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A new $35 million bottle-to-bottle PET recycling plant in Toluca, Mexico, will produce more than 48 million pounds of food-grade resin annually, largely for use by global soft drink and water bottlers operating in Mexico.
The official opening of the PetStar SA de CV plant April 22 also set in motion a social responsibility effort by PetStar to reduce the number of school-age children who collect PET from landfills and getting them into classrooms.
Jamie Camara, PetStar director general, said in a telephone interview April 17 that the wash line began operating in January and the extrusion line in March.
The wash line is now at 80 percent capacity, said Camara. We expect both lines to be at full capacity sometime in June.
The plant, located on 51/2 acres, has 150,000 square feet of manufacturing space, which would allow PetStar to double its current capacity.
PetStar will spend another $15 million to add a second wash line and more extrusion equipment to increase capacity to 88 million pounds annually in less than two years, according to Camara.
Our target is to be ready in January 2011, he said.
PetStar is part of Houston-based recycling services company Avangard Innovative Ltd.
Promotora Ambiental SAB de CV, a Mexican environmental services company with operations in 42 Mexican cities, also is a partner in the project.
PetStar's wholly owned subsidiary, Avangard Mexico SA de CV, will supply the plant with raw material. Avangard Mexico has been collecting PET bottles in that country since 1995, selling about 15 percent of that volume to Mexico and the rest to the U.S., India and China.
We are integrating and [are] going to use more than 90 percent of the volume we process ourselves to add value and produce a solid-state recycling PET resin that we will largely sell domestically, Camara said. Our aim is to do closed-loop recycling in Mexico, turning PET bottles back into food-grade resin that we can sell back to soft drink and water bottlers to make new bottles.
Bottlers have said they plan to make bottles with 10-25 percent recycled content, using the plant's recycled resin, according to Camara.
He said the plant, which took 14 months to build and open, will reprocess about 64 million pounds of recycled PET annually roughly the equivalent of 1 billion bottles to produce 48 million pounds of solid-state PET resin.
The plant will not reprocess colored PET.
The facility will use an Amut wash line and Buhler extrusion equipment, and will operate 24/7 on a rotating, four-shift system with a 70-person workforce that includes administrative staff.
By contrast, the collection process in Mexico is labor-intensive, Camara said, with some 700 employees drivers, and workers who sort material on conveyor belts at 14 collection plants.
Camara said PetStar solid-state recycled resin will be the same shape and size of virgin resin and will have the same viscosity so it blends as smoothly as possible.
That was the biggest technical challenge we faced. But we have achieved that successfully, he said.
Clearly, though, the largest operating challenges continue to be market conditions and how the price of virgin PET fluctuates, Camara said.
If virgin PET is 55-65 cents per pound [as it is now], we are OK. If it is under 55 cents per pound, we suffer. That is the big unknown in this business, he said.
Long term, Camara said the company's greatest challenge will be working with others to restructure the collection system.
In Mexico, Camara explained, it is common for families to bring their children to landfills to help them pick out PET bottles and other materials of value because the families need additional income.
We are undertaking a social responsibility program to improve the conditions of the hand pickers and to lower or eradicate child labor at landfills by providing them education, Camara said.
We are going to work with parents and educators and children to get these children into schools, said Camara. If a child is going to school, we will support that by reimbursing the families for that missing income.
Camara said the first pilot program will start in May in Chimalhuacan, just outside Mexico City, and provide education for 40-50 children ages 4-12. A second one, in Tijuana, will get 80 more children into schools and is expected to start in September.
The project is being underwritten by International Finance Corp., a unit of World Bank.
We also need to improve the labor conditions of hand pickers by moving from a hand-picking system to a sorting infrastructure that incorporates the hand pickers not eradicates them, Camara said.
We need to develop an infrastructure of [materials recovery facilities] to make collection more efficient and, at the same time, incorporate the hand pickers into the industry, he said.
Short term, we have enough material, Camara said. But with the increasing commitments by companies to sustainability and recycled content, long-term, the market will be larger than our ability to collect material.


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If the UK votes to leave the European Union on June 23, there would be significant impact on the fashion industry, which would be felt by manufacturers, brands, agents and retailers alike. To shine some light on the arguments for and against, Drapers and UKFT Rise are hosting a debate in London on May 25.
The evening event in London will bring together speakers from the worlds of fashion and politics. Confirmed panellists include former Arcadia Group chief executive and Tesco clothing boss John Hoerner, founder of footwear brand Mahabis Ankur Shah and Tory MP Damian Collins.
It will explore some of the issues raised in our feature this week, which exposes the deep uncertainty and anxiety many fashion industry players feel about the upcoming referendum. Some are worried that trade agreements would have to be renegotiated, there would be changes to duties and taxes and there could be a knock-on effect on the cost of doing business. Others believe we would be free to trade more freely with the rest of the world and liberated from reams of red tape.
The debate will take place at the RBS Auditorium, 280 Bishopsgate, from 6.30pm. Join us if you would like to hear the arguments for and against leaving the EU from a fashion industry and wider perspective, and/or share your own views. Book tickets here

domain: news


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Selena Gomez Makes Major Style Statement in Matching Separates
Selena Gomez is back with a bang as she kicked off 2020 with the release of her new album. She is now stealing the show in matching separates and we decode the look
After having quite the tumultuous year in 2019, pop singer and queen Bee, Selena Gomez is back in the limelight and has been making headlines of late. She has been creating quite the buzz in the industry and with her latest album release, it most definitely seems that Selena Gomez has made her comeback, stolen the limelight and is all set for a fabulous year in 2020. From being spotted out and about with her friends, to releasing her new album, to interacting with fans during a meet and greet, Selena Gomez has been making heads turn.
For her recent interaction with her fans, Selena Gomez was spotted in a rather cool look and pictures of her with her fans have been going viral on social media. For the outing, which took place at sports brand store, Selena looked bold and edgy in matching separates. Selena Gomez was clad in a grey shirt and pant combo which featured a subtle checkered print. The shirt featured two pockets on either side and a pair of loose fit pants. She teamed the matching separates with a pair of white sneakers and nailed the effortlessly cool look.
Selena Gomez stole the show with her hair and makeup look, which comprised her hair tied back and her fringe falling over her forehead and a deep maroon pout which became the focal point of her look. The Look At Her Now singer rounded off her look with a pair of white acrylic hop earrings and upped her style quotient with a side of sass. Earlier this week, Selena Gomez made headlines when she was spotted enjoying a night out with friends at the West Hollywood restaurant, Craig's. The outing sent the media into a tizzy as Hailey Bieber also was spotted at the same restaurant on the same day. The singer's latest songs have sent her fans joining the dots between her lyrics and ex-boyfriend Justin Bieber.


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Feb 5, 2018
Samsung heir freed from S Korea jail
Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong has been freed from jail after a South Korean court suspended his five year jail term for bribing the country's ex-president. Last year a lower court jailed Lee for corruption in a political scandal that ultimately brought down former President Park Geun-hye. The Samsung Electronics vice chairman, who is also known as Jay Y Lee, who had been detained for nearly a year, appealed against both the verdict and sentence. Samsung Electronics is regarded as the jewel in the crown of the Samsung Group conglomerate, which is made up of 60 interlinked companies. Lee has effectively directed operations at the mobile phone and chip maker since his father, Lee Kun-hee, was incapacitated by a heart attack in 2014.
Make a complaint about Samsung by viewing their customer service contacts.


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Huawei expects US restrictions to cut down revenues on several sectors of its business, including its smartphone division, but losses look like they’re going to be lower than initially feared, according to the company.
“It seems it is going to be a little less” than the $30 billion in losses projected by Huawei CEO Ren Zhengfei in June, Eric Xu, the company’s deputy chair, said at a press event in Shenzhen, his comments cited by Reuters. “But you have to wait till our results in March,” he added.
Xu noted that the $100 billion company’s consumer division, including smartphones, was doing “much better” than initially feared. “But a reduction of more than $10 billion could happen,” he admitted.
In any case, Xu dismissed as “meaningless” Washington’s announcement on Monday that it would be extending permits to allow some US technology suppliers to continue doing business with Huawei by another 90 days, saying his company and its employees were “fully prepared” to continue their operations, ban or no ban.
At Friday’s event, Huawei introduced the Ascend 910, a new processor equipped with artificial intelligence technology, which the company boasted was the most powerful of its kind in the world. The company has also been working on an alternative operating system for its smartphones to replace Android given US pressure on Google to sever ties with the Chinese firm.
Huawei launched the Ascend 910, which is described by the company as the world's most powerful AI processor, and an all-scenario AI computing framework MindSpore https://t.co/taxP43F1c7 pic.twitter.com/jASwvaYZHG— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) 23 августа 2019 г.
The US Commerce Department blacklisted Huawei Technologies and about 70 of its affiliates in May, forcing major US tech firms from ending partnerships and to stop sales of US technology and hardware to Huawei. The US justified the blacklisting by accusing Huawei of working with the Chinese government and of installing back doors into its equipment which can then be used for espionage and cyberattacks. Huawei has repeatedly denied these claims, with Chinese officials and media pointing to Washington’s broader trade war with Beijing as the real reason behind the ban. US officials have since lobbied Washington’s European allies extensively to bar Huawei products, particularly in countries where the company is engaged in the construction of 5G wireless networks.
Sales of Huawei products on domestic markets have gone up considerably in recent months as a result of the US blacklisting, surging by nearly thirty percent in the second quarter of 2019 compared to the same period in 2018, with the company posting the equivalent of over $31.2 billion in earnings in the first half of the year.
Earlier this week, Huawei founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei said his company was in a “battle” following the US ban and is in a “life and death crisis,” with its priorities being to “choose and promote talents,” and to reorganise to improve efficiency, including through cutbacks in personnel.
On Monday, soon following the US announcement that it would be extending waivers on restrictions for another 90 days, Huawei said Washington’s move won’t substantially impact the company’s business “either way,” but did urge the US to end its “unjust treatment” of the tech giant.


