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Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, Invests More than € 130 Million to Strengthen Manufacturing Capabilities in Molsheim, France
- Increases manufacturing capacity for the Mobius® single-use portfolio
- Creates more than 800 jobs by the end of 2028
- Investment further strengthens the company's "Big 3," the key drivers for increasing Group sales to approximately € 25 billion by 2025
- Supports Life Science’s strategy to invest in products and technologies across its portfolio key to manufacturing novel therapies and vaccines
Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company, strengthens its manufacturing capabilities for single-use assemblies, a key technology for the production of Covid-19 vaccines and other lifesaving therapies, by investing more than € 130 million in Molsheim, France. The investment is the largest ever in the 50-year history of the site and will create more than 800 jobs by the end of 2028.
“We are determined to provide patients in Europe and worldwide with reliable access to vaccines and life-saving therapies,” said Belén Garijo, Chair of the Executive Board and CEO of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. “This investment in France is an integral component of our plans to expand our global manufacturing footprint and deliver superior customer value across the globe.”
“France is central to our strategy to drive long-term growth and expand our global leadership position in Life Science,” said Matthias Heinzel, Member of the Executive Board of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany and CEO Life Science. “In recent years, many biopharmaceutical manufacturers have turned to single-use technologies for their flexibility, cost savings, speed, and reduced contamination risk, leading to double-digit market growth for this segment. The Covid-19 pandemic has reinforced this trend. The investment will accelerate the delivery of critical products and technologies our customers need to bring breakthrough treatments to patients in need around the world.”
The expansion will further increase capacity for the manufacturing of single-use assemblies belonging to the Mobius® portfolio. The 3,500-square-meter ISO7 clean rooms, administrative building and new logistics warehouse are planned to be operational by the end of 2024, and will gradually ramp up to full production through 2028. In 2021, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany had already added a single-use assembly production unit for € 25 million. Molsheim is the first site in Europe where the company manufactures the product. Further production sites are located in Danvers, Massachusetts, USA, and Wuxi, China.
The manufacturing of single-use assemblies is part of the Process Solutions business, a global provider of products to the biopharmaceutical industry, and together with the Life Science Services business one of the company’s “Big 3” growth drivers. The company aims to increase its Group sales to approximately € 25 billion by 2025. To achieve its growth targets, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany plans to increase its total investments between 2021 and 2025 significantly compared with the period from 2016 to 2020.
Over the next five years, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany will implement investment programs worldwide. Target countries include Germany, France, Switzerland, Ireland, China, and the USA. All expansion projects include clear targets for water consumption, waste management, and energy efficiency to support Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany in meeting its goal to be climate neutral by 2040, in line with its sustainability strategy.
Recently, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany announced expansion projects in its Life Science business sector in Verona, Wisconsin, USA; Cork, Ireland; Wuxi, China; Darmstadt, Germany; Buchs, Switzerland; Carlsbad, California, USA; Jaffrey, New Hampshire, USA; and Danvers, Massachusetts, USA. These expansions are part of an ambitious, multi-year program to increase the industrial capacity and capabilities of the company’s Life Science business sector to support the growing global demand for lifesaving medications and to make significant contributions to public health.
All Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the EMD Group website. In case you are a resident of the USA or Canada, please go to www.emdgroup.com/subscribe to register for your online, change your selection or discontinue this service.
About Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company, operates across life science, healthcare and electronics. More than 60,000 employees work to make a positive difference to millions of people’s lives every day by creating more joyful and sustainable ways to live. From advancing gene editing technologies and discovering unique ways to treat the most challenging diseases to enabling the intelligence of devices – the company is everywhere. In 2021, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, generated sales of € 19.7 billion in 66 countries.
The company holds the global rights to the name and trademark “Merck” internationally. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the business sectors of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, operate as MilliporeSigma in life science, EMD Serono in healthcare and EMD Electronics in electronics. Since its founding in 1668, scientific exploration and responsible entrepreneurship have been key to the company’s technological and scientific advances. To this day, the founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed company.
> >>Curiosity Cube mobile science lab plans to reach 45,000 students in 14 countries>> >>Lessons educate students on sustainability topics, such as renewable energy and recycled materials>> >>Reinforces company ...


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First OnePlus authorized online shop in Malaysia is now on Shopee
Brightstar recently announced that the First OnePlus Authorised Online Shop in Malaysia is now available on Shopee. It offers official Malaysia priced devices like the OnePlus 5, OnePlus 3T and other accessories.
In addition to finally getting an easier way to buy original OnePlus merchandise, you will also get Shopee related benefits like a 10% discount on accessories and Shopee coins with each purchase. Stay tuned to TechNave.com for the latest in tech.

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Kelly Rowland: Newlywed Pregnant With First Child
R&B star Kelly Rowland is pregnant.
The 33-year-old vocalist revealed on Instagram that she and her husband/manager Tim Witherspoon expecting their first child.
In a post on Tuesday, the former Destiny’s Child member posted a photo of her 40-year-old hubby’s Air Jordans with a matching infant pair and a caption that read: “I’ll be stuntin like my daddy…”
[divider]READ: Rumor Control: Kelly Rowland Not Dropped By Record Label[divider]
This news comes just a few weeks after the couple wed in a private ceremony in Costa Rica.
According to People magazine, the couple was also spotted shopping at Bel Bambini in West Hollywood on May 27, shopping for baby items.
Congratulations to the newlyweds on the upcoming addition to their family.
[box_dark]READ ALSO: Just Hitched: Kelly Rowland Got Married


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American firm to buy South Africa’s Pannar Seed
Pioneer Hi-Bred, a US-based agricultural business, and Pannar Seed, a South African-based seed company with operations throughout Africa and other parts of the world, recently announced an agreement for Pioneer to purchase a majority share of Pannar.
According to a press release, financial terms were not disclosed for the agreement, which is subject to review by the South African Competition Commission and other countries’ regulatory agencies. Pending regulatory approvals, the deal is expected to close in early 2011. Pannar management, employees, facilities and brands will be retained.
Pannar has its own seed businesses in nine countries in Africa, including South Africa, and sells through established marketing networks into nine other African countries. In addition to its extensive research infrastructure in Africa, it also conducts research and commercial activities in the U.S. and Argentina and has a genetics licensing business in Europe.
“This is good news for our customers, for our employees and for South Africa,” said Brian Corbishley, Pannar chairman. “Pioneer is the ideal partner for the long-term growth of our business. They’ll help us meet our customers’ increasing needs for better and higher-yielding products and services.”
The investment is expected to allow each business to access additional crop areas, reach more customers and deliver improved seed products quicker than either can do on its own. Pannar receives access to Pioneer’s genetics library and its maize breeding and biotechnology capabilities which will benefit its African operations and its businesses in the United States and Argentina. Pioneer will tap into Pannar’s expertise and reach across Africa and its maize genetics developed specifically for the region.
With approximately 30 million hectares available for maize production, Africa represents a significant opportunity for improved productivity. Average grain yields are just one tonne per hectare, less than one-third of what is achieved in other developing regions and only one-fifth of yields in developed countries.


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Relativity aims for Terran 1 to be the first entirely 3D-printed rocket to reach low-Earth orbit.
Fisker Inc. is launching a specialty vehicle engineering and development division in the United Kingdom to be led by David King, former chief special operations officer at Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd.
QX Logistix Inc. in Vernon is divesting from its Amazon delivery business to concentrate on warehousing, ecommerce fulfillment and transportation.
A Torrance-based school furniture-maker, contending with a record order backlog, said stimulus funding is driving a substantial increase in spending on furniture and equipment for schools.
After a tumultuous 2020, Fair Financial Corp. is looking to get back on the road.
Joe Falzarano, owner of Huzzah Toys in Venice Beach, met last week with a sales rep from Hawthorne-based Bruder Toys America Inc. to place orders for the busy fourth quarter shopping period. But the pickings were slim.
Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck said removing space debris is “highly complex" as objects in orbit travel more than 14,500 miles per hour.
With some 60 container cargo ships idling at the entrance of the port complex last week, traffic congestion in the San Pedro Bay shows no signs of letting up.
Inspiration4 proves that the company is making headway on its mission of opening space travel to all.
Space Exploration Technologies Corp. completed its first Starlink launch from the West Coast.
Spectrum Laboratory Products Inc., whose chemicals are used to make Covid-19 vaccines, is bracing for an uptick in production amid concerns that the pandemic is far from over.
Rocket Lab USA Inc. is soaring on the public markets.
SpaceX is losing money on the satellite dishes and wants to boost production.
If successful, Inspiration4 will become the first human spaceflight mission to orbit Earth with only private citizens on board.
SpaceX delivered 4,800 pounds of hardware, supplies and science experiments to the International Space Station.


