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Toshiba CEO Satoshi Tsunakawa confirmed the conglomerate is looking to sell a piece of its memory chip business to raise money to deal with an upcoming multi-billion dollar writedown in its nuclear division. The chip business includes Toshiba's NAND flash memory unit, the second largest in the world, and makes up the bulk of Toshiba's profit.
The goal is to sell a minority stake of maximum 20 percent and this needs to happen sooner rather than later as the company wants to complete the sale before the end of its fiscal year in March:
The firm is rushing to complete the sale by the end of the financial year in March as failure to do so will likely mean that shareholder equity - just $3 billion in the wake of the accounting scandal - would be wiped out by the charge.
Sources have said Toshiba aims to raise more than 200 billion yen ($1.7 billion) from the sale and potential investors include private equity firms, business partner Western Digital Corp (WDC.O) and the government-backed Development Bank of Japan.
It is also selling other assets although it ruled out the sales of any of its infrastructure businesses - which include water treatment, railway and elevator firms.
While Western Digital would be a natural fit given the cooperation both companies have in the NAND market, such a deal is unlikely to close in such a short timeframe given the antitrust issues it would entail. Private equity funds on the other hand may look for a discount because such a small minority stake would give them no say in how Toshiba runs the business.
Mark Newman, an analyst at Sanford Bernstein in Hong Kong, points out that the NAND business comprises 75 percent of Toshiba's overall profit. He believes the sale of a 20 percent stake would likely be merely a short-term band-aid:
"The NAND business is the only one with value, as it makes up all of the semi-conductor profits, which comprise 75 percent of the overall company's profit. I won't be surprised if they sell another 20 percent in a few years time and then another 20 percent."


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An Edmonton Toyota dealership has moved into the West Edmonton Mall saying it could be the largest full-service dealership inside of a shopping centre anywhere on the planet.
Mayfield Toyota, which had been at 102 Avenue and 170 Street for decades, recently opened in the popular and huge mall with the rebranded name West Edmonton Mall Toyota. Retail Insider covered the original announcement back in 2019.
Mayfield Toyota had operated since 1998 under that name and for many years prior under previous ownership.
David Friesen, General Manager & Managing Partner of the dealership, said the business moved from about 56,000 square feet at its old location to about 125,000 square feet in the northeast corner, Phase One, of WEM.
“At the end of the day we were really looking for a way to make using our facility convenient for everyone. Every ounce of marketing we’ll ever do is all about convenience for all,” said Friesen. “Our slogan is West Edmonton Mall Toyota, all makes, all models, all day, every day. It’s a gorgeous Toyota store. The showroom is unbelievable. It will blow your mind. Cars everywhere.
“It’s the servicing aspect of it that really is just remarkable. We built it service forward meaning that three quarters of the space is really designated to service and parts departments. Our drive-thru at Mayfield if you were coming for an appointment held six cars. Then once the six cars were full you were waiting in line outside in your car to come in the drive-thru. This particular one will fit up to 33 cars. It’s a massive drive thru.”
Friesen said the new showroom has 38 vehicles. There’s a covered carport outside that shows display units, holding up to 65 vehicles. It also has a section of the parkade that will hold up to another 600 vehicles. The previous company showroom had a capacity of about 15 vehicles.
West Edmonton Mall Toyota brings a variety of services for all makes and models, including: full detailing packages, quick and convenient express oil changes, complete mechanical services, over-the-counter parts purchases, tire sales/swaps and storage, windshields and – most importantly – all of their services will now be open seven days per week from early until late.
In their all new state-of-the-art, indoor, fully interactive showroom, shoppers will have the ability to shop inside; no more trekking through the snow or through a heat wave.
They will offer shoppers even more convenience by constructing a massive valet centre at Entrance 50, that can be used by all WEM shoppers and employees as an easy way to drop off their vehicle for parking, full detailing packages or even express services.
West Edmonton Mall Toyota will also be offering an exclusive loyalty program through their newly created West Edmonton Mall Toyota App. The app will give their customers access to many exclusive offers and programs throughout West Edmonton Mall.
“To our knowledge we have yet to find anything like this anywhere on the planet,” said Friesen.
“We’re 100 per cent certain we’re the largest dealership in the largest mall in the planet. There’s no question there. We think we may be the only one.”
David Ghermezian, President, West Edmonton Mall Property Inc., said “West Edmonton Mall is excited to partner with Mayfield Toyota in the development of a unique customer-focused Dealer Experience at a scale which has never been seen in a shopping centre before.”
“We’ve seen firsthand how our customers have embraced Mayfield Toyota at WEM through the last five years with many successful sale events at the Mayfield Toyota Ice Palace. This innovative partnership supports our customer’s lifestyles by providing a level of service and convenience that is unparalleled in the industry.
“We’re excited to be at the forefront of this groundbreaking automotive experience.”
Cyril Dimitris, Vice President, Sales and Marketing at Toyota Canada Inc., said the company is excited about this unique opportunity to serve its customers in West Edmonton.
“We look forward to supporting Mayfield Toyota as they work with West Edmonton Mall to make this move a success.”
Friesen said other dealerships may look at the possibility of setting up shop in a mall especially as more big box stores close and malls need something to fill large space. Plus, a dealership would not be competing with any other retailer in a mall.
“It’s a good addition we bring in. Good customers who have some time to spend and what do they do? They can shop if they want. It’s a good marriage between the two but there’s got to be a lot of things that line up right. You’ve got to have the right space. You’ve got to have the right access. Putting a 130,000-square-foot dealership into the mall is not for every manufacturer. You have to be able to service the volume of people that come through here,” he said.
Michael Kehoe, an Alberta-based retail specialist, said the collaboration between West Edmonton Mall and Mayfield Toyota is part of a growing trend across North America where automotive dealerships are absorbing significant tracts of former department store spaces at major shopping centres.
“Toyota will have a major footprint at West Edmonton Mall in the former Sears store plus some space formerly occupied by retail stores,” said Kehoe, broker/owner of Fairfield Commercial Real Estate in Calgary.
“The dealership will enjoy a prominent retail location and the Mall will benefit from a significant number of dealership customers bringing their vehicles in for service where the average visit will be a minimum of three hours. It seems like a win / win to me as major malls transition large portions of their space to non and quasi-retail tenancies.”
Bruce Winder, author of RETAIL Before, During & After COVID-19 and President of Bruce Winder Retail, said Toyota’s move to the West Edmonton Mall appears to make sense. With the amount of traffic that the mall generates the dealership is bound to pick up some business.
“Tesla pioneered this approach by locating showrooms in premium malls near Apple stores. Unlike Tesla, Toyota will have a complete offering of amenities including detailing, service bays, inventory storage and showrooms. Other vehicle brands have used malls to sell including Porsche,” said Winder. “I think this represents the changing tenant mix of malls that now includes select digitally native brands, cannabis stores, health care providers, educational service providers and many other unique sellers that may have used standalone units in the past. As malls polarize into distinct lifestyle solution providers, Toyota will fit in well with their quality focused offering.
“The brand will need to ensure it is integrating e-commerce into the facility as the way consumers shop for vehicles has changed. The internet plays a much greater role in terms of information search, comparison shopping, vehicle customization, purchase, and post-purchase behaviour than previously used – and shoppers demand it. Toyota has an opportunity to leapfrog Tesla in terms of experiential retailing and take it to the next level if they wish to.
“Obviously, one would need to know what they are paying in terms of rent and how much they spent on renovations to determine the financial viability of such a move but judgmentally it feels positive.”
Related Retail Insider Articles
- West Edmonton Mall Marks 40 Years of Operations
- 107: WEM Toyota [Exclusive], Majesty’s Pleasure, Holt Ogilvy, SPINCO, Wuxly Movement
- West Edmonton Mall to Launch North America’s Largest Virtual Reality Attraction
- West Edmonton Mall Announces Massive Automotive Experience Initiative with Valet Parking [Exclusive]

