text:
Economic growth in Q1 drops to 7.4%
Updated: 2014-04-17 11:21
By Zheng Yangpeng in Beijing, Fu Jing in Brussels, Zhang Chunyan in London and Jack freifelder in New York (China Daily USA)
As China released its first quarter figures for the economy, American expert said the slowdown is healthy.
China reported first quarter GDP growth of 7.4 percent year-on-year, beating market expectations of 7.2 to 7.3 percent. It is the lowest quarterly growth figure since the third quarter of 2012, although there were positive data for the job market and household income.
Stephen Roach, senior fellow at Yale University's Jackson Institute of Global Affairs said: "There's a real disconnect, between US and Chinese perspectives regarding the fiscal situation in the world's second largest economy.
"People are weighing in on the fact that the GDP growth is coming in at 7.5 percent as opposed to 7.4 percent," Roach said in an interview with China Daily on Wednesday during a panel event at the Asia Society in New York. "The point is that China is not as fixated on GDP as we are in the West.
"This is a healthy slowdown because it also lessens China's demand for resources," he said. "The idea that China is slow and weak now is ludicrous."
The nation's top policymakers said the first quarter figures for the economy are "within a reasonable range", and they will not have to launch major stimulus measures.
"Growth, employment and inflation are all within the targeted range, which shows the economy is running at a reasonable pace," said a statement issued after a State Council executive meeting presided over by Premier Li Keqiang.
Sheng Laiyun, spokesman for the National Bureau of Statistics, said China created 3.44 million new urban jobs in the period, 40,000 more than a year earlier. Urban per capita disposable income rose by 7.2 percent in real terms from a year earlier, the bureau said.
Huo Deming, an economics professor at the National School of Development under Peking University, said: "Given the Chinese economy is in a transitional period, the growth rate is quite good."
Jan Knoerich, who lectures on the Chinese economy at King's College London, said, "For more than a year, the Chinese leadership has quite successfully prepared the public for an era of lower growth rates, thus shifting public expectations on what an appropriate level of economic growth for China should be."
Slowing fixed-asset investment, industrial output and disappointing export data were behind the weakening growth.
The 8.8 percent increase in industrial production in March and the 17.6 percent growth for investment in the first quarter trailed estimates. Exports dropped by 3.4 percent from a year earlier.
However, this is evidence that the economy is increasingly moving away from traditional reliance on investment and exports, while it is largely above-expected growth in retail sales of 12 percent year-on-year that has plugged the gap.
According to the statistics bureau, consumption now accounts for 64.9 percent of GDP, 1.1 percentage points higher than a year earlier. Considering that government spending normally accounts for 15 percent of GDP, household consumption takes up nearly half, according to Huo.
After tertiary industry overtook secondary industry to become the largest growth engine for the first time last year, the former has moved further ahead, accounting for 49 percent of GDP, leading secondary industry by 4.1 percentage points.
A cooling property market is another concern. The value of property sales in the first quarter fell by 5.2 percent from a year earlier, while construction of new property dropped by 25.2 percent.
Property development investment, which comprised a fifth of the nation's investment, rose by 16.8 percent during the period, the weakest for the first quarter since 2009.
Contact the writers at firstname.lastname@example.org and email@example.com.
He Wei in Guangzhou contributed to this story.
Stephen Roach (left), a professor at Yale, fields a question from Orville Schell at the beginning of a discussion on US-China relationship on Wednesday at the Asia Society headquarters in New York. Jack Freifelder / China Daily
(China Daily USA 04/17/2014 page1)


text:
The highly acclaimed TVS Jupiter, after bagging numerous awards last year, became India’s fastest scooter ever to cross the 5,00,000 sales figure.
It seems that finally TVS has hit it right with its Jupiter. The scooter which was launched in September 2013 crossed the 5,00,000 mark recently. This feat also makes it the fastest scooter in the Indian market to do so.
The TVS Jupiter excels in almost every way a prospective customer would like it to excel. The all-new, light weight, all aluminium, low friction 110cc engine delivers 7.8bhp of power and 8Nm of torque making it the right mix of power, fuel efficiency and performance. Two retractable bag hooks, a 17-litre boot under the seat that can also accommodate a helmet, the fuel filler cap at the rear of the bike, so you don’t need to open the seat every time you have to refuel are some of the key features of this scooter that make it highly desirable.
Commenting on the achievement, K N Radhakrishnan, President and CEO, TVS Motor Company said, “A lot of thought and customer insights went into the making of TVS Jupiter. The fact that we have crossed this landmark in record time is testament to the fact that consumers are happy with the product’s performance and quality. It will be our continued focus to delight our customers with consistent product innovation and introduction of freshness into the brand.”

domain: news


text:
No one is looking at the jewels! Shanina Shaik's sexy slinky gown steals the spotlight at Piaget jewellery launch in Rome
She may have been wearing diamonds worth thousands of dollars.
But it was Shanina Shaik's slinky dress that took centre stage at Piaget Sunlight Journey Collection Launch In Rome on Tuesday night.
The 26-year-old simply stunned in a revealing black gown with plunging neckline and thigh-high split.
Scroll down for video
No one is looking at the jewels! Shanina Shaik's sexy slinky gown steals the spotlight at Piaget jewelry launch in Rome
The black frock also revealed the stunning supermodel's tiny torso thanks to cut-out detailing at the sides.
Shanina teamed her attire with a pair of silver strappy stilettos, and, of course, some pretty incredible jewels from Piaget's new collection.
The brunette beauty simply sparkled in a emerald and diamond neck piece and matching ring, as well as an opal and diamond cuff.
Sweeping up her chocolate locks into a simple chignon, Shanina made sure to showcase the high end jewellery.
Simply sparkling: The brunette beauty simply sparkled in a emerald and diamond neck piece and matching ring, as well as a gemstone and diamond cuff
Over the weekend, Shanina attended yet another ceremony - only this time it was the wedding of Nigerian billionaire Folorunsho Alakija's son.
Possibly taking inspiration for her own special day, the former Victoria's Secret model looked stunning at the lavish ceremony at Blenheim Palace, England.
Showcasing her flawless figure, Shanina wore a dazzling gold dress from Galvan London, which retails at around AU$1600.
Guest of honour: Shanina posed with Philippe Léopold-Metzger and Chabi Nouri, Piaget’s old and new CEOs
Hinting that her own nuptials were not far off, she captioned a photo: 'Weddings make you feel so romantic, don't they?'
Shanina previously hinted that her own wedding day isn't far off when the couple attended another recent nuptials.
She shared a photo of herself kissing DJ Ruckus, with the caption: 'We are next.'
Speaking to Stellar magazine earlier this year, Shanina revealed that her wedding plans were well under way.
'We're getting there, which is super exciting,' she said. 'We've got the guest list down, and I'm really happy about that.'
Angelic: Barbara Palvin looked angelic in a floaty white gown at the same event
Most watched News videos
- Woman in Russia walks away after fall from building
- Dramatic footage shows people collapsing suddenly in Wuhan city
- Teenager in Indonesia discovers mother has died live on air
- Teenager in Indonesia sings on reality show to help her mother
- Ellen DeGeneres says she'd be 'excited' to interview Meghan Markle
- China builds a hospital in six days to deal with patients
- Man in Canada trapped in store after smashing glass to gain entry
- Nurse believed to be in Wuhan alleges that 90,000 have been infected
- Makeshift hospital constructed in days to cope with coronavirus
- Footage appears to show 'Coronavirus patient fitting' in China
- Mass panic inside Wuhan hospital amidst coronavirus outbreak
- The EU Withdrawal Bill is given Royal Assent making it law


