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Earlier last month, I had a chance to meet with the folks at Skype when they launched their mobile app for Android and BlackBerry smartphones on Verizon Wireless. While the entire announcement was groundbreaking, since it was Skype’s first partnership with a cellular carrier, there were some underlying catches. It turns out that the exclusive partnership limited the availability of the Skype Mobile app to just Verizon Wireless customers. Under this contract, current owners of Android and BlackBerry devices on other carriers can not find the application in the app store at this time. While Skype Mobile is a native app, the service only runs on Verizon Wireless’s 3G network. Fortunately, that’s all about to change.
After a quick email exchange with Skype’s PR team, I learned some interesting details. Although their representative was careful not to disclose any specifics regarding the existing contract between Skype and Verizon Wireless, they did reveal some exclusive details on the availability of the Android App for customers on other carriers along with the future of mobile video chat. When I asked about the possibility of Skype Mobile video chat becoming available for the brand new Sprint HTC EVO 4G, the response was exactly as follows:
Skype envisions a world where video plays a larger role in the way we communicate. The next generation innovation involving video calling will not be bound to the computer. We’re seeing a proliferation of video calling shared between all kinds of connected devices. It’s on computers (today 1/3 of all calls on Skype happen via video), televisions (Skype bringing video calls to living rooms via Panasonic, Samsung & LG partnership), and it will eventually be coming to mobile devices too. We’re betting big on video, and we intend to set the bar on mobile video calling, and it’s something we’re going to do this year.
We will be bringing a direct to consumer app to the Android marketplace later this year. This application will be available for all consumers globally to download regardless of carriers. (i.e. similar to how we offer the iPhone app today)
— Brianna Reynaud, Skype PR
Skype’s bold statement was clear on two things: they will be launching a mobile video calling service as well as a standard Android app this year. That’s not surprising considering that they already offer Skype Mobile for Nokia’s Maemo and Symbian devices plus the WiFi-only version for the Apple iPhone. Unfortunately, the current set of Skype Mobile apps all have tragic restrictions. Even Verizon’s Skype Mobile app doesn’t let customers place domestic VoIP calls using Skype’s $3 per month unlimited calling plan (North America). It only offers free Skype-to-Skype voice calls, instant messaging, and discounted international calling rates. I’m definitely excited to see what Skype’s team has in store for this year given a little more freedom, but I truly hope they take full advantage of the potential provided in the latest generation of smartphone hardware and software.
Update 5/28/10 9:41AM: After a quick phone call from Skype’s PR team early this morning, it looks like they may have pulled the trigger a bit too soon with this comment. According to Reynaud, Skype will definitely be releasing a “direct-to-consumer” Android App this year, however the aren’t completely disclosing whether mobile video calling is an included feature.


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Verizon's LG V60 ThinQ 5G UW is now receiving the Android 11 update
There are companies who are very good at timely Android updates, there are companies who are quite bad at that, and then there's LG. The Korean firm has only sent out an update to Android 11 to the Velvet so far, but even for that model the new software only rolled out in South Korea.
Today marks the start of LG's second ever Android 11 rollout, this time for Verizon's V60 ThinQ 5G UW units. This is also the first LG device in the US to receive an Android 11 update, almost half a year after Google first released the finalized version of the OS.
Anyway, that aside, Verizon has...

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Northern Star’s Executive Chairman, Bill Beament, has sold 3,141,795 shares, reducing his holdings in the company. Just as we have foreseen, Beament is still selling portions of his Northern Star holdings. He has made three major insider sales last year, selling 2,460,000 shares in Northern Star Resources. Beament is on the roll and is selling portions of his holdings again.
The Change of Director’s Interest Notice released on the first week of June this year informed that the shares sold by Bill Beament were transferred as part of a final Family Court settlement. Beament retains 3 Million Performance Rights and 3,141,793 Northern Star shares. Is there further selling to follow? Is he personally insider selling under the guise of the Family Court?
Investors losing confidence in Northern Star
Beament’s most recent insider share sales make investors doubt and lose their confidence in Northern Star and in his management. Investors continue to hold fear that the long term outlook for Northern Star Resources is only downwards. Their present leadership team lead by Bill Beament will find themselves shown the door.
Bill Beament’s large shareholdings in Northern Star has made him the biggest insider seller in FY2019, including his recent insider sale this June. What is the real reason why he has been selling his shares? Is he deserting his ship? Did he cash out to mask his long term view of Northern Star Resources?
Beament’s recent insider share sale reinforces the unease and anxieties of investors and shareholders, making them question his integrity and reliability. If one of the company’s highest-ranking corporate insiders is selling his holdings, should the investors do the same? Beament could be cashing out due to the imminent downfall of the company. If there is any truth to this, sooner or later the market will decide.
Watch this space for further updates whether Beament will sell more of his current 3,141,793 shareholdings. We think more will follow.


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UPS purchases Hungarian logistics firm CEMELOG
UPS today announced it will purchase the Hungarian pharmaceutical logistics company, CEMELOG Zrt, as part of an ongoing global growth and investment strategy.
Designed to strengthen UPS's healthcare reach and expertise in Europe, the acquisition aims to offer comprehensive, compliant services to customers in the pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device industries across the ‘increasingly important’ markets of Central and Eastern Europe.
Based outside of Budapest, CEMELOG has offered customers across Central and Eastern Europe tailor-made healthcare logistics solutions for the last fourteen years. Backed by a strong regional network, advanced warehousing management systems, full quality assurance services and an experienced workforce, the company helps healthcare clients maximize supply chain efficiencies, meet regulatory requirements and deliver products reliably and securely. CEMELOG's customers include some of the most recognized healthcare brands in the world.
UPS expects to complete the transaction in the second quarter of 2013, subject to customary closing conditions. Per company policy, terms of the deal are not disclosed.
"This acquisition is a continuation of our ongoing growth strategy across our business units and allows us to create innovative solutions for our customers that leverage UPS's global network," said Scott Davis, UPS Chairman and CEO. "It will position us well to meet the needs of healthcare companies in a key geographic location as they strive to regionalize logistics operations as a way to increase efficiencies."
"This is a tremendous development for our company," said Eva Magyari, CEMELOG Chief Executive Officer. "The sale serves the best interests of our employees and customers as it enables us to join a premier brand and global leader in healthcare logistics."
The acquisition adds three additional facilities of approximately 255,000 square feet (24,000 square meters) of healthcare distribution space to UPS's current European network. The announcement follows the opening of three new dedicated healthcare facilities across Asia in October 2012 and the expansion of five facilities across North America in early 2013. UPS now operates more than 6.4 million sq. ft. (nearly 595,000 square meters) of dedicated healthcare space in 41 facilities worldwide.


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Sharp Corporation is writing down a loss for the six-month period ending in September.
In a statement, the company said it will record an operating loss of $215 million, as opposed to the $82 million profit it had originally expected. The company also revised it forecast for the six-month period ending in March from an operating profit of 80 billion yen to 10 billion yen.
The company attributed the downturn to declining sales and a further drop in the market price from intensified competition in small- and medium- size LCDs for the smartphone business in the Chinese market.
The news comes after Sharp took a $1.7 billion bailout back in May.
Shares of the company were up just under 1 percent to 137 yen in afternoon trading.


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By Steve Reside
Blog note (added May 2, 2008)
Yesteray an article appeared in BusinessWeek entitle "The Mac in the Gray Flannel Suit", offering more evidence of the growing trend towards the use of Macs in the Enterprise. If you're still not paying attention to the growing Mac market as a place for you to build your business, you should be.
Here's an excerpt from the article.
Soon after Michele Goins became chief information officer at Juniper Networks (JNPR) in February, she decided to respond to the growing chorus of Mac lovers among the networking company's 6,100 employees. For years, many had used Apple's (AAPL) computers at home and clamored for them in the office as well. So she launched a test, letting 600 Juniper staffers use Macs instead of the standard-issue PCs that run Microsoft's (MSFT) Windows operating system. As long as the extra support costs aren't too high, she plans to open the floodgates. "If we opened it up today, I think 25% of our employees would choose Macs," she says.
Here's the original blog posting
Today, more than ever, the Mac has become a great platform to run a business on. But have you considered the Mac as a great platform to build a business on? If you haven't, you should.
In a recent article in InfoWorld entitled "The Mac in business: it's easier than you think", Galen Gruman discusses the growing movement of users demanding Macs in the enterprise — a trend that crosses all business areas and even the public sector.
"Once confined to marketing departments and media companies, the Mac is spilling over into a wider array of business environments, thanks to the confluence of a number of computing trends, not the least among them a rising tide of end-user affinity for the Apple experience."
Indeed, earlier this month Daniel Eran Dilger reported that IBM’s Research and Information Services group had launched an internal pilot program designed to study the possibility of moving significant numbers of employees to the Mac platform. Imagine that, the inventors of the ThinkPad "thinking different" on an Apple notebook!
According to the report, over 81% of the people in the pilot study said that the Mac offered a “better or best" experience when compared to their existing computers and 86% of the pilot users requested to keep the Mac.
Combine these observations with Apple’s record first quarter 2008 sales and revenue report and reports from Forrester that estimate Mac adoption for businesses tripled last year, and it's easy to see why many companies are looking to the Mac market to grow their business.
In January of 2007 I wrote a post that outlined how Mac’s TCO meant business to market2world communications. It was very clear to us then that the low TCO of ownership for Macs and the growing number of companies offering great business software on them was a recipe for success.
As Creative Director at market2world it has always been easy for me to find great software to fulfill my creative responsibilities, but now it’s becoming just as easy to find great software to help me perform all my business-related work too."We use Macs for everything from running our phone system using PhoneValet 5.0, to managing our contacts, tasks, projects, and invoicing using Daylite Productivity Suite 3 and Billings 2. And we seamlessly exchange documents with the corporate PC world using Microsoft Office."
There are just too many great examples of Mac-based software to list them here, but if you’re not convinced that Macs could support your business or offer a viable market for your products and services, check out companies such as Xsilva and their next generation POS (point of sales) software, FileMaker and their award-winning database software, or the ever pervasive Microsoft and their just released Office Suite for the Mac.
Each of these companies is thriving in a world that is beginning to "think different" about their computer platform of choice. You could too!
(Steve Reside is Vice President and Creative Director with market2world communications inc., Ottawa, Canada's Web 2.0 tech PR and product launch agency. Steve has produced podcasts for many organizations including MADD Canada, MD Funds, OCRIRadio.com and the Canadian Bar Association.)


