text:
The shortage of personal protective equipment and medical supplies could last for years without strategic government intervention, according to health and manufacturing industry officials.
Officials said logistical challenges will continue seven months after the coronavirus hit the US as flu season approaches and some state emergency management agencies prepare for a surge in Covid-1
Though the clutter isn’t as prevalent as it was this spring, hospitals have reported shortages of supplies ranging from specialty beds to disposable isolation gowns to thermometers.
“A few weeks ago we had great difficulties getting the hygiene towels. They just couldn’t get them, ”said Dr. Bernard Klein, executive director of the Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills, near Los Angeles. “We actually had to make our own.”
The same dynamic has impacted a number of critical supplies in his hospital. First masks, then isolation clothes and now a special bed in which nurses can lay Covid-19 patients on their stomachs – devices that help workers with a job that is otherwise possible for six people.
“We saw whole families come to our hospital with Covid and several members were hospitalized at the same time,” said Klein. “It’s very, very sad.”
The test supplies were running low as the Latino community, which is primarily served by Providence Holy Cross, was badly hit by Covid and even nearby hospitals were able to conduct 15-minute tests.
“If we had a more coordinated response with a partnership between the medical field, government and private industry, it would help improve the supply chain in the areas where it is most needed,” said Klein.
Klein said he is expected to deal with equipment and supply shortages later in 2021, especially as flu season approaches.
“Most people focus on these N95 respirators,” said Carmela Coyle, CEO of the California Hospital Association, an industry group that represents more than 400 hospitals in one of the hardest-hit states in America.
She said the supply issues related to Covid-19 will persist through 2022.
“We were faced with a lack of isolation clothing and face protection that you now see in public places. Any piece that is scarce or unavailable poses a risk to both patients and health care workers, ”Coyle said.
At the same time, trade associations representing manufacturers said it had been difficult to convince customers to switch to American suppliers.
“I also have an industry that is only operating at 10-20% capacity that can make PPE in our own backyard but has no orders.” said Kim Glas, CEO of the National Council of Textile Organizations, whose members make reusable cloth garments.
The manufacturers in their organization have made “hundreds of millions of products,” but without long-term government contracts, many are concerned about investing in equipment to increase economies of scale and will eventually need to lower prices.
“If there continues to be an upward trend in Covid-19 cases, not just in the US but worldwide, you can see these supply chains collapse again,” said Glas. “It’s a health security issue.”
For the past two decades, personal protective equipment has been delivered to healthcare facilities in lean supply chains, just like toilet paper has been delivered to grocery stores. The chains between large manufacturers and end users were so efficient that no goods had to be stored.
However, the supply chain collapsed in March when large Asian PPE exporters locked or shut down materials as demand grew exponentially. As a result, healthcare facilities were roughly in the same position as regular grocery shoppers trying to buy large quantities of a product they had never had in store before.
“I am very concerned about long term PPE [personal protective equipment] Bottlenecks for the foreseeable future, ”said Dr. Susan R Bailey, president of the American Medical Association.
“No question about it, the situation is better than it was a few months ago,” said Bailey. However, many health organizations, including their own, have difficulty obtaining PPE. Practicing in an allergy clinic with 10 doctors, Bailey was faced with a minimum of 10,000 masks when trying to order N95 respirators.
“We saw no evidence of a long-term strategic plan for the manufacture, acquisition and distribution of PSA,” said Bailey. “The supply chain needs to be strengthened dramatically and we need less reliance on overseas goods to manufacture our own PPE in the US.”
Some products are now being manufactured in the USA again. However, the factories are not expected to be able to meet demand until mid-2021.
“A lot has been done in the last six months,” said Rousse. “We’re mostly out of the hole and planted the seeds to make the United States self-sufficient,” said Dave Rousse, president of the Association of Nonwoven Fabrics Industry.
In 2019, 850 tons of the material used in disposable masks were made in the United States. Around 10,000 tons are expected to be produced in 2021, which corresponds to around 80% of demand. But PPE is a set of items – including gloves, clothing, and face protection – not all of which have had the same success.
“Thermometers are becoming a real problem,” said Cindy Juhas, chief strategy officer of CME, an American distributor of health products. “They even expect a problem with needles and syringes for the amount of vaccines they have to make,” she said.
The federal government’s efforts to tackle the supply chain have largely failed. The Federal Emergency Management Agency responsible for responding to Covid-19 told congressional interviewers in June that it was “not involved in distributing PPE to hotspots.”
However, an initiative led by Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner called Project Airbridge flew PPE from international suppliers to the US at taxpayers’ expense, but was discontinued. In addition, the government has not responded to the AMA’s demands for more distribution data.
Klein is probably one of the best at surviving such disturbances. It is part of a 51 purchasing power hospital chain and among institutions, dealerships have priority in selling supplies. Difficulties persist in hospitals as well, as the buyers had to search directly for manufacturers due to bottlenecks, often through a quagmire of companies that were created overnight.
Now retailers are being called not only by their traditional customers – hospitals and nursing homes – but by almost all walks of life. First responders, schools, clinics, and even food companies are now buying medical equipment.
“There will be a lot of other bottlenecks that we haven’t even thought about,” said Juhas.


text:
Apple iOS 12: Details You Need To Know And A List Of Apple Devices Not Making The Jump
Through the years, we’ve witnessed Apple’s steady ascension to the top of the mobile industry through its top quality products -the iPhone, iPod, and the iPad. However, this wouldn’t be the case without the presence of its ever-trusted operating system, the iOS -which truly solidified Apple’s post atop the ladder. With its arrival imminent, many are now looking towards the release of the latest software and what it has in store for us, especially for its devices.
Well, without further ado, we bring you everything that’s set to drop alongside the new iOS 12. From release date to features dow to enhancements and experience, we’ve covered every nook. All you have to do now is keep your eyes open and let it all sink in!
iOS 12 Release Date
As with every new firmware unveiling, Apple will most likely drop the new OS through its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2018), which is scheduled to start sometime this June. In line with this, we expect the iOS 12 to be the highlight of the event seeing as the event caters to developers of the Apple platform.
During this time, developers are sure to get ahold of the new software with the public following after through beta testing. After this, Apple will most likely wait for feedback from the developer community, patching bugs and enhancing experience all the more before ultimately making an official release.
Performance and Security
Currently, Apple is taking multiple digs on the state of its software -more now than before- primarily because of its aim of introducing new features rather than improve on existing ones. Due to this, Apple has allegedly decided to focus more on the performance and fluidity of their software starting with the iOS12. In line with this, the Cupertino-based equipment manufacturer has decided to forego features that were initially intended for the new firmware release, returning it back into the idea box, in favor of a more holistic user experience.
According to Independent UK, Apple also aims to gain big leaps in terms of its security. They say that this new iOS version will be a more fortified stronghold against attacks -implemented with new security fixes and bug patches.
iOS 12 Features
When it comes to features, as we mentioned earlier, Apple wouldn’t be introducing anything drastic this time around. However, despite their minimal efforts in this regard on iOS 12, we’ll still be provided with necessary features.
MySmartPrice says that one feature that’s hot on the list is Dark Mode. As we all know, Apple has veered away from using LCD screens for its iPhone X that’s why the mode option is a must if it wants to improve on the device battery saving capabilities seeing as OLED screens tend to consume more power output when running lighter colors on the display.
Besides this screen new screen option, MySmartPrice also believes that it wouldn’t be too far-off if Apple finally implements group notifications, which the Android OS has had for a long time. In addition to this, they also suggest that engineers will be focusing on bringing more functionality to the device with updates on the Control Center and Force Touch. Last and most important, Apple could be thinking of a Siri overhaul, giving the AI a boost in terms of intelligence and response.
Devices Not Getting iOS 12
They say that everything old must go and that’s a principle Apple lives by when it comes to their devices. Every year with every software update, we see devices come and go and that will probably be the case this year, too.
According to ZDNet, the iPhone 5s, iPad Air, and iPad mini 2 will all likely be retiring this year, ceasing to get further firmware updates starting from iOS 12. They say that it has been five years since these devices were released, which means that believe it or not, it’s getting cut sooner or later. In contrast to this, they expect the 6th generation iPod to survive the fall seeing as Apple is still selling the device. They estimate that the iPod will likely last for a few more years before being relegated to the chopping block.

