text:
Right now, there’s an undeniable swell in the popularity of overlanding, recreational off-roading and adventure in general. At any given motorcycle expo, almost every brand is showing off its new scrambler, dual sport or adventure bike. On the four-wheeled side of the industry, if the SUV, pickup truck or even the wagon in a manufacturer’s lineup doesn’t have a version that can tackle a rocky road and take you that much further, it’s almost written off.
Programs like Backcountry Discovery Routes — an initiative to let off-roaders and adventurers explore the natural beauty of our country’s national parks and forest using as few paved roads as possible — are seeing massive growth and expansion because people are demanding it. How else are people supposed to cover their shiny new off-roaders in a fresh coat of dirt, dust and mud? Professional off-road racing is benefiting too. But where brands like Ford, Chevy and Ducati are just now leaning into more dedicated off-road models fueled by the rise in the popularity of the outdoor lifestyle, Subaru has been doing it for decades.
Rally racing has had its ups and downs in this country. Depending on who you talk to and what decade you reference, rally racing, like the type of events the American Rally Association puts on — where small hatchbacks, sedans and vintage cars go from one gravel and dirt trail to another seeing who can finish in the quickest time — either feel like a national pastime or are nonexistent.
Bill Stokes, Subaru Motorsport Manager, wants to use the current overland craze to boost the sport’s popularity and, at the same time work with overland enthusiasts to help open up more land for recreational off-roading. “We’re hopeful we can find some way of distributing the series so more people can find out about it and watch it and work with the organizers to achieve that.” And as far as expanding where the ARA can hold events? Well, the types of fire roads and forest service trails the overlanding community loves so much are ready-made rally stages too. “There’s this whole movement for people to go out and use these roads for UTVs; therefore, its easier to then say ‘hey, we want to use these roads, but we’re also going to drive cars on them as well.’ It’s a natural fit.”
Subaru’s relationship with adventure and rally racing is more than just marketing, says Stokes. “To be involved in rallying as a manufacturer, there has to be a product to sell that makes sense in that environment. And we’re seeing more rally fans getting involved in more overland-style vehicle modification. There are more folks seeing the adventure angle of rallying and appreciating it for what it is, so we see a lot of support from a grassroots level.” And where motorsports tend to attract a niche crowd, the rally racing-overland relationship is more inclusive. “It doesn’t just fit for our performance owners; it caters to all of our outdoor adventure-focused owners. It’s just more of a fit now than its ever been. Even if we’re racing the WRX sedan, people show up with Crosstreks, Outbacks and Foresters, so it makes a ton of sense to continue to support the sport.”


text:
Pearl Abyss and Kakao Games have officially announced that the Drieghan expansion for Black Desert Online will be released in November. The developers have released a new short trailer as they have officially marked November 14th as the release date. This new update will bring in over 300 new quests to the game, a new mountainous area for you to explore, a new story about the cursed tribe "Sherekhan", and finally a fresh dragon boss that will freak you out called Garmoth (seen here). Check out the trailer here along with the official description of the new Black Desert Online expansion.
Drieghan, also known as the land of dragons and the ancestral home of dwarves is a huge new mountainous area in Black Desert Online offering new story content, quests and challenges. Adventurers will be able to travel to Duvencrune, the capital of Drieghan which shows a variety of environments of an alpine region. New monster areas such as 'Sherekhan's Grave', 'Blood Wolf Town', 'Tshira Ruins' will be released as well as the new dragon world boss, Garmoth, the Crimson Dragon. Players can also look forward to the Dragon Slayer, a brand new powerful craftable weapon which nearly matches the "Dandelion" weapon.

domain: news


text:
The first major update to Microsoft's Windows Phone 7, dubbed 'NoDo', only adds a handful of new updates, but if a report from Winrumors is any indication, Microsoft is taking the update very seriously.
Both Vodafone and Orange have confirmed that Microsoft is taking its time rolling out updates to their phones. The U.K.'s Vodafone says that it has already approved of the updates for the HTC 7 Trophy and LG Optimus 7 and that it is waiting on Microsoft to distribute them.
Orange, which also operates out of the UK, reported the same, noting that Microsoft's plan is to release the update starting on March 29. WinRumors also spoke to another European carrier, which said Microsoft was treading slowly with updates to Windows Phone 7 devices.
That's to be expected, as Microsoft is still recovering from a botched release of its Windows Phone 7 update. The update, which was released in February, was meant to set the stage for the DoMo update, but instead rendered some users' phones inoperable. Microsoft soon pulled the update before releasing a fix a few days later. The company is likely slowing down the NoDo update process in an attempt to avoid repeating its February debacle.
Microsoft released a chart detailing when American Windows Phone 7 users could expect updates to hit their phones. Tests on the HTC Surrounding, LG Quantum, and Samsung Focus are ongoing, according to the chart. Microsoft says it is scheduling the updates for Dell's Venue Pro and the HTC HD7.


text:
Published: 16:21, 11 May 2019
| Updated: 16:22, 11 May 2019
A 17-year-old has gone missing from his home.
Oluwatimilehin Alabi was last seen in Dartford at 8am on Friday.
He is between 5ft 6in and 5ft 7in tall, of medium build with brown eyes and black hair with highlights.
He was last seen wearing a greyAdidas tracksuit, a white T-shirt with red sleeves, a Nike black cross bag and black Nike trainers.
Oluwatimilehin has connections with London and could be in the capital.
PC Mark Graham, of Kent Police’s Missing & Child Exploitation Team, North Division, said: "We are concerned for Oluwatimilehin’s safety and we would urge anyone with information as to his whereabouts to contact us.:
Anyone with information should contact Kent Police on 101, citing reference 10-0130.
More by this authorAmy Nickalls


text:
Fear of a breach similar to the 2014 hacking scandals which brought Sony to its knees, and rocked Target to its core, has pushed IT security to the top priority at a majority of private and publicly traded companies. Even after these titans of industry were digitally compromised, 2015 saw some of the most massive data breaches in history. With so many code exploits on legacy networks, the loss of personal and private information will continue far beyond 2016. Here’s a look back at some of the most notable data security failures from 2015.
There still isn’t a way to quantify the relationship and professional compromises made among the near 37 million people Ashley Madison’s data breach left out in the open. The very real threat of blackmail now that this information has been publicized may explain why so many elected officials are saying some of things they are saying. Just a theory though.
What is done with this information?
Well depending on which expert you speak with, you’ll hear a number of situations ranging from chat rooms sale scenarios which you can find individual files for sale for up to $10,000. Or the more common data dumps are giant unfiltered and unrefined spreadsheets of data on entire zip codes of users. The worst part about this is simple; in this new era titled “the Internet of Things” not even children will be safe from those who wish to sell our inter-connected personal secrets. Just this week VTech, a child’s toy company, lost every piece of identifiable data on 6.4 million children. Here’s an unpleasant thought. How could someone manipulate a child/person if the psychological profile fell into the wrong hands? A person or organization with malicious intent may have your description, your personal information, your secret information and your healthcare records. What other areas would a hacker need to gain access to in order breach the imaginary and transparent privacy wall around the private lives we all enjoy?
Over 10 million names, birthdays, social security numbers and addresses were stolen from Excellus BlueCross BlueShield in 2015 and unfortunately many member financial statements and claim information files were also lost in the 2015 data breach. Although these numbers are staggering, keep in mind none of them have had the ramifications of the Carphone Warehouse UK Hacking scandal which saw 4% of the United Kingdom’s cell phone users’ private information stolen and published on the dark web. In a startling trend of stealing from colleges in order to gain access to students, the public university UCLA also lost 4.5 million records in a massive social security and medical data heist.
Now back to the U.S. There are many breaches that you will never hear about. After researching just how many millions of people have their lives compromised everyday by data thieves, we found that no business vertical is safe. Hackers are now using super computers to crack encrypted banking and credit card information. Such is the case with CVS who saw hackers reportedly force the company to reveal millions of their customers’ passwords, medical and prescription information as well as any encrypted credit card data associated with an individual account. All previously thought safe information now compromised and is for sale in the deep web.
T-Mobile, the 3rd ranked cellular company may have answered that for us. Due to an unlikely partnership with Experion, T-Mobile lost nearly 15,000,000 customer data files including so called tough to crack encrypted files. The financial services industry also saw its once vaunted security platform shaken down when Scottrade was robbed of 4.6 million user account logins, trade strategies and investment portfolio details. You know, pretty much all the info required by the feds to legally and accurately report wealth. Ironic because in 2015 hackers also successfully emptied the databases of nearly 22.1 million current and former federal employees, including fingerprints of 5.6 million people. The CIA, the FBI and even Donald Trump’s organization were all hacked in 2015. Details of the Trump hack revealed a comprise in security codes and card numbers of his hotel guests.
What this all spells out to is not that someone may be out for you personally, but many people are out for your data and the data you store at the organizations you trust. These have all been examples of wide net hacking, when someone or some group just wants the information to sell. But the other side of this coin, the ugly side, can ruin your life and career. Enter Hacking Team. This was an example of an ordered hacking hit on a technology company which required the hacking contractor to not only breach Hacking Team’s systems, but included an order to publish all the stolen data online as well. This brought the formerly highly respected company to a screeching halt as every email, every piece of code, every secret the company had was now available for free download. For just a moment picture a rogue employee publishing the details of every instance of data your company or its employees have ever created. That is what happened to this company and the fall out is still in play. Not only did the company get publicly burned, many wholly unrelated end users may have suffered. Hacking Team’s products were pieces of code that included Adobe Flash exploits for the millions upon millions of flash users.
Data security is more important today than ever before. Our world is a dynamic environment in which you will not be able to win 100% of the battles, but you can take simple steps with the right technologies to frighten away the raiders while simultaneously fending off the wolves. The digital world is melding with the physical and now that compromised lifestyle patterns are being sold to the highest bidder, if you’re not careful you may be the next target.
Need help with your data security? Then contact the experts in managed network security services at Starnet Data Design. Either give us a call at 1-800-779-0587 or complete our simple online contact form to get started right away.


