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Brembo S.p.A. Business Report FY ended Dec. 2016
|(in million EUR)
|FY ended Dec. 31, 2016
|FY ended Dec. 31, 2015
|Rate of change
|Sales by application
|Passenger Car applications
|Commercial Vehicle applications
1) Net Sales
-The Company’s net sales for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016 increased by 9.9% compared to the previous fiscal year to EUR 2,279.1 million. The Company had increased sales in car applications, commercial vehicle applications, and motorbike applications. These gains were partially offset by a decline in sales in the Company’s racing segment. The acquisition of Asimco Meilian Braking Systems also contributed to the increase in sales.
2) Passenger Car applications
-Sales in the Company’s Passenger Car segment increased by 12.3% in the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016 to EUR 1,736.2 million. Excluding the consolidation of Asimco Meilian Braking Systems, sales increased by 9.3% in the segment. Improved sales in Europe and China contributed to the gain in sales in the segment.
3) Commercial Vehicle applications
-Sales in the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016 for the Company’s Commercial Vehicle segment increased by 8.5% over the previous year to EUR 224.5 million. Sales across light, medium and heavy commercial vehicle segments all increased compared to the previous year, thus driving the Company’s increase in sales.
-The Company announced that it has completed the acquisition of a 66% stake in the share capital of ASIMCO Meilian Braking Systems (Langfang) Co., Ltd. The transaction consideration was set at RMB 574.4 million, or approximately EUR 78 million. The remaining 34% of ASIMCO's share capital will be held by the state-owned company Langfang Assets Operations Co., Ltd. ASIMCO Meilian Braking Systems, based in Langfang, Hebei, owns a foundry and a plant for the manufacturing of cast-iron brake discs. ASIMCO primarily supplies regional joint ventures between Chinese companies and top European and U.S. OEMs. ASIMCO Meilian Braking System’s Q1 2016 sales amounted to RMB 109 million, or approximately EUR 15 million. The company has a workforce of 637 employees. (From a press release on May 19, 2016)
-The Company announced that it was named a Supplier of the Year by General Motors, marking the first time that it received the award. (From a press release on March 15, 2016)
-Approximately 10% of the Company’s total employees are engineers and product specialists that work in research and development.
-The Company has research facilities in Italy, Poland, China and the United States.
-The Company is part of the Lowbrasys project, an advanced research project financed by the European Commission Program Horizon2020, which aims to accelerate research, development and demonstration of technologies which enable the efficient use of clean energies. Lowbrasys features five automotive companies in collaboration with five research institutes and universities. Having launched in September 2015, the Lowbrasys project will spend three years to develop and demonstrate a low-environmental impact brake system which can reduce micro and nano-particle emissions by 50%. Target areas for research include the development of new materials for brake pads and discs, technology to capture particles near the source of the brake system, and integration of braking components. (From a press release on January 11, 2016)
-The Company continued the development of a new simulation methodology which includes parameters that can influence a brake disc’s vibratory capacities. The completed methodology would allow the Company to define parameters that could improve the brake system’s comfort characteristics early in its design.
-In regards to cast-iron brake discs, the Company’s research and development activities include reducing the disc’s weight, changing the disc’s geometry, and improving the disc’s cooling and ventilation capacity.
-The Company has continued its development of innovative friction materials for use in lightweight brake discs. The Company can be considered to be the only manufacturer with the in-house expertise necessary for innovative material development.
-The Company continued research on developing mechatronic systems, which has become more commonplace in the automotive market. The high level of integration will allow the brake system to interact with other vehicle systems, such as electric traction motors and new suspension-steering concepts. The Company is continuing to develop a Brake By Wire system, and electric parking brakes (EPB) where the electronic control is integrated in the ABS units.
Lightweight brake discs
-In the Company’s work towards reducing brake disc weight, in order to reduce fuel consumption and lower emissions, it created a new brake disc concept. The concept utilizes cast iron for the braking ring and thin steel laminate for the disc hat, which reduces the weight of the disc by up to 15% compared to standard brake discs. A production version of the concept is being used for the entire range of the Mercedes MRA platform which includes the S-Class, E-Class and C-Class.
Aluminum alloy brake calipers
-The Company was able to create a brake caliper from an aluminum alloy in a thixotropic state, that is, an alloy made at a lower temperature than that of casting. In doing so, the new brake caliper provides weight savings between 5 and 10% while still providing the same performance capabilities.
|(in million EUR)
|FY ended Dec. 31, 2016
|FY ended Dec. 31, 2015
|FY ended Dec. 31, 2014
-Of the Company’s capital expenditures for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, EUR 231.4 million was invested in property, plant and equipment, while the remaining EUR 32.1 million was invested in intangible assets.
-The Company’s capital expenditures for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016 were distributed by region as follows:
- North America: 42%
- Italy: 22%
- Poland: 18%
- China: 13%
Investments in Italy
-The investments made in Italy during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016 were used primarily for the purchase of production plants, machinery and equipment to enhance production automation. In addition, EUR 17.1 million was used for development costs.
Investments outside Italy
-The Company announced that it has inaugurated a new plant for the production of aluminum calipers with an investment of USD 36 million in Escobedo, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. When fully operational, the plant will be capable of making two million aluminum calipers per year. The plant, which covers an area of 377,000 square feet, is expected to contribute over USD 100 million a year in sales. The Company also announced that it will invest an additional USD 93 million to build a new foundry to produce cast iron discs, which is scheduled to be operational by the end of 2017. The new facility will have a melting capacity of approximately 100,000 tons per year and will cover an area of 269,000 square feet. (From a press release on October 20, 2016)
-The Company conducted the first pour at its new cast iron foundry recently completed in Homer, Michigan, U.S. The first pour is a preliminary test of the facility that ensures all systems are functioning properly and is the first step before production ramp up begins. Construction on the 266,000-square-foot foundry began in 2015. The Company will begin production ramp up in May 2016, with the foundry expected to be fully operational in 2017. The Company invested USD 100 million into the Homer cast iron foundry. At full capacity, it will produce an annual output of 80,000 tons of brake disc castings. The foundry operations will cover an area of approximately 300,000 square feet and will create 250 jobs at the foundry and at the Company’s North American Headquarters in Plymouth, Michigan. (From a press release on April 28, 2016)
-The Company continued its EUR 34 million investment plan in Eastern Europe, which is expected to be complete in 2017. The investment is aimed toward the construction and operation of a new plant in Niepolomice, Poland. The Niepolomice plant will specialize in the processing of steel disc hats to be assembled on light discs manufactured at the Company’s plants in Poland, China, and the U.S. The investment will also be used to expand the Company’s plant in Dabrowa Gornicza, Poland for a third casting line and new machining lines. The new lines will increase casting capacity by 100,000 tonnes per year for grey iron used in brake discs, and spheroidal cast iron for calipers in light commercial vehicles.
-The Company is investing approximately EUR 100 million across a three-year period from 2016 to 2018 to construct a new aluminum caliper production plant in Nanjing, China. The new Nanjing plant will span 40,000 square meters, have a casting capacity of more than 15,000 tonnes per year, and have a production capacity of more than two million calipers and spindles per year. Components manufactured at the new Nanjing plant will be distributed to various OEMs with production facilities in China.


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Operators of the popular cash-back shopping service BigCrumbs took the site offline after discovering some members’ accounts had been compromised.
BigCrumbs.com CEO Vince Martin said an unknown party gained unauthorized access to a number of member accounts, but it was not a breach or hack of BigCrumbs. That’s an important distinction, said Martin.
“The evidence strongly suggests that the attacker used credentials gained in breaches of other sites, where users who’d been compromised on those sites had re-used the same credentials at BigCrumbs.”
He said there was also some evidence to suggest the attacker exploited weak and commonly used passwords. BigCrumbs has confirmed unauthorized accesses numbered less than 200, but the actual number could be higher.
Martin also said no credit cards were compromised because the site does not collect credit card information. “Notably, it’s very possible and, perhaps, likely that the attacker already had access to the member’s contact information, given the mode of access.”
BigCrumbs took the site offline “out of an abundance of caution” while it performed analysis on the situation. “We then decided we needed to keep it down while we implemented the additional security measures indicated (e.g. new password requirements, etc.),” Martin said. “Finally, we decided to keep the site offline even longer as we saw an opportunity to make other changes to enhance our program and position us for future offerings. We’re setting an ETA for the site’s return at 1 – 2 weeks.”
Upon return of the website, all members will be required to reset their passwords, which will need to conform to stricter complexity standards.
“Thankfully, I believe a lot of the potential for additional damage was mitigated by our fairly quick realization of what was happening,” Martin said.

