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Cyber crime is costing economies around the world billions every year, and Africa is no different. A lot of cyber crime originates on the continent, and spreads quickly, because many servers and PCs are inadequately protected.
As a continent, Africa is vulnerable to a multitude of online criminal activities, from financial fraud and malware distribution, to the scourges of terrorism, drugs and human trafficking.
At ITWeb Security Summit 2015, to be held from 26 to 28 May at Vodacom World in Midrand, Abdulkarim Chukkol, head of the Advance Fee Fraud and Cybercrime Section Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Nigeria, will give insight into how his country is combating cyber crime. His presentation is entitled: "Nigeria fighting cyber crime in Africa - the Nigerian perspective".
According to Chukkol, some of the biggest threats Nigeria faces are phishing - targeting mostly local banks and their clients; unauthorised access to systems and the information they contain by insiders, service providers or consultants; and malware distribution such as software and hardware key-loggers.
He says Nigeria is not much different from other countries when it comes to cyber crime and how it is carried out. "However, Nigerian cyber criminals believe in networking, and make use of the slightest opportunities available for financial gain."
In addition, the methods Nigerian cyber criminals use to launder the ill-gotten gains of cyber crime are quite sophisticated, Chukkol adds. "There is no doubt the growth in the use of electronic banking systems and e-commerce has brought about a parallel increase in efforts to defraud both individuals and corporate organisations, and thus cause tremendous financial loss."
He says until recently, there was no national cyber security strategy. "However, each and every sector of the Nigerian economy formulates its own policy to safeguard itself. Owners and operators of most of the critical infrastructures and systems in Nigeria are responsible for strengthening cyber resilience. There are also policies and guidelines formulated for the industry by the appropriate regulatory agencies that are aimed at improving knowledge, capabilities, decision-making and addressing priority areas."
Chukkol will discuss some of Nigeria's successes, and how the country is waging war on cyber crime, during his presentation. Click here to find out more and to register for this 10th annual security summit from ITWeb before the early-bird discount expires.


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A new Android feature displays GPS coordinates when you call the 911
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- Kenya’s CMC Motors in deal with Renault Trucks
- Rwanda’s Akagera Business Group in partnership with Mercedes Benz
- Ethiopia to host Autoexpo Africa 2019 in Addis Ababa
- Africa: the next hub to build cars
- Hailing Nopia electric ride to get launched first in Nairobi
- Tycoon Reginald Mengi to Build Car Assembly Plant in Tanzania
- Volkswagen to enter Ethiopia
- Hyundai introducing a new line up at Autoexpo Africa for Tanzania
- Nairobi goes green with EkoRent's Nopia Ride
- Isuzu Set for Launch of New SUV Model in East Africa
AUTOMART - June/July Issue :
AutoMart Africa June/July Issue Inaugural by Chief Guest at AUTOEXPO AFRICA 2016.
NEW PRODUCTS IN AFRICA
LATEST PRIME NEWS
CMC Motors Group has got into a deal with French automotive manufacturer Renault Trucks to extend its footprint within the heavy commercial truck industry, to meet increasing demand across the East African Region. Renault Trucks Africa Vice President, Cyril Barille, noted that, East Africa is rapid growing regions, an important factor that has Read More..
Akagera Motors has signed a partnership deal with renowned vehicle manufacturer Mercedes Benz, as the German investors continue to loosen their stretch in the Rwandan market. The local auto market in Rwanda is gaining attention and has interested in various foreign companies to invest in the industry. Akagera Motors being exclusive Read More..


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Nike, USATF Sign 23-Year Extension Illinois Athletics, Nike Unveil New Look Harper Stars In New Gatorade Ad Marketplace Roundup Foot Locker Ad Puts Lillard In Spotlight Blues Ink Four Postseason Presenting Sponsors Bubba Likely To See Sponsorships Grow Marketplace Roundup Adidas Signs Lillard To Massive Shoe Deal Ian Darke Featured In ESPN World Cup Spot
Upcoming Conferences and Events
SBD/September 9, 2010/Sponsorship
Published September 9, 2010
DOYER TOWN: In L.A., Steve Dilbeck reported the Dodgers have trademarked the phrase, "Los Doyers," a "riff on a Spanish pronunciation of Dodgers." The phrase has "gained mainstream popularity thanks to local sports-talk host Petros Papadakis, who's been using it for years," and there are now "T-shirts with the phrase scripted across the front on sale at Dodger Stadium gift shops" (LATIMES.com, 9/7).
NOTES: Appliance and electronics retailer hhgregg has reached a sponsorship agreement with Raycom Sports that makes the company the official presenting sponsor of Raycom Sports' HD regional telecasts during the '10 ACC football season, beginning with Saturday's Duke-Wake Forest game (Raycom)....Xyience has renewed its deal with MMA fighter Wanderlei Silva, who has been the face of the company's Xenergy drink since September '08. Xenergy is the official energy drink of the UFC (Xyience).


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According to a scientist who has studied the phenomenon, there is a serious risk of cross-border coronavirus transmission through the $1.5 trillion global agri-food market.
Contaminated food imports may be able to transfer the virus to both workers and the environment, said Dale Fisher, an infectious disease physician at the National University Hospital in Singapore. In the first part of the transmission chain, frozen-food markets are thought to be an important harbor, he said.
“It’s hitching a ride on the food, infecting the first person that opens the box. It’s not to be confused with supermarket shelves getting infected. It’s really at the marketplace, before there’s been a lot of dilution,” Mr. Fisher, who also chairs the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network, said.
In recent months China has been vocal about finding traces of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19 causing virus) pathogen on packaging and food, raising fears that imported items are linked to recent virus resurgences. The Asian country has ordered a range of precautionary steps, creating major disruptions with its trading partners.
Although such transmission continues to be a ‘freakish’ occurrence, the scale of global food exchange is such that it will occur a few times out of millions of imports and exports, Mr. Fisher said.
Ignored by global agencies
This is a theory that the World Health Organization (WHO) and some western nations have downplayed. Recent epidemiological evidence suggests that it is ‘unlikely’ that the virus could be transmitted from surfaces to human respiratory systems, the WHO has said, while the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also confirmed that it is not aware of any evidence to indicate that the disease will spread through food.
The theory is rarely mentioned or debated outside of China, where officials are increasingly weighing in on the idea that the virus may be carried and transmitted via food packaging. Mr. Fisher is one of the few international experts researching the possibility of outbreaks in fresh and frozen food that is contaminated.
“There’s two schools of thought and the minority view which I adhere to is that there’s a lot of circumstantial evidence. A lot of people may be against this because they don’t want to scare the world but the food could be a source,” said Mr. Fisher.
In the time and temperatures associated with transportation and storage conditions used in the international food trade, experiments performed by the Fisher team indicate that the coronavirus could thrive. The study published in August showed no weakening of the infectious virus even after 21 days when the pathogen was added to chicken, salmon and pork samples at normal food refrigeration and freezing temperatures.
In cold and dry conditions, the fact that the virus appears to flourish has made cold-storage facilities perfect spaces for the spread of the pathogen. Meatpacking plants and factory farms are more likely to be hot spots for COVID-19 outbreaks, more than schools and churches, according to Mr. Fisher.
“It’s because there’s a lot of stainless steel, which it grows on,” he said. “It’s cold, it’s crowded, it’s noisy so the people have to yell.”
Authorities in the eastern Chinese coastal city of Qingdao announced earlier this month that they found live SARS-CoV-2 on imported frozen seafood, with two port staff responsible for the refrigerated packaging unloading testing positive for the virus.
In recent months, China has said several times that imported refrigerated products pose a risk of re-introducing the coronavirus into the country. Following positive tests on shipping containers and food packaging, it subsequently banned imported goods, including seafood from Indonesia and chicken wings from Brazil.
When the virus was tracked to the chopping board of a seller of imported fish, a June outbreak in Beijing caused a nationwide salmon boycott. Also, New Zealand, which has sustained long virus-free periods, said it was looking at the possibility that one of its new clusters could be related to a cold-storage facility.
Mr. Fisher claims that, unlike those in the west now fighting a second wave of diseases, the reason Asian countries are more likely to find proof of food and packaging transmission is due to the now-contained nature of outbreaks in many of its countries.
“You’d never pick it up in the US or in Europe, because you only pick it up if you go from zero cases for 100 days, and then have a small cluster,” he said. “You say, well how did this small cluster start?”
To prevent this, food production companies need to ensure workers are vigilant on mask-wearing, hand-washing and regular sanitization of surfaces and utensils. “And you need to make sure that all these outbreaks in meat processing plants stop,” he concluded.


