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Nielsen says it will make streaming data available to users of its media planning products, further integrating the company’s measurement of streaming platforms into information for media planners.
The move could also be seen a signal to the industry that Nielsen is addressing its issues with regard to streaming as the long-time ratings provider looks to fend off sharp criticism of its measurement capabilities from industry groups and challenges from other would-be suppliers of ratings data.
The company will expand its Nielsen Media Impact planning suit with the addition of its streaming platform ratings — the data that fuels the monthly Gauge reports showing how TV users divide their time among platforms (streaming, broadcast and cable) and among individual streaming services. The goal is to help advertisers and media buyers plan cross-platform campaigns by showing where their target audiences are.
“Nielsen is committed to helping the industry make data-informed decisions about their media plans that maximize efficiency and drive results,” said Jay Nielsen, senior vp planning products at Nielsen. “With streaming data from the TV glass now available directly in our media planning tool, clients can more easily reach advanced audiences and navigate the fast changing landscape with the confidence that they’re spending every dollar as effectively as possible.”
What the addition does not do is provide cross-platform media measurement. Nielsen has as its stated goal to provide a single metric for all-platform consumption, which it calls NielsenOne, in the next couple of years.
The change to the planning tools comes as Nielsen is facing more questions about its service and more potential competition than it has in years. The company has faced allegations from industry trade groups that it has undercounted viewers during the pandemic, leading to the suspension last September of Nielsen’s accreditation for national TV ratings by industry oversight board the Media Rating Council. The company also admitted to missing some out-of-home viewers in the first year those figures were rolled into national program ratings.
Media companies, meanwhile, have put out calls for new measurement tools in recent months. NBCUniversal frequently touted ad measurement by iSpot.TV during the Winter Olympics, and companies like VideoAmp and Comscore are also offering alternatives — though no major client has stopped using Nielsen’s core ratings product since the suspension.
The announcement of streaming data being included in the Nielsen Media Impact drew a skeptical reaction from trade group the Video Advertising Bureau, which has been among Nielsen’s most vocal critics. “Nielsen enters an already-crowded cross-platform TV measurement and currency provider arena with a distinct disadvantage versus the rocketing census-level cross-platform competitors,” VAB president and CEO Sean Cunningham said in a statement. “Their Streaming Meter is another bolt-on to an already overstressed national panel that’s proving ever more inadequate to measuring the expanding multiplicity of viewer options for TV content and ads.”
Nielsen’s metrics show that streaming makes up about 28 percent of TV viewers’ total consumption, a couple points ahead of broadcast. In the seven months the company has been releasing its Gauge reports, cable has consistently remained the largest platform, claiming about 37 percent of TV usage.
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U.S. crane-maker Terex Corp.'s talks with a Chinese suitor broke down after disagreement on terms, clearing the way for its planned $1.3 billion disposal of a ports lifting-gear business to competitor Konecranes Oyj.
WASHINGTON U.S. economic growth slowed in the first quarter although not as sharply as initially thought, as a surge in home building and steady inventory accumulation partially offset the impact of modest consumer spending and soft business investment.
The staycation is dead. Long live the great American road trip. Drivers will use 2.2 percent more gasoline this year between Memorial Day and Labor Day than they did in 2015, according to Patrick DeHaan, a senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy, an ...
Americans are more confident than at any time in almost a year, as cheap gasoline, low interest rates and a rebound in stocks boost the economy's prospects.
NEW YORK The U.S. dollar and world stock indexes edged higher on Friday ahead of a speech by Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen that could provide new signals on the timing of a U.S.

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You may or may not have noticed the U.S. Postal Service delivers a lot of packages that have a UPS or FedEx label on them. And maybe you’ve wondered what’s up with that? Why would the Postal Service deliver its rivals’ packages?
Credit Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos for bringing drones into the public consciousness with his December 13, 2013, 60 Minutes interview. In what many skeptics viewed as a masterful piece of marketing, he predicted that in the next 5 years, drones would further revolutionize the online retail...Read More


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It seems the video game market may not be resistant to the economic crisis after all, new research figures from NPD Group indicate sales of video games dropped 16.9 percent year-over-year to $1.03 billion in April 2009. However, NPD analyst Anita Frazier claims it's hard to draw conclusions from these figures because April 2008 was an exceptionally strong month, that realized nearly 50 percent growth over April 2007.
Frazier also noted that the industry's performance last month was its second-best April on record, and that unit sales across the board were down just 5 percent, with the rest of the revenue decline coming as a result of reduced "average selling prices."
Still, there's little doubt that the trend line is heading down, both broadly and rapidly. March's numbers were already down 2.7 percent from February's $1.47 billion, and in April, each of the three major video game consoles--Microsoft's Xbox 360, Nintendo's Wii, and Sony's PlayStation 3--saw sizable sales drops. Xbox sales were off 47 percent, while the Wii and PS3 were down 43.4 percent and 41.7 percent, respectively.
The only bright spot, on the hardware side of things at least, was the newest generation of Nintendo's DS handheld gaming device, the DSi, which launched during the month. In April, Nintendo sold 1.04 million handhelds, up 84.7 percent for the month.


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You’ve probably already noticed: There is a major shift towards messaging in the customer service game. While call centers remain important, many brands are moving towards online conversations with customers over SMS, social media, and live chat. Need proof? Look no further than Shopify’s roll-out of Apple Business Chat to over 80,000 merchants. Or, look at WhatsApp Business, recently announcing that the app is now being used by 5 million small business owners.
From SMS to live chats, it’s clear that messaging is becoming an important part of any brand’s sales and customer service strategy. So, what’s all the hype about? Let’s take a look at a few reasons why messaging is becoming increasingly popular and how implementing a chat feature can benefit your business. Continue reading


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On Wednesday, Pacsun launched its second Roblox activation, in collaboration with metaverse developer The Gang. The building tycoon, the most popular format on Roblox, is the first ever to come from a fashion brand.
The launch signals a move for brands away from gaming launches centered on shopping, and instead into world-building. The Pacsun Los Angeles Tycoon experience allows gamers to build their own map of SoCal, including initial building opportunities in Downtown L.A., Santa Monica and Hollywood, with future expansions to come later this year.
“We aim to explore and activate right alongside the consumer,” said Brieane Olson, Pacsun co-CEO. “This translates to meeting consumers at the intersection of not only fashion, but also gaming, music, sports and art. As we continue to cater to a fully digital generation, we need to find new ways to connect with them in order to further our strong emotional resonance as a brand. The game world is one of these connections.”
Once each region is completed by a single user, a dedicated piece of a Pacsun store in the specific zone will be unlocked, representing a prize. Users then get access to the store and are then able to buy community-created merchandise.
“We have seen positive ROI, in terms of our continuously increasing engagement within Roblox,” said Tyler MacDonald, Pacsun senior manager of influencers and social media. “The brand’s involvement on Roblox provides another touchpoint and way of connecting directly to our target social audience and consumers. It also presents ample opportunity for positive digital exposure of the latest Pacsun launches.”
The game will also feature Easter eggs, a gaming feature that brings unique, branded visual features to a game and is found in popular video games like GTA V. These will come in the form of best-selling graphic tees available for purchase, as well as obstacle courses promoting the Los Angeles lifestyle. The latter includes a a Santee Alley-inspired obstacle course with the opportunity to track down celebrities to collect autographs.
“This experience is grounded by a build-and-collect tycoon game loop, and includes fun elements like street art, beach carnivals and movies, among other side quests and challenges,” said Evan Opperman, client director at metaverse Roblox developer The Gang.
Users can invite friends to engage with their designs in each city. Twenty of the featured digital fashion items available to purchase were inspired by Pacsun’s spring 2023 collection of physical apparel. A wearable accessory called “the aura,” featuring sun and water elements, is available to win. After completing an autograph-seeking quest in the Hollywood-inspired area of the map near the end of the game, users are awarded the Pacsun Aura.
Within the Santa Monica map, users can opt to drive around in style in a classic DMC Delorean, the car made famous by the “Back to the Future” film series. The brand collaborated with the car brand on the inclusion of the car in the game.
“We’re continuing to find ways to generate hype and energize the experience with key partners,” said Olson. “In addition, we’ve seen strong success in sales of our virtual clothing, launched seasonally on Roblox, as well as sales of our fantasy items, such as [a pair of] gold wings.” Although the brand declined to share exact sales, the wings have been favorited over 4,000 times in the Roblox avatar store.
Pacsun released its first Roblox launch, an interactive mall experience dubbed Pacworld, in April 2022. It expanded the mall in November 2022, ahead of the holidays. The game has had almost 9,000 visits since its launch, and MacDonald said the brand had a positive reaction to the first launch on Roblox, based on user feedback and engagement in the game. Last year, Pacsun reported $900 million in revenue, with earnings for 2022 coming out in the next month.
For brands, launching a game on Roblox is typically cheaper than launching an IRL collection, as there are overhead costs, according to Pacsun. Creating games is typically free for brands, but those working with studios like The Gang pay for creative input and additional features that are more complicated to create, like virtual fashion collections.
“It more so resembled the traditional, IRL Pacsun experience, focusing on curating the perfect mall, customizing shops and incorporating your own design aesthetic,” he said. “It was a great introduction to the platform and allowed us to engage with our community on a new level and build brand affinity by showing up in unexpected places. We’re excited to expand our Roblox presence and offerings to further promote creativity within our consumers.”
According to Winnie Burke, head of fashion and beauty partnerships on Roblox, “Expression and digital identity are a big part of our community’s interests on the platform. Roblox is also a place for connection and culture – people socialize, discuss and create trends together, remix and drive culture. The more brands address all of these aspects of the community’s interests and engage users while further enabling self-expression, connection and culture, the more authentic their presence on the platform will be.”


