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Facebook started rolling out hashtags to all users back in June, and according to new data, hashtags do not actually help increase a post’s reach.
During the course of July, EdgeRank Checker analyzed 500 Facebook pages, and over 35,000 posts.
When it came to average viral reach per fan, posts using hashtags actually came in lower at 0.8 percent compared to 1.3 percent for posts with no hashtags.
Average engagement per fan was also down when using hashtags, coming in at 0.22 percent compared to 0.25 percent.
The trend continues with average organic reach, with posts containing no hashtags nearly one percent higher.
EdgeRank Checker also grouped the impact hashtags had across different sized Facebook pages.
When it came to average engagement, only pages with 250,000 to 500,000 fans saw an increase when using hashtags.
Findings were the same with viral reach, and use of hashtags only slightly increased organic reach with select pages.
As far as why hashtags are more successful on Twitter than on Facebook, EdgeRank Checker said this:
Our hypothesis is that not many people are clicking on hashtags. If many people were clicking hashtags, we should see an increase in Viral Reach for posts with hashtags. The data is not showing that. If anything, it’s showing a decrease in Viral Reach.
The company also went on to say that it is how brands are using hashtags on Facebook, and the fact that hashtags are more geared towards promotional posts.


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First came the dot-com bubble and then the burst. But with the dot-com shakeout now starting to slow down, what’s next for e-commerce?
New trends will emerge, analysts say, and some have already begun to come to the surface.
The US$1.5 billion-plus takeover of Expedia (Nasdaq: EXPE) by USA Networks could be the highest profile example yet of what is likely to be additional consolidation in the e-commerce space.
“I think we will see more of that kind of marriage of content and commerce,” Christopher Kelley, an analyst with Forrester Research, told the E-Commerce Times. “With financial belts being tightened, people look for more creative ways to figure out how to become profitable.”
In addition to cross-sector mergers, category consolidation is also likely to be on the upswing, analysts say, with industry leaders taking a cue from Internet job search site Monster.com and its parent TMP Worldwide (Nasdaq: TMPW). TMP recently capped a three-month acquisition spree with the $460 million purchase of leading competitor HotJobs.
According to consolidation watchdog Webmergers, the value of acquisitions reached their highest level to date in June, with a total of $6 billion worth of deals announced. During the first six months of the year, $29 billion was spent to acquire 726 Internet companies, the firm said.
Stagnant stock prices and rock-bottom company valuations have made it abuyer’s market in many sectors.
“Large buyers looking to lock up key markets are driving the blockbuster deals,” Webmergers president Tim Miller said. “It’s different than earlier waves of mergers, which were more about throwing an umbrella over many sectors.”
In addition to joining forces, many Web sellers are cleaning house. However, now that the layoffs are tapering off, house cleaning for dot-coms will come to mean re-designing and streamlining their Web presence.
For example, auction leader eBay (Nasdaq: EBAY) undertook a redesign of its home page this spring, a move designed to update the page’s look and better integrate the myriad offerings eBay has unveiled.
Weeks earlier, Priceline.com announced it would revamp its home page to make it easier to find and compare travel deals.
“Initially, the focus was on getting sites up and running, in some casesdoing it on the fly,” Kelley said. “Now, a lot are going back to see (and) ask,’How solid is my Web site. How good is our customer service?’ They are usingthis downturn to really batten down the hatches.”
The movement will catch on as e-tailers realize how much opportunitythere is to make more sales and boost revenues just by addressing what isalready there. In many cases, it might be a matter of stripping out flashygraphics or smoothing navigational flaws.
“It’s really about going back to basics,” said Kelley. “The majority ofonline shoppers are still technophobes with slow dial-up connections. Thisis taking a new look at what’s being done, with the customer in mind thistime, not the technology.”
Another new trend is really the retelling of an old story. E-tailers will continue to struggle with the shipping question, but new approaches are likely.
Even more than determining how to charge for shipping — a question Amazon.com dealt with by testing and then quickly ending a free shipping promotion that also raised product prices — the issue has become how best to communicate shipping arrangements to online shoppers.
Kelley said that consumers on the Net want to know upfront what it is going to cost to ship the goods that they buy. Currently, however, that information is only available when the final checkout process is nearly complete.
Providing shipping information at the start of the process is symbolic of what may be an overall shift in how online shoppers are seen by Web vendors — with courteous respect. It is not happenstance that “customer relationship management”has become the three-word code for sound business practices.
“Consumers pay a tremendous amount of attention to shipping,” Kelley said.”They don’t see taxes, but they do see shipping.”
Revealing the shipping costs at the end of the shopping experience is like having a customer take a shirt to a department store checkout and having the clerk spin a wheel to determine the taxes, according to Kelley.
“This method is disserving customers,” Kelley added. “I think we’ll seemore e-tailers put that information right on the product page or at theshopping cart. Customers really don’t want to play this game any more.”

domain: news


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"The Strategic Advantages of Greece: Investments & Growth" will be the theme of the 13th Tourism & Development Conference of SETE, which will take place on 20-21 October 2014 at the Divani Apollon Palace & Thalasso.
"If SMEs do not thrive in Greece then the economy will suffer," Horst Reichenbach, the head of the European Commission's Task Force for Greece, said during a recent presentation in Athens of a Policy Document that formulates proposals and determines specific policy measures in...
As social partner to the Greek government in policy-making, the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE) has made a series of proposals for the creation of a national strategy for small and medium-sized tourism enterprises in Greece.
Greece is expected to record some 22.5 million foreign tourist arrivals (including cruise passengers) this year, compared to 19.9 million visitors in 2013, according to a recent report released by Alpha Bank.
Greek tourism will receive 500 million euros per year for investments in the form of European Union subsidies, according to an announcement made by Prime Minister Antonis Samaras during the 13th Tourism & Development Conference of SETE.
The advantages of Greece’s marine tourism were at the center of a presentation on Tuesday, by Marketing Greece, ahead of the boot Düsseldorf 46th International Boat Show, which runs through to January 25 in Germany.
The newly-elected leftist government Syriza said on Thursday, that it has no intention to do away with the all-inclusive resort model but instead focus on making it beneficial for local markets and communities.
Greece, its products, its culture, its gastronomy and its diverse tourist offerings took Sweden by storm on February 13-15, when some 11,000 visitors flocked to the 2nd Grekland Panorama, which took place at Stockholm’s Ericsson Globe, making it one of the largest tourism expos...
Tackling illegal accommodation and tracking down payments should be the government’s first priority, the Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE) said, adding that though it supports negotiation efforts to bring the country back to growth, the tourism sector should not be sacrificed in...
Holidaymakers to Greece in 2014 spent 2.5 billion euros on their credit cards, up by 15 percent, according to the latest figures released during a recent VISA Hellas event titled “Growth Through Innovation”.
Tourism sector professionals on the Greek islands are calling for a public vote as the talk of a VAT (value-added-tax) hike on tourism picks up pressure and the negotiation process with Greece’s international lenders lingers on.


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A benchmark of what appears to be Asus' upcoming flagship smartphone has leaked online ahead of its supposed launch at Mobile World Congress (MWC 2018) in Barcelona next week.
Revealed in an AnTuTu result, the device seems to be the flagship of its new smartphone lineup, supposedly called the Zenfone 5 Pro, but carrying the model number ASUS Z01RD.
Equipped with a Snapdragon 845 SOC, an Adreno 630 GPU and 6GB of RAM, the flagship's benchmark boasts internal storage of 32GB. The device runs the Android 8.0 Oreo operating system. With all these specifications, the device scores an impressive 238,129 on AnTuTu.
As for the screen, the rumoured Zenfone 5 is said to sport a Full HD 2246x1080 pane but with a slightly higher Aspect Ratio than 18.5:9 that we find in Samsung devices, which could indicate even smaller bezels.
The leak of the benchmark comes only a week after rumours leaked regarding Asus' suspected "lite" version of its ZenFone 5.
The rumours came via notorious tipster Evan Blass and state that one of the company's latest handsets will be called the ZenFone 5 Lite, and is expected to tout four camera sensors, two on the front and two at the back, just like Honor's latest Honor 9 Lite smartphone.
Blass took to Twitter to reveal leaked images of the rumoured device, posting photos that clearly show a vertical dual camera module on the back of the phone as well as two selfie cameras on the front.
The phone also appeared to have a front-facing flash, alongside a dual-LED flash module on the back with a rear camera setup with a 120-degree wide-angle lens. The leaked renders also demonstrated proof of a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.
Asus has already sent out its invites for MWC 2018, scheduled for a 7:30pm kick off (central european time) on February 27. The ZenFone 5 Max is also expected to make an appearance at the launch, most likely alongside many other Asus devices, such as tablets, smartwatches and laptops.
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ClickSoftware (NASDAQ:CKSW), maker of workforce optimization software, reported full year 2008 results yesterday. The results came in above analyst estimates of $52.5 million and $0.17, with the company booking $52.3 million in revenue to go along with net income of $8.1 million or $0.28. According to the conference call, revenue for the year was negatively impacted by about $1.5 million due to foreign currency exchange. The company also reported that total cash had risen to $32 million dollars. In any economic environment, this was a stellar quarter.
ClickSoft is a leader in the industry of making business more efficient. During this recession, every company in the world is trying to find ways to do more with less. Enter Clicksoft. The company’s software suite can do anything from quickly dispatch a gas utility’s closest technician to a service call to schedule the most efficient worker schedule for a big box retailer. ClickSoft sells its product through multiple internal and external channels, most recently announcing a global reselling agreement with SAP. The company also touts IBM, Accenture (NYSE:ACN), and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) as global partners. The question remains, with such great results, in not so great economic times, why hasn’t the market taken notice?
ClickSoft currently has a market cap of just under $70 million. With no debt and $32 million in cash the company has an enterprise value of only $38 million. In a normal market, a small software company, like Click, should receive a revenue multiple of at least between 2 x and 3x. This would mean a market cap of somewhere between $130 million and $180 million ($52mil*2or3+$32mil cash); and a stock price of between $4.50 and $6.50. Revenue multiples are given for buyout potential, since a larger firm, say SAP or IBM, could sell the product with much higher margins with their existing sales force. With that being said, Clicksoft as a standalone company earned $0.28 with 31% growth. The market is currently valuing these earnings at less than 5x. There is no way a company with growth, even in this environment, should receive a multiple of any less than the industry average of about 15x. At 15x, Click’s shares would be worth over $5.
The company did not provide guidance for 2009 due to the current economic uncertainty. The company did believe, and fairly strongly, that 2009 would show at least some growth for the business. Even a just flat YOY to 2008 would be outstanding given the current recession.
ClickSoftware is clearly undervalued on all metrics. In an environment where everyone is looking for an investment with relatively low risk and huge potential, CKSW should be on every small cap investors screen.
Disclosure: I hold a long position in CKSW.


