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European location will provide assembly and servicing of its growing LocusBot line
October 6, 2021
Autonomous warehouse robotics firm Locus has officially opened its European headquarters in Amsterdam.
Its new home is in Amsterdam-Noord, a redeveloped wharf area surrounded by trendy restaurants, art galleries, and night clubs.
The company said the new facility will support its existing EU and UK customer base, as well as enable new opportunities within the European warehouse fulfillment and distribution markets.
“Our decision to expand our presence in the European market was a logical step in our business growth strategy,” said Rick Faulk, CEO of Locus Robotics. “Choosing Amsterdam gives us a central location that is ideal for serving our customer base, as well as giving us access to a vibrant and diverse talent pool to recruit from.”
The new location will also assemble and service the company’s robots, to ensure faster deployments and support services.
Locus will be celebrating its official opening with guided tours of the new facility.
Locus was formed back in 2014 in Wilmington, Massachusetts. It sought to design and manufacture autonomous robots that could support warehouse workers, ferrying the goods between picking sites.
Flash-forward to 2021, and the company recently passed the half-billion picking milestone.
Its robots are equipped with a tablet interface that enables them to ‘speak’ 21 different languages – a useful addition for an industry with a high proportion of migrant workers.
LocusBots are now picking nearly two million items every day, the company said.
The startup has gone on to achieve unicorn status – raising $150m in a Series E round back in February. In September, it secured another $50m investment from Tiger Global Management to fund its global expansion.
In an interview with AI Business in March, Faulk said the company was looking to expand into Europe and APAC.
Ben Wodecki is the Jr. Editor of AI Business, covering a wide range of AI content. Ben joined the team in March 2021 as assistant editor and was promoted to Jr. Editor. He has written for The New Statesman, Intellectual Property Magazine, and The Telegraph India, among others. He holds an MSc in Digital Journalism from Middlesex University.
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Mattel is partnering with US start up, Toy Talk to develop a connected Barbie doll that will be able to hold a two-way conversation with children.
Hello Barbie will use a speech-recognition platform developed by the firm and will be able to play interactive games as well as tell stories and jokes.
A prototype of the doll was first unveiled at this year’s New York Toy Fair on February 14th.
Hello Barbie will be able to listen to a child’s conversation and adapt it over time. The wi-fi connected doll will also be able to provide an hour’s worth of playtime when fully charged.
“The number one request we hear from girls around the world is that they want to have a conversation with Barbie,” said a spokesbwoman for Mattel.
“Now, for the first time ever, Barbie can have a two-way conversation.”
Barbie will communicate via a microphone, speaker and two tricolor LEDS featured in the doll’s necklace.
Hello Barbie is expected to sell for around $74.99 or £49, however the release date is yet to be confirmed.

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ProGlove wins place at French incubator program “Station F”
ProGlove wins a place at Station F
4th September 2018
Paris – Through the Access2Europe programme, the Munich-based start-up of the industrial IoT ProGlove is entering Station F, the world’s largest start-up campus in Paris. The intelligent glove company plans to deploy its connected glove in France.
ProGlove connects the human worker to the industrial IoT and allows him to work faster and more ergonomically in production and logistics environments. Since the launch of its first product, MARK, in October 2016, ProGlove has opened an office in Chicago and is now one of Europe’s leading wearable companies for the industry.
The company has reached a new level by being selected for the Access2Europe programme of the French- German Chamber of Commerce, which supports 5 promising European start-ups in their development on the French market. The program based at Station F is carried out in collaboration with the HEC Incubator. “The opportunity to be part of the world’s largest start up accelerator is a great step for us,” said Thomas Kirchner, founder of ProGlove. “Our journey so far has been incredible: We have gone from a simple prototype, made with an old iPod, to a company that supports 250 customers in various industries such as the automotive, e-commerce, aerospace and food industries. France is one of our key markets and we hope to better understand
it through the Access2Europe program at Station F.”
“The Franco-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry is proud to support ProGlove in its development in France, through the Access2Europe program, based at Station F in Paris.” says Friedemann Lotz of the Access2Europe programme. “ProGlove is a true German success story in the industry of the future. Given its very strong growth in Europe and the United States and its dynamic team, we are convinced of its potential on the French market.”


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Posted by Dale Buss on February 12, 2015 09:00 AM
ABC and CBS are expected to step up evening news marketing in absence of NBC's Brian Williams as NBC tries to stem the damage, while Viacom faces $350 million revenue shortfall from Jon Stewart's Comedy Central exit.
American Express is losing its grip on wealthiest customers.
Expedia acquires Orbitz for about $1.6 billion.
Keystone pipeline approved by US House of Representatives.
Tesla earnings hurt by delayed deliveries as company expands into consumer battery segment.Continue reading...
Posted by Shirley Brady on February 10, 2015 08:25 AM
AMC’s Better Call Saul (Cinnabon-featuring) premiere on Sunday was the biggest series premiere in the history of US cable TV.
Sony and Disney's Marvel team up on next Spider-Man movie.
JetBlue becomes first airline to accept in-flight mobile payments using Apple Pay.
Apple sets record by closing with $700 billion valuation, announces $850 million investment in solar energy.
IBM and SoftBank partner to bring Watson to Japan.Continue reading...
Posted by Dale Buss on February 9, 2015 09:16 AM
2015 GRAMMY Awards brings a big night for Sam Smith, Kanye West x adidas—and a host of brands and sponsors.
HSBC faces criminal inquiries in US and beyond for allegedly "helping clients dodge millions in tax."
McDonald's January sales fall by a worse-than-expected 1.8 percent.
NBC taps Lester Holt as embattled anchor Brian Williams takes leave of absence.
Apple promotes iPad as musician's best friend in GRAMMYs ad:Continue reading...
Posted by Dale Buss on January 29, 2015 09:15 AM
Facebook sees mobile revenue climb as ad prices soar.
McDonald's replaces CEO Don Thompson with Chief Brand Officer Steve Easterbrook as brand's struggles worsen.
Samsung sees the bottom in mobile as it battles with Apple for global dominance, as Apple aims to maintain record growth spurt.
Tim Hortons workers "blindsided" by Burger King-led layoffs.
Super Bowl pre-game activations continue, as Fiat Chrysler could still stage a surprise pull-out ... GM has presence even without ads ... GoDaddy insists its lost-puppy Super Bowl ad wasn't a stunt ... Nissan teases with "Cat's in the Cradle" and extends spot to 90 seconds ... Sprint releases teaser ... Pepsi creates crop circle near stadium in Phoenix … Wix.com represents smaller pool of B2B advertisers … and Snickers releases full Brady Bunch spot: Continue reading...
Posted by Shirley Brady on January 21, 2015 07:45 AM
Virgin Hotels opens first property in the world: a female-friendly hotel in Chicago with a virtual concierge named Lucy.
Toyota fends off Volkswagen to remain the world's biggest automaker for the third consecutive year.
Elon Musk's SpaceX confirms $1B investment by Google and Fidelity for $10B valuation.
Walmart introduces in-store tax refund pick-up for shoppers.
Dove campaign encourages girls and women to love their curls.Continue reading...
Posted by Sheila Shayon on January 2, 2015 12:33 PM
With the International Consumer Electronics Show about to get underway in Las Vegas, there is no shortage of tech trend-watchers predicting what will be hot at CES 2015.
From TIME to Wired, from the Guardian to CNET, Yahoo, the New York Times and more, the world's biggest tech gadget and geek lovers' paradise has evolved from its days as a high tech TV-flogging showcase ahead of the Super Bowl. That said, TVs will still be in abundance, from Samsung's curved screens (and egg-shaped speakers) to LG's Ultra HD 4K TVs.
CES 2015 will also be filled with wearable tech, robotics, connected cars, smart home devices and Internet of Things-savvy systems and devices galore—but the fundamental question remains: do consumers want a suite of connected products, or one device that can do it all? Or are they overwhelmed, tech-fatigued and ready to be disconnected from it all?Continue reading...
Posted by Dale Buss on November 6, 2014 09:22 AM
AB InBev announces launch of Oculto, a tequila-flavored beer, in U.S.
Tesla issues upbeat outlook while coping with short-term problems.
McDonald's gets ready for Super Bowl ad return by shuffling execs.
Amazon unveils Echo voice recognition hub.
H&M launches Alexander Wang collection worldwide.
Nike cuts ties with NFL star Adrian Peterson. Continue reading...
Posted by Sheila Shayon on October 22, 2014 01:31 PM
Augmented reality (AR) is a burgeoning playground for brands as smart tech takes on the bridging of all things physical with virtual applications to engage consumers.
AR isn’t new, but the rise of wearable technology such as smart watches and glasses, along with GPS tracking, sensors and camera technology on mobile devices, has pushed it over the tipping point. Case in point: AR start-up Magic Leap just raised $542 million in a funding round led by Google and Qualcomm.
A major player in this sphere is Blippar, which harnesses AR and image-recognition technology for smartphones, tablets and wearables. Using the Blippar app, users hold their phones over blippable content to trigger a digital experience known as “blipping.”
Brands can render any content, logos, products, magazine advertisements, billboards instantly interactive from any mobile device. Jaguar, for example, this month launched a global campaign that integrated Conde Nast print ads for Google Glass wearers, starring British actor Nicholas Hoult. Primark just launched a holiday campaign in the U.K. using its technology.
“The marketing industry is increasingly shying away from impressions and warming up to true, meaningful interactions, as these are more valuable metrics,” Blippar GM USA, Lisa Hu tells brandchannel. “This is where Blippar can truly excel from the CMO's perspective.” Continue reading...


