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Many new businesses burn bright but quickly fade away due to competitive moves, changing consumer tastes, or ill-fated acquisitions. Here are three ways to keep that from happening.
Companies often avoid exporting, believing the risks outweigh the opportunities; however, it’s far too easy to overestimate the risks of venturing abroad -- and to underestimate the risks of remaining domestic
Leaders will improve the odds of transformation success if they follow best practices, stay the course and not ignore the potential ramifications of the decisions they make early in the process.
Research shows gamification doesn't always work out as it's intended, but it's usually because of the way it's been designed or implemented, rather than the inefficacy of the concept itself
Identifying and celebrating progress is a key way to inspire and motivate but that can be tough for many business leaders who struggle to identify when and if they're making any headway
Companies face many barriers when expanding into new categories or markets, but there are ways to get past the barriers and become a dominant player.
Every company wants to mimic the innovative success of Apple or Google, but that can't happen until the right kind of leadership, culture and management systems are in place
Sure there's weak growth, tightening profit margins and new regulations being introduced constantly, but there are ways to get around these challenges
Establishing an omni-channel framework can be a huge boon to business, but it can also be a minefield of mishaps. Here's how to get it right.
Going digital is all the rage these days, but like anything else, lack of strategy and poor execution will yield poor results and destroy the business case for future digital exploration. Here's how to get started the right way.
The magazine ranks cities on 30 factors across various categories, including stability, health care, culture, environment, education and infrastructure
It’s not just the latest social media sensation — it’s also filling the coffers of organizations raising money for research on ALS, a neurodegenerative illness
Toronto’s Extreme Startups and Vancouver’s GrowLab Ventures are joining up to form Highline, the first pan-Canadian accelerator platform
The production poses an inherent risk, but hitting the moment right — a big supply meshing with big demand — could mean a serious payday for distillers
Jet lag reduces attention by 75%, impairs decision-making by 50%, and reduces communication skills by 30%. That’s not a recipe for a good business meeting


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New president, COO takes over at Hankook Europe
Neu-Isenburg, Germany – Hankook Tire Europe has appointed Han-Jun Kim as its new president and chief operation officer, effective 1 Jan.
Kim is taking over the position of COO for Europe and CIS from Ho-Youl Pae, who “significantly contributed” to establishing the Hankook brand in Europe, the South Korean company announced 2 Jan.
Kim holds a master’s degree in business administration and joined Hankook in 2011. He most recently served as VP for corporate management at the company’s global headquarters in Seoul.
"The challenge in the coming years is to further grow our brand awareness, brand presence and image in Europe,” said Kim, commenting on his future policies.
This, he said, would help establish Hankook as “a global premium brand.”
Hankook has increased its presence in Europe in the recent years, including through the third expansion phase of its production plant in Hungary. It also opened a winter tire testing facility in Finland in 2017.

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[IMAGE]boarding-dd-21-2.jpg[/IMAGE]Omaha, Neb. residents can now travel to Chicago; Des Moines, Iowa; and Iowa City, Iowa, for as low as $1, with Megabus.com announcing it is set to begin daily service to and from Omaha on August 17. Customers can begin booking their tickets starting today.
Megabus.com will offer two daily departures from its arrival and departure location at Crossroads Mall.
"The overwhelming popularity of megabus.com inspired us to expand our service reach again and we are pleased to grow farther west to Omaha," said Dale Moser, president and COO of megabus.com. "As the public continues to search for ways to stretch their dollar, megabus.com will now be able to deliver safe, convenient and affordable travel to Omaha-area residents."
To celebrate this service expansion, megabus.com is offering 1,000 free seats on the Chicago-Omaha route for travel Aug. 17 through Sept. 17. The free seats will be available on megabus.com to and from Omaha.
Megabus.com, a subsidiary of Coach USA, launched in April 2006 and has served more than 10 million travelers. In addition to low fares, megabus.com offers customers environmentally-friendly buses, free Wi-Fi, power outlets and restrooms.


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When buying a new car, gas economy was a key factor for at least one-third of American car buyers|Around one third of new car customers in America regarded fuel economy an important factor.. Jogging stroller Given the preoccupation today with smog, global warming and America’s dependence on international sources of oil, it’s actually shocking to learn that as long ago as 1992 a car that got 100 miles to the gallon was built by General Motors. Car wrap Melbourne Yet another car, the GM TPC, which looked a lot like the Geo Metro, weighed only 1000 pounds and could easily get 75 miles per gallon. However, to be able to meet American safety regulations, the 3-cylinder vehicle required reinforcement weighing 200 pounds, which resulted in further development being discarded.
It was in no way the only protype developed by GM which ended up on the scrapheap. A few of these were the 1982 GM Lean Machine which did 80 miles per gallon, and the GM Ultralite which did 100 mpg. GM had been offering cars to the shopping public in 1992 that did 20 mpg, while Honda was getting 50 mpg with their Civic VX, but right then GM already covertly had cars doing 100 miles per gallon. Bob stroller Given that cars have already been built that get 100 miles per gallon, then why are they not being offered to the general public?
Another perplexing thing is that many companies, while selling fuel-eficient vehicles in foreign countries, are selling traditional gas guzzlers in the US. Best running stroller Buyers in Japan and Europe have for many years now had the opportunity to get cars that do 70 miles per gallon and more. A case in point of a car never marketed within the US and capable of 78 mpg, is the Lupo by Volkswagen. In 2007, Honda in the united states released the FIT, elsewhere known as the Jazz. You will find economy-boosting selections with the Jazz in Japan, such as a smaller engine and other ways to reduce consumption, but not so with the Fit in the US.
Auto manufacturers in America tell their public that they make big autos because they, the public, love big autos. Needless to say they generate big money on SUVs, and practically nothing on a small two-person commuter. Commercials have convinced the citizens of the US that Tanks on Wheels are an absolute must to have. It is quite apparent where the large companies’ interests lay when you consider that they have never offered options. Rather than being associated with SUVs, GM today could have been recognized as a leader in fuel-economic vehicles. Many other manufacturers also have developed fuel-efficient cars, but they’ve all done the same as GM by not offering them to Americans.
We live in a world that has waged wars over oil, that has been polluted, and car makers have never even given the choice to people in this country of fuel-efficient cars. Consider how many people who were never given the choice would have been overjoyed to have a car that was fuel-efficient? Could it be time to recover those abandoned designs and, again, start building those vehicles that were once built a long time ago?


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Woolies cops backlash for nude photo ban blocking Spencer Tunick
Image: People painted shades of blue and green for a recent Spencer Tunick work in London.
Melbourne is in the midst of a global artistic dispute because Woolworths doesn’t want thousands of naked people in its car park.
It’s 17 years since New York photographer Spencer Tunick staged an iconic mass nude photograph of 4000 bare bodies on Princes Bridge.
Tunick last month told Ross and John he’s coming back to do a shoot in Prahran’s famous Chapel Street.
But it’s since been revealed the intended location, the rooftop car park at Woolworths, won’t be made available.
Woolworths says it would be too disruptive and deny car parking to customers.
The Chapel Street Precinct Association is so angry at the decision it has started a petition.
Spokesperson John Lotton, who has already stripped off for testing, told Ross and John the car park only hosts a small handful of cars at the early hour of the photo shoot.
“We weren’t going to have detrimental effect on their customers,” he said.
“We’re more than happy to provide suitable nearby car parking … so the 10,000 people who have registered can be in Spencer’s hero work.”
Ross and John reckon Woolworths might have other reasons to stop the shoot
Click PLAY to hear more


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Interested in learning what's next for the gaming industry? Join gaming executives to discuss emerging parts of the industry this October at GamesBeat Summit Next. Register today.
Jiujitsu is the art of using your opponent’s strengths against them. Apple may be applying precisely that strategy against Google in the middle of its Maps debacle.
Today’s apology from CEO Tim Cook was close to unprecedented — Apple just doesn’t apologize very often. Immediately after the apology, Apple began to promote multiple mapping applications in the app store.
Oddly — or perhaps intentionally — none of them are based on Apple’s biggest enemy du jour: Google.
That’s partly because Google already lost a significant number of location-related developers, such as Foursquare, in March when the company jacked data access rates up. Only after learning that Google Maps was on the outs for iOS 6 did Google slash prices.
And it’s partly due to the fact that Apple’s Maps is now the default API for developers on iOS.
But even though Apple’s fly-by technology is the most-panned aspect of the new Maps app, showing the Hoover Dam bridge plunging to the surface of the river, Google Earth is not on the list of Apple-recommended apps.
Nor can I easily find any other apps that use Google Maps on the iTunes store.
One example: Maps+ says it uses Google Maps, but a colleague who checked the app on his iPhone says it’s clearly using Apple Maps, and the description is just out of date. That’s likely the case with many apps that were simply using iOS APIs that previously fetched Google’s maps and now transparently fetch Apple’s.
In addition — and obviously — the multiple Telenav-powered apps such as AT&T Navigator and GPS, as well as MapQuest and Bing maps (the most likely candidates to replace an Apple Maps app) are all not powered by Google.
So even while Apple has failed in its attempt to seamlessly replace Google Maps on the iPhone, the company has succeeded in its strategic objective: to get Google Maps off the iPhone … which may very well be part of a larger strategy to get Google off the iPhone entirely.
Providing mapping data gives users great directions but gives Google a lot, too: information on users, data on important locations, and advertising opportunities down the road. That disappeared, to a large extent, when iOS 6 happened — and Google is at least partly to blame due to its price increases earlier this year.
And Apple, while getting egg on its face, may be strategically farther ahead than before. Because even if users don’t use Apple Maps, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. The likes of Waze, Bing, Garmin, or Navigon are never going to be the massive strategic threat that Google is.
All of which doesn’t mean that Apple made the decision about the timing of its switch from Google Maps knowing that Apple Maps might fall on its face and was willing to take that bullet to get Google Maps off the iPhone.
But it’s certainly possible.
Only time will tell if the long-term strategic benefits outweigh the short-term customer pain.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact. Discover our Briefings.


