text:
Windsor Marketing Group Launches Hiring Initiative To "Salute" Nation's Military Veterans
Nov 12, 2016
SUFFIELD, Conn., Nov. 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Windsor Marketing Group (WMG), a leading producer of in-store marketing solutions for many of the world's premier retailers, today launched a hiring initiative called "Salute" with a goal of hiring at least a dozen military veterans over the next 12 months. Almost nine percent of WMG's current workforce is made up of military veterans and CEO Kevin Armata said there are many reasons for launching this program.
"Veterans sacrifice some of the best years of their lives in service to our country and protecting our freedoms, yet it is no secret that many have had trouble finding employment as they make the transition back to the civilian workforce," Armata said. "This is a way for us to do our part in helping make that transition easier. In addition, because of their training, military veterans have a unique sense of discipline, organization, teamwork and personal initiative that make them incredibly valuable employees."
Armata said that the hiring initiative will not focus on any specific positions or expertise, but will be "across the board" in terms of the job skills being sought.
The "Salute" program is just the latest initiative for the Connecticut-based business with a long record of demonstrated social responsibility. WMG has been recognized for a variety of environmental and conservation friendly policies and programs, including the recent expansion of its 250,000 square foot deep-green corporate headquarters and manufacturing facility.
During the recession of 2008, WMG was able to avoid layoffs of up to 20 percent of its workforce by re-purposing employees into construction and other projects, an effort detailed in the best-selling business book "Conscious Capitalism" by John Mackey.
"We pride ourselves in doing things right in business," Armata said. "And that includes showing our support of those who have served on the front lines to make sure that we are all able to continue pursuing the American Dream. Now it is their turn to pursue that dream."
As part of the program's launch, WMG is honoring its veteran employees this Veterans Day with a special luncheon, hosted by Armata and other executives.
About Windsor Marketing Group
Windsor Marketing Group helps retailers increase sales by developing, manufacturing and distributing in-store marketing programs that captivate shoppers and inspire them to buy. The company is committed to enhancing the shopping experience, increasing basket sizes, and stimulating impulse purchases. Since 1976, the company has grown to over 185 associates serving more than 3000 clients from some of the most respected retail chains in the U.S. For more information, please visit www.windsormarketing.com.


text:
iPhone 4S Launch Propels Sprint to Best Sales Day Ever
We already knew that sales of the next-generation iPhone were going to be massive. On day one, there were over a million pre-orders. Then, yesterday, the iPhone 4S sold out online at AT&T, Sprint and Verizon.
So today figured to be a huge day for Apple and carriers around the world playing host to the iPhone 4S.
Well, at least one carrier wants the world to know just how well its doing and that carrier is Sprint, who is the only U.S. carrier who is playing host to the iPhone for the first time.
Sprint just announced that the iPhone 4S has helped propel the company to its biggest sales day of all time. While it didn’t release any official sales numbers, it did release a statement from Sprint product chief Fared Adib.
Sprint today reported its best ever day of sales in retail, web and telesales for a device family in Sprint history with the launch of iPhone 4S and iPhone 4. We reached this milestone at approximately noon CT/1pm ET. The response to this device by current and new customers has surpassed our expectations and validates our customers’ desire for a truly unlimited data pricing plan.
Certainly, that would be great news for any carrier but it is for Sprint in particular because the company has essentially bet the house on the iPhone.
10/14/2011 at 2:27 pm
Awesome i get mine today
10/15/2011 at 3:51 am
iphone is GAY!
10/15/2011 at 11:21 am
iPhone 4S rocks…

domain: news


text:
The latest news from the Bloomberg release of this Windows operating system will be done next October.
Bloomberg prediction is likely correct because some vendors have started to design the hardware to support the presence of this operating system. Lenovo will release tablet windows 8 at October, as well as HP is also preparing a device that will carry windows 8 in it
Although these predictions are certainly the strongest, but the schedule is known only by Microsoft. They just want to mention Windows 8 will be released in the fourth quarter-2012.
In the las February 2012, Microsoft has released a trial version of windows 8 which can be used free of charge by the public. Although the consumer version of Windows 8 preview is not the full capability but many argue that windows 8 are able to compete with its rivals.
For Windows 8, Microsoft will continue to hold Intel and ARM in the availability of the chip. Especially for ARM-based chip architecture chosen Microsoft for use on the tablet.
With Windows 8 on the tablet, Microsoft wants to show the operating system they are ready to compete with Android and iPad tablet.
However, a source said at the launch of the inaugural day, there are only five ARM-based devices are prepared, compared with about 40 devices Intel-based Windows 8.


text:
A few years back when big media companies were snatching up web startups for exorbitant prices, old-fashioned concepts like corporate synergy were not a priority. Many acquisitions came with promises to leave startup’s brands, products and leadership alone. I wrote a story on the topic that focused on CBS (s CBS) buying Last.fm and News Corp. (s NWS) buying Photobucket.
Acquirers, despite their enormous and asymmetrical audience, money, and power compared to their purchases, seem like awkward first-time parents afraid of hurting a baby. They are more than conscious of their status as old farts swooping in and quickly turning cool to lame.
The idea at the time was that online “community” was something big companies just didn’t get. “We have to keep the communities, otherwise what is the point,” CBS Interactive’s Quincy Smith told us. “Photobucket is going to be left alone, because it is doing what it is doing,” said News Corp.’s Peter Chernin.
The strategy didn’t quite work, with Last.fm and Photobucket’s leadership now departed, not to mention Smith and Chernin as well. And today, MySpace announced that it’s getting rid of Photobucket entirely for what’s surely less than the $250 million plus a $50 million earnout it gave the company in 2007. The deal, which had been scooped by TechCrunch a couple months ago, merges Photobucket with camera phone software maker Ontela. News Corp. maintains a significant equity stake in the merged company, to be called Photobucket, and puts its digital head, Jon Miller, as a director.
That’s not to say all web community sites left alone don’t grow; for instance, Google’s (s GOOG) YouTube and Yahoo’s (s YHOO) Flickr are doing quite all right. But it’s true that neither acquirer was a media company.


text:
Didn think we would ever get it back
cheap canada goose We have to prepare. The only thing that the industry can do to protect themselves is to try and anticipate where we can have shortages and try and compensate for the level of uncertainty we’re operating in right now,” IHS Automotive analyst Rebecca Lindland said.Lindland said nearly Canada Goose Sale every automaker is affected.”I think everyone is approaching it very strategically and doing what they canada goose sale need to do for their specific situation. We could see similar strategies,” she said.Toyota, the world’s biggest automaker, told dealers an assessment of inventory and the status of suppliers following the disaster prompted action to ensure enough components for the North American market.”Damage canada goose outlet https://www.canadagoosejacketsoutsale.com Cheap Canada Goose sustained by certain Japanese parts suppliers will interrupt their normal production,” Toyota said in a statement that also noted current inventories are adequate.However, Toyota told dealers it has placed 233 parts out of 300,000 less than 1 percent on so called controlled allocation in order to “maximize future availability.”A memo sent to Toyota and Lexus dealers on Tuesday and obtained by Reuters said Toyota’s supply chain is currently “absorbing fluctuations” in shipments, using existing stock.A separate memo to dealers identified key parts in question, including steering wheel covers, shock absorbers, door fixtures, seals, airbag sensor components, mudguards and certain moulding.Toyota and Lexus dealers must now fill out special order release forms for those parts and they must be earmarked https://www.canadagoosejacketsoutsale.com/ for a specific customer vehicle. cheap canada goose
Canada Goose Outlet Sale Is a very corrupt country. I think they actually keeping him in jail for his own safety, the friend added. Want it to seem like it a Canadian or American problem rather than a Belizean one. Thought it was going to be an every year thing but I didn see it again, he said. Didn think we would ever get it back. It is, though, as the the Wall festival picks up Cheap Canada Goose after a two summer hiatus. Canada Goose Outlet Sale
canada goose Police continue to investigate.Hikers came upon the adults bodies, Howard said. The injured 4 year old was nearby, Howard said.first two hikers who found the bodies did not have a cellphone, he said. Flagged down a third hiker who made the call. Joint meeting with Hon CM. Directions issued for 100% migration to mechanization for sewers/drains cleaning. Strict regime to be prepared within 7 days. canada goose
canada goose outlet online Why is no one seeing former Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel’s daughter Anar Patel’s land scam? Anyone who is opposing BJP is being targeted. Their aim is to finish their rivals. CBI is being fully utilised Canada Goose Outlet by the political party in power. These terms and conditions may be changed from time to time. Any changes are with immediate effect as and from the date of posting unless otherwise specifically stated. The continued access and usage of the site by you after such changes are made shall be deemed to be an acceptance of such changes.. canada goose outlet online
canada goose sale outlet Through no fault of their own, many folks find themselves in a seemingly impossible situation in their older years. At a time when they might have expected to take it easy and coast a bit, some folks may have lost most of their assets in the great recession or, perhaps, were forced to spend everything on the illness of a spouse or other family member. Now they are having a hard time making mortgage payments and holding onto their home which has been their refuge for decades canada goose sale outlet.