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A new social media platform has taken the blockchain world by storm over the past few weeks. Users have paid over $1.6 million USD in fees within 24 hours to use the application and speculate on personalities. But what exactly is Friend.Tech, and is the hype justified?
Friend.tech is a mobile social media platform that enables users to trade "shares" of other users. The application offers each user a chatroom. To read a user's messages, one must acquire shares of that particular person. After selling the shares, the chatroom becomes invisible. For influencers, Friend.tech enables the offering of exclusive interactions to their followers.
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Strong beginnings for Friend.tech
The initial success of the platform didn't take long to materialize. Within the first two days of the public beta launch, over 10,000 users had already signed up on Friend.tech. The application links users with their X-profile (formerly Twitter) and generates a new blockchain address for trading shares. The recently launched Base network of the Coinbase crypto exchange serves as the foundation. A steep fee of 10% is charged on every trade, half of which goes to the development team and the other half to the wallet of the respective personality. The price of individual shares follows an algorithm similar to decentralized exchanges, adjusting the value along a mathematical curve.
Crypto-specific personalities with existing followings on X quickly joined Friend.tech. High trading volumes for their own shares also translate to good compensation, thereby creating incentives for fan interaction. On the flip side, shareholders can benefit from the virality of a specific influencer and speculate on it. This dynamic has already generated $155,000 USD for the platform's top profile, the crypto personality Cobie, as indicated by data from the analysis platform Dune.
App goes viral thanks to revenue sharing
A week later, these figures attracted celebrities from outside the crypto space. Esports player Richard “FaZe Banks” Bengtson and NBA player Grayson Allen were present on Friend.tech just 10 days after the platform's launch. Soon, other personalities followed suit, including family-friendly content creators who had previously offered exclusive content to their followers through subscription models. Up to this point, users had paid over $6.6 million USD in Friend.tech fees, with half of that amount distributed to profile owners. With nearly 2 million transactions since its launch two weeks ago, Friend.tech currently ranks among the most popular blockchain apps.
Critics gighlight drawbacks of Friend.tech
While Friend.tech largely gained traction within the crypto community, skeptics also pointed out some downsides of the platform. One of the most prominent criticisms is the somewhat questionable legal status of the app. Although the shares of individual profiles are no longer called "Shares" but "Keys," the connection to traditional securities is still evident. Observers on social media also criticized the 10% fee for each transaction as unsustainable. In effect, users pay 20% for trading shares - a fee for both buying and selling.
Whether it's Friend.tech or another platform like Lens that achieves the breakthrough for decentralized social media, the field is likely to be interesting to follow. In today's world, the tech giants behind successful social media platforms have complete control over user-generated content, data, and ultimately the revenues generated through them. The application of blockchain technology could disrupt these monopolistic constructs and transfer ownership of profiles to content creators and consumers. Because that's exactly what defines the era of Web 3.0.


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People with leases ending in 2022 should do their research before returning their car to the dealership because they could be leaving thousands of dollars on the table, Edmunds says. Indeed, the growing demand for used vehicles and inflated prices put renters in a surprisingly advantageous position.
“If you’re one of the four million Americans who leased a vehicle in 2019, you could be in a financially advantageous position this year without even knowing it,” said Jessica Caldwell, Edmunds’ executive knowledge manager. “Most consumers are probably unaware of the other options available to them besides surrendering their lease once it’s over, including the ability to cash in on their vehicle.”
The outlet reviewed the estimated residual values of 2019 model year vehicles and compared them to trade-in values. He found that on average, the 2022 trade-in value for all MY2019 vehicles saw a 33% increase over their original estimated values. This is an increase of $7,208 on average.
Also Read: Honda and Acura Will No Longer Let You Return Leased Cars to Other Dealerships
The Lexus IS 300 was the vehicle with the highest percentage increase among luxury vehicles. It generated on average 46% more than its initial estimates, an increase of $9,868. The Ford Mustang, meanwhile, was the top performer among the mainstream vehicles, generating 68% more than originally expected, which came in at $11,852.
“Unless you’ve done an exorbitant number of miles or your vehicle is excessively worn, you’re pretty much guaranteed to see an increase in value,” said Ivan Drury, senior knowledge manager at Edmunds. “The only downside is that you will probably have to do a little more legwork than in the past to take advantage of the equity in your expiring lease, given that some automakers have recently imposed stricter rules on car purchase options. But taking a few extra steps will be worth it for many, considering the financial reward.
In order to leave as little money on the table as possible, Edmunds recommends following four steps. First, he recommends figuring out exactly how much you’ll be refunded, then figuring out what your vehicle is worth, after which you should find out if your finance company allows third-party buyouts (other dealerships may want to buy you the car and might offer you more money to lure you in), and finally, you should consider buying the lease yourself and trying to sell the vehicle for a profit.
A list of top performing vehicles is available on the Edmunds website and also offers vehicle ratings, although other companies offer the same service.


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Instagram now accounts for almost 1 in 5 (18% of) marketing dollars spent on Facebook’s properties, according to Marin Software’s latest quarterly benchmark report covering client activity in Q4 2018.
The image-centered social network has seen its share of Facebook spend as a percentage double in just a year, up from 9.1% in Q4 2017. Growth at this level has also been noted in other benchmark reports, with Merkle’s Q4 2018 data reporting a 134% year-over-year rise in spend on the platform.
A significant driver behind Instagram’s continued growth is the Stories format. Marin reports that for its clients, Stories accounted for about one-third (34%) of the ad spend on Instagram in Q4 2018 – a more than 10-fold increase in share when compared to the year-earlier period.
Copying Snapchat’s format has paid off very well for Facebook. Figures from Piper Jaffray’s semi-annual study showed that Instagram was gaining ground on becoming the social network of choice for teens, although this has much to do with the waning popularity of Facebook.
Instagram’s success in clawing marketing dollars could be in part because of the way it allows brands to engage with consumers, making it an attractive platform for advertisers. Data from the Center for Generational Kinetics noted that, for Gen Z consumers, Instagram came tops for hearing from brands. Perhaps following that lead, an increasing share of Fortune 500 companies are now active on the platform.
In terms of paid performance on social overall, Marin’s data highlights what could be signs of both increased competition from advertisers and noise for consumers. Social clickthrough rates (CTR) declined from a high of 2% in Q1 2018 down to 1.22% in the final quarter of the year. At the same time, average cost-per-click (CPC) rose from $0.16 to $0.23 during the course of the year. Marin notes that there has been a significant shift in spend from Page Like ads to lower-funnel formats such as Dynamic Product Ads and Collection Ads.
The rest of the data, including performance on search, can be found here.
About the Data: Marin’s data is based on aggregate advertising performance from across its customer base. Benchmarks are calculated using a “same-store sales” approach with only the advertisers who were clients during Q4 2017 to Q4 2018 being included in the sample.


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It’s probably too early to say whether or not Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) has turned the corner and will now go from strength to strength, but its 2017 Q3 results point to some light at the end of the tunnel.
At the end of April, HPE reported its Q2 financial results, with revenue from continuing operations dropping 13% to $7.74bn, down 5% year over year, fast forward to Q3 and HPE had turned the results on its head by reporting revenue of $8.2bn, up 3% from the previous period and 6% when adjusted for divestitures and currency.
Meg Whitman, CEO of HPE, called the third quarter results “an encouraging sign of the progress we are making,” and they are one of the first signs of progress but even Whitman admits there’s a lot more work to be done.
Whitman said: “With better execution we drove overall revenue growth, exceeded our EPS targets and improved our operating margins sequentially, all while completing the spin-merge of our Software business. There’s more work to do, but we are on the right track.”
Read more: HPE sales, revenues, profits decline – but it’s all part of the plan, says CEO Meg Whitman
With HPE just completing the spin-merger of its Software business with Micro Focus the results could look even better in the future. The software unit’s revenue was $718m, down 3% year over year, whilst financial services revenue rose 10% to $897m and the Enterprise Group was $6.8bn, up 3% year over year.
In November 2015 HPE and HP Inc. came into existence following the split of Hewlett Packard. The IT giant split into two smaller companies, but still remained large. The near two year time period that followed has seen turbulent times encapsulate the new entities, HPE more so than HP Inc.
Given that HPE has now sold large chunks of its business that were part of its original formation, it’s perhaps a little unfair to compare it to its now larger sibling – HP Inc.
Bloomberg described the share of the business responsibilities as HP Inc. taking the “runt of the litter: printers and computers,” both of which are technologies that often have their demise written about, whilst HPE was “the privileged offspring,” taking on data centres, applications, and cloud technology – the cutting edge tech that’s shaping the future, not dusty old printers.
Whilst HPE has floundered and failed to live up to its promise, HP Inc. has put two fingers up to the doubters and continues to post better than expected financial results.
Towards the end of August, the “runt of the litter” posted third quarter net revenue of $13.1bn, up 10%, and while desktops sales fell 3%, the rest of the units all posted positive figures.
From being the runt of the litter to stealing all the plaudits, HP Inc. has surpassed its vaunted sibling HPE and what should have been the golden goose, has failed to lay a single egg.
The Q3 results are a first positive for HPE, but as Whitman says, “there’s more work to do,” a lot more.


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Home Tags Electronic Arts
Tag: Electronic Arts
‘Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order’ returned to the franchise’s roots, and the result is an authentic ‘Star Wars’ experience ...
After years of multiplayer "Star Wars" games, "Jedi: Fallen Order" delivers a story-driven experience inspired by the original movie.
EA just delivered the best ‘Star Wars’ game in a decade, and it’s a clear response to critics of ‘Star Wars Battlefront 2̵...
"Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order" addresses many of the loudest complaints about EA's last "Star Wars" game.
Electronic Arts wants to make college sports games again, but the biggest obstacle is still the NCAA
It's been six years since Electronic Arts made a college sports game, but a new law in California is giving the company hope for a deal with the NCAA.
'NBA 2K20' was the best-seller in a month packed with new games, beating out 'FIFA 20,' 'Borderlands 3,' and 'The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening.'
Patrick Mahomes has joined the exclusive ’99 Club’ in ‘Madden 20.’ Here are the other 4 best players in the NFL, according to ...
Only five players managed to earn a 99 overall rating in this year's "Madden," and three of them are defensive superstars.
Apple and Google are going to war over the future of gaming as the entire industry goes through a radical transformation
With Apple Arcade and Stadia, Apple and Google are looking to take a bigger role in the gaming industry, and they picked the perfect time.
The NFL season is underway, and 'Madden NFL 20' continues to adjust the rankings of the league's top players.
"Madden 20" cover star and reigning NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes is the game's best QB, while Aaron Rodgers has fallen out of the top five.
Electronic Arts tweeted ‘invest in Crypto’ as a marketing stunt — and crypto whiz kid Justin Sun capitalized by promoting his Tron p...
Binance, Huobi Global, and other crypto players cheered EA's marketing stunt to promote Crypto, a new character in Apex Legends.
EA is looking to compete with Google and Microsoft with a new game-streaming service — here’s how to sign up to try it before it launches
Electronic Arts will let players stream four games including "FIFA 19" to test its video game streaming service, Project Atlas.