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Polish video game publisher has a revolution in the air CD Projekt SA was released after the company ‘s latest expected title, and a three – time delay, was released to false reviews about wisdom.
Frightened and angry employees fired questions at the table at an internal video meeting Thursday that opened with the regulators apologizing for the catastrophic launch of Cyberpunk 2077, according to two attendees. It was a fitting atmosphere for a company with a slogan, plastered on posters around their Warsaw office, “We are rebels.”
Developers posed grim questions about the company’s reputation, the game’s impractical deadlines and the downtime in the months and years that followed up to game release December 10th.
The previous meeting had taken place Sony Corp. panic. announce that it was pulling Cyberpunk 2077 from the PlayStation Store and will give a full refund to any customer who requests one. At the staff meeting, the directors of CD Projekt said that they had reached an agreement with Sony but did not offer specific information. In a Twitter post on Friday, the company said “following our conversation with PlayStation, it was decided to temporarily suspend the digital ban” of the game.
A CD Projekt spokesman said the company would not comment on internal meeting talks.
Cyberpunk 2077 is one of the biggest games of the year and has been financially successful, selling over 8 million pre-orders and releasing sales records for PC games. But gamers have found the game full of bugs, especially on last generation PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles, adds Projekt CD shares plummeting and major fans and critics to describe Cyberpunk 2077 as endless. Projekt CD stock fell 12% in Warsaw on Friday, puncturing a steady decline this month that has wiped out gains for the year.
During the development of Cyberpunk 2077, employees suffered many long periods of time including compulsion weeks six days to end the game, Bloomberg has reported. When asked about this time of crisis in the Q&A, the directors said they had plans to develop product practices in the future but did not do an analysis, according to one attendee.
One employee asked the board why he had said in January that the game was “complete and playful” when this was not the case, to which the board replied that it would take responsibility. Another developer asked if it was the directors of the Projekt CD feeling it was hypocritical to make a game about physical abuse while expecting their employees to work overtime. The answer was vague and inconclusive.
Many viewers of the industry have questioned why Cyberpunk 2077, first announced in 2012 and derailed three times in 2020, still seems endless. Several former employees who worked on Cyberpunk 2077 have all said the same thing: Game deadlines, set by the board of directors, were always impractical. It was clear to many of the developers that they needed more time.
– Supported by Konrad Krasuski


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Dec 31, 2018
Diamond Comic Distributors catches Patrick’s ire one last time
for the year.
Some customers only see what they want to see.
Some stores got next week’s book’s last Monday. We still don’t have them.
Specifically nerdy Christmas gifts we received.
With almost nothing new on the shelves the week of Christmas, people are finding some older comics, and that’s neat.
Keep Reading Comics n 2019!!
At the start of 2018, we tried to plan more experiences than signing. That did not work.
Lucy Knisley returns to Challengers in March! As does Women’s Comics Month.


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Elon Musk, the executive president of Tesla, said on Monday that Congress should not pass the government’s bill. Joe Biden to increase subsidies to electric vehicles (VE) because the proposal would worsen the budget deficit of USA.
The billionaire businessman is stepping up criticism of the government and Democrats for a proposal to give electric vehicles made in the United States at union plants an additional $ 4,500 tax incentive.
Tesla and foreign automakers do not have unions at their factories in the United States.
“Honestly, it would be better if the bill didn’t pass,” Musk said at the Summit of the Council of General Directors of the WSJ.
“I am literally saying that all subsidies be eliminated,” he said, adding that the government should “step aside and not impede progress.”
Tesla has benefited from a number of government grants and programs.
Since 2019, Tesla has generated more than $ 3 billion in revenue from the sale of regulatory credits to other automakers that do not meet government emissions standards. The increased revenue helped Tesla start making annual profits last year.
The company acquired its assembly plant in Fremont, California, when the government restructured General Motors. Tesla also received a low-cost loan of $ 465 million from the Department of Energy, which he returned early.
Tesla also benefited from a federal tax credit of $ 7,500 per vehicle. The credit was applied in full to the first 200,000 Teslas sold and then phased out.
In his comments Monday, Musk also reiterated his opposition to the Democrats’ proposal to tax billionaires.
It does not make sense to deprive people who have shown great skill (…) from the work of allocating capital (…) and give it to, you know, an entity that has demonstrated a very poor skill in allocating capital, which is the Government. “


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AGC Partners Advises L2 on its Sale to Gartner
AGC Partners is pleased to announce that its client, L2, a leading provider of digital performance benchmarking and research for Fortune 500 brands and portfolio company of General Catalyst, has been acquired by Gartner, Inc. The acquisition will complement Gartner’s existing digital marketing research and advisory services and further accelerate Gartner’s long-term growth in its marketing-focused business. With a team led by Linda Gridley, AGC Partners acted as sole financial advisor to L2.
AGC has deep roots and expertise in our industry. They were able to help us craft our story and use their extensive network to get us in front of a broad set of key, strategic buyers. Their understanding of our business and their knowledge of the market were critical to our ultimate success.


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The next update coming to Escape from Tarkov is going to be Patch0.12 in their beta testing phase. A new location will be available, as will Hideout Management. New weapons, gear, bosses, and charact...
Escape from Tarkov announced that their update 0.11 is on the way, and tease it in their latest video. There’s also a large-scale event taking place in Escape from Tarkov, from December 28th unt...
Escape from Tarkov released the latest 0.9 Patch, and with it comes a wealth of interesting content. 50 new pieces of equipment come in this patch, flashbangs and smoke grenades, as well as armbands f...
A new update is on the way to Escape from Tarkov in 0.8. It features a new map (Interchange), new weapons and more. Get a peek at it right here.
Some amazing and intense night and weather effects are showcased in this Escape From Tarkov Scavs alpha gameplay video.


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Union Budget 2021 Expectations for Health Care: Coronavirus epidemic has changed the thinking of health experts.
Union Budget 2021-22 Expectations for Health Care: Preparations for Budget 2021 are going on loudly, which will be presented on 1 February. Whether the common man or different sectors, the expectations of all are on the budget. The health care sector also has high expectations from the budget. The coronavirus epidemic has changed the thinking of health experts. He has demanded that the entire health budget be restructured. At the same time, the medical device industry has demanded a boost to the domestic industry through Make in India by prohibiting cheap imports. There is also a demand to strengthen infrastructure in health care, from cheap and better treatment. Before this, know what was announced in the budget 2020.
Some big announcements of Budget 2020
- The finance minister had made a provision of Rs 69,000 crore for the health sector.
- Of which 6400 crores were also included for Ayushman India.
- PPP mode announced to set up hospitals with modern facilities in the country
- Aim to eliminate TB from the country by 2025
- Target to open Jan Aushadhi Kendra by 2024 in every district. There will be 2000 medicines and 3000 serials available in them.
An epidemic like Corona Varais can come anytime
Former President of the Indian Medical Association, Dr. KK Aggarwal, says that in view of the coronavirus epidemic this time, the expectations from the government on the health budget are very high. They say that an epidemic like corona virus can occur in the world or country at any time. In the past, many kinds of epidemics have disturbed the world. The impact of the epidemic is not limited to people only. Everyone has seen how the economies of different countries went to lower levels due to this epidemic.
He says that in view of such epidemic, the government needs to completely restructure its health budget. Apart from separate funds, it is necessary to arrange for hospitals, labs, medicines or other facilities to face such an epidemic. It is expected that in this budget, the government will take special care of this matter.
Apart from this, health experts are talking about taking measures to overcome the shortage of doctors in the country. He says that there should be measures to increase medical seats. Apart from improving the facilities of diagnostic, it is being said that the expansion of infra in the field of health is being done.
Make in India gets a boost
Forum co-ordinator Rajiv Nath of the Association of Medical Devices Industry says that the government’s policies regarding the medical device industry have been weak. The medical device industry in the country is suffering due to this. On the one hand there is talk of Make in India, but on the other hand due to the government policy on imports, the domestic industry is constantly suffering losses. They say that the medical equipment prepared by the domestic industry is not only cheap, but their quality is also better. Household appliances can compete with any foreign product. But due to the import cheaper, companies in China and Taiwan occupy the country’s medical device market.
Duty is just 0 to 7.5%
He says that the demand of the industry is that there is 0 to 7.5 percent import duty on medical equipment coming from abroad. 20 out of 149 required zero duty on equipment. It includes Viscometer, Refractometer, Photometer and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Instrument etc. 2.5 percent on some, 5 percent on some and 7.5 percent on some. Our demand is that 7.5 to 15 percent duty be levied on foreign equipment. If the prices of foreign products increase, then the domestic industry will get the boot. There is also a demand of the medical device industry to stop importing second-hand medical devices.
Patients get cheaper treatment
A person said that to enable patients to get the benefit of cheaper medicines, the government should consider the GST slab on medicines. If you taste it on some, then some should be brought in the lower slab.


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Microsoft To Release Office 365 on June 28
- By Scott Bekker
Microsoft is expected to release Office 365, the cloud-based successor to its Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS) with added desktop productivity functionality, on June 28.
On Friday morning, Jon Roskill, corporate vice president of the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Group, announced on Twitter: "June 28th is the date for General Availability of Office 365! > 100,000 real customers on beta...Partners, are you ready???"
Late last month, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer told a conference audience in New Delhi, India that Office 365 would be released in June, but he did not give a specific date. A Microsoft spokesperson had later declined to confirm that the suite would even ship that month. Throwing Ballmer's announcement further into question was a similar instance a few days prior, in which Microsoft denied Ballmer's comments about a 2012 ship date for Windows 8.
"We're pushing hard in the productivity space," Ballmer had said in New Delhi when he gave the timeframe for Office 365. "We'll launch our Office 365 cloud service, which gives you Lync and Exchange and SharePoint and Office and more as a subscribable service that comes from the cloud. That launches in the month of June."
The release of Office 365 has been hotly anticipated by Microsoft partners, who earn advisor fees for BPOS sales as Partners of Record.
Ulises Aguilar Nahle, past president of the International Association of Microsoft Channel Partners, responded to Roskill's Tweet with one of his own: "M'Ready."
"I hope they are ready!" said Chad Mosman, founder of MessageOps, in an e-mail interview. "I've never seen so much pent-up demand for a Microsoft release. We have clients running their production environment on the beta, which tells you how anxious people are to start taking advantage of the new features and functionality. All the feedback we've heard from our clients has been positive, so I have little doubt this is going to be a huge win for Microsoft and make them the clear leader in online productivity."
Office 365 went into open beta in April and partners have been able to sign customers onto the beta and name themselves Partners of Record already. One issue many channel partners hope will be resolved in the Office 365 release timeframe will be the ability to bill customers directly. Currently, Microsoft bills customers and pays advisor fees back to partners.
Scott Bekker is editor in chief of Redmond Channel Partner magazine.


