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Although we don’t believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on changes – just in case they’re material to our investing thesis. With 17 of its 30 constituents logging gains today while having only nine others suffer losses, the Straits Times Index (SGX: ^STI) has managed to inch up by 0.2% to 3,324 points. Let’s take a closer look at three market beaters. ComfortDelGro Corporation Limited (SGX: C52) has climbed by 2.4% to S$2.54. Just last week, the land transport outfit released its second quarter results and…
Although we don’t believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on changes – just in case they’re material to our investing thesis.
With 17 of its 30 constituents logging gains today while having only nine others suffer losses, the Straits Times Index (SGX: ^STI) has managed to inch up by 0.2% to 3,324 points.
Let’s take a closer look at three market beaters.
ComfortDelGro Corporation Limited (SGX: C52) has climbed by 2.4% to S$2.54. Just last week, the land transport outfit released its second quarter results and broke a new record – it had earned quarterly revenue in excess of S$1 billion for the first time ever. To be more specific, ComfortDelGro’s revenue for the quarter had increased by 11.9% from a year ago to S$1.019 billion.
Meanwhile, its profit had grown by 9.9% to S$75.7 million as its operating expenses outgrew sales. Regarding ComfortDelGro’s future outlook, my colleague Chin Hui Leong managed to give a tantalising glimpse on the company’s market opportunity:
“I have noted from a CNN report that there are currently more than 160 cities in China that have a population of 1 million or more; for some sense of scale, Singapore’s population stands at around 5.3 million currently. To add to this, more than half the population in China (that works out to be 700 million people) now resides in cities.
These are all potential customers for ComfortDelGro to serve.”
Commodities trader Olam International Ltd (SGX: O32) is up next with its shares gaining 0.8% to S$2.56. On Monday, Olam announced that it’s expanding its partnership with Japan’s third largest instant noodles maker Sanyo Foods Co. Ltd to grow a packaged foods business in Sub-Saharan Africa.
According to terms of the deal, Sanyo Foods would buy a 25.0% stake in Olam’s Packaged Foods business for US$187.5 million. If the Packaged Foods business meets “specific performance milestones in FY2015 [financial year ending 30 June 2015]”, the total price paid by Sanyo Foods would rise to US$212.5 million. The transaction – based on a purchase price of US$187.5 million – would see Olam record a net cash inflow of US$167.5 million and is actually in line with the company’s Strategic Plan.
Olam’s Packaged Foods business appears to still have huge room for growth. The business logged annual revenue of US$350 million in FY2013, but the current market size for its products stand at US$4.4 billion and is estimated to grow “at between 6% and 12% [per annum].”
Neptune Orient Lines Ltd. (SGX: N03) rounds up the list here. The shipping outfit’s shares have gained 4.1% to S$1.02 after it revealed earlier today that it’s considering a sale or listing of its logistics business.
It was an interesting reaction by the market because Neptune Orient Lines’ logistics business has been its saving grace since 2011 at least; the price jump today makes it seem as though the market’s celebrating the potential loss of the good part of Neptune Orient Lines. Does that make sense? You be the judge.
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Amazon is having a Cyber Monday weekend. Amazon’s Cyber Monday deals start on Saturday, November 25th.
Todays the day. Amazon Black Friday 2023
Black Friday 2023
Amazon Early Black Friday 2023
Prime Big Deal Days October 10-11th.
Amazon Labor Day Sale, now through Sept 4th.
Amazon Prime Day 2023
Amazon Memorial Day Sale
Updated – Makeup and Beauty deals for under $3.00. Save up to 15% more on Subscribe and Save eligible items.
Amazon New Year Sale is live. Check it out now.

domain: news


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While overall sales languished a mere 1.3 percent above the first quarter of 2013, high-mileage electric cars, plug-in hybrids, and clean diesels continued a torrid pace similar to what they were experiencing during most of last year. The only laggard in this group was gas-electric hybrids, which dropped almost 16 percent compared to last year, based heavily on declining sales of several Prius models.
ACEEE ranks the Top 10 environmental cars and finds smaller is better and small hybrids are best, although it found the smallest electric car sold in America as the best of the best.
These are the 10 or more cars and trucks I’m looking forward to spending some time with in 2014. I hope they all make, but I probably should also have saved a spot or two on the list for some surprises. In 2013 we had a few of those and I’m expecting more in 2014.
No one should doubt that 2013 was a breakthrough year for advanced technology vehicles, whether running on electricity, gasoline, diesel or some combination of the three. The choices expanded, prices dropped and infrastructure exploded (for plug-ins). This year presents an abundance of riches; as I wrote earlier, we (at least we in California) now have 10 pure electric vehicles to choose from–and 2014 promises and expanded roster of choices. I had the opportunity this year to sample more than half of those available. Add in plug-in hybrids and the list of EV choices almost doubles, while traditional hybrids, clean diesels and high-MPG gasoline vehicles ranks keep growing both in number and popularity.
The year 2013 is almost over and the auto industry is moving toward the best sales year in half a decade. High mileage electric cars, plug-in hybrids, hybrids and clean diesels are drafting along with the positive sales year and going beyond, with each segment besting the overall market as new models enter and draw attention. The expectation is for aggressive selling to continue through the rest of the year, but it’s a good time to regroup and declare the Top 10 winners for the year.
The 2014 Chevrolet Volt which uses a plug-in battery and gasoline engine technology to deliver a smooth, quiet and comfortable driving experience that will most likely get you to work and back without buying any gasoline, but then can take you across the USA – all while delivering in excess of 40 mpg.
The federal Environmental Protection Agency spends a good portion of its time and manpower compiling a guide that compares like vehicles’ fuel economy, spaciousness (interior space) and engine technology. The result for 2014 vehicles (cars and trucks) is now available on www.fueleconomy.gov and has a new benchmark – the Top 10 cars in fuel economy all feature a plug. Some are pure electrics and others are plug-in hybrids. The fuel economy numbers are astronomical by historical standards, but are setting the new benchmark for what a modern automobile needs to achieve to be considering a state-of-the-art environmental leader.
Nissan may be the most honest car company out there today because you will actually hear them say that the 2013 Leaf may not be the right car for you. So if the Leaf isn’t for everyone, who is it for and are you one of those that should own one? This is where the fun begins because if your lifestyle and driving pattern falls within the Leaf’s sweet spot, then the answer is a resounding–YES!
While price cuts and low lease rates have been moving electric cars like never before, resulting in “sold out” models and tight supplies at some dealerships, there may be a dark side to the deals. When discounts like this happen in the rest of the auto market and residual values drop, the impact on auto companies is clear. Profits on the discounted vehicles drop and the models are often dropped or given a redesign aimed at revitalizing or repositioning them in the eyes of the consumer. For new models, it is often the kiss of death.
August was a high-water mark for some of the pure electric cars and plug-in hybrids, stoking hopes that these alternatives were starting to gain traction in the market. The year 2013 is two-thirds over and auto industry sales overall are doing quite well (up 14 percent compared to July 2013, up 17 percent compared to August 2012 and up 9.6 percent over the year-to-date compared to last year). The record sales this month by the Passat TDI, Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf show that high mileage vehicles are definitely high on consumers’ shopping lists. More models continue to come onto the market, broadening consumer choices and adding to the ongoing discussion of fuel economy.
The Nissan Leaf was the best selling plug-in car in July and has just lost the lead for the year-to-date electric car sales to the hot-selling Tesla Model S, another pure electric. It’s fair to say that where the Leaf is selling well, electric cars are selling well. Here are the Top 10 markets for Nissan Leaf sales.
Consumers interested in plug-in cars got more good news this month as the Mercedes-built Smart and Chevy Volt both joined the recent moves to drop prices on their models. The Smart dropped lease prices to $139/month, substantially below much of the competition, and GM lowered the 2014 Chevy Volt price by $5,000.
The year 2013 is half over and the auto industry is doing quite well, led by high mileage vehicles that are outperforming the overall industry in sales growth. As more and more pure electrics, plug-in cars, hybrids and clean diesels appear on the U.S. market, consumers are embracing them.
The final decider between the Focus Electric and Nissan Leaf could be styling. For those who don’t want to show off their environmental leanings, the Focus EV is designed for the generic aisle of the dealership. Its styling is edgy, sporty, decidedly European and its green credentials are incognito. Tough choice, huh? But if you want to drive one of the sharpest-looking cars on the road while smiling to yourself because you have no personal connection to OPEC, the Focus Electric might be the EV for you.
May continues the trend of good sales for hybrids, electric cars, plug-in hybrids and clean diesels. Consumers are seeking out these cars and keeping their sales numbers high.


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PANAJI: The Corporation of the city of Panaji (CCP) will soon start a collection scheme for soft cell batteries through drop boxes at vantage points for citizens.
A receptacle, which will serve as a drop box for the waste, is being designed. "A dozen such drop boxes will be placed at strategic points," said CCP commissioner Sanjit Rodrigues.
The city corporation plans to create mass awareness about the new scheme once the receptacles and the arrangements are finalized.
CCP officials have studied the source of the waste. "It is mainly watch repair shops, electronic shops and some other establishments, where such waste is seen," Rodrigues said. Households, which are clueless about disposal of the toxic waste will also be able to use the CCP collection system.
The toxic waste material delivered by the citizens will be stored safely for a particular period and sent for disposal. "We will work out a tie-up with some operator for regular collection," a CCP official said. Currently, batteries are being disposed off unscientifically and pose a threat to health and environment.
CCP was the first civic body in Goa to start segregation at source, which obviated the need for use of bins for garbage collection. Later, it started collection of pet bottles and baling of non-recyclable material for dispatching to cement factories.