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My grandmother would never have approved of my philosophy about car buying. Although I’ve bought several new cars, I’m also a huge advocate of buying used. Grandmother was not. “You are just buying somebody’s heartache,” she would say.
Yes, there are plenty of lemons out there. But increasingly, people don’t have to argue about new versus used. They are keeping cars for many years. My brother had a 1996 Toyota Camry that we bought used and have since passed on to a niece. Today the car, which she still drives, has more than 200,000 miles.
Penny pincher that I am, I was pleased to see a survey showing that the primary vehicle of 60 percent of the respondents has more than 100,000 miles. Two in three survey participants said they plan on driving their cars for more than 150,000 miles or “until it dies.”
And most said that even if the economy were better, it would not change their propensity to keep their vehicle longer.
Our data has been showing this trend for the past three years, but what is most compelling is that longer ownership has become an embedded habit.
It’s a good thing people are holding on to cars, because they won’t get a big price break on late-model used vehicles. The price gap between new and used vehicles in many segments has narrowed significantly, said Alec Gutierrez, senior market analyst for Kelley Blue Book. In a recent commentary, Gutierrez said new vehicles, on average, sell for only 11.5 percent more than a comparable one-year-old car. Used subcompact and compact cars offer an average savings of 5 to 7 percent.
“While traditionally shoppers would save thousands of dollars by purchasing a slightly used vehicle rather than new, this is no longer the case,” Gutierrez wrote.
Here’s the thing. If you’d like to hang on to your car for a decade or more, you’ve got to take care of it. That means a monthly allowance for car maintenance. Notice I didn’t say repairs. I mean put money away to get regular checkups so that a mechanic can identify issues before you’re on the side of the road with a steaming engine.
Set aside money (separate from your emergency fund) so that when recommended checkups come due, you’ll have the cash.
One of the most expensive mistakes is neglecting preventive maintenance and minor repairs. That rattle is telling you something. Squeaky brakes? Get them looked at before you hear a metal-on-metal sound. Preventive maintenance isn’t optional, especially if you drive to work. Do what you can to save up and regularly service your vehicle so you can avoid or at least minimize bills that will make you cry.
See all stories on this topic »


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Strong exports growth narrows U.S. trade deficit
U.S. exports grew by nearly $4 billion in March, the biggest increase in nine months.
This growth in exports helped narrow the U.S. trade deficit in March to $40.4 billion, down from $41.9 billion in February, according to the Commerce Department.
Imports also increased in March, which also could be interpreted as a good sign since that indicates businesses and consumers are spending more.
You can thank Boeing and other aerospace companies for much of the increase in exports: exports of civilian aircraft, including engine components, were up by $1.5 billion. Exports also were up for industrial supplies and automotive vehicles and parts. Consumer goods exports declined.
Growth in manufactured goods was disappointing, however, showing little change from a year ago, according to Chad Moutray, chief economist for the National Association of Manufacturers. He’s hopeful that “better worldwide growth rates will produce improved manufactured goods exports moving forward.”
America’s trade deficit with China narrowed, but trade deficits with South Korea, Mexico and Europe increased.
The Korean trade deficit is particularly troubling, said Alan Tonelson, a research fellow at the U.S. Business and Industry Council, since America’s free trade agreement with that country is the model for the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement.
“The March trade figures show a worsening U.S. performance in nearly all areas heavily influenced by American trade deals and policy, and represent a powerful indictment of President Obama’s approach to the global economy,” Tonelson said.
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The observations made by Repair Labs under a microscope.
According to a report released by Repair Labs, the quality of the screen which is owned by iPad mini, it is still above iPad second generation.
It is based on the quality of each screen tablet [...]
Want to buy the BlackBerry 10 but doubt whether it can be better than Android or iPhone? There are ways to overcome these doubts.
Quoted from Cnet, Tuesday (2/4), you can try this new OS directly either on Android or iOS devices via the browser.
It has been rumored for a long time by a number of observers.
Smartpone manufacturer from South Korea, starting today officially launched the Galaxy Note II version dual Sim Card.
In the official website of Samsung’s China, some observers expressed [...]
BBC Weather Twitter account today hijacked by a hacker group called the Syrian Electronic Army.
This hacker group is a group that supports the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, as reported by cnet.com (21/03).
Through Reuters, BBC ensure that their [...]
The news about the presence of the successor to the iPhone 5 more widely heard. If previously only known to be released summer of 2013, the latest info mengunkapkan that the smartphone is ready to go July.
Quoted from Techradar, Tuesday (30/4), about [...]
ASUS recently launched the newest whiz graphics card designed for small form factor PCs.
GeForce GTX 670 DirectCU Mini Series can be used for mini-ITX motherboards.
GTX 670 DirectCU Mini has a dual-slot with a length of only 17cm with NVIDIA GTX 670 [...]
Through Vietnam blog site, Tinthe.vn, it was reported that the latest generation iPhone that was allegedly named the iPhone 5S will have a 12 megapixel camera.
In addition, Apple also improve low-light photography feature so image quality in low-light [...]
According to previous reports in which 40 percent of the 70 thousand applications available for BlackBerry 10 is the result of the Android port, apparently Skype is one of them.
Quoted from Neowin, Friday (2/8), the Skype application on the BlackBerry [...]
The sound that tells you if there is a comment, leave, and other messages.
Facebook reportedly tested a sound alert system to notify the owner of the account when there is a friend who wrote, leave a message, comments, and so on.
Unpublished experiment [...]
There is a new leaked about brother Z10 is equipped with a physical QWERTY keypad, BlackBerry Q10.
Quoted from Techradar, Friday (22/3), BlackBerry Q10 reportedly will be launched on 26 April.
On price, smartphones with OS BlackBerry 10 is estimated [...]
Have you ever imagined playing your favorite PC games with an XBOX controller? If so, your dream might come true with the release of some updates from XBOX. As confirmed by XBOX official website, now it is possible to use an XBOX controller on our PC [...]


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Friends of the Library at New Location
Book Sales & More Now at the Depot
March 31, 2022
Last month the Hohenwald/Lewis County Chamber of Commerce approved the use of the old freight room in the back of the Welcome Center in the Hohenwald train depot to Friends of the Library. Formerly Hohenwald Marketplace, the space will now be used for book sales and other library supportive events. Thursday, March 29, 2022 is the first official book sale day at the depot from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Hohenwald/Lewis County Welcome Center is open from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monday through Wednesday each week, where all visitors to the Depot can also shop in the Booktique.


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Ontario Committed to Supporting Farmers, Building Stronger Agri-food Industry
Good news local food lovers–Ontario is moving forward to help promote the good things that are grown, harvested and processed in Ontario with today’s passage of the Local Food Act, 2013.
The new legislation is part of a strategy to build Ontario’s economy by making more local food available in markets, schools, cafeterias, grocery stores and restaurants. This will expand the province’s agri-food sector. A�This comes in the wake ofA�Ontario�s new Local Food Fund–a $30 million investment from the province to create jobs and support innovative local food projects over the next three years.
The new legislation — the first of its kind in Canada — will increase local food awareness, and boost sales by setting local food goals and targets in consultation with sector partners. The act will also create a non-refundable tax credit of 25 per cent for farmers who donate their surplus harvest to eligible community food programs such as food banks, and proclaim a Local Food Week that will take place annually, beginning the first Monday in June.
“The Local Food Act will benefit people by making the connection between buying local and helping grow an important Ontario industry. If we increase demand to homegrown food, we will create jobs and boost the agri-food sector�s contributions to our economy. It�s an important and historic step forward and I thank everyone who helped support this legislation.”
�A�Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario and Minister of Agriculture and Food
Building a stronger agri-food industry is part of the government’s economic plan to support a dynamic and innovative business climate, invest in people and invest in infrastructure.
The province�s agri-food sector currently contributes approximately $34 billion to the economy and supports more than 740,000 jobs across Ontario.A�Our farmers produce more than 200 commodities, including fruits, vegetables, livestock, dairy, poultry, grains and oil seeds–our processors purchase about two-thirds of the food that is produced on the province�s farms.
This week, they’re all celebrating.


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Bath-based Hawker Joinery – one of the best-known heritage businesses in the country – will be celebrating its centenary in grand style this Friday.
Hawker Joinery will be marking 100 years of making bespoke joinery with a grand dinner and dance attended by the Mayor of Bath, Councillor Patrick Anketell Jones on Friday at the Pump Room.
Originally founded by Frederick William Hawker in 1919, the company began life by making crane boxes for the globally renowned Bath company Stothert and Pitt.
Frederick established a base at the rear of his home in Northend, Batheaston that evolved into 20,000sqf plus of workshops.
Through four family generations Hawkers grew to become one of the best-known heritage businesses that has cared for many properties from Windsor Castle to the Royal Crescent and everything in between.
The dinner will be attended by 17 direct descendants of FW Hawker and Colin Frayling the great grandson of the founder will be regaling the 150 strong attendees with stories of the first 100 years. Mitchell Thomas, Commercial Director, will propose the toast and thank all of the present 25 staff, customers and suppliers.
Hawkers has recently benefitted by significant investment that sees it operate from a brand new Frome based workshop and will be opening a new sales and display office on Queens Parade Place, Bath in March this year.
As a result, the company is very much looking forward to the next 100 years and further building on Frederick’s legacy!


