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Scania is investing more than $108 million into the Södertälje plant, which is expected to be fully operational by 2023. The company produces electric heavy vehicles, and has a goal to enable the electrification of the entire industry. According to Scania, the new plant will be an important step towards that goal.
The plant will be located next to Scania’s chassis assembly plant in Södertälje, Sweden. ABB robots will be used to help assemble battery modules from cells, the modules will then be delivered directly to the vehicle assembly hall.
“The factory is designed in line with Scania’s efforts to be at the forefront of industrial digitalization, automation, and the use of advanced robotic technology to streamline production processes with increased flexibility,” Tony Persson, head of Scania’s battery assembly, said. “That is where the robots and solutions from ABB fit in. For Scania, the factory is also an investment that will further strengthen Sweden’s position as a hub for cutting-edge technology in the electrification of heavy vehicles, which is crucial in the transition to sustainable transport.”
ABB’s IRB 390, IRB 4600 and IRB 6700 robot models will be at work in the facility, among others. This is the first time the IRB 390 will be used in a battery production facility. The IRB 390 was designed for the packing industry, but is able to mount a contact plate in a battery every second.
“We are delighted to work with one of our longest-standing clients to help deliver their electrification roadmap,” Joerg Reger, managing director of ABB Robotics’ automotive business line, said. “The automotive industry has always been at the forefront of automation. But with the shift to electrification, it faces wholesale changes to established manufacturing processes. With our expertise, we will design and help implement the manufacturing flexibility that is vital for market leaders such as Scania in delivering this change.”
ABB and Scania have been working together for over 40 years on various projects. The two companies recently worked together to create charging solutions for electric heavy goods vehicles. Scania and ABB also collaborated on Scania’s Northvolt facility, Europe’s largest lithium-ion battery factory.
In January 2022, ABB announced a collaboration with HASCO, an automotive parts supplier in China. The two established a joint venture will expand the use of smart technologies and artificial intelligence within the industry.


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Why Facebook Ditched the Neural Mental Reading Interface
Neuroscience team Facebook (((NASDAQ: FB) Recently, stroke victims have regained their ability to speak using a brain-computer interface headset. The person just tried to speak, and the interface translated the brain’s intention into words, for the first time in history. Shortly after the investigation ended, Facebook announced in a press release that the team was focusing its efforts away from technology, but would open up source software and hardware for external development.
Currently, Facebook neuroscientists are paying attention to neural interfaces on the wrist (that is, bracelets capable of reading neural signals) for use in VR and AR. Even though the neural interface worn on the wrist has a shorter time-to-market than a headset, it’s difficult to convince consumers to actually buy the product, especially from Facebook. However, the company cannot realize the Metaverse vision without bringing a portable interface to the mass market.
Wearables are part of Facebook’s Metaverse puzzle
Facebook’s vision for the metaverse is an interactive shared digital world that can be thought of as “the Internet embodied”. Facebook is a big believer, so we aim to be known as a long-term metaverse business, not a social network. About Interview with Mark Zuckerberg.
In a post on Facebook, Andrew Bosworth, Facebook’s vice president for Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality, announced that the company will form a new management team dedicated to building the Metaverse. According to Bosworth, Facebook must “build a connective tissue” between the digital and physical worlds to push the boundaries of physics and move easily in the digital world before the vision of the metaverse can be realized. I have.
Facebook has a clear plan to make this connective tissue a portable interface for the head, wrists, etc. The company’s press release on Refocusing Priorities in Neural Interface Development says it intends to use a wrist-based interface. For intuitive AR / VR input. That’s why the company’s brain-computer interface was developed with a long-term perspective, while the wrist-based interface is designed directly for consumers.
Facebook’s only barrier to success in the metaverse: trust
Facebook Before the Game In the arena of AR / VR technology, the development of wearable neural interfaces is nothing but cutting edge technology. That doesn’t necessarily mean consumers are ready to open their wallets and keep their Facebook machines in mind.
of Business internFacebook, Facebook’s latest digital trust survey, ranked last among the nine largest social media platforms in the United States for recognized digital data privacy. A more specific recent survey of more than 2,000 American adults by Morning Brew and Harris Poll, where consumers saw AR / VR devices, further discouraged Facebook’s aspirations to Metaverse. Apple, Google, Samsung, Amazon, also Microsoft From Facebook.
Given this consumer sentiment, bringing the brain-machine interface to market is a very risky concept for the company, at least for now. The company’s wrist interface is a good introduction to Metaverse for use with Oculus VR headsets and, in some cases, AR glasses (currently in development as Project Aria).
How Facebook is driving consumers into the metaverse
Facebook is Powerful Growth Action With unmatched networking benefits and cutting edge technology, long term investments are guaranteed for a variety of reasons. That said, every business has its weaknesses. The weakness of Facebook is the public image, which can slow down or hinder the deployment of technologies developed by Facebook. The longer it takes for an average person to adopt a Metaverse compatible technology, the easier it will be for Big Tech’s competitors to beat Facebook.
One way Facebook can deal with negative consumer sentiment in the short term is to focus on the Oculus brand instead of the Facebook brand for metaverse material. This includes, but is not limited to, not requiring a Facebook account login to access. Metaverse via the Oculus device. Brands are important when a product hits the mass market, and many consumers find it easier to use Oculus hardware and interact with the Oculus digital world than to use the same Facebook product.
Most tech-savvy investors will soon associate the Oculus brand with Facebook, but many consumers won’t. Pew Research’s 2019 survey found that WhatsApp and Instagram were launched by Facebook a few years after the acquisition. It turns out that only 29% of Americans can be identified as belonging. Ended.
In the long term, Facebook will strive to improve users’ ability to control data collection settings, educate users on how and why data is collected, and to prevent data breaches and contrary data collection. ethics. In doing so, we must regain the public’s trust in the right way. The infamous Cambridge Analytica political scandal. Otherwise, its reputation will lie firmly between its Metaverse technology and the mainstream.
This article represents the opinion of a writer who may disagree with the “official” recommended position of The Motley Fool Premium Advisory Services. We are diverse! Asking for investment treaties (even ours) helps us all to think critically about investing and make decisions that help us become smarter, happier, and richer. Useful.

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Seattle, March 29, 2022 – Koidra, an Intelligent Automation (IA) platform company based out of Seattle, has raised $4.5 million in its seed round. Ospraie Ag Science (OAS) led this round of funding, with participation from Amritam Holdings, Cavallo Ventures, and Foothill Ventures.
Koidra was founded by the lead of Microsoft Research’s winning team at the inaugural Autonomous Greenhouse Challenge. They were the only team to outperform expert Dutch growers, and they also demonstrated the massive yield and profitability improvements that were achievable through intelligent greenhouse automation.
Intelligent automation combines multiple disciplines – such as artificial intelligence, mathematics, and physics – to transform real-time data into useful decisions. Koidra delivers “decision intelligence” to their clients for improved operational decision making, a top technology trend identified by analyst firm Gartner. Besides operational efficiency gain, Koidra solutions also advance manufacturing businesses on their journey to achieving hyperautomation, another strategic technology trend identified by Gartner.
Koidra is democratizing IA solutions for controlled-environment agriculture (CEA), and for a variety of industrial applications, with their innovative platform and products. The company’s award-winning autonomous greenhouse technology combines physics, crop modeling, machine learning, and internet of things (IoT), to transform CEA, resulting in higher yield and less waste. Koidra is extending its core tech to improve operations in Industrial IoT and real-time control applications, such as for machine and factory automation. The goal in each case is to eventually create autonomous greenhouses, farms, and factories.
Intelligent automation spans multiple disciplines to create superior solutions.
“Koidra is obsessed with modernizing basic industries and making them more sustainable. We are excited to be partnering with quality investors from both the AgTech and DeepTech spheres. Their collective industry knowledge and connections will add enormous value as we deploy our products, and their funding will help Koidra advance our vision much quicker,” says Kenneth Tran, the CEO of Koidra.
What investors say
“We are impressed with Koidra’s autonomous growing technology and its portfolio of clients that include some of the largest greenhouses and indoor farms in North America. Their strengths fit perfectly with our objective to invest in innovations that help farmers do more with less environmental impact,” says Thomas Wiltrout, Director of OAS.
“We believe that Koidra, with its principled research approach and experience in enterprise software, will deliver substantial positive impact to the Ag industry” observes Mike Wilbur, CEO of Cavallo Ventures and a Board Member of Wilbur-Ellis.
“We believe IA is a key driver for increasing efficiency and sustainability moving forward, and we are excited to invest in Koidra as a tech leader in IA for climate control, farm automation, and advanced manufacturing,” comments Eric Rosenblum, Managing Partner at Foothill Ventures.
Koidra is an Intelligent Automation (IA) startup based in Seattle and focused on industrial IoT for agricultural and industrial applications. Koidra was founded by Kenneth Tran, a former principal applied scientist at Microsoft, with a mission to transform controlled-environment agriculture (CEA), and sustainable agriculture at large, using artificial intelligence of things (AIoT) technology. For more information, please visit www.koidra.ai
Ospraie Ag Science
Ospraie Ag Science LLC (OAS) identifies solutions to help farmers “Do More With Less.” By increasing profitability, improving quality-adjusted yield and reducing environmental impact, OAS’s companies not only benefit growers as they produce smarter, healthier and more efficient food for consumers globally. For more information, please visit www.ospraieagscience.com
About Amritam Holdings
Amritam Holdings is an investment group that provides capital and expertise to distinctive sustainability companies. Led by experienced entrepreneurs, CEOs, and investors across food, agriculture, energy, consumer products and finance, Amritam seeks to partner with entrepreneurs to help them navigate startup and growth challenges while creating positive change in the world.Led by experienced leaders from food, agriculture, energy, consumer products and finance, Amritam seeks to partner with entrepreneurs to create positive change across the sectors it invests in. . For more information, please visit https://www.amritamholdings.com
About Cavallo Ventures
Cavallo is the investment arm of Wilbur-Ellis Holdings Inc., which distributes agricultural products, animal feed, and specialty chemicals and ingredients through various companies. With their investments, Cavallo looks for dedicated founders solving real problems, each with an unwavering resolve to build and execute. Beyond capital, they provide deep expertise and market knowledge, enabling founders to launch new products and services, run trials, expand, and recruit new talent. For more information, please visit https://www.cavallovc.com/
Foothill Ventures is a technology-focused venture fund based in Los Altos, CA. They make pre-seed, seed (preferred), and A-round investments in startups across the software, life science, and deep tech industries. For more information, please visit https://www.foothill.ventures/