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London games visitors to get early taste of BMW's C Evolution.
BMW, the world's biggest maker of luxury cars, will let selected London Olympics visitors ride prototype electric scooters during the Games as it accelerates expansion of its two-wheeler lineup.
The C Evolution model was introduced in the British capital at the start of a Europewide promotional tour planned for the rechargeable scooters that BMW aims to sell in two years, the Munich-based manufacturer said.
"We plan to bring the scooter in a very similar form to market in 2014," Rudolf-Andreas Probst, a spokesman for BMW's motorcycle division, said. "Beforehand, we need to clarify some technical and marketing aspects."
The company, which owns the BMW and Husqvarna motorcycle brands, is adding to a line it revived last month with the market introduction of two petrol-powered scooters.
The C Evolution will be equipped with the same lithium-ion electricity-storage modules that BMW plans to use in the i3 four-seat compact car going on sale late next year.
BMW would offer C Evolutions for use as shuttle vehicles by journalists covering the Olympics as well as by unspecified "VIPs" and the carmaker's employees, Probst said.
BMW would have its own charging stations for the scooters in London, though the version to go on sale would be equipped to use regular household sockets, he said.
BMW said it was looking at co-operating with car-sharing and vehicle-rental companies to add the C Evolution to their fleets during the model's test phase.
BMW New Zealand is waiting until the C Evolution production plan and launch date are set before deciding whether to bring the scooter here.
The C Evolution, with a range of 100km and a top speed of 120km/h, is part of BMW's effort to develop low-emission models both for urban use and enjoyable driving. The carmaker is positioning the battery-powered i3 as a city car, and is developing a plug-in hybrid supercar, the i8, scheduled to go on sale in two years.
The electric scooter will compete with a model that Daimler's Smart city-car brand also plans to put on sale in 2014. Smart already offers an electric-powered bicycle for €2849 ($4320) in Germany. Motorcycle dealers in Europe began offering BMW's more mainstream petrol-powered C600 sport and C650 GT maxiscooters last month, and the company says it is aiming for 10,000 deliveries a year of the two next year.
It ended production of its enclosed C1 scooter nine years ago.


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Kitengela residents are worried over a possible black market of donkey meat on sale at meat outlets following rampant Donkey theft in the area.
This comes amid concerns of hawking of cheap meat in the town which enjoys lucrative meat business due to high demand from the neighboring of Nairobi, Kiambu and Machakos.
The donkey theft menace has seen donkey owners in the populous town boycott work in protest, faulting rampant theft of the beast of burden.
In the last one month, at least 10 donkeys have been stolen and slaughtered within the town.
Dozens of agitated donkey owners on Tuesday carried carcasses to Kitengela police station in a protest over the menace which they said is adversely affecting their businesses.
They say their source of livelihood that involves supplying water to locals using donkey pulled carts is at risk.
"We will begin to profile butcheries we suspect are selling donkey meat. The meat is relatively cheap compared to the market price of the beef.
"We also urge security officers to intervene and arrest meat hawkers who are operating in a cavalier manner of selling meat in apartments, " John Njoroge, a Kitengela resident, said.
Beef sells at Sh400 per kilogram while the meat hawkers sell stake pieces of meat as low as Ksh70.
"We could be having unsafe meat in the market. If the trend of slaughtering donkeys is not curbed, genuine meat dealers are likely to lose business.
"Meat consumers should be wary and refrain from consuming uninspected meat whose source is questionable," another resident, Enock Waluke, said.
They claim more than 200 donkeys have been slaughtered in the past two years calling for police patrols to contain the alarming situation.
Owners of the slaughtered donkeys have recorded statements at Kitengela police station, calling for speedy investigations.


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In the first half of this year, Tezos was trumpeted as the next big thing in cryptocurrencies. It was to be a “decentralised blockchain that governs itself by establishing a true digital Commonwealth”; a smart-contract platform to rival Ethereum. What would make it different would be the founding principle that decisions about the development of the platform would be taken by stakeholders – those who held “tezzies”, the platform’s crypto-tokens (digital currency) – rather than by miners, developers or any other centralised authority.
The project was conceived by husband and wife team Arthur and Kathleen Breitman, co-founders of California-based Dynamic Ledger Solutions (DLS), which began working on it in 2014. An independent non-profit organisation, the Tezos Foundation, was set up in Switzerland to run the project, with Johann Gevers as president. In July, an initial coin offering (ICO) was held, generating a great deal of publicity.
It attracted investment from hedge funds and high-profile individuals including Tim Draper, billionaire backer of Skype and Baidu, and took $232m in bitcoin and ether, making it the world’s biggest ICO held to date. Its value has risen to more than $400m since, thanks to the rising prices of bitcoin and ether.
Everything was proceeding nicely; work could begin on creating the blockchain, and everyone who’d bought into the ICO could look forward six months or so to when they’d receive their tezzies and then sit back and watch the value rise with the rest of the crypto-bubble. But that’s not happened. And the way things are going, the only people who look likely to make much money from Tezos are lawyers.
Ironically, having set great store by “practicality, integrity, sound governance, and preservation of the interests of the community”, the Breitmans and Gevers have fallen out in a big way over the running of the project. The Breitmans accuse Gevers of “mismanaging resources for his own personal benefit”, reports the International Business Times, and have lobbied to have him removed from the Tezos Foundation’s council – he is currently suspended.
Gevers in turn claims that the Breitmans are trying to take over the foundation for their own purposes. They want the foundation to create a subsidiary, Tezos AG, in which they will take a role, to conduct most of the operations related to the development of the smart-contracts platform.
Investors are becoming ever more impatient. Separately from the legal tussle between the Breitmans and Gevers, some US investors have filed a class-action lawsuit in San Francisco, which alleges that the Tezos organisers “violated US securities laws and defrauded participants in the online fundraiser”, reports Reuters. Defendants include the Breitmans and their company, Gevers and the Tezos Foundation. It alleges the organisers sold unregistered securities, and seeks both a refund of investors’ stakes, plus damages.
Nobody has received any tezzies as yet (it was always going to be at least six months until anyone did, even in the best of circumstances). But a futures market did spring up soon after the ICO closed, and the governance woes have caused their value to slide by 75%. Whether anyone will ever receive any tezzies, nobody yet knows. In an open letter to the Tezos community in October, the Breitmans said: “Our current best estimate for shipping the main net is now February of 2018, though the firm date remains ‘when it’s ready’.”
How Tezos deals with these challenges is key to its survival – and could well affect the credibility of ICOs as a whole. If one of the biggest, highest-profile ICOs fails so spectacularly amid internal wrangling and fraud claims, how are other, less well-scrutinised ICOs to be trusted? As it is, if the legal issues drag on, Tezos will become just one more in a long line of cautionary tales for investors.
In the news this week…
• In 2014, Japanese bitcoin exchange Mt Gox was the world’s biggest, handling up to 70% of global transactions. Then it “lost” up to a million bitcoins, worth (at the time) around $400m, and went bankrupt. Its CEO, Mark Karpelès, was arrested on fraud charges. The 25,000-odd people who owned the missing bitcoins were assured they would be compensated – based on the value of bitcoin in yen at the time of the bankruptcy.
Anything left over would go to Mt Gox shareholders. As luck would have it, 88% of Mt Gox is owned by a company controlled by Karpelès. Since then, some 200,000 bitcoins have been recovered. But with bitcoin currently swinging wildly around $6,500, Karpelès could conceivably end up with more than $800m after paying off his creditors, says Kosaku Narioka in The Wall Street Journal.
• Facebook is muscling in on the ever-expanding payments scene by launching its Messenger payments service in the UK. Facebook has signed up all the major UK banks and credit-card firms, says Rory Cellan-Jones on BBC.co.uk. The UK is only the second country to get the service, which has been running in the US since 2015. Users will have to register their debit cards with Facebook, and can then make and receive payments of up to £2,500. Interestingly, users will not need a Facebook account to use the service – the Messenger app is now available to anyone regardless of whether they are on the social media platform.
• Revolut, the London-based fintech startup that allows users to transfer money abroad much more cheaply than via a traditional bank, has applied for a European banking licence. It hopes to receive it in the first half of 2018. A banking licence would allow Revolut to offer “fully functional current accounts” with direct debits, overdrafts and personal loans, and would mean protection of up to €100,000 for customers under the European Deposit Protection Scheme.
Revolut is not alone in applying for a licence to operate in the EU ahead of Brexit – 20 global banks have also applied, says Danièle Nouy, a senior member of the European Central Bank, quoted in the Financial Times.