domain: news


text:
Technology and business agility key to company survival
Business leaders predict tough times ahead, so how is your operation placed? Sink, swim, survive or thrive through innovation?
CEOs have a gloomy economic outlook
In a commentary from The Times in January 2023, the results of PwC’s 26th annual survey of Chief Executives are described as “pretty sobering” and as the “most pessimistic survey for 12 years.”
However, on a constructive note, business leaders are candid about the changes needed to keep their businesses relevant, especially when it comes to technology.
Post-pandemic tech predictions
The COVID-19 pandemic has been described as a ‘reality check’ that accelerated the adoption of digitisation, necessitated virtual and hybrid working, and grew awareness of the business agility needed to cope with disruption.
Executives expect further shocks to affect the business landscape, but there is a resolve to anticipate and plan for change, rather than to have it creep up.
In the PwC survey, 40 per cent of UK business heads believe their company’s technology lags behind their strategic needs, which, if addressed, could pave the way to longer-term productivity.
Better technology and data analytics enable greater precision in predicting things like how consumers will spend, and how customers will behave.
In turn, companies will be able to be much more agile, whether that’s as a retailer using artificial intelligence, or a business trying to cut energy costs. Firms will be able put themselves in a better place to respond to the unknown, and mitigate the type of disruption that is most likely to derail a business.
What is business agility and how is it supported by tech?
It is worth considering how business agility dovetails with technology to benefit organisations. First of all, what is meant by agility? Here is the Agile Business Consortium’s description.
“Business agility is a people-centred, organisation-wide capability that enables a business to deliver value to a world characterised by ever-increasing volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. It is achieved by inspiring and harnessing the collaborative, creative ways of working of the people of the organisation in meeting its core purpose.”
From the point of view of a technology company such as Facit, we subscribe to this concept of business agility. Our customer CCTV analytics software suite and our video compliance software, Identity Cloak, are designed with speed, efficiency and effectiveness in mind. Our goals are best-in-class intuitive interfaces, closer collaboration among system users, and maximum cost-control for the business.
The benefits of using Facit analytics and compliance products include enhanced abilities to anticipate events and to mitigate risks.
A brighter outlook for 2023 and beyond
There is no doubt that we are living in times of uncertainty and hardship, which of course affect some more than others. Yet, historically, we know that challenges in business stimulate innovation.
The ability to “achieve more with less” is a long-held goal of many organisations. The increasing implementation of technology to streamline and simplify business processes will advance this aim.
Technology enables businesses to use their resources wisely and avoid wasting talent when getting people to perform repetitive and manual tasks instead of automated processes.
The CEO survey confirms that business leaders view technology as a path out of potential trouble: 77 per cent of UK bosses plan to invest in technology.
Agile compliance with Identity Cloak video redaction
Two of the operative words in the ABC’s definition of agility are ‘volatility’ and ‘complexity’.
In the world of compliance, we have never seen such volatility: data subject access requests (DSARs) have skyrocketed as the result of increased awareness of privacy rights, pandemic redundancies, and cost-of-living concerns. Specifically, with regard to video DSARs, processing many hours of video in compliance with strict data privacy requirements and deadlines has become highly complex and therefore highly risky.
Much in line with the objectives of the CEOs surveyed, Facit advocates technology and automation that enable businesses to operate nimbly, cost-effectively and scalably.
By implementing Identity Cloak video redaction software, businesses are able to take full in-house control of their video data privacy processing at a known cost. System operators are able to maximise their valuable time using simple, automated redaction processes supported by artificial intelligence, very much in line with the smart productivity objectives of surveyed CEOs.
Try a demonstration of Identity Cloak. With single clicks you are able to highlight the subject(s) of interest and totally remove all references to third parties that could lead to a data privacy breach, a fine and loss of reputation. It will be simple to compare the costs and risks of your current video privacy processing with those of an automated system, to establish whether you are operating in an agile manner.


text:
The sharp drop in the pound has attracted tourists to the UK on shopping sprees, driving a jump in tax-free spending by overseas visitors, according to industry figures.
The tax-free shopping company Global Blue said visitors from Asia and the US have been taking advantage of how much further their own currencies will go in the UK since the June referendum. It reported a 7% year-on-year increase in UK international tax-free shopping in July.
Japan, Indonesia and the US were the nations that accounted for the biggest increase. Despite Japan’s own economic problems, spending by Japanese visitors was up 96% in the UK compared with July 2015, while travellers from Indonesia spent 88% more than last year on tax-free shopping.
Chinese tourists’ spending was up just 6% for July, but the country still accounted for the largest portion of spending overall, with a 32% share.
The figures echo comments by the Office for National Statistics last week that there were signs the fall in the pound since the referendum, which has made holidaying in the UK cheaper for overseas visitors, had attracted tourists on shopping sprees for luxury goods. Sales of watches and jewellery in July were up 16.6% on the same month last year, according to those official figures. That tourist boost combined with better sales of summer clothes to help drive an overall bounce in retail sales in July.
Global Blue, which works with retailers, brands and hotels around the world, said travellers from the US also capitalised on the dollar’s strength against the pound. The pound has dropped about 12% since the referendum on 23 June. In July US visitors’ average spending in the UK rose 22% year on year to £734.
Global Blue noted smaller growth in July from Middle Eastern visitors and put that down to the late timing of Ramadan this year. But Qatar remained the nation with the highest average spend per transaction for July, at £1,642.
Gordon Clark, Global Blue’s UK and Ireland managing director, said the pound’s fall had proved perfect timing for tourists visiting the UK this summer.
“The cash injection we have seen off the back of this has been hugely beneficial for our tourism economy,” he said.
There have also been reports from hotels of a jump in tourist spending since the referendum.
Edwardian Hotels London said it had seen a 31% increase in the value of reservations since the referendum. People were taking advantage of the weaker pound to stay in more expensive rooms and suites, said Linton Wadsworth, director of revenue at the company, which has 12 hotels in London and Manchester.
“The US market is second to the domestic traveller for us so it’s reassuring to see that even in an election year which notoriously reduces outbound travel for Americans, that London is enjoying such a bumper summer holiday season,” he said.


text:
Chennai, Oct 11 (IEBusiness) Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH) on Thursday announced the implementation of a supply chain transformation program for Amway India, one of the country’s largest direct selling FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) companies.
Cognizant successfully completed the technology consolidation and modernization of 28 of Amway’s warehouses in India, in eight months. The new processes, systems and automation have enabled
significant productivity increases, enhanced visibility to inventory and optimized warehouse operations, a
release from Cognizant said.
“In line with our global objective of growth as a digitally enabled business with a superior customer experience, we are investing in modernizing our supply chain to better meet a changing business environment,” Diptarag Bhattacharjee, Chief Operating Officer, Amway India.
Cognizant Vice President, India and Middle East Narayan Iyer said “we are excited to be partnering with Amway India on an initiative that is helping them transform their reputed brand”.
”Our global experience in automation and supply chain management, combined with deep expertise in the retail and consumer goods industries enabled us to successfully implement a state of the art warehouse management system for Amway India,” he said.
Source : UNI-India


text:
HCMC – The worsening Russia-Ukraine crisis would result in disruptions in the supply chain and increase the production cost in Vietnam, some experts have warned.
According to Nguyen Hoai Thu, director of securities and bonds investment at VinaCapital, the most visible risk caused by the crisis is increasing inflation.
The EU’s sanctions on Russia and disruptions in the supply chain can lead to shortages of input materials, making production costs surge. Inflation can cause the consumption and disbursement of investment, including public investment, to shrink.
Thu said the most affected businesses could be those unable to raise prices to recoup increasing production and transport costs, including exporters.
Those largely dependent on input materials would face a short supply, such as coal, which is one of the major export commodities of Russia.
Airlines will also be significantly impacted due to higher prices of fuel and disruptions in aviation activities.
Researchers from Maybank Investment Bank (MIB) said indirect impacts on Vietnam include the surging prices of fuel, metal and cereal.
Russia accounts for 11% of global oil exports, 8% of liquefied natural gas, 18% of coal, 8% of steel, 14% of aluminum, 5% of bronze and 10% of cereal.
According to MIB, the crisis will not have a large direct impact on the Vietnamese economy as trade with Russia only accounted for 1% of Vietnam’s international trade in 2021. However, Russia has some large investments in Vietnam, such as Vietsopetro JV.
Pham Vu Thang Long, head of Macro Research at HSC, said trade with Ukraine also accounts for just approximately 1% of Vietnam’s international trade, so the Russia-Ukraine crisis will not significantly affect Vietnam’s positive trade outlook.
“However, Vietnam imports a large amount of coal from Russia. The crisis will affect Russia’s supply in the short term, causing inflation to rise at certain times,” he said.


text:
Home to Tintin and Smurfs, Belgium looks to reinvigorate comic industry
The 'home of the comic book,' Belgium wielded outsized influence in the comics industry until the 1980s. Now it's trying to regain that sway via government-supported innovation.
It may now be dominated by American superheros and Japanese manga, but the comic book industry was once associated with no country more than Belgium. Through much of the last century, this small, Western European nation played an outsized role in shaping comics through iconic characters like Tintin and the Smurfs.
But over the past few decades, the industry has fallen on hard times. Now, Belgium is fighting to regain its influence by positioning itself as a center of innovation and excellence for the rest of the industry.
“There is no reason why we won’t have more great authors, because we have very good [comic book art] schools, and these schools discover much new and interesting talent,” says Thierry Bellefroid, a comic book critic and historian.
“On the creative level, the innovations that have been started here aren’t yet finished yet, but they are in the process of changing the comic book market.”
'Home of the comic book'
In the industry, Belgium is referred to as the “home of the comic book.” The title has its roots in the 1920s, when Belgian artists started to blaze a trail of innovation in comic book art. They invented the speech bubble, for example, as well as the drawing technique called “Ligne Claire” (or “clear line”), which moved comic books from cartoonish blobs of color to a sharper kind of realism. They debuted the weekly comic strip magazine format with titles like Spirou and Tintin, selling, at one point, as many as 250,000 copies each week.
“The Belgian comic book became so famous and established because of the success of Tintin,” says Mr. Bellefroid.
Tintin, which still sells more than 1 million comic books a year worldwide, was the industry leader between the 1920s and the 1970s. It helped position Belgium as No. 1 in comic books, a country producing about 80 percent of all comics in Europe by the 1970s. But by the 1980s, Belgium had become a victim of its own initial successes.
“Tintin and other big Belgian comics couldn’t reinvent themselves because they had developed a very clear, loyal fan base and they were also trapped in a very Catholic Belgium at the time,” says Bellefroid. “This is how Belgium got its market share eaten up, initially by new, edgier French comics.”
It was not only French comic strip magazines like “Pilote” that began to nudge Belgium aside, but American comic-book publishing giants like DC and Marvel also began to impinge on Belgium’s European market share. More recently, new centers of comic art innovation, like Japan and Argentina, have emerged.
In parallel, as Western economies globalized, most of the Belgian publishing houses were bought up by multinationals, so that today, the business side of the comic book industry is mainly controlled from Paris or London.
Sales among these comic book publishing majors have been on the decline for the past five to 10 years, accentuated by the eurocrisis. Most of the erstwhile Belgian leaders in the weekly comic magazine format have folded, with just Spirou remaining, and its sales have dropped from 280,000 a week in the early 1990s to just 150,000 today.
The government set up the Comic Book Commission in 2007, a department in the Ministry of Culture, with an annual budget of $170,000. The commission funds 30 to 40 new projects a year with the aim of advancing technical and aesthetic aspects of comic book publishing in Belgium. The goals of the initiative go beyond merely paper and ink.
“The symbolic element of all this is that it helps the comic strip emerge from the category of subculture or subgenre,” says Commission Director Bruno Merckx. “A comic book author is a literary author in his own right.”
After five years of such state support, signs of success are beginning to show on the once-stagnant Belgian comic-book landscape. GrandPapier.org, a small Belgian comic book publishing house that receives grant money from the Comic Book Commission, is trying to move the comic book into the next frontier in comics publishing – the Internet.
The group started with a comic book-dedicated website five years ago. Grandpapier.org works both as a platform for comic book artists to publish their work and for comic book readers to access new work, electronically.
The website has 400 visitors a day and has published some 2,000 comic book stories to date. But creating such a Web platform is only the beginning, its founders say. The site uses a kind of streaming technology to display its comic strips and this means that the comics must be read directly from the site, and can’t be shared, reposted, or transferred to other devises like tablets, smart phones, or e-readers. While novels have the e-book, comic books do not yet have a digital equivalent, and so developing a digital format that will be adopted as a standard by the industry is Grandpapier.org’s next big thing.
“We are trying to see how we can automatically generate digital formats from comic stories posted to our site,” says Grandpapier.org founder Sacha Goerg. “That way people can either go on Grandpapier.org to read a comic or download a comic book as an e-comic.”
...and going Hollywood
To bolster their bottom line, many of the publishers have adopted the policy of simply creating more and more titles a year in a bid to slow the decline of overall sales. Some publishers, like Casterman (a Belgian comic book imprint of French publishing giant Flammarion), have adopted the strategy of focusing on core titles, like Tintin.
“Our strategy is to open new revenue streams and generate new readers by working with other industries, such as Hollywood,” says Jean-Philippe Thivet, Casterman’s head of marketing. While Steven Spielberg’s 2011 film of Tintin didn’t bring direct revenues to Casterman, it served as a valuable opportunity to bump up book sales. “The film repositioned Tintin as No. 1 in sales,” says Mr. Thivet.
“We managed to convince Tintin fans to complete their collections of the books," he adds, "but we also managed, through the film, to gain a new readership, and to put Tintin back in the hands of kids again and this is great news.”