domain: news


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Left unchanged, a bill sitting in the California State Senate threatens the business models of ridesharing startups like Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar.
This week, the California State Senate’s insurance committee passed bill AB 2293, a measure to require “transportation network companies” such as Uber to insure drivers as soon as they turn on their ridesharing app of choice. Currently, Uber and similar startups offer drivers commercial insurance when their app is on and someone has accepted a ride — the coverage then generally lasts until the rider exits the car their destination.
If AB 2293 passes through the state’s Appropriations Committee and becomes law, taxi industry leaders will flood newswires with victory cheers. To them, startups like Uber should be required to provide full-time, primary commercial auto liability insurance coverage, just like traditional taxis.
But Uber considers these additional state requirements “unnecessary,” a company spokesperson told VentureBeat by phone. Uber says the bill undermines what it means to be actively “engaged in ridesharing.”
And Uber has a point.
Because firms like Uber play host to part-time drivers, and because these drivers often leave their smartphones on regardless of their intentions to drive for professional or personal reasons, it’s hard to determine when commercial use begins and ends.
This debate is far from new; it’s the subject of numerous lawsuits and state insurance agency warnings, and it is a key talking point among Uber’s opposition.
Siding with Uber, a Sidecar spokesperson called the requirements “excessively high.” Sidecar tells VentureBeat that it shares “the Senate Committee’s goal of consumer safety,” but it finds “the amended [Assemblymember Susan] Bonilla [D-Concord] bill requirement of $750,000 for the time period when the app is turned on but no rider is in the driver’s car excessively high because it is more than 20 times higher than what is required of taxi and livery services. Sidecar’s drivers drive their own personal vehicles, and it’s clear there is less risk when there is not yet a passenger in the car.”
Chief Uber competitor Lyft echoed a similar sentiment in a statement to VentureBeat. “The committee’s action yesterday was a disappointing setback for the ridesharing movement in California,” a Lyft spokesperson said. “Lyft has set the highest standard in safety and we have worked to increase transportation safety by establishing unprecedented background check and driving record standards, creating accountability and trust through in-app feedback and pioneering first-of-its-kind insurance protection to cover both drivers and passengers.” More, from Lyft:
Instead of advancing common-sense regulations, the bill that passed the committee today forces innovative new models into a one-sized-fits-all regulatory structure with no basis in fact, all without increasing public safety. We will continue to work with all stakeholders to bring about a positive resolution that improves transportation access, safety and affordability for California residents.
As AB 2293 progresses, we expect all three startups to lobby for changes.
Uber Technologies Inc is known as Everyone's Private Driver. Uber operates an on-demand car service used all over the world. With the touch of a button from your phone, you can experience yo... All Uber news »
Lyft is a friendly, safe, and affordable transportation option. Just tap a button and in minutes you’ll be riding in the front seat with a new friend. Our Lyft community drivers have been ... All Lyft news »
Sidecar’s smartphone app matches everyday people in their own car with people nearby for shared rides. It’s a fast, safe and fun way to get around the city, meet new people and keep extr... All Sidecar news »


text: Yesterday’s Beef Summit, held in London, has identified the challenges that face a sustainable beef industry, but now action is needed to make it happen, according to NFU Cymru’s President, Stephen James.The NFU’s calls for a voluntary code of practice concentrating on notice periods and transparency of terms and conditions were recognised during the Summit. Speaking after the meeting, NFU Cymru President Stephen James said the details of this code of practice now needed to be clarified between the trade and the NFU in a matter of weeks before reporting back to the Westminster Government Minister.“This code is a positive step forward and something that we’ve been calling for. We will also hold further discussions with the trade on the transparency of abattoir charges because our members regularly contact us on this issue,” said Mr James.Other challenges laid down included extending the use of the voluntary code on clear country of origin labelling for processed food to the food service sector, backing up the good work already being done by Assured Food Standards and their ‘made with’ Red Tractor logo in supermarkets.Lyndon Edwards, NFU Cymru Livestock Board Chairman added, “We must increase demand for our product and we’ve said to retailers that they need to actively promote PGI status Welsh Beef as well as Red Tractor-assured British beef.“I’m pleased that at the Summit, retailers acknowledged the importance of clearly, unambiguously and accurately promoting British beef.”Mr James concluded, “We are now entering a critical phase in the development of the next Wales Rural Development Plan (RDP). We are aware that both Ireland and Scotland have already agreed to provide significant resource into RDP programmes to support sustainable red meat production. It is vital that the Welsh Government takes forward similar initiatives to enhance competitiveness and increase profitability on livestock farms in Wales.” Charles Sercombe, NFU livestock board chairman, added “We must increase demand for our product and we’ve said to retailers that they need to actively promote Red Tractor-assured British beef. I’m pleased that at the Summit, retailers acknowledged the importance of clearly, unambiguously and accurately promoting British beef.” Defra gave the NFU an assurance that it is actively investigating export markets with the levy bodies, with potential prospects in Japan and the longer term China. The use of PGI status will be important here in promoting British beef abroad. Defra also gave an undertaking that it would look at the opportunities, with EBLEX, to invest Rural Development money in improving competitiveness and productivity on farm. The NFU welcome that commitment and look forward to working with Defra to make this and all of the other commitments happen.


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Reuters — By Shariq Khan, David Randall – October 15, 2020
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A year ago, Flora Growth Chief Executive Damian Lopez had just spent a chunk of his company’s seed capital buying a Colombian cannabis producer, and was fighting his way through the legal and financial hurdles that have made development of the industry such a challenge over the past decade.
These days, a boom in sales of his hemp-derived health food and beauty products during the coronavirus pandemic, and the prospect of an easing of marijuana laws in the aftermath of the U.S. presidential election, have him sealing a $30 million funding round and making plans for a U.S. public floatation early next year.
“I think the election will be a huge catalyst,” Lopez said on Wednesday. He was busy planning for the initial public offering (IPO) with investment banking firm Boustead Securities set to be the company’s chief adviser.


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USA: Ford cuts will affect Lear's EPS
Interior trim and electronics systems maker Lear Corporation today said that the recently announced 60,000-unit Ford Explorer and Ranger production cuts are expected to reduce its 2001 earnings per share by approximately $US0.13.
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The Federal Trade Commission sued Quickwork LLC and its owner with violating the COVID-19 Consumer Protection Act and the FTC Act, alleging that they falsely marketed products with vitamin D and zinc as scientifically proven to treat or prevent COVID-19. This is the first case that the FTC has brought under the COVID-19 Consumer Protection Act.
The new law, which was enacted in December 2020, prohibits deceptive acts or practices, during the COVID-19 public health crisis, that are associated with the "treatment, cure, prevention, mitigation, or diagnosis of COVID-19" or a "government benefit related to COVID-19." Significantly, unlike for most violations of the FTC Act, when enforcing the COVID-19 Consumer Protection Act, the FTC can seek civil penalties.
In its lawsuit, the FTC alleged that Quickwork falsely marketed its vitamin D and zinc "Wellness Warrior" products as being as as effective, or more effective, than the COVID-19 vaccines that are available. The FTC alleged that the company made claims such as:
- "Vitamin D3 is the only chemical that's out there and that's shown to reduce the spread . . . to minimize the chances of getting infected";
- "There hasn't been one damn thing else ethat's shown the benefits of . . . preventing COVID-19 except for vitamin D3";
- "Vitamin D blocks the virus";
- "Vaccines do not stop the spread of the virus";
- Vitamin D and zin "actually works better than . . . any vaccine," and
- Zinc is an effective treatment for COVID-19 because it "doesn't allow the virus to continue to proliferate" inside the body.
In announcing the lawsuit, Acting FTC Chairwoman Rebecca Kelly Slaughter said, "The defendants’ claims that their products can stand in for approved COVID-19 vaccines are particularly troubling: we need to be doing everything we can to stop bogus health claims that endanger consumers. With this case, the Commission has quickly put to use its new authority to stop false marketing claims related to the pandemic."
Even though this lawsuit has just begun, here are few takeaways. First, although we're more than a year into the pandemic, the FTC continues to focus on enforcement related to false and misleading COVID-19 claims. While this certainly serves as a warning to the fraudulent marketers out there, it's also an important reminder for all marketers to exercise care when making claims about how their products can protect consumers during this time. Do you have competent and reliable scientific evidence for the claims that you are making? Second, there's been lots of talk at the FTC over the last few years about whether the FTC's advertising enforcement program is effective enough and whether the FTC needs to be more aggressive when it believes that marketers have violated the law. The fact that the FTC is using its new authority to seek civil penalties under the COVID-19 Consumer Protect Act is yet another sign that a tougher FTC, stricter orders, and bigger damages are on the way. (Relatedly, in a sign that the control of the Commission has changed, note that Commissioner Christine S. Wilson voted against bringing this action.) Third, the FTC didn't bring this case out of the blue. In the middle of last year, the FTC sent the company's owner a warning letter, advising him to stop making unsubstantiated COVID-19 claims. After determining that he hadn't complied with the FTC's demand, the FTC brought this action. Don't assume that the FTC just sends out these warning letters and then forgets about them. If you do, you may get your shot in court.
"With this case, the Commission has quickly put to use its new authority to stop false marketing claims related to the pandemic" -- Acting FTC Chairwoman Rebecca Kelly Slaughter


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Creator says AI-Powered ‘Artificial Humans’ are Not Deepfakes
The digital creations described as “artificial humans” are not deepfakes, the head of the lab that produced them says
While digital avatars have long been able to be programmed for specific tasks such as role players in games, NEON goes further by enabling interactions that can incorporate human emotion.
Although the artificial humans may borrow features from real people, “each NEON has his or her own unique personality and can show new expressions, movements, and dialogues,” the company said.
The NEON creators said the new virtual humans are the product of advances in technologies including neural networks and computational reality.
The “artificial humans” unveiled at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show were finely detailed animations but did not impress everyone
But the invention did not impress everyone.
Ben Wood of the consultancy CCS Insight said he was “underwhelmed” after seeing the NEONS.
He tweeted that, on the booth, they just look like “videos of actors which can be manipulated to do certain actions. I must be missing something.”
Avi Greengart of the consultancy Techsponential said the avatars could be realistic but also “creepy.”
“Leaving aside how impressive the technology is, will NEON be used in ways that people like, just tolerate, or actively hate?” he said.
Jack Gold, an analyst at J. Gold Associates, said Samsung may be ahead of the pack if it can develop avatars that can show emotions and expressions, but also questioned the potential for abuse.
“It has major implications for many fields like customer service, help desk functions, entertainment, and of course could also be used to ‘fake’ a human interacting with a live person for bad or illegal purposes.”
Samsung’s Neon shows their “artificial humans,” AI composed animations displayed at human scale, on opening day of the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas/ afp
Concerns Over Deepfakes
The announcement comes amid a proliferation of AI-manipulated computer videos known as “deepfakes,” and growing concerns about how they could be used to deceive or manipulate.
But Mistry said the computation techniques of deepfakes are “completely different” than those used for NEON.
He told AFP that his technology “doesn’t manipulate any content” but “creates the content as it goes along.”
He maintained that “no one will ever have access to the technology at its core, and that is what we are designing from the ground up.”
Mistry offered no specifics on the company’s business model but suggested partner firms may want to use these digital creations for various services.
The India-born Mistry was known for developing Sixth Sense, a gesture-based wearable technology system built at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.