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"We are able to suggest that your friend tag you in a picture by scanning and comparing your friend's pictures to information we've put together from your profile pictures and the other photos in which you've been tagged. You can control whether we suggest that another user tag you in a photo using the 'Timeline and Tagging' settings," the proposed change reads.
However, according to the Irish DPC, Facebook does not yet intend to offer the service in Europe.
The Irish DPC suggested to Facebook Ireland that it clarify to its users that the tag suggest feature is not currently available in Europe, she added.
Facebook is still working with regulators to find a way to turn face recognition back on in Europe, a Facebook Germany spokeswoman said in an email.
Loek is Amsterdam Correspondent and covers online privacy, intellectual property, open-source and online payment issues for the IDG News Service. Follow him on Twitter at @loekessers or email tips and comments to email@example.com


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Pandora expands the list of supported electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids.
The biggest exhibition of the recreation vehicles and accessories has started at 28 August in Dusseldorf, Germany. It brought together in 13 halls more than 600 manufacturers of the campers, caravans and additional equipment.
Meet the most innovative security-service systems for campers and caravans by Pandora in Hall 13, Stand F66!
Our team is paying a lot of attention to the security and safety issues of the products. Each new product passes a very long and complex certification process in the leading test laboratories in Europe. This fact significantly differs our company from our competitors. You can be absolutely sure, that Pandora car security and telemetric systems are 100% safe for car equipment and do not break warranty obligations.
Pandora is always on the top edge of the technological progress. Every day our engineers are doing their best to improve security and telematics systems. As a result, Pandora systems are the most modern, secure and comfortable products on the market.
We are pleased to announce that the series of restrictions caused by the COVID-19 virus has begun to decline and international exhibitions are gradually returning to their usual schedule. It is especially pleasing that the first exhibition in which Pandora will participate in this difficult year will be our favorite Caravan Salon in Dusseldorf. It will take place from 04 to 13 September 2020.
We released our first charger for car batteries last year. It was distinguished by real long-term power - the ability to maintain a charge current up to 25A (30A) for a long time, which is important for modern AGM / GEL batteries. It is clear that at voltages up to 14.9 volts power is almost 400 watts! There are only few such powerful and, at the same time, intelligent chargers on the market.
The long-awaited update with iPhone support for our Pandora Watch 2 has become available today for users of our wonderful product.
The world biggest campers and caravans exhibition started on September 30 in Dusseldorf. Pandora takes part in this large-scale event for the first time. This exhibition is important for manufacturers of motorhomes and sale and rental companies as well as for ordinary owners of campers.
The biggest international fair for motorhomes and caravans CARAVAN SALON 2019 will take place from 31 August to 8 September 2019 in Düsseldorf, Germany. More than 250 000 visiters from 75 diffirent countries are expected on more than 200 000 square meters exhibition space


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Kenyan president starts 2-day state visit to South Africa
The facility is assembling the JJ vaccines and can produce about 220 million doses of the JJ vaccines per year, many of which are being exported throughout Africa.Kenya is one of South Africas largest trading partners in Africa outside the 15-nation Southern African Development Community.South Africa exported about 500 million worth of goods to Kenya in 2020, compared to imports of about 22 million, according to official statistics.
- South Africa
Ramaphosa met with Kenyatta at his offices in the Union Buildings Tuesday where the two leaders held a press conference.
While in South Africa Kenyatta is to visit the Aspen Pharmacare factory in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) on Wednesday to see the production of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccines there. The facility is assembling the J&J vaccines and can produce about 220 million doses of the J&J vaccines per year, many of which are being exported throughout Africa.
South Africa exported about $500 million worth of goods to Kenya in 2020, compared to imports of about $22 million, according to official statistics. More than 60 South African companies are operating in Kenya.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)


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Leeds City Council has teamed up with environmentalists to pilot new on-the-go recycling facilities to help people recycle bottles and cups while they are in the city centre.
Despite the fact that UK citizens get through 13 billion plastic bottles, nine billion drinks cans and two and a half billion coffee cups each year, only 42% of local authorities provide on-the-go recycling facilities.
In an effort to remedy this, Leeds CIty Council is working with environmental behaviour change charity Hubbub, recycling compliance scheme Ecosurety, and a number of local businesses to pilot new recycling facilities for plastic, cans and paper cups.
These facilities will be available on the street but also in local offices, shopping centres, universities and transport hubs for six months from October 2018.
In order to avoid on-street recycling becoming contaminated by liquids, tea bags and leftover food, the #LeedsByExample pilot will be accompanied by a communications campaign which will include adverts, street signs and messages.
‘The huge range of eye-catching recycling bins and communications throughout Leeds city centre will make it really easy for residents, workers and visitors to spot their nearest recycling point,’ said Gavin Ellis, director and co-founder of Hubbub.
‘We’re interested to discover which of these will make the biggest difference and will share what we learn openly so that the most successful elements can be rolled out in Leeds and nationally.
‘We’re also making sure that all of the recycling we collect will be processed in the UK as locally as possible.’
Cllr Rafique, Leeds City Council executive board member for environment and active lifestyles commented: ‘With this pilot, innovative technology and interventions will be tested across our city and we are really pleased to see many businesses signed up already to this campaign, from universities to restaurants, shops and offices.
‘I’m encouraging as many local businesses and organisations as possible to get behind this project so that together we can make a real impact on recycling rates in Leeds city centre.’


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Ferrari have revealed their stunning looking hypercar for the 2023 Le Mans, the 499P, with a beautiful red and yellow livery. The 499P is fitted with a 3 liter V6 engine and it will be driving in the 2023 LMH Hybrid Prototype class.
No drivers have yet been announced, but the car has already done 12.000 Km of testing.
Prev post Need For Speed Unbound Reveal Trailer
References Fifth Generation Toyota Prius Announced


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Greenleaf Corporation has announced XSYTIN-360, a new line of high-performance solid ceramic end mills, to the global market.
Displaying 11-20 of 45 results for
From the moment Norbert Kozar, CEO, took charge of Precision Swiss Products Inc. in 2007, he steered the Milpitas, Calif.-based job shop on a trajectory toward achieving both ISO 13485 certification and AS 9100 certification in a few short years.
Paul Horn GmbH, Tübingen, Germany, has developed DDHM, its CVD diamond-tipped tool system for cost-effective drilling and countersinking operations in solid carbides and sintered ceramics with a hardness of up to 3,000 HV.
Aluminum and its alloys are highly popular in the machining industry for many reasons. Did you know it is the most abundant metal on Earth?
Difficult materials and high-speed machining don’t just present problems for cutting tools. They can also push toolholders to their limits—and beyond. So manufacturers offer a variety of products designed to get the toolholding job done under extreme machining conditions.
Medical manufacturing, like other industries, faces intensive demands for improved productivity. As a result, many manufacturers are focused on achieving greater efficiencies and precision in making small parts.
GWS Tool Group acquiring STF Precision marks GWS’ third add-on acquisition in 2020.
With the help of adhesive forces, geckos have been moving easily over smooth surfaces for millions of years. SCHUNK is using this principle to develop various fields of handling applications with ADHESO, its new gripping technology.
September 2020 U.S. cutting tool consumption totaled $156.1 million, according to the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute (USCTI) and AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology.
Sandvik Coromant has announced a new partnership with Autodesk. The collaboration was officially announced on November 17, 2020 at Autodesk University 2020 — an online conference for design and manufacturing.


