text:
Today the EU monitoring mission arrives in Myanmar to investigate whether GSP should be withdrawn. WRITER by: LARRY JAGAN
This would be catastrophic: Causing unemployment of anything upwards of 500,000; mass exodus of young women across the border looking for work and all the dangers trafficking entails. A loss of 2 billion in dollars in exports worsening trade deficit and putting further pressure on the Myanmar currency.
In today’s Bangkok Post for good measure, with more detailed analysis.
“The EU only restored Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) status for this sector in Myanmar in 2013, 16 years after suspending it to punish the previous military regime. The textile and footwear industry has grown by leaps and bounds in the past five years as a result.
“If the EU removes GSP, more than half the workforce employed in the garment sector are at risk of losing their jobs,” Khine Khine Nwe, secretary-general of the Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association, told Asia Focus. More than 90% of them are young, unskilled women, with no alternative employment prospects.
“Chinese factories employ around 300,000 people,” she said. These Chinese investors were attracted to Myanmar because of the country’s easy access to the European market under GSP. If that is withdrawn, they will certainly pull out and relocate elsewhere, probably to Thailand or Vietnam, she predicted.
This would be tragic, she said, because these women sustain their families — on average five people: a spouse and at least three children. More than a million people would suffer directly as a result, she estimated.
“A slowdown in Myanmar’s emerging garment industry would also dramatically affect the textile supply chain — such as thread and buttons — and the supporting industries — embroidery, printing, production of polyester bags and cartons — that are important for the textile and garment industry,” Myint Soe, chairman of the garment manufacturers’ association, told Asia Focus.
Kristian Schmidt, the EU ambassador to Myanmar, elaborated on the plans for the visit of the monitoring mission this week.
“The mission will assess the country’s progress in respecting the core conditions on which the trade privileges are granted, including respect for human rights, and be informed by the reality on the ground,” he told Asia Focus.”


text:
Tempo looks at float to finance stores
Sunday 05 January 1997
The Kingston-based group intends to open another 11 large stores at least in 1997 - including its first in Birmingham - in a challenge to the industry leaders Dixons and Kingfisher's Comet chain.
That would take the chain to 40 stores, creating 160 new jobs. Turnover is already set to pass the pounds 100m mark this year.
"Flotation is being discussed. With investment per store running at around pounds 500,000 a time, there are tremendous cash requirements for growth," said Michael Kraftman, Tempo's marketing director.
Tempo was founded in the early 1970s by Mr Kraftman's father, Gerald, the current chairman. It remains family controlled.
In 1992, venture capital group 3i invested pounds 3.25m for a 23.5 per cent stake to fund expansion into electrical superstores, offering computers alongside traditional TV, hi-fi and kitchen electricals, including washing machines and fridges.
Adopting a mixed format retail approach, as well as the main brands, Tempo also sells computers and fridges under its own in-house "Vanilla" label.
Now Tempo's sales per square foot are among the highest in the sector. Growth this year is set to propel it to fourth place in the sector, ahead of Tandy and behind Powerhouse, which was recently spun off by Hanson.
Tempo had a lively Yuletide, with like-for-like sales up 10 per cent over the holiday period.
"Christmas has been very good. There have been two peaks, with presents mainly before Christmas and, from Boxing Day, the bigger ticket items as people buy for themselves in the sales," said Mr Kraftman.
Dixons, the sector leader, is also expected to report robust Christmas sales with first-half results on Wednesday, led by strong demand for personal computers.
Tempo's 29 stores are based in London and the South-east, but the growth strategy is set to roll out the format into the Midlands and South-west, with further expansion into the North on the cards in future.
The chain made operating profits of pounds 2.9m on sales of pounds 85.7m in the year to the end of June 1996.
- 1 Thailand deaths: Pair's bloodied bodies found naked on Koh Tao beach
- 2 Scottish independence: Ireland since 1919 is a lesson for Scotland in what a Yes vote means
- 3 Daniele Watts: Django Unchained actress detained by Los Angeles police after being mistaken for a prostitute
- 4 John Travolta addresses former pilot's gay romance allegations publicly for the first time
- 5 Kanye West stops concert after two fans don't stand up - doesn't realise one is in wheelchair and the other disabled
Thailand deaths: Pair's bloodied bodies found naked on Koh Tao beach
Scottish independence: Police will be on high alert on Friday whatever the result
John Travolta addresses former pilot's gay romance allegations publicly for the first time
QS university world rankings: Imperial College London leapfrogs Oxford to join Cambridge as best British university
Scottish independence exclusive: Millions of banknotes sent to Scotland in case Yes vote sparks run on ATMs
Daniele Watts: Django Unchained actress detained by Los Angeles police after being mistaken for a prostitute
The political class is doing what Hitler couldn’t – destroying Britain
Scottish independence: Nationalist leader Jim Sillars threatens pro-union companies with 'day of reckoning' after independence
Scottish independence: Yes campaign feels the heat as Alex Salmond's NHS claims come under furious attack
Portuguese academic says British are 'filthy, violent and drunk'
£23m Birmingham cycle scheme is attacked by Tory councillor for not catering to the elderly
iJobs Money & Business
£20 - 24k (Uncapped Commission - £35k Year 1 OTE): Guru Careers: We are seekin...
£20 - 24k + Benefits: Guru Careers: This is a great opportunity for an enthusi...
£280 - £320 per day: Ashdown Group: The Ashdown Group have been engaged by a l...
£400 - £450 Per Day: Clearwater People Solutions Ltd: **URGENT CONTRACT ROLE**...

domain: news


text:
Chipotle Now Facing Criminal Investigation Over e-Coli Outbreak
In the wake of a significant e-coli breakout that involved Chipotle' restaurants in the West and especially California, the chain is now facing a criminal investigation over the outbreak.
Federal officials did not elaborate greatly, and according to Northwest Cable News Network:
"The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California in conjunction with the Food and Drug Administration, the company said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission Wednesday.
Chipotle Mexican Grill says the subpoena requires it to produce a "broad range" of documents.
The Denver company has been reeling since an E. coli outbreak linked to its restaurants, including some in Washington state, which was followed up by a separate norovirus outbreak in Boston. Chipotle says it expects sales for the fourth quarter to be down 14.6 percent."


text: The Rs 5,138-crore HLL Lifecare (formerly Hindustan Latex) headquartered in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala is attracting many suitors. This follows the Government of India’s November 14, 2021 decision to hive off its entire stake in HLL Lifecare. Around seven suitors including the Adani Group, Piramal Healthcare, two Kerala based companies advised by two former CMDs of HLL Lifecare, a fund besides NRIs. HLL Lifecare, which started as a condom manufacturer sold under the brand name Moods, is today a health care company in the truest sense. It has a Pharma business, makes medical devices, runs diagnostic centres, manufactures sanitary napkins and blood bags etc. The company has seven factories, four in Kerala and one each in Belgaum, Manesar and Indore. Today the company operates 220 pathology labs, 47 imagery centres, six labs under the Hindlabs brand and 253 pharmacies across India. Both Adani and Piramal are keen to acquire it. The cash strapped Kerala government, however, could play spoilsport since it wants to take over the company although its offer was declined. The company’s turnover jumped three times from Rs 1739 crore in 2019-2020 to Rs 5138 crore, the profit marginally lower than the previous year. The jump in turnover was a result of enhanced non-core activities including huge purchases and supplies of Covid vaccines, surgical masks and gloves for various State Governments and hospitals.


text:
The number of cattle exported from Ireland by live export means during 2016 fell by 18% on the year before, figures from Bord Bia show.
However, Irish cattle exports to both Turkey and Spain were the two positives to take from the market in 2016.
At a recent meeting of industry stakeholders, it was confirmed by Bord Bia that Irish cattle exports reached 147,000 head in 2016.
The fall seen in 2016 follows on from a 55% decline in cattle movements to Northern Ireland, as well as fewer exports to Netherlands (-38%) and Italy (-24%).
On a positive note, it was also shown that exports to Turkey, which began in September, reached almost 20,000 head for the year, while exports to Spain jumped by 26% to reach 36,700 head.
Bord Bia’s Livestock Sector Manager, Joe Burke provided a review of the Irish live cattle trade during 2016 and an outlook for respective markets.
He also confirmed that French exports were highly competitive last year, while the Netherlands remained challenging.
The competition created by French cattle exports had a negative impact on the number of Irish cattle shipped to Italy, as French exporters were extremely competitive on the market.
This occurred as French shippers were restricted from exporting cattle to Turkey due to Bluetongue disease and as a result French-origin weanlings grew in numbers on the Italian market.
Why did cattle exports decline to Northern Ireland?
The number of Irish cattle exported to our nearest exporting region – Northern Ireland – declined by 55% year-on-year during 2016.
Some of it has been put down to fluctuations in the exchange rate, but Northern Irish factories also find it difficult to sell the beef produced from Irish-origin cattle to their customers.
British retailers will accept Irish beef in most cases, but they will not accept beef born in Ireland and slaughtered in Northern Ireland, as it is not acceptable to the majority of their customers.