text:
JOLED Inc. (headquartered in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Tadashi Ishibashi), which develops, manufactures, and sells OLED displays, will open a virtual booth and give presentations at the seminar and symposium at the SID Display Week 2020, which will take place August 3-7, 2020 (PDT) as a virtual event.
Display Week is the world’s leading event focused on emerging electronic display and visual information technologies hosted by SID (Society for Information Display). JOLED will introduce the world’s first commercialized printed OLED as well as its medium-sized high resolution OLED line-ups to be mass-produced. JOLED will also give two presentations in the seminar and symposium, both with the theme of printed OLED.
Seminar and Symposium
- Seminar SE-8: Printed OLED Displays and Their Backplane Technology
- Symposium 41.1 – Invited Paper: Recent Technology of Printed OLED Displays and World’s First Commercialization
SID Display Week 2020
- Dates August 3-7, 2020 (PDT)
- URL http://www.displayweek.org/
*Registration needed to attend the virtual event.


text:
Americans Will Spend $194 Billion on Summer Travel
Travel demand has been making a comeback this year, and a new research shows that Americans will actually spend a record-breaking sum on summer travel in 2022.
The information comes from the 14th edition of the Allianz Partners USA annual Vacation Confidence Index. It estimates that this year’s summer vacation spending will near the $200 billion mark for the first time in the Index’s decade-plus-long history, amounting to $194 billion in 2022.
The projection represents a 26% increase over last year when Americans slowly began making their return to travel as the world was opening up post-pandemic. The figure also marks a staggering 229% increase above the unprecedented 2020 season and 91% increase compared to pre-pandemic spending in 2019.
Americans’ average anticipated spend on vacations this summer is $2,644. Following an upward trend, the 2022 average vacation spend is a 25% increase over 2021, a 40% increase from 2020 and 30% increase from pre-pandemic 2019 levels.
The increase in vacation spending is not just due to more people traveling. It is also impacted by rising travel costs and U.S. inflation, which is approaching a 40-year high.
American families will also spend more than their counterparts in 10 other European countries surveyed. Americans’ planned summer vacation costs are 24% – 81% higher than Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Spain.


text:
No Such Thing As Too Many Trips
“The risk of finding flight deals for a living is that you take too many trips.”
Jared Kamrowski, ’09, had just returned from the Maldives with his business partner Nick Serati, ’09, and other UND graduates. Fighting jet lag, Jared acknowledged that an eight-day trip to a destination 11 time zones away was just too short.
“If you’re going to go that far, you should be gone two or three weeks.” But, he added, “We don’t expect anyone to feel sorry for us!”
THE POINTS AND MILES GAME
In 2015, Jared and Nick co-founded Thrifty Traveler, a web resource dedicated to helping travelers find flight deals and other ways to travel affordably.
After college, Jared spent eight years working for the FDIC. “I traveled a lot. Almost everybody that travels a lot gets into the points-and-miles game trying to maximize their time away from family and on the road. I got hooked immediately. It springboarded from there.”
Joining in the game was then-roommate and fellow UND alum Nick, who was traveling for his job as a software consultant. As travel became a bigger part of their day-to-day work, the two gained knowledge that, said Nick, “was the genesis of how the website initially launched.”
It was 2015 and the site was a how-to guide for using points and miles.
An amazing deal changed the company’s focus. “Emirates Airlines was offering a round-trip ticket to Dubai for less than $600 from all of Emirates’ gateways,” Nick said. “When Jared posted the deal to the website, it got so much traffic that the site crashed.
“At that point, we thought, ‘we’re onto something with flight deals’ and the site shifted, becoming flight-deal oriented,” Nick said. “A year later, we launched Thrifty Traveler Premium Flight Deal Alert Service.”
Jared quit his FDIC job in 2017 and started full-time at Thrifty Traveler. The Minneapolis-based company now employs 20 people.
UNPACKING THRIFTY TRAVELER
The Thrifty Traveler Premium subscription service is the company’s primary revenue source. “Our flight deal team searches almost 24/7 for flight deals. They have so many different tools and are constantly looking for anomalies in flight pricing. Whenever something pops up, we email the deal out,” Jared said.
Thrifty Traveler Premium filters the deals subscribers receive based on travel preferences. “Some days we might have six deals; other days, it might be two. When subscribers open our emails, it’s gonna be a quality deal.”
Jared continued. “It’s a travel myth that you have to take bad flights to get a good deal. I wouldn’t send you on a flight if I wouldn’t send my mom or myself on it. All the deals we find are flying Delta, American, United – the big carriers, not the budget carriers. We’re really flipping (flight travel) on its head from what you’d expect.”
The Thrifty Traveler website includes the credit card affiliate section and the blog. Nick manages the affiliates section. When he started full-time in 2018, growing that segment was his focus. Because that segment is regulated, Nick’s vast knowledge keeps him involved.
The website showcases an extensive blog. “We create content for ThriftyTraveler.com. Our team is constantly looking for new angles for tips and tricks to save, as well as industry news,” Jared said.
The blogs that pull the most traffic are the lighter pieces. “You’d be surprised at how much traffic stuff like the Starbucks thing generates,” Jared said, referring to a post about how Starbucks is changing its reward system.
“Delta Airlines’ espresso martini cocktail review (not good!) is one of our top posts, recently, as far as traffic,” Jared said. “It’s a little goofy but we’re leaning into it.”
It’s a travel myth that you have to take bad flights to get a good deal.Jared Kamrowski
UND: BEFORE TAKE-OFF
“I had no professional experience doing this,” said Nick, a business major. “Early on, I was reaching back to my UND education. Because my degree was not very specialized, I was exposed to a lot of different things, and I think that was helpful. I took one entrepreneurship class. Some of the lessons I learned in that class, some of the speakers I heard, those are things I think about a lot. Sometimes, I wish I had taken more of those types of classes, but you never know what you’re gonna end up doing.”
On the other hand, Jared’s degree was more specialized. “My decision to major in accounting was a key reason I’ve been successful as an entrepreneur,” he said. “It was one of the more challenging business degrees but also one of the most useful. It has helped me avoid many of the financial, tax and strategic pitfalls many entrepreneurs face.”
PACKING THEIR BAGS, AGAIN AND AGAIN
A “once-in-a-lifetime trip” was something Jared used to hear; not so much anymore. “I think people understand what we do now. It doesn’t have to be a once-in-a-lifetime trip. If you can do it on the cheap or find different strategies to save, then even if you’re not wealthy, you can pull this stuff off. It takes some work; it’s a bit of a game, and that is fun and exciting.”
The job is rewarding in other ways. About six months ago, the company sent subscribers a flight deal from Minneapolis to Cape Town, South Africa. “We got an email from a subscriber. They were checking into the hotel in South Africa and met another couple who also booked through Thrifty Traveler. The two couples went out to dinner. Two nights later, they met another couple who booked the same deal. It’s kinda wild!” Nick said.
“It’s easy to get wrapped up in the day-to-day of running our website and our service. Getting an email like that makes us stop and say ‘wow!’ What we’re doing is very much making a difference in people’s lives and that’s pretty cool,” Nick said.
Though children have slowed Jared and Nick’s travel, they’ve both got favorite trips. For Jared, it was a trip to Bavaria, in Southern Germany near the Swiss and Austrian borders where there are lots of mountains and outdoor opportunities. His best deal was a $900 first-class ticket to Vietnam.
Nick recalled a trip to Austria at Christmas time, when he took his wife and oldest daughter, then 1 year old, and his wife’s parents. Using points and miles and other tricks, the whole family flew business class. “We had the best time. That was a special trip. It took a lot of the principles of what our website is all about.”
Jared said he doesn’t see his travel picking up any time soon, which may be a good thing for Thrifty Traveler employees. An employee had just returned from a weekend in Copenhagen to do a product review. “We don’t take any freebies. We do reviews and they’re pretty objective. That’s why people like following us.”


text:
What you need to know
- The Surface Neo and Surface Duo may not have 5G support when initially launched.
- Microsoft is working on bringing 5G support to the devices in the future.
- Panos Panay also states that the first generation of the devices will have good cameras.
Panos Panay spoke about the upcoming Surface Neo and Surface Duo at an event in Berlin yesterday (via WinFuture). At the event, Panay spoke on bringing 5G to the upcoming Surface Neo and Surface Duo and mentioned that the first generation of the Surface Duo will have a good camera.
Based on the report from WinFuture, the first-gen of Surface Duo and Surface Neo will likely support LTE advanced, but 5G support likely won't come until future devices. Panay explained at a panel discussion that there is an ambitious roadmap to introduce 5G devices. He would not comment on any specifics, including on if the first generation of the Surface Neo and Surface Duo will support 5G.
There's a chance that the Surface Neo and Surface Duo could initially ship while supporting 4G LTE, and then a version that supports 5G could be released later. Microsoft has released versions of Surface devices in the past without 4G LTE support and then later released versions with support for 4G LTE, so it wouldn't be an unprecedented move. That is, however, only speculation at this point.
What do you think - do the Surface Neo and Duo need 5G to be successful?
Get the Windows Central Newsletter
All the latest news, reviews, and guides for Windows and Xbox diehards.
Sean Endicott brings nearly a decade of experience covering Microsoft and Windows news to Windows Central. He joined our team in 2017 as an app reviewer and now heads up our day-to-day news coverage. If you have a news tip or an app to review, hit him up at email@example.com.


text:
A freight brokerage company in Cincinnati faces a $ 5 million lawsuit over a data breach that occurred last month.
Total Quality Logistics (TQL) computer systems were compromised in a cyber attack on February 23. Customer and carrier information was disclosed after threat actors breached the company’s online web portal.
Carrier data at risk in the attack included tax ID numbers, bank account numbers and, in some cases, social security numbers. The breached customer data included email addresses, telephone numbers, first and last names, and TQL customer ID numbers.
Now TQL is being sued by an unnamed freight forwarder owned by Charles Newman of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. A complaint filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of Ohio alleged that TQL “did not implement and maintain adequate security measures for personal information.”
The plaintiff accuses TQL of negligence and claims that the consequences of the data protection violation were serious and far-reaching.
“If TQL had taken the known risk of intrusion into the Internet seriously and appropriately tested, examined and invested in its IT systems and trained its employees appropriately,” says the lawsuit, “the data breach would never have occurred.”
The complaint alleges that as a result of the breach, hackers have accessed compromised data and “in an increasing number of cases” used compromised data to conduct fraudulent transactions. According to the lawsuit, “the full extent of the damage has yet to be recognized.”
Newman, represented by Kerger law firm in Toledo, Ohio, is seeking certification of the complaint as a class action that would allow other motor companies to join the lawsuit.
TQL is one of the largest private freight brokerage companies in America, moving over 1.8 million cargo loads in the US and Canada each year. The company has 57 sales offices and a large network of over 85,000 freight forwarders.
Four days after the violation, TQL President Kerry Byrne sent an email notifying airlines, including Newman, of violations.
According to Byrne’s email, the attackers may have gained access to TQL data through an “information / data phishing attempt”.
TQL advised shippers to check if their bank accounts were compromised and recommended that each shipper take additional security measures, including setting up a fraud notification on their credit files.


