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One of the world’s most powerful vacuum cleaner robots is coming onto the market with the intelligent navigation system of the Austrian robotics expert ROBART. The brand-new Rowenta Smart Force Cyclonic product line featuring artificial intelligence from Austria will initially be available in France, Italy and Spain, and is to also be launched in Germany and Austria at the beginning of 2019.
Rowenta, a Groupe SEB brand, provides for comfort in households around the globe. Represented in 160 countries worldwide, the French specialist in small electrical appliances and household goods has been committed to innovation since 1857. Innovations like the use of artificial intelligence in the latest generation of vacuum cleaner robots. The Rowenta Smart Force Cyclonic product family relies on artificial intelligence from ROBART, the technology leader for home robot navigation. SEB quickly recognized the potential of the Linz-based technology trendsetter founded in 2009 and is also a strategic investor in ROBART. “Intelligent, autonomous appliances will become an integral part of the modern household. ROBART’s technology already enables us to bring future-oriented products with enormous customer benefits to the market,” Francois-Xavier Meyer, Investment Director at SEB, points out.
Strong Global Growth Is Forecasted
“Our navigation unit consisting of sensors, electronics and software autonomously learns the environment, detects obstacles, and can be operated by smartphone,” ROBART co-founder Michael Schahpar explains. “We are equipping one of the leading product lines on the market – the Rowenta Smart Force Cyclonic family.” This market is growing exponentially. In 2017, around eight million vacuum cleaner robots were sold globally. By 2025, 40 million units are to be purchased annually. “The proportion of intelligent devices is getting bigger year by year,” ROBART co-founder and CTO Harold Artés stresses. The two entrepreneurs began as a classic startup in 2009 and have continuously been expanding the company into a worldwide operating solution provider for the global players of the household appliance branch. Around 70 employees, including many experts from the software and electronics development field, are now working on the household technologies of tomorrow.
The Robotic Butler Is Coming
Artés outlines ROBART’s grand vision as follows: “The robotic butler who gradually takes household cleaning chores off our hands is coming.” Vacuuming and floor mopping are just the start. These are considered among the most unpopular household tasks. More and more manufacturers are therefore turning to know-how from Linz. “Several market launches are approaching,” Schahpar discloses. The current Rowenta Smart Force Cyclonic line is a further milestone on the path to the intelligent household. Offered first in Italy, France and Spain, the products are expected to also be available in Germany and Austria at the start of 2019.
About Robart GmbH
Robart GmbH, headquartered in Linz, Austria, develops and produces intelligent home robots with laser navigation, with emphasis on robot vacuum cleaners. Well-known manufacturers of household appliances, including BSH, Rowenta, Kärcher and Medion, are among its loyal customer base. Robart supplies its customers with complete household robots, AI-powered solutions and provides them with customization and development services. Founded in 2009 by Harold Artés and Michael Schahpar, the company holds over 100 patents/patent applications and employs an international team of more than 50 employees. Robart operates branches in China, Germany and the USA. Well-known investors, such as the Robert Bosch Venture Capital Group, Innovacom, Crédit Mutuel Equity and the SEB Alliance, support global market penetration.
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UK police make arrest related to denial of service attack on Playstation and Xbox networks
U.K. police have arrested a man they believe was involved in the denial-of-service attacks directed at PlayStation Network and Xbox Live at end of last year.
Proud new owners of PlayStation and Xbox consoles weren’t able to or had trouble accessing Sony’s and Microsoft’s networks starting on Christmas day as a result of the attack, which the hacking group Lizard Squad took responsibility for.
Authorities around the world have since been working to apprehend the people involved. The U.K. South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU) said on Friday it had collaborated closely with the FBI to arrest an 18-year-old man in Southport, a seaside town located 20 miles north of Liverpool.

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Cryptocurrencies have a dedicated group of admirers who seek out gems. Often, digital currencies have been able to increase their value by several hundred percent in a matter of days. However, such “easy” income also has a downside – it is extremely risky. The scammers repeatedly deceived profit-hungry investors and then got away with the money. However, this is not the only face of risk in the cryptocurrency market. The Bitcoin Crash shows why investing in cryptocurrencies is a bad idea.
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The Bitcoin crash has become a fact. At the time of writing this article, the price of one Bitcoin is $26,659. This is a 12.8% drop in the rate from the previous day. This, however, does not show the extent of the disaster experienced by cryptocurrency holders in recent months. Over the past 30 days, the BTC rate has fallen from $41,000 to $26,000 – a drop of more than 35%. Since the peak reached at the end of 2021, the value of electronic money has already decreased by more than 60%! So it’s hard not to use the term bitcoin crash here. What is happening that the rates of not only BTC but also other cryptocurrencies are sold so much in the market?
It is certainly worth noting what is happening in the macroeconomic environment. Russia’s attack on Ukraine and the sanctions have further reinforced the rise in inflation. Problems can be seen in many sectors, especially commodities and energy, where the prices of coal, oil, gas and electricity have soared in a short time. It should be borne in mind that cryptocurrencies, contrary to appearances, are not unreal compared to economic reality. If the broader market (and just look at the US stock market) begins to decline, it’s hard for cryptocurrencies not to experience a deep correction.
Central banks, whose job it is to raise interest rates to curb rising prices, are trying to tackle the problem of inflation. Unfortunately, these institutions are between the proverbial hammer and the anvil – financial markets expect inflation to fall, but refuse to raise interest rates. As a result, investors are fleeing assets such as tech company stocks (as seen by the NASDAQ index) and cryptocurrencies.
If the inflation situation does not stabilize in the coming months, stock and cryptocurrency investors could face a very difficult year. Fire oil is also added by the fact that from a technical point of view, Bitcoin broke support at $30,000. Analysts say the next level where the rate can persist is $25,000.
To confirm the thesis of the correlation of cryptocurrencies with financial markets, it is worth citing the example of March 2020. There was a sudden stock market crash. The value of Bitcoin then fell by 57%. However, with the rebound in major indices and the emergence of the so-called coronavirus boom, the value of digital currencies has also increased, causing BTC to peak in 2021.
Why investing in cryptocurrency is a bad idea
Does the Bitcoin Crash Mean an Opportunity to Buy It? In the context of such a drastic drop in the price of crypto-currencies, will the principle of buying on “lows” work? Not necessarily. Newbie investors don’t realize that the market can be unpredictable. This is especially true for cryptocurrencies, which can change in value quite quickly. The principle of buying the “lows” is based on the assumption that price declines are temporary corrections followed by price increases. Unfortunately, in this case, given the situation in the financial markets, this may not be the case. Many analysts say a bear market has begun that won’t end anytime soon. Thereby capture technique “Drops of knives” can be very deadly.
Cryptocurrency markets are volatile – if we’re at the start of a downtrend, it could end badly for many wallets.
Bitcoin’s fluctuations are also negatively affected by reports of regulatory issues in the cryptocurrency market. We have heard of reports from China banning cryptocurrencies. In turn, the US government wants to regulate this market, but it is unclear what it will look like. To this must be added fraud linked to counterfeit electronic currencies, a wave of hacks and security breaches. This undermines investor confidence in cryptocurrencies.
Moreover, many analysts believe that cryptocurrencies are the worst possible investment. Why? Because it has no value. The words of the world’s most popular stock market investor – Warren Buffet – should be quoted here. At a meeting in Bershire he said:
“Now if you told me you own all the bitcoins in the world and offered them to me for $25, I wouldn’t take it, what would I do with it?” I should sell it to you somehow. It’s useless. Houses will produce rent and farms will produce food. »
Says Warren Buffet.
Buffet suggests that Bitcoin “produces nothing” and is therefore worthless. Hard to disagree with him. For comparison, every listed company has some value, if only because it runs a business, owns assets, earns income, etc. If something has no value, how to value it? This is another cryptocurrency problem – some analysts put their value at $0. It is worth bearing these arguments in mind before investing in this uncertain market.
Source: forbes, time, finbold, yahoo.finance


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The Diplomat Radisson SAS to Have Dedicated Spa Concept Research Under Way
The five-star, 15-storey extension of the Diplomat Radisson SAS Hotel, Bahrain is to have a dedicated spa – only the second to be housed in a luxury hotel in the island kingdom.
“Our owners, National Hotels Company, took the decision to include a spa after detailed research which revealed demand from within Bahrain but also from two-to-three day weekend breaks from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar,” explained Radek Cais, General Manager, Diplomat Radisson SAS Hotel, Bahrain.
Conceptualisation of the new spa, which will serve both male and female clientele, is now under way.
“We are investigating a possible Diplomat theme,” explained Cais. “The spa will be an oasis in the centre of Manama as it will be purpose-designed.
“The facility will be open to residents and guests from outside and will be a fantastic add-on to our new hotel extension and serviced apartments. With the hectic pace of life these days, people are increasingly looking for facilities to give them relaxation and a sense of well-being. An added attraction of the facility is that it will have access to 50 underground car parking spaces to make visits more convenient for guests.”
Meanwhile, piling on the new Diplomat Radisson SAS Hotel extension is now under way and visible signs of the new towering structure should be seen by the end of this year, according to Cais.
The new extension, due for completion by the end of next year, includes a new 22,000 square metres of hotel and generously proportioned serviced apartments, which will include one, two and three-bedroomed units as well as a number of VIP penthouse suites.
The luxurious new building is situated alongside the existing 244-room Diplomat Radisson SAS Hotel which is in the heart of Bahrain’s capital, Manama city and close to the country’s main tourist attractions and shopping areas. The current property, which recently underwent major refurbishment, also has 19 suites, seven meeting rooms, a business centre, a health club and some of the islands most popular restaurants, including the new, trendy Mondo lounge bar and restaurant and Polynesian-style Kontiki.
“The new outlets and our new spacious Classic, Italian and Maritime room styles and Royal Club rooms have been well received with new and long-staying guests,” said Cais. “One of our key differentiates is that our rooms are the largest on the island as are our bathrooms, which is important as recent industry research has shown that hotel guests spend more of their non-sleeping time in the bathroom than elsewhere.”