text:
Avoid the January chaos when booking a holiday home
November 06, 2007 (PRLEAP.COM) Travel NewsMalaga, Spain November 6, 2007 - When the Christmas shopping has ended, it’s time for the next shopping chaos, where sun seekers are looking to reserve their holiday home for the summer holidays. Book well ahead to locate a holiday home for the summer holidays can be a nightmare, if you start your search in January. Lots of sun seekers have already discovered that the widest selection is to be found already in November.
“Despite the large boom in the property market, there is still a great need of more holiday rentals and those who do not reserve before January will run a risk of being left out with holiday homes which are in less attractive areas and locations” – says Claus Sorensen, owner and CEO or MyHoliday.com
Top summer destinations for holiday homes
The idea of renting private accommodation has grown explosively because of the facts that it is a cheap and family friendly way of spending a holiday. Above listed countries are traditionally popular as a summer holiday target, so if you plan to go to one of these locations, November might be a good month to start your search of a holiday home.
Claus Sorensen ads “We see a clear trend, that people have started to book their holiday rentals homes before January, to make sure they have the select of the best holiday homes available”.
For further information, please contact
Phone: +34 610700800


text:
- Anantara news.com
Digitalization is a solution for MSMEs to level up: CIPS researcher
Digitalization is one of the efforts that can help micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to develop and level up, according to an associate researcher from the Center for Indonesian Policy Studies (CIPS) Krisna Gupta.
After surviving the difficult phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, MSMEs are expected to utilize digital platforms to expand their businesses.
“MSMEs must be encouraged to use digital platforms to expand their business coverage. Digitalization can help save budget for marketing, reach a wider market, and open up opportunities to develop their products," he noted in a statement here on Thursday.


text:
The new system, created by former Apple engineers, has created a system that could be effective for current Apple engineers during the coronavirus crisis.
One of the first steps Apple took in response to the virus was to ban American engineers from flying to China. It is widely expected that this understandable warning could delay the launch of the iPhone 12.
According to Apple, the supply of iPhone engineers to China was cut off in February.
In February, Digitimes reported that Apple had stopped sending iPhone engineers to China, which had stopped testing prototypes of the iPhone 12. He reiterated that travel bans with Apple Engineers are now being extended until April.
Although mass production of the iPhone 12 won’t begin until July, Apple is using Spring to finalize the prototypes and close the production process for its devices. The iPhone 12 still seems to be stuck in the engineering certification test stage; Before mass production can begin, it must pass the design certificate test և production certificate test stages.
Recent reports suggest that delays in these tests will result in the release of this year’s flagship iPhone from September to October.
But Reuters has reported on the creation of a new venture that could eliminate the need to send factories to production certification engineers.
But a new system built by former Apple Inc. engineers has created a system that will help engineers solve remotely.
California-based Instrumental Inc., founded by Anna-Katrina Shedletsky’s Sam Weiss. Created a system based on camera-based production lines and then analyzed images with artificial intelligence software.
To solve a problem, the engineer simply has to board a plane and login to a computer program.
Hundreds of problems can occur on the first day of a product and to solve them, traders “send people around 6,000 miles around the world to stand at random points and hope they can solve these problems.” To be successful in the right place at the right time, ”Shedletsky said.
In contrast, the camera and artificial intelligence can detect missing screws, turning springs or damaged batteries in real time with high accuracy.
The system was used by Motorola Fleece, the manufacturer of heat cameras, but it was difficult to travel to and from China.
“Although some parts of the world may be open and free, travel is less likely to be open and free for a while,” Shedletsky said.
FTC. We use links to a revenue agency. More:
Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eMaDvxpp7M [/ embed]


text:
[Editorial] A Big Push to Electronics Export from India
What the editorial is about?
Roadmap for India’s transformation into a $300 billion electronics manufacturing powerhouse by 2026.
The Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) in collaboration with the India Cellular & Electronics Association (ICEA) has released a five-year roadmap and vision document titled “USD300 billion Sustainable Electronics Manufacturing & Exports by 2026”.
According to the estimates based on this document, India is likely to attain USD300 billion in electronics production by 2026, which is lower than the USD400 billion target set by the National Policy on Electronics (NPE) 2019.
What aspects of this document are of great interest?
- The document has been built in co-operation with the India Cellular and Electronics Association, which presents an excellent example of government-industry effort[s] in goal-setting.
- It specifically targets production for exports and not just domestic consumption.
- The targets being set for the medium term are ambitious.
- Currently, the value of electronics manufacturing in India is estimated by the government to be around $75 billion, and so the road map hopes for a quadrupling of production in five years.
- The scale of the ambition in this document is clear from the fact that, if India exported $120 billion in electronics today, that would place it as the fifth-largest exporter of ICT goods, behind China, Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore.
Export as the engine of growth
- It hopes for electronics exports to increase from $10.6 billion in 2020-21 to $120 billion by 2026.
- The domestic market is also supposed to almost triple in that time, but it is clear from the numbers that the engine of growth is supposed to be exported.
- This is certainly a welcome acceptance of reality.
An export-focused strategy
Progress of ‘Make in India Programme’
- “Make in India” programme has been a “make for India” programme rather than how it was initially described in 2014, as “make for the world”.
- The complacent assumption that India’s domestic market was large enough to spur sustained growth has been badly undermined by multiple years of weak demand.
- Thus, an export-focused strategy might be seen as being a welcome shift in how the government is approaching crucial manufacturing sectors.
The Growth of Electronics Manufacturing
- As per the document, the reduced target still aims for a 400% increase from the current level.
- Mobile manufacturing, which is expected to exceed USD100 billion in annual production – up from USD30 billion now – is likely to account for approximately 40% of this ambitious growth.
Products that can Lead
The key products expected to lead India’s growth in electronics manufacturing includes
- Mobile phones
- PCBA (Printed Circuit Board Assembly)
- Consumer electronics (TV and audio)
- IT hardware (laptops, tablets)
- Industrial electronics
- Strategic electronics
- Auto electronics
- Electronic components
- LED lighting
- Wearables and hearables
- Telecom equipment
- The industry is facing a number of obstacles, both
- Qualitative (non-tariff, infrastructure-related)
- Quantitative (tariff, free trade agreements, etc.)
- If these targets are to be met. It is not just the final producer that matters, it is vital that the government views the production ecosystem as a whole.
- it is also component producers and further subcontractors.
- The primary focus must be building of scale through incentives and removal of cost disabilities for achieving the target of USD300 billion in electronics manufacturing by 2025-26.
- Low and stable tariffs are also essential. By industry estimates, tariffs in India create a cost disability of about 20 per cent as compared to China, and 10 per cent as compared to Vietnam.
“Stable trade policy, less bureaucratic implementation of the rules-of-origin requirement, and extending benefits to ecosystem partners are prerequisites for this vision to succeed.”