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In the 10-block radius around Sarah Metz’s apartment in Brooklyn, there are around 50 bodegas and five or six grocery stores. None have bulk bins; like typical markets, pretty much everything you can buy comes wrapped in plastic or cardboard.
Metz is hoping to change that by opening a new packaging-free, zero-waste grocery store.
She was inspired in part by the fact that only a small fraction of plastic packaging is recycled–about 14%–which is one reason that between 5.3 million and 14 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean every year.
“I’ve become more and more aware of, and almost morally burdened by, the amount of waste we generate as humans and the role consumerism plays,” Metz says. “On a more personal and local level, I’m frustrated by the grocery options in my community. I enjoy cooking and trying new ingredients, but I’m limited by the fact that I’m buying for one person and have a kitchen with minimal storage.”
Metz, who has a full-time day job as a pediatric occupational therapist, started researching zero-waste groceries in her free time–and became so obsessed with the idea that she put together a business plan and took a trip to Europe to visit some pioneering new zero-waste supermarket chains emerging there.
The result was The Fillery, a new project now raising funds on Kickstarter. The store will mostly sell dry goods–flours, nuts, coffee, spices, chocolate, cereal, and hundreds of other items–all dispensed from bulk bins into customers’ own containers. Some liquids, like olive oil, will be sold from refill stations. The store will also carry a few perishables like eggs and milk, and some local products, like jam, in “sustainable” packaging–i.e., not plastic.
The store is designed to help people rethink what they actually need to buy. “We recognize that we cannot replace everything within a regular grocery store–and we don’t aim to,” says Metz. “That’s actually part of the point–there is so much excess in a regular grocery store, which is a big contributor to both food and packaging waste.”
Instead of a produce section, Fillery plans to offer a CSA pickup point where customers can come get a weekly supply of seasonal vegetables from local farmers. “Space is extremely limited in Brooklyn, which I imagine is one of the reasons most grocery stores here do not have a bulk section, or at least a substantial one,” she says. “I opted to leave out a produce section for a variety of reasons: to maximize the variety of bulk items I can carry, to ensure there is room for a community learning space, to support regional farms and the slow food movement, and to reduce operational costs.”
While a plastic package might help processed food last longer in the typical industrial food chain–say, a package of cookies, traveling hundreds or thousands of miles from a processor and packaging plant to distributors and supermarkets–Fillery is the kind of place you might go and decide to make your own cookies from scratch. (The store also plans to offer cooking classes, for those used to relying on processed food.)
Ultimately, the store hopes to inspire shoppers to think more about packaging. “It would be fantastic if people stop throwing out packaging all together, but I know this isn’t realistic for everyone,” Metz says. “Part of our mission at The Fillery is to educate our community and give them healthier, more sustainable options. We want people to start thinking in a more eco-conscious way as consumers, so not only considering the packaging an item is in, but also the life of that item. What are alternatives that might be more sustainable and longer-lasting?”


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Locus Robotics’ revolutionary, multi-bot solution incorporates powerful and intelligent autonomous mobile robots that operate collaboratively with human workers to dramatically improve piece-handling productivity. It is easily capable of doubling, even trebling existing productivity levels without doubling the size of a workforce.
The innovative solution is increasingly being adopted by retailers, third-party logistics (3PLs) operators and specialty warehouses looking to overcome fulfilment challenges.
Such is the level of confidence in the Locus solution that US investors have agreed a $150m funding injection into the business to accelerate product innovation and support its global expansion. The funding values the business at $1bn.
So effective is the Locus AMR solution that it was named the winner of the 2020 Supply Chain Excellence Award for “Best Use of Robotics” for its work in collaboration with retailer Boots UK. Award judges praised the seamless implementation of the Locus solution and applauded the solution for its improvement in throughput capacity.
“Effective picking solutions such as the Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) system offered by Locus Robotics has helped businesses in the sector double their productivity without doubling their workforce,” said Denis Niezgoda, Vice President – Europe, Locus Robotics.
“Taking away the need for workers to haul heavy carts around the warehouse and have them located instead, close to their picking area, instantly cuts out hours of unproductive walking time on their part as the cobots convey picked items to the packing areas.”
The data fed into the LocusBot programme will also upgrade efficiency by improving pick accuracy and minimising costly and time-consuming errors.
But it is the scalability of the LocusBot solution that reaps big rewards for operators as the size of the robot fleet can be rapidly scaled up or down depending on demand, and with the bots being available through a Robots as a Service (RaaS) model, it is a very cost-effective option to the productivity challenge.
“With picking operations having to rapidly adjust to fluctuating demand, the LocusBot system has been designed to be deployable within as little as four weeks and extra robots can be added to the fleet at any time, once the programme is integrated into the Warehouse Management System. The extra robots can also be fully operational within a matter of minutes, rather than the hours – or even days – it could take to train up a human worker,” added Mr Niezgoda.
“The need to socially distance offers no challenge to the LocusBot and contact with existing workers is minimal. Likely as not, the only physical contact a worker will make with the robot during their shift is via the touch screen, which displays the order and product they need to pick. The robots will also be sanitised on a regular basis throughout any shift, so they are constantly safe.”
Matching customer delivery expectations with growing order volumes
Boots first adopted the Locus solution ahead of the 2019 peak. It was keen to find an effective solution to the problem of matching customer delivery expectations with growing order volumes.
It quickly saw productivity double and the lessons learned from early implementation proved invaluable in March 2020 as the UK entered its first national lockdown, when order volumes escalated beyond those seen during traditional peak periods.
“The effectiveness of the LocusBot solution saw it manage a 172.4% increase in online orders – easily outstripping that seen during the 2019 peak – whilst maintaining customer delivery expectations,” said Mr Niezgoda.
“Through the effective deployment of the LocusBot solution, the retailer freed itself from the yoke of traditional peak restraints despite totally unexpected – and unprecedented – demands imposed by lockdown.”
If change is to remain a constant for the modern warehouse, then flexible and easily deployed technology will prove invaluable to operators needing to overcome productivity challenges.
Everything works, right from the start
Locus Robotics has built a complete, end-to-end system that is designed specifically to meet your ecommerce fulfilment needs. We're continually working on new ways to advance robotics technology to maximise warehouse productivity.


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Femtocells, human organs, and space: Funding daily for April 3 is full as 13 companies raised money, financing, or were sold.
Here’s a quick overview:
Femtocells and small cells, apparently, are important for helping boost 3G and LTE reception in homes and buildings. Cisco SVP Kelly Ahuja said in a statement that “by acquiring Ubiquisys, we are expanding on our current mobility leadership and our end-to-end product portfolio, which includes integrated, licensed, and unlicensed small cell solutions that are tightly coupled with SON, backhaul, and the mobile packet core.
Boring stuff sells, apparently.
Cash for enterprise startups
Ignition Partners closed a new $150 million fund to focus on enterprise startups: business software and cloud computing. The fund is also opening a Palo Alto, Calif. office.
Human organs on chips
Hurel, the company that created a breakthrough organ-on-a-chip to replace skin allergy testing on animals, announced that it’s receiving $9.2 million Series A funding from Spring Mountain Capital. The funds will support the commercial launch of current products and continued R&D of its technologies and future products.
Space, infinity, and high-def
UrtheCast is launching the world’s first high-definition video platform of Earth, streamed live from the International Space Station. A new $25 million financing agreement is going to help that become a reality, apparently.
“When you begin using the platform, it will feel much like you’re interacting with a mashup of Google Earth and YouTube,” the company said.
Dollars for tags
Tealium raised $15.6 million from Tenaya Capital, Battery Ventures, and Presidio Ventures to continue building and marketing the “fastest, easiest to use, and most data-focused tag management platform on the market.”
Tealium’s total funding is now $27 million.
Big money for small loans
Small loan company Kabbage has closed a credit facility of $75 million, its largest to date. The company provides working capital to small business-owners so they won’t need to put personal assets on the line, like a house or car.
Victory Park Capital led the funding round, and equity investor Thomvest Ventures also contributed.
Integrating $37 million
API and data integration company MuleSoft raised $37 million from just about everybody. New Enterprise Associates led, with participation by other investors including Salesforce, Hummer Winblad Venture Partners, Morgenthaler Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, SAP Ventures, and Bay Partners.
Hopefully, the company will use some of the money to brainstorm a new name.
Including the new round, MuleSoft has raised $81 million to date.
Mobile device management for $2 million, Alex
MokiMobility announced $2 million seed round from Epic Ventures, Allegis Capital partner Spencer Tall and Fusion-IO’s Tyler Smith.
And, briefly …
- EAT Club announced $5 million from August Capital for expansion beyond Silicon Valley.
- New York based startup BA Insight announced a $4.5 million round of funding with participation from all four of its initial investors: Milestone Venture Partners, Osage Venture Partners, Paladin Capital Group and Originate Ventures.
- Neon, the Carnegie Mellon University startup that uses cognitive neuroscience to improve online video clicks, has secured venture capital (VC) funding in a seed round led by True Ventures, a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm. Terms were not released.
- iPad presentation creator Haiku Deck has raised a first round of $3 million from Trilogy Partnership, with participation from Madrona Venture Group, Founders Co-op, and various angel investors.


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HTC One M8
HTC One (M8) and One (M7) Google Play editions get Android Lollipop today
HTC One owners will have a nice start to their Friday, as HTC will be rolling out Android Lollipop OTA update to One (M8) and One (M7). ......
HTC shows first profit in three quarters thanks to new One smartphone
After being wildly profitable amid strong smartphone sales in 2011 and even in 2012, Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC has fallen on some hard times of late, showing losses for the last four quarters following quarters of falling profits.
Exclusive: HTC One Mini M8 leaked by retailers
We've known for quite a while that HTC One (M8) will have a little brother like its predecessor. HTC One mini 2 or whatever it might be called ......
HTC posts another quarterly loss, turnaround hopes turn to M8
HTC has posted another quarterly loss, its second in three quarters after nearly five years of profitability.