text:
Retail investors face round of dividend cuts
Monday 06 December 1999
They add that competition from Internet retailing will also have a damaging effect on retail property values, hitting asset valuations which traditionally support retail share prices.
This has already happened in the US where some Internet retailers such as online bookseller Amazon.com are worth more than high street rivals such as Barnes & Noble. "You could get to the stage where some of these properties are almost worthless," says one retailer.
Nick Bubb, retail analyst at SG Securities, says shareholders should brace themselves for more bad news. "Investors do need to start thinking about the possibility of lower dividends. Profit margins are on a structurally lower trend and dividend cover is under pressure. Pay-outs will have to be cut."
The trend has already started with Storehouse, the struggling Bhs and Mothercare retailer, passing its dividend completely last month after it reported a pounds 22m loss. Hamleys , the toy retailer, cut its pay-out by a third in October after it reported a slump into loss.
Other retailers tipped to cut their dividends include Arcadia, House of Fraser, Great Universal Stores and Monsoon. Ottakar's, the bookseller which is examining its strategic options after a profits warning last week, is unlikely to pay a final dividend.
There is continuing speculation that Marks & Spencer will cut its final pay-out despite hints from the company two weeks ago that it might pay a maintained dividend from reserves.
Arcadia, led by John Hoerner, is the most likely major retailer to cut. After a profits warning last month, the shares yield 13 per cent. The group paid out a full-year dividend of 11.7p per share last year but Williams de Broe and Gilbert Eliott are forecasting a cut to 8p and 6p respectively. SG Securities has reduced its dividend forecast from 11.7p to 5p.
House of Fraser is not forecast to reduce its dividend but with cover down to just one times it must be under threat. Cover at Great Universal Stores is also becoming thin after last week's profits warning which wiped 20 per cent of the shares. They now yield 6 per cent.
Marks & Spencer would be the biggest retailer to cut its pay-out. Two weeks ago Robert Colvill, finance director, appeared to be steering the markets away from expecting such a move, saying: "Remember, we have a strong balance sheet."
But several brokers including SG Securities and West LB Panmure are forecasting a drastic cut in the dividend from 14.4p per share to a range of 6p-7p.
- 1 Disney heiress Abigail disowns her share of family profits in West Bank company
- 2 The secret report that helps Israel hide facts
- 3 'Women should not laugh in public,' says Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister in morality speech
- 4 Ebola virus: UK health officials issue warning to doctors as experts admit the outbreak 'is not under control'
- 5 Ross Burden dead: MasterChef and Ready Steady Cook star dies at age 45 after suffering from cancer
'Women should not laugh in public,' says Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister in morality speech
Richard Dawkins says 'date rape is bad, stranger rape is worse' on Twitter
Ross Burden dead: MasterChef and Ready Steady Cook star dies at age 45 after suffering from cancer
Zayn Malik on Israel-Gaza: One Direction singer bombarded with Twitter death threats after posting #FreePalestine
MH17 crash: Black boxes show plane suffered 'massive explosive decompression' following shrapnel hit
The secret report that helps Israel hide facts
A day in the life of Vladimir Putin: The dictator in his labyrinth
Woman and two children killed by mob in riots over 'blasphemous' Facebook post in Pakistan
Putin is 'thuggish, dishonest and reckless', says British ambassador to US
Boozy, ignorant, intolerant, but very polite – Britain as others see us
A new Russian revolution: The cracks are starting to appear in Putin’s Kremlin power bloc
- < Previous
- Next >
iJobs Money & Business
£350 - £400 per annum + competitive: Orgtel: Project Manager (specializing in ...
£25000 per annum + OTE £40,000: SThree: Orgtel are seeking Graduate Trainee Re...
£45000 per annum + Benefits: Ashdown Group: ** HR Business Partner - Senior H...
£28000 - £32000 per annum + Benefits: Ashdown Group: PA / Team Secretary - Mat...


text:
While we promised to take a break on reporting about how successful Xiaomi flash sales were, until after a long time (as the whole thing was getting boring), we felt obliged to keep informed on a sale you might be interested in — for those of you who might still need to buy the Redmi 1S in India.
According to Xiaomi, a larger stock of the smartphone will be put on sale 23rd September (Tuesday). The Chinese company have received some morale boost after their shipment of 20k and 40k Redmi 1S smartphones were repeatedly bought up in seconds.
To participate in the sales , you must have to register on Flipkart firstly. Then on 2MP on Tuesday, when the smartphone is available, you have to add the product to your cart before 60,000 others do — and that’s all about Xiaomi’s flash sales.


text:
Follow on Google News
News By Tag
News By Place
Follow on Google News
Brandveda triumphs with more than 50,000 success stories
The institute has also collaborated with leading universities and colleges to conduct seminars and workshops as part of its mission to touch the lives of another 50,000 students in the coming years as part of its ongoing mission.
Saurabh Pandey, Founder and Head Trainer at Brandveda, said, "Through Brandveda, we always wanted to bring about a revolution and I am glad to announce that we are on the correct path to achieve the goal. With 50,000 students trained so far, I am extremely proud of the team at Brandveda and their continuous commitment to bettering individuals on a daily basis."
Saurabh Pandey has amassed over 15 years of experience in digital marketing and in 2014, embarked on the mission to revolutionise the education sector with his brainchild Brandveda. He firmly believes in the power of digital marketing to change people's lives and further aspires to see his trainees grow multifold in their careers. In the coming years, Brandveda is striving to train a further 5,00,000 students and contribute to making the mission of Digital India successful. The Gujarat-based institute has amassed tremendous reviews on Google and has cemented itself as one of the most sought after digital marketing hubs in the state.
Brandveda is always on the lookout for achieving the unthinkable and is continually aiming to rack up milestones. Furthermore, the Institute offers complete end-to-end assistance in 100% job placement and has helped more than 10,000 enrollees secure their futures by delivering training and workshops in leading education institutes and corporates across India. In addition to the placement assistance, students of Brandveda's reputed courses have gone on to start their own entrepreneurial ventures; and many business owners have also witnessed great ROIs by optimising their processes owing to the learnings received from Brandveda.
Currently, the courses offered by Brandveda cover a wide variety of domains and cover topics such as - Digital Marketing and Data Analytics Specialist; SEO; Social Media Marketing; Facebook Marketing; Google Ads; Google Analytics; Instagram Marketing; LinkedIn Marketing; and Twitter Marketing. Additionally, the Institute also offers customised digital marketing programs for various departments including sales, marketing, advertising, HR, senior management and existing digital marketing teams.
Over the years, Brandveda has become the doorway to better careers and better business systems. Ultimately, the institute believes in its mission to increase the efficiency of the country and help develop the economy.
To know more, visit - https://www.brandveda.in


text:
Consolidated Fastfrate Celebrates 50th Birthday Canada-wide5 October 2016
September 26, 2016 marked the official 50th birthday of Consolidated Fastfrate. Celebrations were focused on the 1,700 employees that make up the organization at each of their locations from Vancouver to Newfoundland/Labrador.
Nearly 200 employees were honoured with awards at the festivities for their over 20 years of service to the company. Those with over 40 years of service were presented with their commemorative award by CEO, Ron Tepper at select Fastfrate locations. All employees and drivers received a limited edition polo shirt branded with the 50th logo, along with a lapel pin showing years of service. Additional celebration elements included special anniversary trailer wraps dispersed throughout the country and a special edition newsletter that had each location sharing their story as part of the national LTL provider’s historic occasion.
Mr. Tepper commented on Fastfrate’s Canada-wide celebrations, “It’s been an interesting journey building this company and often reinventing ourselves to stay current with customer demands. Special moments like this 50th celebration make it all worthwhile. I am very proud to celebrate our history and lead this group into a future that includes many exciting new challenges. Positioning our company as a solutions provider that delivers a cohesive and integrated menu of transportation and distribution services lies directly ahead of us.“
In addition to the employee events, Fastfrate presented 88 customers with awards, who have supported Fastfrate for over 10 years with $150,000 or more of yearly revenue. Also, a personalized Thank You was sent, relative to the 50th celebration, to their top 200 customers.
A commemorative timeline was created and can be viewed on the Fastfrate website highlighting milestones of the company’s history. The special edition 50th anniversary newsletter is also available for viewing and download on www.Fastfrate.com
- 16 March 2023 Fastfrate Recognized as Endorsed Logistics Employer
- 2 February 2023 A Guide to Properly Prepare Goods for LTL Shipping


text:
Satellite radios are gearing up for a big showing on the car lot circuit.
XM Satellite Radio unveiled plans Wednesday to supply thousands of independent car dealerships, including used car lots, with $400 satellite radio receivers to offer to their customers. The receivers are made by Audiovox, according to XM Satellite Radio spokesman Chance Patterson.
"This gives us a new selling opportunity through a huge network of independent auto dealers, " Patterson said.
XM competitor Sirius Satellite Radio already supplies satellite radio receivers to a small number of independent car dealers in the Southwest. Sirius will announce a new reselling contract involving many more independent car dealerships as early as next week, a source said Wednesday.
A Sirius Satellite representative declined to comment.
Satellite radios began appearing on the dashboards of new cars made by General Motors, Honda and others in 2000. They next appeared in electronic stores, where car stereo maker Pioneer is selling Sirius Satellite radios that can be easily installed in virtually any car.
To get more customers, the nation's two satellite radio companies are now tapping the markets used car lots and independent dealerships. The companies say they need 4 million subscribers to their satellite radio networks to become profitable operations. XM Satellite, which launched a national network last year, has 201,000 subscribers. Sirius has under 10,000 subscribers to its network, which it launched in July.
Satellite radios receive signals from orbiting satellites instead of the land-based antennae deployed by all FM/AM radio stations. But unlike traditional radio stations, satellite radio companies charge monthly subscriptions. XM charges $10 for programming, while Sirius charges $13.