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As the prices of Apple (AAPL.O) and other stocks it owns dropped on Saturday, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRKa.N) reported its first overall quarterly loss in a year. However, the company claimed that an increase in its insurance business drove operational profit to a record.
In the third quarter, Berkshire sold $5.3 billion more stocks than it purchased, sending its cash stake to a record $157.2 billion, signaling worry about prices even as its businesses performed better overall.
Berkshire also slowed repurchases of its own stock, buying back $1.1 billion in the third quarter.
Investors watch Berkshire closely because its results often reflect broader economic trends, and because of Buffett’s reputation as an investor.
The third-quarter net loss more than quadrupled to $12.77 billion, or $8,824 per Class A share, from $2.8 billion a year earlier.
Results included $23.5 billion of losses from investments, primarily reflecting a 12% decline in the stock price of Apple, in which Berkshire had owned a $177.6 billion stake.
Berkshire’s net results swing widely from quarter to quarter because accounting rules require the company to report investment gains and losses even if it buys and sells nothing. Buffett says the resulting volatility is usually meaningless.
Operating profit rose 41% to $10.76 billion, or $7,444 per Class A share, from $7.65 billion a year earlier.


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Narrative Founder James Broadbent on NZ’s Covid-19 Response in Fast Company
In a Fast Company story, internationally renowned photographer and the CEO of Auckland-based Narrative, James Broadbent describes how New Zealand efficiently executed its pandemic response. He argues this same efficiency makes the country an equally desirable place to do business.
“I was born and raised in New Zealand. In 2018, I launched a New Zealand-based tech startup that provides software to photographers around the world. We’ve grown to employ talent from companies like Uber and Google, and recently launched a new AI product, which has continued to take root, even amid the emergence of COVID-19 and resultant global health and economic crisis. None of this is a coincidence,” Broadbent says.
“The swift response of our prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, in locking down borders and providing instant economic support to small businesses have been key contributors to the management of the pandemic.
“At the same time in the US, lives and businesses were tragically lost.
“New Zealand’s government has given their emotional and fiscal support to [reopening], breathing life back into our businesses with financial support via programmes established long before the crisis hit, communicating empathetically and definitively, and showing their commitment to our health as a nation – both physically and economically.”
Original article by James Broadbent, Fast Company, June 22, 2020.


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Debbie Eyler says there’s nothing like seeing a child’s eyes light up with joy when she or he finds the perfect toy. She’s witnessed this magic moment many times as the owner of Toy Nation on Capital City NE.
Eyler believes the perfect toy isn’t something that just keeps the child busy. It helps children develop creatively and intellectually.
“The toys we carry help enrich a child’s life. That might involve more parental involvement, but we think that’s a good thing,” said Eyler.
“Our items focus on developing free-thinking and imaginative play,” she said.
The staff, including co-owner Elizabeth Holop, takes a hands-on approach to customer service, often playing games with the children and providing gift wrapping services.
Toy Nation features toys like Lammily, a doll which empowers children of all shapes and sizes to develop self-esteem, have a positive body image and to be accepting of others. According to the toy designer, Lammily is the first doll to use realistic body shape and proportions in its design.
The store also carries Lux blocks, American-made building blocks which let children build structures that curve, bend, and move.
For the older child, Toy Nation sells paint ball equipment and Eyler’s husband, Mark, owns Tallahassee Paint Ball Sports.
“Toys have a big influence on kids and their development,” said Eyler. “Quality toys inspire active and thinking play.”
Toy Nation is in The Festival Shopping Plaza at 2746 Capital Circle NE, right of El Jalisco. Hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.


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Delhi startup NuGenomics uses AI/ML to recommend lifestyle changes based on genetic testing
Founded by Rahul Ranganathan and Dr Balamurali AR, NuGenomics combines multiple information points from a user to create a comprehensive picture of current and future health.
Monday April 25, 2022,
5 min Read
After completing his master’s in molecular biology, Rahul Ranganathan went on to do an MBA from XLRI Jamshedpur. He then spent the next seven years at various organisations likeand to learn how a business works.
“Seven years in the corporate sector, I realised that I now know how business works. But science and genomics was my first love. I decided it was time to combine the two,” Rahul tells YourStory.
Rahul started Answer Genomics, a genetic research organisation, in November 2019. After two years of extensive research, patents, and on-ground testing, Answer Genomics launched its consumer-facing brand, NuGenomics, in July 2021.
“This is a dream that has almost been eight years in the making,” says Rahul.
Founded by Rahul and Dr Balamurali AR, NuGenomics is a machine learning and Human Genomics Organisation. The Delhi-based startup combines multiple information points from a user to create a comprehensive picture of current and future health.
The two founders had connected over loss of family members to cancer.
Dr Balamurali was previously employed at Alcovia Technologies, Samsung, and Cognizant. He was a Postdoc Researcher at Laboratoire d’Informatique Fondamentale in France.
They decided to work to identify a better way to focus on data-driven health management and use genomics to predict, prognose, and allow for early diagnosis, recalls Rahul.
The startup has a team of 20 employees, including consultants and interns.
How it works?
uses patented technology to prognose, prevent, diagnose, and cure lifestyle disorders by providing health-oriented data, insights, and actionable suggestions made by its AI/ML system as opposed to a nutritionist.
The startup uses close to 5 million information points per individual to provide personalised and actionable suggestions in a micro-recommendation format to optimise both short-term and long-term health.
The startup’s product offerings include Genetic Test Report, which is priced at Rs 8,999 and it helps people understand their pre-dispositions towards cholesterol, HDL, LDL, Triglyceride, and Blood Sugar levels along with several other conditions to help their existing trainers and nutritionists.
Other offerings include DNA-based complete health check-up, DNA-based Weight Loss Programme in 111 days, DNA-based Weight Gain Programme in 111 days, and DNA-based Holistic Wellness Programme. The startup charges a one-time fee between Rs 10,000 and Rs 18,000.
Before the pandemic, when the startup was conducting on-ground tests, NuGenomics started conducting saliva-based genetic tests. However, over the course of the pandemic, the startup switched to blood tests.
The reports generated from these tests give the customers knowledge about their macro and micro nutrient requirements, food sensitivities, and intolerances, while the AI/ML-based system suggests lifestyle changes.
“When you give a particular set of information to a nutritionist and ask for recommendations, and then give the same set of information to the system, the system is more accurate. Because as humans, we are able to look at 5-7 different data points together while creating an ideal plan for the person. But the system looks at 5 million data points,” explains Rahul.
The market and business
According to a report by Market Data Forecast, the genetic testing market in Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.65 percent to $15.33 billion by 2027.
Geographically, the Indian genetic testing market is the fastest growing in the APAC region “owing to various diseases and developments in the healthcare sector,” the report said.
Asia Pacific is expected to register a significant growth rate due to increased disposable income, increased healthcare expenditure, increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, and rising government initiatives to spread the awareness regarding genetic testing, a report by Precedence Research said.
NuGenomics offers its services directly to consumers and also has a B2B model where it partners with organisations to conduct testing for employees.
The startup has tested a total of 500 customers until now. NuGenomics has also tied up with companies such as Myntra, Car-Dekho, Gameskraft, Purple Quarters, and Aveva to conduct gene testing for their c-suite employees.
The company raised an undisclosed amount of funding from India Accelerator and Lyxel&Flamingo, an independent digital media company, in June 2021.
Competition and USP
The startup sees competition from companies like Mapmygenome, The Gene Box, MedGenome Labs, Strand Life Sciences, Centogene, and Eurofins Product Testing, among others.
“For us, the most differentiating factor is that we went through extensive research to filter out markers from the global marker list that is available to see the kind of effect genetic markers have on the Indian population,” says Rahul.
“If you get this done from elsewhere, you will find standard markers which are being used in Europe and America. We went down to ensure that the markers that we are looking at are valid for the Indian population,” he explains.
The startup also uses AI, which can look at multiple data points and not just blood markers and thus give a more comprehensive report about why the AI has made a certain recommendation.
In the next few months, the startup is looking to launch PCOS testing and a few other health products for women. NuGenomics is also working on developing products by focusing on immunity.
“We want to develop a range of products, reach out to different people, and discuss the problem they have and provide a solution,” says Rahul.
“At the end of the day, the idea is to have a personal health assistant in your hand, which has your genetics, your current blood levels, and your vitals, so that if there is a problem coming in your future, there is something that can give you real time recommendations and prevent that from happening.”
Edited by Megha Reddy


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<img src = "https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Shattered-Obelisk-800×450.jpg" alt = "A threatening explosion from an earlier release window New world Obelisk. "/>
Enlarge /. A threatening explosion from a previous release window, as seen in this New World obelisk.
After years of playing with game launches, mostly in the mobile and free-to-play space, Amazon Game Studios seemed ready to make a splash in 2020 with two big new games with extensive online components. Today that number drops to zero.
New World, a fantasy MMO that centers on the colonization of a new continent, was released publicly from August 25 to "Spring 2021". The news came in a Friday update on the game's blog from studio director Richard Lawrence, who cited the lack of "middle and endgame experiences" of the current game as the reason for the months-long delay.
Help players "understand"
This delay means that the studio's original plans for a closed beta test scheduled to start in July 2020 have been canceled. This test would have been reserved for paying customers only. In a way, this is still happening: Paying customers can still participate in the game's "Closed Alpha" test on the original retail start date on August 25, but only for a short trial period. Lawrence has not determined how long this trial will take, but he told fans that such a test will help players understand "why we want to take the extra time to make this experience as good as possible To make publication ".
The New World trailer for June 2020 before the release date was adjusted.
Taken by itself, this week's delay seems to be a standard problem in the gaming industry, especially when lights like Shigeru Miyamoto are attributed quotes like "A delayed game is good after all, but a rash game is bad forever".
But Amazon Games is now 0-2 with game launches this year, since the launch of the Action MOBA melting pot was canceled in May, less than two months after Steam's public bow. This game continues to run in a closed-beta, invitation-only state, and it has received a warm update for its small population, including its first voice chat feature, last week – although developers haven't yet made plans to launch it have announced chat, a function that is probably better suited for random online matchmaking of MOBA games.
The fact that a brand new MMO with so little endgame content could be so close to the start may seem surprising to fans of series like World of WarCraft. However, this edition has plagued some notable game-as-a-service launches recently, particularly the first Destiny in 2014 and Anthem in 2019. BioWare fans, by the way, are still waiting for further updates to their Anthem overhaul plans; The last thing we heard was a vague May announcement about slow progress on this front.