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So many of us are waiting for the new Nike Air Foamposite Pro “Laser Crimson” to debut, also known as “YEEZY” due to the similar color scheme as the YEEZY 2s.
Set to launch on Saturday, April 19th dressed in a Black carbon fiber printed upper with Crimson accents finished with a glow-in-the-dark outsole. Check out these new photos below and let us know if you have them marked on your release calendar in the comments.
Nike Air Foamposite Pro
April 19, 2014


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BMW loses appeal in Swiss blocking case as it looks to make cobalt supply more transparent
16 November 2017
16 November 2017
German manufacturer BMW has lost an appeal in Switzerland against a €135 million fine imposed after it banned customers in the country from buying cars elsewhere in Europe and importing them.
The fine was originally imposed in 2012 following an investigation by Switzerland’s competition authority. This came after complaints by customers in the country that they had been stopped from buying BMW and Mini vehicles in other territories, where models are less expensive than in Switzerland itself.
BMW appealed the fine, however the Swiss Federal Supreme Court announced that it has rejected this, in a ruling made on 24 October. The German manufacturer has declined to comment on the decision.
The case stems from 2010, when a Swiss customer was prevented from buying a new car from an authorised BMW and Mini dealership outside of the country. Around 20 complaints were then received to the Swiss competition authority WEKO, with drivers saying they too were prevented from buying vehicles at dealerships in southern Germany.
According to WEKO, customers had travelled across the border to buy vehicles that were 20-25% cheaper than equivalent prices in Switzerland. This equates to between €6,000 and €35,000 less, depending on the vehicle model and equipment options. The competition authority said in 2012 that BMW and its dealers had agreed not to ship cars from dealerships elsewhere in Europe to Switzerland, infringing Swiss competition laws.
According to reports in the country, the manufacturer had imposed the ban on sales to Swiss customers in order to maintain higher prices of models on sale within Switzerland itself, the court noted in its judgements.
′BMW was not allowed to say to its dealers you have no right to sell in Switzerland,’ Patrik Ducrey, deputy director of WEKO said after the court’s decision was announced. ′This was a clear violation of Swiss competition law. It closed the Swiss market to foreign suppliers, prevented fair pricing in Switzerland and put Swiss consumers at a disadvantage.’
Meanwhile, the German manufacturer has said that it wants its supply chain for cobalt, used in batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) to be more transparent, in a step towards improving the social situation of miners in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where most of the world’s reserves can be found. The company found that human rights and environment protection were areas of concern in the country, and has therefore become an active member in the Responsible Cobalt Initiative (RCI), which also includes the country’s government.
By the end of the year, the company wants to make public from which producing countries and which melts the cobalt used in the cells comes from. Also by the end of the year, a feasibility study will show what BMW can do with local partners. Projects are planned that will initially improve the social situation and environmental protection in artisanal cobalt mines in model mines and that can later be extended to other cobalt mines.
Photograph courtesy of BMW Group


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Prime Minister Tony Abbott says Australians will feel the benefits of a historic trade agreement inked with Japan with cheaper cars and consumer goods and better access for the agriculture sector.
"It's good for consumers, it's good for jobs and good for prosperity," he told ABC radio on Tuesday.
Mr Abbott said the deal is as significant as the 1957 trade treaty with Japan which boosted the coal and iron ore industries and was responsible for much of the Australian resource sector's development.
"This deal could be equally significant in the years and decades ahead because it creates a special relationship between Australia and Japan."
Mr Abbott said the deal, which comes seven years in the making, is far better than anything that Japan was offering to any other nation.
Japanese whitegoods, electronics and cars will become cheaper in Australia, with about $1500 expected to be shaved off the price of an average vehicle.
Tariffs on canned products such as tomatoes, peaches and pears, as well as fruit and vegetable juices, will be eliminated.
Australia's beef and dairy farmers are being touted as the big winners, with a reduction in tariffs set to unlock hundreds of millions of dollars for the sector.
While the terms on beef aren't as generous as the South Korean FTA, Mr Abbott said it was a significant improvement on current circumstances.
Tariffs on frozen beef will be halved, from 38.5 per cent to 19.5 per cent, with major cuts in the first year.
Mr Abbott said this would give farmers a head start in the Japanese market.
"There will be some modest differentials ... but those (tariffs) dramatically come down," he said.
But Australian farmers say the deal falls short of the mark on a number of fronts.
The National Farmers Federation is concerned it does not improve access for the sugar, dairy, grains, pork and rice industries, as had been expected.
However, mineral exporters are happy to see a tariff cut of 3.2 per cent on steel-making coal as well as a number of other minerals.
Trade Minister Andrew Robb said Australians will start seeing the benefits of the Japan and South Korean deals by the end of the year, subject to parliamentary approval.
He did not see opposition from Labor, which has vowed to probe the devil in the detail.
Despite the reservations of farmers, Mr Robb said the beef industry was "delighted" with the improved level of access.
It was the first time a major agricultural country had achieved a breakthrough of protections in Japan.
The terms of the FTA were different to that of the South Korean agreement, which is yet to be ratified and has more generous concessions for agriculture.
"There's quite a qualitative difference, but Japan now is recognising the importance of adjusting their economy and we've been the beneficiary of that first move," Mr Robb told ABC radio.
He said struggling Australian component manufacturers, which have been hit by the departure of several major car makers, will be now able to compete in the global supply chain.
The Japanese FTA will be ratified in July when Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visits Australia.
Labor's agriculture spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon said while the opposition welcomed the deal, it was yet to see the detail.
He questioned whether the FTA was in the interest of the agricultural industry, pointing to concerns raised by the Farmers Federation and Cattle Council of Australia.
The reduction in tariffs was "very modest" and "very slow", with the real gains coming over 18 years, he said.
"I am concerned that agriculture has been abandoned so that Tony Abbott can sort of steal that trophy and make his announcement while he's travelling," Mr Fitzgibbon told ABC radio.


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Gigabyte has split in two, breaking off its enterprise business as a subsidiary called Giga Computing Technology that’s focused on sales and support for its data-center products.
The Taiwanese company is well known for its motherboards and GPU cards for gaming, but also for several form factors of servers. Breaking out Giga Computing into a separate unit enables it to better cater to the needs of enterprise customers, according to Daniel Hou, CEO of the new business. “This is just another extension of our long-term plan that will allow our enterprise solutions better react to market forces and to better tailor products to various markets,” Hou said in a statement.
“Although we go by a different name, we will continue operations as we always have, and our customers will continue all the same relationships and have high expectations from our well-established server business unit that offers a diverse product portfolio.”
Products falling under the new entity include servers configured for HPC, storage, and AI, as well as liquid-cooling technology. For example, last year, the company introduced a line of servers based on Ampere’s Altra or Altra Max Arm-based processors paired with Nvidia GPUs, aimed at workloads such as AI and HPC.
Gigabyte’s 2021 annual financial report said its server/enterprise business accounts for 25% of its $4 billion in revenue. That puts it well behind the likes of Supermicro and other motherboard manufacturers, so the creation of Giga Computing might be an attempt to bolster the business.
Intel recently made a similar move when it shifted responsibility for its consumer and enterprise graphics offerings from a single dedicated graphics group to two separate existing units, one focused on consumer products and one focused on data-center products.
Copyright © 2023 IDG Communications, Inc.


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As a venture capital firm with a 50+ year history of investing, we have witnessed many technology inflection points. Iconic semiconductor companies, which gave Silicon Valley its name, grew by taking advantage of Moore’s Law, doubling processing speeds every 24 months by packing more transistors on chips. About five years ago we, along with others, observed a plateauing of Moore’s Law, giving rise to a need for architectural innovation & workload-optimized silicon. I shared how the Renaissance of Silicon would create new industry giants, and wrote about opportunities for startups.
In 2023 the golden age for semiconductor innovation continues, enabling the rise of startups to serve emerging market needs. This is driven by governmental policy and four industry shifts.
CHIPS Act: The recently signed CHIPS Act, through which the government will provide incentives for companies to manufacture semiconductors within the US, is a major development. These incentives extend to the supply chain and companies operating in mature nodes. In addition, there are R&D provisions that intend to improve access to prototyping which can encourage startups that need to leverage fab process changes to innovate. There are also expectations for a $500M fund for chip startups.
RISC-V: We have seen the increasing momentum of the RISC-V movement, an open source architecture which has the potential to create exponential opportunities, similar to how Linux impacted software. Startups who are freed from using the closed X86 system or paying the prohibitive licensing fees imposed by ARM, are inventing new processors for new applications.
Chiplets: The emergence of chiplets – tiny integrated circuits that contain a well-defined subset of functionality and which can be implemented in a mix-and-match “LEGO-like” assembly – is another trend powering innovation.
EDA-as-a-Service: Cloudification has come to semis with the emergence of EDA-as-a-service, providing vendors access to design tools in a pay-per-use model.
Shuttling: And the prevalence of *shuttling* – the ability to utilize partial capacity in fabs – similar to renting space in shipping containers, has greatly reduced the cost of getting to the tape out stage.
Eight market opportunities will benefit from the availability of specialized silicon:
- IoT – The 100 billion devices that are touching all aspects of our lives – smart thermostats, doorbells and more – need to have intelligent processors with cellular internet connectivity.
- Autonomous – This is a complicated problem, as self-driving and ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems), are augmenting humans for the first time. A car is bigger than a data center with hundreds of interconnects. There has to be breakthrough processing at the edge, through inference chips as an example, as a bandwidth heavy solution like sending data back into the cloud for AI processing will not work.
- Cooling – Climate change is coming to data centers which are already moving to liquid emergent cooling, but that is not enough. Phones have 10x the power of desktops 10 years ago—when they overheat, they have to throttle the CPU, leading to poor performance. Miniature devices struggle to fit fans. There will be a new wave of solid state cooling startups addressing this need.
- Biology – Breakthrough health devices such as next generation sequencers, needle-free glucose monitoring sensors, new diagnostics systems and the like are creating the need for new kinds of special purpose chips.
- Vision – Most devices now have eyes (phones, doorbells, cars) and as their resolution goes higher, we need their processing power to catch up.
- Optics – Copper wires have limited capacity leading to the need for optical interconnects to handle 400-800 gigabits/second. What used to happen in telecom with undersea fiber will now happen in commercial offices and data centers for connectivity.
- MEMS – There will be a lot of new innovation in sensors for various applications.
- Web3 – Similar to how Cisco, Sun Microsystems, Palo Alto Networks or Juniper Networks served as the gateway to the Internet in Web 1.0, we believe that new equipment giants for Web3 will be created.
The semiconductor industry has a 70+ year history of innovating at inflection points to create new categories of products and maintain the US competitive advantage. I believe we are at another such inflection point, one in which governmental support and the driving force of new markets are coinciding to help entrepreneurs put silicon back into Silicon Valley.


