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|By Marketwired .||
|February 13, 2013 11:40 AM EST||
REDWOOD CITY, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 02/13/13 --
Core News Facts:
- Bunchball, the pioneer and market leader in gamification, today announced plans to release a built-in connector to Twitter for its popular Nitro gamification engine and its Integrated Nitro Solutions.
- Nitro Connector for Twitter is the latest addition to the catalog of Bunchball's Nitro Connectors, which empowers enterprises to seamlessly connect engaging and inspiring gamification programs to enterprise applications and social networking tools. Nitro Connector for Twitter gives Bunchball customers a simple and effective way to motivate site visitors, consumers, and employees to post tweets that support their brands and campaigns.
- With Nitro Connector for Twitter, companies can define and track specific phrases and hashtags that relate to their products, services or industries and detect when users include those words in their tweets. This enables companies to automatically reward these users for their social media activity, using their Nitro gamification solutions.
- Nitro Connector for Twitter gives companies a new way to build awareness or trigger customer activity by leveraging the power of personal recommendations and mentions.
- Twitter's more than 200 million active users are a motivated bunch: 79 percent follow brands to get access to exclusive content.
- Bunchball's Nitro Connector for Twitter enhances the gamification initiatives of both consumer-facing and enterprise customers.
- For those targeting consumers, Nitro Connector for Twitter supports viral marketing promotions by rewarding frequent posters with discounts or exclusive content.
- For enterprises, Nitro Connector for Twitter is instrumental in encouraging employees and partners to tweet more frequently about the company, its latest news and upcoming events, or about important trends associated with the company's business.
- Once activated, the connector appears in the Nitro or Integrated Solution interface and seamlessly integrates within the existing gamification user experience.
- Bunchball's Nitro Connector for Twitter is generally available today as an optional add-on to Bunchball's Nitro, Nitro for Salesforce, Nitro for Jive, and Nitro for IBM Connections products.
Attributable to Sydney Sloan, Sr. Director of Marketing at Jive Software
"Jive transforms the way people work and our great customers are very enthusiastic about the value it delivers in their organization," said Sydney Sloan, senior director of customer and social marketing at Jive Software. "Bunchball's Nitro Connector for Twitter helped our customers share their excitement for Jive and their attendance of JiveWorld12, the industry's first and largest social business event."
Attributable to Rajat Paharia, founder and CPO, Bunchball
"Bunchball's Nitro Connector for Twitter is a great example of the value that our Nitro Connectors bring to customers. You can easily and quickly extend your gamification initiatives to include tweets containing the hashtags or phrases you care about most, at the moment that you care about them. With Nitro Connector for Twitter, we're helping customers drive the behaviors that drive their business."
Bunchball is the market leader and visionary in gamification. Powering the Engaged Enterprise, Bunchball enables organizations to improve business performance throughout their ecosystem by creating highly active and loyal customers, employees, and partners. Bunchball's comprehensive suite of innovative cloud-based solutions empowers companies to engage and motivate, leading to improved employee productivity, customer loyalty and ROI. Bunchball's world-class customers include Adobe, HP, Cisco, Warner Bros., Comcast, LiveOps, VMware and Hasbro. Based in Silicon Valley, Bunchball's investors include Granite Ventures, Triangle Peak Partners, Northport Investments, and Correlation Ventures. For more information, visit www.bunchball.com, our blog at www.gamification.com, or follow @bunchball.
Inner Circle Labs
Email: [email protected]
Red Hat has launched the Red Hat Cloud Innovation Practice, a new global team of experts that will assist companies with more quickly on-ramping to the cloud. They will do this by providing solutions and services such as validated designs with reference architectures and agile methodology consulting, training, and support. The Red Hat Cloud Innovation Practice is born out of the integration of technology and engineering expertise gained through the company’s 2014 acquisitions of leading Ceph s...
Mar. 6, 2015 10:45 AM EST Reads: 1,159
Docker is an excellent platform for organizations interested in running microservices. It offers portability and consistency between development and production environments, quick provisioning times, and a simple way to isolate services. In his session at DevOps Summit at 16th Cloud Expo, Shannon Williams, co-founder of Rancher Labs, will walk through these and other benefits of using Docker to run microservices, and provide an overview of RancherOS, a minimalist distribution of Linux designed...
Mar. 6, 2015 10:00 AM EST Reads: 994
PubNub on Monday has announced that it is partnering with IBM to bring its sophisticated real-time data streaming and messaging capabilities to Bluemix, IBM’s cloud development platform. “Today’s app and connected devices require an always-on connection, but building a secure, scalable solution from the ground up is time consuming, resource intensive, and error-prone,” said Todd Greene, CEO of PubNub. “PubNub enables web, mobile and IoT developers building apps on IBM Bluemix to quickly add sc...
Mar. 6, 2015 10:00 AM EST Reads: 5,026
Business and IT leaders today need better application delivery capabilities to support critical new innovation. But how often do you hear objections to improving application delivery like, “I can harden it against attack, but not on this timeline”; “I can make it better, but it will cost more”; “I can deliver faster, but not with these specs”; or “I can stay strong on cost control, but quality will suffer”? In the new application economy, these tradeoffs are no longer acceptable. Customers will ...
Mar. 6, 2015 10:00 AM EST Reads: 1,170
Data-intensive companies that strive to gain insights from data using Big Data analytics tools can gain tremendous competitive advantage by deploying data-centric storage. Organizations generate large volumes of data, the vast majority of which is unstructured. As the volume and velocity of this unstructured data increases, the costs, risks and usability challenges associated with managing the unstructured data (regardless of file type, size or device) increases simultaneously, including end-to-...
Mar. 6, 2015 09:45 AM EST Reads: 2,509
The excitement around the possibilities enabled by Big Data is being tempered by the daunting task of feeding the analytics engines with high quality data on a continuous basis. As the once distinct fields of data integration and data management increasingly converge, cloud-based data solutions providers have emerged that can buffer your organization from the complexities of this continuous data cleansing and management so that you’re free to focus on the end goal: actionable insight.
Mar. 6, 2015 09:30 AM EST Reads: 1,792
CommVault has announced that top industry technology visionaries have joined its leadership team. The addition of leaders from companies such as Oracle, SAP, Microsoft, Cisco, PwC and EMC signals the continuation of CommVault Next, the company's business transformation for sales, go-to-market strategies, pricing and packaging and technology innovation. The company also announced that it had realigned its structure to create business units to more directly match how customers evaluate, deploy, op...
Mar. 6, 2015 09:00 AM EST Reads: 825
Docker has acquired software-defined networking (SDN) startup SocketPlane. SocketPlane, which was founded in Q4, 2014, with a vision of delivering Docker-native networking, has been an active participant in shaping the initial efforts around Docker’s open API for networking. The explicit focus of the SocketPlane team within Docker will be on collaborating with the partner community to complete a rich set of networking APIs that addresses the needs of application developers and network and system...
Mar. 6, 2015 09:00 AM EST Reads: 1,057
JFrog on Thursday announced that it has added Docker support to Bintray, its distribution-as-a-service (DaaS) platform. When combined with JFrog’s Artifactory binary repository management system, organizations can now manage Docker images with an end-to-end solution that supports all technologies. The new version of Bintray allows organizations to create an unlimited number of private Docker repositories, and through the use of fast Akamai content delivery networks (CDNs), it decreases the dow...
Mar. 6, 2015 09:00 AM EST Reads: 983
SYS-CON Media announced today that Symantec, a provider of leading security, backup and availability solutions for where vital information is stored, accessed and shared, has launched new ad campaigns on SYS-CON's i-Technology sites, which include Cloud Computing Journal, DevOps Journal, Virtualization Journal, and IoT Journal. Symantec’s campaigns focus on Disaster Recovery and High Availability, the availability of business-critical applications in today’s complex heterogeneous environments, ...
Mar. 6, 2015 09:00 AM EST Reads: 741
The Internet of Things (IoT) is causing data centers to become radically decentralized and atomized within a new paradigm known as “fog computing.” To support IoT applications, such as connected cars and smart grids, data centers' core functions will be decentralized out to the network's edges and endpoints (aka “fogs”). As this trend takes hold, Big Data analytics platforms will focus on high-volume log analysis (aka “logs”) and rely heavily on cognitive-computing algorithms (aka “cogs”) to mak...
Mar. 6, 2015 09:00 AM EST Reads: 1,384
With several hundred implementations of IoT-enabled solutions in the past 12 months alone, this session will focus on experience over the art of the possible. Many can only imagine the most advanced telematics platform ever deployed, supporting millions of customers, producing tens of thousands events or GBs per trip, and hundreds of TBs per month. With the ability to support a billion sensor events per second, over 30PB of warm data for analytics, and hundreds of PBs for an data analytics arc...
Mar. 6, 2015 09:00 AM EST Reads: 1,490
Cryptography has become one of the most underappreciated, misunderstood components of technology. It’s too easy for salespeople to dismiss concerns with three letters that nobody wants to question. ‘Yes, of course, we use AES.’ But what exactly are you trusting to be the ultimate guardian of your data? Let’s face it – you probably don’t know. An organic, grass-fed Kobe steak is a far cry from a Big Mac, but they’re both beef, right? Not exactly. Crypto is the same way. The US government require...
Mar. 6, 2015 07:30 AM EST Reads: 2,057
The speed of product development has increased massively in the past 10 years. At the same time our formal secure development and SDL methodologies have fallen behind. This forces product developers to choose between rapid release times and security. In his session at DevOps Summit, Michael Murray, Director of Cyber Security Consulting and Assessment at GE Healthcare, examined the problems and presented some solutions for moving security into the DevOps lifecycle to ensure that we get fast AND ...
Mar. 6, 2015 06:00 AM EST Reads: 2,985
The Workspace-as-a-Service (WaaS) market will grow to $6.4B by 2018. In his session at 16th Cloud Expo, Seth Bostock, CEO of IndependenceIT, will begin by walking the audience through the evolution of Workspace as-a-Service, where it is now vs. where it going. To look beyond the desktop we must understand exactly what WaaS is, who the users are, and where it is going in the future. IT departments, ISVs and service providers must look to workflow and automation capabilities to adapt to growing ...
Mar. 6, 2015 04:00 AM EST Reads: 1,242
Docker is becoming very popular--we are seeing every major private and public cloud vendor racing to adopt it. It promises portability and interoperability, and is quickly becoming the currency of the Cloud. In his session at DevOps Summit, Bart Copeland, CEO of ActiveState, discussed why Docker is so important to the future of the cloud, but will also take a step back and show that Docker is actually only one piece of the puzzle. Copeland will outline the bigger picture of where Docker fits a...
Mar. 6, 2015 04:00 AM EST Reads: 3,394
Since 2008 and for the first time in history, more than half of humans live in urban areas, urging cities to become “smart.” Today, cities can leverage the wide availability of smartphones combined with new technologies such as Beacons or NFC to connect their urban furniture and environment to create citizen-first services that improve transportation, way-finding and information delivery. In her session at @ThingsExpo, Laetitia Gazel-Anthoine, CEO of Connecthings, will focus on successful use c...
Mar. 6, 2015 04:00 AM EST Reads: 3,085
Software Defined Storage provides many benefits for customers including agility, flexibility, faster adoption of new technology and cost effectiveness. However, for IT organizations it can be challenging and complex to build your Enterprise Grade Storage from software. In his session at Cloud Expo, Paul Turner, CMO at Cloudian, looked at the new Original Design Manufacturer (ODM) market and how it is changing the storage world. Now Software Defined Storage companies can build Enterprise grade ...
Mar. 6, 2015 03:30 AM EST Reads: 2,890
The Internet of Things (IoT) promises to evolve the way the world does business; however, understanding how to apply it to your company can be a mystery. Most people struggle with understanding the potential business uses or tend to get caught up in the technology, resulting in solutions that fail to meet even minimum business goals. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Jesse Shiah, CEO / President / Co-Founder of AgilePoint Inc., showed what is needed to leverage the IoT to transform your business. ...
Mar. 6, 2015 02:45 AM EST Reads: 4,095
Hadoop as a Service (as offered by handful of niche vendors now) is a cloud computing solution that makes medium and large-scale data processing accessible, easy, fast and inexpensive. In his session at Big Data Expo, Kumar Ramamurthy, Vice President and Chief Technologist, EIM & Big Data, at Virtusa, will discuss how this is achieved by eliminating the operational challenges of running Hadoop, so one can focus on business growth. The fragmented Hadoop distribution world and various PaaS soluti...
Mar. 6, 2015 02:30 AM EST Reads: 1,341


