovative company residing in Silicon Valley. According to Wozniak, Elon Musk’s management of Tesla is unparalleled and forward thinking and has never been seen before within the auto-industry. Wozniak, who is a Tesla owner and ardent supporter of the company, resultantly concluded that he is betting on Tesla to continue to rise in the years to come.
Wozniak’s comments are a testament to Tesla’s unlikely success story. For despite the fact that the company sold just 76,230 cars last year against General Motors 3,042,773, Musk’s enterprise is still receiving major backing from investors and has a stock valuation to show for it. For instance, the Tesla stock roared right along on Friday to touch yet another intra-day high of $344.88. As such, the company has reached a market capitalization of more than $57 billion, rendering it more valuable than both its major competitors, General Motors and Ford respectively.
Further, still, even Musk’s comments that the company’s market cap is above-and-beyond what they “deserve” has not been a sufficient enough catalyst to derail the most hyped stock of today. And for investors who got in early, the stock has been a one-way ticket to riches, insofar that the company share price has more than doubled in the last 18 months, and its 10-year chart evidences a tenfold increase.
Tesla stock valuation increase. Source: Business Insider
So, if not sales nor shipments, what exactly is driving the large-scale enthusiasm for the Tesla stock? One analyst, namely Adam Jonas of Morgan Stanley, suggests that the financial world is starting to come around to the bigger picture regarding Tesla, which involves seeing the company not as a traditional car manufacturer but rather as a merger of multiple industries. As such, Jonas argues that investors are beginning to see the company as existing at “the nexus of shared, autonomous and electric transportation”, as opposed to being considered just another automaker.
That is, Jonas accredits Tesla’s stellar stock performance to the wide appreciation investors are bestowing to the use of artificial intelligence in autonomous driving. For although Tesla is at core a car manufacturer, under Musk’s direction the company has shifted its story significantly, turning considerable attention to Autopilot, namely semi-self-driving technology, and resultantly has acquired mass support from the financial community. In this way, Tesla has spearheaded a new kind of business model, which is the reason that it has gained the encouragement of Wozniak, alongside a legion of other enthusiastic spectators.
Nevertheless, as a result of the company’s unprecedented gains, Tesla competitors are beginning to emulate Musk’s management, which involves merging state-of-the-art technology with traditional car manufacturing. For instance, Ford recently shelled out 1 billion dollars for an artificial intelligence outfit, acquiring ride-sharing service Chariot and investing in Velodyne, a company producing lidar, namely the laser scanning technology that many argue is necessary for self-driving cars. Likewise, General Motors acquired self-driving expertise in the form of a start-up called Cruise and has partnered with Lyft in order to situate the eventual result on the road.
So, while Tesla’s success is becoming more understandable in light of Musk’s hybrid and dynamic business model, the company faces increasing threat from copycat competitors who are looking to profit from Tesla’s innovation. In this regard, Tesla is still a great bet, however, future investors should tread with caution as competition within the auto-industry steadily increases.
(Kathleen Craig, Research)
Spreadbetting, CFD trading and Forex are leveraged. This means they can result in losses exceeding your original deposit. Ensure you understand the risks, seek independent financial advice if necessary. The value of shares and the income from them may go down as well as up. Nothing on this website constitutes a solicitation or recommendation to enter into any security or investment.


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Zuckerberg on Apple: 'We believe in encryption'
BARCELONA — Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg publicly voiced support for Apple in its fight with the FBI over a terrorist's iPhone, rejecting the idea that technology companies should create "backdoors" for intelligence agencies and law enforcement.
"We’re sympathetic with Apple. We believe in encryption; we think that that’s an important tool," Zuckerberg said on stage at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Facebook working on social interactions in VR
"I don’t think requiring backdoors with encryption is either going to be an effective way to increase security or is really the right thing to do for just the direction that the world is going to," Zuckerberg said.
Zuckerberg also spoke of the "pretty big responsibility" Facebook has to "help prevent terrorism and different kinds of attacks."
"If there is any content that is promoting terrorism or sympathizing with ISIS we’ll take that off the service," he said in an interview with journalist Jessi Hempel.
"We don’t want people doing that kind of stuff on Facebook. If we have opportunities to basically work with governments and folks to make sure that there aren’t terrorist attacks then we’re going to take those opportunities and we feel a pretty strong responsibility to help make sure that society is safe," Zuckerberg said.