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Ford is preparing to introduce a new pickup for less than $ 20,000March 9, 2020
The new compact model will be the most affordable truck Ford. Estimated price will be less than $ 20,000. The start of sales can be expected starting in 2022.
The first reports of Ford’s plans for a smaller and more affordable truck in the United States date back to the summer of 2018. Now, there is data from a trusted source that the automaker has already shown the novelty to its major retail dealers at a special event last month
It is said that the small truck, now codenamed 758, will be available by the end of 2021, with a starting price of less than $ 20,000, which makes it at least $ 5,000 cheaper than the basic version of the mid-size Ranger pickup. It is the latter that is the current most affordable truck of the company. Ford wants to produce and sell at least 100,000 copies of the new truck per year, and mass production will be launched at a plant in Mexico. According to insider reports, the new model was well received during dealership fees.
A small pickup will replace the Fiesta and Focus models in the US car market and will become the most affordable Ford car, the company that decided to completely remove cars from its lineup.
The new pickup will be based on the platform of the new Focus, which is available for Europe and will be able to use a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine, as well as a larger 2.0-liter unit. An eight-speed automatic with torque converter will also be available.
The name of the new entry-level truck remains a mystery. Rumors have it that the name Courier will be used, but some reputable publications believe that the automaker may revive the name Ranchero.
- Test drive Volvo V90 Cross Country
- The Germans named the best used cars up to 5,000 euros
- Ford is working on a new Megazilla engine
- Alfa Romeo recalls Giulia over brake discs
- Mitsubishi unveils Eclipse Cross PHEV


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Intel's Sandy Bridge Driver Is Nearly Ready
Intel began working towards Sandy Bridge support (the Intel HD graphics found on their next-generation CPUs to be launched next month) since this past February and in the months since and it's now their open-source Linux drivers are nearly ready for the first early-adopters of these soon-to-be-released Intel Core i5/i7 processors.
We knew Intel was planning to have Sandy Bridge 3D support done in Q4'2010 and their X.Org DDX driver support and Linux kernel DRM has been living in mainline for months now, while continuing to improve each step of the way. Intel is now preparing to release the xf86-video-intel 2.14.0 DDX driver where the official Intel Sandy Bridge CPU support will reside for the open-source graphics.
In getting ready for the 2.14 release in the next few weeks, Intel has today put out its first release candidate. As said by Intel's Chris Wilson in the release announcement, "It's getting close to party time, and so for all of those lucky enough to be receiving Sandy Bridge stocking fillers this Christmas, Intel would like to present you with a working driver... But first you have to help us test it! So without further ado, here is the first release candidate for 2010Q4."
Besides proper support for the next-generation Intel hardware, there's just some bug-fixes to be found in this quarterly DDX update. Some of the highlights include crash fixes on allocating memory, less fencing on problematic Intel "Gen3" hardware, backlight restoration after mode-setting, and a hang for i965+ hardware with newer versions of the Linux kernel.
Of the 28 official fixes in the xf86-video-intel 2.14 driver, 26 of them were made by Chris Wilson while Keith Packard and Matthias Hopf (at Novell) took care of the other two.
The official release of the xf86-video-intel 2.14 driver should be here within a few weeks. Mesa 7.10, which will carry the official OpenGL acceleration support on the classic Mesa driver architecture for Sandy Bridge, is set to be released in early January. When that's available plus the xf86-video-intel 2.14 driver, they will be released as Intel's 2010Q4 Linux package along with the libdrm 2.4.23 release and a recommendation on using the Linux 2.6.36/2.6.37 kernel for the best support.


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When the team at Invista wanted to turn up the dial on awareness for its Stainmaster brand, they turned to a team of social media influencers who could share personal stories about how they researched and selected flooring for their homes.
“The heart of our brand is trust,” said Brook Brown, vice president, Stainmaster. “It allows you to live freely in your home and enjoy it. For kids, families, and pets, we want to ensure that we are continuing to earn that trust.”
Stainmaster recruited 17 influencers to document their floor makeovers, showcasing the journeys on their social media pages, all the while creating a mass of video content and images that Stainmaster is leveraging to boost awareness among consumers.
The team of influencers, each with a large group of highly engaged followers, include Shannon Ellis of @shannonellis808, Pookie Methachittiphan of @pookie_n, Tarynn Brown of @tarynn_brown, Jess Davis of @carcabaroad, Janna Allbritton of @yellowprairieinteriors, Leanna Laming of @lifebyleanna, Sara Davis of @sincerelysarad, Tara Thueson of @tarathueson, Nichol Naranjo of @nicholnaranjo, and Liz Rishel of @withinthegrove.
Invista recently invited the group to Dalton for an influencer summit to learn how carpet gets made, test its stain resistance, and learn about what goes into creating durable luxury vinyl floors.
“I get inspired by what I see people doing in their homes,” Brown told the influencers at the AC Hotel in Atlanta during the summit. “I also read that if Americans dedicated as much time into reading as they put into social media, each of us would read 200 books a year. That blew me away. I am all in on the influencer thing!”
In 1986, Stainmaster launched its revolutionary stain-resistant technology and became the most recognized carpet brand in America. Today, the brand continues to transform, creating clean, comfortable and protected home surfaces, including innovations in carpet and luxury vinyl.
“Our brand grew up in the day when there were three networks and we could advertise on those and capture everyone’s attention,” Brown told the influencers. “You are where we capture them now, and that’s really important. When you go to our lab in Dalton, you will see the vigor we put into our certification process—we do not settle for industry standard.”
For more information, visit stainmaster.com.
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All posts by Eric Hal Schwartz
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Generative AI infrastructure startup Modular has raised $100 million in a Series B funding round led by General Catalyst. Modular..
The global economy will see a significant rise thanks to the integration of generative AI, according to a McKinsey study...


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General Automation Inc., the struggling Anaheim manufacturer of computer systems, announced Wednesday that it has signed a "significant" agreement that could hook its latest small-business computer system with a sizable number of the nation's 2,000 McDonald's franchises.
The company, which is banking on its 2-year-old "Zebra" system for much of its growth, said R-Computer Co. Inc. of Palatine, Ill., will use Zebras in the computer systems it installs for the nation's largest fast-food restaurant chain.
"It's a significant piece of potential business for us," said Rene Caron, General Automation's vice president for marketing and sales. "It's an important endorsement for the product."
Caron declined to estimate the potential value of the contract. But company officials estimated that as many as 45% of the 2,000 franchises could be considered potential users of the systems, which sell for $25,000 to $30,000 apiece.


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Apple's release of iOS 17.3 marks a significant advancement in the world of mobile operating systems. The update, available for iPhone models starting from the iPhone 12 series, introduces a suite of features that not only enhance security but also enrich the overall user experience.
The introduction of USB-C in the iPhone 15 and later marks a significant shift in Apple's design philosophy, aligning more closely with universal charging and data transfer standards. This guide will walk you through how to leverage this feature to connect with various devices, transfer data, and even charge other devices using your iPhone 15's internal battery.
In a significant development in the tech world, Apple is gearing up for the launch of its much-anticipated Vision Pro mixed-reality headset. Slated to be priced at $3500, this cutting-edge device is expected to hit the market in early 2024, with a likely release in February.
Recent reports from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman indicate that Apple's suppliers and contract manufacturers have been producing the headset at full capacity for several weeks. The first batch of orders is anticipated to reach customers by the end of February, followed by its appearance in retail stores in March.
With the launch of iOS 17.2, Apple has introduced settings making it possible to customize the default alert tone for iPhone notifications. This is especially useful for those who are not fans of the new Rebound tone, which replaced the familiar Tri-tone starting with iOS 17.
Apple has announced a temporary halt in sales for its flagship smartwatches, the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in the US. This decision is a response to an International Trade Commission (ITC) ruling in a long-running patent dispute with medical technology firm Masimo. The dispute is specifically regarding the blood oxygen sensor technology in these watch models.


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AND intends to rebrand the company
Supporting the turnaround and the new strategic direction of the company
AND is happy to announce that it intends to change the company name and refresh its branding in Q4 2020. This change is designed to highlight the company’s new strategic direction as well as support and strengthen the transformation into a subscription based provider of premium location aware content and services.
As announced on August 12th, the turnaround strategy has already delivered 22% revenue growth in the first half of 2020. AND believes the new company name and branding will help to drive continued revenue growth and put location-intelligence squarely at the center of the company’s profile.
Further announcements will follow in Q4 2020.