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In a bold move towards sustainability, The North Face has unveiled its Renewed platform, revolutionizing the way consumers engage with fashion while reducing environmental impact. Serving as a resale marketplace for returned, damaged, or defective clothing directly from The North Face, Renewed exemplifies the brand's commitment to environmental stewardship and circularity in the fashion industry.
The Renewed platform introduces a novel approach to sustainable fashion, providing consumers with access to high-quality apparel that has undergone meticulous refurbishment. Through an eight-step process encompassing pre-sorting, cleaning, inspecting, repairing, and quality assurance, each garment is refurbished to meet factory-grade standards, ensuring both durability and eco-friendliness.
Beyond offering sustainable options for consumers, The North Face Renewed represents a paradigm shift towards circular design within the industry. By championing durability and cyclability, the platform leads the charge towards a future where fashion products are designed to last and easily repurposed at the end of their lifecycle.
Moreover, Renewed is part of The North Face's broader sustainability initiatives, including sourcing fabrics from recycled, regenerative, or responsibly-sourced renewable sources. By 2025, all clothing is expected to meet these criteria, with footwear and equipment to follow suit by 2030. Additionally, the company aims to eliminate single-use plastic packaging by 2025, further reducing its environmental footprint.
"Our goal is to make the best products on Earth while keeping Mother Nature, our communities, and our future in mind," says a representative from The North Face. "With the launch of Renewed and our ongoing sustainability efforts, we're redefining the norms of the fashion industry and paving the way for a more sustainable future."
As consumers increasingly prioritize eco-conscious choices, The North Face stands at the forefront, demonstrating that sustainability and style can seamlessly coexist. Through initiatives like Renewed, the brand continues to inspire change, proving that fashion can be both fashionable and environmentally responsible.


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Bicing pedals further than ever!As from today, and over the next few months, the Bicing service will be extended with an additional ninety-seven stations. Twenty of the new stations will be in places where the service is not currently available, with the number of electric bikes also set to double. A year after the new model was introduced, the service has seen a 9% increase in its use.
The roll-out of the next stage of the Bicing service aims to boost its presence in areas of the city where demand is high and provide coverage in the following eleven neighbourhoods.
- La Marina del Prat Vermell
- Vallcarca i els Penitents
- La Salut
- La Vall d’Hebron
- La Clota
- Les Roquetes
- La Trinitat Nova
- Ciutat Meridiana
Once the new stations are added there will be a total of 519, all offering a combination of electric and push bikes, around the whole city.
More electric bikes
The fleet of electric bikes will increase from 1,000 to 2,000 to cover the high demand. Electric bikes are used 9.27 times a day on average, compared to 6.01 times a day for push bikes.
The new model of mixed stations has boosted the use of electric bikes and if this trend continues, further additions to the fleet will be considered.
For the moment, once the roll-out of the second stage of the new Bicing service is completed in March, a total of 7,000 bikes will be operational, 2,000 of them electric.
A year after the new Bicing model was introduced, the service has seen a 9% increase in its use, with 1,161,847 journeys in 2019 and 11,000 more users than the previous model.
Women account for 46.2% of users and men 53.8%. Most are aged between 25 and 34 and use the service between one and five times a week, mainly to get to and from work, favouring electric bikes.
The figures come from the customer satisfaction index for 2019, which saw users give the service a score of 8.2 (out of ten) for the operating hours, the best scoring aspect ahead of maintenance (8), comfort (7.7) and user-suitability (7.4).
Users gave the service and overall score of 6.9.
Tags associated with the news item
Mobility and transportMobility and transport
12/01/2019 15:45 h


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Apple is taking out the notch in favour of a dual-cutout design, according to Ross Young. A post shared on Twitter appears to show the camera and notch design for next years iPhone.
On iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, Apple is apparently planning to place 2 cutouts in the display for the camera and Face ID array, rather than a larger single cutout to house them both as we’ve seen since iPhone X
Young specifically says that it will not be a single pill-shaped design as we have seen on Huawei phones
It is unlikely that Apple will release a phone with this design, and it is likely that this concept is only a first draft.


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A survey conducted by Explore Minnesota reveals a positive outlook for the tourism industry as the key travel season begins.
Total Tech Support offers unlimited Geek Squad assistance for an annual fee.
A year after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the company has closed a quarter of its stores and is taking a renewed focus toward online sales to grow.
New owner with big plans: Expect added categories, plus a streamlined website.
The Minneapolis-based design firm specializing in home furnishings takes home the honor with portfolio of chairs, media center, and more.
The new ads highlight the company’s blue-shirt employees and commitment to customer service, and the logo change is based on today’s digital-heavy market.
The local eyewear brand opens this month at Mall of America with plans for more stores.
The Chanhassen company, best known for its chain of gyms, is opening co-working spaces while also developing large-scale luxury apartment complexes.
The updates to the Brainerd Lakes resort are part of Cote Family Destinations’ $30 million brand-wide expansion project.
Arby’s hat and the Broiler’s flames fell this winter.
Stand Up! Records is sticking to comedy on vinyl, despite the challenges.
Hair and skincare brands from around the U.S. flew up to Target’s headquarters to learn about ways to step up their retail game.
EVINE’s stock jumped, but both companies declined to comment.
The RV-focused retailer plans to open SuperCenters in Minnesota and in nearby Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
The $40 boots — the signature item of the design collaboration — didn’t meet the retailer’s quality standards.
All 16 Herberger’s and Younkers stores will close around the state.
Best Buy, which has long viewed Amazon as one of its chief competitors, is teaming up with the e-commerce giant to sell its new Alexa-connected Fire TV Edition televisions.
“Instead of larger department stores, we’re looking to engage companies to entertain smaller sized stores with a more boutique feel,” said Minneapolis Downtown Council spokesman Mark Remme.
Coveted wellies delayed; marketing experts point to missteps
Ninety-five employees of J.J. Taylor Distribution Co. rejected a plan that asked one person to make solo deliveries of 175-pound kegs.


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Among the clinking glasses of endless mulled wine toasts, pre-Christmas mince pies and secret peeling of presents under the Christmas tree, there’s just one more thing left to do this […]
Post Tagged with: "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty"
Top stories this week: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley for M&S, Beyonce’s pregnant, McQueen exhibition comes to London and MORE!
Beyonce is pregnant! We’ve got to admit that the above picture filled us with more joy than than a full stocking on Christmas morning. Debuting her Lanvin-encased bump at the […]
To all those who’ve signed the petition to bring Alexander McQueen’s Savage Beauty exhibition to London, may you reap the rewards this morning – it’s only coming home!
This week’s style-off sees Gwen Stefani and supermodel Iman – two celebrated style icons in their own right – battle it out in a dazzling plunging-V sequined jumpsuit by Stella […]
Top stories this week: Lanvin launches childrenswear, Gap sacks Patrick Robinson, Kate Bosworth sings, Kate Middleton’s high street copy cat dress and MORE!
Gap sacks creative director: Shocking news broke this week of Gap’s creative director, Patrick Robison, receiving the doomed fire. After working with the brand for four years, the decision […]
It started on Friday with the royal wedding, and it continued on Monday at the Met Ball – now, it’s safe to say McQueen’s having a moment. Thanks to Sarah […]


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Kevin Hartz, the start-up founder and tech investor who backed Airbnb and Uber, joined the boom in blank check companies with his own vehicle, comparing their rise to the early days of venture capital.
Hartz’s special-purpose acquisition company “one” was listed on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday after raising $ 200 million to acquire and float a tech start-up. Mr Hartz has said the Spac will be the first in a franchise as he tries to improve the reputation of cash shells, which have suffered historically poorly.
âJust as we saw in the ’70s and’ 80s venture capital started to grow and in the ’90s to really take off, we are seeing the same thing with Spacs,â Hartz told the Financial Times. âThis is the time and place for Spacs.
Mr Hartz said he ultimately wants his Spacs to be delivered without stock warrants, which can be lucrative for investors but costly for companies, and to reduce the cut received by his sponsoring company, A-star.
âThe promotion is just huge right now,â Hartz said, referring to the part of Spacs owned by their founders, typically 20%. “He tracks down upholsterers and unsavory figures.”
Although Spac is “several times oversubscribed,” Hartz said he chose not to increase its size so it could target companies as small as $ 1 billion.
The announcement comes as other Silicon Valley investors look to launch Spacs or merge their businesses with vehicles, as venture capitalists observe a growing list of investments that wait years to go public or be acquired.
Spacs raised a total of $ 27.5 billion in public offerings in the United States this year, according to data from Refinitiv, more than double their total from last year.
That includes more than $ 1 billion raised by former Facebook executive Chamath Palihapitiya for two Spacs after its first version went public with space tourism company Virgin Galactic in 2019.
Ribbit Capital, a fintech investor who has backed the Coinbase cryptocurrency exchange and Robinhood trading app, also plans to raise more than $ 600 million for a Spac, people briefed on its plans have said.
” We saw [staying private] go horribly wrong with overcapitalization, with poor governance practice, so we see this as a critical move, âHartz said.
But Spacs still has a reputation for targeting underperforming companies, providing a backdoor to public procurement for companies that would struggle to complete a traditional public offering.
Mr Hartz, who co-founded the Eventbrite ticketing company with his wife Julia, said he would use his connections in Silicon Valley to promote the new vehicle. Mr. Hartz is also known as a prolific early-stage investor in start-ups personally and through his company, Y Ventures.
Mr. Hartz’s Spac is chaired by venture capitalist Pierre Lamond, a former partner of Sequoia Capital, known for having supported several large semiconductor companies. Goldman Sachs advised the offer.
âOur reception and the inbound calls we have received indicate that [venture capitalists] all of them have a lot of portfolio companies asking about it, âHartz said.


