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AFTER going to a whole new level last year on the back of record-breaking wool and sheep prices, Merino ram sales across the State this year in general were back on last year.
With the wool market back significantly on last year when sales got underway and a tough, dry season unfolding in front of them, producers were more cautious in their bidding at Merino ram sales this year.
As result of this conservative bidding all the important figures across the board - number of rams sold, average and gross were back compared to last year's record-breaking season.
While prices were back in general, Merino stud breeders were more than happy with their final results, as the season's overall average of $1656 is the second best ever recorded.
While the wool market has been the shining light and has driven Merino ram sale results in the past few years, this year it was sheep and lamb prices that were putting a smile on the faces of producers, given the dip in wool prices.
Sheep and lamb prices were again strong over the past 12 months and hit record levels with producers seeing mutton and lamb prices surpass $200 in late autumn and early winter.
Heavyweight lamb prices peaked at $289 at Katanning on June 5 while mutton topped out at $250 at the Muchea Livestock Centre on July 23.
When mutton hit its record high in late July, Meat and Livestock Australia's (MLA) weekly report, for the week ending July 23 (which includes Muchea and Katanning prices) showed mutton realising 550c/kg, up nearly 100c/kg compared to 454c/kg on 2018.
The same report had Merino lamb performing even better quoting sales at 811c/kg compared to 628c/kg in 2018.
The strong markets seen in July have continued into the spring with prices continuing to track above last year's levels.
Like mutton and lamb prices, prices for breeding ewes at spring ewe sales this year have again been strong despite the dry season on the back of solid local buying support and good interstate interest.
Following on from last year's record values, ewe prices stayed at similar levels with prices peaking at $244 at the Elders Corrigin/ Wickepin ewe sale for a line of 1.5-year-old ewes.
But this wasn't the only sale where ewes sold for more than $200 and as a result the ewe offerings in most sales again averaged more than $140 and pushed close to the $150 mark.
But these prices had nothing on the new State record price set for commercial Merino ewes in February at the Varone family's flock dispersal sale at Hyden, where prices topped at $310 for rising two-year-old ewes and the total yarding of 4486 head averaged $257.
While sheep and lamb prices have been strong this year, the wool market had producers worried when ram sales got underway, as it had been extremely volatile since June with prices up one week and back the next.
In the past few years producers have seen the wool market continue to strengthen year-on-year but this hasn't been the case for the past six months.
The market took a tumble in June and when the 2018/19 wool selling season finished on June 24 the Western Market Indicator (WMI) sat at 1832c/kg.
Despite this drop off at the end of the season the WMI for the 2018/19 season still averaged 2091 cents per kilogram clean, which made it the highest average for the past 19 seasons.
In the middle of August, when ram sales got underway the WMI was at 1598c/kg for sale F07 on August 15.
Since then producers have seen the wool market act like a yo-yo, with prices up one sale and back the next, but in a positive the price has risen slightly since August and the WMI now sits at 1662c/kg following last week's sale F19.
Even though the market is down on the past couple of years the returns growers are receiving per bale are still strong.
During the September/ October period when ram sales were on, a 185kg bale of 21 micron, 68pc yield wool with good length and strength was worth $2110, compared to $2767 last year and $1985 in 2017.
While in the same period in 2016 and 2015 a bale was worth $1720 and $1570 respectively.
So with Merinos still reeling in good dollars, buyers were again out in force at Merino ram sales this year and while they weren't as strong as last year in their bidding they still operated strongly throughout the season to ensure a solid selling year for Merino stud breeders.
During Merino and Poll Merino sales this year a total of 9902 rams were offered at 75 auction sales, broken into 63 single vendor sales and 12 multi-vendor sales and 9031 of these rams sold under the hammer.
The 2018 season saw 10,046 rams offered and 9469 sold, so in contrast this year there were 438 less rams sold and 144 less offered.
The clearance rate was 91pc, down 3pc on last year and overall the sales grossed $14,952,450, which was down $1,949,570 (12pc).
Like the gross figure and the yarding figures there was also a fall in the overall average for Merino sales.
The average fell $129 this year to finish at $1656, making it the second best average recorded by the breed behind last year's record breaking average of $1785.
It was also the third consecutive year the breed has averaged more than $1500.
Looking back over the results since 1996 the Merino has lost market share with the introduction of numerous other breeds to the industry but over the past nine years it has claimed a fair bit back.
The market share for Merinos for the number of rams sold this year was 61pc, which was down one point on 2018, while in terms of the gross figure the Merino breed held 69pc of the market, down from 71pc last year.
The outstanding gross figure achieved by the breed this year, which was just shy of $15 million, ranks as the second biggest ever recorded and only the fourth time sales have surpassed the $14 million mark.
The largest gross figure on record was achieved last year, when sales broke the $16 million barrier and recorded a gross of $16,902,020, to set a new benchmark for the breed.
Like the past few seasons, the top end of the market was again strong this year, with 17 rams selling for $10,000 or more.
This included two rams which sold for $20,000 or more, while there were three others to sell between $15,000 and $20,000.
The top price was $45,000, when the Edmonds family's Rhamily Poll Merino stud, Calingiri, sold a two-tooth Poll Merino sire, for this value at the Rabobank WA Sheep Expo & Sale at Katanning in August.
The March shorn youngster was purchased in partnership by the St Quentin stud, Nyabing and the Glen-Byrne stud, Calingiri, in partnership, with semen shares going to the Manunda stud, Tammin and the Kingussie stud, Dumbleyung.
The AI-bred ram, which is by Rhamily Benny, was sold with wool test figures of 20.7 micron, 3.1 SD, 15.0 CV and 99.1pc comfort factor.
The next best price for the season was $22,000 achieved by the Sprigg family's East Strathglen stud when it sold a two-tooth Poll Merino at its on-property sale at Tambellup to the Charinga Poll Merino stud, Berrimal, Victoria.
The ram had Charinga bloodlines in its pedigree and measured 18.7 micron, 3.4 SD and 99.3pc CF in the wool.
The third top price was $16,500 and this was recorded by the Eaton family's, Olinda stud, Wyalkatchem, in its inaugural sale.
The two-tooth Poll Merino sire was purchased by the Old Aprelia stud, Marvel Loch.
The fourth highest price was $15,750 for a two-tooth Poll Merino sold at the East Mundalla on-property ram sale, Tarin Rock.
Also in the sale the East Mundalla stud sold two other Poll Merinos at $11,500 and $11,000.
The final ram to make $15,000 or more was sold at the Lewisdale on-property sale, Wickepin, when the stud sold a half semen share in a full wool, Poll Merino sire for $15,000.
The top price for a Merino ram this season was $11,200 paid for a two-tooth ram at the Woodyarrup on-property sale at Broomehill.
Other sales to achieve values at the higher end between $10,000 and $15,000 included the Moojepin on-property, Katanning ($12,500 and $10,000, Polls); Kamballie on-property, Tammin ($10,750, Poll); Nepowie on-property, Noman's Lake ($10,750, Poll); Barloo on-property, Gnowangerup ($10,200, Merino); Derella Downs and Pyramid Poll on-property, Cascade ($10,000, Poll) and Kolindale on-property, Dudinin ($10,000, Merino).
Those to sell in the same price range at the Rabobank WA Sheep Expo & Sale included the Mianelup stud, Gnowangerup ($12,000, Poll) and Coromandel stud, Gairdner ($10,000, Poll).
Of the 17 rams to sell for $10,000 or more, 14 were Polls, while 12 of the 17 sold to WA and Eastern States studs with the remaining five going to commercial producers.
This year 91 rams sold for $5000 or more under the hammer, compared to 102 last year.
Along with the strong sale prices there were also a number of high priced private sales during the year and the biggest of these was $25,000 for a proven Poll Merino sire, with the sale negotiated at the Thompson family's Moojepin on-property ram sale.
In addition to this private sale there were another four private sales which cracked the $10,000 mark.
At the Rabobank WA Sheep Expo & Sale the Coromandel stud sold a full wool, four-tooth Poll Merino sire for $18,000 to the Darijon stud, Narrogin and the Sunny View stud, Wagin and a two-tooth Poll Merino sire in a package deal with ewes for $20,000 to Argentina, while the East Mundalla stud sold a two-tooth Merino at $14,000 to Argentina as well.
The Auburn Valley stud, Williams and the Willemenup stud, Gnowangerup, rounded out the $10,000 private sales when they sold a Merino full wool ram and a two-tooth, March shorn Poll Merino ram respectively for this value at the Narrogin Long Wool Day.
At the 63 single vendor sales, which included five new ones this year, there were 8324 rams offered, up 76 head and 7640 sold, which was down 114 head on last year.
At these sales a total of 38 fixtures increased their offerings or offered the same numbers as 2018, while 29 sales sold the same number or more rams.
Like the number of rams sold this year, the average and gross figures for single vendor sales fell in 2019.
The average fell by $114 to finish at $1699, while the gross figure dropped $1,076,620 to $12,982,550, and while both figures fell they still rank as the second best on record, behind last year's record breaking figures.
Last year's record-breaking single vendor sales averaged $1813 and grossed $14,059,170.
In the single vendor offerings East Strathglen again took the honour of recording the best average when it achieved an average of $2845, over 170 rams sold from 174 offered.
Following on with impressive averages at single vendor sales were the Anderson Rams stud, Kojonup ($2781 average, 114 offered, 114 sold); Beaufort Vale, Boyup Brook ($2651, 70, 70), Lewisdale ($2456, 240, 240), Woodyarrup ($2203, 248, 239) and Moojepin ($2202, 131, 124).
Others to record an average of more than $2000 were East Mundalla ($2171), Angenup, Kojonup ($2133), Barloo ($2115), Kamballie ($2064) and Wiringa Park, Nyabing ($2037), which meant there were a total of 11 sales which averaged $2000 or more compared to 14 in 2018 and seven in 2017.
In addition to this there were another 19 sales that averaged between $1500 and $2000 and 10 which averaged between $1200 and $1500.
This meant 40 sales averaged more than $1200, in comparison to last year where there were 50.
Along with these there were 17 sales to average $1000-$1200, making a total of 57 sales or 90pc with an average of $1000 or more compared to 56 last year and 48 in 2017.
Sixteen single vendor sales (or 25pc) saw a lift in average this year and these rises ranged between $3 and $413.
Recording the largest jump in average was Anderson Rams, which recorded the $413 increase.
Other sales to raise their average by more than $200 included Lewisdale ($314), Olinda ($292), Coromandel ($252) and Glen-Byrne/Mannalea ($201).
A further four sales achieved a rise between $100 and $200.
A total clearance is a hard task and this year 11 sales ticked this box, compared to 18 last season.
Of these, eight of them offered teams of 100 head or more and these included Nepowie (246), Lewisdale (240), Woolkabin, Woodanilling (213), Billandri, Kendenup (200), Kamballie (180), Cardiff, Yorkrakine (120), Anderson (114) and Rangeview, Darkan (100).
The Kolindale stud, again presented the largest offering of rams to buyers, cataloguing a whopping 430 rams and selling 418 at its on-property and Esperance sales.
It offered 347 and sold 341 at its on-property and sold 77 out of 83 at Esperance.
Kolindale also topped the list of single sale offerings when it offered and sold the most rams under the hammer at its on-property sale.
The next biggest sales were Manunda (300 offered and 292 sold), Eastville Park/Quailerup West (300, 240), Angenup (250, 246), Woodyarrup (248, 239), Nepowie (246, 246), Lewisdale (240, 240), Wiringa Park (237, 232), Barloo (226, 221) and Woolkabin (213, 213), while another three sales also offered more than 200 rams.
All up there were 13 sales where 200 or more rams were offered and 11 sales where 200 or more were sold.
The five largest grossing single vendor sales and the only ones to gross more than $500,000 were Kolindale on-property ($665,800), Lewisdale ($589,550), Manunda ($533,150), Woodyarrup ($526,600) and Angenup ($524,700).
There were another 18 sales to gross between $200,000 and $500,000 to give a total of 23 sales with a gross figure of $200,000 or more, compared to 27 in 2018.
This season there were 1578 rams offered under the hammer at 12 multi-vendor ram sales, which was back 220 head and of these 1391 sold, back 324 head on last season.
There were eight sales where the offerings increased or were the same as last year and four sales where the number of rams sold was higher or equal.
The overall average for multi-vendor sales was $1416, ranking it as the third best ever recorded.
This season's average was back $242 or 15pc on last year's best ever figure of $1658.
Eleven of the 12 sales achieved an average of more than $1000, while there were three which averaged more than $1500, compared to eight in 2018.
It was no surprise the highest overall sale average and highest multi-vendor sale average was chalked up at the Rabobank WA Sheep Expo & Sale when it realised $9232 over the 14 rams sold from the 18 offered, which included both four-tooth and two-tooth rams.
Studs which sold more than two rams and achieved an average more than $5000 in the sale were Coromandel ($9000) and Barloo ($5250).
The next highest average after the Rabobank WA Sheep Expo & Sale was $1567 at the Seymour Park and Darijon combined sale at Narrogin, where the two studs sold 184 rams from 209 offered.
This was followed by $1529 at the Williams Breeders' sale, where four studs cleared 224 from 259 rams offered.
Other sales that averaged more than $1200 were Wagin ($1361), Esperance ($1326), Wongan Hills ($1313) and Corrigin ($1242).
Studs participating in two-tooth multi-vendor sales outside the Rabobank WA Sheep Expo & Sale that recorded averages of more than $1400 included Kingussie (102, 92, $1611) at Wagin; Seymour Park (184, 159, $1606) at Narrogin; Wynarling (30, 30, $1447) at Chapman Valley; Wattledale (160, 131, $1470) and Westwood (30, 26, $1412) at Esperance; Northwich (36, 32, $1428) at Wongan Hills plus Navanvale (89, 71, $1830) and Toorackie (70, 67, $1457) at Williams.
Another 14 studs averaged between $1000 and $1400 at these two-tooth multi-vendor sales.
Three of the 12 multi-vendor sales posted an increase in average compared to 2018 and these rises ranged from $61 to the biggest increase of $1482 recorded at the Rabobank WA Sheep Expo & Sale.
The two other sales to record a rise in average were Wongan Hills ($71) and Quairading ($61).
It's a hard task to achieve a total clearance and this year two sales did - Chapman Valley and Corrigin, while there were four sales, which achieved a 90pc or better clearance - Quairading (97), Wongan Hills (94), Merredin (93) and Northampton (92).
There were 29 studs to offer rams at multi-vendor ram sales (excluding the Rabobank WA Sheep Expo & Sale) this year and eight of them achieved a total clearance.
Those to achieve a total clearance with teams of 30 or more rams were Lewisdale-Corrigin (93) at Corrigin; Walkindyer (75) at Northampton; Merna (55) at Quairading; Culbin Park (40) at Williams; Mocardy (36) at Wongan Hills and Wynarling (30) at Chapman Valley.
The largest yarding of rams at a multi-vendor fixture was at the Espeance Breeders' ram sale where 272 rams were offered and 219 sold.
Other sizeable offerings were listed at Williams (259 offered, 224 sold), Seymour Park/Darijon at Narrogin (209, 184), Wagin (207, 172), Merredin (173, 161) and Northampton (162, 149).
The five largest grossing sales were Williams ($341,700), Esperance ($290,300), Seymour Park/Darijon ($288,300) and Wagin ($234,100), while another four sales grossed more than $100,000.