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On the surface, 2020 wasn’t a great year for globalization. With borders closed and travel restricted, in-person international interaction was at an all-time low. However, these physical restrictions translated into a big boost for one key form of globalization — cross-border ecommerce.
Not only were consumers shopping more online throughout the pandemic, but they were doing it around the world. For example, international online sales conducted through cross-border ecommerce solution eShopWorld (ESW) increased 82% year-over-year in 2020.
“The benefits of direct-to-consumer ecommerce have never been more pronounced than they have been since the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Tommy Kelly, CEO of ESW in an interview with Retail TouchPoints. “Brands that were advanced in their digital journey and were globally diversified have seen incredible returns and record-breaking online revenues. It’s no longer a choice to sell globally; it’s a strategic imperative.”
When the pandemic first emerged on the global stage in March 2020, initial uncertainty caused a dip in international online sales. But things quickly turned around, with cross-border ecommerce sales rebounding in April and then rising to unprecedented levels throughout the course of the year, according to ESW’s client data.
A new ESW study of more than 22,000 consumers across 11 countries, conducted by Savanta, found that 70% of those surveyed had shopped across borders last year, and 52% had made six or more international purchases. The biggest reasons given for purchasing internationally were lower cost (36%) and availability of products that couldn’t be found in the shopper’s own region (35%).
Social Media, Lower Customer Acquisition Costs Fuel Cross-Border Surge
“Social media fuels global shopping trends,” said Kelly. “A brand or product that is extremely popular in LA, for example, can very quickly catch on in other countries via social networks, driving international demand for the item. Also, consumers are often looking to buy items cross-border because those brands or goods aren’t as readily available to them in their home country.”
Markets with the highest increases in sales, according to ESW client data, were:
- The Philippines (up 258%);
- Morocco (215%);
- Chile (211%);
- Puerto Rico (203%); and
- Egypt (196%).
Other fast-growing markets included Luxembourg, Israel, Malta, Lithuania and Ireland.
“Customer acquisition was cheaper in 2020,” said Kelly. “With sales down due to the pandemic, companies cut expenses, including advertising spend. Ad prices plummeted as a result, giving brands a major opportunity to reach new customers in both domestic and foreign markets at a much lower cost than normal.”
The Key to International Selling Success? Localize and Eliminate Friction
Perhaps not surprisingly, younger, digitally native consumers are the most frequent cross-border shoppers, with the ESW consumer survey showing that those aged 25 to 34 were most likely (33%) to have made 11 or more purchases outside their home country in the last year, followed by consumers aged 35 to 44 (32%) and those aged 18 to 24 (29%).
“Younger consumers have always been more comfortable shopping online, but our survey data shows that they are now increasingly embracing international ecommerce as more retailers and brands eliminate friction by offering conveniences such as click-and-collect, return to store and promised delivery date,” said Kelly in a statement.
Regardless of the shopper demographic, the key to success when selling internationally online is creating a truly localized experience, according to Kelly.
“The experience needs to feel local and familiar,” he said. “At no time should consumers feel friction as they go through the browsing and purchase journey. They should be able to browse in their own language, view prices in the currency of their choice and clearly understand the final cost, with no surprises in the form of unexpected additional charges — whether in the checkout or at the point of delivery. From a delivery perspective, the order should arrive when it is supposed to — predictability is key. And consumers should also be able to return an item seamlessly when needed, while receiving a full, fast refund.”
Post-Pandemic, International Buying Could Continue Strong
The question now is how much of this increased international shopping will continue once the pandemic is brought under control.
“One of the more interesting trends we’ve seen this past year is that, unlike younger consumers who embraced ecommerce for its convenience, older consumers have adopted ecommerce during the pandemic primarily for health and safety reasons,” said Kelly. If these concerns linger, it could spell a longer-term spending shift to cross-border purchases.
“It may take years for the cruise and other travel industries to bring older generations back,” Kelly noted. “This will present an opportunity for cross-border consumption. Last year, instead of taking trips they might normally have gone on to buy holiday gifts in New York, Paris or London, consumers shopped those same brands online. Moving forward, many adults around the world may choose to continue buying online from U.S. brands, as they have during the pandemic. We expect that to be especially true among the older demographic.”
Brexit Effect Will Slow UK’s Cross-Border Buying
One country that is likely to see a downturn in cross-border ecommerce this year is the UK, but not because of anything to do with the pandemic. Now that the UK has exited the European Union trading bloc, additional customs checks, new tax requirements and ongoing uncertainty surrounding the terms of trade are expected to dampen the enthusiasm of both international shoppers and the sellers that cater to them.
Research from eMarketer suggests that cross-border ecommerce penetration in the UK will have reached its peak in 2020. Last year, 50% of digital buyers in the UK, 22.8 million people, made cross-border purchases online. That number is expected to decrease 7.3% to 21.1 million this year.
A few other interesting tidbits from the ESW consumer study:
- Apparel is the top category for cross-border ecommerce across all age groups. However, Gen Z and millennials are also likely to shop other categories, including health and beauty and luxury goods, more than their older counterparts.
- Millennials are the highest spenders, but Gen Z is most likely to buy directly from brands. Millennials account for nearly half (47%) of respondents who had spent more than $500 in international online purchases in the past year, followed by Gen X (27%) and Gen Z (15%). However, members of Gen Z were the most likely to visit a brand’s site directly to make a purchase rather than shop via marketplaces.
- Flexible payment options are gaining in popularity. The majority (72%) of respondents used a credit or debit card for their purchase, but younger consumers in particular are taking advantage of buy now, pay later options, with 10% of respondents aged 18 to 24 and 11% of those aged 25 to 34 saying they used flexible payment options to shop at international merchants.


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Gildernew presses 'Home Grown' message at M&S meeting
Sinn Féin Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Michelle Gildernew MP, MLA has met with senior representatives of Marks & Spencer at the new M&S Simply Food store in Cookstown.
The meeting involved M&S Head of Foods for Ireland, Stewart Nisbet, NI Area Manager, Nigel Gray and the Cookstown General Store Manager, John Donnelly.
Following the meeting the Minister said:
"I am firmly committed to helping farmers develop strong and profitable relationships with their supply-chain partners. From our discussions today we have made steady progress towards that goal. It is not in the interest of retailers to squeeze producers to the point of elimination. The links in the food chain are dependant on one another and to ensure continued sustainability they all need to share the profits."
The Minister also reaffirmed her position on sustainability saying:
"My Department is resolute in its support of industry initiatives to develop and expand profitable and sustainable markets and I intend to keep local sourcing and fair returns for producers at the very top of the agenda. I am glad to see a wide range of 'home-grown' products on the shelves in M&S' new Cookstown store and we will work closely in the future to expand this range. My firm objective remains to maximise the amount of 'home-grown' produce on local shelves across the retail sector." ENDS
Notes to Editors:
- The meeting today is one in a series of discussions Minister Gildernew has had with the major retailers over the last year.
- Earlier this year Minister Gildernew met with Musgrave Retail Partners and more recently senior personnel from Sainsbury's to discuss local sourcing and highlight the economic pressures on local producers.


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Between post-COVID, lack of new content, and the tarnished reputation, it comes as no surprise Blizzard announced they are "re-imagining" Blizzcon.
I am unsure if it will come back. I believe Blizzard made some money with the event and even now I believe there won't be a shortage of people willing to go, but it was probably not worth the disruption it caused in the company plans. It was probably a relic of the rockstar culture the new Blizzard is probably trying to distance themselves.
Nerf NOW!! — Copyright© 2008 - 2021
All Rights Reserved.
Programming by Marcus Brito.


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For the past couple of years, the engineers at Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects Group (ATAP) have been heavily-focused on their 3D mapping technology in the form of Project Tango. The Android-based phone/tablet platform (which is still currently in prototype stage and available to some developers) is designed to create high-quality and accurate 3D maps of a user’s environment that can be used as data to be integrated into app development. In a nutshell, the project is focused on putting a super-powerful 3D scanner and mapping technology directly on your smartphone or tablet.
Over the weekend, Google announced that they have moved Project Tango out of their experimental lab and into a new home within the company that’s focused on bringing the technology to market.
The system – which is able to make 250,000 3D measurements every second – is capable of continuously updating a user’s location and and position within an environment to map a 3D model of the surrounding environment with ease. While few applications or examples have been released, Google did a test run of the technology in partnership with US retailer Target this past holiday 2014 shopping season to create an immersive shopping experience that saw that aisles of the stores turn into a real-time winter wonderland.
Rather than simply overlaying visuals onto existing reality, the Tango device was capable of using the aisles and other architectural elements of the store to create a live-action ‘cartoon’ that a user could spatially navigate in real-time. In essence, a user could chase a polar bear through mountains of snow that, while virtual, are mapped out accurately in the real-world to prevent a user from running directly into the real-world frozen fish sticks food freezer.
While the technology is still young, it is certainly something worth paying attention to for those who are heavily involved in 3D content creation both for physical products and ways of communicating user experiences for physical products. Among other reasons, we’ve been seeing an increase in virtual reality applications that give users a first-person glimpse of a manufacturing process, for example.
Currently, the Project Tango Developer’s Kit features a 7-inch tablet that includes a powerful NVIDIA Tegra K1 processor with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, integrated depth sensing, motion tracking camera, WiFi and NFC.
While there hasn’t been a set timeline announced for a consumer product release yet, it’s been rumored that a Project Tango tablet could be released in late 2015.


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Just How quickly the name loan marketplace is growing, additionally the magnitude of income, is hard to evaluate. Numerous states either donвЂ™t make an effort to discover in the event that marketplace is growing or they keep economic data key.
Wisconsin, as an example, calls for name loan providers to submit detail by detail product sales numbers, but making them general general general public is really a felony, officials stated. In brand brand New Mexico, lawmakers took years to pass through legislation enabling their state to gather statistics that are basic for instance the amount of name loans and standard prices.
That much is clear: In Illinois, where three of four borrowers attained $30,000 or less per 12 months, name loans almost doubled between 2009 and 2013, in line with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.


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Buyers cool on EVs amidst rising costs
- Posted by: Alan Feldberg
- Category: News
New research has revealed that more than a third of car buyers decided against an electric car because of the cost-of-living crisis.
A survey of 2,525 UK drivers conducted by What Car? found that more than half (1,354) said they had either recently bought a new car or were actively in the market for a new model. But of those, 36% admitted they changed plans to buy an EV in favour of a hybrid, petrol or diesel due to money worries.
It was a similar story among motorists currently shopping for a new car, with 42% admitting that inflation, energy costs, interest-rate pressures and high list prices had led them to rule out EVs.
The survey also revealed that 58% of respondents said they had delayed buying a car for at least six months because of financial concerns. Meanwhile, for those who can’t wait, 39% said are now looking to purchase a used car.
What Car? editor Steve Huntingford, said: “Our latest research shows that concerns around the cost of purchasing and running an EV are at the forefront or motorists’ minds. However, the good news is that car makers are responding: discounts on EV models have increased by more than 200% since the beginning of the year.
“With the introduction of the Government’s Zero Emission Mandate from January 2024 meaning manufacturers have to ensure 22% of their new car sales are electric, we expect to see even more generous discounts.”