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(Bloomberg) -- Sonic Automotive Inc. told regulators on Monday it delayed the filing of its annual report because of weak accounting controls at its dealerships.
Sonic said in a regulatory filing it believes that financial results will be the same as reported on Feb. 20, when the Charlotte, N.C.-based company said that 2012 adjusted profit climbed 20 percent to $1.71 a share.
U.S. auto dealerships last year benefited from a 13 percent increase in new light-vehicle sales, the biggest annual gain since 1984.
"The company has determined that a material weakness existed in the effectiveness of controls over its dealership level accounting processes resulting from the aggregation of control deficiencies," Sonic said today in the filing.
The company said that it plans to file its annual report within a 15-day extension period.
Sonic owns and operates 111 dealerships.
Shares in Sonic, the third-largest U.S. auto-dealership group, fell 3.1 percent to $23.60 at 4:04 p.m. EDT today. They had dropped as much as 8.4 percent earlier, in the company's biggest intraday decline since Oct. 15.
Sonic shares rose 17 percent this year through March 15, exceeding the Standard & Poor's 500 Index's 9.4 percent increase during that span.
AutoNation Inc. and Penske Automotive Group Inc. are the two largest U.S. auto-dealership groups by number of new vehicle sold.


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Amazon's Growth Logic Vs Stock Price
Wall Street rarely sees a high degree of agreement, but Amazon is an exception. The Bank of America report on August 10 pointed out that all 55 fund managers interviewed recommended buying the stock.
On the disk, there is a completely different picture. Since Amazon peaked in June, its market value has evaporated by about 15%, which is equivalent to US$267 billion.
Amazon's revenue in the second quarter was US$113 billion, which was lower than the average analyst estimate of US$115 billion. The company's chief financial officer Brian Olsavsky said that revenue growth in the next few quarters will not be too high.
Among the trillion-dollar companies in the United States, Apple, Microsoft, and Google’s parent company Alphabet all set record highs this week, while Facebook is less than 5% from the historical high.
Can you buy the bottom?
Bezos announced his resignation on July 5th, happily running around in space. At the same time, Amazon's stock price fell from the sky.
Last year, under the influence of the epidemic, people turned to online shopping. Amazon's revenue soared by 43.6% year-on-year, and the company's logistics were once overloaded.
Chris Verrone, a partner at Strategas Research Partners, a research firm, said that from a technical perspective, Amazon has not entered the oversold area.
Recently, the "Wall Street Journal" broke the news that Amazon plans to open several large physical retail stores in the United States, but this news is obviously not enough to reverse the stock decline.
Of course, many market participants see it as an opportunity for bargaining. Even if performance growth slows down from last year's level, analysts still believe that e-commerce and cloud computing have long-term benefits.
Dan Forman, executive director of MKM Partners, pointed out that Amazon has digested its worries about the growth rate, and the year-on-year value will return to normal after the fourth quarter.
From the perspective of EV/EBITDA, Amazon has discounts relative to the 1-, 2-, and 5-year averages, which is critical to me. I think it is likely to stabilize at the current water level.


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BBS Cables, the manufacturer of electric wires, will file for IPO to raise BDT 200 million. The company already received the positive nod from Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission, the commission said in a statement after its 602nd commission meeting on 13th April. Find a breakdown of IPO details below:
Financials: According to data from June last year, the company’s earnings per share stood at Tk 2.46 and net asset value per share at Tk 16.87.
BBS Cables, a sister concern of Bangladesh Building Systems, was incorporated on 12 April 2009. It manufactures all types of quality cables, wires, and conductors.


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We are wondering what the Emanuel Ungaro at Paris Fashion Week will be preparing for the new season. With fabulous perspectives and a multitude of amazing ensembles which set new standards in sophistication over the years, the label is one of the most interesting influencers of the moment. Several Ungaro creations have stolen the spotlight over the years, however there’s one particular set of options which struck a strong cord and managed to stay present in our minds till this day.
We’re referring to the Emanuel Ungaro spring 2020 collection we saw at the Paris Fashion Week last year. The line was filled with magnificent offerings which instantly transported us into a world of color, sophistication and glamor while at the same time bringing several wearable options fashionistas in search of modern ensembles instantly fell in love with. We sure hope that this Paris Fashion Week edition will bring similarly stunning ensembles with will inspire our new season makeover.
The new Emanuel Ungaro collection from Paris Fashion Week will be revealed on Monday March 4 starting with 5 pm. The label has decided that the new launch will be an invitation-only affair. With the issues brought by the changes in the brand, we sure hope that this edition will be the one that marks a successful new era in the label’s history. This Paris Fashion Week edition can definitely be a great turning point for the brand and it will be definitely interesting to watch.
Given the fact that a new creative director will be defining the label’s identity, the show is anxiously awaited by the fashion industry and predictions are next to impossible, which makes the entire guessing game all the more exciting. Though many important fashion houses will be in the spotlight, everyone is anxious to see whether this is the year when the Ungaro revival will take place. We’ll be adding updates as soon as possible so don’t forget to check back for the hottest fall 2020 looks from Ungaro.
Photos: Ungaro Facebook


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Windows 8 Official Release Date: October 26
According to a Windows Team blog post made Wednesday, the official release date for Windows 8 will be October 26, 2012.
Microsoft had previously announced that Windows 8's general availability (GA) launch date would be October.
According to the blog post, Microsoft's President of the Windows and Windows Live Division Steven Sinofsky made the announcement today at a Microsoft sales conference. "Customers will be able to get Windows 8 – whether in upgrade fashion or on a new PC – starting on October 26."
Last week Microsoft announced that upgrades to Windows 8 will cost $40.
For more recent news and coverage of Windows 8, go here.
Becky Nagel is the vice president of Web & Digital Strategy for 1105's Converge360 Group, where she oversees the front-end Web team and deals with all aspects of digital projects at the company, including launching and running the group's popular virtual summit and Coffee talk series . She an experienced tech journalist (20 years), and before her current position, was the editorial director of the group's sites. A few years ago she gave a talk at a leading technical publishers conference about how changes in Web browser technology would impact online advertising for publishers. Follow her on twitter @beckynagel.


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Telegram CEO Pavel Durov blamed Apple for its obscure App Retailer assessment course of that’s delaying the encrypted messaging platform from releasing an replace to its app that may “revolutionise how individuals categorical themselves in messaging”.
In his Telegram channel, Durov stated the upcoming replace had been caught in Apple’s “assessment” for 2 weeks.
“The one factor that we discover discouraging is that we are sometimes unable to distribute the brand new variations of Telegram as a result of obscure ‘assessment course of’ imposed on all cellular apps by the tech monopolies,” Durov stated.
“For instance, our upcoming replace — which is about to revolutionise how individuals categorical themselves in messaging — has been caught in Apple’s ‘assessment’ for 2 weeks, with out clarification or any suggestions supplied by Apple,” he added.
He talked about that if Telegram, one of many high 10 hottest apps globally, is receiving this therapy, “one can solely think about the difficulties skilled by smaller app builders”.
“It isn’t simply demoralising: it causes direct monetary losses to hundred of hundreds of cellular apps globally,” he stated.
“This hurt goes on high of the 30 per cent tax Apple and Google take from app builders — which, based on them, is meant to pay for the sources wanted to assessment apps,” he added.
In June, the encrypted messaging platform introduced paid subscription on its platform that’s prone to value round $5 (about Rs 400) a month.
The corporate stated it now has over 700 million month-to-month energetic customers (MAUs) and has grow to be one of many top-five downloaded apps worldwide this 12 months.
(Solely the headline and film of this report might have been reworked by the Enterprise Commonplace workers; the remainder of the content material is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)


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Driving relevance means driving growth. Join global brands and industry thought leaders at Brandweek, Sept. 11–14 in Miami, for actionable takeaways to better your marketing. 50% off passes ends April 10.
MRM has added to its global senior management team. On Thursday, the global digital and direct agency announced that it has tapped Sue R.E. Geramian to fill the new position of svp, global brand communications. Geramian is based in New York and will report to Bill Kolb, MRM's CEO.
Prior to joining MRM, Geramian was chief communications officer for the Direct Marketing Association. There, she oversaw all public relations activities. Before working at DMA, Geramian was svp, corporate communications for Bertelsmann's Bookspan and vp, corporate communications for the company's U.S.


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According to a TechCrunch article, Verihubs, an Indonesia-based ID and data verification business, has secured US $2.8 million in initial investment headed by Insignia Venture Partners.
The round was also joined by Central Capital Ventura (CCV), an investment arm of Bank Central Asia (BCA), and Singapore-based Amand Ventures.
Shipper co-founder Budi Handoko, Payfazz co-founders Jefriyanto and Ricky Winata, BukuWarung founder Chinmay Chauhan, Modalku ex-CPO Pramodh Rai, and Singapore’s Gotrade co-founder Rohit Mulani was among the angel investors in this round.
The cash from CCV will be used to enhance Verihubs’ products for end-users who have a BCA account, according to the conditions of the deal.
The firm is also collaborating with Payfazz, an Indonesian financial services platform, to assist unbanked customers with depositing money with local agents for online payments. Verihubs will be able to access transaction data with the aid of BukuWarung, accounting software for SMEs.
Verihubs will also utilise some of the funds to expand its product pipeline, which will include developing its own credit ratings based on transaction and account balance data.
Verihubs was founded in 2019 by Rick Firnando and Williem Williem to let Indonesian digital businesses authenticate their customers’ identities, check their backgrounds, and obtain access to their financial information.
Verihubs’ technology may be used in e-commerce, rental markets, and hotels; however, it is primarily focused on the banking and finance industries.
The company utilises AI-based identity authentication technologies and APIs to cut verification time from weeks to seconds, allowing companies to continue certifying returning customers via SMS, WhatsApp, or flash calls, as well as doing KYC checks.
When end users first enter into a Verihubs-enabled app, they must snap a selfie and then submit a photo of a government-issued photo ID. The AI will analyse the two images and cross-reference the ID with telecom credit scores and Indonesian government databases, including criminal records.
After attaining product-market fit in Indonesia, the business plans to expand into additional Southeast Asian markets.
According to a study published by Fenergo in 2020, banking institutions throughout the world were fined more than US $10.6 billion for non-compliance with anti-money laundering (AML), know your customer (KYC), data protection, and MiFID rules. Fines for financial services businesses in the Asia Pacific alone totaled more than US$5.1 billion as a result of regulatory crackdowns on their illegal activities.