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And finally, the moment you all expected: the mysterious ‘The Phantom Pain’ revealed at last year’s VGA’s has been announced to really be Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.
[OLD NEWS] This news post has been automatically been submitted to Google News despite that fact it is over a month old. Apologies, please don’t let that stop you looking around our brand new site.
And finally the moment you all expected, the mysterious ‘The Phantom Pain’ revealed at last year’s VGA’s has been announced to really be Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. Instead of following Solid Snake, the game puts us back in control of the series antagonist Big Boss after a 9 year coma.
Obviously for the casual fan of Metal gear such as myself, calling this Metal Gear Solid 5, but basing it before even Metal Gear Solid is a tad confusing, but remember Metal Gear Solid 2: Snake Eater was exactly the same. The game has been revealed to be coming to both Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, but going off the current gameplay (which is running on PC) we should defiantly expect this for PS4 and the next generation Xbox console.
There was a bit of confusion during the reveal, relating to whether both The Phantom Pain and Metal Gear Ground Zeroes were actually Metal Gear Solid V. But things have now been clarified, Ground Zeroes is a prequel of sorts to Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.
Wow, this whole announcement and confusion makes me want a site down! Make sure to check out the trailer above and the 6 minute gameplay footage from MGSV below.


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Wearable start-up Whoop announced an agreement with the NFL players association. Interesting for a couple reasons: 1) The deal is with the players, not with the league, which some see as a way to at least partially level the playing field for players against teams collecting massive amounts of data about them, and 2) the deal allows players to independently monetize their data. Here.
Fitbit had a rough beginning of the week with reports of a Fitbit device that “exploded” on a woman’s wrist causing 2nd-degree burns. However, by Friday Fitbit had investigated and disputed the claims, indicating “external forces caused damage to the device”. No indication what those “external forces” were, but Fitbit must have found some very conclusive information to quickly and decisively dispute the claims. Here.
TechCrunch makes some interesting points about the challenges Android Wear is having in differentiation across hardware platforms and the increasing number of wearables makers building their own OS – Garmin, Samsung, Swatch, Ticwear, etc. Here.
Putting the Apple Watch’s progress in perspective – “These two facts are both true: Apple Watch sales are a rounding error compared to the iPhone, and Apple Watch is a smash hit compared to traditional watches and other wearable devices.” Here.
Click-bait headline, but some valid points about the next generation of wearables. Here.
Boston Children’s Hospital has developed the first health skill for Amazon Alexa-enabled devices and is putting the devices in ICU rooms. Patient-specific data is not available through the service because it’s not yet HIPAA-compliant, but AWS has HIPAA-compliant data centers, so likely headed in that direction. Here.
Wearable tech used for concussion detection, interestingly in the mouth guard, not the football helmet. Here.
Good overview of digital health progress in the UK. Here.
Microsoft announced a partnership that will create “B2B commercial grade wearable” and it will run on Windows 10 IoT Core. Here.
2016 saw $6.2B invested in IoT start-ups, up from $4.2B in 2015, according to Silicon Valley VC firm Wing. There was a noticeable increase in mid-sized rounds between $5 million and $30 million, indicating follow-on rounds for these companies. Good to see investment in health wearables that are more specialized and insightful – tracking sleep, mitigating asthma, etc. Here.


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Local Member of Parliament for North Warwickshire and Bedworth, Craig Tracey, has welcomed the Chancellor’s targeted plan to help support jobs and hospitality businesses across the UK, a move he described as "significant in helping to kickstart the country’s economic recovery post-COVID".
Under temporary measures announced, VAT is to be cut for six months, from 20 percent to 5 percent, for businesses in the hospitality, accommodation and attractions industries; including up to 380 in North Warwickshire and Bedworth – a measure set to be a huge boost for the area’s local economy. This will come into effect on the 15th July, and last until January 2021.
Local residents have also been urged to ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ with a temporary new voucher scheme encouraging people to support restaurants, pubs, bars and cafes. This scheme will run on Mondays through to Wednesdays during August and sees the Government paying for 50% of people’s meals out at participating venues across the constituency to a maximum of £10 per person, including children. Local businesses will be able to claim back this money from the Government weekly, with up to 185 businesses in the area set to benefit from this package.
Speaking immediately after the announcement, Mr Tracey said: ‘’The Chancellor has announced an impressive package to support the UK’s economic recovery, whilst supporting residents here in North Warwickshire and Bedworth to find, create and protect jobs in sectors which have been more hard-hit by the impacts of COVID-19.
Although there is a recognition that people are still nervous about returning back to some kind of normality, I am hugely encouraged by some of the fantastic opportunities being offered to support them and I know these measures will come of a great relief to many of the small businesses who endured huge financial worries throughout this period, across our communities.
I know that this has been a tough time for everyone in the constituency, but I think there are very positive signs out there. During the past months we have seen our communities come together in ways we have not seen before. We now need to translate this in to supporting our local businesses and high streets as we move into the next phase of recovery."
Summing up the Chancellors announcement, Craig emphasised the package offers an “exciting, sensible and deliverable package - a great place to start on rebuilding our economy!”


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Interpol is on the hunt for fugitives accused of such crimes as ivory smuggling. illegal logging, and trafficking live animals
The cosmetics retailer is facing a lawsuit
The oil market has moved beyond the Keystone XL pipeline
A new tool detects computer malware that’s watching your every move
The provider of high-interest business loans nears an IPO, on the strength of its data-powered credit analysis—and a network of shady brokers
Nike expects revenue from women to outpace its men's business.
Twist, stretch, twirl: a day in the life of a candy cane
Educational Credit Management, a guarantor and collector of student loans, wants to buy 56 campuses from Corinthian Colleges
The novelty items are hot for retailers large and small
Still embattled after a bruising five-month campaign that repulsed Microsoft's $45 billion takeover bid, Yahoo! (YHOO) CEO and co-founder Yang must find ways to recharge growth at the struggling Internet portal. Despite speculation that Yahoo might be interested in buying Time Warner's AOL unit, Yang is publicly banking on new services such as a display-advertising system announced on Sept. 24. But activist investor Carl Icahn and two of his cohorts on Yahoo's board, along with many other shareholders, still favor a deal with Microsoft. Meantime, regulators are scrutinizing a proposed search ad deal with Google that Yahoo says would bring in $800 million a year. So Yang's running room is short. And with the economy already slowing the growth of Yahoo's mainstay display advertising revenues, his effort to keep Yahoo independent faces steep odds.


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Exciting news on the international medical and scientific front: A new partnership!
On the 2nd of November, 2022, our industry partners Swiss Revitalisation and SR Forte signed a new agreement with Helen Beauty Vietnam Co. – a strategic cooperation that spans multiple borders as it brings premium Swiss-based aesthetic solutions to Vietnam!
The collaboration will grant exclusive distributor rights for Swiss Revitalisation and SR Forte brands and products to Helen Beauty Vietnam Co. in Vietnam, where the latter has established itself as a premier beauty, skin treatment, and aesthetic company. Fittingly, European Wellness Biomedical Group Chairman Prof Dr Mike Chan and Helen Swiss Cells Director/Founder Helen Nguyen completed the agreement in the beautiful city of Lugano, Switzerland – one of the world’s premier destinations for cutting-edge anti-aging and regenerative medicine.
Lugano is also home to the Swiss Wellness Centre, the flagship European Wellness Centre which began operating in 2015, offering an in-house dental clinic alongside a complete range of advanced biomedical therapies.
We’re looking forward to even more strategic partnerships on the global stage, as we endeavour to bring advanced health and wellness solutions to the world!
About Swiss Revitalisation – https://swissrevitalisation.com
About SR Forte – http://srfortetherapy.com
About Prof. Dato’ Sri Dr. Mike Chan –
About European Wellness – https://european-wellness.eu


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HBOS launches Christmas savings scheme
Having been lambasted for its role in the Farepak disaster, it would not be surprising if Halifax Bank of Scotland never wanted to set eyes on a Christmas hamper again.
But its Halifax retail bank is trying to make amends by launching its own festive savings account for cashstrapped shoppers.
'We have always believed that we did the right thing on Farepak, our view hasn't changed,' said an HBOS spokesman.
'But we do accept that the banks could do more for low income customers. We have all learnt lessons from Farepak and we are trying to do something about it.'
The Christmas account will launch in May. Halifax plans to send a letter to 10,000 of the group's 'social banking' customers, offering the service. It has 3.6m customers who hold a free basic bank account with no overdraft facility, typically from low income families.
HBOS (up 6p to 1064p) reckons the account will be a ' commercially sustainable product' and is hopeful that it could become very popular. The initiative comes ahead of today's publication of the Farepak Review - an independent study into savings schemes led by Brian Pomeroy, chairman of the Financial Inclusion Taskforce.
The review was commissioned after the collapse of Farepak last October, which resulted in around 150,000 savers losing an average of £400 each. It will make recommendations about how savings schemes should be structured and is expected to call for greater safeguards for consumers.
The report will also look at the need for 'financial inclusion' for poorer families to ensure that they get on the savings ladder. The Treasury and Department of Trade and Industry will respond to the findings.
HBOS, which had provided loans to Farepak, was slammed for cutting off the hamper firm's financial lifeline and failing to dig deep into its own coffers to help compensate shoppers.
Its new account will take just £5 to start and a minimum of £5 a month in savings. It will open every May and close in October, allowing consumers a chance to take retail vouchers or cash to buy Christmas gifts.
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- Taking a look at the electric converted Lunaz Aston Martin classic
- Range Rover announces new fully electric version
- The classic Moke is reborn as an electric vehicle
- Kia creates an electrical storm with all new battery-powered EV6 GT
- Are BP and Shell worth investing in despite green concerns?
- Renault show off AIR4 retro drone version of Renault 4 without wheels
- Renault unveils retro drone based on classic 4 for 60th anniversary
- New £95k Range Rover unveiled - and will have an EV version


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We did not find a single policy that was accurate, up to date or enforceable.
Other than that, the article is basically just Agilio promoting themselves as a drone policy consultant. Given current local government finances, I’d hope most councils have better things to spend their money on.
Agree. Tyring to make something out of nothing…
It’s the job of the police to to make sure the drone regulations are enforced not some bunch of bureaucrats who don’t know what they are talking about. As for charging to fly which I believe some councils are trying to to do that’s just ridiculous.
Ridiculous, yes. But the current climate, where half-truths, untruths and downright lies seem to be common currency I can see many councils finding pay to fly as lucrative as pay to park if they can pass a by-law without too many public objections. Given the media hysteria over drones it should be easy to get such schemes passed.
I think the local councils will ride rough shod over the little guy’. The councils can smell the scent of money in the air (space) by charging the likes of Amazon for drone deliveries. Ive said it before, the councils should be emptying bins, cleaning streets and maintaining the pathways, but over the years we have seen such a huge “mission creep” by bureaucrats in power,to the extent that they are invasive to our everyday lives. (And wallets).