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A vintage Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut, one of the rarest and most beautiful cars in the world has now become the most expensive.
The coupe sold on May 5 at an invitation-only private auction for a stunning €135,000,000 (about £115 million).
The 1955 car – one of only two known examples in existence – was sold to a private collector through classic car auction company RM Sotheby’s.
The car fetched an incredible €135 million (around £114million), beating the previous record auction price for a car which was set in 2018 when a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO was sold for more than $48 million (£37 million).
RM Sotheby’s said the vehicle’s incredible price puts it in the “top ten most valuable items ever sold at auction in any collecting category”.
The other Uhlenhaut is expected to remain in the Mercedes corporate car museum.
Car expert Simon Kidston told The Times that it’s a surprise that Mercedes decided to part with the car.
“It had always been assumed that Mercedes would never part with one of the crown jewels of its company collection,” he said, adding that the Uhlenhaut was considered “the Mona Lisa of cars because of its rarity, racing pedigree, beauty and unavailability”.
The design of the 300 SLR Coupé was based on the W196 R Grand Prix race car, which helped Argentinian racing legend Juan Manuel Fangio win two Formula 1 world championships in 1954 and 1955 .
The car takes its name from London-born German engineer Rudolf Uhlenhaut, who designed the car along with several other classic Mercedes.
Uhlenhaut, who remarkably never owned a car of his own, joined the company in 1931 and apart from a break during World War Two stayed with Mercedes until his retirement in 1972.


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Pork exports for the first half of 2008 give producers something to celebrate. Record-setting pork exports continue as sales overseas provide a needed boost for pork producers at a time of economic hardship.
Pork and pork variety meat exports in June totaled 192,667 metric tons valued at $451 million — double the volume exported in June of 2007. This drove year-to-date pork exports to 1,018,467 metric tons valued at $2.3 billion — 67 percent above the first six months of 2007 in terms of volume, and 58 percent higher than last year in terms of value. Currently, 24 percent of pork and pork variety meats produced in the United States is destined for foreign markets.
China-Hong Kong is the largest volume destination for U.S. pork and pork variety meats. Exports to this region in the first half of 2008 jumped 324 percent over last year to 254,445 metric tons valued at $440 million. Exports to this region alone account for 6 percent of this year’s U.S. pork production.
Strong performance in export markets is providing price stability at a critical time for U.S. pork producers. The pork cutout set a new record last week at $90.56 per hundredweight — surpassing the $90 mark for the first time. This compares to a cutout price of about $75 per hundredweight last year.
“A significant rise in pork values has been led by strong prices for export items such as trimmings, hams and picnics,” said Erin Daley, manager of research and analysis for the U.S. Meat Export Federation. “The rise in prices for these items indicates continued strong export demand into August.”
Other strong-performing markets for pork exports, including variety meats, in the first half of 2008 include Japan, the single largest market for U.S. pork in terms of value. Through June, exports to Japan were valued at $712 million, rising 21 percent over last year. Exports to Mexico for the first half, valued at $270 million, were up 23 percent over last year’s same period.
Other leading export markets for the first six months include Canada at $258 million, up 22 percent for the period, and Russia at $198 million, rising 137 percent over the same period last year.
“With pork production running 9 percent over last year, exports have been the clear driver for improved U.S. pork prices,” Daley said. “Exports continue to provide critical support for producers who need to cover sharply higher input costs.”
First-half results for 2008 indicate demand for U.S. beef is also surging in a wide range of foreign markets. Beef and beef variety meat exports in June increased 35 percent and totaled 89,054 metric tons, valued at $328 million. During the first half of the year, these exports totaled 445,036 metric tons, valued at $1.58 billion – an increase of 30 percent in volumes and 39 percent in value. The top-performing markets for U.S. beef and beef variety meats continue to be Mexico and Canada. U.S. beef continues to rebuild market share in Japan – once the single largest market for beef exports.
Daley said that while this year’s beef exports won’t be able to match the peak levels achieved earlier in this decade, the beef industry is getting close to reaching the same level of value. While beef exports exceeded $3.8 billion in 2003, she forecasts that this year’s exports could total as high as $3.5 billion – assuming no major disruptions in trade.
Complete June U.S. pork and beef export statistics can be accessed online.
Source: U.S. Meat Export Federation


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The long-standing Gogo brand that eventually became as synonymous with in-flight Wi-Fi as Xerox became with copiers over 13 years ago is no longer.
Intelsat US announced the rebranding of the ubiquitous company it acquired last December.
The replacement for the Gogo brand was announced on Tuesday.
While Connexion by Boeing was the first in-flight Wi-Fi service to be launched with some success – this in 2004 with launch customer Lufthansa – Gogo was the first consumer Wi-Fi offering. Meanwhile, Connexion by Boeing closed its doors several years after its launch, in part because of the cost of the satellite equipment each aircraft needed.
Gogo first entered the in-flight connectivity industry with its first customer, American Airlines, in 2008. The original Gogo service uses air-to-ground technology, while newer systems use much more satellite connectivity. fast, although ATG technology has increased in speed over the years as well.
The company’s customer list, in addition to American, includes Aer Lingus, Aeromexico, Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, Japan Airlines, United Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic.
Gogo was first launched in 1991 as Aircell, providing analogue voice communications to private aircraft in North America.
The company sold its in-flight business to bankrupt Intelsat under a deal first announced in September 2020.
(Photo: Accura Media Group)


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Date: Monday, January 18, 2021
Source: Wall Street Journal
Semiconductor companies are asking their customers for patience as the industry works through a sharp increase in demand from makers of everything from cars to consumer electronics.
The chip shortage has caused prices to rise for certain semiconductors, delays in filling orders and auto makers to idle factories. If the problems persist, consumers may see delays in getting new cars and some electronic devices, and possibly higher prices.
There is no quick fix to the situation, either. Adding new chip-making machinery can be expensive and slow, and some of the deepest supply problems are taking place with older production lines that are less lucrative for manufacturers.
“In the whole semiconductor industry there is very little [spare] capacity right now—everything is doing well,” said Risto Puhakka, president of VLSIresearch, an industry-analysis firm. “We’re coming off a record investment year, and the demand continues to grow.”
The shortages add to the upheaval currently affecting the semiconductor industry. Intel Corp. this week ousted its chief executive, Bob Swan, after product delays, and mobile-phone chip giant Qualcomm Inc. added to a deal-making frenzy.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the world’s largest contract chip maker, said Thursday it was working with the car industry to address critical shortages. Chief Executive C.C. Wei also said TSMC’s customers are likely to boost chip inventory to protect against future bottlenecks. The manufacturer said it was boosting capital investments by at least 47% this year from 2020 amid surging demand.
Suppliers as diverse as graphics chip maker Nvidia Corp., America’s largest semiconductor company by value, and NXP Semiconductors NV, a Dutch supplier of automotive, industrial and communications chips, are being affected by supply crunches.
Demand for laptops has skyrocketed, and remote work during the Covid-19 era has increased appetite for cloud-computing services and the data centers behind them. On top of that, a surge in demand for chips that go into new 5G phones has put a squeeze on manufacturing capacity, chip companies say. And U.S. restrictions on Chinese telecom giant Huawei Technologies Co. led competitors to try to steal market share.
Nvidia is facing a different kind of challenge: Demand for its newest chips is so hot that it is outpacing its ability to increase production.
With chip plants effectively running all out already, auto makers and consumer-electronics manufacturers are competing for every bit of limited manufacturing capacity.
China, where demand recovered early, was among the first markets to feel the pressure. And the car industry was among the first to get hit.
Ford Motor Co. said it was going to idle a factory in Kentucky this week because of chip shortages that has also led some competitors to change production plans. In the face of the shortages, General Motors Co. last month asked suppliers to stockpile a year’s worth of chips.
Chip customers usually place bulk orders well ahead of time, but fulfillment has been taking much longer than usual. Lead times across the industry have risen to six months, from eight to 10 weeks before the pandemic, said Elsie Neoh, a commodity manager at electronic-components distributor Fusion Worldwide. Stephen Oliver, an executive at Navitas Semiconductor Ltd., which supplies chips that go into phone chargers, said that while his company wasn’t experiencing major disruptions, some customers were wrestling with silicon lead times of 26 weeks or more.
The surge in demand is expected to boost sales for contract chip makers that account for a major share of the world’s semiconductors. Sales are expected to grow 6% this year, reaching a record high, according to Taipei-based analysis firm TrendForce. TSMC is running at about 90% of capacity for its most advanced chips, TrendForce said last month.
Globalfoundries Inc., a major U.S.-based contract chip maker, is doubling its capital investment this year compared with 2020 to boost capacity, said Mike Hogan, the company’s senior vice president overseeing automotive and industrial chip making.
The shortages are having a knock-on impact on chip makers that have avoided supply problems either because they own their own factories or sell chips where manufacturing capacity shortages are less acute. Micron Technology Inc. Chief Executive Sanjay Mehrotra last week said demand recovery for the company’s memory chips would be stronger if customers weren’t hobbled by shortages in other components.
Although the chip shortages are broad based, the impact on the car industry, which was hit by a supply slump and plants idled by Covid-19 early in the pandemic, has been particularly pronounced.
NXP, a major chip supplier to the automotive industry, told customers in November it saw a “severe shortage” of chips and said it would raise prices on all its products. Microchip Technology Inc. Chief Executive Steve Sanghi said Tuesday at an auto forum that the company’s bookings and backlog were at all-time highs, but that it was facing capacity constraints that would continue well into this year. Lead times on some products were 40 weeks or more, he said, adding that Microchip had been driven to raise prices.
The automotive industry bears responsibility for failing to place orders early enough in anticipation of the demand recovery, VLSIresearch’s Mr. Puhakka said. As use of chips in cars has increased to meet appetite for more-powerful entertainment systems and driver-assistance functions, he said companies needed to better manage their supply chains.
“They don’t understand that the production cycles are long, the development cycles are even longer and there are reliability requirements that increase the cycle times,” he said.
Auto makers didn’t directly address what role they played in creating the supply problem, but said it would take time to resolve. Many auto makers have changed production plans through the end of January, and a Toyota spokesman said recently the company expects shortages could continue through the spring.
Where the broader chip-industry shortages are being felt most acutely, in many cases, isn’t at the cutting edge of technology, but rather those products using older and cheaper processes that aren’t as lucrative for manufacturers, analysts and industry executives say.
Chip makers have invested in production lines that churn out more-modern, higher-margin chips, but they haven’t kept pace with capacity increases to satisfy still-growing demand for products built on an older standard of silicon wafers, they said.
The chip industry is warning that the situation won’t be resolved for some time. Bruce Kim, chief executive of SurplusGlobal, a South Korean broker of used semiconductor-manufacturing equipment, said most contract chip makers using older-generation silicon wafers were fully booked until the end of this year. The chip shortage, he said, would likely last through the end of 2022.
Nvidia, too, expects its issues will take time to fix. “Our overall supply continues to be worked each and every day throughout this quarter and we hope to see improvements as we move forward, but we do expect it to take a couple of months for us to stabilize the overall supply versus the demand,” the chip company’s chief financial officer, Colette Kress, said at a UBS event last month.