text:
Dateline in red despite boom
Lonely web surfers searching for soulmates in cyberspace are helping to turn Dateline's internet based service into that rarest of ventures - an online start-up that makes a profit in its first year.
OneSaturday, the quoted dating agency, said its online version had generated £400,000 of revenue in its first 12 months, and is already profitable.
The strength of the name means that the service needs little advertising and can be used to market other products such as financial services and restaurant reservations, said chief executive Terry Pudwell.
Overall, the business, which also takes in the Club Sirius and Elite Introductions agencies, fell heavily into the red in its first six months as a quoted company.
Despite a 40% increase in the number of subscribers to more than 40,000, the company made a £1.03m operating loss and a £1.77m pre-tax loss after exceptional costs. There is no interim dividend.
Most watched Money videos
- Door comes off Volkswagen Sharan during Euro NCAP safety tests
- What next for Woodford investors as the fund shuts?
- Euro NCAP safety tests of new Porsche Taycan shown in clip
- Urban Electric's new pop-up chargers rise from the pavement
- Land Rover reveals the Defender is being used in next Bond film
- Michael Schumacher's son drives Dad's title-winning Ferrari F1 car
- Durability of Tesla Model X examined in Euro NCAP clip
- Guy Martin sets new speed world record for a tractor at 135mph
- What does Britain's General Election mean for investors?
- Bizarre debut for Tesla's new Cybertruck
- Aston Martin reveals first family SUV in brand's 106-year history
- The all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E ad starring Idris Elba


text:
Amazon’s next take on the Fire TV Stick looks pretty much the same as before, but it brings along some useful upgrades to keep it current. The biggest difference? It now includes an Alexa-enabled remote at the same $40 price. It also packs in a faster quad-core processor (compared to a dual-core chip before) which Amazon claims is 30 percent faster than its predecessor, as well as speedier 802.11ac WiFi. Mostly, it seems like Amazon is trying to keep the Fire TV Stick more competitive with Roku’s excellent $50 streaming stick.
Unfortunately, there’s still no 4K support on this stick — if you want that, you’ll have to shell out for Amazon’s $100 Fire TV. I’d also expect that device to get a refresh soon to support HDR, just like Roku’s newest lineup. The Alexa remote appears to work just like before, allowing you to search for content, launch apps and ask for things like the weather.
You can preorder the new Fire TV Stick today, and Amazon says it’ll start shipping on October 20th. The company is also offering early customers $65 worth of free content from the likes of Hulu, Sling TV and Amazon Video.


text:
U.S. stocks gained on Tuesday, overcoming weak Citigroup results and concerns circling Apple after news of Chief Executive Steve Jobs' medical leave.
Investors focused instead on increased price targets for Google
Shares of Apple Inc
Shares of the bellwether technology company pared earlier losses and eased pressure on stock indexes. Apple has about a 21 percent weighting in the Nasdaq 100 <.NDX>, which edged up 0.2 percent.
To me, it seemed like the news was troubling for the company, but it's Apple, it ain't going to matter, said Stephen Massocca, managing director of Wedbush Morgan in San Francisco.
After the closing bell, Apple Inc reported better-than-expected revenue, fueled by blockbuster holiday sales of the iPhone and iPad, sending shares up 4.3 percent to $355.22 in extended trade.
Before the earnings were released, Massocca had said he believed the iPad maker would report strong results and shorts will be picking shards of glass out of their eyes.
During the regular session, the news about Apple and its stock decline were offset by a gain in shares of Google, up 2.5 percent at $639.63. Google's stock advanced after several brokerages raised their price target on the company's stock ahead of the world's No. 1 Internet search engine's earnings later this week.
The Dow also rose moderately, boosted by gains in Caterpillar Inc
Also lifting the Dow was Boeing Co
After the close, International Business Machines Corp
Optimism about earnings has helped bolster stocks in recent weeks, with the S&P 500 posting its seventh straight week of gains on Friday.
Aside from Apple, gains were tempered in regular trading by Citigroup Inc
The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> rose 50.55 points, or 0.43 percent, to end at 11,837.93. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> added 1.78 points, or 0.14 percent, to 1,295.02. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> gained 10.55 points, or 0.38 percent, at 2,765.85.
Earlier, the Dow traded as high intraday as 11,858.78, a fresh 52-week high. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq also climbed intraday and closed just slightly below their fresh 52-week highs.
The financial SPDR exchange-traded fund
Bank of America Corp
Volume was fair with about 8.5 billion shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange and Nasdaq, slightly above last year's estimated daily average of 8.47 billion.
Advancing stocks outnumbered declining ones on the NYSE by 1,626 to 1,374, while on the Nasdaq, decliners slightly beat advancers by 1,369 to 1,278.
(Reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak; Editing by Jan Paschal)


text:
First LuxuryNames auction ends today.
The first ever LuxuryNames auction has attracted a number of bids in advance of its closing this afternoon. Lots will begin closing at 12:15 PST on SnapNames.
As of 7 am PST today, 19 domain names have received bids. The highest so far is $2,600 for CheapHouseInsurance.com. Many of the domains have prices starting at only $99.
I have three domains in the auction, one of which has received several bids already: WeeklyPlanner.com. The domain was originally registered back in 2000. I sold MonthlyPlanner.com at an auction earlier this year, and believe WeeklyPlanner.com is a better domain.
My other domains are Newlyweds.net and MusicPhones.com. Newlyweds.net has an opening price of $3,000. Newlyweds.com sold for $130,000 last year. MusicPhones.com is a great domain with a phrase used extensively in the mobile phone industry. It was even used repeatedly in a Samsung commercial. To get an idea of the usage of this term, see the Google results.
Congratulations on your sale of WeeklyPlanner.com!!! How did you price it? Valuate valued is much higher than your reserve.
Are you going to post the totals for the Luxury auction? Snapnames didn’t advance market Luxury. There were no notices on the SnapNames homepage in advance of the auction, only the live auction once it started. Maybe a day in advance, that’s it!


text:
A behind-the-scenes look at beverage packaging and the functional elements and machinery that give this segment star power.
To read this article in its entirety, click here
Products in the beverage industry strive for convenient handling and brand differentiation. Beverage packagers have many considerations, including consumer trends and machinery advancements, but should also keep the environment as a forerunner in their decision-making in order to gain a broad consumer base.
To reach a variety of households and consumers, manufacturers design multiple package size formats. According to a Mintel (www.mintel.com) report titled “Beverage Packaging Trends” released earlier this year, multi-serving packages for beverages are the most popular at 94% purchase incidence with single-serving and multipack beverages recording 89% and 88% purchase incidence, respectively.<