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A recent report by TA Securities has stated that TM will be offering new plans under Webe this coming January. The telco which has begun its transition to UniFi Mobile since few months ago apparently will be operating with that new branding at that time as well.
While the new plan has not been officially announced by TM, it is not something that surprises us as it is indeed about time for them to refresh their plans. After all, Webe’s RM 79 plans for mobile and RM 59 for wireless broadband have been around since late 2016 even thought they are kept on being masked as limited time offers.
Despite the stagnant offerings, UniFi Mobile still managed to achieve 8% of TM’s household penetration much earlier than its originally intended, according to the company’s Q3 2017 financial report. With that, UniFi Mobile should be able to reach more customers if TM able to provide newer and more attractive packages.
As for using UniFi Mobile as the actual branding, this once again reflects convergence as TM’s main philosophy. At the same time, consumers might want to get used to the idea that the UniFi branding is not just about TM’s high speed fibre broadband offerings anymore.

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A company that launched to supply a wide range of artificial flowers and floral arrangements for weddings is now securing deals with global brands including L’Oreal, Estee Lauder and Harrods.
Silk Blooms, who provided flowers for Celtic defender Kolo Toure’s wedding in the Ivory Coast, has steadily grown its corporate sales since setting up in 2010 and are now focused on this market going forward.
The florist, which has had recent support from Business Gateway East Dunbartonshire, was established by David McDaid and his partner, Mara Rose Naismith, and now employs eight additional members of staff.
Its bespoke arrangements using artificial flowers from across the world as well as its unique colour matching service, has attracted a host of prestigious brands with Jo Malone London, Harvey Nichols, Walt Disney and Calvin Klein all using Silk Blooms as part of their visual merchandising in major retail outlets.
David said: “When we set up Silk Blooms we didn’t envisage that a few years later we’d be working with some of the biggest brands in the world. The business has grown each year but it became apparent in the last two that we were naturally moving into a different market and in order to expand we should focus more of our efforts in this area.
“Once we decided to make corporate sales our priority we benefitted from Business Gateway’s support in marketing and market research. Our adviser gave us fantastic advice that will allow us to prepare a strategic marketing plan that we can use over the next five years as we look to develop even further.”
Silk Blooms, based in Bishopbriggs, offers customers a choice of over 9,000 silk flower arrangements in an exotic range of colours and flower varieties. Everything is made to order, with the team able to create any design, even from a photograph.
With the ability to dye any flower to a specific shade, Silk Blooms has worked with restaurants and retail outlets to help create stunning displays that make their brand stand out from its competition.
The idea behind the business came when David and Mara couldn’t find quality, bespoke artificial flowers that looked realistic for their wedding. The pair set up Silk Blooms almost immediately and have been so busy since that they haven’t found the time to get married as yet.
David added: “It’s a really exciting time for Silk Blooms and we’re all looking forward to the future. On a personal note, we’ve rescheduled our wedding for 2018 so hopefully we can finally tie the knot!”
Anne MacIntosh, Business Adviser, Business Gateway East Dunbartonshire said: “We have assisted Silk Blooms by looking at ways it can expand its business base by investigating potential markets and coming up with practical ways to raise its profile amongst its target audience.”