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Nintendo of America has inked a sponsorship deal with Six Flags Amusments, making the Wii the official console of fun.
Cool idea, but a bad choice. They should have partnered with Cedar Fair. They offer much better parks and have been purchasing parks from the bankrupt Six Flags who may not last more than a few more seasons.
Probably a pretty cheap deal then.
N4G is a community of gamers posting and discussing the latest game news. It’s part of NewsBoiler, a network of social news sites covering today’s pop culture.


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All White Jack
1919: VC legend joins clothing factory
2012: Grandson's VC range is big hit
AN ex-City trader is helping put British clothing on the map — after saving a business that was once owned by his war hero great grandad.
James Eden has quadrupled sales at historic Manchester textile factory


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Brands are increasingly playing like media companies, trying to compete in a hyper-personalized marketplace by leveraging accelerate content discovery platforms. Marketers no longer wait for campaigns to generate traffic; rather it’s programmatic algorithm that runs the campaign performance using customer data from multiple devices. In a bid to promote brand content at a breakneck pace, marketers overlook the quality of the content. That’s exactly what Robert Thomson, the Chief Executive of News Corp, has to say about content’s integrity. He cited Times Of London’s report n big brands funding “extremists and hardcore pornographers.
“Digital distributors have long been a platform for the fake, the faux and the fallacious (and) have eroded the integrity of content by undermining its provenance. Ad agencies and their programmatic networks are also at fault because they have sometimes artificially aggregated audiences, and these are then plied with the content of dubious provenance.”
In an increasingly competitive programmatic ad marketplace, advertisers seek reassurance about their brand inventories that are displayed across channels.
“In the ad market, there has been an awakening and there will surely be a reckoning,” said Mr. Thomson. “Audiences are craving integrity,” noting how many News Corp mastheads have reported strong growth in readers and subscribers. Thomson added how content integrity is the most priceless asset for any brand. However, digital media owners and distributors continue to embrace “the fake, the faux and the fallacious”, affecting the legitimacy of the content creators.
Programmatic marketing, though in its infancy, has sprouted a wide range of opportunities for media owners, offering an effective content distribution model. However, the content legitimacy and its accountability remain a dubious aspect of programmatic marketing, especially when it narrates a rhetoric storyline sans logic.
Content – as a brand asset in marketing, extends commercial and social influence to every identity in the digital supply chain. The quality of content (especially the ambiguous ones) affects the commercial and social currency when programmatic algorithms deliver them. A tweak in the programmatic can change the factual integrity of the content – something brand marketers can no longer afford to experiment with.
Thomson squarely blamed the ad agencies and their programmatic networks for stashing dubious content across the web, social and mobile. He maintains that brand affinity and integrity are core elements of a sustainable relationship between advertiser and consumer, and yet affinity and integrity are far too often missing in the modern marketplace. The hardest challenge advertisers in 2017 will encounter is the analytics quoted by the digital platforms and ad agencies. They don’t want muddled metrics and they don’t want digital platforms and ad agencies arbitraging ambiguity.
Thomson recounted the efforts carried out at News Corp to deal with programmatic frauds. “We are (also) testing our own digital ad network, which will provide a measurable, high-quality audience for advertisers, who are increasingly wary, and rightly so, about the murky, tenebrous world of digital advertising.”
Automation and machine learning capabilities in MarTech have allowed programmatic to raise its bar for customer experience. Intelligent algorithms allow micro-segmentation of customers based on their behavior, demography, buying pattern and even use of apps. Data-driven multi-touch attribution helps clear the bottlenecks in content delivery, enabling advertisers to schedule the right message at the right time.
As DMPs acquire higher efficiency and collaboration with the supply-chain systems, real-time programmatic content will help plug the gap between fake and real.
Content legitimacy in a programmatic ecosystem will decide the future of B2B commerce across the diversified customer base.


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Hitler’s Lufftwaffe may have destroyed Swansea’s original Kardomah cafe in 1941, but the name lives on.
Its most famous customer, Dylan Thomas, described it as being “razed to the snow” in his radio play Return Journey. It was here that Thomas had sat with a group of bohemian friends, drank coffee and discussed “Einstein and Epstein, Garbo, Stravinsky, death, religion, Picasso and girls.”
In 1957 a new Kardomah opened in Portland Street and today its co-director Juliet Luporini talks about her hopes for business in Swansea and a development bank for Wales.
As they say in theatrical progammes, the time is 9.30am, the setting a city centre cafe-restaurant where early-morning shoppers are drinking coffee. A waitress is busy taking orders. Enter Ms Luporini.
“We have been a family business for 44 years, first with my parents who moved here from London, and now with my brother and myself,” she said.
“There are still the original tables and chairs but the rest of the business has been modernised, and today we sell 30 different kinds of coffee beans to wholesale and retail customers. But the cafe culture remains.”
As all business people know, the past is a foreign country where things are done differently, and it’s not about the past that Ms Luporini wishes to talk.
Of her role as chair of Swansea’s Business Improvement District, where she looks after some 853 businesses in the city centre ranging from national and international retailers to the smaller independent traders, the 48-year-old business studies graduate said: “These are all part of the rich retail offer that we try to achieve.
10 reasons why there's more to Swansea than Nev:
“We have seen across the UK the problems that town and city centres are facing and the Business Improvement District has been both mechanism and catalyst for improving trading conditions in Swansea’s city centre.
“We have been running for eight years and are now one of the most successful, accruing £500,000 annually, which we use to promote offers to attract shoppers here.”
Her only criticism is that Wales hasn’t been the best at publicising its success, something other parts of the UK tend to do much better.
Three years ago Ms Luporini was appointed to an independent review panel set up by Business and Enterprise Minister Edwina Hart to examine business rates and how they meet the needs of Welsh business.
She said: “We were delighted that the recommendations were taken up by the Minister, and since then there has been a £200,000 fund given by the Welsh Government to set up improvement districts in several parts of Wales.
“Bids are not just about towns or city centres. There can be tourism, commerce or finance bids. Initially 18 places applied, sadly there was only enough money for 10, but we hope this will be a growing mechanism as we see in Scotland.”
Her work on the Business Rates Task and Finish group she describes as “fascinating”, adding “it’s likely this is going to happen in 2015”.
Of her own contribution she said: “Through involvement in that policy you get to see realistically what can be done. I raised some of the practical issues we face in business on a daily basis, whether it’s cashflow or how business rates can impact on these. It also gives a wider understanding of what the Welsh Government and local authorities are dealing with and how business rates income is actually used.”
Following her work on business rates Ms Luporini was appointed to the First Minister’s commission to look at government’s delivery of public services. It was, she said, an intellectually challenging appointment, providing a steep learning curve.
“I got to see public services from another side and help devise a model that could help take this forward into a sustainable future in Wales. I hope the recommendations will now be taken on board,” she said.
This leads to her appointment to the Swansea Bay City Region’s board at the end of last year.
Perhaps anticipating the next question, she said: “People ask why I give up my time for the City Region board. I say it’s because we need a coming together in order to achieve a common goal.”
About her expectations, she’s emphatic: “I expect the City Region board to be the economic driver that a region like this with a small population needs. If we can get the connectivity right we can have an agglomeration of employment, and work on a common planning policy between the city region and local authorities.”
To which she adds: “We shouldn’t be allowing any more out-of-town planning in our region, knowing that Troestre and Fforestfach have sucked life out of both Swansea and Llanelli.
“It mustn’t happen anymore. We need a common vision for the city region, a goal to drive towards a brand and identity for the region that must be clearly defined.”
In short, she would like to see the creation of a place which people want to visit to shop, stay and invest, underwritten by an area of outstanding natural beauty and an attendant quality of life.
“We know that in terms of GVA we are behind Cardiff and the rest of the UK,” she said.
“So we are starting from a different standpoint, but what we do have in our Swansea Bay City Region board are excellent partnerships such as the regional learning and tourism partnerships.
“Overarching these is the will to succeed, but it’s never going into be plain sailing.
“There will always be tribalism but it’s about more than that and needs to transcend politics.”
She added: “At our first meeting I asked, ‘are we going to have long-lasting economic development like Norway and other countries, which set a plan for economic development that stands 25 years regardless of the party in power? Without that we are not going to get anywhere.’ The answer was, ‘it’s going to be place before politics’.”
Although just 10am the Kardomah has seen an increase in customers and the decibel level has risen.
Turning to the economic climate in Wales, she refers to the recent CBI lunch and the words of CBI deputy director general Katja Hall.
She said: “I agree with what Katja Hall said. I think it’s a mixed picture here in Wales with the shoots of recovery being seen sooner in Cardiff than in Swansea.
“We are not out of the woods yet and there is still work to do, but the picture is certainly better than it has been. In terms of Swansea coming out of recession, I like to think that the projects earmarked for redevelopment will go ahead and regeneration happen.”
We finally arrive at the subject of accessing finance, an abiding problem for those in the SME sector. This, it would seem, has not been a problem for Kardomah since finance has not been required, but there has been a change in the relationship between and her and her bank, as she explained: “We have used the same bank for 44 years and until recently we had a relationship manager I was able to talk to.
“This has now ended, which for me is a retrograde step. I have been told that because we don’t turnover enough money we will not have a face-to-face point of contact, and this makes banking too remote.”
This leads to her saying: “There is an enormous gap in funding which, I believe, is one of the findings that has led to an independent panel being appointed to explore the feasibility of a development bank for Wales.
“In many ways the banks are ticking the boxes of offering certain customers money, but it’s not possible for every small business to take this on board.
“With the smaller businesses we look after we have done a few schemes through the Business Improvement District, where we have been able to open up businesses to loans, sometimes only up to £15,000, which is all a small business needs.
“I believe we should be setting up an organisation or model where we can make sure micro and other businesses are able to access the funding needed to help them to grow.”
This, she believes, is something that can have an impact on the whole economy by making sure start-up and growing businesses get the right finance and the right advice.
She said: “I really believe that in moving forward as a country and in Swansea as a city, we need to work together as a partnership as purse strings tighten.
“For me it’s about harnessing human resources in order to move forward. The city region is an economic driver but bureaucracy can always get in the way.”
More on Swansea:


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Rs 82 Vi add-on plan benefits and validity
The Vi Rs 82 prepaid add-on plan benefits include 4GB of high-speed internet, which will be valid for 14 days, and a Sony LIV Premium mobile-only subscription. The subscription, as stated above, will be valid for 28 days. This is the first time Sony is offering a mobile-only subscription to its streaming platform, and it seems to be exclusive to Vi prepaid users. There is no mobile-only premium plan listed on the official Sony LIV app and website yet.
That said, the Sony LIV Premium mobile subscription with Rs 82 Vi plan offers access to all content available on the streaming platform. This includes UEFA Champions League, WWE, Bundesliga, UFC, and originals such as Scam 1992 — The Harshad Mehta Story, Maharani, Gullak Season: 3, and more. The OTT platform is also home to some of the best international TV shows and web series, including The Good Doctor, Fantasy Island, and Magpie Murders.
Since it’s a data pack, you don’t get voice call, SMS, and other benefits with the Rs 82 Vi plan. For that, you will have to get one of the all-in-one plans from Vodafone Idea (Vi).


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A Brazilian fintech startup popular with Chinese millennial investors has joined with the African nation of Togo to backstop a planned €100 million ($113 million) impact fund being raised by a Switzerland-based private-equity firm. It’s all based on blockchain, of course.
The transnational effort reflects the intent of the newly announced BLOC Fund to facilitate cross-border investments in tech-driven businesses in energy, education, consumer goods, financial inclusion and healthcare.
Backers of the fund are betting that blockchain’s promise of efficiency and traceability will assuage investors’ reticence about committing capital in emerging markets. Moeda, the Brazilian blockchain startup, and the government of Togo committed €10 million in first-loss capital to jumpstart the fund, announced by Bamboo Capital Partners at the African CEO Forum in Kigali, Rwanda.
Moeda, which raised $20 million through an initial coin offering in 2017, has been facilitating cross-border loans for small businesses in Brazil. The company says it has put $4.7 million in the hands of 7,500 beneficiaries with a model that mixes microfinance, crowdfunding and blockchain. Most of the investors using Moeda’s platform are millennials from China.
The new fund will invest in companies that use blockchain and other technologies to benefit the low- and middle-income populations in emerging markets, the partners said in a statement. Cina Lawson, Togo’s minister of posts, digital economy and tech innovation, said Togo invested “to foster the development of tech companies which are focused on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals” and “to support local tech entrepreneurs to grow their businesses by providing them capital and tech expertise.”
“BLOC’s blended finance approach will catalyze further investment and generate lasting impact in some of the poorest regions in the world,” said Florian Kemmerich of Bamboo, which has about $290 million under management and investments in more than 30 companies.
Cryptocurrency will be part of the blend: investors in the fund will have the option of making commitments in dollars or euros, or cryptocurrencies. The fund says it will use a “know your customer” platform to convert cryptocurrencies into euros and dollars.
Randall Kempner, executive director of the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs says he’s optimistic about blockchain’s potential to increase access to capital for smallholder businesses and farmers. He says, blockchain-based platforms like Moeda, which primarily serves agribusinesses, “offer an innovative approach that addresses some of the fundamental challenges faced in ag finance – mainly the heretofore high costs associated with transparency and financial transfers.”
Blockchain lowers the cost for someone from overseas to invest directly in another market, like Brazil, Moeda’s Taynaah Reis told ImpactAlpha in an interview before the announcement of the new fund. “To do that the normal way would take a lot of money and a lot of intermediaries. Also, for a transaction to happen across borders takes a long time.” Reis says the immutability of blockchain data is key in a market like Brazil, which has a reputation for corruption and identity fraud.
Reis grew up witnessing how impactful a small business loans can be to people traditionally ignored by mainstream banks. Roughly 70% of micro and small business owners in Reis’ native Brazil are shut out of mainstream bank lending. Instead, they resort to taking personal loans, which can carry interest rates as high as 200%.
Reis was inspired by her father’s career in launching Brazilian credit cooperatives. (He also initiated a large government lending program to small businesses.) Her vision for Moeda is to build upon that work through modern technology, which can cut through the red tape of both government and traditional finance to facilitate loans to companies, organizations and cooperatives delivering energy access, sustainable agriculture and food security.
It does this through partnerships with local cooperatives and banks that help the company source fundable projects and serve as financial partners. And through a blockchain-based crowd-lending platform and its own cryptocurrency, with which anyone anywhere in the world can invest in the projects it sponsors.
Lending timelines for Moeda’s borrowers, most of whom work in the agriculture sector, range from four months to 12 months. The cost of loans to borrowers is around 18%, and investors can expect to be repaid at anywhere between 2% and 10% interest.
“At the bank, the interest rate is 32% annually for a cooperative, and it can take nine months to get approved. Moeda gets [them] approved faster and much lower interest rate,” says Moeda co-founder Isa Yu.
Moeda’s front end for investors looks like any other crowdfunding website. Investors can scroll through fundable projects—training and market access for women coffee growers, or technical assistance and equipment upgrades for family-owned dairy farms—online or through Moeda’s app, and invest as little as $8 in projects targeting $20,000 in funding on average.
What investors through the platform are actually buying is Moeda’s own digital currency, which gets disbursed to borrowers in Brazil through Moeda’s network of cooperative and banking partners. Borrowers convert the digital tokens through a partner bank. “When they pay it back, they deposit cash at the local bank,” Yu explains. The bank alerts Moeda, which converts the cash to tokens that go back to investors.
“It’s early days for blockchain-based solutions,” ANDE’s Kempner warns. “As with most new technologies, the challenge will not be in the technology solution itself, but in market adoption and scale.”


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Baowo Automobile, which once claimed to be comparable to BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi (BBA), officially declared bankruptcy.
On the evening of November 29, Foton Motor (600166.SH) issued an announcement. On November 29, 2022, the company learned that the Beijing No. Ruling, ruling to declare Beijing Borgward Automobile Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Beijing Borgward") bankrupt in Beijing.
The Beijing No. 1 Intermediate People's Court held that, based on the results of the confirmation of creditor's rights and the assessed assets of the debtor, Beijing Baowo was unable to pay off due debts and its assets were significantly smaller than its liabilities, which was not enough to pay off all debts.
So far, no reorganization or settlement applications have been filed.
In summary, the Beijing No. 1 Intermediate People's Court ruled that Beijing Baowo has met the statutory conditions for declaring bankruptcy.
The administrator's request to declare Beijing Baowo bankrupt complies with the law.
In accordance with Article 2, Paragraph 1, and Article 107 of the Enterprise Bankruptcy Law of the People's Republic of China, the ruling is as follows: declare Beijing Baowo bankrupt.
This ruling takes effect immediately.
Foton Motor stated that based on the principle of prudence, the company has withdrawn the impairment of related assets of Beijing Baowo.
The bankruptcy of Beijing Baowo will not affect the company's existing main business, nor will it have a significant impact on the company's continued operations.
Foton Motor previously announced that it has made a large amount of impairment provision for related matters related to Beijing Baowo, which is expected to affect the total profit of 2021 - about 4.704 billion yuan. A total of about -5.326 billion yuan will be affected in total profit in 2021.
Born in 1919, Baowo Automobile was once the third largest automobile manufacturer in Germany.
In 2014, Foton Motor spent 5 million euros to acquire the century-old German auto brand Borgward, and then established Beijing Borgward in 2016.
From 2016 to 2018, Borgward sold a total of 106,900 vehicles, with a cumulative loss of 4.014 billion yuan.
Foton Motor's net loss in 2018 was 3.575 billion yuan, of which Baowo Motor's loss accounted for 70%.
Under continuous losses, at the end of 2018, Foton Motor transferred 67% of Borgward Motors' equity to Changshengxing for 3.972 billion yuan.
Changsheng Xingye needs to repay the 4.271 billion yuan shareholder loan owed to Foton Motor in installments within three years from the date of completion of the equity transfer.
In 2019, UCAR announced that it would acquire a 67% stake in Baowo Automobile held by Changsheng Xingye at a price of 4.109 billion yuan.
In 2020, UCAR was implicated in the financial fraud incident of Ruixing Coffee and was unable to support Borgward Automobile.
In 2020, the sales volume of Baowo Automobile will only be 8,740, and in 2021, it will be cut to 3,612.
Since then, Baowo has gradually moved towards bankruptcy.
In December 2021, Foton Motor announced that the relevant assets of Beijing Baowo were seized by the Beijing No. 3 Intermediate People's Court, and the book value of the seized property was 2.209 billion yuan.
In January of this year, Foton Motor stated that Beijing Baowo had entered a state of suspension due to the depletion of funds and was unable to continue to maintain operations.
On April 8, Foton Motor announced that due to Beijing Baowo's financial depletion, it was unable to pay off due debts, and its assets were not enough to pay off all debts, so it applied for bankruptcy liquidation and submitted relevant applications to Beijing No. 1 Intermediate People's Court.
On April 23, Foton Motor announced that the Beijing No. 1 Intermediate People's Court ruled to accept Beijing Baowo's bankruptcy liquidation application.
Red Star News reporter Wu Danruo