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iPhone 6 arrives
The iPhone 6 was only recently announced and this week became available for those who pre-ordered them. Buyers hit Apple and other retailers Friday to pick up the iPhone(s) they ordered at launch.
As expected, the larger iPhone 6 Plus was in short supply but the iPhone 6 was readily available in most locations.
iOS 8 released
Two days before the iPhone 6 became available, iOS 8 was released for download. It is no surprise that Apple's servers were slammed, and some reported long download times as a result.
The release was immediately followed by app updates to support iOS 8. It was impressive to see how fast updates appeared on a near continual basis after iOS 8 became available.
Apple preinstalls iWork and iLife on iPhone 6
To give it a leg up over office suites from competitors (Microsoft Office, anyone?), Apple is preinstalling the iWork suite on iPhone 6 with at least 64GB of storage.
The iWork suite includes Numbers, Pages, and Keynote. These are big apps and preinstalling them saves the new iPhone owner a lot of time.
Apple is also installing the iLife suite on these iPhones, which includes iMovie, iPhoto, and GarageBand.
Android owners switching to iPhone 6 get help from Apple
Apple is expecting some Android owners to switch to the iPhone 6 and has published tips for moving content over to the new phone.
The tips cover moving email, calendars, contacts, books, music, photos, and documents from Android devices to the iPhone 6.
Patent shows dynamic notification alerts based on location and environment
A new patent published by Apple uses the owner's immediate environment to determine the best way to send notifications to iPhone and Apple Watch. The patent describes using sensors to determine how noisy it is around the user and altering the alert method accordingly.
If the sensor determines it is loud, it will raise the volume of the notification. Too loud and it will vibrate (think Apple Watch) to make sure the alert is not missed.
Source: Cult of Mac
SwiftKey for iOS 8 hits a million downloads in less than 24 hours
The top Android keyboard app SwiftKey went live with iOS 8 and has proven its popularity with a massive number of downloads the first day.
SwiftKey for iOS rapidly rose to the #1 position in the App Store, and the company states it has been downloaded over a million times the first day. Apple allows third-party keyboard apps in iOS 8 for the first time and device owners are snapping them up.


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Hurricane Sandy cost automakers 15,000 vehicles, may have ruined up to 200kWed, 07 Nov 2012 16:29:00 ESTToyota, Chrysler, Nissan and Honda are set to scrap around 15,000 new vehicles ruined by the storm. Nissan alone accounts for about 40 percent of those, with 6,000 Nissan and Infiniti models deeded "un-saleable" due to damage. The company saw 56 dealerships shuttered due to the storm, but 51 of those have since reopened.
Toyota, meanwhile, had some 4,000 vehicles at its Newark port facility, and of those, 3,000 may be scrapped. An additional 825 were dealer inventory when they were ruined. Honda and Acura dealers are reportedly sending 3,440 vehicles to the salvage yard. By comparison, Chrysler weathered the storm fairly well with 825 units destroyed, while Hyundai suffered only 400 lost units and Kia scrapped around 200.
As you may recall, Fisker also suffered some losses, and Automotive News reports the manufacturer saw 320 Karma models damaged beyond repair. Ford and General Motors have yet to come up with estimates, and no automaker has commented on the full cost of replacing the vehicles.
Meanwhile, NADA said the storm could claim as many as 200,000 personal vehicles.
By Zach Bowman
See also: Toyota recalling 11,200 Scion iQ models over faulty passenger sensors, Acura preps ILX for endurance racing challenge, SEMA crowns Mustang, FR-S as this year's hottest cars in the building.


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Over the last year, the Ford self-driving vehicle program has been growing. From a $1 billion investment in Argo AI to a new pilot with Domino’s Pizza, its success continues. The American carmaker is now conducting another pilot program with Postmates in order to learn how self-driving vehicles can change the delivery experience.
Throughout the pilot program, when consumers use Postmates to place an order, a self-driving vehicle could act as the delivery boy. This will allow Ford to study not only what the merchant experience must be like at the point of delivery, but also what the customer experience needs to be at the same point.
This pilot program is one of many announcements made by Jim Hackett, Ford’s CEO, during his speech at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. It ties into the larger Ford vision, including the creation of a Ford Transportation Mobility Cloud, which is an open-source platform that allows cities and cars to communicate with one another.
According to Hackett, these types of pilot programs “will help [Ford] validate our self-driving business model by working with partners and reaching out to different communities and stakeholders to understand their needs, as well as how they can benefit from autonomous vehicles.”
While self-driving vehicles won’t be in the Gurley Motors Co. showroom anytime soon, it’s still interesting to see the big steps Ford is taking towards releasing this type of technology, and we are proud to be part of the Ford family.


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This weekend only, get our new Marketplace zip up hoodie when you donate $8/month instead of $16/month. Don’t wait — this offer ends at midnight Sunday!
Stories You Might Like Marketplace Tech for Monday, October 10, 2016 Marketplace Morning Report for Monday, October 10, 2016 Marketplace for Monday, October 10, 2016 The new eviction moratorium extends to October. Where’s the renters aid? US hiring bounces back in October with 531,000 jobs added October will have you seeing pink
Segments From this episode
With Google's $1.6 billion purchase of YouTube, the online video market has hit the big-time. And each company has something the other one needs, Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.
Starting today, India implements a law that forbids children under the age of 14 from working in homes or restaurants. Miranda Kennedy looks at whether the new law will have an impact on the practice of hiring kids.
Gas prices are up, gas prices are down — but where does that leave alternative energy technology? As Sam Eaton reports, a lot would have to change to make alternative fuels economically viable.
Drug maker Imclone is back in the news. Chairman David Kies quit this morning over an ugly board fight involving activist investor and board member Carl Icahn. Scott Tong has the story.
With the resignation of its CEO and continued problems for the A380, you might think Airbus is headed for disaster. But it could be poised to hunker down and reinvent as rival Boeing did years ago. Jason Paur reports.
Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina's book hits stores shelves today. With HP all over headlines, the timing couldn't be better. The book's add more details to the story, Rachel Dornhelm reports.
The trucking industry is in the middle of its worst labor shortage ever. As companies hone their recruiting efforts, they're focusing on one group of potential truckers: Baby Boomers. Martha Woodroof tells us it could be a match made in economic heaven.


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Bike Jump with over 2 million downloads!
Bike Jump, released on July 25th, has already managed to attract over 2 million players across both platforms.
BoomBit is proud to inform that its latest hyper casual game is enjoying great popularity, positioning it as another great hyper-casual success in recent months. With over 2 million downloads on iOS in Google Play, the game is poised to become another global phenomenon in BoomBit’s portfolio.
BoomBit continues its dynamic growth on the global hyper-casual market and games like Bike Jump are a great proof that our ideas can resonate with a high and diverse global audience.
Thank you to all players, fans and customers for making this great success possible!


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Archive for the ‘htc’ Tag
HTC has left us hoping with their upcoming Touch HD phone but they are not planning to bring it over here in North America.
According to a post on a Twitter account, HTC says that by the time they can have it here, the technology will already be “passé”. However, they apparently have “other cool stuff” for us. Let’s hope they live up to it!
The Android Authority has an article that suggests the the new T-Mobile HTC G1 phone will be selling at under the announced price of $179 with a two-year contract.
The price is rumored to be around $99 at select retail locations. Does this mean three-year contract or perhaps on a more expensive monthly plan? We’ll have to wait and see.
Since I speak both English and French, I prepared the following translation of some of the highlights in the video that the guys at Génération Phone House did of the HTC Touch HD cell phone.
They start by saying that the version they have on hand is not the definitive and final version but that it is almost production.
The first cell phone to officially support Google’s Android platform will be the HTC Dream. T-Mobile will unveil it on September 23rd during a press conference in New York city.
I found this post on a French tech web site that says there will be a white version of the HTC Touch Diamond available in October in Europe.
I haven’t found anything else supporting that though so I can just tell you to check it out for yourselves…
It’s official and on the HTC web site right now for your viewing pleasure.
The HTC Touch HD will have a 3.8 inch touch screen featuring a 480 x 800 WVGA resolution. It will have a standard 3.5” headphone jack (nice), GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth®: 2.0 with EDR and will run at 528Mhz.
This phone will also have a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus.
Expect it in Q4 of 2008 for Europe but no date yet for the Americas.


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The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), the umbrella body of all local manufacturers in Nigeria, has disclosed that insecurity in the country is severely affecting the prompt movement of their goods nationwide. MAN noted that this problem had made many of its members to be having challenges in increasing their revenue profiles, producing more goods and servicing debt repayment.
The association said that the country’s transportation and storage sector were adversely impacted by insecurity, thereby recording the most severe contraction of 21.89 per cent, principally driven by double-digit contraction in road transport sub-sector (-23.75 per cent) and aviation (-11.73 per cent) in the first quarter of the year.
MAN, in its in-house Newsletter for July 2021, pointed out that local manufacturers were yet to overcome the profound challenges of COVID-19, adding that currently, insecurity had worsened their businesses in the area of movement, with the country’s transport and aviation sectors being impacted severely in the process. According to the newsletter, the transport sector of the economy plays a critical role in the country’s manufacturing sector, especially the road sub-sector, in the movement of people, goods and services nationwide.
It stated that the worsening insecurity on Nigerian roads was alarming and worrisome, saying that some of its members’ goods loaded in trucks were being attacked and goods carted away by hoodlums, causing huge losses. Also, the insecurity has forced many local manufacturers to be producing at an average capacity since they cannot have easy access to raw materials for production. MAN said: “We attribute the underwhelming performance of the road transport sub-sector to the multidimensional impact of insecurity on movement of people, goods and services and that of aviation sector, to difficulties experienced by industry players in sourcing foreign exchange and fewer international travels due to lockdown restrictions in some parts of Europe and Asia.”
Moreover, it would be recalled that the Group Managing Director of Chemstar Paints Industry Nigeria Limited, manufacturer of Fine-coat Paints and Shield Paints, Mr. Adedayo Paseda, bemoaned the heightened insecurity level in the country, saying it had caused the company a huge loss. According to him, the company has, since last year, at the peak of COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown, as well as the heightened insecurity in the country, been operating below capacity of between 50 and 60 per cent of its production and output capacity. “Our operations cover the entire country, but there are several states and areas across the federation where we could not send our staff or vehicles with our products because of insecurity. There are places that our vehicles can no longer go even in the South-West to deliver our products,” he said.
Paseda, who lamented the huge losses, the global health challenge and lack of security in the face of incessant kidnapping and killing by bandits and Boko Haram insurgents, noted: “We have recorded losses in terms of man-hour and output, even when the COVID-19 lockdown was relaxed, our output was less than 50 per cent of what it usually be. “At least 30 per cent less throughout last year, except at the end of the years when it rose between 50 and 70 per cent of what we used to record before the outbreak of COVID-19 and high level of insecurity.”