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The Raspberry Pi Foundation recently celebrated it’s fourth anniversary this past February. Their Raspberry Pi computer has become quite a success despite it’s initially diminutive level of processing power. Using it’s relatively powerful GPU, the Raspberry Pi is capable of becoming a decent media player. However, attempting to use the Raspberry Pi as a replacement […]
Setting up an SDL2 development environment up and running on your Raspberry Pi has never been easier. Raspbian Jessie now makes it possible to install SDL2 (along with the extension libraries) without having to compile from source.


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Byron: Generational divide is biggest problem in ratings debate
Parents find current ratings system "extremely confusing" and retailers want more help in educating adults, says author
Tanya Byron, author of the government's review into the harmful effects of videogames and internet use on children, has said that the biggest issue the industry faces is the education of parents who have less understanding of interactive media than their children.
The Byron Review, released today, recommends that a single age rating system be adopted for videogame packaging, the statutory requirement for ratings be dropped to 12 and a set of clear and consistent guidelines are adopted for advertising games.
"The key finding is that we have this huge digital generational divide at the moment where children are enjoying benefits and opportunities both online and in videogames but parents are really genuinely confused in terms of what videogames are and how their kids are playing them, what the content really means and what should they be allowing their kids to play and not play," she said.
"For me it's about how can government really empower parents, society and teachers who grapple with these issues in schools to really support children to think about risks both online and in videogames where most adults are coming from the position of knowing less than the children who are using these technologies."
Speaking to BBC Breakfast News - which showed in-game footage of people being set alight and shot in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City - Byron said the industry is being responsible by classifying products, but parents are confused by the two sets of ratings currently being used by PEGI and the BBFC.
"We do have good regulations for videogames, currently they're classified by a European system that was set up by the videogame industry itself - an industry that I find to be a responsible in terms of games that are being produced. They produce excellent games for children and they also produce games for adults that should not be played by children. And at the top end we have the BBFC classifying games," she said.
"But what we get at the moment on games being sold in this country are two sets of symbols which parents tell me they find extremely confusing and retailers would like to be supported more to be able to say to parents that really you shouldn't be buying this game for your child.
"In the same way (parents) don't let their children watch an 18-rated film they shouldn't let their children play an 18-rated game because they are not for children, they are for adults," she added.


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WASHINGTON - For the first time in 29 months, the National Restaurant Association's index of overall restaurant traffic and sales topped the 100 mark in the month of March. The N.R.A.'s Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) hit 100.5 in March, an increase of 1.4 percent over the previous month and the highest point since September 2007.
"The RPI's solid performance in March was driven by improvements among both the current-situation and forward-looking indicators," said Hudson Riehle, N.R.A.'s senior vice president of the research and knowledge group.
The R.P.I. is a monthly composite index that tracks the economic performance and outlook for the U.S. restaurant industry. A baseline of 100 is used as the benchmark for how well the foodservice segment is performing. It is derived using two components- measuring current and expectations indices.
"Restaurant operators reported net gains in both same-store sales and customer traffic in March, the first time in 31 months that both indicators stood in positive territory."
"In addition, restaurant operators are increasingly optimistic about growth in sales and staffing levels in the months ahead, while their outlook for the economy soared to its strongest level in five years," Mr. Riehle said.


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Getac rugged notebook meets DOD salt fog specs
- By Trudy Walsh
- Sep 02, 2008
Getac today announced today that its B300 rugged notebook PC has met the Defense Department standards for salt fog testing.
Salt fog testing evaluates the effectiveness of protective coatings and finishes on materials to repel salt corrosion and may also be applied to determine the effects of salt deposits on electrical materials, the company said.
The new certification, which complies with DOD Mil-Std-810F-509.4 specifications, makes the Getac B300 the ideal choice for marine environments such as the Coast Guard, where salt air can affect equipment performance, Getac officials said.
'Salt is one of the most aggressive chemical compounds in the world,' said Jim Rimay, president of Getac. 'Salt will quickly corrode a computer's exterior, impair vital electrical system functions through salt deposits and have a physical impact by restricting free movement of its mechanical components. The B300 addresses these issues with its salt fog certification and elevates it to an elite status among ruggedized computers for safe and uninterrupted operation in any location, especially in coastal regions of the world.'
The Getac B300 also has an unusually bright, 1200 nits screen with optional night-vision capabilities, making the screen easy to read in field conditions, Getac representatives said.
In addition, the notebook offers optional Mil-Std-461E certification to eliminate electromagnetic interference. Unlike a rackmount computer that is surrounded by additional shielding, a portable laptop or wearable computer relies solely on its own case to mitigate the EMI effects. Gaps or seams in the enclosures around the connectors, drive openings and keyboards, including the display screen, allow EMI to radiate through the shield. Getac has specifically engineered the B300 to meet all requirements for Mil-Std-461E certification, the company said.
For more information, go to www.getac.com
Trudy Walsh is a senior writer for GCN.


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Kenya’s economy grew by 4.9 per cent in 2017, recording the slowest margin in five years amid prolonged electoral process and adverse weather.
That pace of growth falls far below the 5.9 per cent recorded in 2016, data released today by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) indicate.
The last time Kenya recorded growth below five per cent was in 2012, also an election year, when the economy expanded by 4.5 per cent.
“The slowdown in the performance of economy was partly attributable to uncertainty associated both a prolonged electioneering period coupled with adverse effects of weather,” said Treasury and Planning Secretary Henry Rotich.
The KNBS data shows that agriculture, which accounted for 31.5 per cent of the 2017 GDP grew by only 1.6 per cent compared with 5.1 per cent in 2016.
All the segments except cut flowers shrunk during the period. Export earnings from cut flower grew by 16.1 per cent to hit Ksh82.2 billion ($819.9 million) in 2017.
On the flip side, sugarcane deliveries to factories dropped by 33.3 per cent, from 7.2 million tonnes in 2016 to 4.8 million tonnes last year.
Kenyans also had to contend with steady build-up in inflationary pressure on the back of rising oil and food prices through 2017. The KNBS data shows inflation rose to an average of 8 per cent last year, up from 6.3 per cent the previous year.
“We have lined up several interventions, which together with continuing political stability, good rains and macro-economic environment will lead to better economic performance in 201`8,” said Mr Rotich.
“Inflation is expected to ease in 2018 supported by lower food prices due to good rains and improved agriculture,” he added.
Apple Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, Phil Schiller, introduces the iPhone X during a launch event in Cupertino, California, U.S. September 12, 2017. REUTERS/Stephen Lam – HP1ED9C1I90DE
Today is iPhone X launch day, and as is typical of a new iPhone launch it has seen people lining up hours in advance outside Apple Stores to get one. However, three individuals got their hands on the iPhone X early yesterday by stealing hundreds of them.
As CNET reports, the theft took place outside an Apple Store in Stonestown, San Francisco. A UPS truck containing 313 iPhone X handsets was broken into by theives who proceeded to unload the phones into a white Dodge van before driving off. The police have the description and serial number of every single stolen iPhone, with their total value thought to be over $370,000. They also have a photo og the theft in process taken by a janitor.
The theft is suspicious for a couple of reasons. The UPS truck had its cargo area locked while parked outside the Stonestown Galleria mall, yet the thieves had no problem gaining access. They also either got very lucky or knew exactly which UPS truck to target to grab the very expensive iPhones. I doubt
it was luck.
Apple says there will be no problems with supplying the iPhone X to customers who planned to pick one up from the Stonestown Apple Store. That’s surprising considering how constrained stock is thought to be. But maybe this is a sign stock levels are actually much better than we expected.
With the serial number of each stolen phone known, it should be possible to track them all down eventually. Unfortunately, the thieves will have likely sold them on and disappeared with the cash long before that happens.
Previously, you had your “Inbox,” and an “Other” folder where messages from people who aren’t friends or friends-of-friends would end up. But it replaced this second folder with “Message Requests” — which let people you’re not connected with ask to be able to talk.
But what very few people realize is there is now also a third category of messages: Filtered Message Requests. These filtered messages are what Facebook thinks is spam, and so doesn’t even notify you about. They’re also not easy to find.
There are many more cases like this. Some are recent, while other messages appear to have been sent before the Filtered Message Requests inbox was introduced, and were then automatically moved to it once it was launched — all without ever being read.
Went through my Facebook filtered messages and realised there was a message from a long lost friend from like half a year ago ??? I SORRY
The situation is made doubly frustrating by the fact that one of the big reasons for the change to Message Requests (and Filtered Message Requests) is to prevent things like this happening.
Tony Leach, a product manager at Facebook, told TechCrunch back when Message Requests launched: “We’ve heard so many stories like estranged parents trying to get back in touch, or you lost your wallet and someone trying to get in touch with you … That’s why we want to replace that with a system that makes it a lot easier to catch the messages that you want to see.”
Clearly, this hasn’t been a complete success.
But what can Facebook do about this? It’s a tricky one. If it errs on the side of caution, and filters more, then important messages will continue to fall through the cracks. But if it relaxes its filters, then more spam will likely get through too — and people will complain. (Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment.)
Daniel Emery, who missed the message telling him of his friend’s death, would like Facebook to modify its messaging feature to add a more straightforward spam folder.
“Gmail and Google, for all its flaws, has a pretty sensible system,” he told Business Insider. “There is a folder for spam, you can look into it if you want, you can pull things out. It’s not hidden from you, and I think the issue with this is it’s kind of a bit too much ‘nanny state.'”
He added: “Facebook is trying to be overprotective. Overprotective comes at a cost, and things like this happening are exactly that … hiding it is never a good thing.”
If you want to check your Filtered Message Requests in the mobile app, load up Settings, then click on “People,” then click on “Message Requests,” then click on “See filtered requests.” If you’re on the desktop version of Facebook, click on the drop-down Messages tab, then on “Message Requests,” then press “See filtered requests.” For more detailed instructions, read this. Via Entrepreneur!
It was the first time that Mark Eliot showed envy on the largest Mobile money company on the planet. Mark made one of the largest buyouts in history when he bought social messaging company Whatsapp.
He also bought the premiere photo sharing app Instagram both of which have grown to over a billion monthly users making them the largest social networks and on top ten Websites on Alexa.
What it means for Mpesa If Facebook finally manages to acquire Mpesa, it will become a global company. It will have advantage of a worldwide exposure through merging with Facebook and it will get world class infrastructure by the elites of the Tech business.
Charges will go down, most probably so low due to a large user base. The negotiations are ongoing and soon we may be cerebrating one of our own, changing lives around the globe.