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Attorneys for the Sugar Association have accused individual member companies of the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) of running away from charges of false advertising, in papers filed in a federal court.
Non-GMO Project Verified has become the fastest growing food eco-label in North America, as sales of certified products hit $1bn in 2011, according to findings unveiled at Organic Monitor’s Sustainable Foods Summit in San Francisco last month.
Hispanic influence on overall American eating habits is growing – and marketers should pay attention to US Hispanics’ dining traditions to stay ahead of the curve, according to market research organization The NPD Group.
Reducing sodium is expensive and difficult, and many bakers are beginning to wonder whether it is worth investing millions into reformulating products that consumers do not want to buy, according to the Association of Bakers (ABA).
"At least 12 major players in the food industry" are testing canola protein from BioExx, while a tie up with Century Foods to develop canola-protein-based sports products is also progressing well, claims the veggie protein specialist.


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AnTuTu, one of the most popular benchmarking outfits around, has released their awards for the end of 2014, consolidating the data uploaded to their servers by users who benchmark their phones using the AnTuTu app. Lo and behold, a China-made phone reigns the top rankings, sporting a MediaTek processor. Well, that’s surprising.
The Meizu MX4 – launched September 2014 – is, according to benchmarks, the best performing phone in 2014, averaging an AnTuTu rating of above 47700, with a spec list consisting of the octa-core MT6595 processor, a PowerVR G6200 GPU chip, 2GB of RAM, a 5.3-inch 1080p IPS display, all running on Android 4.4 KitKat. Close behind was the Google Nexus 6, averaging just over 47000 benchmark points. The Samsung Galaxy Alpha, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, and the OnePlus One, complete the top 5. See the chart below for the top 10.
Also in the data for the benchmarking app’s annual report is the popularity of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 805 SoC (system-on-chip) as a flagship processor. Seven devices in the top 10 utilize this chip, and although they may not be the best performing one, it’s a testament to the street cred of Qualcomm that most brands choose their cores to use in their devices.
Also, the annual report shows the still strong standing of Korean manufacturer Samsung in creating top performing devices. They have 2 devices in the top 5, with the Samsung Galaxy S5 rounding up tenth place in the table. Three top performers out of 10 isn’t bad at all, considering that Samsung gave so much market ground away in the mid-range and entry-level markets to the Chinese manufacturers.
Speaking of China-based outfits, they really did take on the world – proving that they can slug it out with the big boys. The fact that Meizu’s MX4 is the best performing phone of the year is testament to how far they have come. 5 of the top ten phones in AnTuTu’s power chart are from Chinese manufacturers.
Lastly, we also saw in 2014 the return of Motorola into the top 10 list – being the manufacturer of the Google Nexus 6. It’s strange not seeing the over-powered DROID Turbo in the list, but we have to understand that AnTuTu’s data is basically crowd-sourced, so they only get what the app users give them.
Looking forward to a great year in smartphones this 2015.


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Courtesy of Ariens
The AMP Rider is the first battery-powered riding lawn mower for the mass consumer market, according to the Ariens Company. The company says the machine is only half as loud as its gas-powered siblings.
Courtesy of Ariens
For more than 50 years, the Ariens Company has been making lawn mowers in the small town of Brillion, Wis.
Ariens makes several types of gasoline-powered riding mowers, and it now plans to introduce what it calls the first battery-powered riding lawn mower for the mass consumer market.
The AMP Rider, while not exactly silent, is only half as loud as its gas-powered sibling, according to Ariens. The company also says the new mower does not directly pollute the air, require any messy oil and rides more smoothly than a gas-powered mower.
That could be big news in an industry that sells 1.5 million riding mowers in the United States each year.
Dan Ariens, the company's president, says that while the AMP Rider is not quite the holy grail of lawn mowers, it is an innovation.
"We've come up with a product that's very easy to operate," Ariens says. "It is very quiet. It's going to cut a substantial amount of grass for the typical American home, and from that standpoint, maybe we're at least out reaching for the grail."
Ariens says the battery-powered mower will, in most cases, perform just as well as a gas-powered model. He worries, though, that a recession is a tough time to bring out any new product — especially one with a bigger price tag. The AMP Rider sells for around $3,300, which is hundreds more than some comparable gas-fueled riding mowers.
The Toro Company in Minnesota says it is also working on alternative-powered mowers, but research director Dana Lonn says concerns about consumer reaction has kept them out of the big box stores.
"I would say the consumer market is very challenging, just because price is so key to penetration in that market. It's hard in the Home Depot to convince somebody to buy a product that costs a little bit more," Lonn says.
Lonn says Toro is keeping close tabs on Ariens' experiment with the new battery-powered riding mower. So are environmentalists such as Rosemary Wehnes, who works for the Sierra Club in Wisconsin and is part of the Blue Green Alliance, a partnership with labor groups.
Wehnes says that while many consumers won't spend $3,300 for a riding mower, prices will likely drop if companies embrace the technology.
"It's really important to see that companies are investing in new technology that will help maintain the jobs we have and, hopefully, create more green jobs in the future," says Wehnes.
The Ariens Company says recharging its new riding mower will cost about $40 a year, or about one-fifth the cost of running and maintaining a gasoline-powered riding mower. That spread increases, of course, if gas prices go back up.
Chuck Quirmbach reports from Wisconsin Public Radio in Madison, Wis.


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Today brings a first look at the Nike Air Zoom Turf Jet '97 "Neo Turquoise" sneakers along with their release date! (more…)
Remaking classics is nothing out of the ordinary these days for Nike as one of the shoes that have been upgraded for this year is the Lunar Presto! (more…)
A new colorway of the Nike Air Max 2013 has just hit NikeStore! (more…)
BUY NIKE SHOES!


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The Socimi Castellena Properties is going to invest 500 million euros in the purchase of six shopping centres. The listed company is currently analysing investment opportunities in Cataluña and Portugal.
“We are pushing ahead with our plans to continue investing. As soon as the markets open up and we are able to raise capital, we will kick off a series of investments that we have already analysed”, explains Débora Santamaría, CFO of the Socimi, in an interview with El Español.
Read the full article in Spanish.


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In the last days of the Bush Administration, expect it to engage in lots of rulemaking. Many businesses will seek new rules for their industries now, fearing that less favorable outcomes will occur if they chance it with the Obama Administration. This business-initiated regulation will seek “ceiling preemption,” meaning that the federal rules will supersede and cap strong state regulations.
Preemption has a profound effect on consumer protection, because frankly speaking, Congress rarely takes the time to pass consumer protection laws. It has other important business, and there is a horde of lobbyists who get upset when consumer laws are even considered.
In light of a new report released by Rep. Waxman’s Committee on Government Reform, Alicia Mundy writes in the Journal that preemption became very popular in FDA rulemakings:
The administration began adding language to more than 50 regulatory rulings that pre-empt state standards and lawsuits at several agencies in 2005.
The first such ruling at the FDA appeared in January 2006, surprising outside observers because the language hadn’t appeared in earlier public drafts.
The report finds that:
…key FDA career officials strongly objected to Bush Administration drug labeling regulations that would preempt state liability lawsuits, asserting that the central justifications for the regulations were “false and misleading” and warning that the changes would deprive consumers of timely information about drug hazards.
No surprise. And expect much more of this. It will be difficult to clean this up. Practically speaking, undoing these rules will only be possible where there is political will to do so. So many other important issues will take priority first.


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According to the Reuters, it had taken interview of a dozen of insiders of the tech industry ranging from the workers in the gig economy to the investors and all of them stated that the days which had easy returns are now over.
The tech industry of China had witnessed a breakneck growth until the end the previous year. The e-commerce giant Alibaba along with Tencent Holdings Ltd had doubled the value of their firms in the year 2017 alone.
They had made big ticket investments making expansions worth multi billion dollars in the sectors of cloud, finance as well as offline retail.
But the market is not experiencing the same surge.
With the margins of the company getting thinner and thinner and the stocks of technology decreasing in value along with the reduced hiring numbers about a half of the trillion dollars have been decreased in the value of the firms of the top listed firms of technology of China.
Bif firms like Alibaba along with Baidu Inc have revised their year’s sales and have decreased the forecasts of revenue and profit has raised concerns in the recent weeks.
It is coming up from all sides when it comes to the technology sector. The economic slowdown of led to the weakest pace of the GDP of China because of the financial crisis occurring globally.
The value of dollar is rising and is therefore declining the domestic market of the country. Tencent, which is a social media as well as gaming giant, witnessed a decrease of more than 25 percent in the current fiscal year.
This happened because of the temporary ban of the licenses its biggest revenue driver for games.
Source: Reuters, WallStreetReporter
I am an amateur content writer, who is currently pursuing a Masters in Finance from ICFAI Business School. In this highly volatile Business Market, I find no better way to keep myself updated than to write about it and reflect my own thoughts as words.


