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Sales of new American-made cars and light trucks fell 11.7 percent in the second 10 days of December from the comparable period a year ago, the eight domestic manufacturers reported today.
Car sales were down 17.7 percent, while sales of light trucks rose 1 percent from the period a year ago.
But analysts said the sales were strong and that the year-to-year comparison was misleading, because last year's sales were greatly inflated by the effects of the impending change in the tax law. Many buyers rushed to complete purchases by year-end in order to be take advantage of the deductibility of sales tax, which was ended last Jan. 1 by the new tax law. Sales Projection for '87
Analysts said domestic cars, for example, sold at a 7.6 million annual rate in mid-December, well under the 9.1 million rate of a year ago but only slightly behind the 7.7 million rate that prevailed in late November and early December of this year. And the current rate outperformed the 7.1 million actual sales that are projected for 1987.
In the Dec. 11-20 period, cars sold at an average rate of 19,273 a day, light trucks at a rate of 11,249 a day, for a total of 30,522 a day. Daily selling rates were used for comparisons because the Dec. 11-20 period this year had eight business days while last year's period had nine selling days.Continue reading the main story
''The fact that we've had three periods in a row that were stronger than anyone expected has got to be good,'' said Jack V. Kirnan, an auto analyst with Kidder, Peabody & Company. ''My feeling is that we may be seeing a fundamental strengthening in the marketplace due to the increase in employment in manufacturing. Plus, manufacturing employees are more likely than service-sector employees to buy a domestic car: They have more loyalty.''
Among the Big Three manufacturers, the General Motors Corporation took 49.3 percent of the market for cars and light trucks, up 2.4 percentage points from a year ago; it was the only company to show an increase over last year's truck sales. The Ford Motor Company had a 27.4 percent share, down 3.9 percentage points, and the Chrysler Corporation had a 17.3 percent share, up 1.8 percentage points.
Paul Kleinaitis, an auto analyst with Duff & Phelps in Chicago, said G.M. trucks were picking up share because of the success of the maker's CK full-size pickup, which he called the best on the market, and because G.M.'s trucks performed rather weakly this time last year. But he said the company's cars were not as promising. 'They've Got Some Dogs'
''The G.M.-10 cars are a great product, but they've got some dogs, and I think they'll lose about a percentage point of share next year,'' Mr. Kleinaistis said. The first of the G.M.-10 cars, the new Buick Regal, was introduced this fall with a completely new body design.
General Motors sold an average of 15,040 domestic cars and light trucks a day, down 7.1 percent from last year. The daily rate for cars was 9,896, down 16 percent; that for trucks was 5,144, up 16.4 percent.
Ford averaged 8,367 domestic passenger vehicle sales a day, down 22.6 percent from a year ago; cars averaged 4,977 a day, down 28.4 percent, and light trucks averaged 3,391 a day, down 12.3 percent. Chrysler Sales Dip
Chrysler's passenger-vehicle selling rate averaged 5,282 a day, down 1.1 percent from the combined rate a year ago for Chrysler and the American Motors Corporation, which it acquired in August. Chrysler's cars sold at 2,801 a day, down 15.1 percent. The company's trucks sold at 2,481 a day, down 3.3 percent.
Among the foreign-owned American manufacturers, Honda of America sold 1,088 cars a day, up 34.1 percent. The Nissan Motor Company sold 152 cars a day, down 50 percent, and 234 light trucks a day, down 18.5 percent. Toyota sold 213 cars a day, more than double last year's sales. Volkswagen of America sold 117 cars a day, down 28.3 percent. The Mazda Motor Manufacturing Corporation, which started production only recently, sold an average of 30 cars a day in mid-December; it sold no cars in the comparable period last year.Continue reading the main story


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D-Link, one of the key players in IP Surveillance domain in India, announced the launch of D-Link CCTV products including Analog HD Camera, DVR, DVR Enclosure, and CCTV Cable box.
The India CCTV Camera market is expected to grow at a CAGR of about 27.16 percent during 2016 to 2021, according to India CCTV Camera Market Overview.
D-Link with its extensive range of end to end CCTV solution is set to address the growing demand of customers pan India.
Recently, Videocon Telecom announced the entry into Surveillance market in India.
“We continue to lead the market with our Wireless and Switching solution, along with end-to-end network offering. CCTV is a natural extension to our existing surveillance product portfolio,” said Tushar Sighat, executive director and CEO.
D-Link with its CCTV Analog HD is set to address the growing demand from residential, SOHO, SME, banking, hospitality and other commercial establishments.
“We look forward to leveraging on our distribution network and at the same time also expand our reach across the country,” said Sanket Kulkarni, VP – Channel Sales (India & SAARC), D-Link (India).
D-Link said its CCTV Analog HD camera and DVR solution are suited for both indoor as well as outdoor application, with cameras starting from 1MP and going up to 4MP resolution.
D-Link has a range of Dome, Bullet and PTZ cameras that come with fixed and varifocal lenses to choose from.
D-Link Surveillance portfolio includes high range of thermal cameras that can help detect people, objects and incidents from pitch dark to sunlit and other challenging conditions. D-Link offers free DCMS Software that is capable of viewing up to 64 channels.

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CORE ORGANIC II – Tapping into Europe's organic trend
Organic food production has continued to grow in popularity, partly because it taps into a number of contemporary consumer concerns such as animal welfare and healthy eating. A new project aims to capitalise on this demand by ensuring better research coordination across Europe.
Consumers buy organic food for different reasons – environmental, ethical, health, nutritional, or other perceived benefits. With growing interest in organic food in Europe, the sector needs to find innovative ways to meet consumer demands. Thus more coordinated research is needed at the EU level to boost the organic food industry, which will have positive spin-offs for European consumers, agriculture, competitive markets, sustainable food production, and society in general.
The EU-funded CORE Organic II project was set up to support coordinated transnational research in this fast-changing market. The research team is investigating issues that directly impact consumers, such as whether or not the restricted use of antibiotics in organic animal farming results in safer products with fewer antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
"Organic farming and food production is a small research area compared to conventional production, [but] by transnational collaboration we try to avoid fragmentation and secure efficient use of resources," explains CORE Organic II's coordinator Ulla Bertelsen.
The project builds on the first CORE Organic project, which set out to establish an effective and sustainable transnational research programme. To achieve this, common research priorities have been identified for the organic sector, where a transnational approach gives added value.
Some 11 projects were initiated last year involving dedicated researchers from 20 countries. For example, the innovative SafeOrganic initiative explored whether or not the restricted use of antibiotics in organic animal farming results in safer products with fewer antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
The SafeOrganic study is also analysing if resistant bacteria from conventionally-reared pigs are cross-contaminating organic pig meat during the slaughtering process. The results of this could be useful for the marketing of organic pig production, giving consumers an extra reason to choose organic meat products. In line with this, the project has initiated another initiative, called ProPIG, which focuses on health management in organic herds.
Today's agribusiness sector is more focused on sustainable production, animal welfare, reducing energy dependency and protecting the environment, and these are all factors where organic production can have a positive impact.
CORE Organic II will help Europe to reinforce its leading position in organic research and boost the wider impact of this research on the agricultural sector. Indeed, strong, sustainable collaboration on a series of research projects has the potential to benefit numerous European countries.
Research results from the project are already being implemented by organic farmers, and its work fosters cross-border knowledge-sharing. Danish farmers, for example, have better access to the research results from Northern Germany, thanks to the project's efforts. According to Bertelsen, the project partners are currently discussing how best to further facilitate this knowledge exchange, for example by extending the use of the open access database 'Organic Eprints'.
"Looking at research needs and funding in a transnational European context like this is in itself a lasting idea," says Bertelsen, one that continues to build momentum in line with Europe's growing interest in organic farming.
Participants: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Italy, Spain, France, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Slovenia, Finland, Sweden, Turkey, UK