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Discover more from Platform & Stream
The New Apple Music Features in iOS 17; Spotify Will Promote Artists' Music on Your Home Feed, if They Pay
1790 | Your Daily Dose of Music Streaming News
They include ‘SharePlay’ (where passengers in cars will be able to control the music) and collaborative playlists.
You might see more sponsored recommendations when you fire up your Spotify app, now that the music streaming giant has started offering artists a new paid tool they can use to promote their music. "Showcase" gives artists a way to put their music in front of more people, whether their tunes are newly released or are something from deep in their catalog.
How Mewo.io plans to ‘revolutionize’ the sync music sourcing process using its AI-powered music search platform
Sync is big business – and it’s getting bigger. According to the RIAA, at the end of 2022, Synchronization Royalties in the United States reached $382.5 million, growing 24.8% YoY compared to the $306.5 million recorded for 2021.
Hipgnosis’ Blackstone fund set to spend $440m buying 29 catalogs from Hipgnosis’ UK-listed fund; competitors have 40 days to try and outbid its offer.
Big news from the Hipgnosis family of companies. As predicted by MBW earlier this year, UK-listed Hipgnosis Songs Fund (HSF) has issued its shareholders a proposal to sell 29 catalogs from its portfolio for USD $440 million to another Hipgnosis fund – the private, Blackstone-backed Hipgnosis Songs Capital (HSC).
Fresh from unveiling its new boss, former Ivors Academy CEO Graham Davies, the Digital Media Association (DiMA) has published its latest research report.
Savvy creators and marketers know that by combining technology and creativity, you can achieve faster and better. That’s when things start getting to the next level.
Spanish streaming revenues grew by 13.3% year-on-year to €188.2m. Promusicae took a pop at video streaming in its release, noting that while video accounted for more than a third of music streams, it only generated 15.7% of the revenues.
Seamus McAteer, the founder of Speechlab, discusses AI-generated speech and the importance of translating accents.
Voice-mimicking AI tech has caused a big stir in the music business this year due to incidents of superstars’ voices being cloned without their consent – and then going viral.
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Join OpenPlay next Tuesday, September 19, 2023 at 11am ET for their next webinar!
The webinar will be hosted by Founder, Edward Ginis, and he'll discuss OpenPlay's newest features and tools from 2023, upcoming additions, and addressing attendee questions. Click here to register!


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Collapsed Aussie Farmers Direct was losing $500k a week
High overheads left Aussie Farmers Direct unable to stem the mounting losses which accompanied an alarming collapse in its sales, according to administrators who are now selling the salvageable parts of the national grocery delivery service.
KordaMentha, however, has warned that the sales campaign probably won’t even recover enough to pay out the $4.3 million owed to AFD’s 260 staff.
It has also revealed that AFD was trying to interest investors in a float of its loss-making business just months before it went under owing its owners and other creditors nearly $80 million.
The Melbourne-based group was losing about $500,000 a week when its backers finally decided to pull support and appoint administrators last month, having pumped more than $70 million into AFD over the past four years.
With few funds to work with, KordaMentha closed the business and laid off most of AFD’s workforce.
Franchisees and unsecured creditors including Visy, Metcash, food group Mondelez, Luv-a-Duck, Loscam pallets and Royal Wolf shipping containers are not expected to recover any of the $4.4 million they are owed.
While there was no interest in AFD as a going concern, KordaMentha is selling AFD’s intellectual property, including a database of 100,000 customers covering up to one million records, its e-commerce platform and brand names. It has received three offers and expects to finalise a sale by the end of April.
AFD management has blamed price competition by the major supermarket chains and cheap imported produce for the collapse of the business.
But KordaMentha says a strategy focused on sale growth was also a factor.
“To drive sales, management invested heavily in building a geographic footprint, IT platform and logistics infrastructure that resulted in a significant fixed cost base that was not supported by the level of revenue that was being generated,” it said.
The report shows AFD racked up nearly $70 million in pre-tax losses as its sales slumped from $127.5 million in 2015 to just $48.7 million to the end of February.
“The expense base ... appears to have been relatively fixed, and was not able to be reduced in line with the decline in gross profits,” the administrators said.
Monthly costs included $400,000 for rent and $150,000 to power its cool rooms.
Incredibly, given its financial situation, AFD owners started looking in mid-2017 at floating the business. The idea was canned in November because of the absence of outside interest.
KordaMentha has recommended AFD be wound up, meaning staff will have to recover outstanding entitlements from the Federal Government’s Fair Entitlements Guarantee safety net scheme.
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Brent cross closed on busiest Christmas shopping Saturday
PUBLISHED: 11:55 20 December 2010 | UPDATED: 12:03 21 December 2010
THE blizzard shut Brent Cross shopping centre this Saturday causing frustration for many shoppers.
Traditionally the busiest weekend of the year the loss of nine hours of potential trade was a hard hit for the famous shopping centre.
The closure of the mall had also little positive impact on surrounding high streets as traffic around the centre and heavy snow fall across north London made travelling virtually impossible.
Neil Gilberg, owner of Gilberg menswear shop on Temple Fortune Parade, said: “When Brent Cross closed we closed too. It just became too dangerous with the snow. Finchley road was like a skating rink.
“It is normally the busiest weekend of the year.”
Keith Wynn, owner of Photocraft on Heath Street, said: “It could have made a difference if people were able to get here but from what I am hearing from my customers everyone was trapped in the traffic on the way out of Brent Cross.”
After closing at lunchtime on Saturday after what the Brent Cross described as a ‘once in a generation severe snowstorm’ a centre spokesman reported that shops had bounced back better than their high street counterparts - most had almost made up for the losses in trade by the end of Sunday afternoon.
Four snow ploughs worked throughout the night on Saturday clearing all of the centre’s car parks and it re-opened to queues of shoppers at 11am on Sunday morning.
On Thursday the centre had reported that it was expecting to welcome more than 500,000 shoppers through its doors in the nine days leading up to December 25.
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Sony has been keenly rounding up the game-development studios it has worked with lately under the PlayStation Studios umbrella. Through 2010 to 2020, it only acquired two studios but since then, 14 more have been added in just the span of a few months. With four studio acquisitions in 2021 alone, the Japanese giant is eager to maintain its position as the top dog in video game space, especially after Microsoft‘s acquisition of ZeniMax Media, Bethesda‘s parent company. Now, Sony is adding a fifth studio in its 2021 belt and it’s a familiar one.
— Hermen Hulst (@hermenhulst) December 10, 2021
Seattle-based developer, Valkyrie Entertainment is the latest studio acquired by Sony, becoming the 17th studio part of the PlayStation Studios brand. Valkyrie Entertainment will aid in development of critical projects such as blockbuster AAA titles and renowned PlayStation exclusives going forward, providing co-development services. It’s not clear yet if the studio will explicit work on their own project now that they’re a part of PS Studios, but considering the company’s history, that seems unlikely, at least for the near future.
Valkyrie Entertainment’s contributions have been a key component in many iconic PlayStation games throughout the past two decades. Most recently, they worked on God Of War (2018) for Sony and they’re helping develop the upcoming God Of War: Ragnarok as well. Not only that, but Valkyrie has also worked with Microsoft and Riot in the past, lending a hand in Forza Motorsport 7, Halo: Infinite, and Valorant to name a few. Aside from being the kindest of video game-development Samaritan, Valkyrie also has a self-developed 2D side-scroller game called “GUNS UP!” under their name
This should tell you that the company is no joke and with potentially better funding and more solidified backing from Sony, it can only go upwards from here. Hermen Hulst, the head of PlayStation Studios praised Valkyrie in a statement to Business Wire saying “Valkyrie Entertainment is a highly adaptable and respected studio which has produced high-quality work on a range of platforms from console to PC; and a variety of styles from action to games-as-a-service titles. Valkyrie’s diverse capabilities will be welcomed by every team at PlayStation Studios as we continue to focus on delivering extraordinary gaming experiences.” On the other hand, the president and founder of Valkyrie Entertainment, Joakim Wejdemar had to say this about the acquisition:
“Since 2002, we have contributed to well over 100 titles, including great PlayStation franchises, such as God of War, inFAMOUS, and Twisted Metal. In our next chapter, we are excited to continue our relationship with some of the most talented teams in the world, expanding and contributing to the portfolio of amazing games available for PlayStation fans.”


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It’s hard to deny how far Samsung has come along in their display technology, what with the company showing off a foldable smartphone that is planned for a launch in 2019. Now according to the latest rumors from Korean publication ETNews, it seems that come CES 2019, the company could have another display technology that they might show off.
This comes in the form of “Sound on Display” OLED panels. This technology was actually announced earlier this year, but at CES 2019, the publication claims that Samsung might actually have something to show. For those who are unfamiliar with the concept, it is as its name implies: displays that can playback sound.
This is done through vibration and bone conduction, where the vibrations from the display will create sound waves which are then converted into sound when it reaches our ears. Bone conduction is not new as there have been some headphones launched in the past that utilize the technology.
This is particularly interesting because what this means is that Samsung could in theory create a smartphone with full display that does not need a cutout for the speakers as the display itself could produce sound. It might also be applicable for use in TVs where it could help slim them down even further as it might not need physical speaker components. Either way we’ll find out in the next couple of weeks as CES 2019 will begin in the early part of January 2019.


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ITC Ltd on Friday reported a 21.5 % year-on-year rise in net profit to ^2,231 crore during the July-September quarter compared to Rs. 1,836 crore a year ago, mainly due to a strong performance in its fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) business.
Sales increased 8.8 % to Rs. 7,776 crore during the quarter against Rs. 7,146 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal.
The company’s FMCG business grew 12% to Rs. 5,686 crore during the second quarter from Rs. 5,076 crore a year ago.
The company’s non-FMCG business however fell 3.1% to Rs. 3198 crores.
ITC’s total expenses during the quarter stood at 34,908 crore, an increase of 3.8%, compared with Rs. 34,726 crore in the year-ago period.
Its hotels business continued to be hit by the weak macroeconomic environment and a spurt in room additions in key markets. “Agri business recorded an underlying growth of 8.5% in segment revenue with significant improvement in profitability. In the paperboards, paper and packaging segment, the revenue was up 11.7% driven by paperboards and flexible packaging.
Sharp escalation in input costs (particularly of wood) impacted profitability,” the company said in a statement.
The ITC scrip closed at 3340, down 0.7%, on the Bombay Stock Exchange.