text:
Pioneer in Using Virtual Reality
At the end of March, IAV opened its new VR lab in Gifhorn. The use of virtual reality promises a better evaluation basis and therefore faster project progress because VR provides an earlier and better evaluation of concepts in 3D. The VR lab also makes it possible to collaborate across different locations for development and training purposes. In future, IAV is planning to offer its expertise in virtual reality to other companies.
Virtual reality (VR) will play a key part in tomorrow’s engineering processes. “This technology lets us view development stages in 3D without having to construct expensive prototypes,” explains Christopher Wolf, Senior Vice President for Business Development and Virtual Engineering as well as Product Owner of the xR team at IAV. “All that is necessary is for the relevant CAD data to exist. Even today, converting it into VR information is semiautomated and is expected to be possible at the press of a button in two years at the latest”. The use of VR is not only limited to components or vehicles. Processes can also be visualized and optimized, for example for later volume production.
Using Virtual Reality, for example, we can realize several alternative concepts at early stages in the development process and quickly switch between them to compare them.
— Senior Vice President for Business Development and Virtual Engineering as well as Product Owner of the xR team at IAV
Later on, release decisions can also be made on the basis of VR, for example in relation to package or component installation. This saves time and money. “Compared to constructing a prototype, VR only takes about 20 percent of the time, making the cost savings even greater,” says Wolf. “It is relatively easy to generate different variants on the basis of a virtual model.” The subject is attracting increasing interest in the industry. Initial customer Inquiries have already been received on the use of VR in development processes, and discussions on specific projects have taken place.
Cooperation across sites
The new VR lab in Gifhorn has a footprint of 15 by 15 meters, enabling developers to walk around even large virtual vehicles or truck tractors in a very natural way and view them from every conceivable perspective. All views can be filmed, photographed and annotated for documentation purposes. And not only in Gifhorn: if need be, customers or other IAV sites can also be linked in – for example the VR rooms IAV operates in Berlin, Chemnitz/Stollberg, Munich and Shanghai. This permits cross-locational cooperation in real time. “In the future, our customers will be able to participate in a meeting from their office with VR glasses,” says Wolf. “The only condition is for their firewall to permit a link of this nature.”
A core team has been driving forward efforts to set up the VR lab since 2017. “We work on all projects on an agile basis and, if necessary, call in technical experts from other IAV departments,” Wolf says. To date, the VR experts have breathed virtual life into the autonomous HEAT shuttle and the IAV truck. For one customer, they visualized the installation of a fuel pump and the chassis of a new concept car. “We have expertise in both fields – virtual reality and automotive engineering,” says Wolf. “This means that, as pioneers, we can establish this technology as an integral part of future development activities. This includes advising suppliers wanting to use VR to present new solutions to their customers.”
Advice on setting up and operating VR labs
However, virtual reality is not only to be used for optimizing the development process. Training courses will also benefit from the technology. “VR training is almost as good as instruction with a trainer in the same room,” Wolf says. Besides the automotive industry, he thinks that other sectors, such as architecture, medicine and tourism, will also be able to use virtual reality. In other words, all sectors working with concepts, studies and design results for which they need to make decisions. This is why Wolf and his team want to help prospective customers in future to set up their own VR infrastructure, for example by supplying hardware and software or by fully operating VR labs on customers’ behalf.
To date, IAV is the only engineering partner to operate a VR lab of this kind. “It is to provide the incubator for spreading virtual reality as a development technology at IAV and throughout the automotive industry,” says Wolf, summing up. “Ideally, all developers will in future have VR glasses at their workplace and be able to view and evaluate concept states in 3-D.” Setting up the new facility in Gifhorn, IAV has taken an important step into this future world.
The article was published in automotion 02/2019, the automotive engineering magazine of IAV. Here you can order the autmotion free of charge.


text:
'Virtual office' space gains traction for telecommuters in Decorah [Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, Iowa :: ]
(Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier (IA) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Jan. 30--DECORAH -- Ideas wait for no one, Ross Hadley says.
There are entrepreneurs who want to get on with launching their own enterprises but who also don't have the work space they need to grow their plan into profit.
Ross Hadley has launched Open Decorah as a possible solution.
Open Decorah offers work space, including computers and meeting rooms, for entrepreneurs who want to develop their own enterprises but don't have their own space to do so.
Hadley has six offices on the second floor of a retail building he owns, at 128 1/2 W. Water St. in downtown Decorah. There are accommodations for a conference room, a "co-working room," and a "quiet room" for teleconferences.
Users also have access to the building's third floor, which has a kitchenette area.
"We have a sleeping room, so an out-of-town client can rent a bedroom up there, as well," Hadley said.
The target market for the building is telecommuters, of which there is no shortage in Decorah, Hadley said.
"Decorah itself has brought a lot of telecommuters into town," he said.
Those telecommuters are all looking for space, and they find it, through Hadley or elsewhere.
It's a trend, they say.
One of them is Eric Sovern, sales manager for Surly Bikes, an offshoot of Bloomington, Minn.-based Quality Bicycle Products that focuses on hybrid cycles for snow, trail or off-road biking.
Sovern rents space in downtown Decorah, a couple of doors up from Hadley's operation.
He and his wife, Shannon, decided they wanted to live in a small town, after having resided in the Twin Cities for 15 years.
"We wanted to move to a smaller town with a better sense of community, and there are few places in the world that fit that like Decorah," Sovern said. "There are 20 miles of mountain trails in Decorah, which you wouldn't often think of if you're picturing Iowa. It's also a community with a college (Luther College) and a food co-op, plus, I'm on the volunteer fire department."
More importantly, Sovern said, he can do his job remotely.
"All I need is a phone line and an Internet connection, but there are also printing facilities and conference lines," he said.
It's also helpful to share workspace with other telecommuters, he said.
Hadley said those ideas support his concept for Open Decorah.
"Open Decorah is a co-working space that I've created downtown Decorah to facilitate a collaborative working environment for telecommuters that need a project space but don't necessarily need a full-time office space," Hadley said.
Hadley opened the space in July.
"We have quite a few salespeople here, anad we've got some other people who do graphic design, and they can be anywhere to do it," he said. "More and more, people who can live anywhere choose to live here because of the quality of life. Open Deocrah is just the icing on the cake, if you will, because it's a place you can go and work."
It's also a business that fits Decorah ideally, said Randy Uhl, director of Winneshiek County Development Inc.
"The new business fits in well with the Winneshiek County Development, Inc. marketing strategy that focuses on attracting individuals capable of running their own businesses from any location, or working for an employer but from a location of their choice," Uhl said. "We've worked to get young workers who select Winneshiek County because of the quality of life here, and Open Decorah is another great tool in that recruitment effort. Open Decorah is plowing new ground and may be the first of a good number of similar business relationships in Decorah and Winneshiek County."
Co-working space is not a new concept; there are such spaces across the Cedar Valley, including Waterloo and Cedar Falls.
Hadley said he saw a need for such space in Decorah and jumped on the opportunity, since he already had space available.
He got together with Uhl, as well as the Decorah-based Corbin Group, a business-development consulting firm, to develop his idea.
"They saw a need for it," he said.
Hadley said his space, when it's fully developed, will be able to accommodate 20-25 people a day. Currently, there are two entrepreneurs regularly using space at Open Decorah, but more are likely to come, Hadley said.
"We've got 200 'likes' on Facebook," he said.
An advantage to occupying temporary space is that there are no requirements to be there day after day, Hadley said.
"People will change any given day," he said. "The alternative is a coffee shop or the library, because of Internet access, and those have their own drawbacks."
Hadley recently won $2,500 in Winneshiek County Economic Development's Biz Booster Challenge.
Hadley said he invested the money in some software that handles reservations for space.
"Open Decorah is a good idea because you have that exposure to other people," Sovern said. " I'm sharing a space with somebody who does something entirely different than I do."
Local telecommuters get together every Friday afternoon. It's called " Co-Working Fridays."
"Sounds better than 'Get Drunk Fridays,' Sovern said, laughing.
Then, he turned serious.
"Honestly, it's just a place where a couple of real movers and shakers, people that are starting businesses and other entrepreneurs are looking for the next thing and how to network with people," Sovern said. "This is a place where people can get together and talk about the specific challenges of work we do."
The group usually includes about a dozen attendees, but it has drawn upwards of 20, Sovern said.
Indeed, Hadley said, the weekly meeting was the inspiration he needed for Open Decorah.
"We had people talking over what they're doing over a couple of beers," he said. " I had this space I was going to turn into apartments, but it turned out well to turn it into working space instead."
More information is available at www.opendecorah.com. The company also has a Facebook page.
(c)2014 Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier (Waterloo, Iowa)
Visit Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier (Waterloo, Iowa) at www.wcfcourier.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services
[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]


text:
The citizens of Perth were excited since they heard the news that there was going to be a new restaurant in the area that will boost the local economy with great food. This establishment is from the Greene’s King franchise, but some characters in Perth claim that it’s unnecessary, because they already have many good places around to eat.
Even though one of these characters is the councillor of Perth, the food franchise is still backing its proposal with some undeniable facts that prove they’re right. If they get to open the restaurant, it will be called “Farmhouse Inn” and it will create at least 30 jobs. This will end up boosting the local economy by £1.23 million which is a lot.
Although many other options are relatively near, there’s no restaurant like this in the Broxden Business Park. The Greene’s King Franchise stated that this will help people in Perth since it brings attractiveness and investment for the park.
The franchise also relied on the people of Perth, since they commit to hire and train locals.
Although this restaurant for itself is not going to save Perth’s economy, it will attract more people to the area. Also, it can probably encourage other businesses to invest in the park when they see the harmonious and vivid atmosphere.
Since there’s still a lot of controversy about the restaurant, there haven’t been too many details on the building. However, the famous franchise released some info, as they expect it’s going to give them more support from the local people.
For example, they say that the restaurant will include a takeaway service and more than 90 spaces to park around the place.
Although the facts are clear and the benefits are easy to see, the councillor of Perth Willie Wilson creates controversy, stating that the construction of this restaurant is not needed. The counsellor insisted on refusing the construction of the restaurant since he declared that space could be used better to create a company with better jobs.
Wilson argues that you can find other options by riding the bus or walking a few minutes since nearby you can find a McDonalds, a Harvester and a Cherrybank Inn. The service is good and it’s on the way, so the councillor confirms that another food business is just a waste of good space.
While Greene’s King franchise is experiencing a rough time with this controversy, this is not the first time this happens, since other establishments have been in the same situation. Names like Costa Coffee drive-thru and Hungry Horse eatery are remembered since they were in this exact situation a few years ago, but no one ever got to an agreement.


