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Turntide Technologies has received investment for the development of its electric motor
The California-based startup Turntide Technologies raised $80 million in another round. Investors included the Bill Gates and Amazon Climate Pledge funds, actor Robert Downey Jr. and Tony Fadell, who worked as a lead engineer at Apple. The new influx of funds brings the startup’s total investment to $180 million.
Turntide is engaged in the production of electric motors, which consume 30% less electricity than other analogs. According to the developers, they got the idea for their device from the discoveries of the XIX century.
The startup managed to improve the efficiency of the standard electric motor through the use of unique software. The design is based on the ideas of past centuries, but only in our time they managed to adapt them to modern technology. The computer chips used to create this type of electric motor have only recently become cheap enough to be used for mass production.
The Smart Motor ventilated electric motor has a rotor that is made of a magnetically soft material. It is driven by the rotating magnetic field from the stator windings, to which voltage pulses are applied by a controlled circuit. So far, the device can not go into widespread use, which is due to the complexity of controlling the power of the windings.In terms of technical characteristics, the motor from Turntide is not inferior to other devices on the market. However, it has the main advantage that it requires 30% less electricity to operate and is more efficient than its counterparts. This factor plays an important role in pursuing a zero-emissions strategy. According to one investor, it was the environmental component that played a key role in his decision to invest in the startup. In addition, the software platform makes it possible to control the operation of the engine.
At the moment, Turntide’s activities are focused on a small market. Its specialists work with electric motors that are installed in ventilation systems of large buildings. The startup replaces obsolete devices with its own, more efficient and economical ones. Thanks to the company’s energy-saving technology, its operations have a quick payback period of just three years. During 2020 Turntide replaced 5 thousand motors, and in 2021 it produced about 50 thousand new devices. In addition, the startup is actively developing a software platform that can optimize the operation of various systems responsible for life processes in buildings.
The representatives of the startup consider the development of new pumps and compressors to be another promising area. However, according to experts, a promising market for Turntide products in the near future will be the segment of electric cars, the number of which is growing every day. However, to do so, the company’s electric motors must acquire a number of characteristics that are necessary for use in this type of vehicle.


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Payments network giant Mastercard is planning to make its own network to facilitate transfers with a central bank digital currency (CBDC). According to the earnings call transcription, Mastercard believes that only government-issued technology can be used for payments.
Subscribe to our Telegram channel to stay up to date on the latest crypto and blockchain news.
Mastercard CEO, Michael Miebach, noted the corporation will make its own network for a CBDC when the US government "is ready to put out a central bank digital currency identical exist alongside the dollar or the euro in settlement currency in our network."
"How will the government test that? How will a country figure out between the private sector banks and the governments how to do this? That is where our sandbox comes in, so we can provide a safe space for government and private sector banks to figure out how that would actually work," Miebach said.
The statement comes after the corporation announced it is working on a new service that would allow thousands of financial institutions on its payments network to integrate cryptocurrency-related products. To achieve this goal, the payment giant entered into a partnership with Bakkt, the crypto futures trading exchange backed by ICE.
As iHodl earlier reported, Mastercard acquired CipherTrace, the blockchain forensic company. The New York-based giant said that the joint crypto-focused solution provides businesses with "greater transparency to help identify and understand their risks and to help manage their digital asset regulatory and compliance obligations."
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Thursday 7th October 2021 – PRESS RELEASE with Mike Smith
The Department of Economic Development in Xàbia is planning to support local business by promoting a new stock fair on Saturday 23rd October, this time to be hosted in the port area and, like the previous edition held last June, it will be open to the participation of business from all over the Marina Alta.
Councillor Marta Bañuls explained that the last event was well received and proved to be a great success in handing the small businesses an outlet to offer their products after a difficult season as well as provide an opportunity for companies from other municipalities in the region to make themselves known to the public of Xàbia.
She added that a pre-registration period has opened to gauge if local businesses and stores are interested in participating and those interested should send an email to email@example.com before next Thursday 14th October and the Department of Economic Development will inform them of all the details of the event.
The councillor explained this would be an event to mark Local Business Day, a regional initiative to which Xàbia has agreed to participate and will serve to recognise and support a key sector in local economies as well as the quality of life in the towns of the Marina Alta.


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McDonald’s Japan has just launched their new range of their “McFizz” summery, brightly-colored bubbly soft drinks, and they come in three flavors: Lemon Ginger, Blue Hawaii, and Blood Orange.
People in Japan seem to love them already, and they have been talking about the drinks on social media quite a lot. The thing is, though, they’re not talking about the drink itself, but about the innovative and different packaging.
As you can see in the photo, McFizz comes in clear plastic cups that feature colorful designs of a male and a female, and if you rotate the cup around, the two people in the cup align and they kiss.
It’s all very cute and “appropriate” until someone tilts the cup to another angle:
We have to admit it, it seems pretty fun, but we are not so sure it is!


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Ukrainian farm company HarvEast said Russia stole as much as 200,000 tons of crops from its farms in eastern occupied areas, as Kyiv urges buyers to seize suspicious grain shipments.
Ukraine has repeatedly accused Russia of stealing grain from occupied regions and exporting it, and says Moscow has shipped out half a million tons of seized food. Russia has persistently denied the claims.
HarvEast, which was a top 10 Ukraine landowner before the war, said 50,000 tons of crops has been taken from storage by Russian lorries which then traveled in the direction of Russia, including from the villages of Manhush and Nikolske near Mariupol. It estimates that about another 150,000 tons have been harvested from its occupied fields it no longer controls, though can’t verify exact figures.
That combined volume would fill about three Panamax bulk vessels.
“The biggest loss is this year’s harvest,” HarvEast Chief Executive Officer Dmitry Skornyakov said in an interview. “In June they started to harvest our grain, and we don’t have access to this land.”
Abnormally high amounts of food shipments from the Russian-occupied peninsula of Crimea indicate that seized Ukrainian grain is being exported from there, according to analysts and the Kyiv School of Economics. HarvEast’s land is close enough to Russia that its grain is more likely to be sent there by truck, Skornyakov said.
Some of HarvEast’s fields near Ksenivka in the occupied region of Donetsk can be seen to have been harvested in June, according to satellite data firm Terrascope. Its Normalized Difference Vegetation Index uses satellite imagery to calculate the amount of green space within an area.
Russia’s invasion in February blockaded the country’s ports, limiting exports and causing global food prices to spike. Shipments have resumed through an recently agreed export corridor, but volumes are just a fraction of normal levels.
On Thursday, Ukraine’s special representative for the Middle East and Africa appealed to Arab League countries to seize suspicious shipments of its grain. He said “Russia’s impunity will encourage them to continue stealing grain from the occupied south of Ukraine.”
HarvEast -- part of Ukrainian tycoon Rinat Akhmetov’s SCM holding company -- has lost about two-thirds of its land to the Russian occupation, Skornyakov said.
The Biden administration released long-awaited rules designed to block electric-vehicle manufacturers from sourcing battery materials from China and other foreign adversaries, while giving automakers some flexibility to comply with the…View Article
(Bloomberg) -- A major trade deal between the European Union and South American economies received a serious setback after French President Emmanuel Macron said that the environmental concessions obtained by…View Article
Turkey’s trade deficit narrowed yet again in November, propelled by a drop in imports and a rise in exports for the fifth consecutive month.View Article
Asian nations eager for the US and China to get along were pleased that Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping met face-to-face last month, but still want deeper trade relations…View Article
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The state of New York still has a long way to go before it allows the legal selling of adult-use recreational cannabis in the state. With New York state officials still establishing a series of regulations with Cannabis sales as well as its problems with licensing, a number of businesses operated by Native Americans have already started selling marijuana for adult use.
Although New York has already legalized recreational cannabis use, retail marijuana sales in the state are yet to be done. The New York Upstate notes that licensing for large businesses may not even happen until 2023.
In line with this, there are already a number of small Upstate towns and villages that have already started selling cannabis, and these are all operated by Native American nations, reports Don Cazentre from the New York Upstate.
Among these locations Upstate include Cayuga County, Hogansburg, Kill Buck, and Union Springs. All of these are places where individuals can purchase recreational marijuana legally. In addition, the St. Regis Mohawk has also joined the roster of Native Americans selling recreational cannabis sales of the drug.
The selling of recreational marijuana on tribal lands has been called by the New York Times a “legal gray area.” New York State authorities have yet to interfere with these operations, with the news site saying that these businesses can proceed to operate legally on sovereign tribal lands as they are recognized federally.
Individuals who choose to purchase their marijuana directly from these Indian nations are permitted to do so, provided that they possess no more than three ounces on them at any given time, as is under the current state law, emphasizes the New York Upstate.
In a statement, the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) said through its spokesman, Freeman Klopott, that tribal sales are indeed legal. “Dispensaries (marijuana shops) are legal if they are on federally recognized, sovereign tribal land.”
Klopott also mentioned that the Office of Cannabis Management “has the ability to enter into agreements with tribes through tribal compacts to integrate them into the state program if all parties can agree to terms.” However, the New York Upstate shares that as of writing, there are still no agreements between the parties and tribes involved.
Indian Nations and Legal Cannabis Sales
The first to sell legal weed to customers were the Akwesasne Mohawks who reside near Hogansburg in Franklin County. The council of Akwesasne Mohawks formally provided its own rules and allowed shops to sell weed last July 2021. Most of the tribe shops are selling tinctures, edible gummies, and marijuana joints.
Meanwhile, the Cayuga Nation also joined the roster. It sells marijuana items at the Lakeside Trading business in Union Springs, reveals Auburn Pub. According to the news site, although the Cannabis Control Board under the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act still needs to approve licensing for the Cayuga operations, tribal sovereignty remains supreme, allowing them to operate in the area.
While Union Springs has opted out of marijuana sales in the region under state law, the village board has reportedly allowed Lakeside Trading to be the only shop to sell marijuana in the area.