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Motorists seek more green cars
Environmental considerations are driving more motorists to seek green alternatives when considering a new car, it was revealed.
Three in four buyers would look for a vehicle with low carbon dioxide emissions when making their next purchase, a survey for the Newspaper Marketing Agency (NMA) found.
Two in three of the 2,665 people polled would change their choice of car to reduce their emissions, while 51% were prepared to pay more for low-emission technology.
The survey found that Honda and Toyota were the companies with the best reputation for "doing something" to reduce the impact of cars on the environment. Both scored almost three times as many positive mentions as their closest rivals, Lexus and Ford.
The poll also revealed that the only issue that mattered more than environmental impact when choosing a car was fuel efficiency. More than four out of five (83%) agreed that fuel economy was more important than high performance.
However, many consumers remain confused by the jargon of greener living. More than a quarter of respondents had only a vague, or no, idea of what their carbon footprint was.
Around 20% did not understand the term "greenhouse gases", and a similar number were confused by "fuel efficient" and "CO2 emissions".
NMA chief executive Maureen Duffy, chief executive of the NMA, said: "Car buyers are clearly concerned by the threat of global warming, and are changing their purchasing choices accordingly.
"But there is confusion about the meaning of the terms being used, especially among women and younger buyers, who are the most interested in making greener choices. Car advertising needs to engage better with consumers to help them to understand the choices they clearly want to make."
Source: Press Association
Article Date: 30 September 2008
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Home Tags HitPaw Photo Enhancer
Tag: HitPaw Photo Enhancer
eNewsChannels NEWS: -- HitPaw, a leading provider of cutting-edge digital solutions, is thrilled to announce the release of the latest HitPaw Photo Enhancer, packed with innovative features to elevate the image editing experience.
HitPaw Photo Enhancer v2.2.0 Announced with New Features Providing More Control and Advanced Enhancements for Your Photos
eNewsChannels NEWS: -- HitPaw, a leading software company, has announced the release of HitPaw Photo Enhancer v2.2.0, which includes a range of new features designed to take your photo editing experience to the next level. In this update, it provides more control and advanced enhancements for our users.
HitPaw Photo Enhancer New Version v2.1.0 Released, Adds Enhancing Features for Portraits and Boost Processing Efficiency
eNewsChannels NEWS: -- HitPaw, the leading provider of innovative digital solutions, announced the launch of its latest update v2.1.0 of HitPaw Photo Enhancer with new features that streamline the image processing experience for photographers and enthusiasts.
eNewsChannels NEWS: -- HitPaw has released HitPaw Photo Enhancer V2.0.0 that has been improved with advanced AI algorithm to make the photo enhancing as simple as possible. This is to suit people's higher-level demands of enhancing blurred&pixelated photographs, or even repair the old portrait photos. All the attributes of a image, such as sharpness, contrast, exposures, and resolutions, can be automatically adjusted by the powerful Artificial Intelligence.
eNewsChannels NEWS: -- To meet people's needs of fixing their blurred and pixelated images, HitPaw has proudly announced that HitPaw Photo Enhancer has been updated with powerful features making photo editing as easy as possible. HitPaw Photo Enhancer is enabled with Artificial Intelligence (AI) which can help users to adjust an image's sharpness, contrast, exposure and resolutions. With a user-friendly User Interface (UI), people can master how to use HitPaw Photo Enhancer without external guidance.
eNewsChannels NEWS: -- Tenorshare and HitPaw have recently announced that the two companies are celebrating the coming summer with amazing giveaways. Tenorshare will offer many kinds of promotional activities, including giveaways, $5 Coupons, 70% Discount Deals, and Free Gifts.


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Author: Stepan Vorobiev, www.goldenfront.ru – First Russian gold investment portal, contacts: firstname.lastname@example.org
According to the report released on 20th of October, The Central Bank of Russia’s gold reserves stood at 756 tons at the end of September, having grown by hefty 21.8 tons in one month.
Since the year’s beginning CBR’s gold reserves increased by 118.5 tons or 19% with the share of gold in overall reserves growing from 5.1% to 6.5%.
Thus September became not only42st month in a row of the epic Russian gold buying spree which began in April 2007 (see graph 1), but also one of the three months of 2010 with most active buying of yellow metal.
Total growth of Russia’s gold stash over the first three quarters of 2010 exceeded that of the same period of last year by 66%.CBR added more gold to its reserves in the first three quarters of the year 2010 than in the entire year 2009 when it bought the total of 117.6 tons.Not much will change till the end of year therefore we can congratulate CBR with a new yearly gold buying record of at least the last decade.


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The new and desirable North Hall location at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) is quickly filling up with exhibiting companies for the 2016 American International Motorcycle Expo (AIMExpo), returning to Orlando this October 13-16. The growing list of powersports companies showcasing new products has now surpassed 300, anchored by commitments from nine OEMs and leading aftermarket companies.
The much requested relocation of the show floor to the OCCC’s North Hall will provide direct proximity to the popular demo ride component of the AIMExpo platform, ensuring easy access for dealers and consumer attendees. AIMExpo Outdoors! will again feature both street and off-road riding experiences from a wide variety of OEMs.
The nine manufacturers that have already reserved exhibit space at AIMExpo 2016 are BMW, Can-Am/BRP, HiSUN, Honda, Kawasaki, KYMCO, SSR/Benelli, Suzuki, and Yamaha. Founding OEM exhibitors KYMCO, Suzuki and Yamaha have continually invested in AIMExpo since the inaugural event in 2013, with Suzuki returning for the second of a two-year commitment announced prior to the 2015 show.
“To already have over 300 new and returning exhibitors affirming their investment and commitment to the industry-unifying platform that serves dealers, consumers and media is gratifying and a positive sign for the powersports industry,” said Larry Little, Vice President & General Manager, MIC Events. “With nine OEM’s already signed up, AIMExpo 2016 is sure to include the highest volume of new product introductions ever and a clear indicator of the many synergies as an integral part of the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC).”
Complementing the new product launches, hundreds of exhibitors on the show floor and expansive demo space outdoors, AIMExpo attendees will have the opportunity to connect with others throughout the industry at numerous networking events, while dealer attendees can take advantage of curriculum in seminars presented during the two trade days of AIMExpo, October 13 – 14.
For more information: AIMExpoUSA.com


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A limited number of tickets to the 2009 State Farm Arch Rivalry football game between Missouri and Illinois will be available for purchase on Friday, July 24. The Tigers and Illini will meet at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis on Sept. 5, with kickoff set for 2:40 p.m.
The tickets will go on sale at 6 p.m. on Friday online only at mutigers.com . Beginning Monday, July 27 at 8 a.m., any remaining tickets will be available for purchase by calling 1-800-CAT PAWS (884-PAWS in mid-Missouri) or in person at the Mizzou Arena Ticket Office.
Mizzou students can purchase tickets in specific student sections beginning at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, July 21. Student orders will only be accepted via phone or in person at the Mizzou Arena Ticket Office. Students must have already purchased their Student Season Ticket Combo in order to be eligible to purchase tickets to the Illinois game.
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Europe takes bold step on deflation
The European Central Bank, in a bid to boost the economy, cut interest rates to a new record low Thursday and started charging banks that use it to park cash.
Worried that very low inflation could snuff out Europe’s weak recovery and tip the economy into a downward spiral, the ECB cut its main interest rate to 0.15% from 0.25%.
It also took a step into the unknown by cutting its deposit rate from zero into negative territory.
That has the effect of charging banks for deposits they stash with the ECB, in theory providing an incentive to lend the money to firms and consumers instead.
It said further “monetary policy measures” would be announced after a news conference due to begin at 8.30 a.m. ET.
ECB President Mario Draghi and other officials have spent the past month talking up the likelihood of action, and both interest rate moves were widely expected.
The euro has fallen 2% against the dollar as a result, bringing some relief to European exporters and potentially easing the downward pressure on prices by making imports more expensive.
The euro fell slightly after Thursday’s announcement.
The additional measures could include new cheap, long term loans to banks, possibly with the explicit aim of boosting lending to the thousands of small businesses that form the backbone of the European economy and lack access to other sources of finance.
But most economists expect the ECB to stop short of a full-blown Fed-style bond-buying program, although Draghi may well stress that this remains an option should conditions deteriorate still further.
Consumer prices rose by just 0.5% in the eurozone in May. The ECB targets inflation of just below 2% over the medium term, but its own forecasts show that level won’t be reached through 2016.
Very low inflation can be as damaging to an economy as excessive price increases.
If households and businesses expect inflation to stay depressed for a long period, they may postpone spending and investment, triggering a downward spiral and raising the risk of outright deflation.
It also makes it harder for countries to pay off debts, and forces weak European economies to make real cuts to wages to compete with countries like Germany.