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Reed Elsevier has said that it intends to sell off its UK magazine
business, IPC, as a single unit, although analysts maintain Reed would
gain a higher price if it sold the different divisions separately.
In an internal letter to IPC employees, John Mellon, chairman of IPC and
board director of Reed Elsevier, said: ’It is Reed Elsevier’s intention
to offer IPC Magazines for sale as a whole, with the exception of New
Scientist.’ The special interest title will be retained because it fits
into the company’s scientific publishing portfolio.
Media owners including Hearst, Bertelsmann, United News & Media, Emap
and Gruner & Jaher are believed to have signalled their intention to put
forward bids, but venture capital groups are also said to be interested.
Senior sources at IPC indicate the company’s chief executive, Mike
Matthew, is also likely to put forward a management buyout bid with the
backing of a number of financial institutions. Matthew could not be
contacted to confirm this.
The sale of IPC, which owns more than 70 titles, was announced by Reed
Elsevier on Monday and is believed to have been brought forward
following speculation about Reed selling the group, which no longer fits
into its publishing portfolio.
SBC Warburg Dillon Read has been appointed to handle the sale, which
will be completed by the end of February 1998. City analysts put the
value of IPC at around pounds 750 million, dismissing suggestions that
the sale could reach as much as pounds 1billion.
It is understood that tax laws, which have dissuaded Reed from going
through with the sale until now, are likely to change in the
Chancellor’s next Budget.


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Prior to the Worldwide Developers Conference keynote Apple hosted on Monday, there were several reports that surfaced saying the company would launch a software development kit for the Apple TV. The reports reasoned that Apple is trying to extend the usability of its Apple TV, and can use that with help from third-party apps.
But alas, as Apple showed off the new iOS 6 and Mountain Lion, and unveiled the MacBook Pro with Retina display, the company made no mention of the Apple TV. And at least for now, third-party application development won’t be coming to the set-top box.
But I’m not so sure we should stop at “for now.” Apple has made it clear in the past that it has no interest in turning the Apple TV into anything more than a hobby. And the very fact that it didn’t even mention the device during its keynote address seems to indicate to me that it has turned its back on the set-top box.
It’s unfortunate. I’ve been a major fan of the Apple TV since it first launched. And although the latest iteration that lacks storage and forces users to stream content is a bit annoying, it has a lot of promise. With some help from apps, who knows what this set-top box could achieve?
For now, I’m not sure what Apple has planned. On one hand, I wonder if the company will finally announce the long-rumored television and put to an end all of the speculation surrounding that device. More importantly, it’ll put to an end any and all concern that the company doesn’t want to make a splash in the living room.
[aquote]What if Apple actually doesn’t announce a television?[/aquote]
But what if Apple actually doesn’t announce a television? What if the company has secretly decided against a television, and has turned its back on the living room? What will that mean for the floundering Apple TV? And what could it mean for Google, which obviously has its sights set on that room?
I suppose that when it’s all said and done, I’m fine with Apple eliminating the Apple TV. Yes, I’m a fan of the set-top box, but let’s face it: if Apple doesn’t care, why should I? As days continue to go by with Apple even mentioning its set-top box, I can’t help but resign to the fact that it wants us all to forget about the Apple TV. Maybe I, like so many others, should give in to that demand and move on.
Third-party apps could have been the game-changer that we’re all looking for in the living room. It could have delivered the kind of overall productivity we just don’t have when relaxing at night. Instead, it focused on all of its other products.
So long, Apple TV. It was nice knowing you.


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- SPRWF recorded revenues of approximately $19 million net of excise tax for Q4 2019, representing a jump of over 400 percent
- Supreme Cannabis forecasts net revenue for fiscal 2020 in the range of $150 million to $180 million
- The company recently closed on its acquisition of privately held Truverra for 14.7 million common shares
The Supreme Cannabis Company Inc. (TSX: FIRE) (OTCQX: SPRWF) (FRA: 53S1) recently announced preliminary figures for the quarter ended June 30, 2019, and for its full fiscal year 2019 (http://nnw.fm/v97WP). Preliminary figures show sales of $19 million net of excise tax for the three-month period. The company also anticipates reporting positive adjusted EBITDA on a consolidated basis for the 12-month period.
Supreme Cannabis’ figures are noteworthy when compared with others within the industry. Sales for the quarter are expected to have jumped more than 400 percent over fourth quarter 2018, when revenue was $3.55 million. Additionally, Supreme Cannabis expects net revenue in the range of $150 million to $180 million for fiscal year 2020, outpacing industry analysts’ expectations. Audited figures for Q4 2019 and the full year will be reported by Supreme Cannabis on September 17 after market close.
The company also expects to report positive adjusted EBITDA on aggregate for the year, positioning it as one of the few cannabis firms able to achieve this result. Based in Toronto, Canada, Supreme Cannabis is focusing on its strategy of pursuing opportunities and generating sustainable growth in what it sees as a global emerging cannabis market. It boasts industry-leading brands and international optionality.
“In a sector dominated by headlines, our measured approach to capital deployment and brand-building sets us apart,” Supreme Cannabis CEO Navdeep Dhaliwal stated in a news release. “We believe our preliminary results demonstrate the strength of our business during an inflection point within the industry, [signifying a] path toward profitability and continued disciplined growth.”
The continued success of Supreme Cannabis has been noted by industry spokespeople for some time. Bank of America Merrill Lynch initiated coverage of Supreme Cannabis in April with a ‘buy’ rating. Analyst Christopher Carey sent a note, calling the company an “underappreciated small cap” and praising its premium retail strategy and efficient delivery format (http://nnw.fm/8cKOW).
“Our company has taken deliberate steps to grow in a focused, responsible and compliant manner, building a strong core business and an authentic brand and then expanding into new lines of business and international markets,” Dhaliwal noted. “Looking forward, we remain focused on building our portfolio of premium consumer experience driven brands.”
Another reason for optimism from Supreme Cannabis is its recent close on the acquisition of Toronto-based and privately held Truverra for 14.7 million shares of Supreme Cannabis’ common stock. Truverra will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Supreme Cannabis (http://nnw.fm/n84Y0).
The purchase intensifies the focus by Supreme Cannabis on expanding its cannabis presence in Europe. A subsidiary of Truverra is Netherlands-based Truverra Europe, which sells hemp-based CBD products in select European markets (http://nnw.fm/jBW50).
The Supreme Cannabis portfolio includes 7ACRES, an award-winning brand; Cambium Plant Sciences, a cultivation IP and plant genetics company; Medigrow Lesotho, a South African cannabis oil producer; Supreme Heights, an investment platform focused on CBD; and a brand partnership and licensing deal with Khalifa Kush Enterprises Canada.
For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Supreme.ca
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to SPRWF are available in the company’s newsroom at http://nnw.fm/SPRWF
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Behind the British Airways Data Breach: Poor Digital Governance?
Another day, another data breach. British Airways recently announced that 380,000 customer financial records had been stolen by malicious actors through their mobile and desktop sites. It seems data breaches like these have become a regular part of our lives and a common headline in our daily newsfeeds. Yet no matter how common these incidents have become and despite growing concerns, companies appear to be overlooking some relatively easy to implement safeguards for protecting their customers.
Recent scandals involving Facebook and Cambridge Analytica have only increased the focus that consumers have around how their data is collected and used, as Gallup recently discovered. And with laws like GDPR now in effect, companies have even more incentive to ensure that they’re handling data in a secure and sensitive manner. So why do data breaches still happen?
Lack of Digital Governance
Modern web applications are increasingly reliant on third-party technologies to provide valuable insight and create business value to the organization. In fact, our friends at Ghostery published a study showing that 79% of global websites are using third-party scripts often for tracking or advertising purposes. But this reliance can be a gamble, as these scripts introduce ways in which bad actors can get onto your site. Some experts speculate that the British Airways breach could be tracked back to a few lines of malicious code on their site.
This story and the vast number of people potentially affected underscores the importance of establishing a Digital Governance policy. Understanding which third-party technologies are currently collecting data on your site and how they got there is the first step in creating a digital governance process. You wouldn’t allow strangers to walk through your office unsupervised, why allow them to do so on your site?
To illustrate the complex ecosystem of tags that lie beneath the average enterprise company’s website, here’s an example using our proprietary Trackermap® tool. Here you’re seeing not only the tags this unnamed organization has added to their website, but the additional tags that came along with them.
To get an idea of the tags lurking underneath the hood of your website, you can try it for free.
What is Digital Governance?
Digital Governance is the process by which your company undertakes an evaluation of the digital technologies, assets, and properties that you own and assigns ownership to them. So, for example, if one of your key business vendors goes down, you know who to turn to internally to get them back up and running. Large organizations with globally distributed marketing teams and multiple stakeholders are often the ones most in need of this help.
Setting up this foundation for accountability begins with auditing and understanding the technologies currently being used on your site, determining who is responsible for them, and establishing the business value of each vendor. Once that’s been done, it’s time to conduct a risk assessment by going through each tag and asking the question: do we really need this tag on our site considering the exposure or liability it poses?
The Benefits of a Digital Governance Strategy
Establishing a digital governance strategy provides real tangible value to organizations that are reliant on third-party digital vendors. The benefits of such a strategy include:
So, where do you start when it comes to building a digital governance strategy? This is where Crownpeak can help. Our patented monitoring and governance solutions provide companies with clear insight into what’s happening on their websites. Through automated alerts and reporting, we make it easy to stay on-top of your vendors and ensure that they’re delivering safe and effective solutions for your business.
From mitigating the risks associated with the use of third-party tags to helping you comply with data privacy laws, we provide technology to ensure your digital governance strategy is successful.
Perhaps more importantly, we’re here to make sure your organization stays out of the headlines in this age of data breaches, loss of customer trust, and data privacy incidents.
View original content: Here
Related Crownpeak News:


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Nintendo has announced via Twitter that they will be streaming a new Nintendo Direct tomorrow. The video will be available at 6:00 A.M. Pacific Time on the 18th of December.
The stream is said to focus on upcoming software for both the Nintendo Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS consoles all the way through Spring 2014. If you're interested, the stream is available on their website, or you can catch it later on their YouTube channel.
Be sure to check back here tomorrow as we will be covering any big news that comes from the announcements.