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Sprint Confirms that iPhone Will Have Unlimited Data
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For now. Sprint's top brass has already acknowledged that once they get a device with mass appeal like the iPhone that they may have to revisit the idea of unlimited data. I wouldn't be surprised if they went with a plan that throttles data like what T-Mobs is doing. I'm pretty sure their Virgin Mobile division is also doing this, or at least will be soon. Even still, Sprint getting the iPhone means that they're here to play. They have a lower credit model and more competitively priced plans for smart phone users. I imagine the iPhone will do very well with them.
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The latest TV advertising revenue share forecasts show that 2009 has got off to a worse start than expected, but that TV is increasing its share of the overall advertising market as people stay home and tune in.
ZenithOptimedia has issue a revised projection for the ad market that reveals the worldwide advertising market has “taken a substantial turn for the worse” since the ad research house issued its last forecasts in December. The first three months of 2009 were at least as bad as the last quarter of 2008 and there is little visibility, Zenith reports.
TV ad share will fall 5.5% this year, but Zenith says that, compared to other sectors, TV is faring relatively well, meaning it will increase overall market share from 38.1% in 2008 to 38.6% in 2009 and to a record level of 39.3% in 2010.
“Advertisers that cut budgets across the board will often cut television last, since they know it best and are convinced of its effectiveness,” Zenith noted. “Some advertisers are taking advantage of reduced prices to build their brands and market share while their rivals concentrate on promotions and sales.”
By category retail has remained “fairly robust” as have FMCG ads. Finance, auto and travel, meanwhile, have all been hit hard.
Geographically, Western Europe has recorded the sharpest year-on-year declines in ad expenditure, but Zenith forecasts that all of the major territories in the region will grow in 2010 with the exception of Italy.


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In protest against the US and American companies in China make my own iPhone. Video of the performance appear in the Chinese social network Weibo.
The people of China to massively bend and break your own iPhone in protest. The discontent of the people of China led to the decision of the court of arbitration in the Hague concerning the ownership of several Islands in the South China sea. Authorities claimed their rights to these territories, but the court recognized them as the property of China.
Boycott Apple in China has occurred due to the fact that the United States supports the Philippines in the dispute, and conduct operations in the South China sea.
After the decision of the Hague Tribunal on the recognition of Chinese sovereignty over disputed Islands in the South China sea and the installation of the American missile defense system in South Korea, China, a wave of “spontaneous patriotism”. Some Chinese are boycotting American goods, refuse to eat in the American diner.
In Dalian, for example, a man attacked on the subway because he was wearing Nike sneakers. The leadership of the Chinese Technology company the Bina, in turn, require employees to get rid of their iPhone. Every employee will receive compensation, if you refuse smartphone American corporations in favor of the device of any other brand. Those who decide to purchase an iPhone 7 was threatened with dismissal.
Also, the Chinese are boycotting KFC restaurants. They line up in front of the restaurants with banners in their hands and waving flags.


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Promateris (BVB: PPL), a Romanian industrial group and leader in the CEE region in producing biodegradable and compostable packaging, reports a consolidated turnover of 37.8 million euros in 2021, up 62% from the same period last year.
The group, including the distribution company Biodeck, recorded a consolidated EBITDA of over 6 million euros, 129% more compared to 2021. At the same time, the company registered a net profit of 3.7 million euros, an increase of 405% compared to 2020 and 286% vs. 2019.
“The Promateris Group continues the accelerated growth trend from the last years, closing 2021 with strong financial results and increases of double, even three digits, in all performance indicators. One of the indicators that we have recently started to follow, the net profit, had an increase of 405% last year. The profit made is an important source of financing for the company’s development plans. Our investment plan has proven to be an ambitious and successful one, confirming that both our business model and our strategy enable accelerated growth for our group. We intend to continue investments and we have regional development plans for compostable packaging. In the same time, we are analysing investment opportunities in other types of green projects”, Tudor Georgescu, CEO Promateris.
The consolidated results were positively influenced by the investments carried out in 2021, such as the production capacity increase for the biodegradable and compostable packaging segment, but also by the operational efficiencies achieved at group level. In the same time, the bioplastic recycling line has significantly contributed to margin increase, but also to reducing the environmental impact. In 2021, Promateris recycled 100% of its biodegradable industrial waste, re-introducing everything back in production.
Promateris has continued to produce biodegradable and compostable packaging, consolidating its portfolio of domestic and international customers, leading to solid financial results in 2021. The company is currently one of the top five manufacturers of compostable packaging in Europe and aims to develop its current production capacity in order to strengthen its position as a regional leader. In 2021, Promateris had a 150% increase in biodegradable and compostable packaging exports, and this will continue to be a priority for our group in 2022.
Promateris aims to continue development investments, by increasing production capacity, but also by diversifying the product portfolio. The company analyses the opportunity of several M&A projects, in order to support the increase of EBITDA for the 2023-2025 period. The goal for 2025 is to reach a turnover of 100 million euros.
Development projects from non-reimbursable grants
- The Green Europe Project. Efficient technologies for the production of innovative and sustainable packaging – In 2021, Promateris completed the EUR 2.5 million investment project in the Buftea factory, for the production of biodegradable and compostable packaging. The investment was co-financed by grants from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, under the “SME GROWTH Romania” program. Promateris won a grant of 950,000 euros.
- The Bio-based products to decarbonize the local economy – in 2021, Promateris began investments in the development of a new division, Bio Compounds, which aims to produce raw materials from partially renewable sources, used for the production of biodegradable and compostable packaging. Promateris is thus consolidating its position as a regional leader, building the largest integrated bio-based production capacity in Central and Eastern Europe. The investment project has a value of over 1.65 million euros. Promateris won a € 744,000 grant in the competitive process launched by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA financial mechanisms and the Norwegian Grants 2014-2021, under the “SME GROWTH Romania” program.
- Electric UP project – in November 2021 Promateris won a grant of 100,000 euros, with the aim of installing photovoltaic panels at its factory in Buftea. This is the company’s first step in the transition of using renewable energy for production purposes.
Promateris (BVB: PPL) is a company listed on the Main Market of the Bucharest Stock Exchange. Promateris specializes in state-of-the-art packaging made from renewable, biodegradable and compostable materials. In the Buftea factory, the company produces sustainable alternatives to single-use plastic, such as a wide range of bags for retail (T-shirt bags, fruit and vegetable bags, bio-waste bin liners). Promateris operates three business lines: Bio-based and compostable packaging, which produce packaging made from renewable resources, bioplastic recycling, through which it recycles residual waste to be reintroduced into the production process; Electrical cable compounds, through which granules for the production of electrical cables are developed and manufactured.


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|China in TOP 5 U.S. patent recipients for the first time|
|Author: CSEBA / EE Times|
|9th January 2018|
|NEW YORK - Chinese companies have increased the number of U.S. patents they’ve received by tenfold in less than ten years, another sign that the world’s second-largest economy is succeeding in its strategy to transform from Silicon Valley’s factory to a powerhouse of research.|
The U.S. Patent and Trademark office issued 320,003 utility grants in 2017, up 5.2 percent from the previous year. U.S. patents grew just two percent in 2016, rebounding from a rare one percent decline in 2015, blamed generally on a bad economy.
“We’re more or less back on trend now,” said Larry Clady, a senior analyst at IFI CLAIMS Patent Services that released its annual report on subject.
IBM remains in first place with 9,043 grants in 2017, up 12 percent--its 25th year as the U.S. patent leader. Samsung is only 150 patents behind if you count all five divisions of the conglomerate in the Top 100. Samsung Electronics ranked second, up 6 percent, and Samsung Display was tenth.
U.S. companies lead the list but China is on the rise, growing its patent awards 28 percent last year, passing Taiwan to take fifth place. Two of China’s rising LCD makers were among the fastest-growing companies on the list.
BOE Technology Group rose 63 percent, jumping from #40 to #21 with 1,413 grants. The company formed in 1993 runs nine LCD fabs, is building a 10.5-generation plant and has annual revenues of more than $8 billion. It ranked seventh this year in semiconductor patents, ahead of Intel at #9 which has most of its patents in computers and networking.