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Diagnostics / Digital Health / Health Equity
American Heart Month
This February, AdvaMed is working with member companies and our global partners to raise awareness and highlight the ways medical technology helps those living with cardiovascular disease live healthier, happier lives.
News / Global & Trade / Medical Imaging
AdvaMed Statement on the Sale and Privatization of the Federal Helium Reserve
January 22, 2024
Scott Whitaker, President and CEO of AdvaMed, the Medtech Association, urged the White House to delay the sale and privatization of the Federal Helium Reserve until concerns about resulting supply chain disruptions are resolved.
News / Global & Trade
AdvaMed Statement on 14th Ministerial Meeting of the United States-India Trade Policy Forum
January 19, 2024
AdvaMed President and CEO Scott Whitaker released the following statement regarding the 14th Ministerial-level Trade Policy Forum held in New Delhi, India:
News / Global & Trade / Supply Chain
AdvaMed Commends Administration Investment in Domestic Semiconductor Chip Manufacturing
January 10, 2024
The investments being made in our domestic semiconductor chip manufacturing base under the CHIPS and Science Act are critical for the medtech industry and the millions of patients who rely on the life-saving devices the medtech industry develops.
Global & Trade
In times of crisis, the medtech industry stands as a pillar of strength, providing innovative solutions to address immediate needs and foster resilience. Discover a few NGOs that AdvaMed members can partner with to help make a positive impact around the world.
News / Diagnostics / Government & Legislative Affairs / VALID Act
In Comments to FDA, AdvaMed Maintains Support of Agency’s Authority to Regulate LDTs
December 12, 2023
Today, AdvaMedDx submitted comments in response to the Food and Drug Administration’s Proposed Rule: Medical Devices; Laboratory Developed Tests. AdvaMedDx is a division of AdvaMed representing companies that develop in vitro diagnostic (IVD) tests.
News / Diagnostics
AdvaMed Calls for Reauthorization of AIDS Relief Program
November 15, 2023
Today, AdvaMedDx, a division of AdvaMed representing manufacturers of innovative in vitro diagnostic tests, sent a letter urging Congressional leaders to prioritize the reauthorization of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program. PEPFAR funding lapsed at the end of the fiscal year 2023.
News / Global & Trade
AdvaMed leads Global Effort to Push Back on Lithium Battery Transport Restrictions
November 13, 2023
As the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Dangerous Goods Panel meets this week, AdvaMed, the Medtech Association, led a group of 24 global medtech organizations in expressing concerns about the panel’s proposed regulations on the transport of dangerous goods aboard aircraft.


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Huawei losing allies in Europe over growing security concerns
THE US has been pushing governments for months to block Huawei Technologies from telecom networks. That strategy is now taking hold in Europe, where the Chinese technology giant is losing allies by the day.
European officials and companies, initially slow to act on the US warnings, last week increasingly distanced themselves publicly from the equipment supplier. The concern is that Beijing could use Huawei's gear for spying - something the company has always denied.
While there have been no outright bans, the outlook is dimming for Huawei in its biggest market outside China. "Reputational damage for Huawei will be significant whatever the outcome," said Neil Campling, telecom, media and technology analyst at Mirabaud Securities Ltd. "It seems likely that Huawei will lose significant share in the next three years."
In France, Orange SA said last Wednesday that it won't be using Huawei gear to build fifth-generation wireless networks, after BT Group Plc in the UK pledged to rip out some of the company's equipment. In Germany on Thursday, Deutsche Telekom AG raised the prospect of dropping Huawei. Then on Friday, the Norwegian government said it was weighing concerns with using suppliers from countries with which there's no security policy cooperation - an oblique reference to China.
France is pushing for significantly tighter regulation, people with knowledge of President Emmanuel Macron's plans said. The country has safeguards in place for critical parts of its telecom networks and is now considering adding items to its "high alert" list that tacitly targets Huawei, some of the people said.
"It's been a week of negative announcements and indications from the biggest markets in Europe - the UK, Germany and France," said Bengt Nordstrom, CEO of telecom consultant Northstream. The continent's biggest carriers will now be "extra cautious" of buying equipment from Huawei, he added.
Troubles in Europe for Huawei come on top of bans of its equipment in Japan, Australia, New Zealand and the US, and follow the arrest of its chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou, the 46-year-old daughter of founder Ren Zhengfei.
Losing friends in Europe means Huawei risks missing out on orders for networks running into billions of euros. Deutsche Telekom, one of Huawei's biggest European customers, alone plans to invest about 20 billion euros (S$31 billion) in Germany in 5G and other high-speed Internet connections through 2021. Europe, the Middle East and Africa accounts for 27 per cent of Huawei's revenue.
The UK, a member of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, was the first major market in Europe to publicly raise doubts about the security of Huawei's equipment in the run-up to 5G, last summer. The head of Britain's spy agency MI6 said on Dec 3 that the government needs to decide whether to allow Huawei as a 5G supplier.
France's National Agency for the Security of Information Systems, or Anssi, is demanding full access to potential suppliers' technology. Unlike Nokia Oyj, Cisco Systems Inc and Ericsson AB, Huawei hasn't submitted its equipment for vetting to become certified for critical components and that de facto disqualifies it.
Dropping Huawei in Europe wouldn't be easy. Most carriers have ordered its equipment because the technology is often seen as superior to that of its rivals. And while some analysts have suggested that eliminating Huawei could be a boon for the Scandinavian vendors in particular, there's also a risk of supply-chain disruptions if the biggest player is taken out. BLOOMBERG


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South Korean Capital Adopts 3D Indoor Maps for 107 City Facilities SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA and LINKÖPING, SWEDEN, July 20, 2015 – SenionLab, creators of the world’s most powerful indoor positioning systems, today announced its role in an innovative indoor mapping program in Seoul, South Korea. The South Korean capital has introduced 3D indoor map services, [...]
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons are broadcasting a signal at certain intervalls, so-called advertising packets. However, in order to be used for proximity solutions or indoor positioning, it needs to contain a unique ID to differentiate it from other beacons. iBeacons are already using the same kind of messaging that is now being introduced by Google through [...]
LINKÖPING, SWEDEN, July 16, 2015 – SenionLab, creators of the world’s most powerful indoor positioning system, appointed Torbjörn Lundquist as its Vice President of Engineering. Lundquist brings his experience as a development and agile coach at prominent Swedish companies. In his new role, Lundquist is responsible for increasing SenionLab’s value proposition by developing new functions that [...]
We want to thank all our users and clients that have put their efforts in giving us feedback high and low on our new website. We have listened and will work with: Business cases Clarification of the project process Reference cases Service overview and benefits Navigation between process pages Thanks again! SenionLab team
New VP Sales & Marketing focus on the efforts of SenionLab US expansion - apart from Bloomberg and Reuters, several other newsrooms highlighted the news of our recruitment and US expansion, for example: TMC Financial Morningstar Benzinga Digital Journal
New VP Sales & Marketing focus on the efforts of SenionLab US expansion - picked up by Reuters. Read the article and visit @Reuters. Reuters is a global news agency.
New VP Sales & Marketing focus on the efforts of SenionLab US expansion - picked up by Bloomberg Business. Read the article and visit @business. Bloomberg Buiness is a global news agency headquartered in New York.
We are proud to announce that SenionLab has recruited Marcus Andersson as Vice President of Sales and Marketing. One of his most important tasks is to lead the US expansion. Marcus has more than 20 years experience from companies like Verizon, Ericsson and Nokia Siemens Networks. Read the full press release here.
LINKÖPING, Sweden, July 8 2015 - SenionLab, creators of the world’s most powerful indoor positioning systems, announced the appointment of Marcus Andersson as Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Andersson has extensive experience in managing billion-dollar deals for global companies including Verizon, Ericsson and Nokia Siemens Networks.
We are proud to announce the pre-launch of our new website and logotype! Now we want our beloved users' feedback to make it even better and give the final magic touch. Is there some information missing? Is it hard to find what you are looking for? Is there anything that should look differently? Any thoughts and ideas are [...]