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Newsletter No. 39 13 October 2017
Click on any ad to go to the advertisers website…
K-Way factory cuts carbon emissions with solar power installation
In an effort to cut carbon emissions and reduce its environmental impact, the K-Way has installed a solar power plant at its factory in Ottery, Cape Town. The system was installed in August and will help to save 136 tonnes of carbon emissions – equivalent to 35 tonnes of waste, the pollution of 23 cars over a one-year period, or the use of 285 barrels of oil annually.
According to K-Way, on the day following installation 200 kilograms of carbon dioxide were saved, despite it being a cloudy winter’s day. The 83kWp Solar PV system harnesses the sun’s energy to power the factory and produces 125,000-kilowatt hours per year to deliver financial savings whilst reducing the factory’s environmental impact.
Over 250 solar panels have been installed to convert light energy from the sun into direct current electricity. This is then converted into alternating current electricity by three inverters and fed into the factory. The inverters utilise the latest technology to maximise the energy harvested from the sun. Currently, K-Way is embarking on a process to feed excess power to the City of Cape Town grid from the electricity generated on weekends.
In addition to diminishing their carbon footprint through the solar power plant, K-Way has fitted low-energy consumption lighting throughout the factory and has only purchased machinery following careful examination of their energy use. A borehole system has also been installed to feed the factory’s high-use ablution areas, which will save 1.5 million litres of municipal water per annum.
K-Way factory general manager, Bobby Fairlamb, shares: “We are incredibly proud that here, at the tip of Africa, we have a world-class manufacturing unit equal to the best anywhere in the world. Waste elimination, continuous improvement and building a healthy culture amongst our people, coupled with continuous training and development at all levels and our customer focus, have been key to our success.”
South African Fashion Week celebrates 20th year
South African Fashion Week (SAFW), now in its 20th year opens its doors on 24 October 2017 to 53 Autumn/Winter 2018 collections at Sandton City Rooftop, surrounded by a skyline of modern architecture.
More than 10,000 guests, including media and buyers nationwide will be in attendance, to enjoy the show’s schedule, which puts the spotlight on the diversity and innovation of South African designers residing and manufacturing in the country.
Ghana to set up 2nd anti-piracy taskforce for textiles
Ghana’s ministry of trade and industry will set up a taskforce on textiles on October 11 to address the influx of pirated textiles. The announcement came after a recent picketing action by textile industry workers in Accra over the continued delay in setting up the taskforce to help stop smuggling of fake textiles.
The Textile Garment and Leather Employees’ Union (TEGLU) TEGLU has cautioned the government not to impede the work of the taskforce after it is set up, according to a news portal in Ghana.
A similar taskforce was set up in 2010 with personnel drawn from security agencies, the Ghana Revenue Authority and the Ghana Union of Traders Association. That helped curb piracy to some extent, but smuggling increased once the taskforce was shut down.
Textile industry in Zimbabwe asks government for forex
The Zimbabwe Textile Manufacturers’ Association (ZCMA) has appealed to the government to timely disburse foreign currency to its members to ensure they meet their obligations and remain in business in times of liquidity crisis. ZCMA secretary-general Raymond Huni recently said the textile industry needed urgent intervention to avoid a total collapse.
As the current liquidity crisis continues, the government assisted a few struggling companies to easily access foreign currency. People have resorted to buying foreign currency in the black market at exorbitant rates, thereby distorting market prices. Some are hoarding cash, according to a report in a newspaper in Zimbabwe.
ZCMA appealed to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, and the ministries of finance and industry to consider allocating forex to genuine manufacturers for raw materials that are not available locally.
Zimbabwe’s biggest blanket and linen manufacturer that supplies to the army, hospitals, hotels and schools, and hosiery manufacturers are struggling to get foreign currency to continue in business. This will lead to thousands losing jobs, said Huni.
The government should also consider raising the export incentive from 5 per cent to 25 per cent, according to ZCMA.
Did you know……..
In the 1500s, fashion designers showed off their clothing by putting it on miniature dolls. There were no such thing as models until 1853.
The first fake eyelashes were invented by Hollywood silent film producer D.W. Griffith, who wanted to enhance his actress’s eyelids. They were made out of real hair.
NewsBriefs will be exhibiting again at ATF this year.
Please come and say hello at Stand Number A5 and see what special advertising opportunities we will have on offer at the show.
To Advertise………………….. Click here to see fact sheet with advertising rates.
Please remember to send me your news so that we can share it with all our readers in the weekly newsletter.
Although editorial is neither guaranteed nor implied, suitable editorial for consideration may be submitted to:


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Worldcoin, by OpenAI’s Sam Altman, combines blockchain and UBI, sparking debates about privacy and security. Will this iris-scanning global financial network shape socio-economic reform?
The internet has always been a breeding ground for the bizarre and the extraordinary. As AI technologies such as Large Language Models (LLM) and OpenAI’s ChatGPT continue to revolutionize digital landscapes, the line between human and machine is becoming ever thinner.
But in this chimerical world, one name stands out: Sam Altman, the co-founder of OpenAI. Altman’s crypto project, Worldcoin, has been making waves with its vision of distributed UBI via the blockchain.
Yes, you read that right – a crypto token for everyone. But there is a catch: Worldcoin’s unique distribution mechanism is to scan your iris.
What is Worldcoin
Worldcoin, launched in 2019, represents a new approach to cryptocurrency underpinned by the ideal of a fairer global distribution of wealth.
Worldcoin seeks to give everyone on earth an equal share of this digital currency, a concept inspired by the UBI model.
UBI is a form of social security system where the state provides all citizens with a regular sum of money regardless of income or employment status. The main aspects that define the UBI are its universality, its unconditionality and its regularity.
However, access to Worldcoin’s innovative monetary system comes with a controversial requirement: users must scan their iris.
This requirement implies that Worldcoin could potentially amass billions of individual biometric data profiles worldwide, a prospect that has raised significant debate over data privacy and security.
Worldcoin responded to these concerns by stating that hashed data cannot be reverse-engineered and is secure. However, the proof of this pudding, as they say, lies in eating it.
How Worldcoin Works
At the heart of the Worldcoin ecosystem is the World App, a platform made serve several purposes.
It functions as a digital wallet, private digital identity verifier, and conduit of the new financial system. The basis of the World App is the World ID, a separate digital identity system that functions as a passport allowing individuals to access online services.
Users can verify their identity privately using a unique device called Orb. Once verified, this ID can be used to log in to various platforms, from websites and mobile apps to decentralized applications (dApps).
This streamlined process ensures the uniqueness and authenticity of each user without disclosing personal data, such as names or email addresses.
Beyond identity verification, the World App also offers economic opportunities. Eligible users can claim monthly Worldcoin grants, recurring stipends available to anyone verified with a World ID in eligible countries.
In its beta phase, these grants are distributed weekly, with plans to transition to a monthly schedule after Worldcoin launches.
Despite its beta status, the World App has already attracted a large user base. According to a statement from Tools for Humanity (TFH), the organization behind Worldcoin, the app is currently one of the most popular ways to access crypto, with 2 million people joining the beta and over 500 000 active users per month.
The global app also caters to users’ financial needs as a digital wallet. It saves digital dollars. Users can deposit and withdraw funds using a variety of methods, including bank accounts, local payment options, or nearby agents.
Also, it allows users to send money to friends or family across the world using their phone contacts or crypto addresses.
As of June 16, the global app supports a range of tokens, including ethereum (ETH), bitcoin (BTC), DAI, USDC, and Beta WLD. It allows users to monitor their balances, receive alerts about important changes, and trade with decentralized exchanges.
Funding and development goals
Worldcoin, with its vision, has attracted significant financial attention. The project reportedly closed a $100 million funding round, signaling strong investor confidence despite the project’s relative infancy and greater crypto volatility.
Among Worldcoin’s backers are renowned venture capital firms Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and Khosla Ventures. These companies played a crucial role in an earlier funding round that valued the project at around $3 billion. Other prominent investors include Digital Currency Group, Coinbase Ventures, and Multicoin.
The initial goal of Worldcoin is to distribute 10 billion tokens in total, 80% of which are planned to go to users.
The founders of Worldcoin believe that the more people who hold the currency, the easier it will become to send and receive payments. They hope this widespread adoption will facilitate the growth of a global financial network.
To achieve these goals, the Worldcoin team is improving the accessibility of its unique iris scanning device, the Orb. This includes incentivizing enrollment with coupon offers or access to specific loans.
They also plan to launch an SDK, allowing developers to integrate Worldcoin technology into their apps and platforms.
Worldcoin and the future of UBI
The concept of UBI is not new. However, Worldcoin’s attempt to implement a blockchain-based version of it is a novel approach.
If successful, it could serve as a model for future attempts to establish UBI systems, potentially changing the way governments approach social protection systems.
By providing a decentralized, transparent and globally accessible economic platform, Worldcoin could potentially empower disadvantaged and marginalized communities.
This would be a significant step towards achieving a fairer global economy, which conventional financial systems have struggled to achieve.
The success of Worldcoin could also have knock-on effects in the cryptocurrency market. This could prove that cryptocurrencies can be more than just speculative assets or mediums of exchange; they can also be tools for socio-economic reform.
The potential for a more inclusive financial ecosystem could inspire other blockchain projects to adopt similar measures. This could lead to new developments in the crypto space, driven by renewed interest in social impact and equity.
The future of Worldcoin
As Worldcoin continues its journey, it serves as a reminder of what is possible when technology is used to promote global fairness.
Still, the success of the project will ultimately depend on its ability to overcome regulatory hurdles, address privacy issues, and demonstrate the real utility of its token. The world is watching with anticipation.