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Chinese tech company decides not to sell or transfer code behind the popular video-sharing app, source says
Decision comes in final countdown to Trump’s deadline for sale of American operations
ByteDance, the Beijing-based parent company of TikTok, will not sell or transfer the algorithm behind the popular video-sharing app in any sale or divestment deal, according to a source briefed on the Chinese company’s boardroom discussions.With a looming US deadline for ByteDance to sell TikTok’s US operations, the source said: “The car can be sold, but not the engine.”
“The company [ByteDance] will not hand out source code to any US buyer, but the technology team of TikTok in the US can develop a new algorithm,” the source told the South China Morning Post. The source, who did not want to be identified, said ByteDance had notified US authorities and potential bidders of the decision.
If US President Donald Trump rejected the condition, there would be no possibility of selling TikTok and the app could turn dark for its American users after the Tuesday deadline for divestment, the source said.
The Trump administration has given ByteDance until September 15 to sell TikTok’s US operations or be shut down in the United States.
The source said the “no algorithm” condition was now the bottom line for any discussions of sales or restructure of TikTok, following the introduction of new Chinese government export controls.
The Chinese government updated its technology export control list two weeks ago, requiring official permission for technologies such as TikTok’s algorithm to be sent offshore. ByteDance said it would strictly comply with the Chinese regulation.
There is some support in Beijing for excluding the algorithm from the TikTok sale. A government source, who is involved in regulating ByteDance but not directly involved in technology export controls, told the Post earlier this month that “ByteDance can sell all of TikTok but the algorithms”.
The exclusion of the algorithm would also force potential buyers – including a consortium led by Microsoft – to reconsider purchase plans and valuations.
A source familiar with the technology said ByteDance used the same source code for TikTok in all countries, with modifications for different markets.
“In theory, the US team can copy the algorithm, but it takes time for users to get used to the copied algorithm,” the source said. “With competition among similar apps heating up, it would be hard to catch up if you needed extra time [to make the algorithm work well].”
Trump said last week that he would not extend his September 15 deadline.
“We’ll either close up TikTok in this country for security reasons, or it will be sold,” he said on Thursday. “There will be no extension of the TikTok deadline.”
TikTok has filed a lawsuit against the US government over the order.
With its new export control rules, China is showing that it can influence the outcome of this deal in this case – and others like it.
Any Chinese seller of sensitive technologies such as the push of personalised information based on data analysis has to apply to a provincial level commerce authority, which would have up to 30 working days to approve the deal. If the outline of the deal were approved, the firm could start “substantive negotiations” with potential importers of the restricted technologies.
The firm would then have to submit any contract for review to the commerce authority, which would have 15 working days to make a decision. If approved, a technology export licence certificate would be issued.
The approval process could be shorter because local governments have been working to streamline procedures. It would take 19 working days to obtain an export licence certificate in Beijing after the required documents are filed, according to the municipal commerce bureau.
On Friday, Yan Ligang, head of the Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau, declined to say whether his bureau had received any application from ByteDance about TikTok-related technology exports.
source – south china morning post


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Amazon has unveiled images of The Helix, a LEED Platinum-targeted, spiraling tower that will serve as the centerpiece building for the Amazon HQ2 in Arlington, Virginia. Like The Spheres, Amazon’s first headquarters in Seattle, the new building takes inspiration from biophilia with a form that mimics the shape and beauty of a double helix. Designed by international architecture firm NBBJ, the 350-foot-tall building — dubbed The Helix — will run entirely on renewable energy sourced from a solar farm in southern Virginia that will be used to power an all-electric central heating and cooling system.
Located in Arlington’s Crystal City, the Amazon HQ2 is a planned corporate headquarters and expansion of the company’s existing Seattle headquarters and is expected to consolidate 2.8 million square feet of offices, public gathering areas and street-front retail distributed across three 22-story buildings. The recently unveiled Helix building is part of Amazon’s recently submitted development proposal for HQ2’s second phase of new construction. All new buildings are designed to meet LEED Platinum standards.
Described by the tech giant as “an alternative workplace integrating work with nature,” The Helix prioritizes healthy work environments with its indoor-outdoor design that includes a pair of spiraling, fresh-air “hill climbs.” The unique building will be open to the public on select weekends every month.
In addition to the LEED Platinum-targeted office buildings, Amazon HQ2’s second phase also calls for 2.5 acres of public space with a dog run as well as an outdoor amphitheater that seats over 200 people; three retail pavilions that comprise 100,000 square feet of new space for restaurants, shops and plentiful outdoor seating; and a dedicated 20,000-square-foot community space that can support educational initiatives and an artist-in-residence program. All vehicular access will be tucked underground wherever possible to prioritize pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly paths.
Images via NBBJ


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Honda Exec: Nissan Inflates Monthly Numbers with Fleet Sales
Automakers take sales very seriously, so it's no wonder that a few feathers get ruffled every so often from all of the competition to be on top. Honda exec John Mendel had quite a mouthful to say about Nissan's sales strategy to reporters on the showroom floor of the New York auto show, calling "bulls---" on the brand's fellow Japanese automaker.
"I don't really give a damn about Nissan. I really don't," said Honda's executive president of automobile operations at a roundtable with reporters during the New York show. "I'm really tired of going to their press conferences and hearing Honda 15 times. I'm flattered but they don't do the business we do. They want to juice their business by 28 to 30 percent fleet every month. That's their business but then don't compare it to individual customers who pay their own money for individual cars."
In the past, Honda has limited fleet sales in favor of retail sales. The automaker said its Honda Division sold 111,623 vehicles in the U.S. last month. Meanwhile, Nissan reported selling 132,560 units in its Nissan Division for its "second-best-ever U.S. sales month."
Regarding Nissan's fleet sales, Mendel added, "They can do that. I don't care. But then don't come up and rattle the cage and say, 'Hey we're number one selling.' Bulls---."
The exec also suggested that other companies have approached Honda about rental fleet sales to increase numbers. "They have a whole systematic group of people who go into the dealers on the 20th of the month based on what Nissan needs to beat Honda and forces the dealer to put an additional 10 or 15 rental cars in service," he said.
Meanwhile, Nissan has crafted a response to Honda's claims. "The wide majority of our growth has been due to retail sales gains, not fleet," Nissan spokesman David Reuter told The Detroit News. "In calendar year 2014 our incentive spend was down 10 percent and we remain significantly below the industry average for incentive spending." He said Nissan increased its retail volume by more than 100,000 units last year, and fleet sales represented less than 17 percent of total sales for Nissan.
Source: The Detroit News


