text:
DECATUR, ILL. — Archer Daniels Midland Co. will offer contracts for high-oleic Nexera canola that offer premiums over commodity canola with “Act of God” protection, according to the Decatur-based company.
Nexera canola is used to produce oil that has a combination of high-oleic fatty acid (omega-9 fatty acid) and low-linolenic fatty acids. ADM said Nexera canola helps the company develop healthier oil solutions for the restaurant and food service industries.
“We rely on farmers to help us meet the growing consumer demand for healthier oil options such as high-oleic canola,” said Ken Campbell, general manager of ADM Softseed Processing. “Our partnership with Dow AgroSciences for Nexera canola allows us to offer farmers attractive contract options.”


text:
Government has detailed its plans for a T-1 Capacity Market auction for delivery over the coming winter.
It aims to hold an auction by August at the latest, and has outlined how agreements will be awarded and honoured – subject to state aid approval.
The Capacity Market is suspended following a ruling by the European Court of Justice that found in favour of Tempus Energy, which took the government to court, arguing that the European Commission had not followed due procedure and that the market design discriminated against demand-side response.
That ruling came just as power providers providers had pre-qualified for a year ahead, or T-1 auction that was due to be held in January 2019 for delivery next winter. To ensure sufficient headroom on the power system, government said it would run the auction at a later date and consulted with market participants on its approach.
In its consultation response, the Department for Business Energy & Industrial Strategy (Beis) said it plans to issue ‘conditional capacity agreements’ to winning bidders, as state aid approval is unlikely to be granted at the time of the auction.
The department said it anticipates approval will be received ahead of the start of the delivery year, i.e. by November. However, it will make provisions to make back-payments to successful bidders if approval is not received by that point.
Those with conditional agreements must deliver their obligations and penalties will apply to those that do not, or fail to hit delivery milestones.
Beis said it intends to allow secondary trading of conditional agreements after the auction. It will waive credit cover requirements, though will introduce termination fees if non-proven DSR over 2MW does not provide a test certificate.
However, because lead times will be shorter, Beis plans to make changes to rules around tests for DSR providers.
Tempus launches fresh Capacity Market action, goes after the money
Sara Bell: Aggregators ‘ecstatic’ about CM legal ruling
What has the Capacity Market ever done for us?
Tempus wins court case over Capacity Market bias against DSR
EMR delivery body confirms all capacity payments suspended, auctions shelved
Tempus Energy: A five year old can see the Capacity Market is anticompetitive, the billion won’t be paid
Decc “confident” of beating Tempus legal challenge
Click here to see if you qualify for a free subscription to the print edition of The Energyst, or to renew.
Follow us at @EnergystMedia. For regular bulletins, sign up for the free newsletter.

domain: news


text:
Canon Launches “Try and Buy” programme for its lenses
Canon is now allowing its DSLR users to try out popular Canon lenses before purchasing them in the newly launched Canon Lens “Try and Buy” Programme. The programme, which is the first of its kind in Singapore for a camera brand, will be starting from 28 March. For a nominal fee, interested users will get up to two full days to try out their lenses of choice.
The Canon Lens “Try and Buy” Programme is an initiative by the company to enable its DSLR users to try selected lenses for up to two days and make an informed decision before investing in the perfect lens to suit them. This programme will be extremely useful for users who are deciding between the different lenses in Canon’s comprehensive range of more than 70 EF and EF-S lenses. While there is no obligation to make a purchase subsequently, Canon believes that this programme will also attract new users to its award-winning EOS photographic eco-system.
For full details including terms and condition of the programme, please visit the Canon Lens “Try and Buy” website www.canon.com.sg/lenstryandbuy (Website targets to be up on 28 March). Users can also go to the website for more information such as the most popular lenses borrowed, the most viewed lenses, and new lenses included in the programme.


text:
Authorised and regulated by the UK’s FCA to provide investment accounts, we are bound by CASS rules to segregate and protect client assets.
Cash is no longer king. One in seven of the UK population never carries cash, and more people in Britain now make payments electronically than use notes and coins. It is a nation ever more reliant on contactless cards, digital wallets and mobile payments. In London, almost half of payments under £30 are now contactless as tube journeys, lunchtime sandwiches and even church donations are routinely performed using “tap-and-go” technology.
But we could be further away than we think from the utopian vision of a truly cashless society. Reports of the death of cash have been heard before: in 1996, for instance, a much-publicised trial in Swindon to encourage use of payment cards to replace coins for small transactions flopped due to minimal take-up by the town’s residents.
Technology: the tipping point?
Today, though, there are 100 million contactless cards in circulation in the UK, enabling faster payments and instantaneous transactions. Add in the growing ubiquity of newer digital payment options, and we may finally be witnessing the slow demise of physical money. Cash is not cheap to maintain either: last year, it cost £70 million to introduce the new plastic £5 note into circulation. There may come a time in the not-too-distant future when this outlay to maintain our banknotes is deemed superfluous.
“Although a cashless society can’t be enforced, it’s becoming unstoppable,” says Amir Nabi, Chief Operating Officer at Dolfin. “I do think we are now at that tipping point.”
Technology is the main driver of this change. People are becoming more comfortable using the array of digital payment solutions available. And the way we spend money is changing, too: “chip and pin” is beginning to look outdated as services like Apple Pay, PayPal and Google Wallet muscle in. Alternative systems – such as the cryptocurrency Bitcoin – are also gaining momentum.
Depending on data
Millennial consumers have grown up with technology around them. This younger generation typically do banking on their mobiles and have no reason to withdraw cash from an ATM. They view currency as data: if it’s in a digital form, it’s safe, cheap and convenient. Older generations, however, still prefer the simplicity of cash. It may be a habit, but it’s also tangible and there is an emotional connection.
“Traditional ways of doing things are dramatically changing,” says Nabi. “Airbnb and Uber prove this. In the next decade, we may almost have a de facto cashless society. Some generational biases won’t be an issue any more. Technology will evolve with more developments in the digital payment space. Right now, it’s e-wallets and mobile, but soon it will be watches and wristbands. And in five years, using fingerprints to make payments may very well be the norm.
“Cash won’t necessarily be finished,” he says. “It will remain as one of these payment options, but will play an increasingly minor part.”
A cashless world
The UK has yet to travel as far down the road towards a cashless economy as some of its near neighbours – or even more distant countries. In Sweden, for instance, cash transactions make up less than 2% of all payments and retailers are legally entitled to refuse notes and coins. Denmark’s central bank has stopped printing fresh notes. In Arnhem in the Netherlands, you can use Bitcoin to pay for a huge range of products and services, from a bunch of roses to a root canal.
Kenya’s successful mobile payment system, M-Pesa, facilitates cashless transactions without the need for a bank – a huge step forward for the 2.5 billion people around the world who currently don’t have access to a bank account.
There are, however, drawbacks to a cashless society. Many people cite concerns about privacy, fearing that Big Brother may be monitoring their spending activity. Databases can be hacked and personal information stolen. Then there is cybercrime.
“Cybercrime is potentially the biggest threat, with a lot of episodes recently,” says Nabi. “With cash, there is a limited amount you can steal and carry away. In this new world, any loss could be unlimited and its impact felt on a massive scale. But a whole industry has been created to tackle the issue. Hopefully, it will be managed in the same way that you stop someone robbing a bank today.”
Despite this, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that Britain could one day soon ditch the banknote. It is 50 years since the first ATM appeared on a UK high street – what are the odds of these machines lasting another half century?


text:
There’s a lot more behind the Galaxy Fold than we initially thought. A new rumor shows a second-generation Galaxy Fold being prepared for launch next year, but with an S-Pen, a la the Galaxy Note series.
This rumored Galaxy Fold will sport an 8-inch display, which is quite an upgrade over the original’s unfolded 7.3-inch display.
We have yet to actually see the Galaxy Fold in the consumer market, but that isn’t stopping Samsung from prepping a second-gen model yet, even though they don’t entirely know how well it will perform.
No one is going to want to invest in a Galaxy Fold 2 until they see that Samsung has addressed many of the concerns in the original Galaxy Fold.
We don’t entirely know how true this report is. Samsung usually launches phones on a 1-year upgrade cycle. So if we got the Galaxy Fold in late summer or fall at some point, a new one in early 2020 wouldn’t make too much sense, especially as consumers are already spending less on smartphones.


text:
Home Tags Impeachment of Donald Trump
Tag: Impeachment of Donald Trump
Nestlé is releasing a new version of its iconic KitKat bar - and an important ingredient will be missing. Nestlé is launching a non-dairy plant-based version of the 86-year-old milk chocolate bar called KitKat V, the...
Maryland and Nebraska have played against each other 10 times.
"The church has become a laboratory for creating a new culture," writes Gates.


text:
Apple has recently blocked an update of an ChatGPT Powered App, an AI-powered chatbot platform. The decision has left the app’s developers and users frustrated and concerned about the future of their product.
ChatGPT is an innovative AI-powered chatbot platform that uses machine learning algorithms to generate human-like responses to user inquiries. The platform has been gaining popularity in recent years, as more and more businesses and organizations seek to incorporate chatbots into their customer service and marketing strategies.
The ChatGPT Powered App, which remains unnamed, had been scheduled to receive a major update that would introduce new features and improvements to the user experience. However, Apple has blocked the update, citing concerns about the content that the app generates.
Apple has a strict policy on app content, and the company’s guidelines prohibit apps that generate offensive, violent, or discriminatory content. It is not clear whether the content generated by ChatGPT violated these guidelines, or if Apple has other concerns about the platform’s functionality or security.
The developers of the app have expressed frustration and disappointment with Apple’s decision, stating that they had worked hard to ensure that the content generated by ChatGPT was appropriate and that the platform was safe and secure.
The ChatGPT Powered app’s users are also concerned about the future of the platform, as the inability to update the app may mean that it becomes outdated or unsupported. Some users have expressed concern about the potential loss of the platform’s AI-powered chatbot functionality, which they have come to rely on for customer support and engagement.
The situation highlights the challenges of developing and deploying AI-powered chatbots in the current app environment. While the potential benefits of chatbots are significant, there are also concerns about the ethical implications of AI-generated content, as well as the potential for misuse or abuse of the technology.
The blockage of the update of a ChatGPT Powered App by Apple has left developers and users frustrated and concerned about the future of the platform. The situation highlights the challenges of developing and deploying AI-powered chatbots in the current app environment and underscores the importance of careful consideration of the ethical and security implications of the technology. Ultimately, it is essential that companies and developers work together to find a balance between innovation and responsibility in the development of AI-powered chatbots and other emerging technologies.