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22nd november ,2014 rice news by riceplus magazine millers groan over rice smuggling through free trade zones leadership newspaper ng
Millers Groan Over Rice Smuggling Through Free Trade Zones
By: Ezra Ijioma on November 22, 2013 - 3:42am
Rice millers and distributors in Nigeria are groaning over the
continuing smuggling of rice through the free trade zones despite
government’s increased tariff on imported rice.
This was disclosed by the President, Rice Millers, Importers and
Distributors Association of Nigeria (RMIDAN), Mr. Tunji
Owoeye, at a meeting yesterday in Abuja with the presidential
committee on trade malpractice.
Owoeye said that while the local rice producers were working
hard to support government’s plan to make Nigeria self sufficient
in rice, some importers were using the free trade zones to import
rice and deny the country of much needed revenue.
“Principally we brought the issue of smuggling through Benin
Republic, Niger Republic and Cameroon. We brought up the
incentives for our rice farmers and rice processors and parity of
tariffs with ECOWAS (Economic Community of West Africa
States),” he told reporters after the meeting.
Owoeye said that neighbouring countries were taking advantage
of disconnect in Nigeria’s rice policy to exploit the country.
“They ship in quite a large number of parboiled rice into Benin
Republic and Cameroun but, we know that the rice is destined for
Nigerian markets and government has taken note of that,”
Owoeye revealed, adding :“Benin has imported a more than two
million bags of parboiled rice that Beninoise don’t eat but are
destined for Nigeria.” He disclosed that the smuggled rice costs
Nigeria an estimated $1billion daily.
Contents shared by Riceplus Magazine


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|A document sent by the ministry to the banks said that while 90 per cent of businesses nationwide had registered for e-tax payment, the submission of tax documents and payment was low. — Photo tuoitre.vn
HA NOI (VNS) — The Ministry of Finance has instructed commercial banks to completely stop over-the-counter tax payments and work with tax agencies to implement online tax payments by the beginning of December.
Accordingly, it can be made via the general department's e-portal and other online banking services such as Internet banking, ATM, HomeBanking and SMS. Over-the-counter payments will only be applicable in case of internet system failure.
A document sent by the ministry to the banks said that while 90 per cent of businesses nationwide had registered for e-tax payment, the submission of tax documents and payment was low.
Tran Ngoc Tam, deputy head of HCM City Taxation Department, said that up to 98 per cent of businesses in the city had registered for e-tax payment, but only VND14 trillion (US$622.2 million) had been received, which was relatively smaller than the total of VND100 trillion ($4.45 billion).
The reason was a hesitation on the part of enterprises to use the system. They had paid only small tax amounts as they were afraid of internet errors.
He said that several directors were also afraid to part with their digital signatures as they were worried about chief accountants misusing the system.
The department recommended that businesses should register two digital signatures. One would be used for payment and another for money transfer.
He also suggested that businesses should not worry about internet issues for e-tax payments as all businesses would be paying e-tax at the same time. In addition, the data of tax notifications are small which would not slow down the internet.
Statistics from the department showed that the city has around 170,000 companies. Normally, about 30 per cent of the total would pay value-added tax while another 30 per cent would pay corporate income tax.
The finance ministry also asked the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry to support businesses in implementing the e-tax payment system.
Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said the Government has been active in implementing the law on prices.
It has also accelerated the market price mechanism, price stabilisation for necessary goods while applying the same mechanism for electricity, petroleum, coal, and healthcare services, in addition to education.
The Government has also implemented solutions to ensure State budget collections, prevent tax arrears, and transfer pricing, while enhancing investigations and check-ups. Over the past three years, nearly 8,000 businesses which have shown signs of transfer pricing or reported losses were investigated. The investigations helped reduced losses of more than VND16 trillion in the companies. — VNS


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Out-Law News | 19 Dec 2019 | 11:26 am | 3 min. read
Professional Personal Claims Ltd (PPC) was fined £70,000 for misleading consumers in a case opened by the previous Claims Management Regulator (CMR), but closed by the FCA (18-page / 2MB PDF) after PPC dropped an appeal. Separately, the first-tier tribunal upheld a £91,000 fine imposed on Hall and Hanley Ltd (H&H) by the CMR, in a case argued before the tribunal by the FCA.
Regulatory enforcement expert David Hamilton of Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law, said: "The FCA has shown itself more than willing to make early use of new regulatory powers. Firms would do well to take heed".
The FCA has shown itself more than willing to make early use of new regulatory powers. Firms would do well to take heed.
"Although the FCA inherited these cases at quite a late stage from the Ministry of Justice, they nevertheless represent the first enforcement actions against CMCs since the FCA assumed responsibility for the industry in April 2019. They will not be the last. The FCA's assumption of responsibility marked a step change in regulation from the Ministry of Justice; the FCA operating a more stringent and consumer-focussed regime. Treating customers fairly, a requirement enshrined in Principle 6 of the FCA's Principles for Businesses, has always been an FCA priority and these cases are a timely warning for others involved in the claims management industry," he said.
Hamilton added: "CMCs would also be advised to consider how the FCA has approached the consumer credit sector since it took over from the OFT in April 2014, with hundreds of firms having their permissions revoked for failing to act openly and honestly with the FCA or to meet the FCA's threshold conditions".
PPC was originally investigated and fined by the CMR, part of the Ministry of Justice, under the previous regime. It appealed to the first-tier tribunal, and the FCA took over regulation of CMCs while its appeal was pending. PPC withdrew its appeal after reviewing the evidence put forward by the FCA, which then imposed the £70,000 fine on the basis of the failings identified in the CMR's original penalty notice.
The CMR found that PPC had breached its conduct rules by using websites and marketing materials that were misleading, and by submitting misleading materials to financial firms in support of its customers' claims for mis-sold payment protection insurance (PPI). PPC used the names and logos of five major banks in its marketing materials, which the CMR found was liable to mislead consumers into believing that they were submitting PPI claims directly to their banks rather than engaging a CMC for a fee. It also used very similar or identical factual allegations for different clients in its claims to the five banks.
H&H was also fined by the CMR under the previous regime. The CMC sent PPI marketing text messages to potential customers without first confirming that those people had consented to receiving the messages. The CMR also found eight examples of client signatures on letters of authority and other claim documentation that had been copied without authorisation during a review of 16 sample files.
The tribunal upheld the CMR's decision in its entirety.
Contentious regulatory expert Jonathan Cavill of Pinsent Masons said: "Firms and consumers will welcome these decisions because, whilst there is an appreciation that CMCs are important to customers obtaining compensation where it is rightly owed, there have been instances where CMC behaviour has left a lot to be desired and not always demonstrated CMCs acting with integrity or in consumers' best interests".
Firms are likely to be more robust in challenging poor CMC behaviour during the complaints process, and consumers should take comfort in knowing the FCA is keen to correct the CMC industry.
"Whilst CMCs recently came within the FCA regulatory perimeter and there have been papers and a 'Dear CEO letter' published, it did seem that poor CMC behaviour was continuing unchecked," he said. "These decisions should have a direct impact on the way in which customers make complaints and firms deal with CMCs, and the way in which CMCs take their business forward."
"Firms are likely to be more robust in challenging poor CMC behaviour during the complaints process, and consumers should take comfort in knowing the FCA is keen to correct the CMC industry and ensure that all businesses which fall within the FCA perimeter act with integrity, care, skill and diligence. Firms should, however, ensure that they continue to comply with their own dispute resolution obligations, even where CMC behaviour is to be challenged," he said.
26 Aug 2019
07 Jan 2019


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- The proposed transaction will result in the largest combined industrial gases business, bringing together Carbacid’s carbon dioxide operation and BOC’s oxygen and other gas products.
- In 2005, BOC had attempted to acquire a majority stake in Carbacid as a means of entering the carbon dioxide market but the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) blocked the transaction, citing breach of terms by the proposed acquirer.
Carbacid Investments #ticker:CARB and its majority shareholder Baloobhai Patel have made a joint bid to acquire 100 percent of BOC Kenya #ticker:BOC for Sh1.2 billion, marking the latest twist in the history of the two Nairobi Securities Exchange-listed firms.
The bid by Carbacid marks a role reversal after the company was itself the takeover target of BOC in 2005 but the proposed transaction collapsed in October 2009 on regulatory roadblocks.
Carbacid and Mr Baloobhai have offered to buy BOC shares at Sh63.5 apiece.
Mr Patel is the single largest shareholder in Carbacid with a 40.38 percent stake.
He also owns a 99 percent equity in Aksaya Investments LLP, the partnership that is working with Carbacid to buy out BOC.
The proposed transaction will result in the largest combined industrial gases business, bringing together Carbacid’s carbon dioxide operation and BOC’s oxygen and other gas products.
“The co-offerors have chosen to make the offer as they believe that the combination of BOC’s product portfolio and services with Carbacid’s existing business is an excellent match that will position the enlarged group to become the East and Central African region’s supplier of choice for industrial, medical and special gases and related equipment services,” Carbacid said in a notice.
BOC’s main products are Nitrogen, Dissolved Acetylene and Oxygene which is currently in high demand in hospitals to help coronavirus patients to breathe.
Carbacid is the major producer of carbon dioxide which is used to make fizzy beverages like soft drinks.
BOC wanted to enter the carbon dioxide business through the ill-fated buyout of Carbacid. The Capital Markets Authority (CMA) accused BOC of failing to abide by takeover rules when it made its bid for Carbacid, leading to the official termination of the deal in October 2019.
BOC, however, retains a minority 5.83 percent stake in Carbacid. If BOC sells the stake in the coming weeks, Mr Patel will step back and Carbacid will be free to proceed with the buyout on its own.
“Section 108 of the Companies Act, 2015 prohibits a subsidiary from being a member of its holding company … Therefore, Carbacid cannot at this stage acquire more that 49.99 percent of the shares of BOC. For this reason, Carbacid is acting jointly with Aksaya in making the offer,” Carbacid said.
BOC’s major shareholder, BOC Holdings, has committed to selling its 65.38 percent stake in the company, with the transaction expected to be completed by July 2021.
BOC could be delisted from the NSE if its shareholders controlling a combined stake of 75 percent or more agree to sell their holdings.


