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From Apple to Equi Capital is short way
1 min read
Apple Inc. (AAPL) co-founder Steve Wozniak, according to some media, will join a cryptocurrency startup called Equi Capital, concentrated on investments in the digital token collection. Coindesk, www.coindesk.com, reported: ”Speaking to Null Transaction, the bitcoin proponent said this is the first time he has worked with a blockchain company in his career, adding that he ‘was amazed at the technology behind [cryptocurrency]’.”
Equi aims to act as an investment firm, Wozniak said.
According to the startup’s Twitter page, it hopes to help both retail and professional investors purchase equity in companies in an effort to replace traditional investing firms.
Steve Wozniak said:
“Our approach is not like a new currency, or something phony where an event will make it go up in value. It’s a share of stock, in a company. This company is doing investment by investors with huge track records in good investments in things like apartment buildings in Dubai. We have one person in our group who has listed out a whole apartment building for bitcoin.”
Wozniak did not provide details on what his role would be at the startup but he did indicate that the company may register in Malta. Malta is a well-known area which has been working to develop a friendly regulatory environment aimed to attract firms in the blockchain and cryptocurrency space.
Continuing to promote the potential use cases for blockchain technology, Steve Wozniak said, “I’ve encountered people working in real estate avenues, types of Uber systems, everything we’ve got in our life, especially involving transactions – retail sales, car sales, manufacturing of goods … working on bitcoin applications … and they all have value.”
The tech guru’s choice of first crypto project is a bit surprising.
As reported by The Next Web, Equi has had a pretty rough path so far. At first, they were launching its token via ICO. But because of lack of interest, the sale was canceled and pre-sale investors were refunded.
A follow-up bounty scheme to reward users with tokens for publicizing the project also saw major issues when a partner marketing company soon walked away, indicates the news source. Going the bounty route also raises the thorny issue, according to CoinDesk, that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has indicated that even giving away tokens may break securities rules.
Note: During the weekend, Bitcoin, a cryptocurrency leader, was trading above $6,700 at the time of this writing. The most popular and largest cryptocurrency in the world, the past week showed signs of upward impulse and return to the stability at this price point. Other digital currencies were trading laterally.
Ethereum reached $280, Litecoin was a trading bit under $58 per token.


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Home Tags Oceans
New research suggests the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a collection of plastic in the Pacific Ocean between California and Hawaii, is up to 16 times larger than previously thought. The patch is suggested to be 790,000 tons – or three times the size of France – and growing.
A unique five-year journey to teach children in far-flung destinations of the danger of plastic pollution has reached a milestone.
Plastic bags continue to pose a major risk to the planet's environmental health.For instance, did you know that there are 46,000 pieces of plastic found in every square mile of ocean? And more than...

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The B20 Saudi Arabia and International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) recently convened a virtual trade dialogue with business leaders, facilitated by the World Trade Organization (WTO). The discussion was focused on the role of the private sector, trade policy and the World Trade Organization (WTO) in tackling the health and economic implications of the COVID-19 crisis.
B20 Chair Yousef Al-Benyan and ICC Secretary General John W.H. Denton AO co-hosted the meeting, which took place on May 19, and convened over 70 senior business leaders from various companies and sectors across the globe.
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has added to challenges in international trade and underscored the need for policy-makers, business and society to be resilient, to be well prepared and take coordinated action. It has also highlighted the role of global trade and the importance of global supply chains in responding to the crisis.
Yousef Al-Benyan, Chair of the B20 Saudi Arabia said, “As the world contends with COVID-19, the role of global trade and importance of global supply chains has never been more heightened. Through a coordinated international effort, unrestricted trade and investment can be part of the solution to this crisis and is critical to help us prepare for a recovery.”
The B20 Saudi Arabia has made the transformation of the international institutions to the benefit of societies across the globe a priority. Our leaders, specifically under the Trade & Investment Taskforce, have urged G20 leaders to take immediate actions to support the supply and appropriate movement of critical goods and services, such as front-line medical products and supplies, as well as offer support and assistance to all companies, but in particular MSMEs, which have been heavily impacted by this crisis.
“Only through close international collaboration can we foster a resilient trade environment and diversified global supply chains to confront the challenges of both today and the future,” continued Mr. Al-Benyan.
The dialogue supported these proposals and a concentrated action plan to address the pandemic and its impact on trade.
WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo said, “Cooperation among governments, businesses, international organizations and other stakeholders will be critical for an effective policy response to COVID-19…Companies of all sizes made concrete recommendations for policy action, including on trade, that would lay the groundwork for a strong and inclusive economic recovery. It was heartening to hear so much support for the predictability and certainty fostered by the multilateral trading system — as well as interest in ongoing efforts to update the WTO rulebook.”
John W.H. Denton AO, Secretary General, International Chamber of Commerce, echoed by saying, “Maintaining a functioning trading system is vital to protect lives and livelihoods tA full summary of the issues raised at the meeting is available here.hrough the COVID-19 crisis. Governments and businesses must unite to resist protectionism taking root in the global economy. The private sector is uniquely placed to advise governments on how trade policy can be used to speed the response to the pandemic and enable a rapid economic recovery.
“In this context, we also need to move from talk to action on WTO reform so that it can once again live up to its founding promise of liberalising trade, opening up markets and enabling fair competition. That means finally completing fisheries subsidies negotiations, creating new rules on digital trade and e-commerce, providing greater support for small businesses, and improving the inner workings of the WTO so that it can operate quickly, flexibly and with its ultimate users in mind — business.”
A full summary of the issues raised at the meeting is available here.


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Apple is launching its new MobileMe online services -- billed as "Exchange for the rest of us" -- on Wednesday evening Pacific time.MobileMe is the successor to Apple's existing .Mac service, which will be mostly unavailable during the launch and switchover. (Existing .Mac accounts will be moved to MobileMe automatically.) The service offers "push" IMAP e-mail service as well as automatic synchronization of calendar and contact information among Mac, PCs, iPhones, and iPod Touches.
The service also offers 20GB of online storage and a public iDisk folder for file sharing. Individual subscriptions are $99/year, with Family Packs that include 4 sub-accounts priced at $149/year.ChannelWeb
We welcome your comments on this topic on our social media channels, or [contact us directly] with questions about the site.


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- Retail buying and selling volumes have surged as app-centered and fee-free brokerages “democratize” investing for all.
- Goldman Sachs gathered 4 of its top rated markets experts to examine the increase of retail traders and their implications for the current market in a podcast on Thursday.
- “For the major on line brokers, the amount of day by day trades has tripled since 2019”, John Marshall, head of derivatives study at Goldman Sachs, stated in a podcast this week.
- Indication up in this article for our day by day publication, 10 Things Prior to the Opening Bell.
Retail traders tapping into the industry by way of app-based trading platforms like Robinhood have dominated headlines in recent months. The craze has culminated in an epic short-squeeze on a handful of “meme” stocks, which include GameStop and AMC Amusement.
As Reddit-fueled stocks occur again down to earth, observers have wondered what the growing pool of retail buyers indicates for stocks, and if the “democratization” of investing is major to some unsound techniques.
In a podcast this week, some of Goldman Sachs’ best bankers gave their thoughts on the outsize part retail traders have played in latest marketplace exercise and the implications for the upcoming of the stock sector.
John Marshall, head of derivatives exploration for Goldman Sachs Research, on the rise of retail traders:
“For the biggest on the internet brokers, the variety of everyday trades has tripled considering that 2019. But this has predominantly been driven by a modest part of their purchaser foundation. These day traders are fewer than 10% of their customers, but they represent a lot more than half of their trades. And the huge vast majority of retail brokerage prospects nevertheless only trade a couple of situations a yr.
Retail investors now account for about 20%-25% of the value traded in the market on an normal working day, up from about 15%-20% a calendar year ago. Now, in this broader viewpoint, we can see that retail traders are taking part in this sector rally, and that that stage of participation is in truth accelerating.”
Go through a lot more: RBC states to get these 15 shares as little providers keep dominating the sector – and specifics why just about every is a prime decide on for 2021
Marshall, on latest market place efficiency:
“In excess of the previous year, the fairness industry has been unusually volatile, and the character of the pandemic has pushed some businesses to swiftly broaden and others to go bankrupt. The high volatility of the marketplace suggests that traders that acquire and provide at the appropriate time have the prospective for unusually massive gains and of class unusually significant losses.
Now, a lot of buyers check out to prevent volatility by way of lengthy-time period investing in diversified autos like mutual money and ETFs. But when buyers see recommendations of other folks that have outsized returns, they’re captivated to extra speculative trading approaches.”
Greg Tuorto, portfolio manager, Goldman Sachs Asset Administration, on the distinction between retail and institutional investors:
“I think that the market has, specially in some of these more compact names, shown its inefficiency. And I feel that that’s some thing that we attempt to acquire gain of in fundamental equities, in particular on the smaller-cap side. But I feel that for a whole lot of these retail investors, these scaled-down buyers, I consider they’re seeking at it far more alongside the traces of, you know, kind of a rate equivalency, you know, which is a tiny little bit various than what we do.
I assume, you know, ours is far more targeted on kind of the income earnings and totally free income stream of a firm and what we can model out. And I assume that, you know, occasionally when we see a thing that is form of remaining for dead, as some of these names have been, you know, we leave it there. We do not spend a great deal of awareness to it. And I think that for them that was an prospect. And I believe that that opportunity created kind of that heat and sounds, the sturm und drang, if you will, that actually attracted extra and more of them.”
Study extra: Bank of The usa suggests acquire these 17 underneath-owned shares that are set to advantage from a a lot quicker economic restoration and improved COVID response
Raj Mahajan, global head of systematic buying and selling, World Marketplaces Division, on the affect of hedge resources subsequent long-short procedures:
“I would say very last 7 days was historic in that the volume of action that we noticed all over short masking was substantial. I believe the larger dilemma now relates to the previously issues about retail. Is if you might be a hedge fund and you’re engaged in the apply of shorting and which is aspect of your business product, you’re working a prolonged e-book and a limited e book and you’re reasonably balanced, you have had a selected see of how significantly hazard any solitary-name quick situation could be.
But what we learned past week is that the chance types didn’t contemplate a 10x go in the short from you or a 20x transfer in the brief from you. So I imagine what, for hedge money, what this is triggering is, you know, how do I have to evolve my threat designs to make certain that the shorts that I’m putting on are in point I have figured out how negative it can run from me? And which is one particular of the factors that sort of jumps off the page when you commence to appear at this.”
Elizabeth Reed of the Fairness Cash Markets syndicate desk in the firm’s Financial investment Banking DivisionOn retail investors in the inventory industry:
“To put some context all-around that, January of 2021 was the biggest January in background for equity-relevant funds sector choices. January’s world wide volumes were being 129 billion. Which is up 150% as well as calendar year above 12 months. And in just Americas, the area printed $63 billion of issuance.
So even though very last week’s headlines firmly resulted in elevated market volatility genuinely calculated by the VICs, new challenge choices proceed to be achieved with powerful investor desire. This is reflected in the complete volumes issued, pricing dynamics, and the ordinary right after-current market overall performance. The retail investor has been an increasingly vital component of the sector, specifically in 2020. And we be expecting them to be quite active in 2021.”
Tune into the entire podcast right here.
Read a lot more: A fund manager who’s crushed 97% of his friends over the past 5 several years shares 6 of the stocks he is most bullish on as Biden takes a friendlier stance towards cannabis, electric autos, and more