text:
More Investors Headed Toward the Cryptocurrency Market
Wall Street companies have not yet made any substantial investments in the highly volatile cryptocurrencies. The more than $382 billion invested in the cryptocurrency market is primarily by individual investors. Moreover, as BitMEX CEO Arthur Hayes confirmed is that the majority of the investments in digital currencies is by retail investors, not institutional. Notably, this is expected to change as Hayes also confirmed in a May 14th interview with CNBC.
More recently on May 18th, Adam White, VP and General Manager at cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase informed Fortune’s journalists that regulators have now gained a better understanding of what cryptocurrencies are. He addressed the fact that there are a large number of requests by users to list/support more digital currencies on Coinbase. This suggests that more investments are definitely going to be pouring in – not only into the evolving digital currency market, but also into crypto and blockchain-related startups that support it.
Despite the overwhelming number of requests by users to list their favorite coins/tokens, Adam pointed to their stringent selection criteria for listing coins as outlined in their medium post. This appears to be a similar approach that Binance uses in order to ensure quality control.
Big Step For The Crypto Industry
In response to digital asset exchange Gemini adding support for Zcash, the executive said that it was a “big step for the industry” because regulatory authorities are now finally beginning to wrap their heads around how zk-SNARKs works. Also, he mentioned that Coinbase is set to establish another office in Chicago, which will be an “engineering office.” To start, Adam said there will be only 6-7 employees, however, the office will “scale” to “upwards of over a 100 employees over the coming years.”
Notably, Coinbase will mostly be hiring engineers for their Chicago-based operations in order to create an “institutional-grade infrastructure” to further help grow their suite of products. One of the main things that Coinbase will be looking to provide to institutional investors, as Adam stressed, is a platform where they can “safely and securely store cryptocurrencies.” The general manager acknowledged the large number of hacks that had occurred in the crypto realm over the years and that this is a major problem that needs to be addressed more seriously.
In reference to Coinbase’s planned Chicago operations, Adam pointed to the windy city’s “deep exchange architecture” such as the CME and Cboe, both of which have been offering Bitcoin futures contracts since December 2017. Presumably, the exchange will look to take advantage of Chicago’s derivatives markets in addition to its overall well-established financial infrastructure.
The Google of Crypto
GDAX, Coinbase’s “institutional-grade exchange”, will now reportedly offer Coinbase Prime. The use of the word “prime” is to highlight that the exchange will provide:
“the prime brokerage services that institutions are missing [such as] lending, algorithmic orders, access to market data, and even research one day.”
Fortune’s senior writer Jen Wieczner, who was one of the journalists interviewing Adam, remarked that “a lot” of what the exchange was planning to do sounds like “banking services.” Jen also noted that Goldman Sachs would be trading Bitcoin derivatives and perhaps even Bitcoin (BTC) itself in the future. So, the experienced writer wanted to know what exactly Coinbase was trying to become. In response, Adam said, “we want to be the Google of crypto.”
Again, Adam stated the importance of “safety” and how to securely store and trade digital currencies. However, he explained that simply focusing on security-related issues was not a sound long-term strategy. What needs to also be done in the executive’s opinion is for the exchange to move into the “utility phase”, which means developing and supporting more real-world use cases for cryptocurrencies. To lead the exchange into this direction, the company has begun investing into products that could help provide solutions to real-world requirements.
For instance, Coinbase now offers a new wallet called Toshi which Adam explains is a decentralized application allowing for various crypto-related services. Then, there’s Coinbase Commerce which is more suited for businesses to transact in digital currencies. So, according to Adam, the exchange does not consider itself as “just a crypto bank” although that’s an important aspect of what Coinbase intends to be. Also, the VP emphasized the need for his company to provide more utility-oriented solutions.
Money “Sitting on the Sidelines”
Reportedly, there are billions of dollars in potential investments from institutional investors “sitting on the sidelines.” And this is not just a conservative estimate, according to Adam, but also only accounts for “just a safe custodianship product.” Also, the exchange must provide excellent customer services along with high-end products in order to remain competitive and relevant, the VP said.
While nobody can accurately predict what the future holds, it is safe to say that Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are not going to go away. They’re neither a bubble, like Alibaba founder and billionaire Jack Ma has ignorantly stated, nor are they a fad. Despite all these positive developments in the cryptosphere, we will probably still continue to hear about all the uninformed and ridiculous things people say. For instance, Dr. Amit Lakhanpal, author of “The World of Cryptocurrency”, has said: “In a year or two, cryptocurrencies will lose their credibility.” It appears that Dr. Amit is quite far removed from reality just like those other gentleman at Berkshire Hathaway.


text:
The world is usually moving speedily towards online technology, numerous companies and institutions previously exploring the possibilities. In commercial real estate, VR can play a big role. The technology can be utilised both on-site and on the internet, and it may show prospective tenants what a place might resemble or just how much a certain piece of furniture would price. It’s also changing the way people live in and use their homes. High end properties could be advertised across the world with VR, and buyers can see what they’re investing in before restoration begins.
VR is being utilized in medical teaching, immersive journalism, and advertising. It can also offer potential customers the opportunity to try on garments and other items before they buy them. Police are also employing VR in their training, letting them experience a real-life situation without forcing the class room. This is demonstrating to be a extremely valuable instrument in helping discover this info here train forthcoming law enforcement officers.
The biggest benefit for virtual technology is that it can also be easier to manage and more protected than other systems. Most of the problems people have about virtualization derive from a misunderstanding of the technology. As a result, it is necessary to educate yourself about online technology before making the move. You should also keep in mind that migrations do not kill the source machine. You should allow a virtual storage space to sit down in place for at least a day to make sure everything is performing correctly.


text:
– Price of S60 unchanged
– Cost hiked due to increase in input costs
Volvo Car India has increased the prices of select models in its line-up. These include the S90, XC40, XC60, and XC90. The price revision is effective from 3 May, 2021 and is in the range of one lakh to two lakh rupees depending upon the model.
The Swedish carmaker states that this decision comes as a result of an increase in the cost of production, weakening of Indian currency, and impact of Covid-19 disruptions. This is the first time the brand has hiked the prices of its models since 2018.
The model-wise new ex-showroom prices are as below.
Volvo S90 D4 Inscription – Rs. 60,90,000
Volvo XC40 T4 R Design – Rs. 41,25,000
Volvo XC60 D5 Inscription – Rs. 60,90,000
Volvo XC90 D5 Inscription – Rs. 88,90,000
There are no changes to the price of the recently launched Volvo S60 sedan that continues to be offered with a price…


text:
More than 2,000 independent pharmacies will rejoin the Tricare retail pharmacy network, according to officials at Cigna/Express Scripts, which manages the prescription plan.
As of Oct. 24, there were 14,963 independent pharmacies that left the Tricare retail pharmacy network — primarily due to their objections about low reimbursement rates — out of 55,586 retail pharmacies in the network. The loss affects an estimated 400,000 Tricare beneficiaries. Advocates and lawmakers have expressed concern about the decrease in pharmacies and its effect on beneficiaries.
Express Scripts sent out new solicitations Dec. 1 to the 14,963 pharmacies that are no longer in the network; 2,000 have responded they will rejoin. “Other pharmacies still have several more days to respond,” said Express Scripts officials, in an email response to Military Times.
Pharmacies that accept the terms are able to rejoin the network effective Jan. 15.
As of Oct. 24, beneficiaries who continue to use pharmacies that are no longer in the Tricare retail pharmacy network will pay full price for their medications, then file for reimbursement, which is subject to the deductible as well as a higher out-of-network cost share.
“We’ve heard from about 500 beneficiaries,” said Karen Ruedisueli, director of health affairs in government relations at the Military Officers Association of America.
About one-third of those with concerns are having challenges with access to a pharmacy because of the network reduction, she said. That includes residents of long-term care facilities who will now have to pay upfront for pharmacy services and submit for reimbursement; people who use compound drugs and no longer have access to a pharmacy that does compounding; cancer patients who report it will be more difficult and time consuming to switch medications; and some rural families who will have to drive past a Walmart and/or independent pharmacy and then much farther to get to a retail pharmacy.
“This is without a doubt a cut to the Tricare pharmacy benefit that, unfortunately, disproportionately impacts those who need the pharmacy benefit most — beneficiaries with chronic conditions or disabilities and the elderly,” Ruedisueli said.
Ruedisueli noted that a Nov. 29 Congressional Research Service report stated that the minimum number of retail network pharmacies in the Tricare pharmacy contract has been reduced from 50,000 pharmacies in the previous contract to 35,000 pharmacies. As part of the transition to the new contract, “[Defense Health Agency] approved [Express Script’s] request to downsize the retail pharmacy network in preparation for the start of the new contract,” CRS reported.
“We are already down to 41,000 with the departure of the independents,” Ruedisueli said. With the recent departure of Kroger’s 2,200 pharmacies, and possibly the pharmacies at Albertsons if the Kroger-Albertson’s merger goes through, that number could get closer to the 35,000 minimum, she said.
Tricare and Express Scripts officials have said that nearly all Tricare beneficiaries have an in-network pharmacy within a 15-minute drive of their home, even with the reduction in the number of pharmacies.
The Kroger grocery chain announced Sept. 30 that its 2,200 pharmacies in 35 states would no longer participate in the Tricare provider network, unless an agreement is reached by Dec. 31, describing the Express Scripts drug pricing model as “unsustainable” for Kroger and its customers.
Reimbursement rates have been the key issue for the independent pharmacies, too, although earlier this year, more than 7,000 independent pharmacies accepted the proposed network rates for 2023.
However, many of the community pharmacies never even received the proposed contract for the 2023 retail network, which Express Scripts sent by fax earlier this year, according to the National Community Pharmacists Association. These pharmacies therefore had no opportunity to remain in the network. Express Scripts terminated contracts early for the pharmacies participating in the 2022 network — Oct. 24. While Tricare beneficiaries received letters about the change, many pharmacies learned about the change only from their patients.
It’s not yet known how many of the nearly 13,000 remaining independent pharmacies that haven’t rejoined the Tricare network will do so. While the new solicitations were sent out Dec. 1, “our members report that the contracts are virtually identical in terms of reimbursements to the ones sent out this summer, which would likely reimburse well below cost for many prescription medications,” wrote six pharmacy associations in a Dec. 6 letter to Amy Bricker, president of Express Scripts, and David Cordani, chairman and CEO of Cigna Corporation.
Those associations are: Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding, American Pharmacists Association, National Association of Specialty Pharmacy, National Community Pharmacists Association, National Home Infusion Association and Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition.
While each pharmacy’s experience may differ, there have been general estimates of a 50% decrease in generic drug payments from the 2022 reimbursement terms to the terms for 2023, according to the National Community Pharmacists Association.
Tricare now has just one specialty pharmacy in the network, Accredo, as of Jan. 1. Specialty medications are for chronic, complex conditions such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and other diseases. The pharmacy associations said in their letter that patients have reported missing doses of medication and being denied the sterile supplies they need to administer their medications when they attempted to use Accredo.
The associations cited an example of a caregiver for his bedridden mother in a skilled nursing facility, who received a message from Cigna/Express Scripts that their independent pharmacy would no longer be in the network. “The options given for his mother to continue receiving her medications were to drive herself to the nearest Walgreens or military treatment facility and manage her medications on her own,” the association letter stated.
In addition, they wrote, “we have heard from many hospitals that they have been hesitant to discharge patients due to concerns of patients being able to access highly complex, specialty medications.”
Express Scripts officials said they appreciate the continued feedback from industry organizations. “We take any concerns related to disruptions of care seriously, and if an issue does arise, we work swiftly with the patient and their doctor to address it,” stated Express Scripts, in a response to Military Times.
Fewer than 1% of Tricare-eligible beneficiaries use specialty medicines, officials said, and many of them already fill their prescriptions through Accredo.
“Accredo is a best-in-class specialty pharmacy that supports patients living with complex health conditions through a dedicated team of specialist pharmacists, nurses that offer in-home care, social workers and dieticians,” Express Scripts officials stated. “Accredo will become the primary in-network retail specialty pharmacy for Tricare beneficiaries in January, offering beneficiaries expanded services and enhanced care while helping the Department of Defense manage the skyrocketing cost of specialty medications. …
“We have created a team to support the small group of impacted beneficiaries, and are proactively working with them and their pharmacies to transition their care,” officials stated. “Beneficiaries can contact this team at 1.877.882.3324.”
Karen has covered military families, quality of life and consumer issues for Military Times for more than 30 years, and is co-author of a chapter on media coverage of military families in the book "A Battle Plan for Supporting Military Families." She previously worked for newspapers in Guam, Norfolk, Jacksonville, Fla., and Athens, Ga.