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HP plans to lay off 3,000 to 4,000 employees over the next three years as it works to trim costs, it said on Thursday.
The printer and computer business, which was recently split off from the sexier cloud and software business now called Hewlett Packard Enterprise, has continued to struggle amid declining demand for its products.
“I’m proud of the progress we have made in our first year as the new HP," said CEO Dion Weisler, who added that "our markets remain very challenged."
The layoffs will help yield in savings of $200 million to $300 million per year beginning in fiscal 2020. However, first, the company will incur charges of $350 million to $500 million, of which $200 million can be attributed to reducing the size of its workforce.
The company gave updated guidance on Thursday, too, and said it expects adjusted fiscal 2017 earnings in the range of $1.55 to $1.65 per share. This compares to analyst estimates of $1.64 per share.
Of the $2.3 to $2.6 billion in free cash flow that HP expects to see in fiscal 2017, it plans to return as much as three quarters of it to shareholders. HP's board has given its authorization for raising the dividend 7% to 13 cents per share and okayed an additional $3 billion in stock buybacks.
This isn't the first time in recent memory that HP has laid off employees. For instance, earlier this year, HP said it would speed up layoffs and let 3,000 employees loose by Christmas. The company currently employs about 50,000 people.
Shares of HP, which have climbed 25% this year, slid 2% to $14.86 in after-hours trading.


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Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl has been delayed to Q1 2024, according to a new fact sheet for the game.
Developer GSC Game World’s latest fact sheet for Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl mentions that it’ll be released for PC and Xbox Series X|S in the first quarter of 2024. “The game will be available on Game Pass day one, and preorders are opened on our website, as well as on Steam and GOG. Preorders of physical editions available on official website,” reads the fact sheet.
— Wario64 (@Wario64) August 23, 2023
The game was first revealed in 2018 and it’s been delayed multiple times for various reasons, including development issues due to the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia. GSC Game World had to evacuate Ukraine but has now presumedly continued development.
Earlier this month, distributor Plaion listed a December 2023 release window for Stalker 2 on its website, but neither GSC Game World nor Plaion confirmed it. Now, we know the release window is Q1 2024.
Stalker 2 is a timed console exclusive to Xbox Series X|S, but this exclusivity will reportedly only last for three months.


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Spawn may appear as a guest fighter in Mortal Kombat X
Spawn may appear as a guest fighter in Mortal Kombat X One character that would seem like a perfect fit for the series that many have wanted as a ...
One character that would seem like a perfect fit for the series that many have wanted as a guest fighter for years is that of Spawn, which it now sounds like really could be a possibility for Mortal Kombat X.
NetherRealms Studios highly anticipated Mortal Kombat X is all set to release in April and series creator, Ed Boon, has been busy revealing new teasers and trailers of the veteran fighters to commemorate the game’s impending release. But the game may get another new guest fighter, one which many fans feel would be a perfect fit for the game.
In a recent interview with GamerfitNation.com, Spawn creator Todd McFarlene spoke about new toys and upcoming movies based on his beloved character. When asked about the possibility of Spawn’s inclusion in games like Mortal Kombat X and Injustice Gods Among Us, McFarlane stated that there is a ‘short deal’ with Warner Bros. which could place his character in these games.
"That means that they have access to be able to use the character in a couple of their games, if they want to," McFarlane explained. "Again, it's up to their discretion. I gave them a window of time, so I’ll just leave it to them to do what it is that they want. Eventually, they’ll phone me and they’ll go, ‘Hey, we want to use him here. Is that OK?’ Well, technically, it’s OK because we’ve already said yes. They just are letting us know."
McFarlane did add that the ball is now in NetherRealm’s court, and it is their decision if Spawn gets added or not. So while there is a chance that we might see Spawn as a new guest fighter in Mortal Kombat X, theres also a chance that the developers might not use him at all.
"Well, I don’t know if they’re ever going to use him," McFarlane stated. "They just might squat. They might squat on him."
This certainly will not be Spawns first appearance in a fighting game. The devilish character has also been featured in the Xbox Version of Soul Calibur II. Mortal Kombat X is slated to release on April 14th for the PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.


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Last week, OpenRoad Group electrified guests at a special spellbound event celebrating the unveiling of the Rolls-Royce Spectre, the world’s first ultra-luxury all-electric super coupé.
The Spectre combines dazzling power and effortless performance, with limitless freedom. Built upon the Architecture of Luxury — a bespoke platform enables adaptive engineering and peerless ride quality — it combines agile performance with the marque’s signature magic carpet ride.
“We’re pleased to be the exclusive retail showroom in BC to unveil this exclusive car to the market in such a thrilling way,” says Aly Jiwani, Vice President, Regional Operations at OpenRoad Group. “The Spectre is the Rolls-Royce experience in high definition – everything you’d want in an electric super coupé and more – with a beautiful combination of dynamism and performance. It’s definitely in a league of its own.”
Martin Fritsches, President & CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Americas, and Christian Chia, CEO of OpenRoad Group, were also on hand for the occasion.
The Spectre unveiled features an exterior Morganite colour, with 23-inch wing spoke, part-polished wheels. The interior is grace white with ardent red accents, punctuated by a tudor oak veneer. Bespoke elements include peony pink contrast seat piping, audio, dynamic clock, and more.
Throughout the evening, guests reveled in delicious bites by Michelin Guide-recommended PiDGiN, whose team curated an exclusive menu featuring premium ingredients – from a selection of sushi, including Smoked O-Toro Nigiri and Wagyu Beef and Umeboshi Tartare Temaki, to Foie Gras Torchon, Loster & Hokkaido Scallop Mousse, and Maitake Mushroom Tempura.
In addition to champagne, guests also sipped on wines by Phantom Creek and a variety of custom cocktails to toast to the spellbound night.
For more information about Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Vancouver, please visit www.rollsroycevancouver.com.


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07-08-2008 #1wicked insanity Guest
Rumor: PS3 Firmware 2.41 due out Midweek says Sony
The huge in-game XMB PS3 update that was pulled from PSN last week following technical issues will be re-released for download by Wednesday, CVG has been told.
According to customer support, Firmware version 2.41, which should be clear of all errors, will out "midweek", although Sony has yet to make an official announcement to confirm that.
In case you missed it, Sony last week was forced to pull the much-anticipated update after widespread reports of it breaking PS3 consoles.
The Firmware is available to download from various Web sites on the Internet (like HERE), but to be on the safe side you'd be best to wait for the update from Sony.
More PlayStation 3 News...
- Join Date
- Apr 2005
Since it's out now, I'm closing this one up.


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Royole Develops World's Thinnest 0.01 mm Full-Color AMOLED Flexible Display
Dec 16, 2014, 07:00 ET
FREMONT, Calif. and SHENZHEN, China, Dec. 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Royole Corporation has successfully demonstrated the world's thinnest full-color flexible display that has been integrated with a smartphone in July 2014. This flexible display can be easily bendable as well as rollable. The thickness of the whole display is only about 0.01 mm (10 μm), which is less than one fifth the diameter of the human hair. The bending radius of this flexible display can be less than 1 mm, which is even thinner than a pen refill.
Dr. Bill Liu, a Stanford graduate and the founder of Royole Corporation, has stated that the newly developed full-color AMOLED flexible display is a significant improvement when compared with the thin flexible display backplane released one year ago by Royole, as it not only uses AMOLED as the front panel, but has also been successfully integrated with a fully-functional mobile platform. Royole has also reduced the overall display thickness by an order of magnitude, with the display thickness being as thin as an onion skin.
According to a published report from the company, this new display is ultra-flexible with demonstrated reliability. For example, while the bending radius of the display is smaller than the radius of a typical pen refill, it still has the capability to display high quality videos with brilliant and vivid colors.
Flexible displays have many advantages, such as being ultra-thin, light weight, bendable, portable, shatter-proof, unbreakable, low energy, sleek design capability, etc. Compared with the traditional flat panel displays, flexible displays provide greater freedom for product design, as well as greatly improving the user's experience. Additionally, the application of novel processing technologies (printing or roll-to-roll) to fabricate the flexible display can largely reduce the cost of production.
It follows then that flexible AMOLED display has been widely considered by the display industry as the next generation of information display technology, replacing CRT and LCD, and which has the potential to be applied in numerous areas such as novel smart phones, intelligent home systems, wearable electronic devices, etc. This will have an unprecedented impact in diverse visual experiences in our daily lives.
The market research company, IDTechEx, has predicted that the global printed and flexible electronics market will reach $330 billion by the year 2027, in which flexible display will be the major market segment. In the recently released IDTechEx report, the flexible display market was predicted to show an explosive growth within the next decade.
The design and fabrication of flexible displays are very challenging, and many aspects of manufacturing issues and problems need to be addressed, including materials, processing, semiconductor device structures, integrated circuits and system design, etc. Therefore, the design and manufacturing of flexible displays are far beyond simply changing the substrate type or only replacing the functional material in the traditional display. Over the past two years, Royole Corporation has already accumulated hundreds of intellectual property rights including know-hows in technologies covering virtually all the aspects of display manufacturing such as materials, processing, devices, circuits, electronic system design, etc., which they have utilized in their recent breakthrough. With the world's thinnest bendable and rollable full-color AMOLED flexible display for smartphones as pioneered by Royole Corporation, the display industry revolution may be soon accelerated.
Royole is a global start-up company focusing on R&D of novel information display technologies, especially the research, design, development and manufacturing of the flexible displays and related electronic devices. Royole Corporation operates in three major high-tech regions globally: Silicon Valley in the U.S., Hong Kong, and Shenzhen, China, since starting in the middle of 2012. The company is backed by several of the world's premier VC firms and angel investors since its inception.
Royole Corporation is led by a team of experienced technology experts and professionals from Stanford, Tsinghua, several other top research institutes and Fortune Global 500 high-tech companies.
For more information, please visit Royole's website at www.royole.com.
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141215/164601
To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/royole-develops-worlds-thinnest-001-mm-full-color-amoled-flexible-display-300010265.html
SOURCE Royole Corporation
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Things have gone from bad to worse for investors of the retail drugstore chain Rite Aid. The company posted its fourth-quarter earnings which fell short of expectations. And unfortunately, the 2019 forecasts didn’t give investors much to be hopeful about.
The company lost one cent per share which is better than the anticipated loss of two cents per share. But Rite Aid reported a fourth-quarter loss of $273 million which is a drop from their gain of $767 million a year earlier.
Their total revenue was $5.38 billion instead of the expected $5.56 billion. In 2020, the company expects shares to fall and it expects revenue to fall between $21.5 billion and $21.9 billion.
The problems that lie ahead for Rite Aid
One of the biggest problems Rite Aid faces is that it still lacks a clear corporate strategy. The company recently eliminated 400 full-time positions and the CEO, CFO, and COO all announced their resignations.
This could help appease investors, who had problems with the previous management team. But it’s unclear how a new team of executives will be able to turn the company around.
For one thing, the sector as a whole is underperforming with both CVS and Walgreens posting losses. Walgreens is down 20 percent and CVS is down 18 percent, which makes them the two lowest performing stocks in the S&P.
After attempting and failing to be acquired by Walgreens in 2015, Rite Aid sold several thousand of its stores to the company. Now Walgreens is posting low quarterly earnings and is shutting down many of the stores it acquired from Rite Aid.
In early 2017, Rite Aid was trading at over $8 per share but the shares have lost over 60 percent of their value just in the last year. As of Thursday morning, the stock is sitting at 56 cents per share after hovering under $1 since the beginning of 2019.
Outgoing CEO John Standley released a statement saying that during the fourth quarter the company took “important steps to position Rite Aid for future growth.” In spite of this sentiment, now probably isn’t the time to invest in Rite Aid. The company faces fundamental problems and has shown little evidence that it will solve them.