"We care about that. That’s a big deal. We take that seriously."
Apple and U.S. government hit the campaign trail
A federal judge ordered Apple last week to bypass security functions on the iPhone used by Syed Rizwan Farook, igniting a public fight between the Obama administration and Apple, with the world's most valuable company declaring it would not comply with the order to hack into the phone.
The U.S. technology industry has lined up behind Apple over its refusal to help the FBI break into the iPhone used by Farook, one of the assailants in the December mass shootings in San Bernardino, Calif., that killed 14 people.
Analysts have noted that the statements of support from tech companies have been guarded. Google and Facebook last week voiced public support for Apple more forcefully and swiftly than Microsoft, Yahoo and Twitter.
Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, was the first head of a major tech company to side with Apple, saying in a series of tweets on Wednesday that "forcing companies to enable hacking could compromise users’ privacy" and would set a "troubling precedent."
Facebook followed with more forceful language on Thursday, warning of a "chilling precedent" and pledging to "fight aggressively" against government efforts to "weaken the security" of consumer tech products.


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WHERE STATES AND TERRITORIES STAND ON GREYHOUND RACING
- Will ban greyhound racing from July next year. The industry will take legal action in a bid to overturn the decision.
- Will ban racing and says there's no future for the industry in the ACT but it's not yet clear when the ban will take effect. The industry has vowed to fight the decision.
- Won't ban racing but says the industry is on notice; Greyhound Racing Victoria admits it has a credibility problem but is focused on animal welfare and weeding out 'ratbag' operators.
- Won't ban racing but says the industry is on its final warning and is subject to very strict monitoring.
- Won't ban racing, saying there's there's no evidence the state's industry has the same problems as those interstate.
- Won't ban racing but is awaiting a parliamentary report on the industry, due later this year.
- Won't ban racing but has promised very strong action against anyone involved in live baiting or other cruel conduct.
- Won't ban racing, saying the territory's industry isn't plagued by the "shonky business" seen elsewhere but warns any such evidence could spark a ban in the future.
© AAP 2019


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Better wrap up your plans and plan to head out early: More than 2 million Floridians — roughly 10 percent of the state’s population — are expected to travel this Memorial Day weekend.
AAA said Wednesday that projection is the highest in 12 years for Florida. And coupled with a record tourism pace in the Sunshine State, 31 million visitors in just the first quarter, it would represent a massive movement of population in a short period of time.
So, expect crowded highways, airports and beaches. But it’s also good news for Florida’s tourism economy, which is on a torrid pace to exceed 120 million visitors in 2017.
Across the country, lots of other people will also be on the move for what is the traditional start to the summer vacation season.
Low gas prices plus a long-weekend equals an estimated 39.3 million Americans traveling this Memorial Day weekend, AAA also estimated.
The automotive and travel group’s projection would mean equate to to 1 million more Americans traveling than during Memorial Day 2016.
“The expected spike in Memorial Day travel mirrors the positive growth seen throughout the travel industry this year,” said Vicky Evans, Assistant Vice President, Travel Sales Development, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “So far in 2017, travel bookings with AAA in Florida are up 17 percent, compared to the same period last year. Higher confidence, rising wages, and recent gas price declines have bolstered consumer spending, leaving many Americans with more money to spend on travel this Memorial Day.”
Automakers also surpassed the federal greenhouse gas emission standards that took effect in 2012, the EPA said. Vehicles were down an average of seven grams of carbon dioxide output per mile past the goal, which was to be down 13 grams per mile.
“Car buyers can go to the showroom knowing that no matter what kind of vehicle they buy, it will be better for the climate – and their wallets – than ever before,” Christopher Grundler, EPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality director, said in a news release. “This report highlights that the industry is providing vehicles that customers want, while reaching new levels of environmental performance.”
The report notes that since 2011, average fuel economy has gone up by 2.4 mpg, while carbon dioxide emissions per miles traveled have dropped 10 percent.
In 2011, the EPA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released jointly set national goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The goals, which have a deadline of 2025, include achieving an average of 54.5 mpg for passenger vehicles, saving consumers more than $1.7 trillion and reducing the United States’ dependence on foreign oil.
The EPA in its report cites automakers’ swiftness to embrace new, fuel-saving technology: many cars have seen cuts in weight, increases in aerodynamics and improved air-conditioning systems.