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Aug. 21 (UPI) -- An economic forecast from Australian mining giant BHP Billiton forecasts a relative slowdown in the global economy triggered in part by trade tensions.
Global markets have been upended by U.S. trade measures targeting China, Europe and North American economies. Implemented to boost domestic economic sectors, tariffs also increase the price of goods and could present headwinds for global economic growth.
In its economic and commodity outlook report for the year, the Australian mining and energy giant forecast global economic growth would likely be in the range of 3.5 percent and 4 percent for 2018, on par with last year and up from the 3.25 percent growth from 2016. Most of the industrialized economies should experience robust growth, though China, the world's second-largest economy, is slowing down.
Trade tensions, however, are expected to have a negative impact on the global economy.
"While we stress that an increase in trade protection alone is not a recessionary level shock for the global economy, it is an exceedingly unhelpful starting point for the pursuit of broad based growth across regions, expenditure drivers and industries," Huw McKay, the company's vice president for market analysis and economics, wrote in the report.
Growth in global gross domestic product is expected at between 3.25 percent and 3.75 percent through 2020.
On the demand side, the company's economists said that through May the appetite for oil was 1.9 percent more than at this point last year, though there were indications that a slowdown began in June.
Looking at the United States, on pace to be a global leader in oil production, BHP said it expected output to increase by about 1.5 million barrels per day next year, driven for the most part by the Permian shale basin. That pace, however, is slower than last year by about a half million barrels per day.
U.S. oil and gas production trends are outpacing existing pipeline capacity, leading to constraints on output. That situation is compounded by U.S. tariffs on imported steel, which makes pipeline components more expensive.
"Takeaway constraints are expected to persist deep into calendar year 2019," BHP's forecast read.
British energy company BP in July agreed to pay $10.5 billion to acquire the onshore U.S. shale assets from BHP. BP adds 470,000 acres to its U.S. onshore portfolio, including a position in the Eagle Ford, Haynesville and Permian shale basins. All told, the new acreage holds 4.6 billion barrels of oil equivalent resources.
BHP remains tied to the U.S. energy sector with an equity interest in the Samurai project in the Gulf of Mexico, an emerging reservoir.
For the 12 months ending in June, the company reported earnings improved 33 percent over last year to $8.9 billion, slightly lower than analyst expectations.


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George Soros sells off most of his Alibaba stocks
American billionaire George Soros's fund has sold most of its stake in the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, according to regulatory filings Friday.
In its quarterly statement to the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Soros Funds Management said that as of June 30, it had sold all but nearly 60,000 Alibaba shares, valued at $4.88 million.
At the end of March, the fund still had 4.4 million shares valued at nearly $370 million.
Similarly, the Tiger Global Management investment fund reduced its stake in the Chinese group from 6.7 million shares at the end of March to just 93,494 shares three months later, filings show.
Alibaba reached historic highs in November, two months after its initial public offering on Wall Street but it has since lost 37 percent of its value.
The group's latest quarterly results, published this week, showed a more pronounced slowdown than expected in sales growth, disappointing Wall Street.
The two largest shareholders of Alibaba are still Japan's SoftBank (31.75 percent at the end of 2014) and Yahoo (15.27 percent).
Founded by Jack Ma in 1999, Alibaba is China's biggest e-commerce company but is seeking to expand beyond its traditional business.
The Chinese company and Amazon are considered competitors in some areas, but unlike the US firm which makes its own e-book reader, Alibaba has no products of its own and simply provides a trading platform.
© 2015 AFP


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Today, you will find a news article about the 2009 Toyota Corolla that is coming out in February. It is the 10th generation of the best-selling vehicle in history.
Since 1966 (1968 in the U.S.), Toyota has sold more than 35 million Corollas. Today, it comes as a sedan and a wagon (Matrix).
I have owned one Toyota -- a 1972 Corolla (Latin for "small crown"). It was the perfect car for a college student. A coupe with a 1.6-liter engine and manual transmission, it scooted around the narrow streets of the college town and the ever elusive parking spaces on and near campus.
It had good economy, decent room, admirable zip and one option: a rear-window defroster. That was still a novelty in the 1970s. There was no air conditioning or power accessories.
It was a fun car, but the clutch kept going out, completely and unexpectedly. Fortunately, the campus had a good bus system.
Gas in those days had soared beyond 50 cents a gallon, but my Corolla wasn't a binge drinker. That alone would be a good reason for driving it today -- with a new clutch or two.


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Launched at the beginning of the year, Kitcal, a simple and secure tablet specifically designed for seniors already has its founders’ eyes set on new developments.
From Matamata, co-founders Julie Caldwell and Julie Blackwell say the current version, featuring five buttons that provide connectivity to family and friends, was the most important place to start.
“We started there because that is where the greatest need is for those older people who are lonely and cut off from their families because their families are using touch screen devices to connect to each other
“But the senior, when they’re left out of that loop miss out on all of that day-to-day stuff.
“To bring them back into the loop with the rest of the family was the first need,” Caldwell says.
Featuring a range of emojis rather than a keyboard, and including the ability for video calls, the pair have felt validated by the excellent market response to Kitcal.
“We’ve actually had a better uptake than we thought.
“People who are using it are loving it.
“We’ve had really lovely feedback from families and from seniors themselves,” Blackwell says.
Not prepared to rest on their laurels, the pair have plans to add more features to Kitcal with ‘keeping it simple’ at the heart of any new developments.
“We’ve started with the simplest form of design in the useability and we’ve always had a pathway for further design and development,” Blackwell says.
In light of banks closing their local branches around the country, the pair are looking to develop a banking platform that seniors will feel comfortable and secure using.
“This past year has forced our hand in different directions and we would love to be part of a digital banking solution for seniors.
“What is out there is not a good option for many people.
“If you’re hard of hearing phone banking is not a viable option,” Blackwell says.
Whilst online banking is available via the various banking apps, Caldwell says seniors still need a device they can easily operate.
“If you haven’t got a device to put it on, the most wonderful app in the world is no good if you can’t work your iPad or the phone that the app is on,” Caldwell says. With scams and malware putting people’s finances at risk, the two women are ever-mindful of senior’s vulnerabilities to being duped.
With that in mind, the pair say a banking platform will have to be designed to provide a safe and secure way for seniors to maintain their financial independence.
“One of the very real dangers of them using a tablet or phone is that it is open to the Internet and they’re not really au fait with what scam emails look like.
“Why should they be and how could they be.
“There so much information out there about being careful of scams and malware the fear of it is equal to the real danger of it,” Blackwell says.
Colour schemes and font size have the potential to impact on a senior’s ability to navigate the app on their digital device.
“Typically, designers and all the people who deal in that space are young and they just don’t appreciate the difficulty older people have,” she says.
But it’s not all serious problems the pair are looking to solve and a games app is something they would love to explore.
“Games are absolutely on our list. We had to start with what the most desperate need was and that was to be in touch.
“You can’t design something for 10 years before you actually put it out there fully formed.
“So, all of those things are coming,” Caldwell says.
Having had good success in New Zealand, the pair are eying up overseas’ markets and have begun trialling Kitcal overseas.
“There are other countries out there with the same family dynamics as New Zealand, with older people wanting to live on their own.
“We are in the process of a capital raise so we have investors coming in to get the momentum going with that,” Caldwell says.
“We really are a new product in this market and the market is hugely untapped.
“With the capital raise we’ll really be able to get a few more things done and increase our market potential further,” Blackwell says.
Caldwell and Blackwell applaud research on how the digital divide has been affecting seniors but they are exasperated at the slow reaction from corporates whose customers are affected.
“We hope our Kitcal tablets will help create a more digitally inclusive Aotearoa.
“Kitcal’s mission is to reconnect seniors with their families and other support structures, so that they are less lonely and more confident about their remaining years,” Caldwell says.
“It’s vital that our seniors keep in touch with their whānau and friends in this pandemic – especially during a lockdown.
“Closing the digital divide is an important step towards reducing the physical and mental toll of social isolation and loneliness.”
The two women self-funded the tablet’s development and import tablets to their own specifications from a factory in China, while staying as local as possible on other fronts. They are using a Matamata software developer, and the stands and cases are made in Hamilton.
The Kitcal comes ready to use out of the box, with a Sim card meaning there is no need to worry about Wifi connections, and using an IoT platform built for them by Vodafone. The tablet costs $690, the plan has two prices according to usage, and the app is free to the user and families can also download the free app to stay in touch, and can update the calendar, and provide prompts and alerts.


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Fulton Street Cos. has landed financial backing for its 919 West Fulton office project in Chicago’s downtown area. The company secured $233 million in both equity and debt for the 360,000-square-foot development. SNK Capital provided an undisclosed amount of equity, while Bank of the Ozarks and Manulife provided financing.
FSC is developing the 11-story office building along with JDL Development, and has tapped Skender Construction as general contractor and Shanna Khan as lead designer; Morris Adjmi Architects provided architecture services. The $300 million project also known as 919 on Fulton has already broken ground, with completion expected in the first quarter of 2025.
READ ALSO: Return-to-Office Push Meets Hybrid Work Era
The office building will be the tallest in the Fulton Market Historic District, with floorplates between 25,000 and 40,000 square feet. Amenities are to include a conference center, 24/7 fitness center, tenant lounge, 40,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and outdoor terraces on each floor. Once complete, Colliers will be tasked with property management of 919 West Fulton.
Madison Rose’s Matt Pistorio is handling leasing at the property. The development has already landed an anchor tenant through a 112,000-square-foot lease with investment management firm Harrison Street.
Located at the corner of Fulton Market and Sangamon Streets, the property has nearby access to Fulton Market District’s many retail and restaurant offerings.
Building out Fulton Street
The Chicago-based FSC has specialized itself in developing commercial and residential projects in the Fulton Market District. The company’s current projects on Fulton Street include 1045 West Fulton, a 160,000-square-foot office building with ground-floor retail, and 1100 West Fulton, the redevelopment of a 15,000-square-foot former meatpacking facility.
Once home to warehouses and meatpacking facilities, Fulton Market District is now an area with luxury apartments and high-end retail destinations. The neighborhood has attracted other developers such as CRG and Shapack Partners, which acquired a former food processing facility for $60 million with plans to redevelop it into a $441 million mixed-use development.