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PKP Cargo problems
The Polish rail freight operator reported multi-million losses this year.
According to the company’s president, these losses are caused by the coronavirus pandemic, which contributed to the decline in the number of shipments. The Polish carrier’s counterparts in the Czech Republic, Germany and Austria have similar problems.
Trade union representatives indicate that another problem is bad management of the company. Experts add that the situation is also not being improved by the company’s policy based on not noticing small contractors and faster response of private competitors to customer needs.


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PATSPIN INDIA LTD Q4 RESULTS
Nestle Q4 results: Net profit rises marginally to Rs 483 cr; board approves dividend of Rs 65
Nestle’s revenues in the quarter grew 9 per cent on a year-on-year basis to Rs 3,432.6 crore.
In December, there was positive growth in Naukri biz in terms of billing: Hitesh Oberoi
In both Naukri and 99acres we expect Q4 to be a lot b...
BoI Q3 results: Net profit jumps 412% to Rs 541 cr on lower provisioning
On a consolidated basis, it registered a net profit of Rs 610.37 cro...
Tata Steel India business has delivered 20% margin even in worst time: TV Narendran
For Tata Steel, the India business has consistently been one of the most profitable steel businesses in the world. Today steel prices are higher than the long-term average
LG India FY20 results: Net profit rises 21%, revenue at Rs 16,009 cr
The company’s sales grew across product segments such as refrigerators, washing machines and air-conditioners during the financial year, with the exception of the television business which dragged its overall revenue growth.
Enterprise business likely to surprise us in Q4: Anil Pant, Aptech
‘The enterprise business is on a turnaround mode. We have already hit our nadir and now it is on an upswing.’
Expansion of HDFC margins unlikely in Q4: Keki Mistry
There may not be scope for margin expansion from the levels at which they are now because HDFC has already reached a level of excess liquidity that it would normally like to keep.
Shriram Transport Fin may look at raising $250 mn via social bonds in Q4
As part of its $3 billion global medium term note programme, the deposit taking NBFC had raised $500 million at a coupon rate of 4.4 per cent.
Premium goods drive global cos to recovery in Q4
The Economic Survey released on Friday said India’s GDP will decline 7.7% in the current fiscal but projected 11% growth in FY22 on the back of the Covid-19 vaccination drive and a rebound in consumer demand.
Wipro forecasts higher Q4 growth, beats estimate in Q3
Wipro’s net profit year on year basis rose 20.8% to Rs 2,970 crore, while revenue inched up 1.3% to Rs 15,670 crore during the October-December quarter. On a sequential basis, the company's revenue grew 3.7%.
Hyderabad sees 640% surge in office space deals in Q4 of 2020
The office space market in Hyderabad reported a significant 640% quarterly jump in transactions at 3.3 million sq ft in the fourth quarter of 2020, a report by global real estate consultant Knight Frank said.
Be cautious on financial companies going into Q4
Among financials, we will restrict ourselves to gold financiers and HFCs, says Mahantesh Sabarad
Gillette India Q4 results: Net profit falls 1.85% to Rs 45 crore
The company, which follows July-June financial year, had reported a net profit of Rs 45.82 crore in the corresponding period a year ago, Gillette India said in a BSE filing.
IFCI Q4 results: Net loss widens to Rs 584 crore
The lender had posted a net loss of Rs 86.15 crore during the corresponding January-March period of 2018-19.
Wheels India Q4 results: Net profit registers dip
The dip by Rs 4.62 crore was due to the impact on sales and profits by the COVID-19 lockdown in the country.


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MASkargo transports halal shipments
Halal shipments are taking off at MASkargo, having received Malaysian Halal certification issued by the Department of Islamic Development, Prime Minister’s Office, Malaysia (JAKIM).
Ibrahim Mohamed Salleh, chief executive officer of MASkargo says the global halal market is worth almost $2 trillion, and the airline reviewed all processes to ensure they met strict requirements.
He says: “Additional facilities were also added to cater to the need of maintaining segregation and separation between Halal and non-Halal shipments. We are most probably the first Cargo Terminal Operator in the world to be classified as a Halal cargo handler from a globally recognised and renowned Islamic Affairs Regulator for Halal products.”
Following certification, MASkargo shipped 720 kilos of frozen food to Japan under its Halal Logistics service.
Flight MH088 left Kuala Lumpur at 23.30h on 24 June and arrived at Tokyo’s Narita International Airport at 07.40h the next morning.
The shipment was booked by Nippon Express (Malaysia), with Roslan Osman, general manager of the Halal Logistics Division commenting: “The reality of an integrated halal supply chain is made possible by such collaboration between stakeholders in the halal ecosystem. A halal certification makes exporting products to Muslim markets much easier.”


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The rise in smartphone pricing because of the ongoing element shortages is perhaps slowing down 2G cellular subscribers from transitioning to 4G cellular plans. In accordance with the subscription information launched by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India month-to-month progress fee in broadband customers was minus 1.16 per cent in January 2022 in comparison with a 1.35 per cent month-to-month progress in the identical month final yr. The slowdown in progress seems to begin from August 2021.
Specialists who monitor cellular handset costs imagine that there was a 10-15 per cent improve within the entry-level smartphone value vary in comparison with their costs in 2019. Navkendar Singh, is a Analysis Director with IDC India, advised BusinessLine, “As a result of element shortages, costs of smartphones have elevated throughout all value ranges. Entry-level customers would have confronted the best proportion of improve, in comparison with their decrease base value. Demand for entry-level smartphones has definitely been impacted.”
Business sources advised BusinessLine that operators are dealing with problem convincing their 2G customers to transform to 4G cellular plans, giving the telcos increased common income per consumer. As money strapped telcos search for income sources to pad their steadiness sheets, India’s 350 million 2G customers stay the most important untapped marketplace for them. Nonetheless, these customers can’t transition to increased tariff plans as they sometimes use function telephones, which can’t assist 4G expertise. A typical function cellphone prices anyplace from ₹1,000-2,000 available in the market, in the meantime entry-level value for a smartphone will vary from ₹8,000-10,000. With the continuing element shortages plaguing OEMs for greater than a yr, the price of entry-level handsets has been creeping up, affecting their demand.
The price of handsets has thus wielded a significant blow on the operators based on consultants, who imagine that operators see migration from 2G to 4G providers decelerate. This development is backed by the month-to-month subscriber stories launched by the TRAI. Bharti Airtel, as an example, has seen a significant drop in month-to-month further wi-fi broadband subscribers. Within the first half of 2021, Airtel added 3-4 million customers to its total wi-fi broadband subscriber base. Nonetheless, because the element scarcity worsened within the latter half of 2021 and the operator took on tariff hikes, Airtel’s month-to-month wi-fi broadband additions have decreased from 1 to 1.5 million. Proper after Airtel introduced its November tariff hikes, the operator, in actual fact, noticed its wi-fi broadband consumer base decline by 150,000 customers. Within the following month (January) the operator may solely add 550,000 further subs.
One more reason behind the dearth of availability of entry-level smartphones available in the market is the overall decline in OEM curiosity to fabricate smartphones at decrease costs. Faisal Kawoosa, Founder and CEO of TechArc explains, “It’s not that smartphone makers can’t make telephones at low costs. Nonetheless, OEMs are noticing that demand for these telephones has reached its saturation level, and makers are unable to have giant gross sales volumes. We’ve observed that many manufacturers have progressively moved on to the center and higher shopper section.”
April 03, 2022


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Saturday’s game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Denver Broncos will not break the bank for Baltimore-area catering companies. The playoff matchup, however, will heat up what normally is a frigid January for the food industry.
Main Ingredient, an Annapolis caterer, expects business to increase 30 percent to 40 percent this Saturday because of the game, said Evie Turner, the company’s vice president. An afternoon Ravens game hardly rivals the type of business the company does during the height of the summer wedding season, Turner said.
But every little bit helps in January, when most companies shrink their event budget after an expensive holiday season.
“In the month of January, it’s a good thing because for us its not a crazy busy time of year,” Turner said.
Rouge Fine Catering expects to see a 2 percent to 3 percent bump in business because of the Ravens, said Owner Jonathan Soundry. The Hunt Valley caterer is known for catering large events, such as Ray Lewis’ birthday party and the Ravens’ team Christmas party. The company expects a small jump in business for Saturday’s game, Soundry said, preparing the staples of any good football party — chicken wings.
“No. 1 is chicken wings,” he said. “By far. I don’t know how the chicken wings got so popular with football fans, but that happened.”
Wing prices increase by about 25 percent during the playoffs due to demand, said Shannon Patch, store manager for Beefalo Bob’s catering company in Baltimore.
The caterer expects to host nearly 300 people on Saturday at their Fort Smallwood Road facility in Curtis Bay, Patch said. The company will also prepare food for pick-up for about 200 people, and cater two parties of a combined 300 people.
The added cost of wings adds up as the football season nears its ultimate game, Patch said.
“The closer I get to the Super Bowl, I have a heart attack because I’m like ‘How much are wings?’” she said.
Even catering companies not preparing food for the Ravens’ game are adjusting plans because of football Saturday. Martin’s Inc. in has a party planned at its Baltimore location during the middle of the game, said owner Wayne Resnick. But the group is planning to possibly move the party back to start around halftime and wants to put the game on the televeision screens in the facility, Resnick said.