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92 per cent of connected consumers research and browse purchases on Performance Marketing sites, shows Tradedoubler Survey
Smartphone penetration and consumers’ quest for value driving new purchasing patterns
Consumer loyalty to Performance Marketing sites is strongly challenging brand loyalty
London, 23 April 2013 - The combination of growing smartphone penetration and widespread economic pressure is having a profound effect on consumer shopping behaviour across Europe.
From price comparison sites through to loyalty and reward schemes, coupon, voucher code and cashback sites, connected consumers(1) are making these Performance Marketing websites and apps their first port of call (92 per cent) when researching what to buy.
This knocks retailer-owned websites into second place (87 per cent) and seriously threatens high-street stores’ top spot when it comes to browsing potential purchases in categories such as fashion (47 per cent), according to Tradedoubler Insight Unit’s latest study(2) - Performance Marketing: from first impression to last click. www.tradedoubler.com/performance-marketing
Consumers surveyed are also now almost as likely to complete their purchase using a Performance Marketing site (82 per cent) as on a retailer-owned website (83 per cent).
Performance Marketing channels, which are typically associated with Cost Per Action (CPA) payment models were traditionally thought to influence only the final phase of a sale – the last click. This latest research shows that brands without a Performance Marketing presence risk being side-lined as irrelevant at this first impression stage.
“This is a wake-up call for marketers and high street retailers,” said Dan Cohen, Regional Director, Tradedoubler. “Mobile and the rise of performance marketing sites are massively disrupting shopping patterns. Consumers’ quest for value is driving them to research and browse the best possible offers on performance marketing sites at the very beginning of their purchase journey.
“Brands without a performance marketing presence risk being locked out of a consumer’s consideration set at the very first hurdle,” continued Cohen.
The impact of showrooming
The rapid growth of ‘showrooming’(3). means that even brands and retailers which successfully entice consumers into stores are not guaranteed a sale.
60 per cent of connected consumers use their smartphones whilst out shopping. Of those, three quarters use their mobile to look-up information on a product they see in a store, with 70 per cent checking for a better price elsewhere and 60 per cent going home to buy the product online after checking the price on their phone.
“Retailers’ traditional metric - footfall – is no longer a guarantee of success and they need to embrace performance marketing strategies now that 51 per cent of mobile shoppers are searching for vouchers or discounts for products they have seen in-store and 44 per cent are using vouchers sent to their mobile.
“Marketers need defensive and offensive strategies to protect and grow their revenues and indeed, to even remain relevant in this intense multichannel world,” suggested Cohen.
New consumer loyalty to Peformance Marketing channels
Once Performance Marketing channels become a feature of shopper behaviour, the research shows that they command their own loyalty, driving repeat purchases with as much claim on that loyalty as brands themselves. Over a quarter of customers make additional purchases every month as a result of receiving emails from Performance Marketing sites – almost as many as a result of an email from a brand.
Tradedoubler creates multi-channel performance marketing programs for clients on a payment by results basis. More information can be found on www.tradedoubler.com
1. Connected consumers: consumers who own a smartphone and shop online at least once per month.
2. Tradedoubler Insight Unit, carried out the research amongst 2,500 smartphone users who shop at least once a month online - in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Netherland, Spain, Sweden and Poland. The countries covered by the research account for 89 per cent of the retail e-commerce market in Europe.
3. Showrooming is the practice of examining merchandise in a traditional bricks and mortar retail store without purchasing it, but then shopping online to find a lower price for the same item.
For further information, please contact:
Liam Sherry/Joe Hawke
Tel: +44 118 909 0909


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Porsche Panamera PHEV
September 15, 2017 -- Porsche’s Panamera 4 E-Hybrid Sport Turismo is heir to the marque’s 918 Spyder electro-supercar, combining plug-in hybrid technology with fuel efficiency, producing a luxury five-seat station wagon.
Visitors to the biennial Frankfurt Auto Show will expect to see the latest, showroom-ready, mass market electric cars. They will be disappointed.
Apart from the latest versions of the Nissan Leaf and Renault Zoe, the biggest carmakers are falling behind in the race. Tesla Motors of the U.S. won’t be showing its new Model 3, which is just as well given that it would underline the fact that Europe lags. There will be plenty of concept cars like the Mini Electric, and an improved BMWi3S, but nothing yet to match the acknowledged ground-breaker, the Model 3.
The Germans are falling behind in the pure electric car race. But they are impressive with plug-in hybrid technology. The Porsche Panamera E-Hybrid Turismo combines an electric motor and a gasoline engine for sizzling performance, but this is hardly going to be a big seller.
Many of the world’s highest profile manufacturers have snubbed the show, including Tesla, Fiat and its Jeep, Maserati and Alfa Romeo subsidiaries, Infiniti, Mitsubishi and its owner Nissan, Peugeot and its DS subsidiary, and Volvo.
Europe’s biggest auto show of the year should be a noisy, brash affair where industry leaders point out how wonderful their products are. But this time the show coincides with Germany’s general election and the industry has been subjected to a merciless grilling by politicians over diesel skulduggery, possible monopoly law violations, and most wounding of all, a failure to keep in touch with the latest electric technology. The CEOs will likely be hiding from the spotlight at this show. That will be a first.
The show will overflow with new SUVs, led by the Citroen Aircross small SUV, the BMW X3, the Opel-Vauxhall Grandland, the Jaguar E-Pace and the Porsche Cayenne. Volkswagen is showing its new version of the big selling little Polo and small SUV, the T-Roc. Mercedes is launching its first pickup, the X class.
The impossibly expensive debutants include the Bentley Continental GT, the “entry” level V-8 592 hp Ferrari Portofino, and the Rolls Royce Phantom.
As usual there is a long list of concept cars. This usually means cars which manufacturers have no intention of making but are trying to show how adventurous and cool they are. The Smart Vision EQ is a cute 2-seater aimed at the autonomous, car-sharing market, which will drive itself to the user’s location. A concept indeed.
Professor Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer from the Center for Automotive Research at the University of Duisberg-Essen in Germany is not impressed.
“The most important car of 2017, the Tesla Model 3, will not be present at the show,” Dudenhoeffer said, adding that car shows are in danger of becoming an expensive waste of time.
“The concept of classic auto exhibitions shows significant fatigue phenomena. Weeks before the Frankfurt show new models like the VW T-Roc have been shown on YouTube. And where are the electric cars available with Tesla range? It will be 2020 before pure electric cars from BMW and Mercedes are available,” Dudenhoeffer said.


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Kenya’s number one energy-saving Jiko maker, BURN Manufacturing, has launched a brand-new packaging for its iconic Jikokoa brand, cementing its presence in Kenya and beyond.
In a new packaging, Burn has placed the iconic Jikokoa in an Orange box with spots of white, making it more attractive than ever before. This is a deviation from the previous packaging that had a more white color.
The new box has a lady on it with a Kenyan map inscribed on it. It also has information about the jiko and images of the product. It makes it easier for the user to have a glimpse of the whole product with one look.
The lady’s picture on the new packaging portrays the amazing work and skill that mothers and sisters do in crafting meals within our kitchens. It also appreciates the important role they play.
It also tells the story of the gender balance that BURN has long achieved. Currently, 60 percent of workers at BURN are women meaning the product is made by people who understand what is needed in terms of a product that fits family needs.
As BURN marks this important milestone, it has put in place a mechanism to ensure that customers always have someone to help them out with their Jikos. With this, the company has more than 60 service stations across the country.
Burn says its products and services have impacted more than 5 million lives within and without Kenya. The impact of BURN ranges from saving people from huge fuel costs, conserving the environment, as well as taking part in activities that give back to humanity.
The Jikokoa maker became a household name in Kenya and beyond in championing clean cooking through the use of energy-saving stoves such as Jikokoa.
The company has already sold 1,142,956 stoves that have helped in saving about 4,749,317 tons of wood. This has in turn conserved trees and forests, hence the earth we live in.
Carbon dioxide is good for the atmosphere and BURN knows this too well. It plays a major role in preventing harmful rays from the sun from hitting the earth.
CO2 is also good in photosynthesis in plants, which in turn gives us the oxygen we breathe in. To this extend, products from BURN have helped save at least 8,406,292 tons of Carbon dioxide (CO2).
At the same time, Covid-19 has hit hard on various people’s financial status. Many have lost their jobs and some have seen their businesses shut. Anything that helps one save money is worth embracing. In total, stoves from BURN have helped households save a whopping 368,395,546 dollars.
Jikokoa can be bought through the BURN website, through Jumia, and other online platforms. It is also found in major supermarkets around the country.


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Indian telecommunication market has been a hot pot for the telecom giants as Indian subscribers target high-end data services. Amidst all this, Bharti Airtel seems to be growing its business. According to recent reports, the organization founded by Sunil Bharti Mittal has been growing its subscriber base. Recently it added 5.5 million new subscribers in December 2020, as compared to 3.2 million additions by Reliance Jio.
With this acquisition, Airtel has become the top telco by market share inactive subscribers, edging out Reliance Jio by the barest of margins. Speaking of over-all growth, Airtel added over 22 million subscribers between July to December 2020, whereas Jio only managed to add a little over 11 million subscribers.
With this recent development, Airtel’s shares jumped over 40% in value, and the company has continued to build its upward trajectory ever since.
“We like Bharti’s calibrated approach in shaping up its non-telecom digital service offerings aligned with its homes and enterprise businesses, which is perhaps under-appreciated for now but may drive significant growth in the medium term.”
Since its establishment, Jio has been leading the telecom market. Airtel’s strong performance in the second half saw it beat Vodafone Idea to become the second-largest telecom company. Still, Ambani led Jio to lead the Indian telecom market.
In terms of active subscriber market share, Airtel is now the top telco with a share of 33.7%, while Jio comes in a close second with a 33.6% share, and Vodafone Idea a distant third with a 26.3% share.
According to sources, Airtel added 11.55 million net subscribers while Jio added 39 million in 2020. Vodafone Idea lost over 48 million subscribers in the same period. Though reports indicate that out of the lost 48 million subscribers, almost 80% were absorbed by Jio.
The telecommunication market seems to be dominated by Jio and Airtel, and it looks as though Ambani and Mittal will be in locked-horns for a while now.