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Period of Global Turmoil Emphasizes Demand for E-Commerce
NEW YORK, Aug. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The broad retail industry is by far the largest market in the world, serving billions of individuals each year. Look a little closer and the industry is split into a multitude of different sectors. However, with the emergence of the digital age, e-commerce retailers have begun to disrupt the retail marketspace en masse. In fact, the rise of e-commerce has created a comfortable and convenient option for consumers to purchase products, as they can simply browse an e-commerce platform and purchase a product while still in the comfort of their homes. Now, during the time of a pandemic and social isolation measures, the growth of online stores has increased even more so than was intendent to reduce the number of quarantined caused an increase in demand for essential supplies such as food, medicine, hand sanitizer, tissue, and disinfectants. TD Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: GLG), JD.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: JD), Baozun Inc. (NASDAQ: BZUN), Pinduoduo Inc. (NASDAQ: PDD), Etsy, Inc. (NASDAQ: ETSY)
By region, the Asian-Pacific region is expected to reign supreme as China's online retail market industry is projected to continue its expansion. According to data provided by Forrester, China's online retail market is expected to hit USD 1.8 Trillion in 2022, The Drum reports. Explaining the intricacies of the market, Forrester states that "internet giants Alibaba and JD.com continue to dominate the local market, together accounting for more than 85% of China's e-commerce market. However new companies, such Pinduoduo and Xiaohongshu are catching up as users embrace new social commerce platforms... More than three-quarters (76%) of all e-commerce in China occurs via mobile devices and mobile payments remain the most popular choice for online purchases with 80% of metro Chinese shoppers using Alipay and 66% using Tencent's WeChat Pay to pay for a product or service in the last three months."
TD Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: GLG) announced breaking news yesterday that it is, "to enter into a strategic framework agreement with Tongdow E-commerce Group ("Tongdow E-commerce") through Shanghai Jianchi Supply Chain Co.,Ltd. ("Shanghai Jianchi"), the Company's wholly owned subsidiary. Tongdow E-Commerce recently has engaged the wholly owned subsidiary of JD Digits Technology Group ("JD Digits") and launched an online commodity trading enterprise payment system on Tongdow E-Commerce's online trading platform.
JD Digits was first established as part of JD.com, Inc. (Nasdaq: JD), and later became an independent technology company dedicated to the digitalization of AI-driven industries. It uses digital technology to serve the financial and real sectors and help related industries in achieving Internetization, digitization, and intelligentization. JD Finance is one of the core business modules of JD Digit's corporate services. It aims to provide unified external services through account management, transaction settlement, payment and unites supply chain financing, financial technology, and other business segments to meet the diverse transaction scenarios and needs of corporate users in various industries, providing enterprises with a one-stop business service platform.
The Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary Shanghai Jianchi., has entered into a strategic cooperation framework agreement with Tongdow E-commerce and Beijing Tongbang Zhuoyi Technology, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of JD Digits, jointly providing customers with comprehensive services such as payment and supply chain management.
The launch of the commodity online payment platform represents the beginning of the cooperation with TD Holdings and JD Digits. In the future, the Company plans to develop deeper cooperation with JD Digits with respect to payment, supply chain financing, IoT-enhanced warehouses, etc., to provide commodity trading companies with integrated solutions for online payments and FinTech needs.
About TD Holdings, Inc.: TD Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: GLG) is a commodities trading service provider conducted under the brand name "Huamucheng" by the Company's wholly owned subsidiary, Shenzhen Huamucheng Trading Co., Ltd headquartered in Shenzhen. For more information please visit http://ir.tdglg.com."
For our latest "Buzz on the Street" Show featuring TD Holdings, Inc. recent corporate news, please head over to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qD5gobDOZos
JD.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: JD) through its subsidiaries, operates as an e-commerce company and retail infrastructure service provider in the People's Republic of China. It operates in two segments, JD Retail and New Businesses. This week the Company announced its unaudited financial results for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2020. Net revenues for the second quarter of 2020 were RMB201.1 billion (US$ 28.5 billion), an increase of 33.8% from the second quarter of 2019. Net revenues from the sales of general merchandise products for the second quarter of 2020 were RMB64.0 billion (US$9.1 billion), an increase of 45.4% from the second quarter of 2019. Net service revenues for the second quarter of 2020 were RMB22.9 billion (US$3.2 billion), an increase of 36.4% from the second quarter of 2019.
Baozun Inc. (NASDAQ: BZUN) e-commerce service partner that helps brands execute their e-commerce strategies in China, announced earlier in June unaudited financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2020. Mr. Vincent Qiu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Baozun, commented, "First, I'd like to sincerely thank all of our employees who have demonstrated incredible resilience and dedication to ensuring business continuity and growth momentum throughout this challenging period. I am very proud of the great tenacity and agility our organization and technology infrastructure were able to display during the pandemic. As China's economic recovery strengthens in the second quarter, we believe the adoption of online retail will continue to accelerate going forward as brand partners increasingly prioritize their digital go-to-market strategies. This will create even more opportunities for us to drive mid-to-long-term sustainable growth."
Pinduoduo Inc. (NASDAQ: PDD) a technology platform for Chinese e-commerce players, announced back in May its unaudited financial results for the first quarter ended March 31st, 2020. "Despite the unprecedented challenges in the first quarter, Pinduoduo has grown and now serves more than 600 million active buyers. We're encouraged to see our next generation of leaders stepping up and shouldering the responsibilities of serving our users," said Mr. Zheng Huang, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pinduoduo. "We remain committed to our users, merchants and ecosystem partners during this difficult period. In the first quarter, we adopted numerous measures to support them, including providing free traffic to farmers and small businesses, and stabilizing the prices of medical and other daily necessities that were in high demand."
Etsy, Inc. (NASDAQ: ETSY), which operates two-sided online marketplaces that connect millions of passionate and creative buyers and sellers around the world, announced earlier this month financial results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2020. "Our extremely strong second quarter results, with consolidated GMS and revenue up 146% and 137% respectively, are a testament to the agility of our team, the strength of our brand, the innovation of our sellers, and the unique and special nature of inventory on our core Etsy marketplace," said Josh Silverman, Etsy, Inc. Chief Executive Officer. "Our mission to 'Keep Commerce Human' matters now more than ever - and we are showing the world just how many purchase occasions our sellers can meet in a truly delightful way. Etsy marketplace GMS increased 125% in the quarter, as we are attracting new buyers and engaging our existing customers more than ever before. Our 'Right to Win' strategy provides a clear and enduring roadmap for product and marketing investments that make it easier to shop on Etsy, build top of mind awareness, and solidify buyer trust. Couple this with the strength of the Reverb marketplace, and we have a solid foundation for long-term growth and are well positioned to build on our momentum."
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CLOVIS, N.M. — Some Texas Allsup's Convenience Stores locations are sporting new branding after being sold to a Georgia-based company.
According to The Eastern New Mexico News, Majors Management LLC purchased nine Allsup's c-stores and is transiting them to Hop-In locations. The news outlet cited a report by the Iowa Park Leader.
Texas stores changing hands include Allsup's in Iowa Park, Vernon and Brownfield.
Based in Lawrenceville, Ga., Majors Management is a multi-brand fuel distributor and c-store operator with a presence in 11 states throughout the Southeast, Midwest and Texas. Its goal is to become Chevron's largest and best distributor in the eastern half of the United States, according to the company.
It currently owns more than 400 c-store sites. It added 17 Shop "N" Fill convenience stores to its portfolio when it acquired Bowden Oil Co. Inc. on Aug. 2, as Convenience Store News previously reported.
Allsup's is headquartered in Clovis. The privately owned chain serves New Mexico and Texas. The company is No. 29 on the 2019 Convenience Store News Top 100 with 315 c-stores.


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By Ben Levisohn
Despite the continuing recalls, we see a clear line of sight to GM largely moving past pending product safety reviews and victim compensation matters by 2Q-end – both factors that have been weighing on investor sentiment. We believe the cycling past of these uncertainties, combined with evidence of an underlying earnings inflection driven by a full quarter’s benefit from all new heavy duty pickup trucks and full-size SUVs (when 2Q earnings are announced in July) could spark a strong re-rating in the shares from their current low 3.2x multiple.
Ford Motor (F), meanwhile, hasn’t “missed the boat in China,” Brinkman says:
Highly attractive from a rate-of-change perspective, Ford is growing faster in China in percentage terms than any other company we cover…The narrative prior to 2012 was that Ford had missed the boat in China. That narrative quickly faded as Ford rode a wave of new product introductions to a +27% y/y increase in China sales in 2012, followed by +59% in 2013 and another +41% in year-to-date 2014. Profitability has followed, with Ford Asia Pacific narrowing losses in 2012 before turning the first profit in years in 2013. And thus far in 2014, 1Q profits have nearly eclipsed that earned in all of 2013. We estimate Ford is well on its way to its goal of Asia Pacific becoming a material contributor to global automotive pre-tax profits by mid-decade.
Shares of Ford Motors have gained 0.4% to $16.69 at 11:14 a.m., while General Motors has dropped 0.3% to $35.95.


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Mobile Phones: realme
News & Reviews: realme
Last Updated: Apr 15, 2020
realme has missed the opportunity to launch their new product line which is TV due to the cancellation of the MWC 2020. However, there were still rumours saying that the company will proceed with the launch in India this year despite the pandemic. Before that happens, we have spotted two TV models from realme on the Bluetooth SIG certification listing, revealing another range of TVs that are going to be launched in the near future.
Last Updated: Apr 10, 2020
The smartphone reveals don't seem to be ending anytime soon, as leaks and reveals continue to pour in. One of the latest is for a new realme smartphone, which was spotted online on the website of Thailand's National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC). The device is called the realme X3 SuperZoom and it is likely a successor to the realme X2 Pro.
Last Updated: Apr 06, 2020
Many plans have been disrupted this year, including the announcement of a TV by realme. The company originally hinted in February that it had something exciting to share about TV during MWC 2020, which was later cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it looks like the realme TV is still going to be launched in India this year.
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
These days, collaborations between companies are more diverse than before. Many of them are partnering up with other companies that have nothing similar at all. For instance, fashion brands can be teamed up with food manufacturers like what Supreme and Oreo did to bring us those expensive red-coloured Oreo cookies. Now, we have a new collaboration coming soon which appears to be a partnership between Maybank and realme.
Last Updated: Mar 13, 2020
As the saying goes "strike while the iron is hot", realme is not waiting too long before announcing its next release. We already know that the realme 6i was on the way, but now there's confirmation that it's coming sooner than some may think. The latest news confirms that the device will be unveiled on 17 March 2020.
TechNave NewsBytes 2020 #3 - Digi, MDEC, HID Signo, Adobe 36 Days of Type, Kaspersky Coronavirus, Celcom, TIME, Tibco, eJamin, realme, Xiaomi and moreLast Updated: Mar 08, 2020
Sorry folks, the TechNave NewsBytes have piled up recently with news from Digi, MDEC, HID Signo, Adobe 36 Days of Type, Kaspersky Coronavirus, Celcom, TIME, Tibco, eJamin, realme, Xiaomi and more. We’ll try and cover more, more regularly as they roll in so stay tuned to TechNave.com
realme 6 series officially launched in India for starting price of ~RM739, Pro version comes with Snapdragon 720G chipsetLast Updated: Mar 05, 2020
The realme 6 series has finally launched and we predicted yesterday, it's commanding prices that are higher than the ones for the realme 5 series. It's available in two different models, which are the realme 6 and 6 Pro, with very different specs and features. Price for the realme 6 starts from Rs. 12999 (~RM739), while the realme 6 Pro will cost at least Rs. 16999 (~RM966).
Last Updated: Mar 04, 2020
The realme 6 series is launching in India tomorrow and we fully expect details to be revealed before the launch. In fact, the people at realme aren't shy about spoilers and have said that the realme 6 is the new Pro. But what does that even mean?
Last Updated: Mar 03, 2020
The recent widespread of the coronavirus which is known as SARS-VoC-2 originated from Wuhan district has now reached into multiple countries even the US. The outbreak has led to a shortage of supply in manufactures especially smartphone brands like Apple, Xiaomi, and realme.
Last Updated: Feb 28, 2020
It has already been confirmed that realme would be launching the realme 6 and 6 Pro in India soon, but one thing that wasn't announced at the time was what chipset it would use. Now, we at least know that the realme 6 Pro is likely using the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765 chipset.