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AOL renamed the Netscape Communications Corporation to New Aurora Corporation, and transferred the Netscape brand to themselves. AOL sold the former Netscape company, now known as New Aurora Corporation, to Microsoft, who in turn sold them again to Facebook. The former Netscape company is currently a non-operating subsidiary of Facebook, still known as New Aurora Corporation. The Netscape brand remained with AOL.
That makes Facebook the current owner of the cookie patent, so I was hoping that this meant that they are now embroiled in the Forever War with ValueClick, but I now see that it was settled in 2010. Bummer!


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Eight Japanese banks, including Nomura Holdings and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group‘s main lending unit, plan to sell a total of 33.5 million shares in the maker of “Asahi Super Dry” beer through a secondary offering in overseas markets, the brewer said.
That represents around 6.6% of Asahi’s outstanding shares, according to LSEG, worth 194.3 billion yen ($1.3 billion) as of Thursday’s close.
The sale comes amid a years-long trend of Japanese companies unwinding cross-shareholding, a trend that has gained fresh momentum thanks to a push by the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) for improved use of capital.
The secondary offering – where shares will be offered to institutional investors overseas rather than sold on the open market – is aimed at mitigating the potential impact on the share price, Asahi said.
The price will be determined in a bookbuilding process and will based on the closing price in Tokyo on a date between Nov.28 and Dec. 1, with a discount of up to 10%, depending on market conditions, it said.
Asahi also said it was also looking to “expand its foundation of shareholders” and expected the sale to contribute to increased liquidity in its shares and the “revitalisation” of capital markets.
Japanese companies, particularly banks, have traditionally taken stakes in their business partners to cement business ties. Critics say the practice entrenches management and undermines governance because such shareholders are unlikely to pressure their partners for higher returns.
The TSE’s push has included a call for companies to unwind cross-shareholdings, increase dividends and buybacks and has helped send the benchmark Nikkei 225 up almost 30% this year, to a level last seen in 1990.


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Five years timelapse footage shows the progress of Farnham's Brightwells Yard construction
Developers told SurreyLive new shop and restaurant announcements could be made in the coming months
Bird's eye view drone footage of Farnham’s years-in-the-making Brightwells Yard development shows steady progress has been made at the site in the past five years. It follows the opening of REEL Cinema in the first commercial unit and comes as developer, Crest Nicholson, teased further shop and restaurant announcements would come soon.
Crest Nicholson described Brightwells Yard as “progressing well” and said it was delighted with the cinema’s grand opening at the start of February. Local MP Jeremy Hunt referred to Brightwells Yard as the town’s “thorniest issue” but later agreed “it is clear it is going to be fabulous” on a recent visit.
Residents who live and work nearby shared concerns with SurreyLive that excitement would wear off due to lost momentum but many said they are optimistic about what Brightwells Yard could bring to the town. Others claimed their opinions sway back and forth as time goes on.
A application for Brightwells Yard was submitted in 2008 that set out plans for a mixed-use redevelopment that would bring a 25-unit shopping centre, six-screen cinema, cafés, bars, and restaurants to the area. This was as well as open spaces, parking, and 239 apartments.
Crest Nicholson told SurreyLive construction work is expected to be completed in autumn 2024 and said it hopes the central square will open in time for the summer. The most recent Brightwells Yard update with proposed and rumoured tenants can be found here. Photos of progress can be found below.
Get more news from SurreyLive straight to your inbox for free here.


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The GSMA Mobile World Congress is a combination of the world's largest exhibition for the mobile industry and a conference featuring prominent executives representing mobile operators, device manufacturers, technology providers, vendors and content owners from across the world. It would be held from 27 February to March 2, 2017 in Barcelona the capital of Spain.
The Launch of LG G6
The much awaited awaited flagship model of LG the G6 would
be launched at the Mobile World Congress. Reports say that it
could be the first non-Pixel phone to have Google Assistant.
The Return of Blackberry
Blackberry will return to MWC in a big way. MWC will be where TCL introduces the BlackBerry "Mercury," its new keyboarded Android phone, which looks to have a much brighter potential future than BlackBerry's 2015 Priv handset.
ZTE to Launch a Smartwatch
The Chinese multinational telecommunications equipment and systems company headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong could launch a new smartwatch at the event to be held in Barcelona.


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54 min ago | Spin
Guitar Center has fallen on hard times. According to Reuters , American finanical services company Standard & Poor's has dropped the music retailer's corporate credit rating to "CCC+" from "B-," citing struggles with "weak operating trends."
3 hrs ago | GigaOM
Accel has launched its Big Data Fund 2, a followup on the equally large fund the venture capital firm started in November 2011.
4 hrs ago | PE Hub
For several years now, General Catalyst , the Cambridge, Mass.-based investment firm, has been seeking out executives who have run large companies in order to establish what's become its executive-in-residence program.
4 hrs ago | PE Hub
Digital coupon provider RetailMeNot filed with U.S. regulators on Monday for an initial public offering of common stock of up to $230 million.
7 hrs ago | Emmy Advanced Media
Before you execute your million dollar idea, be aware that the nature of one's business affects the process of bootstrapping.
10 hrs ago | Internet Retailer
CDW Corp. once again plans to join the ranks of publicly traded companies. The computer parts and electronics retailer filed an initial public offering Friday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, aiming to raise $738 million by selling stock.
11 hrs ago | The Janesville Gazette
The Assembly is expected to take up the state budget Tuesday, and moderate Republicans might make a pitch for major changes.
15 hrs ago | Wall Street Journal
Singapore's Food Runner has become the latest online food-ordering company to seek venture capital to expand across Asia as Internet usage and consumer demand around the region soars.
17 hrs ago | Business Journal
The UpTake: The smart VC money is shifting to denser urban centers and away from the office parks of yore.
19 hrs ago | Seeking Alpha
Many would be surprised to know that the best performing Chinese IT stock of the past 12 months wasn't Baidu , nor SINA Corporation : it was E-Commerce China Dangdang Inc , better known as Dangdang.
21 hrs ago | PE Hub
NJOY, a maker of electronic cigarettes, said on Monday that it has received $75 million in funding.
21 hrs ago | Business Times
"Cermaq has today informed the private equity companies Altor and Bain Capital that their offer to purchase Ewos for a total enterprise value of NOK 6.2 billion is considered sufficiently interesting for Cermaq to initiate a process with the aim to conclude a final agreement," it said.
CERBERUS CAPITAL Management LP publicly questioned the management of Seibu Holdings, hoping to garner support for its plans to shake up the board of the Japanese railway and property group at a shareholders meeting scheduled for later this month.
The proxy vote over the $24.4 billion plan to take the struggling Dell computer company private is now only 32 days away.
Array camera start-up Pelican Imaging Corp. has closed a $20 million Series C round of funding bringing the total invested in the company to more than $37 million since its formation in 2008.
The online grocery start-up Webvan may have been the single most expensive flame-out of the dot-com era, blowing through more than $800 million in venture capital and IPO proceeds in just over three years before shutting its doors in 2001.
Fears are growing over the lack of regulation of equity-based crowdfunding, with some experts warning of a scandal waiting to happen.


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By Barry Costin, Country Manager, MarkLogic Australia
People start the new calendar year in Australia and New Zealand with grand resolutions to drive change in their organisations. Whether it’s new initiatives, processes, projects, or technologies, legacy and digitally native companies will have differing priorities but there is some common ground.
There’s a crackdown happening across the globe with new laws aimed at giving control back to consumers over their personal data. Companies are, and will increasingly be, held responsible and accountable for the customer data they store and mine.
New Reference Architecture Helps Organisations Build and Scale NoSQL Databases to Tackle Complex Data Integration Challenges


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The New York Police Department wants the authority to take down drones if they are deemed to be a threat. Officials from the NYPD are concerned about weaponized drones such as the ones we have seen used in the Middle East to drop explosives. Federal law-enforcement officials are authorized to disable or shoot down a drone since 2018, however, local law enforcement agencies are not. The NYPD now seeks to change this, but it would take additional federal legislation to do so.
NYPD seeks authority to take down drones
Joseph De Avila writes for the Wall Street Journal:
“The New York Police Department wants the authority to take down drones it deems a threat.
Police officials said they are concerned that propaganda abroad showing weaponized drones can inspire terrorists to use drones for lone-wolf attacks in the U.S.
The NYPD wouldn’t specify what type of technology it wanted to use to neutralize drones, but various companies make devices that can shoot them down or disrupt their operation.
The increase in use of drones has forced police departments nationwide to think about how to respond to the devices.
“It’s a technology that when it’s misused, it can be problematic, and that’s an issue for any police chief in this country,” said Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, an independent research organization.
The Police Executive Research Forum is holding a two-day conference in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday and Thursday to hear concerns regarding drones from local law-enforcement agencies, including the NYPD.
Drone use is only legal in a few city parks. But as the devices have grown in popularity, illegal use has surged from only three incidents in 2013 to 550 in 2017, according to the NYPD. There were 333 incidents of illegal drone use throughout the first six months of 2018, according to the most recent figures available.
The NYPD also recently launched its own drone program with 14 devices to assist in rescue missions, traffic-accident investigations and large events like the New York City Marathon. So far, they have been used in 42 missions…”
you can read the entire article here.
What do you think about local law enforcement, such as the NYPD seeking the authority to take down drones? Let us know in the comments below.
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PHOTO: STEVE REMICH FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL