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Cricket Australia has cancelled 1300 Ashes tickets after an investigation into internet auction sales.
Yes, if one resells the ticket online, the ticket becomes useless.
"Where people purchase tickets from a scalper at a premium, they're in breach of the terms and conditions," he said. "We will, where appropriate, cancel those tickets."
What exactly is the point of this condition? Why not have the tickets go to the highest bidder?
The tickets were only made available to Australian residents but thousands of English supporters used contacts in Australia to bypass the system.
Cricket Australia is making foolish rules and then wasting its resources by trying to enforce them. It should take the initiative and auction off the tickets to begin with and make money off the whole thing. It's not like that's evil. It would simply be meeting the market demand.


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Serious Sam 3: BFE heading to XBLA
Croteam has announced that they will be releasing the latest installment in their old-school FPS Serious Sam series on Xbox Live Arcade.
Serious Sam 3: BFE has already been released on the PC and the XBLA release will give Xbox gamers a taste of Sam's most up-to-date adventure yet with the campaign available to play in single player, online co-op and split-screen co-op modes.
Croteam's creative boss Davor Hunski said, "Ever since we announced Serious Sam 3: BFE our fans have asked us to bring the game to Xbox LIVE Arcade. Boom. Done."
Serious Sam 3: BFE will be released on XBLA on October the 17th at 1200 MS Points. Xbox gamers will also get access to the Jewel Of the Nile expansion pack which will add a expansion to the campaign mode and competitive multiplayer modes including Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Last Team Standing and My Burden for a further 1200 MS Points.
- Call of Duty: Black Ops III is coming to the PS3 and Xbox 360 after all
- Tomonobu Itagaki's Devil's Third gets a release date
- Adr1ft is coming to PC and consoles at the end of the summer
- EA gives the new Mirror's Edge a name – Mirror's Edge Catalyst
- ZombiU PS4 and Xbox One port reportedly in the works
- Mike Bithell's Volume to be released this August
- Gearbox's new shooter Battleborn gets a pre-E3 trailer
- Steam Controller launches in October, Steam Machines arrive in November
- Gears Of War devs Black Tusk change their name to The Coalition ahead of E3


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The Gulf Construction Expo 2021, Bahrain’s showcase for construction and building materials, will take place from 2nd to 4th November at the Bahrain International Exhibition & Convention Centre (BIECC).
The Gulf Construction Expo provides a forum for promoting Bahrain’s construction industry. Furthermore, it will allow the businesses in the construction industry to take advantage of the exhibitions’ numerous business growth and promotional opportunities.
“The economy has suffered for the last year and the current forecasts are showing positive signs of recovery and growth. The exhibitions sector contributes a valuable platform to showcase products, ideas as part of a holistic business strategy,” said Jubran Abdulrahman, the Managing Director of Hilal Conferences and Exhibitions, the organizers of the show.
“As Bahrain’s vaccination strategy takes effect, we expect a return to a new normal in business and society. For the show in November, all precautions will be implemented to ensure the safety of our exhibitors and visitors,” he commented.
This international Expo for construction machinery, building material, and construction vehicles provides the construction sector in the GCC with a professional platform for networking, investment, and the exchange of ideas and information.
“Gulf Construction Expo visitors can expect a diverse expo covering different categories and products within the construction industry; which will be delivered to standards that will build on the Expo’s reputation as being the leading construction sector event in the northern Gulf,” Mr. Abdulrahman added.
According to the statement, “Gulf Construction Expo will run alongside the Gulf Property Show and Interiors Expo providing a unique integrated business-to-business platform for the construction, interiors and property sectors in the Northern Gulf.”


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BENGALURU/MUMBAI (Reuters) – Bodily gold demand in China continued to be within the doldrums this week because the coronavirus-led restrictions stalled exercise, with sellers within the high client providing large reductions.
Merchants and sellers quoted large reductions of about $50 to $70 over benchmark spot costs in China, the most important on document as per information going again until 2014.
“Within the quick time period, till the coronavirus disappears, I don’t see any bodily demand in China,” mentioned Peter Fung, head of dealing at Wing Fung Valuable Metals.
Spot gold costs traded between $1,672.69 and $1,746.50 an oz. this week, a peak since 2012. [GOL/]
“I heard jewelry shops stocked up in January in order that they’re now caught with all of that and this week, may very well be extra keen on promoting for money,” mentioned Samson Li, a Hong Kong-based treasured metals analyst at Refinitiv GFMS.
The Hong Kong market, nevertheless, did exhibit some indicators of regular exercise, with premiums round $0.50-$1.00.
“We resumed operations so we’re getting higher however on the financial system facet, most outlets are nonetheless closed,” mentioned Dick Poon, common supervisor at Heraeus Metals Hong Kong Ltd.
Singapore noticed premiums of $1.50-$3 an oz., though restrictions strained provide and decreased retail exercise, merchants mentioned.
“Bullion gross sales stay very excessive as purchasers scramble to guard their wealth in bodily gold and silver amidst the disaster in the true financial system,” mentioned Vincent Tie, gross sales supervisor at Silver Bullion, including prospects had been choosing on-line purchases.
Singapore’s annual exports development accelerated in March, pushed by a soar in shipments of prescription drugs and gold.
Nonetheless, excessive premiums on retail gold has slowed bodily demand, mentioned Spencer Campbell, director at Valuable Metals Consultants SE Asia Consulting in Singapore.
On the earth’s second largest bullion client, India, an prolonged lockdown stored bodily gold buying and selling suspended whereas native costs soared to a document.
“Bullion business is just not anticipating any form of respite from the lockdown in close to future,” mentioned a Mumbai-based seller with a bullion importing financial institution.
India’s gold consumption in 2020 may fall as a lot as 50% from final yr because the lockdown has closed jewelry shops throughout key pageant and marriage ceremony seasons.
Japan, which additionally not too long ago declared an emergency as a result of outbreak, noticed premiums of $0.50-$1.00 an oz., a Tokyo-based retailer mentioned, including provide constraints led to a slight rise in premiums from final week’s $0.50 degree.
In the meantime, in Thailand, cash-strapped residents rushed to promote gold in Bangkok’s Chinatown as costs within the Thai baht surged to an all-time excessive this week.
Reporting by Okay. Sathya Narayanan and Arpan Varghese in Bengaluru and Rajendra Jadhav in Mumbai; Modifying by Rashmi Aich


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The 2018/19 Spanish orange campaign has been marked by the low prices paid to producers and the concerns about the entry into the Spanish market of citrus fruits from South Africa. While the domestic market continues to absorb the invasion of foreign products, as denounced by the sector, the producers suffer the devaluation of their oranges to unprecedented levels.
One of the people affected this campaign has been the producer Enrique Llopis, from the municipality of Algemesí, who has been paid 118.41 Euro for the 7,872.5 kg of Valencia Late oranges grown in one of his fields. Also, for the 2,542 kg of first class oranges, he has received 106.76 Euro, which is just over four cents per kilo.
Llopis says that "never, not even in the worst campaigns," had he seen prices like those paid this year. There is a diversity of crops in his plantations, so he has been able to see first-hand how much of a difference is there in the price of the various products. While kakis have generated a profit, the prices of the Navel Late and other orange varieties have not even covered the production costs. Therefore, the final balance has been one of losses.