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SYDNEY •Belle Gibson, the wellness blogger who reportedly faked brain cancer to her hundreds of thousands of followers, is facing legal action in Australia over "deceptive conduct" after an investigation by a consumer watchdog.
Gibson, who lives in Melbourne, launched a recipe and lifestyle app, The Whole Pantry, on the back of her claim that she had been able to cure her terminal illness through diet and lifestyle changes. She also published a book of recipes by Penguin.
In March last year, doubts were cast on her cancer diagnosis in 1999 at age 20, after it emerged that she had been born in October 1991.
Questions were also raised about thousands of dollars in charity donations promised by Gibson off the back of funds raised through the book and app. The Whole Pantry admitted in March that it had "cash- flow problems" and that the donations had never been made.
Her career unravelled quickly and publicly, with a spokesman for Penguin admitting the book had been "published in good faith" and Gibson's claims had not been fact- checked.
Consumer Affairs Victoria confirmed yesterday that it was commencing legal proceedings against her for "misleading and deceptive conduct". It is also preparing to take legal action against her company, Inkerman Road Nominees, of which she is the sole director.
As Inkerman is in liquidation, owing almost A$140,000 (S$140,312), including an A$83,500 tax bill, Consumer Affairs Victoria's director Simon Cohen has applied to the federal court for leave to commence proceedings against the firm.
If leave is granted, he will start proceedings against both Gibson and her company. Penalties total up to A$1.1 million for companies and A$220,000 for individuals.
In a separate action, Penguin Publishing will have to pay the Victorian consumer law fund A$30,000 for failing to fact-check Gibson's book.


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Travel firm Tui is pressing for tourism to resume to countries where the coronavirus threat has abated.
It plans to reopen some hotels in Germany “in the coming days”.
The company, which says it has 27 million customers, added operations in other European destinations were also ready to welcome holidaymakers.
Tui has identified Austria, Greece and Cyprus as being more viable among European destinations because the virus there appears to be contained.
It was forced to cancel the majority of its travel programme in March and on Wednesday warned that up to 8,000 jobs would go as it strives to cut costs by 30% in a major restructuring.
TUI has cancelled all holidays until June and cruises until July. It would normally be running hundreds of flights a week at this time of year.
Travel restrictions across Europe and further afield mean that the crucial summer season for many though is still in doubt, leaving millions of holidaymakers unsure of their plans.
In the UK, the Foreign Office is still advising against all non-essential foreign travel, with no indication of when the policy might change.
On Tuesday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said it was unlikely that “big, lavish international holidays” were going to be possible this summer.
A spokesman for Tui said countries were “knocking at its door”, eager to see it reopen hotels and bring back tourists.
Tui said it was trying hard to resume operations and had worked out a number of protocols to make its holidays safe. It has a 10-point plan of guidance on how to reopen safely, including limited buffet services, restrictions on some sports and games and longer opening times at restaurants.
But the company said blanket travel restrictions were making resumption impossible.
Spain, for example, is introducing a 14-day quarantine period for incomers – which covers the length of most package holidays.
The issue of holiday travel is becoming politically sensitive as parts of Europe begin to either recover from or emerge as less affected by the first onslaught of the virus.
The European Commission said on Wednesday a summer holiday season shouldn’t be ruled out this year, contrasting with the UK health secretary’s comment on the unlikelihood of a trip abroad this summer.
- Coronavirus: What are the new travel quarantine rules?
- Coronavirus: Can I get a holiday refund and what are my travel rights?
Tui chief executive Fritz Joussen said: “The demand for holidays is still very high. People want to travel.
“Our integrated business model allows us to start travel activities as soon as this is possible again. The season starts later, but could last longer.
“For 2020, we will also reinvent the holiday: new destinations, changed travel seasons, new local offerings, more digitalisation.”
Tui said it was ready to resume providing holidays this year, using new social distancing and cleaning measures.
“The health and well-being of both customers and colleagues remain paramount and we are assessing how we can responsibly adapt to measures so that leisure travel can resume,” the firm said.
“We are preparing new procedures for the airport process, on board our aircraft, in hotels and on our ships, so that any social distancing recommendations or guidelines can be implemented, without compromising customer enjoyment and travel experience.”
‘Permanently reduce’ overheads
Tui said its restructuring would affect its airline business and would also involve selling off “non-profitable activities”.
“We are targeting to permanently reduce our overhead cost base by 30% across the entire group. This will have an impact on potentially 8,000 roles globally that will either not be recruited or reduced,” it said in a statement.
Last month it told its UK workforce they would face a cut of up to 50% in hours worked, with a matching cut in basic pay.
The firm said its turnover and earnings would be significantly lower in the current financial year, with cost savings only partly compensating for the slump.
Tui, which has a global workforce of 70,000, was recently bolstered by a €1.8bn (£1.6bn) state-backed loan in Germany, where it has its headquarters.


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Here's a standard-issue Chevy Camaro. Expect to see something a bit more racy at this year's SEMA show.
SEMA: Chevrolet teases show cars with video
October 19, 2010
WITH VIDEO -- The SEMA show is less than two weeks away, and automakers are ratcheting up the hype for their displays.
The folks at Chevrolet have posted a sneak-peek video of some the cars it will be taking to Las Vegas. We see Camaros, Corvettes and the Silverado pickup.
Have a look for yourself:


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On April 4, non-unionized fast food workers in New York – reportedly 400 employees from about 70 businesses in total – stormed out of their workplaces and into the streets. A similar strike occurred on April 24 in Chicago. Both demonstrations were organized with the help of Fast Food Forward, a campaign led by the community-organizing group New York Communities for Change. Fast Food Forward debuted their campaign on Nov. 29, echoing the sentiments of Chicago’s heavily publicized Black Friday protests: calling for a minimum hourly wage of US$15 (as opposed to where it currently stands, at US$7.25) and unionization without intimidation.
Signed by approximately 123,500 supporters and counting, the Fast Food Forward petition addresses “the CEOs of Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Domino’s, KFC, Taco Bell, and Burger King” and states that the US$11,000 average yearly salary of fast food workers in New York is not a living wage in the most expensive city in the United States. While the employees are barely getting by on US$11,000 per year, Fast Food Forward reports that fast food companies’ CEOs are bringing home an average of US$25,000 per day.
Where fast food workers are barely surviving, fast food corporations are most certainly thriving. McDonald’s shares are up 80 percent since April 2008, with US$2.3 billion in cash on the books. Shareholders in Burger King, YUM! Brands – the umbrella company that owns Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut – have likewise profited. Meanwhile, one fast food worker participating in the April 4 strike admitted to living with six extended family members crammed into a one-bedroom apartment just to make ends meet.
The fast food workforce’s low wages have larger economic implications as well. With so little income, the 2.7 million fast food workers in the U.S. can’t afford to stimulate the economy. In a recent study by Dēmos, a national, non-partisan public policy center, Catherine Ruetschlin, Dēmos policy analyst, explains that “raising wages would benefit workers, the industry and the overall economy.”
On the unionization front, Fast Food Forward faces additional challenges. As of yet, corporations who illegally replace striking workers face minimal penalty charges, and even when workers win a unionization election, companies can filibuster negotiations for years. But with the involvement of campaigns like Fast Food Forward that connect food workers to their communities for collective action, there is hope for workers.


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Ford Models, in response to an article being published on Thursday in Thursday Styles that discusses the progress of a fashion industry campaign to protect models through various measures, said the company had not actually agreed to a specific proposal not to allow models under the age of 16 to appear in runway shows. Ford was among a dozen agencies that were listed in a press release from the Council of Fashion Designers of America last month as having “pledged that they will not send out models under the age of 16 for shows.”
As Thursday’s article notes, Ford represents at least two models who are under 16 in its portfolio for runway shows this season. A spokesman for Ford released a statement on Wednesday, after the article was published
online, saying that, “While we agree with many of the guidelines the C.F.D.A. is working towards, we did not sign on with this particular initiative.”
Coverage from in and around the New York shows.
The statement goes on to say, “We are sorry for the confusion and apologize for not clearing it up right away when it was announced. We take the age and maturity of our models very seriously. We work on a case-by-case basis alongside a prospective model’s parents to make a determination as to whether they are ready to walk the runway. In most cases, the answer is no. But a select few demonstrate the know-how and maturity that are necessary to work earlier than they otherwise would.”
“We have always played a leadership role in protecting the health and wellness of models, and will continue to do so.”