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We've all heard the stories of Bitcoin millionaires.
Elon Musk is the latest.
His electric car company Tesla made a paper profit of more than $900m (£646m) after buying $1.5bn (£1bn) -worth of the cryptocurrency in early February.
Its high profile support helped pushed the price of a single Bitcoin to more than $58,000.
But it isn't just the digital asset's price that has hit an all-time high. So has its energy footprint.
And that's caused blowback for Mr Musk, as the scale of the currency's environmental impact becomes clearer.
It also helped prompt a series of high profile critics to slate the digital currency this week, including US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.
President Biden's top economic adviser described Bitcoin as "an extremely inefficient way to conduct transactions," saying "the amount of energy consumed in processing those transactions is staggering".


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- About Us
Kent's special patch for the picking
A first visit to a pumpkin patch might bring to mind soft earth beneath the feet, the smell of hay from a distant tractor ride and acres upon acres of bright, orange globes, peeking behind leafy, green branches.
For children who can't speak yet or who are developmentally disabled, one can only guess at the excitement and wonder inspired by that very first visit to a pumpkin patch.
This kind of experience has happened repeatedly over the past 21 years that Carpinito Bros. has hosted their pumpkin patch in the Kent valley.
Many little ones and their families were out this past week searching for that, "Great Pumpkin." Among them were parents Miguel and Sarah Castillejo with their daughter, Liliana, 3, and son Mateo, 4 months.
Propped on a wagon with her brother, Liliana seemed over-stimulated and too distracted by all the pumpkins around her to smile pretty for her parents camera.
A small group of third- through sixth-graders visiting the patch appeared equally as amused. They were five kids from a special education class at Jenkins Creek Elementary School in Kent. Although they are all disabled and non-verbal, the smiles on their faces and their exuberance gave clues to their temperament.
"(For) some of the kids, this is their first time ever coming out, so they're really excited," said Rebecca Fry, their teacher.
The group of children explored the fields with their para-educators, a nurse, parents and an occupational therapist. They went on a hay ride and picked out pumpkins to carve back at their classroom. Even the students in wheelchairs were carried on the hay ride, so they could get the full experience.
"Trips like this are really important to them and their development," Fry said.
The sunny, early October weather has been providing the perfect backdrop to experiences like these at Carpinito Bros. Pumpkin Patch.
"It was a great harvest season, a lot of hot and dry weather and that's wonderful for growing pumpkins," said Mike Carpinito, company owner. "We grow 150 acres of pumpkins and squash, so it's a lot."
The farm started planting pumpkins in May and harvesting them toward the end of September. They have a variety of sizes and odd shapes, all the way up to 100 pound pumpkins.
"People come in wanting the biggest pumpkin and big pumpkins sell well," Carpinito said.
They also sell a lot of sugar pumpkins people use for baking pies and the recipe for pumpkin soup the farm's store offers is popular.
Carpinito's advice for keeping pumpkins fresh is: "Carve them later in the year; carve them close to Halloween."
He also suggests keeping pumpkins dry to help them last.
Their corn maze is also a big hit and so far no one has been completely lost.
"In years past, we've had people call the police," Carpinito said. "It hasn't happened this year."
So what becomes of the leftover pumpkins that nobody picks?
Carpinito Bros. take the leftover pumpkins and put them back into the ground as fertilizer, so their future crops have more nutrients.
For the growers, business has been great along with the long stretch of nice weather.
The pumpkin patch – on the corner of 277th Street and West Valley Highway in Kent – is open 9 a.m. to dusk daily until Halloween.
For more information visit, www.carpinito.com.
PHOTO BELOW: Para-educator Jeff Maloney and student Colton Rush, of Jenkins Creek Elementary, cart away their prized pumpkin at Carpinito Bros. Pumpkin Patch. Tracey Compton, Reporter


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With an Off-White™ flagship scheduled to open in Miami next year, one would be forgiven for thinking that Virgil Abloh‘s clothing line would take a hiatus from opening any more boutiques in the near future. Instead, Off-White™ keeps moving; the luxury label recently opened a brand new Malaysian flagship after relocating from the luxurious Starhill Gallery in favor of the immense Suria KLCC mall.
Compare the new location to other Off-White stores — like those in Macao and Korea — and notice that each store offers its own distinct look. There are some similarities — large glass windows, spacious and tidy interiors — but no store looks identical; Kuala Lumpur’s flagship boasts warm lighting, “OFF-WHITE™ – PATTERN”-branded orange rugs and matching furniture, swapping the wireframe seats seen in other stores for rotund cushions.
Launching alongside the new outpost is an exclusive capsule collection, dubbed “YOURS TRULY.” Toying with the tape motif that informs the brand’s Resort 2020 goods, the new range sees “YOURS TRULY” text juxtaposed against strips of tape spread across the Off-White™ logo, all emblazoned across T-shirts, hoodies and shorts. Elsewhere, a busy-looking graphic that graces several layering pieces and slide sandals informs the label’s signature “X” logo, comprising distinctive patterned stripes, one of which is the classic Off-White™ industrial tape.
Visit Off-White’s Kuala Lumpur boutique to handle the “YOURS TRULY” capsule collection in person.
Along with other drops around the globe — Off-White™ recently introduced a Da Vinci shirt exclusive to the Musée du Louvre — Off-White™ has one more major collaborative release in store for the end of the decade: its trio of Nike Dunk Low sneakers.
Off-White™ Kuala Lumpur
241, Suria KLCC, Lot 128
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 50088


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New Apple iPhone X 6.1 Inches Will Rule The Upcoming Market
Apple has had a splendid year. The Cupertino based mostly tech large has recently denote its quarterly results, and also the gamble it created with the iPhone X worked for it. Apple created a record $88 billion in revenue in last 3 months of 2017. the corporate is sort of contingent the iPhone lineup for revenues and even the slightest fluctuation produce plenty of worries. As of now, the celebrated analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo from KGI securities has once more created some fascinating predictions expression that “Apple iPhone 6.1 inch liquid crystal display model may reshape sentiment in 2018.”
As rumored by AppleInsider, Ming-Chi Kuo has issued a capitalist note, wherever he claims that Apple’s LCD-based dull iPhone can become additional widespread than the company’s OLED-based models. The 6.1-inch liquid crystal display iPhone can account for five hundredth of Apple’s new French telephone shipments in 2018. The demand for the iPhone X can stay sturdy, as proven by the iPhone’s quarterly money results, increasing dramatically year over year. shoppers ar clearly in love Face ID and most of them have virtually unnoticed the presence of top-notch, that has ruined the designed.
Just for a fast flashback, Apple has been emergence in rumors to be launching a vi.1-inch liquid crystal display iPhone, next-generation iPhone X with 5.8-inch OLED and planned iPhone X and with 5.5-inch OLED this year. additionally succeeding model from mid-range series, iPhone SE 2 may additionally arrive as early as March.
Meanwhile, the interest within the iPhone 6.1 inches can boost sales for Apple’s liquid crystal display suppliers United Nations agency have seen robust times in past. The one solid reason for the vi.1-inch iPhone to interrupt all previous sales records of the corporate may well be its iPhone X-style style and options however priced like an iPhone 8.


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A new wrestling game in development
A new wrestling game in development by Virtual Basement featuring talent from ROH, IMPACT and other independent companies set to release for PS5, XBOX Series X has now signed Kylie Rae, Ken Shamrock, Brain Hebner.
Other stars include:
Brian Pillman Jr.
Leo St. Giovanni


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Praising the government’s push for electric vehicle (EV), Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari, on October 16, elaborated that by pushing for becoming a manufacturing hub for EVs, India would be able to reduce the cost of the vehicles and eventually export it to the global market.
The union minister also accepted that the journey to becoming the manufacturing hub is difficult, but not impossible. Working along the lines of Make in India, the country should sharpen its focus on manufacturing EVs and its components in India.
Gadkari also clarified that just by pushing EV, the government does not intend to be against the automobile sector, which is going through a crisis due to a fall in sales. He assured the government’s support for internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, adding that they should feel free to manufacture diesel and petrol-run vehicles as there is “no ban on the market”.
Chart of the week: EV Market Share Globally
EV News From India
Bajaj Auto Plans To Launch Chetak Electric In India By January 2020
Two-wheeler maker Bajaj Auto, on October 16, announced the launch of its first electric scooter Chetak Electric. The Pune-based automotive giant is planning to roll out Chetak by January 2020 in two variants — 85 km and 95 km — based on the range offered per charge. “We are trying to build meaningful niches with three-wheelers, superbikes and electric scooters,” the company said.
TVS-backed Ultraviolette To Roll Out F77 Electric Motorcycle This November
TVS Motor-backed sustainable mobility startups Ultraviolette Automotive, on October 15, announced the launch of its zero-emission connected electric motorcycle, F77, next month. The ebike, which is scheduled to be launched on November 13, 2019, will be enabled with ride GPS fleet tracking, remote diagnostics, over-the-air (OTA) or wireless upgrades, regenerative braking, multiple ride modes, ride analytics and monitoring.
Ratan Tata Invests In Electric Two-Wheeler Startup Tork Motors
Former chairman of Tata Sons Ratan Tata has invested an undisclosed amount in Pune-based EV startup Tork Motors. The investment came just before the commercial launch of Tork’s flagship product T6X. Speaking about the investment, Tata added, “This industry is changing rapidly and I place good value on the sound logic and the approach that the team at Tork Motors has taken.”
RIL Partners Up with BP To Boost India’s EV Charging Infrastructure In India
Reliance Industries Ltd’s (RIL) and multinational oil and gas company British Petroleum (BP) have partnered to set up a network of EV charging points across the country. Previously, the two companies had announced a fuel retailing partnership for India laying out plans to set up 5,500 fuel retail outlets across the country.
Indian Oil On The Go To Develop Batteries From Indigenous Metals
Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) is planning to build up India’s capacity for developing indigenous batteries powered with new metals. IOC chairman, Sanjiv Singh, added, “The metal-air batteries will produce energy by oxidizing metals such as iron, zinc, and aluminium. These batteries cannot be recharged, but one can replace plates to power them up almost instantly, making it much more convenient for users, thereby eliminating the need for charging infrastructure.”
MG Motor Ties Up With eChargeBays To Set Up EV Charging Points At Homes
MG Motors has partnered with Delhi-based startup eChargeBays to help individuals set up EV charging points at homes. The moves come when MG Motors is all set to launch its electric SUV MG ZS EV by the end of this year. By this move, the automobile makers plan to make buying the electric SUV more convenient for the customers.
Startup Of The Week: Republic Motors
Founded in 2013 by Rahul Goyal and Aditya Ghoshi, Jalandhar-based Republic Motors is an EV manufacturer, which primarily focuses on passenger and logistics vehicles. The company has launched electric auto rickshaw, golf car, go-karts and 14-seater minibuses, along with EV spare parts.
Republic Motors has over 35 dealerships across the country and has about 500 EVs running on the roads. The company’s clientele includes the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), railway ministry, Indian Navy, Amity University, Lovely Professional University (LPU) and also some state’s municipal corporations.
In a move to push EVs, Republic Motors is also running a pilot to test out a new model that allows electric auto-rickshaw drivers to rent out EV batteries for INR 130 per day. The company also plans to rent out EV auto rickshaws.
EV News From Around The World
EV Charging Points Take Over Gas pumps In Norway
As EV account for over 50% of total car sales in Norway, the Circle K at Aleksander Kielland’s place in Oslo has managed to replace all its gas pumps with electric car chargers. Now more store owners in the region are planning to add charging stations in order to keep a flow of customers. Moreover, with fast-paced electrification, some gas station operators and oil companies in the country switching to other markets.
China Beats The US Charging Infrastructure By 8:1 Ratio
China has emerged as the biggest EV market with the most number of charging points globally. According to a report, China has eight public charging points for each one in the US. Bloomberg also states that China electric fleet is expected to grow up to 162 Mn by 2040.