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Yuva Express, the low-cost AC
train launched with much fanfare last year for unemployed
youths, has failed to impress them.
Delhi Government will soon
sign an agreement with Bharti Wal Mart Pvt Ltd under
which the wholesale chain will provide skill development
training to unemployed youths in the city.
Day in Pics: 21st October
Showbiz World - October 21, 2014
Dia Mirza-Sahil Sangha Wedding Pictures


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Showing 3 results
24 July 2020
After four months of closure, it felt wonderful to reopen our doors on 22 July, welcoming researchers back to four Readi...
10 July 2020
We are working to make long term improvements to the way we work but there will some short term disruption to our servic...
07 July 2020
Our online shop has now re-opened following an 8-week closure.


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Janice Gault, NI Hotels Federation, Chief Executive, Glyn Roberts, Retail NI, Chief Executive and Joel Neill, Operations Director, Hospitality Ulster welcome the Royal College of Nursing to Belfast.
Belfast’s hospitality, retail and hotel sectors have come together to extend a joint welcome to the 5,000 delegates from the Royal College of Nursing who will be attending their annual congress at Belfast Waterfront, starting this Saturday.
The 2018 Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Annual Congress which will take place between 12-16 May, will be the largest conference held in the international conference centre to date and, in a bid to make sure everyone has a positive and enjoyable Belfast experience, hotels, restaurants, bars and shops will be using the conference’s official hashtag to attract the nurses during their five day stay.
Using the #RCN18, Belfast businesses are encouraged to promote their offerings to the nurses – who won the Freedom of the City back in 2016.
Joel Neill, Operations Director, Hospitality Ulster said: “The impact of the Royal College of Nursing Congress on the local economy has been estimated at £4.8m over the duration of the conference. This is a great opportunity for local hospitality businesses to attract the delegates with their wide range of offerings, as well as giving them a big Belfast welcome.”
Glyn Roberts, Chief Executive of Retail NI added: “Having 5,000 delegates stay in our city is a significant win for Belfast and the boost to the local economy is welcomed amongst our members. We’re delighted to play a part in welcoming the Congress and we hope that attendees enjoy the vibrancy that Belfast has to offer as well as the terrific range of retail outlets, hotels, bars and restaurants in our city.”
Janice Gault, Chief Executive of Northern Ireland Hotels Federation (NIHF) also advised: “The NIHF is delighted to welcome Royal College of Nursing Congress to Belfast. This is a real success story for the city and shows what we can do when we all work in partnership. We look forward to having the opportunity to give the delegates a great experience during their stay in the city.
“The NIHF and its members are committed to developing the city as a conference destination and feel that success for Belfast Waterfront is intrinsically linked to hotel performance. The hotel sector will have invested £500m in new product, extensions and refurbishments by the end of 2019 much of it in Belfast. Growing the conference market and attracting significant associations like the RCN is a key factor in ensuring the hotel sector reaches its potential.”
The RCN is the largest union and professional body for the nursing profession in the United Kingdom. Representing over 420,000 members, including nurses, midwives, healthcare workers and students, the Annual Congress is the Association’s flagship debating forum and helps to inform the RCN’s policies and work for the coming year. As the UK’s largest exhibition of nursing products and services, the Congress will include over 100 events across the five days.
Belfast Waterfront and Visit Belfast, the tourism marketing agency for Belfast, jointly submitted the successful bid to host the conference. The bid was further supported by Tourism NI, the public body responsible for growing tourism throughout the province and the aim of these collaborative efforts is to position Belfast as a world-class destination for conferences and events.
Visit Belfast and Tourism NI provide the Belfast Waterfront with a wide range of industry support, which has been integral in securing the RCN Congress. The city is in a better position than ever before to host a conference of this scale, following the £29.5m extension to Belfast Waterfront, unveiled in 2016. The redevelopment was funded by Belfast City Council, Tourism NI and the European Regional Development Fund.
Catherine Toolan, Managing Director of Belfast Waterfront, said the support from Belfast’s hospitality, retail and hotel sectors demonstrated Belfast’s unique attitude as a city: “RCN Congress is the premier event in the nursing calendar and we’re delighted that Belfast Waterfront is the host venue for 2018. We have the venue, infrastructure and scale to host events of this nature – but what really sets Belfast apart is the vibrancy and energy of the people and businesses of this great city, and that’s being demonstrated already by this warm gesture from our partners in the hospitality, retail and hotel sectors.
“I know that our wonderful variety of shops, bars, restaurants, hotels and cafes will welcome delegates with open arms. This conference alone will have an economic impact on the city of nearly £5m, illustrating that when Belfast Waterfront wins, everyone wins.”
For more information and a full agenda of the RCN congress visit www.rcn.org.uk/congress


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Tasting event at the Marriott Marquis Hotel
New York again and again! This time on Tuesday, April 24, 2018, the next stop of our roadshow was the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York alongside the Grand Tour of Wine Spectator magazine. PGI Epanomi wines were presented by sommelier Natalie Tapken and US wine ambassador Andreas Zinelis. More than 100 wine-making professionals had the opportunity to taste PGI Epanomi wines, making this event our most successful… till the next!


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For nearly a month, every time someone checks in at a Walgreens on Foursquare or Facebook Places the retailer will donate a flu shot to an uninsured, underinsured, or financially in-need person. The initiative will run nationwide and in Puerto Rico from Sunday through Oct. 8, Adam Kmiec, the brand’s social media director, told ClickZ News.
Up to 200,000 flu shot vouchers will be distributed by Walgreens via five major cause organizations which, he said, will be announced on Monday. Flu season begins Oct. 1.
Due to a recent successful campaign on Foursquare with movie rentals brand Redbox, Kmiec said, Walgreens’ team expects to see more activity via that app compared to Facebook Places. But he emphasized the campaign is platform neutral.
“Foursquare has been a great partner, combining social with location,” he explained. “If people prefer to use Facebook Places… fantastic.”
Photo credit: Ramon D.
With more and more customers turning to social platforms like Twitter when they need help with a company’s products or services, social customer care ... read more
Election 2016 is already like no presidential race before it, and one of the most striking aspects of this year’s race is the disparity ... read more


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IDC and Gartner have released new numbers for the global PC market that show a decline in the third quarter of 2016, but one not as sharp as those of the past two years.
10 Priorities, Concerns Facing State CIOs
(Click image for larger view and slideshow.)
The global PC market continues to struggle, but there are signs of stability following two years of declines, according to new numbers from IDC and Gartner.
Although the two analyst firms differ when it comes to specific numbers, the two Oct. 11 reports found that declines in the PC market during the third quarter of 2016, were not as sharp as earlier ones. IDC and Gartner found that shipments totaled about 68 million units during the last three-month period.
In the Gartner report, principal analyst Mikako Kitagawa noted that people and companies are simply holding onto older machines for longer. Even with the release of new technology, such as Microsoft's Windows 10 in 2015, there appears to be no rush to upgrade to new models, especially when the current crop of desktops and laptops continue to work well.
In addition, Kitagawa notes that back-to-school sales in the consumer market have failed to generate excitement about new PCs. In most cases, whether it's in the developed economies or emerging markets, users are accessing the internet through smartphones or phablets.
However, the slowing fall in shipments is welcome in an industry that is consolidating. That consolidation is one of the reasons IDC cited explaining why the market has stabilized somewhat during the past quarter.
"The better than expected results reflect competition among the market leaders and an effort to capitalize on market consolidation and future stabilization," according to the IDC report. "After struggling to reduce inventory over the past year or more, PC vendors are now rebuilding inventory for the second half of the year."
As for the specifics, Gartner found that 68.9 million PCs shipped during the third quarter of 2016, a 5.7% decline from the third quarter of 2015, when shipments totaled about 73 million. While this marks the eighth consecutive quarter of decline for the PC market -- the greatest duration in the history of PCs -- it's less of a drop than in some of the previous quarters.
In the US, PC shipments totaled 16.2 million units, essentially flat growth compared to the third quarter of 2015, according to Gartner.
The top six PC vendors accounted for nearly 78% of all shipments. That fact signals the consolidation the analyst firm cited. Lenovo remained in the top spot with over 14.4 million PCs shipped during the quarter, but HP Inc. was a close second with 14 million total shipments.
Dell, Asus, Apple, and Acer round out the top six vendors, according to Gartner. Of note, Apple's shipments dropped about 13% from 2016 to 2015, since the company has not offered a major refresh of its Mac lineup for some time.
However, the IDC numbers are slightly different. According to its calculations, PC shipments declined 3.9% between the third quarter of 2015 and the third quarter of this year. For the third quarter of 2016, shipments totaled about 68 million units, compared to 70.1 million units a year ago.
In the US, shipments increased slightly -- about 1.7% -- from 17.2 million units in the third quarter of 2015 to about 17.6 million in 2016.
"As expected, Chromebooks had another banner quarter in the K-12 market," according to IDC. "Additionally, inventory replenishment in the channel continued, helping to drive total PC shipments above 17.5 million units. However, despite the positive growth, IDC maintains a cautious outlook for the fourth quarter."
It should be noted that Gartner numbers do not include Chromebooks in its calculations.
The IDC numbers place Lenovo in the top spot with 14.4 million PCs shipped worldwide. HP Inc. placed second with 14 million units shipped. Dell, Apple, and Asus rounded out the list.
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In 2010, we got the first Ford Raptor off-road performance truck. Soon after, the Ford Ranger left America. I know people have been hoping that some way, some how, the two would be combined and now you can literally watch that happen. We still have to pray that the Ford Ranger Raptor will some day be sold in America, but for now it’s pretty neat to watch them get built.
Ford Thailand uploaded a video of its assembly line, showing the new Ranger Raptor’s mechanical birthing process pretty much from start to finish. But I actually like this reupload from Auto TV better, because it has a bunch of action footage afterwards:
We do know that the 2019 Ford Ranger, in non-Raptor form, will be hitting American dealers for sure to compete against the Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon, Toyota Tacoma, Nissan Frontier and kind of, the Honda Ridgeline.
The new U.S. market Ranger is neat but based on specs alone, I’m not convinced it’s going to stand out in our current mid-sized market. However, a badass air-grabbing sand-mashing Raptor version with Fox off-road shocks and aggressive tires? Now that I would be pumped to see.
I think an EcoBoost-powered Ranger Raptor could give the cool but slow Colorado ZR2 a run for its money, and that would be a great new battlefield for the old Ford versus Chevy showdown that seems to be endless and ongoing.