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Astana. October 31. Kazakhstan Today - For 9 months of current year the budget received VAT at the rate of 463.2 billion KZT, vice Minister of Finance Daulet Yergozhin informed on Tuesday at the government session, the agency reports.
The budget received value-added tax at the rate of 463.2 billion KZT, or 101.4 % of the plan," D. Yergozhin said.
"Volume of tax to the added cost on imported goods has made 330.7 billion KZT, and in comparison with the similar period of last year the receipt increased by 81.8 billion KZT," he added.
Receipts of VAT for the goods of internal production, according to the vice Minister, have made 132.5 billion KZT, that is in comparison with the similar period of 2006
higher by 27.3 bln KZT.
"As of October 1, 2007 compensation of VAT from the budget made 119.6 bln KZT, that is by 17.7 bln KZT higher than a similar parameter of last year," D. Yergozhin said, having emphasized that "total receipt of tax has increased in comparison with last year by 45 bln KZT."
According to the Ministry of Finance, the plan for corporate income tax has been realized by 108.5 %.
This information may not be reproduced without reference to Kazakhstan Today
When citing our content a hyperlink to this Kazakhstan Today website is obligatory.


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NIO has electrified the Chinese EV market with its high-tech cars, but which of these top 3 competitors should NIO be worried about?
Oct 5, 2022
Chinese EV maker Xpeng will be delivering its brand new smart sedan, the P5, and is looking at a European rollout to scale production.
Mar 11, 2022
Analyst stock picks help you build an expert portfolio on day one
As these two companies compete for dominance in the biggest EV market on earth, we ask which is the better investment: XPeng or Nio?
Feb 18, 2022
China-based electric vehicle stocks such as XPeng and Nio have underperformed the markets in the last year, but remain top buys right now.
Feb 11, 2022
What do software major Twilio and electric carmaker XPeng have in common? The answer: both companies operate in multiple markets with costs and revenues spread over multiple currencies.
Dec 3, 2021
Here’s why China-based electric vehicle stocks such as Niu and XPeng should be on the buying radar of growth investors at current valuations
Oct 30, 2021
XPeng is an electric vehicle stock I’m buying right now due to its robust growth profile and the recent pullback in its stock price
Oct 13, 2021
It took the Chinese EV makers’ only half the time Tesla did to produce 100,000 vehicles, so are NIO and Xpeng shares better buys right now?
Oct 11, 2021
NIO has been dubbed the ‘Tesla of China’, but the competition is heating up, and we delve into three competitors in its domestic market.
Aug 14, 2021
With China pushing the EV market into higher growth, can XPeng Motors stand out from the crowd, and is it a good investment right now?
Jul 22, 2021
The EV maker gained from a surge in tech stocks and a sales report which showed Tesla’s dominance in the Chinese market.
Mar 10, 2021
The EV maker’s stock tanked more than 23% over the last week, but could a listing in Asia’s wealthiest city be NIO’s path to expansion?
Mar 9, 2021


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It also comes with a 5MP Front facing camera that does video calls over WiFI or HSPA+. This could be Android’s answer to Apple’s facetime. There’s no mention how much storage is embedded but it comes with 8GB microSD included. The device also has Swype preinstalled too.
It comes in white, black, plum and red colours. According to T-Mobile, this will be made available just in time for the holiday season which isn’t too far away. As usual, T-Mobile claims 4G speeds on its HSPA+ network which currently covers more than 65 metropolitan areas in the US. No price had been revealed yet.
[ SOURCE ]


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Innovation will drive sales, shift demographics.
Foodservice will take center stage for convenience stores in 2017, predicts King-Casey, a retail consulting and design firm for the c-store industry.
“Innovative c-stores — such as Sheetz and American Natural — have led the way in improving their food and foodservice offerings,” said King-Casey principal Tom Cook. “Now the rest of the industry has noticed, with the result that foodservice will be the primary area of focus for c-stores looking to build their brands and bottom lines.”
According to Cook, c-stores will place a concentration on providing prepared foods, made-to-order sandwiches, fresh ingredients, healthy options, quality baked goods and barista-style coffee, espresso and tea beverages.
Although foodservice offerings will play a significant role in 2017, c-stores will also have a competitive edge over quick-service restaurants (QSRs) and fast-casual restaurants as they continue to revamp their interior atmospheres to make them more inviting and improve the customer experience, the principal said.
“This will change attitudes and behaviors over time, as customers spend more time in the stores talking, working and lingering over their food and beverages,” Cooked noted. “The historical lines of distinction between c-stores and QSRs and fast-casual restaurants will continue to blur.”
Supermarkets will also feel the heat of competition from c-stores, as consumers begin to see more c-stores without gas pumps with non-fuel locations. This will be especially true of urban areas were millennials — the heaviest users of c-stores — are concentrated.


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Mnuchin says Treasury, and not just the senators who sent letters, also warned Libra Association members about their involvement.
Facebook’s plans for a digital currency are coming under further pressure as global regulators step up their scrutiny of the struggling Libra project. In a letter to G20 finance ministers on Sunday, Randal Quarles, the head of the global Financial Stability Board, said that, with a “host of challenges” posed by global “stablecoins”, such as Libra, “possible regulatory gaps should be assessed and addressed as a matter of priority”. This, the letter said, created challenges including financial stability, consumer and investor protection, data privacy, money laundering, terrorist financing, fair competition, cyber security and tax evasion.
Let's take a look at what investors need to know about Facebook and some of its Q3 estimates to help us determine if FB stock might be worth buying before the social media company reports its Q3 2019 earnings results...
Five companies, led by Mastercard, Visa and eBay, pulled out of Facebook’s planned digital currency Libra on Friday, following sustained political pressure and just days before the project’s backers are due to meet for their first board meeting.
Paypal (PYPL) doesn't possess the right combination of the two key ingredients for a likely earnings beat in its upcoming report. Get prepared with the key expectations.
PayPal (PYPL) has decided to drop out of Facebook’s (FB) Libra Association, the group set to run the Libra cryptocurrency network.
On September 26, PayPal Holdings (PYPL) filed an 8-K form with the SEC, detailing the issue of four series of long-term notes totaling $5 billion.
PayPal announced its withdrawal from the 28-member team of Facebook's Libra Project. Libra has received criticism from the public and private sectors.
PayPal has pulled out of Facebook's digital currency project, known as Libra, a blow to the social media company that has faced stronger-than-expected scrutiny over its proposed creation of an alternative payments system. The digital payments company said Friday it is withdrawing from the Libra Association so it can focus on its existing businesses. "Facebook has been a longstanding and valued strategic partner to PayPal, and we will continue to partner with and support Facebook in various capacities," PayPal said.
U.S. payments processor PayPal Holdings Inc said on Friday it was leaving Libra Association, the entity managing the Facebook-led effort to build global digital currency Libra, making it the first member to exit the group. PayPal said it would forgo any further participation in the group and would instead focus on its own core businesses. "We remain supportive of Libra's aspirations and look forward to continued dialogue on ways to work together in the future," PayPal said in a statement.
Online money-transfer group Paypal is on the verge of quitting Facebook's planned digital currency Libra after failing to attend a key meeting of backers, the Financial Times reported Friday. Citing people ...
PayPal is pulling out of the Facebook-led Libra project, in a major blow to the social media platform’s plans to launch a global digital currency. The decision raises questions about the future of the project, which is being steered by David Marcus, a Facebook executive who was previously PayPal’s president, and which has raised concerns among regulators.
PayPal is on the verge of quitting Facebook’s Libra project after having pulled out of a key meeting in Washington on Thursday. All 28 backers of Facebook’s plan for a new global digital currency were due to gather to discuss how Libra would tackle increasing opposition from regulators, but people familiar with the event said PayPal had not been present — the only one not to show. A decision by the payments group to quit Libra would be a big blow for the project, which is being steered by David Marcus, a Facebook executive who was previously PayPal’s president.
US-based PayPal announced on Monday that it plans to acquire a majority stake in Chinese company GoPay. On October 1, PayPal stock opened at $104.03.
Western Union (WU) expands its real-time payment service to accelerate international consumer, consumer-to-business and business-to-consumer payments to eligible accounts, cards and digital wallets.
In case you missed it, together with the Asia Society’s Center on US-China Relations, we will be holding two events in the US, in New York on October 16 and San Francisco on October 17: The Great Decoupling and the Sino-US Race for Technological Supremacy. We have secured a few more free seats for Tech Scroll Asia readers for the New York one, so please reply to email@example.com if you wish to attend. The San Francisco event, in partnership with UC Berkeley, still has a few spots left so please register here.
It is EY’s turn in the Thomas Cook spotlight. EY is an obvious candidate for review. The firm signed off Thomas Cook’s 2018 annual report as a going concern in October, indicating they thought Thomas Cook could survive another year.