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[August 15, 2014]
Insurgent Huawei takes on costlier smartphone rivals [Bangkok Post, Thailand :: ]
(Bangkok Post (Thailand) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Aug. 15--Huawei Technologies is counting on strategic pricing to boost its share of the hyper-competitive local smartphone market, aiming to become one of Thailand's top three vendors by 2015.
The Chinese maker of telecom equipment emerged as the world's third-biggest smartphone player last year, trailing South Korea's Samsung and US-based Apple.
Huawei expects to sell at least 100 million smartphones globally this year, including at least 500,000 units in Thailand.
To be No.3 in the Thai market, Huawei must overcome Samart i-Mobile, Lenovo and Asus.
Michael Wang, channel director for Huawei Technologies (Thailand), said the company is seeking to increase its share of the local smartphone market to 5% this year from 1% in 2013.
Huawei sold 200,000 smartphones in the first half of the year, good for a 2% share in Thailand.
"We expect to sell 500,000 units this year, rising to the number five spot in the local smartphone market," Mr Wang said.
The average selling price for Huawei's smartphones is 20% lower than those of Samsung and Apple phones, but the company touts similar or even greater functionality.
"Our focused phone prices will range from 5,000 to 15,000 baht," Mr Wang said.
Based on a report from GFK Retail Technology (Thailand), smartphone sales in Thailand are expected to reach 11 million units for a market value of 100 billion baht this year, up 18% from 2013.
To achieve its target, Huawei is spending US$6 million on brand awareness, advertising and marketing, as well as building its own retail shops.
Mr Wang acknowledged that Huawei is facing intense competition from established phone makers. The company is increasing its focus on research and development, handset designs and competitive pricing.
Thailand is the company's second-biggest market in Southeast Asia behind Indonesia.
Huawei is introducing two smartphone models and two tablets with features it says should set them apart from rivals.
The highlight is the Honor 3X model equipped with a 5.5-inch display and powered by an octa-core processor.
The phone, priced at 9,990 baht, will compete directly with Samsung's Galaxy Note 3 and S5.
___ (c)2014 the Bangkok Post (Bangkok, Thailand) Visit the Bangkok Post (Bangkok, Thailand) at www.bangkokpost.com Distributed by MCT Information Services
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Dahua Technology has just released its 2017 annual report, which shows substantial growth in the past year as well as a promising outlook. According to this report, Dahua’s revenues reached RMB 18.84 billion in 2017, indicating a year-on-year growth of 41.38%. Meanwhile, the net profit attributable to shareholders of the company amounted to RMB 2.37 billion, indicating a year-on-year growth of 30.33%.
Dahua reports that the continuous strong growth results from core competencies:
First, Dahua continues with its high investment into core technologies and strong innovative capability. In 2017, Dahua invested RMB 1.789 billion (accounting for a YOY increase of 25.55% and 9.49% of this year’s total revenue) in R&D, which allowed the company to keep the leading position in core new technologies such as AI, big data, cloud computing and chipsets. Dahua’s strong innovative capability to develop and commercialise these cutting edge technologies, while leading and reshaping the industry, also creates new opportunities for growth of the company with various new applications and solutions.
Secondly, there are comprehensive solutions based on the company’s deep insight into customer needs. Driven by these needs, Dahua has transformed itself into a provider of comprehensive solutions now widely applied in smart cities, public transportation, intelligent buildings, finance, energy, manufacturing, education, communication, etc., as well as SMB owners and individual consumers. Compared to selling products alone, providing solutions brings higher gross margin and higher loyalty to the company, which in turn gains deeper insight from big data and develop accordingly new service modes supported by advanced technologies.
Third, the growth of the global sales system and burgeoning overseas markets: in 2017 overseas revenues reached RMB 6,807,205,320.54 (accounting for 36.12% of the total revenue and an increase of 34.64% year-on-year). By the end of 2017, Dahua products and solutions have been serving customers in more than 180 countries and territories and Dahua has set up 42 subsidiaries and representative offices. Nearly 2,000 employees now work overseas for Dahua’s technical and sales teams, directly meeting the needs of high and middle end local markets. With international sales and management teams maturing and localised sales and service centres being established, Dahua expects to gain a larger share of overseas markets.
Finally, due to an efficient cross culture management system based on what the company calls a “fighter spirit”, on the path to globalisation, Dahua has developed an efficient cross culture management system which aims to fully respect different customs and practices of different countries and peoples and has formed competent localised teams on the basis of mutual respect


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New survey shows inadequate light a source of daily annoyances and embarrassing fashion faux pas and provides information on light bulbs
When it comes to their homes, consumers have some definite pet peeves, many of which are a result of poor quality or limited lighting. According to a recent GE Lighting Reveal™ Survey*, those queried have lighting concerns ranging from bedrooms too dark for reading, to difficulty seeing to cut or chop food in the kitchen, to leaving home wearing mismatched clothing.
Closets Top The List
Cluttered toys and dust bunnies are not the biggest worries for today’s consumer. According to the survey, unsatisfactory closets top the log of household annoyances – and inadequate lighting in their closets is resulting in embarrassing fashion situations. In fact, more than 60 percent indicated that they find it difficult to distinguish between black and navy clothes due to insufficient lighting in the closet. And, of those Americans who walk out of the home wearing mismatched socks, 86 percent say poor lighting is to blame.
To that end, nearly 90 percent of women and more than 80 percent of men say they would like a “closet makeover,” with 84 percent saying they find the idea of a brighter, more space-efficient closet appealing.
"Sometimes people do not realize how valuable proper lighting can be for different areas of their home,” says Mary Beth Gotti, manager of GE’s Lighting Institute. “Now more than ever, it’s easy to make a room and the items it contains – even a space as small as a closet appear more vivid and vibrant in color with a simple change of light bulb."
The GE Reveal™ light bulb filters out yellow rays common in ordinary light bulbs, providing truer, purer, crisper light for the home. In focus group research, consumers preferred GE Reveal bulbs, citing the “crisper” nature of the light, making it ideal for overall room lighting and spaces like closets where it is important to be able to discern between colors and fabrics. In fact, Reveal bulbs makes colors “pop” in way they don’t with ordinary light bulbs.
It may be difficult to tell what’s cooking in our kitchens, according to those surveyed, who say they don’t have enough light in their kitchens. Along with lack of counter or cupboard space (70 percent), inadequate kitchen lighting (34 percent) scores high on the list of top kitchen vexations. Consumers say insufficient lighting in the kitchen can be the cause of numerous issues such as hassles in reading recipes, difficulty seeing to chop or cut food, and overall food discoloration.
Simple Solution To A Dark Problem
One out of two people surveyed said one of their greatest household grievances is the lack of lighting. Sixty percent also acknowledge – at least when it comes to the bedroom – one of the simplest ways to update or create a new look is to add attractive new lighting.
“We’re seeing a surge of stylish lamps – both modern and retro – dominating the market, and when used in a variety of styles, colors and designs, they can help consumers bring a needed element of harmony to their homes,” adds Gotti.
One of the General Electric Company’s (NYSE:GE) major businesses, GE Lighting is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. A leader in lighting technology, manufacturing and marketing in the global lighting industry, GE Lighting has operations in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. Today, the company manufactures approximately 7,000 various lamp products for commercial, industrial and consumer markets.
For additional light bulb news; led bulbs
, or to choose from a variety of related products, please select the link above.
Mark Harris contributes and publishes news editorial to http://www.discount-light-bulbs.com.
Find online lightbulbs like Halogen, Projector, Tanning Bed, Fluorescent, Automotive and much more.


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As the FDA is continuing and updating new documentation requirements for goods imported from Tianjin, China’s economic reports and airport backlogs are causing concerns.
The current economic downturn in China is lowering the domestic demand for foreign goods and services. As a result, lower commodity prices are making products cheaper to import, and there are no indications that this trend will change shortly, especially with a looming rate hike from the Federal Reserve.
For the fourth consecutive month, exports fell, and imports decreased for the twelfth straight month. Imports fell 19 percent in U.S. dollar terms. In contrast to October 2014, exports declined by 7 percent, and shipment values dipped 3.5 percent.
If China’s economic reports were not troubling enough, now the country is the leading cause of backlogs at several Asian Airports. Restrictions on the capacity to and from China coupled with heightened air freight demand from Asia to the Americas and Europe is the root of the backlogs at these airports. The conversion of ocean shipments to air freight to meet holiday orders is another reason for the backlogs.
Capacity is struggling to meet all the demand from the increased factory output following the Chinese National holiday. As a result, destinations outside China in Taiwan and South Korea along with origins such as Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Chongqing, Chengdu, Tianjin, and Guangzhou, are feeling the pressure from higher levels of demand for available capacity. Additionally, the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration implemented restrictions on airports in Shanghai, Tianjin and Shenyang and there are no new flights or lanes to replace to address these changes.
However, there are signs that things could get worse for importers of Chinese goods because these backlogs have the potential to spiral out of control as the pre-Christmas rush approaches. A new ban on ad hoc licenses for air charters at the origins mentioned above may cause congestion and chaos for shippers.
For example, ad hoc charters from Shanghai are not being issued traffic rights until the start of December. This news is troubling because shippers are not only dealing with the usual pre-Christmas demand for electronic goods, but they also see a sudden surge in demand for launches of various hi-tech products, such as the iPad Pro.
Charters are in frequent use this time of year to meet the demand for all the hi-tech Christmas goods. The lack of availability of charters puts significant pressure on commercial cargo operations.
Even though the Chinese government plans to lift the ban on charters beginning in December, it may be too late for many merchants to get their product to market. It is likely that China’s economic downturn could, and congestion issues may continue into 2016. OCEANAIR strongly encourages reviewing 2016 strategies for China now.
Please contact your OCEANAIR representative for more information or to evaluate your China strategy.


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The free Apple Schoolwork app to set student assignments and monitor progress is now available to teachers.
The Apple Schoolwork app was first announced at the technology giant’s annual developer conference – WWDC – at the beginning of June and is designed to work with the firm’s Classroom app, which enables a single program to be launched across multiple student devices at once during lessons.
The software is part of a renewed push by Apple in the education market and follows the launch of an education-aimed iPad earlier this year.
“The all-new Schoolwork app empowers teachers to take full advantage of the power and creativity of iPad to create new learning experiences for their students,” Apple said.
“Schoolwork makes it easy to create and send announcements and assignments with almost any type of content, from web links to PDFs and documents, and even specific activities in apps. Students can use Schoolwork to stay organised and keep track of the work they need to complete and when they need to hand it in.”
The app can then also be used to view student progress across all their work, with Apple also confirming the Classroom app is available on Mac computers too.
Visit the Apple education page for details on how top download the Apple Schoolwork app.