text:
A German startup wants you to start renting your tech devices rather than buying them. Not only could this subscription-based model ensure you always have the latest devices, it could also help address the world’s massive electronic waste problem.
The challenge: The companies that make computers, smartphones, and other gadgets are constantly releasing upgraded versions of the devices, and many people are quick to toss aside their old tech in favor of the latest iteration.
Those immune to the allure of the novel, meanwhile, might find themselves with little choice but to upgrade if their devices are damaged — many consumer electronics are designed so that buyers can’t make their own repairs, and paying for fixes can be expensive.
Lots of it ends up on the second-hand market, but ultimately, all of this discarded tech adds up. In 2019, the world produced about 59 million tons of electronic waste, and less than 18% of it was recycled — the rest was likely burned or dumped in landfills, harming the environment either way.
“Consumers can go into it knowing they’re going to upgrade to a later version as they come out.”Andrew Draft
The idea: To meet people’s desire for new gadgets while minimizing electronic waste, German startup Grover is selling subscriptions to laptops, smartphones, and other tech devices.
“Consumers can go into it knowing they’re going to upgrade to a later version as they come out, and they’re not going to start collecting a bunch of hardware and devices that will ultimately be disposed of and contribute to e-waste,” Andrew Draft, Grover’s U.S. general manager, told PYMNTS.com.
How it works: Grover’s website lists hundreds of items that users can choose to rent for a month or more, with the per-month cost dropping the longer they commit to keeping the product.
After a rental period ends, the user can either return the item for free, choose to extend the subscription, or buy the item outright.
All of the gadgets are delivered in new or like-new condition, and Grover refurbishes returned items before relisting them on the website. If a returned product is damaged, the startup covers 90% of the repair cost.
Less than 18% of electronics might end up recycled when the decision is left to their owners, but Grover recycles every item that’s become too outdated or damaged to rent out — ensuring the devices don’t end up harming the environment.
A new market: Since launching in Europe, Grover estimates that it has avoided 1,500 tons of electronic waste. Now, the service is expanding to the U.S., where it hopes to continue extending the life of products that might otherwise end up languishing in landfills or desk drawers.
“[U.S.] consumers will — it is our hope and belief — want to take advantage of this alternative to conventional ways of consuming technology,” Draft said.
We’d love to hear from you! If you have a comment about this article or if you have a tip for a future Freethink story, please email us at [email protected].