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LONDON -- Credit rating agency Fitch Ratings said on Tuesday it had cut Italian industrial group Fiat SpA's senior unsecured debt rating to "junk", and may cut again, citing concerns about the firm's creditworthiness.
Fitch cut Fiat's senior unsecured rating one notch to BB+, its highest "junk" rating, from BBB-, and also lowered its short-term rating to B from F3.
It said the rating outlook for the company remains negative.
The downgrade came as investors await the outcome of a review by fellow rating agency Standard & Poor's, which currently assigns Fiat an A-3 short-term rating, at the bottom of its investment grade scale, with a negative outlook.
S&P postponed a decision on the rating on January 22, pending clarification of the group's plans for its Fiat Auto unit.
Fitch said in a statement on Tuesday that the downgrade reflected its concern that Fiat's future core operations were no longer consistent with an investment grade credit profile.
Fiat said on Friday it intended to dispose of its two best performing operations, Fiat Avio and Toro Insurance to reduce indebtedness.
"It is Fitch's view that this announcement, alongside the appointment of a new CEO and chairman, reflects a change in strategy," Fitch said. "As a result of the announced disposals, Fitch no longer views Fiat as an investment grade entity. The negative outlook reflects the modest earnings outlook for the remaining operations."
Fitch said it would review Fiat's rating "upon a material failure of the cost reduction objectives in the automotive division during 2003, which would adversely impact the projected substantial reduction in operating losses".
S&P CUT ALSO SEEN LIKELY
Fiat also unveiled plans on Friday to shore its car arm's finances with a five billion euro capital increase, of which three billion euros will come immediately from the cancellation of an inter-company loan.
The move was seen as an indication that the unit was key to the Fiat group and was less likely to be disposed of or sold to U.S. General Motors under a put option which could force GM in 2004 to buy the 80 percent of Fiat Auto it does not own.
That in turn led analysts to say they believed a ratings cut from S&P was highly likely, as the decision to extend the review was based on the possibility of the company distancing itself from the sputtering auto maker.
"The extension of the CreditWatch placement reflects the possibility that Fiat will distance itself from its problem-plagued automotive unit Fiat Auto Holding earlier than previously assumed, as proposed by third parties under several restructuring plans," S&P credit analyst Virginie Casin said in a statement in January.
Credit rating agency Moody's Investors Service cut Fiat's debt ratings to "junk" status in December, leaving the company with a negative outlook, meaning another cut is more likely than an upgrade.
It said Fiat was unlikely to warrant an investment-grade rating even if it disposes of its remaining 80 percent stake in cash-burning Fiat Auto to GM.


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Industry figures have told us that comic book artist Bong Ty Dazo has died.
A comic book artist from the Philippines, he began in comic career 30 years ago in 1988, working most prominently for Marvel, Dark Horse, and 451 Media.
He is probably best known for his many, many comics starring Deadpool.
But he also drew Star Wars: Knights of the Republic for Dark Horse and series such as Thunderbolts, Shadowland: Moon Knight, Markings, Bad Moon Rising, Aether and Empire, and Side-Kicked.
He was also an actor, and a production designer for the Philippine Educational Theater Association.
I understand he passed away after being diagnosed with liver cancer. Dazo is survived by his wife and two children.
Just found out today, that we've lost @451official's Bong TY Dazo. A hugely talented artist, the guy was a legend and I will always remember his awesome work on Exmortis and S6X. RIP fella…
— Andi Ewington (@AndiEwington) June 29, 2018


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Major players in the cryptocurrency sector are turning to InQubeta ($QUBE) and The Graph ($GRT), with analysts calling them two of the best altcoins to invest in. InQubeta takes on the giants of traditional investing by offering an alternative way to invest in artificial intelligence (AI). This is one of the new DeFi projects launched this year and has the potential to become one of the leading cryptocurrencies in a few years.
$GRT prices have fallen more than 1% over the past seven days, but support was found at $0.077 and the price charts have been trending upwards since, making it a good time to accumulate tokens.
Meanwhile, Tesla continues to hold on to its Bitcoin ($BTC) bag despite price volatility over the past few months. It turns out that this was a smart move, as $BTC prices are now trending higher, increasing by over 10% in the past month.
Best altcoins to invest in: InQubeta positioned amid the AI revolution
At Qubeta An inventive way of opening up AI investment prospects to global investors positions the project on the path to long-term success.
Investment in space has increased exponentially since 2015 and more than $120 billion is currently invested in the technology. Investments in AI are expected to exceed $1.5 trillion over the next few years. InQubeta, which offers the easiest way to invest in technology, puts it at the heart of things as it helps fund AI startups and advance technology.
AI is the hottest topic in technology and is poised to transform the way many industries operate. Technology already plays a bigger role in our lives than most people realize. Self-driving taxis now accept fares in places like San Francisco, and Amazon recently began testing humanoid robots in a Texas warehouse, raising fears that their human workers could be laid off.
The many changes brought about by AI will create opportunities for investors to make huge profits, as was the case in previous technological revolutions. Investing in AI is also a way to protect against the uncertainty that technology creates.
A better way to invest
ERC20 coins or non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are the new securities of the InQubeta network and perform similar functions. Investment opportunities are being created in these tokens by AI startups looking for capital. ERC20 coins made by these startups are evaluated to ensure they meet InQubeta’s standards before being added to the NFT marketplace.
The ecosystem’s native token $QUBE is used for all transactions on the network. It can be acquired with most major cryptocurrencies or debit and credit cards. Investors have full control over their NFTs once purchased and can sell them at any time on the market.
The Graph ($GRT) Expected to See Substantial Growth
The Graph provides an indexing protocol that allows decentralized applications used for Web3 and DeFi services to query data on networks like the Ethereum ($ETH) blockchain. $GRT prices were in a downward trend for most of the year, but bullish chart trends emerged after support was found at $0.077. Prices could triple in the coming months if previous highs reached earlier in the year are regained.
Tesla plans to ride the $BTC wave
Tesla neither bought nor sold BTC during the third quarter of this year, according to its recently released earnings report. This means Tesla still owns the third-largest bag of $BTC for a publicly traded company, currently holding over $9,720 BTC valued at over $184 million.
Tesla holding on to its $BTC proves to be the right move as prices have increased by 10% over the past week, bringing us closer to Standard Chartered’s prediction that $BTC prices will exceed $120,000 in 2024.
$BTC, $QUBE, and $GRT are three of the best altcoins to invest in now to earn substantial returns over the coming months and beyond. $QUBE leads the trio when it comes to growth potential, with some projections of prices increasing as much as 100 times.


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Microsoft Readies NAV-Based Dynamics 365 Offering for CSPs
- By Gladys Rama
- March 13, 2018
A new partner-delivered Microsoft Dynamics 365 solution based on the on-premises Dynamics NAV product will become generally available on April 2.
Alysa Taylor, Microsoft's general manager of Business Apps & Strategy, announced the upcoming release date of the new Dynamics 365 Business Central offering in a blog post Tuesday, though the product has been in the works since at least 2017, when it was code-named "Tenerife."
Dynamics 365 Business Central is a module-based ERP solution based on the existing Dynamics NAV product, but in the cloud.
"Business Central offers businesses a single, end to end solution for managing finances, operations, sales and customer service, and an opportunity to easily upgrade from entry-level accounting software and legacy ERP systems," Taylor said.
Like Dynamics NAV, whose last major update was in December with the release of Dynamics NAV 2018, Dynamics 365 Business Central has built-in integration with Microsoft's Office 365 suite, including Power BI for visual reporting and Flow for workflow automation.
Dynamics 365 Business Central "also brings the full power and product maturity of Dynamics NAV to the cloud," according to Taylor. "As such, Business Central has at its foundation a set of trusted, proven technologies that have served 160,000 customers and millions of users worldwide."
Microsoft is making Dynamics 365 Business Central available for sale through its Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) partners. The product Web site shows two pricing options: an "Essentials" version for $70 per user per month, and a "Premium" version for $100 per user per month.
Starting on April 2, customers in 14 markets -- the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Denmark, Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Italy, France, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Sweden and Finland -- will be able to purchase Dynamics 365 Business Central from CSP partners. Availability for customers in New Zealand and Australia will arrive on July 1.
Besides the launch of Dynamics 365 Business Central, Microsoft is planning at least one other major update to its Dynamics 365 business this year. In spring, the company is expected to revamp the Dynamics 365 model in a bid to streamline its various offerings. Taylor indicated that this revamp will entail "new modern, modular" apps, as well as enhancements around artificial intelligence and analytics.
Gladys Rama (@GladysRama3) is the editor of Redmondmag.com, RCPmag.com and AWSInsider.net, and the editorial director of Converge360.


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LG Electronics has forged a new smartphone design with new dual-screen technology and named it LG Wing, the device is a box swivel design. The mechanism rotates the large 6.8” display to reveal a secondary display.
LG Wing is expected to go on sale in South Korea on October 6 with a price tag of $940, according to officials with telecom operators here.
LG announced there will be no preorder reservations for the Wing, reports Yonhap news agency.
Instead, the company will hold a promotion for the full month of October, which gives Wing buyers a 70 per cent discount coupon if they have to replace the display of the phone within two years after purchase.
The Wing is highlighted by its two separate displays, with the main screen swivelling 90 degrees horizontally to reveal a secondary screen under it and creating a T-shape design.
It is equipped with “gimbal motion camera” technology with six motion sensors, which gives a great level of stabilization especially when users shoot videos with the device.
The domestic launch of the Wing falls on the same date as the preorder reservations opening of Samsung’s Galaxy S20 Fan Edition (FE) smartphone.
The budget model of the Galaxy S20 family was unveiled on Wednesday. Samsung said the Galaxy S20 FE will go on sale in South Korea in mid-October.