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There was also a Top 10 list of “love” songs, but they were different.
Gary R’Nel spoke with Dr. Lane Neubauer, Associate Dean of Students in the Counseling and Health Services Department at La Salle University, on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT about Valentine’s Day and the current state of relationships in America.
It was a day to say “I do” for six couples at the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia where Valentine’s Day weddings have been a tradition for the past 14 years.
The ballet may be one of the most romantic settings in the world but for one Philadelphia couple, it’s just a day at the office.
On Saturday love will be in the air as many celebrate Valentine’s Day. For some brides-to-be the day will also involve shopping for a wedding dress. 3 On Your Side Consumer Reporter Jim Donovan tells us about one sale that allows brides to toss out the bouquet, but not their budget.
Ten country songs of love and happiness for your next date night, from Johnny and June to Garth and Trisha.
If you’re traveling out of Philadelphia International Airport on Friday, you’re in for a few Valentine’s Day treats.
It’s a lively spot for a wintertime getaway.
If you are a winter weather fan, you will love the forecast over the next several days and get ready for a cold Valentine’s Day weekend.
Poll: Nearly 40% Of Unmarried Women With Dogs Would Rather Spend Valentine’s Day With Their Pup Than On A Date
Another takeaway: Pennsylvanians love their pups. The state came in 11th on the list of states that love their dogs the most.
Out of 100 cities, Philadelphia ranked 85th for a V-Day date. While we placed 34th for activities, we came in 52nd for “gift accessibility” and 57th for weather forecast.
A new survey finds Americans will spend a whopping $18.9 billion dollars on Valentine’s Day gifts for loved ones this year. 3 On Your Side Consumer Reporter Jim Donovan looks at Valentine’s Day based on the numbers.
Ivana Lash, 16, a junior at Parkway Center City High School, says too many people in Philadelphia only see negativity.
It doesn’t get much better than this — a double dip for lovers who also happen to be skiers. Here’s where to combine romance with a downhill rush.
This year skip the shopping and head to Palladino’s on Passyunk for a delicious Italian meal you’ll love and that will also save you from the agony of having to choke down your Valentine’s inedible attempt at a homemade meal.


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iOS VPN App
secured the top spot for phone sales in China for a second straight month in November, according to market research data, driven by the success of the iPhone 13 series.
The Cupertino, Calif.-based company had a 23.6% market share in November, according to market research firm Counterpoint Research, after outperforming all other phone makers a month earlier for the first time since 2015.
Its nearest rival, Vivo, had a 17.8% market share in November, according to the data.
Apple’s move to keep prices of this year’s iPhone 13 series in line with iPhone 12 models has been a hit with Chinese consumers, who account for about a fifth of total iPhone sales.
Sales promotions during China’s Black Friday-like shopping season in November, known as “Singles Day,” helped major Chinese e-commerce platforms report record sales. Several new and old iPhone models made it into a daily sales top 10 ranking on one of China’s largest e-commerce platforms,
on Nov. 11, when the Singles Day event kicked off.
Apple’s sales grew 15.5% in November from a month earlier, according to the Counterpoint data.
Apple is also benefiting from the troubles of its former biggest local rival in China for the high-end smartphone market, Huawei Technologies Co. Shipments and sales of Huawei’s premium phone models have plummeted since the company was hit by U.S. sanctions last year.
However, Apple’s top spot in China may be short-lived.
Counterpoint analyst Ethan Qi estimated December or January would be a turning point after Chinese iPhone owners finish upgrading their older devices. Mr. Qi said Apple may drop back behind domestic brands like Oppo, Vivo and Honor—a budget brand previously owned by Huawei—early in the new year.
Apple has kept prices on hold in China despite repeated warnings from Chief Executive
of losses caused by supply constraints for semiconductors and other…


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Community mall operator Oasis Centre plans to open seven more outlets in the GCC in 15 months and expects to boost its annual turnover to Dh1 billion from the current Dh800 million.
Neelesh Bhatnagar, director of the Oasis Centre, which is part of the retail giant Landmark Group, said by expanding its network from five malls at present to 12 by the second half of 20015, the operator would consolidate its presence in the GCC. While five of the new malls are in Saudi Arabia, Sharjah and Muscat will each have one new mall.
Also under consideration is the opening of a mall in Ajman, he said.
Speaking at a press briefing, Bhatnagar said the network’s flagship mall located on Shaikh Zayed Road recorded a 11 per cent surge in footfall and an equal per cent growth in sales in 2013.
“The retail industry outlook is very bright and we expect to sustain last year’s growth rate in footfall in 2014,” Bhatnagar said as he announced attractive promotions for shoppers to mark the fifth anniversary celebrations of the Oasis Centre.
The celebrations will last until April 12th and will also include weekend entertainment activities for kids, families and shoppers in general. “Five years after its launch, Oasis Centre is recognized as a favorite destination for the most convenient and rewarding shopping experience. Highly accessible with a host of most admired brands within easy reach, the Centre keeps attracting an increasing number of shoppers from the local community, GCC and international tourists,” said Bhatnagar.
“The 5th birthday of Oasis Centre is an opportunity for us to review what has been achieved and how we can enhance our convenience proposition to our shoppers”, he said.
Bhatnagar pointed out that by hosting fashion, food, leisure, home appliances, décor, electronics, sports stores as well as healthcare and wellness providers, Oasis Centre has become a one stop shop for the community, providing an integrated, hassle-free experience.
“I think we have been very successful in positioning Oasis as a convenient and community shopping centre that creates tangible value for consumers. The brands we host and the activities we undertake do respond to the tastes of a diverse clientele that treasures the unique convenient and rewarding shopping experience we offer,” said Bhatnagar.
During the celebrations period, Oasis Centre will extend its working hours till midnight every day. The Centre will offer 25 per cent off on a minimum of Dh100 spend at most participating outlets as well as double Shukran points, the landmark groups’ rewarding program. In addition, shoppers who spend Dh200 or more will have the chance to win one iPhone 5S every day and Dh100,000 worth of shopping vouchers. Also, Oasis-based Home Centre store will undertake an exclusive Dubai sale that will run until April 20.
Events to be staged at the DWTC, comprising diverse sectors including construction, energy, technology, beauty, food, healthcare, environment and automotive, will mark the emirate’s post-pandemic economic recovery
Local business2 months ago


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One of the most ambitious television development efforts around is taking place at a toy company. Mattel, which sees itself in the children’s entertainment business and has been focusing lately on the “entertainment” part, announced a development slate of 22 animated and live-action TV programs, according to The Hollywood Reporter’s Heat Vision.
The projects, based on Mattel’s brands and franchises, are being made for multi-platform distribution.
“The move comes in the wake of Mattel’s hiring of Adam Bonnett, a 21-year Disney Channel veteran behind ‘Hannah Montana,’ ‘Descendants’ and ‘Kim Possible,’ as executive producer of Mattel Television,” THR reports. “And it happens as the 2019 American International Toy Fair gets under way in New York beginning Friday.”
Mattel did not provide specific titles or brands, but noted that the projects cover a range of genres such as action-adventure, humor, game shows and music. The company’s top toy brands include Barbie, Hot Wheels and Masters of the Universe.


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- This is likely the iQOO Z8 5G Chinese variant.
- The smartphone will come pre-loaded with Android 13.
- We can expect it to go official soon in China.
iQOO is gearing up to launch a new Z-series smartphone – the iQOO Z7 Pro in the Indian market. The company is yet to reveal the launch date for the upcoming Z-series smartphone. Ahead of the iQOO Z7 Pro India launch, we have now spotted another upcoming Z-series smartphone – the iQOO Z8 (Chinese variant) on the Geekbench benchmark database.
The iQOO Z8 5G made an appearance on the Geekbench benchmark database with the model number V2314A. The model number indicates that this is the Chinese variant of the smartphone. The iQOO Z8 5G benchmark listing reveals some of the key specifications of the smartphone. Let us take a closer look at the details.
The iQOO Z8 5G scored 1273 points in the single-core round of the Geekbench 6 benchmark test. Whereas, in the multi-core round, it managed to score 4011 points. The listing suggests that the upcoming iQOO smartphone will sport a MediaTek SoC with a k6895v1_64 motherboard and Mali G610 GPU. As per the listing, the system on chip will feature a 1 + 3 + 4 core configuration with up to 3.10GHz peak frequency
Going by the listing, it appears that the iQOO Z8 will come equipped with a MediaTek Dimensity 8200 processor. Apart from it, the listing reveals the presence of 12GB of RAM under the hood. Though, we can expect iQOO to launch the smartphone in other configuration options as well. The iQOO Z8, as per the Geekbench listing, will come pre-loaded with Android 13. However, as usual, it should feature OriginOS skin on top.
Recently, some of the key specifications of the iQOO Z8 surfaced on the web. The smartphone is tipped to feature a 4880mAh battery with 120W fast charging support. It will reportedly feature a 6.44-inch LCD display with a 120Hz refresh rate and Full HD+ resolution. The iQOO Z8 5G is said to go official by the end of this month in China.