text:
Some Hyundai and Kia cars and SUVs are missing a "key" anti-theft device, making them an easy target for car thieves.
An insurance industry group says these cars are stolen at nearly twice the rate of the rest of the auto industry because their engines lack "immobilizer" systems, which is an electronic security device that prevents the car from being started without the correct key.
The thefts apparently started in the Milwaukee area two years ago and spread to multiple Midwest cities and as far away as Colorado and New Mexico after instructional videos appeared on social media.
The Highway Loss Data Institute, a unit of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, found that Hyundais and Kias without immobilizers had a vehicle theft claim rate of 2.18 per 1,000 insured vehicle years. The rest of the industry combined had a rate of 1.21. An insured vehicle year is equal to one vehicle insured for one year.
The institute, which issued its findings on Thursday, compared vehicles from the 2015 through 2019 model years. It studied vehicle theft claims from 2021.
Chip keys, or transponders, which started to show up in the mid '80s, communicate with a sensor in the vehicle's ignition switch. If the registration code on the chip matches the ID codestored in the car's computer system, the engine will start. If the codes don't match, the engine won't start, adding an important layer of protection against car thieves.
Immobilizers not included in cheaper models
Transponder-based immobilizer systems are not present in several lower-priced versions of vehicles from the two South Korean automakers such as the Kia Rio and Sportage and the Hyundai Accent, the institute said.
"Our earlier studies show that vehicle theft losses plunged after immobilizers were introduced," said Matt Moore, senior vice president of the institute. "Unfortunately, Hyundai and Kia have lagged behind other automakers in making them standard equipment."
In the 2015 model year, immobilizers were standard on 96% of other manufacturers' models, the institute said. But they were standard on only 26% of Hyundai and Kia models. The carmakers haven't explained their decision to not include immobilizers on some models.
Car theft hacks go viral
Videos show thieves prying the ignition cover off the Hyundai and Kia vehicles, then using a screwdriver or USB cable to start them and drive away.
Last year in Milwaukee, 66% of the 10,476 stolen vehicles were Hyundais or Kias, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel newspaper. The number of thefts has slowed in the city so far this year. Through September 12, there were 6,048 vehicles taken, 58% of which were Hyundais or Kias, Milwaukee police said Thursday.
One 17-year-old theft suspect in a viral video about Kia thefts was arrested after police used the video and an anonymous tip to track him down, the Journal Sentinel reported. He could face up to 22 years in prison.
Hyundai and Kia both conceded in statements that thieves are stealing some of their vehicles and said they meet federal safety standards. "It is unfortunate that criminals are using social media to target vehicles without engine immobilizers in a coordinated effort," Kia said.
All 2022 Kias got immobilizers either at the start of or during the model year. Hyundai said all models produced after November 1, 2021 have immobilizers as standard equipment.
Kia says it's working to provide steering wheel locks at no cost to owners in affected areas to deter thefts. Hyundai said it's also providing the locks to local police to distribute to Hyundai owners, and that in October, it will start selling a security kit that targets the thieves' methods.
The institute's Moore said the vulnerable Hyundais and Kias rank among the 20 most popular vehicles with thieves, a distinction normally reserved for high-powered or expensive vehicles, or pickup trucks. The Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat had the highest rate of theft claims.
Many of the vulnerable Hyundais and Kias are often bought by lower-income people. "These are relatively inexpensive vehicles when purchased new," Moore said. Owners of some of the models may have dropped comprehensive insurance to save money, and may have had to replace the cars on their own, he said.
To help prevent theft, owners should roll up windows, lock doors and take the key or fob with them, the National Insurance Crime Bureau says. They should park in well-lighted areas or a garage. If they have to park outdoors, owners should consider installing motion-sensor lights.
Thanks for reading CBS NEWS.
Create your free account or log in
for more features.
Stealing the affected Kia and Hyundai models became a social media trend in 2021, with some users posting instructional videos showing how easy they are to steal. These models are roughly twice as likely to be stolen as other vehicles of similar age, CNN reports, looking at data from the Highway Loss Data Institute.Why are Kia and Hyundai cars being stolen? ›
Kia vehicles from model year 2011 to 2021 and Hyundai vehicles from model year 2016 to 2021 are especially vulnerable due to the absence of anti-theft devices that have long been standard for other automakers.Why are thieves targeting Kia cars? ›
The "Kia Boyz" challenge, as its called, has thieves targeting certain models of 2010-2021 vehicles by makers Kia and Hyundai that use a mechanical key for access instead of a key fob or push-to-start access. The thieves are reportedly taking advantage of a design flaw in those vehicles.How are thieves stealing Kias and Hyundais? ›
And the automakers say they're not to blame for any of it. Thieves have learned how to steal the cars using USB cords in ignitions built without immobilizers, which prevent engines from starting without computer chips in keys. In St. Louis County alone, almost 1,000 Kias and Hyundais have been stolen so far this year.How can I protect my Hyundai from being stolen? ›
A new anti-theft security kit Hyundai developed in partnership with Compustar is now available. The kit includes both a kill switch and an alarm. Hyundai told Automotive News that the kit will be available at all of its 820 dealers in the U.S. and will take around two and a half hours to install.How do I protect my Kia from being stolen? ›
Meanwhile, steering wheel locks can prevent the Tik Tok-fueled thefts. Hyundai and Kia have distributed locks to police departments to offer a free deterrent to Hyundai and Kia owners.What is the number 1 most stolen car? ›
Topping the list of the most stolen cars in America in 2020 is the 2006 Ford F-150. This is the second year the pickup has topped the listing, with over 44,014 units stolen in 2020, 13% higher than in 2019. Pickup trucks are clearly a favorite amongst thieves, especially given their power, reliability and versatility.What Hyundai models are stolen the most? ›
Due in part to the ease with which these vehicles can be stolen, the 2019-21 Hyundai Accent is one of the most frequently stolen vehicles, according to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's Highway Loss Data Institute.Can I sue Kia if my car was stolen? ›
The truth is that you can file a lawsuit for just about any theft.Why are people stealing Hyundai cars? ›
Thieves are targeting Kia and Hyundai cars across the country, and law enforcement says it's because social media challenges are pointing out a glitch in the cars. Some Kia models built between 2011 and 2021, and some Hyundai models built between 2016 and 2021 have a key issue making them easy for theft.
In fact, 2015-2019 Hyundai and Kia models are roughly twice as likely to be stolen as other vehicles of similar age. The reason is many of these vehicles lack some basic auto theft prevention technology included in most other vehicles, even in those years, according to the HLDI.Which Kia models are being stolen? ›
The method works on 2011-2021 Kias and 2016-2021 Hyundais that use a steel key, not a fob and push-button start. They are targeting cars that lack engine immobilizers — devices that don't allow the car to start without the correct smart key present, per the automakers.What year Kias are easy to steal? ›
Statistics further suggest that models of Hyundai and Kia manufactured from 2011 to 2021 are most at risk because these cars lack an engine immobilizer and can be operated with a traditional mechanical key.What year Hyundais and Kias are being stolen? ›
The suit alleges that Kia vehicles manufactured from 2011 and 2021 and Hyundai vehicles manufactured from 2015 to 2021 were equipped with traditional key ignitions that were deliberately created without engine immobilizers.Are 2022 Hyundais being stolen? ›
In 2022, the New Orleans Police Department says 465 Hyundais manufactured between 2015-2021 and 389 Kias made between 2010-2021 have been stolen. Police say the models all have mechanical-keyed ignitions and lack an engine immobilizer. But it's not just New Orleans that is feeling the effects of the immobilizer issue.What Hyundai models are affected by theft? ›
Hyundai and Kia wouldn't provide the model years that don't have the immobilizers but Forbes reports models affected include 2016-2021 Hyundai Accent, Elantra, Elantra GT, Sonata, Veloster, Venue, Kona, Tucson, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Sport, Santa Fe XL and Palisade as well as 2011-2021 Kias that use a key to start the ...How can I make it harder for someone to steal my car? ›
- Lock your doors. ...
- Remove your keys from the vehicle. ...
- Do not leave a spare key near your vehicle. ...
- Close the windows. ...
- Park in well-lit areas. ...
- Install an audible alarm system and anti-theft device. ...
- Install a vehicle immobilizer system. ...
- Install a tracking system.
Modern cars, like the BMW 3 Series and Tesla Model S, have impeccable security features that make them nearly impossible to steal. Modern anti-theft technologies have played a massive role in deterring thieves and lowering crime rates.What is Kia doing about stolen vehicles? ›
The Stolen Vehicle Recovery feature gives eligible Kia Connect subscribers an extra sense of safety and security by using Kia Connect technology and trained Kia agents to work with law enforcement to help recover stolen vehicles.What is the hardest vehicle to steal? ›
Tesla Model S and Model X
The Model S remains not only one of the best electric vehicles on the market but also one of the safest in 2022. A Tesla Model S's owner can track the car's location using a smartphone, perhaps the biggest deterrent to theft.
Typically, luxury vehicles and sports cars rank highest on the “most-stolen” list, but Hyundai and Kia thefts have been on the rise, rivaling pricier models in recent years.What do car thieves look for? ›
Thieves will steal anything valuable, but the most common items stolen from cars tend to be electronics, personal information, and accessories.Has Kia fixed their theft problem? ›
The majority of Kia vehicles in the United States are equipped with a key fob and “push-button-to-start” system, making them more difficult to steal. All 2022 Kia models and trims have an immobilizer applied either at the beginning of the model year or as a running change.What cars have no immobilizer? ›
Transponder-based immobilizer systems are not present in several lower-priced versions of vehicles from the two South Korean automakers such as the Kia Rio and Sportage and the Hyundai Accent, the institute said.What cars are affected by the Kia challenge? ›
You Own a Kia or a Hyundai
Thefts of Kia's and Hyundai's have skyrocketed because of the Kia challenge. If you own a Kia manufactured between 2011 and 2021 or Hyundai's manufactured between 2015 and 2021, you may see an increase in your rates.
Many 2015-19 Hyundai and Kia vehicles lack electronic immobilizers that prevent thieves from simply breaking in and bypassing the ignition. The feature is standard equipment on nearly all vehicles of that vintage made by other manufacturers.Is my Hyundai at risk of being stolen? ›
-- The lack of a common anti-theft features puts vehicles manufactured by sister companies Hyundai and Kia at an increased risk of being stolen amid a nationwide boom in auto thefts, according to data.What cars do Kia boys steal? ›
You may have heard about a recent spike in Hyundai and Kia thefts due to some viral social media posts on the so-called “Kia Boys.” If you haven't, let me put you on notice: If you own a Kia or Hyundai SUV with a keyed-in ignition, your vehicle is at increased risk of being stolen.What is the problem with Kia and Hyundai? ›
Many of them are either related to problems with specific engines, which the automakers call Theta II, Nu GDI, and Gamma GDI. Hyundai and Kia say that many of the engine problems have to do with a faulty connecting rod bearing.Which Kias get stolen the most? ›
The Kia Sportage is one of the most-stolen vehicles right now. The Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) compiles a list of the most-stolen vehicles. The Kia Sportage makes the top 20.
Affected Hyundai models include certain 2016-21 examples of the Accent, Elantra, Elantra GT, Kona, Palisade, Santa Fe, Sante Fe Sport, Santa Fe XL, Sonata, Tucson, Veloster and Venue. All affected vehicles both use a steel key and lack an engine immobilizer.Which Hyundai models are being stolen? ›
Buffalo Police say with the Hyundai cars, it's becoming an issue in the Tucson and Elantra models.Which Kia models are easily stolen? ›
Model year 2019-2021 Kias and Hyundais have a lower rate of theft compared to 2015-2019 models but the Kia Rio, Kia Sportage, Kia Sportage 4WD, and Hyundai Accent are still on IIHS' list of most frequently stolen vehicles for those model years.Why are people stealing Hyundais? ›
Police say the thefts could be linked to the nationwide social media trend that has teenagers swiping cars using a USB cord. The cars are also hot targets because they are, apparently, easy to steal.What years of Kia are easy to steal? ›
The vehicles being targeted are mainly certain 2010-2021 Kia and Hyundai models equipped with a traditional mechanical key that lack an immobilizer system, not a key-fob and push-start button. The two Korean companies say that all vehicles built after 2022 are fitted with the system.How do people steal Kia cars? ›
Because the susceptible Hyundai and Kia vehicles allegedly do not have an immobilizer, the thieves are able to simply force the ignition cylinder as if they were using a screwdriver to perform the same trick on a car from the 1980s. Spokespeople for Hyundai and Kia say that 2022 models are immune to the method.


text:
Valve released SteamVR 2.0 widely, including new UI and features found in Steam for PC and the Steam Deck.
The Xreal Air 2’s slimmer build and upgraded OLED displays also come with a higher price tag.
Developers can now start making apps ahead of Vision Pro's official launch next year.
Apple's Vision Pro is the first step in a years-long play. Its WWDC announcement was proof that it will need time editing, and need developers on board.
Stay on the Cutting Edge
Join the experts who read Tom's Hardware for the inside track on enthusiast PC tech news — and have for over 25 years. We'll send breaking news and in-depth reviews of CPUs, GPUs, AI, maker hardware and more straight to your inbox.