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Staff and volunteers at the Derry Red Cross shop were celebrating yesterday as their much‑loved shop re-opened following its recent refurbishment.
The team have been working hard to select the very best stock for their launch day ‑ all conforming to a colourful Valentines’ theme of red, black and white.
Shop manager Dolly Killen promised a special giveaway for the first 50 customers through the door when the shop reopened at 11am.
She said: “People in Derry have always loved this shop and have given us so much support over the years. We’re thrilled to see the shop looking so well after its makeover and can’t wait to get trading again. We’ve got some lovely little heart‑shaped, magnetic photo frames to give our first shoppers as a way of thanking them for their custom. The shop will be filled with 2000 new stock items so it’s the perfect time to come in and hunt for a bargain.”
The red ribbon was cut by Julia Stevenson, who founded the very first Red Cross shop in the city.
Mrs. Stevenson, from Feeny outside Dungiven, was a Red Cross volunteer for over 30 years. She started helping out with the Red Cross hospital meals on wheels in 1978 when her youngest son started school and she was looking for a new challenge. The site of the first shop no longer exists as the area was cleared to make way for redevelopment and the Foyleside shopping centre. The current shop on the Diamond was opened in September 1990, with BBC Radio Foyle’s very own Gerry Anderson officiating.
Other local dignitaries and Red Cross supporters joined staff and volunteers to celebrate the reopening, in this, the 50th year of the Red Cross in Derry.


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The food and grocery sector in India has witnessed an onslaught of many new players in the market. Keep players in this segment include Food Bazaar – the Food & Grocery chain set up by Pantaloon Retail (India) Limited and Subhiksha – the Chennai based food, grocery and pharmacy discount retail chain. The latter presently has 700 retail stores across the country and is planning to open 300 new retail stores. The latter presently has 700 retail stores across the country and is planning to open 300 new retail stores at an investment of Rs 150 crores, within the next two or three months. In the FY 2006-07, Subhiksha has registered Rs 1,000 crore sales turnover. Subhiksha is eyeing Rs 3,000 crore sales turnover in FY 2007-08.
PPG’s foray into the food retail business happened in the year 1996, with the supermarket Food World. While Food World has now ceased to be a part of RPG retail, the company now operates its food and grocery retail business through various formats under the brand name of Spencer’s. Spencer’s Retail is the largest supermarket chain in India, spread across 125 stores across 25 cities, covering a retail trading area of half a million square feet and an astonishing 3 million customers a month. Spencer’s 125 outlets across 25 cities, of which 8 are Hypers, 5 Supers, 8 Express, 5 Fresh and 100 daily’s stores.
Nilgiri’s is a popular supermarket chain in South India, which traces its origins to the year 1905, when Muthusamy Mudaliar, then a mail runner for the British, opened a small shop dealing in dairy products. The Nilgiri Dairy Farm Ltd was soon established and in 1936 he moved the shop to Bangalore. In September / October 2006, Actis, a UK based private equity investor, invested US$ 65 million in the Nilgiris Group in order to strengthen the group’s manufacturing and franchising operations in South India. This investment has given Actis controlling interest (more across more than 15 cities, largely in the southern parts of India). The company has projected a turnover of Rs 110 crores for the year.
New players in this segment include Spinach — the chain of supermarkets launched in Mumbai by Wadhawan Food Retail Ltd (WFRI), which is a part of Dewan Housing Finance Corporation. It operates 10 stores in Mumbai under the Spinach brand, and has plans to open 60 food and grocery outlets in Mumbai and Pune by the end of 2007. The company has recently acquired Sangam Direct from Unilever India Exports, a subsidiary of Hindustan Lever Limited (HLL) It has also taken over Delhi based Sabka Bazaar and The Home store for over Rs 100 crores. Wadhawan has also bought 15 outlets of Mumbai’s co-operative Maratha Stores. The Home Store offers home and lifestyle products and is present in nine major cities, while Sabka Bazaar sells food and grocery items and has 35 stores in Delhi-NCR. Spinach currently has 23 Spinach stores in Mumbai.
The AV Birla group has also joined the arena of organized retailing and has launched a supermarket under the brand name ‘More’. The company believes its mission is to change the way people shop, and this it aims at doing by giving them “More” the group has also acquired the Hyderabad based supermarket chain. Trinethra Super Retail, including its fast growing online shopping outfit, Fabmall. The acquisition has given them more than half a million square feet of selling area and a strong presence in the supermarket business in the four southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, where it is the No. 1 retailer.
Reliance Retail, a wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries Ltd, kicked off with a food and beverage store in Hyderabad on August 1, 2006. Currently, Reliance Retail operates its outlets under the name “Reliance Fresh” which sell food and grocery items. Fresh in the name Reliance Fresh, not just denotes the quality of products but also signifies the benefit that its consumers will derive from the varied range of products. The company has 157 Reliance Fresh outlets in 18 states and is currently working on a business model for bringing the local grocery store owners into its network by using their property on lease and signing a non-competition agreement with them. Reliance Retail made its first acquisition by buying out Gujarat based Adani Retail for a price of Rs 100 – 110 crores, Adani Retail operates a total of 54 supermarkets and hypermarkets in the country.


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A unique product and tireless work to get past food compliance issues have turned K9 Natural into a fast growing business.
K9 Natural was founded in 2006 by Geoff Bowers and Bruce Mayhew to offer a dog food that reflects their dietary requirements. The food is modelled on the diet of a wolf and contains 85 percent meat, blood and bone, and 15 percent fruit, vegetables, eggs and garlic.
Bowers’ history as a police dog handler and subsequent research into the biological make up of dogs led to the development of a raw pet food. From there a connection with German Shepherd breeders Bruce and Judy Mayhew brought the product into fruition.
K9 Natural chief executive Calvin Smith describes raw pet food as the fastest growing pet food market, which has allowed K9 to expand to a point where they now export about 80 percent of their product to 19 countries.
Getting accreditation for the pet food has been one of the challenges for K9 Natural, according to Mr Smith, as there are strict and varying requirements for the importation of food across their export markets. To meet these requirements K9 Natural has every batch lab tested and has NZ Food Safety Authority and EU accreditation.
“Essentially K9 meet the same standards required of human food providers,” Mr Smith says.
“The pet food is either frozen throughout its delivery or freeze dried to ensure that the product arrives in its original condition.”
Sourcing raw materials in New Zealand helps with access to export markets as some countries restrict imports of meat from Europe and the United States (due to mad cow disease), and it has also helped to market the product. Low intensity farming with grass fed, free range animals has provided an advantage over competitors in the raw pet food space, with many of the competitors sourcing ingredients from factory farms which use genetically modified grain and corn.
Despite a history as a managing director of Currency Derivatives at Credit Suisse, Calvin Smith has resisted the urge to hedge against currency fluctuation.
Mr Smith notes that, “Sales to a broad range of countries give K9 Natural a natural hedge.”
He describes growth in Japan, where K9 Natural has already had some success, and potential growth into China, Russia and India, where they would like to expand, as significant opportunities for the business.
K9 has recently started taking online sales and Mr Smith sees an online presence as both an opportunity to drive more sales and a marketing tool to build on the company’s already considerable success.


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SHENANGO TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A major employer in Lawrence County shut its doors on Thursday.
The McKesson Distribution Center closed after nearly 25 years of operation in Shenango Township.
The company gave notice of the closure in September.
Officials tell 11 News that 150 jobs were directly affected, but the impact goes further.
“I think the sadder thing even is it’s not just the McKesson employees that we lost. There were a few local supply chain businesses that we’ve lost as well,” said Diane Richardson, the assistant director of Lawrence County Economic Development. “It’s really hard. Especially for a community like Lawrence County, which is basically a rural community.
McKesson still owns the building. Officials said getting the building sold and filled is a top priority.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
©2023 Cox Media Group


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Renders of the OnePlus 8 Lite reveals no headphone jack and a punch hole notch
Renders of what could be the OnePlus 8 Lite has been spotted on 91mobiles.com, and it hints that the smartphone could come with a punch-hole notch as well as a rectangular camera bump towards the back of the smartphone. While there is not much known in regards to the exact tech specs and pricing of the device, 91mobiles mentioned that it might be geared towards the mid-range category.
If you take a closer look at the renders, the rear camera module seems to house up to 5 sensors as well as one LED flash. Other than that, it looks like the smartphone will come equipped with an in-display fingerprint sensor and a USB Type-C charging port.
With all that said, do take every bit of information with a grain of salt due to the fact that OnePlus did not release any statements in regards to the renders. Furthermore, there is no official news in regards to the Malaysia release date and local pricing of the smartphone in question as well.
What do you think of the alleged OnePlus 8 Lite so far? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


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Tesco is offering customers a lateral flow test that is cheaper than a takeaway coffee. While free tests have now been stopped by the government, the supermarket giant has taken it upon itself to offer the tests for just £2.
The tests stopped being free on Friday (April 1). Healthcare firm Everything Genetic are helping supply the tests to Tesco.
According to the firm's chief executive James Price, the partnership with Tesco would hopefully regulate test costs and help consumers who are worried about expenses during the cost of living crisis. The healthcare firm aims to maintain test prices to “less than a "takeaway coffee” to provide "reliable, accurate and affordable" tests, reports Birmingham Live.
He added: "As the kits will now be positioned in convenient Tesco retail locations up and down the country, they’ll be readily available at a moment’s notice for anyone wanting to get tested".
It comes as Boots has been forced to change the price of its lateral flow tests as others undercut the pharmacy. Superdrug announced that it will sell a single lateral flow test for £1.99, along with a five pack of tests for £9.79.
Superdrug's prices are much lower than those of high street rival Boots, who used to charge £5.99 for one test or a pack of four for £17. The pricing war comes as people have struggled to order lateral flow tests online amid a scramble for free kits while they are still available.