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After spending years in corporate jobs, Danielle Della Pella needed to devise an alternate plan in a hurry.
Her marriage had fizzled and with three children under 13 years old, she realized that making long commutes to help support the reconfigured household wasn’t the best option for her family.
So last spring Della Pella launched her own company, Glowing, a luxury mobile spray tanning business. The Briarcliff Manor resident travels to clients throughout Westchester and to various spas for people looking for her service. She also now partners with Club Fit in her home community to provide health club patrons who want to look and feel their best by having a personal tanning session after working out.
“I think really the motivation behind it was getting a divorce, which in reality is a life-changing event because you have to reinvent yourself,” said Della Pella who became a certified tanning artist after taking webinar courses.
Reinvent herself she did, and Della Pella’s helping to reinvent many of her clients, at least from their outward appearance. The health risks have been well-known among the general population for those who sunbathe excessively, yet there is still a desire to have that look of just having been on vacation.
Della Pella uses an organic spray tan that is paraben-, sulfate- and gluten-free and 100 percent vegan. She can customize the tan for all skin types and shades and for patrons of any age, from high school students to seniors, to help them achieve that specialized bronze glow that people have been struggling to attain and maintain for generations. The formulas are scented with allergen-free hints of raspberry and almond extracts.
Della Pella, a New Jersey native, is able to quickly set up and disassemble her mobile station she uses wherever she goes when she sees customers, which is often to people’s homes. Her clients have been predominantly women, but either gender of any age can benefit.
When people like the way they look, they feel better and it boosts self-esteem, she said.
“We have the ability to take what is natural to make us look good and feel without being in the sunlight,” Della Pella said.
Each session lasts between 20 to 30 minutes, making it a similar commitment to getting one’s hair or nails done. The tan, or the bronze effect, stays intact for about five to seven days, she said.
Although the decision by Della Pella, who spent her career in corporate communications and public relations for various companies, was created out of necessity, she said she’s pleased that she found something she thoroughly enjoys. Della Pella said she had always was attracted to the fashion and beauty industries but didn’t have an opportunity to pursue those options.
However, when Della Pella left the corporate world she wanted to do something that was creative and fulfilling. At that stage in her life, with children seven, 11 and 13 years old it was unrealistic to return to school, she said.
Instead, she learned of the new healthy tanning options, which still has not completely replaced the old-fashioned tanning beds.
While Della Pella has been in business less than a year, she has had a steady stream of customers regardless of the season. Whether it’s people who want to look great heading into the holidays and cold weather months, heading outdoors in the warmer seasons or for a special occasion, there’s never a down season for tanning.
It’s also been inspirational for Della Pella to land on her feet after being forced to recover from seeing her home life break apart.
“Empowering my clients to look and feel their best and learning from my experiences by starting a business from scratch has truly inspired me,” said Della Pella. “Watching my own business grow simultaneously with my children growing up has been an amazing experience. My children have seen me take an idea I was passionate about and turn it into a thriving business. You can’t put a value on that life lesson.”
To learn more about Glowing, visit www.lookglowing.com. To book an appointment call 914-564-9717.


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Published: October 23, 2012 at 11:28 PMSeems like its going to be a real nice float. Cars Land was simply awesome when I visited this past August.
As for Northwestern, at least they're going to a bowl, it could be worse. You could be a UTEP fan like myself, where a bowl game victory has not happened in over four decades and are sitting with a 2-6 record this year, again. But hey, at least the victory over Tulane this past saturday was fun. Go Miners!
...Back to the parade though. I'm not even sure anyone will be watching the float. Everybody's going to be at the Disneyland Resort. I'm guessing that the week between Christmas and New Years will see record crowds at DCA.
Published: October 24, 2012 at 8:09 AMMy hope is Disney doesn't decide to yank the Float from the official after-parade viewing site and take it to DCA like what they did to the Tower of Terror float. Since Disney decided to pull it from public viewing, they missed an marketing opportunity to sell DCA to the public in Pasadena, which was visited by many foreign and domestic tourists. At that time, few tourists will make a separate trip to DCA to see the float when the actual ride was right around the corner. It was an embarrassing flub.
I actually went to DCA on the next day. There weren't many people who viewed the float especially when it wasn't in proximity to other Rose Parade floats. The visitors to DCA were already sold on the park. What Disney needed to do was sell others on the park. Marketing DCA should have been the goal of sponsoring Rose Parade floats. I recommend Disney have lots of Cast Members handing out flyers and inviting the Rose Parade visitors to visit DCA. Offer some discounts and give away some Carsland stickers.
Published: October 24, 2012 at 11:43 AMI broke this story on Oct. 13, here: http://bit.ly/CarsLand1
It would have gone sooner but was waiting for confirmation from Disney. After two attempts and no repsonse either way, I went with the story.
Published: October 24, 2012 at 10:11 PMIs it just me, or does the Rose Parade have more grains, bark, nuts & fruits and less flowers as the years have passed. I remember floats covered in flowers; some truly carpeted in roses. Is it too expensive nowadays? I think Stephany Edwards says "Dried split peas, kelp and pampas grass" more than "Carnations, chrysanthemums and gladiolas".


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Heartland businesses must innovate to stay relevant: Tharman
Credit: By Marissa Lee, The Straits Times, 26 Sep 2015
Heartland businesses are a key thread in Singapore's social fabric but they have to do more if they are to remain at the heart of the future economy, said Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam yesterday.
Speaking at the Singapore Heartland Enterprise Star awards, he said: "In order to make sure that heartland enterprises are part of our future, we have to make sure that they are able to innovate and survive."
And small businesses must be a source of innovation as Singapore presses forth with its "restructuring journey", he added.
"We must focus more on real innovations, not just simple solutions such as purchases of basic IT devices like laptops and other devices," he said at the event, which was held at the Shangri-La Hotel.
The annual event was organised by the Federation of Merchants' Associations Singapore and the Lianhe Wanbao daily.
Mr Tharman also urged leaders of small businesses to focus more on developing the labour force.
"That is our most important objective - to enable everyone to discover their potential and feel fulfilled. It is only by developing our people in each enterprise that we can get get real value from our investments."
He also singled out a few of the winners of this year's awards for their innovative approaches to traditional businesses. Mr Tharman cited incense and candle company Lijay Tradings, which was named the most innovative firm after growing its sales by creating fruit-shaped incense products to attract younger customers.
Herbal hair treatment firm Bee Choo Origin was also lauded by Mr Tharman as an "old economy" business that has gone global.
"Madam Cheah Bee Chew started the business 15 years ago at home in Pasir Ris, with one steamer," said Mr Tharman. The firm now has six outlets and sells hair products in 10 countries after securing international certification to improve its management system. It also tapped on a government grant to fund a project to reduce customers' waiting times.
The Government will help firms which genuinely want to innovate by stepping up "targeted help" for them, instead of using a "broad-based" approach, Mr Tharman said.
But he also urged firms not to abuse initiatives, such as the Productivity and Innovation Credit (PIC) scheme, which are meant to help companies increase productivity through new technology and innovation.
He said there was a "surge" in the formation of sole proprietorships and partnerships last year as many firms sought to take advantage of the PIC scheme, as well as cases of businesses sharing employees for the purpose of claiming PIC cash payouts.
Mr Tharman said: "We will continue to review our schemes to ensure that they are easily readily accessible by businesses, no matter how small. But we will also want to make sure that our schemes are not for those seeking to take advantage of government support without really upgrading business methods."
We will be happy to listen to your challenges and to share our experiences with you. Hear about our customers' stories and how it can work for you too.


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The Metaverse Divide
We are currently in the initial phase of the Metaverse -- the next step in the Internet evolution that brings together physical, augmented, and virtual realities in a shared online space. It is promised to be an immersive and interactive environment, in which the user experience takes center stage.
However, as with virtually everything in life, opinions on the Metaverse concept are split. On the one hand, there are those who argue that Metaverse is a great idea. If you go online right now, you can find any number of opinion pieces and videos singing the praises of the immersive internet experience -- even at this early stage of its development.
At the other end of the spectrum are those who argue that a world based on the worst elements of dystopian future visions from Sci-Fi and movies like “The Matrix” simply isn’t wise. What’s more, the only ones to truly gain from the Metaverse vision will be the tech companies and businesses making money from it.
Recently, the doubters have had reason to feel justified, following a spectacular fail from one of the leading Metaverse advocates.
Meta’s Bump in the Metaverse Road
Despite its $10.2 billion investment in the Metaverse, Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta shot itself in the foot by recently releasing a dismal sample of its efforts. On August 6, Meta unveiled a disturbing-looking VR porcelain doll of the former Facebook CEO, set against equally poor 3D renditions of the Eiffel Tower and La Sagrada Familia.
Intended as a promotion for the company’s Horizon Worlds environment, the event provoked a vicious backlash from social media, with one Tweet inviting users to “Come work for Meta, where the most brilliant technologists of the day have achieved 1995 level graphics.”
The mistimed stunt precipitated a rapid back-pedal from Meta, with Zuckerberg himself promising “Major updates to Horizon and avatar graphics coming soon,” and the company’s President of Global Affairs proclaiming, “ There won’t be a Meta-run Metaverse, just as there isn’t a ‘Microsoft internet’ or ‘Google internet’ today.”
This last statement in particular has been fueling rumors that Meta may be seeking to distance itself from further involvement in the immersive internet project -- or even ditching the Metaverse entirely.
A Metaverse without Meta?
The reality on the ground is that, even without the involvement of Meta, the enabling technologies needed to make the Metaverse vision practical are already in development. They include:
Virtual Reality (VR)
Digital simulations of real and imagined worlds are currently in use in games, social networks, education, virtual health, and on-the-job training environments. The sector is growing, with ARK Invest predicting that VR/AR headsets could reach smartphone adoption rates by 2030.
Augmented Reality (AR)
Here, designers can enhance parts of the physical world with computer-generated overlays and input. Together with sophisticated Artificial Intelligence (AI), it is anticipated that AR contact lenses and spectacles could eventually facilitate virtual assistance and information services. ARK Invest research expects the augmented reality market will grow from $27 billion in 2021 to $1 trillion by 2030.
Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs)
Brain-computer interfaces could enable users to control avatars, various objects, and digital transactions with their brain signals. A still nascent technology that may have an impact during the maturing years of Metaverse development, BCI is currently being built by companies like Neuralink, NextMind, and Neurable.
With input from various independent systems and platforms, the Metaverse will be a decentralized environment. For this reason, blockchain technology will be pivotal in facilitating quick and secure digital transactions. Grand View Research predicts that the global blockchain technology market will grow to $395 billion in 2028, from its 2021 value of $6 billion.
Very high internet speeds, high bandwidth, and extremely low latency are prerequisites for realizing the Metaverse vision. This will require the widespread deployment of networking technologies like 5G, and infrastructure environments like edge cloud and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Clearly then, Metaverse technology is evolving at a rapid pace. This is happening irrespective of whether Zuckerberg’s Meta remains an active and valuable contributor to the movement. And even if the general public fails to fully embrace the Metaverse vision, these technological advances will still have the potential to positively impact all of our lives.
This remains true of innovations in all of the sectors described above -- and critically, in the essential area of networking technology.
Here at FusionLayer, we continue to develop and provide Software-Defined solutions for the edge infrastructure that enable our customers to attain higher levels of performance while reducing the ecological footprint of their DNS, DHCP, and IP Address Management services.
By replacing traditional hardware-based DDI appliances with FusionLayer solutions deployed as virtual machines and/or as container pods on optimized business infrastructure, we are playing our part with a high-performing solution that can advance the development of Metaverse projects, and actively contribute to our client's sustainability efforts.