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Sony has released yet another overview trailer for Ghost of Tsushima this time around focusing on the game’s expansive customization.
Check out the customization overview trailer down below:
As mentioned above the new trailer is all about the game’s expansive customization system, which by the looks of it, will be time-consuming. Players will be able to build the exact type of Samurai thanks to the large selection of clothing, weapons, and armor. If the trailer is anything to base off, I have strong feeling fans will be spending a lot of time with customization options.
In related news, Sony and Sucker Punch studios have been ramping up their promotional videos for Ghost of Tsushima as the release rapidly approaches. Just today a brand new video showcasing the game’s exploration has been released alongside a combat overview trailer. The game is looking fantastic and fans can’t be more excited for July 17th.
What are your thoughts on this new trailer? Are you excited for the release this week? Let us know in the comments down below and be sure to stay right here at Gameranx for the latest gaming news releasing.
Source: PlayStation Youtube


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Consumer Reports recommends the new iPhone
NEW YORK (WABC) -- The Apple iPhone 4S is among the recommended models in Consumer Reports newly updated Ratings of smart phones.
Apple's newest smart phone performed very well in CR tests, and while it closely resembles the iPhone 4 in appearance, it doesn't suffer the reception problem found in its predecessor in special tests in CR labs.
The Apple iPhone 4S also did very well in standard tests of battery life; like the iPhone 4, it scores Very Good overall on that attribute. And the iPhone 4S and new samples of the iPhone 4 have displayed no notable battery problems in additional special tests, even after some owners complained on user forums of short run times with some samples of both phones.
Overall, the new iPhone 4S scores higher in the Ratings than the iPhone 4, thanks to such enhancements as an upgraded camera, a faster "dual-core" processor, and the addition of the intriguing Siri voice-activated feature, which accepts and responds to verbal commands in a conversational manner, using a synthetic-sounding female voice.
For more information, please visit consumerreports.org.
consumer reports, consumer news
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UK Recovery: Shops are open but is it all going K-shaped?Digital Editor
For anyone who has been keeping an anxious eye on the UK’s finances, the images of people queuing to get into shops on Monday morning was a welcome sight. But with our latest lockdown keeping us at home since January, will the return to the high street have any real effect on the UK’s recovery in 2021?
As non-essential shops opened after the first UK lockdown in the summer of that fateful year 2020 (you may remember it; the year of zoom fatigue, online quizzes and banana bread) economists were starting to discuss whether we would see a V-shaped recovery to the UK’s finances (quick) or a U-shaped one (slow). Andy Haldane, the Bank of England’s chief economist, pointed to private-sector data suggesting a more rapid recovery. However, others argued that the bump in spending as non-essential shops opened up was temporary, caused by the novelty of being able to leave the house, rather than a lasting increase in household expenditure. High hopes cooled a little as the new strain of Covid-19 was discovered in Kent, causing numbers to rise sharply, and ultimately leading to the autumn lockdown-light, and eventually the post-Christmas return to full lockdown.
In December, PwC published an economic outlook for January 2021, outlining two different scenarios. A V-shaped recovery dependent on a fast vaccine rollout and the easing of social distancing rules in the first few months of 2021, making it possible for customers to return to shops in a post-Christmas spending spree. A sluggish U-shaped recovery would be due to a slower vaccine rollout, causing social distancing to remain until the end of the year, and potential fallout from new trading agreements with the EU.
In the early weeks of 2021, as the UK was getting to grips with the new restrictions, new letters started to appear more often in the public discourse on recovery. Some experts thought that we could expect a W (double dip recession), others spoke of K (different parts of the economy recover at different rates, times, or magnitudes) being much more likely.
Fast forward to April, and we are seeing a quick vaccine rollout, but of course lost the first few months of potential retail revenue in 2021 to the national lockdown. Social distancing is set to continue in some form until at least June – but that’s a few months shorter than predicted in PwC’s slow recovery scenario. With regard to the trading agreements, a recent FT article points to a return to growth due to a partial rebound in trade with the EU in February.
Earlier this year, chief economist Haldane likened the British economy to “a coiled spring”, ready to burst out and make this year’s recovery “one to remember.” Haldane received mixed reactions to his predictions, with some hailing his Daily Mail article as long awaited positive news, while others thought that he was overpromising on issues such as inflation.
Whether Haldane is right or wrong about the UK economy being ready to fire on all cylinders, figures from the Bank of England from February showed that consumers had saved some £125bn more than they would normally have set aside. A few months on, that figure is likely to be higher. While it is likely that we will see an initial surge in spending, the question is will this last or will the accumulated money enter the market more slowly, over the course of the next few years?
Charlie Bean, a former Bank of England deputy governor, argues the latter. In March, he predicted that only 5% of the accumulated savings will be spent each year, nixing Haldane’s coil simile.
To look at the first week of a reopened high street and try to make predictions about the future is futile. There are already green shoots to the economy out there, and with the reopening of non-essential shops, these are likely to grow. However, it is also likely that different sectors will experience different rates of growth (pointing to a K rather than a V) and just like after the last lockdown, any lasting effects on retail will be highly dependent on the continued fight against Covid-19, on whether footfall reflects purchases, and if a potential surge in household spending will be lasting or temporary.
Bec Martin, Client Services Director, Innesco


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As we move past the fourth revolution, a basic level of digital literacy to communicate, find information, get goods and services is required to get a job. The term ‘’technological unemployment’’ is becoming more common, business owners are constantly deciding whether to hire a person or a machine. According to a research done by Nesta, one-tenth of the workforce in an occupation are likely to grow while one-fifth are likely to shrink. Machines are replacing jobs while this is good news for employers because machines won’t call in sick or ask for a time off. The future of jobs strongly relies on broad-based knowledge and more specialized occupations. Careers in education, healthcare and in the public sector are likely to grow. This insight shared by Nesta’s research shows the skills needed in those sectors are highly likely to be important in the future and have a greater chance of growing demands. So this may be true to some sectors, but some careers are somewhat facing grave dangers of extinction. BrighterMonday has listed below some of the jobs likely to be extinct in the future.
Delivery and Taxi Drivers
With growing innovations in the vehicle industry, over time driverless cars are the future and drone delivery is already a thing. Companies like Waymo are already testing driverless cars. Experts predict this as a trend, driverless cars will become our taxis cars. As for delivery services, drones are now used to deliver items when needed. Zipline announced its launch in Tanzania, a service that provides emergency on-demand access to critical and life-saving medicines.
Bookkeepers and Accountants.
Experts predict that we will say goodbye to bookkeepers and accountants at some point by 2028. The industry is growing with business intelligence software like QuickBooks and Quill. Their rise is changing the traditional role of the accountant, business owners are less reliant for advice. The software provides information at your fingertips in a matter of seconds.The business intelligence software captures, reports, analyzes and integrates data sources. The software offer fewer errors and are cheaper to use especially in less complicated business situations. Bookkeeping and accounting are becoming more commoditized professions because technology is forever altering their dynamics.
Interpreters and Translators.
With growing waves of aided tools that translate, the need for interpreters and translators is slowly disappearing. Apps, plugins and even mobile devices that translate are becoming more common and more practical in everyday life. This goes to show that one day hiring an interpreter or translator may be a decision not worth making.
When was the last time you received a letter? Over the years, emails have replaced postal services. In 2015, the number of emails sent and received per day totaled over 205 billion. Even other postal services are facing extinction due to better services offered by other courier companies. Machines have also made sorting and organizing mail faster and more efficient, creating a greater risk of extinction to the postal industry.
Data Entry Workers
The amount of data has been growing lately, there is less need for a person to transfer or manipulate data. All of this can be done automatically by new technology such as barcode scanners, image recognition and voice-recognition software. To reduce costs, companies are doing away with the hiring of data entry individuals and relying on automation instead.
The growing wave of email marketing and social media marketing, is slowly killing telemarketing. Buyers are less likely to answer phone calls from telemarketers. Due to this cold calling is actually declining. Companies are more likely to use robot callers or automated voices to cut costs. This is why this profession is dying away.
The information age has brought the rise of sites like Airbnb, TravelStart and the likes. These sites are killing the need for travel agents. Lately, it is possible to go on a trip or organize a huge trip without using a travel agent. There was a time when trips or booking flights needed agents. This information age has allowed people to experience booking flights, hotels or hire a car by just using the internet.
Even though not all jobs are permanent, the experience you have is something you can take with you wherever you go. However, it is important to diversify your skill set by staying with job market requirements. Be as agile as possible learn your job industry trends to stay up to date. you also sign up to BrighterMonday site get up to date jobs as well as apply for a number of jobs available on site.