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California sues Tesla over alleged rampant discrimination against Black employees
California's Department of Fair Employment and Housing is suing Elon Musk's company Tesla over racism and harassment toward Black employees at Tesla's plant in Fremont, Calif., according to a lawsuit filed by the state this week. The company has called the lawsuit "unfair."
The lawsuit follows three years of investigation into Tesla and alleges that Black and African American employees at the company's Fremont plant are "segregated to the lowest levels."
The lawsuit describes multiple instances of racist language and drawings toward Black employees, penalizing Black employees more harshly than white employees and denying Black employees career advancement opportunities and equal pay for work similar to that of other employees.
"These numerous complaints by Black and/or African American workers about racial harassment, racial discrimination, and retaliation lodged over a span of almost a decade have been futile," the lawsuit says. "Tesla has continued to deflect and evade responsibility. While it claims to not tolerate racial harassment or discrimination at its factories, Tesla's investigations of complaints are not compliant with law."
Prosecutors describe years of harassment and discrimination
The lawsuit says Tesla "turned, and continue to turn, a blind eye" to the years of complaints from Black employees at the factory. For example, Tesla allegedly is slow to clean up racist graffiti, including ones with swastikas, KKK, the N-word and other hate symbols that were drawn in common areas and on the factory machines.
The lawsuit says one Black worker saw "hang N[ ]" written next to an image of a noose in the bathroom of the break room. The same worker also saw "all monkeys work outside" and "fuck N[ ]" written on the walls of the break room. The writing and drawings allegedly remained for months.
Discrimination against Black employees was constant, the lawsuit says, and has been going on as early as 2012, the year after Tesla started production there. Black workers at Tesla complained that managers and supervisors "constantly" used the N-word and other racial slurs toward them and other Black workers.
Some workers at Tesla with tattoos of the Confederate flag would make their tattoos visible to intimidate Black workers, according to the lawsuit. Workers at Tesla also allegedly referred to the factory as the "slaveship" or "the plantation," in addition to other slurs. "One Black worker heard these racial slurs as often as 50-100 times a day," the lawsuit states.
Black workers had to clean the factory floor on their hands and knees while others apparently did not, the lawsuit says, and Black employees were assigned to more physically demanding work.
If Black employees complained about the harassment and discrimination, they were retaliated against, prosecutors say. And Tesla refused to take "all reasonable steps necessary" to prevent the ongoing discrimination, harassment and retaliation.
Tesla says the lawsuit is "counterproductive"
Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NPR.
California's Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) said it attempted to resolve the dispute without litigation at first, which would involve an internal dispute resolution provided by the department, free of charge. When offered in January, Tesla refused to attend. In February, the lawsuit says the parties were "unable to resolve the administrative complaints at the mediation."
On the day the lawsuit was filed, Tesla issued a public blog post, titled "The DFEH's Misguided Lawsuit," where it called the lawsuit "unfair and counterproductive."
"Tesla strongly opposes all forms of discrimination and harassment and has a dedicated Employee Relations team that responds to and investigates all complaints," Tesla writes. "Tesla has always disciplined and terminated employees who engage in misconduct, including those who use racial slurs or harass others in different ways."
"A narrative spun by the DFEH and a handful of plaintiff firms to generate publicity is not factual proof," the blog post says.
Tesla says that it will ask the court to pause the case.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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The Philadelphia Federal Reserve will release its regional business outlook for July at 8:30 a.m. ET.
Economists forecast that the headline manufacturing index dipped to 4.5 from 4.7, according to Bloomberg. It would be the fourth time in the past year that the index is positive.
Last month’s report described the manufacturing recovery as “tepid,” citing weak growth of new orders and shipments.
This month, the Philly Fed’s special question to business owners is on the importance of seasonal factors in monthly production levels.
More to come …
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Consumers in Newfoundland and Labrador are now able to purchase cannabis vape pens through the legal cannabis market.
The recent policy change, which resulted in vape pens appearing on shelves in late October, reverses a previous ban on the products in the province.
In 2019, when the products were first made legal, the provincial government said vapes had too many unknown health effects, and that they were waiting until there was more evidence about the connection between cannabis vaping products and severe lung disease.
Quebec took a similar stance, with a ban on not only vape pens, but any cannabis concentrates over 30% THC.
Since that time, vape pens have rapidly grown in popularity—garnering around 15% of the total market in Ontario—Canada’s largest market—behind dried flower and pre rolls. The products are also widely available in the illicit market with no regulatory oversight.
Chris Crosbie, the founder of Atlantic Cultivation, which operates a production facility and retail stores in Newfoundland, says his company was the first to have vapes on shelves in the province.
“We work closely with our partners in the provincial government and the NLC cannabis regulator. Through multiple years of conversation around the efficacy and benefits of locally regulated vape pens we are tremendously happy that vapes have become a legal option for consumers in the province. Atlantic was the first supplier of HTFSE and Distillate vape carts in the province.”
The NLC told SaltWire that the decision to allow the products was driven by this increasing popularity.
“This is now an established segment of the legal cannabis market throughout most of the country, with the category, nationwide, representing approximately 20 percent of legal sales,” the statement read. “Given the significant portion of the illicit market that vape represents, we believe this is a positive step in continuing to capture market share from illegal operators.”
While cannabis became legal in Canada in 2018, products like vape pens and other concentrates, as well as edibles and topicals, weren’t approved for commercial sale until the end of 2019. This timeline coincided with a rise in uncertainty around cannabis vape pens in the US—primarily in the illicit market—tied to serious health issues often associated with Vitamin E acetate.
This concern informed decisions from provinces like Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador to disallow these products. Other provinces that have allowed them, like British Columbia, have attached additional fees to them in recognition of similar health concerns.
The provincial online store in Newfoundland and Labrador currently lists 12 vape products, both disposable pens and carts.
Sixty-one million dollars of cannabis was sold through the NLC’s licensed retailers’ 2021-2022 fiscal year, a 17% increase from the previous year. As of June 1, 2022, the NLC carried 800 products from 27 suppliers and says it will continue to work with its partners to provide additional options to meet customer demand.
Growth was driven by increased sales of pre-rolls, concentrates, edibles and ground/milled product, while dried flower remained the most popular product category.
There are currently 40 Licensed Cannabis Retailers in Newfoundland and Labrador, compared to 30 one year earlier.
The NLC began warehousing cannabis in October 2021. Prior to then, producers shipped directly to Licensed Cannabis Retailers (LCR) in the province.


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MUMBAI: Indian oil-to-telecoms giant Reliance Industries reported earnings that missed analyst estimates Friday, despite a strong performance by its core oil-refining business.
The conglomerate, which is owned by Asia's richest man Mukesh Ambani, reported a net profit of 179.55 billion rupees ($2.25 billion) between April and June, 46.3 percent higher than the same period last year, reports AFP.
Revenues from Reliance's oil to chemicals (O2C) business -- which accounts for 60 percent of total income -- jumped 56.68 percent year-on-year to 1.62 trillion rupees, its highest ever.
A 65 percent year-on-year increase in brent crude oil prices in the quarter primarily contributed to the strong performance, the company said.
Imports of Russian crude at discounted rates have likely helped Reliance's refining margins as energy demand surged.
Revenues from the energy giant's smaller oil and gas exploration and production business jumped 183 percent year-on-year to 36.25 billion rupees, helped by higher gas prices.
"Geopolitical conflict has caused significant dislocation in energy markets and disrupted traditional trade flows," chairman and managing director Ambani said in a statement
Strong supply chain infrastructure helped insulate customers on Reliance's retail, grocery and digital platforms from inflation in the quarter, Ambani said.
Telecoms arm Reliance Jio saw revenues rise 23.6 percent to 275.27 billion rupees and added 9.7 million subscribers, reversing three consecutive quarters of its subscriber base shrinking.
Revenues from Reliance's retail business hit a fresh all-time high of 585.54 billion rupees, helped by the opening of 792 new stores in the quarter.
Reliance's multi-billion-dollar fortune has been powered by oil and petrochemicals businesses, but the company has diversified into new areas including telecoms and retail in recent years.