text:
Internet advertising revenues reached a new record of $4.9 billion for the first quarter of 2007 – a 26% increase over the $3.8 billion in 1Q06, and a 2% increase over the $4.8 billion in 4Q06 – the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) announced.
Only two weeks ago the IAB reported fourth-quarter and full-year 2006 internet ad revenue figures: in 4Q06, $4.8 billion (a quarterly record and 35% more than the year-earlier period); and $16.9 billion for 2006 – a new annual record (and up 35% from 2005.
“The continued growth of online ad revenues clearly illustrates marketers’ increased comfort with the extraordinary vitality and accountability of this medium,” said IAB President and CEO Randall Rothenberg.
“The recent results are particularly impressive when the size of the advertising revenue base is taken into account,” said Peter Petrusky, director, PricewaterhouseCoopers.
“Given these results, we may expect continued strong revenue growth buoyed by an expanding broadband subscriber base, which could translate into more users spending more time online and offers a platform for rich media and video ads that dial-up connections can’t render.”
- US Ad Expenditures Down 0.3% in Q1, Internet Surges 16.7%
- Study: DM Drives & Supports Branding across Channels
- Newspaper Ad Expenditures Down 5% in Q1, Online Jumps 22%
- Six of Ten Consumers Have Watched Online Video Ads
- IAB/PwC: Record Internet Ad Revenues for Q4 and Full-Year 2006
- Click-through Rates Falling in Europe
- The Blogosphere: Still Growing after All These Years
- Alternative Out-of-Home Media Spending Soars 27%


text:
The LG G3 family is getting a little bigger. Today, LG has announced a new mid-range device for the G3 series, and it’s coming to U.S. carriers. The LG G3 Vigor will be available on AT&T and Sprint later this year. The Sprint variant will be available in Burgundy Red and Metallic Black for just $299 off contract, or 24 payments of $12.50. AT&T will have pricing and availability later this year.
The Vigor has a 5-inch 720p IPS display, a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 8MP camera, 2540mAh battery, and Android 4.4.2. LG has designed the Vigor with “selfies in mind,” yet they gave it only a 1.3MP front-facing camera. We’ll save our judgement for when we can use this device ourselves, but it seems like a pretty standard LG phone. One that you might find on Verizon for $50 with a crazy name, but this time they slapped the “G3” title on it. Hopefully it’s worthy.


text:
The next iteration of Chelsea icon Empire Diner under chef John DeLucie will be taking its shot in the neighborhood starting today. DeLucie (Bedford & Co.) partnered up with the owners of clubby diner Cafeteria to revive the space, a historic building that’s had a share of troubles and different owners since 2010. After several months of revamping the interior, the restaurant opens for dinner on Monday, with breakfast and brunch to come.
Expect a pretty traditional diner menu of with lots of takes on American classics, which will come in the form of entrees and small plates. Dishes like wedge salad, mac and cheese, a burger with American cheese, onion rings, and deviled eggs will be available. A “pigs in a blanket” bar snack will come with confit pork and pickled cabbage instead of a hot dog, and a selection of raw dishes include yellowtail crudo with crispy quinoa and beef carpaccio with horseradish cream. Desserts, too, will be versions of familiar American classics, including a peanut butter caramel sundae and s’mores with honey graham ice cream.
The art deco exterior of the restaurant — which is one of the last freestanding diners in NYC — hasn’t changed, but DeLucie and co. have made the inside lighter, he says. The floor has white tile and a mosaic, and the tables are a pale-colored wood, accompanied by schoolhouse-style chairs. It also has “modern industrial touches” and plenty of vintage stainless steel touches, DeLucie says. “We tried to give a nod to the old school,” he says. “But it’s certainly Empire Diner 2.0.”
Empire Diner has had a slew of owners ever since the original ones closed it after a 35-year run. Chef Amanda Frietag of “Chopped” fame ran it for a couple years before closing it in December 2015. The owners of Union Square diner Coffee Shop also tried their hands at running the restaurant as The Highliner, but the attempt only lasted a little more than a year.
DeLucie has tackled several restaurants with historical significance previously. Despite Empire’s rotating door, the chef has said that he is attracted to what the space represents to him — the fun of New York in the ‘80s.
Empire Diner, located at 210 10th Avenue, opens tonight at 5 p.m.


text:
Renovations of the Ponce City Market 68,000 square-foot third floor are ready to be underway, according to a filing for a commercial alternations building permit by FanDuel with the City of Atlanta. The permit application describes $7,000,000 worth of interior renovations including new walls, finishes, fixtures, millwork and equipment. The permit application was filed last week on September 16th and is awaiting approval.
The filing indicates that FanDuel is ready to move forward with its planned Technology Campus at Ponce City Market, which was announced in June. When completed, the campus will house the online sports betting company’s software engineering, product development, user experience (UX), and user interface (UI) teams. The company plans to grow its Atlanta-based workforce to approximately 900 workers over the next five years, according to the June announcement.
Despite its product not being legal in Georgia, FanDuel has moved forward with expanding its operations in Georgia with Governor Brian Kemp‘s blessing. In an official press release in May, the Governor touted the 900 jobs and $15 million investment in Atlanta as a “testament to our world-class universities and tech training programs, as well as the diverse ecosystem of professional sports leagues and teams we’ve cultivated here.”
When the campus was announced in June, Matt Bronfman, CEO of Jamestown, the real estate investment and management company behind Ponce City Market, said that “over the last few years, Ponce City Market has become a major employment hub for the City of Atlanta… FanDuel will add to that important distinction and further grow the property’s dynamic ecosystem of tech and creative class companies.”
Since Ponce City Market’s grand opening in 2013 the project has been credited as a catalyst for revitalizing the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood. The property currently includes 643,000 square feet of Class-A office, with 75,000 square feet of entertainment, 300,000 square feet of retail and over 36 food and beverage purveyors. In addition, Ponce City Market recently unveiled new plans to include 500,000 square feet of new development and neighborhood amenities. The expansion is slated to include an office building, outdoor courtyard with 38,000 square feet of shopping and dining, and more than 400 units in a new “hospitality living” concept.


text:
Cars Tagged - DBX
2023 Aston Martin DBX70730
With around 700 horsepower on tap, the Aston Martin DBX707 is ready to take on the performance SUV crown.
2021 Aston Martin DBX6
After the initial concept car in 2015 Aston Martin have pulled the wraps off the DBX, the first ever SUV in the brands 106 year history.
2015 Aston Martin DBX Concept3
Aston Martin challenges the nature of luxury GT travel in the 21st Century with the debut of the innovative Aston Martin DBX Concept.


text:
California’s Fresh Express announced on Tuesday that it has recalled 2,939 cases of bagged spinach because it might be contaminated with Salmonella.
Random sample testing turned up a positive test for Salmonella, which prompted the recall, the Salinas-based company said in a news release. No illnesses have been reported in connection with the spinach.
The recall involves 9 oz. Bag Spinach that has product codes starting with H081 and H082, a UPC Code of 7127913204 and “use by” dates of April 6 and 7. The product code and use-by date can be found in the upper right-hand corner of the package and the UPC Code in the lower left on the reverse side of the package.
The spinach was distributed to seven states: Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Ohio and Maine, but also may have gone to New Jersey, Virginia, Delaware, Vermont, New Hampshire, West Virginia and Washington, D.C.
No other Fresh Express products are included in the recall.
Consumers who have purchased the spinach should not consume it, but rather discard it and contact their retailer for a refund. For more information call the Fresh Express Consumer Response Center at 800-242-5472, Monday through Friday, 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., Pacific Time.
Fresh Express said its customer service representatives are been contacting retailers to ensure that the recall takes place swiftly.


text:
OPPO, a leading global smartphone brand, continues to push the envelope, endeavouring to bring technological breakthroughs that offers exceptional user experience. OPPO is expected to introduce its upcoming smartphone OPPO F11 Pro in India that will come with a stellar camera.
OPPO’s new F11 Pro will be coming with a 48 MP dual rear camera, reaching a level of overall performance that exceeds the expectations of even the most demanding consumers. The new generation of a high-definition camera will provide the users with an impressive photo quality and viewing experience. It opens a window to limitless creativity – from shooting photos to getting clear images in low light with the help of its Super Night Mode feature. It will bring the flawless everyday usability which consumers expects in their smartphones.
The Super Night Mode of the OPPO F11 Pro functions with OPPO’s exclusive AI Ultra-Clear Engine which includes the AI Engine, Ultra-clear Engine, and Color Engine. The AI Engine and Ultra-clear Engine delivers the perfect Super Night Mode which intelligently recognises scenes and optimises the settings. It also helps in optimisation for image-stabilization during long exposure, low-light performance, and skin brightening. All these features will bring the best in class experience to the users and is all set to redefine the definition of photography within the Indian Smartphone market.


text:
Welcome to the all-new Kent & Medway Food & Drink Awards
We are proud to support many clients in the food and drink sector here in Kent & Medway and so when we heard about a new awards programme to celebrate their success, we decided to get involved.
We are delighted to be sponsoring the Tea/Coffee Shop of the Year Award and members of the public have until 5pm on 10th January to nominate the businesses or individuals they would like to see crowned.
The Awards are being organised by the KM Media Group and they say:
“We felt it was time to raise a huge cheer for the people behind Kent and Medway’s buzzing food and drink industry – and so these awards were born. With nominations made by the public and the winners selected by a panel of independent industry experts, the aim of the awards is to give credit where it is truly due to the rising stars, industry trendsetters and unsung food heroes. So, whatever your food and drink favourites - be it a baker, a farmer, a cafe, a village pub, or a champion of your local community - we want to hear from you!”
The finalists will be announced in KM Group newspapers and Kent Online on Wednesday, January 17, 2024, and the winners will be revealed at a reception at the Spitfire Cricket Ground, Canterbury on Tuesday, February 27, 2024.
Any food and drink business or individual located in Kent is eligible and nominating is online and easy - just follow the link to say what makes them stand out from the culinary crowd.
The three businesses or individuals with the most nominations per category will then be shortlisted and the winners chosen by a panel of independent, industry-expert judges headed up by well-known chef and restauranteur Richard Phillips.
To make your nominations visit https://www.iliffemediapromotions.co.uk/kent-food-drink-awards/nominate/
Good luck to everyone nominated!