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The Indian market contributes 20% of the total revenue for the SriLankan Airlines said its Head of Worldwide Sales & Distribution Dimuthu Tennakoon, while exclusively speaking to TravelBiz Monitor. The airline has recently introduced double daily flights between Colombo and Mumbai.
“Mumbai has emerged as the second destination after Chennai in terms of number of passengers and frequencies. Last year, despite a few challenges, our Indian operation was successful,” he said. Tennakoon added, “The Indian market has been incredibly important to SriLankan Airlines since the get-go, and with India fast becoming one of the world’s largest outbound travel markets, we are only happy to expand our operations in one of India’s most celebrated cities and make travel between Mumbai and Colombo extra seamless.”
Talking about passengers, he said they recorded 80% load factor throughout the year. Currently, the airline operates from 9 cities in India. When asked about their focus, Tennakoon said that their priority is to increase capacity on the existing connections.
To enhance passenger comfort for travellers from India, SriLankan Airlines is considering adjusting the arrival times of select flights to Sri Lanka. “In certain Indian locations, the current arrival times are either midnight or early morning. Our goal is to provide more convenient timings for passengers, and the schedules should be tailored to meet the requirements and preferences of our passengers,” emphasised Tennakoon.
SriLankan Airlines has introduced its SriLankan Direct Connect, a New Distribution Capability (NDC) agents booking portal. Speaking about this, he said that they had first launched it in Sri Lanka in June last year. “After Sri Lanka, we launched it in India as it is a very important market for us. Around 200 plus agents are using it across 9 stations we operate. The next launch will be in the Middle-East market,” said Tennakoon.
According to him, Sri Lanka received 302,000 tourists from India in 2023. “The figure is quite impressive when compared with 2022, and I believe this year we will surpass the 2018 figure (from India) which was 450,000,” said an optimistic Tennakoon.


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Club Settles Lawsuit with French Design House Over Use of Death Head Image
The NY Daily News is reporting today that the design house Alexander McQueen has moved quickly to settle the lawsuit brought by the Hells Angels Motorcycle club over the use of images the club says infringe on it's trademark.
Also named in the suit were Saks Fifth Avenue department store and online retailer Zappos.com. The defendants will pull all merchandise featuring the motorcycle gangs trademark "death's head" insignia, reports New York magazine
The agreement requires the defendants attempt to recall all merchandise, including rings, dresses and purses featuring the trademarked design and have the pricy items destroyed destroyed.
In the report, one unidentified member of the club told the Times that many companies feel they can freely use the HA trademarks because they don't respect the business side of the club. "The reason for them doing it is, I guess, because we're the Hells Angels, they have this strange idea that we're all illegal criminals or something.''


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US signs air cargo security deals with EU, Canada
The US transport authorities have agreed terms with the European Union and with Canada on air cargo security standards.
The deal between the US Transportation Security Administration with the European Union also covers Switzerland, and applies to around a million tons of cargo traveling between the US and the EU.
Effective as of today, the US and EU mutually recognise each others’s air cargo security regimes.
Last month the TSA set a deadline of 3rd December 2012 for all air cargo to be screened prior to loading on passenger aircraft bound for the United States. It has been assessing other countries one by one regarding whether their air cargo security is equivalent to US requirements, but the EU deal is the first time a union of countries has been recognised.
The TSA confirmed today that the deal means cargo can be sent from 27 EU member states and Switzerland to and from the US under a single set of security rules. About 20% of EU exports via air end up in the US.
TSA Administrator John S Pistole said: “This agreement with the EU and Switzerland will ease the burden on industry and allow for the free movement of goods and commerce between our nations.
“It will also strengthen security by ensuring that we share information and work together towards our common interests.”
Siim Kallas, the EU Commission vice president for transportation, said: “With this mutual recognition of our comprehensive and solid regulatory frameworks we create significant savings and simplification for our freight transport industry while maintaining a high standard of security.”
Today the TSA also recognised the air cargo security of Canada.
Canada’s minister of transport Denis Lebel said the move would improve the efficiency and cut costs for businesses and consumers on both sides of the border.
In 2010 some $27bn of goods were imported and exported across the US-Canadian border by air. In Canada, almost half of all air cargo is shipped on passenger aircraft.
Under the new mutual recognition between the two countries, cargo shipped on passenger aircraft will need to be screened only once for transport security purposes. It means Canadian consignments screened under Canadian standards prior to entry into the US will not then need to be screened again to comply with separate US rules.
The International Transport Association (IATA) described the US-EU deal as “historic”, and said that air carriers in the EU would now be able to apply EU security measures as a means to comply with US law, and vice versa.
Tony Tyler, the IATA director general and CEO said the deal was a “major step forward” for one of the most important air cargo markets.
He said: “Regulators and industry have worked closely together throughout over seven years with a focus on harmonisation and better security. We hope that this agreement is the cornerstone for further alignment.”


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November 25 – 26, Hudson’s Bay Downtown
Third + Bird puts on two major markets a year during the spring and fall and this year’s markets have made their way to the Hudson’s Bay Downtown for the first time ever! You can expect to find all the things you love about Third + Bird Markets including, 130+ great local makers all on ONE floor, a cafe with delicious food + drink, Nepali Women’s Co-op goods, cookie + raffle tables; DJ to keep the good vibes going and beautiful art installations by local artists.
The fall Third + Bird Market will take place on November 25th (10 am – 5 pm) and November 26th (11 am – 4:00 pm) at the Hudson’s Bay Downtown. Admission is $5 and kids 12 under are free.
For more information, visit www.thirdandbirdevents.com.