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Despite being fixed since the launch of the service back in 2010, the prices for subscriptions to PlayStation Plus will be increasing for gamers in the US and Canada taking effect from 22nd September 2016 in an announcement that shocked gamers today.
Annual subscriptions will now be priced at $59.99 USD/ $69.99 CAD, and the three months membership will now cost $24.99 USD/$29.99 CAD. A single month is rising to $11.99 CAD for gamers in Canada but the price is remaining unchanged at $9.99 USD for the US market. For existing members, the new prices will take effect once your current subscription ends.
Our advice? If your subscription is set for automatic renewal we’d suggest buying a subscription voucher in-store as soon as possible before the price rise and adding this to your PSN account to extend your current subscription. Also, for retail stores that sell boxed or scratchcard versions of PSN codes, keep checking stores after this date as some of the old priced subscriptions may still lingering in stores as was the case in the UK when the quarterly subscription price increased.


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Will driverless cars be next? From sat nav to air con, ten once revolutionary motoring tech innovations that are now mainstream
- With autonomous cars coming to our roads, we looked back at old 'future' tech
- Motorway.co.uk boss Alex Buttle names his 10 favourite auto innovations
- We also list two features that never quite made it to the mainstream
- Films predict driverless cars but how accurate are they?
How long will it be until driverless cars dominate British roads? Not long, if the big tech firms developing them have their way.
Deep-pocketed technology firms including Google's parent group Alphabet, taxi app Uber and electric car pioneer Tesla are all involved in their own autonomous driving projects, while the big car brands are also busy developing their own systems.
History shows that car technology that feels futuristic can swiftly become the norm.
With the help of Alex Buttle, director of car buying comparison website Motorway.co.uk, we've taken a look back at technology once considered revolutionary that's gone on to become a mainstream feature in cars we own today.
Scroll down for video
Tests on self-driving cars are continuing apace and they could arrive within five to ten years
How close are driverless cars?
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling confirmed in January that autonomous cars would soon be tested on UK roads, while in November Chancellor Philip Hammond revealed his aim to see fully driverless cars in use by 2021.
The recent road death in Arizona involving an Uber self-driving vehicle - which marked the first ever fatal accident between an autonomous vehicle and a pedestrian - highlighted that tests are at a level where driverless cars are already on the roads, but they are not yet perfected.
The technology continues to be fine-tuned, but it’s worth remembering not all automobile innovations enjoy a smooth road to long-term mass adoption.
Old school air circulation isn’t a patch on modern-day air conditioning when it comes to cooling down a vehicle, which probably explains why AC is a standard in nearly all new cars.
But considering that the first air conditioned cars were produced by luxury New York manufacturer, Packard, back in 1939, it actually took more than 40 years to become a common feature.
Even in the early 2000s, only a third of European cars were fitted with AC as standard. Nowadays some high-end cars, such as the Ford Mustang, even have air conditioned seats.
The next generation of electric windows are on the way with the arrival of touch windows
Hand cranking the car window up and down used to be as commonplace as turning the steering wheel. But not anymore.
Almost all new vehicles (bar bargain basement-spec Dacias), regardless of whether they are budget or luxury, come with electric windows as standard, but as with air conditioning, this took a while to become widely adopted.
The first electric windows were made by Packard in New York in 1940. Recently the Japanese car maker Ssangyong took electric windows to the next level; theirs open and close to the touch of the glass itself.
Back in 1990, the Mazda Eunos Cosmo became the first car to feature a built-in GPS navigation system. Four years later, the BMW 7 series E38 offered the feature in Europe for the first time.
Since then it’s been a bumpy ride for sat nav, which is still often bought as an additional accessory rather than fitted by the manufacturer – apart from in the middle to upper end of the market.
While Google Maps on a mobile has somewhat replaced portable sat nav technology, the most popular device, TomTom, was actually voted the fifth most important invention of the 21st century in a YouGov survey of the British public in 2016.
The Audi Quattro (pictured) revolutionised rallying with the introduction of four wheel drive for a hatchback. It's since become commonplace on family cars
Four wheel drive
Although four wheel drive vehicles have been around since the late 1800s, it wasn’t until the 1940s that they started to gain traction commercially.
The turning point was when Ford began developing 4x4 vehicles for use in WWII, followed by their F-Series vehicles and then, in 1948, along came the Series 1 Land Rover.
The first luxury 4x4 was the 1970 Range Rover by British Leyland; the model is now in its fourth generation.
Audi’s 1980 Quattro made four wheel drive not just competitive but visually attractive.
A special mention must go to the ground-breaking Jensen FF, however. Made from 1966, the British company's Interceptor-related car was the first non off-road permanent four wheel drive car with anti-lock braking.
Motoring predictions for the next 80 years
Automotive data and valuations expert hpi has just marked its 80th anniversary, and to celebrate has predicted what it expects to see transform motoring in the next 80 years.
Its experts highlighted the following predictions and trends:
· Internet will be standard in all vehicles in the next 5 to 10 years.
· Cars will be fully connected and synchronised with other vehicles resulting in a big reduction in road traffic accidents.
· Virtual co-pilots will control more of our driving enabling automatic lane changes and parking.
· The next 10 to 20 years will see autonomous cars completely changing travel with motorists able to work, socialise and even sleep when driving.
· Within 10 years there’ll be more focus on the interior rather than the exterior of the car with touch screens, entertainment, refreshments and comfort all incorporated within the design.
- Within 20 years steering wheels will be a thing of the past.
· The next 5 years will see motorists increasingly buying personalised cars online with virtual test drives and home delivery and with 10 years will move from car ownership to ‘usership’ with traditional dealers offering leasing and subscription services.
As early as 1940, Chevrolet was manufacturing vehicles with power steering for the British army. However, it was rival US car maker Chrysler that produced the first commercially available power steering on its 1951 Imperial.
They called the facility ‘Hydraguide’.
General Motors soon followed suit and by 1956 a quarter of all American cars were making turns with the help of hydraulics.
It’s now been superseded by electronic power steering, even in sports cars such as the Porsche 911.
CAR TECH THAT NEVER MADE IT
- Electronic Voice Alert (talking cars)
Perhaps it was the popularity of hit TV show Knight Rider that led manufacturers to launch talking cars in the 1980s.
The addition of an Electronic Voice Alert (EVA) was trialled in the Datsun Maxima, Toyota’s Soarer MZ11, the Chrysler New Yorker and more.
Drivers who left the window down, the key in the ignition or were nearing an empty tank of fuel would be alerted by their friendly talking car. The futuristic technology never really took off, with warning beeps and flashing lights proving more popular in the long-run.
- Vent windows
Remember hinged windows? Often triangular in shape, they were a common feature of cars throughout the sixties and seventies, providing fresh air to front and rear passengers.
They fell out of fashion and are now something of a novelty in older, retro models.
Their demise was no doubt sped up by the rise in air conditioning.
The pollution reducing catalytic converter was invented by Frenchman Eugene Houdry who moved to the USA in the 1930s.
Horrified by the smog in Los Angeles, he started work on a way to reduce exhaust fumes.
Thanks to US federal regulations, adoption of the devices was well underway by the mid-1970s.
Since January 1993, all new petrol-driven cars sold in the EU have been fitted with a catalytic converter.
Not only do they cut down the amount of poisonous carbon monoxide, but also nitrous oxides, the primary cause of smog and acid rain. Thanks to the catalytic converter, we can all breathe a little easier.
Volkswagen led the field by including car scanning capability in some models in 1968.
The feature could alert owners to potential problems before they escalated further. Fifty years on, onboard computers are a legal necessity. Every car has at least one, which monitors emissions to keep them as low as possible.
The industrial engineer John W. Hetrick patented the airbag in the USA on 18 August, 1953. But it wasn’t until 1971, upon the expiry of the patent, that the invention had its first commercial use in some Ford cars.
Airbags have only become commonplace in passenger vehicles since the early 1990s, when BMW, Honda, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo included them on high-end models.
Since then they’re now standard in both budget and luxury vehicles, with some manufacturers installing side airbags, seat belt airbags, knee airbags and more.
Airbags are standard equipment on cars these days, but before the 1990s they were considered a luxury safety item to have
Long before streaming media, Bluetooth, Spotify and Apple Music were invented, listening to music while driving was already one of the greatest pleasures of life on the road.
Back in 1930, the world’s first dashboard radio, known as the Motorola, made music in the car possible for the first time.
Since then there’s been constant innovation, with cassette decks arriving in the late 1960s and early' 70s and CDs in the 1980s, before mobile devices took off.
Toyota created the first mass-produced hybrid car when it launched the Prius in 1997.
The Honda Insight followed in 1999, and since then the market has seen many additions.
Uptake in the UK is growing fast. In January, pro-hybrid campaign group, Go Ultra Low, revealed last year's sales were up by more than 27 per cent on 2016.
This growth is partly down to emissions legislation, which means the UK is legally bound by the Climate Change Act to reduce emissions 80 per cent by 2050.
The original Toyota Prius launched in 1997 and paved the way for the hybrid models that followed it
Driverless cars on screen
1. Batman, 1966
Back in 1966, during series two of the superhero TV series, Batman uses a ‘remote control activator’ to order his Batmobile to come and pick him up. Many of the Caped Crusader's various other vehicles since have featured form of self-driving tech.
2. Herbie, 1968
Disney’s cheeky Volkswagen Beetle is capable of driving himself and even enters car-racing competitions. Lovable Herbie is much more than just a driverless car; he plays pranks on people and has a humorous personality.
3. Jurassic Park, 1993
The original 1993 movie had chains of driverless Ford Explorers rolling through the park on safari. Perfect for dino-spotting until they started to go wrong.
4. Demolition Man, 1993
The 1993 film, starring Sandra Bullock, features a driverless car which bans all things mischievous - and even gives passengers a telling off if someone swears.
5. I, Robot, 2004
The Will Smith film, set in 2035, features an AI-aided Audi which comes uncannily close to the current reality of self-driving cars.
Most watched Money videos
- German car giant BMW launches its first ever M3 Touring model
- Porsche Taycan Turbo S sets a Nurburgring record for an electric car
- McMurtry fan car sets new Goodwood Hill record as fastest car
- BMW selling features of its car as separate subscriptions
- Could the falling pound be a good thing?
- Lamborghini vid shows off-road Huracan Sterrato being tested
- Ford unveils 2,000bhp electric Supervan its fastest transit yet
- Mini Aceman: All-electric crossover due to go on sale in 2024
- Take a look at the all-new Vauxhall Astra in action
- Michael Schumacher's undefeated 1998 Ferrari is to be auctioned
- German start-up Sono Motors unveils solar powered electric car
- New £400k electric Rolls-Royce Spectre snapped testing in France


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mPhase/AlwaysReady, Inc. stated that it has successfully demonstrated the manual activation of its revolutionary lithium based Smart NanoBattery in front of a live audience at the 7th Annual NanoBusiness Alliance Conference and Exhibition, the leading nanotechnology trade association, at the Marriot Marquis hotel in Times Square, New York City.
During the demonstration, mPhase/AlwaysReady mechanically activated a lithium pouch based reserve battery, illuminating an LED light in front of a live audience. "This is the first public activation of a prototype containing a lithium based chemistry, a significant development milestone for the company," said AlwaysReady CEO Dr. Fred Allen.
A video of the live demonstration is available for viewing via the AZoNano video page. Click here to be taken to the video.
"Our confidence in providing a live demonstration of our first mechanically activated lithium based Smart Nanobattery proves the reliability of our Power on Command(TM) technology. We look forward to our next demonstration on May 20th of our lithium based Smart NanoBattery which will be activated by electrical and electromagnetic means," stated CEO of mPhase Technologies Inc. Ronald A. Durando.