text:
Fight the Fakes partner, the International Pharmaceutical Students Federation (IPSF), delivered a brilliant statement at this year’s World Health Assembly on the growing issue of falsified and substandard medicines.
In their statement, IPSF highlighted the crucial role pharmacists play in combating falsified medicines. Yet, they urged for an increased vigilance from Member States, as well as the WHO, in order to ensure the security of the entire supply chain. Only through collaboration is it possible to prevent substandard and falsified products from entering health systems. IPSF also highlighted their collaboration this year with the Fight the Fakes campaign partners by hosting four webinars on this topic which reached more than 400 individuals across the globe.
Watch their live statement from the WHA in Geneva here!
Or read the full statement below:


text:
Will Nokia team up with Microsoft to put the Windows Phone OS on Nokia's mobile handsets? The idea gained steam last week after Berenberg Bank analyst Adnaan Ahmad sent an open letter to both companies pleading that they save themselves by forming an exclusive partnership.
Stories by Shane O'Neill
The term "mobile workforce" has been around for years, but in 2011, mobility will become even more of a priority for enterprises and vendors, according to a new report from research firm Forrester.
It's always a challenge for IT departments to anticipate how corporate technical demands will evolve, especially when IT budgets have been as tight as a drum for two years.
Lync, the next generation of Microsoft's Office Communications Server software, was unveiled yesterday in New York City, complete with a surprise appearance from Bill Gates via Lync's video conference tool.
If you are happy with Windows 7 on your personal laptop, but grumble every time Windows XP boots up on your work computer, it may be time to tap your company's IT pro on the shoulder and ask for Windows 7. You might be surprised at the response you get.
Judging by market share only, Google's Google Apps Web-based e-mail and collaboration suite hasn't begun to loosen Microsoft Office's tight rein on the corporate world.
Light up the candles. Windows 7 turns 1 today. Happy birthday to an OS that debuted in the worst of a recession and went on to exceed expectations, racking up approximately 240 million licenses to date.
One of the big draws of Windows Phone 7, at least on paper, is its ability to connect with the Microsoft tools and apps such as such as Exchange, SharePoint and Office that are already ingrained at enterprises.
With the newly-branded Office 365, announced this week, Microsoft has taken its BPOS (business productivity online suite) service and added Office apps options. But while Microsoft dumped a bad product name for a better one, the company repeated a longtime marketing habit with Office 365: a confusing array of versions and price points.
Microsoft has owned the tech conversation this week after its announcement of Windows Phone 7 -- a complete mobile rebirth for Microsoft with technology that looks nothing like the previous version of Windows Mobile.
Keyboard shortcuts are wonderful time-savers but many of us are either too accustomed to the mouse or too lazy to get beyond Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V.
Microsoft's Windows Mobile OS will regain some of the smartphone market share it has lost recently - but will still be in last place in 2014, according to research firm IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker.
Like all technology, smartphones can be hugely useful. However, some of the time they provide opportunities for tech-tinged embarrassment. We tracked down seven of the most unfortunate mobile phone disaster tales we could find. The stories are fun to laugh at now, but most of them were anything but amusing when they actually occurred...
Initial reactions to the iPad earlier this year may have been mixed, but Apple's elegant tablet PC has since caught fire, racking up a devoted following and monster sales.
Microsoft will announce its fiscal 2010 earnings Thursday afternoon, and the pressure is on Redmond to deliver big numbers now that PCs sales have jumped this year, Windows 7 is the "fastest selling OS ever" and Office 2010 is generally available.


text:
Did you miss a session from GamesBeat Summit Next 2022? All sessions are now available for viewing in our on-demand library. Click here to start watching.
Technology evangelist, author, and blogger Robert Scoble is leaving Rackspace to pursue an entrepreneur-in-residence role with UploadVR. He says that he’ll do the same kinds of videos and blogging he’s always done but now with a specific focus on startups and technology in the augmented (AR) and virtual reality (VR) space.
His last day at Rackspace will be April 4, at which point Scoble will start working out of UploadVR’s offices in San Francisco, where he will continue reporting on the work of those building games, applications, and hardware in this space. Scoble doesn’t know what his long-term plans are or whether he’ll eventually start his own publication or company.
For the last seven years, Scoble has been an evangelist for the managed-cloud and hosting provider, where he sought out the next big tech ideas as part of the company’s community site Building 43. In 2014, his travels took him to Dublin, Ireland to attend the annual Web Summit, and that’s where his eye was drawn to the Oculus demo room. He said that the expressions of people walking out of the demo made him think, “Holy shit, this is an amazing product to have on your face.”
“It was mind-blowing,” he told VentureBeat. “I thought that this was going to be significant, and I wanted to be involved in it.”
He attributes his departure from Rackspace to a difference of interests: The company wanted him to be fanatical about the Cloud, but Scoble was more interested in consumer technology and societal shifts that he believed were about to happen. The two grew apart.
He has now found an opportunity to focus on both the AR and VR communities, which he believes are going to become “real and huge” and produce a “deeper set of products, bigger than 3D TV or Google Glass.” Scoble said that he’s interested in looking at Microsoft’s Hololens, Magic Leap, Meta, and many other companies.
The coming waves of mixed reality
There are two technology waves coming, according to the tech evangelist. The first one is all about VR — the technology is just starting to work — while the second one, AR, won’t be hitting us for a few more years. In fact, he says, AR will be built off of VR. “Every time I get a headset on my face, visit places like Rothenberg Ventures, and hang out with developers, I become really passionate about this space. It’s getting the most amount of investments and we’re seeing new content ideas that can’t be done on a flat piece of glass,” Scoble explained.
In the coming decade, he believes a cultural shift will take place, something that hasn’t happened since the 1960s. Activities we do normally, like watching television and playing games, are going to be disrupted to make you feel like you’re in the “front row experiencing it.” Mobile devices won’t be affected by VR and AR technologies right away, but Scoble thinks our experience with them will change. He said he can imagine a time in the future when phones no longer exist.
Will Mason, UploadVR’s cofounder and editor-in-chief, agrees with Scoble:
Virtual and augmented reality represent the next stage in human interaction. For the last decade, we have grown up as a society in a world with mobile internet, and constant connectedness. That has had plenty of major advantages in increasing our access to knowledge and our ability to communicate globally. But it also has taken some of the humanity out of communication. When 92 percent of our communication is non-verbal, you tend to lose a lot when chatting over text, email, and Facebook. In the near future with VR and AR, you will have all the advantages of online communication with all of the advantages of face-to-face communication; it is the best of both worlds. And that paradigm shift could lead to some majorly impactful things on a societal scale, it could lead to a greater sense of empathy.
For Scoble, it’s about paying attention to the innovation happening in this space and understanding its potential. He understands that VR and AR are “very compelling” and says that when you’re immersed in it, you’ll “be lost for a while.” This disruption is something Scoble claims will be dangerous for the television and entertainment industry and even for technology companies in Silicon Valley. But amid all of this, he’s looking at one main thing: How does this change the human experience? How will it impact what it means to be human?
A genre of epic proportions
It’s understandable if you’re skeptical about Scoble’s vision, and he has apologized for things he was bullish about that didn’t pan out, such as Google+ and Google Glass. However, although many of the things he sees are important, he believes that the genre around VR and AR will be one of the most important and feels that there’s room for him to grow with the ecosystem. “The bleeding edge is coming,” he predicted.
This thinking has brought him to UploadVR, which was founded in 2014. Mason met his cofounder, Taylor Freeman, while he was looking for his next project. The two spent time talking about the future of tech and discovered that they had similar thoughts around the VR and AR space. Their first endeavor together was a self-titled publication they put together before receiving a $1.5 million seed round from Shanda Group and others to grow the community and fund new efforts in the space. One such initiative included the formation of a collective, which is based in San Francisco.
Upload Collective, as it’s known, serves as a coworking space for those working on VR and AR. Selected companies have access to the latest hardware and also to mentors, talent, and capital. “Our goal is to bring in companies that showcase the inspirational nature of AR and VR through top quality content and game-changing platforms,” Mason explained. Eventually the collective’s coworking model will evolve into an incubator and accelerator.
Scoble is eager to research more and play with different devices, games, and applications. He said he understands why Oculus was purchased by Facebook and also why it’s located in the center of the company’s Menlo Park headquarters — “It’s all about social.”
Although he’s leaving Rackspace, the company will continue to support him in some way, Scoble said, though it hasn’t been determined what form that will take.
Freeman is thrilled to have Scoble on board: “We couldn’t be more excited to be working with a visionary like Robert Scoble to build a future of inspiration, creativity, and progress, in addition to helping the community really connect with the things they need to succeed.” His partner agrees: “Robert joining us is a great fit because he is such a tireless evangelist for the technology he believes in, and, like us, he views VR and AR as the key technologies of our future. I think that with the platforms we both bring to the table it will be a match made in heaven.”
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it. Discover our Briefings.


text:
Starbucks offers free coffee to spur DC compromise
Lawmakers in Washington are having a hard time resolving their differences, so Starbucks wants coffee lovers to set an example.
The coffee chain is now offering a free tall brewed coffee to customers who buy another person a drink.
The Starbucks CEO says the offer is a way to help fellow citizens "support and connect with one another, even as we wait for our elected officials to do the same for our country."
The free coffee offer ends Friday.
- Multi-vehicle crash shuts down 405 South 5 min ago
- Paul Walker autopsy results released 3 min ago
- Fatal Baldwin Village fire deemed accident
- Mexican truck with radioactive load stolen
- Mom sought for abducting 3 kids in Palmdale
- Boy, 7, dies following Mid-City shooting
- Human skeletal remains found in Montebello
- Simi Valley neighbors found dead in front yards
- NY train engineer in 'daze' just before crash 56 min ago
- abcnews: 2 skydivers killed in AZ midair collision
- Baby falls out of stroller in wild robbery
- Best high-tech toys for kids this season
- Paul Walker crash seen on surveillance video
- OTRC: Kelly Clarkson new Christmas music video