text: A few bits of Google news this week, including one product launch. First, Google announced that Android 6.0 is officially named Marshmallow. The final SDK for this 'M' release will be out soon for developers to get their apps working on it--we're crossing fingers for a Nexus phone release as well (rumored to be by LG). You'll have to wait longer for Google's Ara phones, as that project is now pushed back to at least 2016. And finally, Google launched a home router, made in partnership with TP-Link. The premise is that this OnHub is a router that's meant to be kept in the open, not stuck in a closet. Managed and controlled with an app, it supports Bluetooth 4.0 and a few smart home and IOT protocols (Thread and Zigbee). Looking at it makes me think of Amazon's Echo, and OnHub even has a speaker. The only thing it's missing is a microphone system, but Google probably wants you to communicate with it with your phone or its app. I think that underestimates the usefulness of a built-in microphone and the ability to send hands-free voice commands to a central connected smart home hub without having to fumble with devices. OnHub will cost $200, and is available for pre-order now. Here's Google's promo video for the router, which borderlines a as-seen-on-tv commercial.

domain: news


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Dixons UK sales rise partially offset by southern Europe fall
LONDON Jan 17 (Reuters) - Dixons Retail, Europe's second-biggest electrical goods retailer, said it would meet year profit forecasts as it posted a rise in sales in its home and Nordic markets, though they continued to fall in southern Europe.
Dixons, home to the Currys and PC World chains in Britain, Elkjop in Nordic countries, UniEuro in Italy and Kotsovolos in Greece, said on Thursday group sales at stores open over a year rose 3 percent in the 12 weeks to Jan. 5, its fiscal third quarter.
That compared with analysts' consensus forecast of up 1.5-2 percent and a first half rise of 3 percent.
Like-for-like sales in the UK and Ireland rose 8 percent and were up 11 percent in northern Europe. But in the southern Europe division, which includes Italy and Greece, like-for-like sales fell 8 percent.
- U.S., backed by Arabs, launches first strikes on fighters in Syria |
- Qatar adamant it will host 2022 World Cup despite doubts
- Argentina's Fernandez to meet billionaire investor Soros in New York
- Ebola could strike 20,000 in six weeks, 'rumble on for years': study
- Euro data hits stocks, China reading soothes commodities


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A new wave of skate brands are conquering the fashion markets of this world, and Bianca Chandon by Alex Olson is one of them. Named as one of our “10 Independent Skateboard Brands You Should Know Right Now” in July, the brand has just released its new Autumn 2014 video lookbook. Look out for the new collection to arrive with retailers and the brand’s own online store in the coming weeks.
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For Rajasthan Patrika, the Hindi daily published out of 11 cities (nine coming out of the state of Rajasthan, one from Bangalore and a recent one from Ahmedabad, Gujarat), 28 October 2002 was a crucial day. The paper launched its twelfth edition at the Hotel Man Singh Palace in Ajmer at 11.00 am with the guest of honour being Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, Union Minister for Human Resources. Also on the list of invitees, was the Governor of Rajasthan, Anshuman Singh, who presided over the function.
The most important aspect of the launch is the fact that Patrika entered a market, where it has traditionally had a "loose footing". Says Amitabh Sharma, Patrika's marketing manager in Mumbai, "The Jaipur edition has been feeding Ajmer so far and it was time we launched a separate edition from there. Ajmer is the most literate city in Rajasthan and we simply had to capitalise on it."
Priced at Rs 1.50, a full rupee less than the normal price of a Patrika, the launch issue of the Ajmer edition consists of 40 pages with the subsequent issues anywhere between 14 to 24 pages. "The Ajmer edition also has six colour pages in the main issue as opposed to the standard of four colour pages in other editions of Patrika or even in rival papers for that matter. Let me tell you that our Jaipur edition is the only paper in the lot apart from Ajmer that has six colour pages in the main issue since the start of this month," he adds.
The Ajmer edition was launched with a print run of 35,000 copies with the content skewed towards local developments. "There is a full-fledged editorial team based in Ajmer, but overall, operations will be overlooked by Gulab Kothari, editor and managing director of Patrika," he adds.
The group is targeting a circulation figure of 40,000 to 45,000 copies, which it hopes to achieve in the next one year (overall circulation of Patrika is 6.04 lakh, according to ABC for the period January to June 2002). "A three-month rigourous survey conducted by us drove home the point that people in Ajmer are still missing out on a quality paper. Thus, we have attempted to tailor-make the product to suit reader interest, " he reiterates.
Despite formidable players such as Dainik Bhaskar and Dainik Navjoti (the first publication from the city), Sharma is optimistic that the paper will be able to eclipse competition. "We've had a legacy of being a strong editorial product, which will hold us in good stead in Ajmer as well," he states.
Besides, a sizeable English-speaking population in the city that has flourished under the aegis of convent educational institutions (apart from the Rajasthan Educational Board) has ensured that Patrika will be targeting this segment through the launch of its bi-weekly English supplement, Turning Point in the near future. "This segment cannot be ignored and we are putting in every bit of effort to address their needs," he adds. © 2002 agencyfaqs!
Rajasthan Patrika to launch Ahmedabad edition
First Published : October 29, 2002