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This post was written by Christopher C. Foster.
The Ninth Circuit recently confronted an issue of first impression: whether a plaintiff could maintain an action under the false advertising prong of the Lanham Act, where a determination of the alleged falsity would require the court to impinge on the exclusive purview of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in deciding whether there has been a violation of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA). Although limited to the particular circumstances presented, the opinion reaffirmed the exclusive authority of the FDA to enforce the provisions of the FDCA, and indicates that a plaintiff may not maintain a lawsuit premised on the allegation of a violation of the FDCA, where the FDA itself has not acted.
PhotoMedex v. Irwin
In PhotoMedex v. Irwin, No. 07-56672, 2010 U.S. App. LEXIS 7640 (9th Cir. Apr. 14, 2010), the Ninth Circuit held that the FDCA, which prohibits private enforcement of its provisions, bars a medical device manufacturer’s claim under the Lanham Act. PhotoMedex involved a Lanham Act claim based upon the allegation that plaintiff PhotoMedex, Inc’s (“PhotoMedex”) competitor made false and misleading statements regarding FDA approval of a medical device marketed by the competitor. The Ninth Circuit concluded that PhotoMedex could not maintain its Lanham Act claim, because resolution of the question of whether the defendant made false statements required litigation of an underlying FDCA violation, a determination reserved to the FDA.
PhotoMedex – a direct competitor of defendants Ra Medical Systems, Inc. and Dean Stewart Irwin (collectively, “Ra Medical”) – alleged that Ra Medical engaged in misleading advertising in violation of the Lanham Act by representing that its dermatological laser product had been approved by the FDA. The device at issue – the Pharos EX-308 Excimer Laser System (“Pharos”) – is considered to be a Class II medical device under the Medical Device Amendments of 1976 (MDA) to the FDCA. The regulatory scheme provided by the FDCA and MDA, which governs FDA approval of the laser, was therefore central to the court’s decision.
A manufacturer of a Class II medical device must obtain “clearance” from the FDA under what is known as the “510(k)” process under the MDA, before it markets the product. Alternatively, a Class II device deemed “substantially equivalent” to a pre-existing FDA-approved device, may be marketed without further regulatory analysis. A device manufacturer, however, must submit a new 510(k) application if a Class II device is about to be “significantly changed or modified in design, components, method of manufacture, or intended use.” It is the responsibility of the manufacturer of a Class II device to pursue a new 510(k) application.
Ra Medical – which had previously obtained a licensing agreement to sell a third company’s “EX-308” laser (“SurgiLight”) – did not submit a new 510(k) application for the Pharos device. Rather, Ra Medical took the position that the Pharos was “substantially equivalent” to the SurgiLight, which had previously received FDA clearance under 510(k). Ra Medical argued that, because the Pharos was “substantially equivalent” to the SurgiLight, its representation that the Pharos had FDA approval was not false or misleading.
The Ninth Circuit, focusing on the regulatory scheme governing the “clearance” process for the medical device at issue, held that PhotoMedex could not maintain its cause of action for a violation of the Lanham Act. Specifically, the court explained that litigation of PhotoMedex’s Lanham Act cause of action would require the trial court to determine whether the Pharos was in fact “substantially equivalent” to the SurgiLight. Such a determination was prohibited because it would conflict with the statute prohibiting private enforcement of the FDCA, which provides that “all such proceedings for the enforcement, or to restrain violations, of [the FDCA] shall be by and in the name of the United States.”
The court’s reasoning suggests that the opinion may not be as broad as it would appear at first blush, and is properly read as limited to the facts presented. The court stated that its opinion did “not suggest that the Lanham Act can never support private party claims involving FDA approval or clearance of drugs or medical devices.” Rather, a plaintiff may not pursue such a claim where the FDA “ha[d] not itself concluded there was such a violation.”
In the case of the Pharos, the court explained that although PhotoMedex had complained on different occasions to the FDA that the Pharos had been promoted without 510(k) clearance, the FDA never reached such a conclusion. At one point in 2005, the FDA inspected the Pharos manufacturing plant , specifically discussing the clearance issue with Ra Medical. The FDA, however, never took further action. Additionally, in 2007, the FDA responded to a 510(k) notification from Ra Medical regarding additional indications for use of the laser by finding the laser “could proceed to market” for the new indications. In sum, although the FDA had the opportunity to take enforcement action against Ra Medical for the alleged violations, it never opted to do so.
Of additional significance to the court was the fact that FDA approval itself never depended upon an affirmative statement from the FDA to the effect that the product had clearance under 501(k). Rather, the approval itself depended in the first instance on the manufacturer’s decision that the product was “substantially equivalent” to an already approved device. The mere fact that the FDA had not affirmatively approved the Pharos, therefore, did not mean the device did not have clearance under the approval of the SurgiLight.
Accordingly, PhotoMedex was not permitted to “circumvent the FDA’s exclusive enforcement authority” by attempting to prove that Ra Medical violated the FDCA, where the FDA had not reached that conclusion, and where the regulatory scheme permitted marketing the device without an affirmative statement of approval from the FDA. To rule otherwise would “permit PhotoMedex to assume enforcement power which the statute does not allow and require the finder of fact to make a decision that the FDA itself did not make.”


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Spending from one of Canada's largest oil sands producers is set to resume after years of budget cuts, but only if Ottawa can offer more cost certainty.
TORONTO -- People craving a jolt of caffeine in the Philippines may soon be able to order a double-double at their local Tim Hortons.
Toronto's mayor said on Thursday he's not going to rush into a policy decision about his city's red-hot housing market, despite heightened scrutiny after British Columbia intervened to cool the country's other housing hot spot.
MISSISSAUGA, Ont. - Maple Leaf Foods had $31.4-million in net income for the second quarter - the latest in a string of profitable earnings reports since the company completed a major multi-year overhaul of its operations.
A women carts out their groceries from Loblaws in Toronto on May 1, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette. Canada's largest grocery chain says it's trying to verify the accuracy of the coin-counting kiosks in its stores after TD Bank got rid of ...


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The idea of being stuck on a giant ship in the middle of the ocean with thousands of people riddled Holden Brown with anxiety. It wasn’t just the horror stories about passengers stuck on cruise ships during the pandemic (though that was part of it).
“I always thought of cruises as corny vacations for the elderly,” said Mr. Brown, 32, a member of the logistics team at the New York streetwear company Supreme.
But this October, he and his sister, Genevieve, 29, who is a manager at the same company, are taking an 11-night cruise on the Norwegian Prima, departing from Barcelona and ending in Rome with stops that include Florence, Italy; Valencia and Ibiza in Spain; and Cannes, France. The cost? About $2,000 each, including an ocean-view room, dining, beverages and a basic Wi-Fi package. The reason? “You get to see all these different places and can take day trips without having to lug your baggage around,” Mr. Brown said.
With airfares at a five-year high, limited accommodations in popular destinations and pent-up travel demand, many people are looking to cruising as a high-value alternative to land travel. Interest among younger generations who have never cruised is higher than ever, with 73 percent of millennials and Gen X travelers considering a cruise vacation, according to a survey conducted by Cruise Lines International Association, the industry’s trade group. Out of the 4,500 respondents who took their first cruise, 88 percent of millennials and 86 percent of Gen X said they would do it again, according to CLIA. The association projects cruise tourism to reach 106 percent of 2019 passenger volume in 2023.
“There’s a lot of convenience about getting on a boat, like the ‘all inclusive’ aspect with meals, drinks and activities covered,” Mr. Brown said.
Carnival, the largest cruise operator in the United States, said the number of new-to-cruise guests who sailed with the company from April to June this year exceeded 2019 levels.
“Consumers want fun, they want experiences, they want great food and entertainment, and they want value,” said Chris Chiames, the chief communication officer for Carnival. “That’s what cruise vacations offer.”
Jonathon Fishman, a spokesman for the Royal Caribbean Group, said that the company aims to “address different age and demographic categories.” He added that guests on Royal Caribbean were younger than before the pandemic.
Short trips, longer stops and ‘boutique cruises’
To attract more first-time passengers, cruise companies have been adapting their itineraries to offer more options to target a broader range of demographics like themed sailings, adult-only cruises and short trips for people to “test the waters.”
“The general ocean ship cruising with 30 restaurants and 4,000 people, I don’t know how long that is actually going to survive,” said Joshua Smith, the founder and travel designer at Global Citizen Journeys, a travel company that caters to millennials. “I’m seeing more and more companies introducing niche cruises, like the groove cruise music festivals or small-scale boutique cruises to target younger millennial audiences. It’s been a success.”
River cruises, which are offered on much smaller vessels that typically accommodate fewer than 200 guests, are particularly popular among first-timers who are looking to distance themselves from crowds during peak travel seasons, particularly in Europe. Christine Chambers, a 42-year-old book editor from Boston booked an eight-day Uniworld river cruise to Burgundy and Provence in June to celebrate her 10th wedding anniversary.
“We’ve traveled all over Europe by plane and train, but wanted to try something different, a little off the beaten path,” Ms. Chambers said. “I would never go on one of those behemoth ships with thousands of people, but I’ve always wanted to try a river cruise — they seem to be more elegant and serene.”
The couple splurged on a deluxe stateroom with a balcony, costing $14,000, with food, beverages and shore excursions included. “We would never spend so much on a one-week vacation, but we are making up for the years we didn’t travel during Covid,” she said.
Nora Hope, 20, took a much bigger cruise to Greece with her family last year, sailing on one of Royal Caribbean’s newest ships, Odyssey of the Seas, which has a capacity of more than 4,000 passengers. Her parents were desperate for a family vacation after two years of pandemic restrictions, and after researching options on various Greek islands, decided that a cruise offered the best-value and least hassles. They spent a total of about $4,300 for their one-week, all-inclusive vacation, staying in two ocean-view rooms.
“The idea was to all be in the same place, but also be able to do our own thing,” she said, adding that she and her younger siblings had different interests. Her brothers loved the ship’s rock-climbing wall, surf simulator and game arcade.
But it didn’t completely work out as planned, said Ms. Hope, who found the ship too crowded and overstimulating. “It was really hard to get a sun bed by the pool, or to find a quiet place to chill,” she said. “The best part for me was being on land, on the islands, but we didn’t get to stay long enough.”
To appeal to more people and allow for more exploration, some cruise lines have modified their itineraries to allow longer port stops.
MSC Cruises, for instance, has started offering overnight stays at the Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, a private island in the Bahamas, where guests can enjoy a range of activities, including light shows, beach bonfires and dance parties. The prices for the three-night cruises, which depart from several U.S. ports, including Miami, Port Canaveral, Fla., and Brooklyn, start from $179 for an inside cabin, $289 for a standard balcony and up to $1,109 for a deluxe suite. In Europe, the company has been offering extended stays in popular destinations like the Greek island of Mykonos, Istanbul and Stockholm.
“Our large, resort-style ships offer an incredible variety of experiences at sea combined with unique itineraries that give guests more time to explore the ports they visit,” said Rubén Rodríguez, the president of MSC Cruises U.S.A.
Irene Bridges, a 29-year-old real estate broker from Manchester, England, recently returned from a Mediterranean cruise on board one of MSC’s newest ships, the MSC World Europa. She had never considered taking a cruise before, but her boyfriend suggested it when they were torn between booking a beach vacation in a resort and a European city break.
“It’s the best of both worlds,” she said after returning from the seven-night cruise, which included stops in Genoa and Sicily. “You can have lazy days chilling by the pool, drinking at the bar, and by the time you get bored, you’ve arrived at your destination and suddenly you’re exploring the most beautiful parts of the world.”
Ms. Bridges and her partner bought one of the cheaper interior rooms that had no windows to save money, but for $1,200 per person, the couple enjoyed all the facilities on the ship and had basic food, drink and Wi-Fi included.
“It was a bargain with the added bonus of having all the logistics and planning of your holiday taken care of,” she said. “There was no stress.”
Virgin Voyages steps up
One line that is attracting first-time passengers is Virgin Voyages, which started in 2021, during the pandemic. Tom McAlpin, the chief executive of Virgin Voyages, says the hope is that a Virgin cruise will be viewed as something like “a boutique hotel on the high seas.” The cruises are adults-only and include food, drinks and tips at a variety of eateries. There is no main dining room or crowded buffet, and each food station has a particular focus, from steakhouses and Korean barbecue to an international food market and a late-night pizza station.
Virgin cruises start at around $2,600 per cabin for two people for an inside cabin and go up to $33,000 for the most luxurious suites.
When Jeanine Fisher’s dance group suggested going on a five-night Virgin Voyages Caribbean cruise this summer she was worried it would be like a fraternity party with people making out in the corridors and throwing up over stairwells.
“Adults-only sounds kind of kinky, and I didn’t know what to expect,” said the 23-year-old makeup artist from Miami. “But it was so much fun! There were parties, but there were also amazing fitness classes and incredible food. It was everything you could want from a vacation, all in one place.”
Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2023.