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Read more of this story at Slashdot.
HPE has confirmed that a "limited subset" of customer data was taken in a data breach involving its subsidiary Aruba Networks, a maker of networking equipment. From a report: The enterprise technology giant said in a statement that an unauthorized person used a private key to gain access to customer data stored in its Aruba Central cloud. HPE did not say how the hacker obtained the private key, but said the key allowed access to cloud servers in multiple regions where customer data was stored. HPE bought Aruba Networks in 2015 for $3 billion in cash. Aruba provides networking gear, like wireless access points, and network security for companies. Through its dashboard, Aruba Central, companies can centrally monitor and manage their Wi-Fi networks. It's the Wi-Fi data collected in Aruba Central that HPE said was compromised. HPE said two datasets were exposed: one for network analytics containing information about devices accessing a customer's Wi-Fi network, and a second dataset containing location data about devices on the network.


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The seventh annual Taste Santo Domingo Festival, the capital city’s most important culinary event, will take place from October 14-15 at the iconic El Embajador Hotel.
The annual food fair brings together some of most renowned national and international chefs, as well as hundreds of food lovers who joyfully participate in all the programmed activities.
The program will include a special Business Trade Fair that will feature representatives from the various sectors that comprise the food and beverage industries.
Top Mexican chef Pablo Baths and presented the list of the 50 best restaurants in Latin America. Also the Colombian Jorge Rausch, owner of the Criterion Restaurant, one of the most important restaurants in Bogota.
The event is sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism, the Association of Hotels and Tourism of the Dominican Republic and the Santo Domingo Hotel Association


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The home and building world was rocked recently by a new report that millennials who have purchased homes, to a very large degree, regret that decision. How did this happen? And what can you do about it?
For years, the industry has struggled with mixed signals from this enigmatic generation. At first, it seemed this audience was not interested in the traditional American Dream of buying a home and, instead, would remain renters-by-choice. Yet, as rental rates continued to rise, many brands pinned their collective hopes on the idea that first-time buyers would help propel new single-family construction.
Now, according to a new report from Bankrate, nearly two-thirds of millennial home buyers regret their decision.
Perhaps the hand-wringing over millennials has just reached a new level of absurdity. A closer look may reveal that first-time homebuyers have more in common with previous generations than we thought.
Had this same study been conducted with Generation X a quarter-century ago, the results may have been similar. It’s just that millennials have greater access to technology today – and, as such, are better able to have their voices heard – more than any generation before them.
That doesn’t mean this is an insignificant report. Certainly, it has massive implications for real estate and the building industry. And, as important, architectural and design brands should take note of the report and look for ways they can change their marketing – even their products – to respond to the prevailing attitude that ownership isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
At the heart of millennials’ homebuying regrets is the fact that the process of buying a home hasn’t evolved much. Millennials, and to a large degree all other generations, are losing patience with the old way of doing things. They are also favoring brands that offer alternatives.
We’ve seen this evolution gaining significant traction in other industries. Buying cars, booking hotels, hailing taxis, the retail experience, and even in banking… consumers have evolved, and brands that hang onto the old way of selling are being replaced by upstart competitors.
We recommend four surefire methods that can fast-track the improvement of your process:
Regret happens when reality doesn’t match expectation. When brands effectively manage buyers’ expectations, that remorse can be delayed – or ideally – averted.
Almost every first-time homebuyer goes into the process incredibly naïve. There are surprisingly few resources available that provide frank, honest information about what owning a home really entails. The pros and cons. The joys and frustrations.
What if your brand helped to provide some of those resources? Even if the information is only tangentially related to the products you sell – and even if consumers postpone the purchase decision because of your guidance – your honesty and candor will be rewarded over time.
One of the key complaints millennials have about home ownership is the required ongoing maintenance. They didn’t understand going in how big (and expensive) maintaining a home would be.
Today’s construction products are more resilient, long-lasting and maintenance-free (or at least maintenance-minimal) than ever before. Yet, few building products manufacturers have accomplished much brand equity with this promise.
The more you can promote the low cost and ease of maintenance of your products, the more likely you are to engender satisfied home ownership.
The Long Tail
To a growing extent, we are living in a subscription-based economy. More products than ever before – especially those that need to be replaced periodically – are provided through subscription services.
The best examples of this model are, of course, consumer packaged goods brands like Blue Apron and Dollar Shave Club. Yet companies such as FilterEasy have extended this convenience into a value-add for residential air filters.
How can your product or service help home and building owners increase the pleasure of decorating, maintenance, repair and even remodeling?
Build In Social Value
It’s well-documented that millennials are more socially conscious than any generation that preceded them. And Generation Z, which is coming up on their heels, may be even more so.
Traditional homeownership in the past required acceptance of certain compromises, at least in the eyes of some, when it came to social and environmental issues. Building product brands – for that matter even builders and developers themselves – would do well to recognize and address this new and growing opportunity.
For starters, it means offering socially and environmentally conscious products – brands that are sustainable, energy-efficient and recyclable. With eco-friendly packaging. Even company operations will continue to be subject to growing scrutiny as emerging buyers opt for products from companies that exemplify diversity, philanthropy and equitable employment practices.
But it goes beyond the products, to the homes and even neighborhoods themselves. Builders should take note of modern sensibilities when it comes to green space, access to public transportation and walkability, for example.
If there’s one thing consumers will pay extra for – and this goes double for millennials – it’s trust and convenience. When owners feel good about the homes they’re buying and when the building products within those homes contribute to a lifestyle they believe in, they’re far less likely to have regrets. This will result in significantly more loyalty and long-term equity for you.


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Green Mark scheme expanded to retail outlets, supermarkets
By Monica Kotwani. This article was originally written for and published by Channel NewsAsia.
Retail outlets and supermarkets now have more incentive to put in place green technology and eco-friendly features.
They can apply to be formally recognised for their efforts, under the Green Mark Scheme, spearheaded by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA).
The two sectors are the latest to be added to BCA’s Green Mark scheme, bringing the total to 14.
Others include schemes for residential buildings, data centres and restaurants.
The scheme recognises best practices for environmentally friendly buildings and interiors.
Acting Manpower Minister and Senior Minister of State for National Development, Tan Chuan-Jin, announced this on Thursday when he launched BCA’s second series of green building exhibitions in Choa Chu Kang.
The roving exhibition, featuring designs and tips on creating an eco-friendly living environment, will be brought to seven locations over the next two years.
Mr Tan said retail and supermarket outlets which operate with more energy-efficient lighting and refrigeration system can enjoy significantly savings, as the systems account for about half of their energy consumption.
Four supermarkets and three retail outlets are among the first to attain the mark for their green efforts.
They include a ‘FairPrice Finest’ outlet in Serangoon Gardens (which received a Green Mark Gold Plus award), and J’s Salon in ITE College East.
J’s Salon also received the Green Mark Gold Plus award.


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TEMPE, Ariz. — The slowing global economy is on track for modest growth in 2022, but the odds of a downturn that could reduce cross-border trade next year are increasing, the airline industry’s top economist says.
Marie Owens Thomsen, chief economist at the International Air Transport Association, recently assigned a 20% risk to a recession in the near future.
Unemployment, inflation, consumer spending and the direction of China’s economy coming out of widespread COVID lockdowns will be key indicators that could become more negative next year.
“I’m thinking 2022 could be a bit of a sweet spot where people don’t really care about the inflation and they have such a strong urge to get back to some semblance of normality” in terms of travel and spending,” she said in an interview following her presentation at an air cargo industry conference here last week. After that, soaring prices on goods and services could force consumers to pull back.
Experts are predicting economic growth of 3% to 3.5% this year, down from 6.1% in 2021, with the war in Europe shaving a point from projected GDP.
“It’s going to be hard to accelerate from there,” Owens Thomsen said.
Air cargo volumes were already slowing from 2021’s rapid pace when the war in Europe erupted. Global shipping demand by air fell about 5% in March and even more in April from the year prior, according to estimates by IATA and other market analysts. The IATA is expected to release figures for April this week, but the retreat in shipping volumes is extending into May because of limited factory output in China due to extreme anti-COVID measures.
On Wednesday, Xeneta’s Clive Data Services, a source of airfreight market data, said air cargo volumes fell 8% year-over-year, mirroring the April decline.
Some analysts expect air cargo demand to quickly bounce back as the Chinese export pipeline reopens with the end of lockdowns. But few are ready to predict how long the upward demand cycle will last and if it will carry through the peak season starting in late August.
IATA projects the airline industry will fully recover from the pandemic in 2024, which is expected to increase international capacity for freight carriage. But a recession could derail those efforts.
Owens Thomsen said in the interview that systematic headwinds such as climate change, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and protectionism pose a challenge to long-term growth.
Many economists project long-term global economic growth at 2%, but if society doesn’t solve these major issues, productivity could be less than that, she said. Change will be even more difficult because of political polarization.
“Anything inward-looking is anti-connectivity. When you step back from connectivity you’re probably going to get a worse economic outcome. People are not reaching out to each other. That’s a negative message for long-term structural growth,” the IATA economist said.
Transitioning to a sustainable energy future, Owens Thomsen said, is necessary to ensure prosperity. Then fossil fuels will no longer be a constraint on economic growth or the cause of geopolitical friction.
“Peace has been the most growth-promoting policy that anybody has ever invented. So the energy transition is the key to a better future,” she said.
More FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric Kulisch.
WHAT ELSE TO READ:
Air cargo market risks downturn as export orders contract