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The phrase “touch screen phone” is synonymous with “iPhone” in some people’s minds. That’s tough on the other phone manufacturers, but indicates the extent to which Apple has managed to dominate the market – if not in sales, at least in marketing.
But the Apple way of making a touchscreen phone, which focuses on the software above everything else, isn’t the only way. With the Arena, LG has concentrated on making a phone which offers excellent audio alongside high-quality pictures and a compact, easy-to-use phone. It’s not fair to compare it to the iPhone – it’s a very different kind of touch-screen.


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Vodafone UK CEO Guy Laurence has said not offering mobile payment services will be like “not signing the Beatles”
Vodafone UK CEO Guy Laurence has said that retailers and brands who do not sign up to mobile payments and marketing joint venture Weve will be making a mistake akin to “not signing the Beatles.”
Speaking at a breakfast meeting attended by leaders of the joint venture – the heads of EE, O2 and Vodafone – Laurence said that the industry was prepared for the adoption of mobile payments, or NFC technology.
Laurence said: “All the industry levers are now in place from our side so the (NFC) technology is ready to go. Given this any merchant services or loyalty company that does not want to be part of this will get left behind – it will be the equivalent of not signing The Beatles.”
Addressing marketing bosses in the audience, he added: “There are very few new media channels that come on stream with the scale and the breadth of this one. You should try it and I would be astonished if you find it to be a bad decision: 15 million customers from day one on a unique device that’s personal to every single individual – you only have to look at your own behaviour to realise the value of that so come on in, the water is lovely.”
Commenting on mobile wallets, EE CEO Olaf Swantee said: “This is a major opportunity and the opportunity is now.”
Weve is expected to launch mobile wallet services later this year and, according to the JV partners, is open to any other network or MVNO who wants to be involved.
Three is currently thought to be in talks about joining the initiative.


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Google recently announced Daydream, a virtual reality platform, and headset. Google focused heavily on the style, and ergonomic design of the headset using athletic grade fabric on the head-mounted display with multiple color options. It is said to be 30% lighter than other mobile VR compatible devices. The price of the headset is set at $79, making it one of the more affordable yet more functional VR headsets on the market.
How does Daydream compare to Gear VR?
What’s really exciting is the addition of a handheld, position-tracked controller to allow developers to create more engaging interactions with VR. The controller will benefit the user as they will no longer need to interact solely with the headset to engage with an application.
Several games and media experiences are set to launch with the device including an exclusive Harry Potter title, media applications such as Netflix, Hulu, and HBO, and other Google favorites such as Google Street View and Google Sky Map.
What does this mean for brands?
Depending on the 3rd party adoption by handset manufacturers, this could quickly become the standard for mid to high-end mobile VR. While Samsung has quite a head start in high-end mobile VR, Google seems to be claiming the space that has existed between Cardboard and the Gear VR. With Daydream VR having a broader ecosystem of compatible devices, brands will be able to target more people through app stores once consumers adopt the new devices.
With assumed tight integration with YouTube, the Daydream VR program should be a premier device for 360 videos & VR experiences. Also, the positional-tracked remote could be a bonus for developers looking to create more immersive and interactive experiences beyond the ‘sit back and watch’ style of Cardboard experiences that are common today. Being able to point and make simple gestures opens up a new realm of interactivity with content which can lead to more engaged consumers.


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Change in tactics advances US trade legislation
An unexpected move by US lawmakers has led to renewed hope that legislation to grant President Barack Obama fast-track authority on trade – seen as key to finalising an agreement on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) – may be approved earlier than anticipated.
By agreeing to vote on Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) as a standalone bill, de-linking it from Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) and adding it to an unrelated pension bill, it was passed yesterday (18 June) by a 218-208 vote. It will now go to the Senate in its standalone form, and is likely to be considered next week.
The move is in sharp contrast to the situation earlier this week, when the US House of Representatives extended by six weeks until 30 July the deadline to reach a decision on an accompanying piece of legislation on Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA). This measure provides retraining for American workers who lose their jobs due to free trade pacts, but was rejected in a vote last Friday (12 June).
While Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), a "fast-tracking" procedure on trade agreements, was narrowly approved in last Friday’s vote, the two bills – TPA and TAA – were both conjoined as part of the Trade Act of 2015 package. This meant that because the Senate had already passed them both, they also had to be approved together by the House before going to the president to be signed into law.
The potential six-week extension had left both bills in limbo, as well as raising concerns that US trade initiatives would make little progress until President Obama’s successor takes office in 2017.
While the outcome of TPA in the Senate remains unclear, US apparel and footwear retailers and importers are calling on lawmakers to complete work on this and a separate the trade preferences bill as soon as possible.
"We urge the Senate to follow suit, act quickly, and pass the House-approved TPA bill," says Juanita Duggan, president and CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA).
The House last week passed The Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015, which includes extension of the Haiti HELP/HOPE programme, a ten-year renewal of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), and renewal and update of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) programme. This has headed back to the Senate because it includes amendments to near-identical legislation that was passed by the Senate in May.
The package includes "a number of measures that will provide immediate relief to apparel and footwear companies," Duggan notes.
International trade law firm Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg suggests TAA is "generally expected" to be added to The Trade Preferences Extension Act, "which ostensibly would be easily approved by the Senate and then the House."
It adds: "Supporters are hoping that this combined bill, along with the TPA legislation, could be approved by the House and Senate before lawmakers break for the Fourth of July recess."
The fast track authority would allow the White House to negotiate trade deals that Congress could approve or reject without making any changes. It is seen as key to concluding the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) being negotiated between the US and 11 countries including Vietnam, as well as moving forward on the Transatlantic Trade & Investment Partnership (TTIP) with the European Union (EU).
"These trade agreements are important to the US apparel and footwear industry and its growth because they can help open new markets to US clothing and shoe companies and our four million US workers. In this global economy, we cannot afford to sit on the sidelines while other countries negotiate trade agreements that exclude us," Duggan explains.
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Dickinson business owners may be off hook for road, parking lot pavingDickinson Planning and Zoning Commission members think it would be a bad idea to force business owners to pave gravel and dirt roads in city limits, they said during a Wednesday meeting at City Hall.
By: April Baumgarten, The Dickinson Press
Dickinson Planning and Zoning Commission members think it would be a bad idea to force business owners to pave gravel and dirt roads in city limits, they said during a Wednesday meeting at City Hall.
“We are talking about people who have been here over 40 years,” Commission Vice Chairman Tracy Tooz said. “I think it is wrong to go in there and put that burden on them. It is a very expensive burden.”
New businesses must have paved parking lots. City Planner Ed Courton said existing businesses would be reluctant to follow an ordinance because they were there before it was mandatory.
“Nobody else has any will to conform to those standards because they are grandfathered in,” he said. “They will never come into compliance.”
Tooz also said it would affect customers. To cover the cost of renovations, businesses would raise prices. Tooz also said that businesses are struggling to pay workers enough money to compete with oil field wages, and forcing them to spend money on pavement may break them.
City Commission Vice President Gene Jackson suggested giving businesses an opportunity rather than forcing them to pave the lots. He also said the businesses should have the chance to meet and discuss the subject.
“A business may say they may do it if you ask them,” Jackson said. “Have a meeting. Just make people aware.”


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Savings 'teaser rates' face FCA inquiry
"Teaser rates" - which aim to attract consumers to savings products - are to face scrutiny by the City watchdog.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is to carry out an investigation into the £1 trillion UK cash savings market, including the effects of teaser rates.
These headline interest rates only last for a limited period, usually one year, before falling.
Many people leave money in these accounts, missing out on higher rates elsewhere.
In April, Martin Wheatley, the chief executive of the FCA, hinted that the watchdog would look into these deals for savers.
During a speech in London, he accused lenders of "taking advantage of consumer inertia".
Some 80% of all adults in the UK have some sort of cash savings account.
However, Mr Wheatley said that few savers switched their money between accounts.
"Even when people do switch their accounts, they are twice as likely to go with their existing provider than move to the offering of a competitor," he said.
A poll for Consumer Focus two years ago found that two-thirds of savers who opened cash ISAs on an introductory rate failed to move when the rate expired.
Last year, the boss of Metro Bank, one of the UK's newest banks, said the use of such headline rates, or one-year bonuses, was dishonest.
The FCA review will conclude in 2014.