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iPhone 4G Might Be Announced on June 22
Yes, you read that right. June 22 might just be the day. Now, before making any plans for the day, let us warn you that as of now, this is just a calculated guess made by folks over at Gizmodo. They have their reasons though.
Apple has had a history of releasing their iPhones in the month of June. Hence, it was only logical that this June too shouldn’t be any different. However, on previous occasions, the launch usually happened in the second week of June and on Mondays. This time though, Apple has booked the the Yerba Buena Center for Arts (pretty close to the venue of the launch on previous occasions at Moscone Center) for June 22 which also happens to be a Tuesday. This is why there is this speculation and rumour that the latest iteration of the iPhone could be revealed on June 22. Now, it would be interesting to see if Apple actually reveals the new iPhone on the day or goes on to reveal something else and turns this entire thing in to a damp squib.
The iPhone 4G is anticipated very keenly partly owing to the release of iPhone OS 4recently. As you might already be aware, the iPhone incorporates multitasking abilities and a host of other new improvements in the OS. The hardware too is expected to be upgraded significantly. Till June 22nd, we wait in anticipation!
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Orbitz Shows Higher Travel Prices On Macs Than PCs [Headlines]
If you're booking hotels using an Apple computer, you may be getting less of a bargain.
The online travel site has been accused of displaying more expensive travel options to people using Apple computers. The company maintains that many variables are present in their algorithms. USA Today


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Casey’s says two more proxy firms support its board nominees
Ankeny, Ohio Casey’s General Stores said Friday that two more proxy advisory firms have recommended that its shareholders vote for the company’s eight board nominees instead of the slate that suitor Alimentation Couche-Tard wants to elect, the Associated Press reported.
Canada’s Couche-Tard has offered about $2.03 billion, or $38.50 a share, for Casey’s. But Casey’s has maintained that the bid is too low.
Casey’s has also received a bid of $40 a share in cash from 7-Eleven, which it also says undervalues the company.
On Friday, Casey’s said Proxy Governance and Egan-Jones Proxy Services have joined Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis & Co. in supporting its board nominees. Proxy Governance recommends stockholders re-elect all of Casey’s nominees, while Egan-Jones suggests voting for seven of the nominees.
Casey’s annual shareholders meeting is scheduled for Thursday.
On Thursday, Couche-Tard told Casey’s shareholders it was willing to boost its offer if it is allowed to perform a confirmatory due diligence review of Casey’s. The company said Casey’s has rejected its request to hold talks, but is willing to have discussions with 7-Eleven. Casey’s said earlier his week that it does not believe talks are necessary on Couche-Tard’s latest bid.
Sears launches waste-prevention plan
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. Sears Holdings announced a new agreement with WasteWise, the country’s first national voluntary solid waste reduction program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
As a WasteWise partner, Sears Holdings said it pledges to continue to establish new waste-prevention activities, expand or improve its current recycling efforts, and purchase and/or manufacturer additional products with recycled content. The programs Sears Holdings initiates as part of its participation in WasteWise will build on the successes of its established waste-prevention and recycling efforts to make these programs even stronger.
According to Michael Brown, director, environmental sustainability, “Our environmental sustainability, environmental affairs, store operations, and procurement teams have been proactively working to implement sustainable solutions throughout Sears Holdings Corporation and its U.S. affiliates. We hope our partnership with WasteWise will help us learn new techniques and best practices that will continue to reduce costs, preserve natural resources and protect the environment.”
GameStop to authorize $500M in additional repurchase funds
GRAPEVINE, Texas GameStop announced that its board of directors has authorized $500 million in additional repurchase funds. $300 million of the additional funds will be used in the company’s share repurchase plan and $200 million will be used to retire the company’s senior notes. This program is incremental to the initial $300 million stock repurchase plan announced in January 2010 and completed in the company’s second fiscal quarter of 2010.
J. Paul Raines, CEO, stated, “We are pleased that the board authorized this additional buyback in 2010 as the next phase in our long-term plan to increase total shareholder return. We have confidence in the business to continue delivering consistent cash flow, which gives us the ability to invest in our core business, digital initiatives and enhance shareholder value.”
Under the program, GameStop may purchase debt or shares through open market purchases, debt calls or privately negotiated transactions in compliance with SEC regulations and other legal requirements. The timing and actual amount of debt or shares repurchased will depend on several factors including price, capital availability and other market conditions. This repurchase program does not have any specific limitations and may be suspended or terminated at any time.


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VividQ Showcases Optical Engine for High-Contrast, Full-Depth Holographic Display in AR Headsets at SID Display Week
The VividQ Alpha Optical Engine Demonstrator will Accelerate the Development of High-End AR Headsets by Device Manufacturers, for Gaming and Entertainment Applications.
San Jose, California, May 10, 2022. 8:00 AM: VividQ Limited (“VividQ” or “Company), a leading developer of software and hardware IP for 3D holographic display, unveiled their proprietary Alpha Optical Engine Demonstrator aimed at manufacturers of high-end Augmented Reality (AR) headsets. VividQ showcased this cutting-edge technology for the first time at the SID Display Week Conference held this week in San Jose, California.
The Alpha Optical Engine Demonstrator displays high-resolution 3D visuals (60 PPD) with excellent contrast and realistic focal depth by direct engineering of light in software, a process known as Computer-Generated Holography (CGH). VividQ has developed world-leading expertise in CGH, which is the only solution for high-performance AR display, allowing users to naturally focus on content across multiple depth planes. This addresses many shortcomings of today’s AR devices, allowing for easier interaction with AR content within arm’s reach, and prioritising user comfort by solving the notorious vergence-accommodation conflict (VAC) that limits the adoption of AR wearables today.
As a plug-and-play benchtop solution, the Alpha Optical Engine Demonstrator provides a simple and cost-effective way for Product and R&D teams to evaluate CGH as a display solution for AR devices. The proprietary design uses a low-cost Texas Instruments’ Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) to produce high-resolution holographic projections with VividQ’s novel algorithms.
“This demonstrator has been specifically designed with high-performance AR applications, like gaming, in mind, where highly realistic visual experiences are paramount”, commented VividQ’s CEO Darran Milne. “The Alpha Optical Engine Demonstrator allows device manufacturers to test VividQ’s innovations in CGH against their AR display specifications and image quality requirements. It is the first step of the VividQ Alpha Program, which will provide access to our IP and expertise necessary to develop market-ready high-end AR devices with CGH display systems”.
Founded in 2017, the company has developed cutting-edge innovations for display applications of real-time Computer-Generated Holography. VividQ collaborates with device manufacturers from the US, Japan and China, integrating CGH into next-generation AR devices. The company has worked with display manufacturers like Himax Technologies and compute providers, such as Arm, to demonstrate the real-time generation of holograms from 3D data sources like Unity. Following last year’s $15M funding round, the company has made major advances in algorithms and optical design for high-quality AR display with real-time CGH.
“VividQ’s world-leading team of mathematicians, engineers, and software developers continue to push the technological envelope in AR display to match the requirements of the most demanding users of AR devices like gamers. The Alpha Optical Engine Demonstrator boasts the most advanced technology yet for three-dimensional holographic display for the AR market under development. I am very proud of our achievements so far and look forward to collaborating with Original Design and Equipment Manufacturers to deliver on the promise of AR and the Metaverse”, Milne concluded.
VividQ is showcasing its innovation during the Display Week Conference, hosted by the Society for Information Display. Interested companies can book the private showings of the demonstrator, which is available for licensing, by emailing email@example.com.
Maira Hayat, Marketing Specialist
+44 (0) 7734 965 230
Press Kit: Download here
VividQ is a UK-based software and IP licensing company, powering the display revolution with Computer-Generated Holography. Holography is no longer just science fiction. For the first time, it is a viable commercial solution for digital display applications. VividQ’s extensive R&D has led to cutting-edge developments for high quality, real-time Computer-Generated Holography. The company’s products enable innovative technology companies to integrate true holographic display in Augmented Reality wearables and Head-Up Displays. VividQ’s technology enables the most realistic and immersive visual experiences. For more information, please visit: www.vividq.com


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It’s one of the largest “get well” cards ever created in Langley, sent from a whole neighbourhood to a beloved local business.
Robert Lee, longtime owner of the Fort Langley IGA, received the massive three-panel card in the wake of the fire that destroyed the store.
“Unbelievably touching,” Lee said of the card. “There’s no words to describe what’s happened.”
The card was the brainchild of Gay Smith, a local woman who, like many, felt the absence of the store as a meeting place and a Fort institution.
She set up two poster-sized panels at the Fort’s post office for anyone to sign, and took a third to the Fort Langley Business Improvement Association.
Hundreds of signatures and messages of support adorn the now-framed panels. “It didn’t take very long,” Smith said of the project.
Andy Abreo, an employee of the Fort IGA and a local resident, dropped by the post office frequently to watch the signatures fill in every available space. “I saw it grow,” he said.
The young man, now working part-time at the Langley City IGA, was one of the first employees on the scene the morning of the fire. He joined his fellow workers as they watched Township firefighters make a vain effort to put out the flames.
“We didn’t say much, we just stood there,” he said.
Still in his 20s, Abreo noted that the store has been there for longer than he’s been alive.
While the old store is being commemorated, the new one is slowly being born. “Obviously, we’re going to rebuild,” Lee said.
However, it will take longer than a few months. It will involve consulting with the community and designing a new store that will fit the heritage-style requirements for building on the Fort’s main street. Those requirements certainly didn’t exist when the grocery store was first built almost 70 years ago.
However, the Lee family hasn’t even talked to architects yet about the design. On Friday, they were pleased that the clean up of debris from the old store is expected to finish. Then the parking lot behind the store will be re-opened.
The public will be kept up to date through the media, but also through a new Facebook page created by Abreo.
See this story in Langley Advance by clicking here:Get well card created for IGA.
Filed under: Fort IGA in the News |