text:
BEIJING -- China has "too many" electric vehicle makers and the government will encourage consolidation, Industry and Information Technology Minister Xiao Yaqing said on Monday.
The minister also said China would improve its charging network and develop EV sales in rural markets.
The government's promotion of greener vehicles to cut pollution has prompted EV makers such as Nio Inc., Xpeng Inc. and BYD Co. to expand manufacturing capacity in China.
Xiao said the ministry was speeding up alternative solutions to address an auto chip supply shortage.
China's market regulator last week fined three auto chip sales companies for driving up prices, in a move to help auto production in the world's biggest vehicle market.
A prolonged global chip shortage has affected major automakers, including Ford Motor Co., Honda Motor Co., and Volkswagen Group, forcing many to idle or curtail production.
"It is gonna be a no brainier," Hong said.


text: Japan Has Y249.6 Billion Trade Deficit In July Japan posted a merchandise trade deficit of 249.6 billion yen in July, the Ministry of Finance said on Monday. That missed expectations for a shortfall of 194.5 billion yen following the 589.5 billion yen deficit in June. Exports were down 1.6 percent on year, topping forecasts for a decline of 2.3 percent following the upwardly revised 6.6 percent drop in the previous month (originally -6.7 percent). Imports dipped an annual 1.2 percent versus forecasts for a decline of 2.3 percent following the 5.2 percent fall a month earlier. News are provided by InstaForex.


text:
The Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League Season 4 (MPL-MY/SG S4) playoffs take place at the KL Life Centre this weekend.
The US$100,000 total prize pool tournament will culminate after months of competition between Malaysia and Singapore’s best Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) teams, with the final eight teams clashing for the top spot. The top two teams from Malaysia and one from Singapore will play in the inaugural M1 World Championship.
The event is co-organised by eGG Network and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang developer Moonton.
Lee Choong Khay, Head of Sports, eGG Network, Astro shares his insights about the evolution of eGG Network and the eSports industry in Malaysia.
Twentytwo13: Big brands worldwide are investing in eSports. Are Malaysian brands leveraging on this industry?
Lee: We’re still in the early phase but there are already a handful of brands that have jumped on the eSports train. Some of the industries that we have worked with include telco providers, phone manufacturers, and food and beverages outlets. They have seen success in engaging the gaming community. Through our efforts together, they get a better understanding of this industry and its audiences. We hope more brands come along on this eSports journey with us as it has a lot of potential for growth.
Twentytwo13: There are some who are skeptical about eSports. Do you think the stakeholders have not done enough to educate the masses?
Lee: Sports teams are investing in eSports, like football clubs Paris St Germain and FC Schalke. Most of the top sporting organisations in the world have eSports leagues like the NBA, Premier League and Bundesliga. The wider audience will begin to open up as more professional sporting industries dip their toes into eSports, like the upcoming 2019 SEA Games where eSports is a medal sport.
Twentytwo13: Do you think Malaysia has what it takes to be the eSports hub in Southeast Asia?
Lee: We want to build up the new generation to take eSports to the next level. We believe that there is more to gaming and eSports than just playing games, and we showed this in our Alliance of Campus Esports (ACE), a university initiative to develop eSports professionals among university students. Something that may be lacking is investment and care for our professional players as they need an avenue to grow. Passion drives the eSports industry, and there are many passionate individuals, communities and stakeholders in the country that already have the expertise that can make Malaysia an eSports hub for SEA. When we all work together, it can become a reality.
Twentytwo13: Is it high time for concerted efforts to study the eSports industry in Malaysia, given the booming mobile phone market and rapid increase of Internet penetration in the region?
Lee: The evidence is already clear, with our tournaments like the Kuala Lumpur Major attracting close to 10,000 people who sat in a stadium for almost 10 to 12 hours over three days, and the Mobile Legends Professional League that has millions of views throughout its season. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang has over five million active users in Malaysia. Studies have been done on this booming industry, yet there still is hesitance. We understand why some brands may be cautious, but they need to take a step to experience it for themselves to truly understand the potential of eSports and its audiences.


text:
Second-quarter truck sales results are in, and the Ford F-Series is still king of the mountain, but Ram is catching up.
And things still aren’t looking good for GM.
Last month, we reported that GM had decided to cede share of the lucrative full-size pickup market to focus more on profits. That strategy seemed questionable in light of Fiat Chrysler eating their lunch with sales of their popular Ram pickups.
GM’s pickup trucks are now in third and fourth place behind the perennial favorite Ford F-Series and the Ram 1500 and HD pickups. GM can claim to be in second place overall with combined sales of the Sierra and Silverado, but only just.
Meanwhile, FCA’s Ram is starting to actually catch up to Ford’s F-Series. According to Bloomberg, Ram’s June sales were only 3,400 units behind the average number of shipped F-150s for the first 4 months of 2019, which was 71,500 trucks.
Bloomberg gives the Ram high marks for selling both the redesigned 2019 Ram 1500 and the Ram Classic, a barebones version of the previous-gen Ram 1500. In addition, Ram offered steep discounts on the Ram Classic for June that actually took a percentage off the sticker price rather than an absolute value.
Their strategy seems to be to sacrifice profits now in favor of brand loyalty later--a risky proposition given the current attitude of truck buyers to hold no allegiances.
On the other hand, overall truck sales were down for the second quarter of 2019, but FCA’s total sales actually grew by 1.9% helped in no small part by their pickups.
Motor1 reports some grim statistics for the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra. Silverado HD sales were down 15.9% for the second quarter, while Silverado 1500 sales were down close to 7%. GMC Sierra 1500 sales were a little better, only down 4.7%, with HD sales down 2.9%.
Overall Ford F-Series sales are down 1.3% from the previous quarter, but that means they still sold 448,398 trucks so far this year. That’s almost 150,000 more than Ram and almost 200,000 more than Chevrolet.


text:
- Two Wheelers
- 1 min read
HMSI opens premium bike vertical BigWing in Karnataka
Through this new premium outlet, HMSI aims to take Honda’s fun motorcycles closer to customers in Belagavi and bring to experience its mid-size range of premium motorcycles, the company said
New Delhi: Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) said it has inaugurated a premium motorcycle dealership BigWing outlet in Belagavi. The outlet is located at CTS No. 28, Khanapur Road, Tilakwadi, Belagavi, Karnataka – 590006.
Yadvinder Singh Guleria, Director – Sales & Marketing, HMSI, said “Our focus is on expansion of Honda BigWing (Honda’s exclusive premium motorcycle network) to deliver a truly differentiated immersive experience closer to customers.”
“Today, we are delighted to inaugurate BigWing in Belagavi. Through this new premium outlet, we aim to take Honda’s fun motorcycles closer to customers in Belagavi and bring to experience our mid-size range of premium motorcycles,” he said.
The BigWing motorcycle outlets have a range starting from CB300R, H’ness-CB350 and its Anniversary Edition, CB350RS, CB500X, CBR650R, CB650R, CBR1000RR-R Fireblade, CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP, adventure tourer Africa Twin Adventure Sports and flagship model Gold Wing Tour.
According to the latest reports, the company which has defined its success with the Honda Activa, is looking to introduce multiple products in the motorcycle segment.


text:
Emergent Cold Latin America (Emergent LatAm) remains active on the acquisition front, having announced the purchase of Friopacifico on November 24. Headquartered in Talcahuano, it ranks as the leading cold storage company in Chile and is an integral part of the country’s thriving fishing and fruit industries.
This acquisition marks Emergent LatAm’s entry into Chile, a major global food export market. Joaquin Del Campo, general manager of Friopacífico, will continue to manage the business as part of the Emergent LatAm leadership team.
Friopacífico offers over 47,000 pallet positions across three facilities located in Talcahuano and San Pedro de la Paz, close to the main ports in Chile’s Eighth Region of Biobío. The company provides a full range of storage and value-added services, including product haulage, reefer connections, online stock monitoring and photographic reporting. As part of the Emergent LatAm network, it will embark upon an ambitious growth plan that includes additional storage capacity and blast freezing capability.
Chile is an essential part of the global food trade. It currently holds the world’s largest horse mackerel quota and is second in global salmon production. These exports and others such as mussels and trout are expected to grow in the coming years.
Blumar Seafoods, a leading fishing and aquaculture organization, is part of the company’s prior ownership group and will remain as an important client of Friopacífico.
“We are proud to welcome the Friopacífico team to our growing Latin American network,” said Emergent LatAm CEO Neil Rider. “Our company’s vision is to bring together the leading cold storage and logistics businesses across the region’s most essential global trading markets, which makes Friopacífico a perfect fit for our organization.”