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Digital Diplomacy Paves Road to Internationalizing DPIs
India’s proactive endeavors to internationalize its DPI successes are gaining global attention, as evidenced by the GPFI report during its G20 Presidency. The nation’s dedication to shaping the global digital landscape is evident through collaborative efforts with countries such as the United States and France and active participation in multilateral organizations like the SCO and G20. This digital diplomacy is paving the way for developing inclusive and interconnected digital societies worldwide, opening up numerous opportunities for Indian companies and startups to provide innovative solutions globally.
This global acclaim was highlighted in the GPFI report released during India’s G20 Presidency. The report underscores India’s remarkable achievement of expanding financial inclusion from 25 percent in 2008 to over 80 percent of adults in just six years, a feat attributed to the strategic deployment of DPIs. The government-to-person (G2P) payment system, powered by DPIs, has emerged as one of the world’s most extensive digital platforms, facilitating direct transfers of approximately $361 billion to recipients across 53 central government ministries and 312 vital programs. This recognition underscores the international community’s admiration for India’s groundbreaking digital initiatives.
India and the United States have jointly expressed their commitment to providing global leadership in implementing Digital Public Infrastructures (DPIs). This partnership aims to advance the development and deployment of robust DPIs while emphasizing the importance of privacy, data security, and intellectual property safeguards. The proposal for the India-U.S Global Digital Development Partnership signifies their dedication to leveraging technology and resources to support DPIs in developing nations.
India-France collaboration in exploring the broader impact of joint DPI projects across various sectors is a significant milestone in its DPI initiatives. France is poised to become the first European country to adopt India’s Unique Payments Interface (UPI) through the agreement between India’s NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and France’s Lyra Collect. This partnership highlights a shared belief in the DPI approach to usher in open, democratic, and inclusive digital economies.
India has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with four countries– Armenia, Sierra Leone, Suriname, and Antigua & Barbuda, committing to share its digital solutions implemented at a population scale. This demonstrates India’s dedication to promoting DPIs on an international scale. Such agreements facilitate the transfer of knowledge and expertise in digital infrastructure, furthering the adoption of DPIs worldwide.
India’s Presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) has led the member states to unanimously adopt India’s proposal for deploying DPI as the right way to implement digital technology for inclusive growth within the region. The proposal supports developing and adopting Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), encompassing key platforms like Aadhaar, Unified Payments Interface (UPI), and DigiLocker.
Historic Consensus in G20
Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI) has published a report titled ‘G20 Policy Recommendations for Advancing Financial Inclusion and Productivity Gains through Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).’ The document reflects the consensus achieved between the G20 countries on DPIs as a path for enabling global financial inclusion & productivity gains. Sahamati has been a Knowledge Partner to the Ministry of Finance (MoF) in crafting this report. The recognition of Account Aggregators (AAs) as a model path for consented data sharing worldwide is a noteworthy achievement for the ecosystem.
The report highlighted that India’s Data Empowerment and Protection Architecture (DEPA) allows individuals to manage their data, enabling them to share it with different service providers. This simplifies access to personalized products and services without demanding significant investments from new players in building customer connections promoting innovation and competition.
India’s G20 presidency has strongly emphasized advancing digital public infrastructure, enhancing financial inclusion, and championing innovation, notably through initiatives like the G20 Task Force on Digital Public Infrastructure. This leadership has played a pivotal role in internationalizing DPIs, promoting Sustainable Development Goals, and endorsing collective commitments to leverage DPIs for broader developmental goals. The G20 2023 Financial Inclusion Action Plan further outlines a forward-looking approach, particularly for individuals and MSMEs, highlighting technological innovation and digital infrastructure. India’s role as a Co-Chair of the Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion solidifies its leadership in implementing DPIs.
Significance of DPI Internationalization
The internationalization of Digital Public Infrastructures (DPIs) is poised to benefit the Indian ecosystem substantially. Individuals will gain access to real-time international payments and streamlined identity verification, simplifying global interactions. Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) can leverage import/export data to secure credit and expand their international footprint, potentially elevating Indian manufacturing brands to global recognition. DPIs will facilitate cross-border use cases like visa applications and invoice discounting for imports/exports, making international transactions more efficient.
Opportunities for the AA Ecosystem
Data Empowerment and Protection Architecture (DEPA) represents a first-of-its-kind techno-legal approach to data protection and consent-based data sharing that empowers consumers to harness data for their benefit. Within the financial sector, the Account Aggregator (AA) framework is the first functional implementation of DEPA. The DPI approach to open data and open finance aims to provide consumers access to better financial services. It holds significant potential as a global public good, especially for developing nations.
The ramp-up of the AA protocol worldwide will empower consumers by granting control over their data, fostering trust in digital services. A combinatorial innovation can be unleashed by enabling consent-based data sharing across national jurisdictions. FIUs could serve customers across countries, solving cross-border use cases. Indian startups and companies could be catapulted into global brands.
Indian leadership in internationalizing DPIs is commendable, underscoring a rising India with ambitions to shape future global trends. This endeavor holds the potential to unlock significant value for the Account Aggregator (AA) ecosystem, the broader Indian industry, and consumers alike. As India continues to spearhead digital innovation, the benefits of this proactive approach are poised to reach far and wide, setting the stage for a more interconnected and digitally empowered world.
- DIGITAL ECONOMY MINISTERS MEETING Outcome Document & Chair’s Summary
- India-USA Joint Statement during the Official State Visit of Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, to the USA
- Horizon 2047: 25th Anniversary of the India-France Strategic Partnership, Towards A Century of India-France Relations
- Global DPI Summit: India signs MoU with four countries to export India Stack
- SCO members adopt India’s proposal for digital public infra | The Financial Express
- 3rd G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) Meeting 17-18 July 2023 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat
- G20 POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADVANCING FINANCIAL INCLUSION AND PRODUCTIVITY GAINS THROUGH DIGITAL PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE
- G20 Summit: World Bank Report Shows India’s Financial Inclusion Rate Rose By 80% In 6 Years, Strong Digital Infra


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"Chinese chicken" will soon have a whole new meaning, as the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently gave the green-light to four chicken processing plants in China, allowing chicken raised and slaughtered in the U.S. to be exported to China for processing, and then shipped back to the U.S. and sold on grocery shelves here. I guess it wont matter to the chickens, but what about jobs in Georgia?
This post is contributed by a community member. The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Patch Media Corporation. Everyone is welcome to submit a post to Patch. If you'd like to post a blog, go here to get started.


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China's first imported container freight index officially launched
The index provides a comprehensive index and five sub-route indexes, which are Europe, Mediterranean, West America, East America, Australia and New Zealand routes. The base period of the index is November 28, 2014, which started trial operation. The base period index is 1000 points. At present, the freight information required for compiling the index is provided by 10 Chinese and foreign shipping companies that operate the above routes and have a large market share. The first sample routes and companies may change after the editorial board meeting.
Zhang Ye, president of the Shanghai Shipping Exchange, said: The import container freight index was launched against the backdrop of changes in China's trade structure. China currently has a market for imported containers, and the accumulated data can already be used to compile indexes. The change in trade structure has brought new opportunities to shipping companies. Strengthening the international distribution of goods is beneficial to the future development of Chinese shipping companies.
For a long time, China's export container volume is far greater than the import container volume, but with the adjustment and upgrading of China's industrial structure, the export-oriented foreign trade market structure is also changing.
Liu Jun, deputy editor-in-chief of Shanghai Shipping Exchange's Shipping Trading Bulletin, explained to Caixin reporter that China's foreign trade is currently weak, and container exports and imports are showing a more balanced trend. For shipping companies, if they can use imported empty containers to load imported products after the goods have been delivered, it can effectively reduce costs and improve efficiency, so it has also pushed shipping companies to increase their efforts to acquire cargo.
In 1998, the Shanghai Shipping Exchange launched the China Export Container Freight Index (“CCFI”) for the first time, releasing freight data to provide decision-making references for parties to the transaction, including shipping companies, cargo owners, financial institutions and other participants.
Liu Jun said that the long-term experience in compiling the export container freight index has also helped launch the imported container freight index. The increase in the volume of imported containers will make the freight index more representative, and the index can also provide a reference for the company's operating decisions .
Simultaneously with the import container freight index, there are two central counterparty clearing services for over-the-counter derivatives: RMB container swaps and China coal forward freight agreements. This is a key business launched by Shanghai Shipping Exchange and Shanghai Clearing House. The two products are calculated based on the Shanghai export to Europe, US-West container routes and Shanghai Qinhuangdao-Shanghai, Guangzhou coal routes issued by the Shanghai Shipping Exchange.
Zhang Lei, general manager of Shanghai Clearing House's innovation business department, introduced at the forum that Shanghai Clearing House hopes to foster institutional investors' derivatives markets for commodities and create conditions for shipping companies to control risks. The two products launched this time are also actively deploying commodity derivatives.