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Under the Inflation Reduction Act, which is now being debated in Congress, a tax credit of up to $7,500 may be used to offset the cost of an electric vehicle.
However, the car industry warns that the great majority of EV purchasers will not qualify for such a hefty tax credit.
This is mostly due to the bill's requirement that an electric car be produced in North America with minerals mined or recycled on the continent in order to qualify for the credit.
And those standards get more strict over time, to the point where no EVs may qualify for the tax credit in a few years, according to John Bozzella, CEO of the Alliance of Automotive Innovation, a key industry trade group. Currently, the alliance believes that around 50 of the 72 electric, hydrogen, or plug-in hybrid cars available in the United States would fail to fulfill the standards.
“The $7,500 credit might exist on paper,” Bozzella stated in a statement, “but no vehicles will qualify for this purchase over the next few years.”
The rule is intended to encourage domestic manufacturing and mining, to develop a strong battery supply chain in North America, and to reduce the industry's reliance on international supply lines that may be disrupted.
China now dominates the production of lithium and other minerals required in the production of EV batteries. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is also the world's biggest producer of cobalt, another component of EV batteries.
Though electric vehicles are part of a global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, they require metallic elements known as rare earths, which can be found in places such as Myanmar, where an Associated Press investigation discovered that the push for green energy has resulted in environmental destruction.
The tax credits would go into effect next year under the $740 billion economic plan, which cleared the Senate over the weekend and is nearing House passage. To qualify for the full credit, an EV buyer must get 40% of the metals used in the vehicle's battery from North America. By 2027, the needed level would have risen to 80%.
If the metals criterion is not fulfilled, the automaker and its purchasers will only be able to claim half of the tax credit, or $3,750.
A separate rule would mandate that half of the value of the batteries be manufactured or assembled in North America. Otherwise, the remainder of the tax credit would be forfeited. These criteria are likewise becoming more stringent by the year, with the goal of achieving 100% by 2029. Another proposal would demand that the EV be built in North America, disqualifying vehicles manufactured elsewhere from the tax credit.
Automobile manufacturers seldom reveal where their components come from or how much they cost. However, some variants of Tesla's Model Y SUV and Model 3 vehicle, the Chevrolet Bolt car and SUV, and the Ford Mustang Mach E are expected to be qualified for at least a portion of the credit. All of the automobiles are built in North America.
The tax credit would be accessible exclusively to couples earning $300,000 or less, or to singles earning $150,000 or less. Furthermore, any trucks or SUVs costing more than $80,000 or automobiles costing more than $55,000 would be ineligible.
There's also a new $4,000 credit for used EV buyers, which might assist low-income households switch electric.
According to the industry, the North American battery supply chain is now too small to handle the battery component requirements. It has recommended that the proposal broaden the list of countries whose battery materials are eligible for the tax credit to include states that have defense treaties with the US, including NATO members.
After 2024, no car would be eligible for the tax credit if its battery components came from China, according to one provision of the plan. According to the alliance, most automobiles now have some parts supplied in China.
Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a Michigan Democrat and a key supporter of Detroit automakers, grumbled that Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, a key Democratic vote, had voted against any EV tax credits.
“I went round-and-round with Senator Manchin, who frankly didn’t support any credit of any kind, so this is a compromise,” Stabenow advised reporters Monday. “We’ll work through it and make this as good as we can for our automakers.”
Manchin, a long-standing Democrat who brokered the arrangement with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, had previously vetoed climate and social spending plans.
Manchin's office did not respond to requests for comment. Last Monday, he told reporters that he urges automakers to, “get aggressive and make sure that we’re extracting in North America, we’re processing in North America and we put a line on China. I don’t believe that we should be building a transportation mode on the backs of foreign supply chains. I’m not going to do it.”
Stabenow claimed that the law was drafted by individuals who don't understand that firms can't just flick a switch and build a North American supply chain, despite their efforts. GM, Ford, Stellantis, Toyota, and Hyundai-Kia are among the automakers that have declared intentions to establish EV battery plants in the United States.
The National Mining Association's executive vice president, Katie Sweeney, stated that industry leaders “like the requirement that minerals for batteries be sourced close to home rather than from our geopolitical rivals.”
“Doing that,” Sweeney said, “directly supports high-paying jobs here in the United States ... secures our supply chain and really enhances our global competitiveness.”
Stabenow expressed optimism that the Biden administration will be able to issue the tax credits next year while working out the details of the battery requirements.
“We will continue to work with the automakers and the administration on getting as much common sense into the regulations as possible,” said the senator.
The White House and the Treasury Department, which would administer the credits, were contacted for comment on Monday.
Stabenow is glad that the law restores tax credits for General Motors, Tesla, and Toyota, who all reached limitations under a prior bill and can no longer give them. Ford, she claims, is also nearing an EV ceiling.


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Soul Sacrifice Coming to NA Vita April 30
Keiji Inafune’s Soul Sacrifice will hit North American shores in a few months.
The Vita action-RPG will be out on April 30, with European gamers getting the title on May 1. It will be on PSN the day of its release as well as stores.
Pre-order bonuses include two character costumes and three magical battle aids: Spirits’ Flamepike, Spirits’ Blightstone and Spirits’ Fulgurwood. Another bonus is also the Japanese voice-overs.


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eyefortransport have announced the details of their latest free webinar on March 15th, giving a comprehensive overview of talent development in the supply chain and logistics arena.
The 2012 Third Party Logistics Study found that a significant number of shippers and 3PLs feel their future leaders will not have what it takes to address future business challenges. The hiring and development of supply chain is key to creating a long-term competitive advantage and Starbucks, AMD, Kenco Group and TransformSolar are coming together to discuss their company strategy for harnessing supply chain talent.
The 60 minute session takes place on Thursday 15 March at 11AM Central Time (USA).
The webinar includes presentations from:
· Greg Javor, SVP Global Logistics at Starbucks
· Michael Massetti, Corporate VP Supply Chain at AMD
· Andy Smith, COO at Kenco Group
· John Janson, VP Supply Chain of TransformSolar
The webinar will also feature a live Q&A so you can pitch your questions to our speakers.
The expert panelists will all share their first-hand insight on the development and training programs that are most successful for preparing their leaders to handle the multi-faceted complexities of today’s supply chains.
You can join the webinar for free at https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/538588134 – with 1000 participants already signed up, we have limited spaces available so sign up now to guarantee your spot!
DHL ensures safe, express delivery of IDEXX customers' time sensitive test results in minimal time
For the first time ever, Microsoft has put its most popular productivity suite onto Apple’s iPad.
eft has recently re-launched the brochure for the 12th 3PL Summit in light of the addition of several new key additions that have occurred in the program since it was last released.


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Friday Is Going to Be a Huge Day for Stock Traders
Amazon just accidentally leaked details about 2 new Alexa devices ahead of an event today
How Pepsi-Co, Tesla and Michael Jordan are helping the Carolinas
New U.S. LNG projects, enough to double exports, on verge of launch
GE says four HA turbines in U.S. shut down due to blade problem
Women supporting Kavanaugh find themselves in storm's center
Spending Bills Leave Conservatives Frustrated
Polish president: No one questions that Trump knows how t...


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China's SF Suntech Inc. has snapped up a 30% share of U.S. energy storage firm Powin Energy in a deal that cost an initial $25 million. The Chinese solar panel giants have the option to purchase a further 30% stake in the company over the next two years for a further $37.5 million.
The move sees Suntech, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hong Kong wafer, cell and module manufacturer Shunfeng, sidle seamlessly into the U.S. solar storage market. Powin Energy specializes in grid-level and commercial energy storage systems, and boasts a varied portfolio of lithium-ion battery storage products, many of which are patented or have patents-pending.
Once the deal is finalized, Suntech will be permitted to appoint four out of seven directors on the Powin Energy board, entitling the company to make strategic business decisions.
A panel decision
There was more good news for Suntech emanating from the U.K. this week where independent engineering consultancy OST Energy announced that Suntech's polycrystalline silicon modules rank above industry standards and are certifiably "best-in-class".
OST Energy also independently verified Suntech's production facilities and found that they are in line with international lender requirements, such as those dictated by the OFC and World Bank.
"OST Energy is a well-respected independent engineering consultancy in the U.K. market and we are excited to see their positive review of the quality of our products and manufacturing facilities," said Suntech CEO Eric Luo. "These results further validate our commitment to our customers to provide modules of the highest quality and reliability in mass production and design."
Suntech had recently passed with aplomb another third-party verification of its products, receiving the VDE Quality-Tested certification that confirmed its modules exceed existing industry standards, becoming only the third brand globally to achieve this ranking.
Luo added: "With the backing of Shunfeng, we are in an even better financial position to continue to provide our customers with the highest quality products. More than 30 million Suntech panels can now be found in more than 80 countries, all of which will continue to enjoy the warranties documented in Suntechs original sales agreement. Thats a commitment we publicly made shortly after our restructuring."
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One month following the Oct. 1 EMV (Europay, MasterCard and Visa) liability shift for businesses, just 41 percent of small businesses have installed EMV chip-enabled payment terminals, according to new research from TD Bank. An additional 40 percent of small business owners (SBOs) say they plan to switch to the new technology soon, but indicated they have obstacles with or concerns about making the conversion. The remaining respondents said they either do not plan to install EMV (10 percent) or they are not aware of the new compliance rules regarding payment terminals (9 percent).
The TD Bank Small Business EMV Survey was conducted between Oct. 1 and Oct. 7, 2015, and polled more than 500 small businesses that currently accept credit or debit payments via payment terminals, asking about their adoption of EMV payment technology, perceptions about its benefits and challenges with the system.
The findings reveal that SBOs’ perceptions of the costs associated with new payment terminal are directly connected to their willingness to make the switch. More than half (58 percent) of SBOs who have not yet transitioned to EMV payment technology said one of their biggest apprehensions is the cost associated with switching. Contrary to several reports prior to the liability deadline that indicated purchasing and installing an EMV system could cost close to $1,000, SBOs who have implemented the technology reported spending an average of $450.
“Small businesses carefully balance income and expenses as a best practice, and a conversation with their banker or merchant services provider can help determine the true costs associated with converting,” said Julie Pukas, Head of U.S. Bankcard and Merchant Services, TD Bank. “Small merchants that make few transactions may need only one EMV terminal, making the switch to the compliant technology less likely to be a strain on their business’ budget.”
Fraud not a Concern
The greatest benefit of adopting an EMV-compliant payment terminal is the liability relief it provides small businesses in the event of a fraudulent transaction. The survey showed that 73 percent of SBOs say they are not very/not at all concerned about vulnerability to fraud.
Among SBOs who have not adopted the technology, just 13 percent stated it is because of a lack of concern about data fraud. Conversely, 70 percent of those who have become EMV complaint named added security as its top benefit. These business owners also say EMV better protects customers’ information (58 percent) and safeguards their business from the liability of fraud (54 percent).
“Businesses of all sizes need to think about the potential long-term effects of not installing the more secure EMV system. One fraudulent transaction could be costly, and implementing EMV payment technology acts like an insurance policy for businesses if they have this unfortunate experience,” said Pukas.
More than one-third of SBOs who have implemented or plan to invest in EMV terminals indicated the time involved to set up and learn the system (37 percent) and to explain the new process to customers (36 percent) is challenging.
“Purchasing the new terminals is only step one – businesses also need to ensure they’re operational and using them correctly,” Pukas said. “We’ve seen some businesses install the technology without activating the EMV chip reader, which renders it useless for both parties. Your financial institution can help educate and guide you for a seamless transition.”