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Ministry of Commerce & Industry (New Delhi), 20 January 2005
INDIA, CHILE SIGN FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT ON ECONOMIC COOPERATION
HISTORIC MOMENT IN BILATERAL RELATIONS, SAYS KAMAL NATH - BIG BOOST TO TRADE WITH LATIN AMERICA
India and Chile have signed a Framework Agreement on Economic Cooperation. Shri Kamal Nath, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, has described the signing here today as a historic moment, which would open new avenues to boost bilateral trade. The agreement is meant to promote expansion of trade by providing limited preferential access to each other initially. The Minister has said that the signing of the Framework Agreement is part of the strategy to boost India’s exports and improve its share of world trade, which at present is less than 1%. India, of late, has been engaging itself with various regions/countries for preferential trading arrangements (PTA). Besides countries in her immediate neighbourhood, India has entered into a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) with MERCOSUR (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay) which is likely to be operational in April, 2005 and Chile is a major economy in the South American region. Negotiations for PTA with Chile will commence subsequent to the signing as per mutual consultations and would conclude by 2005.
It has also been agreed to set up a Joint Study Group to study the present status of the commercial and economic exchanges between India and Chile and to identify the potential for cooperation between the growing economies of the two countries as well as the bottlenecks both in goods, services and investment and to make recommendations for moving towards a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) or a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) if such, an arrangement is found to be feasible. The Framework Agreement was signed by Shri Kamal Nath on behalf of Government of India and the Chilean Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ignacio Walker, in the presence of Prime Minister Dr. Man Mohan Singh and the Chilean President, Mr. Ricardo Lagos.
Chile has FTAs with USA, Canada, Mexico, EU and South Korea. It is also an associate member of MERCOSUR and has bilateral trade agreements with the Andean nations and Central America. It is an active member of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). It is also currently negotiating comprehensive FTAs with New Zealand and Singapore and negotiations are at preliminary stage for FTAs with China and Japan. India’s exports to Chile were US $ 80 million during 2003-04 and imports from Chile were US $ 157 million in the same period. The total global imports of Chile were US $ 17.94 billion during 2003. The region still has a huge potential for Indian exporters as India’s share was just 0.45% of the global imports of Chile during 2003-04.
Later, addressing Business Session in honour of Dr. Ricardo Lagos, Shri Kamal Nath said that considering the potential of the Latin American Region, the government had launched a programme called “Focus : Latin America” to sensitise the Indian industry about the possibility of this region. “This has delivered welcome results and our bilateral trade with Latin America has grown by over 130% since the launch of this programme. The Framework Agreement with MERCOSUR was a step in this direction, and now the Framework Agreement with Chile is testimony to the genuine desire of ours to improve our commercial and economic ties with this region”, he said.


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Sam’s Club now sells southern-style chicken bites that some fans say taste like just like Chick-Fil-A’s famous chicken nuggets.
Now there’s more good news for anyone who has grown to love these popular chicken nuggets: Sam’s Club is now serving them in their cafe. And you don’t even have to be a Sam’s Club member to buy them. Anyone can purchase almost half a pound of nuggets (that’s 12 to 14 of them!) for just $2.50 in every Sam’s Club cafe.
Will you be heading to your local Sam’s Club cafe to try their southern-style chicken bites?


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'The most death-defying experience' of Tim Kuniskis' lifeMay 22
AutoNews Now: $12K payday for GM hourly workersFeb. 7
Kuniskis: Roadkill Nights events keep Dodge power in spotlightJuly 11, 2016
Not long ago, critics said Dodge was spinning its wheels as it struggled to find an identity amid a lineup that stretched from muscle cars to minivans. Now those spinning wheels - and the thick smoke they generate - are drawing tens of thousands of visitors as Dodge embraces its muscle-car heritage with successful experiential marketing events like Roadkill Nights.
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Chrysler enlists a deadpan comedian to pitch Pacifica to new audienceApril 9, 2016
A 'fighting chance' for Fiat dealersMarch 14, 2016
During a two-hour session with dealers last week, Tim Kuniskis, head of passenger car brands for FCA North America, said the automaker would dramatically alter the way it supports its 206 U.S. Fiat dealerships.
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Fiat brand's goal: 'Bring traffic to the dealers'Jan. 25, 2016
The three men who run the struggling Fiat brand in North America say cheap fuel prices are only part of what's ailing the small-car marque, and that it is up to Fiat Chrysler -- not its dealers -- to fix the problem.
FCA shuffle could cut squabbles, find successorOct. 12, 2015
A shuffling of top executives last week leaves Fiat Chrysler with one champion for cars in the U.S. and another for pickups, crossovers and SUVs -- instead of multiple brands fighting for attention and limited marketing resources.
Fiat Chrysler management shuffle boosts Kuniskis, ManleyOct. 5, 2015
Fiat Chrysler has shuffled its North American upper management, giving more responsibility and brands to Dodge boss Tim Kuniskis and Jeep head Mike Manley. North American sales chief Reid Bigland also gets a larger role, taking over fleet sales.
Amid sales decline, Dodge boss sees a plan coming togetherAug. 22, 2015
With Dodge's U.S. sales off 16 percent this year in a rising overall market, you could argue brand chief Tim Kuniskis should be worried. Yet standing in a parking lot with 10,000 fellow gearheads this month, Kuniskis looked around and saw a brand strategy that is coming together nicely.


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International Business Times UK (IBTimes UK) reported last Thursday that Prime Minister David Cameron expressed support of the UK FinTech 2020 manifesto released by Innovate Finance, a financial technology lobby group.
“This government wants to the UK to be the leading FinTech centre in the world, that’s why, at the Summer Budget, we appointed a Special Envoy for this fast growing sector,” said Cameron as reported by IBTimes UK. “I’m pleased that Innovate Finance’s manifesto has set such ambitious goals including the creation of 100,000 jobs. This will ensure we are a world leader in the development of financial services technologies.”
In addition to the goal of adding 100,000 jobs in FinTech in the UK, Innovate Finance’s vision for 2020 is for the UK to be:
- The most investment-friendly environment for FinTech globally, attracting $4 billion of venture investment and $4 billion of institutional investment in corporate venture funds, accelerators, and innovation programs (up from a UK total of $623 in 2014); and
- The premier location for at least 25 global FinTech leaders whether by IPO, global market share, or by valuation. The success of this target will be supported by proportionate and effective regulation, a proactive police environment, and a commitment to greater financial inclusion.
Justin Fitzpatrick, a non-executive director of Innovative Finance and co-founder of data provider DueDil, told IBTimes UK, “It is important that the UK continues to maintain an open environment for skilled immigrants, the UK has always been an attractive place for global talent. That needs to continue, not only to propel the economy but also it’s an important factor in skill transfer, so that we can up-skill the next generation of FinTech workers in the country.”
Fitzpatrick added that another key factor is continuing support for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education, as many positions needed in financial technology demand skills garnered via training in these subjects.
“It’s great to get this support [from the PM] considering we only launched a year ago,” said Fitzpatrick to the IBTimes UK about Innovate Finance. The organization boasts 120 members, ranging from startups to large banks, who provide financial support to the group. “They join Innovate Finance to provide a co-ordinated voice on policy and regulatory issues, to access education events which facilitated partnerships between large financial institutions and technology disrupters.”
Cameron made his comments about Innovate Finance’s manifesto as he was wrapping up his first trade mission post-re-election in Southeast Asia, and among the delegates was British Bitcoin firm Blockchain, which raised $30 million last fall.
TechCrunch reported that this is a good sign for the Bitcoin sector in the UK as the British government has yet to adopt an official stance on the digital currency.
In March, the UK Treasury announced that the British government was planning to apply anti-money laundering rules to digital currency exchanges. The Treasury said the new regulation would support innovation and prevent criminal use of digital currencies.
Meanwhile, the Bank of England has said the advent of digital currencies could revolutionize the way British citizens pay for goods and services. In a discussion paper released in February, the central bank said that “digital currencies, potentially combined with mobile technology, may reshape the mechanisms for making secure payments, allowing transactions to be made directly between participants. This has potentially profound implications for a financial system whose payment mechanism depends on bank deposits that need to be created through credit.”
As noted by TechCrunch, the Bank of England also noted that “while existing private digital currencies have economic flaws which make them volatile, the distributed ledger technology that their payment systems rely on may have considerable promise.”
The news outlet said bringing a Bitcoin firm along for a trade mission is a sign that the UK want to play a key role when it comes to welcoming Bitcoin startups and becoming a hub for the digital currency.
“There are a couple of peer-to-peer loan companies and then there’s an e-commerce company and a bank software-as-a-servicer” on the trade mission, said Blockchain co-founder and CEO Peter Smith to TechCrunch. “Other big companies on the delegation are massive infrastructure companies.”
Smith told the news outlet that he was optimistic with respect to Bitcoin regulation in the UK. “We’ve been working pretty closely with [10 Downing Street] and the policy makers in the UK generally. I think the invitation is a reflection of the positive relationship and the Prime Minister’s dedication to fintech, and especially fintech 2.0.”
Smith added, “Recently they committed £10 million in budget to study this stuff. [Chancellor of the Exchequer] Osborne has made a lot of public comments supporting bitcoin publicly – we expect a regulatory framework soon.”
Bank of England’s photo – Public domain image by Adrian Pingstone (Arpingstone)