The DOT also said the phone now is considered “a forbidden hazardous material” under federal law.
“We recognize that banning these phones from airlines will inconvenience some passengers, but the safety of all those aboard an aircraft must take priority,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in the news release. “We are taking this additional step because even one fire incident inflight poses a high risk of severe personal injury and puts many lives at risk.”
The devices have been the focus of intense scrutiny from U.S. officials after repeated reports of smoking and, on occasion, fire while charging or soon after charging the battery.
Samsung, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, recalled all Note7s and issued new ones, only to renew the recall after reports of replacement phones having similar issues to those that were recalled.
The total cost of the recall for Samsung is expected to reach $5.3 billion, the LA Times reports.
The Federal Aviation Administration had issued a notice last month to Note7 owners not to check their devices when flying. That was expanded Monday, when the FAA told Note7 owners to “power down, and not use, charge, or stow in checked baggage, any Samsung Galaxy Note7 devices, including recalled and replacement devices.”
Here is the full news release from the Department of Transportation:
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), today announced it is issuing an emergency order to ban all Samsung Galaxy Note7 smartphone devices from air transportation in the United States. Individuals who own or possess a Samsung Galaxy Note7 device may not transport the device on their person, in carry-on baggage, or in checked baggage on flights to, from, or within the United States. This prohibition includes all Samsung Galaxy Note7 devices. The phones also cannot be shipped as air cargo. The ban will be effective on Saturday, October 15, 2016, at noon ET.
“We recognize that banning these phones from airlines will inconvenience some passengers, but the safety of all those aboard an aircraft must take priority,” said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “We are taking this additional step because even one fire incident inflight poses a high risk of severe personal injury and puts many lives at risk.”
Device owners have experienced documented incidents of dangerous evolution of heat with both recalled and replacement Samsung Galaxy Note7 devices. Samsung and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) acknowledged this imminent safety hazard with the company’s September 15, 2016 and October 13, 2016 recalls. Additionally, on October 11, 2016, Samsung suspended the manufacture and sale of the Samsung Galaxy Note7 device.
“The fire hazard with the original Note7 and with the replacement Note7 is simply too great for anyone to risk it and not respond to this official recall,” said CPSC Chairman Elliot F. Kaye. “I would like to remind consumers once again to take advantage of the remedies offered, including a full refund. It’s the right thing to do and the safest thing to do.”
What air travelers should know
• If passengers attempt to travel by air with their Samsung Galaxy Note7 devices, the phones may be confiscated and passengers may face fines.
• Passengers who attempt to evade the ban by packing their phone in checked luggage are increasing the risk of a catastrophic incident. Anyone violating the ban may be subject to criminal prosecution in addition to fines.
• Passengers currently traveling with Samsung Galaxy Note7 phones should contact Samsung or their wireless carrier immediately to obtain information about how to return their phones and arrange for a refund or a replacement phone. Samsung has provided guidance for customers about refund and replacement options, as well as how to contact wireless carriers, at http://www.samsung.com/us/note7recall/ [external link]. Samsung is also answering customers’ questions at 1-844-365-6197.
• If an airline representative observes that a passenger is in possession of a Samsung Note7 device prior to boarding an aircraft, the air carrier must deny boarding to the passenger unless and until the passenger divests themselves and their carry-on and checked baggage of the Samsung Galaxy Note7 device. Passengers absolutely should not pack the phones in their checked luggage.
• If a flight crew member identifies that a passenger is in possession of a Samsung Galaxy Note7 device while the aircraft is in flight, the crew member must instruct the passenger to power off the device, not use or charge the device while aboard the aircraft, protect the device from accidental activation, including disabling any features that may turn on the device, such as alarm clocks, and keep the device on their person and not in the overhead compartment, seat back pocket, nor in any carry-on baggage, for the duration of the flight.
The Samsung Galaxy Note7 device is considered a forbidden hazardous material under the Federal Hazardous Material Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-185), which forbid airline passengers or crew from traveling with lithium cells or batteries or portable electronic devices that are likely to generate a dangerous evolution of heat. PHMSA has issued a special permit to Samsung to facilitate commercial shipment of the recalled devices by ground transportation.
Port of Palm Beach, Port Miami, Port Everglades and Port of Fort Pierce are included in the Coast Guard’s advisory.