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A Wawa convenience store that opened last week in Brick Township quickly became a magnet for passersby – perhaps too much of one – and traffic problems have been the result. But township officials said a decision by the state Department of Transportation has led to the gridlock.
“The DOT, for some reason, allowed lefts out of the Wawa,” said Mayor John Ducey, referring to the company’s newest store at 1902 Route 88, which also has an entrance and egress onto Jack Martin Boulevard.
The store opened late last week and has since spurred significant gridlock in an area of the state highway that already is routinely congested. Vehicles turning left in order to enter and exit the Wawa have prompted the backups, which at times also stymied traffic on Jack Martin Boulevard, which is a county road.
Since the Wawa complex is located on a state highway, the local planning board did not have jurisdiction over the matter and could not have ordered the store to prohibit left turns out of the parking lot (or into the store from Route 88). Though Brick officials approved the development, traffic patterns along a state highway are determined by the DOT.
“Our people were on that,” the mayor said, expressing frustration with the state’s decision. “When you live here, you know what the problems are going to be when there’s a proposal, and you need help from these other agencies.”
For now, Ducey said, patrons of the Wawa store should avoid making left turns voluntarily. There is an alternative entrance from Jack Martin Boulevard where a traffic light directs turns in a safer manner. The decision surprised him, he said, because other development proposals along the same road did produce direction from the DOT to prohibit left turns into the businesses.
“The Exxon and Conoco, you can’t make a left there – you have to go to the traffic light and make a left – which makes sense,” Ducey said. “Unfortunately they didn’t do that with this location. If they wouldn’t have allowed them, we could’ve put up a sign and the police could have written tickets, but unfortunately they didn’t go that way.”
Shorebeat has reached out to the DOT for comment on how the decision was made to allow left turns and whether it may be reversed due to the traffic conditions. A request for comment was also sent to Wawa asking if the store may voluntarily bar left turns. We will report back when more information is available.


text: Microsoft is reportedly planning to launch a subsidized Xbox 360 and Kinect bundle with a monthly subscription option, according to The Verge. The software giant may offer its 4GB gaming console alongside its motion sensing input device for $99 with a two-year commitment, and an early termination fee will be included for contract breakers. Subscribers will then pay a monthly $15 fee that includes access to Xbox Live Gold, a two-year warranty and possibly additional streaming content as well. Microsoft will apparently position the package to compete against the Apple TV, Roku streaming box and PlayStation 3. The Verge reports that we could see an announcement as early as next week.


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Highlights from Knowledge14 : Outgrowing the cocoon
Taking place this week in San Francisco, ServiceNow Knowledge14 has attracted 6,000 attendees, a 50 percent increase from last year’s event that puts the conference on a fast trajectory towards the big leagues of vendor shows. The tremendous traction around the summit mirrors the company’s own momentum, a result of accelerating adoption among large organizations seeking to drive efficiencies through centralization.
“There’s a lot of energy here, everybody is talking about IT service management, the cloudification of IT, making IT the central nervous system of all service-oriented businesses in the globe,” Wikibon co-founder and CTO Dave Vellante tells co-host Jeff Frick in theCUBE’s opening segment at Knowledge14. The vendor’s vision for a single of record that extends beyond the IT department to the entire enterprise is picking up steam as more and more CIOs recognize the need for increased automation in the era of cloud services and mobile devices. The sweeping impact of this mindshift is shown clearly in the company’s latest earnings report.
ServiceNow saw subscription billings climb more than 60 percent from a year ago to $180 million in the first quarter of fiscal year 2014, Vellante notes, a rise that he believes positions the firm to surpass $700 million in revenue by the end of the year. Its success stems from an ambitious business model focused almost exclusively on the Global 2000, where the task of transforming the IT organization from a cost center to source of competitive advantage is becoming more urgent – and feasible – as a consequence of technological advance.
Watch the entire Intro segment below:
ServiceNow’s role in this trend has not gone unnoticed by CIOs. Over 100 top IT executives from global enterprises are attending Knowledge14 and they’re doing more than just scouring the terrain. “Like any strong conference you’re seeing a lot of exhibits, you see people in the ecosystem – partners – spending money to be here. Why are they here? Because there is business being done. Why is business being done? Because ServiceNow is creating value and creating an ecosystem around it,” Vellante observes.
The channel constitutes a core pillar of the company’s strategy, something that it shares with other successful enterprise software vendors such as VMware, which boasts that for every $1 dollar spent on hypervisor licenses its partners earn more than $10 selling value-added hardware, software and professional services. But while the virtualization giant has already carved out its very own slice of the marketplace, ServiceNow is only taking the first steps in its ecosystem journey.
The company has a bright future ahead of it. Already, some customers are pushing the envelope on what is possible in the ServiceNow platform with new use cases that go just beyond change and risk management via custom applications and integrations. The focus is shifting from reducing costs to driving business value.
“It feels more serious, it feels buttoned-down,” Frick observes in the wrap-up segment for the first day of the event. “Frank [Slootman, the company’s CEO] spent the first couple of years putting the infrastructure in place to really scale and grow, and now they’ve turned outside, they’re hiring like crazy.” ServiceNow brought 270 new employees on board in the first quarter, including about 150 salespeople. That underscores the firm’s aggressive efforts to expand its total available market (TAM), which has already outgrown its original proportions by several billion dollars.
“When ServiceNow started a lot of people questioned their TAM, the total available market, which was only a billion and half. They had to do a lot of explaining, and it was hard because they didn’t have the proof points, but essentially they extended that into this notion of IT service management,” Vellante highlights. The company is now doubling down on two main fronts: operations management, an area where it’s working to provide integration with popular automation tools like Puppet and Chef, and enterprise service management, a topic that is garnering more attention as decision makers shift their attention from the technology back to meeting business objectives.
ServiceNow is positioning itself to take full advantage of this trend, leveraging analytics and extending its platform to better support line-of-business users but being careful not to bump elbows with Salesforce, Workday and the other potential rivals in adjacent markets. “You’re seeing ServiceNow participating in all these ‘pockets’ and the reason is it’s a platform, and you can do many things with a platform, it expands the TAM in ways that are hard to project,” Vellante summarizes.
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Since its launch in 2012, charitable giving event Giving Tuesday has become a staple in the marketing calendar year, with brands from Microsoft, to PayPal, to Bank of America launching campaigns to support it. Even Tinder has gotten in on the action.
But this year’s Giving Tuesday, scheduled for Dec. 1, 2020, is more important than ever thanks to the pandemic and the growing awareness of social injustices and racial inequalities worldwide. It’s a chance for ecommerce merchants to champion causes they believe in and for shoppers to support their local and global communities
What is Giving Tuesday?
If Black Friday is the official kick-off party for holiday shopping, then think of #GivingTuesday as the ribbon cutting for the charitable giving season. (As one writer put it, it offers the “emotional equivalent of a salve for a holiday-party hangover” for shoppers who have engaged in heavy spending.) It was created by New York’s 92nd Street Y with support from the United Nations Foundation to rectify the disconnect between the holiday season’s two most predominant themes: consumerism and community.
Hosted on the first Tuesday following American Thanksgiving, this year the “global day of generosity” takes place on Dec. 1, 2020. Although it directly follows Black Friday and Cyber Monday, it’s a very different beast; on Giving Tuesday, people aren’t just encouraged to donate money—they’re encouraged to give their time, talent, voice, and goods to those in need.
In the eight years since its inception, Giving Tuesday has fully harnessed the power of social media to bring people, brands, and charities together in altruistic activities and philanthropic giving. Last year, Giving Tuesday raised $511 million online in the U.S. alone.
What makes Giving Tuesday 2020 different from previous years?
While Giving Tuesday has been around for less than a decade, the final month of the year has long been a critical time for non-profit organizations and charities, as it’s when donors are more liable to give. Not only is it the last chance to get a charitable tax receipt, it’s when many people are making a last-ditch effort to weasel their way onto Santa’s “nice” list.
All joking aside though, people are more likely to think of those in need at this time of year, whether that means volunteering a soup kitchen, shoveling a neighbor’s driveway, or reaching into their wallets. In fact, according to research conducted by World Vision, 63% of Americans—or about three in five—make a charitable donation in the last two weeks of the year.It’s also estimated that organizations receive one-third of their donations for their year in the month of December.
“[Giving Tuesday] is a one-day fundraiser with year-long implications for non-profits,” Lindsay J.K. Nichols, vice-president of marketing and communications at America’s Charities told Forbes.
But this year’s Giving Tuesday is unlike its predecessors because quite frankly, it’s been a year. We’ve already been asked for money—a lot. We started out with disaster relief efforts for catastrophic Australia’s bushfires. Midyear, we made donations to social justice and advocacy organizations when the Black Lives Matter movement gained momentum. Then, there were all the political fundraising campaigns for the US presidential election. Feeling tired already? If it’s not COVID-19 making you feel weary, then perhaps you’ve come down with a case of donor fatigue.
As if that wasn’t enough, Giving Tuesday also arrives at a time when corporate and individual budgets for charitable giving may be lower than usual.
Yet, some experts think Giving Tuesday 2020 may be the biggest one yet. WholeWhale, a social impact digital agency, predicts that over $605 million will be raised online, about $100 million more than last year. And according to research by online fundraising software platform Classy, 39% of people plan to give more in 2020 than in prior years, with one-third of respondents saying it is because societal needs seem greater this year.
There’s a number of reasons to think they might be onto something. First, there’s an increased awareness of the day, partially thanks to #GivingTuesdayNow. A one-off event hosted in May 2020 in response to the pandemic, it raised $503 million in online donations with social media activity in 145 countries worldwide.
Then, there’s a growing backlash against Black Friday promotions, partially spurred by concerns about climate change. REI closes its store on Black Friday, giving its employees the day off to spend outside, while B-certified footwear company Allbirds plans to raise its prices by $1 this Black Friday. In turn, it will donate $2 for every product sold to Greta Thunberg's youth-led climate movement Fridays for Future. Shopify Plus merchant A Good Company is also forgoing the sale—instead, it’s hosting “A Green November.” A flat discount of 15% is being offered throughout the month, with one tree planted per every €10 spent.
Most importantly, as GivingTuesday.org points out, the event is an opportunity to build social connectedness and kindness virtually, at a time when safe social distancing remains paramount.
Why should brands participate in Giving Tuesday?
“Giving Tuesday can be a powerful tool that serves marketing objectives,” Trisha Spillane, brand communications director of online retailer (and Giving Tuesday participant) Rue La La told Retail Dive. “[It] elevates the consumer’s perspective of the brand, and gives them a sense of pride when they choose to invest in your product.”
Rather than being designed to drive sales, participating in Giving Tuesday demonstrates to your customers and employees the value systems that drive your business. This, in turn, may foster loyalty: 72% of Americans say they feel it’s more important than ever to buy from companies that reflect their values, while 76% say that supporting companies that are addressing social and environmental issues help them feel like they’re doing their part.
The timing is also perfect. The event is on its way to becoming a household name; last year, 13% of the American population participated in Giving Tuesday in some way. Yet, when ShoppingGives surveyed 650 B2C brands in 2019 about their plans for the charitable giving season, it found that only 2% featured give-back messaging in their emails, while only 6% has messaging on their homepages related to Giving Tuesday or other initiatives.
Translation? It’s not too late to be considered an early adopter, with your support of Giving Tuesday helping to differentiate your store from its competitors.
Giving Tuesday ideas for ecommerce businesses
To get started, GivingTuesday.org offers plenty of resources for brands, including ecommerce merchants and small businesses.
Here are a few examples of ways you can get involved and show your support:
Choose one of the most popular items in your store and offer to make a percentage of the profits for every item sold go to charity. (This might seem obvious, but whatever charity you choose to give back to, to resonate with your customers it should ideally link to your product of service in some way.)
Host a virtual event that builds awareness around a particular cause. For example this Giving Tuesday, Bombas—which has donated $40 million pairs of socks to shelters—is destigmatizing homelessness by hosting a public webinar on the subject.
Give customers the option to make a small charitable donation ($1 or $2) at checkout. Match every donation made.
Create a social media campaign to promote Giving Tuesday. Every time a user shares a particular image and tags your brand and the hashtag, donate a set amount to charity. (In 2017, this is how Tinder fundraised over $200,000 for DoSomething.org. Whenever a user hashtagged a post with #ImAvailable and tagged Tinder, the dating app donated $10.)
Issue a set amount of store credit for every dollar your customers donate to charity. (For example, $1 of store credit for every $5 donated to charity or $10 of store credit for every donation of $100 or more.)
Choose to donate a matching item for each one purchased. (Just make sure the item isn’t “SWEDOW.” That’s non-profit-speak for “stuff we don’t want or need.” (This flowchart might help.)
As part of your benefits package, offer to give your employees a paid day off to volunteer with a charity of their choice. Or, match employee donations made on Giving Tuesday or throughout the year.
Whatever you choose to do, don’t forget to use the #GivingTuesday hashtag in your promotions and make your call to action—whatever it might—clear in any communications.
Finally, remember that for your store to resonate with customers and feel authentic (rather than just green-washed or woke-washed), philanthropy and giving back to the community shouldn’t be limited to just one day of the year. It should be a long-standing commitment and testament to the values that you hold.