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Frankfurt, 25. Januar 2022. Last year, the share of smart TVs and UHD TVs in the overall TV market continued to rise. According to GfK SE, a total of 5.9 million TV sets were sold in Germany in 2021. Almost all of these sets are smart TVs (5.5 million), which enable the use of apps or catch-up-TV. The share of smart TVs in the total market in 2021 was 94 percent, an increase of five percentage points compared to the previous year (89 percent).
Three out of four TVs sold in 2021 (4.5 million units) are Ultra HD devices, almost all of which support at least one High Dynamic Range (HDR) method. These devices can display content with a significantly greater contrast range as well as more natural colours in finer gradations. Almost 80 per cent of HDR televisions are capable of so-called static HDR standards as well as dynamic HDR methods, which define the desired picture impression per scene or even frame.
Since the introduction of the Ultra HD standard, a total of 23.8 million UHD televisions have been sold in German households.
TVs with a screen diagonal of 55 inches and larger continue to be in vogue. This group accounts for 56 percent of the total market with about 2.9 million sets sold. More than 20 per cent of consumers opted for a TV with a screen diagonal of at least 65 inches.
An overview of available UHD content and the currently available UHD-HDR sets can be found on the Deutsche TV-Plattform information portal at https://uhdr.de/.


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(Ping! Zine Web Tech Magazine) – Okay, so we’re not exactly sure what the new Xbox’s name will be – whether Microsoft goes with Infinity, Fusion, 720 or Durango or something else, we still consider this pure speculation.
What is sure, however, is that some pretty darn good games will be released alongside the upcoming console.
We’ve seen the press releases for gaming announcements with many saying they’ll be available for “next generation consoles” whether it involves the PlayStation 4 or the new Xbox. On Sunday, a report from The Inquisitr covered some fascinating releases.
Here are some games we look forward to playing on the new Xbox:
-Wolfenstein: The New Order: No surprise here. Bethesda recently announced the game – a title which won’t feature multiplayer. We expect to hear more at E3 (some info on Fallout 4 would be nice as well!).
-Call of Duty: Ghosts: This game is a natural fit for the new Xbox. Pre-orders are already being accepted by Activision.
-Assasin’s Creed IV: Black Flag: Assasin’s Creed continues its successful reign in the world of gaming. The pirate-based title is expected for release in October.
-Tom Clancy’s Rainbow 6: Patriots: From game developer Ubisoft, the latest installment in the Rainbow 6 series could arrive sometime later this year. However, no definite release date has been revealed.
-Destiny: This game from game developer Bungie could replicate the success of the Halo franchise. Development, however, is still early and ongoing but it’s likely a sure bet to land on the new Xbox.


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By Karl Grossman
“SAVED. THANK YOU! TSCW,” declared the hand-written sign on the fence that surrounds the 16-acre site. TSCW stands for Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe. The site, in Shoreham on Long Island’s north shore, is the location of the only remaining laboratory of inventor Nicola Tesla.
The word Tesla has become familiar. Tesla Motors, now producing what is being heralded as a superb all-electric car, is named after Tesla. Tesla is a basic unit of measurement in physics standing for magnetic-field strength. Some might be aware that the two major developers of electricity in its early days were Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla, or that the two major developers of radio were Guglielmo Marconi and Nikola Tesla. Regarding Tesla, there is far, far more.
But the story of Nikola Tesla — his life and work — is not known to most people, even on Long Island where for years he lived and worked.
A group of Long Islanders — with global support — are attempting to remedy that. Last month they succeeded in acquiring Tesla’s Long Island laboratory.
The laboratory is an elegant structure designed by Tesla’s friend, famed architect Stanford White. Built between 1901 and 1903 of red brick, its ornate windows and graceful grillwork are splendid. Alongside it is where Tesla constructed a 187-foot high communications and energy transmission tower. From its top, great bolts of electricity shot off into the sky, easily visible in nearby areas on Long Island and across the Long Island Sound in Connecticut.
Granite slabs in an octagonal shape and a large mound mark where the tower stood. Below are believed to be copper-lined tunnels high enough for a person to walk through, and a shaft 120 feet down to the aquifer below which Tesla envisioned linking the tower to the energy flow of the Earth.
Tesla invented the system to distribute alternating current (AC). (Edison favored direct current.) Tesla invented much of how radio signals are transmitted. (Marconi has long been called the “father” of radio but the U.S. Supreme Court decided that Marconi made use of Tesla patents that came first.) Tesla also invented, among other things, fluorescent lighting, the AC motor, remote control using electricity, a component of the coaxial cable, electronic ignition for gas engines, the bladeless turbine, even a particle beam weapon.
“He was perhaps the greatest inventor who ever lived,” declares literature from a company composed of Long Islanders now making a feature film about Tesla titled “Fragments From Olympus — The Vision of Nikola Tesla.” They contributed funds in the successful effort to buy the Tesla laboratory. “He was a pioneer of modern electricity, radio, X-rays, robotics, remote control and missile science to just scrape the surface of his contributions,” the filmmakers say. “Yet he died in poverty, and few today even know his name. Not since DaVinci has such a scientist, poet and visionary advanced the ideas of the world.”
The son of Serbian parents born in what is now Croatia, Tesla arrived in the United States in 1884 with four cents in his pocket. But, notes Jane Alcorn, president of the Tesla Science Center, he was a “visionary” with ideas that would revolutionize the world.
At a press conference last month at Wardenclyffe, which was the name of Tesla’s laboratory, Ms. Alcorn, of Wading River, said, “We saved the property. Now we have to raise the money to create a legacy worthy of Tesla.”
The $850,000 to acquire Wardenclyffe from the Agfa Corporation, which used it as a photo processing plant until 1987, came not only from donors on Long Island — including the “Fragments from Olympus” folk — but from an online appeal of Matthew Inman on his “The Oatmeal” website that attracted funds worldwide. New York State provided a matching grant. Ms. Alcorn estimates it will now take $10 million for the dream of the Tesla Science Center at Wardencyffe — dedicated to illuminating Tesla’s work and science education — to become a reality. For more information on the campaign, visit www.teslasciencecenter.org.
I wrote and hosted a TV program — “Saving Nikola Tesla’s Laboratory” — for WVVH-TV in 2010. It’s up on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H-UBvdPtag. I jumped the fence with my cameraman, Bob Beres of Sag Harbor, to do the shoot. At the press event last month, I was able for the first time to enter part of the structure. It’s loaded with mold; it needs a lot of work.
It is a Long Island — indeed global — treasure waiting to be restored.


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They’re the high-profile jobs that, surely, no one in their right mind could want. But you’ll see a long queue of applicants whenever a vacancy comes up at an ailing giant – whether through a sense of adventure, hubris or plain greed, it seems marketers just can’t resist a challenge. By David Benady
It is hard to know whether to feel sorry for Coca-Cola’s new global marketing director Daniel Palumbo or jealous of him. Appointed as chief marketing officer last week from Eastman Kodak, Palumbo has been catapulted into the biggest marketing job in the world.
But it is a role which is notoriously difficult to fill. Palumbo is Coke’s third global marketing chief in about as many years and he will need to perform a minor miracle if he is to reinvigorate the soft drinks giant’s marketing.
Sales of the brown fizzy stuff have dipped in recent years, falling two per cent in the US last year and slowing worldwide. This is attributed in part to a general move away from carbonate consumption. Palumbo’s predecessors have paid the price for failing to resolve these issues with a concerted marketing drive.
Still, there are huge payoffs even for failure in such positions, so perhaps a little jealousy of Palumbo is justified. Even if he gets it wrong, he will probably never have to work again. Then again, if Palumbo succeeds, he will take his place in history as a man who helped to turn around one of the world’s great failing brands, and will probably get a stab at a chief executive’s job at Coke or elsewhere.
Marketers and advertising chiefs are frequently called upon to take up positions that appear at best precarious. Last week, Marketing Week reported that DaimlerChrysler UK president Joachim Eberhardt had been plucked from his post to run Chrysler’s troubled sales and marketing operation in the US. He is replacing Jim Shroer, who suddenly resigned a week earlier.
Also much in the news at the moment is former food marketer David Hearn, who last year took up the role of chief executive at troubled Bates Worldwide. Within months, he was appointed boss of the advertising network’s owner, Cordiant Communications, whose sale he is now overseeing following the loss of major pieces of business. On joining Bates, Hearn denied that his job was to turn the company into a saleable concern and walk away with a big payoff. “I’m here for the duration and will take my chances like everyone else,” he told Marketing Week (MW March 28, 2002). He stands to reap a payoff equivalent to 18 months’ salary once he sells it, according to newspaper reports.
Many in the industry are wondering which marketer will take up the challenge of 3, the mobile phone company that has failed to make much of a dent in the UK so far and is losing founding marketing director Lisa Gernon (MW May 15).
It can’t possibly go wrong
But according to some who have been lured to “basket case” roles, a new appointee does not go into their post thinking about big payoffs for failure simply because, as marketers, they cannot believe they will fail.
“Marketing and advertising people are optimistic by nature,” says one time basket-caser Charles Kirchner, who lasted just six months in the notoriously shaky role of Mirror Group marketing director. “They tend to have quite a high opinion of themselves – often too high – and that is what makes marketers good at their jobs, though they do get it wrong quite a lot.”
There is rarely much doubt in marketers’ minds over taking up these dangerous jobs, even if they are following a long line of executives who have been sacked. Ellis Watson, for instance, former marketing director of The Sun, has just taken up the newly created role of general manager at Mirror Group Newspapers – which includes the marketing remit – in the full knowledge that previous marketing boss Alisdair Luxmoore was axed after little more than 18 months (MW April 23) and others have lasted even less time. Neither Watson nor Luxmoore were available for comment as Marketing Week went to press.
“If you are an ambitious marketer and you get the opportunity to head a great brand, you will persuade yourself that your predecessors were idiots and that here is a chance to make yourself famous forever,” says Kirchner.
Kirchner says he took the Mirror job because he thought he could apply disciplines learned in packaged goods to newspaper marketing, although he admits that Mirror Group was a “very generous employer” and that there was “a degree of danger money” on offer, which played a part in his decision. He now heads his own company, Marketing Supply Chain International.
The self-belief exhibited by advertising and marketing people is both refreshing and astounding. Grey Worldwide London has been through a succession of chief executives in recent years, most of whom haven’t lasted long and have failed to remedy the company’s lacklustre performance. Present incumbent Garry Lace, who was poached from TBWA last October, says: “If a company seems to go through people quickly, that says more about the company culture than the people. The fact that Grey has had a lot of people doing this job says more about Grey than it does about the chief executives.” Lace believes that by putting him in charge, the company has shown that it has finally come to its senses.
A marketer with a mission
One man with an interesting angle on why he took up a seemingly thankless job is MG Rover sales and marketing director John Sanders, who joined the troubled car maker as marketing director in 1998, when it was still owned by BMW and was referred to in the German press as “the English Patient”.
Sanders, at the time deputy managing director of below-the-line agency Broadway, says he joined Rover partly out of a sense of public good. “The indigenous car manufacturing industry is always at risk in this country. If it declines further, jobs will be at risk. That helps you get up on a Monday morning,” he says.
He adds that people who take a risk by going into a difficult job should be praised rather than reviled. “There is a lot to say for putting oneself out there and taking a risk,” he says. “I would never judge adversely someone who came to me with a CV that showed they had tried and failed.”
A voice of warning, though, comes from headhunter James Brocket, managing director of executive search agency Calibre One, which specialises in placing marketers in technology businesses. He believes that having a bad mark against their name can work against mainstream marketers. “You’re starting at a disadvantage if you have made a bad career move. You don’t get many chances in marketing and nowadays people are taking much more care, doing research on people before hiring them.” This can include talking to former team members about marketers’ strong and weak points. “If those discussions are negative, the company won’t hire,” he says.
Marketers are well advised to think twice before jumping at the chance to sip from a poisoned chalice, though that depends on just how diamond-encrusted the chalice is. Clearly few people would turn down the job of chief marketing officer at Coca-Cola. But for lesser roles, extreme caution is necessary.