text:
by Dan Blackburn
Colton Chacker, a Hermosa Beach resident, applied to city officials last week for permission to circulate an initiative to legalize cannabis retail in the city. Chacker plans to begin collecting qualified signatures in mid-December.
The initiative is funded by the Economic Development Reform Coalition of Southern California, which has similar initiatives in neighboring Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, and El Segundo.
Chacker’s initiative would limit the number of commercial cannabis retailers in town to two and prohibit out-of-town cannabis retailers from doing business in Hermosa Beach. It establishes a points system for the selection of successful license applicants, provides alleviation of complaints, and requires entrepreneurs to develop a “neighborhood compatibility plan” to allow city officials additional control over activities.
It also states that the city “accepts no liability” for issuing a commercial cannabis business license.
Hermosa Beach Mayor Mike Detoy has asked his fellow councilors to take the matter up at their December 14th meeting when the panel is considering a draft cannabis regulation being prepared by staff. The council will also discuss “how the city can maintain its existing ban on retail cannabis,” according to a future agenda note.
Once the city releases the initiative’s official title and executive summary, proponents can begin looking for signatures from 10 percent, or approximately 1,400 of the city’s registered voters, required to qualify the initiative. If sufficient signatures are collected by May 2022, the initiative will qualify for the November 2022 vote, according to Los Angeles attorney George Yin, a proponent of the initiative.
Damian Martin, who works with Yin and drafted the Hermosa Beach Cannabis Regulation and Public Safety Measure, said this week, “I have helped shape beneficial and sensible local cannabis policy in Southern California, and my regulatory language has become the law of Landes in several cities, including Culver City, Pomona and El Monte. ” IS


text:
Apple unveils M2 with 50% more memory bandwidth than M1
Apple says M2 delivers new levels of power-efficient performance to the completely redesigned MacBook Air and updated 13-inch Macbook Pro.
The company says, compared to M1, M2 has an 18% faster CPU, a 35% more powerful GPU and a 40% faster Neural Engine. It also delivers 50% more memory bandwidth than M1 and up to 24GB of fast unified memory.
Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies, Johny Srouji says M2 starts the second generation of M-series chips and goes beyond the remarkable features of M1
"With our relentless focus on power-efficient performance, M2 delivers a faster CPU, GPU and Neural Engine," he says.
"And along with higher memory bandwidth and new capabilities like ProRes acceleration, M2 continues the tremendous pace of innovation in Apple silicon for the Mac."
Apple says the system-on-a-chip (SoC) design of M2 is built using enhanced, second-generation 5-nanometre technology and consists of 20 billion transistors, 25% more than M1.
It says the additional transistors improve features across the entire chip, including the memory controller that delivers 100GB/s of unified memory bandwidth.
Apple says the new CPU features faster performance cores paired with a larger cache, while the efficiency cores have been significantly enhanced for even greater performance gains.
It says, compared with the latest 10-core PC laptop chip (Samsung Galaxy Book2 360 with Core i7-1255U and 16GB of RAM), the CPU in M2 provides nearly twice the performance at the same power level. And, M2 delivers the peak performance of the PC chip while using just a quarter of the power.
The company says the latest 12-core PC laptop chip (MSI Prestige 14Evo with Core i7-1260P and 16GB of RAM) needs dramatically more power to increase performance and is therefore found in thicker, hotter, more noisy systems with less battery life. But Apple says M2 provides nearly 90% of the peak performance of the 12-core chip while using just one-fourth of the power.
M2 also features Apple's next-generation GPU with up to 10 cores, two more than M1. Combined with a larger cache and higher memory bandwidth, the 10-core GPU delivers a big boost in graphics performance, bringing up to 25% higher graphics performance than M1 at the same power level and up to 35% better performance at its max power.
Apple says, compared with the integrated graphics of the latest PC laptop chip, the GPU in M2 delivers 2.3 times faster performance at the same power level and matches its peak performance using a fifth of the power.
It says the higher performance per watt from M2 enables systems to have exceptional battery life and run cool and quietly, even when playing graphics-intensive games or editing massive RAW images.
Apple says M2's Neural Engine can process up to 15.8 trillion operations per second. It says the media engine includes a higher-bandwidth video decoder, supporting 8K H.264 and HEVC video. The company says its powerful ProRes video engine enables playback of multiple streams of both 4K and 8K video.
Apple says the power-efficient performance of M2 helps the new MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro meet Apple's high standards for energy efficiency. By 2030, Apple plans to have a net-zero climate impact across the entire business, including manufacturing supply chains and all product life cycles. This means that every chip Apple creates, from design to manufacturing, will be 100% carbon-neutral.


text:
Over half of fashion and textile companies recognise biodiversity loss as a priority risk, according to new report by Textile Exchange. Textile Exchange’s Biodiversity Insights Report (download here) compiles data from 157 fashion and textile companies including Hermès, H&M, Kering, Norrøna and Ralph Lauren.
The Biodiversity Insights Report uses data submitted through the Textile Exchange Biodiversity Benchmark to provide a baseline that tracks the level of engagement and effort that companies are putting into understanding and addressing their impact on the natural world. It aims to mobilize the industry towards becoming nature positive by 2030 by providing a framework for companies to plan and measure their actions
The report urges brands to build on their existing materials strategies, coupling fibre standards (currently prioritized by 80% of brands) and regenerative, restorative approaches (used by 32%) with initiatives that take their biodiversity benefits beyond sourcing efforts to collaborative landscape-level action.
Key insights from the report
- Biodiversity is fast becoming a focus area for fashion and textile companies. 51% recognize biodiversity risk as a priority and 59% have made public commitments to address it. And while biodiversity has only recently entered the sustainability conversation for fashion and textile companies, 8% already have an explicit biodiversity strategy in place.
- Sustainability standards are the most widely used measure by companies seeking to address their biodiversity impact. An impressive 80% of companies are increasing their uptake of certified materials as a way of managing their impact on biodiversity. Certified organic cotton and other cotton standards are the most popular.
- Over a third of companies are starting to take action to remediate biodiversity loss. Beyond standards, 38% of companies are beginning to implement restorative/regenerative measures in support of biodiversity, opening opportunities for collaboration across the value chain and within broader landscapes.
- A growing number of companies are investing in biodiversity either financially or in kind. 38% of companies are making some kind of investment to improve outcomes for biodiversity, focused on projects within their own supply chain or beyond.
- Greater transparency is still needed to track biodiversity outcomes. Impact is still limited by the fact that only 14% of companies know the countries where their key raw materials are grown or extracted. Beyond country of origin, companies should also understand the broader landscape of where they are sourcing their materials, and 15% have already started mapping this against priority areas for biodiversity.
The themes of the Biodiversity Insights Report will be further examined in the upcoming Textile Sustainability Conference 2021, which will be hosted in Dublin, Ireland from November 15-19, 2021.


text:
The latest installment of the Pittsburgh Technology Council’s Venture In series highlighted what is likely the popular opinion of the local tech community.
But it’s a fact not lost on RBVC, which is the venture arm of German conglomerate Robert Bosch GmbH. The firm invested $5 million in robotics company Aethon in 2010 and continues to look around the Pittsburgh region. It’s parent company Robert Bosch has an research and development center here as well.
As a private company Bosch looks for places to invest its revenue. One of them is investment in technology that has some kind of strategic fit to the larger Bosch organization. The firm is working from a pool of 200 million euros ($277.1 million).
Where RBVC does invest it takes a minority stake in companies, he said, and usually participates in a first or second round with stakes between $1 million or $4 million. They do not do seed-stage or angel round investing. Once RBVC gets involved it acts as any other venture investor. The firm typically stays in a company four to five years and exits through a sale, either to Bosch or the highest bidder, Westerhus said.
Bosch has three main business lines: automotive, industrial technology and consumer goods, like appliances and tools.
A potential investment doesn’t necessarily have to be in one of these lines but the technology should be attractive to one of those lines. For instance, RBVC is interested in automation and controls, or technology that makes mechanical systems more intelligent; energy; and what it calls “enabling technology” like software or network communications.
“We love to have companies that are interesting for Bosch but have short-term revenue,” he said. That means the company can come in and keep a company going until its technology reaches a level where it can be used by Bosch.
As an example, Westerhus said the firm recently invested in an augmented reality gaming company. Now, Bosch isn’t going to get into the gaming business, but, the technology behind it could at some point be used for windshield displays on cars, he said.
Startups that would be attractive to RBVC have:
- patents and defendable intellectual property.
- a working prototype. (No investments based solely on an idea, no matter how slick the Powerpoint presentation looks.)
- a solution to an existing problem.
- a plan to scale in four years and a financial model.
- a team that understands the industry.
- a reasonable valuation. (The firm isn’t jumping in on any $90 million or $100 million valuations for companies that haven’t sold anything.)


text:
But there is a new wrinkle in the design of the 5G iPhone, and that's the antenna.
Following several underwhelming years in terms of sales volume, the Cupertino-based tech giant reportedly expects the iPhone 12, 12 Plus, 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max to generate significantly higher demand than its predecessors.
While the lower-cost iPhone may be on its way, DigiTimes He also reports that Apple has stopped sending engineers to China to help with the engineering validation test or the EVT stage of iPhone 12 development.
Some features of the iPhone 9, which will be affordable, have emerged. The iPhone X debuted for $1,579 with just 64GB of storage at its 2017 launch. The iPhone 9 is expected to have a home button and Touch ID, and is similar to the iPhone 8 with its relatively large bezel.
Wuhan Coronavirus Outbreak: Foxconn shoots for half of its PRC output this month
A second report talks about the cameras in the iPhone and iPad Pro, and gives us an expected release date. There will be a single-lens rear camera in new iPhone. As US IDMs such as Qorvo and Avago are among suppliers of RF and PA components for the new model, their Taiwanese epi-wafer foundry partners Win Semiconductors, Visual Photonics Epitaxy (VPEC) and Advanced Wireless Semiconductor (AWSC) will indirectly tap into the supply chain of iPhone SE2, the sources said. We'll update the story with any new information.
Qualcomm will still provide the 5G modem chip used in the new iPhones, but the antenna module will be developed by Apple.
A fast processor is a major focus of the new model if young people are going to be playing games on the device. That is, Amazon India is getting a reduction of Rs 6,000 on the AppleiPhone 11 Pro smartphone. While, it phone latest operating system works on.
The phone is rumoured to be launched as early as May this year, with iPhone 12 models coming later this year - speculated around September, which is when Apple usually unveils new flagship phones.