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Famed businessman and investor Mark Cuban has never been shy about speaking his mind. At his personal blog on Thursday, Cuban gave support to Apple for its decision to not comply with a court order that asked it to help the FBI bypass its own passcode security protocols on the iPhone 5c that belonged to one of the terrorists in last year’s massacre in San Bernardino, California. In fact, Cuban went so far as to give Apple a “standing ovation” for its stance.
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“[Apple] are exactly right that this is a very, very slippery slope,” he writes. “And while the FBI is attempting to be very clear that this is a one off request, there is no chance that it is. This will not be the last horrific event whose possible resolution could be on a smart phone. There will be many government agencies that many times in the future, point to Apples compliance as a precedent. Once this happens, we all roll down that slippery slope of lost privacy together.”
As I argued yesterday, it looks like the FBI has set up a very clever trap for Apple. It knows that this is an emotionally charged case and that the politics of it look terrible for Apple. Politicians such as Senator Tom Cotton have already accused Apple of caring more about “the privacy of a dead terrorist” than national security and you can bet this is only the start of the public relations beating Apple will take if it continues its refusal to comply.
The FBI is betting that if Apple caves under public pressure, it will have precedent to ask both Apple and other companies such as Google to perform similar operations in the future.
Cuban, however, is not against laws that force companies to unlock devices used by alleged terrorists in certain circumstances. Instead, he more narrowly objects to the U.S. government’s use of the 1789 All Writs Act to justify its order to Apple. He says that if the government can use this act to justify forcing Apple to unlock its phones in this instance, it can use it to justify forcing tech companies to do all kinds of things that are harmful to customers’ privacy.
Instead, Cuban proposes the following solution:
A company can only be compelled to remove any type of security or encryption from a smartphone or tablet, and only a smartphone or tablet, under the following circumstances:
- There has been an event, with casualties, that has been declared an Act of Terrorism
- There is reason to believe that the smartphone was possessed by a participant in the Act of Terrorism.
- The smartphone must have been on premise during the event.
- The terrorist who was in possession of the smartphone or tablet must be deceased.
It would seem to me that if such a law could be proposed and passed, then the All Writs Act would no longer apply. By eliminating the All Writs Act as a catch all then we significantly flatten out the slippery slope. I’m not saying we will completely eliminate all privacy issues. We won’t. I’m not saying there isn’t risk of unintended consequences. There always are when we ask politicians to fix complex problems.
This, of course, would require Congress to actually do something useful by passing a new law and, well, they haven’t exactly proven themselves adept at that lately.
Check out his full post at this link.


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Expedia.co.uk has unveiled plans for a range of new services while detaling a new Facebook app and a discounted hotel booking option.
The launch of the two new services are the first of many in the pipeline in the next six months, according to the company. The online travel booking giant expects to launch more products and services in the period than it has done in the past five years.
The Expedia Trip Companion app on Facebook is designed to help users plan holidays by drawing on the collective support of friends and other travellers.
The information is displayed on the traveller’s Facebook page so others can comment on the updates and suggestions, giving the user advice from both personal friends and the wider travelling community.
Senior marketing director Andrew Warner said: “It is important for us to provide travellers with the tools and support to get the most out of their trip whether that’s during the research and booking phase on the site or once they have booked and even when they return from their travels.
“Like most travel sites, we know our users are active Facebook users so, as the most relevant environment for our audience to share their experiences, Facebook was the natural platform to develop this service for.”
Meanwhile, Expedia Secret Saver Hotels is designed to provide hotel partners with a discrete way of offering their best possible rates without compromising their retail rates.
The Secret Saver option displays the price for selected nights, the area of the selected city/region that the hotel is located in, star rating, facilities and a short description – but not the name.
Users can “trade up” to a higher star property and pay well below the retail rate – up to 50% less. At the same time, participating hotels can now capture customers who might not have otherwise booked their property, Expedia claims.
The Expedia.co.uk service will leverage the US-based Hotwire opaque model. The UK launch will enable the 25,000 hotels working with Hotwire to reach a wider audience while offering new opportunities for the 127,000 hotels currently working with Expedia worldwide.
After an initial soft launch phase, a separate landing page with information about the service and additional site promotions will be launched.
Further offline promotion is planned for the service in the first quarter of next year.
Warner said: “The new Expedia Secret Saver Hotel service will enable our partner hotels to better manage fluctuations in demand.
“Expedia can now offer them greater flexibility through extending the different ways they are able to work with us.
“We have recently conducted an extensive research study examining how we can leverage existing functionality and services within the Expedia Inc. portfolio as well as creating new services to better address the needs of specific audience segments and deliver value and flexibility for our consumers.”
He added: “In the US we have seen that customers tend to use the opportunity of saving on their hotel to upgrade their stay. Because they are saving on their hotel they can afford to try out a higher rating hotel or spend more during their stay – and all without any extra effort.”


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If you made it out to Stumptown Comics Fest in Portland, Oregon – thanks for coming by the booth! Sorry prints and other items weren’t available, but we’re still having our Print-A-Poolza sale if there’s a piece of art you’d like to have in your life.
The new Art Book was a smash!
Camilla-inspired helmet from an Alter Egos Society costume.
Molly Crabapple created an awesome piece at her booth over the course of two days!
As usual, click on any images above to see larger versions. In other news, you probably saw the recent announcement about the collaboration with Hamburger Disco this Friday, which will feature six brand new t-shirts! There’s a Facebook event you can RSVP to if you’re in the Vancouver area, and there is even a video you can watch. Look for images of the new shirts soon!


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RALEIGH, N.C. — Agents with state Alcohol Law Enforcement checked 146 retail establishments in Durham and Orange counties and arrested 48 store clerks for selling tobacco to underage children.
Agents issued a criminal citation to each of the store clerks who were allegedly in violation of the law by selling cigars, cigarettes, snuff or bulk tobacco to customers who were younger than 18 years old.
"Store clerks have no excuse for selling tobacco to minors," said ALE Director Mike Robertson. "All it takes is a quick glance at a driver's license photo and the color of the border around that photo. A red border means the person is too young to be buying tobacco products."
The crackdown, which occurred in December, was part of a statewide tobacco compliance check campaign.
Copyright 2023 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Saudi Arabia: Inflation increases in December
Consumer prices fell 0.10% over the previous month in December, which contrasted November’s 0.21% increase. December’s print reflected falling prices for food and beverages, clothing and footwear, and utilities.
In December, inflation rose to 1.2% from 1.1% in November. Meanwhile, annual average inflation decreased from 3.4% in November, to 3.1% in December.


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PAKISTAN: TUFS scheme to boost textile investment
Authorities in Pakistan have responded to industry calls by introducing a Technology Up-gradation Fund Scheme (TUFS) for textile firms to subsidise and boost investments in new equipment.
Under the scheme, the government will pay 50% of the interest cost of new investments in plant and machinery up to a maximum of five percentage points a year - or whichever is less. For small investments the government will contribute up to 20% of the capital cost as a grant.
PKR1.6bn (US$16.82m) has been pledged in the current financial year for the scheme, with the amount increasing to PKR17bn (US$178.95m) by 2014.
The measure is a part of policy initiatives that aim to boost textile exports to US$25bn.
Mohsin Aziz, chairman of the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA), said the TUFS scheme will help improve competitiveness and boost exports. He also urged the Ministry of Finance to allocate adequate funds as soon as possible for investments in new projects.
Gohar Ejaz, group leader of APTMA, added that power availability would be crucial to accelerate investment in textiles, even with the discounted interest rates.
The textile sector has withheld investment in the last seven years due to high mark-up rates and the ongoing energy crisis.
According to the International Textile Machinery Federation (ITMF), only 238,000 spindles and 1100 shuttle-less looms have been shipped to Pakistan since 2007.
Pakistan's textile and clothing industry has been receiving government assistance in the form of drawback on taxes, loans at reduced rates, reimbursements on social security taxes, tax-free import of machinery, and incentive schemes that favour the creation of large export companies.
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Levi strauss, one of the nations largest clothing manufacturers, confirmed April 28 its testing of RFID “hang tags” on clothing shipped to two retail outlets in Mexico and one in the United States—a move that many consumer advocates point to as an outright invasion of privacy rights, given that the tags will be attached to individual items consumers wear.
On May 1, mere days after Levis announcement, a working group of major companies—IBM is the charter member—and advocacy groups announced a set of radio-frequency identification best practices to protect consumer privacy as it relates to item-level tagging. The group, led by the Center for Democracy & Technology, or CDT, includes companies involved in RFID testing or software development: Microsoft, Intel, Cisco Systems, Procter & Gamble, Eli Lilly, American Library Association, the National Consumers League, aQuantive, VeriSign and Visa.
For its part, Levi is using RFID to track inventory at the test stores at retailers requests and has no plans to use RFID in its 18 Levis brand stores, according to Jeff Beckman, director of worldwide and U.S. communications for Levi Strauss, in San Francisco.
“Future tests … [are] being driven by retailers, and only if they are consistent with guidelines [put forth by CASPIAN], which is very transparent,” Beckman said. CASPIAN, or Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering, is a consumer privacy advocate group.
The item-level tags used in the Levis stores hang from a pair of jeans much like a price tag and are identified as containing an RFID chip and as being removable, Beckman said. Signs that explain RFID are posted in test stores.
Privacy advocates fear that peoples movements will be tracked by retailers looking to extract marketing information or, worse, by the government. CASPIAN, along with about 40 privacy and civil liberties organizations, in 2003 called for a moratorium on RFID-chipped items for consumers until there is more technology-specific information available—a moratorium Levi Strauss has declined to honor.
CASPIAN also published guidelines for using RFID at the item level that call for tags to be removed before they reach consumers, according to Katherine Albrecht, founder and director of CASPIAN.
While its transparent with details on its RFID tags, Levi wont identify the U.S. retailer using RFID, although Beckman confirmed it is not Wal-Mart or Target, two major retailers with RFID mandates for their top suppliers.
Part of the reason Levi may be staying mum on the whereabouts of its RFID program is past experience from fellow clothing manufacturers.
Following a 2003 consumer boycott led by CASPIANs Al-brecht, Benetton Group backed off from plans to embed RFID chips in its Sisley line of clothing.
“If we knew where [the Levi test store] was, we would alert our membership,” said Albrecht in Nashua, N.H. “Many people feel very strongly that this is a dangerous technology and there is really an issue. [At the same time,] there is an abysmally small percentage of Americans—between 10 and 20 percent—[who] have heard of RFID. Thats what we need to do—stimulate awareness before these companies start using RFID” in item-level goods.
Released at the RFID Journal Live Conference in Las Vegas from May 1-3, the CDTs best practices document is essentially a privacy guideline for companies looking to move to item-level tagging. It outlines RFID data-collection notification practices, what choice consumers should have with respect to their own personal information and how that information should be treated by companies that collect it.
The best practices group worked for more than a year to hammer out details of the document and has plans to keep that work alive—particularly after it determines the impact of the May 1 document release, according to Ann Breidenback, director of Sensor and Actuator Solutions product line management and strategy at IBM.
IBM, for its part, is working on providing technology to help privacy concerns. At the RFID Journal Live conference May 1, the company previewed its “Clipped Tag” technology that enables consumers to either tear or scratch off the RFID antenna of a tagged item, essentially eliminating the tags ability to communicate.
The first step down this road for IBM was to develop and patent the technology. It now has several partners that have developed prototypes of the technology that they can demonstrate with Gen 2 tags. Gen 2, an RFID frequency standard that was ratified by EPCglobal in 2005 and is just being productized this year, has some of its own security code written in.
RFID Best Practices
* The consumer should be informed in a clear, conspicuous and concise manner when there is an option to remove, deactivate or destroy an RFID tag and, when there is, how that option may be exercised.
* In such instances, the option to remove, deactivate or destroy an RFID tag must be readily available to the consumer and readily exercised.
* By exercising the choice to remove, deactivate or destroy an RFID tag, the consumers ability to return an item, benefit from a warranty or benefit from the protections of local law should not be compromised. Exercising this choice should not result in any damage or defect to a product.
* Responsibility for providing choice lies with the company that has a direct relationship with the consumer.