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Escape, Accord best new vehicle finalists
The Ford Escape and 2013 Honda Accord are among the finalists for best new car and CUV of the year, according to the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada.
The list of contenders was determined by more than 80 of Canada’s authoritative automotive journalists who recently concluded four intensive days of real-world, testing of 180 new 2013 model year vehicles to determine the “Best New” winners in 11 different categories as part of AJAC’s annual Canadian Car of the Year program.
The 11 category winners go on to compete for the honour of becoming the 2013 Canadian Car of the Year or the 2013 Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year. The overall winners will be announced Feb. 14 at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto.
The best new vehicles in the 11 categories tested:
- City car: Ford Focus EV
- Best new small car (under $21k): Mazda3 Skyactiv Sedan
- Best new small car (over $21k): Hyundai Elantra GT
- Best new family car (under $30k): Honda Accord Sedan
- Best new family car (over $30k): Ford Fusion Hybrid
- Best new luxury car: Cadillac ATS
- Best new prestigious and performance car (over $75k): Porsche 911 Carrera S
- Best new sports/performance car (under $50k): Ford Focus ST
- Best new sports/performance car (over $50k): Porsche Boxster
- Best new SUV/CUV (under $35k): Ford Escape 1.6 L EcoBoost
- Best new SUV/CUV ($35k-$60k): Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T
Vehicles to speak the same language
Volvo Car Corp., has partnered with the CAR 2 CAR Communication Consortium as well as other European automakers and suppliers to develop a common platform, enabling cars to communicate with each other and the traffic environment.
“In the future we will have advanced exchange of vital information between vehicles such as their position, speed and direction,” said Erik Israelsson, Volvo’s project leader of co-operative intelligent transport systems.
Volvo signed an agreement with the members of the CAR 2 CAR Communication Consortium regarding the implementation of standardized technology for communication between cars from 2016 and onward.
The goal is to develop inter-car communication between all vehicles, regardless of their nameplates.
“There is considerable potential in this area as well as opportunities for many benefits in many spheres over and above road safety, such as a more uniform flow of traffic and additional comfort for road users,” said Israelsson.


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The big leagues in the auto business are not for the faint of wallet. Ford threw $800 million behind Rivian, which is no small sum even for a giant automaker, and got 12 percent of the (unproven) electric vehicle company in return. Since then, Rivian went public (and its R1T pickup truck just happened to win a little award we like to give out every year). Thanks to a lot of positive attention, a good product, and a successful IPO, Ford’s investment has proved fruitful, to say the least. And remember, this is with both companies pulling out of an agreement to co-develop vehicles, too.
Ford reckons it has made $8.2 billion on that initial $800 million investment, per Automotive News. That kind of return probably has you looking at your 401k statements and wincing a bit. But the EV startup game is a risky business, and for every Rivian there are a lot of startups that are struggling mightily—Lordstown Motors, for example, has seen its stock price plummet this week to its lowest price ever. Making cars is hard, and there are a thousand ways to fail and only a few to succeed.
And the competition isn’t sitting still either. Consider news from last week about Bollinger, which decided the consumer truck market wasn’t for them right now. That company pivoted to commercial vehicle sales, and so the B1 SUV and B2 truck are indefinitely postponed. The company didn’t detail all the reasons, but the trickle of competitors in the consumer EV truck arena has gone from a trickle to a flood, with the Chevy Silverado EV and Ford F-150 Lightning poised to become juggernauts in the space, bringing mainstream automaker muscle and volume.
Nevertheless, Rivian has a niche—adventurous EVs—and a product with serious appeal. It’s all enough that Rivian has earmarked $5 billion for significant expansion, including a second factory in Georgia, expanding its workforce to 7,500 people. Anything can happen, but for right now Rivian seems like a growing concern, and more importantly it’s producing returns for its investors that’ll help keep the cash flowing as Rivian builds out.
Source: Read Full Article


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The Auckland arm of the Australian company has this month begun moving its New Zealand publications from Quark to Adobe’s newly released InDesign 2, in line with their Australian counterparts. First in line for the software makeover is Woman’s Day, to be followed over the next few weeks by the New Zealand editions of Australian Woman’s Weekly, Cleo and SHE, and Fashion Quarterly.
Production director Michael Turner says Adobe won out in a comparison with Quark, which ACP has used for most of the seven years he has been with the publisher.
“We’re still using Quark Xpress 3.3, which is getting long in the tooth. The upgrade choice between ID and Xpress version 5x was a group decision [New Zealand and Australia], but if you evaluate ID, it’s pretty clear Adobe has competitive advantages.”
He says despite some resistance to change by the company’s Australian designers, the switch there has been hugely beneficial.
The changeover at ACP’s New Zealand operation comes with a considerable hardware cost, as InDesign is not very friendly to older low-spec machines. The company has upgraded to Compaq Pentium IVs with Windows 2000. But Turner says that cost will be offset by gains in the design workflow. He expects the real economic benefits will come later.
“In about six months’ time when we hope to do all our prepress in-house we will expect some considerable gains.”
The company is continuing to use Quark for its trade publications.
The local Quark distributor, QBus, is circumspect about the ACP decision.
The initial cost of InDesign might appear competitive but, considering you will probably need to upgrade every year, the real costs could run very high.”


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Automobile manufacturers are poised to benefit from industry shipment growth in the mid-single-digit range in 2020, according to KeyBanc Capital Markets.
Current channel inventory is “trending toward threshold levels” and inventory turns are significantly above peak levels, Andress said in a note. He added that a survey of more than 100 dealers supports inventory normalization in the second half of 2019 and restocking potential in 2020.
The company is moving past several headwinds and should recapture lost market share. This would lend earnings upside, while lower material and labor costs should boost margins in fiscal 2020 and 2021. These would create “a sustainable tailwind not accurately factored into current estimates,” Andress said.
The analyst has a price target of $95 for Thor Industries.
Winnebago’s towables market share has expanded from around 3% to more than 7% following the Grand Design acquisition. Grand Design is likely to sustain this outperformance, driven by distribution gains and the potential for new model launches in the future, Andress said.
While saying that Winnebago’s recent Newmar deal brings a premium and profitable brand into the portfolio, the analyst added that the near-term and long-term growth potential of this business seemed to be so far underappreciated.
He has a price target of $67 for Winnebago Industries.
Shares of Thor were down 0.44% to $81.05, while Winnebago Industries shares were down 0.28% to $56.19 at time of publication Monday


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Ubisoft has released a new development diary for Ghost Recon: Wildlands.
In the video (below) Sam Strachman, Ubisoft Paris’ narrative designer, along with members of Red Storm, who created the original Ghost Recon titles, explore the upcoming games authenticity as well as the series’ history.
Ghost Recon: Wildlands, which has reportedly been in development for over three years, was first announced at E3 this year and is the first ever open world game in the series. Ubisoft Paris has said it is the biggest open world Ubisoft has ever made.
Players will be able to traverse the massive open world of Bolivia, either solo or in four player co-op, by sea, air, or land with all manner of vehicles. Wildlands is being built as a non-linear game, which it’s developer says is designed to give “choices you make real, lasting consequences.”
Tom Clancy’ Ghost Recon: Wildlands will launch on PS4, Xbox One and PC sometime in 2016.