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A new chair has been appointed by Zytronic plc, a manufacturer of touch overlay sensors for interactive displays based in the North East of England.
The company’s technology – manufactured in three factories in Blaydon – is used in self-service, gaming and industrial applications.
In May it announced a fall in six-monthly revenues from £5.9m to £4.7m alongside a pre-tax loss of £900,00, compared with a profit in the previous year of £400,000.
It said that several customers in North America had been affected by the bankruptcy of Aruze Gaming America, while wider overstocking due to supply chain concerns had also hit it hard.
Dr Christopher Potts now takes the position of non-executive chair, with interim chair Mark Butcher returning to the role of independent non-executive director.
Dr Potts brings over 20 years of senior executive and chair experience of international technology businesses. He is presently chair of Guralp Systems Ltd, a world-leading company in the design, manufacture, and installation of seismic event monitoring instrumentation, whose global reach and focus is similar to Zytronic.
Dr Potts’s experience includes managing privately owned firms, private equity-backed businesses and divisions of listed public companies, and he has led several large international corporate transactions.
“I would like to thank Mark, on behalf of the board, for stepping into the interim non-executive chair role… and for his stewardship since, as we conclude the initial stage in reconfiguring the board,” said Mark Cambridge, CEO of Zytronic.
“Similarly, I would like to welcome Chris, and look forward to closely working with him, in shaping and delivering the strategy of the business, for the benefit of all stakeholders.”


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Funway to be rocked by recycled outfits at annual Trashion Show
Published 4:35 pm Friday, March 16, 2012
Think those Starburst wrappers or Doritos bags are just trash?
With a bit of neon duck tape or some good folding skills those vibrantly colored items could be transformed into a garment of at least comical fashion appeal.
Organizers of Tryon’s Trashion Show encourage you to put your fashion design skills to the test by creating a one-of-a-kind outfit from recycled materials.
The annual Trashion Show, in conjunction with Tryon’s April Fool’s Festival, will be held Saturday, March 31 at 4 p.m. Contestants and interested audiences are encouraged to come to the Tryon Depot Plaza for this unique fashion show.
Throughout the day of the festival community members can even stop by a booth hosted by the Tryon Daily Bulletin to craft garments onsite from recycled newspaper and few other items that will be supplied.


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Every weekday on Marketplace, Kai Ryssdal hosts a lively and unexpected exploration of the day’s business and economic news from Wall Street to your wallet.
Airing on Monday, June 1, 2015: The Ted Cruz store has iPhone covers and polo shirts. Hillary Clinton’s pantsuit T-shirt is a best-seller. Why turn a presidential candidate’s name into products? And does all this merchandise need to be profitable or does it just need to spread the brand? We explore. Next: the award goes to … Instagram. At the Council of Fashion Designers of America Fashion Awards Monday in NYC, Instagram founder Kevin Systrom will receive the Media Award, giving us a chance to look at how Instagram has become the repository for fashion advertising by companies and individuals alike.
Airing on Friday, May 29, 2015: What’s a multinational sponsor to do? Amid news that several FIFA officials have been indicted on corruption charges, we explore whether companies are likely to pull their sponsorships from future FIFA World Cup games. Next: as we contemplate all the problems around the country of racial bias in policing, one solution has to be to hire more minority police officers, right? A no-brainer. But, it turns out, not so easy, as Marketplace's Mitchell Hartman reports in this next installment of our series, "Behind the Blue Line: The Costs of a Changing Police Force."
Airing on Thursday, May 28, 2015: The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Tom Wheeler, is proposing subsidized broadband internet access for millions of low-income Americans. We examine the thinking behind the plan and look at its prospects for becoming reality. Next: for more than a decade, the game World of Warcraft has been an unrivaled juggernaut among multiplayer online games. Yet some news this month has led to speculation that maybe World of Warcraft is showing its age. Marketplace explores.
Airing on Wednesday, May 27, 2015: The city of Cleveland has agreed to a police reform package with the Department of Justice. The deal involves more community policing and better training for using force and dealing with the mentally ill. The changes will be costly, and the mayor says he'll look to the business community to help pay for them. We look at who the mayor will approach for funding and how local businesses might respond. Next: Vox Media acquires Re/code, giving the news site access to Chorus, Vox's content management system. Chorus brings all the moving parts of an online newsroom into harmony and helps it target ads.
Airing on Tuesday, May 26, 2015: Prices are up for sales of both existing houses and new houses, suggesting that no matter how hard it is to afford a house these days, there are more buyers than sellers, leaving a lot of room for new construction. But are there just not enough houses available? We explore. Next: a much more even match in the cable industry. Charter has purchased Time Warner for $55 billion. So what will these giants do to keep consumers around? We take a look.
Airing on Monday, May 25, 2015: Reporter Krissy Clark from Marketplace's Wealth & Poverty desk explains why a large number of military families are reliant on food stamps, guest host Adriene Hill heads to the Vista Theatre to see how a one-screen venue decides what movie to play (while staying in business), and author Reid Mitenbuler looks at how bourbon became America's whiskey.


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BMW PH launches the X7 and it's a big car with a big price tag to match.
A little teaser before the official launch on the 9th of July.
The BMW C400X is the scooter that can take you anywhere in the city, and we go on to tell you that it can do a lot more.
BMW has just released the latest versions of two iconic models in the Philippines.
The BMW X5 made its way to the Philippines in a low-key affair.
Mazda looks to compete with existing luxury brands by rebranding itself premium.
With a single Philippine trim option and competitive pricing, the 2019 BMW X5 is set to dominate its segment.
The World Car Awards announced its top three cars per category at the Geneva International Motor Show.
It also got some tech updates for convenience and improved driving experience.
AutoPerformance Victor Hardware Motorsport is hoping that the third time is the charm, as it prepares to compete once again in the eight hour classic.
Most of these cars have a good mix of technology, comfort, and safety, with an added bonus of being frugal.
We got to try out two very distinct tires on the BMW R1200 GS adventure bike over the course of two days.
We are halfway done with the world’s number one motorcycle show and these are our top picks in this year’s lineup.
It’s longer, wider, and lower than its predecessor.
It’s the biggest in the brand’s SUV lineup, with equally huge tech features to boot.
BMW said it has no plans in cutting the production of its diesel engines despite all controversies.
Five engine choices and an upcoming plug-in hybrid by 2020.
BMW Motorrad has its sights set on the Philippine market.
Let’s talk about what’s underneath that pretty exterior.
Seriously, what’s up with these radical-looking EV concepts these days?


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‘Air Food One’ is a food delivery service in Germany that exclusively caters to people who happen to love airline food. I’m not sure what’s more surprising – that the service exists, or that there are actually people who like the flavorless reheated stuff that is generally passed off as food on an airplane.
Anyway, the service is being provided by a German grocery store in collaboration with the company that makes meals for Lufthansa. It includes weekly home delivery of meals that are supposed to be ‘business-class quality’. Apparently, online grocery store Allyouneed.com noticed there was a demand for airplane food from its clients, so it teamed up with airline caterers LSG to satisfy their cravings.
On Wednesday of every week, customers enrolled in the Air Food One program will receive a meal that matches the business class menu currently available on planes. Apart from its business class quality, the food has another strong point – it can be frozen until you’re ready to throw it in the oven, making it an interesting alternative to take-away.
“The idea,” spokesman Max Thinius said, “is to invent meals that are prepared fresh and just needs to be heated in the oven. So LSG prepares all the fresh food, we deliver it cool but not frozen and if you heat it up you have a meal which is mostly like you cooked yourself, depending on how well you cook.”Air Food One is currently only available in Germany, at a cost of 9 to 10 euros ($11.61 to $12.90) per meal.
Studies have revealed that the noise on airplanes actually draws your attention away from the taste of food. The air pressure and low humidity is also believed to alter a person’s taste buds. So there is a good chance these airline meals might taste better on the ground than they do up in the air. Would you be willing to give it a try?
via ABC News


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It has been reported that Casey Anthony has signed a book deal and promises to reveal her baby daddy's identity.
The reports say that Casey just signed a 6-figure deal to write a book, which she will be writing with a ghost writer.
Casey says no book signings....ahh too bad.
Her lawyer, Jose Baez, is denying the book deal saying,
“That is bullsh-t. It's not happening."
So true or so false?