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September 2, 2014 - Industry News
A driving force behind trucking safety at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Deborah M. "Debbie" Freund, died Thursday of metastatic breast cancer.
Tags: FMCSA, Obituary, People
Omnitracs, the original pioneer of tracking and communications in the trucking industry, announced it's buying XRS Corp., which led the industry in going to a mobile platform using the bring-your-own-device strategy.
Tags: Telematics, Information Technology, Vehicle Tracking, XRS, Smartphones, Mergers & Acquisitions, Omnitracs
Navistar International’s board of directors has approved an amendment to its tax asset protection plan, extending it to November 3, 2014.
August 31, 2014 - Industry News
Truckinginfo.com and Heavy Duty Trucking are closed Monday in observance of the Labor Day holiday
August 29, 2014 - Industry News
Consumers unexpectedly backed off on personal spending in July by just a bit, while income moved slightly higher, according to a new U.S. Commerce Department report, raising concerns that wages are not keeping up with household needs.
Tags: Economy, Consumer Spending, Personal Income
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has begun a study of the relationship between safety and driver pay. The agency is asking for comments on a plan to see if there is a connection between industry pay practices and safe driving.
Tags: FMCSA, Driver Safety, Driver Pay, Drivers
The Maryland Department of Transportation has terminated its agreement with railroad operator CSX to locate a new Baltimore Rail Intermodal Facility in the western part of the city and has pulled all state funding from the project.
Tags: Maryland, Intermodal, Ports, Port Trucking, Port of Baltimore, CSX
One practical result is that trucks could get smaller DEF tanks than now, because the special fluid is widely available and not as much of it must be carried aboard the vehicle.
Tags: Environmental Protection Agency, DEF, EPA, Diesel Exhaust Fluid, DEF tanks
Love’s Travel Shops announced the opening of two new locations in Mossy Head, Florida, and Fort Stockton, Texas.
Tags: Florida, Texas, Love's Travel Stops, Truckstops, I-10
August 28, 2014 - Industry News
The California Air Resources Board has fined the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works and DBI Beverage Inc. for environmental violations relating to their diesel fleets.
Tags: CARB, Fines, Air Pollution, California, Emissions, Food & Beverage Fleet
Boyd Bros. Transportation announced a new pay increase for its drivers.
Tags: Driver Pay, Boyd Bros. Transportation, Employment, Fleets, Flatbeds
After running nine months behind schedule, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency submitted its final rule for the 2014 renewable fuel standard to the White House.
Tags: Biodiesel, Renewable Energy Group, EPA, Biofuels
The owners of two trucking companies pled guilty in federal court recently to violating imminent hazard out of service orders issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration more than two years ago.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation is implementing a system for monitoring parking availability at truck stops along a section of Interstate 94.
Tags: Hours of Service, Minnesota Department of Transportation, Truck Parking, Rest Areas, Minnesota, Truckstops
U.S.-NAFTA freight totaled $103 billion in June as all five major transportation modes carried more cargo by value than during June 2013, according to new U.S. Transportation Department figures.
Tags: Canada, Economy, Cross-Border Trucking, Mexico, Surface Trade
The California Air Resources Board has issued a reminder there are just a few days left before the Aug. 31 deadline for ordering new transport refrigeration units, known commonly as reefers, and engines, if you want to qualify for an extension.
Tags: CARB, Regulations, California, Reefers, Emissions, Trailers
UPDATED -- The U.S. gross domestic product increased at an annual rate of 4.2% in the second quarter of the year, according to a second estimate released Thursday by the U.S. Commerce Department -- its best pace since the third quarter of last year.
Tags: Economy, GDP, Auto Sales
Nearly 35 million million Americans are expected to journey 50 miles or more from home Thursday through Monday, a 1.3% percent increase over 2013.
Tags: Security, Safety, Traffic Congestion, Highway Fatalities, Cargo Theft, Holiday Travel
A new survey asked thousands of truck drivers nationwide what makes them choose one job over another, and pay came out as the top reason, followed by the amount of time they get at home and then benefits.
Tags: Driver Shortage, Driver Pay, Recruiting, Retention, National Retail Systems
August 27, 2014 - Industry News
Trailer orders fell month-over-month in July, but were up 37% compared to a year ago, according to fictures from ACT Research.
Tags: Trailers, ACT Research, Trailer orders
The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday ruled two classes of individuals working for FedEx Ground in California and Oregon were misclassified as independent contractors instead of employees.
Tags: Litigation, Independent Contractors, FedEx
Ruan Transportation Management Systems has announced changes to key leadership positions within the company.
Tags: Ruan, People, Fleets
Supply chain management company, CEVA Logistics, said Tuesday it will expand its presence in the San Diego market with a new freight management and logistics facility totaling 125,000 square feet and 23 dock doors.
Tags: California, CEVA Logistics, Fleets, Logistics
Daimler Trucks North America marked the production of its 3 millionth vehicle in North America.
Tags: Freightliner, Truck Sales, Schneider, Daimler Trucks North America, 6X2, Detroit Diesel
Carriers and drivers can now get a violation removed from their CSA scores if a court has dismissed it. Under a system that went live August 23, carriers and drivers can submit proof of dismissal or a not-guilty finding through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s DataQs portal.
Tags: FMCSA, CSA, Drivers, Safety & Compliance
We offer e-newsletters that deliver targeted news and information for the entire fleet industry.
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Fiery Crash Video Paints Portrait of Brave and Caring Truckers
The True Causes of Rubber on the Road
Freightliner's S2G Propane-Autogas-Powered Truck Chassis
Volvo Brings Trucking Web Series to America
Peterbilt Adds New Configuration for SmartAir System
Chicago Pneumatic Announces New Impact Wrench
Mitsubishi Announces Idle Limit System Option for Canter Trucks
Fleetmatics Adds HOS Logging to Reveal


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Zubu Client Sentiment Nifty50 Report & Market Recap (July-28-2021)
Zubu Client Sentiment Nifty50 Report:
It is a Post Market Analysis, by which one can understand Retail trader’s sentiment and discover who was going long and short, the percentage change over time, and whether market signals are bullish or bearish
Nifty50 retail trader data shows 48.85% of traders are net-long, while the number of traders net-short was 51.15%. FII’s unwinded decent longs -2251 & created shorts 2174, while retailers created massive longs 13039 & unwinded decent shorts -2175.
Nifty50: 15,709 ▼ -37 (-0.2%) Sensex: 52,443 ▼ -135 (-0.2%)
It was a see-saw session where the first of the session was dominated by the bears and the second half by the bulls. Nonetheless, the markets closed on a negative note, As 27 of the Nifty50 stocks closed in the red. Among the Nifty sectoral indices, only Metal (+1.2%) and IT (+0.2%) ended positively, whereas PSU Bank (-1.8%) and Auto (-0.9%) lost the most.
Top gainers Today’s change
Bharti Airtel ▲ 5.0%
Tata Steel ▲ 2.8%
SBI Life ▲ 2.1%
Top losers Today’s change
Kotak Bank ▼ 2.5%
Dr Reddy’s ▼ 2.5%
Tata Motors ▼ 2.2%
Coforge posts strong profit in Q1
IT services company Coforge reported a 55% YoY jump in its consolidated net profit to ₹124 crore for the June quarter. The profit growth was supported by a 38% rise in the revenue from operations to₹1,462 crore. The Q1 figures also include the contribution from SLK Global, which the company acquired in April 2021.
The total executable order book over the next 12 months grew 39% YoY to $645 million. Further, the company said that it has secured 3 large deals, including a $105 million engagement. It is planning for an organic growth of at least 19% in constant currency terms during FY22, which is higher than the 17% growth indicated earlier. The stock was up 0.5% today and has gained 62%% so far this fiscal.
Maruti’s profit tumbles in Q1
In the June quarter, India’s leading car manufacturer’s net profit dropped by 62% sequentially to ₹440 crore due to lower sales. The street expected a net profit of ₹878 crore. The company’s net sales declined by 26% QoQ to ₹16,798 crore as the second wave dented demand.
The company said that the commodity prices increased steeply but it continues to take steps to reduce costs. In positive developments, the car marker spent less on promotions and increased the selling price of its vehicles in Q1FY22. Shares of Maruri Suzuki were down 1.3% today.
BLS International posts profitable Q1
In the June quarter, the global visa outsourcing service provider reported a consolidated net profit of ₹20 crore compared to a loss of 80 lakh in Q1FY21. In the same period, the company’s revenue rose by 242% to ₹178 crore.
The management has said that as borders reopen globally it expects visa business to start contributing again in the coming quarters, which is expected to significantly improve its financial performance in FY22. Shares of the company were up 11% today after the results were announced yesterday post the market hours.
The market showed completely opposite trends today. It started on an extremely weak note and dived down. However, as it reached closer to the lower end of the current consolidation range (15450-15950), buying interest emerged. Favourable opening of the European indices also provided positive cues. Meanwhile, unlike the decent results posted by the Indian IT companies earlier this month, the recently announced results by other large companies have been below street estimates. This is acting as a sentiment spoiler especially at the time when markets are trading close to their lifetime highs. The US Fed is expected to announce its interest decision tonight. While the street expects rates to remain unchanged, Fed’s commentary could have a bearing on how markets open tomorrow.