text:
Emotiv Systems unveiled a new gaming headset that uses thoughts and movement to control on-screen character movements.
The San Francisco-based peripheral company demonstrated the Emotiv EPOC at the Wednesday kickoff of the Game Developers Conference, the annual confab where developers, designers and hardware companies showcase their wares. The EPOC is a wireless device that uses sensors to detect such motions as horizontal eye moments, furrowed brows and winks along with actions such as pushing and pulling motions to control virtual characters.
The device, which will retail for US$299, will ship with Emotiv-specific software that allows users — and game developers — to explore how such a device may change game play. The company also announced a partnership with IBM, which will explore non-game-related uses for the device in business markets and virtual worlds.
“The use of [brain-computer interface] technology represents a potential breakthrough in human-machine interfaces, changing the realm of possibilities not only for games, but in the way that humans and computer interact,” said Paul Ledak, vice president of IBM’s Digital Convergence.
Moving Past the Mouse
The EPOC doesn’t use groundbreaking technology — there are a host of peripheral devices that use sensors and motion-detection, it does, however, reinforce the shift in game-specific input devices that have slowly migrated from the QWERTY keyboard and mouse.
The problem facing most new peripherals, though, is the need to be fully integrated into software production to reach full functionality, said Ruben Mookerjee, director of product marketing, Logitech’s Gaming Line. That puts devices such as the EPOC at a disadvantage.
Developers at Logitech, one of the premiere game peripheral developers, spend more time working with software engineers at other companies than they do developing prototype devices, Mookerjee told TechNewsWorld.
“We tend to develop the hardware around the software,” said Mookerjee “The actual technology is easy. We can make a proof-of-concept device in a short period of time. Then we have to tune it to work with the software.”
Unlike Logitech, which makes hardware for software companies, Emotiv hopes to attract software makers to its hardware. To do that, the company also released two developer kits, allowing programmers access to a complete environment for creating and testing the use of the headset with other software applications.
“By providing widespread access to these development tools, we aim to make the introduction of brain-computer interface technology into games and other applications seamless and cost-effective,” said Nam Do, CEO of Emotiv Systems.


text:
Free Newsletters for the Channel
Register for Your Free Newsletter Now
July 19, 2023
When Microsoft added generative AI capability to its Bing search engine in February, it set the stage for the introduction of something viable for the commercial world, resulting in the launch of Bing Chat Enterprise and Microsoft 365 Copilot. Microsoft on Tuesday unveiled Bing Chat Enterprise, which will allow natural language searches natively with various M365 applications, such as Teams, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
Microsoft demonstrated Bing Chat Enterprise during its annual Inspire partner conference, and announced that the preview is available immediately. The service will be available at no extra cost for those with Microsoft 365 E3, E5, Business Standard and Business Premium licenses. Eventually, Microsoft intends to offer Bing Chat Enterprise as a standalone offering for $5 per user per month.
Like the general-purpose Bing, Bing Chat Enterprise uses OpenAI’s ChatGPT generative AI technology and will work wherever Bing chat is supported, including bing.com, the sidebar in the Microsoft Edge web browser, and eventually in Windows. But unlike the general-purpose Bing Chat, the new enterprise version will offer commercial data protection, meaning data won’t leak outside an organization. Microsoft emphasized that Bing Chat Enterprise doesn’t save data, nor does it have access to it or use any form of data to train models.
Want to know which companies are offering cutting-edge products and services? Here’s our latest roundup.
Microsoft’s Satya Nadella
“This is the moment in some sense that every CIO CISO business user has been waiting for,” Microsoft chairman and CEO Satya Nadella said during his keynote.
Microsoft 365 Copilot will also add generative AI to applications, but besides commercial data protection, it will offer enterprise security, privacy and compliance.
“This means that Copilot inherits your existing Microsoft 365 security, privacy identity and compliance policies, those things you already have set up,” Microsoft corporate VP for work and business applications Jared Spataro said during a Microsoft Inspire conference breakout session.
Microsoft’s Jared Spataro at Microsoft Inspire 2023.
“Your data is logically isolated and protected within your M365,” he added. “The tenant is always within your control. And at the tenant level, Copilot respects individual and group permission policies.”
Further, Microsoft 365 Copilot utilizes the Microsoft 365 Graph to provide content and context and will work with Microsoft 365 Apps. Microsoft revealed Copilot in March and launched the Copilot Early Access program in May. Microsoft said Copilot will work with Outlook, OneNote, Viva Learning and Loop. Also, Microsoft said by integrating DALL-E, OpenAI’s image generator, into PowerPoint, users can create custom images.
Microsoft 365 Copilot will cost $30 per user, per month for Microsoft 365 E3, E5, Business Standard and Business Premium customers. Microsoft hasn’t announced a general release date but plans to provide more information in the next few months.
In March, Microsoft introduced and released the preview of Dynamics 365 Copilot, which provides AI-based assistance to CRM and ERP applications. It adds natural language processing to Dynamics 365. It also works with Microsoft Viva Sales, which is included in Dynamics 365 Sales and is available for other vendors’ CRM systems, including Salesforce.
At this week’s Microsoft Inspire conference, Microsoft introduced Microsoft Sales Copilot, an AI-based assistant designed to help salespeople customize deals. Microsoft Sales Copilot interfaces with Outlook and Teams, and also interfaces with Salesforce and other CRM systems.
“Whether it’s from Salesforce or whether it’s from Dynamics 365, to be able to complete your task without having to go out of band through your system of record, that’s the dream that we’ve been waiting for, for a long, long time,” Nadella said. And I think every SaaS application category is going to be fundamentally rewired.”
Spataro added that Sales Copilot is the first of what Microsoft calls “role-based copilots” with skills tailored toward specific roles and functions.
“It has domain-specific knowledge and skills, so it understands and can respond to commands,” he said. “For us, Sales Copilot is just the beginning. We look forward to introducing additional role-based Copilots in the future.”
Read more about:MSPs
Jeffrey Schwartz has covered the IT industry for nearly three decades, most recently as editor-in-chief of Redmond magazine and executive editor of Redmond Channel Partner. Prior to that, he held various editing and writing roles at CommunicationsWeek, InternetWeek and VARBusiness (now CRN) magazines, among other publications.
You May Also Like
Best Technology Consultants 2024: Top 101 Agents & Advisors Ranked (L-Z)Mar 4, 2024
The Gately Report: AI Increasing Need for Zero Trust, ThreatLockerMar 4, 2024
Best Technology Consultants 2024: Top 101 Agents & Advisors Ranked (A-K)Mar 4, 2024
Channel People on the Move: AT&T, C1, Mitel, TD Synnex, MoreMar 1, 2024


text:
NFT market updates from Xillion.one: 6/10/22
Top 5 NFTs ($ Sales Rev):
1.Bored Ape Yacht Club #9470: 164.96K
2.CryptoPunk #7250: 113.42K
3.CryptoPunk #2960: 94.59K
4.CryptoPunk #3333: 90.4K
5.CryptoPunk #7124: 88.94K
Top 5 Marketplaces ($ Sales Volume):
2.Magic Eden: 5.22M
5.NBA Top Shot: 178.09K
Payments giant Mastercard enables NFT purchase without crypto
Mastercard is collaborating with several NFT platforms to enable NFT purchases using fiat.
The firm’s latest move increases its competition against rivals Visa, PayPal, and Stripe in terms of crypto ventures made.
Recently, Mastercard published the results of an NFT-related survey it conducted with 35,000 participants from 40 countries. Of the total respondents, 45 percent reported that they had purchased an NFT, or had plans to do so.
Salesforce announces NFT Cloud platform
Will be a closed pilot program aimed at letting companies increase customer engagement and manage NFTs from within Salesforce’s wide-ranging CRM platform.
Salesforce also announced plans to address security. By using smart contract templates to ensure honest transactions and branded purchasing technology to protect against fraud, the company hopes to obviate the rash of hacking and fraud that has plagued NFTs and cryptocurrency over the past several years.
Salesforce didn’t announce a date for the pilot program going public, or any details of wider availability.
Ronin blockchain exceeds $4 billion in all-time NFT sales volume
Despite the wobbly state of the NFT and crypto markets, the popular play-to-earn blockchain platform “Ronin” has reached a new milestone, accumulating over $4 billion in its total sales volume.
The new record places Ronin ahead of Solana, Flow, Polygon, and several others, and just behind Ethereum, which holds the top spot as the biggest blockchain for digital collectibles by all-time sales volume.
Ronin was created in 2020 by Sky Mavis, the same company responsible for the popular play-to-earn game “Axie Infinity.” It was built after its developers noticed that Ethereum’s base layer was too expensive and inefficient to process the transactions needed to power the game.
Xillion.One - a fully-fledged ecosystem for DAOs. All of the essential tools for building a successful DAO included in one convenient and easy-to-use platform.
Launch your DAO with no coding required in just a few clicks, raise funds easily, manage your DAO, and automate all governance in our all-in-one platform.
Buy and hold the XIL token to gain access to the exclusive Xillionaires club. Here, you will be able to unlock amazing benefits and privileges such as lucrative staking, exclusive airdrops, and more by simply holding the token.