text:
By Runjie (Sahany) Xiao
On April 2, 2018, Alibaba Group, Ant Financial, and Ele.me jointly announced that Alibaba Group has signed a purchase agreement with Ele.me which is a local life platform founded in 2008 and includes online takeaway, new retail, instant distribution and catering supply chain. Alibaba Group is a Chinese multinational conglomerate that involves e-commerce, retail, Internet, artificial intelligence (AI), and technology. Ant Financial is an affiliated company of the Alibaba Group and it is the most valuable financial technology company in the world. Alibaba will unite with Ant Financial to acquire Ele.me for $9.5 billion. Ele.me will still continue to be an independent brand. The original CEO of Ele.me will be the new chairman of Ele.me while Alibaba Group’s Vice CEO, Lei Wang, will be the new CEO of Ele.me.
Now with the help of Ele.me, Alibaba’s new retail system includes “Half-hour Arrival” of Hema Xiansheng fresh food supermarkets, “One Hour Arrival” of Tmall supermarket, and “Two Hours Arrival of Online Store Purchasing” for a number of frontline brands. This means that people can buy groceries from the comforts of their own home and have them delivered quickly. While Alibaba benefits, they will also provide a push for Ele.me’s new retail businesses. So far, Ele.me’s new retail businesses have been initially established, which includes brand convenience stores, unmanned storage rack, and front warehouses. The cooperation between the two companies aims to form a full chain business alliance with complementary advantages, which will bring a faster, better, and more convenient services to people in China.
The successful acquisition raises the possibility of confrontation between Meituan, Alibaba Group, and Didi Takeout, all of which are business tycoons in China. Who will eventually be the winner of the Chinese life services industry? Let’s wait and see.


text:
Coming from EDGE
Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D’s visuals have gotten a lot of flack ever since Konami shared the first screenshots and footage of the game. Fans criticized its seemingly textures, poor frame rate, and overall disappointing graphics.
In the end, it seems that Kojima Productions was able to pull things together. Details have started to emerge from EDGE’s review of Snake Eater 3D, and the magazine was apparently more than impressed with the studio’s work on the title’s visuals. EDGE went as far as to say that “the HD update doesn’t look as good as this portable treatment.”
EDGE wrote in its review:
“Packed with detail, both in terms of it’s environments and mechanics, this is a game that pays back investment in spades. MGS3 is a moden classic – the tighest, smartest and most emotional journey in the series – and even the HD update doesn’t look as good as this portable treatment.”
EDGE gave Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D an 8/10. You can find more scores from the magazine’s latest issue here.


text:
The smell and taste of fresh-baked French and Italian breads rank among life’s finer food experiences. But whole wheat bread? Not so much. That’s one reason it’s been a challenge to get more Americans to choose healthier wheat over tastier, less-nutritious white bread made from refined and processed flour.
But food scientists are reporting a culinary discovery that could change all that. In a new study published in the American Chemical Society Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the researchers said they found a single chemical compound holds the key to giving whole wheat bread a more appetizing aroma and taste, potentially opening the door to making it — and similarly healthy bakery products — more appealing to millions of people.
That key ingredient — ferulic acid (FA), found mainly in bran — effectively suppresses one of the critical components that give baked white bread its distinctly satisfying aroma and taste. By manipulating FA in bread dough, bakers could make healthier bread more appetizing, without compromising on nutrition, said Devin G. Peterson, who led the new study.
Peterson explained that whole wheat flour includes all three layers of the grain — bran, germ, and endosperm — while refined flour is mostly endosperm. Whole wheat flour contains more nutritious fiber and phytochemicals that help reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.
Despite wheat bread's health benefits, many consumers prefer white bread’s taste and aroma.
To gauge FA’s effects on bread, Peterson's team added it to white flour dough and found the loaves tasted and smelled like wheat bread. They also noted it reduced amounts of a number of compounds that help shape bread's appetizing aroma and taste.
Understanding these chemical reactions, and manipulating bread’s ingredients to maximize the appeal of wheat bread products, could help bakers make healthier varieties that will appeal to consumers who don’t want to sacrifice flavor for health benefits, Peterson suggested.
The study was funded the U.S. Department of Agriculture.


text:
MRF Tyres signs four year global partnership deal with ICC
The ICC and MRF Tyres recently completed a successful partnership at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.
NEW DELHI: MRF Tyres and the International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced a four-year deal which confirms the tyre manufacturer as a global partner for ICC events from 2016-2020. The ICC and MRF Tyres recently completed a successful partnership at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, the council said in a statement.
Commenting on the partnership, David Richardson, MRF Tyres’s Chairman and Managing Director, said: “I am delighted that MRF Tyres has decided to continue its support of cricket by extending its partnership with the ICC for a further four years. Our aim at ICC events is to create an exceptional experience for all involved and I am confident that not only will MRF help us enhance that aim but that the forthcoming ICC events will help MRF promote its brand and expand its reach to other parts of the globe.
“MRF is already an active promoter and supporter of cricket with a number of domestic and international fast bowlers benefiting from its MRF Pace Foundation. I am excited that MRF has elected to be cricket’s global partner and I am confident that this will be the start of a long relationship.”
Speaking at the function, K M Mammen, former India captain and MRF brand ambassador said: “This is a proud moment for MRF and this association is a testimony to our commitment to cricket. Twenty20 is the most popular form of the game today and it is a matter of great pride to be associated with the ICC World Twenty20 2016.
“Association with the ICC and the game of cricket presents a great opportunity for brand MRF to reach markets across the world. We are indeed proud to bring this thrill-a minute tournament to the millions of fans in India and all over the world.”


text:
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has said that it wants to see cryptocurrency markets, including exchanges, take steps to protect investors from manipulation if exchange-traded funds (ETF) are to be approved. One exchange is already working toward cleaning up the space and has introduced a tool that will allow it to monitor the platform for market manipulation and suspicious activity.
The Bitstamp exchange has announced that it will begin to use the Irisium Surveillance platform to uncover questionable market activity. The platform, which is already used by a number of financial entities including the Asia Pacific Exchange (APEX), is partly owned by Cinnober, a tech developer for financial markets with which Bitstamp recently partnered.
Bitstamp’s founder and CEO, Nejc Kodric, stated of the inclusion of Irisium, “We are committed to crypto in the long term. Our desire is to guarantee a fair and orderly market which reflects genuine supply and demand. Exploring new frontiers in preventing market manipulation is essential for the industry to mature.”
Irisium, according to the company’s website, has created a number of tools that allow entities to monitor trading platforms and ensure compliance with European regulations, including the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive, the Market Abuse Regulation and the Regulation on Wholesale Energy Market Integrity and Transparency. The site further asserts, “The system makes available the tools and analytical data to enable regulators to identify, track and investigate any trading activity” and “is already utilized by European regulators.”
Irisium’s CEO, Alastair Goodwin, explained of the new partnership with Bitstamp, “Bitstamp’s pro-active adoption of Irisium and close partnership with us demonstrates their desire to increase transparency, integrity and confidence in the cryptocurrency market. … Enhanced customer protection and market integrity will help drive adoption and market liquidity.”
Bitstamp’s decision to use the Irisium platform was completely independent of the SEC’s statement on market manipulation. However, the timing is perfect and could, if it works as planned, allow for crypto exchanges to jump one of the hurdles that have keep institutional investors at bay. Moves such as this, coupled with the announcements made by Fidelity and NASDAQ that they are almost ready to get their crypto platforms going, should help 2019 to be an important year for the crypto industry.
New to blockchain? Check out CoinGeek’s Blockchain for Beginners section, the ultimate resource guide to learn more about blockchain technology.