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Another Record Turnover for Balluff
For the second year in a row, the sensor and automation specialist Balluff achieves a record result. Total sales in fiscal year 2022 amount to 567 million euros.
Strong basis for further growth: With a high order backlog and positive development in its three global regions, Balluff, the sensor and automation specialist, has closed the 2022 financial year – and once again recorded increased sales figures. “We are very pleased to have achieved another record result after 2021, despite some challenges,” says Managing Director Katrin Stegmaier-Hermle. “We are proud of this milestone in our company history and thank all our employees for their high level of commitment.” Across all three regions – Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific – sales increased 13 percent to €567 million from €504 million in the previous year. As of Dec. 31, 2022, Balluff employed 3703 people at 38 locations worldwide, four percent more than in 2021.
Strengthening the Global Network
“Balluff continues to be consistently on course for growth. By expanding our production capacities in our three regions, we are creating the necessary conditions for this,” says Managing Director Frank Nonnenmann. “We are strengthening our global network of production and development sites and logistics.” For example:
- Balluff is investing around 50 million euros in the construction of a new production facility in Aguascalientes, Mexico. The smart factory is scheduled to be in operation starting this fall.
- The high-volume plant in Chengdu, China, is also being expanded. Production levels are rising.
“The regionalization of our supply chains to three major world regions is in full swing,” adds Nonnenmann. “By doing so, we are enabling stable global supply chains and shortened delivery times, thus also driving the issue of sustainability further forward.”
Innovation and Competence Center in Neuhausen
Balluff continues to systematically expand its headquarters in Neuhausen into an innovation and competence center. In addition to the renovation of the existing building, the new administration and development building, with around 500 modern workstations, is on schedule to open in 2024. A new logistics center for the EMEA region is also planned for 2026.
“We are very pleased that the municipality of Neuhausen is open to our construction project and that we can continue the planning phase,” says Stegmaier-Hermle. The construction is a further commitment to the Neuhausen location. “As a family-owned company and the largest employer in Neuhausen, we are investing in our company headquarters in order to continue to offer attractive jobs in the future-oriented industry of automation,” she adds.
Focus on Diversification
For 2023, the company plans to further diversify its customer base. The focus is on the food and packaging industries, as well as alternative drives and battery production for e-mobility in the automotive sector. In addition to the production of standard components for industrial automation, the company is also increasingly its focus on the development of customer-specific solutions for sensor and camera technology. Thanks to its expertise in machine vision, combined with deep industry know-how, Balluff has positioned itself as a technology supplier for leading suppliers in the semiconductor industry and in the life sciences sector.
Balluff continues to use its Strategic Incubation Programs (SIPs) to develop new business ideas. Comparable to a start-up, SIPs drive innovations within the company, focusing on speed and consistent customer orientation. The resulting solutions, such as the Smart Reordering System for dynamic inventory management and the Condition Monitoring Toolkit (CMTK) for condition monitoring of machines, systems and processes, are now in use by numerous customers.
Balluff sees growth opportunities for products in the field of image processing – especially if they have interfaces that combine classic automation technology with information technology. “Our new BVS IdentSensor is a fitting example of this,” says Managing Director Florian Hermle. “With additional functions for smart condition monitoring, it expands classic data transmission. We are relying here for the first time on MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport) as an interface. The integrated open network protocol for IoT communication enables automatic and simple data exchange between sensor and server making it easier for customers to gain insight into the current status of the entire plant.”
Positive View of the Future
While the entire automation industry suffered from the worldwide shortage of electronic components last year, Balluff is now looking at a significant easing of the market situation – and of its ability to deliver: The number of critical components was continuously reduced to a minimum over the course of the past year, thanks to the great efforts of an international project team. In the meantime, most products are once again available from stock. Order intake at the end of the past fiscal year was eight percent higher than in December 2021. Despite continuing challenging conditions, Balluff is looking positively to the future.
As one of the company's 2023 goals, sustainability is firmly anchored in Balluff’s daily work. “We are already thinking and acting today for tomorrow,” says Stegmaier-Hermle. “In addition to climate protection, the areas of economy and social issues also count for us here.” A central coordination office is to make the measures that have already been initiated transparent and monitor new measures in a structured manner.


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The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA); in Spanish: Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte, TLCAN; In French: North American Free Trade Agreement, ALNA) was an agreement signed by Canada, Mexico and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America. The agreement came into force on January 1, 1994 and replaced the 1988 Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement.  The NAFTA trading bloc was one of the largest trading blocs in the world, after the proceeds of the home. After Donald Trump`s presidential election, a number of trade experts said that exiting NAFTA, as Proposed by Trump, would have a number of unintended consequences for the United States, including limited access to the largest U.S. export markets, reduced economic growth and higher prices for gasoline, cars, fruits and vegetables.  The textile, agriculture and automotive sectors would be most affected.   Economists generally agreed that the U.S. economy as a whole benefited from NAFTA because it increased trade.   In a 2012 survey by the Global Markets Initiative`s panel of economic experts, 95% of participants said that U.S. citizens benefited on average from NAFTA, while no one said that NAFTA was detrimental to U.S.
citizens on average.  A review of the 2001 Journal of Economic Perspectives showed that NAFTA was a net benefit to the United States.  A 2015 study showed that welfare in the United States increased by 0.08% and intra-block trade in the United States by 41% due to NAFTA tariff reductions.  Mr. Trudeau and Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland announced that they would join the agreement if it was in Canada`s interest.  Freeland returned prematurely from his diplomatic trip to Europe and cancelled a planned visit to Ukraine to participate in the NAFTA negotiations in Washington at the end of August, D.C.  According to an August 31 Canadian press, published in the Ottawa Citizen, key supply management topics, Chapter 19, drugs, cultural exemption, sunset clause and de minimis thresholds.  The debate on the impact of NAFTA on its signatory countries continues. While the United States, Canada and Mexico have experienced economic growth, higher wages and stronger trade since NAFTA, experts disagree on the extent to which the agreement has actually contributed to those benefits, if at all, in the United States.


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Exports of Indian shrimps to the United States
are likely to slow down, with growth narrowing to about seven per cent to 230,000 tonnes in 2018.
Between January and December 2017, India exported about 213,981 tonnes of the seafood, about 39 per cent more than the figure clocked in 2016.
Indonesia, the second largest exporter of shrimps to the US, is expected to grow by 15 per cent during the calendar year, according to an industry report.
Indonesia’s exports will touch 135,000 tonnes during 2018 from 118,057 tonnes shipped to the US in 2017.
The US is the largest market for Indian exporters. Industry sources attribute the single-digit growth to shortage of material.
“It is a projection, the growth rate may be even lower. Material availability has gone down due the prevalence of diseases. Even with prices firming up, farmers are reluctant to stock again due to the ensuing winter season and the losses they have made in the past,” said said Durai Murugan Balasubramanian, secretary, Shrimp Association, Tamil Nadu.
Farmers have mostly stayed away from stocking as shrimp prices had fallen below production cost in Tamil Nadu, Andhra, Odisha, West Bengal and Gujarat at the farm gate during the first quarter.
Though seafood exports had crossed $7 billion the last fiscal, trade sources are expecting a fall in the quantity and value of exports this year.
Challenging times are also ahead for Indian exporters as US has recently amended a law directing the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to spend an additional $3.1 million in fiscal 2019 on the agency's inspection of imported seafood at the border and the source of supply on foreign soil.
The additional $3.1 million in funds would increase the FDA's spending on these activities to $15 million, or 26 per cent over the funding allocated to the agency in FY2018.
Trade sources said that with the new amendment, FDA may be more aggressive in conducting the inspection, leading to increased rejections of consignments and impacting exports.
Tightening of inspection will also force Indian exporters to maintain more checks and balances for exporting to the US.