text:
Industry IT Influencers Say New Software Release Puts SYSPRO in the Lead of IT Innovation
Costa Mesa, CA – June 20, 2018 – SYSPRO, a global provider of industry-built ERP software, today announced that with their latest release will be delivering the ERP market’s first available business solutions infusing two of the technology market’s hottest topics: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT). SYSPRO is demonstrating the new capabilities to the world’s leading technology analysts during a two-week roadshow in Boston, MA, and at its U.S. headquarters outside of Los Angeles. The capabilities are part of the company’s new SYSPRO ERP latest release, of which general availability will be from July 9, 2018.
This is the second time that SYSPRO has delivered leading edge ERP technology capabilities in practical application, versus as future strategies and concept tests. SYSPRO was first heralded in 2010 for its advanced delivery of a full site of pragmatic, user- and device-friendly mobile applications ahead of other ERP competitors.
“Companies are under significant pressure by their boards to get beyond all of the technology talk they’ve been hearing for years and get to the smart factory of the future,” said Brian Sommer, President of TechVentive, and one of the ERP industry’s top IT analysts. “They are hungry for an ERP vendor to take the lead on this and actually deliver today real, useful technologies that can bridge the gulf between what they have installed now and where they need to go. They need guidance on what technologies can immediately deliver the most benefits, they want these solutions out of the box; and, they want this without having to pay an army of implementers to deliver (or build) it.”
Analysts also say that while they have heard great future strategies and seen some interesting test environments from ERP vendors, manufacturing and distribution companies aren’t seeing the pragmatic options available to them today to make digital transformation a reality in their organizations.
“SYSPRO, unlike other legacy providers, continues to keep up with cutting-edge technologies and incorporates these into the solution,” said Ted Rohm, Senior ERP Analyst, Technology Evaluation Centers. “SYSPRO was an early adopter of mobile technology, and its SYSPRO Mobile ERP suite now has more than 50 apps, with more on the way. The SYSPRO Harmony social ERP and the company’s adoption of artificial intelligence technology and the Internet of Things (IoT) are further proof that SYSPRO is committed to staying ahead of the technology trends.”
SYSPRO has precociously adopted and is delivering two specific emerging technologies in the company’s newest release. The first is the enablement of integrated digital devices (IoT) to help companies protect assets, better direct business initiatives, and improve planning. The second is the provisioning of “Digital Citizens” across companies to provide engaging connection points between workers, customers, and supply chain partners. These artificially intelligent bots let companies remove costly repetitive human and process redundancies.
SYSPRO IoT Supports Manufacturing Industry 4.0 Initiatives
Facilitating the path forward to get to the “smart factory” of the future, SYSPRO is leveraging Industry 4.0 automation and data exchange capabilities to support cyber-physical systems, the Internet of Things, cloud computing and cognitive computing. SYSPRO’s new release specifically allows manufacturers to connect their current factory/corporate equipment seamlessly to the traditional shop floor and other ERP technologies already in use. It works contextually and collaboratively within the SYSPRO ERP business solution.
Key features of the new SYSPRO release include a number of native drivers for plug-and-play connectivity to the most common factory machines and devices. SYSPRO combines machine data with job and stock code information to provide specific cost and productivity insights, delivers comprehensive error reductions, and previously unavailable machine-based alerting, controls and actions.
SYSPRO outlines these specific benefits that are available immediately via IoT and other features of its new software release:
- Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) Improvements
- Real-Time Exact Status Tracking of Equipment and Jobs
- Job Costing Accuracy
- Loss Visualization and Continuous Improvement
These new capabilities are delivered out-of-the-box, with highly customizable analytic, alerting, and view parameters as desired.
SYSPRO’s AI to UI ERP Breakthrough
SYSPRO’s new release will also be able to address the large amounts of structured and unstructured business and industry data that companies increasingly need to consider as part of their decision-making process. SYSPRO’s underlining architecture, infused with ML/AI has the means to make sense of this data and provide the analysis and delivery of insights to users.
A further technology release sees the introduction of digital citizens that operate in conjunction with artificial intelligence and are deployed to handle repetitive tasks across the organization and supply chain. These “bots” integrate directly into the SYSPRO business processes and are able to be trained on the skills they are able to perform. They are made available either directly through the UI or other platforms for engagement for both internal and external stakeholders, through mediums such as social-media, websites or chat programs.
Importantly the information or results from SYSPRO’s AI or digital citizens are delivered seamlessly to the UI enabling users to quickly and easily surface key insights and drive improved business behavior.
“No matter the size of the company doing business with SYSPRO ERP solutions – whether it’s a high-transaction environment or more elastic in nature – the SYSPRO ERP product suite from October 2018 will deliver artificial intelligence benefits directly via the user interface,” said Paulo de Matos, Chief Product Officer, SYSPRO.
Examples of specific SYSPRO AI to UI deployment that can substantially impact company operations include:
- Natural language and skills linking in BOTS
- Trends and anomaly detection and notifications delivered via Harmony, Social-ERP platform
- Recommendations as part of the daily operations, e.g. cross-selling and up-selling opportunities in sales, auto-suggestions of using different locations
- Regression and prediction models delivered via business insights, notifications and initiating business moments and orchestration via workflow
Additionally, SYSPRO has also spent the past 18 months analyzing the interface of next-generation technology in context to how the new wave of millennial users operate in the workforce.
SYSPRO is a global, independent provider of industry-built ERP software designed to simplify business complexity for manufacturers and distributors. Focused on delivering optimized performance and complete business visibility, the SYSPRO solution is highly scalable, and can be deployed on-premise, in the cloud, or accessed via a mobile device. SYSPRO’s strengths lie in a simplified approach to technology, expertise in a range of industries, and a commitment to future-proofing customer and partner success.
SYSPRO has more than 15,000 licensed companies in over 60 countries across six continents. For more information, visit s23626.p774.sites.pressdns.com.
Marketing Communications Manager
SYSPRO – United States
Public Relations Manager
SYSPRO – United States


text:
(Sign is up at Culver’s in Jupiter. (Photo by Bill DiPaolo)
The sign is up for Culver’s restaurant on Military Trail in Jupiter, and midwesterners are salivating as they await their first butter burger at the planned Nov. 7 opening.
“Florida has been very good to us. There are lots of transplanted midwesterners there. Whenever we open a Florida restaurant, our fans come out in (University of Wisconsin) Badger gear and cheese heads,” Culver’s Butter Burgers & Frozen Custard, spokesman Paul Pitas told The Palm Beach Post.
The Jupiter location is the first in Palm Beach County.
Established in 1984 in Sauk City, Wis., by dairy farmers George and Ruth Culver, the chain also serves custard, chicken, desserts and sandwiches.
Culver’s has 585 restaurants nationwide in 24 states. There are 26 restaurants in Florida, including locations in Orlando, Daytona Beach, Tampa and Naples.
Just before the Jupiter restaurant opens, Culver’s is scheduled to open Florida eateries in North Port and Winter Garden. A Culver’s will open Bonita Springs on Nov. 7 as well.
The new owner, Jupiter resident Debbie Naylon, is a former Realtor. Culver’s required her to complete a three-month training program. She plans to hire about 70 people, she said.
The Culver’s restaurant is part of a medical building complex under construction in front of the Barcelona Apartments on the west side of Military Trail, across from the U.S. Post Office, south of Toney Penna Drive.
Three-fourths of the 42,000 square feet are planned to be medical office, which is owned and being developed by The Medical Group of South Florida on 29 acres that was once Whitehaven Mobile Home Park.
Total proposed 42,000 total square feet:
• 32,000 – medical office
• 4,000 — fast food restaurant
• 4,500 — restaurant
• 1,700 — retail


text:
Piaggio on Friday announced that it is recalling more than 2,000 Fly 50, Vespa LX50 and Vespa S50 scooters due improper ignition timing, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The recall is for certain model year 2011-12 Fly 50, 2010-12 Vespa LX50 and 2009-12 Vespa S50 scooters. The ignition control unit may fail and alter the ignition timing, increasing the risk of a fire, according to the NHTSA. Dealers will replace the ignition control unit free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on or before Jan. 17.Click here for reuse options!
Copyright 2011 Powersports Business


text:
Virgin Media has announced that it will be offering a new range of high-end mobiles, starting with the HTC HD2.
The HD2 is the first HTC phone to be stocked by Virgin Media. The handset itself will be available free of charge on a two year contract costing £30 per month (with 800 free voice minutes, unlimited texts and mobile Internet).
The Windows Mobile powered phone sports a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, a large 4.3 inch touchscreen display (with a resolution of 800 x 480), and a 5 megapixel camera.
Jonathan Kini, Director of Mobile at Virgin Media said: “The HTC HD2’s launch kick starts a new range of high-end handsets coming to Virgin Media, perfect for mobile internet, social networking and entertainment on the go.”
“We are delighted to be able to offer the HD2 through one of the best and most competitive deals in the market.”


text:
Sep 20, 2018 - Humana (HUM) expands its wellness program to manage claim cost and members' health.
Sep 15, 2018 - Welcome to Seeking Alpha's Stocks to Watch - a preview of key events scheduled for the next week. Follow this account and turn the e-mail alert on to receive this article in your inbox every Saturday
Sep 12, 2018 - Humana Inc (HUM) President & CEO Bruce D Broussard Sold $5.9 million of Shares, Stocks: HUM, release date:Sep 12, 2018
Aug 22, 2018 - Listen on the go! A daily podcast of Wall Street Breakfast will be available by 8:00 a.m. on iTunes, Stitcher and SoundCloud (click the highlighted links). Futures markets are pointing to slight open
Aug 17, 2018 -
Aug 10, 2018 - Humana (HUM) divests its long-term care business to focus on core operations.
Jul 24, 2018 - Centene's (CNC) second-quarter earnings beat on revenue and membership growth. The top line improves owing to Health Insurance Marketplace business, acquisitions and expansions.
Jul 23, 2018 - A former Humana Inc. executive and Churchill Downs Inc. chairman is providing a major financial gift to the University of Louisville as a means to make the school more attractive to Kentuckians with no college history.
Carl Pollard is donating $2.5 million to U of L to create a scholarship fund that will target first-generation college students in the state.
The money will create an endowment for a scholarship fund that will financially support two scholarships each year, starting with the 2018-19…
Jul 19, 2018 - A recent hire by Bentonville, Arkansas-based retail titan Walmart Inc. resurrected speculation that it might strike a deal to work more closely with Louisville-based Humana Inc.
Walmart hired Sean Slovenski as senior vice president of health and wellness for Walmart U.S., according to an internal memo from Greg Foran, president and CEO of Walmart U.S., which was provided to MBJ's sister publication, Louisville Business First.
Slovenski will join Walmart on Aug. 1 and will report directly to Foran,…
Jul 18, 2018 - Despite concerns over some parts of UnitedHealth's (UNH) Q2 earnings, its long-term growth prospects are bright.