Port condition X-ray is set when sustained gale force winds of 25 mph and gusts up to 40 mph from Matthew are expected in the area within 48 hours.
The ports are still open to commercial traffic while condition X-ray is in effect. However, the Coast Guard says all commercial ships and barges greater than 500 gross tons should start preparing to leave port now.
The Coast Guard offers these safety tips for boaters ahead of the storm:
Stay off the water. The Coast Guard’s search and rescue capabilities degrade as storm conditions strengthen. This means help could be delayed. Boaters should heed weather watches, warnings and small craft advisories.
Evacuate as necessary. If mandatory evacuations are set for an area, the public should evacuate without delay. Coast Guard personnel and other emergency responders may not be able to evacuate or rescue those in danger during the storm.
Secure belongings. Owners of large boats are urged to move their vessels to inland marinas where they will be less vulnerable to breaking free of their moorings or to sustaining damage. Trailerable boats should be pulled from the water and stored in a place that is not prone to flooding. Those who are leaving their boats in the water are reminded to remove EPIRBs and to secure life rings, lifejackets and small boats. These items, if not properly secured, can break free and require valuable search and rescue resources be diverted to ensure people are not in distress.
Stay clear of beaches. Wave heights and currents typically increase before a storm makes landfall. Even the best swimmers can fall victim to the strong waves and rip currents caused by hurricanes. Swimmers should stay clear of beaches until local lifeguards and law enforcement officials say the water is safe.
Be prepared. Area residents should be prepared by developing a family plan, creating a disaster supply kit, having a place to go, securing their home and having a plan for pets. Information can be found at the National Hurricane Center’s webpage.
Stay informed. The public should monitor the progress and strength of the storm through local television, radio and Internet. Boaters can monitor its progress on VHF radio channel 16. Information can also be obtained on small craft advisories and warnings on VHF radio channel 16.
Florida first began measuring seat belt usage in 1999, and the state has conducted a survey each year since. In 2009, lawmakers voted to make it a primary offense to not wear a seat belt in Florida, and FDOT said in a news release that the state has ranked above the national average every year since.
“Buckling up is the single most effective thing you can do to protect yourself in a crash,” FDOT Secretary Jim Boxold said in the news release. “Safety belts save thousands of lives each year.”
To conduct the survey, FDOT hired a research group to post observers at certain areas throughout the state to count and categorize the number of seat belts they saw.
In Palm Beach County, observers were posted at several spots, including Lyons Road, Florida’s Turnpike, Congress Avenue, the Beeline Highway and Wellington Trace.
It’s like a litmus test to see if you’ll be a good parent: the installation of the car seat.
It’s OK to be confused by the process, said Candice Guis, marketing and safety training coordinator for the Safety Council of Palm Beach County — many parents are. In fact, about 95 percent of car seats are not installed correctly, according to safety advocacy group Safe Kids Worldwide.
That’s why the Safety Council, and many other organizations throughout Palm Beach County, offer car seat installation experts to help parents make sure they get it right.
What makes car seat installation such a stressful process for some?
“I think more than anything it is a fear (for parents) that they are not capable of doing it,” Guis said. “There are so many different car seats out there, that I think it’s very intimidating.”
She said that all car seats meet the same safety standards — the difference comes in the “bells and whistles” between a car seat you might find at Walmart and one you can buy for $500.
The most common issue she sees: car seat placement. Is the middle best? Or one of the sides?
Guis said that although the middle statistically is the safest — it’s less likely to get hit by a car from the sides, she said — some cars aren’t built for that positioning. They may have a hump between the back seats, or a fold-down armrest.
She suggested checking your car’s owner’s manual to see where the best fit will be.
Another question to ask: Does the car seat you have fit the guidelines for your child’s age and height?
Guis said children under 2 years old need to be in rear-facing car seats, and it’s better to keep them rear-facing for longer.
“It’s about protecting the head, neck and spinal cord of that child,” she said.
The Safety Council has car seats available for purchase for $35. Installation help is free, but you do need to make an appointment with Guis by calling 561-845-8233.
“It’s important to remember, it’s OK to ask questions,” she said. “I’ll talk to a new mom all day, if I can help her.”
The U.S. Department of Transportation on Tuesday said its four-part Federal Vehicle Automated Policy “sets a proactive approach” to ensure safety and innovation as automated cars become more prevalent on city streets.