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Monday, July 9, has been called “Internet Doomsday” because there is a chance to that several hundreds of thousands of users won’t be able to use the internet then.
Well, a group of international hackers ran an online advertising scam and took control of more than a half million computers around the world once they became infected. The FBI went after the hackers in late 2011, only to find out if they turned off the bad servers that were being used to control those computers, the infected users wouldn’t be able to access the Internet.
So the FBI set up some clean servers to serve those infected machines, but as the FBI doesn’t want to be America Online, it’s shutting down those servers Monday and those infected users will lose online access. There have been plenty of online warnings to users to check and clean their machines. Still, as of Friday, the FBI is saying nearly 300,000 computers worldwide and about 65,000 in the United States are still affected.
The FBI servers go off at 12:01 a.m. Monday, July 9. If you cannot access the net then, contact your service providers for details.
Meanwhile, there’s a simple way to check to see if you are in trouble.
People whose computers are still infected Monday will lose their ability to go online, and they will have to call their service providers for help deleting the malware and reconnecting to the Internet. Some providers, like Comcast, have already contacted customers it detected to be in trouble. Facebook and Google have had similar warning systems.
To check whether your computer is infected, visit a website run by the group brought in by the FBI: http://www.dcwg.org.


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Uber is planning to raise another large sum of money that could propel its value to $50 billion or higher, the Wall Street Journal reported Saturday, citing people familiar with the company's plans.
The ride-sharing company, currently the darling of Silicon Valley startups, has told investors it plans to raise at least $1.5 billion in fresh capital, The Journal reported, citing unnamed sources. The round of funding could cement Uber's status as the richest startup in history, the publication reported, saying that only Facebook was worth $50 billion before going public.
In fact, Uber's valuation could go even higher before it goes public, the WSJ reported.
Uber's revenue after paying drivers was roughly $400 million, The Wall Street Journal reported. That means the company could be worth more than 120 times its trailing revenue.
More information can be found at the Journal's website (note subscription may be required).


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Farmhouse Owner and Executive Chef Rich Mead is pleased to present the “Meet the Makers” dinner series. Among the olive trees in the restaurant’s unforgettable garden setting, the monthly dinners will continue through fall. Celebrating local winemakers, farmers, fishermen, distillers and industry innovators, the Meet the Makers series will forge a deeper connection between the restaurant guests and the food and beverages they enjoy, highlighting the impact of supporting local and sustainable businesses.
The first event in the series will take place on Thursday, March 19 at 5:30 p.m. and spotlight friends of Farmhouse, Co-founder Robin Christenson and Head Distiller Ryan Friesen of Blinking Owl Distillery, and Communications Manager Sherry Mandell of the Tehachapi Heritage Grain Project. Learn about the two local projects while experiencing the unique ingredients they produce within a special menu of small plates and beverage pairing courtesy of Chef Mead and Farmhouse’s cocktail specialists led by Chef de Swigs, Anthony Laborin.
To purchase tickets, call 949.640.1415


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The gaming industry grows bigger, and so do fraudsters. According to 2013 Online Fraud Report by CyberSource, online merchants lost $3.5 billion to online fraud in 2012, and what’s worse, this figure has been that high for several years in a row.
Realizing that your game needs a complex anti-fraud tool and finding one is crucial. Fraud prevention is not just about address and card code verification. Instead, it is about a whole range of security measures both, automatic and manual.
Here, at Xsolla, we are perfectly aware of this and provide fraud management services along with payment services to all our partners. If your game does not yet have a fraud detection system, you certainly should consider getting one or at least pay attention to facts signaling fraud.


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When two of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical companies announced a tie-up in Japan, its $78 billion drug industry took note.
In November, the nation’s largest drugmaker, Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., said it’d separate its off-patent products and share its extensive domestic distribution network with Israel’s Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., the world’s largest seller of generic medicines. Their goal: to gain an edge as the government seeks to lower costs for the national health care program by encouraging the use of generics, which are cheaper.
The government’s push is reshaping what was once one of the world’s most lucrative drug markets, where favorable policies have for years aided the sales of international pharmaceutical brands such as AstraZeneca Plc, Roche Holding Ag and Novartis AG.
But an aging population and a massive government debt burden now have Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government insisting on price cuts on branded drugs and pushing for a speedier transition to generics. The shift began about two years ago, and recently the government has been targeting price reductions with more frequency.
“Nobody imagined that this radical change could happen here,” said Masato Iwasaki, who heads up Takeda’s domestic business unit, in a Tokyo interview. “Everybody had believed the market would continue growing, but now government pressure is changing the focus.”
The government has said that in the next few years it would like to see generics make up about 80 percent of prescriptions in Japan from about 50 percent now. That’s bad news for makers of branded pharmaceuticals, especially those that are off-patent. Meanwhile, the generics industry — forecast to grow at 10 percent annually by some estimates — is turning into a rare bright spot.
Sanjeev Kumar, a consultant at market research firm Frost & Sullivan predicts more consolidation in Japan as small and midsize companies seek to become more competitive and big international firms make deals to get a better foothold in generics.
“The Takeda-Teva deal took people by surprise, and is one that could be a trendsetter in gaining more acceptability for similar deals,” Kumar said. “I don’t think any companies — including domestic players — can ignore this in any way.”
For example, Indian generics companies like Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd. and Lupin Ltd. — long known for being cost-competitive — could seek to acquire midsize Japanese companies to gain a foothold, Kumar said. Several international companies, including AstraZeneca, Roche and Novartis derive between 6 to 9 percent of their total revenue from the Japanese market, according to recent earnings reports.
Drug spending in Japan, where the population is declining, is likely to rise by 3 to 4 percent over the next five years — the lowest increase of any developed market, according to a November report from the IMS Institute of Healthcare Informatics. In addition, sales tax increases that are expected in the next few years could offset the expected expansion and result in a “zero growth scenario” in those years, it said.
Japan has long been ranked one of the most efficient health systems in the world when measuring life expectancy versus per capita cost of care. The government’s national program covers a large portion of health care costs and the Japanese pharmaceutical industry is huge. While China has ten times the population of Japan, in 2015 the size of the Japanese drug market was $78.3 billion compared with China’s $115.2 billion, according to IMS.
For years, price was not a big factor in the Japanese pharma market as the health care system absorbed costs, one reason why the penetration of generics was much lower than other economies. It was also skewed toward domestic players like Takeda. “The burden on the government will reduce drastically,” said Frost’s Kumar about the efforts to lower prices.
Almost all Japanese pharma companies need to take care in such an environment, as “almost all face these difficulties,” said Iwasaki. The 30-year-old Takeda veteran spearheaded the search for a generics partner after the government’s changes and helped the company settle on Teva as the “best partner.”
Teva will hold 51 percent of the companies’ joint venture, while Takeda will hold the rest. Sales from the off-patent products to be transferred to the new company were about ¥125 billion ($1.1 billion) in fiscal 2014 — or about 7 percent of Takeda’s global revenue. The products include its treatments for hypertension, peptic ulcers and diabetes, the company announced in December, adding that those sales have continued to decline due to the push for generics.
In interviews, Takeda executives said the venture into the generics market was restricted to Japan due to market conditions there. Globally, the focus will remain on innovative drugs.
Given Japan’s battles with costs and aging, the government’s attempts are a “welcome model,” said Mark Britnell, London-based chairman of KPMG’s global health practice, who’s written a book on health systems. “Any country which tries to thumb its nose at the development of generics is a country that is going to look very foolish in the future.”
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And it’s…the Fisker Ocean. The California-based company describes it as the world’s most sustainable vehicle, featuring recycled and vegan materials.
The SUV has been designed by the automotive designer and entrepreneur, Henrik Fisker. It will also feature a full-length solar roof that will boost fuel efficiency and lower carbon dioxide emissions.
Early reservations will available via a mobile app on Nov. 27th, 2019.
Henrik Fisker, chairman and CEO of Fisker Inc. says: “For the past two years, we have been working quietly on an emotionally appealing and affordable luxury electric vehicle that will serve as a flagship for driving positive global change – from the most sustainable materials possible across the supply chain to practicality that will change the perception of what an EV can be.”
He adds: “The future of mobility is about enjoying an electric vehicle without hassle, long-term commitment and the prohibitive high cost of ownership. Driving the Fisker Ocean will be easy: through a flexible lease via a mobile app. And we take care of all the service and maintenance. Simply put, we’re introducing the future of hassle-free, fun and easy e-mobility.”
The Fisker Ocean is targeted to begin production at the end of 2021 – with the first high-volume deliveries projected for 2022. Its official reveal will be live streamed from an exclusive Jan. 4, 2020 event.