text:
Moore's Law Lives On: How IBM Chip Pushes the Standard for Computing Power
Rule for advancing computing power continues to hold true 50 years later.
— -- Moore's law, the standard for advancing computing power, is still holding true 50 years later with IBM’s announcement of a prototype chip featuring transistors so thin they're 1/10,000th the width of a human hair.
In 1965, Gordon Moore, a co-founder of Intel, predicted the number of tiny electrical switches that could be placed on a computer chip, called transistors, would double about every two years.
That has largely held true; look no further than the computers, cameras, phones and music players that are now condensed into a single smartphone. But as transistors continue to shrink, some engineers have predicted Moore's law could collapse within the decade because of the exponential difficulty of shrinking transistors beyond a certain point.
The prototype chip unveiled this week by IBM has managed to keep Moore's law alive with transistors measuring 7 nanometers (a unit measuring one-billionth of a meter.)
"This is research that has been done and is not an actual product, but it is a great example that Moore’s law continues and shows the potential for smartphones, tablets, PCs and even cars to be twice as smart as they were before at the same energy level," Patrick Moorhead, an analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, told ABC News.
The breakthrough, resulting from research at IBM and the State University of New York Polytechnic Institute in Albany, could allow as many as 20 billion transistors to be placed on a chip the size of a fingernail and is half the size of the current 14 nanometer standard, company officials said.
While the technology is a prototype chip, it could have a tremendous impact "on the anticipated demands of future cloud computing and Big Data systems, cognitive computing, mobile products and other emerging technologies," according to the company.
The breakthrough chip is the result of a $3 billion investment IBM made last year in partnership with the state of New York, Samsung and other technology suppliers for the purpose of chip research and design, officials said.
ABC News Live
24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


text:
David Whitten & Janus Handerson
A major dislocation has recently occurred in global protein markets in the form of a rapidly spreading disease called African Swine Fever (ASF). The China Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) confirmed its first ASF outbreak in Liaoning Province on 3 August 2018 and since then 130 ASF outbreaks have been detected in 32 of China’s 34 administrative units (governed regions). MARA reported on 23 April 2019 that more than 1m pigs have been culled in an effort to halt further spread.
Although the Chinese Government has stated that the pig breeding herd has been reduced by 19%, many commentators believe that the herd might be down 30% (or more) and that the overall supply of global protein may be reduced by a staggering 5%. While intensive research efforts are underway, unfortunately no vaccine has been developed yet. Infected herds therefore need to be destroyed and due to pigs’ long gestation period (approximately four months) it will take time to resolve.
“This is an unusual, perhaps unprecedented, time for the protein industry. In my 39 years in the business, I’ve never seen an event that has the potential to change global protein production and consumption patterns as African Swine Fever does.”
Noel W. White, President, Chief Executive Officer & Director, Tyson Foods, Inc.
The virus continues to spread to other countries. It is reported that Vietnam has culled more than 1.3m pigs in a country where pork accounts for 75% of total meat consumption and where most of its 30m farm-based pigs are consumed domestically.
The impact of ASF is potentially severe, with the UN Food & Agriculture Organization suggesting that the previously strong growth in global meat supply is now falling for the first time in 20 years.
Chart 1: Global Meat Supply (millions of tons)
Source: UN Food & Agriculture Organization.
The importance of pork as the main source of protein in China cannot be overstated. If you see the single Chinese character for ‘meat’ on a restaurant menu (肉), more often than not it will be assumed to be pork. While these days pork is not the default meat, pork consumption still occupies more than 60% of total meat consumption in China and the country consumes around half of the world’s pork. To put this in perspective, the global annual pork trade is only equivalent to about two months of Chinese consumption.
The significance of pork is also demonstrated by China’s unique official strategic pork reserve, a giant stockpile of frozen pork, which aims to counter price and demand/supply fluctuations. Inventories are reported to now be at 20 year lows.
We believe that due to the severe impact of ASF, China will need to import more pork, beef and poultry to fill the shortfall. Meat prices are likely to rise globally. The impact is likely to be later in 2019 and into 2020 as protein supply contracts are renewed.
As the world’s most populous country, China places a high level of focus on food security. Chinese consumers spend a large proportion of their income on food which makes it a major component of the consumer price index and therefore politically sensitive.
Poultry is poised to potentially benefit the most from a switch to alternative sources of protein. The key reason for this is that poultry producers can respond more quickly than the longer lead-time beef industry. Global trade will be redirected to China, potentially causing shortages in other markets. The US Department of Agriculture expects China’s pork imports to rise 41% this year.
Potential negatives for some companies include weakening demand for grains and oilseeds used for animal feed. Demand for crops such as corn and soybeans may be negatively impacted. Soybean prices have been under pressure because of the trade tariff tensions between the US and China, although recent widespread flooding events in the US have led to a recovery in soybean prices.
Whey powder exported by dairy companies to China in large quantities for piglet feed may also be negatively impacted.
Chart 2: Soybean prices (USD)
Source: Bloomberg. As at 19 June 2019.
Chinese companies are investing in farms and food processors internationally to capitalise on strong demand, thereby diversifying food sources and potentially reducing food supply risks.
Agriculture comprises a third of the Janus Henderson Global Natural Resources Fund’s (Fund) benchmark (S&P Global Natural Resources Index). Represented companies include animal feed, crop protection, seed technology, fertiliser, agricultural trading and, of course, protein producing companies. One of the largest agricultural companies and the largest protein producing holding across the Fund is Tyson Foods (NYSE:TSN). Tyson Foods is a US-based protein company with US$40bn in sales in 2018, and a market capitalisation of USD$30bn. In an average week the company produces an extraordinary 37m chickens, 133,000 head of beef, 408,000 head of pork and 30m kilograms of prepared foods4. With the potential for lower animal feed demand from China, resulting lower prices for feed could see input costs reduced for companies like Tyson.
Chart 3: Tyson Foods (NYSE:TSN) Share Price (USD)
Source: Bloomberg. As at 19 June 2019.
The outbreak of ASF is a rapidly evolving situation, with no cure beyond culling whole herds where infection has been detected. This has the potential to shape protein market dynamics for a long period of time and may also accelerate support for vegetable-based protein sources.


text:
Clothesource’s consultancy services are informed by our unique database of news and facts about garment sourcing. Our news and facts are informed by our practical daily experience of working with buyers and sellers to improve the effectiveness of sourcing strategies and the ability of suppliers to meet buyers’ needs.
We’re analysts who implement. And implementers who analyse
- We’re regularly updating our summary of news and opinions, reports and data about the world of apparel sourcing
- See what we have to offer in consultancy , training and quality control
Confusion surrounds Bangladesh apparel data as its official bodies give widely varying accounts of its export growth and the size of its apparel workforce.
Contrary to assurances in its July IPO document, Vinatex’s “strategic investors” in its IPO will be two domestic property companies.
Cambodia’s highest-profile garment union leader “taking bribes” say rivals as courts hear violence charges
Claims emerged on September 12 from rival Cambodian union leaders that the Free Trade Union (FTU) is “a corrupt network of factory owners filling the pockets of leader Chea Mony and his associates.” They follow incitement charges against Mony, his accusers and other union leaders.
In my latest Rant, I discuss how catastrophic it often is in the garment industry to exaggerate the relevance of your expertise in a particular problem. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has recently shown a minor example of getting things spectacularly wrong.
Amid a raft of official government-inspired garment industry “visions” on this website, there’s something very weird about a claim in early August that Indonesia’s government “expects” its garment and textile exports to grow six fold between now and 2030.
Lenzing have just completed, at a cost of €150 mn ($200 mn) a new Tencel factory that increases the group’s Tencel capacity 42%. At an apparent cost of $1.4 MILLION per job saved.


text:
I watched a cop movie on the tube, last night. A pretty good one. Great getaway scene -- two bank robbers sprinted through a hail of bullets (untouched, of course) and piled into a car, one of them screaming, “Hit the gas!” I thought, if they remake that movie a few years from now, the guy would have to yell, “Give it the juice!” because they’d be bolting in an electric car. Right?
It made me wonder: Why couldn't they have shot that scene today? What IS the state of the electric car? I mean, it's been on the Human To-Do List for 100 years. Yet time has passed, the pressures to replace the internal combustion engine have turned into a perfect storm that’s producing volatile dialogue between those who supply oil and those who buy it, and fluctuating prices that – when high – can slow a mobile society to a crawl and drain a national economy, and toxic byproducts that are poisoning the globe.
So, with all of that motivation to get rid of carbon-based fuels, why haven’t we taken care of business? Because it ain’t easy being green (thank you, Kermit).
But folks ARE paying attention – the automobile industry is one good example. The key element to success is having an efficient, inexpensive, easily-produced battery.
GM, which has its corporate eyes on a lithium-ion version, recently tapped the University of Michigan for a joint venture: the Advanced Battery Coalition for Drivetrains (ABCD), which will work to advance battery technology and resolve issues related battery life and performance.
Ann Marie Sastry (left), an Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of engineering at U-M, and U-M's co-director of the ABCD, said that batteries are the most important part of the electric drivetrain but they haven't been studied enough in the automotive world because of their limited role in gas-powered vehicles. The ABCD will allow Sastry and her colleagues to optimize batteries and predict how the batteries will behave over time.
Sastry, whose engineering expertise lies in mechanical, biomedical and materials science fields, said the ABCD would tackle problems that are hard but “worth the investment and risk, because the risk of doing nothing is much, much greater.”
General Motors, which sold 14,439 hybrid vehicles in 2008, is scheduled to introduce the Volt in 2011. Unlike current commercially available hybrids, the Volt is a plug-in hybrid that has an electric motor as its propulsion system. (The difference between a hybrid and a plug-in hybrid is significant and will have vastly different effects on the energy grid.) The Chrysler Aspen hybrid is buzzing around town, and the company intends to introduce two plug-in hybrids or an all-electric car by 2010. Ford has put 100,000 of its Escape hybrids on the road and says it’ll have plug-in hybrid vehicles in showrooms in 2012. These vehicles are part of the next big step toward an all-electric car.
President Barack Obama announced the availability of $2.4 billion to put America to work developing next generation plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and the advanced batteries that'll make them run. Michigan's governor Jennifer M. Granholm said that the carbon party is over and her state's future is battery-powered. China is positioning itself to become a leading producer of hybrid and all-electric vehicles within three years. Japan is the leading market leader in hybrids, today, and is working furiously to put an all-electric car on the streets.
The development of lithium-ion batters and electric cars means more than a world with a green transportation system. These batteries have the potential to store the carbon-free energy that people can harness with home-based solar cells and wind turbines – in a very real sense, lithium ion batteries of the future could be a home's energy-storage center.
It’ll take some time to realize the full promise of the battery in energy technology. But just as the space race of the ’60s and ’70s led to technical achievements no one had foreseen, so too might the development of electric vehicles take us to technologies that aren’t even a flicker in our imaginations, today. And I just might get to see an electric-car chase in the next cop shoot-em-up I watch at 2 a.m.