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A new app has been launched and it will provide information on how to safely transport dangerous goods in Western Australia.
The app was developed by the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety and will provide information about the transport safety requirements needed.
The Dangerous Goods Road Transport Decoder app can be used offline when saved to a mobile’s home screen. Users can access the app on smartphones and tablets and can be used by selecting the Class of dangerous goods and the packaging type being transported.
The app is intended to be used in the preparation of transporting dangerous goods and now while driving.
“One of the McGowan Government’s key priorities is the safety of workers and this app will help protect them and the public on Western Australian Roads,” said Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Johnston.
“While ignorance of safety requirements is never an excuse, this app makes it easier for workers to know exactly what is required to safely transport dangerous goods to and from mine sites.
“This app is an excellent example of Western Australian innovation and I encourage transport drivers of dangerous goods to download it.”
The post New app to assist drivers in safe transport of dangerous goods appeared first on OHS News.


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The European Commission has proposed a plan to reduce the dependence of EU Member States on Asia or the United States in terms of semiconductors. EUR 90bn-100bn will be invested by 2030.
EU covers less than 10% of global semiconductor production
Semiconductors are everywhere: in computers, smartphones, household appliances, cars. We also meet electronic chips everywhere and they gain importance, in an increasingly digitized trade. The pandemic has shown Europe’s extreme dependence, in particular on Asia and the United States, in this field. The European Union produces less than 10% of semiconductors globally, compared to 40% thirty years ago. For semiconductors it depends 80% on Asia and 60% on Taiwan. When these countries were closed to the pandemic, Europe was faced with an unprecedented semiconductor crisis.
20% increase in European semiconductor production
Therefore, the goal is to increase European semiconductor production to 20%. To accomplish this, the European Commission puts on the table major investments: EUR 42bn initially, to reach up to EUR 90bn or 100bn by 2030. Several fields are involved, from research to the design of more innovative chips and the installation of factories in Europe.
Today, the European Union produces less than 10% of the world’s semiconductors. With globalization, it has withdrawn from this part of the economy to the benefit of the United States and Asia. But the Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the limits of this model. Europeans have obviously realized that, overnight, their suppliers could stop serving them.
Semiconductor production is a complex process: it takes years of research and development to design, produce, and trade a range of semiconductors.
Semiconductors are for electronics what oil is for industry: an essential but often invisible component, present in computers, video game consoles, smartphones, televisions, cars, airplanes, washing machines, temperature sensors for air conditioning, solar panels etc.
Creation of electronic devices of all sorts has increased dramatically since the beginning of the pandemic, between the growing telework and spending spare time at home. In corporate IT, spending on cloud infrastructure (cloud computing) has soared.
What is a semiconductor?
A semiconductor is a kind of technological wafer, a chip made of a silicon plate. It is a square of silicon a few millimetres on one side, fragile and very thin. Silicon is the most abundant element in the earth’s crust after oxygen. It comes from sand. It is also the semiconductor from which 95% of electronic components are made.
A semiconductor is a material that is neither insulating nor conductive, and its electrical properties can vary.
Electronic chips or integrated circuits are manufactured in a clean room, where they are produced on silicon boards of various sizes. Today, state-of-the-art silicon wafers are 300 mm in diameter.
It takes six to eight weeks to manufacture integrated circuits on silicon boards, which will take between 200 and 300 operations.
For their manufacture, sand must be treated, purified, and liquefied at 1700 degrees to obtain silicon ingots, which are then cut in very small silicon wafers.
With globalization and to lower costs, the players have almost all specialized in one part of their production chain: in design patents (ARM), in design and sales (Qualcomm, Nvidia, Broadcom), in manufacturing (TSMC, Global Foundries). A few rare companies still master the entire chain, such as Samsung and Intel, but also STMicroelectronics and Infineon (Europe). Not all produce the same type of components and some, like TSMC (Taiwan), are hyperspecialized in chips in high demand, making their manufacture even more strategic.
A rapidly growing market
Semiconductors are an almost continuously growing market: in 2020, it represented USD 442bn (EUR 380bn, +5.4% compared to 2019) and should continue to grow by 17.3% in 2021. Made essential to the global economy, these electronic chips have become a major strategic issue for the great powers of the planet.
The manufacture of these components is at the heart of the battle between the United States and China for domination of the high-tech sector. So much so that the current difficulties are inherited from Washington’s September 2020 decision to restrict the sale of technology to SMIC, the Chinese semiconductor giant, to counter Beijing’s ambitions.
Demand is driven by several markets: that of memories which allow information to be stored; that of smartphones and their infrastructures with the implementation of 5G; that of the automotive industry (electric cars, autonomous cars, airbag control, safety distances; engine control, battery, ‘start and stop’ system, air conditioning etc.); the entertainment industry, with the best-selling game consoles (PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X); the Internet of Things (IoT), which allows objects to exchange information and communicate with each other; artificial intelligence and big data, with specific processors such as Xeon Ice Lake from Intel.
Geographic concentration of production, a matter of concern
A study carried out in April 2021 by the Semiconductor Industry Association and the Boston Consulting Group revealed that about 75% of the world’s semiconductor production capacity, for example, is concentrated in China and East Asia, a region significantly exposed to high seismic activity and geopolitical tensions. And that 100% of the global production capacity for the most advanced semiconductors (less than 10 nanometres) is currently located in Taiwan (92%) and South Korea (8%).
China is also concerned: without US chips, neither Alibaba nor Huawei would have become global giants. China produces 36% of the world’s electronic products, but Chinese companies provide only 7.6% of the semiconductors sold around the world. Therefore, Xi Jinping places “technological independence” at the heart of many of his speeches, as well as of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025).
Intel builds two semiconductor factories in the US
The new head of the US giant in the industry, Pat Gelsinger, has announced initial investments of USD 20bn for these new sites in Arizona. Gelsinger presented in a press release initial investments of USD 20bn (EUR 16.9bn) for these new sites in Arizona as an essential aspect of his production strategy for the United States and Europe. Intel broke its revenue record in 2020 (USD 78bn) due to 5G deployments and a tenfold increase in electronics and computer needs, related to the pandemic. But the company had a difficult time at the end of the year, when US billionaire Daniel S. Loeb, whose Third Point hedge fund holds a USD 1 billion stake in Intel, asked the company to withdraw from its production activities to focus on chip design.
Production units in Europe
Germany’s Dresden, the surrounding region of Saxony, France and Italy are highlighted as places where new Intel production capacity will be built.
For many experts, the Dresden region of Germany, where big names in the field of electronic chips, such as Bosch, Global Foundries, or Infineon, are already established, will host the Intel project. Dresden “seems to tick all the boxes,” says Jean-Christophe Eloy, president of the research firm Yole Développement, specializing in the semiconductor market. The surrounding region of Saxony has a very important potential for land and employment, especially because it is close to Poland and the Czech Republic.
European Chips Act
The European Union (EU) is working on the European Chips Act, a European semiconductor law, to defend its technological sovereignty: by 2030, the EU aims to produce 20% of semiconductors worldwide, doubling its current share.
Since the 1980s, Europe has made the choice of globalization, which has created wealth, explains Olivier Lluansi, PwC partner, but Europeans have been naive on the issues of competition, trade reciprocity, technological blockade.
Re-learning economic sovereignty
Today, the European Union is reluctant to relaunch itself in a race to make chips smaller than seven nanometres, according to a technology mastered by Samsung and TSMC – which keeps it on the market, knowing that a chip maker costs about ten billion dollars. Perhaps the EU could bet on the next step, the quantum revolution: it would have the advantage of bringing producers back to the same starting point.
However, experts say that instead of attacking the ‘Everest’, i.e., the chips, the EU should regain, step by step, its electronic sovereignty, for example, starting with printed circuits and electronic cards, much more modest than those needed for chips.
Therefore, it would re-learn, they say, how to manage the trade problems of the Member States, as well as the strategic positioning of the continent in relation to the United States or China. Europe would follow the example of the strategy already adopted for batteries, where one or two projects are underway in France and more than ten in Germany.


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Every celebrity’s dream is to meet someone with a bigger fame whose name they respect. As expected, that’s something their fans would support and celebrate them for. Sadly, not all fans would.
Legendary American designer, Tommy Hilfiger has been the victim of a skin-offensive rumor which has trailed him so many years.
Although the fashion icon has over time tried to quench them, it keeps coming up each time. He was accused back in ’96 of appearing on the Oprah Winfrey Show and saying he wouldn’t have made his clothes so nice if he knew it would be worn by people of colour.
The rumor was reported to have been published by fashion magazine, Fashionista. The magazine has called the report untrue, saying the fashion icon had never even been on the show when they started.
The designer later appeared on Oprah‘s show in 2007 to further say the rumors weren’t true. Years later, he also denied the claims in 2012 when he featured in Fern Mallis’ 92Y Fashion Icons series, and in 2016 on The Wendy Williams Show.
Sadly, people believe what they want. SA Hip Hop titan, Riky Rick recently uploaded a photo of himself with the fashion icon which was hugely frowned upon by his fans.
The celeb had attended the presentation of the Fall 2019 “Tommy x Lewis” collection, a collaboration between the fashion house and Lewis Hamilton.
Boss Zonke‘s excitement turned soar when fans flooded his comments section with racist claims causing the designer to trend on SA Twitter.
The rapper was also dragged for saying he had wanted to meet the icon since he was a young boy. They made reference to the years old rumor, questioning why the rapper would want to appear in a photo with the fashion icon.
However, some fans were more sympathetic towards the “I Can’t Believe It (Macoins)“ mastermind and took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.
You can as well join the conversation with your thoughts and opinion in the comments section below.