text:
News from Germany
Huawei has secured a deal with Telefónica in Germany, one of the three major operators in the country, to build part of its 5G network. The company said that it will use equipment from Huawei and Finland's Nokia to build its 5G network, provided Huawei equipment met the government's security requirements.
Rapid Susan 2,850
Facebook has lost a case of patent infringement against BlackBerry in Germany, where the preliminary verdict of the court was in favour of BlackBerry. In its current form, Facebook may no longer offer some of its own apps, including WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram in Germany. In nine cases, the court ruled for BlackBerry.
Rapid John 7,408
Deutsche Telekom has put a freeze on the awarding of 5G contracts to equipment vendors until the German government reaches a decision on whether to ban Huawei from future networks.
Rapid Yvonne 25,531
The Hamburg Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (HmbBfDI) has opened an administrative procedure to prohibit Google from transcribing Google Assistant recordings by employees or third parties for a period of three months. This is intended to protect the privacy rights of those affected for the time being.
Rapid Carol 3,892
A German court has ruled that Apple didn't infringe on a Qualcomm hardware patent, declaring that the iPhone isn't violating any of Qualcomm's power management patents. The judge ruled the suit in question groundless, declaring that Apple's iPhone wasn't standing in violation in an initial verbal ruling. A full filing with rationale is expected in the future.
Rapid Carol 9,609
Qualcomm has put up €1.34 billion in security bonds in order to enforce a German court ruling in its favour regarding a patent dispute with Apple. The patents pertained to "power savings technology" used in modern smartphones call envelope tracking.
Rapid Susan 7,744
A German court has ruled that Apple infringed on a Qualcomm hardware patent and the company can no longer sell iPhone's from iPhone 7 through to iPhone X models in the country. The ruling won't go into immediate effect if Apple appeals.
Rapid John 32,142
Earlier today TCL announced the availability of the BlackBerry Motion in the UK and the company has now announced the smartphone will also be available in Austria, Germany and Switzerland starting this month.
Rapid Susan 72,904
Amazon and BMW announced today that Amazon Alexa will be available in BMW and MINI vehicles starting in mid-2018. Ask Alexa in-car to get directions, call a business, play music or Audible content, control your smart home...
Rapid Lorna 2,638
Unified communications provider Swyx has further improved its IP-based communications solution and will present its new version 11 for the first time at its International Partner and Technology Conference on Wednesday, September 27.
Rapid John 18,876
Vodafone Germany is the first telecommunications provider in the world to offer its customers all five editions of the BlackBerry Enterprise Mobility Suite security solution with SIM-based billing.
Rapid Jacqueline 7,628
Swyx is considered to be one of the top 100 influencers on Twitter when it comes to "unified communications" according to a new report from Influencer Relationship Management company, Onalytica.
Rapid Yvonne 232
Rapid John 231
BlackBerry announced today at the IFA Berlin conference that its SecuTABLET is being used by government agencies in Germany to ensure its staff can work on the go without falling victim to espionage.
Rapid Carol 258
Moments, the photo app launched by Facebook in July of 2015, is now available in Europe and Canada. The app allows users to privately share photos with select friends.
Rolls-Royce to integrate Microsoft Azure IoT Suite and Cortana Intelligence Suite into its service solutions
Rapid Carol 11,786
Monday at the Hannover Messe industrial fair, Microsoft and Rolls-Royce announced they are collaborating to bring new capabilities to Rolls-Royce customers.


text:
- Auto Components
- 3 min read
The next best electric car battery is here, cheaper than ever
New power packs made from less expensive raw materials could help make the EV market more accessible, but they’ll need a whole new supply chain of their own.
By Anjani Trivedi
There’s no shortage of excitement for electric vehicle battery startups or multibillion dollar investments in the industry, as companies, backers and scientists look for the winning play. China, though, is already moving on to the next leg in the race — one that isn’t dependent on a big, bold breakthrough — with sodium-ion batteries. Done right, this technology could lead to widespread adoption in a market largely dependent on subsidies and where EV sales are still a fraction of all cars.
China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., or CATL, the world’s largest battery manufacturer, unveiled its latest product in July — a sodium-ion battery. The following month, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said it would drive the development, standardization and commercialization of this type of power-pack, providing a cheaper, faster-charging and safe alternative to the current crop on offer, which continue to be plagued by a host of problems, not least, faulty units catching fire.
Sodium-ion batteries aren’t a new development. They were being researched in the 1970s, but interest was quickly overtaken bya newer, fancier, more promising variety — the lithium-ion battery. Their widespread use meant the sodium-based ones didn’t have many takers and any ongoing development took a back seat.
Now, decades on, the challenges with lithium-ion batteries are becoming apparent. Carmakers and battery manufacturers are focused on bringing down costs — a perennial obstacle. And while lithium-ion batteries have been one of the greatest inventions in power storage, they are increasingly coming up against issues including the cost and availability of materials, and safety. There’s a constant tug-of-war between stable chemistry. so the battery doesn’t combust. and greater energy density. Clear solutions have largely confounded scientists, and what is available isn’t good enough to make lithium-ion scalable and commercially viable for electric vehicles.
The sodium-based batteries aren’t going to take electric cars any further than lithium can. Not anytime soon, at least. However, the materials needed to make them are widely available. The content of sodium in earth reserves is around 2.5% to 3%, or 300 times more than lithium and is more evenly distributed, according to Jefferies Group LLC analysts. That means it has a major cost advantage: These power packs could cost almost 30% to 50% less than the cheapest electric car battery options currently available. In addition, the price of sodium is less sensitive to market gyrations compared with lithium, increasingly a sentiment gauge for the world’s green ambitions.
And although sodium-ion batteries currently have a relatively lower energy density, they run better at cooler temperatures and have a greater life span, making them a better long-term investment, in theory. CATL’s latest product is expected to have an energy density of 160 Watt-hour per kilogram and will take 15 minutes to reach 80% of its charge. That’s on par with batteries currently on the market, ranging from 140 Wh/kg to 180 and 240 in the highest end type (that have proven to be combustible at times).
Sodium-ion batteries will effectively need a new supply chain — they can’t rely on the well-established lithium-ion ones. Low material costs, though, means manufacturing expenses will be reduced and honing the existing production processes to upgrade these older batteries will be faster. CATL has said it will have a supply chain in place by 2023. Other companies like HiNa Battery Technology Co. already have projects in progress.
Ultimately, the ability to put cheaper and safer options on the market also means widespread accessibility for price-conscious consumers or resource-constrained nations. Countries like India and South Africa are vying to get on the electric car bandwagon with big, ambitious plans to hit global green targets. However, they just don’t have the resources or access to them — neither financial nor raw materials. Options like the sodium-ion battery offer a clear path to go electric and make headway with their climate change goals.
Whoever can master the next best battery wins.


text:
New York (CNN Business)It’s not just about avocados and automobile parts. Imports from Mexico can be discovered in nearly every part of the United States economy.
The tariffs President Donald Trump has actually threatened versus Mexico would be broad, covering generally whatever coming north throughout the border. They aren’t targeted, the method tariffs are usually imposed. The influence on organisation, customers and the economy might be likewise prevalent.
“This is going to be felt by every sector and it’s going to be felt by customers. Not simply by organisations. Not simply the automobile market. It’s going to be felt more commonly and deeply than previous tariffs were felt,” stated Neil Bradley, primary policy officer for the United States Chamber of Commerce.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/03/business/mexican-imports-us-economy/index.html


text:
Huawei as one of smartphone manufacturers from China, apparently still not satisfied with the current condition. And they still want to continue to find success in its own way. And, after successfully making their own quad-core processors, they are now reportedly preparing its own mobile platform.
Even so, they will not leave the Android platform, and still trying to improve the sales of smartphone devices based on Windows Phone 8. Plan of its own mobile OS is done as a step to make the company more independent.
CEO Huawei Device, Wan Biao said that they would develop any favored by consumers. And, the mobile OS is one way by the company as a precaution in case of other companies no longer allow the use Huawei’s proprietary OS.
Huawei is now known as the sixth largest mobile phone manufacturer in the world. The company is also targeting to become the third largest mobile phone manufacturer in 2015 with a market share of 15 percent. In addition, this year they expect to sell 100 million mobile phones.