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Jimmy Choo and Elton John AIDS Foundation have launched a photo competition to support the launch of Project PEP, a charity collection that donates 25% of sales to the Simelela Rape Centre in South Africa. The money goes towards providing the HIV-preventative treatment PEP (which must be taken within 72 hours of exposure to HIV) and counselling to victims of rape in South Africa, which has the highest count of rape in the world.
The theme of the photo competition is ‘You, Your Shoes and 72’. The competition is global which means anyone from around the world can participate. Those who submit their entries before 26th October will be shortlisted for an exhibition at the celebrity launch event at Selfridges London on 29th October. On this night Tamara Mellon will launch the ‘PEP-Up Shop’ at Selfridges, which will display the Project PEP collection and the selected photo entries for 72 hours thereafter.
The overall winners will be announced after the competition close on 7th December. On offer is a Grand Prize of 7 pairs of Jimmy Choo shoes and 2 handbags, plus over 100 exclusive Jimmy Choo prizes. Visit the competition website to find out more.
Thank you to the representatives of this project for sharing this info with Confashions From Kuwait.


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Snapchat is growing stronger. In an announcement on their brand-new website, it was revealed that the company has changed its name to Snap Inc. because, according to CEO Evan Spiegel, Snapchat is bigger than just an app on your phone. The app itself will still be called Snapchat, but the company, with their newly launched line of video-enabled sunglasses, is more than what it once was. Spiegel said, “Now that we are developing other products, like Spectacles, we need a name that goes beyond just one product — but doesn’t lose the familiarity and fun of our team and brand.”
The new Spectacles will be available “soon” according to Spiegel’s blog post. The Wall Street Journal reports that the glasses will come in three different colors and are equipped with a tiny camera on each lens to capture video in a 115-degree field of view, the same field that the human eye has. We will use these Spectacles to create Memories, which they have also capitalized, because Snap Inc. now owns your memories too. Clearly none of Snap’s employees have seen that Black Mirror episode. Why they chose to call them “Spectacles” when we could’ve had “Snaptacles” remains a mystery.
The last time a company attempted a wearable video recording device was Google Glass, which was scrapped last year after it didn’t take off nearly as well as Google hoped it would. Google Glass was essentially a computer for your glasses, so it was a pretty expensive investment. Since their only purpose is to capture short videos, Snap’s Spectacles will only cost about $130.
Spectacles will shoot videos in a circular format, which, according to Snap, is how our eyes see. This, coupled with the ease of wearable technology (as opposed to pulling out your phone and waiting for the app to open to take a video) might make Spectacles the next hot item, but would tons of people pay that kind of money when you can have essentially the same thing for free on your smartphone?


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The cryptocurrency market has had to go through some lows in recent months. After massive losses in the first half of 2022, cryptocurrency prices have stabilized slightly since June. Right now, it makes sense for investors to invest in cryptocurrencies at a low price. But what are the cryptocurrencies with a future that could have massive profits in the next few years?
In this article we describe cryptocurrencies with a future, which should gain massively in value and importance in the next.
How are cryptocurrencies moving at the moment?
In recent weeks, the price of cryptocurrencies has stabilized again after sharp losses in the first half of 2022. In the first half of the year, the bear market showed massive losses in the market. For example, the Bitcoin price fell from $ 68,000 in November to below $ 18,000 in June. Ethereum fell from $4,800 below $1,000 within 8 months.
After many coins had reached their lowest level in June, the prices of cryptocurrencies were able to recover more easily. The Bitcoin price rose again over 25% percent, the Ethereum price could even double again at times. These strong increases of the last few weeks have recently weakened again and prices have again seen slight losses.
What does the future of cryptocurrencies look like?
At the moment, we are clearly in a bear market. Prices have fallen over 80% since the end of 2021. But this is a consequence of the cycle in cryptocurrencies. Even in 2018 and 2014, we saw massive losses after the end of the bull market and the beginning of the bear market.
In the coming months, the cryptocurrencies should eventually rise again with a future. But at the latest when the bull market comes back, these coins should see an extreme gain in value. Therefore, an investment is worthwhile, especially now with the relatively low prices of investment in these cryptocurrencies. In this article, we’ll talk about when the bear market might end.
What are the cryptocurrencies with a future?
Some cryptocurrencies with a future should rise particularly sharply in the next few years. There are no guarantees in the crypto market. However, the following cryptocurrencies should see prices rise sharply again, especially in a bullish market situation. In the following, we would like to present the cryptocurrencies with a bright future.
1. Ethereum (ETH)
Ethereum is a cryptocurrency with a future that should continue to grow very well in the coming years. Ethereum’s blockchain was the first network to offer smart contracts. That is why Ethereum is a leader in the field of decentralized applications.
In recent years, transaction costs have been increasing and transaction speeds have been low. With the upcoming update Ethereum 2.0, these weaknesses in Ehereum should be fixed. This would allow the network to secure its dominance in dApps for the future. Therefore, Ethereum is definitely one of the cryptocurrencies with a future.
2. Cardano (ADA)
Cardano is a blockchain protocol, which is also one of the cryptocurrencies with a future. Cardano combines the areas of decentralization, scalability and security with the best. The Cardano blockchain is probably the most technically mature blockchain on the market.
Among many investors, Cardano is considered the cryptocurrency that can replace Ethereum at the top of blockchains, which can be the basis for dApps. So Cardano received the nickname “Cardano-killer”. Cardano will be further developed in the long term according to scientific standards, which definitely makes Cardano the crypto currencies with a future.
The XRP is the token of the Ripple payment network. This is a network that has been developed for large banks and with which these banks can make their transactions between different payment areas more efficient and cost-effective.
XRP is one of the cryptocurrencies with a future, as the implementation has already been tested and many large financial companies are already successfully using the Ripple payment network. At the moment, however, there is a legal dispute between the Ripple company and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). If SEC wins this process (what it looks like at the moment), the XRP price should rise sharply again in the long term.
4. Polkadot (DOT)
Polkadot is a network that manages to connect different blockchains to each other and let them communicate with each other. Because Polkadot offers the so-called parachains. These are connecting links with which different blockchains can be connected to each other.
Polkadot wants to realize an idea called “Internet of Blockchains”. This is a vision for the future in the field of cryptocurrencies. If different blockchains can communicate with each other, the Internet could be based on blockchain technology in the future. Polkadot could be extremely important for this vision in the future.
5. VeChain (VET)
Another exciting project is VeChain. This blockchain makes it possible for companies to track their entire supply chains from the production, through delivery to the sale of their product. This feature makes VeChain an extremely interesting cryptocurrency.
VeChain has already entered into cooperations with some large companies. The idea of VeChain has an extremely high potential and many experts see the price of the VET token of VeChain at the moment still greatly undervalued. That is why VeChain is also one of the cryptocurrencies with a future.
What distinguishes cryptocurrencies with a future?
The mentioned cryptocurrencies are a selection of examples that could be worth an extremely large amount in the future. These cryptocurrencies with a future are characterized by the fact that they have a sustainable concept and can solve problems efficiently in the future. Furthermore, these networks should grow strongly in the coming years.
The mentioned cryptocurrencies have already shown their usefulness, have an exciting concert and are working seriously. Therefore, you should not only see short-term hypes, but also increase in value in the long term.


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The production company of ‘BLACKPINK The Game’ turns out to be the developer of ‘BTS World’ game
Production company Takeone announced the official launch of “BLACKPINK The Game”.
On May 18th, Takeone Company, known as BTS World’s developer, announced that they will release their new idol development game called “BLACKPINK The Game” in two markets at the same time.
“BLACKPINK The Game” allows players to become producers of BLACKPINK in a multiverse world to help the members and the group grow. BLACKPINK members reportedly participated in the game development process, including designing costumes and concepts. New OSTs and music videos performed by BLACKPINK will also be exclusively released in the game.
The game introduces new puzzles using various photocards and includes simulation elements where players can train the members and manage the agency. Players can communicate with global users in the “BLACKPINK World” with their personalized BLACKPINK avatars. They can also enjoy high-quality exclusive pictures and videos of BLACKPINK shot only for the game.
Takeone Company CEO Jung Min Chae said, “We made great efforts to make a game that can showcase the charms of global artists BLACKPINK to the fullest”, adding “It will captivate not only global K-pop fandom and normal game users with a completely new gaming experience that they have never seen before”.
Meanwhile, Takeone Company will provide in-game currency to purchase photocards and costume items, as well as BLACKPINK members’ emoticons, to celebrate the game’s release. Moreover, game merchandise, such as coupon cards featuring exclusive images of BLACKPINK will be revealed in the future.


text: Sep 24, 2013 21:21 PreSonus buys N.C. music software developer PreSonus buys N.C. music software developer Advocate staff file photo by ARTHUR D. LAUCK -- A Presonus workshop in 2012 features some of the Baton Rouge company's products. The designer and maker of audio-recording and live-sound software, hardware and related accessories has acquired a North Carolina company that develops software for music composition and guitar-tab editing. Advocate staff report Sept. 24, 2013 Comments PreSonus Audio Electronics Inc. of Baton Rouge has acquired the assets of Notion Music Inc., a Greensboro, N.C., developer of music-notation software. Notion’s products include software for music composition and guitar-tab editing. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Jim Mack, chief executive officer of PreSonus, said purchasing Notion made sense. PreSonus has started to put an emphasis on the music education market. PreSonus designs and makes audio-recording and live-sound software, hardware and related accessories. “We approached them earlier in the year about doing a bundling of products,” Mack said. But as talks progressed, it started to make more sense for PreSonus to buy out Notion. Notion has 12 employees. Most are based in North Carolina, but two are in the United Kingdom. The plan is to move the majority of the employees to Baton Rouge, Mack said. This is the second recent acquisition for PreSonus. Last year, the company bought Nimbit, a Boston-based company that operates a website that allows artists to put music up for sale online and develop relationships with fans. PreSonus, which is located in Bon Carré Business Center on Florida Boulevard, is currently nearing completion of an $8 million headquarters building on Highland Road near Interstate 10. The new offices should open by early December, Mack said. Advocate business writers Timothy Boone and Ted Griggs contributed to this report.