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For business users, including those in the medical market, Syncplicity is a safer and better alternative to offerings that sprang from the consumer market, Lumenate's Shepard said.
"As an administrator with Syncplicity, I have my own GUI," he said. "I can control what folders are copied to Syncplicity, and control what folders and files can be downloaded. And I can also create my own internal dropbox without the need to go to a cloud."
Box's O'Brien said the company offers strong security for its file sharing software, and it has been accepted for use by over 150,000 businesses, including hundreds of healthcare customers.
She also said a focus on the cloud is needed to move the healthcare file sharing business forward.
"If you are looking at hybrid solutions, you are only postponing the inevitable as customers better learn the benefits of the cloud," she said. "I don't see anything else holding us back. We're just at the tip of the iceberg."
Box's Krasner said the company has been working with mobile-first developers of healthcare applications. "There is a lot of disruption going on here," she said. "Businesses are serving up health records on mobile devices."
PUBLISHED 26, 2013


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For the first time since usurping power in the country of Afghanistan, the Taliban has made an outreach to India with the head of its political office Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai terming India an "important country", WION. He also called for maintaining good diplomatic and economic ties with New Delhi.
Stanikzai said, "India is a very important country in the subcontinent. We want to continue our economic and diplomatic relations with them. Our business is linked with India through Pakistan, and we want to keep that connectivity opened."
Stanikzai further added that the air freight corridor which was established in 2017 to promote bilateral ties between Kabul and New Delhi bypassing Pakistan would remain open.
Stanikzai also said, "We give due importance to our political, economic and trade ties with India and we want these ties to continue. We are looking forward to working with India in this regard. We want these relations to continue."
Stanikzai also extended support for the strategically located Chabahar port in neighbouring Iran which has been built by India. He said that the traders should use the port, adding “there will be no barriers towards for trading through the port”.


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Here’s how people reacted to the GMC Sierra pickup truck and Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen SUVs on a village road
It’s not every day that you find expensive luxury cars are SUVs moving around the village roads. Whenever it does, it certainly gets a lot of attention from locals. We’ve seen several videos of people reacting to expensive luxury and performance cars and SUVs. Although import duties on cars in India are very high, this has not stopped people from importing vehicles which are not officially sold in India. There are several rare imported cars and motorcycles in India and some of them have also been featured on our website. Here we have a video where a GMC Sierra pickup truck and two Mercedes-Benz G 63 AMG SUVs are seen on a village road.
The video was uploaded by AMERHADI700 on their YouTube channel. In this video, a group of GMC Sierra 2500 pickup trucks and two Mercedes-Benz G Wagen SUVs drive through a village road. The size of the GMC Sierra is clearly visible in the video. The GMC Sierra is so huge that the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen has started to look small in front of it. As they drove through the village roads, it clearly caught the attention of the locals as it is not every day that they see a huge van followed by two Mercedes-Benz SUVs on the road.
GMC Sierra 2500 is a very rare car on Indian roads. This pickup truck is very popular among buyers in America. We have seen several cars imported from Dubai to India via Carnet and a GMC Sierra was also imported to India. The one seen here in the video is different though. This is an RHD version which is actually registered here in India. The huge black van takes up almost all the space on the narrow village road.
Coming to the G-Wagens in the video, the black G-Wagen SUVs act as an escort vehicle for the GMC Sierra. It is not clear from the video whether it is the G 63 AMG or the G 350d SUV. The four-minute video is actually nothing more than these three SUVs driving across the village road. The video does not share the reason they were driving on these roads or the specs of any of the vehicles. People were definitely looking at the vehicle as they probably saw a GMC pickup truck for the first time in their lives.
Coming to the GMC Sierra 2500 pickup, it is powered by a 6.6-liter V8 engine that generates 401 Ps and 629 Nm of peak torque. The engine is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. Speaking of the G-Wagen, the G63 AMG is powered by a 4.0-liter turbocharged V8 petrol engine. The engine develops 576 hp and 850 Nm of maximum torque. It is a capable off-roader and comes with 4WD and an automatic transmission. The 350d, on the other hand, is powered by a 3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder diesel engine. The engine generates 281 hp and 600 Nm of peak torque. The G63 AMG is priced at Rs 2.45 crore, ex-showroom and the G 350d is priced at Rs 1.64 crore, ex-showroom.


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Microsoft's quarterly figures came in today pretty much as analysts had expected, with earnings of $6.4bn (£4bn), down from $6.4bn in the previous year, and revenues of $21.46bn (£13.6bn), a three per cent increase year on year, according to a report.
The strongest-performing divisions were: the Windows Division, which posted revenue figures of $5.88bn, a 24 per cent year-on-year increase; the Server & Tools Division, up nine per cent at $5.2bn; and the Online Services Division - $869m, an 11 per cent year-on-year rise.
On the downside, the Business Division was down 10 per cent on the year ($5.69bn) and Entertainment and Devices Division revenues dropped 11 per cent to $3.77bn.
The most eagerly awaited of these results was that for the Windows Division. Following a lukewarm reception for Micosoft's new operating system, analysts and investors were eager to find out how this would translate into financial figures. The 24 per cent rise is stronger than many had anticipated.
Microsoft insists it has licensed more than 60 million copies of Windows 8 since its launch on 26 October, which would be very similar to equivalent sales figures for Windows 7 following its release on 22 October 2009, albiet at a lower market share given the proliferation of devices since then.
Notable by its absence in the exhuberant earnings report, though, was any mention Microsoft's own tablet - the Surface. The Surface Pro, a more powerful version then the currently available RT with the full version of Windows 8, will be launched in the US and Canada on 9 February.
Investor reactions to the latest figures were muted. Microsoft shares were down two per cent in after-hours trading.


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Yes, this is another Vogue cover for Kendall Jenner — her third if you’re keeping up. The Australian edition tapped the 20-year-old to liven up the magazine with colorfully bold fall looks styled by Paul Cavaco. The renowned Patrick Demarchelier lensed the spread, which she mentions being featured in any magazine was always a hope of hers: “I would look through my mother’s fashion magazines and dream of making that my reality.”
Kendall’s portfolio is now fat with covers, campaigns and more — plus, she’s now one of the highest-paid models around. Looks like dreams do come true.
Preview the October issue above before picking one up on newsstands September 19.


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"Everyone needs a helping hand sometimes. Enter the Google Assistant, which is conversational, personal and helps you get things done—from telling you about your day to taking a selfie. The Assistant is already available on Pixel, Google Home, Google Allo and Android Wear. Now we're bringing it to even more people. Starting this week, the Google Assistant is coming to smartphones running Android 7.0 Nougat and Android 6.0 Marshmallow.The Google Assistant is coming to more Android phones
Whether you need to know how to say “nice to meet you” in Korean or just a simple reminder to do laundry when you get home, your Assistant can help. With the Google Assistant on Android phones, you have your own personal, helpful Google right in your pocket."
Sunday, February 26, 2017
The Google Assistant is coming to more Android phones (The Keyword)
Tbd if Samsung will try to keep its smartphone customers focused on Viv instead


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Confirming earlier reports, Mercedes has announced plans to build the CLS Shooting Brake concept. It will compete with the Audi A7, BMW 5-Series GT, and Porsche Panamera.
Details are limited, but engine options will likely carryover from the CLS. This means we can expect a 150 kW (204 PS / 201 hp) 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY, a 195 kW (265 PS / 262 hp) 350 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY, a 225 kW (306 PS / 302 hp) 350 BlueEFFICIENCY, and a 300 kW (408 PS / 402 hp) 500 BlueEFFICIENCY.
According to Dr. Dieter Zetsche, "The decision to build the CLS Shooting Brake underscores the leading role of Mercedes-Benz in regards of innovative passenger car concepts and design - and that is exactly what the customers expect from us."


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Preliminary retail figures for December are set to be released today, but eStore Logistics has already predicted it as the ‘wholesome gift-giving’ month.
eStore Logistics launches new cloud-based software
Ecommerce-focused fulfilment provider, eStore Logistics has recently introduced Express, an online portal that provides clients with immediate access to logistics data to manage sales orders, purchase orders and returns, run…
Robots lift Australian e-commerce to global standards – AFR
eStore Logistics is an 11-year old business that specialises in warehousing and fulfilment for e-commerce and omni-channel retailers. It’s helping to bring e-commerce in Australia, which is relatively immature in comparison…


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Cryptocurrency exchange ShapeShift has acquired bitcoin hardware wallet startup KeepKey.
Announced today, ShapeShift will continue to use the KeepKey brand, and its staff will stay on to continue working on the hardware product line. KeepKey had originally integrated with ShapeShift by way of its API last summer.
The deal – the terms of which were not disclosed – represents the first acquisition of a startup specifically focused on hardware products.
"This partnership will not only guarantee the future success of the KeepKey brand and product line, but joining the ShapeShift team will enable us to focus on continuing to work on developing better technology and security for crypto-holders," Ken Hodler, KeepKey's chief technology officer, said in a statement.
Disclosure: CoinDesk is a subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which has an ownership stake in ShapeShift.
Key image via Shutterstock
The leader in news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and the future of money, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups.