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The Federal Trade Commission recently approved the Internet Keep Safe Coalition’s (iKeepSafe) safe harbor program aimed at protecting the information of children under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
Submitted in February, the safe harbor program applies to a COPPA safe harbor provision aimed at encouraging industry self-regulation in protecting the information of minors.
Under the safe harbor provision, industry groups and other organizations can request that the FTC approve self-regulatory guidelines to implement protections granted under COPPA.
Companies that comply with FTC-approved guidelines receive safe harbor from agency enforcement actions, though they are still subject to regular review and regulatory actions by the FTC.
COPPA requires that commercial website and online services providers and sites that knowingly collect personal information of children under the age of 13 post privacy policies to notify parents about their information practices and to obtain consent before collecting, using or disclosing children’s personal information.
The FTC said in its decision that it has the right to revoke the safe harbor program approval at any time if it determines the guidelines and implementation of approved programs do not meet COPPA requirements.


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A world class hub for creatives: Vision 2017
Vision 2017 has announced its full line up of world class international speakers who are set to challenge business as usual and drive transformation across Bristol’s creative sector. Keynote speaker, Blair Enns, is returning to Vision, which takes place on 14th November, to deliver a highly sought-after talk, ‘Five Constraints: Thought Experiments in New Business’. He is joined by futurist Tracey Follows, Tarek Nseir Co-President of the British Interactive Media Association, multi-award winning Jim Sutherland, founder of Studio Sutherl&, and Anna Rafferty, Global Director: Digital Marketing at BBC Worldwide plus many more.
Now in its sixth year, Vision brings together over 300 creative business professionals from the worlds of advertising, digital marketing, design, publishing, PR, TV and VR under one roof. Delegates will experience a full day packed with new business ideas, and the chance to connect and initiate partnerships and collaborations among Bristol’s high profile creative community.
Travelling to Bristol from Canada, keynote speaker, Blair Enns, founder of Win without Pitching, is a return speaker for 2017. The progressive ideas he presented back in 2010, on how creative services are bought and sold are still being discussed among agencies and this year he is set to alter perceptions again into how we do business, sharing self-imposed limitations as the keys to illuminate a strategy to success.
Blair Enns said: "Seven years ago, Vision was my first speaking engagement in support of the launch of my new book, The Win Without Pitching Manifesto. Seven years later, Vision is again the inaugural venue for my first lecture after the launch of my next book, Pricing Creativity: A Guide to Profit Beyond the Billable Hour. I'm looking forward to returning to Bristol and sharing some constraint-driven exercises designed to improve the new business performance of any firm."
Over 15 talks will be delivered, covering a range of subjects that are pushing boundaries from ‘Creativity in an Algorithmic World’, ‘Advertainment’, ‘Joy & Design’, ‘A beginners guide to AI’, and the ‘Power of VR’ to ‘Digital Transformation’. An expert panel of APG Creative Strategy Award Judges, chaired by Head of Strategy from True Digital, James Caig, will focus on ‘Transformational Thinking’, lending insight to the themes that emerge from this year’s winners.
Caroline Marshall of Bristol Media who produces the event said: “Vision has become a beacon to inspire those who work in our creative sector and it confirms Bristol’s place on the world map as a centre for creativity and innovation. Once again, we have been able to secure an incredible line up of visionary speakers who are set to inspire delegates, open minds and potentially change the way they run their businesses.”
2017 rings in some changes from previous Vision events, most notably moving to a one day format. There will be something for everyone throughout the day including keynotes and a choice of speakers to listen to, and finishing with a post conference party hosted by The Agency Works at the Anson Rooms. If all this isn’t tantalizing enough local celebrity chef Josh Eggleton, from award winning restaurant, The Pony and Trap, will be providing the catering throughout the event.
Vision is sponsored by a number of well-established businesses and organisations from across the UK: The Agency Works, Nomensa, Steer & Co, Cirencester College, University Centre Weston, Bright Events, and OggaDoon.
Vision is the only conference in the south west for entrepreneurs from all sectors to hear the latest in creative and digital business innovation. Tickets are now on sale from £185+VAT, via Bristol Media.
Find out more information about Vision via Bristol Media.
International speaker line up of futurists and thought leaders gather in Bristol on 14th November 2017


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Mahindra rolled out its new Roxor off-road utility vehicle for the US market back in March 2018 and started production for the side-by-side powersports offering in April.
Speaking to our sister publication Autocar Professional, Rajan Wadhera President, Automotive Sector, Mahindra & Mahindra said that the brand is already planning to increase production of the Roxor at its new Detroit facility as it is expecting to see demand for the vehicle increase.
In order to support this ramping up of production, the Indian brand is also looking at expanding its market presence in North America from its current network of 300 dealerships. Additional outlets have been planned for California state and even in neighbouring Canada, where it is expected to launch in showrooms next year.
Wadhera also revealed that the brand has so far produced 800 units of the Roxor, all of which have been dispatched to the brand’s dealers. Of these 800, 400 have already been sold through Mahindra’s US network.
The two-seat Roxor is based on the Mahindra Thar, and looks quite a bit like the lifestyle SUV sold in India. It features a steel body on a boxed steel frame and is powered by a 64hp, 2.5-litre, four-cylinder diesel engine that powers all four wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox. Top speed is limited to 72kph. The Roxor is not a road-legal model and rivals the Polaris RZR ATV and the Kawasaki Mule Pro series.
While the Roxor is assembled at Mahindra’s Detroit facility, about 50 percent of the model’s parts are sourced from India.
The model has recently become embroiled in an intellectual property rights dispute with FCA.
Mahindra Marazzo to get customisation packages
2018 Mahindra Marazzo vs rivals: Specifications comparison
2018 Mahindra Marazzo review, test drive
In conversation with Anand Mahindra, executive chairman, M&M video