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In Dallas, a city renowned for wealthy families, the Thompson family, which owns the nation's largest convenience store chain, 7-Eleven, does not fit the mold. The Thompsons are apparently one of the few families that made their fortune with no help from oil and gas, although they did later buy a big stake in Citgo.
The only children of the Southland Corporation's founder, Joe C. Thompson Sr., the three Thompson brothers - John P., Jere W. and Joe C. Jr. -followed closely the steps walked by their father. The three sons graduated from Highland Park High School and the University of Texas at Austin. There, they all studied business administration, joined the same fraternity, Phi Gamma Delta, and were managers of the football team.
After graduating from college, the two older brothers, John, who is 61 years old, and Jere, 55, joined the company immediately. Joe, who is 46, joined the company almost 10 years after he finished school. In January, he bought a local liquor store chain and left the company, reportedly under friendly conditions. Currently, John serves as chairman of the company, Jere serves as president and chief executive, and Joe remains a director.
John has been described as the bluntest of the brothers and the leader of the family. Jere, the second in command, is more soft-spoken. And Joe, generally referred to as Jodie, who received an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of Business Administration, has been less intensely involved in Southland.
Described by friends and business associates as forthright, very private and unpretentious, the three brothers, their mother and their families also head one of the largest private companies in the city.Continue reading the main story
Through the Thompson Company, the family has interests in a number of private businesses, whose revenues total $500 million. And according to some of those close to the brothers, the Thompsons have managed to run their holdings without the family arguments that have plagued other wealthy clans.
''They have an incredible ability to get along with each other,'' said John R. Sloan, the president and chief executive of the Thompson Company. ''They all participate equally in the family businesses.''
''The quality they seem to all possess is their ability to listen to each other and other people,'' said Leo E. Linbeck Jr., a Southland director and the chairman and chief executive of the Linbeck Construction Corporation in Houston. ''They are very industrious, with a good sense of humor.''
Assuring that the family business stays in the family - even at the cost of taking it private for $5.1 billion -came as little surprise to some of those who know the Thompson brothers. A sense of tradition and family history has played an important role throughout the years in guiding the three brothers and their company, these acquaintances said.
After their father died in 1961, John became chairman and expanded the chain from 600 stores to more than 8,200 7-Eleven stores in the United States today, making it by far the largest chain of convenience stores in the country.
In 1978, the company expanded into another convenience store area with the purchase of the Chief Auto Parts chain of automotive supplies. And in 1983, Southland bought its oil and gas refining and marketing concern, the Citgo Petroleum Corporation.
The company has also been embroiled in its share of controversy lately.
In 1984, Southland was found guilty of tax-fraud conspiracy in New York, and last year it was the center of protests about the sale of Playboy and other magazines at 7-Eleven. The company subsequently decided to pull certain magazines from the stores' shelves.Continue reading the main story


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IoT research team pursuing happier lives 🙂
On the 27th of Aug, ‘the 2nd 2016 Centum Forum’ was held in Busan.
Centum Future Forum was hosted by Busan and MSIP (Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning)
to find the new growth industry to boost up the local economy.
That is, it is a future-oriented forum in which industry-academia and legislature come together to prepare a bill reflecting the popular will.
Hence, experts from different fields were invited to give a lecture.
Our CEO, Hakju Kang, was invited and gave a lecture about
‘IoT platform and data-based intelligent manufacturing – where to start smart factory’.
The first speaker was Jongrok Yun for the first session and our CEO was the next.
In the Centum Future Forum filled with experts and authorities in a number of fields,
it was an opportunity to raise the ulalaLAB status that provides ‘smart factory platform for small and medium manufacturers’
through the lecture in relation to smart factory.
Until becoming a global leader in the smart factory field, we will endeavor hard.
Keep on eyes on us! Thank you


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Apple says that it offers make parental control tools tougher, following investor calls that this have to take action against smartphone addiction in kids.
Two investors, collectively controlling $2bn (1.48bn) in Apple stock, called the company on Monday because of not doing enough that will help mitigate the growing concerns throughout the negative effects of smartphones and advertising and marketing within the young, urging it to “play a defining role” within the health insurance growth of children.
In response the firm states that it “leads the industry” on parental controls. A spokesperson said: “Apple has always looked out for youngsters, so we strive to produce powerful products that inspire, entertain, and educate children while also helping parents protect them online.”
The firm asserted it introduced parental controls into the iPhone in 2008, which now include content and app restrictions, data access, privacy settings and password requirements.
“We have additional features and enhancements planned money, to provide functionality and earn this software far more robust,” Apple added.
The investors call could be the latest in the combination of Silicon Valley insiders voicing concerns covering the long-term impact of technology on children. Smartphone addiction is an element, this band are brilliant web 2 . 0 use. A little variety of high-profile and pioneering technology executives, including ex-Facebook president Sean Parker, have called out Facebook as well as other social network firms for not doing enough and consciously preventing their children accessing such sites and services.
“I can control my decision, which can be we do not use that shit. I could control my kids’ decisions, and that is actually bad manners to make use of that shit,” said Chamath Palihapitiya, an ancient Facebook executive in charge of growth.
Apple could not pledge to create a pro committee on child development, as urged, nor to create annual reports on progress so they can wide open its data for researchers within the issue.
But the firm said: “We think deeply precisely our backpacks are used plus the impact they’ve got on users additionally, the people around them. We take this responsibility very seriously and we are committed to meeting and exceeding our customers’ expectations, especially if you are looking at protecting kids.”
- Jeremy Hunt attacks Facebook over app geared toward children


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Bloomberg – IBM and Pearson announced a new partnership on Tuesday. Pearson will use the Watson artificial intelligence as an..
Monthly Archives: November 2016
Owlet Baby Care raised $15 million in a new funding round the company announced today. The company provides a smart sock..
There is a lot of hype surrounding artificial intelligence technology at the moment. And it may be warranted. Amazon’s Echo..
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The author’s update at the end of yesterday’s ComputerWorld story on Google Home included this comment: Yonatan Zunger — the..
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Fortune – Slack is partnering with IBM to integrate its digital assistant, Slackbot with IBM’s machine learning tool, Watson, the..