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With the coVID-19 outbreak of the new corona virus spreading in many places around the world, many are worried that the technology and gaming industries will be hit hard. Even friends who want to play games at home are not afraid that Sony PS5 and Microsoft’s Xbox One Series won’t arrive in time for 2020. The good news is that, with some clues, even as factory production and transportation have suffered a short-term stagnation, the release of the two next-generation hosts is still moving in an orderly fashion.
Rick Bergman, executive vice president of AMD’s graphics division, is expected to share a slide during Thursday’s Financial Analyst Day speech, suggesting that the PS5 and Xbox Series X will still be ready for the 2020 holiday release.
The two consoles to be released this year are crucial to AMD, as both Sony and Microsoft have chosen the company’s custom chip solutions.
In a recent blog post, Microsoft revealed many details about Xbox Series X. For example, as the most powerful Microsoft game console ever, it uses AMD’s latest Zen 2 CPU plus RDNA 2 GPU architecture.
“Next-generation PlayStation chose a custom chip solution based on AMD III Ryzen,” Mark Cerny, PS’s chief system architect, also said in an interview with Wired in April last year.
The CPU is a 7nm process-based Zen 2 octa-core processor, and the GPU section is also a ray-tracing-enabled Radeon Navi custom core that simulates the propagation of light and complex interactions in 3D environments.
Even though the global spread of the COVID-19 outbreak is unclear, AMD clearly believes Sony and Microsoft will be able to officially release next-generation consoles by the end of 2020. By then, the biggest question is perhaps whether your own capacity is sufficient.


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Qualcomm, a leading mobile device chip manufacturer, is set to buy Wilocity, an Israeli start-up, for approximately $300 million, according to Wilocity sources quoted in the media. The deal is likely to be announced in the coming days, the sources said, with employees already informed several weeks ago that Qualcomm planned to buy the company. Neither Qualcomm nor Wilocity would comment publicly.
Qualcomm worked with Wilocity for several years to develop WiGig chipsets for devices, such as phones, tablets and laptops. WiGig (Wireless Gigabit), the brand name given to the more advanced 802.11ad standard by the WiFi Alliance, offers data transfer speeds of up to 7 gigabits per second. Most devices use the 802.11n standard, which transfers data at a speed of between 1 and 1.3 Gbps. WiGig runs on the less crowded 5 GHz band, instead of the 2.4 GHz band that 802.11n devices use.
Wilocity demonstrated its chipsets at CES 2013 and impressed observers with the system’s capabilities, said Tal Tamir, Wilocity’s CEO. The company’s WiGig technology, based on Qualcomm chips, can transfer high-definition video at distances of up to 40 meters with speeds more than 10 times faster than average WiFi transmission rates.
When the deal is finalized, Wilocity will become part of a strong Qualcomm presence in Israel. In 2010, the company bought iSkoot, which started out life developing enhancements for Skype and, in the service of Qualcomm, makes social media apps for At&T (Social Net), Verizon (Social Beat) and T-Mobile (Social Buzz), among others. In 2012, Qualcomm snapped up DesignArt Networks, which develops small cell technology for cellular base stations and wireless backhaul infrastructure. Along with DesignArt, Qualcomm in 2012 bought the assets of Israel’s EPOS, which specialized in digital ultrasound technology, engineered for input uses such as pen, stylus and gesture recognition.
Qualcomm invested in Israeli start-ups via its Qualcomm Ventures funds. The fund has contributed money to eight Israeli start-ups, including companies that specialize in networking and backhaul solutions (Siklu), online shopping solutions (Corrigon) and crowdsourcing mobile consumer apps (Waze). The fund also invested in Wilocity.
On a recent visit to Israel, Irwin M. Jacobs, a co-founder, former chairman and chairman emeritus of Qualcomm, said that Israel was one of the company’s “go-to” places for advanced technology. “Israel’s biggest contributions to mobile technology are designing better ways of controlling things, increasing data rates and enabling us to squeeze more out of existing bandwidth, using technology such as femtocells,” Jacobs said. “In addition, Israelis are developing some wonderful apps, such as apps that can be used for telemedicine, enabling doctors to diagnose and consult with patients remotely.”
Israel has always held an important place in Jacobs’s heart, “both because of my background [Jacobs was born to a Jewish family in New Bedford, Massachusetts in 1933] and for professional reasons. Israel is a very admirable country with great universities,” he said. “The kids go to the army and come out very mature, displaying great talent. We’re very pleased to be a part of it, and pleased that Israel is an important part of Qualcomm.”


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The truth about Ramar Foods’ Magnolia Ice Cream in the USA. Watch the video below from the real Magnolia Ice Cream of the Philippines.
Note that Ramar Foods is NOT the Magnolia ice cream you knew growing up in the Philippines. Always check the label.
Ifex European Networking Night gathers international food, business VIPs
The event was a project of the European Philippine Business Network and organized by the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Philippines (CCI France Philippines), Italian Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ICCP) and the European Chamber of ...
Posted: May 27, 2017, 9:48 am
Kuwait eyes local business chamber
MANILA, Philippines - The government of Kuwait is eyeing the establishment of a business chamber in the Philippines to further expand its trade and investments in the country, the Department of Finance (DOF) said. During a recent meeting, Kuwait Ambassador ...
Posted: May 27, 2017, 9:13 am
Davao dealmaker expands business from oil to casino
Uy said he started buying into 2Go two years ago, building his stake in its parent company to 31 percent last year, betting that logistics would become a big business opportunity in the Philippines. When Uy found himself short of funds for 2GO, he ...
Posted: May 27, 2017, 5:16 am
Philippines-Russian companies sign USD 875m business deals
With these newly-forged deals, new Filipino investors can now penetrate the Russian market while interested Russian business executives can explore investing in the Philippines. Philippines Trade and Industry Minister Ramon Lopez said, "So far, we have ...
Posted: May 27, 2017, 1:34 am
Kuwait to form business chamber in PH
(Islam Times image) MANILA — Kuwait has sought the assistance of the Department of Finance (DOF) in establishing a business chamber here as part of its efforts to expand trade and investments in the Philippines. In a recent meeting with Finance Secretary ...
Posted: May 26, 2017, 4:27 pm
Wing Zone Expands Rapidly Growing International Footprint with Up to 50-Unit Deal in The Philippines
“The knowledge and experience that Viva Food Group has in The Philippines, coupled with their successful business background spanning more than three decades of success gives us an extremely high level of confidence that these developments in The ...
Posted: May 25, 2017, 7:42 am
PetDag to sell its LPG business in the Philippines
KUALA LUMPUR: Petronas Dagangan Bhd (PetDag) is seeking to exit the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) business in the Philippines. In a press statement, the principal domestic marketing arm of Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) said it was divesting its 100% ...
Posted: May 24, 2017, 6:34 am
Inside the billion-dollar child webcam sex rings in the Philippines where Australian paedophile Peter Scully 'masterminded service to torture children and sell the videos online'
Scully's capture was a huge blow to the billion-dollar business, according to Glen Hulley ... rape and human trafficking and is awaiting trial in the Philippines. He allegedly masterminded a pay-per-view service where footage of children being tortured ...
Posted: May 24, 2017, 4:24 am
Valentus Opens In The Philippines
He told me that he just got back from the Philippines and that Valentus is officially open, on-the-ground and on-fire in the Philippines. They kicked off with 2 big, very exciting meetings and countless smaller meetings plus special training sessions.
Posted: May 24, 2017, 1:13 am
5 Quick Tips on Starting a Travel Agency Business in the Philippines
It’s fun to travel. And with social media showcasing a lot of wonderful destinations, who wouldn’t be tempted to travel, right? I actually know someone who has his travel agency on speed dial in his mobile phone! As you may know, traveling is not just ...
Posted: May 16, 2017, 2:08 pm
San Miguel scores a victory over the Northern California company that stole the Magnolia brand for ice cream.
China commercial complex imports $500-M worth of Filipino snacks
Represented Philippine Companies: Aisha-Fil Food, Inc., Mapagmahal Foods, Green Leaves Company, Gustazo-Alimentos Corp., Andy Albao Corp., Kwality Philfood, Inc., Grand Alphatech International Corp., Fenor Foods, RPM Pili Nuts, Philippine Moringa and More Corp., Magic Melt Foods, Inc., Monde Nissin, Nyogi Pure Coconut Water Philippines, Big “E” Food Corp
With a 35-percent compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) in the past five years, BPI-Philam Life Assurance Corp. (BPI-Philam) has remained ambitious in duplicating, if not surpassing its 2015 premium income uptake.
In a press briefing yesterday, Philippine American Life and General Insurance Co. (Philam Life) officer-in-charge and BPI Philam chief executive officer Ariel G. Cantos said 2015 was in fact its fastest growth rate of 44 percent.
The Executive DBA Council (EDBAC) is a global volunteer organization that focuses on executive doctoral programs and their issues.


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Total 30 Posts
Also on the list was enhancing security in the digital world, building up cyber capacities by producing a globally reliable and secure Internet and protecting small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) against cyber threats.
In this new bilateral partnership with Singapore’s Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI), the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) is looking to apply cybersecurity best practices throughout the country.
The administration’s announcement comes as the market pull for commercial fusion has grown exponentially.
These accounts allowed the scammers to run more than $4.6 million in consumer credit card charges.
The order represents the first ever “whole-of-government” approach to regulate digital assets and sets out a national policy across six main areas.
With many important medical products still in short supply due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) this month confirmed it will exclude several hundred Chinese products from import duties.


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Online fashion retailer Boohoo has completed the fit-out of the extension to its Burnley distribution centre which includes an element of automation, the company said as it unveiled a 48 per cent increase in sales last year.
The retailer, whose brands include PrettyLittleThing and Nasty Gal, is in the process of building a distribution network capable of generating £3 billion in net sales globally.
In its results for the year to 28th February, it said: “Our extended Burnley distribution centre now has a significant element of automation, which will enhance productivity and improve efficiency.
“Following the addition of the Sheffield facility for PrettyLittleThing, our distribution centres in Burnley and Sheffield represent significant stepping stones as we build towards creating a distribution network capable of generating £3 billion of net sales globally.”
Revenue was up 48 per cent at £856.9 million while adjusted EBITDA was up 49 per cent at £84.5m. The company is targeting sales growth of 25 per cent a year.
Chief executive John Lyttle said: “The group’s investments into its brands and infrastructure have allowed it to develop a scalable multi-brand platform that is well-positioned to disrupt, gain market share and capitalise on what is a truly global opportunity.”