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Small business: It all started with potato salad
- Nancy Townsley
- Beaverton Valley Times - News
Long-lasting deli food company has its headquarters in Beaverton
It's hard to say how many summer picnics or fall tailgate parties have featured a menu that included Reser's original potato salad.
But the number has to be far greater than what Al Reser - who squired Reser's Fine Foods into the 21st century before he died last spring at age 74 - could ever have imagined.
The company, started in 1950 by Al's parents, Earl and Mildred Reser, as 'Mrs. Reser's Salads,' has grown into an industry giant with products sold in 50 states, Canada and Mexico.
That's a lot of potato salad - and refrigerated dips and side dishes, too - all prepared in a dozen factory kitchens around the U.S. The company, headquartered in Beaverton, employs 2,500 people.
Reser's potato salad, found in the deli section of most grocery stores, remains the No. 1 seller because 'it tastes like homemade,' said David Lakey, vice-president of marketing. 'We make 70 potato salad recipes in various parts of the company, but our original recipe is still the most popular,' he said.
He thinks that's because Reser's doesn't cut corners. 'Our recipes contain real mayonnaise, real potatoes, real vegetables - and no fillers,' Lakey pointed out.
In a nutshell, Reser's 'provides prepared deli salads, dips, side dishes and Mexican food to grocery stores, independent retail outlets and some restaurants,' said Lakey.
Four generations of Resers have labored for the company. Today that list includes Al Reser's sons, Mike and Mark, and granddaughter Nikki Reser. But it was Al who was the 'uber-Reser,' Lakey said.
'The company was founded by Al's mom and dad when he was still in high school,' Lakey noted. 'But most of what Reser's is today is due to Al Reser.'
The firm has survived, even thrived, during hard economic times. And in the current recession, company leaders continue to make 'very aggressive' plans to 'position Reser's as a significant force in the food service industry,' Lakey said.
Although the competition is fierce, Reser's remains the largest full-service company of its kind in the world, noted Lakey.
Reser's is rolling out several new deli salad flavors in 2011 (under the Reser's and Stonemill Kitchens brands), and a few new premium cheese-based dips that can be used on their own or to dress up main course dinners. The company also plans to introduce macaroni-and-cheese and scalloped potato products called 'top-baked side dishes,' Lakey said.
'Those are oven-baked, and then refrigerated,' he noted. 'They're browned and crispy on top and warm and gooey inside.
'Our company continues to innovate and improve.'


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Last year, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) placed Pakistan on its grey list and introduced a special 27-point action plan for Islamabad to be implemented by September 2019. Pakistan claimed it had been taking all the necessary actions prescribed by the watchdog and met all requirements. However, in February the FATF assessed its progress as limited and urged the country’s government to speed up its work, especially regarding the actions with timelines of May 2019.
“Given the limited progress on action plan items […] the FATF urges Pakistan to swiftly complete its action plan, particularly those with timelines of May 2019,” Reuters quoted a statement as saying.
It can be said that the latest move of Pakistan government can be considered as rational attempt aimed at pleasing the international watchdog (FATF).
Similarly, the country’s regulator, the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), “announced last week that it had initiated legal proceedings against nine companies involved in illegal operations with cryptocurrencies which were offering guaranteed returns on the form of Ponzi schemes.”
As reported by local media outlet, The Express Tribune, on April 1st, 2019, Pakistan government has introduced new digital currency regulations. Pertinently, the country implemented the rules as a part of the attempt to fight back against financial crimes subsequent to the recommendations made by The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international money-laundering watchdog. FATF as a global monitoring body had timelessly complained about cryptocurrencies’ role in terrorism financing and money laundering. It also stressed that Pakistani anti-money laundering (AML) laws were insufficient to combat such crimes. And because of this, Pakistan had to bring cryptocurrencies under certain regulatory procedures.
The local news outlet noted that “In order to introduce regulations, a ceremony will be held at the Islamabad office of the State Bank of Pakistan today which the Federal Minister for Finance Asad Umar will attend as the chief guest while SBP governor Tariq Bajwa, finance secretary Yonus Dhaga and other officials will also be present.”
“These regulations will help combating money laundering and terrorism financing while it will also help regulation of digital currency throughout the country,” said sources adding the FATF had warned of use of digital currency by terror organisations. The regulations have been prepared in light of the recommendations in FATF’s action plan.
It is expected that all EMIs will have to comply with a set of standard rules to obtain and maintain a license from the Pakistani government. Therefore, “companies will have to meet capital requirements, protect users’ funds, and store their personal data. The government will also have powers to suspend or cancel licenses in case of violations to these rules.”
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TILTON — Nike Inc. is closing two of its three Factory Store branches in New Hampshire.
The Factory Store at the Tanger Outlets in Tilton will remain open until February, while the Factory Store at the Settlers Green Outlet Village in North Conway will close in May, a spokesperson for Nike said in a Nov. 18 email.
“We constantly evaluate our store locations to give us the best opportunity to personally connect with consumers through premium products, experiences and services,” the spokesperson said, adding that the closing of the Tilton and North Conway stores was “part of this retail strategy.”
Nike said it’ll continue serving local consumers through its digital channels — Nike.com and the Nike and SNKRS apps — and at nearby stores. Nike operates a Factory Store at the Merrimack Premium Outlets, in Kittery, Maine, and several in Massachusetts. The company did not immediately respond to an inquiry about the Merrimack store.
The Tanger Outlets is also losing Bass Outlet, which closed last week. The store also carried Lagerfeld and DKNY products.
On Nov. 17, the Bass Outlet was a shell of itself, with customers rummaging through what was left of the merchandise, and employees breaking down shelves and display racks.
While he did not address the closing of the Nike Factory Store, Erik Proulx, the general manager of the Tanger Outlets in Tilton, did speak broadly about the outlets.
“The retail landscape is constantly shifting, given the many changes resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic,” Proulx said in an email last week. He added that “While some retailers have closed, including Bass, others have opened.”
“Over the last month,” he said, “we’ve opened Sweetz & More, an old-fashioned candy and vintage soda shop, and The Country Store, which features a curation of more than 75 local vendors and artisans. More and more, consumers are looking for more interactive and experiential retail, and these two new stores illustrate that growing trend.”
Chain Store Age reported in June on the pending closures of Bass stores. G-III, the owner of the DKNY, Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and Karl Lagerfeld brands, is restructuring its retail operations to focus on the wholesale market, with that shift in emphasis entailing the closure of 89 Bass stores, the trade publication said.
Nancy Kyle, the president and CEO of the New Hampshire Retail Association, said Friday the coronavirus pandemic has seen “online sales increase exponentially” at the expense of brick-and-mortar retailers.
“Some retailers,” she said, including those deemed “essential,” like lawn-and-garden and home-building stores, “are doing better than they’ve ever done. They’re all doing phenomenally. But certain categories have just been hit horribly and apparel is one of them.”
She thinks that when “Nike says it’s moving to an online platform and closing stores that aren’t doing as well,” it is a sign that other retailers will follow.
The future may present more opportunities for independent retailers.
“They can think on their feet and do not answer to a chain of command,” Kyle said.
Because both are outdoor outlets, Tanger and Settlers Green should do all right, Kyle said, since their patrons don’t have to spend extended time inside with possible exposure to COVID-19.
Kyle cautioned about reading too much into the comings and goings of retailers from a mall or outlet.
“It’s just part of the evolution of retailing,” she said.


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Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the Union Cabinet has approved an ordinance on ban on production, sale and use of e-cigarettes on Wednesday.
The Union Finance Minister who headed a Group of Ministers (GoM) on the e-cigarette issue said, “The Union Cabinet has given the approval to ban e-cigarettes. It means the production, manufacturing, import/export, transport, sale, distribution, storage and advertising related to e-cigarettes are banned.”
The ordinance declared one year imprisonment and 1 lakh penalty for first time violators and for repeated offenders the punishment goes up to 3 years imprisonment and 5 lakhs penalty.
Following the Prime Minister Office’s (PMO) decision, the ordinance on ban of e-cigarettes was examined by the GoM.


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Intel has announced new embargo dates for the Rocket Lake-S series reviews. Sources suggest that the Rocket Lake-S series will be launched on March 16, and Intel has officially confirmed that the new embargo will be lifted on March 30.
Companies releasing products and uplifting review bans at the same time have always been criticized but taking preorders for the products that will be independently tested after almost two weeks of launch portrays an anti-consumer approach.
Reportedly, Intel has given a reason to their board partner for a late embargo and that is the arrival of a microcode update in March.
This situation acts as a reminder that one should not preorder anything until and unless a decent discount is offered or the product comes with an exclusive bundle. All major manufacturers like Intel, AMD have received criticism upon their decision to lift the embargo at the same time as the product is launched. NVIDIA on the other hand will uplift the ban on reviews 3 hours before the RTX 3060 is officially released.