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Office Workers Are Again Told to Work from Home, Retailers Don’t Pay Rents, UK Commercial Property Owners Sink Deeper into the Mire.
Crown Estates, which manages the Queen of England’s portfolio, recently wrote down the value of 17 shopping and leisure centers by 17%, cutting Her Majesty’s net worth by £552 million. As The Economist points out, this is “fairly small beer” set against the £13.4 billion valuation of the Queen’s property portfolio, which includes some of London’s toniest real estate.
But the Queen will not be left out of pocket, since her income — set at 25% of the profits generated by the Crown Estate — will be topped up with a taxpayer bailout. In fact, thanks to the Sovereign Grant Act of 2011, the overall amount given to the Queen each year in order to fund her official duties is never allowed to fall, regardless of what is happening in the broader economy.
“In the event of a reduction in the Crown Estate’s profits, the sovereign grant is set at the same level as the previous year,” a spokesperson told The Independent. “The revenue from the Crown Estate helps pay for our vital public services – over the last 10 years it has returned a total of £2.8 billion to the Exchequer.”
Any profits made by the Crown Estate are passed to the Treasury which, in turn, hands 25% of the profits back to the Queen through the sovereign grant. This year, things will be a little different. To cover the fall in value of the Crown’s Estate, the estate has struck an agreement with the Treasury that allows it to begin making “staggered” revenue payments to the government, thus keeping a larger share of the profits to itself.
It’s a nice deal if you can get it. Most other UK commercial landlords can’t, though many larger property owners have certainly been lobbying the government for support, which for the moment is not forthcoming.
Meanwhile, conditions in both the retail and office markets continue to deteriorate. The U.K.’s ongoing retail crisis and work-from-home (WFH) revolution have between them wiped out roughly half of the market cap of large REITs such as Land Securities Group Plc, British Land Company, and Shaftesbury so far this year.
Last week, the government extended its ban on evictions of commercial property tenants from September 30 to December 31, which angered some landlords who have seen the yields on their investments slide as businesses struggle to pay rent. First passed on March 26, the moratorium on evictions was an essential lifeline for many retail businesses or offices whose incomes had dropped dramatically during the lockdown.
But it also shifted financial stress from tenants to property owners and their lenders. And the longer it drags on — it has now been extended twice in six months — the more the stress grows.
Continue reading the article on Wolf Street


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And The Winner Is… Cannabis
With less than a week till the elections, America’s pro-cannabis industry waits with bated breath about the outcome and what this could mean for legalization. Legal cannabis sales can easily exceed $22 billion by 2020 and for states who need the cash, this kind of revenue will be helpful.
Voters in California, Maine, Arizona, Nevada and Massachusetts will decide on legalizing recreational cannabis while voters in Florida, Arkansas, North Dakota and Montana will decide on legalizing medical marijuana. Many voters think that cannabis legalization will have a high chance this election because of the changing perceptions over the last few years.
“It's well established that the majority of Americans now believe that the responsible use of marijuana by adults should not be a criminal offense," says Paul Armetano of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). In mid-October, 2 national surveys were released. According to the Pew Research Center, 57% of American adults think that cannabis should already be legalized. This is a stark difference from a decade ago when 60% of Americans were opposed to the idea. The Gallup Poll also shows that 60% of the country favors legalizing cannabis, which is a record number ever in their surveys. When Washington and Colorado were the first states to legalize recreational use of the plant back in 2013, this resulted in a pivotal change in perceptions and more people became more supportive than ever for supporting legal cannabis.
Record-Breaking Tax Revenue Figures
A recent report from the Drug Policy Alliance shows that everything is well in Colorado, Alaska, Washington, Washington DC, and Oregon. The incidence of marijuana-related arrests has decreased, traffic fatalities are stable, and the number of young kids smoking cannabis hasn’t seen a significant increase.
However, it’s been hard to deny one of the most important contributions of a legal cannabis economy: a high tax revenue. A recent ArcView Market Research and New Frontier report says that legal cannabis sales grew to $5.7 billion in 2015, an increase from the previous year’s $4.6 billion. Recreational cannabis sales also increased to $1.2 billion from 2014’s $374 million.
Even stronger sales are projected for the end of this year. According to Troy Dayton who heads the ArcView Group, “Legalization of cannabis is one of the greatest business opportunities of our time and it's still early enough to see huge growth.”
Legal cannabis has also helped jobs grow like weeds all over the country, giving more people opportunities to earn greens and put food on the table. “We're seeing a massive transformation from an illicit economy worth tens of billions of dollars into a legal economy that will probably be worth even more than that,” says Ethan Nadelmann, Drug Policy Alliance’s executive director. "Legalizing marijuana, taxing and regulating it, is not going to solve a state's budget problems. It's not a panacea, but it definitely makes a significant contribution," he adds.
California: State of the Leaf
Among all states with cannabis on the ballot, California is being watched most closely. Medical use of cannabis is already legal in Golden State but if Prop 64 is approved, adults will be able to grow cannabis at home and recreational shops can be established. The pro-cannabis community believes that should Prop64 be passed (and people think that it likely will), it will put pressure on other states as well as Congress to legalize recreational use and purchase of cannabis.
According to Gallup, “"If recreational marijuana use becomes legal in California this year, many other states will likely follow, because the Golden State often sets political trends for the rest of the U.S."
Taylor West of the National Cannabis Industry Association thinks that this year’s elections will be pivotal in adding pressure on Congress, so much so that it will be almost impossible for them to ignore the green issue. “If all nine initiatives were to pass, we'd have approximately 62 percent of the US population living in a state where medical or adult-use cannabis access is legal. That's huge," West says.
West also hopes that eventually the government will allow cannabusinesses to enjoy the same banking services that other industries do. Cannabis businesses still can’t use banks and work on a cash basis because it’s still illegal at the federal level. Cash businesses pose severe security threats for dispensaries and similar retail businesses because it makes them more vulnerable to robbery, makes it difficult to track taxes, and makes it more challenging for managing employee salaries.
OTHER STORIES YOU MAY ENJOY...


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What is the height of luxury? Not in terms of products and services, but in terms of the luxury market and its potential for growth. Some factors came into play in 2014 which could have a huge impact on the global luxury market. First is Chinese President Xi Jinping’s much-publicised campaign to cut down on extravagance and root out corruption which has led to the sale of luxury goods slumping by as much as 50%. China was the hottest and fastest-growing market for luxury goods and the slowdown has led to top international brands like Giorgio Armani and Dolce & Gabbana closing their flagship stores on the Bund in Shanghai. The currency devaluations in Russia, Japan, Brazil and Indonesia are altering shopping and spending patterns globally. Then, there is the lingering economic slide in Europe.
The most authoritative tracker of the luxury market is Bain & Company, and its latest prediction is that worldwide sales of personal luxury products will rise a mere 2% this year, at the slowest pace since 2009. Events in China are casting the longest shadow. The crackdown has affected a number of Western luxury brands’ hopes in the fast-growing economy, with Burberry, Rémy Cointreau and LVMH all witnessing a slowdown during the third quarter. “With luxury goods, we are seeing the emergence of a new normal,” said Claudia D’Arpizio, a Bain partner in Milan, the fountainhead of the global luxury market.


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The exhibition, dubbed “Women’s Day Katale”, was hosted by the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU), in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation’s Young Africa Works initiative in Uganda in celebration of International Women’s Day 2022.
Speaking at the event hosted at Kasana Sports Grounds in Luwero, Hon. Victoria Sekitoleko- the Vice Chairperson of the PSFU Board said,
“Through this initiative, we are re-echoing our recognition of the contributions, resilience, and potential of young women in Uganda. This Women’s Day Katale provides an opportunity for young women in Luweero to gain linkages for their goods, products, and services to the available market.”
The exhibitors received business development support through free financial literacy, brand image consultancies, and guidance on embracing technology to support their long-term business objectives while ensuring sustainability and excellence.
In his address, Adrian Bukenya, Uganda Country Head at the Mastercard Foundation, highlighted the fact that Uganda, has one of the highest proportions of women-owned businesses anywhere in the world.
The 2022 celebration was themed “Investing in young Women for a Sustainable Tomorrow”
“It is up to all of us to ensure young women and men have the support they need to drive change in their communities, and contribute to our economy as equals. We need to work with intentionality, urgency, and at scale to enable systems-level changes that will catalyze opportunities for young women in Uganda and in fact the continent.”