text:
Viacom International Media Networks has recruited Macky Drese as vice-presidnet, international sales at VBSI, the company’s in-house advertising group.
Macky joins from MCBX, a “social engagement agency”, where he was managing director.
ICYMI: BritBox joins Amazon Prime Video Channels digitaltveurope.com/2021/03/08/bri… https://t.co/qXlsW21pXi
08 March 2021 @ 21:00:01 UTC
ICYMI: RTL and Sky Deutschland agree streaming and F1 deal digitaltveurope.com/2021/03/08/rtl… https://t.co/bmUBX349wE
08 March 2021 @ 20:00:02 UTC
ICYMI: Fears over streaming content as Indian Supreme Court rules in favour of screening mechanism… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
08 March 2021 @ 19:00:02 UTC


text:
Nintendo lost $551 million in its fiscal year ending on March 31, and now it's counting on its new console, the Wii U, to turn everything around.
Reggie Fils-Aime, the president of Nintendo North America, acknowledged the fact that mobile and social games are eating into his business, but he tried to flip it around, saying that the fact that so many people are familiar with touch-screen games should help the adoption of the Wii U's touch screen controller.
The real question — is it different enough to get people to go out and buy a whole new console? Fils-Aime says it all hinges on the games, and they're worth it. We'll see whether gamers agree when the console goes on sale this fall for the all-important holiday season.
What about the fact that Nintendo traditionally appeals to more casual gamers, the very audience that has ditched pricey consoles for virtually free mobile and social options? Fils-Aime says that the Wii appeals to all gamers — both hard-core and casual. But it seems this new controller is designed with some new features that would be more conducive to shooter games.
Nintendo is jumping on the social bandwagon, not by integrating with Facebook, but with its own social network, the Miiverse, built on Nintendo's platform. It might keep people engaged longer, but they have to want to spend time on Nintendo, rather than playing Facebook games, for today's news to be meaningful to Nintendo's bottom line. We'll be watching the sales numbers this fall.
-By CNBC's Julia Boornstin
Follow Julia Boorstin on Twitter: @JBoorstin


text:
U.S. Total CBD Market By Sector (in Millions)
- The FDA last week approved UK-based GW Pharmaceuticals’ Epidiolex, a “pure plant-derived CBD” extract shown to drastically reduce seizures in children with epileptic syndromes.
- Marking the FDA’s first-ever approval of a cannabis-derived pharmaceutical product, the DEA has 90 days (until September 23) to schedule Epidiolex, a landmark decision being carefully scrutinized by the industry at large.
- Sales of Epidiolex will effectively open the pharmaceutical CBD market; the Hemp Business Journal (a division of New Frontier Data) forecasts the drug to generate between $15 million and $30 million in sales through 2018, and $180 million in 2019.
- HBJ expects the DEA to schedule Epidiolex as a Schedule IV drug and recommend that CBD be rescheduled from a Schedule I drug.
- Continued regulatory action by the FDA is expected against illicit claims and sales of unapproved, CBD-related products marketed with unproven medical claims.


text:
Eight years after starting up in France, the retrogaming (also known as classic gaming) market is consolidating and setting record sales. The tenth art is gradually carving out a niche in the auction room.
© Diane Al Homsy for the Pastor auction house
With a "Legend of Zelda" cartridge for a Nintendo console fetching no less than $870,000, and a Super Mario 64 cartridge going for $1.56M, gamers dropped their joysticks in surprise at the record-breaking sums achieved at the Heritage Auctions sale in July. Even Nicolas Pastor, an auctioneer from Le Mans, in charge of a retrogaming-themed sale in May, never dreamed of results like these: "I thought it would happen one day, but not so soon." The retrogaming market—playing and collecting old video games—has decidedly moved up a notch.
Initiated by Millon & Associés, the first auction in France (and Europe) entirely dedicated to this specialty only took place in 2013. The highlight of the sale was a Dino Force cartridge designed for the limited-edition PC-Engine console. Only three copies of this shooter game developed in 1992 were released before the production company went out of business. A rare item, then, which sold for €10,000. With ten retrogaming sales under its belt, Millon & Associés has noted a growing craze: "Over the last four sales, between 85% and 90% of lots have found takers, selling for around their high estimates or even more. If we held the 2013 sale again today—one with superb quality items—we would do much better, and would sell even more lots," says Alexis Jacquemard, director of the auction house's pop culture department.
Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Megadrive, Neo-Geo, Saturn, Dreamcast, PlayStation are all consoles that delighted children and teenagers in the 1980s and 1990s, and are now highly sought after by nostalgic 30- and 40-somethings. The profile of collectors is becoming younger: "I see people who didn't grow up with these consoles and are now on the lookout for them," says Kenji Calle, founder of the Retrogameplace sales site. 20-year-olds are interested in consoles that predate their births. The recent re-release of the Nintendo and Megadrive in modernized versions (with not cartridges but memory cards containing pre-installed vintage games) has introduced a new generation to retrogaming. And like any market indexed on the age curve, more recent pieces are gradually entering the specialty. Some titles for PlayStation 2 and GameCube, two consoles released in 2000 and 2001, are already seeing their price index rise. "It's an exponential market. Not everything is going to skyrocket in terms of price. But in our country, retrogaming has become a specialty similar to any other classic specialty," says Alexis Jacquemard.
While gamers are looking mainly for games or consoles, collectors are particularly attentive to the condition of boxes. "With Zelda on Super Nintendo, the cartridge on its own is worth €70. With a box in good condition, it's at least €300," says Kenji Calle. As video games are first and foremost cultural products, the quality of the experience contributes significantly to the resale price. This summer, Millon staged a sale entirely dedicated to Nintendo's small pocket Game & Watch consoles from the 1980s. If Life Boat was the title that sold for the most, at €2,000, it was not just for its rarity, excellent condition or the presence of the double-manual in English and French: "It's really nice to play, and that's part of the equation," says Alexis Jacquemard.
However, a few obscure points remain—like product design. "In my view, the aesthetic success of a cartridge or packaging is not yet substantial enough as regards the final price," says Nicolas Pastor, adding: "It's a market still seeking maturity." Historical and critical work on retrogaming is underway, and it's a huge task. Opinion leaders are emerging, and their views carry weight. "The game Super Mario RPG was released only in Japan on Super Famicom in 1996, and was difficult to find in France. You had to go to the specialist stores in Boulevard Voltaire in Paris. A copy in good condition is now worth €40. Two days before the sale, a Youtuber made a video about this game and we sold it at twenty times the price. There's an obvious link between cause and effect," says the auctioneer from Le Mans.
Beware of Counterfeits
At Millon, a new kind of exacting collector is emerging: "The idea is that the serial numbers of the cartridge, the leaflet and the box should match in every way." If these collectors insist on serial matching or full matching, it is because retrogaming is also prey to counterfeiting. The skullduggery lies in cart-modding: the exchange of a worthless cartridge chip for a blank chip on which a much-sought-after game has been programmed. Originally, this practice was used to translate games into another language, make them compatible with a console or play finished games that were never released. But some malicious sellers "cart-mod" rare games, then resell them by passing them off as original pieces. Internet tutorials explain how to spot fake boarded boxes, and even how to recognize official blister packs to avoid buying a re-blistered game at mint price. To guarantee a product's authenticity, more and more collectors are resorting to grading: a practice borrowed from Pokémon card collectors. The game is sent to a grading company, which gives it a grade based on its condition, rarity, etc., and then returns it to its owner in a sealed plastic case. The Super Mario 64 sold for $1.56 M was graded and had received 9.8/10. Despite this exceptional rating, the amount provoked a spate of outraged comments in the retrogaming world, like "pure speculation", "market manipulation", and even "money laundering".
A black cloud is looming on the horizon of the retrogaming world: for several years now, current video game publishers have only used dematerialized forms. An increasing number of new titles are only available on download platforms. Only Nintendo seems to be sticking with traditional cartridges, with its Switch handheld console. "There's a feeling that publishers want to break with the medium and do away with it. But if, in the long-term, there is no longer physical support, there will be no more new collections to make," says Kenji Calle. However, the big record companies have demonstrated what not to do: after dropping vinyl in the 1990s and 2000s, to the great grief of fans, they are now making up lost ground by flooding the shelves with more or less successful editions. The experience of a video game starts with its box, whose elaborate illustrations leave an indelible impression on players and contribute to the cult of a title. Video game publishers would thus have every advantage in keeping future collectors' desire alive. Tomorrow's retrogaming is being prepared today.