text:
Indies vote in their droves for 2022’s top publishers on the service front
Independent retailers have been eagerly voting for which publishers pulled out the stops on the service front for them over the last year, to arrive at the finalists for the hotly-contested Henries’ Best Service To The Independent Retailer Award 2022.
The nomination process involved asking 1,750 independent greeting card retailers to submit their votes in a confidential online survey for the three card publishers they feel provided them with the best service over the past 12 months.
“The response has been incredible! Independent retailers are masters at providing a wonderful service to their customers but, to be able to do so, they in turn need to know they can rely on fabulous service from their card publisher suppliers,” commented Warren Lomax, director of Max Publishing, which owns and organises The Henries Awards.
“The Best Service To The Independent Retailer award category in The Henries is an indie’s chance to ensure these publisher service heroes receive their just rewards, and they have not been backwards in coming forwards to cast their votes for the publishers they feel have excelled on the service front over the last year.”
Without further ado, in alphabetical order, the Henries 2022 Best Service To The Independent Retailer Finalists are:
The Art File
International Cards & Gifts (IC&G)
Nigel Quiney Publications
Words ’n’ Wishes
As in previous years there will be three trophies – for Bronze, Silver and Gold – for the Best Service To The Independent Retailer category which will be announced along with all winners of The Henries 2022 at a lavish awards event, the industry’s big night.
Taking place at The Royal Lancaster Hotel in London on Thursday, 6 October, 2022, The Henries 2022 awards event will be jumpin’, especially as it will take on an up-tempo 1950s theme this year!
To book tickets click here – it will be a fabulous opportunity for the greeting card community to get together and celebrate its creative excellence as well as its strong sense of camaraderie.


text:
A tipster sent along these photos of Tripp & Cooper Cafe in Fort Greene, which the city closed Tuesday for operating without a permit. The cafe and coffee shop at 80 Dekalb Avenue, across the street from the Long Island University campus, opened in the fall of 2012. It served crepes, coffee, sandwiches and pastries. Click through the jump to see the health department notice. GMAP
The Heights Cafe restaurant at 84 Montague Street re-opened earlier this month after six weeks of interior renovations. There is also a new menu, with new-American fare such as a lobster roll, oyster po-boy, a burger, veal and wild mushroom meatloaf and a ribeye.
Click through to the jump for an interior shot. Has anyone checked it out? GMAP
A convention center is planning to open at 79 Franklin Street in Greenpoint later this year, possibly in October, according to DNAinfo. Currently under construction, the Brooklyn Expo Center will have 28,000 square feet of space for exhibitions and meetings. There will also be a cafeteria and parking.
A reader who lives nearby said it looks like the building is about a quarter done. GMAP
Popular Crown Heights eatery Mayfield plans to open a bar with backyard garden and taco truck at 323 Franklin Avenue, according to DNAinfo. There will be tacos, tortas and weekly specials such as roast pig and pozole.
There will also be movie nights for kids with films projected on the rear wall. Community Board 3 plans to support the restaurant’s application for a liquor license.
Electronic dance music label Dub-Stuy Records recently vacated the space due to rising rents, but is still in business while it searches for a permanent location, said DNAinfo. It’s also going to participate in Do or Dine’s annual Memorial Day celebration.
Menswear maker and retailer By Robert James‘s Williamsburg store has moved around the corner, from 241 Bedford Avenue to 193 Grand Street. The new store, which opened in February and had its grand opening party last month, is between Bedford and Driggs, on the same block as Bird.
The locally made wares include corduroy paisley shirts, animal print jackets and skinny ties. The company is known for its friendly attitude and frequent parties. There is also a second Brooklyn store, at 416 Atlantic Avenue, and the original store on the Lower East Side.
Last week, a reader spotted an ad on Fillmore for Manny’s asking $240,000 for the business. “Fully equipped turnkey French style cafe business for sale,” said the ad. The price would include taking over the 10-year lease as well as all the interior fittings and equipment of the cafe, above, which the owners had beautifully decorated with wood panelling and a vintage mantel.
Manny’s opened at 212 Patchen Avenue in Bed Stuy in October of 2012 and closed about a year later, promising to reopen after they put in gas service. They opened as a cafe serving a variety of sandwiches and baked goods from sister businesses Choice Market and Dough but the intention was always to be a full-service restaurant.
Meanwhile, over at Choice Greene, the mini-empire’s grocery store at 214 Greene Avenue in Clinton Hill, the store is now almost empty of goods and fixtures except for one person in the back preparing bagels, another reader tells us. In February, we reported that their sign had come down and they were advertising a “close-out sale” but were not going out of business, according to one of the workers at the counter.
We reached out to the owner for comment and to see if he could share with us his plans for Choice Greene, but have not yet heard back. In the meantime, the ad for Manny’s has disappeared off the Fillmore site. We hope that means they’ve found a buyer, but in any case, we have enjoyed all their businesses (we’re eating a Dough doughnut right now) and wish them well in everything they do.
Nostrand Avenue’s newest coffee shop, Tinto, is opening this Saturday afternoon in Crown Heights. There will be coffee, pastries, ice cream and other treats for anyone who stops by 715 Nostrand Avenue from 2 to 8 pm on April 12. NUNU chocolates can be ordered via email ahead of opening day at 10 percent off. Owners Johanna and Oscar are also holding an introductory class on cupping — coffee tasting — from 1 to 2 pm.
The class costs $15, and those interested in attending can register by emailing Johanna or Oscar at tintobrooklyn.com. The shop will serve and sell its own house blend roasted in Brooklyn. All the details on the ground opening are here on Tinto’s facebook page.
Signage has gone up and construction has started at the old Downtown Bar & Grill space at 160 Court Street, where Rag & Bone plans a store. The tipster who sent us this photo said he hears they are paying $190 a square foot a year, a record rent for Cobble Hill.
Northside Media, which publishes Brooklyn Magazine, is expanding and is moving this week to 1 MetroTech, otherwise known as 351 Jay Street. They plan to paint murals in their office and there is a sun deck, according to an email we received from their CEO. GMAP
Kinjo opened last week at 1 Greene Avenue at the corner of Fulton and South Oxford in Fort Greene. The restaurant serves a fusion of Japanese, Asian and Western dishes, including fresh seafood, as well as cocktails and sake.
Menu items include an oyster of the day, shrimp cocktail, sushi, a mini corn dog, pork belly confit cooked on a hot stone, and mochi ice cream. Has anyone tried it? GMAP
Brooklyn cafe and restaurant owner Alexander Hall is opening two more Australian-style cafes, one in South Slope and the other in Bed Stuy. Both will be called Brunswick, after a neighborhood in Melbourne, his home town, which is known for its great cafe scene, he said.
Like cafes in Australia, they will offer good coffee, table service, newspapers, and modern decor, he said. Both will be casual and welcome children.
The location at 240 Prospect Park West, on the border of South Slope and Windsor Terrace, will open in the next few weeks. The cafe at 144 Decatur, whose storefront faces Marcus Garvey, above, will open May 12.
Items on both menus will include organic poached eggs, granola, salads, paninis, and pastries and biscuits made at Hall’s Lower East Side cafe, Bluebird Coffee Shop. Both will be open from 7:30 am to 6 pm and serve breakfast and lunch.
The cafe at 144 Decatur will be quite large, with seating for 48 people. It is being gut renovated right now. A bar will be fashioned out of 140-year-old pine found in the space. There will be an open kitchen and banks of windows running along the side and back of the space. The building is landmarked.
Hall also owns Prospect Heights cafe Milk Bar and Crown Heights restaurant Sunshine Co. He is also opening another cafe on the Lower East Side, Rosella Coffee Shop.