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- E-cigs Guide
- Personal Vaporizers
- Starter Kits
When all hope seems to fail, especially in the USA, and we’re looking at many other nations surpassing us in vape acceptance department (such as the United Kingdom who actually has put a step forward in saying that vaping does aid in the quitting of traditional tobacco smoking), a pro-vaping candidate emerges. That’s right, Gary Johnson will fight for your rights to vape.
It comes as quite unsurprising that he will support vaping and hopes for the vaping community to support him in the very last few days of his campaign seeing as he has been caught smoking a doobie once in a while.
Johnson has strong opinions against the FDA’s proposals for industry annihilating regulations that have been introduced recently (including the 40% tax hike among many other damaging factors such as extending its purview/jurisdiction to include e-cigarettes as part of the “tobacco” group). Johnson has a vision of a free market that will enable tobacco and vaping industry.
Johnson represents the Libertarian Party and is the first and only candidate in the 2016 presidential election to touch on the issue of vaping.
According Jim Wallace, the national director of Johnson’s campaign, the people never hear from candidates about how the economy is being killed as a result of excessive regulations being made by authorities. The small businesses get affected which causes a trickle down effect damaging the greater economy as a whole. “Vaping, a new industry offering products as a healthier alternative to smoking, is about to be regulated out of existence. That doesn’t make any sense.”
Wallace further made warnings about how several newly introduced (and drafted) federal regulations were the result of putting “as many as 12,000 vaping shops” in threat of closing down for good. Truth is, the vaping population in America alone comprises of an estimate of 9 million vapers which isn’t a small number relative to the specific group of people which does not include minors.
The press statement further went on to say that “As Gov. Gary Johnson has said, the free market and entrepreneurial spirit should be encouraged, not destroyed… Nowhere is this more obvious than the vaping industry.”
“In the first presidential debate, voters listened to two candidates dance around the American economy. What you’ll never hear from those candidates is how the economy is being killed by excessive regulation. Vaping, a new industry offering products as a healthier alternative to smoking, is about to be regulated out of existence. That doesn’t make any sense.
The vaping industry currently counts about nine million customers, producing about $4 billion a year in annual sales. With the excessive regulations recently introduced by the FDA, it’s estimated that as many as 12,000 vaping shops will be put out of business. As Gov. Gary Johnson has said, the free market and entrepreneurial spirit should be encouraged, not destroyed. Nowhere is this more obvious than the vaping industry.”
– Jim Wallace, National Director Johnson/Weld


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Does your old electrical contain batteries or bulbs? Remove these before recycling. It’s your responsibility to remove personal data from smart devices and computers, so remember to take out memory cards and delete your data.
It’s time to make sure our old electricals are put to good use by giving more families access to affordable technology.
“If we’re buying so much over Christmas, then we all have a responsibility to do something useful with our replaced items,” says TV presenter Andrea McLean.
Join Andrea and husband Nick Freeney as they get boxing up to stop millions of pounds’ worth of usable electricals going to waste.
If you’re planning to donate or recycle your electricals, preparing them is simple. Be sure to check opening times at your local recycling point for Covid-19 restrictions.
Find a bag that you can use to store old electricals until you can go to your recycling centre – or until collection day if you have one. With Covid-19 restrictions you might not be able to make the trip straight away.
After the Christmas gift bonanza, you could brighten someone else’s 2021 by donating or recycling your older electricals – from Christmas lights to laptops.
A staggering 53.5 million electricals were set to be sold between Black Friday and Christmas – as millions of us planned to buy new products.
People up and down the country said they were planning to throw away nearly 5 million older, unwanted electrical items.
Those electricals would have a value of almost £160 million if used to give families access to affordable technology and appliances.
That’s 573,588 km.
But there are some brilliant solutions – and you don’t have to go far to find them.
As of January 2021, when you buy a new electrical item in-store they should take back your old one on a like-for-like basis.
Recycling after Christmas – it’s not rocket science.
More and more of us are getting ready to donate or recycle our old electricals
Interiors expert gets behind Give-Back January Journalist Kate Watson-Smyth was taken aback to learn about the enormous amounts of unwanted…Read more
“We have so many old electricals – and we don’t know how to recycle safely.” Media consultancy owner Sam Kumar…Read more


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George Hotz is taking on Elon Musk head-on in the self-driving car technology race. So far, he and his startup are winning. Hotz is no stranger to the technology scene, he is best known for being a hacker. He was the first person to unlock the iPhone, allowing it to be used with other carriers. He is also known for being the first person to jailbreak the PlayStation 3 and subsequently being sued by Sony for doing so. Now, Hotz is known for taking on tech giant Elon Musk at attempting to be the first person to make a fully self-driving car.
Is comma.ai the next big car technology company?
Hotz and his company, comma.ai, have been pioneering new applications and hardware for cars. Together, they have created Panda, an ODB2 reader that connects to your smartphone. Hotz and his company have also more recently created a development kit, Giraffe, to make applications, hardware, and even Panda to interact deeper with the connected vehicle’s computers. The best part of all of these hardware devices? It’s all open source!
The creme de la creme for comma.ai was their self-driving augmentation, the Comma One. the Comma One was an augment to your vehicle that utilized the existing sensors. Along with its complementary app, OpenPilot it learned to drive through machine learning. The Comma One learned through a network of over 1,000+ hours of peer driving. In other words, the device learns how to drive based on the technique of others. It learned to drive like a human, something other self-driving car companies do not do.
Unfortunately, when there is innovation, big government usually intervenes. For Hotz, that became the case when the NHTSA (National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration) sent him and his company a letter demanding that they answer 15 questions related to the device before they can officially release it. Instead, Hotz decided to nix the project and make it completely open source. OpenPilot and the CAD files required to make the case for OpenPilot are freely available on their website and GitHub repository.
Even though Comma One was nixed, comma.ai has a bright future
Since the Comma One was nixed, comma.ai have been working tirelessly promoting and engineering OpenPilot. They have even started a new project, an open source dashcam that runs on your smartphone. It’s similar to the Comma One in that regard. Hotz and his company are steadily growing and supporting their community greatly. Hotz wants to change the world and make an impact on technology, he is surely doing that and he is doing it correctly. I, for one, cannot wait to see what happens with comma.ai. They have to be the most interesting startup in Silicon Valley of all of 2017.


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IAR Systems today announces a new 32-bit kit for STMicroelectronics’ first ARM Cortex-M4 based microcontroller series, called the STM32 F4.
Three astronauts inside a Russian Soyuz capsule parachuted safely back to Earth Tuesday after nearly six months on the International Space Station (ISS), the first landing since NASA retired its space shuttles this summer.
AT&T Inc, the No. 2 U.S. mobile provider, said it is investigating an "organized and systemic attempt" to access wireless customers' information but that it did not believe any accounts were breached.
Retailers are saving some of their deepest discounts on Black Friday for video game products, with large chains Wal-Mart and Best Buy putting some rock-bottom prices tags on hot games to lure shoppers into stores.
EU regulators investigating Apple and Samsung Electronics over their patents dispute are worried intellectual property rights may be unfairly used by some firms against their rivals, the EU antitrust chief said on Tuesday.
GE Intelligent Platforms announced that it had secured orders from Harris Corporation Government Communications Systems Division (GCSD) of Melbourne, Florida for a quantity of GE’s PPC7EP single board computers.
LIGHTFAIR International 2012 will again cover a broad range of today’s most relevant topics, presented by the industry’s leading experts at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
When I was a young engineer, I was involved in a pretty ugly incident with a three-phase power inverter. No, I didn't get hurt, but the incident shook me up a little. I had designed a three-phase matrix converter, and I had just got it working to the point where I could spin a motor.
EnTouch Controls, a provider of energy management systems for small businesses, announced that it has secured $2 million in Series A financing. The financing round was led by Trailblazer Capital and will allow the...
According to the Tenth Edition of Darnell Group’s "AC-DC Power Supplies: Worldwide Forecasts," ac-dc power supply pricing will not follow the traditional patterns, which includes a steady annual pricing decline. As a result, the...
Nissan Selects Coulomb Technologies ChargePoint Network to Provide Complete Public EV Charging InfrastructureNovember 21, 2011 11:20 am | by PowerPulse.net | News | Comments
Nissan North America, Inc. (NNA) selected Coulomb Technologies ChargePoint® Network to provide comprehensive electric vehicle public charging infrastructure locations for Nissan LEAF drivers. The Nissan LEAF website now has the most comprehensive listing of stations...
In this podcast we talk to Alan Grau, President and CEO of Icon Labs on the issues of security in embedded systems.
TDK-Lambda UK has introduced the DTM-C series of medically-certified AC-DC external power supplies – the DTM65-C model with output power ratings from 40 to 65W and the DTM110-C rated at 90 to 110W.
JEDEC Solid State Technology Association today announced its participation in the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada, on January 12. CES, produced by the Consumer Electronics Association, is the preeminent showcase for the worldwide consumer electronics industry.
Lynbrook, N.Y. has announced plans to implement lighting and other infrastructure improvement measures at its public facilities allowing the village to cut energy consumption by 32 percent and save $4.4 million over 15 years.
Jaro's new tightly-designed MR-16 LED coolers optimize longevity and temperature with a highly-efficient fluid-bearing structure. At speeds of up to 4200RPM±15%, these very quiet DC coolers provide a chilly, yet quiet air-flow of 1.850CFM (min.: 1.573 CFM).
The Industrial Automation Group of Advantech has released two new Intel Atom-based DIN-rail controller platforms, the UNO-1170A and UNO-1170AE.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems today announced its successful participation in a U.S. Air Force exercise designed to demonstrate the capability of an aerostat equipped with maritime radar and an Electro-optical/Infrared (EO/IR) sensor to provide situational awareness for littoral environments.
Responding to the growing interest within Europe in space matters, ESA has invited 10 more countries to participate in meetings of its governing Council.
Discover more about our planet with the new Earth from Space video programme. Join us every Friday at 10:00 CET for an 800 km-high tour with spectacular images from Earth-observing satellites.
ESA's Cluster satellites have discovered that cosmic particle accelerators are more efficient than previously thought. The discovery has revealed the initial stages of acceleration for the first time, a process that could apply across the Universe.
Texas Instruments introduced an octal-channel, 14-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that operates at 80 MSPS with a best-in-class signal-to-noise ratio of 75.5 dBFS at 5 MHz and a sampling frequency of up to 80 MSPS.
After the recent launch of the first Galileo satellites – an event of paramount political importance for Europe – politicians, policymakers, space agency managers, industrialists, satellite operators and members of civil society gathered at the European Parliament in Brussels on 8–9 November...
The first Vega launch campaign began on Monday at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana with the installation of the first stage on the pad. Europe’s new small launcher is on track for its maiden flight at the end of January.
ESA has begun developing a new blood-testing device for astronauts on the International Space Station. A wide range of ailments from diabetes to heart disease should be diagnosable in moments from a single drop of astronaut blood.