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45 Million Records Stolen from Over 1,100 Websites
Hackers have stolen 45 million records from 1,100 websites that were hosted by VerticalScope, according to LeakedSource.
The stolen information includes the usernames, passwords, email addresses or IP addresses of more than 45 million members of car, sports and tech sites.
“This data set contains nearly 45 million records from over 1100 websites and communities,” LeakedSource wrote. “Each record may contain an email address, a username, an IP address, one password and in some cases a second password.”
All of the breached websites are run by VerticalScope, a Canadian company that owns and operates 480 online communities, content portals and e-newsletters, according to the company’s website.
Jerry Orban, VerticalScope’s VP of corporate development, confirmed the possible breach in an email to Motherboard. He said the company is “aware of the possible issue” and is investigating and providing data for law enforcement.
“We believe that any potential breach is limited to usernames, user ids, email addresses, and encrypted passwords of our users,” Orban wrote.
While the passwords may have been encrypted, LeakedSource, which has gained notoriety in recent weeks for selling data stolen from LinkedIn, MySpace and Twitter, said that they were able to crack 74% of the stolen passwords, approximately 33 million. Most of the sites used a weak algorithm, MD5, to hash and encode the passwords.
If these number are accurate, this is one of the largest data breaches ever.
LeakedSource said that, not only were the passwords weakly protected, VerticalScope must also have saved all of its data on a limited number of servers.
“Given the massive scale of this breach, it is also likely that VerticalScope stored all of their data on interconnected or even the same servers as there is no other way to explain a theft on such a large scale,” LeakedSource said.
For its part, Orban said in a statement that the company is “reviewing our security policies and practices and […] implementing security changes related to our forum password strength and password expiration policies across certain forum communities.”
While the hackers have not been identified, LeakedSource said the breach occurred in February 2016.


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Supermarkets 'are becoming the new ATMs'
A growing number of supermarkets are allowing shoppers to dodge ATM fees by offering in-store cash withdrawal facilities.
Stores now offering the service include Woolworths, Coles, Big W and Kmart and shoppers do not even have to buy anything to get their cash, the Herald Sun reported.
Woolworths said customers can now withdraw cash without making a purchase at staffed and self-serve checkouts.
Meanwhile, Coles announced that its customers are withdrawing about $3.5 billion a year at checkouts. It said "cash out" transactions had risen by 15 per cent since 2007.
According to the Herald Sun, one in three Eftpos transactions at supermarkets now involves customers taking out extra money from their bank accounts news which may interest Aussies who decide to compare debit cards and credit cards in search of the best deals for their money.
At present, Australians who use ATMs that are not owned by their financial institution are hit with fees of up to $2 per transaction.
The Sunday Telegraph recently reported that since the Reserve Bank introduced regulations last year to force banks, building societies and credit unions to display their ATM fees on screen, customers made six million fewer transactions at "foreign" ATMs in January this year compared to January 2009.
This article is brought to you by Mozo – Helping you compare debit cards


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Mar 3, 2010: Toyota Sued Over a Fatal California Lexus Crash
Relatives of a California state trooper and three family members whose fatal car wreck on August 28, 2009 helped start Toyota’s wide-ranging safety recall have sued the automaker for defects they say caused the vehicle to speed out of control and crash. The Aug. 28 crash near San Diego of a Lexus ES 350 sedan driven by the off-duty Highway Patrol officer, Mark Saylor, drew intense media attention and renewed government scrutiny of safety problems.
See the full story Toyota Sued Over a Fatal California Lexus Crash
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Breaking crypto news from the last week (Apr. 16 – 22, 2022):
Apr. 16: SHAREit Group, a global technology company, presented its ability to connect numerous users in the Middle East. The platform drives around two million new users to various crypto apps each month.
Apr. 17: Credit-based stablecoin DeFi protocol Beanstalk Farms built on Ethereum has lost $182 million as a result of a flash loan attack on Sunday. As Bloomberg reported, the hacker got away with $80 million in crypto tokens.
Apr. 18: Poor macroeconomic sentiment and increasing fears of a recession in the West laid the backdrop for cryptocurrencies to lose 4% of their market capitalization on Monday, with several major tokens taking hits of up to 8%. Bitcoin traded below pivotal support of $40,000 during European trading hours, reaching its nearly lowest price in a month.
Apr. 19: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) issued a report on global financial stability, detailing how a spike in crypto trading could disrupt the global financial system and demanding “strengthening macroeconomic policies.” Also, the war in Ukraine is revealing the risks of crypto payment systems, the IMF said.
Apr. 20: Crypto exchange Coinbase has launched its long-awaited NFT marketplace in beta form after the exchange first announced plans for it in October. It is currently available for select customers and supports only Ethereum-based NFTs and payments in ETH. In the future, Coinbase will also add drops, minting, token-gated communities, and the option to buy NFTs with a Coinbase account or a credit card.
Apr. 21: Venture capital giant Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) is launching a new technological research lab to focus on innovation and problem solving as the world of crypto and blockchain expands and matures. The new team of a16z Crypto Research is staffed with academics aiming to provide deeper insights for the firm’s portfolio companies.
Apr. 22: In partnership with TRM Labs, Uniswap Labs is now blocking certain crypto wallets that are found to be engaged in illegal behavior. The move reveals a trend in the DeFi sector of blocking crypto addresses sanctioned by the US Treasury Department.