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Handling complaints during the COVID-19 emergency
17 May 2020
The FCA is aware that, as a result of the current health emergency, many firms are facing challenges in maintaining normal business processes, including dealing with consumer complaints. ATEB Consulting’s Steve Bailey looks at the regulator’s recent statement in this respect.
The FCA has issued a statement that clarifies the position on complaint handling in the current circumstances. The full statement can be read here. The key points are summarised below.
Firms should take all reasonable steps to ensure as much complaint handling as possible continues through staff working from home, where this can be done fairly and effectively.
Firms should prioritise:
If a firm cannot deliver these three priorities effectively, or sufficiently, through home working, then the FCA considers that it could be appropriate for the firm to maintain the minimal physical onsite presence needed to do so, provided that the site is configured for social distancing in line with Government guidelines.
Professional Paraplanner’s publisher, Research in Finance (RiF), is a leading research company in the financial services sector. On occasion our readers...
This week sees the launch of The Paraplanner Club, a new initiative devised by Siân Davies Cole and Chloe Phillips, a mentoring...
Professional Paraplanner has teamed up with Brand Financial Training to answer your questions around the exams scheduled for 2021....


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Amazon announced their new Kindle Fire HD range of tablets earlier, where we reported on the 7- and 8.9-inch variants. There was a higher-end model unveiled also, which finds itself known as the Kindle Fire HD with 4G LTE.
4G LTE connectivity is something new for Amazon, and they've partnered up with US telco, AT&T using their 4G LTE network. It's the same as the Kindle Fire HD 8.9 model, but with the joy of having 4G LTE connectivity, and a $499 price tag. This means you're coughing up $200 more for 4G.
But, for $50 per year, you'll get 250MB per month from AT&T, which is definitely not a kick in the pants by any means. The Kindle Fire HD with 4G LTE is available for pre-order today, and ships on November 20 with its siblings.
Amazon have unveiled two new tablets in the last couple of hours, dubbed the Kindle Fire HD. There'll be two sizes available, 7- and 8.9-inch. The 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD will sport a 1920x1200 display with 254ppi.
It measures in at 8.8mm thickness, and weighs 20 ounces, the screen is also said to feature a polarizing feature that should reduce glare on the screen for those heavy Fifty Shades of Grey reading sessions. Inside the Fire HD 8.9, we're looking at a TI OMAP 4470 processor, dual speakers, front-facing HD camera and HDMI out.
Amazon is happy to brag that the Fire HD 8.9 is the first tablet to sport dual-band MIMO Wi-Fi technology, which the company says makes the slate's Wi-Fi 41% faster than the new iPad from Apple. The 16GB model Fire HD 8.9 will set you back $299, and will begin shipping on November 20.
We all know the new, sixth-generation iPhone is just around the corner, we've heard all the rumors, but how well will it sell? According to a Piper Jaffray analyst, we could see 10 million next-gen iPhone's sold, all within the first seven days on sale.
Appel are holding a press event next week on the 12th, where they've teased that something is "almost here". We should definitely see, at least, a new iPhone unveiled. We could also see a smaller 7.85-inch iPad mini, new iPods, Retina iMacs, or more.
We've seen Motorola unveil their Droid RAZR Maxx HD, and their edge-to-edge-sporting RAZR M, now we have the veil lifted on the Droid RAZR HD. Motorola's Droid RAZR HD sports a 4.7-inch HD display, a dual-core Qualcomm 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 processor, and a 2,500mAh battery, of course, it also receives Android 4.1 Jelly Bean as its OS.
Motorola have built quite a large phone, while trying to keep it as slim as possible, as well as throwing a decently-sized battery in for good measure. Measuring in at just 8.4mm thick, 68mm across and 132mm tall, you'd forget there's a 4.7-inch screen sitting in front of your face. Motorola's Droid RAZR HD also features Kevlar coating which should keep it safe from most things, maybe except a bullet.
We get a micro-HDMI port, as well as micro USB and the usual 3.5mm headphone jack. Motorola are claiming that we should expect 10 hours of movie or TV show playback, and 6 hours of surfing the web. Because of its HD screen and 4.7-inch size, Moto claim that it sports the "same sharp clarity as your HDTV". Moto also claim that the RAZR HD will come with 24 hours of battery performance.
Motorola have taken the wraps off of a second phone, the RAZR M. What makes the RAZR M special? It's 4.3-inch edge-to-edge screen, that's what. Screen resolution is a little down from the bigger brother found in the Droid RAZR Maxx HD, sitting pretty with a 960x540 Super AMOLED Advanced display with a dash of Gorilla Glas on top.
We're looking at a dual-core Qualcomm MSM8960 Snapdragon S4 processor cranking inside the smartphone, backed up by 1GB of RAM. The RAZR M also features an 8-megapixel rear shooter that can handle shooting 1080p video, a crappy 0.3-megapixel front facer, GSM/UMTS/HSPA+ global roaming, 8GB of internal storage and finally, a microSD slot.
NFC will ship with the phone, and its operating system will find comfort with the delicious Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. This smartphone will arrive on Verizon Wireless next week.
There seems to be lots of news that pends on announcements and confirmations tomorrow, with more news that Sprint will push out Android 4.1 Jelly Bean updates to two of their Nexus-branded handsets tomorrow, reports Engadget.
Rumor has it the American telco will push Jelly Bean updates to the Samsung Galaxy Nexus as well as the Nexus S 4G with the Nexus' software version of FH06, and the Nexus S 4G software version being JRO03R. The image above shows that the software updates will be "pushed to all handsets via Google. Customers cannot initiate a download on their own".
If you're one of these lucky people, let us know if and when you get the delicious OS pushed to your smartphone!
Motorola's event in New York city has given life to a new handset from the company, the Droid RAZR Maxx HD. The Droid RAZR Maxx HD sports a 4.7-inch 1280x720 Super AMOLED HD display, powered by Google's latest Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS.
The hardware baked inside of the Droid RAZR Maxx HD is just as beefy, sporting a dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm S4 processor, 32GB of internal storage, an 8-megapixel rear camera, and a surprisingly large battery sitting at 3,300mAh. Oh, and it also Kevlar-coated, too.
The 3,300mAh battery is probably the star of the phone, where Moto are saying that it can provide 32 hours of "performance", the longest of any LTE-based smartphone. It can handle 13 hours of video playback, 10 hours of YouTube HD content, or 8 hours of web surfing. Motorola have promised that the Droid RAZR Maxx HD will be available in the US on Verizon's 4G LTE network, with details on release dates and pricing closer to its official release.
The Verge have quite the exclusive tonight, reporting that Retail giant Amazon could announce their own smartphone tomorrow. The Verge report from "multiple sources" that Amazon are indeed working on a smartphone.
This smartphone would run on a "variant of the Kindle Fire's Android-based operating system", and should be unveiled to the press tomorrow. The phone is reportedly not in a finished state, which means even if it is announced tomorrow, it'll be a little while before we see the smartphone hit shelves or e-tailers.
The Verge expect it to run a "forked" version of Android, which will include Nokia Maps as the location solution over Google Maps, which is what forking means. Nokia also spoke today about adding a "major" mapping partner at their own Windows Phone event, and Amazon is big enough to be a major partner, wouldn't you agree?
If you happen to have an hour to spend and would like to watch the Motorola press conference that was held earlier, Google, I mean Motorola, has obliged by putting the entire press conference, including the live band portion, on YouTube for your viewing pleasure. Check out all three of the new Droids as well.
There are some funny parts, some boring parts, but overall it was a pretty efficient and enjoyable press conference.
Nokia also held a press conference today and they, too, put a video of the press conference online. Their press conference was held to announce the Lumia 920 and 820. You can watch their press conference here.
Today, Nokia held a press conference in which they officially announced the new Lumia 920. The new Lumia has a host of new features and its specifications have been bumped slightly from the previous 900. However, we're still missing a few major details, namely the pricing and availability aspect.
The Nokia Lumia 920 features a dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor clocked at 1.5Ghz, a 4.5-inch curved 768 x 1280 screen, and Windows Phone 8. It comes with a 2,000mAh battery and supports wireless charging via the Qi wireless charging standard meaning that other chargers should be able to charge this device.
The screen is using something Nokia is calling "PureMotion HD+," which they say features "better than HD resolution" and is the "brightest smartphone HD display ever." It supposedly adjusts color tone and brightness when it detects sunlight so as to make viewing easier.
Of course, the device is coming in a wide variety of vibrant colors. It also has a new touchscreen technology that allows it to be used while wearing gloves.
At Nokia's press conference today, the Lumia 920 and 820 were officially announced and detailed. Included in those details was a description of a new touchscreen technology developed by Touchpad maker Synaptics. The important take away from this new technology is that it supports both gloves and fingernails.
No longer will you have to decide between having warm hands or responding to that text message. The new feature is called Super Sensitive Touch and is based upon Synaptics' ClearPad Series 3. Both of the new Lumias, the 920 and 820, will receive this feature which is also capable of tracking up to ten distinct fingers.
"With Synaptics' continuous innovation on touch, we are able to pioneer new technologies that improve smartphone user experience," said Kevin Shields, senior vice president, Smart Devices, Nokia. "Nokia has been a leader in display technology, and we are setting a new standard with Super Sensitive Touch technology on the Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820."
The 920 is also using a new display technology that Nokia is calling PureMotion HD+. It reportedly increases the resolution beyond that of standard HD and makes viewing the screen in bright sunlight easier.
For the past couple of weeks I've been trying to get my hands on ASUS' Jelly Bean-powered Nexus 7 tablet, but to no avail. ASUS could hook me up with one, but it would be a review unit meaning it was tested and used by someone else, but I wanted a fresh one.
So, I ended up buying one personally, and here we are today. It arrived fresh in its box, and we've done an unboxing video, shown above. I go over a few things in the video, but I've used it for an hour or so since the video, and boy, is it a great tablet.
The first thing I noticed is that it really is a pure Google experience. This is what sets any Android-powered tablet apart from Apple's iPad. When you turn an iPad on, it's an iPad, from Apple, that's it. A pure iOS/Apple experience. When you turn on the usual Android tablet, it's an Android tablet from someone like Samsung or ASUS, powered by Google's Android OS, with some of Samsung or ASUS' UI splashed on top.
The Nexus 7 is a pure Android experience, run by their latest OS, Android 4.1 'Jelly Bean'. Once you've turned it on, you're prompted with signing into your Google account, which is straight forward enough, and once completed, Google send you an e-mail for $25 worth of credit on their Play Store. Something completely unexpected, but quite nice.
With Nokia's press conference just a few hours away, people are continuing to leak their plans, both for what will be shown off today and what is in the works for the future. Today's piece of news comes from the latter category. We have what appears to be a render of an upcoming Windows Phone 8 smartphone by Nokia.
The device in question is codenamed "Zeal" and will be destined to be a mid-range phone. The device is expected to make an appearance sometime in early 2013. It features a 1.0GHz dual-core processor, 512 MB of RAM, and 8 GB of storage. All of this is hidden behind a 4.3-inch display, resolution unknown at this time.
The device is said to have an appearance somewhat similar to the Zune, so if you're a Zune fan, this phone could very well be the phone for you. The cost will likely be $100-200 if purchased with a contract renewal.
Apple.pro posted up the shots over the weekend, showing off a much thinner bezel, and it looks surprisingly hot. The mock-up makes the 7.85-inch slate look quite thin, and features the same, smaller dock connector that the new iPhone it rumored to have.
There's a few rumors going around at the moment, one that the new iPad mini would be unveiled at Apple's event on September 12, and secondly, it will have its own, separate event in October. Hopefully we'll see it at the event next week.
Current smartphone underdog, Acer, are set to unleash six new smartphone models in 2013, where they'll target all market segments in Europe, China and Southeast Asia, according to Acer president, Jim Wong.
Out of the six models, one of them will be a Windows Phone 8 device, with the remaining five sporting Google's Android OS. High-end models will sport Qualcomm's dual-core CPU, with entry-level models using solutions from MediaTek.
Acer will concentrate selling their new smartphones in Europe through already-established sales channels, as well as tightening up relationships with telecom carriers. In regards to emerging markets, Acer will look into Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and India. In China, Acer is looking to increase sales in the entry-level and mid-range markets, but won't be pushing anything into the ultra-low-price segment.
Samsung's flagship Galaxy S III has kicked Apple's iPhone 4S off of the throne in the US, where it has reached the #1 position as the top-selling US smartphone in August, according to Canaccord Genuity analyst T. Michael Walkley.
The iPhone 4S, until now, had held the position since it launched in October, and if it had continued to have held onto its #1 position, it would've just cemented the iPhone's power in the smartphone market. Walkley says:
We believe this is the first month since the iPhone 4S launched in October 2011 that it was not the top-selling smartphone in the U.S. market.
As previous reports have stated, the slump in iPhone 4S sales is being attributed to customers waiting on the announcement of the new iPhone which is expected to be unveiled at Apple's event next week. iPhone sales may have weakened, but Samsung Galaxy S III sales have been quite strong, and this will all most likely change once the new iPhone is announced.
Samsung's Galaxy S III is looking to get some 4G LTE action in Australia, with Australian telcos Telstra and Optus networks inking a deal which will see them sell the quad-core version of the S III with 4G LTE capabilities in Australia.
Another big, big bonus is that the new phone will sport the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean as its OS. The US has the 4G version of the S III, but its powered by Qualcomm's dual-core S4 processor and ships with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, so Australian's will have a very nice bonus in their hands.
Optus' customers will get their hands on the 4G-capable Galaxy S III first, where it will launch in the middle of this month. Telstra customers will have to wait until mid-to-late October to get their hands on one. Optus' variant supports LTE FDD 800, 1800 and 2600MHz spectrum's providing a theoretical maximum download speed of 100Mbps, it can also default to a 3G network at HSPA+ speeds of up to 42Mbps.
This just in, hot off the printing press is an image that would appear to be a fresh batch of marketing material coming off of a printing press. In the picture, the large sheets of paper feature a picture of the device, inclusive of its 5 rows of icons, and the words "The Next iPhone."
There had been some speculation that the next iPhone would simply be called "iPhone" as it was the only Apple product with a numerical designation. With the release of the iPad 3, the numerical part of the name was dropped from the naming scheme and we were left to call it the "iPad." It appears the same may happen with the iPhone.
It's nice to finally figure out what to call the device, since the invitation to the press event teased that the device could be called the iPhone 5. Of course, this could be a fake, but it seems really unlikely that it is. However, calling it simply "The Next iPhone" could very well cause more confusion that simplification.
Nokia is rumored to be releasing a Windows Phone 7.8. While the announcement most likely won't come at tomorrow's press conference with Microsoft, the new device, currently operating under the name Nokia 'Glory', will be released in time for this year's holiday season and will be designed to replace the Nokia Lumia 610.
Windows Phone 7.8 is about to be outdated, but Nokia has a good reason for using it. You see, the Nokia 'Glory' will be a low-end smartphone, with modest specifications and, reportedly, an even more modest price tag. This device could be great for Nokia to scoop up some of the low-end Android market.
The device is said to be sporting a 4-inch, 480×800 resolution display. The device will be powered by an 800MHz processor and 256MB of RAM. These specifications, if true, will affect the device's ability to use the marketplace. But with specs like these, the price tag should be low, if not free, after subsidy.
We heard rumors of a 5-inch HTC smartphone early last month, but now there's more talk of the bigger phone hitting the Internet. A device was spotted on GLBenchmark, running Android 4.0.4 labeled 'HTC6435LVW'.
What could this be? It should hopefully turn into the 5-inch HTC smartphone, which still sports that sexy 1794x1080 resolution screen. Benchmark details were included, with the device sporting a 1.5GHz Qualcomm MSM8960 Snapdragon S4 with the Adreno 320 GPU.
That CPU + GPU combination definitely looks like HTC are wanting to verse Samsung's Galaxy Note II, and with those types of specs, they should have no issue. It's great to see someone amping the screen resolution on a smartphone up, and this could be the phone that HTC needs to get out of the issues they're experiencing right now.
Earlier today we reported about Nokia's upcoming Lumia 920 smartphone, and touched on its wireless charging with our news. Now the Nokia Lumia wireless charging pad has been snapped on camera, thanks to the mysterious @evleaks from Twitter.
The pictures show a hockey puck-like surface, that would wirelessly charge the Lumia 820, and Lumia 920 smartphones from Nokia. More details on the charger are currently unknown, but we should hear more from the event coming on September 5.
Are you excited for a world with wireless charging? Just imagine, years from now we'll be wirelessly charging personal devices like this and not even thinking twice. RIght now, it seems like a dream.