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Met-Pro division lands contract
HARLEYSVILLE, - Raymond J. De Hont, president and chief executive officer of Met-Pro Corp., announced Tuesday that the company's Strobic Air subsidiary, in Harleysville, has received the largest order in the subsidiary's history to supply a U.S. health-care facility with 24 Tri-Stack fans mounted on five custom plenums to be used for laboratory fume hood exhaust. This order, which has a value in excess of $3.6 million, is expected to ship by the end of the current fiscal year. The name of the health-care facility wasn't released.
Met-Pro with headquarters at 160 Cassell Road, Harleysville, is a manufacturer of air and water pollution control systems.
- The Reporter
Mallo Cups being shipped
ALTOONA - The Boyer Candy Co. began shipping Mallo Cups and peanut Smoothies Monday for the first time since production was temporarily idled in March.
Candy making resumed last week when Roy Mollomo, a court-appointed interim trustee, recalled about 50 of the plant's 100 employees.
The company has been the subject of a two-year legal battle for control since death of company President Anthony Forgione after open-heart surgery in 2001.
Firm launches online system
PLYMOUTH MEETING - ECRI on Tuesday launched its ECRI Alerts Tracker, what it calls the first online hazard and recall-management system.
ECRI developed the new system to help hospitals handle the more than 500 recalls issued by medical device manufacturers each year, as well as hundreds of other hazard and safety notices.
The company said the number of recalls issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has increased by 42 percent over the last four years.
ECRI Alerts Tracker automates the hazard and recall management process by relaying hazard and recall alerts throughout the hospital via weekly e-mails.
ECRI is a nonprofit international health services research agency.
- Associated Press
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On average every day across the UK, over 5% of shopworkers suffer violence, threats and abuse, according to an Usdaw survey of 2,500 retail staff. That amounts to 180,000 incidents, but it dramatically increased by two-thirds on Black Friday last year.
John Hannett – Usdaw General Secretary says:
"Our members have real concerns about Black Friday on 27 November. The last two years have seen unprecedented scenes of mayhem in some stores, as bargain hunting turns into a frenzy.
“We have been talking to retailers, who have responded positively about organising their events to maximise safety and security for staff and customers alike. We also welcome the interest of the police who have urged retailers to organise these sales events carefully.
“Incidents of violence, threats and abuse against shopworkers are already worryingly high, with our survey suggesting there are over 180,000 incidents every day. We know from talking to our members that the number of incidents increased on Black Friday last year, not just in frequency but also in severity, and the latest survey findings bear that out.
“My message to shoppers is clear. Enjoy your bargain hunting, keep your cool and respect shopworkers.”
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers)
is the UK's fourth biggest and the fastest growing trade union with over 440,000 members. Membership has increased by more than 17% in the last five years and by nearly a third in the last decade. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the Union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemicals and other trades.
Interim results of Usdaw’s Freedom From Fear Survey:
The survey was conducted in face-to-face interviews of 2,536 shopworkers by Usdaw reps who asked them to talk about their experiences at work over the last twelve months.
For Usdaw press releases visit: www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter @UsdawUnion
- How often have you been a victim of verbal abuse? 1-3 times 33%, Monthly 8%, Weekly 8%, Daily 3% Total abused 52%
- How often have you been threatened by a customer? 1-3 times 24%, Monthly 4%, Weekly 1.5%, Daily 0.5% Total threatened 30%
- 9% have been a victim of physical violence from customers, 2.13% in the last twelve months and 22.5% didn’t report it to their employer.
- The aggregate of these statistics means that over 5% of the UK’s 3 million shopworkers are abused, threatened or assaulted each day, however on Black Friday that number went up to 8.37%.


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Welcome back to our daily review of macroeconomic and geopolitical news impacting financial markets around the world. Today, the trade sanctions ax fell as much on the United States as on China while Europe reassures itself thanks to Germany.
China/US. Only two hours after Washington started, China has responded with its tariffs on $ 34 billion worth of US products. Donald Trump even mentioned the possibility of taxing $ 500 billion of Chines products an amount equivalent to the total imports from China in 2017. Ever increasing. The escalation is far from over.
Despite strong economic indicators, the Fed has said it is "concerned" about the US president's trade policy and fears "negative effects" on the economy in the long run. The central bank's concerns may, however, fall on deaf ears.
Germany. The Grand Coalition finally reached an agreement on immigration; the Social Democrats (SPD) finally reunited with the two conservative parties (CDU/CSU). They agreed on the proposal of a new law on the control of immigration by the end of the year, anticipating the acceleration of asylum procedures without mentioning border transit centers. As SPD leader Andrea Nahles said, this is the end of a "play this country did not need".
France. The trade deficit widened substantially in May while it was stable the previous three months reaching 6 billion euros, its highest level since February 2017. The Customs office explains that the country's export is penalized by the weaker performance of the aeronautics, space, and automotive sectors. Nevertheless, without taking the transport industry into account (as it a more cyclical sector,) France's export is going in the right direction.


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PowerPay, a provider of home improvement financing, and FinMkt, a SaaS provider of point of sale consumer finance technology, have announced a new partnership. According to FinMkt, the agreement will enable it to expand its product offering to include staged funding, 10 and 15-year terms, and loan amounts up to $100,000.
FinMkt’s platform allows homeowners to complete one application with the ability to receive and review financing offers. By partnering with multiple lenders like PowerPay, FinMkt’s platform allows homeowners to qualify for financing.
Mike Petrakis, PowerPay’s CEO, said that FinMkt’s team and tech are the best in the industry:
“We are very excited to offer PowerPay’s advanced loan products for home improvement financing via the FinFi platform so that we may reach a broader range of borrowers.”
FinMkt states that COVID has accelerated the demand for home renovations and repairs. FinMkt has adapted its technology in response to changes in the marketplace to expand product offerings. FinMkt’s partnership with PowerPay is one of many enhancements FinMkt will be making to its home improvement financing platform.
Luan Cox, FinMkt’s CEO and co-founder, said:
“In order to stay competitive, you need to be able to offer you customers financing that requires minimal effort to apply and delivers real time results. We are proud to be teaming up with PowerPay to provide contractors with the technology to grow their business by offering their customers access to the best financing options available by filling out one, online application.”


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LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — An Encino lawmaker is leading an effort in Sacramento to allow drivers to “carry” their license on their smartphone.
Democratic Assemblymember Matt Dababneh on Wednesday introduced Assembly Bill 221, which would authorize the DMV to develop a mobile application that would allow drivers to access a digital copy of his or her driver’s license or identification card issued by the DMV.READ MORE: LA Special Counselor To Plead Guilty To $2.2M LADWP Kickback Scheme, Bribing LADWP Officials
AB 221 would require built-in safeguards to protect identities from unauthorized access, which Dababneh says will ultimately offer better security than traditional licenses carried in a purse or wallet.
“Obviously, security and privacy will be essential to enact this program,” Dababneh said. “I will be working closely with consumer groups, privacy advocates and digital security experts to ensure that the final product meets the safety standards that Californians expect.”READ MORE: Undisclosed Forensic Evidence Found In Search For Heidi Planck
In order to use the app, individuals would have to apply with the DMV for a secure personal identification number in order to obtain access to the digital driver license or identification card, according to Dababneh.
Drivers would still have the option of using traditional driver licenses for those who do not wish to use the mobile application, Dababneh said.
“People use their smart phones every day to read the news, shop online and check their bank accounts,” said Dababneh. “I think using a tool that people are familiar with, like a mobile application, to store their primary means of identification will be a useful option for Californians.”MORE NEWS: Pelicans Top Clippers Again, 123-104; Valanciunas Scores Career-High 39,
Similar proposals for digital driver’s licenses are making their way through state legislatures in Delaware and Iowa, according to CBS News.