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The first edition of the International Hardware Fair India “powered by EISENWARENMESSE” will take place from the 2nd to the 4th. December 2023 at the Pragati Maidan Conference and Exhibition Center in New Delhi, India
With the International Hardware Fair India, Koelnmesse brings the successful event concept of the EISENWARENMESSE to India. The new B2B fair for the Indian subcontinent offers the entire hardware industry in the region a highly professional business platform that comprehensively covers the product and services range of the industry with hardware, DIY supplies, sanitary, garden and electrical appliances as well as paints.
As the fifth largest economy in the world, India has a high demand for hardware. At the same time, the country with one of the largest hardware industries in the world offers global companies additional options for diversifying their supply chains.
The International Hardware Fair India is a strategic addition to our global portfolio. For our market partners, the decisive added value of the new event lies in the fact that it provides a further answer to the growing demand in an extremely important market within Asia,” says Gerald Böse, Chairman of the Management Board of Koelnmesse GmbH. “The consistent internationalization of Koelnmesse – and in particular the development of new markets – is a central building block within our corporate strategy in order to position ourselves future-proof and further expand our competitiveness,” Gerald Böse continues.
Milind Dixit, Managing Director of Koelnmesse YA Tradefair Pvt. Ltd., points to the extraordinary growth of the Indian hardware industry. This is also due to the fact that national economic policy focuses on capacities for the production of products made in India as well as on investments in infrastructure. Milind Dixit continues: “The International Hardware Fair India has been specifically geared to the needs of the industry and the country – the fair will be a real marketplace for trade and innovation.”
The International Hardware Fair India is aimed at industry decision-makers, including CEOs, COOs, managing directors, purchasing managers, production managers, sales managers, civil engineers and architects, R&D managers as well as the heads of training and further education departments in companies from a wide range of business areas. In addition to the hardware trade and the tool trade of the railway, automotive and electric vehicle sectors, department stores and discounters, these include the field of renewable energies, the casting and forging industry, mechanical engineering industry, construction industry, DIY supplies, medical equipment, electrical and sanitary installation, garden centers, e-commerce retailers and many more.
The team of the International Hardware Fair India is already looking forward to seeing you from the 2nd to the 4th. December 2023 at the Pragati Maidan Exhibition and Conference Center in New Delhi!
Koelnmesse – Industry trade fairs for the hardware industry:
As an international top trade fair organizer, Koelnmesse is the global market leader for the organization of trade fairs in the field of tools/iron goods. The world’s leading trade fair INTERNATIONAL HARDWARE FAIR COLOGNE takes place in Cologne. There, the Asia-Pacific Sourcing also presents products, novelties and trends around the areas of home and garden from the Far East. In addition, Koelnmesse expands its portfolio internationally in important markets: The China International Hardware Show in Shanghai, the International Hardware Fair Italy in Bergamo and the International Hardware Fair India in New Delhi are tailor-made events and leading trade fairs for the region with international participation. They guarantee their participants a sustainable, international business and bring together the supply and demand of the industry in a targeted manner.
Further information: https://www.eisenwarenmesse.de/die-messe/eisenwarenmesse/messen-der-branche/
The next events:
INTERNATIONAL HARDWARE FAIR COLOGNE – , Cologne 25.09. – 28.09.2022
China International Hardware Show – Leading Trade Fair for Tools, DIY and Building Hardware, Fasteners, Security Systems, Locks and Fittings, Hangzhou 07.11. – 09.11.2022
Asia-Pacific Sourcing – Tools and products for home and garden from the Far East, Cologne 28.02. – 02.03.2023
International Hardware Fair Italy powered by EISENWARENMESSE – , Bergamo 05.05. – 06.05.2023


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Apple TV+ will premiere a drama based on the classic book The Mosquito Coast this April. The first trailer for the series dropped Friday, and it looks like an adventure. (At least that’s what the lead character keeps telling us.)
In addition, Apple’s streaming service also revealed that ’80s comedy/drama Physical will debut this summer.
Flee to the The Mosquito Coast with Apple TV+
Paul Theroux’s novel The Mosquito Coast marks its 40th anniversary this year. It tells the story of a radical idealist and brilliant inventor, Allie Fox (played by Justin Theroux), who uproots his family to escape to Mexico when they suddenly find themselves on the run from the U.S. government.
Apple TV+ adapted the book into a seven-part series. Watch the Mosquito Coast trailer for a first look:.
The first two episodes of The Mosquito Coast will premiere on Apple’s streaming service on April 30, followed by new episodes every Friday.
Let’s get Physical
The Television Critics Association Winter 2021 Press Tour is going on now, so Apple went ahead and gave an early look at Rose Byrne in character for her role in Physical. (See image at top of post.)
A half-hour dark comedy set in sunny San Diego during the 1980s, it’ll follow Sheila Rubin (played by Byrne), a quietly tortured, seemingly dutiful housewife supporting her smart but controversial husband’s bid for state assembly. She finds an unexpected release from her demons through aerobics.
The 10-episode original series will premiere this summer on Apple TV+.
Apple’s streaming video service isn’t all about drama. It’s still fairly new but promises more than 50 series and films, either available now or coming soon. There are thrillers, crime dramas, comedies and documentaries. Apple TV+ costs $4.99 a month.


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Radford police looking for two suspects connected to credit card fraud
RADFORD (WSLS 10) - The Radford City Police Department is looking for two credit card fraud suspects.
The fraud incidents took place in November and December 2016 at the Radford Food Lion. Police say the fraud is what is known as being "skimmed" or "skimming."
Police say skimming happens when a card reader is used and although the victim retains possession of their card, a new card is created which is linked to their bank account.
These suspects then are using the victims' accounts to purchase gift cards and will be in possession of several new created cards.
Similar incidents of "skimming" have been reported in surrounding areas according to police.
Anyone with information in the case should contact authorities at 540-267-3196.
Copyright by WSLS - All rights reserved


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Spotify gets into podcasting with three music-themed shows
The streaming service looks to original content to stand out in a crowded market.
'Stranger Things' ad reveals S2 release date: Halloween
Netflix's hit series won't be back until October.
Netflix made a game featuring some of its top shows
Netflix now makes infinite runners?
Google unveils Allo-assisted 'Stranger Things' scavenger hunt
The app is also getting stickers inspired by the show.
'Stranger Things' director will helm the 'Uncharted' movie
Shawn Levy will still direct several episodes of the second series of theNetflix hit.
Recommended Reading: President Obama, Commander in Nerdiness
The best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web.
Netflix picks 'Stranger Things' scene for first 360-degree video
You can briefly be an active participant in the show’s creepy world.