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Recent market conditions for wood products have many producers looking to upgrade their equipment and facilities with new technology and primary processing gear.
The past couple of years have been one of the busiest times ever experienced by HewSaw with many new projects being delivered from now through 2025.
“The current demand for our equipment is unprecedented,” says HewSaw Vice President, Tuomas Halttunen. “We are currently running at full speed at our factory in Finland. Fortunately, we have invested heavily in our factory over the past few years with new and modern equipment, including Robotics and we have been able to hire a number of new staff members, which is helping us to keep up with the demand.”
In Canada commissioning of two brand new machines is almost complete with both machines now processing logs.
In Fort St. James, British Columbia, Hampton Lumber selected a high-speed HewSaw SL200 3.3 line for their Fort St. James Forest Products mill. The line replaces older equipment and is specifically designed for producing stud products (2.4 to 3 metre lengths). On the other side of the country in Cap-Chat, Quebec, Group Damabois chose a HewSaw R250 1.1.
Both of the new lines are equipped with HewSaw’s standard 2R log positioner and V-Flight scanning conveyor. Scanning and optimization will be provided by HewSaw’s scanning partner Prologic+ and their process controls from EBI Electric.
The Fort St. James line also includes a bucking optimization system that will allow the line to run at speeds of up to 213M per minute, depending on log diameter.
On the other side of the Atlantic in HewSaw’s home country of Finland there are also several projects happening. One of the largest projects currently on the HewSaw books is the new Metsä Fibre sawmill at Rauma on the west coast of Finland. Construction on the €200 million sawmill, which Metsä Fibre says is the “world’s most modern sawmill” started back in May 2020. As of early 2023, the mill is fully operational and will produce around 750,000 cubic metres of pine sawn timber annually.
Metsä Fibre says it’s sawmill at Rauma is the “world’s most modern sawmill”
The primary breakdown at the mill is handled by a HewSaw SL250 line with scanning and optimization from Canada-based Prologic+ and Finland-based Finnos.
Moelven, which is one of Scandinavia’s largest wood products companies with operations in Norway and Sweden and has an annual production volume of about 2 million cubic meters of wood products, is installing a new HewSaw SL250 3.3 line at its Edanesågen sawmill in Edane, Arvika, Sweden. The new line will be delivered in the Spring of 2024.
“With the new HewSaw line, our production costs at the Edanesågen mill will be significantly reduced while at the same time our saw yield will increase,” says Jörgen Olofsson, CEO of Moelven Edanesågen. “Looking forward, we have strong sales projections for our products and we are confident that wood will be the building material of choice in the ongoing environmental debate around building materials.”
Jörgen says he has followed HewSaw for many years and likes what he has seen. “We have been impressed by HewSaw when it comes to operational availability, dimensional accuracy of the sawn timber, flexibility in their sawlines, and the company’s knowledgeable staff and willingness to constantly develop new technology. Their new maintenance system is an example of the latter.”
Moelven has also chosen HewSaw for its investment at their Valåsen sawmill in Karlskoga, Sweden. Valåsen is the Group’s largest sawmill with an annual production of 375,000 cubic meters (225 million BF) of sawn wood products. A HewSaw R200 1.1 machine will be delivered to the mill in the Spring of 2024.
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"Oh my God! We're having a fire! ... sale. Oh, the burning!"
It's been only a month since Amazon last hosted its half-off sale on Nintendo's component cables, but the online shop is already at it again with an even deeper discount for today's one-day deal. The first-party cables are listed at $12.99, the lowest we've ever seen them sold for! Of course, Amazon will ship its goods to you at no extra cost if your order totals over $25.
Though this doesn't technically qualify as a "fire sale," we couldn't stay our hand at the chance to make an Arrested Development reference. Stop, drop, and roll past the post break for a video of Tobias Funke auditioning for a fire sale commercial.


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Forklift maker Combilift is to create 200 new jobs in Monaghan over the next five years as part of a €40m investment.
The Irish company has recently purchased 40 hectares of industrial zoned land on the Monaghan bypass with plans to build a 40,000 sq meter greenfield global HQ and manufacturing facility with a devoted R&D building.
The company, which was established in Clontibret in Monaghan in 1998 by engineers Martin MacVicar and RobertMoffett, has grown to be a global leader in the long-load handling market.
Its 10 core products can be found in over 75 markets worldwide where over 20,000 units are in operation.
The company invests 7pc of its turnover in R&D.
Combilift is best known for its wide range of multi-directional forklifts, Aisle-Master articulated forklifts and other innovative material handling solutions such as the Combilift Straddle Carrier, designed to handle large containers and over-sized loads.
Committed to organic growth
“With this greenfield investment and sufficient industrial-zoned land available on the new site for future expansion, Combilift are committed to continuing its organic growth in Monaghan for many years to come,” MacVicar said.
In addition to the new jobs that are being created, Combilift on behalf of the mid-Tier Irish engineering companies is in the process of submitting an Apprenticeship Application to accredit its employees and employees of other Irish engineering companies as ‘Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) technician.
MacVicar said: “This apprenticeship course plans to educate technicians to be competent in hydraulics, electrics, and troubleshooting diagnostics.”
He said that Cavan Monaghan Education and Training Board is prepared to pilot the new apprenticeship scheme and that this was a strong factor in deciding on the location of the new greenfield manufacturing operation.
“Supporting recovery in the regions is behind this fantastic announcement today of an additional 200 jobs in Combilift and a further 200 construction related jobs,” said Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD.
“It is growing and dynamic Irish companies like Combilift which are driving a recovery across Ireland’s regions. Combilift’s new €40m facility in Monaghan will make a profound difference to the local economy and the national export economy.”


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Automakers, airlines, and governments unveiled a raft of pledges at the U.N. climate summit on Wednesday to slash greenhouse gas emissions from global transport, albeit with some conspicuous absences.
Driving, flying, and shipping contribute nearly a quarter of the world’s manmade greenhouse gas emissions, making transport a valuable target in the effort to fight climate change.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
U.S. carmakers Ford and General Motors were among a group that committed to phasing out fossil-fuel vehicles by 2040, accelerating a shift towards electric motors and away from the internal-combustion engines that they pioneered over a century ago. The world’s second most populous country, India, also joined the pledge.
E.U. proposes effective ban for new fossil-fuel cars beginning 2035
Toyota ranked third-worst company for lobbying against climate policies: report
But in a sign of the challenges of shifting to zero emissions, the world’s top two car makers, Toyota and Volkswagen, did not sign up. Nor did China, the United States and Germany, all major vehicle markets.
Martin Kaiser of Greenpeace Germany said the absence of the major economies and producers was “gravely concerning.” The European Union executive proposed to the 27 member states, including Germany, in July that they ban the sale of combustion vehicles from 2035, but the plan has yet to be signed off.


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Hotel groups have been pulling out all the stops, such as VIP access to money-can’t-buy-experiences, to attract and retain loyal guests
Since borrowing from the success of airline mileage programmes in the 1960s, some of today’s hotel loyalty programmes have reached stratospheric heights with member rewards that are out-of this-world and some which money cannot buy.
Big chains have adopted high-profile strategies and Accor, for example, “has invested more than our competitors in what we call augmented hospitality” through ALL – Accor Live Limitless, according to Steven Taylor, chief marketing officer.
Some of ALL’s most treasured loyalty perks include a once-in-a-lifetime meet and greet with Paris Saint Germain football legends Neymar Jr, Kylian Mbappé and Edinson Cavani, and access to in-demand concerts and renowned festivals.
Beyond the stay
The stiff competition for customers’ loyalty has driven hotel giants to offer value beyond the confines of their properties.
To plump up ALL’s offerings, Accor also partnered with AEG, a producer of global tours for renowned musicians such as Ed Sheeran and Katy Perry, to gift loyal guests the opportunity to buy pre-sale tickets and enter VIP lounges.
Earlier this year, Accor joined forces with Grab and Visa, allowing their guests to maximise their points.
All for experiences
When Hilton conducted a survey among 2,300 travellers across 11 Asian-Pacific countries in 2Q2019 to better understand their consumption motivations, the hotel company discovered that two in three respondents sought “once-in-a-lifetime experiences” as a key aspect of travel, and 71 per cent ticked “local culture and authenticity” as important in attracting them to a new destination.
This led Hilton to further expand its Hilton Honors Experiences auction platform, shared Ben George, senior vice-president and commercial director, Asia-Pacific, Hilton.
The loyalty programme now curates money-can’t-buy experiences through collaborations with partners like Live Nation that span various passion points – music, sports, culture and food.
Hilton Honors Experiences works by allowing members to bid for exclusive experiences with their accumulated points.
George recalled that the highest bid on the platform to date was registered last August. A member used 2.9 million points to successfully bid for a four-night stay at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, which included a private tour of The Muraka undersea villa and a session with the resident marine biologist.
George reckoned that the record might be broken post-Covid-19, as “demand for purposeful quality experiences will likely reach a whole new level when people start travelling again”.
To please today’s instant gratification consumer, Marilyn Li, executive director of loyalty marketing, Marina Bay Sands (MBS), stressed that loyalty programmes must be far more creative and dynamic in their approach.
Sands Rewards LifeStyle, she said, extends a multitude of incentives and experiential rewards across different sectors of the company’s business – from meals at celebrity chef restaurants and tickets to Broadway shows, to exclusive fashion previews of the latest collections by luxury brands, and even celebrity meet-and-greets.
Li said: “These money-can’t-buy experiences have transcended the dollar-for-dollar match in most loyalty programmes of the past, and this is increasingly important for global travellers today.”
According to Tracy Dong, senior advisor-advisory services, Asia-Pacific at revenue management company IDeaS, the use of dedicated apps for loyalty programmes has allowed hotels to reduce reliance on intermediaries and distribution costs as they build direct connections with their customers and develop personalised marketing strategies.
However, Cinn Tan, chief sales and marketing officer, Pan Pacific Hotels Group (PPHG), emphasised that loyalty programmes cannot neglect those who had booked via a travel agent and the intermediary itself.
She cited Pan Pacific Connections as an example of such an exercise, where meeting planners are rewarded for driving business to PPHG hotels.
On the other hand, an anonymous industry observer has questioned the benefits of such programmes for hotel companies, noting that the acquisition of new, loyal and active members is a “struggle” for many businesses today.
He opined that loyalty programmes, challenged by stiff competition and high cost of acquiring new clients, would be forced to evolve.
“This is why new programme tiers have emerged, like by invitation only, to enhance exclusivity of the programme,” he remarked.