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Dog rescue collecting shoes
No, not to chew on, but to help keep them warm.
The Scott County Dog Rescue is hosting a shoe drive for lightly-used or new shoes that will go to third-world countries.
Becky Lashmett, a volunteer for the shelter, said the rescue tries to hold a large fundraiser each year to try and raise funds to complete a project. This year, they’ll be selling donated shoes to a company that will ship them overseas.
Since moving into the building in 2012, the Scott County Dog Rescue has paid for a new roof, insulation, wiring and new windows.
This year, she said the rescue hopes to purchase a new insulated door and window for the building to replace the door that came with the building, which had been a car dealership.
The current door is made of wood, and Lashmett said the rescue has to cover it in plastic or blankets each winter to attempt to keep the building warm.
“You can only ask people to buy something or donate money so many times,” Lashmett said. “This is something that is different.”
Lashmett said the organization’s goal is 7,500 pairs of shoes, which should equal the $2,200 needed for the new door. If enough shoes are donated, she said the shelter will use any extra money to replace the window as well.
“We try to do anything we can to generate some type of income for the dogs,” Lashmett said. “We just want to make sure they stay warm this winter.”
The organization will be collecting shoes until January 10. After the shoes are collected, they will be packaged and sent overseas through a company that will distribute them to businesses to sell.
The company will take new and used shoes including boots, sneakers, slippers, flip-flops, or any other type, excluding roller skates.
Donation boxes will be placed in business and schools in Winchester, Bluffs, Beardstown, Jacksonville, Franklin and Springfield. A list of donation locations will be placed on the Scott County Dog Rescue Facebook page. Shoes can also be donated by calling Lashmett at 217-473-9044, or Cindy Kemp at 217-719-9565.
“We’re real big on recycling. This keeps old shoes out of the landfills,” Lashmett said. “Most people would be happy to get old shoes gone somewhere.”


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The economy shrank at a worse-than-expected 6.1 percent pace at the start of this year as sharp cutbacks by businesses and the biggest drop in U.S. exports in 40 years overwhelmed a rebound in consumer spending.
South Korean scientists say they have engineered four beagles that glow red using cloning techniques that could help develop cures for human diseases.
U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, chairman of the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee, said on Tuesday he would introduce a bill next week to overturn a three-year-old U.S. ban on Internet gambling.
As Apple and AT&T continue talks about extending their iPhone relationship, rumors are flying about new iPhone devices and a possible deal with Verizon Wireless. According to a story in Monday's Business Week and elsewhere, Apple is discussing with Verizon the possibility of distributing two new iPhone descendants.
Well-suited for battery-powered applications, the AAT5101 2.5W Class D audio amplifier from AnalogicTech supports operation from 2.1 V to 5.5 V. Operating at up to 92% efficiency, the device has a shutdown current of 0.06 µA and a 1.35-mA quiescent current.
Ensuring stable operation without supply bypass capacitors, the LT3092 two-terminal current source is programmable from 0.5 mA to 200 mA and has a current regulation from 1.5 V to 40 V of better than 10 ppm/volt. Features include an initial accuracy of 1%.
Do you have an interesting case study you'd like to see here? Send us yours at firstname.lastname@example.org, and we'll publish the best of them.
The YEV Series of 3, 6, and 10 amp vertically-mounted, Point-of-Load (POL) DC-DC converter products from Power-One offers an extended operating temperature range option of -40ºC to 85ºC. The POLs utilize advanced topologies to deliver up to 94 percent efficient power conversion in communications and server applications
The U.S. should build 100 more nuclear plants rather than spend "billions in subsidies" for renewable energy if it is truly committed to lowering electric bills and having clean air, the Republicans say. In the party's weekly radio and Internet address, Sen. Lamar Alexander said the United States should follow the example of France, which promoted nuclear power decades ago
Designed to offer a low cost solution for low resistance value requirements where high temperature operation and low TCR are less important, the CSR / CSRN Series of thick film current sense chip resistors from Stackpole provides a TCR that is 200 ppm or better for most sizes and still is able to supply 1% tolerances as standard.
Touch-screen technology has become wildly popular, thanks to smart phones designed for nimble fingers. But most touch screens have a major drawback: you need to keep a close eye on the screen as you tap, to make sure that you hit the right virtual buttons.
Presented as having the highest power density of any device of its type, the XR Series of 2U programmable DC power supplies from Magna-Power can deliver voltages of up to 1000 Vdc and currents of up to 375 A.
Brocade Communications Systems Inc. is deepening its ties with a powerful ally, IBM Corp., forging a new distribution deal for Internet routers and switches at a time when bigger rival Cisco Systems Inc. is straining some of its old relationships.
President Obama once declared, “The United States government has no interest in running GM. We have no intention of running GM.” But recent developments could leave the federal government with majority ownership of GM. On February 17, GM submitted its “2009 – 2014 Restructuring Plan” to the Treasury Department. Highlights included
The ZigBee Alliance, a global ecosystem of companies creating standardized wireless solutions for use in energy management, commercial and consumer applications, today announced it will incorporate global IT standards from the Internet Engineering Task Force into its specification portfolio of low-power wireless networking standards.


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Beijing Internet Court presents its trials of portraiture rights infringement cases
The Beijing Internet Court opened a press conference to present its handling of online portraiture rights infringement cases and specified trial rules on Sept 17.
From Sept 9, 2018 to Aug 31, 2020, the court accepted 4,109 portraiture rights infringement cases, accounting for 65.4 percent of the country’s 6,284 online infringement cases of personality rights.
Among all kinds of infringement disputes, portraiture rights disputes are the second most frequent, following only internet copyrights disputes.
Most portraiture right holders are public figures with a certain popularity, especially celebrities in the field of performing arts. The defendants are most likely to be enterprises, individual businesses, freelances, and even hospitals and newspaper offices, and the tort often happens in the cosmetics industry as well as the health, clothing and accessories industries, according to the press conference.
The infringement occurs most frequently in WeChat official accounts, followed by e-commerce platforms and official websites or Weibo accounts of enterprises, in the aim of promoting products or services.
It is worth noting that editing variety shows' clips and making emojis, wax figures and clay sculptures may be suspected of infringement.
"Compared with the traditional way of using celebrity portraits for marketing, torts appear in more covert ways in the online environment," said Zhao Changxin, head of the court's Case-filing Division.
The abuse of celebrity images in blind advertising and the online sales of the same kind of goods as those of celebrities are relatively prevalent, said Zhao.
New ways of infringements have sprung up on the internet with the help of latest technology, such as using image processing softwares and AI technology to forge or parody images, Zhao added.
The purposes of infringements are mainly making profits, gaining popularity and attracting attention, and many of them are uses of works containing portraits of public figures without their consent.
Some cases are minor infringements with less serious damages, and the rights holders may lack proof of their popularity, actual losses and the profits gained by the tort-feasors; so there is a large gap between the final compensation amount and that claimed in the lawsuit.
At the same time, the limited information disclosure of the online platform also creates obstacles for rights holders.