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Much anticipated Google very own iPhone Killer "Google Phone" is now officially confirmed by the company, The phone named Nexus One will get manufactured by HTC for Google.
Although, not confirmed this is what the "Nexus One - Google Phone" is rumored to look like (HTC Passion).
Running the latest Android 2.1 operating system the phone is expected to be arriving in January 2010.
- Operating System: Android 2.1
- Device Name: Nexus One/Google Phone
- Unlocked : Yes (Not locked to any carrier)
- Display: High-resolution Capacitive multi-touch screen
- Hardware Buttons: Scrolly ball
- Network: GSM
- Chipset: Snapdragon Processor
- Keyboard: Onscreen only
Nexus One Picture Gets Posted On Internet
Google Phone = iPhone + a little extra screen and a scroll wheel. Great touch screen, and Android.
via : TwitPic


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Eclairage et ampoules électriques
Histoire et composants dans cette catégorie
Auteur: Global Diligence
A high-level conference…last week saw the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court [ICC], ambassadors, senior executives, corporate lawyers and NGO representatives discuss issues of international corporate liability in conflict zones. Topics...
Auteur: Matt Olberding, Lincoln Journal Star [USA]
Voss Lighting of Lincoln has settled a discrimination lawsuit filed last year by the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission [EEOC]. Voss has agreed to pay $82,500 to a former job candidate the commission alleged was denied a job because of his religious...
- Domaines à la loupe: Latest Legal News
Auteur: Christopher M. Matthews, Wall Street Journal
Several business groups challenging new rules that require companies to disclose whether their products contain minerals blamed for fueling violence in Africa said...regulators hadn’t adequately analyzed the rules’ impact. The groups said in court...
Auteur: 303 Magazine
The partnership between the IKEA Foundation and UNICEF was launched with a pioneering campaign to promote children’s rights in the carpet belt in India’s most populous state of Uttar Pradesh… In 2006, the partnership was extended to include projects...
- Egalement dans: India: IKEA foundation and UNICEF celebrate 10 years of partnership aimed at promoting child rights
- Domaines à la loupe: Latest news on Children
- Entreprises concernées: IKEA
Auteur: Edward Wyatt, New York Times
The [Dodd-Frank regulation]...is aimed at cutting off the brutal militia groups that have often taken over the mining and sale of so-called conflict minerals to finance their military aims. Just about every company affected by the law says they support...
Efforts to end trade in conflict minerals advanced last week when 11 African countries endorsed an OECD system for the responsible sourcing of minerals. Mining ministers from the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) agreed 30...
Auteur: compiled by Business & Human Rights Resource Centre
Following the massive earthquake that struck Haiti on 12 January 2010, companies announced the following contributions to humanitarian relief: [refers to donations by over 300 companies]
- Egalement dans: Haiti: US companies including Coca Cola, Wal-Mart, Procter & Gamble, UPS, General Motors pledge humanitarian aid to earthquake victims
- Entreprises concernées: 3M Abbott Laboratories Advanced Micro Devices Ahold Delhaize Air Products AK Steel Alcoa Allegheny Energy Allstate Alticor Altria American Airlines American Express Amgen Amway (part of Alticor) Arcelor Mittal Archer Daniels Midland AstraZeneca AT&T Avon Bank of America Bank of Montreal Bank of New York (part of BNY Mellon) Baxter International Bayer BD (Becton, Dickinson) Bertelsmann Best Buy BNY Mellon Booz Allen Hamilton BP Bridgestone Bristol-Myers Squibb Burger King Cablevision Campbell Soup Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) Cargill Carnival Caterpillar Chiquita Chrysler (part of Fiat Chrysler) Chubb Group CIGNA Citigroup Coca-Cola Comcast ConAgra Crédit Agricole Credit Suisse CRH (Cement Roadstone Holdings) Cummins CVS Daimler Darden Restaurants Delhaize Dell Deutsche Bank Deutsche Post DHL (part of Deutsche Post) Diageo Digicel Dow Chemical DuPont E.ON Eaton eBay Ecolab Eli Lilly Emcor Group EnCana Entergy Exelon ExxonMobil FedEx Fifth Third Bank Fiji Water (part of Roll International) First Data (part of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) FPL Group Freeport-McMoRan Gap General Electric General Mills General Motors Gerdau GlaxoSmithKline Go Daddy Goldman Sachs Goodrich Google (part of Alphabet) Grand Circle Travel Green Mountain Coffee Hanesbrands Harbin Power Engineering (HPE) (part of Harbin Power Equipment) Heinz (now Kraft Heinz) Hess Corporation Home Depot Honeywell Hormel HP (Hewlett-Packard) Humana IBM Intel International Paper Irving Oil ITT Industries Jean Coutu Group John Deere Johnson & Johnson Johnson Controls JPMorgan Chase Kaiser Permanente Kellogg Kimberly-Clark Kohl's Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) KPMG Kraft Foods (now Kraft Heinz) Kroger Liberty Mutual Limited Brands Loews Lowe's LVMH Marathon Oil Marriott Mars Mattel McDonald's McKesson Medtronic Merck Michelin Microsoft Monsanto (part of Bayer) Moody's Morgan Stanley Motorola National Bank of Canada National Grid Nationwide Mutual Insurance Nestlé New York Life News Corporation Nissan Northrop Grumman NRG Energy NYSE Euronext Office Depot Oshkosh B'Gosh Panasonic Parsons Penguin Random House Pentair PepsiCo Pfizer Pitney Bowes PNC Financial Services Procter & Gamble Prudential plc Publix RadioShack Reynolds American Rite Aid Roll International Ross Stores Royal Bank of Canada Royal Caribbean Cruises Safeway USA (part of Albertsons) Salesforce.com SanDisk Scotiabank Sempra Energy Shell Siemens Smith & Nephew Southern Company Southwest Airlines Sprint Staples Starbucks Symantec Target Tenet Healthcare Tesco Teva Pharmaceutical TJX Toronto-Dominion Bank Toyota Tyson UBS Unilever Union Pacific United Airlines (part of United Continental) United Technologies UnitedHealth Group UPS US Bancorp Verizon Visa Inc. Walgreen Walmart Walt Disney Wells Fargo Western Union Weyerhaeuser Whole Foods Market (part of Amazon) YUM!
Auteur: Keith Bradsher, New York Times
Some of the greenest technologies of the age, from electric cars to efficient light bulbs to very large wind turbines, are made possible by an unusual group of elements called rare earths... These elements come almost entirely from China, from some of...


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.boston Domain Names Now Available to Government Entities & Nonprofits at a DiscountLaunch of community priority phase signals a 60 day countdown to general availabilityBOSTON - Thursday, August 10, 2017 - The much anticipated rollout of the new .boston top-level domain is one step closer to becoming a reality. With the Community Priority Phase of the .boston rollout beginning this week, local nonprofit organizations and government entities can now apply for their organization’s domain name ahead of the wider public release of .boston on October 10th, 2017 by registering at www.apply.boston.
.boston is part of a new class of generic top-level domains (gTLDs) that expands the web’s domain name system as .com’s become increasingly harder to find. With the introduction of .boston, Boston becomes only the fourth city in the U.S. with its own top-level domain.
“We, and our partners at City Hall, The Boston Globe and EnCirca (domain registrar), felt it was of critical importance to ensure that local nonprofits and government entities had the opportunity to claim their .boston names before they become available to the general public on a first-come-first-served basis on October 10th”, said Solomon Amoako, VP of Channel Strategy at MMX. “We are very excited to be entering the 60 day countdown to the general availability of .boston.”
Beyond establishing a new level of digital, geographic authority for Boston’s innovation economy, .boston also provides a potential platform for Smart City initiatives and improved citizen engagement in the future.
"We hope that .boston will allow nonprofit and government organizations to present their local initiatives in a new way online, while showcasing their pride in the Boston community,” said Jascha Franklin-Hodge, Boston’s Chief Information Officer. “I look forward to .boston improving online access and visibility for many businesses and organizations.”
With the community phase rollout, several nonprofits have already committed to placing their digital cornerstone by securing a .boston domain name.
“Although we are a national organization, we place an emphasis on building strong relationships within the individual communities we serve," said Ayele Shakur, BUILD Boston Regional Executive Director. "We're excited to extend this philosophy to our online presence by adopting a .boston domain to highlight the work we do in the Boston community to ignite the potential of youth from under-resourced neighborhoods through entrepreneurship."
The launch of the Community Priority Phase marks just over 60 days until availability of .boston domains for the general public on a first-come-first-served basis. This will be the first opportunity for both businesses and residents to purchase keyword domains of relevance to their business or interests.
For example, a financial services company with a large Boston footprint could purchase bank.boston, or one of Boston’s sports loving residents might decide to buy titletown.boston. Names with a high degree of keyword relevance and brandability, such as cars.boston are known as “Premium” names and often command higher prices.
For more information about .boston and the registration process, visit www.hub.boston.
The .boston domain is part of the creation of a new class of generic top-level domains (gTLDs) that expands the web’s domain name system. With the launch of .boston, Boston will become the fourth city in the country with a top-level domain representing it online. The initiative establishes a new level of digital, geographic authority for Boston’s innovation economy by giving individuals and organizations the chance to brand their identity, showcase their affiliation with the City, and to truly own their online presence. It also provides the potential for improved citizen engagement and a platform for Smart City initiatives. For more information, visit www.hub.boston.
Minds + Machines Group Limited (LSE:MMX) is a sales and marketing led owner of new generic top-level domains. As a registry, our portfolio is focused around geographic domains (e.g. .boston, .london, .miami, .bayern), professional occupations (e.g. .law, .abogado, and .dds), consumer interests (e.g. .fashion, .wedding, cooking), lifestyle (e.g. .fit, .surf, .yoga), outdoor activities (e.g. .fishing, .garden, .horse) and generic names (e.g. .vip and .work). As a business, we work through our expanding international network of registrars and distribution partners to bring the benefits of affinity based domain addresses to B2B and consumer audiences.