text:
Should your nonprofit shift to mobile platforms?
Paypal and Network for Good recently completed a study of customer / donor behaviors that would seem to indicate that you’ll be left behind if you DON’T make the switch to mobile devices — or at least add them to your communications and fundraising strategies.
These findings from Paypal may help your nonprofit fundraising efforts:
- More mobile transactions: 10% of PayPal transactions now occur on mobile devices 1. Paypal processed $14 billion in mobile payments last year — 250% morethan the $4 billion facilitated by Paypal in 20112.
- Increased smartphone browsing: Nearly half of all American adults (45%) now own a smartphone. The majority of them (55%) go online using their phones, and 17% of cell phone owners do most of their web browsing on their cell phone3.
- Growing mobile communications: 4 in 10 emails are now being opened on mobile devices. That’s a 300% increase in the past two years4. Paypal’s experience showed that up to 30% of people viewed their emails on mobile devices, compared to around 15% at the beginning of 2012.
- Cross-device usage: Payments are multi-channel, as 67% of users start transactions on one device or venue, then switch midstream5.
The lessons here are clear: Mobile usage is here to stay.
- Offer a secure and easy-to-use mobile site, and your contributions are very likely to grow.
- Optimize your site for mobile. For example, minimize the use of Flash and limit data collection fields.
- Use responsive design for your emails so mobile users don’t have to deal with small type and off-screen sentences.
- Keep users’ cross-channel movement in mind, and make your donation experience seamless across all channels.
1On the PayPal earnings call, it was reported that 10% of PayPal transactions now occur on mobile devices. Also reported in “The Making of a Payments Powerhouse” at MotleyFool.com, February 5, 2013
2 Statistics from “Letting the Numbers Tell Our Story” by Davis Marcus, The PayPal blog, January 16, 2013
3 55% of Americans reporting going online using their cell phone, and 17% of cell phone owners reported doing most of their web browsing on their cell phone in “The New Digital Wallet,” Comscore study, December 2012
4 Statistics cited in “More Emails Being Opened on Mobiles then Through Browser-Based Webmail” article on Marketingcharts.com, December 12, 2012
5 67% of users reported starting transactions on one device or venue, then switching midstream in “The New Digital Wallet,” Comscore study, December 2012


text:
Gap said it will no longer allow the sale of real fur on its online marketplace Piperlime after receiving pressure from animal rights activists and a teacher's Change.org petition that collected more than 52,000 signatures.
Gap already bans fur from products designed by or manufactured for Gap brands. Last year, it joined other retailers in banning angora after an undercover video by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals showed live angora rabbits in China being plucked raw of their hair. But its Piperlime subsidiary had sold products from other designers and brands that haven't operated under such a policy.
The petition against Piperlime's fur products was launched Sept. 11 by Sarah Maddux, a Gap shopper in Williamsburg, Va., who noticed a Piperlime ad on Facebook for a fox fur vest and was disheartened to discover several other real-fur products on the site.
"Never did I think that when I go to Baby Gap that I was actually endorsing the sale of fur," said Maddux, who teaches at a community college and has a 3-month-old daughter. She said she had never before created a petition but felt driven to express her outrage.
The petition on Change.org, a digital advocacy platform, caught fire on social media. Late Friday, Debbie Mesloh, Gap's senior director of public affairs, responded to the petition: "Your opinions and views matter to us. That is why, effective immediately, Piperlime will no longer sell real fur products, whether they are made by our company or not."
The petition closed Saturday, after all real-fur products were removed from Piperlime.
"I am just overwhelmed and overjoyed and it's really heartening to know that me, a teacher in Williamsburg, is able to change corporate policy," Maddux said.
PETA, which said it also had been pressuring Gap to stop selling fur on Piperlime since the beginning of September, said Gap is among many major retailers that have gone fur-free, from Ralph Lauren to Overstock.com. Dan Mathews, senior vice president at PETA, said the group has asked Gap to also remove fur sold at Intermix, a luxury multi-brand retailer owned by Gap.
The immediate and far reach of online petitions has made them a powerful tool for consumers to communicate and help effect change among businesses.
Change.org cites several victories, including Abercrombie & Fitch's launch of a plus-size line after a teenager collected 80,000 signatures, as well as Jamba Juice's decision to phase out plastic foam after a 10-year-old collected more than 130,000 signatures.


text:
BWI on IKEA’s dismissal of trade union leader in Poland
The Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI) expresses great concern regarding the dismissal of trade union leader Dariusz Kawka at the IKEA Industry's factory in Lubawa, Poland. The chairman of the local trade union organisation NSZZ "Solidarność" was fired by the company management regardless of protests from trade union members, and despite the order issued by the State Labour Inspectorate affirming the legal protection mechanisms that apply to trade union leaders in Poland.
While the IKEA Industry has declared that the company is committed to complying with international standards, including the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, the situation in Poland shows that its management’s actions do not respect these commitments. BWI and its Global IKEA Trade Union Network members see the developments as an alarming act of intervening in trade union affairs. The dismissal of the trade union leader shows a lack of understanding on the freedom and rights of trade unionists within Polish and international laws.
Despite NSZZ "Solidarność" attempts to initiate the negotiation process regarding Kawka's dismissal and the legal grounds for such an act, the IKEA management, to this date, has not shown any willingness to open dialogue. Meanwhile, Dariusz continues to get support from workers and trade union members at IKEA factories in Poland and remains an elected trade union leader at the Lubawa factory.
In the spirit of international solidarity and open dialogue, BWI calls on IKEA's management in Poland to immediately reinstate Darius Kawka, awaiting the legal process in line with the protection of trade union leaders within the Polish Labour Law, and initiate a meaningful dialogue with the Polish trade unions regarding the protection of elected trade union leaders in accordance with national and international labour standards.


text:
(Bloomberg) -- Sega Corp., the gaming studio once regarded among the staunchest advocates of blockchain gaming, is pulling back from an arena devastated by the global crypto industry meltdown.
The company behind Sonic The Hedgehog and Yakuza will withhold its biggest franchises from third-party blockchain gaming projects to avoid devaluing its content, co-Chief Operating Officer Shuji Utsumi told Bloomberg News. It’s also shelving plans to develop its own games in that genre at least for now, he added.
The remarks, from an executive who helped launch the PlayStation at Sony Group Corp. decades ago, underscore a shift at the 60-year-old firm. Sega, along with rivals like Square Enix Holdings Co. and Bandai Namco Holdings Inc., previously advocated using blockchain-based technology it believes can boost the appeal of its titles. Those were the days platforms such as Axie Infinity, where gamers earn tokens just by playing, were taking off. But the digital currency market collapse wiped out much of their appeal.
Sega does plan to let external partners use its lesser-known Three Kingdoms and Virtua Fighter characters for non-fungible tokens, a sort of certificate that confirms ownership of a digital asset. The company’s intent to join the once-red-hot NFT community, first announced in 2021, drew widespread criticism from gamers who viewed crypto technology as bad for the environment.
“The action in play-to-earn games is boring,” Utsumi told Bloomberg News. “What’s the point if games are no fun?”
Read more: NFTs in Video Games Become Cautionary Tale for the Metaverse
Utsumi was also non-committal about employing Web 3.0 technology in what Sega dubs its “super game” initiative: a lineup of big-budget online multiplayer games due to roll out from 2026.
“We’re looking into whether this technology is really going to take off in this industry, after all,” he added.
Sega’s shift reflects a broader cooling on the concept of Web 3.0 — a term used to describe an internet built around the blockchain — that once attracted billions of dollars from the likes of Andreessen Horowitz. Peers such as Ubisoft Entertainment SA have pulled back on their investments in NFT games after drawing criticism amid low interest.
Sega will still offer its lesser franchises to several blockchain games to be announced later this year, and will continue to invest in related projects — to the tune of hundreds of millions of yen in each case, Utsumi said. The technology remains useful, for instance by making it possible to move characters and items between different games, he said. Longer-term, Sega remains open to getting more involved as the technology matures.
“For the majority of people in the video game industry, what blockchain advocates say may sound a bit extreme, but that’s how the first penguin has always been,” Utsumi said, describing risk-takers who’re the first to take the plunge. “We should never underestimate them.”
Read more: NFT Prices Slump as Popular Collection Tumbles Following Debut
©2023 Bloomberg L.P.


text:
The Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association (CTFA) met with five officials from the Chinese Administration of Quality, Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) on June 10, 2007, to discuss regulatory issues. AQSIQ supervises imports and exports of cosmetic products and develops standards on labeling and other matters.
Pamela G. Bailey, CTFA president and CEO, headed the meeting. Also in attendance CIR director, Alan Andersen, PhD, and Linda Katz, PhD, director of the office of cosmetics and color for the US Food and Drug Administration. Following the meeting, the AQSIQ officials were taken on tours of member companies including Procter & Gamble, Colgate Palmolive and Estee Lauder. The AQSIQ was led by Xu Liyan, deputy director of the Import and Export Food Safety Bureau.
The visit of AQSIQ is part of an effort by the CTFA to increase engagement with Chinese officials and industry groups. The CTFA reportedly is planning on visiting China in late September. Senior representatives from several CTFA member companies serving on the International Executive Steering Committee will participate in the visit. For more information, visit www.ctfa.org.