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Dawn Hancy, a Vershire resident and fan of all things local, ushered in the New Year with a glass of hard cider from a nearby farm. This year, Hancy plans to turn her longtime interest in fiber and sustainability into a business of her own. The product? Boot bracelets.
Worn over anything from cowboy boots to Uggs, the accessories often are made of beads or metal chains. Hancy’s, however, are handwoven sheep’s wool and alpaca fiber, most of which comes from local animals. She hopes sales of the “fairly simple and straightforward” product will help fund some projects she has brewing and also promote causes that are dear to her, such as organic and small-scale farming.
“That’s really the exciting thing for me, to get people interested and supporting that,” said Hancy, who will donate 5 percent of her profits to organizations that support sustainable agriculture.
‘I’ve Been Building Up to This’
A Cleveland native, Hancy had never lived on a farm, but she’d always been a horse person, and her husband, Phil Yacovella, had an interest in homesteading. In 2003, the couple and Hancy’s son, Mojo Hancy-Davis, left Ohio and moved to a roughly 20-acre property in Vershire, which they named Sherwood Farm and Forest. With its myriad opportunities for community farming and access to “food like you’ve never eaten,” the Green Mountain State turned out to be even better than they’d imagined, the 46-year-old Hancy said. “We just landed in heaven.”
Over the years, they’ve done some gardening for themselves and sold and bartered milk, eggs and meat from animals they raised. Hancy homeschooled Mojo, who now is 24, and has worked in several libraries. Along the way, she started working with fiber, doing quilting, needlepoint and hand spinning. She picked up finger weaving about 10 years ago.
“I love to have something to do with my hands when I’m sitting around chatting,” said Hancy, who is part of a local fiber craft group. Initially, she wove belts and bookmarks, but then some friends started wearing them on their wrists or ankles, which planted a seed. Recently, the time was right to pursue her business, The Vermont Boot Bracelet Co.
For the past several years, she was caring for her mother, Mabledean Hancy, who lived at Hancy and Yacovella’s home. Mabledean now is in good health, and in July she moved to an assisted living community in Chelsea. Hancy’s sister, who also was staying at the house, found a place of her own.
“I’m transitioning to empty nesting,” Hancy said. “Now I really have an opportunity to launch this type of business and promote a really exciting new year for me. I’ve been building up to this.”
A Community Education
A Reiki practitioner, Hancy plans to augment her income with sales of the bracelets, currently priced at $25 each or $45 per pair, and eventually she’ll add in several other part-time gigs. Her ideas are wide ranging, from Steampunk tea parties to retreats that combine crafts workshops and healing. But Hancy says she doesn’t feel pulled in different directions. “I feel like it all really works together, especially in a local small economy,” she said.
Yacovella’s job with a manufacturing company is “basically supporting” them as Hancy makes the transition , and so far, she’s invested just more than $50 for business materials, and less than that to expand her stockpile of fibers. Hancy already owned a loom and laptop, both of which she bought secondhand.
She’s drawing on past experience, including the skills she picked up as librarian and director of the Williamstown, Vt., and Chelsea public libraries. At small libraries, the director does everything, from reading to kids to creating a budget and meeting with the board, Hancy said.
Her resume also includes owning a wood-fired oven baking business, an experience that got her thinking about how to fairly price items. “I am really looking for that sweet spot,” deciding what to charge in order to earn “a truly fair living wage,” she said.
She’s also taken workshops at farming and grazing conferences and holds a certification in permaculture. A business course for farmers taught her about budgeting, personnel and regulations, and she learns by simply being around people with similar interests.
“Vermont is so great for community education,” she said. “Farmers teach each other.”
‘Your Nice Boots’
In this area, where people can wear boots all year long, the bracelets can be a way to celebrate “our slightly quirky climate,” said Hancy, who spins the yarn by hand. “You can be practical and be a farmer and have mud boots, and you can have your nice boots” and dress them up.
Hancy considers them akin to the colored ribbons people wear to drum up awareness of various social issues. In this case, the fiber advertises natural products.
“It’s important to get away from microfibers and petroleum products,” she said. The bracelets also can serve as a “gateway” for learning about heritage breeds, sustainable agriculture and other farm-related topics.
People care where their food is grown, and fibers could be next, she said. “How many people know which farm their clothing comes from?”
Some of the yarn is left as is, and some Hancy dyes with plants such as tansy, marigolds, carrot tops or blackberries. Each bracelet takes about 45 minutes to make.
“I think they’re really cute, attractive and fun,” she said. “It’s fun to wear something homemade from natural materials.”
The Intuitive Approach
Rather than set up a formal business plan, Hancy is adjusting as she goes.
“I’ve found that’s the only way to do it in life,” she said. “I really appreciate the intuitive approach as much as the organizational.”
So far, she’s sold a few bracelets at farmers markets and at the Made In Vershire Shop on Route 113. She’s working on getting display space in local stores and earmarked January for building up stock and tweaking her Etsy shop and website, bootbracelets.net. When it comes to online marketing, there’s “a bit of a learning curve,” said Hancy, who said the process is “kind of a fun exploration.”
Nonetheless, she’s seeking out advice on running a business, including the technical aspects. “I don’t need to reinvent the wheel,” she said.


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eBay’s mission is to be the world’s favourite destination for discovering great value and unique selection
Human handled freight suspended by France due to mutant Coronavirus
Britain moved fast this week plunging 18 million people that live in London, South East and Eastern England into Tier 4. This included a blanket ban on International travel as well as a stay at home order. Now, various countries have started to impose travel bans from the UK but notably on top of the travel ban France have suspended human handled freight for at least 48 hours as of midnight Sunday.
The human handled freight suspension is notable as it’s the first time we’ve seen direct freight bans as opposed to human travel bans due to the global pandemic. Previously there have been severe delays but not outright bans.
Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, and the Netherlands have already suspended travel from the UK, Sweden is likely to follow soon. Largely, it would be irrelevant for those in Tier 4 areas but also blocks those from Tier 1, 2 and 3 from travel (or related Tiers for Scotland and Wales). The big difference with France is the suspension of human handled freight.
This is all in response to the new fast spreading mutated strain of the Coronavirus which prompted Tier 4 in the UK in the first place. Whilst the new strain has already been seen in Italy, countries are desperate to stop widespread importation of the new strain, hence the fast response and new travel and freight bans.
So what is human handled freight? Well pretty much it is likely to be considered anything sent by regular courier and mail services. It allows for freight which isn’t handled by humans such as container traffic to continue. However if you’ve recently shipped a parcel via courier or mail or if you are about to then it’s likely it won’t be going to France before Christmas.
France have said that the next two days will be used to come up with a coordinated response and a new testing regieme in partnership with their EU partners.
We’ve yet to see a response from couriers or the Royal Mail. We also don’t know but suspect that packages destined for France through eBay Global Shipping may also be impacted.
This variant is already on the Continent – time to stop traffic from mainland Europe into UK for 48 hours !!! and gradually work to source our imports from elsewhere. Suck it up France – we expected no less from you.
Interesting that you say, “Britain moved fast…” because they were urged to do this on Wednesday but ridiculed the idea. Seems apparent that they were, once again, too slow.
This is all a ploy by Macron to force Boris to give way on the Brexit fishing negotiations !!
A ploy by Macron, ha ha, all you Brexiteers wanted to take back control of our border well the French and other Countries have just done exactly that and you are not happy about it. Taking back control works both ways or did you forget that.
PF won’t collect our EU orders and don’t want to cancel them on Amazon, as it might affect our account health. Had a call with Amazon representative – the guy had NO idea of what I’m talking about! even though there are official announcements from all carriers ( and their forum is getting loaded with worried sellers).


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Consumers have until April 13 to opt out or object to the proposed $538.5 million price-fixing settlements with seven manufacturers and sellers of liquid crystal displays, the Florida Attorney General's Office announced Thursday.
Those who don't wish to be part of the settlements have the right to sue the defendants on their own. A federal court will hold a hearing May 18 on whether to approve the settlements.
The settlements affect Florida businesses and consumers that bought televisions, monitors and laptop computers containing the TFT-LCD panels.
Those who indirectly bought such equipment from Jan. 1, 1999, to Dec. 31, 2006, from one of the defendants or Quanta Display Inc. "for their own use and not for resale," qualify to be part of the settlement, said Jenn Meale, communications director for the Florida Attorney General's Office.
People who bought the LCD panels in the District of Columbia and the 23 other states who are participating in the class-action suit are also eligible, Meale said.
Florida and the other states reached the settlements after alleging that the companies conspired to prevent competition and increase prices of the LCD panels.
Without admitting guilt, Samsung Electronic has agreed to pay $240 million, Sharp Corp. $115.5 million and Chi Mei, a Taiwanese company, $110 million, according to federal court papers. Four other companies will pay about $72 million combined, the court documents show.
Litigation continues against AU Optronics Corporation, LG Display Co. Ltd., Toshiba Corp. and their U.S. affiliates.
The first civil trial against the non-settling companies is set for April 23.
Another trial involving the claims of Florida and other states is scheduled to begin Nov. 5.
Florida will not distribute the settlement fund until the end of litigation and then one distribution will be given, according to the Attorney General's Office.
Consumers can register online at lcdclass.com to receive a claim form when it becomes available.
They can also go the website to get more information about the litigation and obtain copies of the settlement agreements. Consumers may also call 1-855-225-1886 or write to LCD Class, P.O.Box 8025,Faribault, MN 55021-9425 to get additional information.
A copy of the LCD complaint is available online at myflorida.com.
Those who don't want to remain in the litigation must exclude themselves in writing, postmarked by April 13, to the Settlement Administrator, LCD Indirect Exclusions, P.O. Box 8025, Faribault, MN 55021-9425.
Consumers who remain in the litigation may object to the settlements in writing, postmarked by April 13, 2012, to the Settlement Administrator, Clerk’s Office, U.S. District Court for the District of Northern California, 16th Floor, 450 Golden Gate Ave., San Francisco, CA 94102 and to the Notice Administrator, LCD Indirect Objections, P.O. Box 8025, Faribault, MN 55021-9425.
Those affected by the settlement include consumers in other states: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.
firstname.lastname@example.org, 954-356-4404 or Twitter @donnagehrke


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Reducing clutter and adding function, Cadillac will add wireless charging of smartphones to the 2015 model ATS sport sedan and coupe launching this fall.
From rollover and barrier tests to development of the Hybrid III crash test dummy, the Milford Proving Ground plays a key role in GM’s vehicle development.
This morning at the Pentagon, GM, Raytheon and the U.S. Army announced the Shifting Gears Automotive Technician Training Program. This groundbreaking program will provide the […]
Global Vehicle Safety VP Jeff Boyer discusses the importance of recent changes to GM’s evaluation of recalls and acting quickly to protect customers.
Supporting art education and is important – after all, some of the world’s most talented artists create the world’s most stunning automobiles.