text:
If you’re looking to catch up with suppliers face to face, see new products and services and catch a lively presentation discussing the issues that matter, then the National Convenience Show 2023 is the place for you.
The show, at the Birmingham NEC, runs from Monday April 24 to Wednesday April 26.
This year’s exhibitors include key suppliers for forecourt retailers: Arctic Coffee; Allego Charging; Asahi; Barista Bar; Bobby’s Foods; Booker; BP; British American Tobacco (BAT); Brewdog; Britvic; Burts Snacks; Candy Kittens; CBE; Christie & Co; Costa Express; Elf Bar; Expresso Plus; F’real; Fifo; Grenade; General Mills; Henderson Technology; Hovis; JUUL Labs; Lactalis; Muller; My Coffee Station; Pukka; Nisa Retail; One Stop; Perfetti Van Melle; Polar Krush; Rollover; Shaken Udder; Spar UK; UCC Coffee ; Warburtons; Wm Morrisons; World of Sweets and many more.
• Polar Krush will be talking to retailers about Calippo Burst’s latest flavour: Magic Blue (soft berry flavours), which joins Strawberry, Lemon, Orange, Lime and Cola.
• On the General Mills stand, they will be showing off the new macaron flavours of Haagen-Dazs.
• JUUL Labs will be talking about its win at the Product of the Year 2023 Awards for its JUUL2 system as well as its latest Blackcurrant Tobacco variant.
• Spar will no doubt be talking to retailers about its popular own brand and its recently launched Spotlight initiative to get its best own label products into maximum distribution.
Live events have become a big draw at the National Convenience Show and for 2023, the line-up is better than ever. At the bustling Retailer Hub you’ll find presentations covering many of the big issues for convenience and forecourt retailers in 2023.
Presentations kick off on Monday April 24 at 10.30am with ‘UK convenience retail: a market landscape’, presented by Flora Zwolinksi, senior insight manager at Lumina Intelligence.
Zwolinksi will discuss how convenience retail has changed over the past year and what we can expect over the course of the rest of this year. She will share analysis of the market, explain how it differs by channel and give examples of retailers and brands which are capitalising on key growth trends.
Also on Monday April 24, there is a presentation entitled ‘Symbolising UK Convenience’ which starts at 11.15am. Peter Batt, managing director of Nisa Retail; John Miller, head of franchise at One Stop Franchise; and Ian Taylor, retailer director of Spar will talk to the editor of Convenience Store, Aidan Fortune, about the challenges and opportunities across the UK convenience retail industry and the work they are doing to support their retailers.
From 1.20pm on Monday, the cost-of-living crisis will be discussed by guests including Karen Betts, CEO of the Food and Drink Federation; Kate Nicholls CBE, chief executive of UK Hospitality, James Lowman, chief executive of the ACS; and Shane Brennan, chief executive of the Cold Chain Federation.
With vaping such big business and the subject of so many news stories, one presentation not to be missed is ‘Illicit Trade: the trust cost to convenience and what can be done?’, which will take place later on Monday April 24 at 2.45.
John Dunne, director general of the UK Vaping Industry Association together with Anthony Moses, group commercial director of Flavour Warehouse and convenience retailer Nish Patel of Londis Bexley Park will discuss whether enough is being done to prevent the rise of illicit vape products and what more needs to be done to stamp out illicit activities that are costing the economy and convenience retail significant sums of money.
Another interesting presentation looks set to be ‘A new-look National Lottery?’, which will take place on Tuesday April 25 at 1.45.
The National Lottery has been a long-standing footfall driver for convenience retailers. With the licence to operate the lottery moving from Camelot to Allwyn, we hear what this could mean for independent convenience store retailers. In an exclusive interview, Allwyn personnel sit down with The Grocer/C-Store to discuss plans for the future and the importance of convenience in making the National Lottery bigger and better.
Also on Tuesday April 25, but this time at 2.45, there is ‘Nisa: Batt to the future’ where, in an exclusive interview with Convenience Store, Peter Batt – former divisional director at Co-op and now managing director at Nisa Retail – discusses the current state of the UK convenience retail market, what the future holds, how Nisa is adapting, the relationship with the Co-op and what independent retailers can expect from the symbol group.
On Wednesday April 26 at 10.30am, the ‘Future of FTG’ will be discussed in detail by Mandy Gasson, fresh food implementation manager at A F Blakemore & Son; Stephen Minall, director at video feedback review company FdReviews Global Ltd and Aman Uppal, owner of One Stop Mount Nod. This should be really interesting as no doubt Mandy Gasson will discuss AF Blakemore’s Eat Some… concept which was inspired by street food vendors and includes small concession brands in a food court-style area.
Other topics that will be covered in Live sessions during the Show include:
• Dark stores: the future for delivery?
• HFSS: seven months on
• The ROI from supporting colleagues’ mental wellbeing
• Diversifying Deliveroo: from dark kitchens to bricks and mortar
• Beyond the bin: rethinking food waste
• Tackling food waste with Food Share
Your ticket to the National Convenience Show will also give you access to the co-located Farm Shop & Deli Show and Food & Drink Expo.
At the Farm Shop & Deli Show, you can catch up with Cawston Press, COOK, Cotswold Fayre, Food & Drink Wales, Invest Northern Ireland, LoveRaw Ltd, Mrs Bridges, Olly’s Snacks, Scotland Food & Drink, Tudor Tea and Coffee and many more.
At Food & Drink Expo you will find Belvoir Fruit Farms Ltd, Bramble Foods, California Walnuts & California Raisins, Ocean Spray, Radnor Hills Mineral Water, Refresco Drinks UK, Ocean Spray, The Sausage Man and The Vegetarian Society.
And within Food & Drink Expo, there are two sub-zones that highlight industry trends, innovations and NPD. These are Healthy & Natural and Plant-Based.
The National Convenience Show 2023 takes place from Monday April 24-26.
It is open from 10am to 5pm on the Monday and Tuesday and from 10am to 4pm on Wednesday April 26.
Register for your ticket now at www.nationalconvenienceshow.co.uk
You can save £5 on your parking by booking it in advance (www.thenec.co.uk)


text:
An employee demonstrates the online payment smartphone app from Wirecard AG at the company's booth at the Noah Technology Conference in Berlin on Thursday, June 13, 2019.
Krisztian Bocsi | Bloomberg via Getty Images
Wirecard Card Solutions, the British unit of the disgraced German payment company Wirecard, has announced that it will sell some assets to British financial technology company Railsbank as part of a solvent liquidation.
The company said it will meet on Friday to come up with a proposal setting out the terms of selling its card technology and related assets in the UK, as well as the transition of its customers and employees to Railsbank. The aim is to complete the migration of customers from Wirecard Card Solutions to Railsbank by November.
"We hope that our program managers support our proposal and that we can make positive progress for everyone involved," said Tom Jennings, Managing Director of Wirecard Card Solutions. "I would like to thank our customers for their continued support and Mastercard and Visa for their help in making this transition as seamless as possible."
Munich-based Wirecard filed for bankruptcy in June, marking a dramatic decline for a company that was once revered as one of the hottest technology companies in Germany. The case came after an accounting scandal that peaked when Wirecard admitted that it was missing 1.9 billion euros ($ 2.3 billion) on its balance sheet.
Former Wirecard executives, including long-time CEO Markus Braun, were arrested on suspicion of orchestrating trade fraud amounting to 3.2 billion euros. The Munich public prosecutor's office is investigating Wirecard on suspicion of money laundering. For its part, Wirecard has announced that it will not make any further statements.
The news of Wirecard's UK asset sale comes after thousands of UK consumers were temporarily banned from their accounts using online banking apps that relied on Wirecard to process payments. The turbulent episode was the result of a temporary cessation of operations by Wirecard, enforced by the Financial Conduct Authority, the UK's financial services watchdog. The regulator said it took such measures to ensure customers' funds are protected.
Railsbank, the company that is buying Wirecard's business in the UK, sells banking software to customers who use its technology to develop their own digital financial services products. The company was founded in 2016 and is backed by the payment giant Visa.
"We are very pleased about this agreement with Wirecard Card Solutions and thank the team for the positive cooperation during the process," said Nigel Verdon, co-founder and CEO of Railsbank. "Ultimately, customer and team needs are our priority."


text:
DEC 10, 2019 | US
Businesses Urge Flexible CCPA Enforcement in California AG Rulemaking
Communications Daily, December 10, 2019
By Adam Bender
Tech companies and advertisers made a last stand, raising concerns about the California Consumer Privacy Act before it takes effect Jan. 1. Comments were due Friday on implementing rules Attorney General Xavier Becerra (D) proposed in October and that must be finalized by July 1 when enforcement begins.
The software industry wants to clarify service providers “may use personal information received from a business or consumer to serve another entity -- when a business or consumer directs it to,” said BSA | The Software Alliance. Allow providers to “combine information received from one or more businesses” when necessary, it said. Providers should have to respond only to customer requests sent by a business “to help avoid the privacy and security risks associated with requiring service providers to respond directly to consumers, with whom they generally lack a direct relationship.”
BSA | The Software Alliance (www.bsa.org) is the leading advocate for the global software industry before governments and in the international marketplace. Its members are among the world’s most innovative companies, creating software solutions that help businesses of all sizes in every part of the economy to modernize and grow.
With headquarters in Washington, DC, and operations in more than 30 countries, BSA pioneers compliance programs that promote legal software use and advocates for public policies that foster technology innovation and drive growth in the digital economy.