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Barossa Valley winery, Seppeltsfield, best known for its 100-year-old Para Tawny (they have every vintage back to 1878) opened a wine ‘chateau’ in China on the weekend.
The project is a joint venture with China’s Minquan Jiuding Wine Company, a former state-owned wine and spirits producer now owned by a major construction company. Its most prominent brand is “1958”, the year the winery was founded.
The $75 million Chateau Seppeltsfield Minquan in Henan Province in eastern-central China, about an hour from the capital, Zhengzhou, took three years to build and is the first Chinese wine business in Australian winery as a stakeholder. Minquan County is home to around 10 million people.
Seppeltsfield’s majority owner Warren Randall, has taken a 37% stake in the project in a first for the Australian industry and the two wineries will sell their products together in the retail outlet, which tells the story of the two wineries.
Seppeltsfield was established in the Barossa Valley in 1850 by Joseph Seppelt, an emigrant of Silesia. He planned to be a tobacco farmer but wine became the family’s main focus and the family connection remained until 1985.
Warren Randall took over the business in 2007 and set about restoring the historic site.
Speaking to Business Insider from China, he said the joint venture “provides Seppeltsfield significant ‘face’ in the Chinese market place, as it reflects a brand/business willing to invest and having the capability to invest in a physical presence, rather than simply trade in the market”.
The chateau gives Seppeltsfield an operational base for storage and logistics of bulk and packaged wine in the country. Randall says it’s also “the first step to internationalise the Seppeltsfield brand” and acts as an “appetiser” for Chinese tourists to entice them to the Barossa.
He said Australian industry’s reaction to the project has been “very positive”.
“The wine industry conversation of recent years has been on interest increasing from China towards Australia in viticulture and winemaking investment – this is in the opposite direction,” he said.
“The fact Seppeltsfield is willing to invest in a footprint in China should provide positive spinoffs to the broader Australian wine category, as general awareness of Australia as a leading wine producing country is increased.”
Here are some photos of Chateau Seppeltsfield Minquan.
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Digital TV News: Linda Yaccarino
FOX, NBCUniversal, and Viacom unveil OpenAP 2.0
Apr 25, 2019 – FOX, NBCUniversal, and Viacom have unveiled OpenAP 2.0, expanding the audience platform into a centralized video marketplace with workflow automation for national linear and long-form digital video, developed in collaboration with Accenture and FreeWheel.
News categories: Viacom, NBCUniversal, FOX, John Halley, Sean Moran, Krishan Bhatia, Linda Yaccarino, Meredith Brace, Marianne Gambelli, Advertising, Big Data, Digital TV, USA
NBCUniversal and Sky combine advanced advertising capabilities
Mar 18, 2019 – NBCUniversal and Sky have announced the expansion of AdSmart, unifying both companies' advanced advertising capabilities. The joint solutions bring together NBCUniversal's advanced targeting with Sky's addressable advertising tools.
News categories: NBCUniversal, Sky, Linda Yaccarino, Andrew Griffith, Advertising, Big Data, Digital TV, Worldwide
NBCUniversal announces Direct-to-Consumer streaming service
Jan 14, 2019 – NBCUniversal has announced the planned launch of a new streaming service providing consumers access to premium content for free, with valuable partnership opportunities for advertisers and distributors.
News categories: NBCUniversal, Bonnie Hammer, Steve Burke, Maggie Suniewick, Digital TV, Europe, OTT, USA
NBCUniversal advertising metric measures viewing across both linear and digital
Apr 5, 2018 – NBCUniversal has announced a unified advertising metric, measuring all live, on-demand and time-shifted commercial impressions on every viewing platform. Called CFlight, the metric delivers a comprehensive representation of advertising exposure within full episodes of shows across all screens.
News categories: NBCUniversal, Linda Yaccarino, Lyle Schwartz, David Cohen, John Swift, Advertising, Big Data, Digital TV, USA
BrightLine launches data platform for OTT ad targeting
Jan 2, 2018 – BrightLine has announced that it is launching DataCast, a unified OTT data platform that will enable advertisers to target and measure across three screens: mobile, desktop and television.
News categories: BrightLine, Jacqueline Corbelli, Linda Yaccarino, Advertising, Big Data, Digital TV, Mobile, OTT, USA
- TELUS Home Assistant giving Optik TV customers hands-free voice control
- Amobee launches data marketplace for connected TV and multiscreen advertising
- Sky Media reveals power of addressable TV
- Charter agrees deal to distribute Disney streaming services
- Consolidated launches TV over Fiber-to-the-Premises in Columbia County, New York
- Global smart speaker sales grow 96% to 30.3 million in Q2 2019
- Comscore to provide measurement for Xandr's addressable offering
- CBS and Viacom to combine
- U.S. STB energy agreement savings top $5 billion
- GO Malta deploys Edgeware solutions for multiscreen TV
- Major U.S. pay-TV providers lost ~1.53 million subscribers in 2Q 2019
- Most smart speakers and video streamers are energy efficient
- Consolidated Communications launches CCiTV in Southern Maine
- HONOR Vision first smart screen device with Huawei's HarmonyOS
- Smart speakers with screens took off in 2018
- LG Uplus adds 92,000 IPTV subscribers in 2Q 2019
- Huawei launches HarmonyOS distributed operating system
- ZTE and China Mobile broadcast China's first 5G sporting event
- Singtel TV subscribers up 1,100 in 2Q 2019
- Deutsche Telekom MagentaTV subscribers up 58,000 in 2Q 2019


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To guide us through this new resource, PYMNTS.com spoke to Amol Deshmukh, Gemalto’s vice president of mobile financial solutions, for his take on how merchants can navigate mobile payments technologies.
Cloud-Based Proximity Mobile Payments
Gemalto defines cloud-based mobile payments as a type of proximity payment that stores payment information on a remote server, rather than a mobile device. However, cloud-based mobile wallets aren’t just for mobile devices.
« Consumers can access their mobile wallets by using their mobile application, » Deshmukh told PYMNTS.com. « But because it’s [in the] cloud, they can access the payment application on their tablet as well. So, it’s not limited to mobile in this case. »
Deshmukh cited Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX), a mobile wallet collaboration between retail companies that uses Gemalto for its platform, as a key example of an up-and-coming cloud-based mobile payments provider. MCX executives have been outspoken about their reasons for choosing to offer a cloud-based mobile wallet, and have remained cautious of NFC payments.
MCX CEO Dekkers Davidson told PYMNTS Summer School attendees on August 12 that « initially our solution is primarily barcode and cloud-based, » and that the reason was so MCX could « get to market and begin to learn, not engage in conversation about which standard or technology will eventually win. »
Davidson said that he believes the market will eventually declare a winning technology, and that financial institutions (FIs) and merchants won’t be the deciding factor.
NFC Proximity Mobile Payments
For NFC proximity mobile payments, a personalized, contactless payment card is placed inside an NFC-enabled phone. Consumers then pay for purchases by holding their contactless card two-to-four inches away from a point of sale (POS) terminal.
This method stores data on a special chip inside a mobile device that protects consumers’ confidential data. Though early security issues may have shaped consumer sentiment, past Gemalto research has found that NFC is as secure as a traditional plastic card.
« [A key advantage] that we see with NFC payment applications that are offered by AmEx, MasterCard and Visa is that NFC gives a wide range of acceptance, and builds up credit card companies, » Deshmukh said in an interview.
He downplayed what merchants and industry observers consider the slow consumer adoption of NFC, saying that new technologies can « have a slow ramp-up. »
Gemalto’s white paper further discusses examples of NFC mobile payment options such as Google Wallet and Isis Mobile Wallet, and it details the histories of these platforms to date.
Mobile Wallet Adoption And EMV
Even with this information, some merchants are still hesitant to invest in POS terminals for mobile payments. Deshmukh believes this is largely due to the misinformation merchants have received about both NFC and cloud-based payments.
« Both NFC and cloud-based payments have secure elements, » Deshmukh said. « It’s up to us to make [consumers] really aware… they’re going to have a much more convenient, easy-to-use, rewarding, and at the end of the day more secure experience. »
To review the merchant and consumer advantages, and learn more about key operators in the mobile payments industry, read Gemalto’s new white paper in full here.
For Deshmukh’s take on how EMV and consumer smartphone habits will play a role in this transition, listen to our full podcast below.


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WorldReach Software has announced the signing of a multi-year contract with the UK Home Office for the provision of a smartphone based digital enrolment capability. This new digital service allows identity verification remotely using smartphone apps including ePassport chip reading and authentication, biometric facial matching and liveness detection.
Digital services agenda
WorldReach’s Know Your Traveller™ (KYT) platform is the basis for the digital services for identity verification under this contract. The G-Cloud 10 Framework was used for the contract, which will cover an initial period of two years plus two additional option years to support the EU Exit Settlement Scheme.
The Home Office is seeking to enhance and refine digital interactions with users in accordance with the UK Government’s digital services agenda. This includes making greater use of emerging technologies, including digital channels, smartphones and apps to improve the customer journey for individuals accessing Home Office services.
“We are extremely proud to be selected for this innovative digital enrolment capability for a new and important Home Office programme,” Gordon Wilson, President of WorldReach stated. “The KYT platform is purpose-built for applicant enrolment and identity verification using trusted document authentication, and will be applied to the Home Office’s digital services delivery.”
Much of the prototyping and testing for this identity verification platform came as a result of Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) CSSP co-funded innovation projects. These projects included collaboration with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and WorldReach.
The technology demonstration projects showed how remote identity verification can be applied to immigration and border management to provide better risk assessment and screening of low risk travellers throughout the entire travel continuum. Digital identity verification including a trusted biometric is a key component of seamless travel initiatives to enhance both facilitation and security.


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We’ve been battling the coronavirus here in Kenya for 5 months now. What started as a single case back in March has now transformed into more than 25, 000 cases of the virus.
The pandemic is global and even the most developed countries have not yet come up with the cure for the virus. This means that people across the country have been trying everything possible to help patients manage the disease.
In particular, people have been making a lemon, ginger and honey drink.
The Ministry of Health has sought to clarify to the public that lemon, ginger and honey are good for the human body but that they are not an actual cure for COVID-19.
“Ginger, lemon and honey are good because they are sources of vitamins and micronutrients, but the message to take home today is that there is still no cure for COVID-19,” said Dr. Amoth.
“I will not stop you from taking your ginger honey or lemon as many times as you want but for sure it’s not a treatment for COVID-19.”
So, the drink is good for you and your body, but it is not a covid-19 cure!


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Stocks drop as Trump threatens new tariffs on MexicoNBC News 05/31/2019
President Donald Trump, further conflating trade and immigration issues, has threatened a five percent tariff on goods from Mexico beginning on June 10, potentially going up 25 percent. The cause of Mr. Trump’s threats is his concern about immigrants including those that come across the border illegally as well as those seeking legal asylum status in the U.S. The Dow Jones is expected to open about 300 points lower on the news, which will affect around $347 billion in goods imported by U.S. companies.
Check out RetailWire's Engaging Online Discussions Featuring Our Exclusive Braintrust!


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>> Tesla shares plunging over 7% on Tuesday, the concern still the production of the Model 3. Tuesday report in Business Insider that CEO Elon Musk has ordered workers to stop running a break in roll test on the cars Hit the stock hard. Reuters correspondent Alexandria Sage.>> Tesla said this specific brake test was not necessary because it tests every single Tesla on its own track to check for alignment and other break issues.
Still, none of this answers the question of whether a Tesla will be able to maintain its speed, its pace that it showed last week. Workers that I spoke to said that workers were brought from other lines, from the SNX lines, to work on the model three during those workers breaks.
People were working around the clock. Elon Musk was shouting at engineers on the line.>> The report coming after Tesla hit a milestone, producing over 5,000 Model 3s last week, a number that could potentially help the company down the path of profitability, but investors aren't so sure.>> Profitability is a question because of the vast sums the company has had to spend in order to meet its targets.
One of them is building this assembly line under a massive tent on its Fremont, California campus. Obviously that cost a lot of money. It was built in haste, it wasn't planned beforehand, and so some investors are wondering what the cash consequences of this is going to be.>> Still despite the risk, bullish investors point to the 420,000 outstanding Model 3 reservations as a number no other car maker can boast.
But many Tesla fans have now been waiting over two years since they put down their money to reserve the Model 3, and any further delays on production could test their patience.