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New York has generated over US$1 billion in gross revenue since introduction of online sports betting earlier this year, the New York State Gaming Commission confirms. This far surpasses most states in the US, and it cements New York’s status as a powerhouse in the growing industry of online sports betting. With mobile betting accounting for over 80% of all wagers, it’s clear that New Yorkers are fully embracing this new form of entertainment. Let’s take a look at how this rapid growth is possible and what the future holds for online sports betting in New York.
How NY Generated Over US$1B in Wagers in 1 Month
New York State’s Gaming Commission recently published its weekly report on the local digital sportsbook scene, and data from the week of October 23rd confirms that nine online sportsbooks generated a handle of $365 million US dollars and gross gaming revenue (GGR) of $33.5 million US dollars. This moves the total GGR above $1 billion since these bookmakers’ launch into the market.
There are a few factors that have contributed to New York’s success in online sports betting. First, there are very few restrictions on who can bet and what types of bets can be placed. This has allowed a large number of people to get involved in the industry, which has led to more overall bets being placed. Second, mobile betting is widely available and easily accessible. This means that people can place bets whenever and wherever they want, which again leads to more overall bets being placed. Finally, there are a number of different types of bets that can be placed, which allows people to find the type of bet that suits their interests and needs.
The Future of Online Sports Betting in NY
The future of online gaming and sports betting in New York looks very bright. With such rapid growth in such a short amount of time, it’s likely that even more people will start placing bets on a wide variety of sporting events. Additionally, as more states legalize online sports betting, the pool of potential customers will only grow larger. This could lead to even more money being wagered on sporting events taking place both inside and outside of New York State. So whether you’re a fan of football, basketball, baseball, or hockey, make sure to keep an eye on the rapidly growing world of online sports betting in New York!
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The forecast for 2013 meat and poultry production is reduced from last month as lower pork production more than offsets higher beef production.
Beef production is raised as both fed and non-fed cattle slaughter is expected to be higher and forecast carcass weights are raised. Pork production forecasts are reduced from last month as first-quarter slaughter is expected to be slightly lower and carcass weights are reduced in the first half of the year.
USDA will release the Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report on December 28, providing an indication of producer farrowing intentions for the first half of 2013. Poultry production forecasts for 2013 are unchanged. For 2012, the total meat production forecast is raised as higher forecast fourth-quarter beef and broiler production more than offsets lower expected pork production. Cattle slaughter has been higher than expected and carcass weights remain high.
Hog slaughter and carcass weights in the fourth quarter are forecast lower than last month. The broiler production forecast is raised based on production data to date. Turkey production is unchanged. Egg production is raised for both 2012 and 2013 based on hatchery data. Red meat and poultry import and export forecasts are unchanged from last month.
Cattle prices are raised for both 2012 and 2013, reflecting strong demand for cattle through the end of this year and into 2013. The hog price forecasts for both 2012 and 2013 are raised as lower forecast production is expected to support prices. Broiler prices are raised for both 2012 and 2013 as demand has been firm.
The turkey price forecast for 2012 is raised slightly, but the forecast for 2013 is unchanged from last month.
Source: World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report


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Staff Writer, CNET News.com
SAN FRANCISCO–Nokia is at work on a cell phone that uses controversial microchips designed to store product information and signal their location.
Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology is wowing warehouse operators and some retailers because of how easily product information stored on the chip can be transferred. Nokia said Sunday that delivering product information to a mobile device using RFID can extend the technology “beyond the supply chain, and into customer service, merchandizing, marketing and brand management.”
For instance, retailers could put RFID-embedded “touch phone here” signs on store shelves to send a coupon to the phone, or put the same signs at checkout stands to instantly transfer personal information stored on the phone in order to complete a warranty, Nokia Director Gerhard Romen said.
At the CTIA Wireless IT & Entertainment trade show here, Nokia was demonstrating an early prototype built in collaboration with VeriSign, which is proposing a central repository for RFID data that companies can use to relay information about inventory and deliveries to customers and suppliers. The prototype was based on Nokia’s
“It’s still very early yet,” Romen said Sunday when asked when RFID phones may become commercially available.
One snag facing RFID is privacy concerns. Consumer advocates say the unchecked spread of the devices could spell disaster for privacy. They envision a future in which a network of hidden RFID readers track consumers’ every move, their belongings and even their reading habits, though most agree that such a scenario is largely impossible today for technical reasons.
Industry players and the Federal Communications Commission are working to eliminate the obstacles to the promising technology. Power limitations and varying international regulations are among the challenges that threaten to slow RFID’s mass adoption, the FCC said.
RFID’s addition to Nokia phones is inevitable, according to some industry veterans. During the past few years, cell phones have been tricked out with any number of different wireless antennas–global positioning systems, Wi-Fi, infrared, Bluetooth and soon ultra wideband–in order to increase the phone’s usefulness.


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Cannabis Industry News From Around The Globe.
Of the $64m in adult-use sales for Aug, $17.2m was “out-of-state resident sales”
Some studies have found potential for cannabis to help with cytokines
Arizona, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey and South Dakota are on the ballot
House and Senate lawmakers approved the bill to tax and regulate retail marijuana
Over the past few weeks, Utah’s cannabis pharmacies have started to experiment
Ethos, though young, is very well capitalized
The revamped Peoria location marks a new phase for Lightshade
Rusty Williams and Chris Yeager announced the planned legislation
“If someone is caught renting a facility… we fine them"
In 2020, state courts still seem to be a good bet for cannabis businesses


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LG has announced a computer monitor with an OLED panel at CES. The UltraFine OLED Pro 32EP950 has a 4k panel and is primarily intended for graphic designers.
The 31.5″ display has a resolution of 3840×2160 pixels. According to LG, the monitor can display 99 percent of both DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB colour spaces and, thanks to OLED technology, has a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1. The refresh rate is unknown.
In terms of connections, the display has two DisplayPort and one HDMI connection. There is also a USB-C port with which the monitor can serve as a dock for a laptop. The monitor can supply a connected laptop with 90 watts of power over the same cable as the signal from the screen and any peripherals. The peripherals can be connected to three USB-A ports.
Besides a video and a tweet about the UltraFine OLED Pro 32EP950, LG has not yet shared any information about the monitor. How much it will cost and when it will be available is therefore not yet known.


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Mark Zuckerberg’s new microblogging app, Threads, has become an overnight sensation, with more than 100 million accounts created on the app within just a week of its launch.
Meta’s Threads app is currently available in only 100 countries, including the US, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan and the UK, and has not yet penetrated the EU due to privacy concerns based on the European Union’s regulatory data protection policy.
While Meta said it is working to accommodate the EU’s stricter privacy rules, multiple privacy and security concerns come into play while taking into account both the success of the platform and its data collection processes.
Facebook, now Meta, has faced numerous privacy issues while maintaining its supremacy as the top social media network in the world. This includes the infamous Facebook-Cambridge Analytica data scandal of the 2010s, FTC privacy charges, data harvesting or scraping incidents and more.
So what are some of the concerns regarding your privacy and security while using the latest microblogging platforms from Meta’s Instagram platform?
1. Excessive data collection practices
Similar to Instagram and Facebook, Threads collects a great deal of data linked to users’ identities, including contact information, financial information, location, contacts, user content, usage data, purchases, search history and other sensitive data. Combined, this data maps out a person’s life in great detail and can be used (if compromised, exposed or abused) to compromise their digital and physical well-being.
A breakdown may be found below:
· Threads Profile Information including your name, email address, settings and preferences.
· Threads Activity including the content you create, the types of content you view or interact with and how you interact with it, metadata about your content
· Threads Followers and Other Connections including data about your followers, and other users and communities you’re connected to and interact with
· Information from Third-Party Services and Users including third-party accounts and profiles (such as your username, profile picture, IP address, and the name of the third-party service
· App, browser, and device information including browsing history and web page interactions
· Health fitness and exercise information that could potentially be sent to third parties
· Other sensitive personal information about you including religious beliefs, sexual orientation, pregnancy status, employment info and political orientation
Threads, an Instagram app is easy to install on both Android and iOS devices. However, a great shortcoming is evident when it comes to signing up to the platform: users can’t delete their account without also deleting their Instagram account in the process. This may force users who would not be so fond of the platform to keep it on standby just so they won’t lose Instagram. Inactive accounts can pose a serious security risk if left unattended for long periods.
Cybercrooks and fraudsters dwell in every corner of the internet, including social media platforms. So while we’re all too familiar with scams, phony crypto giveaways, and impersonation on Instagram and Facebook, these might also proliferate on Threads.
Cybercriminals and other malicious individuals are getting faster at exploiting the latest news, crisis or hot online topics, adapting their phishing attacks, scams and swindles for maximum damage.
In fact, Bitdefender Antispam Lab has already picked up a spam campaign leveraging the name of Instagram’s Threads App.
The apparent make easy money while using an “AI-powered Automated Instagram-Threads App” that will allow you to “legally exploit” the app for viral traffic and sales.
Misleading apps have also popped up in Apple’s app store, asking users to pay for unlimited threads on Instagram after a three-day free trial.