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Airtel rolls out 138 new 4G sites across Zambia
Investment in network continues, with extended reach and 5G launch on the cards.
Dec 7, 2022
Zambia's fourth operator to launch operations in January 2023
Wholly-owned local firm said it would invest US$400-million and create more than 450 direct jobs when it commences operations.
Dec 1, 2022
Zambia: country must hold off on e-voting plans says gov’t
Authorities say country cannot proceed as intended by the Electoral Commission of Zambia until it has reliable network coverage and connectivity.
Nov 29, 2022
Zambia targets 100% network coverage by 2024
Government plans to leverage revenue generated from spectrum auction to invest in telecommunications tower construction.
Oct 31, 2022
Zambia’s Tech Minister calls for ICT ‘reboot’
Felix Mutati orders industry regulator to investigate poor network connectivity.
Oct 25, 2022
Zambia ties up tax loophole with new levy on business mobile money transactions
Country’s Revenue Authority approves new tax similar to that applied to banks.
Oct 18, 2022
Airtel Zambia latest telco to secure spectrum
Airtel Networks Zambia has purchased 60 MHz of additional spectrum spread across the 800 MHz and 2600 MHz bands.
Oct 17, 2022
Cellulant Zambia secures strategic deal with Lusaka business chamber
Company’s payment platform Tinggs will enable organisation’s members to accept payments from their customers’ mobile money wallets.
Huawei Technologies Zambia
Jun 27, 2022
Fresh tech skills initiative to empower Zambia’s youth
Huawei Technologies and country’s government focus long-standing alliance on ICT training.
May 18, 2022
Hackers nail Zambia’s Central Bank
Bank confirms partial disruption to IT systems and applications.
May 4, 2022
Criminals target Zambia’s mobile money agents
Authorities have called for calm amid a spate of abductions.
Mar 30, 2022
Zambia has deactivated two million SIM cards so far
Regulator says it is “working tirelessly” to combat rising digital fraud.
No results :(


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In July 2016, reports surfaced online that Google is working on a new series of Android smartwatches codenamed ‘Angelfish’ and ‘Swordfish’. The latest leak by the Twitter user @evleaks confirms this rumor, saying they are expected to arrive in the first quarter of 2017.
The forte of the new Google Android watches would be ‘Google Assistant”. They would be running Android Wear 2.0. Among the two, Google smartwatch with Angelfish as codename will be the larger device, featuring a 43.5mm diameter screen, 14mm thick and support LTE, GPS and heart rate tracking. There will be three buttons as seen in LG smartwatch Urbane LTE.
The smaller variant Swordfish will be similar to Pebble Time Round and will feature a single button on the right-side of the device’s body. The diameter is expected to be 42mm and the thickness may come around 10.6mm. It may not come with LTE, GPS, or heart-rate monitor supports. The renders appeared showed the smartwatches to feature curved bezel.
Google Angelfish smartwatch is expected to be launched in matte Dark Grey color, while the Swordfish may come in Silver, Titanium, and Rose gold color variants. There is still no information about the branding these watches would carry. It would be interesting to see how Google's first smartwatch turns out to be. Unlike the Pixel phones, we hope Google prices its smartwatches reasonably.


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London's leading founder and investor network London Innovators, hosted SeedLegals founder and CEO Anthony Rose for a keynote speech at Aviva this Monday 27th February.
London Innovators comprises 1000 pioneers, with members either founding or investing in the current wave of emerging technology.
Members of the invitation-only network include What3Words founder, Chris Sheldrick; Everledger blockchain founder Leanne Kemp; Daniel Hegarty, founder of the UK's first AI-powered digital mortgage broker Habito; and rising star in micro-biome skincare, Marie Drago, founder of Gallinée.
Anthony shared his personal innovation story, from adventures at the p2p file-sharing platform Kazaa, to building the BBC iPlayer, to his life as a serial founder of Zeebox (Beamly) and 6Tribes, which have both been acquired in the past 2 years. Anthony spoke of the challenges facing founders from product innovation, to commercialisation to investment, referencing his history as the backdrop to his conception of SeedLegals, and the reasons for wanting to give founders an online-only way to build their business.
Anthony concluded with his vision of the future of innovation, in which cloud based automation and continuous funding models will serve as catalysts to increasingly expedited growth trajectories for startups and investors.


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Public self-storage was once the only option for those looking for storage, however, mobile mini storage is a much more efficient alternative that is a big timesaver for customers.
(PRWEB) January 31, 2013
A Mobile Storage Advantages Over Self-Storage report released by MobileOfficeQuotes.com offers helpful tips for those who are considering mobile storage, according to MobileOfficeQuotes.com, the leading provider of online quotes for mobile offices, mobile storage and modular buildings recently announced. The new report, designed for businesses and homeowners looking for a more secure, private option for storing their personal belongings or for office storage. Tyler Smith, MobileOfficeQuotes.com spokesman said, “Public self-storage was once the only option for those looking for storage, however, mobile storage is a much more efficient alternative that is a big timesaver for customers.”
With mobile storage, customers pack, load and unload items on their own schedule, without having to deal with the hassle of hiring a moving truck and making multiple trips to a storage center. Smith said, “One of the biggest reported advantages of mobile storage over self storage is that it actually costs less and saves time in the end, and is a much more convenient option overall. And for busy employees and homeowners, anything that makes their lives easier is always appreciated.”
In addition to providing helpful resources like the mini storage advantages of self-storage report, the expert staff at MobileOfficeQuotes.com also provides competitive quotes for homes and businesses that are looking to expand their physical space with temporary storage options that include mobile storage. Mini storage utilizes heavy-duty container materials and air ride suspension trucks to ensure safe transfer and delivery of items, making it easy to store antiques, furniture or business-related materials safely and securely. Customers can get free, no obligation quotes for mobile storage at MobileOfficeQuotes.com.
Since 2010, Mobileofficequotes.com has been the leading quote provider for mobile office rentals, storage containers, steel buildings and modular buildings. Dedicated to providing the highest level of service, customers can request free quotes online by submitting their contact information, along with a short online form, at Mobileofficequotes.com.


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Via Publishers Weekly
Scribd, a digital distribution, document storage and book discovery platform, is launchng a subscription e-book service that will give users access to an unlimited number of books for $8.99 a month. The all-you-can-read service can be accessed by all smartphone, tablet and laptop device platforms and will offer thousands of backlist books to subscribers—including a majority of the HarperCollins’ backlist—as well as the opportunity to buy titles directly.
In an interview at the PW offices with Scribd cofounder and CEO Trip Adler and Scribd v-p of marketing Julie Haddon, the two said the service is working closely with HarperCollins to offer Scribd subscribers access to thousands of its titles. Adler said the Scribd subscription
service has been in operation since January in a soft launch and he said the HarperCollins titles “gives us a critical mass of books.” Adler said the service “has been growing by 60% each month.”
Users pay $8.99 per month and can access their content through any mobile device, laptop or desktop as well as via the web. The Scribd model allows nonsubscription users to sample free excerpts of the subscription titles, but Scribd subscribers can logon on the online site to get full-text. The new subscription model also allows users to read up to 10 titles offline as long as their subscription is current.
Adler said payments are made to publishers every time a book is “read,” a trigger that is determined by a formula Adler described as “a complicated analytics system.”
While we are on the topic of Scribd, don’t forget to visit our Scribd page
. We’ve uploaded more than 200 titles and are continuing to upload new books to our site. All the books are free to read as well as download! Happy reading!!


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A court in California has allowed Samsung Electronics to include Apple's iPhone 5 among the products alleged to have infringed its patents, while also allowing Apple to amend its infringement contentions to include the Jelly Bean operating system and...
Samsung will launch its hotly anticipated Galaxy Note II Android phone in Australia "next week" through Telstra, Optus and Vodafone, but no contract pricing or plan details have been revealed yet.
Samsung on Thursday announced a new 64GB memory chip for smartphones and tablets, which it says is 20 percent smaller and a third faster than current technology.
Apple dropped out of the top five list in China's smartphone market for the third quarter, as local handset vendors saw their shipments surge from the sales of low-priced smartphone models, according to research firm Canalys.
Samsung will unveil the Galaxy Note II Android smartphone in Australia in mid-November, following an invitation sent to the media today for a "highly anticipated launch".
The tiles-based user interface of Microsoft's new Windows Phone 8 platform will help strike a chord with consumers who are familiar with the new PC-based Windows 8 operating system, the company said today.
Windows Phone 8 was launched in Sydney at Blu Bar on 36 in the Shangri-La Hotel overlooking the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Microsoft's Ben Miller, Megan Howard and Brett Murray led the event. Representatives of Samsung, Nokia and HTC, all unveiled their ...
The best 7-inch tablets available today, including tablets from ASUS, Samsung, Lenovo and HTC. And all 7 of these 7-inchers cost less than Apple's brand new iPad mini tablet.
Nokia has dropped off the list of the top five smartphone vendors in the third quarter, facing stiff competition from Samsung and Apple globally, and from high-growth vendors like Huawei in China, where Nokia was the dominant player as recently as th...
Verizon Wireless, like AT&T, will start shipping the Samsung Galaxy Note II in November, but its subscribers will have to wait a bit longer than users on competing networks.
Samsung Galaxy S II owners will be upgraded to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich in the first quarter of 2012, the Korean manufacturer has announced.
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission should investigate Verizon Wireless for allegedly blocking Google Wallet on a new smartphone available to the carrier's customers, a law professor has said.
In 2011, the increasingly mobile and socially networked world of technology became more intertwined than ever with politics and the law. Patent wars shaped competition in tablets and smartphones, hacktivists attacked a widening array of political and...
Vodafone has become the first Australian telco to announce availability of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Android tablet, with pre-orders for the device opening today at 4pm on both 12 and 24 month contract plans.
Samsung has finally won the right to officially sell its Galaxy Tab 10.1 Android tablet in Australia, following the Federal Court of Australia's decision to reject Apple's request to appeal today.
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Food Autonomy is opgericht voor het ontwikkelen van wereldklasse led-verlichting en slimme oplossingen die worden gebruikt in precisie-tuinbouw activiteiten.
Flexibele LED systemen, ontworpen voor in kassen en voor meerlagenteelt
Geproduceerd in Europa
Betrouwbaarheid en ervaring
Canada’s Hamill APS, a manufacturer of agricultural processing equipment, and Food Autonomy have teamed up to manufacture and promote machinery and solutions used by microgreen growers worldwide. Hamill plans to use the business model established with the Hungarian company to increase its footprint across the globe.Lees meer
Vertical farming holds the promise of being a solution for global food security while also leaving a much smaller carbon footprint than traditional agriculture. The challenge is to make this business broadly applicable and competitive in terms of price. Dutch start-up Glowfarms, together with Food Autonomy, plan to do just that.Lees meer
Sustainability is becoming a key concept in greenhouse horticulture as growers seek to reduce energy consumption while achieving better yields. Wageningen University in the Netherlands joined forces with Hungary-based lighting provider Food Autonomy to deliver the best lighting conditions for pot anthurium grown in greenhouse conditions.Lees meer