text:
Black Friday sales require a good strategy, comfortable shoes and a lot of coffee. There’s one more thing to add to the list: your iPhone or Smartphone.
A variety of apps can turn your phone into a shopping tool that will help you navigate stores, get coupons and find the best prices.
Wired reports more apps are being rolled out as retails “acknowledge the new reality of anytime, anywhere retail, a reality in which getting someone to tap an app on Black Friday is at least as important as getting them through the door.”
Google Maps provides maps for stores like Macy’s and Nordstrom. This app can also be used to help you plan out your route and find items on store shelves.
The app helps find information about everything on your Christmas lists. According to Google, the app recognizes produces by cover art, barcode, voice and text searches. It also lets you save items to your list to share with family and friends, it states.
This app turns your phone’s camera into a barcode scanner. It takes a photo of the barcode then lets you check prices from online to local retails to find the best deal, according to PCWorld.com
Don’t forget those coupons! Coupon Sherpa’s mobile app provides you with thousands of coupons.
The company’s app offers sale alerts; deals of the day and can scan barcodes to find the best deal.
Another free app that provides an interactive navigation tool, showing you locations of stores, restrooms and restaurants and more, according to PCWorld.com.
Finally, there’s the Black Friday Shopping app. This app gives you the latest breaking Black Friday ads, including the leaked ones.


text:
- Reuters, Tuesday, November 16, 2021 8:42 PM
Automakers and dealers usually promote holiday season sales with slogans like Lexus's "A December to remember.” But spending is likely to be be down this holiday season, industry executives
and analysts say. “A year of supply chain and production disruptions have left auto dealerships with roughly one-third of the normal inventory levels, giving sellers little reason to shell out
for splashy holiday ads,” per Reuters.
Read the whole story at Reuters »


text:
This is when the Cash for Clunkers really makes Obama Smart.
People keep saying that consumers will be squeezed by Gasoline, but what most don't realize is that many consumers have switched to better MPG cars since 2008, thanks to the Clunkers rebate and they got rid of the gas guzzlers that were on the rode in 2008 whihch is the last time Oil went over $100.
Proof consumers are still spending is all around like today with Tempur-Pedic International Inc. (TPX) said that it expects to earn 67 or 68 cents per share on revenue of $325 million for the quarter that ended March 31. That's well above the 58 cents per share and $290.5 million in sales that analysts polled by FactSet have been expecting,
and yesterday with similar bullish forecasts by BBBY and PIR


text:
By: Sara Century
Date: June 28, 2022
Ahead of the July Fourth holiday—a beer sales bonanza that tops the Super Bowl—Miller Lite is teaming up with creative shops DDB and Alma as well as PR agency ICF Next to shine the spotlight on the women and non-binary people who have played crucial parts in the industry’s past and present.
As part of the program, the beer giant is releasing a limited-edition can sporting the image of Mary Lisle, who owned and operated a brewery in Philadelphia dating back to 1734. Part of a group referred to as “the Ale Wives,” Lisle is considered the first female commercial brewer in the colonies.


text:
The Titan Company plans to add 14 more Tanishq stores in India by the end of FY24, building on the 30 stores it introduced in the past nine months. At present, the company has over 410 Tanishq stores in the country. Ashok Sonthalia, the Chief Financial Officer of The Titan Company, also revealed plans to expand internationally, with approximately 50 jewellery stores by FY27, supplementing the current 14 stores across the globe.
Furthermore, the company aims to extend its Zoya brand by adding 7 stores by FY25, joining the existing 8 outlets in India.
Indian jewellery market easily offers an opportunity to have 1000 plus stores, but Titan is not in hurry, Sonthalia told businessline. He believes going too fast could harm quality and customer experience. The company wants to achieve a run rate of 40-50 stores per year, he added.
- Also read: Titan Company to hire over 3,000 employees
Internationally Titan’s jewellery stores are currently located in the northern US and three other countries - UAE, Qatar, and Singapore. “We have 14 stores internationally, with four in the US and about 10 across the other countries. I anticipate a similar number of additions in the next 12 months, going from 14 to 26 or 28. I hope by the next three years, in FY27, we’ll have around 45-50 stores internationally,” he added.
Sonthalia admitted that the performance of the eyecare division could have been better. “Quarter three not growing at all was a disappointment. The festive quarter is generally suboptimal for the eyecare sector. We have taken steps to address the issues, with early promising results,” said Sonthalia.
Sonata and fast-track analog watches exhibit signs of fatigue, Sonthalia shared. “In Sonata, we have introduced two fashion-oriented sub-brands at an affordable price, resonating well with the youth’s preference for fast fashion.”
Titan and Helios are performing exceptionally well, especially in the premium segment, he added.


text:
When schools closed in March, Boulder’s thriving natural and organic food industry jumped into action to help feed BVSD’s families. Within hours of the announcement, a mini-war room had been convened with leaders from Naturally Boulder, Conscious Alliance and Fresh Ideas Group to create a plan to connect local food product companies to the school district to provide in-kind donations of food.
“The morning after it was announced that schools would close, we knew that we had a big task ahead of us,” says Ann Cooper, Director of Food Services. “We had to quickly create a new program from scratch to get food to our families. Thanks to the leaders of natural and organic food companies, we didn’t have to do it alone.”
Naturally Boulder, a non-profit that connects and supports natural products companies, created a campaign to inspire its member companies to donate food to BVSD’s emergency food distribution program. The response was massive. Within a few days, 24 companies signed up to donate large quantities of in kind food to support families who were adjusting to going without school meals. Donations have included everything from Aurora Organic Dairy milk, Bobo’s Oat Bars, to Purely Elizabeth granola. To date, more than 125,000 items have been donated and many companies have continued to contribute food to the program, which plans to continue until July 16.
One such company is Boulder Organic Foods, who has continued to regularly donate high quality, organic soup to the food distribution program. “When we heard that kids weren’t going to have access to hot lunch anymore, we knew we had to step in,” says Kate Brown, Founder of Boulder Organic Foods. “It's long been a part of our mission to make healthy, nutritious, and delicious meals for everyone. Not just people who have disposable income, but it should be available to everybody.”
Another important partner was the locally-based national non profit Conscious Alliance who connected BVSD to transportation and food resources -- including a donation from Hormel which allowed a whole spiral-sliced ham to be given out to every family just before Easter.
“We’ve always worked tirelessly to deliver great food into the hands of kiddos and families who need it most,” says Justin Levy, Executive Director of Conscious Alliance. “The pandemic hasn’t changed our commitment and dedication, but we have scaled up and adapted to meet the growing need for increased food assistance. With schools closed and students not having access to the free breakfast and lunch programs, it’s as important as ever that, as a community, we are meeting that need.”
Sylvia Tawse, the founder of Fresh Ideas Group agency and longtime organic industry advisor, connected BVSD Food Services to the partners that made this campaign possible. She also donated her services drafting messaging and outreach to companies.
“The natural and organic industry has always had a big heart, it’s just baked into what we do,” says Tawse, who is also a Senior Adviser to and Co-founder of Naturally Boulder. “We all have a mission to feed our bodies and our planet in a healthy and joyful way. This pandemic doesn’t change that and actually allows us to all work together on the things that matter most.”
BVSD would like to thank the following companies and organizations who offered to provide in kind donations to our emergency feeding program: Aurora Organic Dairy, Conscious Alliance, Rasa, Farm&Oven Snacks, Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice, ONE Brands, The Toasted Oat Bakehouse, Bobo’s Oat Bars, The Good Crisp Company, Community Food Share, Pastificio Boulder, Little Secrets, The Tea Spot, Good Karma Foods, Beyond Broth, ProBar, PTP Charter, Ancient Harvest, Fossil Fuel Donuts, Organic Bliss, Boulder Organic Foods, Purely Elizabeth, Wilde Brands, Trader Joes-Boulder, Chef Soraya