text:
These 3 Tech Stocks Are Building the Future
First, they have to invest in products, services, and infrastructure to provide useful goods and/or services for customers. Today, there are three household-name tech giants investing billions of dollars in massive projects that could pay off hugely in the future. Revenue was in line with guidance, but operating income declined year over year, as Amazon’s costs soared in its e-commerce business.
What's your reaction?


text:
Apple's iPhone has a 'major blinking red five-alarm-fire problem with iMessage security,' according to a cybersecurity researcher
- Apple's iPhones are a lot less secure than
Applesays, according to a new report.
- "Apple has a MAJOR blinking red five-alarm-fire problem with
iMessagesecurity," one cybersecurityresearcher said.
- An iMessages security exploit was used by an Israeli spyware firm to give hackers access to iPhones.
"Apple has a MAJOR blinking red five-alarm-fire problem with iMessage security," Citizen's Lab Senior Research Fellow Bill Marczak said on Sunday.
Hackers were reportedly able to remotely access and replicate data from phones tied to 37 people, primarily reporters and executives, using a software tool named Pegasus created by NSO Group.
The software is sold to governments and is considered a military-grade hacking service. With Pegasus, hackers are able to infect phones with so-called "zero-click" texts through iMessage, meaning the target user doesn't even have to interact with the text to have their phone breached.
Moreover, the report found that even the most up to date firmware and iPhone hardware can be breached by Pegasus.
Forensic reports completed by Amnesty International and verified by Citizen's Lab found that even iPhones running iOS 14.6, the latest version of Apple's mobile operating system, were susceptible to being hacked. "All this indicates that NSO Group can break into the latest iPhones," Marczak said.
One such target with an iPhone was the fiance of slain Washington Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi, according to the report. A forensic analysis of Hatice Cengiz's iPhone found evidence of multiple breaches starting in early October 2018 - immediately following Khashoggi's assassination on October 2, 2018.
"Why do people say the iPhone is the more safe phone, that no one can hack?" Cengiz asks Washington Post reporter Dana Priest in a recent PBS Frontline segment regarding the spyware. "That's what [Apple] says, the company," Priest responds. "That's not true."
Following the report, NSO Group released a statement rebuking its findings and threatening a potential lawsuit. "We firmly deny the false allegations made in their report," the statement said. "These allegations are so outrageous and far from reality that NSO is considering a defamation lawsuit."
Apple representatives didn't immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the specific iPhone security issues outlined in the report, and it's unclear if an update is coming to patch the exploit.
"For over a decade, Apple has led the industry in security innovation and, as a result, security researchers agree iPhone is the safest, most secure consumer mobile device on the market," Apple security engineering chief Ivan Krstić said in a statement to Insider. "Attacks like the ones described are highly sophisticated, cost millions of dollars to develop, often have a short shelf life, and are used to target specific individuals. While that means they are not a threat to the overwhelming majority of our users, we continue to work tirelessly to defend all our customers, and we are constantly adding new protections for their devices and data."
Got a tip? Contact Insider senior correspondent Ben Gilbert via email (email@example.com), or Twitter DM (@realbengilbert). We can keep sources anonymous. Use a non-work device to reach out. PR pitches by email only, please.
- Elon Musk calls on all Twitter designers, engineers doing software to sit on his floor of HQ for 'dense and intense' work
- It’s not just Mercedes, even bank deposits are competing with equities
- A former Facebook exec says an employee at a 'large tech company' once complained to the CEO in an all-hands meeting about the quality of company toilet paper
- India will succeed in handling inflation better: Sitharaman
- India's GDP growth comes in at 6.3% in Q2: manufacturing, mining witness negative growth
- Dharmaj Crop Guard IPO subscribed by a whole 35.49 times on last day
- Sensex, Nifty50 rewrite all-time highs yet again – RIL, HDFC twins most active, ICICI Bank touches new 52-week high
- Bollywood films failing is a phase, our films will bounce back strongly: Kajol


text:
BLUEFIELD, W.v. (WVVA) — The Blue Prince Plaza located in Bluefield is receiving a new tenant and cutting-edge medical technology to follow.
ESC Brands purchased the 180,000 square foot complex from the Preservati family.
The company is looking to transform the facility into a manufacturing laboratory and warehouse.
This new-age disinfectant will be combine with silicon, creating a safer, longer-lasting product that will combat an array of viruses, including COVID-19.
ESC Brands owner, Bruce Smyth, says this technology could be the future for sanitation technology.
County officials hope it will increase an economic draw towards Mercer County.
“Our technology kills magnetically or electro-statically, so what I’m saying is that it’s a safer kill and it gives persistence, so we believe that it’ll be the future,” said Bruce Smyth, ESC Brands CEO.
“We’re down to one open area still to be rented,” said Frank Brady, the chairman for Mercer County Economic Authority. “So with ESC Brands coming in as our anchor, we really look forward to a greater things yet from Mercer County. “
Smyth says ESC brands has the ability to provide 300 jobs for the Mercer County area.


text:
Michelin recalls 6,500 tires for safety reasons
Michelin North America Inc. has notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Transport Canada that it is recalling approximately 6,500 Michelin Pilot Sport 255/35ZR20 97Y Extra Load tires in the United States and Canada.
This recall involves these specific tires only and has no impact on any other Michelin tires.
This decision was taken after Michelin's internal quality control system indicated that the tires do not meet its quality standards. "In an affected tire, the condition is ordinarily noticeable as a blister on the sidewall of the tire," says the company. "The blister may produce a noticeable tire vibration, which a driver might detect. The condition may result in a rapid loss of air pressure, which could potentially lead to a loss of control and potential vehicle crash."
To date, there have been no accidents or injuries reported in North America, according to Michelin. The majority of the approximately 6,500 tires affected by the recall were distributed in the U.S.; fewer than 400 were distributed in Canada. Related actions are under way in other countries.
The recalled tires were fitted as original equipment on some trim levels of Jaguar XJ8 vehicles, and also were available in the replacement market. The affected tires' DOT markings begin with FHPNEFMX and end with 00, 01, 02, 03 or 05.
The company says it will replace all potentially affected tires "in a comprehensive commitment to retrieve from the market any tire that does not meet Michelin quality standards." Replacement tires are available at no cost (including mounting and balancing) to consumers through Michelin tire dealers.
Any consumer in the U.S. or Canada who believes he or she is affected by the recall should not wait to receive notification but should call Michelin Consumer Relations at (800) 847-3435 in the U.S. and (888) 871-4444 in Canada. They also can return to their servicing tire dealer for a free inspection and replacement of the affected tires.


text:
5 Channel Partner Updates: 23 Nov 2015
Good morning, channel partners. Here are five technology news updates, insights, chatter and more to start your day for Monday, November 23, 2015.
Actually, today’s update involves 13 items for VARs, managed services providers (MSPs) and cloud services providers (CSPs) to sip on.
13. Intel Recruits for IoT Push: Intel has recruited Qualcomm executive Venkata “Murthy” Renduchintala as president. He will oversee the company’s traditional chip business, plus software, services and R&D involving the Internet of Things.
12. Wearable Layoffs: Jawbone, which develops headphones, speakers and fitness trackers, is cutting about 15 percent of its staff (about 60 employees). The company has raised $531 million to date and had a private valuation of $3.3 billion in early 2014. Source: The Wall Street Journal.
11. OpenStack Channel Partners: FusionStorm, a major IT solutions provider, is now a certified rack partner for Mirantis Unlocked Appliances. The appliances ship with Mirantis OpenStack — the open source cloud platform. FusionStorm is expected to offer the appliances to customers that need cloud native applications and container-based environments.
10. Next Database Wave: Attention SQL Server and Oracle database partners. The next database wave is building fast. NoSQL database sales will reach $4.2 billion by the end of 2020, a compound annual growth rate of 35.1 percent for the 2014-2020 timeframe, Allied Market Research predicts.
9. AVG Doubling Down on Consumer?: Amid layoffs, at least one resignation and a leadership change to its SMB division, AVG Technologies has failed to answer ChannelE2E’s basic questions about the company’s SMB strategy going forward. Meanwhile, AVG is now crowdfunding the development of a consumer router. The question: Why does a publicly held technology company need to lean on crowdfunding? I’d ask… but I doubt I’d get a reply.
8. Point of Sale Hack: Dozens of Starwood Hotels suffered a malware hack over extended dates, potentially exposing customer credit card information. Sergio Rivera, president of The Americas, disclosed the hack in a letter to customers. The hotel chain also published a list detailing Starwood locations and dates the malware was active. The takeaway for channel partners: Are you monitoring and safeguarding POS systems for customers?
7. iPad Pro Bug: Apple’s big tablet has a big problem — a bug that can cause the iPad Pro to go completely dark. Apple published a workaround for iPad Pro users and is investigating the bug.
6. Failing WiFi Grades: The University of Arkansas’s secure WiFi network has experienced a range of problems with users who run Android 6.0, Windows 10 Version 1511 or Ubuntu 15.10. It sounds like hardware vendors are working on a fix. Anybody else seen the WiFi issue the university describes?
5. Eliminating IoT Confusion: Most (53 percent) executives are not aware of the Internet of Things (IoT), and 72 percent are confused by the concept, according to an Internet of Things survey of 700 executives in Canada, conducted by Northstar and Microsoft. No need to panic. In ChannelE2E Podcast 050, LOGICnow Security Lead Ian Trump describes Internet of Things security issues and opportunities. Plus, here are 10 IoT Security Weaknesses and Fixes.
4. Channel Careers — Help Wanted: The ChannelE2E Job Board has a dozen new jobs listed for marketing, technology and business opportunities at channel-centric companies. Check out the job listings or feel free to submit job openings at your company. The job board is free for ChannelE2E’s readers.
3. Data Science and Security: Lots of IT service providers tell me they don’t have a need for big data just yet. I beg to differ. Thousands of IT service providers already leverage data science and big data — yet they don’t even know it. A key point: OpenDNS just announced two new data science models that detect clues to an attack, and then find the attacker’s entire infrastructure. OpenDNS, now owned by Cisco Systems Inc., has a strong following in the MSP market.
1. This Week: ChannelE2E will publish site updates Monday-Wednesday (Nov. 23-25) but will be closed Thursday-Friday (Nov. 26-27) for Thanksgiving — unless, or course, some really huge news surfaces during the holiday.