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Samsung has followed Apple’s lead and added a new glossy black version to its Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge lineup.
The new Black Pearl colour is highly polished and finished is being added to the colour range available for the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. However, the new colour will only be available on the 128GB version.
The move follows in the footsteps of Apple who launched a Jet Black version of the iPhone 7 but only released the option on the 128GB and 256GB models.
The scratch-prone colour has proved to be extremely popular with iPhone users as stocks have been running low since September.
However, the new colour option will not be available in every market and will not be available on the standard Galaxy S7.
Samsung has not been any more specific than saying the new colour will be available in “select markets”.
According to the South Korean firm, “the glossy new colorway, which radiates quality and luxury, will be exclusive to 128GB versions of the device and debut in select markets on December 9.”
The news comes in wake of more details emerging about the Samsung Galaxy S8, which is expected to see a major facelift of Galaxy range to compete with Apple who are expected to make a big impact with their tenth anniversary iPhone in 2017.
Sources within Samsung expect the new device to push the boundaries of design with its “all screen” look.
The bezel around the edge is expected to go which will extend the screen to the chassis and the glass will curve around the edge of the phone – as it does on the S7 Edge. This will give the device an appearance of “all display”.


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Canada extended travel restrictions again
On June 18, 2021, the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair wrote in a tweet that Canada will extend travel restrictions on non-essential international travel until July 21st, 2021.
This also means that the US – Canada border will also remain closed.
In addition, the minister also announced that ‘the government is planning measures for fully vaccinated Canadians, Permanent Residents, and others who are currently permitted to enter Canada and will provide further details on Monday, June 21.’
#IRCC, #CBSA, #travel_restrictions, #COVId


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Bugs may add buzz-worthy ingredient to beer
Bugs and beer: most of us probably don't see a connection beyond shooing flies away from our pint glasses. But for a group of N.C. State University scientists, bugs may hold the secret to making new, surprising and delicious beers.
That's because yeasts — the single-celled fungi responsible for converting sugar to alcohol in fermented foods like beer and wine — are likely to be found on arthropods like bees, wasps, hornets and beetles, said Anne Madden, a part-time post-doctoral researcher at N.C. State.
If these yeasts could be isolated from bugs and successfully cultivated in the lab, she and NCSU professors Rob Dunn and John Sheppard mused, maybe they could be used to brew new kinds of beer.
Most commercial beer, including craft brews, is made using different strains of two species of yeast, Madden said. Because yeast can contribute significantly to the flavor of beer — as much as 50 percent by some estimates — a new species could mean new flavors for the increasingly crowded beer marketplace.
"There's definitely a market for new yeast and especially these kinds of indigenous strains," said Alex Smith, head brewer at Raleigh Brewing Company. Smith mentioned a North Carolina start-up called SouthYeast that harvests wild yeasts from nature.
"Especially as the market becomes more competitive, you have to do more to stand out," he said.
Turning to bugs
To find new yeasts, the NCSU researchers first looked at wasps. Wasps have long been known to carry yeasts on their bodies, even providing a winter refuge for the tiny fungi when there are no fruit for them to live on.
It took a couple of months, but Madden and her colleagues successfully isolated and grew a number of species of yeast they found on wasp bodies. Their next challenge was to see if any of these species could be used in brewing beer.
Not all yeasts have the right metabolism to make beer, Madden said. Some are intolerant of the sugars in beer, or die when the alcohol level of their environment surpasses 1 or 2 percent.
The team ran biochemical and genetic tests to help them decide which species to work with, but their choice also resulted from guesswork, Madden said.
Even if the yeast was the right kind to produce beer, it wouldn't necessarily have made great tasting beer.
Wild yeasts often produce funky flavors, like "horse blanket," Madden said. "It's not just about finding the wild yeast but about finding the right wild yeast."
The right yeast
So the scientists were surprised to find that the very first batch of beer that Sheppard made in his food science lab — an ESB or extra special bitter — from the very first yeast they isolated was drinkable, although very sour.
Experimenting with other recipes for styles like ambers and blondes they found that this same species of yeast was capable of producing honey, apple, floral, and subtle sour notes.
"What's really exciting is that it's oftentimes the same chemical produced by those fruits that are being produced by the yeast," Madden said. "So our body is not taking in these flavors as apple-like, but as 'Wow, this is apple.'"
That means brewers can get those flavors without adding ingredients to beer, which many purists feel should be made with just malted barley, hops, yeast and water.
What may be particularly relevant to brewers is the new yeast's ability to produce sour notes. Sour beer on the market today gets it tang from harmless bacteria, like those used to make yogurt. Those bacteria can easily spread into other barrels and turn those beers sour, which makes many breweries hesitant to make sours at all.
Working with wild yeast can also be challenging. Although the beer is brewed in the same way as beer made with conventional yeasts, the new yeast must be "domesticated," or acclimatized to the brewing environment, to be used reliably in brewing. The standard yeasts used today have been bred for generations for brewing purposes, making them almost like "livestock," said Smith of Raleigh Brewing Company.
The NCSU team debuted its wasp-derived beer at the World Beer Festival in Raleigh last year, and then poured their follow-up, a beer brewed from bumblebee yeast and named "Bumblebeer," at the 2014 Wake County Brewers Expo.
Sheppard still has bottles of the team's beer in his lab's fridge, handy for curious visitors who want to sip wild beer among the beakers and tanks of a half laboratory, half brewery.
Right now that's one of the few places beer enthusiasts can try the new brews, but that may not be true for long.
Smith said that there is a growing acceptance of microbes such as bacteria and unconventional yeasts in our food.
"People are embracing kombucha and probiotic yogurt," he said. Both those products use bacteria, or a combination of bacteria and yeast, to produce special flavors and textures. Cheese, chocolate, and bread are all products of fermentation — which does not necessarily produce alcohol — as well.
People are beginning to understand that not all bacteria are germs, and that many can even be good for you, said Madden.
In fact, we've relied on the flavoring power of microbes for a long time, whether we realized it or not, Madden said. Part of the "terroir" of a wine or the distinctness of a certain cheese is likely coming from the microbes in its unique environment.
Bacteria and yeast may be acceptable, but many would draw the line at drinking beer with actual bits of bugs in it.
"One of the questions is are there ground up bugs in the beer," Madden said. "And there are not."
The team removes the yeast from the insect and then grows it in the lab.
"If you have a bug allergy, there's no concerns," she said. "You can still drink the beer."


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Stop us if you've heard this one before: Hyundai is going to have to reduce the officially announced miles-per-gallon number for its 2014 Sonata. While there's a lot of similarity between this new situation and events that transpired in 2012, there are some important differences. For one, the new mileage mistake, which Hyundai says was once again caused by an error at its test centers, is only applicable to cars in the Korean Domestic Market. Secondly, it's not so much mpg as kilometers per lite
2014 Hyundai Sonata
- Danny King
- Mar 6, 2014
Hyundai is hoping prospective car buyers won't quibble with a 1.3 percent price hike for its Sonata Hybrid this year. Heck, the South Korean automaker brought the price down a year ago, so everyone's theoretically almost even. Or so they hope.
- Damon Lowney
- Oct 8, 2013
Hyundai has announced improvements for the 2014 Sonata, as well as a price increase of $155 for the base GLS model, which has a MSRP of $21,350. That doesn't include the *$795 destination fee. The most expensive Sonata, the Limited Turbo, starts at $28,650, also not including destination.
- Biggest automotive sales disappointments
- Fastest-depreciating cars in the United States
- Find and compare 2017 Models


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Philanthropist and civic leader Jeffrey W. Comment, 60, chairman and chief executive officer of Helzberg Diamonds Inc., died suddenly Oct. 30 in Kansas City, Mo. H. Marvin Beasley was named to replace him as head of the North Kansas City, Mo.-based national jewelry retail chain, by Warren Buffet, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, Helzberg’s parent firm. Beasley was Helzberg’s president and chief operating officer. In a Nov. 1 letter to all Helzberg does business with, Beasley cited “Jeff’s invaluable leadership,” calling him “instrumental in guiding the company to its current status as a leading national fine jewelry retailer.”
Comment’s death shocked those in the jewelry industry and beyond, many of whom praised his good works and his business expertise. Matthew Runci, executive director of Jewelers of America (JA), called him “afriend, a vital member of the JA board of directors, an active contributor to his community, and a true humanitarianin our industry.” Runci cited his “tireless efforts on behalf of the disadvantaged among us, [though] he never sought publicity. He touched many lives in a most human way.”
Pete Levi, president of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, where Comment was 2002 chairman, noted “his caring manner” and called him “a person full of vitality, vigor, great ideas, and high energy.”
On Oct. 28, Comment received the “ORT Community Achievement Award” from the Jewelry Industry Chapter of American ORT. Calling him a “key figure in retail jewelry,” Michael Kaplan, chapter president, had said Comment “not only raised the bar of professionalism for the jewelry industry, but dedicated considerable time to important national issues such as education, child welfare, and pediatric AIDS.”
Comment held several top retail posts, including president of Philadelphia-based John Wanamaker’s department stores, before joining Helzberg in 1988 as president. Working closely with former chairman and CEO Barnett C. Helzberg Jr., he helped develop it into one of the largest U.S. jewelry chains. In 1995, it was bought by Berkshire Hathaway, and Comment became chairman and CEO. Today, it has 262 stores in 37 states with almost 3,000 employees. “Jeff was a great strategist, and we saw amazing growth,” Helzberg told a Kansas City paper Nov. 1. “It’s a loss for Helzberg Diamonds and the community.”
In addition to JA, Comment was a director and board member of the Diamond Council of America, Jewelry Information Center, and Jewelers for Children, the industry’s charity. He also was active in many local and national organizations, including the Salvation Army, William Jewell College, Rockhurst University, the Midwest Research Institute, United Way, Young Life, and the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City.
Comment had what his family calls “a profound commitment to helping others.” His book Mission in the Marketplace tells how Christian principles can be applied in the work environment. At the time of his death, Comment was preparing for his 10th year playing Santa Claus for sick and terminally ill children across America. Since 1995, he had visited more than 15,000 children in U.S. hospitals. In 2000, the Jewelers Charity Fund for Children (now Jewelers for Children) honored him for his “Santa’s Tour” program, which he created to encourage businesspeople to do the same thing. His experiences led Comment to write two other books: Jonathan Through Santa’s Eyes, a touching story of one ill child, and Santa’s Gift: True Stories of Courage, Humor, Hope and Love, with personal reflections by celebrities. All profits go to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.
“The holidays won’t be as bright without his presence,” said Randall O’Donnell, president and CEO of Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, to a Kansas City paper, but “because of him, we’ve all learned how to better give the gift of ourselves.”
Comment is survived by his wife; two children; his mother; a sister; two brothers; and nieces and nephews. Gifts in his memory can go to Young Life, Greater Kansas City Region, P.O. Box 15694, Lenexa, KS 66285, or to Heartland Community Church, 8301 Lamar, Overland Park, KS 66207.