text:
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has again hinted that the electric carmaker plans to launch a new model that will be priced at half the price of the Model 3.
A more affordable Tesla model has come a step closer to reality after company boss Elon Musk confirmed that the automaker is still considering a cheaper electric car to appeal to a broader customer base.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said at an economic forum during the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia that a cheaper electric car would make “very good sense”.
Corresponding autoblog, Musk was asked about the prospect of Tesla introducing models for sale in developing countries like India and Indonesia.
“I can’t talk too much about the future of Tesla product development other than that we think making a much more affordable vehicle would make a lot of sense and we should do something,” he said.
It’s not the first time Musk has hinted at the possibility of a new entry-level Tesla. A smaller model with a target price of $25,000 is in the company’s plans for 2020.
He then backtracked on that promise in January 2022, saying the company was “too busy” to work on the new small car before committing again until October 2022.
“We don’t want to talk specifically [launch] appointments, but that [new model] is the primary focus of our new vehicle development team,” Musk told investors last month.
“At this point we’ve done the engineering for Cybertruck and Semi, so guess what we’re working on, the next-gen vehicle that’s probably going to be about half the cost [the Model] 3/Y platform. It will be smaller to be fair.
“But I think it will … certainly exceed the production of all our other vehicles combined.”
Tesla’s cheapest model right now is the Model 3 sedan, which is now available in Australia from $65,500 before road costs after a price increase of 9.3 percent in June 2022.
However, relative newcomers like the BYD Atto 3 and MG ZS EV have been able to beat those prices with smaller vehicles, both of which start at $44,990.
The prices of Tesla’s electric cars — like other manufacturers — fluctuate based on the cost of the raw materials and equipment used to make them.
In October 2022, it slashed prices for Model 3 and Model Y cars sold in China by 9 percent, citing a cost reduction due to increased capacity at its Shanghai Gigafactory. Reuters reported.
“Tesla adjusts its prices based on commodity costs and has raised prices several times this year globally in response to these higher costs,” said Seth Goldstein, strategist at US financial firm Morningstar, in an analyst note released by capital city.
“As some commodity prices start to decline, it makes sense that Tesla would cut prices accordingly.”
Speaking via video link at the business conference in Bali, however, Musk appeared to imply that he had more pressing issues than developing a more affordable electric car.
“My workload has increased quite a bit lately,” he told attendees, likely referring to his recent acquisition of social media platform Twitter.
“I mean oh man. I have too much work on my plate, that’s for sure.”
#cheaper #Tesla #model #step #closer


text:
Share communities, in which people around the world offer for rent things they own, are becoming a bona fide economic phenomenon. Today's established comfort level with conducting online transactions has opened the door for sharing personal property via the Internet that may have seemed unfathomable even a few short years ago. Companies on- and offline need to understand how to respond, given how many people are interested in participating, both geographically and among all age groups. Most importantly, they need to recognize that, at some point in the not-distant future, if it can be shared, it probably will be shared. The most dramatic effect will be on manufacturers and retailers who make or sell products that are used only occasionally.
Sharing communities are already creating new value and disrupt existing businesses. The consumer rental market alone is worth an estimated $26 billion overall, according to Rachel Botsman, who wrote "What's Mine Is Yours: The Rise of Collaborative Consumption" in 2010. In the sharing economy overall, what started as a modest income boost for some has turned into a pipeline of revenue that is cutting into that market as well as adding to it: Forbes estimates the sharing economy will surpass $3.5 billion this year.
New companies are springing up to facilitate the process. Companies like Airbnb, a home rental service, and ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft are mounting very public campaigns to disrupt long-established industries. They have drawn more than their share of media attention as they refine their business models and, in some cases, navigate thorny legal issues. As the market makers who bring together borrowers and sharers, they and companies who stake out similar territory may well be the winners in this space.
But long-established companies are not leaving the field to startups. Companies such as Avis Budget Group, which paid a reported $500 million for U.S. car-sharing service Zipcar in 2014, has clearly recognized the shift. And the Home Depot, which rents products in about half of its stores, might reasonably be regarded as a "first mover" in this space. It was renting pick-up trucks by the hour years before Zipcar was a gleam in anyone's eye.
Undoubtedly, there are details to be worked out and norms to be established in this evolving sector. But it is a mistake to get distracted by the headlines of the moment or to dismiss the sharing economy as the latest digital whim. If you haven't considered a share strategy for your business, there are at least three reasons to develop one.
First, a recent Nielsen global survey shows overwhelming support for the concept of sharing: 68 percent of respondents are willing to share their assets for financial gain. Similarly, 66 percent say they're likely to use or rent products or services from others in a share community.
Second, the region that is most receptive to the idea of sharing also presents some of the greatest economic opportunities: Asia-Pacific. Seventy-eight percent of respondents in Asia-Pacific are willing to share their own goods, and 81 percent said they are likely to rent from others. Asia-Pacific is the region with the highest consumer confidence average in the world. And although the region has slowed down from double-digit GDP gains in the last decade, it remains a crucial area of economic growth for many large companies.
And finally, share communities are not only for the young. The stereotypical picture of the sharing economy right now is that it is the preserve of tech-savvy, open-minded younger people. And it's true that 35 of the 66 percent of people among global respondents likely to rent products from others in share communities are the 21-34-year-old Millennials (who will, let us not forget, presumably be the heads of a vast number of households in 10 years' time).
But many in Generation X (ages 35-49) are willing to give it a try (17%). And 7 percent of Boomers (ages 50-64) are willing to share--the same percentage as for Generation Z (under 20).
Amid major population shifts around the world, changing consumer behavior and an increasingly fragmented media landscape, it's harder and harder to find agreement among an overwhelming majority of consumers. In a sense, the share community could constitute a new mass market of its own.
Companies should be embracing share communities, rather than ignoring or resisting them. They add another crucial link to the value chain, and companies should be looking at ways they can participate. But whether a company gets involved today or not, there is one lesson important for all. As peer-to-peer communication online dominates consumers' purchase decisions on- and offline more and more, trust, which is the foundation for the success of share communities, is increasingly vital for every other business model, too. Your customer relationships are your true assets--treat them as such. Listen and act accordingly, both online and off.


text:
We're all expecting 2010 to be the year of the tablet PC, with multiple companies putting out their own take on keyboard-free touchscreen computers. The most creative take we've seen: The Lenovo Ideapad U1 Hybrid, which boasts a seriously innovative design. One moment, it's an ultraportable 11.6-inch Windows 7-running, Intel Core 2 Duo-powered laptop. The next: Its screen pops out into a tablet that runs on Qualcomm's new low-power Snapdragon processor. As contributing online editor Sarah Kramer said upon seeing it, "That's very Avatar"
The U1 is slated for a June 1 release for $1000.


text:
Daily Joypad's Stefan writes:
"One look at the recent actions and public statements from Nintendo should be enough to make one thing abundantly clear to anybody: the 3DS is struggling. After receiving initial mass-hype, sales quickly dropped. Either it was too costly or it was simply released at the wrong time to entice consumers. Maybe Nintendo failed to differentiate the 3DS enough from the DS, confusing all the new gamers that the console’s predecessor had attracted to the world of gaming."


text:
The Tampa Bay Salvation Army wants to help you help others this holiday season. Follow along with us to track money raised throught the Red Kettle Campaign, and help out by throwing what you can in the red kettle when you pass by.
Black Friday is now a long weekend of sales that for many stores begins on Thanksgiving. Last year 22 percent of holiday purchases made over Black Friday weekend were made on Thanksgiving, according to the National Retail Federation.
Here are lists of stores that will be open and closed on Thanksgiving in the Tampa and Orlando areas.
In theaters for Thanksgiving/Black Friday weekend:


text:
At 270 employees, the company expects to grow its headcount to 340 by the end of the year. Doubling up on data scientists and engineers is a big focus, as is geographic expansion to bring new products and services to global markets.
“This capital will give us the chance to opportunistically acquire teams and companies who have good technology and who fit with our culture,” Knoll added. “There are certainly some complementary technologies we’re looking at and talking to, but at this stage of the game, we are not really interested in buying companies that do the same thing as us.”
So while Integral is not necessarily looking to absorb another quality verification vendor at this juncture, the company is interested in analytics solutions that expand its stack. For instance, it acquired mobile app analytics platform Simplytics in February 2014 and video measurement company Veenome in March.
Integral is generally categorized with other ad viewability and fraud detection firms like Moat, DoubleVerify and WhiteOps. Knoll said the company wants to explore capabilities around post-viewability reporting, not just “was this ad seen?”
“We’re working on solutions that not only determine was my ad in view, but how long does it have to be in view before it reaches my desired action and then how do I use that information to buy much more effectively,” he said.
For example, it’s determining the connection between an ad exposure and the effect on an action, whether that’s a purchase online or a positive impact on branding.
Knoll said the company’s new proceeds will strengthen Integral’s overall balance sheet, and cushion it for a public filing “if that’s the direction we decide to go.” Cross Creek, which had a hand in HubSpot and TubeMogul’s respective IPO paths, “have helped companies like us understand public markets and we’re excited to work with them in that capacity.”