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Singapore’s total employment contracted dramatically, and retrenchment doubled as earlier warnings that the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic will severely impact the economy and labour market started introduction in job numbers. As the singapore jobs
economy came to a standstill during the lockdown from April 7 to June 1 to stop the spread of the virus, total employment within the Q2 covering that period saw the biggest quarterly plunge ever because of the pandemic took a toll on jobs.
Last week, the Singapore Manpower Research and Statistics Department of the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) released preliminary estimates which showed, when comparing Q2 with Q1, that total employment (excluding Foreign Domestic Workers or FDWs) contracted by 121,800, fourfold on top of that in Q1 2020. This brought the entire employment decline since the beginning of 2020 to 147,500.
Since then, with the COVID-19 infection rates stabilizing, Singapore has launched into a gradual reopening of its economy. Although some businesses including shops, cinemas, and restaurants have reopened, safe-distancing measures, capacity restrictions, and consumer concerns about their health mean that it’ll take a while for business volume to succeed in pre-pandemic levels.
As expected, unemployment rose but remains below the peaks seen in previous downturns. the general per cent in June 2020 rose to 2.9 per cent from 2.4 per cent in March 2020. There was a complete of 90,500 unemployed citizens and residents in June 2020. Currently, no figures are available for unemployed foreigners. 6,700 workers were retrenched in Q2, much beyond the three,220 who lost their jobs in Q1.
While retrenchments have now surpassed the high during SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) in 2003, it remained below the height observed within the global financial crisis in 2009. At the peak of the previous job crisis, 5,510 workers were made redundant during SARS in Q2, 2003, whereas in Q1, 2009, 12,760 people lost their jobs during the world financial meltdown. Singapore last experienced a significant economic downturn caused by a coronavirus induced respiratory disorder, SARS, between 2002 and 2003 where 238 people caught the infection and 33 people died.
However, the economic impact of COVID-19 has already proven to be more severe. All three broad sectors of the economy – manufacturing, services, and construction, saw an increase in retrenchments over the quarter. particular, retrenchments rose significantly in wholesale trade and transport equipment, reflecting a reduced demand in retail and travelling respectively. Similar all three sectors also experienced sharper employment contraction, especially within food and beverage services, retail trade, arts, entertainment and recreation, and education.
Manufacturing saw a lower employment contraction compared. These numbers came in after the island nation reported a pointy contraction in its second-quarter GDP this month, shrinking 41.2 per cent on a quarter-on-quarter basis, in step with flash estimates. “The external economic environment remains weak and a few countries are experiencing a second wave of infections. Conditions for travel-related sectors remain very challenging,” the ministry statement noted. “Hence, softness within the labour market is probably going to stick with continued weakness in hiring and pressure on companies to retrench.” An SGD92.9 billion (USD67.3 billion) fiscal stimulus, capable 19.2 per cent of GDP, has helped moderate the economic impact and decline engaged.


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Global fashion brand Uniqlo, owned by Fast Retailing Co., is set to launch a new collaborative collection for Spring/Summer 2021 with New York-based label Theory, also part of the Fast Retailing brand portfolio. Uniqlo has announced the news on Instagram.
Uniqlo and Theory joined forces for the first part of their collaborative collection back in March and are now launching a part two on May 14, which features 18 styles - nine women’s pieces and nine men’s pieces. The collection includes pieces with high performance technology such as a utility parka with water repellent capacities, sweat-proof t-shirts, and pants and dresses made from functional ‘Ultra Light Stretch’ materials.
The SS21 collection fuses the utility wear Uniqlo is known for with Theory’s simple, tailored pieces. It takes its inspiration from New York City ‘active city life’.
The price range for the SS21 collection is between 9 pounds and 55 pounds. The pieces will be available on the Uniqlo website and in select flagship stores in Hong Kong, China, Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines.
Photo credits: Fast retailing, official website.


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TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese electronics maker Panasonic (6752.T) is in talks with Goldman Sachs (GS.N) and two other major shareholders of Sanyo Electric 6764.T to buy a controlling stake in its smaller rival, company and financial sources said on Saturday.
Talks with Daiwa Securities SMBC, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking and Goldman are at a preliminary stage and the firms have not entered into price negotiations, the sources said.
The three major shareholders combined hold nearly 430 million Sanyo preferred shares, each of which can be exchanged for 10 common shares. That would value them at about 621 billion yen (3.9 billion pounds) based on Friday’s closing price for the common shares.
If a deal is reached to buy all their holdings, Panasonic, already the world’s largest plasma TV maker, could become Japan’s top electronics firm by sales.
Panasonic and Sanyo combined are expected to post 11.22 trillion yen in revenue, according to their forecasts for the year ending March 2009, surpassing projected 10.9 trillion yen at Hitachi (6501.T), the country’s current sales leader.
Acquiring Sanyo would put Panasonic in a leading position in the global market for rechargeable batteries, which is expected to grow strongly as the use of portable electronic devices and hybrid or electric vehicles expands.
“This appears to be the kind of deal where you add one and one and get three, instead of two. Their battery operations would truly be world-class,” said Masayoshi Okamoto, head of trading at Jujiya Securities.
“Some Japanese companies are buying overseas firms to expand their operations abroad. But buying Japanese peers with strong products and consolidate the domestic industry, like what Panasonic is doing here, could be a short cut to profit and expansion.”
The move would also allow Panasonic, sitting on cash and cash equivalents of about $10 billion (6.1 billion pounds), to gain a foothold in the fast growing solar energy market.
Panasonic spokesman Akira Kadota said nothing has been decided on the matter of Sanyo acquisition, and declined to comment on whether the company was in talks with the three Sanyo shareholders.
Daiwa Securities SMBC is a joint venture between Daiwa Securities Group (8601.T) and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG) (8316.T), while Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp is Sanyo’s main bank and an SMFG unit.
Sanyo’s shares closed Friday at 145 yen, giving the company a market value of about 271 billion yen, not including the value of the preferred shares.
Sanyo issued 300 billion yen in preferred shares to the three companies in 2006 to help it restructure after it suffered a sharp downturn in earnings, hit by fierce competition and earthquake damage to a key microchip plant.
Restrictions on converting them to common stock and selling them will be lifted next March, making it easier for the three main shareholders to make an exit on their investments.
If converted into common stock, the holdings would give the them a stake of about 70 percent in the company.
Sanyo spokesman Hiroyuki Okamoto said the company has been looking into a variety of potential steps concerning preferred shares, but that nothing has been decided.
Sanyo is the world’s No.1 supplier of lithium-ion batteries competing with Sony (6758.T) and Panasonic. It is also the seventh-largest solar cell producer behind such rivals as Germany’s Q-Cells QCEG.DE and Japan’s Sharp (6753.T).
Sanyo President Seiichiro Sano told Reuters last month the three major shareholders were unlikely to sell their stakes in it by March 2011 despite the global financial crisis.
Writing by Nathan Layne and Kiyoshi Takenaka; Editing by Kim Coghill


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Patrick T. Fallon | Bloomberg | Getty Visuals
You will find a perception of urgency and disaster at Ford Motor that is reminiscent of the automaker’s around-bankruptcy for the duration of the Great Recession, in accordance to its incoming chief running officer.
“Absolutely everyone at Ford Motor Co. appreciates the circumstance we’re in,” Jim Farley, a 13-12 months veteran of the organization, informed investors Wednesday at a Wolfe Investigation conference in New York. “I can see it on the facial area of my colleagues and it will take me again to about 10 several years in the past.”
Placing a optimistic spin on it, Farley claimed this kind of scenarios are when the corporation operates at its very best with decisive steps and designs, which he will guide together with CEO and President Jim Hackett.
Farley’s comments adhere to Ford stock closing Tuesday at $7.23 for every share – the least expensive closing price tag considering that 2009. Shares in pre-market place trading ended up up about 1.4% to a lot more than $7.30.
Ford, according to Farley, who results in being COO efficient March 1, strategies to speed up a “double transformation” aimed at restructuring the company’s classic automotive operations although moving into rising segments these kinds of as electric and autonomous motor vehicles.
“We have to deal with a range of issues,” he claimed, citing delayed launches and the company’s new $5 billion in costs to include warranties. “Our guarantee expending is a significant option for us.” He said the business has a plan to deal with the prices without having citing certain illustrations.
Ford, which has been criticized for its deficiency of transparency, will supply a “concrete approach” with benchmarks, in accordance to Farley. He did not disclose a timeframe for the system. The firm is at present in the midst of an $11 billion world-wide restructuring by means of the early-2020s.
Section of people accelerated plans, Farley said, will be on expanding the firm’s world fleet enterprise and information analytics. He also observed creating customer loyalty with improved related cars and new systems, citing Tesla as a key instance.
“We have to accelerate the sense of urgency,” he stated. “I assume it is there for pure causes due to the fact of the stock price, our economic overall performance, the personnel moves we’ve manufactured … but it can be not sufficient.”
Ford before this thirty day period reported a $1.67 billion decline during the fourth quarter and skipped Wall Road earnings anticipations on increased pension contributions and increased North American guarantee and labor prices. It is projected 2020 earnings of amongst 94 cents and $1.20 a share, or altered earnings before interest and taxes of $5.6 billion and $6.6 billion, also unhappy traders.