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Processor eWaste Recycling Solutions, which handled a sizable portion of Maine’s regulated material, has closed. Over 1 million pounds of leaded CRT glass and a substantial stock of intact devices remain at its former site.
The Lewiston, Maine-based company closed its doors in late April. Since then, the property owner who was leasing space to the company reached a deal to send e-scrap to URT Solutions for processing.
“He’s really motivated to get his space back and he’s very willing to foot the bill at this time,” said Jeff Gloyd, vice president of sales and marketing at URT, which will process the electronics at its Dover, N.H. facility 80 miles away.
CRT markets appear to have caused problems for eWaste Recycling Solutions (ERS). The company lost a downstream outlet for leaded glass when Camacho Recycling stopped accepting material, and ERS is now being sued for sending glass to Closed Loop Refining and Recovery years ago.
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) learned a few months ago that ERS had stopped sending outbound shipments of leaded CRT glass late last year, said Carole Cifrino, supervisor of recycling programs at DEP.
The company was sending leaded CRT glass to Camacho Recycling in Spain, where the material was used as an ingredient for ceramic tile production. Camacho halted inbound feedstock shipments last fall, causing headaches for many in the e-scrap industry. Cifrino noted ERS’s last shipment to Camacho was in September 2018.
ERS had a license to dismantle CRTs at a facility in Auburn, Maine, just across the Androscoggin River from Lewiston, but that site closed by the end of January 2019, she said. According to Sustainable Electronics Recycling International (SERI), ERS’s R2 certification for the Auburn location had been suspended in October 2018. The Lewiston location was not listed as having R2 certification.
The company applied to DEP to process CRT tubes in Lewiston, but DEP didn’t issue the license because the company’s lease was set to end soon and it failed to submit documentation showing an extended lease, Cifrino said.
Separately, the company is also one of over 40 e-scrap companies being sued for sending glass to Closed Loop Refining and Recovery, which failed and left stockpiles of hundreds of millions of pounds of glass at sites in Ohio and Arizona. Garrison Southfield Park, an investment firm that owns two former Closed Loop warehouses in Columbus, Ohio, alleged that ERS sent at least 1.67 million pounds there from around August 2012 to around March 2013.
The complaint was filed in federal court on March 28, 2019. It’s unclear to what degree the lawsuit contributed to the company’s closure. DEP was told the Lewiston facility closed April 22.
DEP has not taken enforcement action against ERS, but Cifrino said the department is working with the Attorney General’s Office as they investigate whether any legal violations occurred.
ERS CEO William “Rick” Dumas couldn’t be reached for comment by E-Scrap News.
This marks the first time an e-scrap company participating in Maine’s extended producer responsibility program has closed suddenly and left stockpiles in its wake, Cifrino said.
ERS was one of a handful of approved consolidators under the state program, and the company handled more than one-third of the program’s material, said Elena Bertocci, an environmental specialist who oversees Maine’s electronics recycling program. Specifically, in 2017, ERS handled 2.66 million pounds out of a total of 7.47 million pounds of program weight, or 36%, she said.
For the remainder of this year, Maine has four other approved consolidators: two based in Maine and two out of state, all approved for device dismantling. They’re stepping up to fill the void, Cifrino said, and so far DEP hasn’t received any calls from collection sites complaining that material hasn’t been picked up. That being said, the busiest season – from June through September – is still to come.
In the meantime, plans are underway to clean out the Westminster facility, which is owned by developer and real estate executive George Schott.
URT’s Gloyd said his company and Schott reached a deal to have URT take material from the facility, which includes over 1 million pounds of funnel glass and an indeterminate amount of intact mid- and low-grade material, including whole TVs and monitors. Schott is arranging for transportation to URT’s Dover plant, where the CRT glass will be processed into a fine powder used to make frit, a key ingredient in compounding enamels and ceramic glazes.
Gloyd noted URT has never received glass from ERS, but staff at the two companies know each other: URT’s salesman for Maine has known and kept in contact with Dumas of ERS.
“With the volume of leaded glass that needs to be properly recycled, I think it was pretty easy for the landlord to make the decision to come to someone like us, because of the relationship and because we’re actually able to process the glass,” Gloyd said.
The first shipment should arrive in Dover any time, Gloyd said. The plan is to ship one or two loads per day from the site. At that rate, it will take roughly six weeks to clean out the facility.
Photos courtesy of Maine Department of Environmental Protection.
More stories about CRTs
- Pennsylvania processor works to clear out CRT stockpile
- California again considers higher e-scrap payments
- Former head of Wisconsin processor sentenced to prison


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Tobacco companies can be forced to put graphic warning labels on cigarette packaging without violating their constitutional rights to free speech, a U.S. appeals court ruled.
The labels, mandatory under the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, now include photos picked by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that show a man expelling cigarette smoke from a hole in his throat, diseased lungs, and a cadaver. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., Lorillard Tobacco Co. and other makers and sellers of tobacco products challenged the law as unconstitutionally compelling speech.
“The warning labels required by the act do not impose any restriction of plaintiffs’ dissemination of speech,” the U.S. Court of Appeals in Cincinnati said. “Instead the labels serve as disclaimers to the public regarding the incontestable health consequences of using tobacco.”
The 2-1 ruling today follows a Feb. 29 decision on a separate case by a federal judge in Washington, who said the FDA’s image requirement does violate the cigarette makers’ free-speech rights. The U.S. is appealing that decision.
The proposed warning labels would cover 50 percent of the front and back of cigarette packages. The U.S. argued that the requirement is “to ensure that the health risk message is actually seen by consumers in the first instance.”
The specific FDA-prescribed warnings and images hadn’t been selected when U.S. Judge Joseph H. McKinley in Bowling Green, Kentucky issued the ruling reviewed by the Cincinnati-based court and weren’t part of the record before that panel. They were considered by the Washington court.
In another part of the same case, the appellate court agreed with the McKinley’s November 2009 decision upholding restrictions on marketing of so-called modified-risk light tobacco products. FDA rules bar using the products for event sponsorship and the branding of non-tobacco merchandise.
The appellate panel also backed McKinley’s decision that cigarette makers can use color in advertising while reversing his finding that the act had unconstitutionally restricted company statements indicating tobacco is relatively safe because it’s an FDA-regulated product.
U.S. Circuit Judge Eric Clay, who wrote the opinion, dissented in part, calling the mandate “simply unprecedented.”
While it’s permissible for the government to require companies to provide truthful information to the public, Clay wrote, “it is less clearly permissible for the government to simply frighten consumers.”
Charles Miller, a spokesman for the U.S. Justice Department, said the agency declined to comment on the court’s decision.
Bryan Hatchell, a spokesman for R.J. Reynolds, said, “It’s important to note that the court, in a split decision, only held that graphic warnings could legally be displayed on cigarette packaging and advertisements.” The judges didn’t rule on the constitutionality of the FDA-proposed images, he said.
A unit of Winston Salem, North Carolina-based Reynolds American Inc., R.J. Reynolds makes Camel, Pall Mall, Winston and other cigarette brands.
Lorillard cigarette brands include Newport, Kent and True.
The Washington court’s decision addressed the FDA regulation as it applies to the specific images the agency selected, Floyd Abrams, a lawyer for Lorillard, said in a telephone interview today. The Cincinnati court, by contrast, addressed only the constitutionality of requiring the use of pictures, he said.
“What they didn’t have before them were the pictures and the accompanying language,” Abrams said. A ruling on the legitimacy of photos “doesn’t mean that it’s constitutional to require a picture of a man with a hole in his chest or other rather grotesque pictures chosen by the FDA,” he said.
The appellate case is Discount Tobacco City & Lottery Inc. v. U.S., 10-5234 and 10-5235, U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals (Cincinnati). The Washington case is R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 11-cv-1482, U.S. District Court, District of Columbia (Washington).


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PlayStation Middle East Teases Crash Bandicoot
Is Crash finally coming back to the PlayStation camp?, well it looks like we may find out sooner than we think, just recently, a tweet from PlayStation Middle East appeared showing an image of a redesigned Crash Bandicoot and a message in Arabic that translates “Most wanted person…. where are you Crash?”. If this cryptic message tells us anything, it is that an announcement of a new Crash game for PS4 might be imminent, let’s just hope that this really is the case and we can relive the good old platforming days with the cool Marsupial.
Below is a tweet teasing the Crash Bandicoot announcement:
أكثر شخص مطلوب… أين أنت يا كراش؟ pic.twitter.com/aj85Ap018v
— PlayStation Arabia (@PlayStation_ME) February 6, 2016
Crash Bandicoot is one of those franchises that had such a cult following that to this day remains one of the most important games released during the beginnings of the Sony PlayStation and it’s one of those games that really showcased what the system was fully capable off back in 1996 when 3D was at it’s early stages.
For a long while during the PSX era, Crash was considered the official mascot of the Sony PlayStation consoles, with advertising directly bashing at Nintendo’s own mascot Mario and portraying Crash Bandicoot as the better game; of course, Super Mario 64 was an astonishing technical achievement to say the least, but Crash Bandicoot did held very well on it’s own with solid platforming mechanics and overall fun gameplay, it was one of those games that anybody could just grab the controller, pick up and play while having lots of fun.
Hopefully this Crash Bandicoot tease from PlayStation’s Middle East means that we’ll be seeing a new crash game soon.


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GoPro awards $1 million dollars to HERO7 Black customers for crowd-sourced highlight video.
International-bound camera production will remain in China.
HERO7 Black continues as best-selling new GoPro ever.
The camera achieves strongest week-one unit sell-thru in company history.
HERO7 Black drives record social engagement at launch.
Details about where GoPro sees its business going.
The webcast will be recorded, and the recording will be available on GoPro’s website.
Lanzone’s appointment became effective Aug. 29.
GoPro is the #1 selling camera in North America for the 18th straight quarter.
HERO5 Black becomes all-time best-selling GoPro at record pace.
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