text:
Friday November 21, 2014
Enter Get Set’s ‘What’s in a Name?’ competition and your school could have the honour of naming a new apple and being a part of the London 2012 Paralympic legacy.
A new variety of apple will be grown in an orchard at Mandeville Place – the name of which is up to you and your pupils!
Mandeville Place, a special new area situated in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in East London, is being created as part of London’s Paralympic Legacy Programme in recognition of the amazing achievements of Paralympic athletes and to celebrate the Values that made the London 2012 Paralympic Games such a success. The name Mandeville Place has been chosen to reflect the fact that the Paralympics started in Stoke Mandeville, England in 1952, and after the 2012 Mascot, Mandeville.
Taking inspiration from the use of apples in the London 2012 Paralympic Opening Ceremony, a stunning orchard is due to open at the core (!) of the Park in spring 2015 and schools are being offered the chance to name a brand new variety of apple that will be grown there.
The delicious new apple variety is being developed by mixing pollen from different apple blossoms and is only the third new apple variety to have been created in UK in the past 50 years. Enter Get Set’s ‘What’s in a Name?’ competition and you and your pupils could have the honour of naming the new apple and help make history!
As well as the main prize of naming the new variety of apple, two pupils from the winning school will be invited to attend an event at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Spring 2015 and the school will also receive the same type of apple tree to plant in the school grounds.
The competition is open until midday 3rd December, at which point entries will be judged by a panel including Paralympic gold medallist Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, London 2012 Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony Artistic Directors Bradley Hemmings and Jenny Sealey, former Paralympic sprinter Danny Crates and local young and disabled people. Full terms and conditions about the competition are available here.
To enter the ‘What’s in a Name?’ competition please visit: http://www.getset.co.uk/resources/campaign/mandeville-place-orchard-competition


text:
ODESSA, TX — The longtime Ector County newspaper, the Odessa American, announced Tuesday that it will switch to a “digital-first” format.
According to the announcement, from Saturday, April 30, the American from Odessa will put his daily newspaper strictly online. Subscribers will still receive the same journal format, but it will not be printed.
“Subscribers to the Odessa American will receive the digital ‘e-edition’ of our 7/7 newspaper each morning via email delivered directly to their e-mail account. In addition to this new daily e-edition 7/7″ , OA said in the announcement. “The traditional print edition of the Odessa American will continue to be delivered to subscribers on Wednesdays and Saturdays (the weekend edition) via US Postal Mail beginning April 30. These editions will also be available for purchase in shops and stores.”
The shift from newspapers to online platforms continues to be a growing trend, especially in major cities. The San Angelo Standard Times stopped printing the newspaper locally years ago. The print version is produced out of town.
In April 2020, The Standard Times put his building up for sale. The downtown building was purchased by the City of San Angelo. In the deal, the city agreed to pay the $28,000 in property taxes owed on the building.
As for the American from Odessa, the legendary newspaper claims to have made the decision for the following reasons:
“We live in a time when it has become all too clear that the fastest and most efficient way to deliver information to you and our other readers and viewers is digitally,” the OA said. “The Odessa American is fortunate to already have hundreds of digital-only subscribers and our online audience continues to grow steadily.”


text:
Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. is expected to report first-quarter earnings Tuesday after the closing bell.
Still reeling from illness outbreaks that broke out in late 2015, Chipotle CMG, -0.99% has introduced games, made changes to its menu and overhauled its board in an effort to get the business back on track.
With the recovery under way, analysts say investors will be keeping a close eye on same-store sales growth, with figures in double digits expected.
Chipotle shares have an average hold rating with a $403.62 price target, nearly 16% lower than Friday’s close.
Here’s what to expect:
Earnings: Analysts polled by FactSet expect earnings per share of $1.29 compared with an 88 cents-per-share loss last year.
Estimize, a software platform that crowdsources estimates from buy-side analysts, hedge-fund manager and others, expects $1.26 per share.
Chipotle’s EPS results have missed expectations the past three quarters.
Revenue: FactSet and Estimize expect sales of $1.05 billion, up from $834.5 million last year.
Chipotle has missed revenue expectations for the past four quarters.
FactSet expects same-store sales growth of 14.9%.
Share price: Chipotle shares are up more than 25.2% for the year to date, and up 6.7% for the past 12 months. The S&P 500 index SPX, -0.15% is up 6.7% for 2017 so far, and up 14.5% for the past year.
Other issues: Recent checks conducted by Wedbush analysts indicate that Chipotle maintained same-store sales growth momentum during the quarter due to factors like promotions and better weather. Still, the future is fuzzy.
“We believe current valuation appropriately reflects an improving top-line trajectory, offset by limited visibility into Chipotle’s near-term margin trajectory,” analysts wrote in a Friday note.
Analysts are also concerned about labor expenses and avocado costs.
Wedbush rates Chipotle shares neutral with a $450 price target. Analysts expect same-store sales growth of at least 14.9%.
SunTrust Robinson Humphrey analysts also point out the rise in avocado prices, along with lettuce, but they expect same-store sales growth of 16%. Analysts say the comparison is easy, and the company benefits from sales drivers like “smarter pickup times” for digital orders.
“In addition to the digital [order] and service initiatives implemented in the first quarter 2017, we expect the ‘As Real as it Gets’ ad campaign launched April 10 (Chipotle’s largest ad campaign and first with sustained national TV advertising) will support traffic,” analysts said.
SunTrust rates Chipotle shares buy with a $500 price target.
“The recovery remains fairly shallow and slow,” wrote Buckingham Research Group in a Monday note. Analysts believe same-store sales growth will be 14.5%.
“We believe sequential improvement, no matter how small, will put pressure on the bear thesis that Chipotle has ‘already recovered,’” the note said.
Buckingham rates Chipotle shares buy with a $547 price target.


text:
Consumers are increasingly opting to skip the dealership when it comes to getting their next auto loan, according to fresh data from Fico.
Published last week, Fico’s 2019 U.S. Consumer Survey of Vehicle Finance Perceptions examined how consumers looked at the financing of their vehicle purchases and how auto finance companies are currently meeting their expectations.
While 63% of respondents had acquired their most recent auto loan or lease by visiting a dealership, only 40% said they would seek out an auto loan that way next time.
Meanwhile, 28% of consumers surveyed listed online financing as their first choice for their next auto loan, compared with 13% of survey respondents who had applied for their current auto loans online.
More than half of the respondents who preferred the online channel cited convenience as their primary reason; speed and the ability to “comparison shop” across auto lenders were listed as other top factors.
Online auto financiers, such as Carvana — which uses a purely online model aside from the car delivery — make the car-buying process more transparent and user-friendly, said Kroll Bond Rating Agency Managing Director Eric Neglia. “Carvana’s business model takes away a lot of friction that currently exists in the auto business now where a borrower does their research online and then has to walk into the store to purchase it from a dealer,” he said. “If you’ve ever purchased a vehicle, you know that it’s often a frustrating process where you can go through multiple layers of salesmen and management, the price is negotiated, and you can sometimes feel captive waiting for a final decision.”


text:
Lithium-ion batteries are benefiting from the massive growth in electric car production
One of the underperforming sectors in the stock market today is the battery sector. Trade tensions, higher raw material costs and global inflation are just a few of the macroeconomic headwinds that consumer discretionary stocks face. Yet stock markets tend to over-exaggerate on the downside risks, punishing a sector on the view that things will not improve.
Fundamentally, the battery market is undergoing a major shift. Electric vehicles are driving the demand for lithium-ion batteries. Solar power panel prices plunged in recent years. This is creating a potentially higher demand for battery solutions to store energy captured from such panels.
How might investors play the battery boom led by growing electric vehicle production and a soaring number of devices needing portable power?
Battery Stocks to Buy: Tesla (TSLA)
Let us start with Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA). The stock fell by over 40% because its unit sales of EVs are under pressure. With government subsidies no longer supporting them, Tesla shares are underperforming.
Still, the company’s ambition extends beyond electric cars. On May 16, Tesla completed its acquisition of Maxwell. At a cost of just $200 million, it gains some valuable intellectual property. Maxwell is best known for its manufacturing of ultracapacitors, but it is also developing dry electrode technology for batteries.
If Maxwell’s R&D efforts pay off, the unit could bring performance enhancements for lithium-ion battery cells. For starters, Tesla could start manufacturing batteries that have an energy density of over 500Wh/kg. That would bring a 15% to 100% increase to Tesla’s current battery technology.
Informally, Tesla has the best battery technology in the auto industry. Adding Maxwell’s IP may also result in lithium-ion batteries that gain in capacity and will not lose energy after charged. Ultimately, TSLA stock could start turning around once the company implements the new technology. Having battery technology that is even further ahead of that offered by other automobile manufacturers could drive Tesla EV sales.
Tesla is facing a slowdown in sales of Model S and Model 3. It has a cross-over Model Y that is not yet on the market. Chances are good that both the Model Y release and new battery technology coming with it will give the stock a boost.
Energizer Holdings (ENR)
Shares of Energizer Holdings (NYSE:ENR) are stuck in a narrow trading range of between $43 and $46, though it closed recently at $47. Known best for its Energizer bunny rabbit on television commercials, the company is more than just a battery company. It has ambitions for transforming into a diversified global household products leader. This change brings along with it high goals. Energizer aims to grow adjusted free cash flow to $330 million-$370 million in 2020.
There are three goals:
1. Generating adjusted EBITDA of $650 million-$675 million.
2. Driving organic sales growth through pricing, innovation, and distribution gains.
3. Deleveraging its balance sheet to a net leverage ratio of 4 times.
Energizer bolstered its battery business by completing its acquisition of Battery and Auto Care. In doing so, the company will establish itself as a global leader while adding brands to diversify its business. It expanded its manufacturing facilities. Plus, over the past five years, it optimized its legacy factories to improve on cost and efficiency.
In its second quarter, Energizer took advantage of strong demand for its legacy batteries by raising prices. Energizer MAX and Energizer lithium product prices rose in the U.S. The company expects to complete the price hike in international markets by the end of the fiscal year.
ENR shares trade at 14 times forward P/E. With its consumer battery business strong and auto battery entry underway, the stock has the potential to break out of the trading range.
Enphase Energy (ENPH)
Enphase Energy (NASDAQ:ENPH) surged to a new 52-week high after the company reported a strong first quarter. Revenue rose 43%, while the company issued a second-quarter revenue outlook. It now expects revenue in the range of $115 million-$125 million. This is above the $96 million analysts expected.
Enphase makes microinverters, which the company says “offer the most advanced inverter technology on the market, which means higher production, greater reliability, and unmatched intelligence.” In the first quarter, Enphase shipped 976,410 microinverters. The company now has 2,500 homeowners that joined its Enphase Upgrade Program. In doing so, these customers get quality and service. And strong customer satisfaction is leading to more business.
Enphase still grew revenue in the quarter despite facing component shortages in all of its regions. This implies that once the supply issues are resolved, revenue should grow at an even faster pace. Looking ahead, Enphase expects to have a capacity of 2 million microconverters by the fourth quarter of 2019. The higher supply will also cut its microinverter lead times to around 6-8 weeks.
Enphase will expand its IQ7 microinverter regionally. Adding high-power and high-performance products, adding AC modules, and bringing Ensemble Solar and Storage technology will further drive revenue.
ENPH stock is at a 52-week high but may continue climbing higher following that strong earnings report.
Panasonic Corporation (PCRFY)
Panasonic Corporation (OTCMKTS:PCRFY) fell to yearly lows on no recent bad news. On May 9, the company announced that it would team upwith Toyota (NYSE: TM) to make smart homes. Panasonic is already an existing partner in supplying batteries for Toyota’s electric vehicles. So with tens of thousands of homes potentially implementing a smart home, the partnership is a natural extension.
Panasonic specializes in batteries and home appliances, while Toyota started developing robots that help with household jobs.
In January, the two firms formed a joint venture for the manufacture of EV batteries. Toyota will own 51% of the venture while Panasonic will own the remaining 49%. The companies aim to increase battery capacity by 50 times, compared to those used in current Toyota hybrid vehicles. Mazda, Subaru and Daihatsu will source batteries from this joint venture. Honda already uses Panasonic batteries but will benefit from this new collaboration.
Panasonic and Toyota will also develop solid-state batteries, which will eventually replace the lithium-ion batteries used in electric cars today. By offering a higher range at a lower cost, these new battery types could drive Panasonic’s revenues higher.
Johnson Controls (JCI)
Johnson Controls (NYSE:JCI) is the largest manufacturer of automotive batteries. The company consolidated its business in the second quarter when it closed the sale of Power Solutions ahead of schedule. Brookfield Business Partners closed its $13.2 billion acquisition of the battery unit on Apr. 30.
With the battery unit sold, why should investors consider JCI stock? With growth prospects in other markets, investors could get some diversification away from battery suppliers. JCI’s underlying fundamentals are strong and the company enjoys an $8.8 billion backlog. This gives it clear visibility into 2020.
In the second quarter, JCI’s adjusted sales grew 3% year-on-year as EPS grew 23% to 32 cents. The $5.8 billion in revenue from the Buildings unit is another bonus for holding the stock. Though JCI sold its battery unit, it still has institutional knowledge around the energy storage solutions market. For example, HVAC and controls rose in the mid-single digits while the fire and security unit is up in the mid-single-digit growth rate.
For fiscal 2019, JCI expects adjusted free cash flow conversion topping 95%.
On the balance sheet, JCI ended Q2 with $12.15 billion in debt. The sale of Power Solutions allows the company to cut debt by $3.4 billion. It has $8.2 billion to buyback shares. By investing back into the company, Johnson Controls’ stock could trade at new highs in the coming months.
In the specialty chemicals space, Albemarle (NYSE:ALB), which forecast revenue rising 8%-14% this year, benefited from lithium prices rising 3% from last year. The company reported revenue of $832 million and adjusted EBITDA of $226 million. Still, the stock may have traded close to yearly lows following its EPS falling 5% year-on-year to $1.23.
Albemarle noted on its conference call that global sales of electric vehicles rose by almost 60%. This led to battery production rising. The company generated sales of $292 million for lithium. Thanks to a long-term agreement structure, pricing rose 3%.
For the full-year 2019, Albemarle expands sustained, strong demand for lithium. And although excess lithium carbonate from China hurt prices for carbonate, Albemarle will not compete in the same markets until pricing improves. Overall, management expects production growth of 15,000 to 20,000 metric tons and EBITDA growing in the high teens. With the company committed to 40% margins and existing long-term contracts in place, ALB stock should not stay at yearly lows for too long.
Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (SQM)
Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (NYSE:SQM) is another lithium supplier. In April, it raised its lithium outlook and said it expected sales of around 50,000 tons. The higher output is due to its operations in the Atacama salt flat.
SQM shares are at 52-week lows because of the company’s disappointing fourth-quarter earnings report. Despite strong demand, SQM failed to raise output to benefit from the prevailing trends. In the fourth quarter, the company reported revenue falling 1.7% to $565.2 million.
Investors are not confident that the company will meet the demand growth led by full electric vehicle penetration levels reaching ~2%. Still, if SQM can increase its total capacity this year and next, the company may eventually achieve its 180,000 metric ton output target. In the near-term, SQM will keep producing at levels about demand, accumulating inventory. In doing so, it will have more flexibility in selling in higher volume if prices and demand levels are favorable.
For the rest of 2019, SQM expects pricing levels similar to last year’s levels. Strategically, the company will not go after market share in the short-term. Instead, it expects demand in 2025 will top one million metric tons. From there, it is positioning the company to have the output capabilities to meet that demand level.