text:
Digital transformation has accelerated at an unprecedented rate, with demands for IT, cloud services and data centre infrastructure surging throughout 2020. Despite the virus turmoil, last year was the most profitable for the channel, according to Canalys, and 2021 could be a better year yet.
Although some channel businesses present a positive economic outlook, there are still many concerns around how others that have experienced setbacks will bounce back from the disruption. So, in the wake of growing market consolidation and acquisition, how is the channel developing new services to come back stronger?
Channel Pro has previously examined some of the factors driving sustainability in the industry. Among them are greater awareness and commitments from public sector organisations, as well as commitments to net-zero ambitions and the need to ‘save energy’.
This latter aspect, in many respects, has become a key component of digital transformation, especially where an organisation is looking to become more productive, efficient and reduce costs. However, there are many more factors for customers and partners to consider when committing to long-term sustainability. Reducing energy usage is, of course, one area where an organisation can look to become more sustainable, but what others should be considered?
Establishing vendor commitments
Vendors have led the sustainability charge, and many have cited the need for greater sustainable practices. HPE has previously stated that it received more than 1,300 information requests from customers regarding its environmental and social practices, estimating customer briefings on sustainability contribute to roughly $585 million in net revenue, increasing by 88% over the previous year. Clearly, sustainability is big business.
Elsewhere other channel players have also taken a proactive and forward-thinking approach. Dell, for example, has worked with key suppliers to recover rare-earth magnets from hard drives, reusing the material in new systems to help foster the circular economy. Cisco has made great strides in its commitments, seeing a 55% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions last year.
Schneider Electric has also recently announced new net-zero commitments, which will see us increase support for customers and partners and help them achieve their own targets. Over the next four years, we aim to reduce CO2 emissions from our top 1,000 suppliers while delivering 800 million tons of saved and avoided carbon emissions for customers. This strategy requires not only a greater focus on embedding sustainable practices across our partner supply chain but in helping customers to create and meet long-term objectives that will ingrain sustainability.
Channel Pro Newsletter
Stay up to date with the latest Channel industry news and analysis with our twice-weekly newsletter
Ensuring sustainable procurement
With greater awareness of the impact of technology on carbon emissions and demands from customers increasing, channel organisations will clearly need to pay more attention to sustainability in order to remain competitive.
Sustainable procurement is now a key factor in decision making, and as more organisations focus on embedding sustainable practices or make commitments to reduce their carbon footprint, the channel has a direct role to play in terms of reducing scope 3 emissions. Many businesses, for example, will openly admit that there are only a number of steps they can take within their own organisations before they must begin to address emissions in the supply chain.
It’s likely that channel organisations who are themselves taking steps to become more sustainable stand a far greater chance of both retaining long-term relationships and being more appealing to new customers - those who are looking for partners who can ‘walk the talk’, or help guide them on their own sustainability journey.
Sustainability-based service models
In recent years we’ve seen much consolidation within the channel, in addition to the emergence of specialised consultancy organisations that have replaced ‘traditional’ resellers. One might argue that businesses that haven’t moved from hardware sales, or began to diversify by adding digital services, stand a little-to-no chance of being able to compete, meaning that the time is ripe for disruption.
New service models based around distributed IT, mission-critical maintenance and energy management, for example, are beginning to emerge as a means of addressing sustainability within digital transformation. Additionally, new consultancy organisations or business services that help customers to modernise or retrofit outdated infrastructure, or drive energy efficiency for a lower carbon footprint (or energy bill), are also becoming a key focal point with end-user organisations.
Here, partners with both specialist expertise in energy efficiency, UPS and power management, and edge computing will likely see success, but customers will again be looking to partner with organisations that have a reputation for delivering tangible, sustainable business outcomes.
Sustainable ecosystem and circular economy
A critical factor in end-user decision-making will be the energy and carbon impact of IT. Here, demands for green or high-efficiency products, in addition to customers’ own commitments to integrate with the circular economy, will require channel firms to partner with vendors that not only have the same values, but can provide customers with a clear idea of their own carbon footprint.
To meet sustainability objectives, energy-efficient technologies will undoubtedly be a key requirement, and new service models based around integration with the circular economy are emerging to include modernisation or retrofit, recycle and take-back programmes.
It is also likely that vendors who proactively utilise recycled components, or can accurately demonstrate both their embedded carbon and the energy efficiency ratings of key products will become a key choice for customers. This means channel organisations should select their partners accordingly, and specify solutions based on long-term lifecycle objectives rather than commoditised cost.
Cloud-based software as an enabler
Finally with greater adoption of cloud, edge computing and hosted IT services, choosing the right vendor-agnostic software and automation system will also play a crucial factor in managing the health or status of infrastructure across the digital ecosystem – something that can help with sustainable forward planning.
As customer purchasing decisions become more environmentally and economically aware, it’s clear to see that sustainability has become an essential differentiator for channel businesses. Beginning with the end is key, and as trusted advisors to the end-user community, partners have a role to play in helping end-users both define and realise their objectives.
I believe that for those partners who can advise customers on a strategy to reduce their carbon emissions, help them transform their digital infrastructure footprint, and deliver services that deliver sustainability and reliability, the future looks bright. Now is the time for members of the partner community to take the lead, diversify their business models, and guide customers towards a sustainable future.
Steve Santini is channel director at Schneider Electric UK&I


text:
At CES, Petcube is showing off some of its news software technologies for its pet camera system that lets people connect with their pets while away. The company’s line of devices offer a range of options beyond simple remote monitoring. For example, the Petcube Play camera lets you entertain bored pets with an app-controlled laser toy; another, called Petcube Bites lets you dole out treats when you’re away. This spring, these two systems will be upgraded with features that let pets call their parents and send selfies.
Okay, it’s not exactly as if Sparky is going to pick up the phone and then bark in the handset.
Instead, Petcube will use its new technology that differentiates between humans and pets to know when the pet has come into view in front of the wide-angle camera.
This then triggers a video recording that’s pushed over the web to the app on the pet owner’s device. Really, it’s the same as any basic security camera that’s triggered to record by movements. But Petcube brands the experience differently. Pet owners can “accept the video call request” from their pet in the app, for example, and preview the accompanying “pet selfie” clip.
This pet selfie will be temporarily auto-saved to the cloud, or can be saved up to 3 to 30 days, based on the optional Petcube Care plan you have. You can also save it to your phone’s Camera Roll, as an alternative. The PetCube app lets you scroll back through past pet selfies and post the clips to social networks.
While products like this may seem silly to some, the drive to treat pets more like children, or at least important family members, is common and growing – especially as the younger generation ischoosing to delay parenthood. Petcube has capitalized on this trend with its $14 million in funding, including a $10 million Series A from Y Combinator and Almaz Capital this past fall, in the hopes that eventually its database of pet recordings could aid in studies of animal behavior. The company, however, isn’t sharing consumer numbers or revenue at this time.
The new features will be rolled out to compatible Petcube Play and Petcube Bites devices on the latest firmware via a software update, starting this spring.
Published at Mon, 08 Jan 2018 13:00:11 +0000


text:
The bitcoin industry constantly introduces fresh, fascinating ideas that grab the interest of investors and fans. We have seen the development of DeFi, the expansion of Solana, and the consequences of the Terra Luna failure in recent years. A number of possible topics that might present new possibilities and difficulties for the cryptocurrency sector are emerging as we look ahead to the forthcoming summer.
1. BITCOIN DEFI: BRINGING THE POTENTIAL OF DEFI TO THE BITCOIN NETWORK
Despite not often being connected to crypto trials, Bitcoin has recently been very active. It has drawn attention when average Bitcoin transaction costs increased and peaked at $19.20 per transfer.
The introduction of the Ordinals is one significant development.
On the blockchain, ordinals are a novel approach to represent bitcoin. In essence, they serve as a method of tagging each individual Satoshi, the smallest unit of Bitcoin, with a special identification number. DeFi apps on the Bitcoin network may now be more sophisticated and complicated as a result.
To establish smart contracts that can only be performed by particular people or to generate fractional ownership of Bitcoin, for instance, Ordinals might be utilized.
The topic of « Bitcoin Layer 2s » has also caused some commotion.
It is the intention of the launch of BRC-20 tokens, based on Ordinals, to imitate the fungibility of ERC-20 tokens while including distinctive features.
DeFi’s options on the Bitcoin network are virtually endless because to the combination of Ordinals and BRC-20. A large variety of novel applications might be made using these new technologies, such as:
Bitcoin fractional ownership
- Only some people will be able to execute smart contracts
- Bitcoin-based tokens are traded on decentralized exchanges.
- Decentralized platforms for borrowing and lending
- Independent insurance platforms
There are countless potential uses for these new technologies, and it won’t be long until we see them employed to develop ground-breaking new DeFi apps on the Bitcoin network.
2. LSD-FI: STAKED ASSET TOKENS’ EXPANDING ECOSYSTEM
Discussions on LSDs (fungible tokens that represent staked assets) have been going around the cryptocurrency community for a while. With approximately $17.5 billion in total value locked (TVL), these tokens have established themselves as a major force in the DeFi market. The switchover of Ethereum to Proof of Stake (PoS) consensus is largely responsible for this expansion. The momentum doesn’t seem to be slowing down.
Liquid Staking Derivatives, or LSDs for short, are a form of token that symbolizes staked bitcoin to others who are unfamiliar. They were developed by DeFi protocols, which let users stake their bitcoin without locking it up.
As a result, users may receive staking incentives while still using their bitcoin for other purposes.
On the other side, LSDfi refers to the protocols that are being added to LSDs in order to develop the ecosystem. These protocols include LSD-backed stablecoins, Upfront Yield platforms, Lido Finance, Rocket Pool, Stakefish, and several more LSD Vaults as examples. Lybra Finance, Pendle Finance, unsheth, and more projects are drawn to this developing ecosystem thanks to Ethereum’s staking rate.
Using LSDs and LSDfi has several advantages, including:
- Earn stake rewards without staking your cryptocurrency: LSDs let you stake your cryptocurrency to receive stake rewards without staking your coin. Consequently, you are still able to trade or send money using your cryptocurrency.
- Liquidity improvement: The cryptocurrency staked has more liquidity thanks to LSDs. The price of the cryptocurrency may be able to stabilize as a result of making it simpler for consumers to acquire and sell staked coin.
- Risk reduction: LSDs can aid in lowering the danger associated with staking cryptocurrencies. You won’t lose your staked bitcoin in the event that a validator fails. Your staked cryptocurrency will no longer be represented by LSDs.
The use of LSDs and LSDfi does have significant hazards, though:
- Counterparty risk: When you employ an LSDfi system, you are putting your faith in it to keep your Bitcoin and distribute your staking rewards. You risk losing your bitcoin if the protocol fails.
- The LSDfi protocol runs the danger of being breached or going out of business. You could forfeit your LSDs or your staking rewards if this occurs.
- Volatility: The cost of LSDs might fluctuate. This implies that if you sell your LSDs before receiving enough staking rewards to recover your initial investment, you risk losing money.
3. MEMECOIN SEASON: A SPECULATIVE FRENZY EMERGES
With the launch of $PEPE a few weeks ago, memecoin season sprang onto the scene and quickly took over the cryptocurrency Twitterverse. With a current market cap of more than $500 million, $PEPE paved the way for tokens like $BEN, $PSYOP, and $LOYAL, among others. These coins became popular by leveraging the interest raised by prominent individuals like @eth_ben and @Bitboy_Crypto.
Several variables, including the following, are fueling the current meme coin season:
- The development of social media: Sites like Twitter and Reddit have had a significant impact on the development of meme currencies. People now find it simpler to spread knowledge about meme currencies and participate in the frenzy thanks to these sites.
- Meme currencies have become increasingly popular as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have become more prevalent. Digital assets known as NFTs are one-of-a-kind and irreplaceable. As a result, they are comparable to meme coins, which are similarly exclusive and irreplaceable.
- The need for rapid profits: Meme coins have the potential to provide significant increases in a short amount of time, which appeals to many investors who are seeking quick profits. Due to this, the meme coin market has seen a lot of speculation, with many investors purchasing meme coins with the intention of subsequently selling them for a profit.
Investors have been drawn in by the promise of excitement and possible rewards even if many of these meme-coins are questionably fraudulent. People were urged to send money to a personal wallet called ben.eth during the $PSYOP presale, yet the initiative still managed to raise about $7 million. Investors looking for excitement during a period of market stagnation may be the cause of this desire for action and readiness to take chances on speculative meme-coins.
Yes, we agree that meme currencies have the potential to produce enormous rewards, but they also pose a significant danger. Meme coins’ pricing can change drastically and are frequently quite erratic. This implies that if investors purchase meme coins at the incorrect time, they risk losing a lot of money.
Meme coins are not investments, so keep that in mind. Meme coins are more akin to gambling; therefore only invest money you can afford to lose in them.
4. RIDING THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE HYPE WITH AI COINS
The public’s interest in artificial intelligence (AI) has grown significantly. Founders are adding AI into their pitches, venture investors are thrilled about AI-focused startups, and Twitter timelines are flooded with debates about AI. Even Nvidia momentarily reached the trillion dollar mark due to the AI craze.
The present AI boom has a variety of causes. First, recent years have seen a considerable advancement in AI. On a range of tasks, such as image identification, natural language processing, and gaming, deep learning systems have outperformed humans.
Second, AI has the potential to completely transform a variety of sectors, including healthcare, manufacturing, and finance. Third, a larger spectrum of enterprises may now more easily utilize AI thanks to a recent sharp decline in the cost of creating and using it.
It is anticipated that the AI story will bleed into the cryptosphere. Numerous crypto tokens with an AI focus may gain from the current AI frenzy. These tokens include, among others:
- The Graph (GRT) is a decentralized technology for indexing and searching data on the blockchain. Numerous AI-related projects, like DeepMind and BigChainDB, utilise it.
- SingularityNET (AGI): SingularityNET is a decentralized market place for AI agents. It enables users to purchase and sell AI services like image recognition and natural language processing.
- Chainlink (LINK) is a decentralized oracle network. It enables smart contracts to access information from off-chain sources, like as stock prices and weather data. Artificial intelligence models may be trained using this data.
- AIOZ (AIOZ): AIOZ is a decentralized video streaming service. It optimizes video transmission and cuts expenses using AI.
- DeepBrain Chain: Developed to fuel AI applications, DeepBrain Chain is a blockchain platform. Gas fees and participation in the network’s consensus process are paid for with DBC, the platform’s native coin.
- Fetch.ai is a decentralized platform for AI applications. Its currency is the FET. To fuel the site and compensate users for their efforts, FET tokens are used.
But since many AI coins are very speculative, prudence is advised. You need to be careful to distinguish between genuine AI initiatives and those that are only rebranding to capitalize on the excitement around AI.
5. METAVERSE COINS: JOINING THE REVOLUTION IN VIRTUAL REALITY
Regarding Apple’s headset, rumours abound. The headset, code-named « N301, » is anticipated to be introduced in 2023 and is said to outperform all rival products in terms of quality and functionality. If these rumours are accurate, it is expected to spark a huge interest in virtual reality, often known as the Metaverse.
When Facebook changed its name to Meta a few years ago and declared its strategic move towards the metaverse, this idea attracted a lot of attention. Consequently, despite having no direct connection to Facebook, a number of metaverse currencies saw remarkable development.
Though it is still in its infancy, the metaverse is expanding. The market for the metaverse was estimated to be worth $27.21 billion in 2020. Its value was $39.9 billion in 2022, and by 2030, it is anticipated to have increased to $824.53 billion, with a CAGR of 39.1%.
Many tokens have a chance to profit from the metaverse. The following are some of the most well-known metaverse coins:
- Decentraland (MANA): The Ethereum blockchain powers the virtual world of Decentraland. It enables users to purchase, sell, and develop virtual land.
- The Sandbox (SAND): The Sandbox is a different virtual environment that is supported on the Ethereum blockchain. It enables users to produce and make money off of their experiences and games.
- Axie Infinity (AXS): Axie Infinity is a blockchain-based game where users may earn cryptocurrency by breeding, competing against, and exchanging virtual pets.
However, with a newer and more interesting token story, emerging market participants like RNDR may turn into the following $MANA or $SAND.
The Render Network is powered by a token known as RNDR. A decentralized platform called The Render Network enables users to lease out their computer processing capacity for the rendering of 3D visuals. It serves as an excellent illustration of a metaverse currency that may profit from the metaverse’s expansion since as the metaverse gains acceptance, there will be a higher need for 3D images. As users utilize RNDR tokens to rent out processing power to produce 3D images, this might result in a spike in demand for RNDR tokens.
These are but a few of the numerous tokens that might gain from the metaverse.
Metaverse coins are a fascinating topic to follow this summer because of how virtual reality has the ability to change a variety of sectors, including gaming, entertainment, and social interactions.
Tokens made particularly for the metaverse, however, are expected to become more prevalent as the market for them expands.
It is important to proceed cautiously when dealing with these themes and narratives, even though they are ones that the cryptocurrency community finds exciting and that have the potential to change the cryptocurrency landscape this summer. Differentiating legitimate projects from frauds or overhyped rebrands is crucial since the bitcoin market may be quite unpredictable.
It’s critical to understand that the market is now facing volatility and unpredictability as we enter into the summer storylines. Therefore, taking a more cautious tack and waiting for patterns to become more apparent are entirely fine. Currently, the market is moving in choppy sideways fashion, so perhaps the best course of action is to avoid the frenzied activity of the summer.
It’s possible that as the summer progresses, new situations may occur and different themes will become more prominent. Feel free to participate and share your ideas if you have any ideas or insights on prospective stories.