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Top companies are already embracing Splashtop, with ASUS shipping millions of units and HP introducing Splashtop on select notebooks
San Jose, CA (PRWEB) August 19, 2008
DeviceVM, a San Jose, CA-based company, and the maker of the award-winning Splashtop™ instant-on environment, announced today a $15 million Series C round of funding led by top venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates, Inc. (NEA). Existing investors including Storm Ventures, DFJ Dragon, Tim Draper, and Larry Augustin also participated in this Series C investment, demonstrating continued commitment to DeviceVM's growth.
"Top companies are already embracing Splashtop, with ASUS shipping millions of units and HP introducing Splashtop on select notebooks," said Mark Lee, CEO and co-founder of DeviceVM. "As several additional large PC manufacturers are scheduled to begin shipping soon, our partnership with NEA will enable us to scale up DeviceVM to meet the worldwide demand for our product."
This latest round of financing builds on significant momentum for DeviceVM. Earlier this year Dow Jones VentureSource selected DeviceVM as one of the top 50 "Companies to Watch in 2008." PC World chose DeviceVM's Splashtop as one of the 25 Most Innovative Products of 2007 for its revolutionary approach to making computing fast and simple. Splashtop was also named one of the Greatest Linux Innovations of 2007 by computer hardware review site Phoronix.com and awarded a Best of 2007 Editor's Pick by HardwareZone.com.
"Splashtop is a game-changing product in the personal computing space," said NEA partner Peter Sonsini, who previously led NEA's investment in XenSource (acquired by Citrix Systems), and was an executive at VMware prior to joining NEA. "We are excited to invest in a revolutionary product and a team like DeviceVM."
Warren Lazarow and Paul Sieben of O'Melveny & Myers LLP represented DeviceVM in the transaction.
DeviceVM, Inc. is a privately held software company, selected by Dow Jones as one of the top 50 companies to watch for. With its 'instant-on' Splashtop product, DeviceVM is improving the every-day experience of computer users. Founded in 2006, DeviceVM is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices in Taiwan and China.
Splashtop is an award-winning 'instant-on' platform that improves the personal computing experience. Splashtop enables users to read e-mail, chat with friends, share photos, or surf the Web seconds after turning on their PC. Numerous Splashtop-enabled motherboards, desktops, and notebooks are available from the world's major computer manufacturers.
New Enterprise Associates, Inc. (NEA) is a leading venture capital firm focused on helping entrepreneurs create and build major new enterprises that use technology to improve the way we live, work and play. Since its founding in 1978, the firm has followed the same core principles: supporting its entrepreneurs, providing an excellent return to its limited partners, and practicing its profession with the highest standards and respect. Through its affiliated funds, NEA focuses on investments at all stages of a company's development, from seed stage through IPO. With approximately $8.5 billion in committed capital, NEA's experienced management team has invested in over 550 companies, of which more than 160 have gone public and more than 240 have been acquired. NEA has U.S. offices in Chevy Chase, Maryland; Menlo Park, California; and Baltimore, Maryland. In addition, New Enterprise Associates (India) Pvt. Ltd. has an office in Bangalore, India and New Enterprise Associates (Beijing) Ltd. has offices in Beijing and Shanghai, China. For additional information, visit http://www.nea.com.
About Storm Ventures
Storm Ventures was founded by a seasoned group of industry veterans with the common vision of sharing our collective experience, passion and energy to help talented and driven entrepreneurs build great companies of enduring value. With over $500 million under management, Storm Ventures focuses on seed and early stage information technology companies which best leverages our operational experience and global network.
About DFJ Dragon Fund
DFJ Dragon is a leading early-stage technology venture capital firm in the People's Republic of China and Silicon Valley, California. The fund was established in March 2006 by managing directors Tim Draper, Bobby Chao, Tony Luh, Larry Li and Andy Tang. DFJ Dragon has since invested in twenty one companies, spanning diverse industries including clean technology, health care, Internet, mobile applications and semiconductors. DFJ Dragon is the exclusive China affiliate fund for early stage investment of Draper Fisher Jurvetson (http://www.dfj.com), which has over 130 venture capital professionals, across 33 cities in the US, Asia, Europe, Israel, South America and Russia, with more than 550 portfolio companies funded and over $5.7 billion of capital under management, and has been investing in China since 1998. Their successful investments in China include Baidu (BIDU), KongZhong (KONG) and Focus Media (FMCN). DFJ Dragon maintains offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Menlo Park, California.
More about Splashtop: http://www.splashtop.com
Splashtop blog: http://www.splashtop.com/blog


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GST Council lowers tax rates for 66 items, including insulin, printers, pickles
The GST council’s meeting continued during the day ahead of the rollout of the new tax regime proposed from July 1. The next meeting is on June 18.Updated: Jun 12, 2017 08:26 IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi
The GST Council lowered tax rates on 66 items such as pickles, incense sticks, some movie tickets and printers after industries and states complained that the goods will become too expensive when the new indirect taxation system kicks in from July 1.
The panel, chaired by Union finance minister Arun Jaitley and consisting of his counterparts from all states, had divided almost all goods and services into four tax brackets when it last met in Srinagar in May.
But a number of industries opposed the tax classification, and Jaitley said that the panel had received a request to review the levies.
“The 133 representations received were considered at length and the officers’ committee made their recommendations... the council has reduced tax in 66 out of the 133 cases,” Jaitley, who heads the council, told reporters here following the meeting, according to IANS.
Movie tickets costing Rs 100 and below will now attract 18%, against 28% proposed earlier, while those above Rs 100 will continue to attract 28% GST.
Packaged food like pickles, mustard sauce and morabba will attract 12% GST, against 18% proposed earlier. Also, tax rates on cashew nuts have been cut to 5% from 12%.
On being asked about the tax rates on sanitary napkins, the finance minister said, “What has been decided earlier remains. No further rates for this category”. Sanitary napkins have been classified under the 12% bracket.
The Council also lowered GST rates on children’s drawing books to nil from 12%. Computer printers will attract 18% tax as against 28% earlier.
The council also relaxed the Rs 50 lakh per annum turnover ceiling to Rs 75 lakh for businesses to take part in the GST Composition Scheme. The scheme allows traders, manufacturers and restaurant owners to pay taxes at the rate of 1, 2, and 5% respectively.
Jaitley added that reducing the tax rate meant a revenue impact for the government, but lower tax incidence could help improve tax buoyancy and keep inflation low.
Sunday’s meeting also saw discussions on transitional rules and decided the next meeting will be on June 18.
The GST Council fit almost all goods and services in slabs of 5, 12, 18 and 28% tax during the Srinagar meeting in May.
(with inputs from agencies)
First Published: Jun 11, 2017 16:33 IST


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News from the industry. News from PHOTOPIA Hamburg.
A recent firmware update enables 12-bit RAW video output specifically for the Leica SL2-S and integrates other improvements for the SL system.
The new Xperia 1 IV is the world's first smartphone with a true optical zoom lens. It enables slow-motion shooting in 4K at 120 frames per second (fps) with all lenses, as well as first-class photo features.
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According to a report from Wells Fargo and Gallup, the small-business optimism index for August was the highest it has been since the third quarter of 2008. A similar report from the National Federation of Independent Business indicated that last month's optimism was at the fourth-highest level it has been since the group started taking readings of the industry in December 2007. More detailed information from The Wall Street Journal/Vistage Small Business CEO Survey showed that 73 percent of the 678 participating business owners expected higher revenues in the subsequent year. Researchers with this outfit also found that 54 percent of small business owners expected profits to increase during the same time period. After analyzing previous data, it was determined that these are the highest proportions seen in these categories since June of last year.
So, what does all of this mean really? Well, it could mean good things are coming for many small businesses in Michigan and throughout the nation. But the recession is still having lasting effects in some areas, continuing to stop a fraction of business owners from getting on the ride of the recent economic resurgence--roller coaster that it has been in the past handful of years. For some owners, this might mean more cutbacks and closures in the future. But where I live, a number of small businesses have been taking a chance, opening, and subsequently thriving. In our downtown area, local residents can't stop talking about the new market that was built this year--it now houses a slew of entrepreneurs trying their hands at this and that. Elsewhere, restaurant options have been popping up left and right--the key to the food ventures that will last is three-pronged: good food, good service, and good prices.
|Talk about a corny image: the key(s) to success!|


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Asda introduces new eco-packaging to its fruit and veg lines
Asda is rolling out new “green” packaging to fruit and veg in a bid to extend shelf life and cut food waste.
The packaging features a gas-permeable film, which allows excess moisture to escape. Packs are tailor made to “create the perfect atmosphere” for each type of veg, added Peter Ibbotson, MD of Evap Environmental Packaging, which developed the innovation.
It is now being used on two of Asda’s Jersey Royals lines and will roll out to Brussels sprouts later this year. Asda technology manager Chris Jones said Asda had spent years researching the technology, adding: “We believe this will change the face of fresh produce retailing.”