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In order to save money, some corporations will repackage older food into new packaging
and resell it. One public school lunch supplier tried this with moldy apple sauce re-canned and was reprimanded to never try that “stunt” again.
The FDA was contacted by Snokist Growers of Yakima, Washington. This is just one group trying to ensure “reworking” food is not a normal practice.
“I was appalled that there were actually human beings that were OK with this,” said Kantha Shelke, a food scientist and spokeswoman for the Institute of Food Technologists. “This is a case of unsafe food. They are trying to salvage that to make a buck.”
Shockingly, Jay Cole, former federal inspector who works with the FDA Group, says, “Any food can be reconditioned.”
Mislabeled blueberry ice cream mixed with chocolate to avoid waste.
Insect parts discovered in cocoa beans.
Live bugs “left behind” in dried fruits packages.
Or salmonella bacteria found in hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) which is a flavor enhancer used in gravy mix, snack foods, dairy products, spices and soups (just to name a few).
“This is how people do their business,” says Shelke.
The FDA allowed food producers like Basic Food Flavors, Inc (BFF) to recondition their recalled items in 2010 by heat-treating their products to remove salmonella. BFF then reprocessed the food and distributed them for sale to the public.
The FDA justifies this unsafe practice by stating that it reduces water and saves money. Yet this occurs at the expense of public safety and health.


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THE 2016 Ford Explorer is now available in left-hand drive markets in Sub-Saharan Africa, bringing more smart technologies, improved performance and efficiency, as well as greater all-round capabilities to this popular model. As America’s top-selling sports utility vehicle (SUV) for the past 25 years – with more than 7 million sold in the United States alone – the Explorer has a formidable reputation that will reach even greater heights in its updated form. “The Ford Explorer helped define how the world thinks about SUVs,” said Rob Johnston, Regional Manager Sales and Marketing, Ford Customer Services Division for Sub-Saharan Africa. “It is the centrepiece of Ford’s global utility vehicle line-up because it delivers an ideal combination of form and function” he added. Form and function Introduced in 1990 as a 1991 model in the US, Explorer featured generous interior space, customers were looking for, and was engineered specifically for people seeking adventure for their families and a way to express their individuality. For a quarter century, Explorer has reigned as one of America’s best-selling SUVs.
Ford Explorer is built in North America at Chicago Assembly Plant, as well as in Venezuela and Russia, and is sold in markets across the globe. “Customers love Explorer, and they expect it to continue to lead the way in innovation, performance and fun,” said Arie Groeneveld, chief engineer for the new Explorer. “That’s the challenge we embraced when we set out to build the best SUV in the world.” With the latest Explorer, customers will get even more capability, thanks to the introduction of two all-new EcoBoost engines for the 2016 models, delivering unrivalled performance matched to outstanding fuel efficiency. “The new Explorer isn’t giving up its reputation as a leader in highway fuel efficiency – which is especially key for customers who want a vehicle that is also a capable trail warrior,” said Groeneveld.
Also, the Explorer’s intelligent four-wheel drive with Terrain Management System™ reassesses conditions about 20 times faster than the blink of an eye – providing precise handling and traction.


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Ute Sales Soar
Ross Greenwood: I’ve got a slightly odd question for you this morning why do Aussie’s love utes so much?
Because after decades of this – the Holden Commodore being the top-selling car in Australia – well I got to tell you, then this became the top-selling car after that, and that is the Toyota Corolla – the snappy and cost-efficient car.
Then this – the zippy Mazda 3, which coincidentally is the same price that was 20 years ago.
But right now – it’s this the Toyota Hilux.
That’s for nation’s top selling car… look it’s a ute!
And this is the second top-selling car in the country. the Ford Ranger.
Look at that, it’s another ute.
Now don’t get me wrong, a ute has all sorts of very practical applications – like this – if you gathered any ute muster, doing it with a circle, work you definitely need a ute for that.
Tradies, farmers, miners, they all love the Utes to put things in the back of – tools, dogs, surfboards, your loved ones, but I still don’t get it.
In June this year there were 5461 Toyota Hilux’s sold.
In fact, there’s been close on 51,000 Hilux’s sold this year.
In June, the Ford Ranger sold 5051, way outstripping the sale of ford’s traditional sedans.
What’s happening is that we’re buying a lot of vehicles in total.
The latest financial year – 1.79 million vehicles that’s a record of those SUVs at 38% of all sales.
Now some of this might be a good sign for the economy
It could be with the government’s instant asset write-offs, up to $20,000 – a lot of tradies trying to find some way to buy a new vehicle.
It’s also low interest rates and the fact the car companies waged something of a price war on utes and SUVs in June leading up to the end of the financial year.
So if trading and subbies of all sorts are confident enough to go out and buy new vehicles, it could be a pretty good sign for the overall economy.
But let’s get back to what utes were really made for…how good, can I tell you ,is a bit of circle work.
I still don’t see what we’re buying so many of them.
Dollar 76 US cents…Dow Jones down just .1


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Uber’s complaints against France and Germany regarding “restriction of its activities” were submitted to the European Commission in 2015 by then-Commissioner for the Internal Market Elżbiet Bieńkowska, French daily Le Monde reported on Tuesday.
The Guardian: Uber expands through legal contempt and lobbying
Uber has made its expansion in many cities around the world by ignoring the law, defrauding the police, and using violence.
“The American travel company was facing lawsuits at the time, including in France, and the board decided to go on the offensive with a series of complaints about freedom to do business in the EU,” the daily explains. At the time, Uber used all available lobbying and other methods to change regulations in several countries and operated there despite protests from taxi drivers or allegations of violating labor laws.
The Uber scandal was first reported by the Guardian on Sunday. The British newspaper revealed 124 thousand. The leaked documents – dubbed the Uber Files – from 2013-17, when the company was headed by co-founder Travis Kalanick, show the ethically questionable practices of its management, as The Guardian calls it.
The Uber files were published by a British newspaper “Suggest that cases brought by Uber against France, Germany and Spain were partly inspired by the EU Commissioner, Poland’s Elżbieta Bieńkowska (…)”
– writes “Le Monde”.
“Macron Was Uber’s Secret Partner.” Corruption in France
Emmanuel Macron secretly helped Uber when he was economy minister from 2014 to 2016. It follows from this that…
What is Bieńkowska’s role in the case?
“Great meeting with Pienkowska” – wrote Mark McCann, the main Uber lobbyist in Europe, who participated in a meeting of several company representatives in Pienkowska, Kalanica and Brussels in January 2015. In another note describing the same meeting with Bieńkowska, it was written: “It was very positive and constructive. According to him, complaints about violations of internal market regulations are a clear and quick way to achieve our goals,” reports Le Monde.
Uber later filed complaints against France, Germany and Spain, and considered bringing more against Belgium and Italy. Asked by Le Monde for clarification, a spokesperson for the European Commission said the commission did not encourage the American company to file complaints. During the described meeting, ‘Uber representatives mentioned the possibility of bringing a complaint and asked what the commission thought about it. If an institution or organization is concerned that its interests are threatened by national or Community legislation, it is the Commission’s responsibility to inform of possible remedies. But at no point did the commission officials + encourage Uber or any other company to file a complaint,” the spokesperson said.
The Guardian conducted a global investigation into the leaked files on Uber, sharing the data with the editorial offices of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).
. “Hardcore internet junkie. Award-winning bacon ninja. Social media trailblazer. Subtly charming pop culture advocate. Falls down a lot.”


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Google’s Android operating system is still leading the mobile platform charge over Apple and other operating system makers, according to a recent report by Nielsen reflecting Q2 2012 smartphone purchases. All this comes before Apple’s expected release of the next version of the iPhone.
The report starts by stating that two third of new mobile phone buyers are now purchasing smartphones over standard ‘feature’ phones. We’re surprised that this number is so low, we expected it to be much higher. We don’t see too many people walking around with non-smartphones these days, but then again they probably don’t show off their ‘dumb’ phones too much to other people.
Android leads with a majority share of smartphone owners across the U.S., with a 51.8% market share. The Apple iOS is next, with a 34.3% market share, followed by Blackberry with an 8.1% market share. Other mobile operating systems constituted the remaining 5.9%.
Breaking down the operating system details even further, we see that Samsung leads the charge in the Android camp, with a 17% market share, thanks to its recent line of new Galaxy smartphones that it has rolled out to market. HTC and Motorola are closely behind Samsung, with 14% and 11% market share respectively.
Microsoft still trails behind Android, Apple and RIM’s Blackberry platform, with its Windows Mobile and Windows 7 mobile platforms only accounting for 4.3% of smartphone users. Microsoft hopes to see an improved market position with the release of its latest platform, Windows Phone 8.
With Apple and Microsoft releasing new versions of their operating systems over the next 6 months it will be interesting to see how much these consumer trends will change. Samsung and Motorola are soon to debut new Android smartphone handsets this year as well, so that will help to keep Android’s supremacy in the marketplace.
What do you think? Will Apple overtake Android in smartphone market share? Can Microsoft make a significant impression with smartphone users?