text:
The iOS 16 update is one of Apple’s most successful updates, consumers have adopted to latest iOS version faster than the previous iOS 15 update. A customizable Lock Screen and redesigned notifications are just a few attractive features of the update.
However, the roll has not been as smooth as Apple would have hoped it to be, especially on iPhone 14 series.
- Users reported an “unable to verify update” issue during installation, problems with Assistive touch, battery drain issue, and developers found iOS 16 issues with games that use three-finger input.
- Although Apple released iOS 16.0.1 with bug fixes for iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro to resolve Wi-Fi connectivity and other issues during setup, more software-related issues have appeared since then.
iOS 16-related issues experience on iPhone 14 Pro and other models will be patched soon
iPhone 14 Pro users are facing the following problems on iOS 16:
- iPhones freeze and become unresponsive after data transfer from older iPhones and iCloud restoration.
- The camera shakes and makes loud rattling noises when using third-party apps like Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, and others.
- The native Camera app launches slowly or lags.
- AirDrop functionality not working properly.
iOS 16 on other iPhone models is causing the following issues:
- The excessive appearance of Copy and Paste prompt. Apple has introduced a new privacy update that ensures apps seek users’ permission to paste the information copied on their clipboards via a prompt similar to ATT prompt. However, the Copy and Paste prompt does not have the expected behavior and keeps on reappearing.
- iPhone stuck on bootloop after installing the update.
Now, The Wall Street Journal states the update to fix multiple issues will arrive next week. However, the company has not mentioned the build number of the upcoming update. MacRumors believes it will be iOS 16.0.2. and is going to fix at least three major bugs: iPhone 14 Pro shaky camera, freezing issue, and Copy and Paste prompt.


text:
Ellen Thomas | WWD
Latest From This Author
If Millennials can count Jessica Alba as the clean beauty guru of a generation, and Gen Xers have Gwyneth Paltrow, Baby Boomers can now look to Kelly Preston.
Kim Kardashian’s makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic has become an influencer in his own right — and he’s cementing that status with the launch of his KKW Beauty collaboration.
L’Oréal Paris has tapped Winona Ryder to appear in a campaign tied to a massive rebrand of its U.S. hair business, WWD has exclusively learned.
For the first time since its acquisition by L’Oréal in 2012, Baxter of California is making serious strides to grow its business.
Dove is turning to Hollywood to further its Real Beauty message.
Ulta Beauty wants to show its customers that K-beauty is about more than just kitsch.
Fashion week or not, Blake Lively had alternative plans Monday night — a “Galentine’s Day”-themed party she was hosting on behalf of L’Oéal Paris, ahead of the February 14th holiday.
Maybelline is going where the influencers are.


text:
Trade Union Unite has strongly criticised the Scottish Government for “short-changing” taxi drivers and operators in its latest round of Covid-19 support grants.
Scottish Finance Secretary Kate Forbes has today announced an additional £62 million of support for 37,000 taxi and private hire operators in Scotland. This amounts to either £1,000 for those operating single cabs, or £3,000 for fleets of up to nine. Drivers who previously received a £1,500 support grant will receive an additional payment of £1,500.
Taxi operators will be contacted by their local authorities this month and will also receive grants of up to £10,000 depending on the number of vehicle licences they hold. A small number of the largest operators will now be paid up to £15,000.
But the new package “falls way short” of what is needed to stabilise the trade, says the Unite Scotland union. Unite has repeatedly called on the Scottish Government to deliver a £10,000 grant for each taxi operator irrespective of size, which is the equivalent support being given to all other small business owners.
Unite also claimed there was a “postcode lottery” affecting support for the taxi trade as local authorities have offered different support through discretionary funding. Glasgow has offered no ‘top-up’ discretionary support.
Pat Rafferty, Unite Scottish Secretary, said: “Support is desperately needed and welcome but this is a sector that has been failed once again. We have regularly brought this to the attention of Ministers and indeed the First Minister regarding the lack of support. The pleas of many within the trade have been ignored.”
“This announcement falls way short for the vast majority of operators who manage fewer than ten cabs, and who continue to face high fixed costs at a time when the trade remains in crisis.
“The Scottish Government have rowed back on their manifesto commitments and Unite will continue to fight for a substantial and long-term financial solution to the crisis our members face in the taxi trade.”