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Apparently, it’s time for the tiger to step down from its time-honored perch. At least that is what the Economist Intelligence Unit predicts. In their report titled, “Globalization Stalled”, the Middle East will be the fastest growing region in 2009, taking the title away from Asia, whose heavy dependency on trade has left it cold and exposed to the chill of the economic crisis.
Israel and Egypt were two of the Middle Eastern countries that had an extra sparkle, grabbing some of the best rankings overall. In particular, Egypt significantly improved, moving up from a rank of 60 in the period between 2004 and 2008, to 49 out of a total of 82 countries.
Israel is currently going through a bit of a slump, facing its first recession in eight years, but that has not stopped the country from being promoted to the status of a developed market by the MSCI. Israel has a stock market valued at more than $131 billion. Its TA-25 Index of Tel Aviv shares soared by 31% this year even as markets elsewhere were barely trudging along, making it the best performing developed market next to Norway.
Unlike other global economies, Israel fared better during the economic crisis largely due to export muscle. While global trade lost its footing, falling 40% between August 2008 and February 2009, Israeli exports slid by 30%. Israel’s buoy was the country’s emphasis on high-tech exports, according to a study by the Bank of Israel.
Egypt has pulled itself through these challenging times with more aplomb, recording a 4.3% growth in the first quarter of 2009. Its upswing is mainly due to a boom in construction and telecom, which expanded 16% and 14% respectively in the first quarter.
Countries like Egypt and Israel are proving to be invaluable to the overall growth of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Globally, the Middle East now has some of the fastest growing sectors, such as healthcare, and Africa boasts the fastest growing telecom industry. While economies worldwide have been struggling with sluggish consumer spending and drooping retail sectors, the Middle East is witnessing an unprecedented 13% growth in retail, one of the speedier markets. Morocco saw its exports of consumer goods, especially clothes, increase by 8.6% in the first quarter of 2009. Despite the global economic downturn the Middle East African nation is expecting a growth rate of 5.4% this year. Jordan is not too far behind, as it looks forward to a growth rate of 3.5% in 2009.
Did the Middle East/African region dodge the bullet of the economic crisis? Not entirely. Growth in the area is forecasted to slow down to 2.6% in 2009 from 5.7% in 2008. Good economic fundamentals and high currency reserves have helped the region surf along the choppy waves of the crisis. And there is fierce competition rising in the ranks from emerging Asia, who is challenging the MENA for the title of fastest growing region in 2009-10. To be sure, the tiger is not going to let go easily, but it will be a tough ride for both the competitors, nevertheless.
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Toyota Philippines continues to expand its car ownership offering with the expansion of the Kino one leasing program and the My Toyota Wallet app.
The all-new Honda HR-V is here, and there is a lot to discuss compared to the old model. Honda has put in the work to deliver a totally-new 2022 Honda HR-V for the Philippines so let's take...
The original Scout, introduced in 1961, was intended to challenge the dominance of Jeep and even preceded the Ford Bronco.
The Kia Stonic is a great city car, but it's more than that as it comes with a versatile feature-set to be more than just a commuter vehicle.
The car industry looks to be still going strong in April despite the setbacks of the previous years.
Nissan previously revealed the Leaf NISMO RC, an all-electric race car with NISMO-worthy performance.
The new Vitara gains a new 1.5-liter DualJet engine with a 140V full-hybrid system that puts out a total of 132 hp.
The 2 series will come with the M Sport package and will cost 3,690,000 while the BMW IX will retail for P6,290,000.
The Honda e:NS1 delivers 201 hp and 310 Nm of torque with a single-charge range of around 510 km.
The Mazda2 Premium could be worth it if you’re looking for a more premium-leaning, stylish hatchback.
Do you want to be the first to know about the latest automotive deals? Just subscribe with your email address and we’ll send you alerts on the most incredible deals as they happen.
After teasing the new Veloz, Toyota Philippines has confirmed that it will be launching the new vehicle on April 29. 2022.
The Lexus RZ 450e looks like a true Lexus and packs a two-motor system outputting upwards of 300 hp.
Picking an MG vehicle that best suits you can be a difficult task, but we are here to help with this quick list.
A quick list of cars for the buyer that wants an extra layer of protection while still being able to look inconspicuous.
EVs aren’t just for going to and from work, during a power outage, they can serve as a backup generator for your home.
Another new vehicle is set to join the local Toyota lineup with a possible launch happening on April 22, 2022.
One of the models looks suspiciously like an all-electric version of the Honda NSX, but that hasn’t been confirmed.
Evolution is a constant, especially in the car industry and such is the case with this, the 2022 Chevrolet Trailblazer which now takes on the form of a compact crossover. Find out what Chevr...
Minivans and SUVs have their differences, and they tend to do almost the same things but differently, let us help.
Get ready for Lexus’ first fully-electric model on April 20, 2022.


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Now does that sound silly or what? As if paper was not always undergoing reinvention, an Israeli technology company is claiming to have reinvented it. The premise is that paper needs to be reinvented, so that it better supports the circular economy. Having got over our initial befuddlement and confusion, we took a closer look. We found puff, but puff with purpose and a point. Sort of.
A generous handful of graphics companies are off the grid when it comes to energy. They generally rely on solar power and biomass burners for their electricity and as such are in the vanguard. However they are not alone. A report jointly authored by the World Wildlife Fund and the Corporate Eco Fund takes a closer look at corporate renewable energy procurement. The work is based on an in depth survey of 37 Corporate Eco Forum members and signatories to the Renewable Energy Buyers’ Principles, representing various industries.
The printing and publishing industries, are just like any other services sector. They are about profit and investments for the future health of individual businesses and of the industry as a whole. But when it comes to the health of the environment, sustainability is just one little fragment of most companies’ thinking. The day to day dramas associated with running the business often matter more than having concrete sustainability goals. This is especially true for small to medium sized enterprises, the companies that make up the bulk of our industry.
We hear a lot these days about the circular economy, the idea that basically what goes around as goods and resources comes around as raw materials. The circular economy concept is about using waste as a new raw material or as a component in raw materials, like turning waste paper into pulp for new papers or adding reprocessed plastic pellets to concrete. The circular economy get dressed up in some very complicated language, but that’s the basic gist of it.
Newspaper publishers should be doing much more to counter the perception that print is bad for the environment. Consumers associate printed newspapers with waste, but correcting this impression doesn’t seem to be a priority for the newspaper industry. This has to change, even though publishers may have other things on their minds like the precipitous decline in print sales.


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Industry leaders said April-June quarter would be a washout even for the high and mighty.
Amazon’s India unit has contracted 2 million sq ft while Walmart-backed Flipkart has contracted 1 million sq ft across Bengaluru, Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Coimbatore, said multiple persons aware of the development.
While new contracts for more than three million sq ft have been inked across six locations by manufacturing, third-party logistics and ecommerce clients in the past few weeks, vacant retail and commercial spaces could selectively undergo refurbishments as warehousing spaces.
In India, under traditional business interruption insurance policies, physical damage to property is the only criteria to trigger business interruption loss, while pandemics and epidemics are specifically excluded. Insurance companies, therefore, are refusing to accept any claims arising out of shutdown.
The coffee chain wants to reduce fixed operating expenses till consumption in the sector improves. Industry experts are of view that the coffee chain is trying to nudge the landlords, and if this doesn’t work, it will seek relief under ‘force majeure’ clauses as some other restaurant chains, retailers, and multiplexes have done.
The global spread of COVID-19 since January 2020 is resulting in a slowdown in economic activity across the world. The impact on India has been limited so far, however, increasing spread of the pandemic in the country over the last few days and the preventive measures being taken by the central and various state governments have severely restricted business activities.
The decision to shut malls is already resulting in losses for realty developers and retailers. While retailers are losing business revenue, mall developers are unable to get their share of revenue in addition to the base rentals they charge.
Driven by a healthy growth in passenger traffic and transport infrastructure, this transit retail opportunity is estimated to grow to $21.6 billion by 2030, while private operators are expected to see lease rental opportunity of $3.2 billion by then, showed a Knight Frank India report.
In a shift from their usual approach, the Swedish furniture maker is opting for a store rather than building their own stand alone space.
The sector is riding high on the phenomenal rise of consumerism and renewed interest by institutional investors.
Both partners, an affiliate of Warburg Pincus and Runwal, will commit $200 million each in the form of equity and will also raise additional $600 million in the form of debt to create a total corpus of $1 billion.
For its maiden real estate development project, the branded apparel major has carved out a 20-acre land parcel.
Large deals count doubled in 2018 compared to 2017; Rentals continued to appreciate.
A key trend emerging now is the growing demand for warehousing and logistics space from tier II cities like Coimbatore, Guwahati, Lucknow, Jaipur & Ludhiana.
The 12-storey commercial tower also houses India headquarters of five firms, including Vodafone-Idea, Hindalco, Woori Bank, Raymonds and Huawei.
Trent operates retail chain Westside, Landmark, a family entertainment format store, and Star Bazaar, a hypermarket chain which is a joint venture with UK’s supermarket chain, Tesco. The newly acquired space is expected to house consolidated offices of these brands.
The company’s custom-built corporate campus, spread over 800,000 sq ft, is in Bengaluru’s Embassy Tech Village, which is owned by private equity giant Blackstone and realty developer Embassy Group.
Global institutional investors and property developers are keen on the tract of land that is part of the bigger, 125-acre parcel at Thane’s Cadbury Junction.
The company is eyeing acquisition opportunities judiciously in key property markets across India to support its targeted growth, said a top company official.
The deal to sell 30,000 sq ft, pegged at Rs 28,000 per sq ft, will be the highest ever fetched in the city’s office market.


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For a number of years, Lowes Foods and Just Save have worked toward filling up local food banks with much needed supplies through the annual Bag Childhood Hunger food drive. This year, with the help of communities, customers, and vendor partners, Lowes Foods raised 188,000 pounds of food valued at over $63,500 to be donated to food banks around North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. The efforts took place during the summer when so many children are in need of food assistance while school is out. All donations are distributed in the local communities served through local food bank agencies.
The Bag Childhood Hunger food drive was held during June and early July at all Lowes Foods and Just Save locations. Over the past 18 years, Lowes Foods has helped raise more than 6.5 million pounds of food, and also supports food banks by making daily donations throughout the year. This past year in 2012, Lowes Foods raised over 1.4 million pounds of donated food overall, far exceeding a corporate goal of a million pounds in 2012.
The 2013 Bag Childhood Hunger food drive was successful in bringing food to children and families that need it the most. Lowes Foods strives to raise awareness of the growing issues associated with hunger facing communities in the Carolinas and the rest of the country. As a mindful corporate citizen, the company believes we should: live local, shop local, and give local. In this way, together we can make a difference in the fight against hunger.
About Lowes Foods, LLC
Lowes Foods, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Alex Lee, Inc. Founded in 1954, Lowes Foods, LLC employs nearly 9,000 people and operates over 100 stores in
About Just Save
Just Save is part of Alex Lee, Inc., a family-owned company that has been in business since 1931. Headquartered in Winston-Salem, Just Save is often affectionately referred to as Lowes Foods' "frugal cousin" and strives to offer great products and services to budget conscious consumers. Just Save focuses on local companies and purchasing local products and is an active participant in the communities in which it serves. More information on Just Save can be found on www.justsavefoods.com.
About Alex Lee
Founded in 1931, Alex Lee, Inc is a family owned company based in
Mary Jo Lee
Lowes Foods, LLC


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Instagram, owned by Meta, is testing a new feature called the "verified" feed that will exclusively show posts from users who have paid for Meta's Verified subscription. This move comes as Meta looks for ways to increase revenue and get more users to pay for its platforms. Instagram boss Adam Mosseri mentioned in comments on his Instagram broadcast channel that the company is exploring this feature as a new control for users and a way for businesses and creators to gain visibility.
To access the new verified feed, users must have Meta's verified badge, which is available through a paid subscription. The subscription costs $12 on the web and $15 on the Instagram app. Mark Zuckerberg, Meta's CEO, announced the verified badge and subscription in February, stating that it would enhance authenticity and security by requiring paying users to confirm their identity in exchange for increased visibility and customer support.
Initially trialed in Australia and New Zealand, the verified subscription service was later rolled out in the US. Meta is now reportedly considering charging users in Europe for ad-free versions of Instagram and Facebook to comply with new EU rules on personalized advertising.
This move by Instagram follows a trend among social media companies to move away from the traditional model of offering free platforms supported by ads. X, previously known as Twitter, introduced paid verification before Meta and has also experimented with directly charging users. Elon Musk, the owner of X, recently announced that the platform would charge users a $1 annual fee to reduce the presence of bots on the site.
It is important to note that Meta did not respond to a request for comment from Insider, made outside regular working hours.
In summary, Instagram is testing a verified feed that will only show posts from users who have paid for Meta's Verified subscription. This move reflects Meta's efforts to increase revenue and get more users to pay for its platforms, following a trend among social media companies.