text:
Savings for participating Breezeline customers exceeds $6M per year
Breezeline, the nation’s eighth-largest cable operator, has connected more than 25,000 customers under the federal Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides broadband internet at a discount for households that meet financial eligibility guidelines.
Through the program, customers receive a discount of $30 per month (and $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands) toward broadband service. A year ago, Breezeline created a 100 Mbps “Internet Assist Plus” service priced at $29.99 per month, which includes one free modem and is available at no cost for qualifying households after applying the ACP credit. Customers may choose a higher internet speed up to 1 Gig and obtain the credit under the program.
The value of the broadband benefit for Breezeline customers currently in the program now exceeds $6 million annually.
“Breezeline is committed to increasing access to broadband internet,” said Frank van der Post, President of Breezeline. “Through our digital inclusion initiatives, we are expanding our fiber-powered network into underserved and unserved areas via federal and local partnerships, promoting the responsible use of technology through education and financial support, and by ensuring broadband affordability through programs like ACP.”
The Affordable Connectivity Program was created in November 2021 when Congress passed the Infrastructure Act. The Act provided long-term funding to modify and extend prior benefit programs that were created in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that financially struggling households would have access to broadband internet for work-from-home, distance learning, telehealth and more.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which administers the program, has made it even easier for eligible consumers to apply. They have simplified the application process and introduced a new website landing page at GetInternet.gov, where customers can determine eligibility and learn more about the program.
For more information on Breezeline participation in the program, please visit Breezeline.com/acp.
Original Link: https://www.breezeline.com/assets/documents/ACP-5.16.23.pdf


text:
Journalist Michael Stusser (host of Higher Ground) pops in the passenger seat to discuss the new era of marijuana with Cheech Marin. The results are hilarious and surprisingly informative in this “Up in Smoke” Re-Mix. And don’t worry, the great Tommy Chong doesn’t get left out! Watch till the end for a special shout-out. www.highergroundtv.com
You Might also like
By Zoe — 9 years ago
The Hershey Co. has filed a trademark suit against an edible marijuana company for selling weed-infused snacks with packaging that mimics some of Hershey’s signature candies.
In the lawsuit, filed last week in U.S. District Court in Denver, Hershey claims that the Colorado-based medical marijuana manufacturer Tincture Belle is selling products that look suspiciously like its Reese’s, Heath, Almond Joy and York Peppermint Pattie brands.
Not only are the products packaged in similar colors as the Hershey originals, the candy-making giant contends, their names are also reminiscent of their analogs: Hashees, Hasheath, Ganja Joy and Dabby Patty.
Hershey says that the packaging is not only a clear trademark violation, but also a safety risk to consumers — especially children — “who may not distinguish between Hershey’s candy products and defendants’ cannabis- and/or tetrahydrocannabinol-based products.”
Although recreational and medicinal marijuana sales are legal in Colorado, the burgeoning edible pot industry has raised some safety concerns.
In April, a Denver teen plunged off a balcony after eating six times the recommended amount of a marijuana brownie. And another man was accused of killing his wife in a hallucinatory episode after eating marijuana candy and rolling a joint, according to CBS News.
New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd’s own encounter with a caramel-chocolate flavored candy bar prompted her to argue in her column for greater regulation of the edibles industry.
According to Tincture Belle, their pot products are gluten-free, vegan, sugar-free, GMO-free and peanut-free — although they do come with a hint of imitation.
By Gonzo Man — 9 years ago
The fight to legalize weed is being conducted all over the world. Last week, 8,000 people took to Santiago’s streets to support legalization of the consumption and cultivation of marijuana, currently classed as a “class-A”hard drug in Chile. They were peaceful, boisterous, and had banners than would make soccer fans envious. Most upsetting to the great citizens of Chili? Their neighbor, Uruguay, has already given pot the green light and is having a really good time….


text:
Fidelity Bank Plc. has advised importers who are presently experiencing challenges to switch over to the export sector and explore existing opportunities offered by the diversification drive of the Federal Government.
The Executive Director,Shared Services and Products, Fidelity Bank, Mrs. Chijioke Ugochukwu, gave this advice while speaking on the sidelines of an interview with the Managing Director, Nigerian Export Import Bank, Mr. Bashir Wali, about the bank’s partnership with NEXIM Bank on the N300bn Export Stimulation Fund.
Speaking about the value proposition of Fidelity Bank in the partnership, Ugochukwu said the bank had invested a lot in building the necessary capacity to help exporters tap into the diversification vision.
She said, “We don’t just want to do export, we want to do export successfully and record export proceeds in large volume. We want to attract entrepreneurs whose businesses must have experienced shrinkage on the import side to switch to export business because they already have competence.
“Without a doubt, the most important area now for Nigeria is the non-oil export sector and since the beginning of this year, the bank has taken a decision to participate in the cocoa, cashew and other non-oil sectors. As we speak, we already have a couple of large-sized transactions in cocoa and rubber.”
Wali on his part said NEXIM’s partnership with Fidelity on the ESF was the first initiative that would open up the opportunities that abound in the export sector and also provide an avenue for information dissemination and capacity building.
“It is a very wonderful initiative and a step in the right direction. It is a partnership arrangement between a commercial enterpris
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: [email protected]


text:
After reporting second quarter earnings that missed estimates, General Motors shares tumbled more than 9% on Wednesday. Amid soaring new vehicle prices, GM continues to contend with the large chip shortage and heightened production costs. However, according to Autoblog Editor-in Chief Greg Migliore, growth outlook could ring true, should it ring true, might put the company in a good position.
Vice Chairman of Yahoo Finance Live, Migliore again laid out an aggressive, I think, optimistic plan for growth. The Hummer model launch is a big deal for them, it's the return of the Hummer brand as an electric model and that's going to happen I believe in October.
Though GM's earnings may not have lived up to analysts' expectations, the OEM raised its full-year forecast in light of its healthy margins on pickup trucks and booming auto demand, expecting adjusted pre-tax earnings between $11.5 billion and $13.5 billion, up from its previous outlook of between $10 billion and $11 billion.
There was a strong demand for some of the pickup trucks and SUVs which are evidently quite lucrative, Migliore said regarding GM's past quarter. That helped them to overcome things like inventory issues and the chip shortage.
As for the other vehicle rollouts for GM on the horizon, Migliore pointed to the Cadillac Lyriq, another EV which should go up for sale beginning early 2022. GM is charging on the EV front, intending to invest $35 billion between 2020 and 2025 in autonomous vehicle manufacturing, exceeding its gas and diesel investment.
'So despite these challenges — recalls, the chip shortage, the pandemic — they are going to weigh down basically every car company, and I think Migliore is better positioned than most to try some new things and grow in the second half of the year here, said GM.
According to Migliore, the company is planning to sell 1 million EVs by 2025. However, he pointed to challenges such as the recent Chevy Bolt recall, issued due to a potential battery fire risk, as being one of several headwinds faced by GM in the near term.
GM must deal with its recall issues in addition to market conditions currently plaguing the entire auto industry.
'Like the Delta variant and as chip shortages, there are two very unpredictable things that could impact the business model and obviously, earnings, Migliore added. GM has a big third and fourth quarter in front of them.
He noted that there is still a lot of uncertainty within the space as GM heads into the fall and estimated that the chips shortage could drag on for at least another year.
'Now, GM has wide-ranging purchasing operation and they can get whatever they need, said Migliore. 'But with the chip stuff, we don't know what we don't know.
Editor's note: Autoblog is owned and operated by Yahoo Finance, a subsidiary of Verizon Communications, which also owns Verizon Media.