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|By PR Newswire||
|December 27, 2012 07:30 AM EST||
Rogers Innovation Report reveals top technology trends and predictions for 2013 and beyond
TORONTO, Dec. 27, 2012 /CNW/ - The love affair between Canadians and their smartphones intensified in 2012. According to the latest Rogers Innovation Report, commissioned by Vision Critical and released today by Rogers Communications, Nomophobia - the state of stress caused by being away from your smartphone - has gripped Canadian smartphone users. Sixty five per cent say they feel naked without their smartphone and Internet access. A little over half sleep with their device next to them, and 82 per cent use their smartphone in the bathroom. Over half say they check their mobile device before brushing their teeth in the morning.
Looking ahead, these Canadians predict a surge in attachment to their mobile devices and wireless connectivity. Eighty per cent believe people will choose their wireless device to go online versus their desktop computer.
"Consumers are absolutely passionate about their online connections. And, that's only expected to increase as technology advances," said Reade Barber, Vice President, Mobile and Fixed Internet at Rogers Communications. "From mobile banking and work flexibility, to downloading the latest e-book or watching the big game on the go, Canadians are doing more online today and will be even more connected in 2013 and beyond and as they sign up for the fastest Internet speeds and the latest connected technologies."
According to those surveyed, the top technology trends and predictions include:
Canadians watch more TV and movies anyplace: Over half (52 per cent) said they increased the amount of TV and movies they watched over the Internet at home in 2012. Men were almost twice as likely as women to watch TV and movies on their mobile devices while on the go. Eighty-six per cent of young adults and 43 per cent of those surveyed caught Gangnam Style on YouTube. Over the next five years, the majority of those surveyed (65 per cent) expect to have seamless connections that allow them to go from room to room without missing a second of a TV show, movie or game.
Canadians to get more time back in their day: Most feel that wireless network speeds have improved in the last year and by 2017, almost half expect to save at least two hours a day by using faster home and mobile Internet.
BYOD - Bring Your Own Device - on the rise: Over half (55 per cent) said they were able to use the device of their choice at work or for work-related purposes in 2012. Seventy-two per cent believe that the majority of Canadians will be able to use their preferred mobile device at the office within the next two years.
More Canadians to work from home thanks to cloud services and faster mobile speeds: Fifty-nine per cent of respondents predict that over the next two years Cloud services—combined with faster mobile networks— will mean more Canadians will work from home.
Canadians making more mobile payments: More than one in ten used an app to pay for a purchase in 2012. The majority of those surveyed (67 per cent) think that within two years most Canadians will use mobile devices to pay for purchases and save money.
More digital and less paper - increased use of e-books and online magazines: In 2012, 10 per cent of those surveyed downloaded a racy novel to a mobile device - and must have liked it - since the majority (78 per cent) think e-book sales will explode. Expect more room in the recycling bin as 77 per cent predict more Canadians will do their magazine reading on their tablets in 2013.
Buffering to be as old school as dial up Internet: In 2012, ten per cent of respondents said they updated to faster mobile Internet speeds, signing up for the next gen network LTE, and 22 per cent said they upgraded to an LTE device. That is expected to jump, with 80 per cent predicting that more Canadians will sign up for the fastest internet speeds available in 2013. The result? The strong majority (71 per cent) predict that buffering on a wireless device will be as old school as dial up Internet. And in the next five years, more than three quarters (76 per cent) believe the overwhelming majority of Canadians will download files in seconds using the fastest mobile Internet technology in the world.
All about integration - technology ecosystems like Windows 8 gaining ground: The majority of those surveyed (82 per cent) believe that in 2013, integrated technology systems that seamlessly connect two or more devices, will increase in popularity. These include mobile Internet ecosystems like Mac computers integrated with iPhone or Windows 8 software from your desktop at work or home and/or tablets integrated with Windows 8 smartphones.
To view our Rogers Innovation Report Infographic, http://redboard.rogers.com/rirexplores/
For full report results, http://slideshare.net/Rogers/rogers-innovation-2012-year-end-trends-official-15729268
About the survey
From November 15th to November 19th, 2012, an online survey was conducted among a sample of 1,040 Canadians that own and use a smartphone or tablet, who are Angus Reid Forum panel members. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current age, gender and region Census data to ensure a representative sample. The margin of error on the full base — which measures sampling variability — of 1,040 respondents is +/- 3.1%. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.
About Rogers Communications
Rogers Communications is a diversified Canadian communications and media company. We are Canada's largest provider of wireless voice and data communications services and one of Canada's leading providers of cable television, high speed Internet and telephony services. Through Rogers Media we are engaged in radio and television broadcasting, televised shopping, magazines and trade publications, sports entertainment, and digital media. We are publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RCI.A and RCI.B) and on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: RCI). For further information about the Rogers group of companies, please visit rogers.com.
SOURCE Rogers Communications Inc.
Image with caption: "The Rogers Innovation Report reveals that the love affair between Canadians and their smartphones intensified in 2012 with 55 per cent of Canadians checking their mobile device before brushing their teeth in the morning. (CNW Group/Rogers Communications Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20121227_C3440_PHOTO_EN_22216.jpg
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Megan McArdle, over at Bloomberg View, wonders out loud if the flood of recalls issued by General Motors, covering every car they’ve sold for the past three years and a wide swatch of the vehicles the company has made and sold over the past decade and a half is a deliberate strategy on the part of the company to protect its image with consumers from further harm. The strategy may be working. The sales reports for June show that the current sales of new GM vehicles seems to be unaffected by all of the publicity and controversy surrounding defective ignition switches that can shut off the car, rendering the airbag systems inoperable in case of a subsequent collision. (Read More…)
Despite a flimsy dealer network, a lack of diesel engines and a poisonous brand, GM still hasn’t given up on the idea of making Cadillac a global luxury brand that can sell cars in Europe.
GM is killing off their 1500-series Savanna and Express vans, due to slow sales and regulatory concerns.
A couple of years ago my son bought a 2004 Saturn Ion sedan from a friend of ours. It has about 90,000 miles on the clock and ran fine…until I insisted that he bring it in and get the ignition recall done. A few weeks after the recall work was completed, he was driving on 2 lane road at about 40 miles per hour and the car competely shut down…no power steering, weak power brakes. He was glad he wasn’t going faster & he wrestled the car into a parking lot, let it sit for a while, restarted it and drove home. He called the local GM dealership and they downplayed the incident and told him to bring it in at his convenience.
Now I’m really scared for him. Any advice? (Read More…)
General Motors has recalled 511,,528 Camaros – that is, every single current generation Camaro ever made – for a defect involving the ignition key fob being inadvertently bumped and switched to “off”.
Today’s installment of Quote of the Day comes from Mark Adams, design chief for Opel/Vauxhall and creator of the Monza concept, which is expected to set the design direction for the two brands in the near future – assuming that regulations don’t get in the way.
As many of you know by now, the Valukas report on GM’s handling of the ignition switch depicts a fat, complex organization that is deeply broken. A company with so many incompetent cogs, it is incapable of coordinating a surprise birthday party let alone a conspiracy. And that’s the most alarming part of the report – that none of the employees appear to have acted in malice or colluded to save money or protect the brand. Instead the report paints a picture of apathetic, lazy employees and an even more careless litany of incoherent processes in the mission to detect and address vehicle safety defects.
Today, GM held a press conference regarding the Valukas Report on GM’s Ignition Switch Recalls, featuring CEO Mary Barra, as well as top execs like Mark Reuss and Dan Amman. The only problem was that the report had yet to be released, denying journalists the chance to question GM brass on its findings.