text:
Twitter introducing “Super Follow”: a new subscription-based model for premium features
Twitter introducing a new premium subscription model for its user base and the leaks raised their share to 10%. It is currently in the phase of experimental status. We think it will be like Twitch, the largest video streaming platform. Twitch also has a business model to follow favourite streamers and pay a fee to subscribe to the channel. It gives benefits like highlighted chat, special emoticons, stay on top of regular comments, and so on. We believe Twitter has the same goal in mind and thus they will implement it by charging followers to receive exclusive content.
Twitter has a plan to implement the “Super Follow” model and double the revenue margin by 2023. According to Forbes, the subscription may be a flat fee of $4.99 per month. It may add up to ease Twitter’s advertising dependency on the platform. Announced on Thursday, there will be a bunch of new features that the company is experimenting with to bring out on the live server. Users can pay to their favourite profile and receive exclusive access.
During annual Analyst day, they announced new goals which are to raise revenue and shares. Currently, there are about 315 million daily active users on the platform which earned around $3.72 billion in revenue according to a report of 2020. By 2023, they plan to double it to $7.5 billion and Super Follow will be a primary key to achieve it.
An article covered by CNBC showed many of the soon-to-be-released sneak peek features. It included an option for supporter badge, sub-only newsletters, exclusive content, community access, deals & discounts, etc. among others. There is also an idea to tip favourite accounts that will directly benefit the user and at the same time a small cut for Twitter. Dantley Davis, Twitter’s head of design and research said they “think that an audience-funded model where subscribers can directly fund the content that they value most is a durable incentive model that aligns the interests of creators and consumers.”
New Safety Mode
Cyberbullying, inappropriate slangs, racial slurs will be heavily monitored and user’s violation of new terms will be punished accordingly under the new safety mode. Beykpour said: “We don’t believe Twitter alone can or should be a police officer for all conversations.”. He added: “Not only because this is difficult to scale, but because there are many circumstances where we believe it’s important for people on Twitter to create and enforce their social norms and etiquette.”
The new feature will automatically block accounts that will violate the peaceful environment set by Twitter as part of the new “safety mode”
Birdwatch – to stop spreading misinformation
Twitter spokesman Beykpour also said: “While our work in labelling misleading information started with a Twitter-led effort to label tweets, birdwatch is a more scalable, Wikipedia-like model where an open community of contributors can collectively determine when the context should be added to a tweet and what that context should say.”
The birdwatch feature will allow combating against accounts spreading rumours and misinformation.
The ambitious plan of Twitter to outperform their economic growth features was much needed for the time. And safety measurements are surely remarkable. But in the end, it will stop regular users from the free social experience. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey set a goal of boosting “development velocity” in his introductory remark on analyst day. Within the next three years, their plan to increase company value by monetising daily active users (mDAU) by 20%. The results will be out in the next Q4 2023.


text:
(Runtime: 5 min, 00 sec; size: 55.0 MB)
Katherine Judge, economist at CIBC [World] Markets.
Governments now are moving to lay off some of the social distancing measures. Now, of course, we haven’t gotten a vaccine yet so that means that the measures have to be removed very slowly in gradual stages. So what that means for the economy is that yes, some people will be called back to work. A lot of layoffs that we’ve seen will have proven temporary, but we still will see an elevated unemployment rate given that some sectors of the economy will be operating at reduced capacity or some not at all, especially those that require large social gatherings.
Another factor in the Canadian recovery, specifically, is that it actually could be prolonged compared to the U.S., for example, given that Canada relies heavily on global resource demand. And that’s something that is expected to recover very slowly, given the gradual removal of social distancing until a vaccine is available to everyone.
And the other thing to look out for would be a second wave of the virus. Now, if you compare Canada to the U.S., for example, officials in the U.S. have been a little more cavalier in removing restrictions. So there might be a bit more of a risk of a second wave happening in the U.S. rather than in Canada. But the overall story is that we still see a larger contraction in output in Canada this year given Canada’s reliance on global resource demand as a source of growth.
Some sectors will rebound faster than others. When you look at the sectors that are having restrictions removed right now, there’s retailing, construction, manufacturing — those are all the first that will reopen. So of course they’ll see a pickup in activity sooner. Now, keep in mind that even though some restaurants and retail shops are opening, that doesn’t mean that consumers will have the confidence to go out there and shop given that we do not have a vaccine.
And then secondly, the unemployment rate is elevated. So that income loss of course will weigh on demand.
When you look at sectors that will likely rebound last, they are those that will have social distancing measures in place for longer. So that includes travel, hotels, leisure, large-scale entertainment, probably bars more so than restaurants. It’ll be a little bit longer for those to rebound.
And now when we look at how that can affect equities. Of course rates are so low so investors are looking towards equities for returns.
I think there is a chance that the market is overlooking the risk of a second wave happening. It’s true that we might have received some of the worst economic data that we’re going to see, but that doesn’t mean that it’s going to be all smooth sailing from here. And I think that’s something that markets might not be accounting for.
Our equity strategist Ian de Verteuil also views the recent rally in equity markets as a little suspicious. So investors should keep that in mind.
And then of course keep in mind that yes, consumer spending will be driving this rebound, but it’ll be probably largely tilted towards non-discretionary purchases and less so in discretionary areas that I mentioned that will have those social distancing restrictions in place for longer.
Given that the impact of social distancing works largely to restrain consumption, the emerging recovery that we will see over the summer months will be driven by consumption. Other areas of the economy like business investment and exports — you’re seeing a lot of open capacity, which suggests that business investment will remain weak for some time. And of course, given the global climate, exports will also take a little longer to rebound.
When you do look at the factors that are rebounding — I mentioned retailing, construction and manufacturing — you have to remember that for construction and manufacturing, they’re grappling with not only weak demand but supply chain disruptions that have exposed a lot of vulnerabilities for producers during this time. We’re seeing very long lead times for shipments and supplies to arrive. So that’s something to keep in mind for those sectors.
And then retailing, yes it will start to rebound as things reopen but when the unemployment rate is elevated, discretionary spending won’t just bounce back. It’ll be a protracted return to where we were pre-virus.


text:
The distilled yellow liquid can sell for as much as milk, and demand is so high that Bloomberg news agency called it “liquid gold” in a story published on July 17.
Move aside Mars mission,
With Modi Government, Cow Urine Turns Into Liquid Gold: Foreign Media https://t.co/k0zPmqrKuK
— ☭ Comrade Nambiar ☭ (@DasBolshevik) July 19, 2016
Perhaps the “gold” isn't so exaggerated, if research by scientists at the Junagadh Agricultural University in the Indian state of Gujarat is to be believed. They startled the world when they claimed in June to have found gold in the urine of cow, though their results have come under scrutiny.
There's a National Institute of Ayurveda that says cow urine has gold. Shut them down already! https://t.co/wvvTs5wPcz
— Rajesh Pantina (@pantinaraj) July 10, 2016
We boycott the cow slaughter industry for a year. The saved $ purchases cows. We separate the gold from the cow urine. Hapi economics.
— Caprise Scott (@sunmanpatu) July 7, 2016
They jerk off to Alchemy fantasies and claim they found from ancient literature that cow urine can yield gold.
— Gunasekar Rajaratnam (@crguna) July 4, 2016
The flurry of media attention had people talking on social media, but the truth is that cow urine, or Gomutra, as a product is nothing new in India. Indian culture reveres cows, and the animal's urine has special significance as a drink in Hinduism. Proponents of traditional Indian medicine called Ayurveda believe it has medicinal properties; drinking of cow urine is considered a cure-all, said to be helpful in treating diseases like leprosy and cancer.
— RaghaveshwaraBharati (@Shankaracarya36) July 15, 2016
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party certainly seems to consider cow urine important. The party holds more than a dozen patents related to cow urine and has invested $87 million in shelters for cows. Many Indian states have banned cow slaughter and cracked down on illegal cattle sales to neighbouring Bangladesh.
In 2014, Jayan Divakaran at Cluster of Thoughts blog explained the history of the use of cow urine in India:
Our Ancient Civilization always gave prime importance to Cow. The cow was not only used as domestic animal by which they had milk and various by-products, but the Cow was Respected, Worshiped and Treated like Mother during ancient times which was why our nation was known as a land of milk and honey.
Our Agriculture was solely dependent on Cow Dung and Urine which worked both as fertilizers and Pesticide for cultivation of various crops and vegetables in India. For many Millenniums our farmers use cow dung and urine and hence lands in India were much fertile and productive as compared to west. […] Many legends have been dedicated to this humble creature, Kings, Noble Rishis, Maharishis, Brahmin's, Philosophers and great Ayurveda Acharyas have given great emphasis to Cow, which is why our nation is known as the Land of the Holy Cow.
Cow urine is not only sold in India, but also in a number of countries, and is used in Myanmar and Nigeria as a folk medicine. It's also available on e-commerce sites like Amazon.
BBC News – Cow urine sold alongside food in London shops https://t.co/MyNBRMt0fH
— The Matriot (@DICS131294) July 19, 2016
Below is one of the many videos available online spouting the benefits of cow urine and how to drink it. The man in the video even explains how to distill your own cow urine using a pressure cooker.
However, the available science doesn't seem to back up the health claims. Cow urine is a possible source of harmful bacteria and infectious diseases. One study found that cow urine administered to mice caused excitement in low doses and convulsion and/or death in higher doses.
Will self-proclaimed experts put their claims of medicinal properties of cow urine to independent testing? Or will this remain traditional knowledge, something that people continue to drink on faith? So far, the Ministry of Ayush, which was established in 2014 to promote traditional Indian medicine and therapy after the Bharatiya Janata Party government took over, has not shared anything much about cow urine neither on their official portal or on their Twitter handle.