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By Jennifer Washington | BusinessFleet.com
Thinking of joining the food truck revolution? Mix great cuisine with the right vehicle, then throw in long order-to-delivery times, severe-duty maintenance, DIY repairs and ever-changing regulations.
From complicated truck build-outs and brand building to maintaining expensive equipment and keeping up with regulators, getting in on the mobile food truck revolution isn’t as easy as it looks. In the words of one food truck owner, “Things just happen when you’re driving older vehicles with thousands of pounds of equipment and food.”
Read on to learn how eight food truck vendors created their movable feasts and share their strategies for keeping them on the road. Click here to view a photo gallery of their food trucks.
New chassis and custom upfit helps avoid maintenance hassles.
Christian Murcia of Fullerton, Calif.-based Crepes Bonaparte keeps his menu true to the French form: simple, delicious street food.
Murcia and his wife, Danielle, started the company in May of 2008 as a private catering company. Last year, they expanded the business to include “Gaston,” the Morgan Olson food truck they engineered to serve all types of crepes, any time of day.
Purchased new from a local Chevy dealer, Gaston features a Chevrolet engine, a Workhorse chassis and a custom-built interior. A crepe grill in the service window allows customers to see their orders being made, while refrigerators, a deli case, a generator and other stainless-steel equipment are situated within the truck. Annual mileage is about 10,000 miles, comprised of trips back and forth between Los Angeles and Orange County, Murcia says.
Being based in Fullerton and having permits in both areas gives Crepes Bonaparte a distinct advantage over its Los Angeles-based competition. “[Running a food truck] is a lot more hours than you think it’s going to be,” Murcia says. “I remember when we got off [the Food Network’s Great Food Truck Race] we had one ‘day’ where I literally worked 48 hours straight.”
The truck was outfitted by MSM Catering Trucks, a SoCal-based food truck builder. During the initial contract write-up for the interior build, Murcia made sure to include that Gaston needed to be completed in less than three months. “Some of the other food trucks take six, seven, or eight months,” he says. “I don’t know how they do it.”
Murcia went with a completely custom interior because standard food truck templates come installed with equipment he wouldn’t need to make crepes. Murcia says he saved $30,000-$40,000 by buying the chassis and customizing it himself.
On the flip side, “A really easy way to get into the industry is to lease a truck,” says Murcia. (Click link for more information on truck leasing.) He says six-month leases are available for food trucks with standard setups such as a stove, grill and freezer.
After a friend helped design the Crepes Bonaparte logo, Murcia had vinyl wraps created and installed before hitting the road.
In terms of maintenance, one of the most important pieces of equipment on the truck is the high-watt generator, which can cost $5,000-$7,000, Murcia says. “I know too many people that have blown generators because they don’t change the oil frequently enough.” He takes care of most of the maintenance on Gaston himself, though the truck is still under the manufacturer’s warranty.
Food Truck Lesson No. 1: Make sure your equipment is properly bolted down.
New York-based Kelvin Natural Slush Co. has quickly become one of the most popular treat trucks in Manhattan thanks to its all-natural slushie drinks and cool blue-wrapped exterior. Named for the definition of absolute zero on the Kelvin scale, the company’s slushies were voted Best Dessert at the Vendy Awards in 2010.
Company founder and former corporate attorney Alex Rein says he was inspired to create an all-natural version of the convenience store slushie drinks he enjoyed as a kid.
“I wouldn’t really feel comfortable walking into the law firm carrying a bright blue slushie,” Reins says. “I thought it would be nice to offer a more grown-up version.” Natural Slush flavors include ginger, tea, or citrus and a choice of real fruit puree or other natural mix-ins such as fresh chopped mint or basil.
The Kelvin truck is a 2000 P30 Chevrolet Workhorse step van. Rein took it to a specialty shop to have the interior customized with top-grade slushie equipment, a generator and compressors. Unfortunately, some machines weren’t bolted down tightly enough, causing water leakage issues.
“A lot of the [equipment] is not designed to be put in a truck and rumbled around on the streets of Manhattan,” Rein says. “After things were really bolted in place, we haven’t had any problems.”
However, parking regulations and territorial street vendors also have created challenges for the Kelvin truck. “If you do happen to find a spot, store owners aren’t always happy to have you parked near their businesses,” Rein says.
Hiring is another challenge. Each employee is required to obtain a mobile vending license and an individual sales tax identification number, a process that can take up to two months.
Further, the N.Y. Department of Health requires food trucks to park at a Department of Health licensed commissary. “We’re in a lot with a dozen or so other food trucks,” Rein says.
The truck averages about 4,000 miles per year and performs mostly daily trips to Manhattan and back to home base. Rein has plans to expand into the outer boroughs. The commissary employs a full-time mechanic on staff who keeps the Kelvin truck and others maintained by doing routine checks every week.
Sales are rung up using a point-of-sale system and an HP touchpad tablet equipped with Postmatic software. “[It’s] great to monitor what’s working and what people like,” says Rein.
Weekly maintenance, daily challenges beset German-themed eatery.
As executive director and co-owner of Schnitzel & Things, Oleg Voss says regular maintenance is essential. “Things just happen when you’re driving older vehicles with thousands of pounds of equipment and food,” he says.
The New York-based mobile eatery was established after Voss was let go from his position at an Austrian investment bank in 2008. He returned home to New York and used his formal training from the French Culinary Institute to recreate his favorite Austrian dish: hand-breaded, deep-fried meat cutlets also known as Schnitzel. Voss started Schnitzel & Things in 2009 with a friend, and his brother Gene joined the company soon after. One year, later they were finalist in the 2010 Vendy Awards’ Best Street Food category.
“I thought that we could fill a niche, a void in the marketplace,” Voss says. “I just felt confident in my cooking abilities to start something on my own.” Three years ago, Voss purchased a 1999 GMC Grumman Olson step van used for package deliveries. With the help of a talented graphic artist and mobile kitchen builder, the van was transformed into the now-famous Schnitzel truck.
The truck’s interior was gutted and retrofitted to hold refrigerators, deep fryers, a grill, a generator and other required food-service equipment. Voss had custom-built covers made for the fryers for traveling. The initial three-month truck upfit was finished in six.
Despite the success, Voss says every day brings new challenges. He has tackled issues ranging from a broken generator and other equipment problems to lack of parking, other unhappy street vendors and parking tickets. He performs weekly maintenance checks and inspects the food service equipment at the end of each week as well. He brings the truck in for a checkup every three months.
“Some things we can fix ourselves, some things we can’t,” Voss says, regarding his truck’s high-mileage maintenance needs. (Click link for preventive maintenance solutions for high-mileage vehicles.)
Depending on the nature of the damage, Voss will visit either a truck repair specialist or the interior-build contractor.
“Recently, we had to take it in because we have two 40-gallon water tanks in the truck. One started leaking, and everything got flooded,” Voss says. “You’re constantly worrying about the truck.”
The Schnitzel & Things truck, which Voss describes as a “restaurant on wheels,” currently runs an average of about 10,000 miles a year. It spends one day per week at each of five locations in New York and has recently expanded to include the first Schnitzel & Things brick-and-mortar location.
“It may seem liberating to own your own business, and in many ways it is,” Voss says, however, “It’s very difficult, especially if you’re in a state with rough winters and hot summers. The heat from the fryers is almost unbearable in the summertime.”
Your server, chief cook and engine mechanic will be with you shortly.
For the past three years, Cody and Kristen Fields have been on a roll with Mmmpanadas, the couple’s popular Austin, Texas-based empanada food truck and catering provider. The company was originally started as a wholesale distributor for the Fields’ freshly made empanadas, but their food truck has also been growing in popularity in downtown Austin.
“The truck is a 23-foot moving billboard that can generate cash flow as well,” Cody Fields says. “The first year, I worked every single shift on that truck. One of the misconceptions people have is that they’re going to get a truck and put some kids in there and people will come eat. It’s not that easy.”
The Fields count increasingly convoluted food truck regulations and maintaining a power supply as top issues. The truck went through three generators in the first year before Cody realized the value in purchasing a top-of-the-line commercial generator.
To alleviate some of the equipment problems, the truck stays parked in one spot and racks up fewer than 1,000 miles per year. The empanadas are made from scratch at an offsite kitchen and warmed on the truck.
“You find yourself doing odd jobs, like diesel engine repair, that you never thought you’d be doing,” Fields says. “I’ve had batteries die. I’ve had to replace the glow plugs. This definitely requires maintenance, even now that it sits still.” Fields continues to maintain the generator himself and performs regular oil and filter checks on the truck every 100 hours.
Originally built as a pizza van and purchased on eBay, the truck, a 1986 Grumman Olson step van, was already equipped with the required sinks and hot water heater. In addition to replacing the pizza oven with a convection oven, Cody installed a generator and warming cabinet for the empanadas, a refrigerator and beverage coolers, a display case and branding graphics.
The truck is painted bright red and adorned with vinyl stickers. The Fields just bought a new magnetic removable menu, which makes flavors easy to remove if they sell out.
“I knew that the empanada was the perfect street food and I wanted to be downtown,” Fields says. “I thought that a truck was a good way to do it.”
Operate first, apologize later.
As the executive chef and owner of Skillet, a Seattle-based gourmet food trailer, Josh Henderson is no stranger to mobile food. Before starting his business in 2007, Henderson attended the Culinary Institute of America and “would travel with photographers and cook for a crew of about 15 to 20 people” in Los Angeles, he says.
Now, Henderson offers gourmet modern American food like handcrafted burgers topped with his award-winning Bacon Jam and served with Poutine fries. “It’s what I like to eat,” he says. “Any chef that’s making their food, it’s usually what they like.” Skillet, which serves the Seattle and Bellevue areas, is also set to open its first brick-and-mortar location in May.
In the beginning, Skillet got shut down a few times for multiple regulatory violations the company couldn’t afford to pay. “I didn’t think the [rules] were going to change,” Henderson say. “So we started operating and apologized afterward.”
Skillet’s current mobile home is a 1972 Airstream trailer. The ’72 supplanted a now out-of-commission 1962 Airstream, both of which Henderson and his team found on Craigslist and retrofitted themselves. The first trailer failed to meet Skillet’s load-bearing needs and the city’s food truck regulations.
“You always suffer in quality if you don’t have the money to put in the right equipment,” Henderson says. “You end up paying for it somewhere. If it’s not in cash or time, it’s in functionality and ease of use.”
The first trailer already had a commercial hood and other equipment, which was reason enough to purchase it, Henderson says. “We built the second one from the ground up. We built the chassis and put in floors and other stuff.”
After installing fryers, sinks and a griddle, the Skillet team applied the brand’s logo and got back out on the road for business. Currently, the trailer is taken to a mechanic every few months for routine maintenance and upkeep, Henderson says.
“Now [the challenges are] consistency and maintaining quality. We have to compete with rising prices and still provide value while staying true to what we want to do.”
Small truck, big menu and new regulations equal huge challenge.
Business partners Scott Baitinger and Steve Mai credit the instant success of their food truck, Streetza Pizza, to their knowledge of the Milwaukee restaurant scene and the loyal customers who stay connected through their social media outlets.
The Streetza Pizza truck is slightly smaller than your average food truck but boasts a huge menu that includes whole pizzas as well as catering services. Baitinger and Mai started by purchasing a 1988 Chevrolet P30 Grumman Olson step van from a former co-worker after determining that a brick-and-mortar restaurant would be too expensive.
“Milwaukee had no food trucks at the time,” Baitinger says. “We figured being first out of the gate would garner a fair amount of publicity.”
However, being first in the market also brought its fair share of problems. “We had to build our truck in conjunction with the health department, which hadn’t seen a lot of mobile food vehicles,” Baitinger says. The duo also made the mistake of purchasing all their kitchen equipment first before figuring out how much of power it would require.
“[We] bought a generator to power all the equipment, then figured out the department of transportation wouldn’t allow us to attach a generator as big as we needed to the truck,” Baitinger says. “We sold all that equipment and switched to propane.”
Once they obtained the truck, Baitinger and Mai added inflated panels in the box area and installed electrical and water systems, refrigeration and a pizza oven. They also painted the exterior but, about eight months later, decided to upgrade to a vinyl wrap. (Click link for vehicle vinyl wrap do’s and don’ts.) They got their customers involved by asking them to vote for a new logo via a Web poll.
Initially, Streetza offered only late-night service on the weekends but eventually expanded to festivals, lunch services and catering throughout the Milwaukee area.
“Condensing all the equipment needed to pull off pizzas in such a small space is a challenge,” Baitinger says. “It’s pretty tight quarters.”
Currently, the Streetza truck averages about 2,500 miles per year and tends to stay within the Milwaukee area near its commissary kitchen to mitigate some of the strain from the weight. “It’s definitely made for city driving,” Baitinger says. “When you’re driving 70 miles an hour for an hour and a half, you realize some things could probably be secured a little bit better.”
As far as maintenance, Baitinger and Mai have been pretty lucky and typically perform the standard oil changes and tire rotations as needed on the truck.
“We just had a new exhaust put on just because it was horrifically loud,” Baitinger says. “The truck takes about 10 minutes to start when it’s really cold in winter. The next truck that we get will be fuel injection for sure.”
Baitinger and Mai are looking to expand and are shopping around for potential Streetza trucks to acquire. They say that many food trucks in L.A. had an operating license for a year and wound up on the used market. Considering that many already have electrical and water systems installed, “there’s a tremendous savings that can be realized if you buy one of those,” Baitinger says.
Baitinger adds that the key to buying a used unit is to “make sure you know the history and if it’s been maintained well,” he says. “I think that’s why we’ve been so lucky.”
A trailer is a great alternative to a truck — if you know how to tow it.
Launched last year, Seattle-based mobile eatery and catering business BUNS is gaining momentum thanks to its premium organic hamburgers and specialty French fry offerings. California native Stewart Chung was inspired to create the mobile hamburger stand after moving to Seattle and being less than thrilled with the local burgers. “People like to have a reason to be outdoors,” Chung says. “If you do it right, I think you can create a very different eating experience.”
The BUNS mobile eatery is a custom-built, 20-foot food trailer that can be hitched to any tow vehicle. Using his background in architecture, Chung says the initial challenge to creating the interior was figuring out what type of equipment would work inside the space. Compared to the mechanical aspects, creating exterior wrap graphics and branding was a breeze.
“I wanted [the trailer] to be efficient, I wanted it to function, to be presentable, I wanted it to be low-maintenance, and I wanted it to be reliable,” Chung says. “I was going to do a food truck anyway after [creating a] restaurant. So why not do that first, have a little less risk and get people to know us?”
After placing an order with custom builder Wells Cargo, the trailer arrived some months later, empty, with Chung’s specifications for openings, appropriately sized doors, pre-installed electrical and plumbing, counters and cabinets for the commercial-sized equipment.
The BUNS trailer now houses a generator, a 48 inch-wide charbroiler, a deep fryer for the French fries, a refrigerated sandwich table to build hamburgers on, a full-size upright freezer and refrigerators for beverages and meat storage. The trailer currently travels about 600 miles per month and is often invited to provide lunch services for some of Seattle’s largest companies. BUNS also has become increasingly popular with some of the local school districts looking to provide their students with healthier hamburger choices.
Chung says that maintenance is less of an issue with the trailer compared to a standard food truck, though the axles need to be lubed and the generators need to be well taken care of just the same. “My tow vehicle is a normal truck that I can take to a regular dealer for service,” he says. “The challenge is moving around in a trailer. And you need to know how to drive them.”
Finding someone capable of driving a trailer efficiently and safely is more challenging than finding a cook that can flip a hamburger, he says. (Click the link for five trailering mistakes to avoid.)
Approval was the hardest ingredient to come by.
Fullerton, Calif.-based treats truck Chunk-N-Chip specializes in all-natural artisan ice cream sandwiches crafted from family cookie recipes and locally made ice cream.
Owner Claudia Gonzalez started her business in 2006 selling ice cream sandwiches through a traditional booth setup at festivals and by selling the cookies full time as corporate gifts.
She purchased a 2001 Ford Utilimaster step van last year after searching the inventories of several new and used commercial truck dealers. The truck was launched in August 2010 at an Orange County food truck fest and has since become a “full-time gig.”
“I was skeptical [of the food truck scene] at first,” Gonzalez says. “I was one of the many that had the whole ‘roach coach’ mentality. I didn’t think it was going to last.” After watching the food truck industry continue to grow exponentially, Gonzalez drafted up a business plan and found that running a truck would be more lucrative than opening a brick-and-mortar location.
“What caught my interest [in food trucks] was the variety of cuisines,” Gonzalez says. “With the truck, it’s a whole different phenomenon. I can’t keep up with the requests to be at a particular event or come out and sell at a location.”
Unlike other food trucks, Chunk-N-Chip uses its dessert truck solely for assembling the ice cream sandwiches, an important detail that made the custom build of the interior relatively simple, Gonzalez says. “The conversion didn’t take long. But it’s a tedious process to get your plans approved by the health department. That can take several rounds.”
The truck’s interior was outfitted with a freezer, ice cream cabinet, counters, a generator and plenty of shelves. The exterior features ice cream sandwich decals and original artwork by a popular Venice Beach-based artist.
“It’s rare that a truck would get approved [by the health department] in the first round, and they even tell you that,” Gonzalez adds. “The frustration is that instead of giving you everything up front, it’s done piecemeal. … You can’t get into the nitty-gritty of the truck until the plans are finalized. Then the turnaround is really reasonable.”
The truck was completed a few months later, but Gonzalez quickly learned that maintenance would consist of more than regular oil changes and tune-ups.
“Most owners don’t know that they have to maintain their generator,” Gonzalez says. “This was totally foreign. I could have easily blown out my generator, and [new generators] aren’t cheap.”
Gonzalez’ husband currently handles the oil changes on the generator, but the frequent tune-ups have been an added cost she says she never expected. Other challenges included scouting for routes and locations to set up business. Time of day was crucial, as many business lunchers would stop by the Chunk-N-Chip truck only after they’d already had their lunch.
“With the truck, it was really about going out to different cities randomly, not waiting for an event to take place,” Gonzalez says. “The great thing is I that already knew my product and how to sell it. [The food truck] was just in a different platform.” BF