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News broke this week that the USDA will expand the list of E.Coli strains banned due to the risk of illness. Up to this point E.Coli 0157:H7 had been the lonley foodborne culprit. It’s six more uncommon cousins strains 026, 0111, 045, 0145, 0121 and 0103 will now be added to the banned list under a new rule.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the six other strains of E. coli will be banned from ground beef due to risks of illness. The new rule will require USDA meat inspectors to conduct new E.coli testing that the agency says will make it easier to prevent infected meat from reaching the market, and will make it easier for the agency to pull products from the market if they are found to be tainted. Although the expansion is welcome news to consumer groups it still leaves holes in the food safety net. Most notably the strain that recently caused thousands of illnesses in Germany, E. coli 0104:H4, is absent from the new list of testing. The USDA has said it is considering adding it in the future.
Meat processors did not welcome news of the new rule. They warn it will cost consumers more money, and say the scientific evidence doesn’t justify the new expense. The American Meat Institute says the new program is likely to cost millions of dollars and has only been tied to beef in a single outbreak responsible for three illnesses. AMI Executive Vice President James H. Hodges told the New York Times: “It’s just not supported by the science.” But some large meat purveyors like Costco didn’t need government prompting to act, they are already requiring suppliers to test for these strains of E. Coli.
The new testing program will take effect in March for beef trim — the meat product used to make ground beef. The six-month delay will give the industry and E. coli test kit makers time to prepare.
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South Korean technology giant Samsung will today be unveiling its Galaxy A10, Galaxy A30 and Galaxy A50 smartphones in India today. The new Galaxy A-series devices will come equipped with Infinity-U and Infinity-V displays and sport Super AMOLED screens.
We should mention that Samsung Galaxy A30 and Galaxy A50 were unveiled by the technology company earlier this week and it was revealed yesterday that the smartphones would launch along with Galaxy A10 at its India launch event that is scheduled for today. Samsung is holding an event to launch Samsung Galaxy A10, Galaxy A30 and Galaxy A50 at an event in Mumbai that is all set to begin at 12 pm.
Speaking about Samsung Galaxy A30 and Galaxy A50 smartphones that were unveiled on Monday, both the devices come with Infinity-U Display panels, sport Super AMOLED screens, and house 4,000mAh battery. The company tweeted yesterday via its Samsung Mobile India account that it will also be unveiling the Galaxy A10 handset at the event today. Here’s a look at the expected pricing and specifications of the upcoming smartphones in the country:
Samsung Galaxy A10, Galaxy A30 and Galaxy A50 expected price in India
As we mentioned in a report yesterday, Samsung Netherlands recently revealed that its Galaxy A50 smartphone will come with a price tag of EUR 349, which is approximately Rs 28,300. So, we are expecting the price of the device in India also to be similar. If all three devices are priced similarly, they will give competition to budget and mid-range smartphones from the likes of Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo.
Samsung Galaxy A30, Galaxy A50 specifications
Since Samsung Galaxy A50 and Galaxy A30 have already been announced, we know about their specifications already. However, currently, we don’t know much about Samsung Galaxy A10.
Samsung Galaxy A30 sports a 6.4-inch full-HD+ Super AMOLED Infinity-U Display that has an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. Powered by an octa-core processor, the smartphone comes with 3GB or 4GB of RAM and is available in 32GB and 64GB internal storage variants. The device can hold a microSD card of up to 512GB. On the camera front, Samsung Galaxy A30 has a dual rear camera setup that comprises of a 16MP sensor with an f/1.7 lens and a 5MP sensor with an f/2.2 lens. For selfies and video calls, there is a 25MP sensor that comes with a fixed-focus f/2.0 lens.
Samsung Galaxy A50, on the other hand, has a 6.4-inch full-HD+ Super AMOLED Infinity-U display that has an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. The smartphone comes with an octa-core processor clubbed with 4GB/6GB of RAM and 64GB/128GB of internal storage. Samsung Galaxy A50 can also hold a microSD card of up too 512GB and comes with a triple rear camera setup with a 25MP sensor with an auto-focus f/1.7 lens, a 5MP sensor with a fixed-focus f/2.2 lens and an 8MP sensor with a fixed-focus f/2.2 lens. For selfies and video calls, there is a 25MP camera with a fixed-focus f/2.0 lens. Both the smartphones house a 4,000mAh battery.
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A guerilla marketing plot to fly a skywriting plane over the Olympic stadium has been foiled by security forces as the war on unofficial brand endorsement continues. After a tip off from a G4S security expert, a group of extremists was rounded up in dawn raids before they could hatch their deadly plan to promote an alternative to McDonalds.
Olympics supremo Sebastian Coe has saluted the bravery of Londoners as they help to protect the interests of global fast food corporations.
"We have missile launching pads in place on several blocks of flats around London," warned Coe, "if anyone wants to sky write any vegetarian nonsense, or drag a banner through the air advertising a chip shop, we are ready to shoot them down."
Coe has faced criticism after thousands were killed when a passenger plane was mistakenly shot down over Heathrow. "OK, first off, we are sorry for your loss, lessons have been learned and, what was the other one? Oh yes, We must now move on. But I want the relatives to know that their loved ones didn't die in vain," said Coe, "we must continue to protect the interests of the official sponsors of the games. Or our freedom could be at stake."
If Britain doesn't have a McDonalds on every street, it could rapidly fall into the hands of the Taliban, said one expert.
Meanwhile, Coe has promised to ramp up the fight by cracking down on consumers of unofficial brands. Specially trained spotters will identify anyone who doesn't look like a McDonald's customer or a Coke drinker. Their techniques are a closely guarded secret, but security experts say anyone with a low BMI index or clear skin could be excluded from the Olympic Park.
"If you want to be ruled by world class unrivalled global brands, then I suggest you to another country," said Coe.


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Home > Business > PTI > Report
Govt clears 47 FDI proposals worth Rs 285 cr
April 17, 2003 16:56 IST
The government on Thursday cleared 47 proposals envisaging Rs 285 crore (Rs 2.85 billion) foreign direct investment, including a proposal by Hewitt Associates to set up a 100 per cent subsidiary in India with Rs 120 crore (Rs 1.2 billion) investment.
Finance Minister Jaswant Singh approved these proposals, which were recommended by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board in its meetings on March 27 and April 3, according to an official statement in New Delhi.
The proposals pertain to business of outsourcing/back office operations, transportation, airfreight and ocean freight forwarding and development of integrated townships, it said.
Among the proposals cleared was German major Deutsche Post International's Rs 53.72 crore (Rs 537 million) proposal to acquire 49 per cent stake in transportation, airfreight and ocean freight forwarding besides Singapore Computer Systems' plan to hike stake in its Bangalore-based joint venture by two per cent to 32 per cent with Rs 45 crore (Rs 450 million) investment.
Also, another proposal by Korean consumer electronics major LG for amalgamation of two companies was cleared; it envisages no fresh investment. Besides, Xerox Corporation's proposal to amend the existing foreign currency approval in the case of Indian joint venture company Xerox ModiCorp was also given the go-ahead, again involving no fresh FDI inflow.
|© Copyright 2003 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.|


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"Tesla is in a cash pinch", Cowen & Co. analyst Jeffrey Osborne said in an interview.
Most recently, during a live stream podcast with Joe Rogan, Musk shared his views on Artificial Intelligence and how it could create both positive and disastrous impacts around the world.
Tesla is under heavy pressure to build as many cars as it can as efficiently as possible, and taking two paint options out of the equation certainly seems like a reasonable move.
Tesla fans can still choose solid black and "midnight silver metallic", as well as pearl white, deep blue metallic and red.
The incidents have raised doubts about Musk's ability to steer Tesla into the future and fuelled investor nervousness.
A Tesla Spokesperson told Business Insider: "We occasionally adjust pricing and available options to best reflect the value of our products and to streamline our manufacturing operations".
Chief accounting officer Dave Morton resigned after just one month in the job because of discomfort with the attention on the company and pace of work during that time, Tesla said in a filing on Friday.
"While we expect investors will continue to question management turnover, particularly given intense scrutiny on the company, we do not think the turnover is indicative of problems with financial reporting at the company", they added.
The CEO, who wrote "funding has been secured", later indicated that Tesla would stay public, opening up a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigation, a lawsuit by short seller Andrew Left and numerous bearish reports doubting that details of a deal had ever been hashed out.
Despite rebounding 6% Monday, Tesla's share price has plunged 29% from the peak of 389.61 on the day Mr. Musk Tweeted the go-private plan.
But if you're willing to pay more you can still get them, Musk said in a tweet.
"She's been fantastic and I'm very grateful for everything she's done for Tesla", Musk said in a blog post.
It may no longer be up to Mr. Musk. Needham analyst Rajvindra Gill struck a extra cautious tone on Tesla, highlighting longer-time interval hurdles for the firm.


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Leminar Air Conditioning Company has expanded its showroom in the Al Rai area of Kuwait City.
The revamped facility is three times larger and occupies aspot at the Al Fouzan Commercial complex.
The company also leased a warehouse in Doha Industrial Area to store additional supplies.
The investments are in line with Leminar’s growth strategy for Kuwait, which has a burgeoning construction sector driven by Government initiatives to boost infrastructure development. In fact, the industry rose at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.23% during the period 2011-2015 and will reach $15.6bn in 2020.
Navin Valrani, chief executive officer of Leminar Air Conditioning Company, said: “We have a very clear-cut and long-term vision for Kuwait. With a robust forecast of construction spending, we expect rising demand for increasingly efficient HVAC systems. And, we want to make sure that we are well-equipped to meet this demand.”
Pramodh Idicheria, general nanager of the company, added: “Our business partners trust Leminar’s ability to deliver results and further their global footprint. We have proved the efficiency of our distribution network with successful models in UAE, Qatar and Oman. It is only a matter of time before Leminar establishes itself as Kuwait’s leading distributor catering to the MEP industry.”
The expansion comes close on the heels of a distribution agreement signed by the company with Swiss corporation Georg Fischer for the supply of its piping systems in the country. Sweden’s Alfa Haval Heat Exchangers were also recently added to Leminar’s product portfolio for Kuwaiti market.


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Snapdeal has appointed Jason Kothari as the new CEO of Freecharge, following the resignation of former CEO Govind Rajan last month. They have also committed to further invest $20 million in the e-wallet company.
We remain committed to the success and vision of Freecharge. Jason is a strong, strategic and versatile business leader and entrepreneur who has already been the CEO of two successful companies. We are delighted to announce his leadership role at Freecharge,” Kunal Bahl, the CEO of Snapdeal was quoted as saying.
Jason will continue to play the role of Chief Strategy and Investment Officer for Snapdeal, along with taking charge of Freecharge. He will also join the board of directors of Freecharge. Jason has ample experience in leadership positions, as he was the CEO of the online real estate company Housing.com before joining Snapdeal; and prior to that, he was CEO and Vice Chairman at character-based entertainment company Valiant Entertainment. He was highly successful in both these assignments, be it elevating the revenue by 400 per cent at Housing.com, or raising $140 million from top strategic investors at Valiant Entertainment.
“The digital payments space in India is forecasted to be over $1 trillion by 2025. I’m excited to join the talented team at Freecharge at such a high-growth and dynamic time in the industry and expect Freecharge to continue to play a key role in this digital payments revolution,” said Kothari.