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Ant Financial company within the framework of a public company Alibaba (China), announced about the final stage of the USA financial company asset acquisition procedures MoneyGram International, specializing in international trade transactions online, as reported Inventure.
The Chinese side intends to complete the transaction in the third or fourth quarters of 2017, after the approval and adoption of the key conditions for the operation guidance of the American company. The transaction amount is estimated at $ 880 million.
In turn, in the statement of representatives of the Chinese companies emphasized that they will “provide consumers in more than 200 countries with convenient and affordable financial services in line with its main task – to ensure equal access to financial services around the world”.
MoneyGram is an American company, with office located in Dallas, Texas. It provides services of international money transmissions. Owns more than 300 thousand points of currency transmissions in more than 195 countries around the world.
On the shores of the Black Sea, Radisson Hotel City Centre Odesa opens as Radisson Hotel Group’s 7th hotel in Ukraine in operation and under development. With an excellent location on the famous Derybasivska Street, Radisson Hotel City Centre Odesa unlocks the cosmopolitan city of Odesa, full of architectural styles, international cuisines and beautiful Black […]
It may take Nvidia twice as long to get approval for its deal to buy Britain’s largest technology company, Arm Holdings, which is owned by Japanese financial conglomerate SoftBank Group. After the companies announced a $ 40 billion deal last September, the first hurdle was a class action lawsuit from Google, Qualcomm and Microsoft, which […]
The American company Tesla demonstrated on Thursday in Fremont (California) its new electric car Model S Plaid. The presentation, led by Tesla Chairman Elon Musk, was broadcast on the company’s website. According to the businessman, critics have previously pointed out that the updated version of the Model S car will be “insanely fast”, and expressed […]
The American pharmaceutical company Pfizer may apply for permission to use its oral drug for the treatment of COVID-19, at the end of this year. This was announced on Thursday by the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Pfizer Albert Burla. “In addition, our scientists are developing an oral drug to treat […]
The downturn in Ukraine’s economy in the first four months of 2021 slowed to 0.2%, according to a preliminary estimate by the Ministry of Economy. “The Ministry of Economy estimates a slight reduction in GDP at 0.2% (down 2% in the first quarter of 2021 by 4.9% over the four months of 2020),” the statement […]
During a visit to Washington, the head of Naftogaz Yuri Vitrenko commented on searches of the company in the case of non-payment of VAT for 2.7 billion hryvnias for Russian gas. “On the one hand, the State Fiscal Service constantly checks Naftogaz. That is, there is nothing surprising in the fact that there is another […]
The American division of the automaker Volkswagen AG reported a data leak, which affected more than 3.3 million customers and potential buyers in North America. Reuters with reference to the Volkswagen Group of America reported this. “The leak occurred after one of the company’s suppliers in the period between August 2019 and May 2021 left […]
El Salvador was the first in the world to legalize bitcoin as an official means of payment. Such a law was passed by the country’s parliament. 62 parliamentarians supported the bill, 19 voted against, and three abstained. President Nayib Bukele intends to sign the law soon, after which it will take effect “immediately”. Thus, accepting […]
According to financial club, Oschasbank agreed with the credit debt of JSC Avangard-Agro (AG) restructuration. The owner of AG is Oleh Bahmatiuk. It was published in the holding quarterly status report in London exchange. According to documents, the amount of debt will be converted in Ukrainian gryvnia by the rate of 25,65 UAH per 1 […]Next
Ukrainian company SkyUp Airlines opens new foreign routes departing from Kyiv, Lviv and Kharkiv. On Tuesdays and Fridays flights are scheduled from Kiev to Belgrade and Stockholm, on Thursdays and Sundays in Bratislava, on Wednesdays and Sundays in Amman, on Mondays and Thursdays in Colombo, on Wednesdays and Saturdays in Dubai. From Lviv on Wednesdays […]Next
The most important question about the hryvnia rate is: “How to react to its fluctuations?” No one doubts that they will necessarily take place, and they will be essential. Negative expectations cause the imbalance in buying and selling the currency, due to this, the hryvnia exchange rate is really decreasing. However, skilled players manage not […]Next
Ukrainian IT company the Archer Software has announced an agreement with the American company Cprime. This was reported on the company’s website. The amount of the deal is not disclosed, but the publication Ain says, “According to experts, 100% of the company could be valued at 5-8 million dollars.” But the transaction amount may vary […]Next
Due to the elimination of corruption patterns in the energy sector, the State Treasury has saved 140 billion UAH. On this figure notified the head of the government of Ukraine Volodymyr Hroisman in an interview to the national news agency Ukrinform. According to the Prime Minister the compensations for Naftohaz and LMKP Teplokommunenergo were hundreds […]Next
Closing a topic of legal relations registration niceties with the builder, we have approached to the last which LDaily so-called as a”scheme” of investment attraction. It is apartment purchase through securities. This method deserves a special attention because it is simple, reliable and becomes more and more popular. Therefore builders practice the conclusion thicket and […]Next
The Kyiv shipyard Kuznya na Rybalskomu (Ukrainian: “Кузня на Рибальському”) has returned to the state budget more than 300 million UAH, which the Ministry of Finance had previously paid on the company’s debts. It is noted that in 2017 the government provided state guarantees for a plant loan from Ukreximbank. The credit line allowed to […]Next
S&P Investment Risk Management Agency launched a legal portal Lawyer.ua 5 years ago. It was designed as an innovative online-platform for lawyers’ communication and for all who needed legal assistance. Experts now can effectively provide legal services in personal online-cabinets while clients can get qualified legal assistance promptly. Today, Lawyer.ua has grown into a large-scale […]Next
Apple has given to CEO Tim Cook two options which can be converted into approximately 1 million shares of the company under certain conditions. This follows from the documents submitted by the corporation in the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of the USA. The first option is 333,987 shares with the restrictions, which the head […]Next
In the structure of total turnover in 2015 was dominated transshipment of grain crops – 55.3% (2.32 million tons). Total the terminal transshipped 4.2 million tons. Marine Terminal “Nika-Tera” handled 236 ships in 2015, overloaded 4.2 million tons of cargo, – reported AgroTimes. “The volume that we had planned to port transshipment in 2015, carried […]Next
Shares of Peloton, which rose nearly 346% since the beginning of the year, rose 2% during trading on Friday after the company published the results of the first quarter of fiscal 2021, which ended September 30. Peloton, which went public a little over a year ago, reported earnings per share for the second quarter in […]Next
Last week, Berkshire Hathaway has submitted a report form 13F to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for the second quarter of 2020, by providing an updated information about its portfolio of shares for publicly traded companies. The portfolio of one of the most famous in the world of investment companies headed by Chairman and […]Next
For the first time, the National Bank has identified a list of critical infrastructure facilities in the banking system of Ukraine. This was reported on the regulator’s website on Friday, April 23. It is noted that such powers of the NBU are provided by the Law on Basic Principles of Cyber Security of Ukraine. “Objects […]Next
The most popular fashion brand Gucci will donate about $ 500,000 for the purchase and distribution of a new type of coronavirus vaccine among vulnerable people around the world. It is noted that the funds will be transferred to UNICEF, which supports the WHO initiative on mass vaccination COVAX and the GAVI group. “Global equitable […]Next
KSG Agro has received permission to export pork to Georgia. The first shipment is scheduled for June. “Pig-breeding business of KSG Agro has successfully passed the test of the National Food Agency of the Ministry of Agriculture of Georgia and received permission for the supply of pork to the country”, – said in a statement […]Next
The American information technology giant of Microsoft intends to buy the creator and developer of games ZeniMax Media for $ 7.5 billion. “On Monday, Microsoft announced plans to acquire ZeniMax Media, parent company for Bethesda Softworks, one of the world’s largest private developers and game publishers … Under the terms of the agreement, Microsoft will […]Next


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REDLANDS – At any given time, John Allen could be in Redlands, China or India.
Allen, who has lived in the area 20 years and in Redlands the last 10, started JDA Global LLC in January, and is filling his Redlands warehouse with parts for pumps his company specializes in.
“Paint, ink, dye, glue – all that is moved through a pump, all your textiles are moved through a pump,” said Allen, who has worked in the pump business since 1982.
Allen has traveled extensively in the last 25 years, most recently in India and China, and done business in 60 countries. He worked in Mexico and Houston and at Wilden Pump in Grand Terrace, where he served as international director and then president.
He said he wanted to work in international business since taking Spanish in high school. He got a degree in international affairs from Ohio University, where he chaired the International Student Commission, and a master’s degree in international management from Thunderbird School of Global Management.
“It’s like it was preordained,” said Allen, who is fluent in Spanish. “I enjoy the cultural side of it, languages.”
Besides working in the pump business, Allen served as a delegate with then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger during the California Trade Missions to China in 2005 and Mexico in 2006.
JDA Global, which currently has four employees in Redlands, has the potential to double or triple in the next year or two, Allen said.
“We are on target, on budget,” he said.
JDA’s Redlands warehouse distributes metal, plastic and rubber parts for diaphragm pumps, which transfer “anything that flows,” Allen said. JDA is an “aftermarket” business, “in that we make parts for all other diaphragm pumps,” Allen said.
“When you buy a windshield wiper you don’t go to the dealer, you go to NAPA and get it for less,” he said.
JDA was started as a pump holding company “destined to create startup pump companies and/or acquire small to midsize pump manufacturers” and serve as “`chief globalization officer”‘ and consultant connecting United States distributors to Asian pump manufacturers, according to the company.
Most of the materials are manufactured in Asia, including at JDA’s facility in Shanghai, and pumps are made by a joint venture partner in India, he said. They are shipped to the Redlands warehouse, a new facility which has never been occupied before, Allen said.
He opened JDA in Redlands because he wanted to work close to where he lived.
“I like living here, so I like to be close to the office for traffic reasons,” he said.
He and his family moved to the inland city primarily for the schools, he said.
Next year, he said, JDA’s shelves should be full and the offices built out.
“Orders are coming in, we’re prospering,” he said.
Allen is an advisory council member of Business for Diplomatic Action, a group that works to enhance America’s image abroad.
JDA Global LLC
1351 Park Ave., Unit 104, Redlands


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August 17, 2016
Single purpose API
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API aggregation service SumAll has released a new GitHub API integration allowing businesses to track team productivity and better monitor the full bug tracking development lifecycle. The new integration is a clear example of the value that aggregating various APIs into one visual data layer can bring to the enterprise and to small business.
As part of a concerted effort to make the SAP HANA in-memory computing platform more appealing to developers, SAP this week announced a more modular approach to exposing SAP HANA services in the cloud. SAP is also moving to open an application store for SAP HANA applications offered by both SAP and third-party developers.
MediaMath opened up access to an exclusive Facebook API. We interviewed Wilfried Schobeiri, MediaMath's senior VP of technology, to get additional details on the big news.