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The Roundtable "Klantbehoud" of Oxyma, one of Selligent's partners, took place in Rotterdam last week under a blaze of sunshine where some of the Netherlands most prominent companies discussed industry trends and the digital world.
Among the participants were representatives from Vodafone Nederland, ING Bank, Nederlandse Spoorwegen (Dutch Railways) and Unilever.
They were very positive about the concept and Oxyma is very excited to organize another similar event in the very near future.
You can visit the Oxyma Group website here for more information about how they optimize marketing and sales processes for their clients.
Selligent is proud to have @Oxyma as one of their partners.


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Bags of coffee sit on the shelves at a Dunkin' Donuts store located in Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
- Filed Under
Rochester Red Wings fans, here's another reason to cheer your local baseball team on.
Dunkin' Donuts has announced that it will donate a pound of coffee to Foodlink for every run scored during the team's 72 home games at Frontier Field. Last year, the team made 288 runs.


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It’s tempting to see a struggling brand or business as one mass of people, and to believe that underperformance is spread evenly across the organisation. That’s seldom the case.
Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) haven’t had it this good for some time. As Jack Trout observed the average tenure not so long ago stood at less than two years. Now it’s close to double that. The reasons why things got so bad, according to Trout, could be attributed to both internal and external forces. Internally, politics and competing functions combined to make it tough to get and keep the resources that CMOs needed to do an effective job. Externally, prima donna agencies with a hotline to the CEO also caused problems. Not helped, he says, by the fact that in most organisations the CEO is the ultimate CMO. The decisions they make essentially provide the marketing team with their licence to operate.
When Rosser Reeves first proposed the Unique Selling Proposition many decades ago now, the world was a very different place. Products still had the potential to actually be different, advertising was largely confined to mainstream channels and brands were, for the most part, identifiers. But with the evolution of best-practice manufacturing, the fragmentation of channels and the increasing development of brands as monikers for consumer lifestyle, I can’t help wondering whether the USP is now redundant.
Marketers are busy talking up the value of telling the stories of their brands. But why aren’t more organisations structuring their own strategies and issues as stories, and what role are marketers taking in making that happen?
It’s an old bias but a telling one. Finance people accuse marketers of only spending money. Marketers accuse finance teams of only counting it. It’s another re-run of the analytical versus emotive debate yet it has the potential to carry deep bias into decision-making. As Brad VanAuken observed in this article, “I have found that many scientists, engineers and finance and operations professionals view marketing as a soft skill that lacks the rigor of other disciplines and that it deserves less attention and investment.”


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(WHDH) — Market Basket is now on the World Wide Web and social media.
The popular supermarket chain announced Tuesday the launch of a website, and a Facebook, Instagram and Twitter page.
The new website allows visitors to view its weekly flyer, locate nearby stores, create a shopping list and even enter for a chance at winning a gift card.
Here’s a look at Market Basket’s inaugural posts on each platform:
(Copyright (c) 2018 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)


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A day after the Federal Trade Commission officially approved the $13.7 billion Amazon–Whole Foods Market acquisition, the companies announced that the grocer will offer lower prices on select items starting Aug. 28, including bananas, avocados, brown eggs, kale, salmon and tilapia, lean ground beef, rotisserie chicken, apples and butter.
“The speed with which Amazon intends to adjust pricing across the Whole Foods network will force changes in the way the industry operates,” said Greg Portell, lead partner in the retail practice of A.T. Kearney in commentary provided to Retail TouchPoints. “The complexity associated with traditional grocers makes it difficult to adjust pricing quickly. If Amazon is able to translate their dynamic pricing capability to the physical stores, traditional grocers will be under pressure to match that ability – regardless of whether they match prices.”
Prime Integration Creates Value Beyond Price Cuts
It is unclear how heavy the price cuts will be, but it’s not just about pricing for Whole Foods — and that has consumers excited and competitors intimidated. Here are some additional “perks” announced last week:
Amazon and Whole Foods Market technology teams will begin to integrate Amazon Prime into the Whole Foods POS system;
Private label brands such as 365 Everyday Value, Whole Paws and Whole Catch will be available to Amazon Prime members online;
Amazon Lockers will be included in 460 Whole Foods stores, making way for more BOPIS or BORIS opportunities; and
Prime members will receive special savings and in-store benefits when the integration is complete.
By convincing more Prime members to go to the store, Whole Foods is looking to wipe away the “Whole Paycheck” label that the grocer has suffered from in recent years, and to be more inviting to shoppers beyond the upper middle class-to-upper class clientele the grocer already attracts.


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The Shortage of Truck Drivers
Amidst our country’s ongoing truck driver shortage,inflation within the freight and trucking industry is becoming a legitimate business concern. For many companies and supply chains the demand for drivers stems from multiple factors including an aging workforce, high driver turnover rates, regulatory changes, and increased freight demand. The demand for drivers is already reflected in delayed deliveries and higher product pricing on goods that Americans buy.
Demographically speaking, gender and age are contributing factors during this shortage, as the trucking industry has been comprised of mostly male employees, typically 45 years of age and older. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states the average age of commercial truck drivers in the U.S. is 55 years of age. What that implies is, if an increase of drivers over the course of the next decade is not supplemented, those nearing retirement will be increasing the shortage further.
Women are a major untapped area within the trucking industry. Nearly 47 percent of U.S. workers are women. Of those 47 percent, only 6 percent are accounted for in the commercial trucking sector. Trucking companies are truly in a dilemma. Manufacturers and retailers are plagued by the unusually tight trucking market are paying the steepest prices in years to keep their goods moving. The American Trucking Association reported that the industry has been struggling with a driver shortage for the past 15 years.
The most reported reasons for the driver shortage are:
- Never home/ On the road for extended periods of time
- Poor work place treatment and/or conditions
The ambiguity of the issue ensures there is no single solution. However, there is potential to decrease the pressure from the lack of drivers through any of the following incentives:
- Increased driver pay/ more benefits
- Decreased time on the road for drivers
- A lowered regulation on the driving age
- Hiring more women and veterans
- Creating more LTL and parcel driver positions
Now this shortage is mostly comprised of over the road (OTR) and full-truckload (FTL) shipping methods, not excluding cement truck and dump truck drivers. Here at Hodges we are currently looking to hire multiple local truck drivers who are guaranteed to be home every night. Contact us for further information on the requirements and hiring process.


text: Gov. John Kasich claims the SB5 bill would save hundreds of millions of dollars. In fact, his bill would take hundreds of millions of dollars out of the pockets of hard working Ohioans. It would lower local and state income taxes as people lose their jobs or have lower income. It would weaken the economy as that money would not be spent in Ohio businesses. The government lowered the fourth quarter estimate of GDP from 3.2% to 2.8% because States cut their spending, creating a drag on the national economy. Since 70% of our economy is based on spending, SB5 will make Ohio s economy even weaker.


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Gaurang Shah expands his online portfolio with handloom collections for men and children
Textile designer Gaurang Shah who specialises in handlooms, strengthened his online presence (gaurang.co) earlier this year to entice buyers seeking the safer option of an online purchase as opposed to store visits during a pandemic. Handloom saris and ensembles for women are the label’s mainstay. However, diversifying into clothing for men and children, Gaurang has also launched portals to address these categories (men.gaurang.co and little.gaurang.co).
The collections in all three categories are made possible by more than 800 weavers and craftspeople who work with the label. The catalogue for men includes Gaurang’s signature handwoven bandi jackets, kurtas and sherwanis with traditional motifs and contemporary textures: “There was a strong demand from my clients to expand my signature to menswear, and I thought this is the right time to launch them,” says the designer.
From Gaurang’s collection for children | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Some of the pieces have involved months of weaving using jamdani technique. Various textures have been created infusing yarns such as khadi, muga silk, tussar silk and organza.
The Little Gaurang section has clothing in handwoven fabrics using natural dyes for children in the age group of 0 to 12. “The fabric that touches a child’s skin matters, since their skin is delicate. Our clothing is as natural as it can be, without harmful chemicals and synthetic fabrics,” adds Gaurang.
Source: Read Full Article


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Microsoft has revealed today, alongside the Xbox One release date, that they will support the Xbox 360 for three years after the release of the Xbox One.
This surprising reveal from MS came from chief marketing and strategy officer Yusuf Mehdi, during his time at the Citi Global Technology Conference yesterday. His official statement reads;
“If you look at Xbox 360 that platform [has] lasted for seven to eight years and it’s going to go for another three years. It’s incredibly profitable now in the tail.”
He expanded further on this, assuring gamers who might not want to jump onto the next generation straight away, that there would be plenty of games coming out for the Xbox 360.
“We are going to continue to invest in Xbox 360 and the two devices can work in concert,” he said. “So it isn’t just like the day we ship Xbox One, Xbox 360 won’t work, we will continue to support it. In fact, we are going to ship over 100 new games on Xbox 360, so you will still be able to play your games, just not on the same exact box.”
For information on the official release date of the Xbox One, watch the video below.