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Rachel Koning Beals
The most American-made vehicle for 2021 is the Tesla Model 3, according to a long-running index, the first time that an all-electric auto has claimed the top spot.
Ford /zigman2/quotes/208911460/composite F +1.71% , Jeep, Chevrolet /zigman2/quotes/205226835/composite GM +1.35% and Honda /zigman2/quotes/200490352/delayed JP:7267 -3.04% nameplates also earned high marks for their U.S.-based production, which remains an important consideration for a rising number of U.S. buyers.
The Cars.com American-Made Index, first created in 2006, ranks vehicles based on criteria such as number of U.S. factory job, location of manufacturing plants and parts sourcing. View the complete list , including starting prices. And check out the least-American cars .
“Tesla has now cemented itself firmly on Cars.com’s American Made-Index, with the Model 3 and the Model Y taking the No. 1 and No. 3 spots, respectively,” said Kelsey Mays, assistant managing editor at Cars.com.
Tesla /zigman2/quotes/203558040/composite TSLA +1.24% only recently began supplying the information needed to be included in the index.
Last year, Tesla’s EVs took three spots in the top 10 for the first time, outperforming brands like Jeep and Chevrolet which normally dominate the list. In 2020, the Michigan-built Ford Ranger, resurrected for the U.S. market in 2019, ranked first.
SUVs still dominate
A total of 90 models qualified for this year’s AMI. That’s out of 344 cars on the market in 2021. GM led the way with 19 cars on the index, followed by Honda at 13, Toyota with 12 and Ford at 11.
The index is based on five factors: assembly location, parts sourcing as determined by the American Automobile Labeling Act, U.S. factory employment relative to vehicle production, engine sourcing and transmission sourcing.
Largely tracking with consumer habits, nearly 50% of the vehicles on the index are SUVs, followed by sedans at 28% and pickup trucks at 17%.
According to new research from Cars.com, 72% of shoppers consider a car’s U.S. economic impact a significant or deciding factor in their vehicle purchase, up from 70% who indicated the same in 2020.
Even as the pandemic threat wanes, a third of respondents in 2021 still say COVID-19 has made them more likely to buy an American-built vehicle. And up from a quarter of respondents in 2020, 29% this year say that it’s “unpatriotic” to purchase a non-American made vehicle.
Slow EV adoption
The Biden administration has made the push toward EV adoption a priority , part of a broader policy favoring a shift to renewable energy and reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. But the president’s critics have said U.S. reliance on imported parts may slow the U.S. job growth the White House says can accompany rising EV popularity.
Cars.com’s Mays said consumers are slowly exploring EVs though adoption will likely only significantly pick up when charging times and convenience draw closer to the 5 minutes typically spent at traditional gas stations.


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Blog: Design helps drive demand
Leonie Barrie | 14 November 2011
With figures from both sides of the Atlantic continuing to emphasise that shoppers, by and large, remain downbeat amidst economic gloom and uncertainty, two retailers last week emphasised the importance of quality and design in continuing to drive sales.
While the UK's Marks & Spencer blamed the intensifying promotional culture in its UK general merchandising division - which includes clothing and footwear - for weaker first-half profits, it also noted sell-outs in its "good" lines and growth in the "better and best" categories.
Admitting that some 25% of its range is being discounted at any one time, chief executive Marc Bolland also noted: "It's not everybody buying into deals, it's not everyone buying into low price. But we have to cater to both."
And US based luxury clothing seller Ralph Lauren Corporation listed rising input costs among the "near-term headwinds" that continue to buffet its business - but says shoppers are willing to spend more on products as long as they put "fashion first" and offer something new and exciting.US: Ralph Lauren shares fall on H1 results
As its clothing business gets bigger, UK supermarket retailer Sainsbury's is shifting towards direct sourcing - and expects falling cotton costs to be reflected in prices of its spring/summer 2012 collections. Claiming to be the UK's seventh largest clothing retailer by volume, group commercial director Mike Coupe told just-style the clothing business now has the scale to buy direct and plans to source increasing volumes this way.
But the new slimmed-down Liz Claiborne Inc, which in recent months has sold several under-performing brands including Mexx and its namesake Liz Claiborne label, has admitted it will also have to trim its corporate costs in line with its smaller footprint - but that an investment in new IT systems is also on the cards.
Meanwhile, Australian apparel retailers are facing a perfect storm. The country is only now seeing signs of the global economic crisis, the strong Australian dollar is driving shoppers to look at international online retailers - and the world's major fast fashion retailers are plotting their entries into the market. In a series of four special reports, just-style looks at how firms are faring.
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The results of two highly-anticipated initiatives in the sportswear sphere were revealed last week: the launch of Under Armour’s new UAS lifestyle brand and the first pair of running shoes created at ...
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Didi Chuxing, China’s greatest ride-hailing agency, on Thursday made public its submitting for a US inventory market itemizing, setting the stage for what is anticipated to be the world’s greatest preliminary public providing this 12 months.
The corporate – backed by Asia’s largest expertise funding companies, SoftBank, Alibaba and Tencent – didn’t reveal the dimensions of the providing, however sources acquainted with the matter had beforehand advised Reuters that the ride-hailing big might increase round $10 billion and search a valuation of near $100 billion.
At that valuation, Didi’s inventory market flotation would be the biggest Chinese share offering in the United States, since Alibaba raised $25 billion in its blockbuster IPO in 2014.
In its submitting on Thursday, Didi revealed slower income development in 2020 because of the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic, which grounded the worldwide ride-hailing business to a halt as lockdowns had been enforced all around the globe.
For 2020, Didi reported income of 141.7 billion yuan ($22.17 billion), down from 154.8 billion yuan a 12 months earlier. Web loss stood at 10.6 billion yuan in 2020, in contrast with 9.7 billion yuan a 12 months earlier.
Nonetheless, Didi began 2021 strongly, as companies reopened in China. Income greater than doubled to 42.2 billion yuan (US$6.4 billion) for the three months ended March 31 from 20.5 billion yuan a 12 months earlier.
CHINESE IPO GOLD RUSH
Didi confidentially filed for its IPO in April. A supply acquainted with the matter on Thursday mentioned Didi was aiming to go public in July.
The mega IPO highlights the lucrative business opportunity introduced by Asian tech giants for Wall Avenue’s large funding banks.
Earlier this 12 months, Singapore’s greatest ride-hailing agency, Seize, struck a $40 billion cope with a particular objective acquisition firm, backed by funding agency Altimeter, to go public in the USA.
Final 12 months, Chinese language corporations raised $12 billion from US listings, greater than triple the fundraising quantity in 2019, in response to Refinitiv information. This 12 months, the increase from Chinese language floats on US exchanges is anticipated to comfortably surpass final 12 months’s tally.
Didi, which merged with then important rival Kuaidi in 2015 to create a smartphone-based transport companies big, counts as its core enterprise a cell app, the place customers can hail taxis, privately owned vehicles, car-pool choices and even buses in some cities.
Didi plans to checklist American Depositary Shares (ADSs) on both Nasdaq or the New York Inventory Change underneath the image “DIDI,” the corporate mentioned.
Didi Chief Govt Cheng Wei mentioned final 12 months the agency goals to have 800 million month-to-month energetic customers globally and full 100 million orders a day by 2022, together with ride-sharing, bike and meals supply orders.
Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and J.P.Morgan are the lead underwriters for the providing.


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DECEMBER 4, 2000
EM.TV sells part of Muppet empire
AS EM.TV's share price dived on Monday, the company announced plans to sell the rights to merchandise the characters from The Sesame Street educational TV program to a New York company called Sesame Workshop, which produces Sesame Street and The Muppet Show. The rights had previously been shared between EM.TV and Sesame Workshop. Financial details of the deal have not been revealed.
The two companies have also agreed to produce two new TV series a year for the next five years. Under the agreement EM.TV will expand its merchandising operations of Muppet memorabilia in Europe.
The deal was clearly designed to bolster investor confidence in EM.TV by reducing the debt burden of the company.