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It’s certainly a good week for Indian tea brands. A couple of days ago, Chaayos a chain of tea cafes that manufacture their own tea announced a tie up with the IRCTC. Now, reports say that the Delhi based premium tea and coffee brand Bonhomia has raised $1 million in angel funding.
Bonhomia In A Capsule
Bonhomia was launched in 2014 by parent company, Indulge Beverages (co-founded by Kunal Bhagat and Tuhin Jain).
They differentiate themselves by selling Indian-made premium, gourmet tea and coffee capsules that are compatible with Nespresso machines and regular coffee makers.
Recently, Bonhomia also launched their own brewing machine, Boho: The Coffee Brewer, along with a milk frother to enhance cups of coffee.
Today, Bonhomia coffee and tea capsules are offered as a part of room amenities in five star hotels like the Westin, Four Points, The Oberoi and the Taj Hotels.
The capsules are also sold across cities through gourmet grocery stores such as Nature’s Basket and FoodHall as well as online through the brand’s own website and Snapdeal.
About The Funding
The $1 million funding round was led by Alok Rawat, the president of FGWilson, Neeta Mirchandani, of Kae Capital and Kanwaljit Singh, the founder of Fireside Ventures.
“We have sold over 1 lakh capsules in the last month, besides expansion the funds are going to be used to improve our back-end capabilities and develop our team,” said Bhagat to the Economic Times.
So, with this round of funding, coffee and tea lovers can be sure that Bonhomia will soon develop a larger, on ground presence across India.


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Pharrowtech 60GHz high speed wireless evaluation board launches in next step to offering first viable fiber alternative
Pharrowtech’s board will allow ODM/OEMs and service providers to test capabilities of Pharrowtech’s solution to support high speed internet roll-out
Pharrowtech, which designs and develops mmWave hardware and software for next-generation wireless applications, has announced the availability of its first generation evaluation board. This kit will allow telecom vendors to test the capabilities of Pharrowtech’s mmWave RFIC technology and its suitability for delivering gigabit-speed broadband access to non-viable locations as a low-cost, easy-to-install alternative to fiber. It can also be used to assess compatibility with other applications requiring low power and ultrafast, low latency wireless connectivity. The Pharrowtech mmWave RFIC technology can be paired with Renesas’ RWM605x family of baseband wireless modems to deliver a full chipset solution. This combination will allow vendors to evaluate multi-gigabit performance for their next generation wireless access solutions.
The worldwide demand for broadband and higher internet speeds is accelerating, yet today’s technology is incapable of fulfilling global needs. While fiber delivers high speeds, it has proven to be prohibitively expensive and disruptive to deploy. The mmWave 60GHz unlicensed spectrum band offers an alternative capable of delivering reliable gigabit data speeds similar to fiber at a fraction of the deployment and ownership costs.
Pharrowtech designs and develops RFIC hardware and associated software that caters to the 60GHz mmWave band, suitable for low power, high-volume applications. It has proven to deliver a much more reliable and robust service than other similar products on the market, making it viable for residential and business wireless use.
Marco Bello, Pharrowtech VP Marketing and Product Management, said: “Over the last two years we have been laser focused on developing a product that is robust and reliable, capable of delivering consistent high throughput which is comparable to fiber. This is essential to remove the barriers to enabling ubiquitous, low-cost and high speed internet to everyone. We have already received significant interest from key industry players and today’s platform launch means service providers, ODM/OEMs will be able to evaluate the full potential of our technology for themselves. We will soon announce our first field trial with significant partners including a leading service provider”.
Pharrowtech was founded in 2018 as a spin off from imec, where the founding team led CMOS IP generation and prototype development in mmWave wireless systems for more than 15 years. In 2019, the company secured more than €6 million in seed funding from imec-Xpand, Bloc Ventures and the KBC Focus Fund.


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The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance is alive and well. Sure, for a moment there, it seemed like the Alliance and the shared funding campaign, Alliance Ventures, may have to disassemble under the pressure of the Coronavirus pandemic continuing to keep the auto industry and the auto market in disarray. However, in February 2020, the Alliance announced the discussion of Medium-term plans for Alliance 2022, the roadmap for each of the three brands in the coming years. Since the Alliance formed, we’ve been waiting for the first rebadged vehicle to appear, and it turns out the next plug-in hybrid from Mitsubishi Motors will be based on the first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) by Nissan, the Rogue Sport. But wait, wasn’t Mitsubishi in charge of plug-in hybrid technology?
Yes, Mitsubishi Motors is supposed to be at the cornerstone of the plug-in hybrid triangle, with Nissan in charge of electric vehicles (EV) and Renault focused on self-driving technology and connected services. At least, that’s how things have gone up until now. Perhaps the medium-term plans originally set for this month will shine some light on that. Until then, Mitsubishi is getting some technology from Nissan, but it wasn’t the shared EV platform by Nissan we’ve been reading about. Instead, Nissan will be supplementing Mitsubishi with a plug-in hybrid powertrain for the next generation of the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.
Hold the phone! Mitsubishi Motors, in charge of plug-in hybrid technology, is going to have its own plug-in hybrid SUV powered by Nissan? It just doesn’t make any sense, but according to Automotive News, the next Outlander will be powered by a Nissan engine, and the PHEV will come with the same hybrid powertrain of the Rogue Sport. The Outlander is definitely making the change, but doesn’t Mitsubishi have a couple of great concepts to replace the Outlander and Outlander PHEV already?
During the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show, Mitsubishi debuted the Engelberg Tourer concept, a plug-in hybrid SUV designed to replace the Outlander PHEV. The Engelberg Tourer even has the same powertrain design with two electric motors, one on each axle of the SUV. Equipped with Mitsubishi Motors signature “Super” All-Wheel Control technology, the Engelberg Tourer was already superior to the Outlander PHEV with an all-electric range of 43 miles and a total range of 434 miles. Then there was the MI-TECH at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show.
Mitsubishi Motors really got lucky being able to release two concepts last year, and the MI-TECH Electric Buggy was definitely something else. A completely new take on plug-in hybrid vehicles, not only did Mitsubishi double the number of electric motors again, pairing one with each wheel, but the gasoline engine is no longer an internal combustion engine. Instead, under the hood will be a gas turbine engine, like a freaking jet! Surely this could be the next Outlander PHEV is turned into an SUV instead of a dune buggy.
We’re all waiting to hear what the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance has planned for Alliance 2022 and Alliance Ventures over the next few years. Find out when we cover the news and updates when you follow Miami Lakes Mitsubishi on social media.


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KATHMANDU, Oct 28: The sale of substandard sweets is rampant in the Kathmandu Valley as Tihar festival is round the corner.
The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) officials on Wednesday took actions against a number of sweets shops on charge of failing to abide by the consumer protection laws. According to the KMC, its market inspection team penalized Rameshwaram Sweets and Snacks in Battisputali with a cash fine of Rs 10,000 while Priya Sweets and Chat House and Taj Bakery in Maharajgunj were penalized with Rs 20,000 each for the unscrupulous business activities.
Rameshwaram Sweets was found using substandard oil and date-expired ingredients to make sweets. Priya Sweets has been accused of not maintaining proper hygiene in its kitchen area.
Likewise, Taj Bakery was found running its business without receiving operating license and selling substandard ice-cream and snacks, among other items. The government authority also grilled Annapurna Mithai Bhandar at Gaushala on charges of using packaged rice grains and gram flour, which did not have proper labeling on them.


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Ghana, the world’s second-biggest cocoa producer, plans to halve the use of subsidized pesticides next season to cut costs after a drop in prices for the chocolate ingredient, the industry regulator said.
“We cannot maintain the schedule of free spraying with the dwindling fortunes of cocoa,” Noah Amenyah, a spokesman for the regulator, known as Cocobod, said yesterday in a phone interview from the capital, Accra. “We have to reduce these activities to meet our current low revenue.”
The board, which buys all cocoa produced in Ghana, targets the purchase of 830,000 metric tons in the season starting in October, from an estimated 800,000 tons in 2012-13. That compares with record output of 1 million tons in 2010-11.
Cocoa for December delivery advanced 2 percent to $2,502 a ton on the ICE Futures U.S. in New York by 11:54 a.m., bringing its decline over the past year to 3.8 percent, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Prices may advance as much as 15 percent if drought persists in Ghana and Ivory Coast, the world’s largest cocoa producer, James Roemer, a meteorologist at WeatherRisk Institute, said Aug. 26. West Africa accounts for about 70 percent of global production.
The main crop of two yearly harvests in Ghana runs October to June, while the second, consisting mostly of smaller beans, is supplied from July through September.
The board will allocate funding for three applications of pesticides over cocoa farms in 2013-14 from six a year earlier, and it plans to eliminate the financing altogether in five years, Amenyah said. Fertilizer subsidies are being maintained.
The savings may help the board raise the price it pays farmers, enabling them to buy inputs, Amenyah said. “We are waiting for cabinet approval before implementation,” he said.


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LOS ANGELES, Aug. 15 (UPI) -- Earlier this week, reality star Scott Disick made himself king for a day by hitting up a popular fast food chain for a recently re-introduced menu item.
The longtime boyfriend of Kourtney Kardashian stopped by a Burger King and picked up of 45 boxes of chicken fries. Each one of the boxes contained nine pieces of chicken, so Disick ended up with 405 fries.
The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star went on Instagram to share a picture of his $205.28 cash purchase.
Disick may have had the inside scoop about the return of chicken fries because he posted this photo back on August 7, prior to BK announcing the return of the popular menu item on August 11. Kim Kardashian now owns 10 Burger King restaurants -- a wedding gift from Kanye West.