text:
TomTom has followed the lead its main rival Garmin by offering capacitive touchscreens and multitouch technology on its latest range of high-end portable sat navs.
Four months ago, amidst a backlash from government regulators and privacy advocates, Google stopped collecting Wi-Fi data with its Street View cars. But that doesn't mean Google has stopped collecting wireless data altogether, and neither have other ...
Garmin has recalled approximately 1.25 million of its GPS devices due to a battery fault that causes overheating, which the company says may lead to potential "fire hazards".
Navman Wireless claims it is the first Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) provider in the world to launch an iPhone app specifically designed for GPS vehicle tracking.
GPS manufacturer Garmin is recalling some 1.25 million Nuvi personal navigation devices after detecting potential overheating problems in some of the units, the company announced Wednesday.
Sparking a fresh round of debate over an ongoing issue in time-keeping circles, the International Telecommunications Union is considering eliminating leap seconds from the time scale used by most computer systems, Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
Personal navigation systems are about to get a lot more personal. Japanese engineers have created a prototype device that places GPS navigation technology into a pair of wearable, seemingly everyday, glasses.
In perhaps what was one of the unluckiest moves of his career as a petty thief, Horatio Toure stole an iPhone on Monday afternoon. The irony? The iPhone Toure stole was being used to demonstrate a program that tracks GPS location in real-time--it too...
Garmin has launched its latest nuvi range of in-car GPS units in Australia, banking on an ultra-thin design and a high resolution, capacitive touchscreen to win over consumers.
Looking to take a road trip this summer? Ford Motor Co. and Google have joined forces to make it easier to get where you're headed.
Search Engine Land, the news and information site that broke the story about how Lauren Rosenberg was struck by a vehicle and is now suing Google, has an update to the story: it was dark outside, and Google maps instructed her to walk across the stre...
Gartner is highlighting 10 mobile and wireless networking technologies -- including new versions of Bluetooth and location-awareness -- it says will play a big role in business-to-employee and business-to-consumer interactions over the next couple of...
The latest gadget from Sony's in-house geeks will surely get your cat tweeting. A prototype tweeting cat collar, which Sony created in collaboration with the University of Tokyo, last month's Open House 2010.
One day I was using my cell phone's GPS service to find the nearest Target. I was driving down the road when suddenly my cell phone piped up, "Turn right here." I looked to the right. There was no road, just a tree and some grass. I chalked it up to ...
Intelematics Australia, operators of the SUNA Traffic Channel, has announced a partnership with Ninemsn that allows motorists in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast to access live traffic updates on the Internet.
Most Popular Reviews
- 1 2016 Ford Mustang EcoBoost review
- 2 Review: TCL C1 series 4K TV
- 3 Sony 75-inch UHD TV (X9400C) review: Sony and Android are a winning duo
- 4 LG 55EG960T OLED UHD TV
- 5 Panasonic Viera UHD TV review: good hardware, fragmented software
Join the Good Gear Guide newsletter!
Best Deals on Good Gear Guide
Latest News Articles
- Review: Wireless charging and waterproof cases for iPhone plus Ollclip (Movie) Studio case
- Review: Incipio OtterBox and 3Sixt covers for the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge
- All coverage from Computex 2016
- Agents of Mayhem hands-on: Saints Row meets SHIELD
- Top 10 emerging technologies from the World Economic Forum
GGG Evaluation Team
First impression on unpacking the Q702 test unit was the solid feel and clean, minimalist styling.
- FTSolution Architect - Data/ InformationVIC
- FTLead Tableau Reporting ConsultantNSW
- CCContract Analyst Programmer (JAVA/SQL) 160620/AP/623Asia
- CCSenior IT Assistant (Office Automation/PC LAN) 160630/SITA/642Asia
- FTJunior Web DeveloperSA
- CCBusiness Data AnalystNSW
- CCAnalyst Programmer (System Backup Operation/UNIX) 160615/AP/791Asia
- CCEngineering Lead - InfrastructureVIC
- CCSenior Solutions Architect - Marketing and Distribution systemsNSW
- FTSolution ArchitectVIC
- CCSenior Systems AnalystACT
- FTTechnical Lead - Tier 1 Customer interfaceACT
- CCJunior PM/ConsultantACT
- CCHybrid Mobile App DeveloperNSW
- CC.net DeveloperACT
- CCSecurity Solution ArchitectQLD
- CCContract Analyst Programmer (JAVA/ SQL/Web) 160708/AP/352Asia
- CCSystems Engineer | Experimental military technology | NV1ACT
- CCJava Developer with Oracle database experience | Defence intelligence | NV1ACT
- FTTechnical Services ManagerACT
- CCService Desk ConsultantVIC
- CCMaster Scheduler - IT Infrastructure ProgramsNSW
- CCMedia AnalystNSW
- FTCitrix SpecialistACT
- CCBusiness Analyst - Healthcare industryVIC


text:
Labour shortage spooks rice farmers, potato traders in West Bengal
Similarly, the potato trade in Gangetic West Bengal is also worried about the availability of labour from the first week of May to unload potatoes from the cold storages to help meet the requirement of the domestic markets until the arrival of the next season's crop in December.
KKR invests $500 million in cloud storage firm Box, gets board seat
Demand for Box's offerings including file sharing, cloud storage and clou...
Piyush Goyal directs Central Warehouse Corporation to double its storage capacity
Piyush Goyal said that CWC should build modern silos for wh...
Slipups continue unabated despite overhaul of EVM storage-transport rules in 2019
While it appears that the latest controversy over the electronic voting machine in Assam has been caused largely due to a procedural lapse on part of the polling staff, the impact and consequences are deeply political and draw scrutiny to the poll panel and its processes.
Apple to build battery-based solar energy storage project in California
Apple said the project will store 240 megawatt-hours of energy, or enough to power more than 7,000 homes for one day. It is located next to the California Flats solar installation in southeastern Monterey County, about 100 miles southeast of Apple's Cupertino, California headquarters.
UP prescribes norms for purchase and storage of liquor
Under the new rules , a person cannot store liquor in quantities more than the limit prescribed and liquor up to the prescribed limit can only be sold to a person above the age of 21 years.
Lux Industries to invest Rs 100 crore in new manufacturing and storage unit
Lux Industries Limited, a hosiery producer said it will invest Rs 110 crore in setting up manufacturing and storage facilities in the next 1-2 years, which is expected to generate incremental sales of Rs 400 crore once it is operational.
NSE blames dug-up roads, storage for February 24 outage
The exchange said that the link between its main data center and primary disaster recovery facility, about 5 km away, experienced problems on the day of the outage because of digging and construction activity along the path.
Food Ministry to raise Rs 29,000 crore through asset monetisation in 3 years
The plan will be part of the government’s asset monetisation programme, which was announced by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the 2021-22 Budget.
Government to create 2 lakh tonnes of onion buffer stock
The government has allocated Rs 2,700 crore in 2021-22 for the price stabilisation fund (psf) used to buy buffer stock of onion and pulses. This is 35% more than the budgetary allocation of 2020-21.
Novavax hopes ease of storage, pricing will give its vax edge
The company, which transferred its vaccine technology to Serum Institute of India for distribution in India and middle-income countries, is banking on ease of storage and pricing of its jab to take on the early movers in the race.
54 Farmer Producer Organizations converge for conversations towards inclusive agribusiness
During the interactions between agribusiness corporates and FPOs, various challenges such as quality parameters, and gradation of commodity and storage were discussed. The discussion brought out the necessity for a package of practices that could help FPOs align their production to market requirements.
Adani Group says does not buy food grains from farmers; only manages storage for FCI
FCI buys food grains from farmers and stores them in silos built through a public-private partnership. While private players are paid a fee for building and storing the food grains, the ownership of the commodity as well as its marketing and distribution rights, belong to FCI.
Potatoes could get costlier in Kolkata — price may hit nearly Rs 50/kg in retail markets
Potato price should have witnessed correction after Diwali as the crop from Punjab began hitting the market by then but this has not been the case in the eastern state so far, the traders said.


text:
Another first for Indian Railways as it transports 125 Hyundai cars to Nepal2 min read . Updated: 13 Jan 2021, 04:54 PM IST
The overall on-road movement time is expected to reduce from 8 days to 5 days, bringing the cars faster to the customers
Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) today said it has commenced export shipments through railways mode, with the dispatch of the first consignment of 125 cars going to Nepal.
The first export consignment was flagged-off from the Walajabad Railway hub near the company's Irungattukottai-based production facility outside Chennai, the auto major said in a statement.
The train will reach the India-Nepal border at Nautanwa near the border town of Sonauli, from where the last-mile delivery will be through the roadways owing to the topography of Nepal, it added.
The first export consignment was flagged-off by Mr Ganesh Mani S, Director-Production, Hyundai Motor India Ltd, and Mr S Subramanian, Additional Divisional Railway Manager of Southern Railway, from the Walajabad Railway Hub near the Irungattukkottai-based HMIL Production facility outside Chennai. The train will reach the India-Nepal border at Nautanwa near the border town of Sonauli, from where the last-mile delivery will be through the roadways owing to the topography of Nepal.
The overall on-road movement time is expected to reduce from 8 days to 5 days, bringing the cars faster and more eco-friendly manner to the customers.
Commenting on this latest initiative in the field of Outbound Logistics, Mr Ganesh Mani S, Director-Production, Hyundai Motor India Ltd said, “Hyundai is committed to eco-friendly initiatives. As a progressive OEM, all our production processes follow Green practices for conservation of natural resources. The zero-wastage of water and using over 70% of renewable energy in the HMI plant has set a benchmark in the industry. To further enhance our initiatives following global direction of ‘Progress For Humanity’, we have commenced our first-ever eco-friendly Exports operations through Railways by dispatching 125 cars in 25 rakes in this first consignment to Nepal, reducing Carbon footprint by 20 260 tons."
“Our innovative practices like using coastal shipment for domestic logistics of cars have already been appreciated by the authorities, and we send out over 14% of our Domestic Car volumes by the rail route instead of road. Our thanks to the Indian Railways for their unstinted support in such innovative practices which will have long-lasting positive impact on the environment", Mr Mani further added.
Hyundai has also established several practices in domestic logistics, using railways (over 14% of the volumes) and waterways to send cars across India from the Irungattukkottai-based production facility.
HMIL exports to over 88 countries from its Chennai facility. It has already surpassed the 30 lakh vehicle export milestone last year.


text:
Punters eyeing up second-hand Aston Martins and Porsches online help UK's largest car dealership report record profit
Punters eyeing up second-hand Aston Martins and Porsches online have helped the UK’s largest car dealership report a record profit as it doubled its dividend.
Pendragon, which has more than 230 outlets selling new and used cars from BMW to Jaguar, yesterday posted a 36 per cent jump in pre-tax profit to £60.2m.
In the fast lane: Pendragon has more than 230 outlets selling new and used cars from BMW to Jaguar
The final dividend has been doubled to 0.6p a share. Sales at the group that runs the Evans Halshaw and Stratstone dealership chains rose nearly 4 per cent in the year to £4bn.
Online visits to its websites jumped more than 16 per cent to 15.7m and it has launched a click and collect service with 20,000 vehicles available online.
The group’s used-car sales, which represent better margins than new cars, were up 8.1 per cent on a like-for-like basis.
Chief executive Trevor Finn said he plans to open more outlets in the UK this year as well as step up the online business. He said he expects this coming year to be ‘another year of good performance’.
Most watched Money videos
- Ferrari launches new green supercar: 296 GTB plug-in hybrid
- Futuristic zero-emissions electric Ioniq 5 from Hyundai
- Cupra Born: First all-electric hot hatch from Spain
- Stunning Lotus Emira unveiled as company's last petrol car
- Discover the water-resistant interior of the new Ineos Grenadier 4X4
- Volkswagen reveals stylish hybrid, seven-seater, family bus
- Take a look at £3.3 million Bugatti Chiron Super Sport hypercar
- New £2m electric Nevera: The fastest accelerating car in the world
- E-Type UK Unleashed transforms classic cars using modern features
- 1937 Bugatti Type 57: One of the most valuable pre-war cars
- Why UK smaller companies can profit in the recovery
- Vauxhall to make electric Opel Manta GSe ElektroMOD concept car