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China Bike-Sharing Giant Ofo to Shut Most U.S. Operations
Less than a year after China’s Ofo Inc. entered the U.S. with big ambitions, the world’s largest bike-share company plans to shut down most of its U.S. operations, people familiar with the matter said.
10 Smart Ways to Garden on a Budget
Gardening frugally means getting creative.
Tribes Fight Over What Could Be Obama’s Last Monument
Native Americans disagree over whether the president should use the Antiquities Act to make Bears Ears, 1.9 million acres in Utah, a national monument.
Food Pantry Top 10 List
Our top ten list of food pantry needs is update monthly.
Ann Taylor, Dress Barn, Loft, Lane Bryant: Store closures on the way
Get ready for more "closing sale" signs in the windows of your local retailers.
Here's how homeless kids and families are trying to survive in one of America's richest cities
"It kind of breaks you down"
Apartment Hunting Tips
There are many types of apartments you may come across on your search, check out our apartment hunting tips to find your type. Read more!
Dirty John Recap: Escape Routes
Debra reveals she may not be quite as passive as she seems — and not a moment too soon.
Why more cities need to add up the economic value of trees
Cutting-edge urban foresters argue not only for the intrinsic value of trees but also for the many economic and health benefits.
Antiques Online: A Guide to the Best Apps and Websites
Internet shopping nearly wiped out ye olde antiquing weekend. But sites like Chairish, EBTH and Krrb are resurrecting and redefining the thrill of the search


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So this week alone there's a fair number of cars or projects to choose from.
But they will only change hands when a buyer and seller can agree a price based on value for money which is a perception not an absolute.
And that price surely has little to do with what's happening in the Japanese market or the USA market.
Last week yet another Australian 240Z arrived here in the UK (a 1970 built car). Late last year I visited a UK-based business which had no less than three ex-Australian market 240Zs on their premises on that day.
If your cars are priced at a level that makes buying and shipping them to other countries financially viable, they WILL get poached from under your noses. THAT is how what is happening in the rest of the world has something to do with your own domestic market.


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MyCheck partners with Pay By Group to bring split payments to hotels
SAN FRANCISCO AND TEL AVIV - May 7, 2018 - Hospitality payments platform MyCheck today announces its partnership with Pay By Group, a white-label split payment checkout option, to allow hotel guests to split the cost of their booking. MyCheck’s hospitality customers include many of the world’s leading hotel brands.
“This partnership lets hotels that already work with MyCheck quickly add split payments, allowing them to stay ahead of the curve without requiring internal development cycles,” said Frank Langston, Pay By Group’s co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer, in describing the benefits of the partnership for the hospitality industry.
Langston’s point alludes to the fact that the partnership gives the hotel industry ammunition against its battle with lodging company, Airbnb, which added a split payment option earlier this year. Airbnb added the payment option after CEO Brian Chesky asked users on Twitter what feature they’d like to see — and it quickly rose to become the most-requested one. Uber and Lyft also have split payment options, which are the most-used features of both services.
“MyCheck constantly strives to grow our offering, which strengthens our customers’ offerings to drive membership adoption, reduce abandonment rates at time of booking, and therefore increase revenue,” said Cyndi Shepley, VP of Sales at MyCheck. “MyCheck takes on the burden to keep the branded digital wallets for our clients current, allowing them to concentrate on the remaining guest experience within their web, mobile web, and apps”.
MyCheck has consistently brought innovative technology to the hospitality industry with rapid deployments so their clients keep pace with – and even outpace – disruptors in the market.
The split payment option will not only be convenient for hotel guests traveling with friends or family, but it promises to be lucrative for hotels as well. When a guest invites a fellow traveler to split the cost of a booking, the process is likely to add a new member with a stored payment method in their digital wallet to that hotel’s customer base, all of which is powered by MyCheck. This creates seamless on-property purchases and future bookings across platforms. Airbnb’s data revealed that 30% of bookings that used split payments on their platform led to one or more users joining Airbnb.
Split payments also drive loyalty. According to Pay By Group, merchants that offer a split payment option see a 140% year-over-year growth in user adoption of the checkout option. Existing customers keep coming back because the split option is offered, and the people they’ve invited to split in the past return as new customers and invite others to join them in splitting new bookings.
As the trend for adding split payments continues to grow in hospitality, it remains to be seen if vacation rental giants like HomeAway (which also owns VRBO) and Booking.com will respond to the traveler demand or cede market share to their hotel and vacation rental rivals that have already added it.
MyCheck is the hospitality industry’s leading mobile payment technology provider offering various products that can be used separately or combined to equip hotels and restaurants with a powerful digital customer engagement experience. The MyCheck mobile payment platform is equipping hospitality brands with a secure, fast and engaging digital experience for guests. MyCheck aligns brands with ever-changing compliance standards, payment options and user trends needed to master the digital guest experience quickly and professionally, from hotel check-in/- out to restaurant mobile ordering with loyalty and rewards included. For more information, please visit www.mycheck.io.
About Pay By Group
Pay By Group is an embedded, white-label checkout option that allows friends or family to collaborate and split the cost of a shared purchase. The company has offices in San Francisco and Guadalajara, Mexico. Pay By Group works directly with merchants to power split payments on their sites and integrates with gateways and other payment service providers as an alternative payment method easily accessible to all their clients with the flip of a switch. The company’s investors include SparkLabs Global Ventures, Great Oaks Capital, 500 Startups, JetBlue co-founder John Owen, Facebook VP of Platform & Marketplace Deb Lui, serial entrepreneur Karl Jacob, and early Twitter and Square investor Greg Kidd.


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Volkswagen Group will build a total of four new small electric cars for the VW, Skoda and Cupra brands at two plants in Spain, VW brand CEO Thomas Schaefer said.
On the sidelines of the Volkswagen ID. 2all concept's reveal in Hamburg last week, the executive said the ID.2 subcompact hatchback previewed by the ID. 2all and the Cupra UrbanRebel will be made at SEAT's Martorell plant near Barcelona.
In addition, two small electric SUVs for the VW and Skoda brands will be made at the carmaker's factory in Pamplona in northern Spain, where the Polo is currently built. According to Automobilwoche via Automotive News Europe, Volkswagen's SUV will be called ID.2X.
All four small EVs will be based on VW Group's MEB Entry platform, which is FWD-only on the ID.2all. According to Schaefer, the economies of scale and the fact the cars will be made in Spain, where wages are relatively low, will help keep costs down.
Volskwagen said last week the production model previewed by the ID. 2all study will start under $27,000 (25,000 euros), with Schaefer noting that the ID.2 will be the cheapest of the four models.
The Cupra UrbanRebel will be positioned as a more sporty, upmarket model, while the small electric SUVs are expected to be more expensive due to their body style.
Gallery: Volkswagen ID. 2all Concept
The company said at the launch of the ID. 2all last week that it is also considering a more affordable EV with a base price under $22,000 (20,000 euros). Not much is known about that model other than the fact it could get the ID.1 badge when it enters production sometime in 2027.
Building four electric cars in Spain is part of Volkswagen Group's $10.6 billion (10 billion euro) investment project in the country, which includes a $3.25 billion (3 billion euro) battery cell gigafactory near Valencia that will be run by the automaker's battery company, PowerCo.
Schaefer mentioned that all four entry-level EVs will use batteries supplied by the Volkswagen Group's new cell plants, initially from Salzgitter and then from Valencia. The base models will use lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery chemistry, while longer-range variants will use a nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) chemistry, he added.
Production will start in 2025 with the Cupra UrbanRebel, which will be followed by the other three cars within one and a half years.
Volkswagen Group's investment is projected to give the Spanish economy a $22.8-billion (21-billion euro) boost by turning the country into a European hub for electric vehicle and battery manufacturing.


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05-Dec-2013 - An expert from top ingredients distributor Univar throws some light on what are expected to be the big formulation trends for 2014, and takes a look at what has driven the market this year.
05-Dec-2013 - Florida-based DS Healthcare says it is using Mexico to platform the launch of a new oral product targeting the multi-billion-dollar hair-loss category.
05-Dec-2013 - Specialty chemicals company Clariant has announced the second expansion of its ethoxylation site at Clear Lake in Pasadena, Texas which serves the personal care industry amongst others.
05-Dec-2013 - Leading global cosmetics company L’Oreal has announced that it will buy back €500m of its own shares.
04-Dec-2013 - They have long been on the beauty shopping list for Asian consumers, but U.S. consumers are now also starting to pick up facial masks, claims major manufacturer Taiki.
04-Dec-2013 - Analysis from the market research firm Euromonitor reveals the top innovators in the fast-growing market of men’s grooming.
04-Dec-2013 - Traditionally, Black Friday sees consumers elbowing for shelve space, however this year certain US retail giants reported that opening for thanksgiving for the first time was what brought the business in this year!
04-Dec-2013 - There’s been a rash or major executive appointments in the past few weeks, with this article highlighting new high-level positions at Coty, Tupperware and Amyris.
04-Dec-2013 - Although the emerging markets in Asia Pacific and Latin America continue to be stronger economies, the slowdown in growth is likely to stay for the longer term, says Unilever CEO Paul Polman.
03-Dec-2013 - Marine biotechnology offers a ‘land of opportunities’ for personal care and cosmetics products producers, particularly in North America and Europe, according to a recent report by market research firm Technavio.
03-Dec-2013 - California-based Davi Luxury Brand is launching a new prestige skin line in the Asia Pacific market, starting with the fast-paced and innovative South Korea market, with further plans to expand in North America.
03-Dec-2013 - Kimberly-Clark is set for big changes, having announced new VPs for both the North America and Asia Pacific markets, as well as pursuing a potential spin-off of its Health Care business.
03-Dec-2013 - Anglo-Dutch consumer goods giant has been making a lot of announcements of late and the latest is that it will sell of part of its hair care business as it looks to focus on its core brands.
03-Dec-2013 - In the first of a two part interview with Kallik CEO, Neil Gleghorn, he reveals that the biggest priority for cosmetics companies right now is the new EU Regulation (number 1223/2009) that came into force in July.
02-Dec-2013 - You can have the most revolutionary ingredient on the market but it is the dosage that can be the most crucial thing, according to a skin care expert.
02-Dec-2013 - Researchers in Canada have made a perfume production breakthrough by developing a process using a variety of iron-based catalysts that they claim is greener, cheaper and safer.
02-Dec-2013 - The online beauty retailer has been strongly advised by the National Advertising Division to discontinue claims that its’ SmartLash Eyelash Enhancer is “dermatologist recommended” and promotes “Up to a 68% increase in the appearance of lash length.”
02-Dec-2013 - Two of the world’s top consumer goods firms, Unilever and Procter & Gamble, have joined forces with six other major companies to form a group which will promote the use of sustainable bio-plastics.
29-Nov-2013 - The Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food Safety (VKM) says more studies are needed into the local adverse effects, such as skin irritation, induced by vitamin A in cosmetic products, to judge safe levels.
28-Nov-2013 - With a worldwide population of just over 2 billion people and a total spend that only represents a fraction of the global cosmetics market, the indications are that halal cosmetics have plenty of room for future growth.