text:
- The FTC was developed as a different USA federal government body.
- The company likewise enlightens on exactly how to stay clear of misleading or unreasonable company methods.
The USA Federal Profession Compensation (FTC) is exploring numerous cryptocurrency organizations. Wherefore it thinks to be deceptive or deceptive cryptocurrency-related advertising and marketing. An agent for the Federal Profession Compensation, Juliana Gruenwald, was estimated in a Bloomberg post released on December 6. She claimed that the company is exploring “several firms for possible misconduct concerning digital assets.”
Nevertheless, Gruenwald did not clarify on the nature of the questions or the business that were being considered. Otherwise, this year in the USA, reports concerning misinforming advertising projects have actually been in vogue.
Stringent Technique Message FTX Farce
The United State Stocks and also Exchange Compensation (SEC) released a penalty versus truth television starlet Kim Kardashian in October. For “touting on social media” concerning the EthereumMax (EMAX) cryptocurrency without disclosing she was paid $250,000.
Records emerged in November that a variety of celebs, consisting of NFL quarterback Tom Brady and also NBA factor shooter Stephen Curry, were being explored by the Texas economic regulatory authority for advertising the now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange FTX.
The Federal Profession Compensation (FTC) was developed as a different USA federal government body to implement customer security legislations, perform study, and also enlighten the general public on exactly how to identify and also stay clear of misleading or unreasonable company methods.
Previously this year, they released a caution on a cryptocurrency fraudulence entailing a charlatan, a fast action (QR) code, and also a cryptocurrency automated bank employee device (ATM MACHINE). One more evaluation from June 6 located that as long as $1 billion in crypto has actually been taken by scammers in 2015, with over fifty percent of all crypto-related frauds originating from social networks websites.


text:
Article by: Hari Yellina
Farmers say shops must pay reasonable rates for fresh fruit and vegetables and guarantee that they are grown by reputable producers as big changes to the way Australia’s fruit pickers are compensated are implemented. Farm labourers who are traditionally paid based on how much produce they pick or pack must be guaranteed a minimum hourly pay as of April 28, according to amendments to the Horticulture Award. That works up to $25.41 per hour for casuals. Workers can still be compensated on a piece-rate basis based on their output. The average skilled worker should be able to make 15% more than the minimum wage, or over $30 per hour. The modifications were revealed by the Fair Work Commission following the Australian Workers’ Union’s successful appeal (AWU).
The improvements, according to AWU National Secretary Daniel Walton, will provide a safety net for workers. “Now they’ll be more productive, which is a better result for the farmer, and it’s a nice result for our members.” When the Fair Work Commission concluded that the piece rate system was ineffective, Australia’s Agriculture Minister David Littleproud warned that any modifications would raise the cost of fresh fruits and vegetables. Some farmers, such as Emma Germano, already pay their employees by the hour. The head of the Victorian Farmers Federation, on the other hand, predicted that the modifications to the Horticulture Award will raise the cost of producing fresh fruit and vegetables, affecting the entire sector.
“Labor expenditures are the most expensive portion of the production cost, accounting for up to 60% of gross farm earnings,” Ms Germano explained. Some farmers are concerned that the revisions will exacerbate a nationwide labour shortage, which is believed to be in the thousands. “Previously, there was no impost on on-farm management to ensure that the people who were less productive were productive, because they were paid proportionately to their efficiency and production,” Ms Germano explained. Workers in crops that cannot be harvested mechanically, such as citrus, cherries, apples, and berries, are usually paid a piece wage.
More than half of the horticultural industry’s turnover is generated by members of the Australian Fresh Produce Alliance. Michael Rogers, the company’s CEO, believes that the way workers are compensated has to be better regulated. Mr Rogers stated, “We have a very firm attitude that anyone who does not pay people correctly or treat workers appropriately should leave the sector.” “It’s inexcusable, and it hurts growers who are doing the right thing.” Changes to the Horticulture Award, according to Mr Rogers, would force some businesses to restructure. “The verdict has far-reaching repercussions for employers that haven’t been paying well,” he said. “For those businesses who have been paying handsomely, the decision probably goes further than anyone thought — in the sense that compounding the 15% loading on the casual rate increases the average hourly rate to $30 per hour, which is a lot of money for picking fruit in anyone’s vernacular.


text:
Apple on Wednesday announced the new iPhone SE 2020 featuring the design of the iPhone 8 but with the A13 Bionic chip found on the iPhone 11 series. The company said that the new iPhone SE would be available to purchase at a starting price of Rs 42,500. Further, the company has phased out its iPhone 8 series lineup in India which would mean that the new iPhone SE is... Read More
Apple iPhone SE 2020 Finally Arrives With 4.7-inch Screen, Touch ID and Rs 42,500 Starting Price Tag
The Apple iPhone SE 2020 is finally official with all the rumoured specifications on board. Unlike OnePlus which chose not to announce the Indian prices of its OnePlus 8 series, Apple announced that the iPhone SE 2020 would start retailing at Rs 42,500 in the country. The newest iPhone will be available in three storage configurations- 64GB, 128GB and 256GB, and it comes in three colour options as well- Black,... Read More
Apple is gearing up to launch a new iPad Pro series at the event slated for next month. In the latest report by a Japanese website, Mac Otakara, Apple is tipped to come with a fresh lineup of iPad Pro along with a refreshed version iPad Mini. Regarding the new iPad Pro, the report suggests that there will be four new models with varied screen sizes - 7.9-inch, 9.7-inch, 10.5-inch, and... Read More
Apple resorts to corporate leasing plan for iPhone SE, iPhone 6, iPhone 6S, starting at Rs. 999 per month
If Apple looks too expensive for your pocket and you whine that you can’t grab one of it, wait! The new Apple corporate leasing plan could help you. Similar to the program that Apple announced last year for iPad, this year’s corporate leasing plan allows you to take an iPhone SE for just Rs. 999 per month for two years. If you are eyeing to get an iPhone 6 or... Read More
As expected, Apple has finally launched its much-talked-about iPhone SE in India. The 4-incher iPhone SE comes bundled with similar specs as the iPhone 6s. The Apple iPhone SE will be up for sale in Silver, Gold, Space Gray, and Rose Gold color variants. The 16GB variant is priced at Rs. 39,000 while the 64GB variant is priced at Rs. 49,000. The device will be available all over India through authorised Apple... Read More
The tech town this week saw the latest innovation from Apple—the iPhone SE. It’s the smaller version of Apple iPhones and it has been developed primarily for the developing markets. Here, we bring to you some pros and cons of the phone that may or may not excite you to go for it. Pros-- Apple’s sleek size iPhone SE makes it easy to handle. The new 4-inch iPhone is dubbed... Read More
Apple iPhone SE to go on sale in India from April 8 starting at Rs. 39000, are you happy with the pricing?
Apple launched its much-talked-about iPhone SE recently. The 4-incher iPhone SE comes bundled with similar specs as the iPhone 6s. In the latest development about the device's availability, Redington India announced that it will initiate the sale of iPhone SE in India on April 8, across its 3000 retail stores all over the country. Following the cue, online retailers are also expected to put the device on sale soon. Redington... Read More
Amidst a slew of leaks and heavy buzz, the Apple iPhone SE has been made official. The 4-inch iPhone is designed to cater the needs of a small-screen smartphone at a comparatively cheaper price tag (compared to an array of premium priced Apple products). The iPhone SE is a result of Apple's 2015 sales report that touts that the company sold 30 million 4-inch iPhone models in the year 2015.... Read More
Apple has made it official that it is going hold a launch event March 21. As per the past reports, the company is assumed to launch a new iPhone SE smartphone along with a 9.7-inch iPad Pro. The forthcoming iPhone is anticipated to be pretty much like the iPhone 5s in terms of outlook and slightly rounded edges. However, it will come integrated with an A9 chip, support for Live... Read More
Have a breaking news, inside story, scoop?
Write to us, your anonymity is our priority at news [at] telecomtalk.info
Want to be featured on TelecomTalk?
Send us your articles, stories, suggestions, feedback at news [at] telecomtalk.info
Pan India Spectrum Details
Telecommunication Frequency Bands
DTH Satellites in India
Even Samsung did not try for good feature phone as JioPhone brought storm in market.
Yes I like look of middle one A 4G only phone with more features is not a bad idea. They…
Allinace performance is quiet good from what I heard from my colleagues. So much load on wireless networks isn't good.…
Jio is the one who dictates prices, and not the cartel, Airtel and VI. Jio wants to serve all of…
Biswadeep, Kolkata :
Only Local Alliance Broadband and Bsnl Bharat Fiber is available. No Airtel/Jio fiber at my street
- Vodafone Idea Disappoints, Breaks Subscribers Addition Streak: TRAI 146
- Vodafone Idea, Airtel Won’t Get Any AGR Relief 93
- Bharti Airtel Wants 5G Smartphones to Support Existing Spectrum Bands 60
- Vodafone Idea Major Prepaid Plans Available at Reduced Rates 59
- Bharti Airtel Offers 12 Prepaid Plans With Same Validity 38


text:
There seems to be a new trend in the UFC and it more or less started thanks to Tai Tuivasa and lucrative beer company sponsorships.
Tai Tuivasa recently bragged that nobody used to drink beers right after a bout and nowadays it seems like everyone does.
This prompted TUF1 alumni Forrest Griffin to explain Tuivasa is definitely not the one that thought of the idea – just the first to not be actually stopped when executing it.
Forrest Griffin explained:
“I did after the TUF final. Somebody find the tape. The commission came over and physically stopped me. They said you don’t know what they put in that beer and you have to take a drug test if it comes back with alcohol in it you might get a no contest.”
And Griffin makes a finer point – in a USADA regulated world this kind of a thing could become a real issue. Not that it stopped any of the UFC Columbus attendants recently.