text:
Volkswagen is about to unleash a slew of new pure-electric models, starting with the ID.3 compact EV. Ahead of the model’s official debut in September, VW has revealed the ID. product line’s battery warranty.
- VW has placed an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty on it’s ID. line of EVs.
- Warranty promises that the batteries will will retain 70% of its usable capacity over that time.
- It will also offer high-power wall boxes capable recharging the ID.’s batteries over the course of a workday.
VW is clearly quite confident in its battery chemistry and charging infrastructure technology. I say that because the German automaker has put an eight-year, 100,000-mile (160,000 kilometers) warranty on the ID. vehicle battery packs. VW pledges that the battery will retain 70% of its usable capacity over that time. If it falls beneath that, presumably, VW will replace it.
“Our goal is to make sure the ID. batteries last as long as the cars,” Frank Blome, head of the Centre of Excellence in Salzgitter, said in a prepared statement.
Now, I mentioned not just the ID. battery chemistry but also the charging because not only do the batteries themselves need to be robust, so too, do VW’s chargers. It’s one thing for the battery to be able to take high-energy charges over and over for the good part of a decade. It’s another thing entirely for customers to find such a fast-charger. It seems, though, VW is keen to cover both bases.
The ID.3 will be offered with several battery packs, from a 200-mile battery pack up to a 330-mile pack. No matter the pack size customers choose, though, each will be capable of receiving a 125-kilowatt charge. That makes it the fastest-charging EV in its class. VW brags that a driver could make the 450-mile journey from Turin, Italy to Paris, France and only need to recharge twice. And if those EV motorists can use VW’s charge infrastructure app to find fast-chargers along the way, those recharges could take as little as 30 minutes.
VW estimates 50% of charges will be done at home, 25% at public chargers, 20% drivers’ place of work, and 5% done on the side of a freeway. Accordingly, VW is installing chargers all over the U.S. — including at Walmarts — ahead of its launch of the ID. line of vehicles with its Electrify America brand. Plus, the German car giant will offer fast-charger boxes that can be installed at home or at work … that is, if your employer allows it.
Due to its design, which utilizes power capacities up to 11 kilowatts on AC power, VW’s wall boxes can fully recharge one of the ID.’s battery packs over the course of a workday.
Hopefully, for VW and its customers alike, its batteries and drive components are more reliable than Tesla. Since its inception, Tesla’s bottomline has been bogged down by warranty repair costs. In fact, the vehicle downtimes were bothering customers so much, Tesla coded its cars to diagnose themselves and order repair parts before they even got to the repair facility. With any luck, VW’s engineers have done a better job to design reliability into its cars than Tesla.


text:
Recent rumors suggest that Sony is currently developing wireless earbuds that are expected to be used with the PS5, adding to Sony’s history of creating peripherals to enhance gaming experiences on PlayStation consoles. According to Tom Henderson of Insider Gaming, these wireless earbuds will be referred to as “Project Nomad” and will have a battery life of approximately 5 hours, which is comparable to Apple’s AirPods.
Wireless earbuds have grown in popularity in recent years, providing users with a portable and flexible way to listen to music, and gaming companies have taken notice of this trend as well. In fact, Razer has already developed noise-canceling earbuds aimed specifically at gamers. Apple’s AirPods have been universally popular due to their ease of access and portable nature.
The potential release of Sony’s wireless earbuds has generated a lot of excitement as they will provide gamers with a comfortable way to immerse themselves in their games. The rumors surrounding the earbuds suggest that they will be released sometime during the 2023 fiscal year, anywhere from April 2023 to March 2024. However, Sony has not yet made any official announcements regarding new audio peripherals for the PS5.
In addition to the wireless earbuds, a new headset called “Voyager” is also reportedly in development and will be released alongside the earbuds. According to Henderson, the Voyager headset will function similarly to Sony’s INZONE headphones. These rumors come after the recent launch of the DualSense Edge, the first major revision of the PS5’s controller, which features customizable parts and settings.
It’s important to remember that this information is not confirmed by Sony, so it should be viewed with some skepticism. However, its recent focus on peripherals by Sony indicates the company’s commitment to enhancing the gaming experience on its consoles. Currently, the PS5 features two primary models available for purchase: the standard version and the “Digital Edition” without a disc drive. Insider Gaming has also reported on a new model revision for the PS5 featuring a detachable disc drive, which Sony has yet to confirm.
The release of Sony’s wireless earbuds and the Voyager headset, if the rumors are true, could offer a unique way for gamers to enhance their experience on the PS5. It remains to be seen whether these new peripherals will live up to the high standards set by other popular wireless earbuds, but they certainly have the potential to revolutionize the way gamers listen to their games.


text:
This Greeting news page includes news headlines, articles, and citations about greetings from diverse, English-language news sources around the world.
News articles are ordered by publication date, with the newest article listed first and the oldest article listed last.
- Banksy artwork in Port Talbot sold for 'six-figure sum'
Season's Greetings will remain in Port Talbot for "two to three years" as it is bought by a gallery.
BBC News. Friday, 18 Jan 2019.
- Moment Meghan Markle reveals baby's due date in Birkenhead
The Duchess of Sussex, who is six months pregnant, let slip that her first child is expected at the 'end of April or May' while greeting crowds in Birkenhead, Merseyside on Monday.
Daily Mail. Tuesday, 15 Jan 2019.
- China's tech giant Huawei punishes employees for tweeting New Year greetings using an iPhone
Shenzhen-based Huawei, whose P-series handsets compete with Apple's iPhones, on December 31 wished followers a 'Happy 2019' in a tweet marked with 'via Twitter for iPhone'.
Daily Mail. Friday, 4 Jan 2019.
- Huawei punishes staff after iPhone used for official tweet
Chinese tech firm Huawei has demoted two employees after an iPhone was used to send a Happy New Year greeting from its official Twitter account.
Sky News. Friday, 4 Jan 2019.
- Chinese phone maker Huawei punishes employees for iPhone tweet blunder
China's Huawei Technologies has punished two employees for New Year greetings sent on the smartphone maker's official Twitter account using an iPhone, an internal memo showed.
CNBC. Friday, 4 Jan 2019.
- Kazakh Officer Takes Heat Over Gangland Jargon In New Year's Message
ASTANA -- An internal investigation has been launched over a controversial video in which a police officer proudly calls Kazakhstan's police forces a "gang" in a New Year's greeting.
Radio Liberty. Wednesday, 2 Jan 2019.
- American Greetings Builds Communications Platform Around A Powerful Human Truth
American Greetings may sell greeting cards, but, with their "Connections Build Us" platform, what they are really selling is improved mental and physical well being. ...
Forbes. Monday, 31 Dec 2018.
- Putin wishes 'well-being and prosperity' for Britons in 2019
Vladimir Putin has wished the British people "well-being and prosperity" in 2019 as he issued New Year greetings.
Sky News. Sunday, 30 Dec 2018.
- Trump offers holiday greetings to US troops
President Donald Trump on Tuesday wished U.S. troops stationed around the country and the world a merry Christmas
ABC News. Tuesday, 25 Dec 2018.
- Illinois family creates epic holiday card tradition
The holidays are the most popular season for sending greeting cards. Around 1.6 billion Christmas cards are sold in America. But one family's annual card is truly special. Adriana Diaz reports on an elaborate family tradition.
CBS News. Monday, 24 Dec 2018.
- Remembering 1968: Apollo 8's Christmas greeting from the moon
On Christmas Eve 1968, the first humans to circle the moon aboard Apollo 8 sent back the first image of the Earth above the lunar surface. ...
CBS News. Sunday, 23 Dec 2018.
- Banksy's 'Season's Greetings' protected with plastic
The latest work by the street artist appeared on a garage in Port Talbot earlier this week.
BBC News. Saturday, 22 Dec 2018.
- 5 Simple and Cost Effective Ways to Share Your Holiday Cheer With Colleagues
Forget those customized greeting cards and useless gifts. Here are five things you can do for your colleagues that will have a much greater impact and cost you (close to) nothing.
Entrepreneur. Thursday, 20 Dec 2018.
- Compilation of grandpa greeting granddaughter spreads joy: 'Grandparents are such angels'
Robert, 87, always makes sure that Jen, 24, knows how happy he is to see her.
ABC News. Tuesday, 18 Dec 2018.
- Thoughtful Human's Line of Plantable Greeting Cards Is Here for Life's Most Delicate Scenarios
For those moments when you just don't know what to say.
Mental Floss. Wednesday, 12 Dec 2018.
Women greeting each other at a doorway
Related Directory Page(s)
Greeting Cards News Headlines and News Summaries