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Accounting for an impressive 81% of all CPU’s delivered in 2011, Intel is currently dominating the global CPU market. However, while the desktop, netbook and notebook markets are all well under Intel’s firm grasp, the Santa-Clara based company is still struggling (and has been for the past few years) to enter the mobile CPU market, a market currently dominated by ARM’s Cortex A9 chips. While Intel has the technology to create substantially more processing power, previous smartphone CPU attempts were severely lacking in the power management sector, exactly the area where ARM’s chips shine.
Announced back at CES 2012 in January, the new Atom Z2460 “Medfield” platform is considered to be Intel’s most pertinent attempt to take a stab out of ARM’s market share. While most believed it will be fast, up until this point we had no idea whether Intel’s Medfield will match up with other smartphone CPU’s and be competitive.
The only device officially unveiled that is known to be running on the new Medfield chip is Orange’s Santa Clara. Previously on display at MWC 2012, the Santa Clara is based exactly on Intel’s reference design, a lot like an Intel Nexus smartphone if you will. While hands-on reports pointed towards a smooth overall experience, we all know that benchmark scores are the only respectable way of differentiating hardware.
As it turns out, German blogger managed to get his hands on the Orange Santa Clara at CeBit recently and was able to run it through a couple of browser benchmarks. While browser benchmarks don’t reflect real-world usage as well as app-based benchmarks (even them, in turn, have proven to be slightly misleading), it’s still a starting point. In short, if we’re to judge by the numbers reported by Caschy, the Orange Santa Clara is at least on par with current top-end smartphones like the Galaxy Nexus or the iPhone 4S.
Unfortunately, until the Orange Santa Clara launches in June, we will be unable to figure out if this high-performance comes at low power-consumption rates. Everyone was expecting the Medfield chip to be fast, but there has been a lot of skepticism regarding the battery life of the Santa Clara (or any other Medfield-based to come, for that matter).
Does Intel have what it takes?


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The Google Play Console revealed how the Redmi Note 11 Pro 2023 (codename ‘sweet’) is set to be released by Xiaomi The following year.
It is a follow-up to the 2022 Redmi Note 11 Pro with a different chipset and a different camera setup. According to GPC, the 2023 version will be powered by the Snapdragon 712. It’s a chipset that didn’t even impress in 2019, let alone in 2023. The 2022 model wears the Helio G96. The new one may be more efficient, however, as it was built on a 10nm process (versus 12nm for the Helio).
Still, the changed camera layout makes it look exactly like the Redmi Note 10 Pro. The 10 Pro has almost the same camera set as the 11 Pro: 108MP main, 8MP ultrawide and 2MP depth. The only difference is that the older model had a 5MP macro camera, while the newer one had a 2MP one.
Compared to the Redmi Note 10 Pro, the 11 Pro has faster charging (67W vs. 33W) and a brighter screen (700 nits vs. 450 nits peak), but it’s unclear whether the 2023 model will retain those advantages. Also, the 10 Pro had 4K video recording, which the 11 Pro didn’t.
Source link & submitted by Newsicon.org


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WAYNE, Pa., Nov. 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Teleflex Incorporated (NYSE: TFX), a leading global provider of medical technologies for critical care and surgery, has announced a worldwide recall of Arrow-Trerotola™ Over-The-Wire PTD® Kit Percutaneous Thrombolytic Device: 7FR. The Arrow-Trerotola Percutaneous Thrombolytic Device (PTD) Catheter, in conjunction with the Arrow Rotator Drive Unit, permits mechanical declotting of native arterio-venous (AV) fistulae and synthetic dialysis grafts.
The products involved in the recall are as follows. Additional detail about how to identify the affected products is available in the recall letter.
Teleflex initiated this voluntary Field Safety Corrective Action on September 20, 2021 due to reports received indicating that the PTD’s Inner lumen (orange) detached from the device’s basket. Arrow-Trerotola™ Over-The-Wire PTD® Kit Percutaneous Thrombolytic Device: 7FR manufactured from October 2019 through July 2021 are subject to the recall.
Read the full text of the recall announcement here.


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Human-rights groups are praising efforts by federal regulators to audit, trace, and restrict supplies of a mineral used in electronics manufacturing but exported by some oppressive countries, but maintaining the practice may prove difficult to implement in the long term.
The mineral, coltan (short for columbite-tantalite), serves as a key component of capacitors in laptop computers, mobile phones, pacemakers, and a wide variety of other electronics.
Most coltan in world commerce comes from China and Australia, but a small fraction—the electronics industry contends about 1 percent, but some human rights groups put the figure higher—comes from the war-torn, mineral rich Democratic Republic of Congo.
Bill to Stop Trade
Reps. Jim McDermott (D-WA) and Frank Wolf (R-VA) have co-sponsored a bill (HR 4128) to stop the flow of coltan from the Congo into the United States. The legislation would require audits of the amount of coltan and other minerals in electronics and other goods imported into the United States.
After several years, imports of coltan-containing electronics the contents of which could not be verified would face a total ban.
The bill has attracted a broad range of sponsors from conservative stalwart Sam Brownback (R-KS) to liberal Russ Feingold (D-WI).
“It is within our power to make a meaningful difference by shining the light of truth into the darkness that currently is the supply chain for minerals mined in war-ravaged Congo that can end up in consumer electronics and other products we use every day,” Rep. McDermott said when introducing his legislation in November.
Mined by Slave Labor
In the Congo, militia groups make use of slave labor forces, often made up of children, to mine coltan and sell it on the world market. The profits from these coltan sales fund the purchase of weapons, ammunition, and supplies that continue violence that has claimed well over eight million lives in the past decade in the deadliest conflict since World War II.
No major manufacturer knowingly uses coltan produced by these militia groups, but the relative ease of mining it combined with its high value on world markets makes it almost certain some so-called “conflict coltan” has made its way into electronic goods sold in the United States.
Tech Industry Takes Action
Working through two existing industry groups—the Global E-Sustainability Initiative (GESI) and the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC)—the electronics industry has launched a broad effort to monitor its supply chains for all minerals including coltan, in an effort to root out unethical suppliers.
Doing this hasn’t been easy.
“The metals market can be understood by analogy to a pool of water that is being fed by many streams,” wrote GESI and EICC in a joint report released last year. “Numerous sources, including primary and recycled metal producers, supply the metals market, which is a global commodity pool that circulates and mixes freely.”
Human Rights Groups Cheer
A broad coalition of groups ranging from Human Rights Watch to the Mennonite Central Committee has warmly welcomed the proposed law.
“[HR 4128] would provide a crucial step toward the creation of a practical and enforceable means to ensure that the trade in Congolese minerals contributes to peace rather than war,” the groups wrote in a joint statement in November.
Although no organization openly opposes the bill, most agree implementing it will be difficult. The bill calls for private, government-certified groups to carry out the coltan certification process, and no organization currently does this. After almost two years of work, a German-led effort intended to “fingerprint” and thus trace coltan from Congo still hasn’t borne fruit.
“In many cases, tracing back to the origins of a particular supply of coltan is pretty difficult, even impossible,” explains Michael Petricone, senior vice president of government affairs at the Arlington, Virginia-based Consumer Electronics Association. “We’re concerned about the entire mine operation, but right now it’s very challenging to figure out how we trace this.”
Eli Lehrer ([email protected]) is a senior fellow of The Heartland Institute.
For more information …
“Social and Environmental Responsibility in Metals Supply to the Electronic Industry,” Global e-Sustainability Initiative & Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition, June 2008: http://www.gesi.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=anlAuBauWU8%3D&tabid=60


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To celebrate World EV day, we bring to you a list of the top carmakers and bikemakers in the country.
Since its World EV day, we take a look at the top names in the Indian electric vehicle industry. For reference, we’ve taken data released by Vahan on July 1, 2023, which gives us a view of the total sales figures recorded by each of the manufacturers mentioned in the list below. Also, for the ease of readers, we’ve taken the top 3 carmakers and bikemakers in the country in terms of aforementioned sales numbers.
The homegrown carmaker is currently the largest seller of electric passenger vehicles in the country. In fact, in the first half of 2023, Tata Motors sold a total of 29,453 EVs in India, which is head and shoulders above the rest of the names on this list. Currently, Tata Motors sells 3 all-electric models - Tiago EV, Tigor EV and Nexon EV. Tata is expected to add to this list soon the Tata Punch EV.
Second on the list is MG Motor India, which sold a total of 3,215 EVs in the first half of 2023. MG currently sells 2 all-electric vehicles in the country - Comet EV and ZS EV. The company is expected to add more electric vehicles to its roster soon and made a grand showcase of the EV prowess at the 2023 Auto Expo. The most prominent of which was the MG EV4 hatchback, which could make its way to India in the future.
Another homegrown automaker, Mahindra & Mahindra, comes in at third. The XUV400 is the only electric car that Mahindra currently has on sale in the passenger vehicle segment. The company sold a total of 1,566 units in the first half of 2023. Recently, Mahindra unveiled the concept version of the Thar.e and confirmed that electric versions of the Bolero and Scorpio will arrive over the next couple of years.
There’s no surprise that Ola Electric is currently heading the charts with models like the S1 Pro, S1 Air and S1 X. The homegrown two-wheeler manufacturer sold a total of 1,25,729 units in the first half of 2023, which is significantly higher than any other bikemaker in this list. Recently, Ola had showcased a number of motorcycle concepts at the launch of the S1 X, which are set to arrive on the scene in the near future.
TVS takes the second spot with a total of 76,696 electric scooters sold in the first 6 months of 2023. For the longest time, the only electric scooter sold by TVS Motor Company was the iQube, however, the two-wheeler manufacturer only recently launched the TVS X at a price of Rs 2.5 lakh (ex-showroom). The TVS iQube, on the other hand, retails at Rs 1.55 lakh (ex-showroom).
Ather comes in at third with a total sales figure of 59,221 units in the first half of 2023. The homegrown electric scooter company currently has two models on sale in the country - 450X and 450S. Prices for the 450S start at Rs 1.30 lakh (ex-showroom), while the 450X is priced from Rs 1.38 lakh (ex-showroom). Just like Ola Electric, Ather Energy is also expected to launch an all-electric motorcycle in the future.
It’s not surprising to see that most of the names on this list are Indian manufacturers. In fact, the top 3 electric bikemakers in the country are completely homegrown. In terms of carmakers, 2 out of 3 manufacturers are Indian. It is both a proud and telling moment when it comes to what the future may hold for EV manufacturers from India. Don’t forget to check our list of top budget friendly EVs one can buy for under Rs 20 lakh!
Hyundai India Unveils 'Samarth' Project For Persons With Disabilities
Team AckoDrive Nov 22, 2023
New Ather Family Scooter Confirmed, Launch in 2024
Chinmay Hadkar Nov 22, 2023
Honda CB350 Accessories Revealed
Chinmay Hadkar Nov 22, 2023
Apple Analyst Predicts iPhone 16 Pro Models Will Add 5x Zoom Camera
Sahil Mohan Gupta Nov 22, 2023