In a news release, U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said that self-driving cars could “save thousands of lives,” and that the new rules represent “an unprecedented step by the federal government to harness the benefits of transformative technology by providing a framework for how to do it safely.”
Mark Rosekind, administrator of the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, said 94 percent of U.S. crashes are caused by human error or choice. Taking that out of the equation could lead to fewer deaths.
“We are moving forward on the safe deployment of automated technologies because of the enormous promise they hold to address the overwhelming majority of crashes and save lives,” Rosekind said.
At the same time, Uber has launched a pilot program where several self-driving vehicles offer rides around Pittsburgh. A select pool of frequent Uber riders in the area were given the first chance to test the system, and many already have done so.
But, he added, if people lose faith in a new technology because of issues with safety, it can “slam the brakes on innovation.”
The four parts of the policy are:
A 15-point safety assessment, with the goal of fostering safe design, testing, development and release of self-driving cars.
A model state policy, setting responsibilities on the state level as opposed to the federal government. It also suggests how states can set automated vehicle policy to help maintain “a consistent national framework” for self-driving car testing and release.
Current regulatory tools available from NHTSA, including which exemptions allow for testing of “nontraditional vehicle designs” more quickly.
Modern regulatory tools, which officials may be able to use to aid in developing new technologies to respond to safety issues that arise as more self-driving vehicles hit the road.
As summer begins to wane, the U.S. is seeing a slight increase in the average cost of a gallon of gas.
While the national average is up 4 cents in the past week — from $2.12 to $2.16 — the rise still puts gas prices lower than they were heading into Labor Day weekend last year, according to data from GasBuddy.com.
In Florida, the rise over the past week is just a little steeper: up 5 cents, from an average of $2.07 to $2.12. In Palm Beach County, that increase isn’t quite as dramatic: The average price is up just 2 cents to $2.24.
This is when people, in emergency health care situations, get medical treatment from providers outside their insurance networks. Soon after, they get nailed with huge medical bills.
Post readers, and Post reporter Charles Elmore, played a big role in putting this issue on the legislative radar screen in the past year. State Insurance Consumer Advocate Sha’ron James held a hearing in Palm Beach County to get public feedback, and that’s where Post reporting on the issue and reader input made a difference.
In the spring lawmakers approved HB 221, which holds consumers harmless in emergency situations. Instead, providers such as hospitals need to work out the difference in payments and costs with insurers.


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In spite of the fact that Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) has the minority mobile share, it is by far the “king of mobile applications” – according to recent statistics, the Apple App stores have recorded sales of more than $10 billion in 2013, with Apple self taking a 30% cut and 70% going to the app developers. This is perfectly understandable since the number of sold iPhones and iPads has been on the rise over the past couple of years.
The more Apple products are sold, the more apps are requested. According to a press release that was recently made available to the public, iPhone and iPad users have downloaded no less than three billion applications, and one billion dollars was spend on apps only in December 2013. That surely places this app store on the first place, way ahead of its competitors.
However, it must be said that the revenue generated by the Apple App Store represents only a tenth of the total revenue generated by the Apple last year, which sums up no less than $90 billion, thus making Apple one of the fastest growing businesses in the world.
As it was expected, most of the downloads consisted of game applications, the Candy Crush Saga being by far the most popular one. At the moment, the most feared competitor of the Apple App Store is the well-known Google Play store, which has a revenue share split of approximately 65%. Apple has gathered most of its app-related revenue by putting a price not only on the application purchases, but also on the downloads, as there is always the pay per download feature available. Also, this is a very well-thought strategy coming from Apple: with every application sold through the Apple App Store, the buyer is closely connected to the App platform, which means that it is very likely for him to come back and purchase some more applications. So far, this strategy has turned out to be more than effective for the Apple giant!
As some specialists claim, the reason why the Apple App Store is making more money than the Android App Store is that the first one relies heavily on selling the mobile phone applications, unlike Android, which tends to put more emphasis on features like suggestions, mapping or search, and to get part of its revenue from advertising services rather than from application sales. One thing is for sure, however: Apple does not seem to mind that it does not hold the majority of the market share, given the fact that its mobile strategy is so financially rewarding at the moment!