text:
Though a global phenomenon, Nigeria’s share of the boom in the importation, manufacturing, distribution, and consumption of substandard products has assumed endemic and life-threatening proportion. The problem, which has left sour taste in the mouth of consumers and operators in all sectors, continues to defy measures put in place by the authorities to contain it, reports Assist. Editor Chikodi Okereocha
It Is extremely difficult these days to extract a smile from the Chairman of DN Meyer Plc, Sir Remi Omotoso, particularly when the state of Nigeria’s manufacturing sector is the focus of discussion. The 69-year old industrialist wears a long face every time he remembers the heavy toll the unbridled importation, production, distribution and consumption of fake and substandard products is taking on manufacturers and, by implication, the economy.
“If you look at how manufacturers are affected by products faking and importation of substandard materials you shudder. Many of them are suffering a lot,” he pointed out, in an interview with The Nation.
Giving more insight into how the booming trade in substandard products is taking the shine off manufacturers, Omotoso, a former Director General of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), said: “You can’t export freely because our products will not be able to pass international standards test. Not the ones we produce, but the ones that are faked affect the ones that are genuine. They go and put the label of a good product on a bad product and once they get out of the shores of the country nobody knows which one that was genuinely produced and the one that was faked. Its a major threat to our economy.”
Lagos lawyer and public affairs analyst Obiora Akabogu agrees with him. “The free reign of importers of substandard products is killing the home industry, and it’s a threat to the economy,” Akabogu said, accusing the regulatory agencies of being incompetent.
According to him, the agencies charged with regulating standards and protecting the interest of consumers have performed below average. The fight against substandard products, he observed, has been “one step forward, two steps backward”.
He observed that in the case of Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), for instance, it was at the zenith of the sterling performance of National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) under the late Prof. Dora Akunyili that the leadership of SON decided to make its voice heard and its impact felt. He said shortly after Mrs Akunyili’s exit from the agency, SON, which got its stimulus for performance from NAFDAC, lost steam. Same for NAFDAC, which he said has retrogressed following the exit of the late Akunyili.
Akabogu recalled, for instance, that during the late Mrs Akunyili’s era, there were cases where full containers of essential drugs were imported into the country and when their efficacy and potency were tested, it was found out that they were reduced by about 60 per cent. Subsequently the drugs were duly seized and set on fire and the perpetrators prosecuted while their offices were sealed. He regretted that such scenario, which used to be a daily occurrence in places like Aba, Onitsha, Ibadan, Kano, and Lagos, but were contained by NAFDAC, is gradually coming back.
“The bad guys (importers of fake and substandard products) are back. It is business-as-usual. The fight against fake drugs died with Akunyili, leaving the average Nigerians exposed daily to inconsumable and substandard products,” Akabogu said, noting that the menace of substandard products has become endemic and life-threatening, posing health risk to consumers and putting tremendous pressure on the local economy. He said the situation was regrettable, considering the billions of naira voted to the agencies annually, including the billions of naira received from donor agencies and development partners.
There has been growing concern over the preponderance of adulterated or substandard products in the country. Many consumers who purchase products like foods, beverages, pharmaceutical drugs, batteries, tyres, paint, electrical cables, bulbs and mobile phones have been raising issues over the quality and standard of products in markets. For instance, within the first year of its existence, the Lagos Office of ConsumerProtection Council (CPC) was inundated with between 20-30 of such consumer complaints every month. About three years later, the number of complaints rose to between 500-800 every month, according to Tam Tamunokonbia, Head, Lagos Office of CPC.
Tamunokonbia told The Nation that the increased number of consumer complaints is an indication of increased awareness following the adoption of the use of social media so that consumers could reach the CPC on e-mail, twitter and Facebook, adding that the prevalence rate of substandard products is higher in the Southeast, particularly in places such as Cemetery Market in Aba, Abia State, Ogbaru Market in Onitsha, Anambra State, as well as the Enugu market.
“The people manufacturing substandard products are more in certain markets in Aba and Onitsha. In Lagos you see pockets of such people. Lagos being what it is, you still have some hide-outs where those things still happen. But if you put the whole of Nigeria in perspective, then the prevalent rate should be about 40 per cent because you could have some in Kano, some in the north, some in the South-south. But in terms of percentage I would give 40 per cent to the South east and probably 10 per cent here and there,” he explained.
Throwing more light on how the counterfeiting is done, he said after the production of the substandard products, they are transported out of the South east to various markets in the Southsouth such as Port-Harcourt and Calabar, including Lagos in the Southwest, depending on the manufacturer’s calculation of profit margin. He noted that there is a degree of production of substandard products in the country, and that the unscrupulous producers usually make arrangements for the labeling outside Nigeria, in China, for instance.
He said: “When we carried out a raid recently in Cemetery Market in Aba, we discovered peak milk was being produced. To our surprise they had already imported the label of the sachet powdered peak milk from China. The label was just the same, exactly the same powdered peak milk label.”
That was not the only shocker. Tamunokonbia said for the tin milk, his men discovered that the producers picked the tin from scavengers or from dustbin, washed them and cleaned them up. “So the label is still the same; everything is the same so consumers would not be able to know the difference,” he said, adding that there are some products as well that are produced outside the country in which case the Council is working in collaboration with other relevant agencies to halt the illicit trade.
For those who produce substandard products locally, their usual excuse is that the nation’s huge infrastructure gap, particularly power, puts tremendous pressure on their operations. Some of them argue that rising cost of raw materials and provision of power eats into their profit margin, forcing them to thinker with the quality of their products to remain in business. What this means is that if the operating environment were to be more friendly, they would have been producing quality products. But Akabogu describes this position as false. According to him, Nigeria is an import-dependent economy, with Nigerians as mere importers, wholesalers, and retailers. He said most of the substandard products are manufactured in Asia and imported into Nigeria, exposing consumers to all manner of health risk.
Tamunokonbia said the CPC is living up to its mandate to protect consumers. Established by Act No. 66 of 1992, the CPC, a parastatal supervised by the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, commenced operations in 1999, when its institutional framework was put in place. The Council has the mandate to, among others, eliminate hazardous products from the market, provide speedy redress to consumers’ complaints, and undertake campaigns as will lead to increased consumer awareness.
It was in the course of carrying out its mandate that the CPC recently uncovered the sale of a brand of cigarette, ESSE EDGE, in the Nigerian markets with a post-dated production date of September, 2014. The product is said to be distributed in Nigeria by Black Horse Tobacco Company, but made in Korea by Korea Tobacco and Ginseng Corporation (KT&G). CPC stated that falsifying the production date of the ESSE EDGE cigarette was a calculated attempt to manipulate the cigarette’s shelf life and keep it in the market longer than required, thereby constituting grave health hazards to consumers.
The agency said in view of its resolve to raise awareness on the value of checking the BB (Best Before) date of products, it has commenced the removal of the defective ESSE EDGE cigarette from the market. It, however, cautioned the public, including wholesalers, retailers and consumers to beware of the defective cigarette, whose actual date of manufacture is unknown, and to report any manipulation to it. The Council also advised wholesalers, retailers and consumers to always check the date of manufacture on their pack of cigarettes and all other products before they purchase.
Tamunokonbia said since the launch of the ‘Check the BB Date Campaign’ by the Minister of Industry, Trade and investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, the Lagos Office has taken the campaign a notch higher by conducting a road show that went through most of the supermarkets in Lagos. “We have given a warning that sellers who do not comply with this campaign after six months will be arrested and persecuted,” he said, adding that the six-months notice started July 1, 2014 at the end of which the Council will do a sustained surveillance whereby its enforcement officers will be visiting shops, supermarkets and market places to do seizures and to also arrest.
CPC also handed down an ultimatum to product dealers to stop indiscriminate storing, which could undermine the quality of products. At the launch of the campaign in Abuja, CPC Director General, Mrs. Dupe Atoki, frowned at the storing of some products in the Nigerian market-place, claiming that it has been undermining the quality of the products. “It is also common knowledge that even when not expired, the quality of most products gets compromised when stored under harsh weather conditions”, she noted.
Mrs. Atoki also said it is worrisome that most super stores across the country stock their bottled water and beverages under direct sunlight in front of their shops for weeks on end. The practice of storing such items under the sun, she said, is unacceptable as it negates the storage conditions stipulated for them by the manufacturers, thereby exposing consumers to injury. She gave dealers six months with effect from July 1 to find alternative ways of storing such products or have them withdrawn from the market. She charged manufacturers to use the six-month period of moratorium to train all those in their distribution chain on how best to store their products, and to stock only products that they can store properly.
SON intensifies campaign
A survey by SON puts the prevalence rate of substandard products in the country at between 80 and 85 per cent. The survey was done about three years ago when its current Director General (DG), Dr. Joseph Odumodu assumed office. The result of the survey wasscary and unacceptable considering the fact that in Egypt and Kenya, for instance, only 40 per cent of products are said to be substandard. South Africa’s was less than 30 per cent.
The agency, however, said the level of substandard products in Nigeria has dropped from 85 per cent to 50 per cent in the last two years following the intensification of its ‘Zero Tolerance’ campaign. It added that it is determined to further reduce the prevalence of substandard goods to 30 per cent. The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of SON, Mr. Mathias Bassey. told The Nation that Nigerians are already imbibing the culture of zero tolerance for substandard products. He said the increasing awareness of Nigerians is on the strength of various initiatives, programmes and sensitisation efforts of the agency. Apart from SON’s ‘Zero Tolerance’ campaign, the agency, he said, had put in place the SON Off Shore Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP), Manufacturers Association of Nigeria Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP), as well as embarked on several market surveys and enforcement exercises.
While SONCAP aimed at ensuring that products are easily identifiable by providing that before a trader orders goods, the importer must get a certificate for all regulated products before shipment into Nigeria, MANCAP ensures that any product made in Nigeria carry the MANCAP certificate as well as the Nigeria Industrial Standards (NIS) certificate.
In insisting on MANCAP, the agency said it found out that people were bringing in goods from all kinds of places and avoiding the ports.
The agency claims that the programmes are paying off. For instance, Odumodu disclosed recently that the level of certified domestic products improved to 13 per cent from the less than 10 per cent obtained in 2011. He put the number of MANCAP-Certified companies in 2013 at 546, while certified products in 2013 were 821. He said many consumer products are now registered and captured on the SON website with 6, 899 registered products and 927 registered companies so far.
On the other hand, the re-engineered SONCAP regime, Odumodu said, has significantly improved compliance with extant import conformity regulations. He added that sensitisation campaigns and engagement were held across the six geo-political zones of the country, and that survey confirmed 65 per cent level of consumer awareness on substandard products. Importers at the Alaba International market and traders in the Computer village, both in Lagos, as well as others in other popular markets across the country are said to have benefited from the sensitisation programme of SON aimed at stamping out substandard products.
Also, the agency has engaged in capacity building consumer engagement (market desks, road shows, advertising, and enlightenment campaign to educate the masses. The compliance monitoring efforts of SON are also said to have yielded fruit. For instance, SON has reviewed and enforced standards in the roofing sheet sub sector of the nation’s building construction industry. Conformity to standards in steel development is also said to have led to quality improvement, resulting in a glut of quality steel bars in the country, just as the agency has addressed local capacity and quality in the cement sub sector.
Bassey added that SON’s collaborative effort with relevant stakeholders and industry associations particularly block moulders is also yielding good results. He was however, quick to point out that “spreading the culture of zero tolerance to substandard products is neither a one-day affair nor a one man’s job; it requires the effort of all, and it will take time.”
He disclosed that the National Quality Policy (NQP), which seeks to produce a broad-based system that would provide quality specifications for all manufactured products in the country, is still before the National Assembly for approval.
A war, its many challenges
Despite the sustained campaign by the standard/enforcement agencies to contain the reign of substandard products, the problem persists. This, Kola Oladipo, former Chairman, Export Group of MAN, attributes to poor funding, inadequate staffing of the agencies, and corruption at the ports. Oladipo is right. For instance, while the Lagos Office of CPC is looking forward to an increase in the number of consumer complaints from about 500 to 1, 000 a month, given the large population of the commercial city of Lagos, Tamunokonbia said he has his fears.
“My greatest fear is that when this complaint increases to a thousand mark plus, can we cope? Because as it is, my members of staff are over-stretched. We are supposed to have a department for surveillance and enforcement, which is the department that handles complaints. Because we don’t have such department, what that has done is to stretch everybody,” he said.
Apart from the challenge of inadequate staffing, The Nation learnt that the few staff on the payroll of the agencies are poorly motivated. Akabogu said that this is why some members of staff of the agencies allegedly compromise.
“They (agency staff) compromise because of fear of the unknown; many of them are wary of what will happen to them after retirement. So, some of them want to get anything they can from the system before they retire,” he said.
The public affairs analyst also identified lack of conviction by the judiciary as another factor. According to him, in China, offences relating to dealing in substandard products carry life sentences or even death penalty. “Ask any of the agencies to give you statistics or data on conviction of offenders, you will be disappointed they don’t have any,” he said.
For Omotoso, SON appears to be overwhelmed.
“Maybe because the scope SON is covering is so wide, from table, pin, electrical cables, bulbs, all sort of things; the scope they have to police is so wide, maybe that’s part of the problem of their inability to do all that they need to do,” he said, noting that this perhaps explains why the war against substandard products is not being won, and is not limited to paint manufacturing alone.
“Put your mind to tyres. Till date, I don’t think we have fought the battle of preventing fake tyres from coming into this country. Fake tyres are as dangerous and life threatening as fake malaria products,” he said.
In fairness to SON, however, the nation’s porous borders through which most of the suspected substandard products find their way into the country, are not helping the fight.
The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), David Parradang, recently revealed that there are over 1, 400 illegal routes into Nigeria – 1,316 more than the approved number of border control posts. He said the 84 approved border controls cover 4, 047 kilometres, the total length of Nigeria’s land border. Ogun and Adamawa states, for example, have 83 and 80 illegal posts. To make matters worse, those entrusted with the task of securing the borders are ill-equipped to effectively monitor the 84 regular routes let alone the 1,400 illegal ones.
The threat posed by illegal borders to the fight against substandard products is not lost on the agencies.
“We are not at the borders; the CPC is not allowed to be at the borders, and there are substandard products that come in from the borders, its difficult for us to know,” Tamunokonbia said.
He explained that once the substandard products are in the country, they are taken to warehouses from where they are moved into the various markets and unless the agency knows, they cannot arrest the perpetrators.
“We think that if we arrest them from the border, it will make more sense. In fact, what you will be doing is that you will have a large cache of those products because they will come in their trailers. But in the market place, we are only seizing drops of the products,” he stated, adding however, that he recently paid a courtesy call on the Lagos Zonal Comptroller of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to solicit his assistance since CPC is not at the borders.
Tamunokonbia expressed optimism that his approach will work, as the Zonal Comptroller admitted that the Customs too also needs information “because as customs they do not necessarily know which product is fake and substandard. Their duty is just to collect tax. Their training does not allow them to know which one is fake and which is not, but if NAFDAC is there and it is a product of food and drugs they should be able to know. Also, if SON is there they will also know, same CPC. So, we want to partner with them, we want to work with them.”
The need to work with relevant agencies is underscored by the perceived lack of coordination and sometimes, overlap of interests and activities, which sometimes result to disagreements amongst the agencies. Dr. Odumodu admits that Nigeria’s standard operation was faced with many challenges arising partly from the lack of NQP to hold the system and make it functional and efficient enough to earn global confidence.
Indeed, over time, operations of government agencies set up to regulate and ensure good standards, such as SON, NAFDAC, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), National Universities Commission (NUC), National Judicial Council (NJC), Police, and Public Service Commission, among others, have been uncoordinated because of the lack of a framework. Each of the agencies operates independently and, in some cases, on ad hoc basis, diminishing the fighting spirit of the agencies.
If the war must be won
To begin with, Akabogu suggests that the fight against substandard products must be inculcated into the national ideology and included in the school curricula from primary to university level. He said that way, enough awareness would be created. He also said the hands of the regulatory agencies, including SON, NAFDAC, CPC, and NCC, among others, must be immediately strengthened through adequate staffing and funding. He added that there is need to weed out bad elements within the agencies and allow only people willing to leave a legacy remain. Besides, laws against the business must be made punitive to serve as deterrent.
Omotoso could not agrees. He insisted that punitive measures should be enforced.
His words: “The laws are there, but somehow there is a lot of compromise. Who are those people that compromise? Those that are supposed to be enforcing the law. When they are taking to court, somehow the process is slow and those that are perpetrating this evils know that the courts won’t get round to them even before they pass on so, they just do the most havoc they could. I don’t want to say the courts are corrupt. No. But the process of justice is too slow to make the enforcement of the laws effective.”
The industrialist is not done. He said civil servants who are employees of SON should also be a little bit more aggressive in pursuing the culprits, while their facility for detection must be upped. He added that staff of the agencies should be encouraged by way of some forms of motivations for them to be able to do their job such that they will even want to say no to any offer of bribe from any of the perpetrators of the evil. “I am passionate about this because I know they do a lot of damage to the economy of this country, he concluded.
Oladipo aligns with Bassey who earlier noted that standards is not a one man job, so everybody must come on board. “SON cannot go it alone,” Oladipo told The Nation, arguing that since manufacturers are more spread “they should go all out to look for those who clone their products.” He admonished manufacturers to rise up to the fight.
For Champions of Development Nigeria (CDN), an integrated approach to quality management in Nigeria is required. The group’s President, Mr. Jonas Yomi, stated that the harmonisation of regulatory agencies and quality policies was overdue if Nigeria was determined to establish a national quality infrastructure, which is an important tool for implementing NQP. The group also lamented the non-existence or insignificant number of accredited laboratories in Nigeria, noting that accredited labs are the backbone of valid testing results without which products or services cannot be said to be certified or conforming to requirements. He added that there is need to reach out across the whole spectrum of stakeholders through road shows as well as sustained mass media campaign.
Sound and far-reaching recommendations, no doubt. But again their implementation, to a very large extent, depends on how far government musters the political will to prosecute the war, and of course, how far Nigerians and concerned stakeholders put their hand on deck to contain the upsurge. But until and unless this is done, unscrupulous businessmen importing substandard products will continue to smile to the bank while local manufacturers groan under the stiff competition from imports.