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When you look at Apple’s track record for launching iPhones, you would be sure to see an Apple event in June this year, and then a new iPhone 4G / 2010 phone. This is not the view of one site that claims it’s coming in “April at the earliest”.
Found via the well known UK Mirror site, and sourced from Korea Times. The specs quoted are nothing we have not heard before — improved camera, OLED screen, and live video chat — but a new iPhone release date in April 2010, this is completely new.
Korea Times say that the rumor has come from a “high-ranking KT executive” and continued by saying 4G iPhone legal issues had been cleared, so it’s possible to release a 4G iPhone “within the first half” of 2010.
The site explains that the reason for a sooner release would be due to “Google’s rush” towards higher speed cell phones that also include an open-based Android OS. This makes sense, but would go against the track record built since the first generation iPhone was released.
Head over to koreatimes.co.kr to read the full details. Would you expect an iPhone 4G before June this year?
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SAYING Toyota is on a roll is quite an understatement. Traditionally, understatement is a very Toyota quality – but that’s changing fast, and soon you won’t be able to avoid seeing the signs of Toyota’s newfound flair and confidence. In its engineering, styling and ambition, Toyota is getting loud and proud.
The company is going through fundamental and far-reaching changes in what it makes and how it’s made. Fuel efficiency continues to be a priority, but it’s now joined by vibrant motorsport and performance car divisions. Its previously deadly dull family hatch has just had a complete overhaul that ramps up its desirability, while its SUVs and crossovers are set to stand out from a packed field.
The brand’s latest platform – Toyota New Global Architecture, or TNGA – underpins most of it. First deployed in the current Prius, TNGA’s flexibility means it now features in the funky C-HR and will underpin the new Corolla and RAV4 SUV. It’s good enough for the Lexus UX baby SUV too. Toyota claims a 65 percent rigidity boost compared with its previous platform, and TNGA allows engine bay components and suspension mounts to be positioned lower, in turn lowering the centre of gravity for better handling.
The design of mid-size Toyotas has delivered equally radical changes. The quirky C-HR is making respectable numbers in Australia and the boldly styled Prius and Camry are anything but safe designs. The new Corolla hatch, due here in August, has drawn acclaim for its eye-catching lines.
Toyota’s global design general manager, Simon Humphries: “Our primary goal was to create the most bold and dynamic hatchback on the market, without compromising interior usability.”
The RAV4, meanwhile, was North America’s best-selling car in 2017. That sort of success might once have made Toyota play safe with its successor, but not this time around. Design-wise, it’s clearly inspired by last year’s maximum-lifestyle FT-AC concept, and it’ll come to market with petrol or hybrid power and all-wheel drive in early 2019.
The pinnacle of Toyota’s rebirth, though, comes in the form of the new Supra – a car the Gazoo Racing team has had a hand in.
Gazoo Racing may only be a motorsport minnow, but it’s going from strength to strength: 2018 began with a podium in the Dakar rally, the Yaris has been competitive in the World Rally Championship, and Fernando Alonso drove a Toyota at Le Mans.
Much of Toyota’s previous motorsport activity has occurred in a vacuum, but now it’s clearly joined up with the road-car range; the Yaris GRMN wasn’t just a quirky novelty. It’s understood there will be two versions of the Gazoo Racing performance car models.
Gazoo Racing Meisters of the Nurburgring, or GRMN, are hardcore performance models: the Yaris has just had the supercharged GRMN treatment. More accessible will be the GR models: think VW Golf R and GTI respectively and you’re close.
This is all feeding into next year’s Supra, co-developed with the next BMW Z4 and to be built alongside it by Magna Steyr in Austria. The fifth-generation Supra will deploy straight-six turbocharged petrol power, in a ballsy nod to the fondly remembered A80 model.
Toyota’s European design boss Johan Van Zyl even fist-pumped the air when the wild-looking Supra GR Racing concept took the stage at the Geneva show. “This concept is a clear signal of our intention to bring back one of our most legendary sports cars to the market,” he said.
You can understand his excitement – after much tedium, Toyota is making its family cars exciting, majoring on clever tech and resurrecting an icon.
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Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray confirmed that the lockdown imposed in the state will not be completely lifted. He has made it clear that on Saturday he was not in favour of complete lifting of the coronavirus-induced lockdown in the state only to address the economic issues. Uddhav Thackeray sadi this in an interview published in Shiv Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ on Saturday.
“I will never say that the lockdown will be lifted completely. But I have started reopening a few things gradually. Once reopened, it shouldn’t be shut again. Hence, I prefer taking steps in phases. You can’t just think about economy or health. There needs to be a balance between the two,” Uddhav Thackeray said.
“This pandemic is a global war. It has affected the entire world. Those countries which had lifted the lockdown in haste thinking that it was over, were again forced to impose it to curb the spread. In Australia, they had to rope in Army,” he said.
“Many people are opposing lockdown. They say that lockdown is affecting the economy. To such people, I would say that I am ready to lift the lockdown, but if people die due to it, would you take the responsibility?…Even we are concerned about the economy,” he said.


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Technology news from the future
These search results are from across the Techday network of sites
Spark's chairman to retire later this year, new chair named
"At some point, it will be appropriate for each of the long-serving Directors to transition off the Board.”
21 Aug 17
Four telcos warned about breaching Fair Trading Act by Commerce Commission
“The complexity and range of goods and services offered by the industry means consumers can be easily confused about product offerings."
14 Aug 17
Spark gets rainbow tick of approval for workplace diversity & inclusion
Spark’s managing director Simon Moutter and chairman Mark Verbiest hold leading roles in Champions for Change initiatives.
04 Aug 17
Snapchat your way through the streets of Paris: Spark overhauls roaming plans
“Customers need to know they can roam without worrying about a huge bill.”
02 Aug 17
4.5G the fastest network you can’t use: Can your phone handle the nationwide upgrade?
4.5G is the next generation of mobile internet technology, yet many consumers with older smartphones will need to upgrade to use the network...
24 Jul 17
Auckland Council, Spark open their final community basketball court in Glen Innes
Auckland Council hopes that the free Wi-Fi at this basketball court will encourage the community to increase their physical activity.
06 Jul 17
Kiwi IoT future heats up as Spark joins Vodafone in IoT network prep
Vodafone and Spark are gearing up for the promised IoT windfall, with both announcing work on IoT networks.
05 Jul 17
City of sensors: Spark NZ rolls out nationwide IoT network
“Being connected to this extent will change the way we look at everything -- rubbish bins could schedule themselves to be emptied at the right time."
04 Jul 17
Qrious unveils Kiwi big data platform-as-a-service offering
Spark's Qrious has launched its Qonnect big data platform designed to provide NZ companies with a cloud-based platform-as-a-service big data solution.
28 Jun 17
Queenstown broadband upgrades to 4.5G, the fastest in New Zealand
Queenstown is the first New Zealand town to receive the 4.5G broadband upgrade.
20 Jun 17
Spark drops dealer partner model for consumer market; buys back stores
Spark is dumping its dealer partner model for the consumer market, taking on direct management of stores currently managed by Leading Edge and Orb.
19 Jun 17
Carpool Coaching: Business mentoring inspired by Carpool Karaoke
The first video of the campaign has reached over 70,000 people, getting 42,000 views, 11 shares and counting.
13 Jun 17
ISPs build backdoors into customer modems, creating security breach
Vodafone and Spark are among the ISPs. Their policy is to use the access for troubleshooting, but it still raises red flags.
30 May 17
Spark’s Xtra email completes transition from Yahoo to NZ-based provider
Spark and SMX now have over 800,000 Xtra email accounts up and running on the new email platform.
11 May 17
Spark releases ‘Data Lovers’ package for the modern smartphone
Spark has launched two new prepay ‘Data Lovers’ packs to cater for the growing need where users are consuming data rather than minutes and texts.
10 May 17
Christchurch: Spark & Ministry of Justice team up to deploy cloud tech
The Ministry of Justice and Spark have teamed up for a project exclusively for Christchurch.
01 May 17
Spark to implement huge WiFi boost to Westpac Stadium
The obvious benefit is the improved ability for visitors to share their stadium experiences with friends and family, primarily on social media.
20 Apr 17
Spark reveals new cloud-based customer experience system for Kiwis
“We wanted to help New Zealand businesses keep ahead of this growing demand from their customers with a system that would be easy to adopt."
06 Apr 17
Spark stays firm on TeamTalk deal – 80c or nothing and forget Vodafone
Spark New Zealand today released a statement to affirm their position in their attempted acquisition of TeamTalk.
04 Apr 17
Commerce Commission reveals concerns for Spark/TeamTalk merger
The Commerce Commission today published a statement of Preliminary Issues regarding Spark New Zealand’s proposed acquisition of TeamTalk.
03 Apr 17
Genesis Energy teams up with Spark's Revera cloud platform
“Like Genesis Energy, Spark’s driving force is to deliver truly useful technologies that enable businesses and consumers to do their best work"
29 Mar 17
TeamTalk fights back against Spark's 'hostile takeover bid'
TeamTalk yesterday recommended that its shareholders reject Spark’s 'hostile takeover bid' of $0.80c per share because the price is far too low.
24 Mar 17
Spark applies for TeamTalk acquisition clearance from ComCom
The Commerce Commission has acknowledged that it has received a clearance application from Spark for its proposed acquisition of TeamTalk.
21 Mar 17
Week in review: The biggest stories that went down last week on NetGuide
We thought we'd make it easy for you and pick out our highlights of the week in the land of consumer tech.
20 Mar 17


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ASUS has officially unveiled its second-generation AIO CPU cooler of the ROG Ryujin series, leveraging the superior thermal and acoustic per...[Read More]
Apple has officially confirmed that it will be releasing new Macs with its own silicon chips. The Cupertino company plans to release its fir...[Read More]
Intel announced the launch of the 10th Gen Intel Core H-series mobile processors. The 10th Gen Intel Core i9-10980HK processor delivers desk...[Read More]
AMD announced availability of two new 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen Threadripper processor models, 2970WX with 24 cores and 48 threads and the Ryzen Thr...[Read More]
Today, Intel is launching a first-of-its kind processor: the 8th Gen Intel Core processor with Radeon RX Vega M Graphics.


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Apparently, it’s not about borrowing from the boys anymore – it’s about sharing with them.
This week, Spanish retail brand Zara launched their first gender-neutral line called Ungendered, a line of unisex clothing that comprises wardrobe essentials in neutral colours.
The 16-piece line includes T-shirts, jeans, sweaters, jogging pants and Bermuda shorts have been designed to suit both men and women.
Despite Zara’s best intentions, there’s already been significant backlash. The consensus seems to be that this isn’t at all remarkable, and that without the inclusion of more ‘statement’ items, like a skirt, Ungendered is nothing but a glorified unisex range.
The range also seems to focus exclusively on masculine styles, lacking any cuts or lines that are typically more feminine. Another gripe is that Ungendered is only featured under the ‘Woman’ tab on Zara’s website.
But the brand is following others, such as retailers like Selfridges, which last year launched its Agenderspace, the line between male and female codes is clearly becoming increasingly blurred in the industry.
We also see models of both genders strutting the catwalk and menswear shows feature skirts, dresses and tunics. Transgender models continue to front designer names and fashion campaigns are becoming more androgynous, too, with the example of Jaden Smith appearing in Louis Vuitton’s latest womenswear ad.
And while we agree with the criticism to an extent. Yes, technically there isn’t anything all that controversial in the product offering. But maybe that’s the point. Maybe it proves the industry is already producing a portion of clothes not defined by gender.
Zara also seems to have gone about this fairly quietly, taking gender fluidity in the fashion industry from an ‘anomaly’ and making it the norm.
We need to start somewhere and fashion giants introducing gender fluid lines – with as little fuss as a new range of skirts in a women’s collection – is definitely somewhere.
Gender blending is not a trend, but a larger movement towards unisex fashion, and it isn’t a new thing either. Think of Tilda Swinton and David Bowie – they were the example of how fascinating is somebody who is not bound by the expectations of their sex.