text:
China’s “shadow banking” system is masking the rise in indebtedness in China, Moody’s Investors Service said in a report Wednesday. » Read More
Apple could face further woes in China when it reports third-quarter earnings thanks to its iPhone market share in China slipping to 2014 levels.
The final week of July is expected to be a busy one in Asia Pacific, with the region entering the thick of its earnings season amid BOJ, Fed meetings.
The Philippines' new president holds his first security council meeting Monday, and The Hague's ruling will be top of the agenda.
Torrential rains that swept through China this week have left at least 112 people dead and 91 others missing.
Beijing will be aggressive over the issue in the short term, experts say, but does want to get along with its neighbors.
Escalating health care costs are set to place an unsustainable burden on citizens, underlining the need for drastic reforms, according to the World Bank.
Aluminium producer Norsk Hydro reported a rise in earnings in the second quarter due to rising prices and stronger demand for the metal.
Europe’s “Pokemon Go” fanatics have been warned against hunting for the creatures in rail tracks and hospitals - and offered accident insurance.
Forget handing over half a wage-packet for fine dining - in Singapore food fans can now experience Michelin-starred cuisine in the street.
The world's leading economies will step up efforts to lift global economic growth and share the benefits more broadly.
The global smash-hit "Pokemon Go" mobile game finally launched in Japan, bringing the record-setting global hit to the home of the Pokemon characters.
China's Vice Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao tells CNBC that there's no reason to devalue the country's currency as economic fundamentals remain solid.
J.P. Morgan is expected to pay around $200 million later this year to settle probes over its Asia hiring practices, according to a report.
Sources told Reuters the Malaysian PM was "Malaysian Official 1," as the U.S. also sought to seize proceeds from "Wolf of Wall Street."
Tech giant Samsung Electronics said on Friday it sued smartphone rival Huawei Technologies for patent infringements through multiple courts in China.
"No need and no possibility for helicopter money," Kuroda tells BBC radio documentary.
Up to eight Chinese ships will offer cruises to the South China Sea over the next five years, as Beijing promotes tourism to the disputed waters.
Emerging markets have been largely stable amid a slew of fear-inducing events but a new report could dampen the sector's shine.
Pokemon TV shows are among the most watched titles on Netflix following the release of the "Pokemon Go" mobile game.
Apple's revenues in China could be down 20 percent in China in its quarterly earnings report, according to research by Baidu.
Get the best of CNBC in your inbox
Most Chinese visitors might be unfamiliar with theme park etiquette and norms, which is something Disney is slowly figuring out.
Disney CEO Bob Iger talks to CNBC's Inside China about the new ride technologies and Disney characters at the newly opened Shanghai Disneyland.
CNBC's Eunice Yoon reports on Disney's attempt to conquer the "Middle Kingdom" with Shanghai Disneyland, which saw thousands of visitors on its opening day.


text:
|SEMA members are invited to participate in the SEMA CIAPE China Business Development Conference in Beijing, China, September 23–26, 2010.|
Do you make products for luxury sedans and SUVs? Judging by the growing number of imported luxury cars and SUVs in China, the market for your products could be growing there, too. Buyers of imported luxury vehicles have the money, and the desire, to personalize their vehicles. SEMA members are invited to participate in a three-day program in Beijing, China, September 23–26, 2010, to meet with up to a dozen Chinese buyers and distributors in a series of one-on-one pre-arranged meetings.
China imported 305,080 light vehicles in 2009, according to J.D. Power and Associates, down 11% because of the global economic downturn. But imports have grown steadily in recent years along with China’s economy. Growth is expected to resume this year.
Japanese and German luxury models account for the majority of imported vehicles in China.
For example, between 2007 and the end of 2010, China will import 53,812 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado SUVs, forecasts J.D. Power and Associates. In 2014 alone, 19,848 Prados are forecast to enter China.
The Lexus brand is very popular in China. From 2007 to the end of 2010, 13,376 Lexus RX series luxury SUVs will be imported. And imports will continue to grow, according to J.D. Power and Associates. In 2014 alone, more than 10,000 RX SUVs are forecast to be imported, for example.
Lexus sedans are also a hit. From 2007 to the end of 2010, China will import nearly 70,000 Lexus ES sedans, according to J.D. Power and Associates. In 2014, nearly 44,000 units are forecast to be imported.
The BMW X-5 luxury SUV is another popular imported model. In 2010, China is forecast to import 11,750 X-5 SUVs, up 12.8% compared to 2009.
Mercedes is another popular imported brand. From 2007 to the end of 2010, imports will top 51,000 Mercedes S-class sedans, forecasts J.D. Power and Associates. Indeed, China is the largest market in the world for the S-class.
Imported automotive accessories fit imported models, and also some domestically produced foreign-brand models, say distributors in China. So the market is not limited to imports.
“You have to consider which product is being installed on which car,” said Becky Zhou, executive assistant at Full Throttle Motorsports of Beijing. “It varies from product to product.”