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Many people have believed that Facebook’s initial public offering is due in 2012 since the company announced its giant funding round from Goldman Sachs at the start of this year. At that point, the company said in a press release that it “expected to pass 500 shareholders at some point in 2011, and therefore expects to start filing public financial reports no later than April 30, 2012.”
Public filings don’t necessarily mean a company has to make its stock available for public purchase, but most usually do anyway.
But our understanding is that it will be going public sometime next year for a different reason: rewarding its large roster of talented employees, who have been waiting years to cash in. Compliance isn’t the primary motive.
Purely from a financial perspective, the pressure for an IPO has been building internally, even as chief executive Mark Zuckerberg and other leaders have downplayed the idea. (In fact, for a while I was wondering if maybe Facebook just wouldn’t IPO, or at least not for years, something others who follow the company closely, like David Kirkpatrick, have also speculated about.)
After distributing standard stock option plans to employees in its early years, Facebook switched to restricted stock units in late 2008. Instead of vesting into stock that employees owned like options had, RSUs could only be sold after an IPO. Meanwhile, Facebook restricted current employees from selling any stock they owned, although it couldn’t stop former employees from doing so. Instead, as a stop-gap liquidity measure, it allowed employees to sell a small portion of their options in late 2008 through 2009. Newer employees who got RSUs haven’t had the same opportunities.
But over the last couple months, I’ve heard from sources close to the company that it could file as soon as early next year, and no later than the end of next year, which matches widespread reports that have come out already. That Zuckerberg has started setting expectations along these lines with employees, as Business Insider hears today, is not too surprising.
Facebook has worked hard to recruit or acquire some of the top engineers and product leaders in the world, even as most of its early core employees have left for early retirement or to start their own companies. Between the flush funding environment and trendy image of doing startups these days, along with big offers from rivals like Google and Twitter, a vague promise of a big exit has become a harder sell.
So despite fears that an IPO would introduce the pressure for short-term profits instead of long-term value or spoil employees to the point that they lose the edge they have today, delays have gotten harder for Zuckerberg and Facebook to justify. The 500-shareholder rule is often cited as the main rationale for why the company will go public next year. But between Facebook’s ability to file public documents without going public, and a new bill working its way through Congress that would raise the minimum requirement to 2000 shareholders, it actually isn’t as big of a concern.
In any case, an IPO is going to be one of the company’s biggest tests. Can it maintain its talent pool and grow revenue like Google, Amazon, Apple and other top tech companies have been able to do? Can it maintain its vision for being the social layer across everything in the world? We’re about to find out.
[Image via The Communer.]


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Pharma companies don't always disclose all of the reasons for executive changes, but Fresenius Kabi is being blunt about its CEO's departure.
The company named Michael Sen its new CEO, replacing Mats Henriksson, who is leaving because he disagrees with the company’s direction, Fresenius said.
As a former CFO of Siemens Healthcare, Sen brings industry experience to Fresenius Kabi, which makes generic drugs and is developing biosimilars.
Henriksson joined Fresenius Kabi’s management board in 1999 and played “a major role in the development of Fresenius Kabi from the very beginning,” Fresenius’ supervisory board chair Gerd Krick said in a statement. He’s “handing over a well-managed business to his successor,” Krick said in a statement.
The company's CEO transition comes about a month after Fresenius Kabi said it was spending €60 million to expand two facilities in Graz, Austria. The company is expanding its capacity to produce medicines in glass bottles and prefilled syringes, Fresenius said.
Worldwide, Fresenius Kabi makes intravenously administered generic drugs, clinical nutrition and infusion therapies for seriously and chronically ill patients in hospitals and in outpatient care. The company also sells medical devices and transfusion products.
Previously, the company tried to buy Akorn, but that deal fell apart after an audit found “blatant fraud at the very top level of Akorn’s executive team,” Fresenius said in response to an Akorn lawsuit.
More recently, Fresenius Kabi inked a $50 million deal with the U.S. Department of Justice to settle allegations that a unit hid records from FDA investigators ahead of an inspection in 2013.
Fresenius Kabi is a unit of the global healthcare company Fresenius, which generated €36.3 billion during its fiscal year 2020. Fresenius Kabi generated €6.9 billion during the year.


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New restrictions on subsidised chicken
May 13, 2013
By Ahmed Al Omari
CUSTOMERS are facing new restrictions on buying subsidised chicken due to inconsistent supplies.
Butchers at three major supermarket chains confirmed stocks were being rationed to between two to five chickens per person in cases of severe shortages.
It comes as demand for Delmon Poultry chickens has rocketed due the rising prices of Saudi chicken and varying levels of supply.
Although there are no specific shortages of chicken in the market, people have to pay 250 to 500 fils a kilo extra when the subsidised meat runs out.
“The sales are controlled when the supply gets low, but these days supply has been okay,” said an Al Jazeera supermarket butcher. “There are times when the supply we receive is limited for example if we only get 50 chicken then we will institute the policy.
“But if we get 200 chickens then people can buy as much as they want.”
The butcher explained the restrictions on Delmon Poultry chicken was to ensure everyone had the chance to buy some.
“We have to be fair to all the customers as this chicken comes daily,” he said.
Two other supermarket chains, with a total of seven branches around the country, confirmed they were also rationing chicken when supplies ran low.
Delmon Poultry supplies around 20 per cent of Bahrain’s demand for chicken.
Assistant general manager Khalil Ebrahim Al Derazi said the company was already operating at maximum capacity, but was ready to expand with government support.
“We cull and distribute an average of 31,000 birds a day and those chains that buy the chickens sell out daily,” he said.
“We are actually producing chicken at the maximum capacity that the factory can handle.
“The main issue in supply is with the farmers as we rely on the farmers to bring us the chickens for slaughter.”
Delmon Poultry operates a slaughter house and hatchery, which distributes an average 185,000 chicks a week to farmers.
They are raised and sold back to the factory when they have matured.
Mr Al Derazi said the company was ready to grow, but required more land and government subsidies to accommodate any increase in production.
“People like fresh chicken that is slaughtered that day and the price of our chicken is the lowest in the market so it sells out fast,” he said.
“We are able to expand but the main issue is land as there is no space for our hatcheries to expand and if we do expand it we will need to upgrade the factory to deal with the higher numbers of birds coming in.
“Also if we are producing more chicken and all the chicken is subsidised then the government will have to increase the subsidies on the chicken as the numbers will increase.” Courtesy Gulf Daily news


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Amazing Amazon Internship for Engineering Technology Student
March 11, 2019
Last fall, a contingent of six Amazon Design Leaders was on campus to conduct the Amazon Design Challenge. Twenty students from eight disciplines in the Schools of Liberal Arts & Sciences, Business, and Engineering Technology competed for cash prizes, tackling an assignment that Amazon described this way: “Conceptualize a new community experience. By understanding our brand, our technology offerings, and the breadth and potential of our audience, students should explore where they feel the next valuable thriving community experience is headed, and how Amazon plays a role in that experience.”
Mark Drobnjak ’20, an electrical and computer engineering technology major, was one of the students who accepted the challenge, and while his team didn’t win the big bucks, this summer he is embarking on a journey that no amount of money could buy: an internship at Amazon’s Seattle headquarters.
“I would love a career with Amazon,” Drobnjak said. “There are plenty of reasons why an aspiring engineer would want to work for a huge tech company, but after the personal connection I had with some of their leaders and learning more about the company’s impact and values, Amazon became a top choice. They own some of the most exciting technologies in the world. Their leadership and design principles are spot on. I would like nothing more than to be a part of a team that holds themselves to those standards.”
Encouraged to participate in the Challenge by Dr. Bahar Zoghi, acting assistant dean of the School of Engineering Technology, Drobnjak particularly enjoyed partnering with students from different disciplines.
“I applied to the design challenge for the opportunity to collaborate with other talents from Farmingdale, and the mentors from Amazon. The most valuable part of teamwork is the fact that you can combine the strengths of a diverse group of individuals. Even having a team of two people makes you more well-rounded in terms of your skill set and allows you to have fresh perspective.”
Drobnjak’s team’s project was called Day 1+. Because of a confidentiality agreement with Amazon, he is not able to share the content of that entry, but he said, “It ended up in a place we never expected. It was one of the boldest designs anyone on our team has worked on. It was great to be in that mental space – imagining that we have all of Amazon’s current and future technologies at our disposal, and we can solve a real and fundamental human problem related to loneliness and community.”
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