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- Denver-based HempFusion Wellness, Inc. has developed 46 products and 8 OTC FDA listed topicals that draw on the versatile compounds in hemp for promoting effective sleep, stress reduction, pain relief, skin care and “smooth energy” pick-me-ups
- Despite a downturn in the hemp and CBD product industries brought on by the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, HempFusion is anticipating a market rebound amid positive developments in legal, political and medical research arenas
- Market analysts at Brightfield Group anticipate improvement in the CBD sector to $12.4 billion by 2023 and $16.8 billion by 2025
- HempFusion has filed a preliminary prospectus for a planned initial public offering of its stock in Canada and a listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol CBD.U
Legal cannabis consumers have already become well aware of the hammering the industry has taken during the COVID-19 era. Market outlooks have been revised sharply downward as many retailers selling CBD products have closed temporarily or transitioned to curbside pickup and delivery, and farmers have reduced their hemp acreage. But nearly a year into the global pandemic, there have been bright spots as well.
While the health crisis has impacted product movement, the legal front lines continue to advance. The European Union’s highest court declared this month that cannabidiol (“CBD”) is not a narcotic drug, despite some EU countries’ efforts to control it on such health-related grounds (https://nnw.fm/6Zd2H). In the United States, the presidential elections delivered an apparent victor who favors decriminalization of marijuana, if not outright legalization, while additional states joined the drive toward relaxed legislation within their boundaries (https://nnw.fm/CPwiq). And pandemic-related stress is credited with driving sales increases in some areas (https://nnw.fm/qa3SL).
CBD brand HempFusion Wellness is optimistic about renewed energy in the marketplace, mirroring its products’ aim to help restore energy and wellness balances to its consumers.
“Researchers have newly discovered a system inside of our body that has been affectionately named the endocannabinoid system,” CEO Jason Mitchell explains in a video outlining the company’s operations (https://nnw.fm/x4BWH). “What’s really special about it is that in this identification they have found an intricate network of receptors located throughout the entire body that interconnect all of the biological systems together. They’ve deemed it a regulatory system because it helps to maintain and support homeostasis or balance inside the body.”
Mitchell notes that hemp is plant source of cannabinoids that may interact with the body’s system, citing the company’s varied products as able to promote effective sleep, stress reduction, pain relief, skin care and “smooth energy” via liquid tinctures and taste-free liquid capsules, thanks in part to their full-spectrum delivery and combination with other natural elements, such as adaptogen herbs.
“The name HempFusion means hemp fused together with other products,” Mitchell states.
Researchers at market analysis firm Brightfield Group forecast a CBD marketplace worth $10 billion this year and $23 billion by 2023 before the pandemic swept the planet. They have since revised their outlook downward to $12.4 billion by 2023 and $16.8 billion by 2025 (https://nnw.fm/PcfZa).
However, the rapid-response effort to deliver a potential COVID-19 vaccine has led some media outlets to predict the end of the pandemic is in sight (https://nnw.fm/8i3CC), which could open the gates to a restored sense of excitement about world economic recovery and CBD products’ return to previous expectations if the relatively new technology of mRNA-based vaccines proves sustainable.
HempFusion has developed 46 products and announced last month that it has produced a preliminary prospectus with securities regulatory authorities in Canada for a proposed initial public offering that could land its common shares in all of the provinces but Quebec as it lists on the Toronto Stock Exchange. That makes HempFusion the first U.S.-based CBD company to apply to list on the TSX (https://nnw.fm/3T8nH).
For more information, visit the company’s website at www.HempFusion.com/Corporate-Information.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to HempFusion are available in the company’s newsroom at https://nnw.fm/HempFusion
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SIBU, March 10: The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic is not just affecting businesses in essential sectors but also those related to hobbies.
Sarawak Philatelic and Numismatic Society president John Goh said collectors of old currency, stamps and phone cards hardly made any sales since the first Movement Control Order (MCO) on March 18 last year.
“We could not organise our thrice a year sales and exhibition for almost a year now. Without this event, it is difficult to ignite interest among the public on collectable items,” he said.
The event which is usually held at shopping malls usually sees the participation of about 10 of the society’s members in Sibu and Sarikei, and has been held for the past 20 years. At times, the event draws collectors from elsewhere such as Singapore, Miri and Brunei as participants.
This year marks the first time in the society’s history that such an event has not been held.
“Like myself. Though I can open my shop during this Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO), I prefer not to as I will have to follow the strict standard operating procedure (SOP) such as having a body temperature scanning device, MySejahtera code, a logbook for people to register their particulars and hand sanitiser,” Goh added.
Goh said he preferred not to open his shop even though there were some prospective buyers.
“Recently one guy called me up but I told him straightaway that my shop is closed,” he said.
He noted that as the resellers have been inactive all this time, the public had been logging on to social media to find desired collectible items.
“A word of caution (for buyers). It is advisable to be cautious as sellers in Facebook are usually selling them at sky high prices. Also some of them could be scammers,” he advised. — DayakDaily


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“The demand for ACs has not dropped this year though the slowdown affected sales of products like washing machines. ACs are growing at over 30%, as customers are see it as a necessity as the heat goes up,” said Godrej Appliances business head & EVP Kamal Nandi, adding that cooling energy demand rises to 50% of total during peak summer.
Subrata Dey, Global CIO at Godrej Consumer Products Limited (GCPL), shares how the company uses tech to enhance core business processes.
Apart from the strong monsoon, the report said rising PM-Kisan enrolments could boost rural incomes in the second half of fiscal year 2020. Channel liquidity concerns, too, are being addressed by the government, which could lead to an uptick in spends.
"Our India business delivered a steady volume growth of 5%, amidst a general slowdown in staples consumption. We expect a gradual recovery in the coming quarters for the industry and also for our business," Nisaba Godrej, Executive Chairperson, GCPL, said.
The issue had opened on June 25 and closed on June 28, 2019.
Banker Uday Kotak and lawyer Cyril Shroff are advising Adi Godrej on “options” for the group’s future plans, while Nimesh Kampani of JM Financial and Zia Mody of legal firm AZB & Partners are assisting Jamshyd Godrej, chairman of Godrej & Boyce, the privately held holding company of the $5-billion conglomerate.
Bisleri International founder Ramesh Chauhan, who has retained chairmanship of the board, said the company preferred a CEO with an FMCG background to get the best fit.
Godrej Appliances business head Kamal Nandi said there is price aggression among brands because of depressed demand.
“Going forward, we are optimistic, because last year the AC sales had taken a slump and this year we are expecting a hotter weather. In Kerala, because of our high market share, we are looking at a growth of 15-20% of growth in ACs alone,” said Santhosh Salian, Godrej’s product group head for air conditioners, in Kochi.
AGAIN has partnered with Namdhari’s Fresh, Godrej Nature’s Basket and online grocer BigBasket, and it’s in the process of finalising more partnerships.
Narang’s appointment will enable GCPL to leverage his significant expertise and perspectives to guide GCPL’s growth strategy, the company said in the release.
With the launch of its exclusive three-storey store in New Delhi followed by four more stores in the next three years, the brand expects to touch a revenue of more than 60 crore from this market and a total turnover of Rs 320 crore by 2020.
The company said it is in line with its long-term objective of optimising portfolio and making the relevant capital allocation choices.
The new washing machine assembly line has been installed at its plant in Mohali and will allow the brand to introduce new variants and increase flexibility for multi model production.
Air-conditioner sales in terms of volume dropped by 19% year-onyear in April, the month that usually marks the start of scorching heat in most of northern India, as per GfK’s data.
Firms are willing to consider candidates who have lost their jobs and give them a second chance — if the reasons are right.
Asked if the price hike would impact the demand, Nandi said, "Given that there is good monsoon expected this year and the summer has been subdued in terms of demand, we expect the demand to go up."
The committee of creditors (CoC) to the Indore-based bankrupt firm is expected to meet next week to finalise bids.
The lawsuit, filed in the Delhi High Court, also names Haier’s advertisement agency, Mumbaibased ZeroZero Creative Solutions and its partner Kumar Subramaniam as defendants.
Patanjali Ayurveda’s entry in the auction process of Ruchi Soya complicates matters for other companies.