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More interesting stuff: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.ph ... ount=10557
There's a funny thing going on in the industry right now where some developers and publishers are extremely eager to move on to next-gen to play with more graphics and bigger budgets and launching new IPs and some developers are just sort of going "Whoa, fuck, what, no."
But there's no getting around that the current systems are languishing and are hitting saturation points. There is a growing number of developers that are hoping the Wii U can sell software without raising the price of development. This does not apply across the board and, honestly, can change in the blink of an eye. Even if the Wii U can sell software, if Activision and EA prove that next-gen systems can sell more software, then publishers will likely try to follow that model.
Stuff is more in flux than people think right now, but from what I have heard, the picture of original development on the Wii U is rosier than it was for the Wii.
You guys know how Iwata managed to convince Capcom to put Monster Hunter on the 3DS despite the obvious success they had with the PSP? He might not get a coup quite like that again with the Wii U, but he's trying the same with third parties, regardless.
I'm beginning to think we'll see a PSX v. N64 v. Sega CD scenario here. Some companies will be pegged as "All-Stars" where COD and EA Sports games are lavished as big games, but Wii U gets them and everything in-between. The others not so much. It really doesn't sound like developers are looking forward to next gen being so costly.
EDIT: We have new hope!http://www.computerandvideogames.com/35 ... ssibility/
Crytek has revealed that it's "working with Nintendo" and hasn't ruled out the possibility of making a Wii U version of Crysis 3.
In a wide-ranging interview published today, producer Mike Read told CVG the studio's gorgeous FPS sequel could yet appear on Nintendo's upcoming console, despite recent comments strongly suggesting otherwise.
"I wouldn't say there's no chance," he said. "I wouldn't say no chance. I mean the Wii U still doesn't have any kind of release [date] attached to it at this point. Who knows what the future will bring with it. I can definitely say that we are working with Nintendo, and that's about all I can say on that front.
"I wouldn't rule it out, but there has really been no official releases associated with the Wii U yet, and given that we're releasing Crysis in an eight month time period in February of 2013, we can't play off of what their schedules are. I wouldn't rule it out, but you know, it is a possibility."
Asked in May whether a Wii U version of Crysis 3 was a possibility, Crytek's director of creative development Rasmus Hojengaard told CVG: "We're not really talking about that now."