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England-based rigid plastic packaging products supplier RPC Group PLC has added Bosnia and Herzegovina-based injection molder Helioplast d.o.o. in a deal valued at £8.4 million ($13 million).
As the Chinese government plans to consolidate production, Anhui Conch Cement Co said it plans to increase its capacity to 30 million metric tons through acquisitions, Bloomberg reported.
The Panama Canal Authority and a building consortium led by Spain's Sacyr Vallehermoso SA on Tuesday agreed to put up at least $100 million each to keep the Panama Canal expansion project running. The two parties are at odds over who should pay for $1.6 billion in project cost overruns.
Sandvik, a high-technology engineering firm based in Sweden, has agreed to buy Texas-based Varel International Energy Services for a price tag of about $740 million.
Houston, US-based firm Fieldwood Energy LLC, a portfolio company of Riverstone Holdings LLC, bought the Gulf Coast unit of Oklahoma-based firm SandRidge Energy Inc in a deal valued at $750 million.
Bourbon, a Paris-based operator of supply and crew ships for the oil industry, sold a dozen vessels to China's ICBC Financial Leasing as part of its plan to make a dent on its debt, Bloomberg reported.
The government of India has cancelled its plan to divest a 5% stake in state-owned miner Coal India Ltd due to persistent opposition from trade unions, according to a finance ministry official.
London, UK-based private equity group Arle Capital Partners is planning either an exit or a listing of its British oil services company Expro this year, according to a report citing inside sources.
Indonesia-based state-run builder Wijaya Karya (WiKa) completed the purchase of state-controlled asphalt manufacturer Sarana Karya in a deal that is expected to support WiKa's expansion projects.
Malaysian firm Cahya Mata Sarawak has agreed to work with various companies to build the first integrated phosphate facility Southeast Asia, the Daily Express reported.
Canada resurrected a $4.7 billion agreement to buy Sikorsky helicopters from United Technologies Corp which Ottawa nearly scrapped due to delays and complications it encountered, Reuters reported.
Argentina's stock regulator CNV on Friday rejected Braskem's $1.35 per share bid to buy roughly 30% of the shares of plastics maker Solvay Indupa that are traded on the Buenos Aires bourse. CNV said that the offer was below Solvay Indupa's book value of $2.81 per share as of September.
A regulatory filing showed that Fortress Transportation and Infrastructure Investors intends to raise up to $100 million in its initial public offering in New York, Reuters reported.
The State Grid Corp of China officially completed the $7.5-billion purchase of interests in Australian power firms SP AusNet and Jemena from utilities group Singapore Power.
45 year-old recycling magnate Chen Guangbiao, whose charity works and publicity stunts are more known rather than his business sense, has claimed that he will be extending an offer to acquire the New York Times Co for $1 billion.
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Apple’s three million new iPad sales in the opening weekend are impressive but not particularly surprising; what the company has really demonstrated with the third-generation tablet isn’t that it can create a coveted product, but that it can now deliver in bulk. Stock shortages have plagued Apple launches since the original iPhone, the company seemingly unable to meet demand for its high-profile phones and tablets. In fact, it’s become a measure of success for stores to sell out and lines to snake outside for days and weeks as would-be owners queue desperately for the rationed hardware. Still, while “sell-out success” makes for good press hyperbole, turning customers away empty-handed isn’t best for business. With the new iPad, though, Apple showed that the supply chain just got serious.
For a while, it seemed like the new iPad launch would go just as with its predecessors. Online pre-orders opened on Friday, March 9, a week before in-store availability, and by the following Monday delivery estimates were stretching 2-3 weeks away. Even now, online sales still warn of that same delay in shipments.
The expectation, then, was that competition would be fierce for units in-store on March 16, and the traditional queues – perhaps truncated a little this time around, though the usual zealots were out in force – formed. Nonetheless, a few hours after opening time at 8am, the lines were gone and new iPads still waited on shelves.
A few knee-jerk analyst reactions showed just how perverse our expectations had become: Apple hadn’t sold out of every last iPad, and so the tablet must’ve been underwhelming. Yet take a step back and the scale of the change from last year’s iPad 2 launch is clear: a simultaneous debut in ten countries across the world, including the gadget-addicted US and UK, with sufficient supplies to go around. Today, you can walk into a store and leave minutes later with a new iPad.
"Apple’s achievement will be doubly-impressive on Friday"
Apple’s achievement will be doubly impressive after this coming Friday. On March 23, the new iPad goes on sale in a further 24 countries, taking the total to 34. Contrast that to the iPad 2, which initially saw an under-supplied debut in the US alone, and then 25 more locations later in the same month, for a total of 26.
“The new iPad is a blockbuster with three million sold” Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing said today, “the strongest iPad launch yet.” That strength isn’t just in terms of customer demand, but of Apple’s ability to leverage its formidable supply chain and gets stock to where it needs to be so that more buyers go home satisfied.
The iPad isn’t for everyone. Still, Android tablet manufacturers can no longer count on patchy availability for opportune gaps in the market: if people want a new iPad, they can have one today. The tablet wars are nowhere near over – Windows 8 will see a fresh batch of OEMs join the fray later in 2012 – but rivals will face an Apple that not only has razzle dazzle on-stage, but the well-oiled machine behind the scenes to back it up.


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Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, June 2, 2021 / PRNewswire / – The Malaysia Pavilion is delighted to announce that Marrybrown, Malaysia’s largest halal fast food chain, will be its coffee operator for Expo 2020 Dubai.
Marrybrown will represent one of the top Malaysian brands at the Malaysia pavilion and feature Malaysian specialties on its menu as well as fast food dishes that have proven to delight international taste buds.
Offerings include all-time favorite Malaysian fried chicken, a variety of burgers, delicious Arabic wraps and the Malaysian classic “Nasi Lemak“(fragrant rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf) among other rice dishes such as Nasi Kari Ayam (chicken curry rice) and Malaysia famous drink Teh Tarik.
“Malaysia Pavilion is incredibly pleased to have Marrybrown as a coffee shop operator to represent our Malaysian identity. Marrybrown is a shining example of a Malaysian company that pioneered the franchise of fast food chains in Malaysia and has continued to successfully spread its wings around the world, ”Mr. Shamsul Bahar Mohd Nor, Managing Director of the Malaysian Center for Green Technology and Climate Change (MGTC).
Malaysia the overall participation in Expo 2020 is led by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of Malaysia, while the MGTC is the implementing agency.
“With its vision to bring Malaysian favorites to the world, Marrybrown has raised the Malaysian flag high by becoming a global brand. Marrybrown rightly represents the Malaysian spirit and the best brands of Malaysia at the Expo, ”added Mr. Chamsul Bahar.
Marrybrown currently has over 500 restaurants in Malaysia and in 16 countries serving millions of customers in Sweden, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Burma, India, Maldives, Africa and the Middle East.
Back home, he won several distinctions as well as regional awards such as asia Best Brand Award. In the Middle East, Marrybrown was awarded “Malaysia’s Most Successful Franchise in the Middle East“recognition and” The family fast food restaurant of the year “.
The Malaysian pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai is designed as a “rainforest canopy” and is themed “Energizing Sustainability”. It is located between the sustainability district and the mobility district on the 438 hectare exhibition site.
The pavilion will house permanent exhibition segments and storefronts, a business center, amphitheater, and retail and cafe areas.
“Visitors will end their visit at the cafe. They can expect to be tempted by the aromatic scent of fried chicken and other Marrybrown dishes inviting them to stop for a bite to eat or take out,” Mr. . Chamsul Bahar.
In agreement with Malaysia Sustainability Commitment and its “No Plastic Pledge” for Expo 2020, environmentally conscious customers can rest assured that utensils and packaging used in coffee are only made from sustainable, non-plastic materials.
ABOUT MALAYSIA PAVILION AT EXPO 2020 DUBAI
Malaysia will be one of the 192 countries participating in Expo 2020 Dubai, scheduled for Oct 1, 2021 at March 31, 2022. On the theme “Connecting minds, creating the future”, the world exhibition is the first to be held in the Middle East, Africa & South Asia Region.
Malaysia the pavilion is self-built and represents a rainforest canopy. It bears the theme “Energizing Sustainability” to capture the nation’s commitment and approaches to sustainable development. It is a net zero carbon pavilion. Malaysia activities during the exhibition will include permanent exhibitions, showcases, pocket discussions, summits and forums, cultural performances, demonstrations and 26 weekly thematic trade and business programs. The Business Weeks will be led and supported by 22 ministries, 44 agencies and 5 state governments.
The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation is the ministry responsible for Malaysia participation in the mega event. The Malaysian Center for Green Technology and Climate Change (MGTC) is the executing agency.
ABOUT THE MALAY CENTER FOR GREEN TECHNOLOGIES AND CLIMATE CHANGE (MGTC)
The Malaysian Center for Green Technology and Climate Change (MGTC) was previously known as the Malaysian Green Technology Corporation or GreenTech Malaysia. MGTC is a government agency under the Ministry of Environment and Water, mandated to lead the nation in the areas of green growth, climate change mitigation, and climate resilience and adaptation.
As part of green growth, the MGTC focuses on three key areas:
- Green incentives and certification
- Green advice and capacity building
- Green promotion and investment
As part of its recently expanded scope, the MGTC now focuses on climate change mitigation and adaptation through the following roles:
- Policy analysis
- National reports
- Coordination of national programs (mitigation and adaptation to climate change)
- Focal point for climate change mitigation and adaptation data
- Communication, Education and Public Awareness (CEPA)
MGTC is the executing agency for Malaysia participation in Expo 2020 Dubai.
For any questions, please contact Jane Ritikos at tel. : +6019 387 1991 or by e-mail at: [email protected]
Malaysian flag SOURCE