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As the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) strives to redress the issue of mutilated naira notes in circulation, MARK ITSIBOR writes that allowing alternative payment channels to thrive will have positive impact on the economy, with much benefit for the citizenry
Last week, there a serious disagreement which led to an exchange of fisticuffs between a bus passenger, simply identified as Mrs. Maureen and a bus conductor, Moshood Olaitan in Lagos state broke out over a torn naira note.
“Conductor, which kind money be this? Take am back – nobody go collect am from my hand.”
“Madam, waitin do that money? Na me print am? Abi no bi passenger use am pay me for your presence just now? If you get N100, bring am because I no get another one wey I go give you oo.”
“I hear you. You never see anything. Make I get down and you no give me my change.”
The problem was that the bus conductor allegedly gave a torn N100 note to Mrs. Maureen as balance for her transport fare. Except for the intervention of passers-by who finally settled the crisis from a supposedly cordial business transaction, “I for show you say Kaki-no-bi-leather,” Mrs. Maureen boasted. The problem is one of the greatest challenges in several lines of duty for operators in the informal section of the Nigerian economy. The complaint has been that people give worn out monies as payment but reject them in exchange, tagging them as dirty money.
The case of Maureen and Olaitan is one of the many incidences of avoidable hostility, commotion and even deaths arising from business transactions in recent time. From Loss of profit and cancelation of transactions to injurious outcomes, the end results from cases of mutilated currencies in circulation have been unpalatable, to say the least. The truth is that, there is widening spread of the number of mutilated or dirty notes in circulation across the country. The observation is that a large percentage of the naira notes in circulation are torn or dirty. Who is to blame?
The fact that Nigerians are still affected by the incessant cases of mutilated or dirty naira note in circulation is because they chose to have them. They have deliberately or otherwise decided to continue to cope with the several experiences of rejections recorded on daily basis at every point of financial transactions. Dirty and defaced currency projects money that has gone through the worst form of contamination, which is why most people reject them. The problem is big.
Many Nigerians do not like using wallets or purses, and the currency is mostly tossed in handbags or schoolbags, or crumpled and shoved deep down a child’s pocket. Others prefer to tie them in their waist cloths, or even when they do use wallets, just squeeze them in there without particularly taking time to arrange them in.
Besides the physical defacement the naira notes are subjected to on daily basis, there is the other unsettling but seeming unavoidable danger that the currency handlers are exposed to. Findings have shown that individuals from almost every socio-economic background routinely hold and transfer paper currency, and any object that can spread communicable diseases throughout a diverse population must be considered a risk to public health.
The solution to the rising incidence of mutilated notes in the country is for Nigerians to treat the naira notes with care and handle them properly. As it is often said, whatever way money is used, it will definitely end up back in our own pockets and wallets. This is why experts have urged that Nigerians make conscious efforts to maintain their currency. In one of its column on proper money handling, GhanaWeb noted that money is the most widely used and sought after thing on the planet, and has been the model of economic exchange since 1000 AD. As a way out of the situation, the online medium suggested that “IT is very important that we take utmost care of it.” Countries such as Malaysia and China have modern notes which are made from a special blend of cotton and linen, and coated with animal gelatin. This gives them a plastic- like feel which cannot be pulled apart. It also makes it easy to wipe off and even clean the money with a wet fabric.
Alternative payment system
Beyond proper handling of the currency notes, there is a call on Nigerians to embrace alternative payment system for settlement of business transactions. There are some alternative payment methods flowing into the payment processing industry that can be integrated into business now. The most common alternative payment methods are debit cards (ATM cards), Point of Sales (PoS), Change Cards, Prepaid cards, direct debit, bank transfers, phone and mobile payments, money orders, among others.
The benefits are enormous. For the consumers, alternative payment system offer faster, easier payments. It enhances increased convenience / access (more payment options) and reduced risk of robbery.
For government: Firmer grip on Monetary Policy, and its attendant effect on Inflation and economic stability; increased / transparent tax collection; greater financial inclusion; increased economic development, among other positives.
One of the most commonly referenced benefits of alternative payment systems is reduced transaction costs, although Stephen Baseby, ACT associate policy and technical director, says that the costs faced by businesses vary widely. “The higher the transaction volume and average transaction size, the cheaper electronically processed payments are, which means that processing costs can be surprisingly low for a large utility relative to income, but high for a small retailer,” he explains. Interchange fees – the fee paid by a merchant’s acquiring bank to a cardholder’s issuing bank as part of an electronic payment card transaction – are in flux (see The cost of payments, below) and the impact of recent changes is not yet clear, Baseby continues.
“Most of the payment applications generate a Faster Payment,” he says, “which accounts for the bulk of the cost. Payments made via Faster Payments – a UK banking initiative to reduce payment times between different banks’ customer accounts – remain expensive relative to debit cards. This is partly down to the volume of transactions, although that should change as volume increases.”
A report on alternative payments, produced by payment-processing provider Worldpay, had revealed that the value of payments processed by more than 300 alternative payment schemes in operation globally rose by 21 per cent in 2013. It estimates that they will account for 59 per cent of transactions by 2017. The concern for the regulatory authorities is that Nigeria does not even account for up to 4 per cent of the alternative or electronic payment system recorded in 2013.
Besides the huge cost that government bears to wipe out defaced currencies from the system, the new trend is e-transaction for settlement of business transactions worldwide.
For example, there have been concerted and deliberate efforts by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to change the tide in payment for business transactions in recent times. For instance, as part of effort to address the rising incidence of mutilated notes across the country, the Central Nigeria, reduced the amount of money it charges banks for sorting mutilated naira notes from clean ones to N1,000 per box from N12,000 per box. The bank has been carrying out series of awareness campaigns against manhandling of the naira notes.
The bank had cautioned Nigerians against abusing the currency notes, with a warning that anyone caught risks six months imprisonment or pay a fine of N50,000. According to the bank, the awareness programmes are aimed at sensitising the public on the need to accord respect to naira notes, online transfer system, how to identify fake currency notes, as well as how to approach the CBN for complaints on related issues.
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Chicago Tank Lining Sales Inc.
Will Forrest Claypool really end the Chicago Public Schools academic year early in June because he can't pay the bills? Probably not. But that doesn't mean there's an easy fix.
Small-business owners are increasingly leaning on credit cards. That's according to a recent survey by the National Small Business Assn., which finds that 59% of respondents used credit cards to finance their operations during the past year a 10% increase over 2008 (and a 43% surge over 1993 survey results). Even as credit card use has risen, small-business owners say the terms are getting tighter. In the latest survey, 75% of respondents said their terms had worsened during the past six months, and 63% reported an interest rate bump during the past year. The credit card reforms signed into law last month provided no relief to small-business owners. The new rules that rein in interest rate increases apply only to personal cards, not ones issued to businesses. That means many more small-business owners may see their interest rates rise, especially if they don't pay off their bills regularly. Only 40% of business owners in the NSBA survey do so each month. That's how Warren Brand operates. "It's like a free 30-day loan," says Mr. Brand, president of Chicago Tank Lining Sales Inc. in Evanston. He uses two cards for his business. Each has a


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When it comes to anime, Netflix has been on a tear recently. In November, the streaming service announced that it was creating a live-action version of Cowboy Bebop, new shows set in the worlds of Pacific Rim and Altered Carbon, and that it was bringing Neon Genesis Evangelion to subscribers. Now, another classic is coming: Ghost in the Shell.
As spotted by io9, Netflix announced that a new Ghost in the Shell anime is coming — Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 which will be directed by Shinji Aramaki (Appleseed), and Kenji Kamiyama (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex). Netflix doesn’t reveal any additional details, other than to say that it will be released sometime in 2020.
YES, A NEW GHOST IN THE SHELL ANIME IS COMING.
Ghost in the…
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Treepz was founded in 2019 by Akumah, Johnny Ena, Afolabi Oluseyi, and John Shuaibu as a bus-hailing platform in Nigeria.
At the time, the startup, which was named, Plentywaka, provided a convenient way for users in the bustling city of Lagos to book bus trips.
Only a few months before its launch, Opera-backed OBus had begun operation, and even Egyptian startup, Swvl had expanded to Nigeria.
In 2020, the startup launched a logistics arm as the COVID-19-induced lockdowns meant there were fewer trips.
By 2021, the startup had raised $1.2 million from investors, gotten into Techstars, and acquired Stabus, a Ghanaian mobility startup.
Additionally, it disclosed plans to expand to Canada later that year but very little is known of its operations in Canada.
Since its launch, the startup has completed 2.7 million trips, with 1.6 million trips completed.
Africa’s transportation sector is fragmented with numerous players, but commuting conditions still leave much to be desired.
For Lagos, where Treepz began, rickety buses remain the primary means of transportation for most of the city’s residents.
All this presents an opportunity for startups looking to digitize the space.
Treepz has made its first East African expansion via Uganda, and the company has expanded into Kenya as part of its pan-African expansion, starting with Nairobi, then Mombasa.
The ride-hailing company operates a vehicle rental service that connects vehicle owners with renters on its marketplace, as well as a corporate offering for businesses and schools where it provides commuting services for their employees or students.
For its Kenyan expansion, Treepz hired Samar Patel, former Head of Transport-as-a-Service and Software-as-a-Service at Swvl, to lead its operations.
In recent times, Treepz has had a strong focus on vehicle rental service or what the company refers to as Business Treepz.
This move has also led to Treepz Kenya signing up a couple of high-profile companies to provide commuting services for their employees or students.
These companies include reputable firms like Twiga Foods, Abacus Schools, OAK House School, and Diamond Trust Bank, with 20 big-name deals across Kenya in the pipeline.
These partnerships demonstrate the growing demand for Treepz’s innovative solutions, especially with vehicle rental services for businesses, and the company is confident that this trend will continue as it expands its reach.
How it Works
The startup’s business model consists of three verticals. The main service, “Daily Treepz,” is like Uber for minivans and buses.
It offers riders in a city fixed daily routes from the bus stop to the bus stop, allowing them to reserve seats using the app and pay via a digital wallet system.
“Travel Treepz” is the startup’s intercity bus service, which allows Treepz to act as an aggregator for other bus companies, similar to Ugabus’s model.
Finally, Treepz has recently introduced corporate bookings, providing transportation services for businesses.
Subsequently, Treepz entered into a partnership agreement with CMS Taxi and Motor Nigeria Limited (CMS T&M), a Lagos-based traditional bus company.
This partnership provides better payment options and travel time management using Treepz’s technology.
Additionally, the company introduced the Transportation Operator System, which enables Bus Parks and Bus Operators to digitize their services, increase their customer base, and manage revenue.
Onyeka Akumah is the Co-Founder and CEO of Treepz.
He previously worked at Farmcrowdy as a Founder and CEO.
Onyeka Akumah attended Sikkim Manipal University, Gangtok.
Enagwolor Johnny is the co-founder and president at Treepz. He attended the University of Benin.
Investors & Funding Rounds
The Xchange, SOSV, Shock Ventures, Techstars, Argentil Capital Partners, ODBA & Co Ventures
Plentywaka has raised a $1.2 million seed round to scale its operations on the back of leaving the Techstars Toronto accelerator program.
Canadian-based VC firm The Xchange led the round, SOSV and Shock Ventures participated, and Techstars Toronto made a follow-on investment.
Nigerian firms Argentil Capital Partners and ODBA and Co Ventures took part in the seed round, alongside some angel investors from Canada, other parts of Africa, and the U.S.
Plentywaka is primarily a bus-booking platform but, per its website, has more than 900 vehicles, ranging from cars to vans to buses.
The company provides intrastate travel (via its Dailywaka offering) and interstate travel (via its Travelwaka offering) for its users via a mobile application.
Since going live in September 2019, Plentywaka has acquired over 80,000 users while completing up to half a million rides.
In Nigeria, the company caters to travelers across 21 cities. Travelers in Accra will begin to use the service when Plentywaka Ghana goes live. And the next plan after Accra is to replicate the expansion in six other African countries within 24 months.
Plentywaka is raising its Series A to ramp up these expansion efforts.
BeakMe: This is a one-app multiple solution for everyday essential needs. Users can access over 70 services such as ride, food, and grocery delivery.
Loop Energy: It is a developer of pollution-free transportation solutions intended to reduce the emission of harmful gasses.
Pathao: This is a super-app platform with services in ride-sharing, logistics, e-commerce, food delivery, payments, BNPL, and more.