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NEW YORK (AP) — Starbucks is rolling out a program that would allow its workers to earn an online college degree at Arizona State University at a steeply discounted rate.
Videos by Rare
The coffee chain is partnering with the school to offer the option to 135,000 U.S. employees who work at least 20 hours a week. The Seattle-based company says it will phase out its existing tuition reimbursement program, which gave workers up to $1,000 a year for education at certain schools.
The company says the program doesn’t require workers to stay at Starbucks after they earn their degrees. They can also pick from a wide range of educational programs that aren’t related to their Starbucks work.
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is scheduled to announce the program Monday in New York City, with U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and about 340 workers and their family members in attendance.
It’s not clear how many workers will choose to participate in the new program or how much it will cost Starbucks Corp. The company isn’t disclosing the financial terms of its agreement with Arizona State University. But the program could significantly boost the enrollment for Arizona State’s online program, which charges tuition of about $10,000 a year. That’s roughly the same as the school’s traditional degree program.
Tuition reimbursement is a rare benefit for low-wage workers in the retail industry, but Starbucks isn’t the first to offer it. In 2010, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. launched a partnership with American Public University, a for-profit, online school, to give workers and family members partial tuition grants.
The retailer, based in Bentonville, Arkansas, says more than 400 of its workers have since completed degrees through the program. Wal-Mart’s program also does not require workers to stay and allows them to pursue a variety of degrees.
Starbucks’ existing tuition reimbursement program, which was rolled out in 2011, gives workers up to $1,000 a year for courses at City University of Seattle or Strayer University. So far, Starbucks has paid out $6.5 million under that program, said Laurel Harper, a company spokeswoman.
Zee Lemke, a 31-year-old Starbucks employee and union organizer in Madison, Wisconsin, said she thought the program might be useful to some workers. But she noted that prospective employers also look at where a degree was earned, and that actual in-class experience matters.
As with most matters involving financial aid, the terms of the new program are somewhat complicated and will vary depending on each worker’s situation.
Tuition for an online degree at ASU is about $10,000 a year, roughly the same for its traditional educational programs. For the freshmen and sophomore years, Starbucks and Arizona State say they will put around $6,500 on average toward the estimated $20,000 in total tuition.
To cover the remaining $13,500, workers would apply for financial aid. Since Starbucks workers don’t earn a lot of money, many would likely qualify for a Pell grant, said Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of, a website about paying for college. If a worker qualified for a full Pell grant of $5,730 a year — or $11,460 over the two years — he or she would theoretically be left with about $2,040 to pay out of pocket.
The program would work similarly for the junior and senior years, except that Starbucks would reimburse any money workers end up having to pay out of pocket. Starbucks said most of its workers have already started school, so could potentially finish off their degrees at no cost if they applied for the program. The company says the program will be available to workers at its other chains as well, including Teavana tea shops and Seattle’s Best.
The program is available only to workers at Starbucks’ 8,200 company-operated locations. Another 4,500 U.S. locations are operated by franchisees.
Kantrowitz said the new program at Starbucks has the potential to benefit all parties involved. Workers will get a chance to earn a degree in a relatively affordable way, and Starbucks could attract a better pool of workers. Arizona State University will also have a major employer potentially sending lots of students its way.
“It’s a way to expand revenue,” he said of the online programs offered by traditional, brick-and-mortar universities.
Enrollment for Arizona State University’s online program already stands at around 10,000.
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If you’re still lamenting the loss of The Pirate Bay, which was shut down last week by Swedish police, you now have an intriguing new option: If you have some web hosting, a small amount of tech savvy, and you’re located in a country where it’s legal, you can now easily host your own Pirate Bay.
A week ago, The Pirate Bay was raided and shut down. At this point, with no resurrection apparently forthcoming, it looks like it might be dead forever. This hasn’t stopped fake sites from popping up — including, rather amusingly, a site called Old Pirate Bay that is being managed by IsoHunt, one of Pirate Bay’s largest rivals. Ah, the futility of shutting down file sharing websites.
When the hackee becomes the hacker… In a somewhat amusing twist to the ongoing Sony Pictures hack and massive breach of sensitive files and unreleased films, the company is now fighting back. According to two unnamed sources, Sony is now using ‘hundreds of computers’ to perform a DDoS on websites where you can download the leaked data. Better yet, Sony is apparently using Amazon’s cloud servers (AWS) to perform the DDoS. While I’m all for proactive security measures, Sony might be taking it a little bit too far here.
The Pirate Bay has been raided by Swedish police and shut down — possibly forever, according to its co-founder Peter Sunde. According to some initial reports coming out of the Sweden, Stockholm police seized computers and equipment belonging to The Pirate Bay, and have detained ‘at least one man connected to the site.’
This week, Google is rolling out changes to its search engine that will ‘visibly affect’ the rankings of ‘notorious’ sites that enable the downloading or streaming of pirated music, movies, and TV shows. In the place of these unofficial or illegal links — which often rank above legal, commercial sites — Google will now show direct links to Amazon, Netflix, Spotify, and other ‘official’ sites.
TiVo, answering the calls of the country’s seven most crazed TV addicts, has just unveiled the TiVo Mega — a massive 24-terabyte DVR with six separate tuners, capable of recording up to 26,000 hours (three years) of TV. TiVo Mega will be available in the first quarter of 2015, priced at a rather astronomical $5000.
While hard and fast figures are tough to come by, it appears that the Game of Thrones season four premiere will become the most pirated TV episode of all time, racking up around one million downloads within 12 hours of the US airing, and a few million more in the days following. People pirate TV shows, movies, games, and music for a variety of reasons, but it mostly boils down to just two core reasons: Money, and ease of use. With these two factors in mind, let’s take a look at why people pirate Game of Thrones.
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Google has begun rolling out its Google Assistant feature for Android to devices running pure versions of Nougat and Marshmallow, starting this week with English speakers in the US. English speakers residing in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom and German speakers in Germany will follow. More languages and geographies will be added over the course of the year.
The personal assistant helps users keep their lives in check with a single starter command – OK, Google – enabling them to find the answer to many questions they’ve always sought the answer to, take a photo, get directions, ask for the translation of a phrase, check the weather or operate all of their smart devices with their voice. Once the roll-out is complete, it will be available on around 32% of Android devices.
The conversational search and AI-based Google Assistant gets more intelligent the more it’s used, ensuring the results that are returned are always what the user is looking for. In terms of language offerings, only English and German are currently supported, but it will be getting a wider range of supported languages over the next year, Google Assist’s product lead, Gummi Hafsteinsson, said in a blog post.
“Our goal is to make the Assistant available anywhere you need it,” Hafsteinsson said. “It came to Android Wear 2.0 – via new smartwatches – just a few weeks ago and, as we previewed in January, the Assistant is also coming to TVs and cars. With this update, hundreds of millions of Android users will now be able to try out the Google Assistant.”
Android Marshmallow is currently running on just under 31% of Android smartphones, while Nougat is installed on 1.2%, although it’s likely Nougat will be launching on more devices very soon, with Mobile World Congress kicking off this week in Barcelona.