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Excitel, one of the fastest-growing fiber broadband providers and a home internet startup in India has launched a unique offer for its new subscribers in Delhi. The company's 'Smart TV with Smart Wi-Fi' plan is priced at Rs 999 per month for an annual subscription and includes high-speed internet of up to 300 Mbps, a 32-inch Frameless Smart LED TV, 6 OTT apps, and access to over 300 Live TV channels.
Also Read: ACT Fibernet Entry Level Broadband Plans Detailed
Excitel's Smart TV with Smart Wi-Fi plan
Excitel's 'Smart TV with Smart Wi-Fi' plan is aimed at new home internet subscribers in Delhi seeking high-speed internet and a range of entertainment options. The package offers an industry-leading broadband internet speed of 300 Mbps, along with a 32-inch Frameless Smart LED TV that comes with an HD Ready Display, 10Wx2 Speaker, HDMI, USB, AV Port, 512MB RAM + 4GB ROM, Android 9.0, and a 1-Year On-Site Warranty.
Commenting on the plan launch, Varun Pasricha, the COO of Excitel, "Today's generation has grown up with internet access and readily available entertainment content from a very young age. As a home internet company offering high-speed internet, at Excitel, we are always innovating to offer an upgraded choice for users in Delhi-NCR. Our 'Smart TV with Smart Wi-Fi' plan will offer uninterrupted high-speed internet and hassle-free entertainment for a superior lifestyle to our subscribers. With our new plan, we aim to onboard more home internet users on an unbound entertainment and high-speed internet journey."
Also Read: Excitel Broadband OTT Add-on Plans Detailed
Excitel New 300 Mbps Broadband Plan OTT Benefits
The Smart TV with Smart Wi-Fi plan also includes 6 OTT Channels - Alt Balaji, Hungama Play, Hungama Music, Shemaroo, Epic On and Playbox TV and 300+ Live TV channels. In addition, Excitel has waived installation charges and additional router fees for the plan, making it the first of its kind in the industry.
Founded in 2015, Excitel is the fastest-growing broadband company in India, with customers in over 30 cities, offering unlimited downloads at high speeds since its inception. In addition, the company was one of the earliest to introduce 200 Mbps, 300 Mbps, and 400 Mbps internet speeds.
Also Read: BSNL Fibre Exclusive Broadband Plan for Rural Areas Detailed
According to the statement, The 'Smart TV with Smart Wi-Fi' plan is the latest in the company's innovative offerings, which reflect the internet consumption patterns of the younger generation on the go.


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The Future of Franchising Just got a Little Brighter
The future of the South African economy is uncertain – but a little less so today now that President Cyril Ramaphosa has delivered details of government’s stimulus package.
‘Stimulus package’ has a nice ring to it, and look what it did to the American economy. The package South Africa has adopted is nothing like that the US adopted following the 2008 financial crisis, where liquidity was released into the market to stimulate the economy.
It has nothing to do with government spending money it doesn’t have – because we also have to have an eye on our sovereign rating – but rather on better planning and improved usage of existing resources. It is therefore neither a case of government dipping into its reserves nor borrowing internationally in order to launch new programmes.
The essential nature of the economic stimulus and recovery plan is the reprioritisation of spending towards such activities that has the greatest impact on economic growth, domestic demand and job creation. There will be a particular emphasis on township and rural economies, women and youth.
What does this mean for franchising?
It is unlikely that South African franchising will be a direct beneficiary of the package, but any improvement in the economy will be an improvement for franchising.
In South Africa as elsewhere, small businesses are critical to the economic health of the nation. Small business is likely to be a major beneficiary of the stimulus package, given the focus on stimulating demand and job creation. FASA’s annual research reports suggest that franchising is a strong source of jobs and economic output, notwithstanding that at the moment franchise business leaders are reporting that consumer spending decline is having an impact on their businesses.
Particularly in times of economic stress, franchising gives small businesses an extra dollop of help through access to proven business methods, marketing support and training provided by the franchisor. Franchising offers the South African economy a strong foundation from which to encourage job growth and recovery, and improved demand will ensure that these small business entrepreneurs will be positioned to help lead us out of recession.
After all, with more than 320 000 people employed in 600 franchised brands across more than 31 000 franchise outlets, the spin offs in a country with an employment rate hovering at 27% can be substantial.
To recap, there is no new money being released into the economy and no new plans to borrow. President Ramaphosa’s plan comes down to improving trust and improving execution. Arguably, that’s exactly what’s needed. More jobs in construction, agriculture, mining and tourism mean more people buying from franchises. The idea is that much of that money goes to township, rural economies, women and youth. Any franchise focused on those markets stands to benefit closely, but the spinoff will spread much further. Today, according to FASA, 26% of South African franchise outlets are owned by previously disadvantaged individuals operating across a wide range of business sectors. Moreover, franchise outlets on average employ about 14 people per business, of which 10 are black.
President Ramaphosa said he wanted to “clear the decks” to entice business to invest in the country:
- Agriculture will be capitalised, and a new 10-person land reform advisory panel will be appointed
- The Mining Charter has already been revisited, and parliament will be asked to withdraw the Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Act.
- South Africa’s visa regime will be reconsidered to stimulate tourism
More importantly, the president has embraced the private sector as catalyst for growth and recovery, and said he wanted to make that sector – as well as labour – fully-fledged partners.