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ICE sugar rallies most in seven weeks
November 20, 2012
Raw sugar futures on ICE jumped over 4 percent on Monday and were on track for their biggest one-day gain in almost two months as technical buying and speculative short-covering offset fears about a growing global surplus. Arabica coffee and cocoa futures on ICE were also firm, supported by the weaker dollar and gains in equities and commodities markets.
Sugar rallied after Friday’s Commitments of Traders report revealed that funds last week held their largest net short position since 2007, when ICE records began. Shorts raced for cover as the data kindled fears that prices may have reached a bottom after a massive wave of recent short selling.
“The market’s been extremely oversold. Technically the market was putting in a bottom from around 18.50 and 18.80 cents and formed a base that led to short-covering,” said softs analyst Boyd Cruel of Vision Financial Markets in Chicago. March sugar futures on ICE were up 0.75 cent, or 3.92 percent, at 19.9 cents a lb at 12:50 pm EST (1750 GMT), after peaking at 20.0, their highest since October 23. A close at current levels would be the biggest one-day gain since October 1. Sweetener prices have risen 7 percent since November 9 when they hit their lowest level since August 2010.
Trading volumes were heavy with 107,884 lots traded by midday in New York, almost 50 percent above the 30-day average. With the fundamentals showing no signs of improving and analysts forecasting a bumper crop from Brazil, some traders saw the gains as little more than a short-term correction.
Dealers say the higher prices and weak real could prompt some Brazilian producers to sell into the gains, potentially capping further advances. But others say there’s still room to go higher. A close above 19.70 cents would likely spur further fund buying. “We’ve had trade and fund buying and it has led to a breakout of last week’s high of 19.64 cents. I think, if we can settle above 19.70, it should provide further fund buying tomorrow,” said James Kirkup, director of sugar brokerage at ABN Amro Markets.
March white sugar on Liffe rose $16.20, or 3.18 percent, to $525.50 per tonne. Speculators have made their most bearish bets on coffee and raw sugar futures and options contracts on ICE Futures US in over five years amid signs of abundant supplies, US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) data showed on Friday. The data also triggered short-covering in New York coffee even though there was no change in expectations of better harvesting for 2013.
After piercing a 14-day moving average, March arabica coffee futures rose 3.85 cent, or 2.52 percent, to $1.5635 per lb, extending a correction after the contract sank to $1.4945 on Thursday, the lowest level for the second month since June 2010. Meanwhile, in the London-based Liffe robusta coffee market, speculators reduced net long positions in robusta coffee in the week to November 13, exchange data showed on Monday.
January robusta coffee futures were off $1, or 0.05 percent, at $1,900 a tonne, just above Thursday’s low of $1,891, the lowest level for the second month since February 8. Cocoa futures edged higher as dealers monitored the latest data from Ghana where initial 2012/13 arrivals have been slower than the previous year, when there were problems with arrivals data exceeding actual cocoa inventory.
ICE March cocoa settled up $23, or 0.96 percent, at $2,421 per tonne, swept higher by the broader market gains. Concerns have waned that the political instability in Ivory Coast, the largest grower of cocoa beans, could disrupt exports. Benchmark Liffe March cocoa futures settled up 3 pounds, or 0.19 percent, at 1,556 pounds per tonne.