text:
It’s one question we’ve all asked or at least wondered: when should I upgrade my phone or computer? Like a lot of things, there are good and not-so-good times to throw down a few hundred (or thousands) dollars on a new device.
It’s best to buy a car in August/September when dealerships are making room on the lots for new models. TVs go on sale around the Super Bowl and just before new models are released. Part of the reason the Super Bowl sees more TV sales is that retailers are making room for the next year’s models that were introduced in January at CES.
There’s even a better time than others to buy bed linens (August brings sales for students going off to college). That’s the best time to buy office supplies too.
If you’re looking to buy a new iPhone, Mac computer, or PC, it’s best to hold off until later this year. New iPhones are typically (as in always) released in October or early November. Apple’s forthcoming iPhone 13, if that’s what it will be called, will be an upgrade from the current iPhone 12 model. New iPhones generally have better cameras, screens and are faster than previous models. In addition, when a new iPhone is released, last year’s model goes on sale with a $100 or more discount.
If you just have to replace a broken iPhone, you have to do what you have to do, but if it’s a battery that drains too fast, grab a portable charger or extra cable and try to put off replacing it a few months.
It’s also a good time to wait on getting a Mac computer. Apple will release new MacBooks before Christmas.
If you’re wanting a new iPad, Apple released the latest model earlier this year so you probably won’t find deals any better than the ones right now.
Speaking of computers and laptops, this is not the best time to purchase a new PC or Windows laptop. Microsoft will release Windows 11 later this year on new computers and free downloads for current computers sometime in 2022. A new Windows PC should last 8 or more years before needing to be replaced. When the new Windows 11 machines come out, you may not save any money, but they’ll come pre-loaded with the new software. Microsoft will release a free update for current PCs sometime next year, but if you’ve ever tried installing a new Windows program you probably know it doesn’t always go smoothly. Also, if the computer you’re currently is 8 years or older it might not be capable of running Windows 11; so there’s that too.
Laptops will likely go on sale in the next month for back-to-school and off-to-college students so you may have no choice. But if you do, be patient and you’ll find better deals around Christmas.


text:
The speakers at this year’s Southland conference came to Nashville from across the country and represented a variety of industries and experiences: a former fashion model turned entrepreneur, a former U.S. vice president, the leader of an Arkansas-based company, various Silicon Valley CEOs and more.
Subscribe to read the full story
Current Subscribers - Activate Now
Already subscribe to Knoxville News Sentinel? Unlimited access to News Sentinel on the web, your smartphone and tablet is included with your subscription. All you will need to do is ACTIVATE now!
New Subscribers - Subscribe Now
Want to keep reading?
KnoxNews now offers Premium and Digital Subscriptions. Subscribe now and select how you want to keep up-to-date on local news, reader comments, photos, videos, blogs and more.


text:
FTSE ST China Index is one of the China-themed indices in the FTSE ST Index series. The index aims to capture the performance of the 20 largest Chinese-listed companies on SGX by market capitalisation. All stocks listed on the FTSE ST China Index, across 10 sectors, have at least 50% of their sales revenue or operating assets from Mainland China.
On top of their crackdown on technology giants, the entertainment sector (against K-pop), video games, the China government is also taking action to address housing speculation and cracking down on the real estate market. They did so by making easy credit for China’s real estate market less readily available. This method has proved effective as the National Bureau of Statistics figures showed that new home prices in 70 cities in China, excluding state-subsidised housing, only rose 0.3% from June to July, the slowest growth in six months.
With Singapore having significant stakes in China, these market trends could have an impact on some real estate companies that have significant China exposure. In this week’s edition of 4 Stocks This Week, we look at 4 real estate stocks on the FTSE ST China Index. The table below reflects the total market capitalisation and close price based on 17 September 2021.
|Total Market Capitalisation (S$M)||Close Price (SGD)|
|Sasseur REIT (SGX: CRPU)||1,086.92||0.895|
|CapitaLand China Trust (SGX: AU8U)||1,929.29||1.270|
|EC World REIT (SGX: BWCU)||642.20||0.795|
|YanLord Land (SGX:Z25)||2,241.05||1.15|
Sasseur REIT (SGX: CRPU)
Sasseur REIT (SGX: CRPU) was the only retail S-REIT that showed positive return in 2020 with an occupancy rate of 93.5% across their four outlet malls in China, and a portfolio valuation of S$1.651 billion. It focuses on the development and operation of retail outlet malls in China and hence leverages on offering unique lifestyle experiences and the industrial climate of retail outlets.
Growth was initially expected due to the projection of the fast-growing retail outlet sector to become the world’s largest by 2030. Unfortunately, the ongoing crackdown on the property sector is expected to have a spillover effect on the economy which could lead to growth instability. Unfortunately, the ongoing crackdowns in China may dampen the retail sector despite the group’s current retail portfolio occupancy of 94.1%.
That said, the outlets enjoy a competitive edge and a product mix of luxury and high-end brands, sold at large discounts. If the expectation of a fast-growing middle-class population and high demand for luxury brands in China with annual spending of US$111 billion holds true, this will also bode well for Sasseur REIT’s performance.
CapitaLand China Trust (SGX: AU8U)
CLCT (CapitaLand China Trust) (SGX: AU8U) is Singapore’s largest China-focused REIT. With a geographically diversified portfolio of S$4.3 billion in total assets, CLCT currently has a total GFA (gross floor area) of approximately 1.8 million square metre across 11 cities in China. CLCT aims to invest in income-producing real estate and real estate-related assets in China, Hong Kong and Macau that are used primarily for retail, office and industrial purposes (including business parks, logistics facilities, data centers and integrated developments).
With over half of their GFA in the retail sector, CLCT aimed to leverage their omnichannel platforms and loyalty programme such as CapitaStar (which are also adopted in CapitaLand malls in Singapore) to drive organic growth through customer-centric initiatives. Unfortunately, the ongoing crackdowns in China may dampen the retail sector despite the group’s current retail portfolio occupancy of 94.1%.
However, CLCT also allocated close to half of their GFA to business parks, which is aligned with China’s economic growth initiative and the 14th Five-Year-Plan. Hence, CLCT’s value creation strategy could allow them to hinge on the growing demand for these industry-driving business centers and achieve long-term resilience.
EC World REIT (SGX: BWCU)
EC World REIT (SGX: BWCU) is the first specialised and e-commerce logistics REIT listed on SGX. It has a portfolio of eight quality properties located in China primarily for e-commerce, supply-chain management and logistics purposes, as well as real estate-related assets.
With properties within China’s largest e-commerce clusters, EC World REIT enjoyed an increase in gross revenue by approximately 10% from FY2019 to FY2020. However, the change in the Chinese government’s goals may affect the group’s performance. Apart from the crackdown on real estate, EC World REIT’s 27% tenancy operation in e-commerce could also be affected by the recent crackdown on technology companies, which has already wiped billions of tech stocks.
Despite the impact of the crackdown, this could be limited due to the diverse industries that their tenants operate in. In fact, their biggest proportion of tenancy of 37% is from delivery, logistics and distribution. In addition, the group recognizes the volatility of the current situation and aims to proactively manage the portfolio to work towards sustainability.
YanLord Land (SGX:Z25)
YanLord Land (SGX: Z25) is a real estate developer focusing on developing high-end fully-fitted residential, commercial and integrated property projects in Singapore and China. The group has 6 major economic regions in China across 18 cities including Shanghai and Shenzhen, which account for over 97% of their landbank distribution.
In terms of revenue, the Group recorded an increase of 28.1% to RMB23.918 billion in FY 2020, of which, RMB20.960 billion was contributed from property development. This large contribution can be attributed to the increase in total GFA and ASP (average selling price) by 14.0% and 23.6% respectively from FY2019 to FY2020. However, with the China government’s bid to cool down its property market, this main source of revenue may be dampened.
That said, YanLord Land still enjoys a diversified source of revenue from property investments, hotel operations, and property management. The improving performances in these other areas of income growth, the group’s continuation of their prudent financial management, and their strategic commitment to penetrate high-growth cities through land acquisition, may bolster the negative impacts caused by the crackdown.
Get The Latest Bite-sized Investment News, Ideas & Insights
It's free! Don't miss out on the latest financial market movements. FSMOne aims to help investors around the world invest globally and profitably, follow FSMOne’s Telegram for bite-sized finance analyses and exclusive happenings.
4 Stocks This Week is not a recommendation from us to buy or sell any of these stocks. For investors who are keen to find out more, you should continue researching about them before making your investment decisions.