text:
Samsung Galaxy Indulge 4G LTE Android Smartphone Hitting MetroPCS Soon
Samsung Galaxy has Indulge an Android smartphone. it is capable to connecting up the MetroPCS 4G LTE network.
Samsung Galaxy Indulge 4G LTE was recently announced. It will be arriving on the network soon. No specific date was announced at themoment.
“Mobile consumers no longer have to choose between low cost service and high-end Android handsets. Instead, they can truly have it all by being able to select from a full spectrum of feature and smartphones paired with 4G LTE services at an unmatched value.”
On the side of technical specs It will runs on Android 2.2 Froyo. and it’s screen measures 3.5 inches and HVGA resolution of 320 x 480 pixels. A camera can be found on the back that is capable of capturing 3.2 megapixel pictures. It is powered by a 1GHz CPU. For connectivity it has 4G LTE as well as Wireless and Bluetooth as can be expected.
it will cost $50 or $60 per month on an unlimited plan with the handset costing $399.


text:
On Thursday, June 27th, 2019, a national symposium with a theme Between Food Security & Safety: Searching for New Concept has been held. This one-day event was held based on the cooperation between Central PATPI and Jakarta branch PATPI. There were six speakers attending the event, among others were Dr. dr. Tan Shot Yen, M.Hum; Prof. Dr. Aman Wirakartakusumah; Prof. Dr. Purwiyatno Hariyadi; Dr. Agung Hendriadi; Prof. Dr. Sri Raharjo; Dr. Roy Saparingga. The participants attending the event were not only PATPI members, but also the public and business actors. The purpose of this symposium is to discuss/find common points of perception of food security and food safety that have already existed, to reveal the reality of the existing food supply and solutions to health and social problems, to seek solutions to food security and food safety in Indonesia, and to find a more relevant new concepts of food security and safety.
The topic is delivered in two sessions. Participants were very enthusiastic about the presentation delivered by the speakers, one of which was the presentation given by Dr. dr. Tan Shot Yen, he explained thoroughly how to obtain proper nutrition and sustenance, which currently there are still many people who are misguided in choosing nutritional sources. The event was followed by the delivery of the discussion by the panels. This national symposium is one of the initial series of the Asean Food Conference activities that will be held in Bali in October 2019.
|The Rector of Sahid University, Dr. Hardinsyah during the opening of the Symposium
|Prof. Dr. Aman Wirakartakusumah during topic presentation
|Dr. dr. Tan Shot Yen during topic presentation
|Ir. Adhi S Lukman, the Chairman of GAPMMI, as the review panel of the speakers
|Prof. Dr. Maya, Food Expert and the Dean of FTP UGM
|Prof. Amar, the Chairman of PATPI for Jakarta branch