text:
Despite Apple’s record-breaking results globally for the quarter ending on December 25, the iPhone maker saw flat quarterly growth in the Indian market.
According to data provided by Counterpoints Research, Apple saw a 1 per cent quarter-on-quarter dip in the shipment of Apple products to India. In contrast to this, for the same period last year, it had seen growth of 131 per cent.
While the company still saw a 34 per cent year-on-year uptick for the December quarter, experts worry that its growth story in India is going to face challenges.
Apple takes top spot in global smartphone shipments in Q4 2021: CanalysApple accounts for 22 per cent of worldwide smartphone shipments in Q4 2021
Apple’s flattish growth curve comes as a surprise, especially since only three months ago, in its September 2021 earnings call, the tech giant had flagged that it had doubled its sales in the Indian market. This time, Apple CEO Tim Cook conspicuously left India out of his December earnings address. Apple’s Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri noted that the company “reached new all-time records in America, Europe, Greater China and rest of the Asia-Pacific”.
Experts suggest various reasons for the bump in Apple’s growth momentum in the Indian market.
According to Shilpi Jain, Research Analyst at Counterpoint Research, this trend could be a result of change in when the Diwali festive season was held.
“For 2021, the festive season began earlier, which could mean that a bulk of shipments meant for festive season sales arrived in the September quarter itself” Jain said.
Other experts suggest that the pandemic subsiding could also have had an effect. According to Sanchit Vir Gogia, Chief Analyst and Founder of Greyhound Research, “During the December quarter for 2020, there was pent up demand, as customers were still establishing their work from home set up etc, which would have dissipated by now. Thus explaining the lack of growth for the latest quarter.”
“Given the supply chain constraints that the company has faced, the fact that they are able to maintain sales comparable to the previous quarter is an achievement itself,” he added.
Faisal Kawoosa, Founder of markets analytics firm, Tech Arc, however believes that this trend is the first sign of Apple reverting to its pre-2019 sales in the Indian market.
Domestic electronics market to increase from $65 billion to $180 billion: ReportMobile phones, tablets, hardware to lead the market
“Uptick in sales for premium products such as Apple iPhones etc, came at a time where the pandemic removed all avenues for discretionary spending that would have been available if Covid was not here. As customers could not indulge in other types of luxury spends such as eating out, vacations etc, it opened up the funds and the desire to treat oneself to an iPhone,” said Kawoosa.
He believes that Apple would have a tough time competing with the affordable handsets preferred by Indian consumers, especially as your typical ₹15,000 handset becomes more powerful and streamlined.
For the quarter, Apple posted revenue of $123.9 billion and net quarterly profit of $34.6 billion.


text:
The average quoted home insurance price increased by 6.7% annually in April, according to an index.
Across Britain, the average quoted premium for a building and contents policy was £162, Consumer Intelligence found.
The 6.7% increase is below the Consumer Prices Index measure of inflation in April, at 8.7%.
Consumer Intelligence said it has seen prices rising particularly sharply in recent months.
Older properties continued to have the highest average quoted premiums, with homes built between 1850 and 1895 seeing average quoted costs of £225 for joint home and contents policies.
Quoted premiums for homes built since 2000 were the lowest at £150, while properties built between 1970 and 2000 attracted an average premium of £154.
Georgia Day, a senior insight analyst at Consumer Intelligence, said: “The sharp increases in quoted premiums in the past three months point to continuing rising prices for the rest of the year as insurers keep pace with inflation in the wider economy.
“Healthy competition in the home insurance market has historically tended to keep prices in check.”
The Consumer Intelligence home insurance price index is compiled using quotes from price comparison websites and some direct providers.
The index takes the average of the five cheapest premiums, giving an indication of the price a customer shopping around may select.
Here are the annual increases in quoted premiums in April and the average price, based on the five cheapest quotes, according to Consumer Intelligence:
– London, 6.4%, £217.
– South East, 9.2%, £167.
– Wales, 11.5%, £165.
– Eastern England, 7.5%, £153.
– North West, 10.9%, £157.
– Yorkshire and the Humber, 10.0%, £157.
– South West, 9.9%, £148.
– Scotland, 12.1%, £156.
– West Midlands, 8.2%, £156.
– East Midlands, 9.9%, £153.
– North East, 8.8%, £136.


text:
Google’s latest toy is available for purchase on Google Play for $249. Starting today, conveniently to coincide with Earth Day, Google started selling Nest Learning Thermostat on its web store.
Since the Nest Protect is temporary unavailable, only the Learning Thermostat is on Google Play right now.
The price is the same, though. The Learning Thermostat is still $249 through Google like at other retailers including Lowes, Nest.com and Amazon. Google states that the product will ship from warehouse within 1-2 business days from the time it was ordered.
The Google Play product listing briefly appeared yesterday but was pulled. At the time Google failed to comment on the listing, likely because it was preparing to actually start selling the device.
For those keeping track, this makes the Nest Learning Thermostat the only product available on both Google and Apple’s retail site.


text:
Modern’s look at the largest 3PL and refrigerated facilities by size shows continued strength for both markets.
A look at the third-party logistics (3PL) market shows that e-commerce remains the driving force behind growth and change, and this pattern is expected to continue, according to 3PL consultancy and market research firm Armstrong & Associates, who compiles the list of Top 20 North American 3PLs.
And although Amazon is synonymous with e-commerce, it does not appear on the list of the Top 20 North American 3PLs. The companies on this list, unlike the notoriously secretive Amazon, have either provided square footage information or enough public information for Armstrong & Associates to make a reasonable estimate. Nevertheless, Dick Armstrong, chair of Armstrong & Associates, says Amazon wields plenty of influence on the 3PL market.
“We’re tracking them, and there’s no doubt about it: They are in the 3PL business in a lot of what they do,” he says. “Anywhere they want to move, they’re the 800-pound gorilla. They just move there. Everyone is talking about e-commerce now, and Amazon has moved the market a lot in that direction with things like home delivery and same-day delivery.”
From an operations perspective, Armstrong sees 3PLs moving toward automated load acceptance as they continue to digitize load management. In the coming years, he predicts it will become increasingly common for shippers to list loads electronically. Pre-qualified carriers can then access the list and accept a load. The load will still be tendered in the real world, but the transaction will be maintained as part of that software, Armstrong says, which will track the load from end to end at all critical stage


text:
Toyota Financial Services has bought a majority stake in ride-sharing provider Faxi in order to develop its own car-pooling platform.
Faxi is an app-based service that enables incentivised ride-sharing by reimbursing the driver for fuel and wear and tear.
It uses smartphone telemetry to measure the proximity of the driver and passengers to prove whether or not journeys have in fact been shared.
The two brands have worked together for the past year.
Doug Gillies, managing director of Toyota Financial Services (UK ), said: “In addition to delivering sales support for environmentally friendly hybrid electric technology, Toyota Financial Services is engaging in new mobility solutions.
“Building on the partnership with Faxi, TFS decided to invest in Faxi to introduce technology to reduce single occupancy vehicles and the congestion and emissions that they cause. This is a game-changing technology and we’re excited to get behind it with our brand.”
Through the Faxi app, users can find and connect with colleagues who share the same route to work and commute at similar times. It allows companies to verify employee carpooling in real time and to offer incentives and rewards, such as priority parking, to car poolers.
These remuneration policies have proven to be successful: one UK based customer increased co-worker carpooling from under 10 to over 200 passengers and drivers per month in just six months.
Toyota currently runs several projects across six cities in Europe and three around the globe.
Tony Lynch, chief executive and co-founder of Faxi, said: “Large organisations across the globe have workplace parking issues. In addition to benefiting companies by solving this concern, employees are encouraged to carpool with co-workers by for example earning a reserved parking space. Ultimately, if more people carpool, this can have a considerable downsizing effect on the number of cars on the road, benefitting an entire community.”


text:
The European competition watchdog is attaching conditions to the merger between market research firms GfK and NielsenIQ announced last year. Therefore, GfK’s consumer panel will be put up for sale.
Last year, market research firms GfK and NielsenIQ announced they would merge. A small landslide in the world of market research, we wrote back then, as both leading agencies specialise in consumer and shopper behaviour. Although they are also complementary, with NielsenIQ specialising in FMCG and GfK focusing on market data in technology and consumer durables.
According to the European Commission, however, the panel activities of GfK and NielsenIQ overlap too much. The competition authority sees the sale of GfK Consumer Panel’s global operations to an independent third party as the only solution to enable the merger between the two companies, reports Lebensmittel Zeitung. According to the German trade magazine, interest in the consumer panel is said to be high among both strategic and financial investors.


text:
BENGALURU : At least three semiconductor units, including packaging and fabrication, will bring in a cumulative investment of $8 billion – $12 billion under the government’s capex-linked incentive scheme for the chip industry in the coming months, Union Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw said on November 28, highlighting the progress the government is making in the nascent industry.
“In another few months, I can share that we will get at least three more units, fabricating advanced technologies of chips in the country,” Vaishnaw said in a fireside chat with AMD India head Jaya Jagadish held during the inauguration of the semiconductor design firm’s largest global design centre in Bengaluru.
“Our focus has been on creating the ecosystem and making sure to get the first few units right so that the confidence in the country’s ability to develop this new industry grows,” Vaishnaw said. In a subsequent press briefing, Vaishnaw said that they can see “at least two very good proposals for fabrication and OSAT (Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test) in the coming few months”.
“The applicants have the freedom to choose whichever locations they would like to set up their units. They are interacting with various state governments such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh. We hope that in the coming few months they finalise the locations.” he said.
Vaishnaw said this sector, which is a new industry for the country, will grow as a major contributor to the entire developing manufacturing base of electronics, telecom and defense electronics.
This development comes at a time when India is trying to attract major semiconductor players to set up chip fabrication and assembling plants in the country with a $10 billion subsidy programme.
In September, semiconductor giant Micron held a groundbreaking ceremony at the Sanand industrial area of Gujarat to mark the commencement of construction on the first phase of a $2.75 billion semiconductor testing and packaging plant. The total cost of the plant is $825 million (around Rs 6,760 crore) from Micron and the rest from the government in two phases, the company said at the time of the ceremony.
Semiconductor equipment maker Applied Materials also said it would invest $400 million to design chip making machinery in the country in June 2023. The union minister said that many of the ecosystem partners have started coming after the construction work of the first unit started. This includes substrate manufacturers, chemical suppliers, PCBA (printed circuit board assembly) companies.
“In this entire semiconductor universe today, a large part will be played by the gallium nitride and silicon carbide segment. That is the segment which is a high voltage power electronics oriented segment. That segment will be catering to telecom manufacturing, telecom equipment, power electronics, electric vehicles and the chips that go in practically all the consumer electronics that you see in your home. That’s a rapidly emerging sector. So, we will be focusing on that sector as well along with Silicon” he said.
The minister said this gives them the opportunity to become a global leader in certain segments of the semiconductor industry.