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The yen’s recent depreciation sparked public complaints from South Korea’s leaders, who feared losing export business as Japanese goods became less expensive in overseas markets.
A new paper from the International Monetary Fund argues South Korea need not have worried.
The paper also contends that most of the gains South Korean exporters made during a period of won currency weakness between 2008 and 2012, especially compared to the yen, didn’t deliver a major blow to Japanese exporters.
The paper is interesting as the specter of beggar-thy-neighbor currency wars hangs again over Asia. China’s government continues to guide the yuan lower and Japan is preparing for another monetary stimulus to weaken the yen.


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Home Tags Amp
An SDG 17 Partnership, for Climate-Friendly Travel, was announced on December 14 at COP 24 in Katowice, Poland.
India’s hotel chain OYO believes claims made by the Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) are invalid.
Fresh off its coronation as the 2018 World’s Leading Honeymoon Destination, Saint Lucia has been nominated for four new tourism industry awards.
Uniglobe Travel International has awarded 2019 UNIGLOBE Chairman’s Circle status to 23 Travel Management Companies
Opponents and those competing with Airbnb are hotels, resorts, and community activists. Are these opponents now in the business of producing fake news, fake...
The appointment at SIGEP 2019 already has the participation of over 20 countries scheduled
The Annual General Meeting of the World Travel & Tourism Council, India Initiative (WTTCII) was held on December 11, 2018 at New Delhi.
Destinations: The Holiday & Travel Show will celebrate its 26th year in London and 8th year in Manchester next year and is free to attend for travel professionals.
Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, (seen third right in the photo) officially cut the ribbon to open the newly-renovated Bijoux Kingston
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is set to increase its footprint in Dubai with three new managed hotels as part of the Deira Waterfront Development by Ithra Dubai, a wholly owned subsidiary of Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD). The hotels will operate under the Wyndham, Days by Wyndham, and Super 8 by Wyndham brands.
UIC, the worldwide railway organization, organised the 4th edition of the UIC Digital Conference on 6 December in front of over 100 attendees. Mr Jean-Pierre LOUBINOUX, UIC Director General, underlined how digital could support the development of mobility. Mr Bjorn WESTERBERG, CEO of the Association of Swedish Train Operating Companies ASTOC (Sweden), delivered a keynote speech focusing on the impact of AI on maintenance processes.
Google about Uganda and only the bad things will appear, every bad thing about Uganda appears on the net and we only hear about Lake Victoria when there is a tragedy.
Once again, the Seychellois hospitality is fêted as seven establishments in Seychelles have been recognized for their excellence in the tourism industry at the Annual World Luxury Hotel Awards Gala Ceremony.
Hawaii Tourism Authority is finalizing a new leadership for the Hawaii Travel and Tourism Industry. The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) announced the appointments of two key executive leaders today, naming Keith Regan as chief administrative officer and Karen Hughes as vice president of marketing and product development. Both will begin work on December 17.
As 2018 draws to a close, Malta will celebrate the culmination of a year of festivities honoring Valletta, a 2018 European Capital of Culture,...
A massive database breach was reported by Marriott Hotels and Resorts at their Starwood brand on November 30. In the meantime, Marriott Security procedures had been in the global spotlight resulting in various legal and criminal actions taken by authorities around the world against the largest hotel chain in the world. A PR nightmare has been unfolding for Marriott resulting in making the brand speechless in avoiding responses to the media.
Active shooter incidents used to be rare events. People are now realizing there is a higher potential for being involved in one as the frequency of these events increases. According to a 2018 FBI report, twenty-one states around the country, from California to Maryland, saw active shooter incidents in the two-year period from 2016 to 2017, ten more than in the previous two-year perio
Introduces unique culinary tours in India crafted by hand-picked food experts
International Civil Aviation Day is to help generate and reinforce worldwide awareness of the importance of international civil aviation towards the social and economic development.
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Spelunker Party, also known as Minna De WaiWai! Spelunker in Japan, is officially heading to the west.
Square-Enix will be publishing Spelunker Party on Nintendo Switch. It will be released on the Nintendo eShop on October 19, 2017 for USD29.99. Unfortunately, unlike the Japanese release, there won’t be a physical launch for the game. A free demo will be available from October 7.
Check out a trailer for the game below.
Following the story of Spelunkette and her friends, explorers can adventure solo or with up to four players in local and online multiplayer mode, avoiding dangerous pitfalls, boulders and wicked creations. In multiplayer mode, players can also join together to access new areas and revive teammates. With over 100 thrilling stages to challenge, players will discover Litho-stones hidden throughout each map to unlock new items, equipment and faithful pets to customize their characters and aid in cave exploration.


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It's 2050 and the world revolves around you. From the contents of your fridge to room temperature—digital assistants ensure your home runs smoothly. Your screens know your taste and show channels you want to see as you ...
Picture a virtual assistant that helps find directions, schedules appointments or plays music, and the soothing yet robotic sound of a female voice likely comes to mind.
"Siri, will it rain today?", "Facebook, tag my friend in this photo." These are just two examples of the incredible things that we ask computers to do for us. But, have you ever asked yourself how computers know how to do ...
Samsung Electronics is joining the race to create the smartest digital assistant by acquiring Viv, a Silicon Valley startup launched by the same entrepreneurs who sold Siri to Apple.
Apple announced Monday that it is bringing Siri, its intelligent assistant technology, to its Mac line of computers as part of an update to the Mac operating system.
Apple said Monday it was opening up its Siri digital assistant to outside applications, stepping up its artificial intelligence efforts to compete against rival services from Amazon, Google and Microsoft.
Apple kicked off its annual software developer conference with an artificial intelligence upgrade for Siri, its digital assistant, as well as new software features for other devices and an overhaul of its music service.
Apple's Siri made a big splash when the wisecracking digital assistant debuted on the iPhone five years ago. But as other tech giants jockey to build intelligent "chat bots" and voice-controlled home systems capable of more ...
I'm becoming more and more convinced that voice control is going to be the future of home automation.
Cortana's learning the neighborhood. Google's digital assistant can't tell a joke. And Siri apparently has a thing for the metric system.


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Apple announced today that Apple Pay will be coming to mass transit systems in major US cities later this year. Portland, Chicago and New York City will be the first to support the payment service, which will allow passengers to quickly pay fares with their phone.
Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/2019/03/25/apple-pay-public-transit-us-portland-chicago-nyc/


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NEW YORK (WABC) -- The holiday season is officially underway and 7 On Your Side has the tips to save money, get discount deals on hot gifts and avoid scams.
Despite rising inflation, Americans are not getting Grinched out of celebrating in 2022.
In fact, the National Retail Federation estimates families will spend an average of $832 -- most of it during the five-day shopping marathon between Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Check out the topics we're covering to help save you money:
Instead of a sprint to snag sales on Black Friday, holiday shopping is now more of an entire season.
Experts warn not to wait for Christmas to make your holiday purchases, because by then the products will be sold out and not discounted at all.
If you are paying full price, especially during the holidays, you haven't done your research -- but we have a special guest who has done the work for you.
Ignacia Fulcher, senior editor at Wirecutter, and her team drilled down on tens of thousands of deals to find the very best ones.
TIPS TO SAVE
Before you shop, go to your favorite stores or brands on social media and hit the like or follow button. Usually within a few hours you will get a little gift in your inbox in the form of a coupon or promo code.
7 On Your Side has more tricks to uncover some saving secrets.
SPOTTING SWINDLES AND SCAMS
Gift cards have been the most popular holiday gift for 16 years running, but con artists also love them.
The FTC says last year $233 million was lost in gift card scams alone, but that's just a drop in the bucket when you consider $6.9 billion was stolen in cyber scams.
Thieves are getting savvier every second, but we have tips on how to stay ahead of the hackers.
Small Business Saturday is a day when shoppers are encouraged to shop locally at mom and pop shops.
And is has worked -- American Express projects sales for Small Business Saturday to hit a record $23.3 billion, with more consumers shopping on Saturday than Black Friday.
We'll highlight some small businesses where the special day is much appreciated.
After Turkey Day, Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday comes Giving Tuesday.
What better place to give this holiday season than to a reputable nonprofit? If you are in a position to be generous, think first about donating locally where your dollars can improve the lives of children and families in your area.
But before you donate, check out Charity Navigator as a resource to check ratings. And you don't have to donate money, you can also volunteer your time.
SHARE YOUR STORY
Do you have an issue with a company that you haven't been able to resolve? If so, 7 On Your Side wants to help you!
Fill out the form below or email your questions, issues, or story ideas by filling out the form below or by emailing firstname.lastname@example.org. All emails MUST INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND CELLPHONE NUMBER. Without a phone number, 7 On Your Side will not be able to respond.