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WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Omaha-based Nebraska Beef is voluntarily recalling about 531,707 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with the bacterium E. coli 0157:H7, the U.S. Agriculture Department said late on Monday.
USDA said the ground beef products were produced between May 19, 2008, and June 24, 2008. The shipping containers and product labels bear the establishment number “EST. 19336” inside the USDA inspection mark, USDA said.
The beef was distributed to processing plants in Colorado, Nebraska and Texas and to wholesalers in Illinois, Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania, the federal agency said.
No illnesses have been reported.
E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause diarrhea and dehydration. Children, the elderly and people with weak immune systems are the most susceptible.


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Sales of beetroot are soaring at Waitrose which has introduced a spiralised version to keep pace with demand over the summer.
And a whole range of beet-inspired dishes are debuting at Waitrose which has seen sales of its Duchy Organic beetroot soar 164% compared to last year, while sales of Waitrose Sweetfire beetroot, a sweet and spicy chilli beetroot, are up 23% and Waitrose World Deli beetroot and Sour Cherries Slaw is up 51%.
Waitrose says health conscious shoppers are inspired by food bloggers and chefs looking for new ways to use beetroot.
“Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of a healthy, balanced diet, and we’ve seen they are enjoying beetroot in all its forms. Sales of beetroot are rising as customers look to eat more vegetables in as many different ways as possible,” says Dr Emma Williams, Waitrose senior nutritionist.
“Studies have shown that beetroot juice can increase distance runners’ time by 16 per cent, which is great news for those wanting to exercise for longer and could suggest a reason behind the spike in sales.
“Being naturally rich in folate and a good source of potassium, beetroot is the perfect option for adding flavour and colour to any dish, whether sweet or savoury.”
The new spiralised line flavours the beetroot with lemon, mint and chilli. It’s on shelves now priced at £1.23 on an introductory offer until August 8, after which it will retail at £1.65 for 150g.


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Doom 4 concept art leaks - report
Bethesda again denies game has been cancelled.
A set of what is claimed to be environment art from id Software's long-in-development FPS sequel Doom 4 has found its way onto the web.
The screens, which you can check out below, were originally uploaded to 4Chan by an anonymous poster, who also wrote "DOOM4 Canceled, more at 11."
Publisher Bethesda then told Joystiq that the title is still alive and well, though didn't comment on the legitimacy of the screens.
"When we're ready to talk about it and show it off, we'll let everyone know," said Bethesda marketing chief Pete Hines.
This is the second time that rumours of Doom 4's demise have circulated. Back in November Bethesda refuted reports that the title had been "indefinitely postponed" following the commercial and critical response to Rage.
The follow up to 2004's Doom 3 was first announced back in 2008, though Bethesda has not yet released a trailer or any screens.


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Samsung has made it no secret that it is looking to supply its Exynos processors to other manufacturers in order to increase profits. A more recent report has revealed that the embattled ZTE is among the number of companies talking to the Korean giant; which could lead to some interesting negotiations.
Inyup Kang, head of Samsung’s logic chip developer System LSI, said that the company is in talks with all OEMs; offering them the opportunity to become a Samsung customer. The company later clarified the statement in relation to ZTE, which is currently facing a seven year ban from America for violating sanctions on Iran and North Korea. The clarification claims that there is no certainty that a deal can be reached with ZTE, and that the company treats all vendors equally.
ZTE currently represents a difficult situation for many non-US companies looking to do business. Supplying the company could lead to legal repercussions; something that many corporations would rather avoid. Especially ones that come from a long time American ally like South Korea.
Things are even more complicated as US President is looking to lift the trade ban on ZTE due to economic talks with China.
At the moment, only Chinese manufacturer Meizu uses Exynos processors in its devices. Although, Kang expects to announce new clients during the first half of 2019.


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Forward-looking leadership succession arrangements for Emmi
Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR
The Emmi Group is initiating succession arrangements at an early stage regarding a double leadership change for the Board of Directors and Group Management. After 15 years as a member of Emmi’s Board of Directors – including 12 years as its Chairman – Konrad Graber will not be standing for re-election at the Emmi General Meeting in April 2023. The Board of Directors nominates Urs Riedener – who has successfully led the company as CEO since 2008 and will be stepping down from this position at the end of 2022 – as his successor.
Konrad Graber, Chairman of the Board of Directors, will not stand for re-election at the General Meeting of Emmi AG held on 13 April 2023. The Board of Directors has nominated the current CEO and Chair of Emmi Group Management, Urs Riedener, to succeed him.
After 15 years as a member of Emmi’s Board of Directors and 12 years as its Chairman, Konrad Graber will step down from his role as board member at the 2023 General Meeting. Konrad Graber has led the Board of Directors with great care and circumspection and has been instrumental in the further development of Emmi.
“Emmi has evolved into an internationally successful group with premium dairy products and strong brands. Due to the excellent positioning among all our stakeholders, I consider this an ideal time to initiate leadership succession arrangements for Emmi. We are pleased that current CEO Urs Riedener – whose initiative and committed leadership are intrinsic to Emmi’s success and culture – wants to move to the strategic level and will thus be able to continue to shape the future of the Group,” says Konrad Graber, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emmi Group.
Successful and formative since 2008
Urs Riedener took over responsibility for operational management of the Emmi Group on 1 April 2008. Under his leadership, Emmi has achieved consistent and sustainable performance. With its balanced, specifically diversified country and brand portfolio, successful brand concepts such as Emmi Caffè Latte or Kaltbach, as well as strategic niche businesses such as speciality desserts, Emmi is not only the undisputed leading milk processor in Switzerland but also one of the leading international premium suppliers of dairy products. With subsidiaries in 14 countries outside Switzerland, it is well established and has repeatedly proven its resilience. Emmi recently underlined its ambition to ensure that future generations will be able to experience the best dairy moments as well and to create corresponding added value for all stakeholders with an expanded sustainability model geared towards a netZERO 2050 agenda.
In order to concentrate on the new position and respect a cooling-off period as the designated new Chairman of the Board of Directors, Urs Riedener will step down from his current position as CEO and Chair of Group Management on 31 December 2022. The election of a new CEO will be announced at the appropriate time, probably in spring 2022.
Emmi is the leading milk processor in Switzerland. The company dates back to 1907, when it was founded by 62 dairy farming cooperatives around Lucerne. Over the past 20 years, Emmi has grown into an international, listed group. It has for many years pursued a successful strategy based on three pillars: strengthening its Swiss domestic market, international growth and cost management. Throughout its corporate history, Emmi’s keen awareness of its responsibility to society, animal welfare and the environment has been fundamental to its mission.
In Switzerland, Emmi manufactures a comprehensive range of dairy products for its own brands and private label products for customers, including leading exports such as Emmi Caffè Latte and Kaltbach. In other countries, its products – mainly speciality products – are manufactured locally. Alongside cow’s milk, it also processes goat’s and sheep’s milk.
In Switzerland, the Emmi Group has 25 production sites. Abroad, Emmi and its subsidiaries have a presence in 14 countries, eight of which have production facilities. Emmi exports products from Switzerland to around 60 countries. Its business activities focus on the Swiss domestic market as well as western Europe and the American continent. Roughly half of its CHF 3.7 billion in sales – about 10 % of which stems from organic products – is generated in Switzerland, the other half abroad and over two-thirds of its around 8,900 employees are based outside of Switzerland.


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Blockbuster Video is returning to the UK to celebrate the release of Deadpool 2
Anyone who grew up in the 90s will remember taking trips to their local video store
We might be spoilt for choice with Netflix on our laptops nowadays, but searching the shelves for the right movie and buying the popcorn at the till on a Friday night felt like a special treat. Popping the tape back into the letterbox on Monday morning was a ritual it's impossible to replicate in a digital format.
But alas, all things must pass, and as people began to download movies online in the noughties, video rental stores became increasingly redundant.
You'll probably be pleased to hear, though, that for two days only a Blockbuster will be making a return to the UK. To celebrate the release of Deadpool 2 a pop-up in Shoreditch, London will be recreating a branch of the video rental chain and giving you a chance to relive your youth one last time.
Along with the chance to see the inside of a Blockbuster one more time, there will also be 1,989 free copies of ‘Deadpool 2’ on offer when the pop-up opens for two days from noon on 17 September.
And anyone who has kept their blue-and-yellow laminated Blockbuster membership card will be able to skip the queues to receive a limited-edition VHS case containing a download code for the film.


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Mullen Automotive, Inc. announced customer vehicle pricing for the Mullen ONE, Class 1 EV Cargo Van, and Mullen THREE, Class 3 EV Cab Chassis Truck.
“As more fleets focus on their sustainability goals addressing climate change, the net price points of our Mullen commercial products make this an easy choice and help accelerate their transition to electric,” said David Michery, CEO and chairman of Mullen Automotive. “With both vehicles qualifying for the $7,500 federal tax credit, their Class 1 EV Cargo Van acquisition cost will reduce to $27,000, and Class 3 EV Cab Chassis Truck will reduce to $61,000.”
Mullen ONE, Class 1 Urban Delivery EV Cargo Van
The starting MSRP for the Mullen ONE, Class 1 Urban Delivery EV Cargo VAN is $34,500.
The Mullen ONE is anticipated to be the first EV cargo van for sale in the U.S. market in the Class 1 commercial vehicle segment, according to the company's news release.
Mullen ONE Vehicle Highlights:
- 110-mile estimated range
- 4,881 lbs. GVWR
- 1,683 lbs. max payload
- 157 cu. ft. cargo volume
- 20 ft. turning radius
Mullen THREE, Class 3 Urban Utility EV Cab Chassis Truck
The starting MSRP for the Mullen THREE, Class 3 Urban Utility EV Cab Chassis Truck is $68,500.
The Mullen THREE is a Class 3 low cab forward EV truck featuring a turning diameter of 38 feet.
Mullen THREE Vehicle Highlights:
- 130-mile estimated range
- 11,000 lbs. GVWR
- 5,802 lbs. max payload
- 14 ft. max box length
- 38 ft. turning diameter