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Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) and advertising titan Publicis Groupe S.A. (ADR) (OTCMKTS:PUBGY) (EPA:PUB) announced a multi-year partnership today, May 19th, focusing on innovative products related to data, video and images on Facebook and Instagram. The terms were not revealed, but a source close to the negotiations said that the total value of the deal including spending would be close to $500 million.
Publicis and Facebook’s Statements on the deal
“Publicis and Facebook are announcing a multi-year partnership focused on co-creation of product around data, video and images, including core Facebook and Instagram,” said Laura Desmond, CEO of Starcom MediaVest Group, lead negotiator for the agreement. The terms of the current deal explicitly cover North America, but the companies said global expansion was planned “down the road.”
The first London Value Investor Conference was held in April 2012 and it has since grown to become the largest gathering of Value Investors in Europe, bringing together some of the best investors every year. At this year’s conference, held on May 19th, Simon Brewer, the former CIO of Morgan Stanley and Senior Adviser to Read More
“When you look at the composition of the entire partnership, there are aspects benefiting Publicis Groupe S.A. (ADR) (OTCMKTS:PUBGY) (EPA:PUB), whether it’s a first look and a competitive advantage of moving quickly on some of these elements,” explained Carolyn Everson, VP of global marketing solutions at Facebook. “This is the first time we have all of the different elements that will allow clients to reach a significant scale of 100 million people a day in the U.S. and [specific] audiences within the 100 million the client wants to reach.”
Desmond continued to briefly outline the potential future of the partnership. “A year from now, if we see certain opportunities in the video space and to co-create additional product for us to augment our modeling systems…we have a broad agreement to do that.”
Commitment to digital as the future of advertising
A major deal with a company like Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) is a feather in the cap forthe Paris-based ad giant, which needs some good news following the failure of the proposed $35 billion merger with Omnicom announced earlier this month. Both sides in that said that the extended negotiations to finish up the merger became a distraction, and damaged the image of both companies. This Facebook deal serves notice to Publicis Groupe S.A. (ADR) (OTCMKTS:PUBGY) (EPA:PUB) clients, shareholders and employees that all is well and management is looking toward the future.
This partnership also suggests that the major media players are more aggressively developing digital media and mobile ad opportunities. Digital media companies like AOL, Inc. (NYSE:AOL), Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO) and Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) have tried in the past to make deals advertisers for upfront advertising dollar commitments to them with limited success, but the market seems to be increasingly heading that direction today.
More and more ad buyers are beginning to come around. Instagram signed its first major ad deal with Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE:OMC) in march (worth up to $100 million). That means the Publicis Groupe S.A. (ADR) (OTCMKTS:PUBGY) (EPA:PUB) deal is really the second major commitment for Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) from an a major ad holding company this year.


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Would you drive your 2023 Lamborghini Huracán, starting price $248,295, off-road? Oh, and badly paved road near your home doesn’t count. Well, you would – make that could – if it was the 2023 Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato.
Lamborghini unveiled the new off-road rally all-terrain model Wednesday night at an invitation-only event that runs through Saturday. The debut was held at the Lamborghini Beach Lounge in the 1 Hotel South Beach in Miami Beach during the start of Art Basel Miami Beach, the international art fair that runs through the weekend.
“You always want to do something unexpected,” said Stephan Winkelmann, Chairman and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini, during an exclusive interview with The Detroit Bureau. “We have a four-wheel drive car, which is something which you can use extensively in every condition but we never used it on gravel. … It’s a good combination because it’s unexpected.”
What it offers
At first glance, the Huracán Sterrato stands apart from its siblings with body cladding around the wheel arches and optional driving lights up front. There are also any number of Italian rally body graphics. But there’s more to this model than meets the eye.
“From day one, it has to be fun, but it has to aslo be functional,” said Mitja Borkert, Lamborghini’s Design Chief in an exclusive interview with The Detroit Bureau.
This explains the massive air scoop just behind the passenger compartment.
“When we were drifting the car in the on the dirt road, we were constantly having all the powder going into the air filter. So we needed to have the system and it was specially developed to provide fresh air for the engine. And that became a special feature in terms of design and in terms of functionality,” said Borkert.
The automaker also increased the ground clearance by 1.73 inches compared with the Huracán Evo to ensure greater suspension travel, and widened the track as well, 1.18 inches up front and 1.34 inches in the rear. There’s also aluminum front underbody protection, reinforced sills, and a rear diffuser. And it comes shod with custom-engineered Bridgestone 19-inch run-flat tires.
Inside, it wears exclusive Alcantara trim, and the instrumentation includes a digital inclinometer with pitch and roll indicator, a compass, geographic coordinate indicator, and steering angle indicator. Other tech goodies inlude the ability to use Amazon Alexa to adjust car features such as air conditioning and lighting, as well as the option of Apple Watch users to synchronize their heart rate information with the on-board telemetry system. A Lamborghini Drive Recorder is also available to photograph every drive experience.
The Huracán Sterrato is powered by a 5.2-liter V10 internal combustion engine generates 610 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque through a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission to an electronically controlled all-wheel drive system with a self-locking rear mechanical differential. This allows the Huracán Sterrato to accelerate to 62 mph in 3.4 seconds. Top speed is 160 mph, according to Lamborghini. Brakes are ventilated and cross-drilled carbon-ceramic discs with aluminum fixed monoblock calipers with six pistons in front and four pistons in the rear.
How the car came to be
If the idea of rally-equipped Huracán sounds outlandish, it may not be as outlandish as you suspect.
The idea came about after Lamborghini took their vehicles for a session of dirt track drifting on an oval. If this sounds familiar, you must be an American.
“It was so much fun, especially to drive it on the dirt track and drifting it. We were like wow, this is a complete new driving experience for Lamborghini,” said Borkert. “Then, we’re having a wine and talking about it, and we said, ‘why are we not taking this to our super sports cars?’ We were creating this idea that evening, and so we went back to Sant’Agata and it became a success story internally because everyone believed in it. In the beginning, it was maybe a strange idea.”
Not so any longer.
Production of the Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato will be limited to 1,499 units, a final burst of internal combustion engine euphoria beginning in February 2023.
But not everyone will be able to buy a Huracán Sterrato, so, like other automakers, Lamborghini is expanding their brand to other luxury items. To that end, Lamborghini is seeking to extend its off-road products with the introduction of the 3T Exploro Racemax x Huracán Sterrato bike. Crafted in Italy by 3T, it employs 3T’s carbon fiber technology. Finished in the Huracán Sterrato’s Verde Gea livery, it’s accented by Sterrato script on the saddle. The bike will be available worldwide in early 2023.
In addition, Swiss watch manufacturer Roger Dubuis unveiled a new collaboration with Lamborghini in the form of the new Excalibur Spider Huracán Monobalancier. Previous timepieces from the watchmaker and the automaker include the Excalibur Spider Huracán.
Hot spot for luxury automakers
Automakers have flocked to Art Basel Miami Beach in the past few years looking to tempt luxury consumers with their latest offerings. The show’s modern art focus and high prices mixed with the International allure of Miami’s golden sands and high-end retailers, restaurants and hotels make for an amusing spectacle. It’s not the art that makes Art Bazel a spectacle, it’s the retailing hubris.
It’s here where a hungry spectator spotted a banana duct-taped to a wall, part of an art installation by Maurizio Cattelan. The piece was sold three times in 2019, at prices ranging from $120,000 to $150,000.
Is it any wonder the world’s most exclusive automakers can be found there?
Among the automakers making their presence known are Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Lincoln and Audi. Cadillac doesn’t have an official presence, but their participation is noticeable by the sheer number of Cadillac Escalades providing black car service.


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Financial markets are signaling their belief that the Fed can bring down inflation without putting the economy into recession and millions of people out of work – i.e. the “soft landing.” This Tuesday’s release of January CPI inflation data will test that belief.
- Chair Powell’s comments last Tuesday suggested another couple 25 bp rate increases this year, bringing the Fed funds rate to 5.25%. Subsequently, the U.S. stock market pulled back 1.8% to Friday’s close. The pull-back in stock prices was welcome as it gave breathing space for the S&P which is still up 6.5% year-to-date.
- December headline CPI inflation was revised up to 0.3% m/m, and the consensus guess is that January CPI headline inflation will come in at 0.3% as well. More importantly core CPI inflation will likely tick down to 0.3% m/m, which would be positive news for the Fed and equity markets.
- January and February CPI inflation reports will be out before the Fed meets again on March 21-22 which leaves room for the interest rate increases to wring inflation more tightly out of the economy. This, along with economic growth indicators, will determine how much more the Fed may raise rates and whether there is still a chance for it to be dropping interest rates later in the year.
Gauging U.S. economic growth is increasingly difficult, and all relevant indicators are for it to decline in the first half of 2023. That said, continuing job growth and low unemployment may prevent the National Bureau of Economic Research declaring a recession.
- Much like we experienced in the first half of 2022, we likely will see negative GDP growth in the first quarter of 2023 because of burning off the unexpected 2022-Q4 inventory build-up and the U.S. deteriorating trade deficit, but without a big increase in unemployment.
- The Leading Economic Indicators is now down 3.8 percent over the six-month period between June and December 2022, principally because of low consumer confidence, new orders, building permits, the leading credit index. The 10-year / three-month U.S. Treasury rates also are inverted. Both are signals of likely recession.
- The big question is whether this declining economic growth will also bring down inflation enough, as declining demand for goods, services and labor restrains their price increases.
Disclosure: Securities offered through Keel Point Capital, LLC, Member FINRA and SPIC. Brokerage and Investment advisory Services are offered under the Keel Point brand. Investment Advisory services offered by Keel Point, LLC an affiliate of Keel Point Capital, LLC. While reasonable efforts have been made to provide data from sources considered to be reliable, no guarantee of accuracy is given. Keel Point does not give tax, accounting, regulatory, or legal advice to its clients.