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With every new iPhone release, Apple enthusiasts eagerly await the latest features, sleek design, and improved performance. However, one critical consideration for potential buyers in India is network compatibility. As the country’s mobile network infrastructure continues to evolve, many wonder if the upcoming iPhone 14 will be compatible with India’s networks. In this article, we will explore the compatibility of the iPhone 14 with India’s networks, shedding light on the key factors that determine whether this highly anticipated device will seamlessly connect to the Indian mobile network landscape.
Apple is renowned for its top-of-the-line smartphones, and each new release creates a buzz in the tech world. With the upcoming launch of the iPhone 14, enthusiasts and Apple fans are eagerly awaiting its arrival. However, a pertinent question that arises is whether the iPhone 14 will be compatible with India’s networks. In this article, we will explore the compatibility of the iPhone 14 with India’s networks and delve into the technical aspects that determine its operability in the country.
Before we dive into the compatibility aspect, it is crucial to understand the network technologies prevalent in India. The major network operators in India rely on GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) and CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) technologies, with GSM being the more widely used standard. These technologies operate on various frequency bands, and the compatibility of the iPhone 14 with these bands will determine its compatibility with India’s networks.
|Network Operator||GSM Bands||CDMA Bands|
|Operator A||900, 1800 MHz||800, 1900 MHz|
|Operator B||850, 1800, 2100 MHz||800, 1900 MHz|
|Operator C||900, 1800, 2100 MHz||800, 1900 MHz|
Based on the available information, it is essential to note that the iPhone 14 is expected to support a wide range of frequency bands. Apple has been known to cater to various markets by ensuring compatibility with different network technologies, and it is highly likely that the iPhone 14 will continue this trend.
Considering the prevalent GSM technology in India, the iPhone 14’s expected support for the 900 and 1800 MHz bands makes it compatible with Operator A, while its support for the 850, 1800, and 2100 MHz bands ensures compatibility with Operator B and Operator C. This broad compatibility allows users to seamlessly connect to India’s networks without any major limitations.
Furthermore, it is important to consider the availability of 5G networks in India. While 5G is still in its early stages of deployment in the country, it is crucial to determine whether the iPhone 14 will be compatible with India’s 5G networks once they become widely accessible. Although specific details regarding the iPhone 14’s 5G compatibility are yet to be confirmed, Apple has been actively expanding its 5G support across its smartphone lineup. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that the iPhone 14 will be compatible with India’s 5G networks, providing users with access to faster and more advanced connectivity options.
In conclusion, based on the available information and Apple’s history of catering to different markets, it is highly likely that the iPhone 14 will be compatible with India’s networks. Its expected support for the prevalent GSM bands in India, as well as the possibility of compatibility with future 5G networks, ensures that users in India can enjoy a seamless and enhanced smartphone experience. As always, it is advisable to consult with local network operators and Apple’s official announcements for the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding network compatibility.
1. Compatibility of iPhone 14 with Indian Networks
India has a diverse range of mobile network providers, and it is crucial to determine whether the iPhone 14 will be compatible with these networks. This section will discuss the various network bands supported by the iPhone 14 and how they align with the frequencies used by Indian telecom operators. Additionally, it will address any potential limitations or restrictions that users might face when using the iPhone 14 in India.
2. Availability and Pricing of iPhone 14 in India
One of the key factors to consider before purchasing the iPhone 14 in India is its availability and pricing. This section will explore the launch date of the iPhone 14 in India and how it compares to its global release. It will also delve into the pricing strategy adopted by Apple for the Indian market, including any potential variations in cost compared to other countries. Moreover, it will shed light on the various purchasing options available to Indian consumers, such as online platforms, authorized Apple resellers, and offline retail stores.
3. Features and Upgrades in the iPhone 14
The iPhone 14 is expected to come with a host of new features and upgrades that enhance user experience. This section will provide an overview of the key advancements in the iPhone 14, such as its display technology, processing power, camera capabilities, and battery life. It will also highlight any specific features that may be particularly appealing to Indian consumers and how these improvements compare to previous iPhone models.
4. Potential Challenges and Workarounds for Indian Users
While the iPhone 14 is likely to offer a seamless experience for most users in India, there may be certain challenges that need to be addressed. This section will discuss any potential issues, such as regional software limitations, network connectivity problems, or compatibility with local apps and services. Furthermore, it will provide possible workarounds or solutions to overcome these challenges and ensure a smooth usage of the iPhone 14 in India.
1. Will the iPhone 14 be compatible with Indian cellular networks?
Yes, the iPhone 14 is expected to be compatible with Indian cellular networks. Apple typically releases its iPhones with support for multiple network bands, including those used in India. Therefore, users in India should be able to use the iPhone 14 with their local cellular network providers without any issues.
2. Will the iPhone 14 support dual SIM functionality in India?
While it is not confirmed yet, it is highly likely that the iPhone 14 will support dual SIM functionality in India. Apple has been introducing dual SIM support in some of its recent iPhone models, including the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 series. As dual SIM functionality is quite popular in the Indian market, it is expected that the iPhone 14 will continue to offer this feature to cater to the local consumer preferences.
3. Will the iPhone 14 have language support for Indian regional languages?
Apple has been expanding its language support in recent years, and it is expected that the iPhone 14 will continue this trend. While the specific regional languages supported may vary, it is likely that the iPhone 14 will offer support for popular Indian languages like Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, Telugu, and others. This will enable users in India to use their iPhones in their preferred regional language.
4. Will the iPhone 14 be available for purchase in India at the same time as other countries?
Apple usually releases its new iPhone models in multiple waves, with the initial launch in select countries followed by a global rollout. While it is not confirmed, it is expected that the iPhone 14 will also follow a similar release pattern. Therefore, Indian customers may have to wait a few weeks or months after the initial launch to get their hands on the iPhone 14. However, Apple has been prioritizing the Indian market in recent years, so the waiting period may be shorter compared to previous models.
5. Will the iPhone 14 support 5G connectivity in India?
As of now, India is gradually rolling out its 5G networks, and it is expected that 5G connectivity will become more widespread in the coming years. While it is not officially confirmed, there is a high possibility that the iPhone 14 will support 5G connectivity in India. Apple has been incorporating 5G capabilities in its recent flagship models, and it is likely to continue this trend with the iPhone 14 to ensure compatibility with future network advancements.
6. Will the iPhone 14 come with a charger and earphones in the box in India?
Apple recently made a decision to exclude the charger and earphones from the iPhone packaging to reduce electronic waste. This change was implemented globally, including in India. Therefore, it is highly likely that the iPhone 14 will also ship without a charger and earphones in the box when purchased in India. Users will need to separately purchase these accessories or use existing ones from their previous iPhones.
7. Will the iPhone 14 be available in different storage variants in India?
Apple typically offers its iPhone models in different storage variants to cater to different user preferences and budgets. It is expected that the iPhone 14 will also be available in multiple storage options, such as 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB. This will give Indian consumers the flexibility to choose a storage capacity that suits their needs and helps them store their apps, photos, videos, and other content comfortably.
8. Will the iPhone 14 support wireless charging in India?
Apple has been integrating wireless charging capabilities into its iPhones since the iPhone 8, and it is expected that the iPhone 14 will also support wireless charging in India. This will allow users to conveniently charge their iPhones by placing them on compatible wireless chargers, eliminating the need for cables and adapters. However, it is important to note that users will need to separately purchase a wireless charger as it is not typically included with the iPhone.
9. Will the iPhone 14 have a long-lasting battery life in India?
While the exact battery specifications of the iPhone 14 are not known yet, Apple has been working on improving battery life in its recent iPhone models. The iPhone 13, for example, offers impressive battery performance. It is expected that Apple will continue this trend with the iPhone 14, aiming to provide users in India with a long-lasting battery life that can comfortably withstand a full day of usage on a single charge.
10. Will the iPhone 14 be priced competitively in India?
Apple has been making efforts to price its iPhone models more competitively in the Indian market. In recent years, Apple has started manufacturing some of its iPhone models locally in India, which has helped reduce costs and, in turn, lower the selling price. While the exact pricing of the iPhone 14 is not known yet, it is expected that Apple will continue to focus on the Indian market and offer competitive pricing to attract more customers in the country.
In conclusion, the compatibility of the iPhone 14 with India’s networks is a crucial aspect to consider for consumers in the country. While Apple has been expanding its network compatibility in recent years, it is essential to thoroughly research and understand the specific network bands and technologies supported by the iPhone 14 before making a purchase decision.
Several sources provide valuable information on the compatibility of iPhones in India:
1. Apple’s official website offers detailed information on the supported LTE bands and technologies for each iPhone model. This resource is a reliable reference to determine if the iPhone 14 will work with Indian networks.
2. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) provides regular updates on the network bands and technologies used by Indian telecom operators. Checking their website or consulting their reports can help ascertain if the iPhone 14 will be compatible with India’s networks.
3. Tech media outlets such as Gadgets Now, GSMArena, and 91mobiles often publish detailed reviews and specifications of new smartphones, including their network compatibility. These sources can provide insights into whether the iPhone 14 will work in India.
4. Online forums and discussion boards like MacRumors and Reddit’s iPhone subreddit are excellent platforms to connect with fellow users and seek advice on iPhone compatibility in India. Users often share their experiences and knowledge, helping others make informed decisions.
By considering information from these sources and conducting thorough research, potential buyers can assess whether the iPhone 14 will indeed be compatible with India’s networks before investing in the latest Apple device.


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Achieving export success is the focus of a business event this month.
Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman will join government export support arm UKTI and the Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce for the MY Export Hub event from 12.30pm to 2.30pm on Friday, July 25, at the 3M Buckley Innovation Centre, Firth Street, Huddersfield.
The free event will provide the chance to hear from UKTI on opportunities for UK businesses and on the funding and support available to help companies trade internationally.
Speakers will also include exporters Richard Paxman, of Fenay Bridge-based scalp cooling systems firm Paxman Coolers, and Graham Capell, of Wesco Aircraft, based at Clayton West.
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Vehicle Said Capable of Doing Full Day’s Work in Munich Area
Supplied by Dutch Terberg with 113-Kilowatt-Hour Battery Pack
BMW and logistics partner Scherm this week put a full-size 40-ton 100% battery electric truck into service in Munich, where it will supply the manufacturer with such vehicle components as shock absorbers, springs and steering systems. updated July 8
With the Class 8-equivalent battery-powered truck from the Dutch manufacturer Terberg, BMW says it becomes “the first automobile manufacturer in Europe to use a 40-ton electric truck for material transport on public roads.”
The electric truck “will be exclusively charged with electricity from renewable sources,” the OEM adds, noting that, compared to a diesel engine truck, the electric truck will save 11.8 tons of carbon dioxide per year.
‘Strong Signal for Sustainable Urban Mobility’
The truck battery takes three to four hours to charge, BMW says. When fully charged, the vehicle has a range of up to 100 kilometers or about 62 miles. “Thus, the electric truck can theoretically complete a full production day without any additional recharging,” states the BMW-Scherm release.
“We are sending another strong signal for sustainable urban mobility,” Hermann Bohrer, head of the BMW Group plant in Munich, said in the battery truck announcement.
‘Information on What Will Be Possible’
“We are contributing to reducing emissions in the city and are proud to be the first automotive manufacturer in Europe to use an electric truck of this size to transport materials on public roads,” Bohrer said.
“With this project we will gain valuable information on what will be possible with electric trucks in the future for city logistics,” said Scherm Group CEO Kurt Scherm.
The vehicle for BMW-Scherm is a YT202 EV terminal tractor with two battery packs with total capacity of 113 kilowatt-hours, says Maarten van Brink of Terberg Benschop in The Netherlands.
Road-Legal Terminal Tractor
“If needed the capacity can be increased with an optional third pack,” he told F&F. Scherm has installed a 40-kilowatt Terberg charge station, van Brink adds, nboting that charging time could be halved with an 80-kilowatt unit.
Terberg began deliveries of the battery tractors last year, and in addition to Germany has customers in the Netherlands and Switzerland. The units for BMW-Scherm and for BeHaLa in Berlin, he notes, are registered for use on public roads.
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Source: BMW/Scherm Group with Fleets & Fuels follow-up


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Two powerful entertainment moguls, Scott Rudin, the film and theater producer, and Barry Diller, the chairman of IAC/InterActiveCorp, are joining together to enter the turbulent world of book publishing.
Mr. Rudin and Frances Coady, a longtime publishing executive, have formed a partnership with Mr. Diller in a new venture called Brightline. It will publish e-books and eventually physical books in a partnership with Atavist, a publisher based in Brooklyn with expertise in producing electronic books and articles.


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"We can guarantee that tourism is at its best. It is an activity that has the potential to generate income and employment. One of every 20 jobs is in the tourism sector”, said Sandra Naranjo on 18th March in order to highlight that 2015 will be the Year of Tourism Quality. Within the strategy to improve the delivery of services in this industry, the Minister of Tourism also took the opportunity to present the Q Mark. The Ministry aims to implement, in 750 companies, quality systems that describe this brand as prestige, reliability and trust. Several companies that have strengthened the quality of their services received this distinction and will be promoted on the Ministry website: Quito Tourism, Qualitur, Patio Andaluz, Napo Wildlife Center and Termas de Papallacta. In parallel, establishments will also be regulated based on global accommodation standards to allow their organization and the establishment of hierarchy. By ranking them within 6 types (Hotel, Hostel, Resort, Inn, Tourism Hacienda and Lodge), each facility will get a certain number of stars. Three additional types will not be rated by stars: Shelter, Touristic Camp and Guest House.
"We want quality to be the center of all activities developed by the Ministry of Tourism", said the Minister. Thus, the Ministry also seeks to recognize people; this is why it will continue its job skills certification program which aims to provide 8,000 classroom training workshops in eleven labor skills such as; business administration for lodging and restaurants, operations management, hospitality, food security, etc. Likewise, the Ministry continues to act regarding tourist safety. To ensure tourists welfare, safety buttons have been placed in some tourist establishments. In Quito, there are 27 in the Mariscal area and 9 in the Historic Center. Nationally, there are a total of 58 buttons and there are plans to install more during 2015 in Puyo, Atacames, Santa Elena, Puerto Lopez, among others.