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Increased volumes and investments in the auto sector has apparently given the auto ancillary sector a phenomenal boost, previously put off by poor demand and increased working capital cycles.
Riding on the back of rising sales and increased demand for their products, the fortunes of the auto ancillary sector seems to be bright. In the recent past, the sector was under serious trouble with high inventories, low demand and thin margins. Though exports continue to plummet the revival of the demand in the domestic markets has come as a saving grace for the sector. If the sales of last nine months are taken into account then moving forward, autoexportluzern the domestic demand will be quite robust in the future.
Acceleration in domestic demand
The domestic auto sector has been witnessing a 20 percent annual jump. The sale of medium and heavy commercial vehicle space was more during this period. Almost 24,000 units of M&HCV were sold during 2009, almost three fold rise in comparison to the corresponding period a year ago.
In December 2009, sales were the highest in the last 21 months. The commercial vehicle (CV) apparently is said to be the principal contributor to the revenues of top auto component players. Bharat Forge is said to earn almost 60 percent of its revenue from the CV realm. With the economy in the revival mode and about 9 percent of growth recorded on annual basis, it is being estimated that the CV segment will be registering a double-digit growth in 2010-11.
The domestic sales of passenger vehicles also climbed up considerably almost by 26 percent to 1.5 million units as compared to 2008-09. Auto component companies like Amtek auto that generates 2/3 of the revenues from passenger vehicles segment seem to be enjoying good returns. Likewise, Rico Auto will be getting 33 percent sales growth this year. While demand for ancillary companies emanate from the existing markets, however, investments by Indian and multinational companies is also putting the industry on fast-track, which will eventually lead to more opportunities for the supplier.
Setting up of Greenfield units in India
The auto component sector of India has grown considerably about 17 percent year-on-year basis and at present it is pegged at $21 billion. In the upcoming years, the sector is projected to grow almost by 28 percent and is expected to touch $27 billion in 2011-12. Investments have also grown by the rate 16 percent annually. High demand and low penetration in the country has encouraged many multinational companies and even local companies to start Greenfield units in India, in an attempt to cater to the requirements of the small car segment.
Reading the rising potential of the market MNCs such as Ford, Nissan, Renault, Volkswagen, General Motors and Toyota are also enhancing the existing capacities, and even setting up new units to the tune of $4 billion. In fact Nissan and Volkswagen are even planning to source auto components from Indian for their global operations as well. Auto components companies like Rico Auto, Apollo Tyres and Sona Koyo are also escalating and building up new capacities.
Moreover to steer clear of exchange rate fluctuations companies are also looking forward to source as much as possible from the local markets. Case in point being: Maruti Suzuki. Maruti Suzuki sources almost 80 percent of its products from the domestic product. Though the domestic market is showing robust growth, however the scenario is not the same in the export market.
Almost 2/3 of the revenues come from the US and European Markets, which are going through a severe recessionary crises. Exports revenues have said to have grown just 5 percent to $3.8 billion. Commercial vehicles and off-roaders sales never picked up in the overseas market. Bharat Forge, Rane Engines and Wheels India are apparently bearing the brunt of the slowdown. And according to the industry sources the situation could worsen once the government pulls back scrappage incentives available to customers in March this year. Most industry sources concur that revival of demand in the US and European markets are imperative for the exports to climb in the future. Bharat Forge at present operates its overseas plants at about 40-45 percent capacity.


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Potbelly Sandwich Shop will open a new location at 11529 Spring Mill Rd. on June 21 . The restaurant is known for warm sandwiches, hand-dipped milkshakes, and salads and live, local music .
Rachel Poor, the general manager of the new sandwich shop, has been with the brand for more than three years, working her way up from an hourly worker to general manager.
“The community is ready to have a shop in the neighborhood,” Poor stated in a press release . “Many have frequented the shop in Indianapolis, but now there is one in their backyard. With the warm community welcome, we can’t wait to open our doors . ”
Live music has been a part of the Potbelly experience since the first shop opened in 1977. Neighborhood musicians put a little rhythm into lunch at Potbelly Sandwich Shops around the country.
Interested performers in and around Carmel should contact the new shop manager to apply and to schedule an audition.
“It won’t take long for Potbelly to become the most popular place in town to grab a bite to eat,” Poor stated. “With our wide variety of sandwiches, salads and milkshakes, we have something for everyone to enjoy.”
To celebrate the launch of the new location, Potbelly Sandwich Shop will host its traditional pre-opening ” Oven Warming ” event. The brand will donate 100 percent of the proceeds from the event to the Carmel Clay Public Library.
The fundraising celebration will occur between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. for lunch and between 5 and 7 p.m. for dinner June 20.
In addition to the Oven Warming event, the new Potbelly Sandwich Shop will consider fundraising requests to support neighborhood non-profit organizations beginning 30 days after opening.
For more , visit Potbelly.com.


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London, UNITED KINGDOM
MEHFUZ HUSSAIN (writer) with VIJAY SHAH (editor)
This article was written by Mehfuz Hussain, a digital marketing specialist based in London with expertise in online marketing concepts and Google Analytics.
Search Engine Optimisation has seen many changes in 2016 thanks to Google. From the launch of its ambitious AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) Project in February 2016, Google has shaken up the way traditional SEO worked. Understandably, Google knows well that the best way to dominate the industry is to be aware of how search engines are changing, and strategising SEO and content techniques accordingly. The world of SEO continues to evolve at high speed. While some SEO techniques have been a staple for several years, there will be many new ones that you will have to pay attention to. Here are some of the game-changing trends to help you stay ahead this year.
1. Mobile-first Approach by Businesses
With ongoing improvements in the mobile computing field, browsing on mobiles has become equivalent to desktop browsing if not more In many countries, mobile browsing is more popular and dominant than via traditional desktops and laptops. In the last few years, the plethora of new smartphones with internet capabilities has changed the way search engine look at them. Remember Mobilegeddon?
A few months ago, Google said, “To improve the mobile search experience, after January 10, 2017, pages where content is not easily accessible to a user on the transition from the mobile search results may not rank as highly.” This influenced their latest search algorithm which prioritised ‘responsive’ websites at the cost of older, mobile-unfriendly sites.
So, in 2017, your top priority is to separate your desktop and mobile measurement plans to account for the fundamental differences between mobile and desktop behaviour.
2. Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, and Google Rank Brain
There is no doubt, Google’s main focus in 2017 is on Artificial Intelligence. If you followed the Google I/O event 2016, most announcements were related to AI. Google also said that the speech recognition errors have reduced from 25 to 8 percent. It’s been officially named Google’s third-most important ranking factor. Voice search will grow even more in 2017, with better voice recognition and understanding.
Infographics make complex information eye-catching, shareable and easily digestible. An image coupled with information tends to stay in the minds of readers. Such content generates more social shares and also generates leads. Of course, your content should also be suitable enough to add Infographics to it, and they can really make it pop.
4. AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) takes centre stage
A great way to ensure better user experience is switching over to Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP). More brands are using this option as Google also has begun to favour the use of AMP. It contains three sections – AMP HTML, AMP JS, and Google AMP Cache. Accelerated Mobile Page (AMP) allows websites to make pages equipped for loading right away onto mobile screens. Interestingly, sites that have switched over to AMP are given more visibility with a special icon in Google searches.
5. Branding gets personal
There is no denying the power of personal branding. If used strategically, it can be a powerful tool in ensuring the success of SEO campaigns. Even social media platforms like Facebook refine their algorithms to favour individual posts over branded posts. Also, once you have a personal brand in place, it gets much easier to boost user trust and engagement. This, in turn, will up the traffic to your site.
6. HTTPS Everywhere
Google has inducted https as a ranking factor in its algorithm. Since then many companies hurriedly made the transition from HTTP to HTTPS in order to protect their own and their users’ privacy. It helps even more if there is money transactions happening on the website (e-commerce) and gives consumers extra confidence about their privacy. Let’s expect more websites switching to HTTPS than ever before in the history of the Web.
7. Focus on Content Curation
Though many people do not realise it, content marketing and SEO needs to work together for better results and visibility. Include all types of content in the mix: press releases and newsletters as well as articles and blog posts. A good content mix will help you increase backlinks on authority websites and establish you as an expert in your field. This strategy will help you boost your business to the top of Google’s SERPs.
2017 will see a massive hike in Internet usage. People are more concerned about the content they read. Now is the right time to prepare a well-developed strategy to survive in the market and beat the competition. As an SEO marketer, you have to be prepared for changes. Keep an close eye on SEO trends in 2017. All the best everyone!