text:
Investors flock to soft commoditiesPUBLISHED: 20 Oct 2010 00:08:05 | UPDATED: 22 Oct 2010 05:06:24PRINT EDITION: 20 Oct 2010
Extreme weather conditions that wreaked havoc on food crops across the globe this year have sent soft commodity prices soaring and put agricultural production back in the spotlight.
Already a subscriber? Please login here
Stay with the story for less than $1.90 a day
|Companies||Elders Ltd, Nufarm Ltd, AWB Ltd, Graincorp Ltd, Maryborough Sugar, Primeag Australia, Guinness Peat Group., Tandou Ltd, Ridley Corporation, Incitec Pivot|
|Topics||Personal Investment, Company News, Agribusiness|


text:
The digital sign with a solid red background read simply: “Michael — GPS Tracker — $250, Nikon Camera with zoom lens — $1600, Catching my LYING HUSBAND and buying this billboard with our investment account — Priceless. Tell Jessica you’re moving in! — Jennifer.”
No last names or contact information. It is known only is that the billboard belongs to Outdoor Signage, a local company whose phone number connects to the offices of Kotis Properties.
Kotis is the owner of a yogurt and coffee shop — Yo Daddy Dessert Bar — on Westover Terrace, the name of which was featured on the billboard Thursday afternoon, reports News Record.
“Jessica — Meet me at Yodaddy’s at 7:00 p.m. for some wine therapy. — Jennifer,” the new message claimed.
Marty Kotis, president of Kotis Properties, wasn’t available for comments on Thursday.
A representative for the billboard company’s Facebook page messaged Chad Tucker stating:
“We cannot comment on the billboard content right now. We have asked the sponsor for a statement based on your inquiry.”
Though the billboard mayappear to be just a marketing ploy, similar billboards have appeared in other locations — with most notable in 2010 when the mistress of one of President Barack Obama’s economic advisers owned billboards to broadcast a Web address linked to a site detailing their affair.
Debbie Hill, vice president of Triad Outdoor Advertising , said she has never known of anyone locally buying a billboard for a message of such kind, adding that personalized messages are quite rare in the business as they’re “usually way too expensive.”
According to Hill, most clients sign one-year contracts for a billboard, though a month-to-month basis is also possible.
Still, whatever is going on with the billboard on Battleground, Hill said, it has done a good job of gaining attention and generating interest.
“If this is an attention-getting deal, the person who owns that billboard is going to be thrilled,” she said.
There were one more similarly themed message from a woman named Emily went up in 2006. The message on the billboard was adressed to a man named Steven, and read:
“Do I have your attention now? I know all about her, you dirty, sneaking, immoral, unfaithful, poorly-endowed slimeball, Everything’s caught on tape.”
The message was also signed, “Your (soon-to-be-ex) Wife, Emily.”
The billboard became so popular that even ABC’s “Good Morning America” reportedly wanted the “soon-to-be-ex” wife to tale part in the show. However, it was later found out that the message was marketing material for a reality television show on Court TV.
Then again, not all revenge billboards are marketing tricks. Signs paid for by a woman named YaVaughnie Wilkins turned out to be real, The Huffington Post reports.
The woman claimed to have had an eight-year relationship with a man named Charles Phillips. But after he decided to stay with his wife, the woman spent about $250,000 advertising their affair in multiple locations across the country, including Times Square.


text:
Cradle out to plug deals outflow with seed venture initiative
By Goh Thean Eu June 9, 2015
- Less chance of startups moving out if they can get Series A funding locally
- Number of VC deals doubled in Q1 2015 to 13, Singapore had 39 though
SOME may see the recent launch of Cradle Seed Ventures Pte Ltd as an initiative to encourage public-private partnership on the domestic startup funding front, but the move has a much bigger agenda: To prevent, or at least to minimise, the number of good deals flowing out of Malaysia.
It is also aimed at reducing the number of promising startups from moving their base outside the country, according to Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Nazrin Hassan (pic above).
“The idea is also to give them a local option, because prior to this, you couldn’t blame them for going to Singapore. There were no local options.
“If we raise the ‘Series A’ bar … with our co-investment initiatives, among others, we would be able to retain more of the deals here in Malaysia,” he said after the launch of Cradle Seed Ventures last Thursday (June 4).
According to Nazrin, venture capitalists (VCs) are fleeing the Series A stage. “Everybody wants to do Series B onwards. In the end, somebody has got to play that strategic Series A role.”
Cradle Seed Ventures, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cradle Fund – itself a non-profit under Malaysia’s Ministry of Finance – will manage the Cradle Seed Venture Fund 1 (CSVF1).
The fund currently has RM40 million (US$11 million) in its coffers. The plan is to grow the fund size to RM100 million (US$27 million) over the next 12 months, primarily with injections from the private sector.
CSVF1 will fund from RM1 million to RM3 million into promising and scalable technology startups at the pre-Series A, Series A and growth stages, for a minority equity stake.
Nazrin said that being able to provide promising startups Series A funding would increase the chances of these startups retaining their base in Malaysia, and not move elsewhere.
“If we can provide them with Series A funding, the chances of getting them Series B funding or some other form of partnerships will be higher.
“If we lose them at Series A, they’re gone. You lose the deal completely.
“If they raise their Series A in Malaysia, they are likely to continue their other rounds of funding in the country. Even if the startups go to Singapore for future fund-raising, they [their base] would still remain here,” he added.
Over the years, Malaysia has churned out a number of promising startups, including the popular GrabTaxi, which is still known as MyTeksi in its home base.
In its early days, MyTeksi was given a boost when Cradle awarded it a development grant of RM150,000 (about US$41,000 at current rates) under its CIP150 (Cradle Investment Programme).
Since then however, the taxi-booking app startup has raised a series of funds to the tune of about US$340 million in total, mostly out of Singapore, and has moved its headquarters there – so much so that many blogs dedicated to the startup space refer to it as a Singaporean company.
In April, GrabTaxi announced it is allocating US$100 million over the next two to three years to fund an international research and development centre in Singapore too.
Many Singapore-based funds are in one-to-one matching deals with various Singapore Government agencies and initiatives, which make incorporation in the city-state a requirement.
Zero-sum game, e-commerce push
According to Cradle Seed Ventures chief executive officer Aziz Hussein (pic), the number of VC deals more than doubled in Malaysia to 13 in the first quarter this year, compared with the five deals in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2014.
While the jump in deals seems like an encouraging sign, he stressed that there’s room for growth.
“In Singapore, there were 39 VC deals in the first quarter this year (Q4 2014: 40 deals). So we are still behind in terms of deal flows,” said Aziz. “We hope to improve the deal flow in Malaysia with this initiative.”
Cradle Seed Ventures will focus on Internet and mobile technology businesses, software and enterprise solutions, as well as hardware and engineering.
It is currently looking at more than 30 deals, according to Aziz, of which more than 90% are related to e-commerce – whether they are online marketplaces or technology providers for such ventures.
This is because of the huge growth potential. He said that the e-commerce space in South-East Asia is expected to grow by approximately 25% annually between 2013 and 2017.
That potential has seen a mushrooming of e-commerce ventures in Malaysia. In a media briefing last month to launch its GemFive online shopping portal, GuoLine eMarketing Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Moey Tan referred to findings by BCG Analysis in September 2014 that supported the room for growth belief.
Tan said that according to BCG Analysis, the online retail spend for most countries in South-East Asia was relatively low at less than 5% of total retail spend.
In contrast, China’s online retail spend was almost 10% of total retail spend, while the Netherlands has more than 15% and the United Kingdom has over 20%.
18 months later, Cradle Seed Ventures finally launches
Cradle-GGV funding pact to also help plug entrepreneur brain drain
Sync, MauKerja raise RM1mil each from Cradle co-investment pact
Is Malaysia ‘losing out’ to Singapore?
Tech Vision: The emerging world of bricks and clicks
For more technology news and the latest updates, follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn or Like us on Facebook.


text:
What is the News?
The Union government has constituted a committee for framing legislation regarding new drugs, cosmetics and medical devices.
About the Committee
Headed by: The committee is headed by Drugs Controller General of India V.G. Somani.
Mandate: To undertake pre-legislative consultations and examine the present Drugs and Cosmetics Act,1940, examine previously framed Drugs and Cosmetics Bills and submit a draft document for new Drugs, Cosmetics and Medical Devices Bill.
What is the need for the new law?
Currently, the Drugs and Cosmetics Act,1940 regulates the import, manufacture, distribution and sale of drugs and cosmetics. Through a recent amendment, the law incorporated regulation of medical devices as well.
However, the provisions of this act are limited to govern the rapidly expanding segment which has sophisticated and innovative products entering the market.
Hence, the proposed new law will replace the existing Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940. It will comprehensively address areas like medical devices, hospital equipment, e-pharmacy, emergency use authorisation as well as clinical trials etc.
|Read more: INDIAN PHARMACEUTICAL SECTOR CHALLENGES AND REFORMS|
About the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940
It is the central legislation that regulates India’s drug and cosmetic import, manufacture, distribution and sale. The Act clearly defines spurious drugs, adulterated drugs and misbranded drugs.
This also established the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO). The Act also establishes regulatory control over the manufacture and sale of drugs.
The State Health department has to regulate the manufacturing, sales and distribution of drugs. Drug Inspectors will control the implementation at ground level.
Source: This post is based on the article “Panel set up to draft Bill on drugs, cosmetics and medical devices” published in The Hindu on 8th September 2021.


text:
Signet Jewelers’ profits sparkle
Bermudian-based Signet Jewelers Limited, the world's largest retailer of diamond jewellery, has reported annual sales growth of nearly 50 per cent as it announced fourth quarter and full-year results for the period ending January 29.
Signet had annual sales of $7.8 billion, up $2.6 billion or 49.7 per cent to last year, and up $1.7 billion or 27.5 per cent to fiscal year 2020.
Brick and mortar total sales were $6.3 billion, up 56.2 per cent to last year and up 17.2 per cent to 2020.
E-commerce sales were $1.5 billion, up 27.6 per cent to last year and up 101.4 per cent to 2020.
Signet reported fourth quarter sales of $2.8 billion, up $624.8 million or 28.6 per cent to last year and up $658 million or 30.6 per cent to 2020.
Brick and mortar sales were $2.3 billion, up 34.6 per cent to last year, and up 21.7 per cent to 2020.
E-commerce sales were $556 million, up 8.7 per cent to last year and up 85.4 per cent to 2020.
Signet chief executive officer Virginia C. Drosos said: "Thank you to our team for their dedication, agility and excellent execution again this quarter and throughout the past year.
“The investments we have made in our connected commerce capabilities and differentiated banner assortment and marketing have driven meaningful share gains, with all categories and all banners outpacing jewellery industry growth.
“Despite a challenging macro environment ahead, we believe that we are well-positioned in partnership with our strategic suppliers. We're confident in the sustainable competitive advantages we've built and our ability to leverage our enhanced infrastructure and scale to continue growing ahead of the jewellery industry."
2. Please respect the use of this community forum and its users.
3. Any poster that insults, threatens or verbally abuses another member, uses defamatory language, or deliberately disrupts discussions will be banned.
4. Users who violate the Terms of Service or any commenting rules will be banned.
5. Please stay on topic. "Trolling" to incite emotional responses and disrupt conversations will be deleted.
6. To understand further what is and isn't allowed and the actions we may take, please read our Terms of Service