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Foodics, specialised in providing cloud-based all-in-one restaurant management solutions, has estimated the size of the restaurant market in Egypt at $17bn annually.
The company aims to present its management solutions to 2,000 restaurants in Egypt by the end of 2021.
Ahmad Al-Zaini, Co-Founder and CEO of Foodics, said they allocated $10m to expand into new markets, including Egypt.
According to the company, there are more than 400,000 restaurants in Egypt, of which 97% are local brands.
He stressed, in a press statement on Thursday, that Foodics considers the Egyptian market as a gateway to Africa.
According to Al-Zaini, the company has allocated about 50% of its revenues to support the research and development of its products within two years, which helped the company to acquire more than 30% market share.


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First Data to Acquire Acculynk
First Data announced on March 16th that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Acculynk, a leading Atlanta-based technology company that delivers eCommerce solutions for debit card acceptance. The acquisition expands First Data’s robust eCommerce solution suite by providing access to Acculynk’s PaySecure® debit routing technology and its range of other services for businesses of all sizes around the world.
“Our global clients conduct business in-store and online, and we are constantly working to give them the most powerful eCommerce assets to make transactions simple, seamless, and secure for their customers,” said Frank Bisignano, Chairman and CEO, First Data. “Acculynk has established itself as a leading technology innovator, and its debit routing technology allows First Data to broaden our eCommerce offerings for existing clients and new prospects. Ashish Bahl and his team will strengthen our already formidable eCommerce capabilities.”
Acculynk’s unique debit routing technology allows merchants to process online debit payments through the most cost-effective available debit network, helping merchants reduce their total cost of acceptance. In addition, Acculynk’s True Debit™ gateway via PaySecure decreases fraud rates, expedites payment settlement, and creates a consumer experience with less friction. These innovative eCommerce tools will be available across the First Data client landscape, from multinational corporations to sole proprietors operating online stores.
“It is incredibly exciting to join forces with First Data as we streamline eCommerce and reduce transaction costs for businesses around the world,” said Ashish Bahl, Chairman and CEO, Acculynk. “First Data’s unrivaled global scale and distribution will greatly expand the footprint of PaySecure, providing benefit to merchants looking to simplify debit card eCommerce transactions for consumers around the world.”
In addition to Acculynk’s cutting-edge routing solutions, the company has a robust patent portfolio that is included in the acquisition. The acquisition will bring Acculynk’s development team to First Data, adding their online debit network expertise to First Data’s global team of engineers and software developers.
First Data will also acquire Acculynk’s other product offerings, including PayGov, a government bill pay solution, and Payzur, a white-label P2P solution distributed by financial institutions for customer use.
The acquisition remains subject to customary closing conditions.
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- BlueLinx Completes Three Property Sales
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April 8, 2013
/PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:
Virgin Galactic: The pioneering adventure into space tourism
The Virgin Galactic company is a pioneering enterprise which is run by Virgin Group. The company plans to be the first company able to carry tourists into space, customers will be transported beyond the official line of the atmosphere to experience weightlessness and view the Earth from space.
Features and benefits
* MarketLine Case Studies describe topics such as innovative products, business models, and significant company acquisitions.* Fact-based and presented in an accessible style, they explain the rationale of commercial decisions and illustrate wider market and economic trends.
Virgin group is a company which has a history of testing unique business ideas and trying controversial business plans to find new sources of revenue. The company began as a record shop selling records via the postal service. Currently the company is involved in a number of different business areas, including banking, transport and media.Virgin Galactic as a company is going to be running an experience where tourists can pay for the experience of being in space. The company has designed its own fleet of new spacecraft and will be running them from purpose built spaceports the first of which will be in
New Mexico USA
Virgin's spacecraft include the Spaceship two, the White Knight two and the Launcher one. The White Knight carries a payload which can be a satellite launching craft or a Spaceship two carrying tourists, toward the end of the atmosphere where the ship or launcher can release and fire their rockets into the atmosphere.
Your key questions answered
* What types of industries in Virgin group involved with currently?* What is the nature and plan for the new plunge into space tourism?* Is the company likely to be successful in this new business environment?* What are the potential pitfalls of this business venture?
OVERVIEWCatalystSummaryTHE VIRGIN STORYThe Virgin Group's historyThe Virgin Group companiesDespite global success the company has had to be pragmaticVIRGIN GALACTIC IS BORNVirgin Galactic plans to run commercial flights to outer spaceThe Virgin Galactic trip will cost less than the current optionsThe Virgin Galactic experience will cross the Karman lineVirgin Galactic will fly from purpose built space portsVIRGIN'S SPACECRAFT FLEETThe Spaceship Two is a passenger carrying craftThe White Knight Two is a utility mother-ship craftLauncher One, a payload carrying rocketCAN THIS INNOVATIVE COMPANY BE A SUCCESSNASA's budget has been reducedPotential safety and technology concerns for VirginSome opportunities exist from the invention of new technologyThere are some competitors, but currently the market is openCONCLUSIONSVirgin has proven itself to be an innovative companyCompetitors are few in the commercial space flight businessThere are numerous potential pitfalls to overcomeAPPENDIXSourcesFurther ReadingAsk the analystAbout MarketLineDisclaimer


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HAIR to Go! Hair to go! Hair to go! The big Movember shave-off is finally here today — with fellas across Scotland itching to get rid of their dodgy ’taches.
More than 10,000 big-hearted Scots blokes have grown face fuzz over the past month as part of a Scottish Sun-backed campaign to raise money and increase awareness of men’s health issues.
Now they get to whisk off their whiskers after raising £312,000 to add to a staggering £17million worldwide.
Thrilled Movember co-founder Justin Coghlan beamed: “This has been the biggest Movember ever and we can’t thank the people of Scotland enough.”
A number of hairdressers are offering to shave Mo Bros for free.
Scott Williams, boss of Edinburgh chain Boom Barbers, said: “It’s the least that we can do after so many guys have sacrificed their faces for a superb campaign.”


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News, Entertainment, Lifestyle, Fashion, Gossip and lots more....
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Emmanuel Adebayor poses with personalised Rolls Royce Phantom coupe worth $300k
The Togolese star shared a photo of himself sitting on top a Rolls Royce
Phantom Coupe valued at £318,120 according to Official dealer H.R.
Since being released by the Tottenham, he has been spending time in Togo
and Ghana, happily picking up his £100k per week wages and posting
pictures of himself lounging by pools or posing with classic cars


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Jan. 15, 2021 - From January 11 to 14, CES, the world's largest electronic exhibition, was changed to be held online for the first time in 54 years. The number of exhibitors in this year’s CES has shrunk from more than 4000 in the past to more than 2000. Affected by the epidemic situation in the United States and the suppression of Chinese enterprises by the United States, a large number of Chinese enterprises are absent.
According to South Korean media reports, among the 1940 enterprises participating in the exhibition, there are only 204 Chinese enterprises, 85% less than the 1368 in 2020. Previously, many Chinese sanitary enterprises and practitioners went to Las Vegas to attend CES.
In addition to CES, KBIS, the largest and most professional kitchen and bathroom exhibition in North America originally scheduled to be held in Florida from February 9 to 11, 2021, has also cancelled the offline exhibition and changed to online digital exhibition, and registered all NKBA members free of charge.
Affected by the global epidemic, many exhibitions in the world have been cancelled or postponed, and the online and offline mixed mode of IMM Cologne originally scheduled to be held from January 20 to 23, 2021 has to be cancelled. Before that, the organizer still insisted on its plan to hold the furniture exhibition in early 2021.
Messe Frankfurt announced in September 2020 that the Frankfurt International Exhibition Center will not hold any physical trade exhibition between January and March 2021.
In China, due to the impact of epidemic prevention and control, the 17th Nan'an Plumbing Pump Valve and Fire - Fighting Equipment Fair, originally scheduled to be held in Nan'an, Fujian Province from February 14 to 16, 2021, will be postponed to may 3-5, 2021.
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Wow, that didn’t take long. Last week we debuted our new series Talking Schmidt where we take a moment to celebrate some of the Google chairman’s more colorful statements, and today Schmidt already delivered the next round of material.
Eric Schmidt spoke today (as he has been doing an awful lot lately) at New York University’s Stern school of business where he jokingly suggested that young people should change their name at the age of 18 as a general policy to address growing privacy concerns that Internet services present.
We can probably expect more of these unforgettable lines as Eric Schmidt promotes his new book The New Digital Age with his coauthor Jared Cohen.
Both Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen spoke with economist Nouriel Roubini discussing growing privacy concerns and Big Brother in the age of increased connectivity and openness.
The Google chairman noted the serious need for a universal ‘delete button’ on the Internet to address privacy concerns and offer users more control over their personal information being made public.
But what caught our attention is a joke about a rule mandating that teenagers change their name when they become an adult to avoid responsibility for the content they post before becoming an adult, as Fast Company notes.
“I propose that at the age of 18, you should, just as a policy, change your name,” Schmidt said, with a smile. “Then you can say, ‘That really wasn’t me; I really didn’t do that!'”
It is a shame that Roubini omitted the most obvious follow-up question: What would Eric Emerson Schmidt’s new name be upon turning eighteen?
Schmidt’s comment comes soon after the 25 minute mark:
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