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If you've been sulking around the past few days after hearing that the T-Mobile G1 has already sold out through pre-sale orders, here's some news that might cheer you up.
"Given the great anticipation and the heavy pre-sale demand for the T-Mobile G1 with Google, we nearly tripled the number of phones initially available for delivery on our October 22 launch date, and have sold through them all. However, to accommodate additional T-Mobile customers who want to pre-order a device, they now have the opportunity to place a pre-order through October 21, for delivery at a later date. Also, people can still pre-register on the T-Mobile G1 Web site to be notified prior to launch where they can purchase the device beginning October 22. Details are available on the T-Mobile G1 Web site, www.T-MobileG1.com."


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Department of Arts and Culture hosts The Beautiful Things Craft Supermarket as part of the 50 th Anniversary of the Women’s Anti-Pass March.
The Department of Arts and Culture (DAC) will host an inaugural Beautiful Things Crafts Supermarket as part of the 50 th Anniversary of the Women’s March Celebrations. The event will be held at the Bryntirion Estate in Pretoria from 15 to 19 November 2006. Mrs. Zanele Mbeki is the patron of the exhibition. The theme for the exhibition is “women participation and empowerment in the South African Craft Sector”. The Beautiful Things Crafts Supermarket of 2006 replaces the annual crafts imbizo as a special project to showcase and provide retail opportunities for South African crafters, particularly rural and women producers.
The event is the culmination of a selection process that will take place across the country to identify high quality and marketable crafts products. In order to ensure an integrated approach, national departments, provinces, local councils and other relevant organisations such as Media, Advertising, Publishing and Packaging Training Authority (MAPPSETA), Business Arts South Africa (BASA), and the private sector are part of the project.
The craft supermarket will be used to highlight training, business and career opportunities in the craft sector. A craft dialogue will be held to map out a strategic direction of the sector in line with the government’s programme of action and the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (ASGISA). A coffee table publication on South African craft products will be produced and distributed to enhance the marketing efforts of crafters. Mrs Mbeki will officially open the supermarket on 15 November 20006. More details and programme will be released at a later stage.
Media enquiries: Mack Lewele on 082 450 50 76/012 441 3083
David Hlabane on 082 561 94 28


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Dell raises full-year forecasts on AI strength, demand recovery
Dell Technologies raised its full-year forecast for revenue and profit on Thursday, as it benefited from the artificial intelligence (AI) boom and stabilizing demand for computer hardware and server products after a months-long slump.
Shares of the Round Rock, Texas-based company rose 8% in extended trading.
The results are the latest sign that a downturn in tech spending could be drawing to a close after major networking equipment provider Cisco also beat quarterly revenue estimates.
The company is expected to see a demand boost for its PowerEdge servers and generative AI designs with Nvidia from rising investments in artificial intelligence by Big Tech companies.
“AI is already showing it’s a long-term tailwind, with continued demand growth across our portfolio,” Chief Operating Officer Jeff Clarke said.
The company forecast third-quarter revenue between $22.5 billion and $23.5 billion beating analysts’ estimates of $21.67 billion, according to Refinitiv data. Dell expects earnings per share of $1.45, plus or minus 10 cents compared with estimates of $1.38.
For the full year, Dell now expects revenue between $89.5 billion and $91.5 billion, and earnings per share of $6.30, plus or minus 20 cents.
Dell reported second quarter revenue and EPS above analyst estimates.
Servers and networking revenue for the second quarter came in at $4.27 billion, up 11% from the first quarter, driven by higher demand for AI-optimized servers, Dell said.
Revenue at the company’s client solutions group (CSG) – home to its consumer and enterprise PC business – rose 8% from the first quarter to $12.94 billion.
Gartner analyst Mikako Kitagawa said Dell keeping 7.5% of operating profits vs revenue (CSG) is impressive in this challenging market environment illustrating the company’s “profitability first approach.”
The results are in sharp contrast with rival HP Inc which cut its annual forecast due to a slump in PC demand and weakness in China.


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Motiva Group is set to introduce a new online platform which gives customers the chance to book rental vehicles at the touch of a button.
The technology, created by automotive software provider Fleetondemand, will also provide consolidated reporting designed to enhance fleet management.
Richard Dawson (pictured), divisional director of rental at Motiva Group, believes it will be a huge step in the right direction for the company’s M-Way Vehicle Rentals arm.
He said: “This partnership is a big move for us as it’s the first time we’ve been able to create the ability to book any number of cars, vans or trucks online.
“We wanted to get it right first time and we’re confident we’ve done that by choosing a great, user-friendly platform that ticks all the boxes.
“Our clients will benefit from a high-tech booking tool and our company will become more efficient as a result.”
The three-year licence agreement with Fleetondemand can act as a stepping stone for Motiva Group as a whole, according to Dawson.
“It will help us take the business to the next level and opens up several exciting new avenues,” he said.
The software, due to go live in September, will also provide consolidated reporting details across the M-Way supply base and access to a national network of rental vehicles through the Supplier Genie gateway.
Dawson said: “The reporting functionality is very important, particularly for customers with bigger fleets.
“It enables fleet managers to see, real-time, precisely what vehicles they have, the rates they’re paying, monthly mileages and exception reports. It also gives updates on P11D and Motor Insurance Database compliance.
“It creates greater fleet visibility and, ultimately, more control.
“We already have access to more than 25,000 rental vehicles, but access to Supplier Genie means we can now tap into the rental stock of any other company with the same software if necessary and it’s an extra bonus which enhances our services to customers.”
Sarah Easton, managing director at Fleetondemand, is confident the company’s system will enhance efficiency at M-Way, which already has a turnover of more than £4 million.
She said: “Our rental management software offers several unique features to create a consolidated and seamless solution across multiple businesses.
“It’s a modern, intuitive system that uses leading technology in a fresh, easy-to-use design and I’m sure it will complement the M-Way operation.
“Motiva are widely regarded as a forward-thinking company which puts customers first and we’re delighted to be able to play a part in the latest stage of their development.”


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By Kendra Ott, Associate Director of Business Advising at Pacific Community Ventures, a Kiva Zip Trustee
Entrepreneur Corey Rennell saw that a lot of consumer-packaged goods were much more focused on profit than they were on peoples' health and decided to do something about it. He founded CORE Foods on Earth Day 2010, significant because it is a nonprofit packaged food company that is good for you, good for the planet and good for the local community.
Since its start, CORE Foods has produced meal bars that are made with all organic ingredients, and are perfect for on-the-go meals that are healthy and keep you full. CORE has also worked hard to develop a robust online community around a concept called the 'Core Challenge', a program in which people eat mainly raw fruits and vegetables and a CORE meal every day for 30 days to become their healthier self.
"We're more than a business," says Rennell, "We're leading a movement."
Corey understands the value of a strong and supportive network, and CORE Foods has a number of ongoing mentors through Pacific Community Ventures (PCV), a 15-year-old nonprofit organization that matches small business owners with expert business advisors with the mission of growing small businesses across the country and creating quality jobs where they're needed most. PCV's network of over 300 advisors are all experts in their fields who volunteer their time to work with these small business owners to help PCV toward that mission.
"PCV has really encouraged us to take the risks required to grow our business," says Corey.
Of the advising that PCV has provided his company, Rennell says, "PCV is like having an older, wiser brother. You can call on them anytime, they've always got your back, and they know the right direction to point you when you reach a major crossroads. I just really can't thank PCV enough for the support." With the help of PCV advisors, CORE Foods has grown from two to nine employees since 2012, and has seen a 140% revenue growth over the last year.
James Hipkin is CORE Foods' marketing advisor, and helps out when the team is making strategic changes in their packaging and strategy. The CORE Foods team also works with Alex Long, who has been helping them align QuickBooks with their inventory management system - a vital change, as inventory equity has gone up significantly as the business has grown.
In addition, PCV recently endorsed Corey for a loan on Kiva Zip. As a Kiva Zip Trustee, PCV has the ability to identify and vouch for entrepreneurs whose businesses they feel would benefit from a 0% interest, crowdfunded loan. Corey's loan will fund the launch of a new flavor that will help CORE Foods' placement in additional Whole Foods regions.
PCV works with entrepreneurs like Rennell who share in the belief that strong small businesses mean a strong local economy, which leads to the creation of quality jobs for those who need them most. CORE Foods supports their employees in a way that helps them love the work they do every day.
To learn more about PCV's Business Advising program, or to be matched with a PCV advisor of your own, check out www.BusinessAdvising.org.
You can also support an entrepreneur in your own community by making a loan here!
Author Bio: As PCV's Associate Director of Business Advising, Kendra is responsible for connecting small business owners with the resources they need to help them grow and create more jobs for California's lower income communities. Prior to joining PCV, she completed her Masters Degree in International Development in London, worked with municipal governments in Tanzania and East London, worked in marketing for two Silicon Valley start-ups and managed fundraising campaigns and events for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in San Francisco. She currently serves as Vice Chair for the Strategy Group within the San Francisco Economic Development Alliance and volunteers for the Silicon Valley Microfinance Network.