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Retail expert questions The Warehouse property sale
The Warehouse Group's plan to quit its Newmarket, Auckland property has raised questions among some market watchers
The 1.4ha site on six separate titles at 66-80 Broadway and 11-15 Railway St are occupied by The Warehouse, Warehouse Stationery, Noel Leeming, Torpedo7 plus a few smaller tenancies.
Paul Keane of property consultants RCG said that reading between the lines he concluded there is more going on than the company has revealed.
The marketing of the building is taking place as the NZX-listed company has just posted a plunge in after tax profit for the half year ending January 2017 of $13.6 million, from $57.2m for the same period a year ago.
"It's very unusual when all of a sudden they're saying the decline in sales is driven by online retailing. That's only one thing.
"Are they selling a major property icon, which Newmarket has been for many years, because they want to boost their income stream short term?
"I thought it was all a bit odd. They put off 130 people and I heard they cancelled Christmas functions so managers would focus on sales drives.
"I think there's more to it than meet the eye."
Keane said it had given rival chief executive Rod Duke of Briscoes a good opportunity to crow about his company's strong performance.
"The Warehouse has lost its way a bit. At the same time they've announced a new managing director. All that has had a bit of an influence.
"If you go into The Warehouse stores they don't have the grunt, the excitement, the penetration they once had.
"The new chief executive tried to suggest it was mostly down to competition from online retailing. Seriously?"
The Newmarket property is a major redevelopment opportunity, and The Warehouse had already received resource consent for a mixed-use project to include apartments, a hotel, offices, and retail to include their own stores.
It would have been a $200 million project with retail as only one element, and the company would have retained a presence there.
But now it is selling the property on whatever basis the new owner wants and may not stay as a tenant long term.
Keane said for much of its history The Warehouse had thrived in low-cost operating conditions and low land value sites, where it can pay low rent.
"The landlord has to be willing to accept this, either because of the strong tenant covenant or because they get spinoff benefits with higher rents for shops next door.
"But land values in Auckland are much higher these days, especially in the inner-city areas like Newmarket and the CBD."
These areas were rapidly growing, with residents who should be customers for The Warehouse Group - young, tech savvy and cost conscious, Keane said.
"What about a smaller metro-focused format, as supermarkets are using to great effect?
"So why are they selling? Is the group really so scared of online shopping, or is this just to divert our attention from the fact that they are trying to boost their results by selling assets?"
Keane said The Warehouse had a major place in retailing and must reposition itself quickly but he doubted selling property assets in the face of the online shopping threat would achieve that repositioning.


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Extenders for Windows Media Center are devices that are designed to “extend” the Windows Media Center experience from a centralized Windows Media Center PC running Windows Vista Home Premium or Windows Vista Ultimate to any room in your home with a TV using a personal home network.
This summer HP is launching a brand new Extender for Windows Media Center device – the HP MediaSmart Connect. The HP MediaSmart Connect will let you wirelessly stream your Windows Media Center experience including content such as Live TV, Recorded TV Shows, Music, Photos and Videos to any TV in your home using your wireless or wired home network. And I’ve got some information below on how you can attend online webinars put on by HP and Microsoft giving you a first-hand look at the HP MediaSmart Connect! Read on…
To celebrate the launch of the HP MediaSmart Connect – HP and Microsoft are putting on 4 webinars this summer to demonstrate the capabilities of the HP MediaSmart Connect. HP’s Director of Marketing for their Connected Entertainment group Brian Burch will be headlining the demos along with industry experts who will share their own experiences during the webinars.
- Tuesday, June 24th – 10:00 am PST with Ed Bott, http://www.zdnet.com/
- Thursday, June 26th – 1:00 pm PST with Ian Dixon, http://www.thedigitallifestyle.com/
- Tuesday, July 8th – 10:00 am PST with Patrick Norton, http://www.tekzilla.com/
- Thursday, July 10th – 1:00 pm PST with Mike Garcen, http://www.missingremote.com/
Source:→ Windows Experience Blog


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Former Walmart executive Jim Moriarty has joined Kings Food Markets and Balducci’s Food Lover’s Market as chief financial officer.
The Parsippany, N.J.-based upscale grocer said Moriarty will oversee the company’s finance and accounting teams and loss prevention.
Kings noted that Moriarty brings more than 18 years of retail financial experience, including 11 years at Walmart. Most recently, he served as senior director of operations finance and strategy for Walmart’s Northeast division and acted as divisional CFO.
His previous roles at Walmart included senior director of operations finance and strategy for consumables and health/wellness, senior director of supplier finance and strategy for merchandise finance, and director of health and wellness merchandise finance and strategy. He started his career at Walmart in 2007.
Prior to joining Walmart, Moriarty (left) spent seven years at Sears Holding Corp. as senior manager for channel strategy and performance and as senior financial manager of corporate planning.
“It is with great pleasure that we welcome Jim Moriarty to our management team,” Judy Spires, chairman and chief executive officer of Kings and Balducci’s, said in a statment. “With his wealth of experience in the retail industry, his leadership will be invaluable as we continue to grow and expand the Kings Food Markets and Balducci’s Food Lover’s Market brands.”
Overall, Kings operates 25 supermarkets in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. Balducci’s, a specialty gourmet grocer acquired by Kings in 2009, has eight stores in Connecticut, Maryland, New York and Virginia, as well as a Balducci’s Gourmet On The Go location in New York City and a Balducci’s Express outlet in Philadelphia.


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A little less than four years ago, the first 2011 Nissan Leaf electric car was delivered to eager buyer Olivier Chalouhi in San Francisco.
Earlier this month, Nissan and its partner the French carmaker Renault delivered their 200,000th electric car.
The Renault-Nissan Alliance now claims a 58-percent share of the market for vehicles with no tailpipe emissions.
And it doesn’t bother sales at all – in most of the world – to roll out a commercial showing a couple of Formula One drivers galavanting around one of the biggest shopping malls in the world – in a couple of Twizys. Renault’s cutesy electric city car – the smallest of the four electric models they offer.


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By David Benda, Record Searchlight, April 2013
After several years at its Twin View Boulevard headquarters, Redding manufacturer Op-Test is on the move.
But if demand for Op-Test products continues like owner Dan Morrow believes it will, the firm won’t be at its new location for long.
Op-Test will double its space when it moves to Redwood Boulevard in the Mountain Lakes Industrial Park next month. Morrow hopes to nearly double his workforce to 30 employees over the next two years.
“We think if our business plan holds true, we will be there maybe three to five years and then we will need to double (space) again,” Morrow said.
Morrow founded Op-Test in 2000. The company makes products for overseas clients, building electronic assemblies for people who make semiconductors and designing the equipment that tests LED lighting systems.
The move toward reverse outsourcing has helped Op-Test.
“I think we are part of that whole movement, so there is an incredible amount of technical work coming back to the United States,” Morrow said.
Climbing energy prices, a talented workforce, its California location on the Interstate 5 corridor, a stable government and currency are among the selling points to his clients, Morrow said.
“All that makes us look pretty attractive to people around the globe,” Morrow said.
Op-Test’s new plant was home to VisionCare Devices Inc. for 22 years before it moved to Anderson late last year.
VisionCare, which manufactures eye surgical equipment for clients around the world, moved to a bigger building on Bellevue Lane near the OxYoke Industrial Park that was vacated in 2009 when Millipore Corp. moved its operation to Danvers, Mass.
Millipore in Anderson made products for biopharmaceutical companies. The plant had 52 full-time employees.
“It was already set up as medical device manufacturing facility, so we were pretty much able to move right in,” VisionCare co-owner Susan Cook said.
VisionCare has 19 employees.


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There’s no stopping Alibaba.
On Thursday, the Chinese e-commerce powerhouse boasted that revenue for the quarter ended Dec. 31 was up 32 percent year-over-year to 34.5 billion yuan, or $5.3 billion, driven mostly by its core online marketplaces Taobao and Tmall which registered a 35 percent increase over the year-ago period to reach 28.7 billion yuan ($4.4 billion).
By comparison, analysts polled by S&P Capital IQ Consensus Estimates had projected revenue of $5.13 billion.
Mobile revenue, meanwhile, was up 192 percent to 18.7 million yuan ($2.9 billion).
The company also said that its annual active buyers on its China retail marketplaces had risen to 407 million by the end of the quarter, an increase of 21 million over the prior quarter. In addition, gross merchandise volume (GMV) transacted on these platforms grew 23 percent year-over-year to 964 billion yuan ($149 billion), with mobile accounting for 68 percent of that increase.
In particular, the annual Singles’ Day shopping event—which took place on Nov. 11—was singled out as one of the quarter’s success stories. More than 115 million buyers visited Alibaba’s websites, spending 91.2 billion yuan ($14 billion) over the course of the 24-hour promotional period.
“We achieved impressive revenue growth as we are increasingly monetizing the user activity on our marketplaces, particularly on mobile devices,” Maggie Wu, chief financial officer, said. “Meanwhile, we generated strong free cash flow of $3.7 billion this quarter. The fundamental strength of our core business gives us the confidence to invest in our strategic priorities.”
“Alibaba Group had an outstanding quarter, reaching a milestone of over 400 million annual active buyers and continuing our unrivaled leadership in mobile,” Daniel Zhang, chief executive officer of Alibaba Group, continued. “Our proven ability to deliver an unparalleled consumer experience and to help merchants attract, engage and retain buyers will drive future growth in our core business. We remain focused on our top strategic priorities, including global imports, rural expansion, increasing our footprint in first-tier Chinese cities and building a world-class cloud computing business.”


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