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|Return to Gunpowder|
|This Issue—Volume 3, 2007|
The recent announcement from China’s Ministry of Finance of the rate changes to some 83 steel items this week highlights some fascinating economic/political issues. Consider that the changes amount to a 5–10% export tariff on steel semis like plates, sheets and wire, but a higher 10–15% on more basic raw materials like ingots, billets and pig iron.
The official line of the Ministry is the changes are being introduced to help even out the balance of trade. One interpretation is that the move might appease western politicians who claim China’s currency is over-valued and something needs to be done to reduce America’s ballooning trade deficit. Given this, China’s Ministry of Finance probably figured out that they could kill two birds with one stone. One, China will likely be able to avoid de-valuing its currency because US politicians will perceive this move as being a conciliatory step on the part of the Chinese and will have some effect in terms of American firms sourcing less raw materials from China. But second, it will also play into the hands of American’s “squeakiest-wheel-gets-the-grease” industry—US steel producers—and will keep this strong lobby group quiet in the long run up to the next election.
But let’s delve a little further. We believe the effect will be disproportionate. We expect minimal change to the volume of the semi finished items. Here, the tariffs are set at a moderate 5-10% and the slightly higher value add premium inherent in semi finished products will allow both Chinese producers and overseas consumers to absorb the tariff increases more readily. And what they can’t absorb they will simply pass onto consumers in what is a strong market for steel products.
However, we would expect that the more dramatic effect will be felt on the volume of raw material products where the value-add is lower and neither producer nor consumer has the same ability to absorb cost increases. Even China will struggle to remain the lowest cost export supplier after increases of 10-15%. We would expect supply and demand factors to kick in favoring other sources of supply that were marginal before. So is China really trying to balance the trade books? We don’t think so. Like many developing countries before them China is using the export tariff system to discourage investment in some sectors of the economy and encourage development in others.
The effect of choking off exports of raw materials will increase the availability of these metals on the home market, lowering domestic costs and boosting the competitiveness of raw material consumers. These companies will then be better able to compete on the world stage in selling higher value add products—products that bring a much better return for China Inc than basic commodities. Will this balance the trade flows? It probably won’t in the medium term—if anything it will exacerbate China’s position as the lower cost supplier of choice for machinings, castings, forgings and finished metal goods to the world.
Incidentally export tariffs were also raised on many non ferrous metals including Tungsten and Molybdenum. Given this, businesses can expect a rise in US Tool steel surcharges during the third quarter. As a significant player in the production of these metals, a reduction in Chinese exports will result in price inflation elsewhere as consumers scramble to access the available alternatives. Ultimately, the biggest domestic winner in this Chinese / US scheme are special interest lobbies in the US the industries they protect—not general manufacturers at large. ●
is Managing Director of Aptium
Global where he leads the firm's practice in
Europe and Asia.
A colleague of mine passed on an insightful and largely overlooked piece of information the other day. Namely, that the value of the metal in a Nickel has surpassed its face value for the first time ever. 75% of a Nickel coin is made of Copper (yes, this does sound counter-intuitive). So when the price of copper exceeded $ 3.50/lb, Nickel was theoretically worth more melted down than as a coin.
Now, before you going breaking state law and launching a side smelting operation, let me say the reason I raise this point is merely to illustrate how much the price of Copper has increased over the last few years. No surprises here. I hear many a non ferrous metal buyer say, but for those not daily in the cut and thrust of the commodity markets, it deserves note that Copper has risen from a little over $1/lb in 2000 to $3.50/lb earlier this year—a 350% increase! Every year some investment expert somewhere has said the bubble will burst but the price has risen inexorably upwards. Why? Helped by some speculative fund support, true, but it’s broadly down to supply and demand.
The supply is limited. Three of the largest suppliers of refined copper Chile, Zambia and Peru account for over 50% of the world’s production and in spite of considerable investment capacity, production increases have not kept pace with world demand. For the first time in some while, consumption exceeded production in the 1st quarter of 2007 and mines are operating at over 88% of capacity. Allowing for strikes which are frequent in South American mines, seasonal hazards and infrastructure problems the mines are running pretty much at capacity.
So where is the demand coming from? Well, it’s not just China. Europe’s consumption increased 8% year on year. India’s rose even more and China? Oh yes. China increased 35% from 2006 to 2007.
In line with an easing in metal commodity prices everywhere Copper has come off its highs of the spring and is now trading at $3.25/lb. Not surprisingly predictions of where the market is going are all over the place. Bulls are predicting a return to $3.50/lb sighting continuing increases in demand by the developing four of China, India, Brazil and Russia. They point to the continuing tightness of supply and the decrease in LME stocks over the last 6 months.
The ICSG (International Copper Study Group) on the other hand is predicting the market will go back into over supply later this year and prices will fall to $2.73/lb late this year and $2.30/lb on average in 2008. Though LME stocks have fallen relentlessly, there is also an increasing amount of metal held off warrant, largely invisible to normal reporting, which could have a depressing effect on the market. In addition, new production is gradually being brought on stream. China has invested heavily in Zambia and is planning to spend some $900m over the next 4 years in addition to new mines in Tibet and elsewhere. Certainly suggesting China is taking the long view on this market securing supply sources for decades to come.
Where do we think it will be this time next year? We’ll send you a commemorative coin set to the closest estimate (without going over). Your correspondent is placing his pin on $3.10/lb. Personally, I don’t see this market going South big time. But let’s hear it from our readers. We’ll announce the winner in December’s Gunpowder. Send your “bids” by e-mail to email@example.com. ●
Stuart Burns is Managing Director of Aptium Global where he leads the firm's practice in Europe and Asia.
This newsletter is published by Aptium
Global Inc a direct material advisory firm based in Chicago, IL.
With offices in the UK, China, India and a network of global associates,
Aptium Global works with small and medium sized manufacturing companies
to save money on direct material purchases. Smaller companies face the
same cost pressures as the Fortune 500, yet often lack budgets for cost
reduction services. Aptium Global works with organizations on a pay-as-you-save™
basis, minimizing impact on cash flow and maximizing impact on the bottom
line. We aim to publish this newsletter on a monthly basis but reserve
the right to miss a few deadlines here and there.


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One year after first announcing its intentions to acquire the animal health assets from Germany-based Bayer AG, Greenfield-based Elanco Animal Health Inc. (NYSE: ELAN) has closed the deal valued at $6.9 billion.
The stock and cash deal raises Elanco’s profile in the all-important pet business and makes it the second-largest animal-health company in terms of global revenue behind New Jersey-based Zoetis Inc. (NYSE: ZTS).
Elanco says the transaction is funded by $5.17 billion in cash and 72.9 million shares of common Elanco stock to Bayer. The stock closed Friday at $23.63 per share.
In an interview with Inside INdiana Business, Elanco President and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Simmons said the purchase positions the company for the long term as a leader in the animal health industry.
“I think the exciting thing is everyone hasn’t lost sight of the vision. Our goal is to create an independent company focused on animals to create value for farmers, veterinarians, pet owners, and that vision has been in front of the Bayer organization and Elanco people for the last year.”
Simmons said in the nearly two years since it became an independent company, having separated from Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Co. (NYSE: LLY) in September 2018, Elanco has become a purpose-driven, independent global company dedicated to animal health “all while weathering the century’s most significant animal and human health pandemics: African Swine Fever and COVID-19.”
One of the last obstacles was removed in early July when the Federal Trade Commission approved the acquisition. Elanco satisfied some regulatory concerns by divesting of a few additional properties. Elanco said the divested products had 2019 revenue in the range of $120 million to $140 million, a small percentage of the multi-billion-dollar company.
Still, it is unclear if or when layoffs would occur because of duplicated positions between the two firms.
“Here in the early stages of this, we’’ll begin to put our pipelines together and look more closely. With antitrust, we’ve had some limitations, so (now) we’ll be able to look at truly where the complements are, where the synergies are, and then we’ll begin to work through those decisions,” said Simmons.
Elanco says its global food animal products felt the majority of the impact of the pandemic as processing plant closures, reduced foodservice demand, and economic pressure on livestock producers. But the diversification via the Bayer acquisition better prepares Elanco to weather economic storms.
“It balances us now, gives us a lot more pet business combined with our livestock so now there’s a good balance,” said Simmons.
Last year, about one-third of Elanco’s sales of roughly $3 billion came from companion-animal products, primarily dogs and cats. With the Bayer assets, about half of Elanco’s sales will be linked to that side of the business.
“COVID has shown the importance of that pet business, becoming more and more important in animal health. It allows us to have not only a vet-centered business in pet health but retail, so Chewy and Amazon,” said Simmons. “That trend has been catalyzed and accelerated with COVID as people want to get their products at the door of their homes.”
According to data from the American Pet Products Association, Americans will spend $99 billion dollars in 2020 on pet food, supplies, over-the-counter medicines, and veterinary care. That is $4 billion more than 2019 and $10 billion above 2018 spending levels.
The AAPA said 67% of U.S. households own a pet, which equates to 84.9 million homes.
While companion pets now make up a larger share of Elanco business, animal agriculture is still a critical part of the company’s bottom line. The company says complementary farm animal portfolios position Elanco to serve an even broader spectrum of the industry and better leverage data, and services for customers. The transaction adds a number of signature cattle brands, and enhances the company’s global bio-protection portfolio.
“This milestone is another key step in Elanco’s journey. But, ultimately, today is about improving the lives of animals, people and improving the health of the planet. Pets and protein have never been more important,” Simmons said. “The animal protein sector, COVID highlighted the importance as meat cases were empty. Meat, milk, eggs and fish, the ability for us to globalize that business significantly.”
Elanco President and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Simmons tells Inside INdiana Business how the deal strengthens the company.
Simmons highlights Elanco’s deep roots in Indiana.


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Technology Products Newsletter - November 2021
Nov. 25 2021
Welcome to our November issue of Bureau Veritas’ Global Technology Products Newsletter providing our latest updates on electrical, automotive/new mobility and electronics/wireless market segments.
Bureau Veritas' LCIE becomes a recognized Technical Service for UNECE R155 and R156 Regulations
Bureau Veritas' LCIE is currently a recognized Technical Service for R155 and R156 evaluations under the E49 Approval Authority. This recognition comes based on the existing mature evaluation methodology, as well as the practical experience with R155 and R156 applied already with a few OEMs. The other countries members of the 1958 Agreement will directly recognize successful certificates issued in line with this scheme. Besides E49 designation, Bureau Veritas' Secura is currently in the process of designation with other National Approval Authorities.
Bureau Veritas' Consumer Products Services Division launches its BV Mark to drive Consumer, Brand and Supply Chain Trust
Bureau Veritas' Consumer Products Services Division launches its BV Mark aimed at driving trust for brand owners who face evolving challenges in an increasingly online and sustainable world. With the rise of research driven purchases, brands are increasingly losing control over their own brand narratives. Furthermore, consumers are increasingly demanding full transparency and will disregard products and manufacturers that do not deliver these expectations. BV Mark can help end consumers navigate these complex market challenges while elevating brand awareness.


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A University of California, Los Angeles professor faces a maximum sentence of 219 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of smuggling chips with military applications to China.
Yi-Chi Shih, an electrical engineer and adjunct professor at UCLA, was found guilty last month by a Los Angeles jury, officials said in a statement this week. He was convicted on 18 counts, including making an illegal export and multiple fraud charges.
Shih and another defendant, Kiet Ahn Mai, were found to have worked together to defraud an American semiconductor chip manufacturer. According to prosecutors, Mai posed as a potential customer to obtain chip designs from the unnamed company, then illegally sent the products to China.