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Now that the new Fujifilm XF 50mm f/1 R WR is finally released, aren’t you curious to see how it performs? What’s the autofocus like? How does the lens perform when the aperture’s wide open? What does the bokeh look like? What about video capabilities? Well, we have brought together a few great hands-on videos that should answer all of your questions.
The long-awaited Fujifilm XF 50mm f/1 R WR is finally announced
Well, the rumors were true: the Fujifilm XF 50mm f/1 R WR has just been officially announced. It’s the fastest Fujifilm’s lens, and it’s been rumored and announced for quite a while now. So, let’s dive in and finally see in more detail what it has to offer.
Photos of Fujinon XF 50mm f/1.0 R WR leak days ahead of the announcement
It looks like the announcement of Fujinon XF 50mm f/1.0 R WR is just around the corner. After the initial announcements and reports, we can now see what Fuji’s fast 50mm looks thanks to leaked images. And according to latest reports, the lens will be announced as soon as tomorrow.
Fuji manager says the XF50mm f/1.0 autofocus lens is coming this year
Well, if you’ve been waiting for some nice fast glass for the Fuji X system, it looks like you might not have to wait all that long. Fuji Rumors reports that at a recent Fujifilm India online press event, Fujifilm manager Toshihisa Iida teased the Fujinon XF50mm f/1.0 lens while introducing the recently announced Fujifilm X-T4 mirrorless camera.
While the lens shown in the video is just an early prototype, he says that Fujifilm plans to launch the Fujinon XF50mm f/1.0 lens at some point this year.
Fuji lens found after four months in the wilderness, rain and extreme temperatures, and it still works
It looks like Fujifilm takes weather sealing of its lenses very seriously. Steve Boykin of 35mmc recently lost a Fuji XF 23mm f/2 lens during a hike in the wilderness, firmly believing that he’d never find it. However, he did find it four months later, which is pretty incredible on its own. But what’s even more unbelievable that the lens is almost intact and it still works perfectly fine!
Fuji recommends to keep OIS turned on even with a tripod for XF 16-80mm f/4 and XF 200mm f/2 lenses
It’s been a pretty common thing since the early days of Nikon’s VR and Canon’s IS, that you turn stabilisation off in lenses when using a tripod. As technology has progressed, turning off the stabilisation hasn’t been important. Fuji, though, has long said that IBIS should be turned off in cameras when shooting on a tripod, nothing has really been said about their lenses. At least, not until now.
The folks at Fuji Rumors spotted in the manuals for the Fujinon XF 16-80mm f/4 and Fujinon XF 200mm f/2 lenses that users are specifically advised to keep stabilisation turned on all the time, even when using a tripod.
Fujifilm announces two new lenses: XF 16-80mm and GF 50mm
Fujifilm has just announced two new lenses for its two camera systems. The first is the 16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR, a versatile zoom for Fujifilm’s APS-C X-mount cameras. The second lens is the GF 50mm f/3.5 R LM WR, a compact prime designed for the medium format G-mount GFX system. Let’s check out more details and specs.
Fujifilm announces Fujinon XF 16mm f/2.8 R WR, a lightweight and tiny wide-angle prime
Along with the big announcement of the X-T30 mirrorless camera, Fujifilm has also announced a new lens you can pair with it. Fujinon XF 16mm f/2.8 R WR is a wide-angle prime for X-Mount APS-C Fuji mirrorless cameras. It’s small, lightweight and therefore ideal for everyday use and travels.
Fujifilm announces GFX medium-format 100-200mm f/5.6 lens with 5-stop optical stabilization
Fujifilm has just announced its latest GF lens, the Fujinon GF 100-200mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR. It’s made for medium-format GFX system. The lens offers 5-stop optical image stabilization. It’s designed particularly with nature and landscape photographers in mind, but I believe portrait photographers could find it useful as well. Let’s dive into specs and see what you can expect from the latest Fujifilm’s telephoto zoom.
Fujifilm announces the world’s first 33mm f/1 AF lens for mirrorless cameras
Back in July, we heard something about the upcoming 33mm f/1 AF lens from Fujifilm. At the company’s Photokina presentation, it has officially announced this lens, which will be the first of its kind.
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Iowans are using reusable bags more than ever before, but some U.S. cities are showing Iowa that there’s room for considerable improvement. The Press-Citizen reported yesterday that, based on non-quantified information, more people in our state more people bring reusable bags to grocery stores than ever before. Additionally, some grocers are creating incentives to encourage customers to bring these reusable bags:
Local stores, such as Hy-Vee and New Pioneer, have seen significant decreases in the need to supply paper and plastic bags, and some stores offer incentives for customers to use reusable bags to carry out their groceries.
New Pioneer kicked off its initiative to encourage customers to use reusable bags on Earth Day 2009 by charging a nickel per paper or plastic bag. Since then, the co-op has seen a 60 percent reduction in bag consumption at its Coralville location, and a 55 percent reduction at the Iowa City store, marketing manager Jenifer Angerer said. Proceeds from the use of paper and plastic bags go to the Iowa City Crisis Center.
However, today’s Los Angeles Times reveals that Iowa could soon be lagging behind in reusable bag use. Earlier this week an L.A. councilman proposed a ban on single-use paper and plastic bags. Other California cities placed bans on plastic bags in recent years, but none of the previous bans included paper. Some proponents of L.A.’s proposal hope that it will eventually lead to a statewide ban:
By including paper bags in the ban, the proposal goes beyond similar measures taken recently by other California cities and counties. Although L.A. County, Santa Monica and other municipalities have banned plastic bags in recent years, most have allowed stores to sell paper ones for a small fee.
“With paper bags, you’re still generating litter,” said Councilman Paul Koretz, who introduced the motion proposing the ban. “We’re taking the next step.”
Environmentalists celebrated the news and said they hoped that it would push Sacramento lawmakers to enact a statewide ban.
The negative environmental impact of single-use bags has been known for years. A National Geographic article from back in 2003 stated that up to a trillion plastic bags are used worldwide each year, with as much as three percent becoming litter. The same article argues that paper bag use might result in even greater detriment to the environment.


text: Transport Dubai company to invest $500m in Chinese EV maker By Andy Sambidge August 16, 2023 Hengchi UAE's NWTN has partnered China's Evergrande group, maker of EV brands including Hengchi NWTN deal with Evergrande to serve growing demand UAE electric vehicle market expected to grow 25% Affordable Chinese brands gaining market share UAE company NWTN has announced a deal to invest $500 million in the Chinese manufacturer of electric vehicles including the Hengchi brand. The investment in China Evergrande New Energy Vehicle Group aims to accelerate NWTN’s development in the EV space as it establishes an assembly plant in UAE capital Abu Dhabi. Headquartered in Dubai, the eco-conscious mobility and tech company will acquire 27.5 percent of the ordinary shares of Evergrande and the right to nominate a majority of its board. The proposed transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2023, subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals. Abu Dhabi bids to become electric vehicle manufacturing hub Gulf rivals jostle for position as EV test beds Emirates drives growth in electric vehicle adoption Last year NWTN completed the full vehicle assembly facility in Abu Dhabi, which has an annual capacity of up to 10,000 units for the assembly of semi-knocked-down (partly assembled) electric vehicles. In phase two NWTN plans to introduce several new electric vehicle models and expand capacity to 50,000 units annually. Evergrande was established in 2019 and has released nine electric vehicle models, of which the first mass-produced model, Hengchi5, was delivered in October 2022. NWTN said it believes a partnership with Evergrande will enable synergies between the two companies, while facilitating Evergrande’s research and development and mass production of new car models for export overseas. China’s traditional export sectors – such as clothing, home appliances and furniture – have now been surpassed by electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and solar batteries as the primary drivers of foreign trade growth. These industries contributed to a 61.6 percent year-on-year increase in total export value during the first half of 2023, according to data from the General Administration of Customs. Together they added 1.8 percentage points to China’s overall export growth. NWTNThe Rabdan One: NWTN plans to introduce several new EV models Growth of UAE EV market According to the NWTN research, the UAE EV market is expected to grow at an annual rate of more than 25 percent over the next five years. Earlier this month analysts at BMI, formerly Fitch Solutions, said the UAE is forecast to witness a 32 percent increase in sales of passenger electric vehicles this year after the government launches a national policy to support the sector’s growth. Sales are expected to reach almost 22,000, up from an estimated 16,442 in 2022. Longer-term calculations suggest the total number of EVs will exceed 370,000 by 2032, representing 11 percent of the UAE’s passenger vehicles. BMI said Tesla vehicles remain popular in the UAE, along with traditional brands such as BMW, Mercedes, Volvo and Chevrolet. However, more affordable Chinese EV brands such as BYD, Geely, Hongqi, Nio and Xpeng are also expected to gain market share over the short term. Last month Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, UAE minister of energy and infrastructure, outlined the details of the new National Electric Vehicles Policy. The policy aims to help the UAE achieve its objectives of reducing energy consumption by 40 percent and carbon emissions by 10 million tonnes in the transport sector by 2050, as well as increase the share of electric vehicles to 50 percent of total vehicles on our roads by 2050.


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The world’s largest iPhone manufacturing facility, Foxconn, witnessed a violent workers’ revolt which erupted over the terms of the new hires’ payment packages and Covid-related concerns. The videos circulated on social media show law enforcement officers kicking and hitting protesters with metal rods while the workers retaliated by throwing bottles and barriers at officers and smashing police vehicles. The ongoing situation could see iPhone manufacturing slashed by as much as 30%.
Foxconn’s Offer Resulted in Mass-scale Resignations
In order to quell the protests, Foxconn offered to pay the newly recruited workers 10,000 yuan ($1,400) to quit and leave the factory. The company promised the protestors to pay 8,000 yuan if they agreed to quit Foxconn and another 2,000 yuan if they boarded buses to leave the iPhone’s production site altogether. The reports stated that more than 20,000 workers accepted the offers, leading to a mass-scale resignation.
The latest survey & comment on the COVID-19 lockdown impact on the Foxconn Zhengzhou iPhone plants
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) October 30, 2022
Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst at TF International Securities, tweeted that more than 10 percent of the global iPhone production capacity was affected by the situation at the Zhengzhou campus. The experts believe that the demand for iPhone 14 units during the black Friday holiday weekend would be much higher than the supply and could cause significant shortages leading into Christmas.
Brutal COVID Shutdowns and Violent Workers’ Revolt is Affecting iPhones Production
COVID-19 lockdowns are becoming increasingly problematic for businesses working in China and within its borders, due to which various businesses, including Apple, are looking to bring manufacturing to several other places. Daniel Ives, managing director of equity research at Wedbush Securities, said, “Every week of this shutdown and unrest we estimate is costing Apple roughly $US1 ($A1.48) billion a week in lost iPhone sales. Now roughly 5 percent of iPhone 14 sales are likely off the table due to these brutal shutdowns in China.”