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JOHN KERIN. Trump’s latest Farm Bill and Implications for Australia’s Farm Exports.Jul 1, 2019
Trump’s trade policies and reaction to the rebound of them has resulted in another increase of $23b subsidisation on top of the $12b supposedly one-off package last year for US farmers who are ‘collateral damage, as a result of his policies. Put together, this represents two thirds of Australia’s total agricultural output.Do good allies damage Australian farmers like this ?
Prime Minister Morrison’s dinner with President Trump may have given us some assurance that our steel and aluminium exports won’t be hit by any additional, unilateral US action and that we are regarded as a ‘good ally’ and President Trump ‘looks after good allies’. From reports, the PM is saying the most sensible things on general multilateral trade policy and our officials at the WTO are commendably, protesting loudly about the latest US Farm Bill. Farm subsidisation by the agricultural exporting nations was supposed to be on the wane under the WTO. Comparative advantage is no longer seen as an element in the efficient production and trade of farm products and niche manufactures?
What currency does the Australia US Trade Deal, negotiated with the US by the Howard Government, now have as far as agriculture is concerned? Perhaps our beef exports to the US are safe but what of dairy, sugar and horticulture, the latter being two- way. Our wheat, grain and dairy exports (if we have any dairy) will find the going hard if US wheat, grains and dairy products are massively subsidised and inevitably find their way onto world markets.
However, the massive boost to US agricultural subsidisation, in reaction to China’s slackening of agricultural imports from the US, will cause ‘collateral damage’ to us and other agricultural exporting nations. Trump’s transactional approach in trying to drag China’s 200 million poorest down into penury, prevent Mexico from bringing the US economy to its knees (joke) and threatening to obliterate Iran for insulting him, is only more evidence of how unhinged US trade policy (sic) and its authors are becoming. Pulling out of the hard negotiated agreement with Iran on nuclear matters, just because Obama was heavily involved, hardly advanced much. Does Trump understand Persian history and how the US backed Iraq against Iran in supplying pre-cursor chemicals to Saddam, before we all happily invaded Iraq?
It is simply impossible to have exports balance imports nation by nation. The same applies to investment flows because nations are at different stages of development. The digital world we live in, where the major powers are busily hacking each other, and artificial intelligence is being worked on to improve robots, shows how illusory it is to fight trade wars using discriminatory blunt tariffs on the production of goods. The structure of work has changed dramatically and there is little sense in thinking that one country, no matter how powerful, can be dominant in the production of all goods.
The US is moving away from multilateralism. One aspect of this is that somehow the US now wants balanced trade with all its trading partners while at the same setting out to change the WTO, if not wipe it out, to suit the US alone; America has to be made great again at all our expense.
I am no longer au faitwith the detail of trade matters. The WTO established some rules based order on trade matters and I believe the Trade Related Intellectual Property (TRIPs) agreement and Trade Related Investment Measures (TRIMs) particularly suited US interests and enabled negotiations on contentious issues. Trump is not wrong about China and IP, but to use the tariff sledge hammer is going to be very destructive of world trade flows and lower world GDP growth. China’s rise on the 5G network shows it is not lacking in developing its own IP. If the US had invested more in education over the last decades, it would not have fallen behind in the ten technologies it once led the world.
One aspect of economic thinking is that everything is related to everything else and that the human factor always interferes with the theory. The same applies to trade. If you push the balloon in on one side, it bulges on the other. It appears that if Trump is successful in all of his unilateral, one-off, transactional deals and actions, we will have to develop new economic and trade theories and accept the US as theworld hegemon: but China, India, Europe, Japan?. There is a limit to how much you can make the already richest and most powerful country in the world the greatest when there are nearly 200 others.
The real problem I now have with the current US Presidency and administration is that all actions are posed to affect the short term issues of one economic variable as if it doesn’t affect any another variable. For example, Trump is urging the Fed to cut interest rates: taxes have already been cut. This increases asset prices, which boosts the share market and further entrenches the obscene levels of inequality in wealth in the US, without necessarily seeing a proportionate increase in investment.
There will be a long term cost in all this, including to the US environment, and I am no longer sure that the world can be relied upon to hold up the US $ as the world currency when it will be running an enormous budget deficit. As with the Australian economic situation, there is far more to be gained by demand side matters than supply side factors. The problem in both countries is the lack of consumer demand, not high taxes. The ARB agrees.
John Kerin, was once Minister for Trade and Overseas Development 1992-93.


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Many merchants on Reykjavík’s main shopping street are distressed over a recent decision to cut down many of the trees on Laugavegur.
MBL reports that trees along Laugavegur are being cut down, and this has caused no small amount of concern amongst some of the street’s storeowners.
“We are unhappy that trees are being cut down right above our heads, but especially during opening hours,” said Frank Michelsen, owner of the Michelsen watch store.
He asserts the city promised him and other merchants that the trees would not come down until after Christmas, as they can still be used for stringing up lights. The city contends the trees are sick, and need to be removed. Some of the trees removed have been on Laugavegur since it was first revamped about 40 years ago.
“Why couldn’t they wait until after Christmas?,” Frank lamented. “The street looks half toothless like this. We think it’s tragic.”
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Both processors and Agriculture Minister Michael Creed were reluctant to put a figure on export levels.
However, it has been signalled as a “very significant beef market”, particularly with a middle class whose appetite for beef is growing.
After the BSE ban was lifted three years ago, then-Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney signalled that the market could be worth €100m in its infancy.
Which products have been approved and would you expect this to expand?
Initially the approval is for frozen, boneless beef.
However, the Agriculture Minister has signalled that it may be possible to expand the range of products over time.
Processors are eager to get access for on-the-bone beef, plus the valuable ‘fifth quarter’, or offal.
When is the first consignment of beef expected to depart for China?
The department is completing the final technicalities to allow trade to begin in the coming weeks.
The normal transport time for a container shipment to China is about six weeks.
However, the approved plants may have some other technicalities to deal with, which could include the testing requirements.
How many applications for access to the Chinese market were there?
In total there were 25 applications for access to the Chinese market.
What does it mean for the remaining plants that submitted applications?
The first three Irish plants to be approved are the Goodman-owned ABP Clones, in Co Monaghan, Slaney Foods, in Co Wexford, and Foyle Meats, in Co Donegal.
A further five factories were also audited, and work will continue to ensure the approval of ABP Nenagh, Kepak Clonee, Liffey Meats, Dawn Meats Charleville and Kildare Chilling.
The other plants out of the 25 that applied have yet to be audited. The department said that officials will continue to work towards access for all applicants.
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Softengine is proud to accept the SAP Business One North America Marketing Partner of the Year award
- On June 10, 2021
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Earlier this month Softengine was proud to accept the SAP Business One North America Marketing Partner of the Year award, announced at the SAP America Partner Morning Show. In partnership with SAP, recipients of this year’s awards have been helping customers adopt innovative strategies to navigate a complex year of global shutdown.
At the beginning of 2020, many companies were initially downsizing to cope with the strain of a global shutdown. Where some saw loss many saw an opportunity and with that many strategic businesses quickly seized the opportunity to leverage these challenging times to adopt digital strategies that improve infrastructure, sustainability, and resilience. Small and midsize companies turned to SAP Business One to help simplify their operations, increase efficiency, and prepare for an even brighter future.
The marketing team at Softengine was presented a unique opportunity to strengthen our bonds and credibility within the Food & Beverage and Manufacturing industries through relationship development and diversifying our marketing initiatives. Through innovative content, edifying social media updates, and industry and persona-specific outreach, Softengine was able to spread the message that SAP Business One can help businesses run better, both in times of growth and in times of disruption.
“During 2020 we dedicated our time to concentrate on how to connect with our clients and prospects in a genuine way. We wanted to let everyone who would hear that we were there to assist them or simply be an ear to listen. There is no doubt that 2020 rocked global commerce, and as we rang in the new year our phones too began to ring louder than ever. 2021 continues to surprise us with all manner of development and growth within our own organization and our clients.”
Director of Marketing, Ashley Rupp, Softengine
Softengine has proven its marketing success to SAP throughout 2020 with the adoption of these strategies. Within the year 2020, inbound revenue doubled, and website traffic increased by 200%. Beyond this, Softengine’s social media presence has grown exponentially. Softengine’s Facebook platform saw an increase in followers of 243% and Twitter and LinkedIn followings increased by 137% and 16%, respectively. Softengine also created their Instagram account in 2020, expanding social reach to a new platform and allowing for further social media collaboration with industry partners and associations.
Softengine is pleased to accept this honor from SAP and looks forward to continuing to spread the word about SAP Business One throughout 2021 and beyond. Softengine continues to develop content to address industry-specific issues like food waste and supply chain disruption, and how ERP can help businesses overcome these challenges for sustained growth. They have also expanded digital presence and credibility through website optimization, analytics, and more. With the re-opening of the economy and some businesses still reeling from a challenging year, Softengine continues to provide insights into how businesses can leverage SAP Business One to build back better and stronger than before.
Continue to follow our journey:


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With an increase in population comes increased pollution. In densely populated countries, a yellow haze falls over the skies and smog suffocates the air, with outdoor living conditions found to be equivalent to smoking two packets of cigarettes a week.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), seven million premature deaths annually are linked to air pollution. The WHO has stated that “air pollution is now the world’s largest single environmental health risk. Reducing air pollution could save millions of lives.”
With pollution at an all time high, face masks and additional protective wear are starting to emerge and become profitable. Companies like 3M have dedicated their services to respiratory protection and several fashion companies, including Vogmask and Respro, are trailing closely behind with unique designs, colours, and patterns.
Looking to disrupt this space and rival the leading competitors is Swedish startup Airinum. Cofounded by Alexander Hjertström, Fredrik Kempe, Johannes Herrmann, and Mehdi Rejraji, Airinum has released a breathable mask that combines comfort with style. Unlike 3M, whose masks are rather unflattering, Airinum has crafted a mask that looks like Bane of The Dark Knight Rises fame just stepped off the runway.
But don’t be fooled, this new mask design is not just Bane’s latest fashion statement. It comes equipped with a filter, adjustable straps, and stretchable material with different sizes to fit all. The team from Airinum used a three-layer high-tech filter technology that protects against up to 99 percent of viruses, bacteria, allergens and smog.
“Through tests conducted, it’s proven that our masks protect up to six times better than any other similar products, something that we really take pride in,” said Airinum.
Airinum envisions a world where everyone breathes clean air. The idea was based on cofounder Alexander Hjertström’s personal experience and battles with air pollution. On a exchange trip to Ahmedabad in India, Hjertström began to experience asthma symptoms that had not troubled him for years. He saw just how bad air pollution was in India and that wearable masks were either too uncomfortable or not aesthetically pleasing.
Thirteen of the 20 most polluted cities in the world are found in India, causing 620,000 deaths each year. India’s capital city ranks in top place for air pollution, being 10 times higher than the acceptable standards. WHO reports that India has the world’s highest death rate from chronic respiratory disease and asthma than any other nation.
“Today millions of people get problems with asthma, lung cancer and heart diseases, often leading to premature deaths. Thus, it is necessary to create better protection equipment for civil everyday use, so people can protect themselves against the acute health issue that air pollution causes,” said Hjertström.
Airinum has received funding from the Swedish government, business angels and an accelerator program in Stockholm. Their Kickstarter campaign, which launched on November 23, has over 700 backers worldwide.
“With our Kickstarter campaign we aimed to receive funding of 10,000 euros which we did within 24 hours. Currently, we’re on track with funding of over 30,000 euros,” said Hjertström.
Airinum will be the first ever mask that offers a subscription service, giving buyers the option to subscribe to a long-term filter subscription plan. Filters on average will last up to 200 hours before they have to be changed. The masks are planned to have a retail price of 49 euros, which will include the breathing mask, travel pocket, headstrap, and two filters.
The next step for Airinum is to break into the markets where these masks are needed the most. The team is looking to move to Asia next year, where they can be closer to partners and consumers. While social media will play a big role for the team in marketing their product, their future goals are aimed towards addressing air pollution and identifying sustainable solutions.
Hjertström said, “In the future, we are planning to look into ways to address the root cause of air pollution and identify opportunities, through smart tech or working with relevant authorities to reduce air pollution.”
Image: Airinum Team, Source: Supplied


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The impact of the U.S.-China tariff battle will be passed on to U.S. consumers in a form of a $100 billion tax bill, according to a former Obama economic adviser.
“If you want to get into a fight with a cable company, you don’t burnt down the back half of your house as a protest,” Austan Goolsbee said on “Making Money” Tuesday. “If you want to get in a fight with the Chinese about intellectual property, you don’t put a $100 billion tax on the American consumer.”
The Trump administration states that Beijing will bear the brunt of the latest round of tariffs on Chinese goods. Goolsbee argued that the industries most affected by the trade conflict between the two largest economies have nothing to do with the American economy.
“85 to 95 percent of the U.S. economy has nothing to do with China, they're domestic services and those are doing well,” he told FOX Business’ Charles Payne.
Payne asked the economist why the White House should continue not continue its aggressive stance against the trade imbalance with China, a case the Obama administration admitted is worth fighting.
Although Goolsbee agrees that the U.S. shouldn’t allow China to steal American intellectual property, he rather welcome the support of European allies to levy a trade agreement.
“The answer to that is to get some allies together, not to go threatened trade wars against all the allies you need to enforce that,” he said.
In 2017 Trump withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade pact signed in 2016 by the United States and 11 other Pacific Rim countries. The treaty would have governed around 40 percent of all trade covered by World Trade Organization rules and included tariff reductions, strengthened labor and environmental standards, and framework for managing e-commerce, cyber security, intellectual-property rights and data mobility.


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The US tech giant is rolling out a network of digital skills centres across the UK with Sheffield among the first. A former shop in Barker’s Pool has been converted into the Google Digital Garage with computers, superfast broadband and access to free training courses and advice. Sheffield Live! reporter Azz Mohammed spoke to Torsten Schupper, vice president of marketing at Google.
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A shopper went viral on TikTok after attempting to put together a pre-cut watermelon—only to realize that the best part of the fruit was missing.
Stephen Wong (@stephenwong424) posted the video, which showed him attempting to put cubes of pre-cut watermelon back together. In the end, though, Wong expressed disappointment at the final result.
“I bought a box of pre-cut watermelon for $25,” he said. “When I put it together, the sweetest part of the flesh was gone. What kind of sorcery is this?”
@stephenwong424 Be bitterly disappointed！#repost #viral #fyp #trending #watermelon ♬ original sound – Play Master
Indeed, Wong doubled down on his frustration in the accompanying video caption. “Be bitterly disappointed,” he wrote.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Wong via Instagram direct message. As of Wednesday morning, his video had over 708,600 views. In the comments, however, many users criticized him for wasting time and money on the pre-cut fruit.
“YOU COULD BUY LIKE 6 WATERMELONS FOR THAT PRICE,” one viewer said.
“I can get a watermelon for $7 at my local farmer’s market,” another wrote.
“had time to put it together but not cut your own water melon,” a third user noted.
“that’s what you get for paying that much for watermelon,” a fourth viewer said.
Some grocery store workers even speculated as to why the “sweetest part” of the fruit might be missing. One viewer, who said they had a job cutting produce for years, said that it was likely tossed out. Another suggested that an employee tasted it for quality purposes.
“I used to work at a grocery store that cut watermelon and I can tell you, I ate it every time,” one worker shared. “Sorry, I was hungry.”
“They took a bite lol,” another added.
“Its food tax the person who cut it probably ate it,” a third user said. “I know I would.”


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First Samsung Galaxy S6 Concept Image Shows Off Aluminium, Rubberized Body
By Kristin Dian Mariano | March 20, 2014 5:48 PM EST
It has not been long since Samsung unveiled its new flagship phone, Galaxy S5, but a concept image for its successor already emerged online.
The Samsung Galaxy S6 concept image was created by HS Design. According to Concept Phones, Samsung Galaxy S6 packed a casing made out of a combination of aluminium and rubber matte plastic. The plastic surrounded the edges, which is not bad. The edges were not so rounded.
The handset also packed a 5-inch screen display with 2K pixel resolution. Under the hood, the device will have a 4GB of RAM. At the back, the device will be equipped with 21 megapixel camera and a secondary 6 MP front facing camera for videocalls and iris scanner. The handset will be supplemented with 4,000 mAh battery.
Meanwhile, India Times reported that Samsung Galaxy S5's availability may be delayed due to production glitches. There were issues on the fitting of the lenses as the handset packed a new ISOCELL lens which comes with six elements which need to fit one on top of the other. The problem lied on the thinness of the device as it was not altered. Unfortunately, the thinness of the lens cannot be changed as even a slight alteration in the thinness may affect the quality of the photos. Also, one of Samsung's PCB manufacturing plants caught fire that affected the company's productivity.
Samsung Galaxy S5 comes with new features such as fingerprint and heart sensors and the latest Android 4.4.2 Kitkat OS. The device also packed the 64-bit quad core processor from Qualcomm clocked at 2.5 GHz. Moreover, the handset will pack a separate Adreno 330 graphics processor. However, to the dismay of many Samsung fans, the handset did not pack the rumoured metal casing and retained its plastic body. Samsung Galaxy S5 was set to roll out in more than 150 countries on April 11. However, the device may be delayed.
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McLaren Hints at 'Game Changing' Future Cars as New Production Center Opens
McLaren will now be able to produce the MP4-12C supercar more rapidly, thanks to the opening of the new McLaren Production Center (MPC). Located adjacent to the company's Technology Center, the opening of the MPC was celebrated by a visit from U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron.
The new facility will give McLaren much more capacity to build the new supercar. At full tilt, the MPC will be able to build a new MP4-12C in just five days, with a new car starting production every 45 minutes. The futuristic-looking new building is connected to the McLaren Technology Center by a 328-foot tunnel. In addition to that home-turf update, McLaren plans to open 35 new dealerships around the world.
While that's interesting news in itself, we are more intrigued by details tucked into the recesses of McLaren's press release. The company confirmed that it will be launching "game-changing high performance cars" that will propel annual vehicle production to 4500 units by 2014. For McLaren to reach production of 4500 cars per year, the company would need to drastically speed up its assembly process: only about 500 examples of the MP4-12C are expected to be produced each year.
Rumors suggest the next McLaren supercar (known by the nickname "Mega Mac") will produce 799 hp thanks to a 5.0-liter V-8 engine developed in partnership with Ricardo. Straight-line performance estimates are a 2.9-second sprint to 60 mph, and a 0-to-100-mph run of just 5.5 seconds. That car is rumored to arrive by 2014 -- which, coincidentally, is when McLaren says it vehicle production will be ramped up. McLaren previously told us it would launch a convertible and a hybrid variant of the MP4-12C, as well as the aforementioned McLaren F1-successor supercar.
For more on the new McLaren Production Center, check out the two videos below.
Source: McLaren Automotive


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At least one Blockbuster store in Broward County is among several South Florida locations that are being liquidated by the financially beleaguered movie rental chain.
In an e-mail Friday, a Blockbuster spokesperson confirmed that a liquidation sale was under way at the Deerfield Beach store at 1379 S. Military Trail, which is expected to close by mid-March.
At least seven other Broward Blockbuster stores are expected to close by mid-April, but as of Friday they were still renting, the spokesperson said.
On Monday, Blockbuster announced it had agreed to sell its assets to a stalking horse bidder for $290 million and as part of that deal, some 609 stores would be liquidated companywide.
asatchell@Tribune.com or 954-356-4209


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Housebuilder Barratt Developments has said it is optimistic after seeing a rise in visitor and reservation numbers since the start of the year.
More people are looking round Barratt homes
Its comments came as it reported a 10.2% increase in profits to £194.6m for the half-year to 31 December.
Barratt said trading had been tough, with the squeeze on the availability and cost of mortgages hitting sales.
The firm said that as of 17 February, forward sales stood at at £1.61bn, down 7% from the same point last year.
"Visitor and reservation levels continue to improve and we remain optimistic that this will continue throught the balance of the spring selling season," said Mark Clare, Barratt's group chief executive.
On Tuesday, rival housebuilder Persimmon said it had also seen an increase in the number of visitors to its show homes in 2008, although it added that converting these visits to sales "remained challenging".