To sum it all up, even though the Apple operating system does not have as much market share as Google, it surely generates a lot more revenue and that is very clear to everybody. The reason why this is so is because Android phones are used mainly for texting and calling, unlike the popular iPhones that are taken to the next level by Apple users who make the best out of the available features. Statistically speaking, more than a quarter of the total online traffic recorded during the famous Black Friday sales were via iOS, while the Android users were accounted for only little over 10% of the online traffic.


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William Bao Bean, managing director of the Chinaccelerator, the first and longest-running startup accelerator program in China, supported in 2017 160 investments in startups. The blockchain is becoming increasingly a feature larger companies need, and where startups can help, he says in this interview.
Tag Archives: William Bao Bean
For a long time, working around the clock – from 9 to 9, six days a week known as the 996-rule – was common in China’s startup working culture. But those times are changing, says SOSV managing director William Bao Bean, a leading voice in China’s startup scene to the BBC. “China has moved from a society that was told what to do, to one that is doing what it wants to, and that’s also a millennial thing,” he says.
China’s financial authorities might be wary of Bitcoins and other digital currencies, but the country is embracing the underlying blockchain technology. Self-driving cars, agriculture, retail and other industries use the deep pockets of the government to introduce the new technology.
At the China Speakers Bureau, we offer a range of speakers who can help you to make sense out of this new direction China is taking, leading the way for global innovation.
William Bao Bean, managing director of the Shanghai-based Chinaccelarator, tells about his busy week, trying to help foreign startups to enter China and helping Chinese companies to go global. The main problem of his international operation? “You never have a holiday.”
If at any place the switch from brick-and-mortar is going fast, it is China. Permanent online consumers comment, exchange information, and buy 24/7. When you sit down in a restaurant, you first ask the code for the free wifi, before the menu. When you travel abroad, you constantly discuss with friends and family back how, what to buy, or what not to buy.
From a cash country, where transactions were done by moving plastic bags with money between bank branches, China has turned into a leading force in fintech or financiel technology. Mobile payment are standard. Bitcoins and blockchain technology found in China early adopters. Social media have – more than anywhere in the world – adopted payment systems to facilitate online trade.
Startups are mostly at the mercy of quasi-monopolies like Facebook, Google, Tencent or Alibaba. William Bao Bean, managing director of Shanghai-based SOSV tells in this elevator talk how his no.1 accelerator helps them to avoid spending money on those giants to get access to an audience, creating a win-win situation.
Most internet startups are at the mercy of Facebook, Google, and in China Tencent or Alibaba. William Bao Bean, managing director of Shanghai-based SOsV, co-founded the Mobile Only Accelerator MOX, an independent platform offering not only capital but also an audience to launch, he explains in the News Lens.
In the search for answers to the question why Chinese companies do so well, corporate analyst William Bao Bean sees one key difference with Western competitors: many Chinese companies skipped the middle management and organized internal structures fundamentally different, he explains in Venturebeat.
Foreign companies fear an increasing risk in China, now the government is tightening legal supervision, fighting corruption and banning business practices that were considered to be common up to a year ago. GSK might be one of the high-profile cases in the anti-corruption drive, but no foreign company or industry is not worried about those changes. The China Speakers Bureau can offer a range of experts on risk management in China.


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JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesia’s annual inflation rate is expected to pick up slightly in October, but to remain within the central bank’s target range, a Reuters poll showed on Tuesday.
The median forecast of 17 analysts in the poll was for the consumer price index to rise 3.03 percent on an annual basis in October, compared with 2.88 percent a month before.
“A rise in non-subsidised fuel prices and a further slide in the IDR likely contributed to the increase,” ANZ said in a note, referring to the Indonesian rupiah’s weakness.
“Nonetheless, the big picture is that inflation remains contained and will not be a major concern for Bank Indonesia (BI),” ANZ said.
BI Governor Perry Warjiyo on Friday estimated an October inflation rate of 3.05 percent, which he said would mean that the end-2018 rate may be slower than the bank’s initial expectation of 3.4 percent.
BI has raised its benchmark interest rate five times since mid-May, by 150 basis points, to support the falling rupiah.
But officials with the central bank had argued repeatedly that the rupiah’s weakness had not affected consumer prices as BI’s survey showed companies preferred to cut profit margin instead of raising prices.