text:
Timberland is launching Timberloop, a new circular sustainability program in which customers can donate old items to be fixed and resold or recycled. The program is one step for the brand to reach its goal of full product circularity by 2030.
Non-alcoholic spirits and beverages are nothing new. However, a new slew of retailers are trying to become one-stop shops for these trendy startup brands. In the past year or so, retailers like Spirited Away, Boisson and Minus Moonshine have popped up to cater to this growing market.
The pandemic made setting store floors in-person harder, so Vans pivoted towards a digital visualization process to create consistent merchandising experiences across its 500-plus U.S. stores. Paul Rupert, visual merchandising manager for elevated retail at Vans, talked about how the brand went about this change.
As the Omicron variant wave continues, planning for physical retail is once again in flux. So much so, even major retailers like Apple and Walmart temporarily shut down stores due to outbreak concerns. Now, some startup brands are weighing their options when it comes to store openings and in-person events.
Following a slate of investments in 2021 -- from third-party marketplaces to small format brick-and-mortar experiments -- department stores may be running out of ways to reinvent themselves in 2022.
This year, both retailers and brands are feeling the supply chain crunch. Smaller, artisan-made brands are dealing with a unique set of challenges, including competing for raw material and accruing upfront production and warehousing costs. However, consumers' interest in alternative gifts is also helping boost these businesses' sales.
For Black Friday, Hollister and Snap are partnering up for a shoppable augmented reality holiday marketplace. Hollister will sell a selection of comfort-focused apparel and gifts from two of its three brands -- Hollister and Social Tourist -- via a shop meant to look like a modern convenience store.
Once seen as a means to grow fast food chains, franchising is becoming a viable way for startup brands to quickly scale. This is especially true for service-focused companies, such as young fitness studios, salons and bakeries, which are taking up franchising to grow their presence.
During the Modern Retail Summit held last month in Palm Springs, Modern Retail held an intimate working group with top retailers and brands. There, 13 decision-makers sat down and discussed some of the biggest issues hampering their businesses.
The buy now, pay later space continues to evolve -- with physical retail being the latest race among players like Klarna, Afterpay and Affirm. The latest partnership, between Klarna and mall operator Macerich, shows that shopping centers are looking for more ways to court young shoppers.
Startup CPG brands are getting into retailers earlier and earlier, and the trend is no coincidence. Companies like frozen meal makers Ayo and Cool Beans have found success attracting large retailers, such as Target and Kroger. However, others are cautiously optimistic about grocery chains' increased interest in upstart CPG brands.
Early access is the hottest new rewards perk. This holiday season, both Walmart and Best Buy announced that they'll offer their loyalty members earlier shopping hours and exclusive access to sought-after gifts, such as game consoles, smartphones and TVs.
Over the past year alone, almost every major American retailer -- Target, Walmart, Kohl’s, Macy’s, and Nordstrom amongst them -- has invested in a shop-within-shop store concept. Modern Retail looked at three reasons brands and retailers are approaching shop-within-shops today: revitalization of stale retail floors, bringing back shuttered brands and speedy brick-and-mortar expansion of trending categories.
Following in the footsteps of competitors CVS and Rite Aid, Walgreens has announced a new strategy focused on medical services. The pharmacy chain, which has struggled to compete as a beauty and skincare destination, is reinventing itself as a healthcare hub.
On Tuesday, Best Buy announced it would be acquiring at-home health monitoring and health wearables company, Current Health, for an undisclosed sum. Best Buy is centering it's health strategy on the "active aging community," the Baby-Boomers-and-above crowd hoping to base their healthcare in their own homes.
Join us at the Digiday Media CMO Summit where we will bring together a select group of marketing leaders in media, advertising and retail to discuss the behavioral trends that they are counting on to find opportunities.Register Now


text:
BALTIMORE — These are not your parent's toys. Nowadays, dolls talk and teddy bears start conversations.
Smart toys have soared in popularity. They come with microphones, cameras and can store conversations. And once connected to the internet, that information becomes a target for hackers or many generate money for businesses.
“This toy may share user information with advertisers or even sell information to third-parties,” said Kyanna Cadwallader with the Maryland Public Interest Research Groups Foundation.
At this year’s “Trouble in Toyland” news conference, the consumer watchdog group warned parents about privacy invasive toys, including Dash the Robot, a kid-friendly robot that connects to apps via Bluetooth helps kids learn to code. The Mozilla Foundation didn’t find that the app is more susceptible to hacking than other apps, but did say a hacker could potentially access the microphone and listen in.
Cybersecurity experts have also found that smart toys, in particular, are vulnerable to cyberattacks. Unlike smart home devices, phones and computers, these toys lack sophisticated security mechanisms.
Last year, the FBI issued a warning to parents on the potential risks and how smart toys can create opportunities for child identity fraud.
“The microphone, the GPS data, digital data entered directly into some of these internet devices infringe on the privacy rights, violate consumer protection laws and pose serious threats to the safety of our young kids,” said Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh.
Federal law requires companies to get parental permission before collecting and sharing data of children under 13.
If you decide to purchase one of these toys for your children, make sure to:
- Only connect toys to a trusted and secured Wi-Fi network
- Change the manufacturer’s password
- Avoid providing specific information on your child including details like pet’s names and birth date
- Turn the toy off when not in use
- “What kind of information does this toy collect on your child? And who does it share that information with? Can you turn off these settings and what settings can you not turn off? And how does the information that the toy is collecting on your child, how could that information put your child at risk?,” asked Cadwallader.
Instead of smart toys, adults received smart home devices. Amazon Alexa allows you to modify privacy settings in the app. If you go to settings and then Alexa Privacy, you'll be able to see and hear every time Alexa recorded you. According to Amazon , Echo devices are designed to record only after they’ve been alerted with a wake word like “Alexa.”
You can also delete any recordings stored or sent to the cloud. The company wants to warn users that deleting these recordings “may degrade your Alexa experience.”
The Mozilla Foundation ranked internet-connected devices based on their level of "creepiness." Click here to see what products have the ability to spy on you and whether or not you can control it.


text:
Wal-Mart iPhone rumors have been swirling for a while now, but the rumor is no more – hopefully. The gigantic, behemoth, monstrous, small-town killing retailer will sell the iPhone this month according to a Bloomberg and Reuters report. Exact details aren’t available like launch date, staffing, and if a 4GB model will be sold. Eh, we’ll find out all those details shortly.
Latest From Gadgets
360-degree camera maker Jeffrey Martin talks about what it takes to film for VR| John Biggs
One chip to rule them all? The Internet of Things and the next great era of hardware| Narbeh Derhacobian
The UE Roll 2 speakers bring rugged Bluetooth audio poolside| Brian Heater
This algorithm could make DNA origami as simple as 3D printing| Devin Coldewey


text:
From Lu Do Magalu to Lil Miquela, CGI virtual influencers are building huge followings on social media and wield the power to make huge amounts of money. Are they the future of tourism marketing? Jenny Southan reports
In Globetrender’s Gen Z Horizons report (available to download here), we wrote about the emergence of “virtual influencers” and how they will likely start being employed by travel companies.
“In the fashion industry, computer-generated influencers of otherworldly beauty have already attracted millions of followers. For example, there’s Margot, Zhi and Shudu ‘the world’s first digital supermodel’, who has already starred in campaigns for Balmain and Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty. They are so realistic people often don’t know they aren’t flesh-and-blood humans.
“Then there is ‘Musician, change- seeker, and robot with the drip’ Lil Miquela, ‘Young Robot Sex Symbol’ Blawko, his ex-girlfriend Bermuda, a blonde with her own PR company that also represents real-world artists Frank Ocean, Grimes and Björk. These three were all created by LA-based startup Brud.”
Still a fledgling trend, we predict that 2022 will be the year that virtual influencers begin to tap into travel and tourism promotion. Let’s learn more about them…
Five top virtual influencers
1 | Lu Do Magalu | Model, Activist
Lu Do Magalu has recently been on the front cover of VOGUE Brazil, capping off a busy start to the year where she could end up raking in a predicted £12,859,356. That’s over 332 times the average UK salary of £38,600, which she can earn in just three sponsored Instagram posts, with an estimated earning of £12,911 per sponsored post.
2 | Lil Miquela | Singer, Fashion Model
Lil Miquela is a singer and model, with her most recent release being Hard Feelings in 2020, and collaboration with supermodel Bella Hadid for Calvin Klein. She comes in second with a predicted income of £735,288 for 2022, and estimated earnings per post if sponsored at £6,127. That will earn LA’s residential robot over 1,805% the average UK salary.
3 | Barbie | Vlogger
Barbie has been a household figure since 1959, but not only has she been around for decades, she has adapted to the times by becoming a YouTube Vlogger, discussing social and political issues. Barbie is now considered the third highest virtual influencer for 2022, with predicted yearly earnings of £724,755 if all posts were sponsored and a comparable income 18 times more than the average UK salary.
4 | Any Malu | Actress
Any Malu was the first ever 100% animated YouTuber when she joined the platform in 2015, and is now a Cartoon Network star as well as a virtual influencer with her show Any Malu Show. She could bring home a predicted £311,571 in sponsored posts this year, with an estimated income of £1,527 per sponsored post.
5 | Noonoouri | Activist, Model
Rounding off the top five is equality activist Noonoouri (pictured below). She is an avid vegan who heavily advocates for sustainable fashion and boycotting the use of animal furs.
She has also collaborated with fashion brands such as Prada, and has the potential to earn an estimated £1,151 per sponsored post, which could result in her earning up to £290,248 for 2022.
How much could these virtual influencers earn in 2022? OnBuy Tablets used Influencer Marketing Hub’s Sponsored Post Calculator to predict their estimated yearly earnings.
(OnBuy Tablets found an estimated figure for each influencer’s earnings per sponsored Instagram post. This figure was then multiplied by the number of posts the influencer made in January 2022, and multiplied by 12 to find the predicted yearly earnings.)
- Lu Do Magalu is the highest earning virtual influencer, bringing in an estimated £12,911 per post if sponsored, and has a predicted yearly income of nearly £13 MILLION.
- Lil Miquela could potentially earn up to 18 times the average salary in the UK.
- Barbie has the potential to cash in more than £4,000 per Insta post if sponsored, which could earn her just under a quarter of a million for 2022.