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WeChat Plans to Stop Merchants From Transacting in Cryptocurrencies
- Limit the collection limitation of the illegal stage accounts and prohibit it from cryptocurrency transactions on WeChat.
- Restrict the amount of individual vendors’ accounts, just allowing daily use of social activities. Trades associated with cryptocurrency’s collection is restricted. Currently, all cryptocurrency transactions under merchant titles have been resolved.
- Conduct real-time tracking of daily transactions and risk severity evaluation of transactions based on monitoring results. This could result in taking direct interception measures for illegal transactions.
This article was originally written by Vincent He for 8btc.
Alipay stated that it will take measures such as limiting account group services or permanently limiting withdrawals for private account of digital currency transactions, if there’s adequate evidence of wrongdoing. Alipay closed down about 3,000 accounts that were included in cryptocurrency transactions and investigated.
At that moment, Tencent created a targeted hazard control model to recognize cryptocurrency transfers and trades, and it required corresponding measures .
WeChat, the #1 messaging app in China, is also widely used for cryptocurrency transactions. Recently, WeChat Payment has revised the”WeChat Agreement for Payment support,” which includes the control and regulation of illegal transactions, including cryptocurrency transactions. The revised agreement will be placed into effect on May 31, 2019.
Early in August 2018, Tencent issued a statement regarding its measures to address concerns over cryptocurrencies and ICOs. Tencent said that it had taken the following measures in response to offenses Concerning payment channels:
Besides WeChat, Alipay, has generated an oversight method for accounts and websites and another leading payment system, is closely tracking all transactions between cryptocurrency transactions.
According to the initial, second and third terms and conditions of the agreement, direct or disguised engagement in internet gaming, micro platforms, net lottery revenue platforms, illegal foreign markets, precious metal investment trading platforms, illegal securities and securities trading platforms, token issuance financing and cryptocurrency trading platforms are not permitted on WeChat; asset management business on the internet without the approval of the regulatory authorities is not permitted, in addition to illegal transactions such as commodity trading websites, without the endorsement of the provincial authorities; and Tenpaythe payment system of WeChat, shall be able to stop the payment and settlement services.


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JETRO Releases Result of Survey on Overseas Japanese Companies; Auto Parts Industry Tumbles
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Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) surveyed 7,173 Japanese companies around the world and published "Worldwide Overseas Japanese Companies Survey for 2022" report. The report is a barometer hinting at the future of Japanese companies in overseas markets and it draws three conclusions.
First, 65% of the 7,000 plus Japanese companies operating overseas expect to gain profit for 2022, but the losses in sectors such as auto parts are increasing. As a result of China's Zero COVID policy, more than 40% of Japanese companies in China are facing deteriorating sales, exceeding the proportion of companies having improved results.
Globally, 45.4% of Japanese companies will expand their business in overseas countries. Among them, 70% of the Japanese companies will expand in India and 60% in Vietnam, which shows that Japan is continuing to tap into the Southeast Asian market. On the contrary, the percentage of Japanese companies intending to expand in China dropped from 40.9% to 33.4%.
Second, 60% of Japanese manufacturers will re-examine the supply chain. As raw material and transportation costs rise and the risk of supply disruptions become more apparent, Japan will accelerate its localization (self-production) strategy for sourcing, production and sales. In the next one to two years, the number of Japanese personnel dispatched to overseas countries will be reduced by half compared to the pre-epidemic period, while the number of Japanese domestic employees will be increased.
Third, Japan is accelerating carbon reduction. More than 40% of the surveyed companies are already taking action to achieve decarbonization, an increase of nearly 10% over the previous year. Compared with the previous year, this figure increased by nearly 10%. The number of companies making green purchases (requiring suppliers to reduce carbon) has more than doubled. With awareness of carbon reduction spreading rapidly throughout the supply chain, non-compliant companies may face the risk of limited trading opportunities.


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TODAY ON AGDAY:
OCTOBER 21, 2011
Good morning, Clinton's on assignment at the national FFA Convention in Indianapolis. He'll be back on Monday. Topping our news, after more than four years, it appears three free-trade agreements will soon be law in this country. President Obama is expected to sign Free Trade Agreements with Korea, Panama and Colombia this afternoon at a White House ceremony. Most major Ag groups have been very supportive of the FTA’s, saying American agriculture has been losing market share in those countries. The trade deals open new markets for the U.S. by boosting exports. The FTA's will eventually lower or eliminate tariffs that American exporters face in all three countries.
CHINA DDG CASE:
The growing demand for food in china has forced the once-sustainable country to the export market. For the last five years china has been the United States' number one customer for soybeans. Last year they purchased about 60 million bushels of corn and were aggressive buyers of U.S. DDGs. But earlier this year the Chinese government initiated legal action against DDG imports. The government feels DDG imports are displacing corn in the domestic market. AgDay's Michelle Rook looks at where the case is at and if it has any merit. An interim determination could come any day now, but a final determination on the case is expected by the end of December.
BIRDS POINT LEVEE:
The corps of engineers says it will re-build a breached Missouri levee higher than it had planned. But it's still lower than what some farm groups say is necessary to protect farm land that sits along the Mississippi River. You'll remember this past spring, the core intentionally breached the "birds point" levee near New Madrid, Missouri. The core said it was necessary to flood 130-thousand acres of farmland to protect Cairo, Illinois. The core says it will re-build the levee to a height of 51 feet. But now their plans includes the use of temporary barriers - called bastions - which would take the levee to 55 feet if flooding gets that high. That's still well below the 62 feet that once stood there. The Missouri Farm Bureau has been a vocal critic of the core's plan. And they say anything under 62 feet is not acceptable.
IN THE COUNTRY; TENNESSEE PUMPKINS:
Chances are you have a pumpkin or two sitting around your house as a jack-o-lantern or autumn decoration. Well, there's a garden display in Tennessee that goes well beyond that. Some pretty handy gardeners took thousands of pumpkins, gourds and squash to create a work of art. In this report from UT, Ginger Trice takes us for a walk through the fall mosaic. I stop by and see the fall display, it's open to the public through November 27th. Up next, Food and Your Family.
A group representing cantaloupe growers in California says consumers should not be turned-off to the melon because of the in-actions of one grower in Colorado. The California cantaloupe advisory board is responding to the results of an FDA report. That report says Jensen farms had dirty equipment in their packing facility, which may have led to an outbreak of listeria. The CCAB says there are well-established practices through-out the melon industry to ensure safety during the washing and packing of cantaloupes. The trade group says the outbreak underscores the importance that food producers - no matter the size of the farm - must adhere to proven food safety practices. The California Cantaloupe Advisory Board and the California Melon Research Board have committed an additional 200,000 dollars in research funding over the next four years specifically earmarked to find new ways to improve the safety of melons. The California Cantaloupe Industry has begun a review of practices to assure customers that the cantaloupes are safe.
It seems whenever USDA releases a report, we inevitably get emails or phone calls from viewers who question the validity of the data. There appears to be a big question about trust. So, our reporting partners at AgWeb decided to find out what you think about USDA’s data. The editors conducted an on-line poll. And to be clear, it's far from scientific. As we've shown you before, those big USDA reports are processed under the security of "lock and key". Still, a vast majority of you who took-part in an AgWeb poll expressed distrust. Nearly 70% of those who voted, said "USDA manipulates the numbers" to get what they want. 18% said the numbers are usually wrong because USDA uses outdated technology. And less than 1% thinks USDA's data is correct.
From the AgDay inbox - Jim Hixson writes "... I would join the group that believes that USDA numbers are definitely self-serving in order to manipulate the market either by choice internally or by direction of the administration currently in power." Viewer Dan James says "My wife and I have been involved with grain markets all our adult lives and we are 75 and 73 years of age. We have absolutely no trust in the USDA grain reports. They manipulate the numbers around every which way to come up with a report that will make the farmer's share of the end costs of food be as little as possible. It is just like robbing the farmer but without a gun." And Jim Sipmin writes "We have zero faith in any of the USDA numbers. I feel they manipulate the numbers to arrive at 'reasonable' carryout ideas. They have many flaws including their stocks calculations, production estimates, and feed numbers"


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International experts appreciated the products of Russian farmers. According to the results of competitions cheesemakers took two "gold" and one "silver" medals. The cheese of Maria Kandyrina from Moscow region was recognized as one of the best – it received gold and silver medals. And Irina Vyrupaeva from Yaroslavl region, who made the way from amateur to master in just 3 years, was awarded a gold medal.
The Russian team presented for competitions 19 cheeses in seven categories. More than 110 categories of cheese and dairy products from all over the world were presented at the event.
First Deputy Chairman of JSC "Rosselkhozbank" Irina Zhachkina noted the high level of the event and congratulated the winners on their professional achievement.
"We are proud of the outstanding result of the Russian team at the "International Salon of cheese and dairy products" and hope that this victory and the international recognition of domestic products will inspire novice farmers from other regions of our country, – said Irina Zhachkina. – One of the priorities of the "Rosselkhozbank" is comprehensive support for small businesses in rural areas. For this purpose, in particular, the Bank annually holds the festival "SVOYE". We are glad that the participants of the festival with our help won a victory at such a prestigious competition of world level, and we wish them further success".