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The cumin market is currently receiving pressure from various sides. On the one hand, market players are expecting higher arrivals, so that a lot of goods should be available in the coming days. This fact, combined with low demand and hardly any purchases, is causing prices to fall. This, in turn, means that farmers, who have so far held back their stocks in the hope of price increases, are still not prepared to sell at the current low prices. There is also little demand from the export side; only China is showing some buying interest, but this cannot support the market sufficiently. Grade A cumin currently costs USD 1,885 per metric tonne, and the trend is downward.
Traders report few purchase enquiries and a lot of available supplies, which has already led to price reductions. Some export demand is supporting the market, but how long this will continue remains uncertain. Domestic demand is currently very weak, partly due to the ongoing Ramadan and partly due to a sudden increase in the number of Covid-19 infected people in the Indian southern states around Tamil Nadu. Coriander, Eagle, 5% split is at USD 800 per metric tonne this week.
The recession on the turmeric market continues. Producers are having problems because many workers are unable to work due to the corona pandemic and the measures imposed as a result. Exports are also proving more difficult than usual. While many turmeric purchases are usually made in the period from March to June, everything looks different this year due to the pandemic. The harvest in Nizamabad and Duggirala is almost complete, so that the arrivals at the markets will increase soon. Demand from traders remains weak, so prices have declined slightly. Turmeric, salem, double polished is currently at USD 870 per metric tonne and thus USD 5 per metric tonne below last week's price.
Although demand remains quite weak, chili prices are holding steady. Even though the rules have been eased during what is now the fourth lockdown extension in India, buyers are still hesitant. Traders expect prices to decline in the coming days. Currently, chilli, S4, stemless are trading at USD 2,150 per metric tonne.
No auctions have been held on the cardamom market since 19 March, and both domestic demand and demand from abroad remains weak, largely due to the ongoing lockdown. Market players do not expect any major changes in this regard in the coming days. The price of cardamom, 8 mm has dropped noticeably and is currently at USD 43,890 per metric tonne, which represents a price reduction of USD 2,005 per metric tonne compared to last week.
Despite low demand, prices currently remain at a stable level. Market players are pinning their hopes on the coming days, as the rules of the lockdown in Karnataka are to be relaxed and the market may pick up again somewhat. Currently, black pepper, 500 GL is trading at USD 4,860 per metric tonne.


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RURAL customers will be able to see whether they are paying over the odds for parcel delivery, and avoid traders profiting through unfair means, once new measures announced on Monday are implemented.
The Scottish Government’s Fairer Deliveries For All plan is intended to make the market more transparent and is centred around the use of a website where customers can share experiences and get an idea of what charges should be in their area.
Shetland MSP Tavish Scott welcomed the news and said that government ministers also had a role to play in tackling the “exorbitant” delivery charges the islands are facing.
He said: “Any activity that helps people to make a comparison [on deliveries] is useful and I think government ministers can use their influence and ought to speak directly to commercial businesses and press on them the need to reduce delivery charges and in many case eliminate them.”
Launched on Scotland’s first ever Fair Delivery Day, which coincided with the so-called Cyber Monday (26 November), the plan has eight actions to help rural communities and businesses understand their rights when it comes to parcel delivery, including:
A crowdsourcing website where customer experiences of unfair deliveries can be shared.
Developing a fair delivery charges map where consumers will be able to compare and track delivery costs.
Improving the accuracy of postcode classification tools by the end of 2019, to stop accessible locations being mistakenly categorised as rural or remote.
The action plan follows on from a roundtable event held by the Scottish Government in June which was attended by parcel delivery companies, businesses, consumer groups and regulatory bodies.
Scottish business minister Jamie Hepburn said: “Unfair delivery practices are not only frustrating and discriminatory for consumers, they are a barrier to small businesses operating in rural and remote areas.
“This action plan…will empower online shoppers to recognise and act upon unfair or misleading delivery costs.
“We will also continue to call on the UK Government to take action as only they have the power to regulate parcel deliveries.”
The scheme was also praised by Citizens Advice Scotland chief executive Derek Mitchell, who said: “Citizens Advice Bureaux from across our network along with our partners, including Trading Standards have been raising issues around parcel delivery charges for a number of years and they have played a vital role in lobbying for positive change for people affected by unfair surcharging, most often in rural communities.”


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There are big phone bills, huge phone bills and insane phone bills. And a lot us have possibly faced one of those, at least once every few years. But check this out; Solenne San Jose, a woman from the Bordeaux region of France, received an utterly insane one, which gave her the shock of her life.
After an early termination of her contract with the phone company Bouygues Telecom, San Jose was told that she would have to pay a cancellation fee and that the exact amount would be sent in a final bill to her residence. The bill she received was for a mind-blowing €11,721,000,000,000,000, which works out to around $15 quadrillion!!!! That amount works out to more than 200 times the GDP of France, and would be enough to wipe out the EU debt crisis multiple times over!! Hell, it would probably make the entire world debt-free!
As you may have guessed by now, this unbelievable amount was generated due to an error by the carrier, and after some frantic phone calls by San Jose, the company finally conceded that that the bill should actually add up to €117.21. The carrier also gave a statement that the mix-up resulted due to a printing error.
Phewww!!! If you have set up an auto-debit with your bank or on your credit card for your phone bill payments, you better think twice.


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The sale is raising questions about whether Teck Resources is laying the groundwork to pivot away from its smelting business to focus on other businesses elsewhere
Centerra's woes have caught the attention of a Bank of Montreal analyst, Andrew Breichmanas, who reduced the target price for the stock by a buck to $9.50, still far above ...
SASKATOON — Shares of Nutrien Ltd., the company created by the merger of Agrium Inc. and Potash Corp.
Commodity prices and interest in copper, lithium and cobalt driven by the potential for electric vehicles will likely influence IPOs this year: PwC
In the global rush to supply the electric-car revolution, lithium hot spot Argentina is grappling with a shortage of talent
Canadian mining magnate Rob McEwen says the price of gold has bottomed out at $1,280 an ounce
Three Glencore executives stepped down as directors of its copper and cobalt unit, Katanga Mining, after an internal review found ‘material weaknesses’ in financial reporting controls
Zinc's raw materials shortfall has made it all the way down the supply chain to the refined metal market, tightness will be here for a while
'I am disappointed that the Art of De Grisogono didn't sell for a more dazzling price,' said a jeweler. 'This is a worrying sign'
Under the watch of COO Richard Williams, a former SAS commanding officer, Barrick has approached every spend with military precision →
The uranium miner says it now expects to produce 24.0 million pounds this year, down from an earlier forecast for 25.2 million pounds
The settlement with Tanzania comes at a time of rising so-called "resource nationalism," notably in countries such as Indonesia and Tanzania, in which host governments seek a bigger financial cut ...
The east African country had banned the export of unprocessed minerals and enacted new laws to raise state ownership of the nation's mines


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Anyone else convinced that no one really knows what a social networking site is?
Among social-networking sites, Hitwise said, MySpace accounted for 80 percent of all visits, well ahead of second-place Facebook, at 7.6 percent.
YouTube overtakes MySpace:
The video sharing site has taken a 3.9% share of global internet visits a day compared with 3.35% for MySpace, according to internet analysis company Alexa.
I definitely think of YouTube as a social networking site.


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With the long awaited unveiling of the Apple Watch, we’re now finally witnessing the second coming of wearable tech.
Tech Talk – Zeid Nasser
As you would expect from such an exacting and detail-obsessed company, it was a long time before Apple felt it was ready to finally reveal its smartwatch to the world. But the Cupertino-based giant is convinced the device’s lengthy gestation was needed to overcome all the main obstacles that have been preventing the wearable tech segment from really taking off.
Last year, at the time of Samsung’s Galaxy Gear launch, I wrote that battery life will be the single most important factor for the success of smart watches. Other factors have emerged since, including limited stand-alone functionality as an obstacle and, most obviously, that smart watches need to be fashionable items that appeal to a broad range of consumers. This point in particular has been addressed, as Apple Watch is available with six different wristbands in various styles and colors of leather and metal. Three lines have been announced; regular, ‘sport,’ and ‘edition’; plus it comes in two sizes. It will retail from $350 when it hits stores early next year. As for battery life, Apple didn’t go into too much detail at its prelaunch event, but promised it would be satisfactory.
So it seems Apple has watched the first wave of smart watches closely and has been working on solving these issues that have long dogged wearable tech.
One of the Apple Watch’s most interesting features is its Digital Crown, which runs against the trend for touchscreen-only devices. Using the rotary dial, you can spin it to zoom in and out of content displayed on screen, or to work your way through various buttons on menus. You tap it to return to the home screen. There’s also a button under the dial to bring up the database of contacts.
Apple was apparently considering removing the watch’s rotary dial control entirely, but its voice-command technology, Siri, couldn’t reliably understand and execute all spoken commands. So here we have an input replacement technology for the future that harks back to the past.
Regarding functionality with iPhones, it’s clear Apple wants the devices to work together. However, the main aim is to take convenience to a whole new level. Certain types of apps could work better on a watch including time-keeping, scheduling, health trackers, and music players. More apps could find their ideal home on watches, such as weather apps, chatting, and messaging.
But while many of us can see the benefit of having a multifunction smart device strapped to our wrist, as opposed to having it tucked away in our pocket, skepticism over the value of wearable tech remains. Before Apple revealed its watch to the world, the company’s cofounder, Steve Wozniak, slammed wearables as showy smartphone accessories. This was probably due to the unconvincing products he had used up until then. But he might change his mind if the value of his shares in Apple shoots up if the Apple Watch proves to be a hit.
Interest in other major releases in wearable technology, such as Google Glass, seems to have cooled. Google hasn’t yet announced sales figures for its Glass since it went on sale this summer for around $1,500, but it seems even Google still thinks the market isn’t mature enough for this type of product to take-off and sell in substantial quantities. There are no signs that Apple or Samsung are looking into smart glasses either. But smart watches are different. It’s generally agreed that a smart device on your wrist is the next realistic product to be widely adopted by consumers in personal technology.
The best products just work, that’s how they become category defining and sell in big numbers. That’s what the iPod, iTunes, iPhone, and iPad have all done. If the Apple Watch works in the same way, it will at least be as successful as previous Apple products, even without the dropped ‘i’ prefix.
If the upheaval Apple caused in the mobile phone, music, and PC industries is to be repeated, then watch makers ranging from Rolex to Swatch should be seriously worried. Perhaps this is another opportunity for Google’s Android to round-up an alliance of the anti-Apple giants of the watch industry?