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14th May 2020, Skopje – New set of measures are aimed at encouraging the private consumption, whereby focus is put on domestic economy, domestic supply and domestic companies. Thus, Macedonian production will also be underpinned through the financial support provided to the citizens, Minister of Finance Nina Angelovska said in her interview for the “Economic Magazine” TV Program.
-The measures are targeted in order to cushion the economic blow, stimulate the private consumption with emphasis on the domestic economy, domestic supply and domestic companies. We are talking about domestic products and services, and we must keep in mind that a large part of the service sectors are among the most affected ones. If you look at our Gross Domestic Product structure, private consumption accounts for around 65% thereof. We are talking about measures throughout the economy revitalization period, during the reopening process, i.e. at the moment when retail shops are opened, the city malls are opened – Angelovska said.
She pointed out that stimulation of domestic consumption would be targeted.
– Support should be provided to the most affected ones, those who need it most, vulnerable groups, and low-income workers. We are talking about a set of measures aimed at groups of citizens on one hand, while being focused on certain sectors, segments and industries on the other. These are measures that should yield positive economic results in the short run, so that we can talk about the lowest economic drop compared to the region, as projected. We must take into account that the economic drop and the manner in which we will deal therewith would, to a great extent, depend on the measures we undertake – Angelovska said.
Angelovska pointed out that the measures under the first and the second set contributed to the cushioning to a certain extent, being praised by both the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund.


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Bright Planet Readies Launch of First Green Credit Card in U.S.
Bright Planet plans to launch the first U.S. credit card that cancels out your carbon output, AP reports. The Bright Card, set to launch in May, invests the reward points most credit cards offer in clean-energy projects.
The company will initially focus on supporting renewable energy resources such as wind turbines, though it plans to expand its portfolio as Bright Card membership grows. Cardholders will also be able to see where their dollars go and how their reductions are taking place.
The company has not announced whether the card will be a MasterCard, Visa or other type of card. Patti Prairie, a former senior vice president at American Express is Bright Card’s CEO.
Similiar cards are offerred in Europe. Bank of America has announced that it’s also planning a green credit card for the U.S.
Energy Manager News
- Apple, Google, Facebook Throw Weight Around in NC Energy Policy
- 2015 Green Lease Leaders include Landlords, Tenants, Brokers
- Disney World Builds Mickey Mouse-Shaped 5 MW Solar System
- Ohio Businesses Encouraged to Use Cogged V-Belts
- Renewables Share of US Energy Consumption Highest Since 1930s
- ZBB Unveils EMS for C&I Buildings
- Levi Strauss, Gap, Autodesk Support California Clean Energy Bill
- New Hydro-Quebec Data Center to Use Free Cooling


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A token currency within the application can be exchanged for discounts on services such as Amazon and Netflix
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Spotted: The SoloCoin app aims to encourage staying at home during the pandemic by rewarding people with SoloCoin tokens. Tokens earned can then be exchanged for discounts on Amazon, Netflix, Swiggy, Zomato and other services useful during the lockdown.
The app, which came in third at the CODE19 hackathon last week, was founded by India-based Arbob Mehmood. The 22-year-old is also the founder of Bramble, an application programming interface that allows developers to reward gamers in cryptocurrencies for playing their games.
Social media influencers are the main way that the app is being marketed, many of which have agreed to do it for free because of the startup’s open-source model and joint venture to tackle the COVID crisis.
Whilst the app is still in the development-stage and is yet to be released, Mehmood is already planning further improvements. This will include rewarding good habits such as hand washing and yoga, determining less crowded routes for commuting, giving users the possibility to chat with nearby quarantined people and a map listing nearby available essential stores.
Mehmood has even mentioned plans for the app once the pandemic is over. Instead of rewarding people for staying at home, the app will shift to rewarding people for coming together.


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It’s coming. Advertising revenue has enabled news to be virtually free for 100 years. In the digital age there will be a price tag. David Kaplan of PaidContent.org:
WSJ readers on Blackberry and iPhone will be charged $2 per week, with print and online subscribers having to pay $1 per week.
Quoting News Corp.‘s Rupert Murdoch on the future of news and digital devices:
More people will be buying their newspapers on portable, flexible devices instead of crushed trees. It won’t be soon, it could take 20 years. But there will be no paper, no printing plants, no unions. It will be a great future.
So, why are newspapers and magazines in financial trouble? Advertising has shifted to online, but not sufficiently to cover the high cost of traditional media publication and production. In other words, costs are too high; online ad revenue is not sufficient to turn a profit.


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Yesterday, LG announced various display devices to be displayed at CES 2020, such as roll screen TVs that can scroll down from the ceiling.Today, however, we know other lines, such as up to eight new "real 8k tv" products. Among them, there are signature OLED models (88 / 77 inch) and six nano cell models (67 / 75 inch nano 99, nano 97, nano 95), etc.
Under the 8k ultra-clear standard set by the american consumer technology association (Consumer Technology Association), manufacturers only need to ensure a minimum of 50% contrast modulation.
However, LG hopes to meet the future needs of consumers, so it pushes a more comprehensive "true 8K experience", supports various sources including USB and HDMI (8K @ 60fps), as well as encoding and decoding of hevc, VP9, AV1 and other formats.
The processor can also modify more natural skin color, facial features, more readable characters, and even intelligently recognize the content on the TV, and automatically make corresponding settings changes.
In addition, the AI sound Pro feature recognizes five types of audio content, including music, movies, sports, drama or news, and enhances them accordingly (bringing a 5.1 surround sound experience).
You can even manage IOT devices with new TVs and support hands-free voice control. The company says its voice recognition technology can be used in 144 markets.
WebOS software can alsoAppleAirplay / homekit, Google assistant, and Amazon Alexa provide support, and even support Alexa premium's far-field voice in the future.
Finally, this consumer electronics exhibition will open on January 7, and interested friends can pay attention to the follow-up reports of this site.


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The disinfectant product exports of Turkey recorded a more than tenfold increase during the first four months of the year, as the coronavirus pandemic fueled demand for such products, reaching $90 million from $8.6 million a year before, according to data Monday.
The data revealed by the Istanbul Chemicals and Chemical Products Exporters' Union (İKMİB) revealed that the hygiene supplies provided an important foreign currency input to the country during the pandemic that caused a temporary closure of many businesses worldwide.
During the January-April period, apart from the export increase in disinfectants and cologne, the ethanol-based traditional scented Turkish disinfectant, exports reached $7.5 million from $2.7 million last year.
Adil Pelister, board chairman of İKMİB, whose views were included in the statement by the association, stated that this increasing trend will be accelerated with the removal of export restrictions and the creation of new production lines.
"Despite the export restrictions during the pandemic period, we experienced an increase in disinfectant exports when compared to last year's January-April period,” he said, noting that although the normalization processes are ahead worldwide, habits in cleaning, hygiene and disinfectant use will be in place long term, further accelerating the increasing trend.
Domestic demand up 40%
Pelister said that the demand for these products increased around 30% to 40% domestically in April and that some firms boosted the production of these items.
Stating that the pre-authorization requirement for the export of medical, cosmetic and chemical substances is now lifted, Pelister said that foreign sales will record an increase again.


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NRIs apprehensive to invest in India
A study by Assocham last year on the real estate scene in India indicated that the large Malayali and Punjabi NRIs are buying the houses of their liking. The study was based on the fact that Malyalis and Punjabis have migrated in hordes over the years. Some of them are also buying commercial space, it claimed. The study also said that NRIs from other states are also purchasing houses in either their home towns or other parts of the country. It seemed the realty market in general and super luxury segment in particular will get a new boost with this new purchase parity in the market.
However, the flurry of activity that the realty market witnessed in 2009 could not be sustained over a period of time, so it seems. Another study of Eminent scholar Dr. Chandrasekhar Tiwari of Delhi University, who has been studying Indian Diaspora from various angles, seems to be more accurate today that suggests that perhaps only those NRIs are buying properties in India who have migrated to other countries during the last 25 yeas or so. They are still very much close to their roots. Dr Tiwari was candid in his study that only the first generation NRIs are coming back to India.
Dr. Devender Gupta,CMD of realty advisory Century 21 India, says that that more often than not NRIs buy flats in the range of Rs 60 lakhs to Rs 80 lakhs. They buy properties for purely investment purpose. There is hardly any emotional factor that is involved in. As and when they get good appreciation on their properties, they dispose it off. The NRI bubble, unfortunately, could not be sustained by the realty market.


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Apple is hosting its next global competition for Apple Watch users on International Women’s Day in March.
Update: The International Women’s Day Challenge is now active!
The International Women’s Day Challenge will appear as an alert for Apple Watch users in the days leading up to March 8.
The challenge to unlock the virtual trophy consists of completing a workout of at least 20 minutes or more on International Women’s Day in March. This can range from a 20-minute yoga session to a 20-minute run with the Workout app or any app that logs workouts in the Health app.
Apple Watch users who complete the challenge will also unlock five animated stickers for Messages, FaceTime, and everywhere iMessage sticker packs work.
- Apple Stores will promote International Women’s Day all month long with ‘She Creates’ series
- Apple honors International Women’s Day with moving ‘Behind the Mac’ video and more
- Apple Music teams up with Lady Gaga to honor International Women’s Day, more
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.