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You can enjoy great tax breaks with alternative investments – putting money into fine wine, classic cars, gold or perhaps even stamps.
But before you take the plunge, you need to realise that while they can be rewarding, alternative investments can also prove volatile and illiquid.
We explain what you need to know.
The wine market has obvious appeal as it allows investors to indulge in a pastime while making money – and if returns are good you can crack open a bottle and celebrate.
The Liv-ex Fine Wine 100 Index, which plots the fortunes of a hundred of the most sought-after wines in the world, has risen by just 2 per cent in the past year, but by four per cent in the past three months alone.
Over a decade this index has doubled, despite a slump in the most recent five years, which saw the price of many top wines fall almost a third due to poor harvests.
But some tipples have soared in value. A bottle of Carruades de Lafite 2004, for example, has shot up by 650 per cent – from less than £20 to about £150 – in just ten years.
About 80 per cent of the wines in the index come from the Bordeaux region of France. Do not trust your own palate when investing, but look to the influential American wine critic Robert Parker – who scores everything that he sips out of 100. Anything rated 97 and above is ‘an extraordinary wine’ and of investment quality.
Click here to read more.


text: The HTC Sensation is the new device that the entire world has been talking about lately. We knew this dual-core device was marked for a release sometime this summer, but we could only guess when. Recently it has been said that it will release on June the 8th. So if you are a serious smartphone user looking for a new phone I'd wait until then. Of course it will be running HTC's sense UI so don't go round buying old, outdated HTC devices now, even if you're getting impatient. I'm not sure what version of Android it's running but hopefully a recent one.


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(This article originally appeared in The Guardian)
Every small business owner I talk to has the same problem: we can’t find enough people to do the work we need. Well, I have an answer: perhaps we should be offering a four-day workweek.
“What? A four-day workweek?” I’ll often hear when I propose this. “I need my people to work more, not less!”
Sure, it sounds a little crazy, particularly for the typical small business owner — who, according to the Small Business Administration — is generally over the age of 55. But to those people — many of whom are my clients — I say, keep an open mind. The reality is that a four-day workweek is steadily becoming a workplace reality. And leveraging it could be a huge benefit for a small business owner.
The four-day workweek concept is already growing in acceptance. A test of this model from 2015 to 2019 in Iceland of more than 2,500 workers (which represents more than 1% of the country’s working population, or the equivalent of more than 16 million workers in the US) proved to be an “overwhelming success”. Iceland’s experiment has motivated governmentsin New Zealand, Singapore and Spain to consider four-day workweek models in their countries.
The Icelandic test is also behind a group of more than 100 progressives in Congress — led by Congressman Mark Takano — to introduce legislation requiring US companies to limit their workweeks to 32 hours. And although it’s unlikely that this legislation will see the light of day here in the near term, many US companies are already taking it upon themselves to try out their own versions of the four-day workweek. And for good reasons.
For example, a San Francisco-based e-commerce company called Bolt started the policy for its 550 employees this year. “It’s actually not about trying to cram five days into four days,” the company’s chief people officer told a local news outlet. “The way we think about it is actually changing the way we work, and being more effective and efficient during those four days.”
Panasonic is also offering a four-day workweek as an option to its employees. Microsoft did the same in Japan, and claims a 40% increase in productivity as a result. Kickstarter is testing the concept this year. Thirty companies in the United Kingdom are participating in a pilot program to test its effectiveness.
This is clearly a trend, and like all trends it has early adopters and naysayers. But is this something that only big brands should consider? Absolutely not. A four-day workweek should be seriously considered by smaller businesses and for one big reason: it would help to solve our current labor woes.
Just think about it: if you’re a small business owner, you’re having a very difficult time finding people and keeping your best people around. It’s the Great Resignation, right? You’re competing against bigger companies with more resources. And yet here’s a benefit that more than two-thirds of workers want and yet only 17% of employers are offering, according to a recent study from employment recruiter Robert Half. And some studieshave shown that these types of working arrangements also increase productivity, effectiveness and morale.
Small businesses are particularly well-suited to offer a four-day workweek because, as a small business owner, we simply have more flexibility than our larger counterparts.
We can tailor our four-day workweek program to whatever we want it to be. Those “four days” could be four 10-hour days. Or it could be four eight-hour days, as long as employees meet their agreed-upon deliverables, rather than just logging in time. It can be implemented during certain less-busy times of the year. We can eliminate — or curtail — our current vacation plans. We can make the program available in lieu of a work from home arrangement — or to complement it. Within reason, we can offer it to some employees but not to others, based on their job requirements. If it’s not working out for certain people you can change the rules.
The biggest attraction? Unlike most other employee benefits, it doesn’t have to cost us anything.
Because in the end, if we’re getting the work we need out of our people then what do we care whether they do it in four days or two days? This is just compensation for a job performed. And smaller companies have much more flexibility in how we can apply these rules compared with our larger competitors. And let’s not forget: being the first small business in your town to offer a four-day workweek is going to generate quite a lot of positive PR too.
The four-day workweek is trending. It’s an attractive, no-cost benefit to offer (if done correctly). It’s a great recruiting tool for a small business. And it’s a great way for that same small business to retain its best workers in these times of tight labor supply.


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Kotze has been mentioned or cited more than a dozen times throughout all the RSS channels we monitor. Especially, the channel 'MyLowveld.com' contains less than a dozen references to this person (or maybe different people with similar names) alone. As it’s displayed on the chart below, Kotze was highly popular in September, 2016.
Enter a key term, phrase, name or location to get a selection of only relevant news from all RSS channels. Enter a domain's or RSS channel's URL to read their news in a convenient way and get a complete analytics on this RSS feed.
[...] another expropriation notice forward after the land is transferred to the new owner,” said Rudy Kotze, show director for the LSS. Mathonsi said in a council meeting after the sale that he strongly [...]
[...] on the neighboring property of his owner allegedly beat him with a pipe. Max’s owner, Marius Kotze laid charges of animal cruelty against the neighbour, Sipho Spahn (24). Senior Inspector Jaco [...]
[...] by sending used electronics to be recycled it into new products. Owned by Mbombela local Michanne Kotze, Alda Recycling collects old electronics (known as e-waste) from schools, electronic stores and [...]
[...] the dog allegedly mauled a goat, were arrested after charging each other with animal cruelty. Kotze (50),and Sipho Spahn (24), the son of Ilanda Guest House owner Mildred Spahn, were arrested on [...]
[...] . Fleming says there are 20 full members under Blofeld, with six three-man sections plus experts Kotze and Maslov. There is one item of confusion for me, Fleming says there were 20 men (not counting [...]
[...] year for their tusks, which are used, especially in China, for prized decorations and trinkets. Kotze said the protests meant to highlight the so-called gang-of-19 countries listed by CITES, the [...]
[...] 70%, the hotel had over 50 000 guests staying during the first year, according to GM Elmare Kotze. Guests have included President Jacob Zuma, Eastern Cape Premier Noxolo Kiviet, rugby expert Naas [...]


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Hacking, Obscene Calls & Texts On Rise But Total Cyber Offences Dip This Year
NAVI MUMBAI: Though there has been a significant rise in cyber crimes in the city since 2012, the overall number of such offences registered in 2015 till September has drastically decreased, compared to last year. But offences such as hacking emails of colleagues, sending obscene emails, making abusive phone calls and cheating on matrimonial websites are on the rise.
As many as 1,001 cyber crime cases were registered under various categories till September 2014. However, the number of cyber crimes till September this year went down to 842.
The maximum number of cases related to credit and debit card frauds, which increased five-fold from 154 offences in 2012 to 580 in 2014. However, in 2015, only 304 such cases have been registered till September. "Around 95% of card fraud cases are filed as 'detected' after the bank compensates the complainants," said cyber crime cell in-charge, inspector Pratibha Shendge. The investigations of all cyber crimes registered in the past three years have been completed and FIRs registered at the concerned police stations, she said. "All such case files are mentioned as 'nil' in the records. But it is difficult to arrest the culprits who commit phishing, hacking and fraud mails as they use IP addresses of foreign countries."
There has been a rise in cheating cases on matrimonial sites. Also, there has been a rise in incidents of hacking emails, she added.


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ESA finally reveals its plans for E3 next year in a recent interview.
Yesterday, it was big news that E3 2023 was canceled. It was supposed to take place between June 13 to June 16, 2023 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, but after the big three gaming companies (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo) pulled out and then other publishers started doing the same, the organizers finally announced the cancelation.
Today, ESA President and CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis talked with Games Industry in an interview to clarify various things surrounding the cancelation of E3 2023. He shared details on the reason for the cancelation, his reaction to some companies backing out, and more.
While E3 2023 has been canceled, many are still wondering if ESA will organize another E3 in 2024 despite the current situation in the gaming industry and the big changes that have happened with the gaming companies.
“We’re committed to providing an industry platform for marketing and convening but we want to make sure we find that right balance that meets the needs of the industry,” the president answered. “We’re certainly going to be listening and ensuring whatever we want to offer meets those needs and at that time, we will have more news to share.”
Basically, ESA has still plans for E3 next year but it will depend on the needs of the industry. If they could meet those needs, then E3 2024 could happen.