text:
March 2009 - Posts
Rajeev Samant celebrated the 10th anniversary of Sula Vineyards with the SULAFEST 2009 - a daylong celebration of music, food and wine. The festival was celebrated by the rain Gods this year and kicked off with Sridhar & Thayil lifting the spirits of all those around with their soul music. The ambience at the Greek style amphitheatre was set off with a line up of magical musical performances and vibrant colours of the vineyard shopping bazaar.
The astonishing rainy weather did not dampen the spirits of the festival as the performances came to a halt and moved base to ‘Little Italy’ – Sula Vineyards’ new restaurant in the midst of the vineyards. The magic came alive as Jalebee Cartel took over to cheer the crowd’s spirits and played for the next few hours. They were joined by Agnee; creating a mix of two separate genres of music – their first ever joint performance.
The festival was highlighted with an eclectic mix of audience; seen were Sapna Bhavnani, Akansha Nanda with son, Veejay Archana Vijaya, Beenu Bawa, Sushma Reddy, Yaseer of Amore Gelatos, Shaair & Func, brothers Rajeev & Sanjeev Mulchandani amongst many others.
SULAFEST 2009 is a result of the association between Sula Vineyards and MSR Entertainment Limited - a media and entertainment division of The Misha Satya Raj Group
New entrants in the Indian wine market include Romania and Bulgaria. Their participation in IIWF was to understand the Indian market, display their series of products to Indian importers and distributors and provide
them with possibilities for mutual business opportunities
Consul and Trade Commissioner, Consulate General of
Romania and Trade Commission Casandu Paparoiu, states, “Romania has produced wine for
years. However, it is the first time that a Romanian company is
targeting the Indian market for exports.”
Romania exports a significant number of its wines to India, in addition
to several other regions in south east Asia. “Even with the challenges
that the Indian market poses to international wine players, especially
with the taxation policy, it remains a lucrative export market for
Romanian wines,” says Paparoiu.
Bulgarian wine producer, Telish, also plans to enter the wine market.
“The company is presently targeting the South Asian markets of India,
China and Hong Kong. India is a new market for us. Presently, we are
the first Bulgarian wine producers here and we plan to establish our
presence in the Indian market,” informs Svilena Hristova, Sales and
Marketing Manager, Telish Wine Cellar. The company plans to introduce
its produce of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Bulgarian indigenous
varietals, Mavrud and Rubin.
More: Hospitality Biz India
The two-day India International Wine Summit on "Overview of the wine market in India" and "The business case for the wine industry in India"
was inaugurated at Grand Hyatt in Mumbai on March 16, as part of the
1st edition of India International Wine Fair & Gourmet Show 2009. The 2nd edition of International Wine Fair &
Gourmet Show will take place on January 21-23, 2010, under the banner
"India International Spirits Show."
Highlights from India International Wine Summit
Over 70 delegates from India and abroad participated in the convention.
The need to promote wine imports in India
Harshal Shah, Sommelier, Australian Sommelier's
Association, said that in the last few years there had been many
tie-ups between domestic wine and alcoholic beverages manufacturers and
foreign manufacturers. "Still we don't have world class foreign wine
brands in India," Shah said.
Speaking on "Overcoming India's restrictive import
regime," Sanjay Menon, importer, Sonarys, and director for Wine Society
of India, said, "India is comparatively a new wine drinking country in
Identifying import bottlenecks
Sanjay Menon discussed the problems faced by the wine
industry in the country. According to him, the development of the
Indian wine industry faces a setback due to complex and time consuming
import procedures by the government and banks, state-to-state taxation
policies, PHO (public health officer) testing for every consignment,
label registration obligation and lack of infrastructure &
logistics like state-of-the-art bonded warehouse, cold chains and other
wine storage devices.
Geographical Indications and concept of origin
Rajiv Singhal, ambassador, Champagne in India, CIVC (Comité
interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne), said, "Geographical
Indications (GI) certification is a Europe-based universally applicable
law which indicates that the product is produced, processed and packed
in a specific area. GI certifications help brand building and boost USP
(unique selling point) of the product."
India International Wine Fair & Gourmet Show 2009, Hotel Grand Hyatt, Mumbai
The three-day event attracted about 150 exhibitors
from about 15 countries and over 500 foreign and 200 national visitors
on day one.
David Wrigley, director for international
development, Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), said, "The IIWF
2009 has an exclusive platform to showcase various state-of-the-art
international products. With the growing Indian food & beverage
industry, increasing health awareness and quality measures among the
consumers and manufacturers, wine and spirits education and
qualifications become vital. At WSET, we promote, provide and develop
high quality education in wines and spirits for traders and consumers.
We also design courses, produce teaching and learning materials and
operate through a network of Approved Programme Providers (APPs) around
the world." WSET is one of the leading wine and spirits schools in the
world with about 350 APP in over 47 countries.
More: FNB News
and red wine go well with any meal and normally you would go for a wine
that has been brewed and made in France or Italy for example but Indian
wine could change all of that.
Sales have grown by 30% to 35% in India
every year since 2002 and although only 2% of the population drinks
wine, that still accounts for a staggering 20 million people. Last year
alone the Indian market accounted for 1.two million cases of wine being
sold, representing a doubling of domestic consumption in only just five
years. Compared to global players in the wine industry – America last
year produced 270 million cases – India remains a viticultural minnow
but now producers believe they have spotted a receptive export the
globe and an avenue to make plenty of money.
India as a nation is trying to increase its revenue stream as much
as possible by broadening its own commerical potential. Exporting
wine as well as beer and food will be a great move for Indian commerce
as a nation as this will un-doubtedly help their relation and profit
The Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli (Ratnagiri), has
successfully processed wine from cashew apples, mangoes, blueberries
(karvand) and blackberries (jamun). A team of agricultural scientists, horticulturists and processors
worked for the last few years in Dapoli University to standardise the
wine extraction technology. The university has an 80-litre winery at
Dapoli, and wine tasters have given their nod for the commercial launch
of the new varieties.
The news of wine from other fruits comes at a time when the 58 grape
wineries in north and western Maharashtra are in crisis due to a drop
in demand, with most brands dishonouring contracts with grape growers.
Currently, wineries in the state produce over 2.11 crore litres of
grape wine -- 97% of the total wine production in India. Most of the
demand for grape wine comes from Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Goa.
University scientists, who are in the process of patenting their
products, say wine from cashew apple, blueberry and mangoes are better
in anti-oxidants and nutritional value. More importantly, they will be
lighter on the purse. And cheers to that!
More: DNA India
Sopexa India, the Indian arm of the food and beverage marketing
promotion board of France plans to conduct several engagement
programmes with the hospitality industry here. It also has plans to
conduct a familiarisation trip for prime Indian importers to various
Chateaus in France as also for an understanding of the French
appellations across the wine trail by end 2009.
Sopexa India recently conducted a French wine trail in Mumbai in
association with sommelier, Magandeep Singh, to display an
array of premium French wines in the country. The event featured 147
bottles of French wines and tasting was also on for a select few wines.
More: Hospitality Biz India
“We realise that a bottle that costs less than £5 can be a great wine.
It does not need to be an expensive one. Yet, there are many bottles
that are under £5 and are of poor quality. We will point out the
difference,” says Steven Spurrier, chairman of the Board of Wine Advisors, The Wine Society of India.
Through their new Vineyard Visit programme, the society offers to
take wine enthusiasts on tours to various parts of the world. The first
of their visits is due from Mumbai to Margaret River, in Western
Australia. The date is yet to be announced. The list of events for this
year include a number of formal and informal wine-tasting sessions in
New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata, served with Japanese and
The Indian market for wine, which progressed at a generous rate of
25 per cent and was one of the fastest growing worldwide until last
year, has seen a sharp decline of late, and sent winemakers and dealers
into a tizzy. They are now looking to push cheaper wines and increase
membership to expand base.
“Membership is free and all you need to do is order two shipments
(equivalent to 12 bottles of wine) a year,” said David Banford,
director of The Wine Society of India. “At the moment, the average
order is 3.5 shipments a year,” he added. He also discussed the
prospect of weaning the younger crowd out of vodka-whisky swinging
habits, and replace it with a glass of wine.
More: Business Standard
India’s biggest wine producer, Indage Vintners (formerly
Champagne Indage), is implementing a three-pronged strategy to maintain
profitability in 2009.
Besides restructuring and giving consumers greater value, the third leg
of the strategy involves renegotiating and rethinking its global
expansion. "We are putting on hold or renegotiating our global asset
acquisitions," says managing director Ranjit Chougule.
The restructuring exercise includes global consolidation of operations
like R&D and production, and Enterprise Resource Planning for
banking, cash flow, inventory and assets into one centralised
operation, says Chougule .
For the quarter ending December 2008, the company recorded 68 per
cent increase in sales, at Rs 148 crore, compared with Rs 88 crore in
the corresponding period the previous year. Net profit for the quarter
saw a dip of 88 per cent, at Rs 2 crore, against Rs 19 crore for the
corresponding period in 2007.
However, the company’s stock has seen a decline of 55 per cent, from
Rs 108.35 on January 1, 2009, to Rs 48.75 on the Bombay Stock Exchange
today. As of March 2008, the company had a total debt of Rs 229. 8
crore and its net sales for the year were Rs 254.5 crore.
More: Business Standard
The government has set up the Indian Grape Processing Board (IGPB) in Pune. IGPB will have regulatory powers for the Indian wine industry.
Union minister of state for food processing Subodh Kant Sahai inaugurated the board in Pune last week. It will include representatives from the wine industry, grape growers, the ministry of food processing, state governments, state wine boards, research institutes, hospitality sector and other related establishments. The newly-formed board will inspect and control the quality of grape cultivation and wine production, approve labels and establish standardisation norms. The board, in future, will also draft schemes for international sale of processed grape products.
Indian farmers grow 1.6 million tonnes of grapes annually over 60,000 hectares. Of this, only 1.2 per cent is processed by the wine industry. “The board will promote the cultivation of grape meant for wine, since wine consumption in India is growing at 25 per cent every year.
More: Business Standard
Flemingo International owns and operates 70 plus Duty Free outlets in airports, seaports and other locations across Africa and the Indian Sub-Continent.
Flemingo has introduced their new range of African wines and liqueur in Maharashtra (India), and will soon make the range available in more parts of India.
Amarula Cream Liqueur
The Amarula phenomenon is a premium cream liqueur from Africa. Amarula is made from a unique subequatorial African fruit, the Marula. The story of Amrula Cream dates back to 1989 when it first appeared on the South African market. Today its great taste is enjoyed in over 100 countries worldwide. Amarula can be enjoyed over ice, in a unique range of cocktails as well as in delicious dishes.
Amarula was awarded the trophy for Best Liqueur in the World in the 2007 International Wine and Spirits Competition; also the Gold Best in Class Medal in 2008.
Nederburg 2007 Pinotage: Tasting notes
Nederburg Pinotage is an intense, fruit-forward South African red with gentle tannins and subtle, sweet oak. The palate displays ripe flavors of black cherry, raspberry, and plum with the earthy notes unique to the varietal. Enjoy with roast leg, pasta, pizza or chocolate.
Winemaker: Wim Truter
Colour: Ruby with purple edges
Residual Sugar: 4.4 grams per litre
Acidity: 5.23 grams per litre
Nederburg 2007 Shiraz: Tasting notes
Nederburg 2007 Shiraz has a bouquet of ripe fruit, berries and oak spice with a hint of dark chocolate. It is rich and full-bodied with ripe plum and dark chocolate flavours and a good tannic structure. Although accessible when young, this Shiraz has a good maturation potential of 5-7 years. Excellent served on its own or with Mediterranean meat dishes such as spicy lamb, souvlaki or kebabs, or traditional roasts.
Winemaker: Wim Truter
Colour: Dark ruby red
Residual Sugar: 3.64 grams per liter
Acidity: 5.84 grams per litre
Extract: 31.84 grams per litre
2007 Sauvignon Blanc: Tasting notes
Nederburg 2007 Sauvignon Blanc has a bouquet of vibrant grassy and gooseberry aromas with a hint of herbaceous nuances and ripe citrus. Its distinctive herbaceous and gooseberry aromas support a wonderfully balanced palate with a lingering pleasant finish. Serve with seafood, creamy fish or chicken dishes.
Winemaker: Tariro Masayiti
Colour: Brilliant lemon lime
Residual Sugar: 2.00 grams per litre
Acidity: 7.00 grams per litre
At the India, Latin American and Caribbean Conclave, Kawaljeet Singh Duggal, head, sales and marketing, Big Banyan Wines, spoke about the Indian wine industry's status.
Wine production in Himachal Pradesh
According to Duggal, the next big wine production destination in India is Himachal Pradesh.
Stating a 25% annual growth in the wine industry, Duggal projected the growth for 2009 at 15%. Painting a rosy picture of the future of the wine industry, Duggal said, "Though the market is price sensitive and value driven, there is a gradual rise in demand. Export volumes have doubled over the last three years."
Duggal added that while exports for 2008 were 1.2 million cases of 9 litres each, the foreign wine imports accounted for 20% of the wine consumed in India in 2008.
The Conclave was jointly organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India to discuss: Tourism and Hospitality - India and LAC.
More: FnB News
Liquor shopping experience would soon be a delight in Chandigarh with setting up of upscale modern liquor shops, a concept incorporated
in the new excise policy for 2009-10.
The excise and taxation department is looking forward to attracting prospective licensees for the high-investment ventures.
The liquor shops will have a minimum carpet area of 500 square feet, located in the sectoral grid or malls. In case a departmental store applies for license under this category, separate minimum area will have to be earmarked. The premises should be air-conditioned with quality flooring of wooden or vitrified tiles and granite.
The license for modern liquor shops is for Indian Made Foreign Liquor, sale of beer and wine and other bar accessories have been allowed as an incentive in these shops.
A computerized system of issuing cash memos has been made mandatory. The liquor shops can offer tasting sessions to customers and for this there will be no need to take a separate license for Tavern for serving liquor.
The license fee for modern liquor shops has been fixed at Rs 20 lakh per annum. The excise and taxation department will begin processing the applications for new licenses from March 10 and the look of liquor shops in Chandigarh is set to change in the coming months.
More: The Times of India