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The company that owns Guinness beer has been granted a liquor license for its planned taproom in Maryland.
Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz said in a news release Wednesday that Diageo North America has been granted a liquor license for people to drink at the facility and taproom.
The company is reviving a historic building for a combined a packaging and warehousing operation and a taproom.
Visitors will be able to tour the brewery, sample experimental beers in the taproom and purchase Guinness merchandise at the retail store.
Guinness says it is investing $50 million in the project, which will create about 70 jobs in the county.


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Nintendo Switch Won’t Support Netflix For A While
For those of you hoping to put your children to the side as they watch Netflix on their little Nintendo Switch consoles – think again. As, according to a new report, the Nintendo Switch won’t be capable of supporting Netflix at launch.
It has been reported by Business Insider that the newest console “won’t have many multimedia functions at launch.”
Whether it’s actually true or not remains to be seen.
To lessen the loss of our favourite multimedia tool, it’s important to point out that there’s a slew of highly anticipated titles coming to the Switch, ranging from Super Mario Odyssey to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. We also have heard that the producer of the Zelda franchise, Eiji Aonuma, has teased that there might be another Zelda game for the Switch after the release of the Breath of The Wild.
Which admittedly, excites me and definitely all gamers everywhere.
Follow us on Twitter to keep up with the latest posts, or to recommend a game for the team to review: @TheSaveSpot1


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Twenty years ago, the world was a very different place. Leonardo di Caprio had just gotten his big break in Titanic, while homes had internet access you were lucky to have broadband, and the iPhone was still ten years away from being invented.
So why is the advertising industry still relying on a twenty-year-old relic like the cookie to target consumers? No longer – according to our recent study, over half of marketers say cookie-based ad campaigns will be dead by 2018.
Turning to a people-based future
The vast majority are instead turning to people-based marketing to reach real individuals. Unlike cookies, people-based campaigns give marketers the ability to advertise to real people linked across multiple devices using registered user data. This means marketers can reach the same individuals across all of their mobile or tablet devices and can also track the role of digital in offline sales – something which is impossible to do with cookies.
Why is it better?
Marketers say 40% of their budgets will be going towards people-based campaigns in 2017 and it’s easy to see why. The vast majority (83%) say people-based marketing campaigns perform better than the cookie-based alternative.
There’s a multitude of reasons for this – marketers tell us people-based marketing campaigns offer improved targeting ability (58%) and the ability to reach real people (40%). As two thirds of smartphones and tablet devices don’t accept cookies, over a third of marketers (36%) also say they value the ability to effectively track users across multiple devices with people-based marketing.
There are still a number of challenges that need to be addressed for growth to continue, including a lack of reliable people-based marketing partners (48%), difficulties accessing and using first party data (38%). In fact, over half of digital marketing managers surveyed (53%) said they don’t use any first party data in their advertising campaigns.
While the industry is increasingly embracing people-based marketing, running campaigns that are built on a foundation of people, not cookies, 29% say they are still new to the concept - so there is huge potential for growth. I’m optimistic that this shows we will see a real shift in attitudes towards digital marketing in the UK over the next few years.


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With a new crop of flagships hitting the market, there’s also a whole flood of new deals popping up. We’ve seen plenty already, but Sprint is offering a new one on this year’s hottest flagship, the Samsung Galaxy S7. The carrier is hosting a limited time offer that allows consumers to buy one Galaxy S7 and get another for free.
Both phones in the deal must be paired with a plan and set up on a 24-month payment plan or a lease. Additionally, one of the devices must be a new line of service. The second device can be an upgrade or a new line of service. Customers will receive a monthly bill credit to cover the cost of the second device.
As an added bonus, qualifying customers who purchased two Galaxy S7s between February 23 and March 17 will proactively receive the monthly bill credit and will continue to receive it through the duration of their monthly payment plan.
Check out the source link for more details on this offer.


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Gamebird has partnered up with Free Fire for FFPL III, Pakistan’s biggest eSports League. FFPL III, is currently in its group stages, with the ﬁnal 18 teams competing for a piece of the largest prize pool for any Esports tournament in Pakistan valued at PKR 10,000,000. Free Fire & GameBird remain committed to empowering the youth through opportunity and developing a sustainable infrastructure for eSports in Pakistan.
GameBird is the ultimate one-stop solution that gamers dream of, bringing together everything from games and e-tournaments to live streaming, leaderboards, and in-app purchases, Gaming News. Not only does it provide gamers with a smooth entry into the gaming world, but it is also equipped with several features aimed at polishing their skills and making them ready to become champions in the field of gaming. So, if you’re a Pakistani gamer looking to take your game up a notch and be a part of a community, Bring It On!
GameBird launched SPRING EDITION for all the gaming enthusiasts
Previously, Pakistani eSport players have both enjoyed and monetized their efforts at the ‘GameBird Fest’, a gaming tournament which was organized by Telenor Pakistan in Lahore where prizes worth Rs5 million were distributed among the winning teams. The event was aimed as an effort to promote the local gaming community in Pakistan. Gamers from all over the country participated in the event for various mobile and PC games. GameBird is the first and biggest gaming platform of Pakistan that provides a holistic lifestyle & gaming ecosystem in the country.
Bethesda – one of the industry’s most prominent publishers and owners of one of the most successful gaming series like Doom, Fallout, Skyrim, has now acquired by Microsoft. Microsoft’s priciest purchase, accounting for $7.5 billion, has shocked the industry and raised questions regarding Bethesda’s role in Microsoft’s overall Xbox strategy. Xbox has stated that its franchises will be added to its Game Pass subscription package for consoles and PCs.
This acquisition by Microsoft will help make the upcoming Xbox Series X and Series S more attractive than the PlayStation 5 to many players, both consoles set to launch in November. Game Pass enables players with access to more than 200 games, and Microsoft includes first-party titles at launch to those who signed up to the ultimate package without further cost. In comparison, Sony requires its players to pay to £70 for its significant releases and does not include new titles in its PlayStation Plus Collection Services.
In a recent statement, Xbox Chief Phil Spencer stated that two firms share similar versions for creators and their games to reach more players in more ways. However, it is unclear how the takeover impacts Bethesda’s plans to create The Elder Scrolls 6, Starfield, and other unfinished games. The senior vice president at Bethesda, Pete Hynes, said, “the deal offers access to resources that will make us a better publisher and developer.” “He also wrote in a blog, “We’re still working on the same games as we were yesterday, made by the same studios we’ve worked with for years, and those games will be published by us.”
Sony has officially announced that the PlayStation 5 will be released on November 12th for $499.99, and the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition will cost $399.99.
“Selected Retailers” will be taking preorders for the console as of September 17th. The release date of November 12th applies to the US, Japan, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea. However, the rest of the world will be getting the new console on November 19th. Sony said that China’s launch date is still under speculation and will be announced at a later date.
In comparison to PlayStation 4, which was launched at $399, it currently sells for $299. The PlayStation 4 pro initially sold for $399, a price it still sells apart from sales like Black Friday. Still, it’s unknown if Sony plans to drop the prices at some point or discontinue the previous models once the PlayStation 5 has launched.
Sony has adopted a similar strategy to that of Microsoft’s for the PlayStation 5. It will release both a regular version of the console and a Digital Edition that can only enable users to download and stream games.
They have also set the price for the PlayStation 5 in accordance with Microsoft’s next-gen consoles that are set to be released on November 10th and priced at entry-level Xbox Series S at $299.9 and the flagship Xbox Series X for $499.99.
India’s Ministry of Information and Technology has imposed a ban on 118 mobile apps including Tencent Holdings’ popular video game PUBG, exerting pressure on Chinese tech firms following a standoff with Beijing troops at Himalayan border.
The game has a cult following all over the world including the South Asian country. The ban which seems political in nature has deprived thousands of fans from the online game
We have compiled a list of three battle royales that all PUBG Mobile loyalists can try and maybe switch too while pursuing their Esport dreams.
Call Of Duty Mobile
Call Of Duty mobile is one of the most played games on mobile devices and recently surpassed PUBG Mobile in the total number of downloads. The game had one of the largest releases on a mobile platform. Activision keeps the game fresh by adding new content through a battle pass and seasonal updates. The game features the same mechanics as their pc and console counterparts. You’ve got tons of customizations like PUBG but with faster gameplay and the more interactive world around you. If you are a COD player you’ll feel at home.
One of the most popular games in this genre is none other than Fortnite. The game features original mechanics that differ from PUBG making encounters much trickier. The visuals are completely different from PUBG giving the game a more animated feel rather than having a real-life inspiration. Fornite performs much smoother than PUBG on mobile with fewer stutters and shutdowns. One of the big upsides of Fornite Mobile is that it shares platforms with its console and pc counterparts whereas PUBG mobile is a standalone game. You can play together with your friends on other platforms making the experience much more competitive and fun
Garena Free Fire
Free fire is one of the most popular games in this category with games running exceptionally well on low-end devices. The game also has a smaller file size than PUBG. Free Fire has great visuals but it can’t compete with PUBG which is made on Unreal Engine. Free Fire makes up for this by giving users better performance and easier controls. Free Fire has similar but much faster gameplay with lobby sizes of only 50 players compared to PUBG’s 50 resulting in matches that last around only 10 minutes. The game also has characters with unique abilities making character choices an integral part of the game. If you have a low-end device this game should be your top choice.
All three of these games introduce players to a unique experience while still sharing basic strategies with PUBG. They all have a solid Esports presence allowing rising players to show off their skills to the world. None of these games can replace PUBG but for most of it, they don’t have too. They provide players with a new experience while still being highly competitive. All these choices will be a breath of fresh air for long term PUBG players.