(Polling by Nilufar Rizki and Maikel Jefriando in JAKARTA and Khushboo Mittal in BENGALURU; Writing by Gayatri Suroyo; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier)


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The aero show at JIMS
There was an aero show at the Johannesburg International Motor Show (JIMS) – part of it even took place indoors …
With the ever increasing emphasis on increasing efficiency and reducing costs, more and more original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and the operators that run their vehicles, are looking for innovative and cost-effective ways to accomplish this.
A cost-effective means of achieving this is by fitting aerodynamics, says Cameron Dudley-Owen, owner of Aero Truck.
This was clearly evident at this year’s JIMS, where no less than four OEMs and one trailer manufacturer had a product on display kitted out in full Aero Truck drag (if you’ll excuse the pun).
Over at Afrit – that trailer manufacturer – was perhaps the most radical concept in aerodynamic enhancements. The trailer in question: an interlink side-tipper – not the most easy of shapes to smooth out, as Dudley-Owen and Afrit sales director Leon van de Wetering explain. “It’s been a concept in my mind for ages, but getting someone to do it has been difficult. This is probably the worst unit you can try make aerodynamic,” says Dudley-Owen. Van de Wetering continues: “It’s the most difficult, but it’s by far our biggest market; we’ve done 4 000 units this year of which 60 percent were side tippers.”
The trailer will be used by Izusa Carriers to transport Manganese between Phalaborwa and Maputo. “We’ve gone on the basis that we give it to the client and see how it performs,” Dudley-Owen says. “The skirts are currently fibre glass but I’d like to change to plastic as it’s more durable. The cones are currently a vinyl-type material.” The entire kit weighs a mere 300 kg.
“We’re always up for any innovations – and we also get a lot of exposure with this,” Van de Wetering says. “We’ve had people walking past and asking about it. Unfortunately we can’t give them any numbers at this stage as it still needs to be tested and refined, which Izusa Carriers will do over the next several months.”
FOCUS will definitely publish an update when the figures become available.
Iveco, Hino, Isuzu, FAW and MAN each had a vehicle on show sporting full aerodynamic kits – Iveco had the brand new Stralis Hi-Way 500; Hino had its flagship 2848 6×4 truck tractor; Isuzu had the FSR 800, as featured in FOCUS’s Truck Test 2013; FAW had the J6 420 6×4 truck tractor; and MAN the TGS 26.440 EfficientLine vehicle.
All the vehicles were fitted with complete kits comprising roof spoiler, cab extenders and side-skirts. The J6 also sported a sturdy bull bar from Aero Truck’s sister company Bull bars for Africa. As the only freight carrier, the Isuzu also features an important roof diffuser that breaks the vacuum of air that forms behind the truck.
As the only vehicle in the group to have been tested in FOCUS’s Truck Test 2013 against its standard counterpart, Isuzu is still monitoring these vehicles, which are returning consistent fuel consumption figures. “At the legal limit of around 80 km/h one can expect a three percent saving, which was also tested in real world conditions from Johannesburg to Durban and back,” says Tiny Daya, product and application engineering manager, Isuzu Truck South Africa. Daya says that some customers to whom the company has lent the vehicle have reported the same or better savings.
MAN’s TGS EfficientLine took part in the company’s 2012 Consistently Efficient Tour, where it achieved fuel savings of 4,7 l/100 km over its standard counterpart.
The new Stralis, J6 and 700 were all built for JIMS, to show off to customers exactly what can be done, aerodynamically, to increase fuel savings.
“It is something we would really insist on if the customer wants to achieve absolutely ideal fuel consumption,” says Deon Wannenburg, Iveco product manager.
“We haven’t conducted tests with this unit as it’s the brand-new model,” he continues, “but we have a client running the old 480 Stralis who insisted on his
units running with the kits. They are definitely seeing an improvement and we expect similar results with the new vehicles.”
Though no tests have been run with the J6 as yet, Steve Verwey, product specialist at FAW, says that the company will be conducting road tests in due course. He expects the aerodynamic kits to show good savings in real-world driving conditions.
FAW, Hino, Isuzu and Iveco are all offering the kits to their customers in conjunction with Aero Truck. “Many of our vehicles have been fitted with aerodynamic kits and the product is always very will designed and of good quality,” notes Gert Agenbag, product planning and development manager, Hino South Africa. “Our most prominent customer using these components is Barloworld; on their parts supply vehicles that run to Durban. They have fitted full body and trailer kits with good results,” he says.
Judging by reactions at the show, more success is yet to come.