text:
Articles in Xiaomi India
July 15, 2022
Meanwhile, Wieden+Kennedy India has announced the appointment of Ayesha Ghosh as MD.
June 11, 2021
n other news, Tata Group will acquire a majority stake in e-pharmacy retailer 1MG, broadening its presence in the medical economy.
November 20, 2020
Meanwhile, BuzzFeed is acquiring Huffpost in a broader partnership deal with Verizon Media.


text:
Romania's ten-month trade balance deficit was standing at 11.845 billion euro in late October, up by 1.62 billion euro from the same period of 2017, according to data released on Monday by the National Institute of Statistics (INS).
FOB exports amounted to 57.190 billion euro, while CIF imports amounted to 69.035 billion euro. Against the first ten months of 2017, exports increased by 9.2 percent, January 1 - October 31, 2018, and imports by 10.3 percent.
Important shares in exports and imports in the first ten months of 2018 were held by: machinery and transport equipment (47.4 percent exports and 38.0 percent imports) and other manufactured products (32.2 percent exports and 30.7 percent imports).
According to the INS, in October 2018, FOB exports amounted to 6.340 billion euro and CIF imports amounted to 8.230 billion euro, resulting in a deficit of 1.890 billion euro.
Compared with October 2017, exports in October 2018 increased by 10.0 percent and imports increased by 16.1 percent.
The value of intra-EU28 commercial exchanges between January 1 and October 31, 2018 was EUR 43.885 billion in shipments and EUR 51.539 billion in imports, making up 76.7 percent of total exports and 74.7 percent of total imports.
With regard to the value of extra-EU 28 commercial exchanges in the first ten months, it was 13.305 billion euro for exports and 17.496 billion euro for imports, accounting for 23.3 percent of total exports and 25.3 percent of total imports.


text:
At least two major companies have either filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection or defaulted on loans during the week of February 15 – February 19, 2021. These filings and defaults caused credit issuers to lower ratings for one of the two companies.
Both companies came by way of the Consumer Discretionary sector.
Sources: S&P, Bloomberg
Glenroy Coachella LLC, which owns the Hotel Indigo development in the city of Coachella, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The motion comes after a lawsuit filed between business partners Gary Stiffelman and Stuart Rubin. Stiffelman is suing his business partner for $50 million, according to Desert Sun. He claims that Rubin and his son carelessly used up the hotel's project budget.
The resort-style hotel was supposed to b...


text:
Business Insider reports that Apple has joined Amazon, Microsoft and Cisco in filing a joint amicus brief in support of Google's opposition to a warrant by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) seeking to extract emails stored on non-US servers.
In response to the FBI warrant, a court in Pennsylvania recently ruled that Google must hand over emails stored on non-US servers. The joint filing claims the warrant could set a troubling precedent and force Google to violate foreign data privacy laws.
California's top cops seem to have obtained a questionable warrant request to enter a residence and force anyone inside to use biometric information to open their fingerprint-locked iPhones purely on the assumption they'll learn more after they access the phones, Forbes reported this morning.
Deemed as “an unprecedented attempt to bypass the security of Apple's iPhones,” Forbes found a court filing in which the Department of Justice sought to search a Lancaster, California, property.
The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) looked into “legal and technical options” for breaking into another terrorists's iPhone. Wired reports that potential prospect of a second legal showdown between Apple and the Bureau was raised in a statement issued today by the FBI.
Apple this month brought back software engineer and top expert in practical cryptography Jon Callas, reports Reuters. The move follows Apple's high-profile battle with the FBI, and amidst a growing war between governments and tech firms over encryption.
Callas worked at Apple in the '90s, and again between 2009 and 2011, when he designed encryption to protect data stored on Mac computers. He rejoined the company in May, to help add more powerful security features to its wide range of consumer products.
FBI Director James Comey said on Thursday that the agency paid more to break into the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone than he'll make in the remaining 7+ years of his tenure. Reuters crunched the numbers, and that suggests that the FBI paid more than $1.3 million for the hack.
That seems like a lot of money for a tool that doesn't work on the iPhone 5s or newer, but speaking at the Aspen Security Forum in London today, the Director said that he believes it was worth it. And of course the FBI will be able to use the tool in other case involving older iPhones.
Apple declined to provide Chinese officials with access to iOS source code, General counsel Bruce Sewell said on Tuesday at a subcommittee hearing on encryption. "We have been asked by the Chinese government. We refused."
Sewell said the request had come in the last two years, and noted several times that Apple has not cooperated with China on that level. Some lawmakers have questioned whether or not Apple has given the country special treatment.
James Comey, Director of the Federal Bureau of iPhones—that is, Investigation—confirmed in an interview with CNN yesterday that a tool that the agency had purchased from a third-party to unlock San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook's iPhone 5c cannot be used to bypass security protections on newer models, from the iPhone 5s onward.
This implies the tool relies on the fact that the iPhone 5c and earlier models lack hardware features like the Secure Enclave embedded in Apple's mobile processors (from the iPhone 5s's A7 chip and onward) which keeps encrypted sensitive information and stuff like the number of passcode attempts isolated from the rest of the system.
The Department of Justice filed a request on Monday, asking the court to vacate its order to compel Apple to assist agents in unlocking an iPhone. As expected, the FBI was able to crack the handset without the company's assistance.
The filing comes a week after the DOJ asked the court to postpone its hearing with Apple, claiming it had found a possible method for accessing the data stored on an iPhone 5c, which belonged to San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook.
The Department of Justice on Monday asked to postpone a court hearing set for tomorrow on the high profile case of whether or not Apple should be forced to help the FBI break into an iPhone, reports Politico. Their request was granted.
For months, the DOJ has insisted they needed Apple's help to break into the handset, as part of an ongoing terrorism investigation. Apple has steadfastly resisted, citing dangerous precedent, but the government may not need its help after all.
Tim Cook on Monday kicked off Apple's long-awaited March media event with his usual introduction. The CEO's first announcement was that Apple now has 1 billion devices being using around the globe, and then as expected, he took a moment to briefly talk about the company's ongoing fight with the FBI over encryption.
Cook thanked everyone for their support of Apple in what he believes is one of the biggest privacy battles of our generation. He then brought up Apple's VP of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives, Lisa Jackson, to talk about Apple's progress in reducing its environmental impact. We have more highlights from the intro below.
The United States Department of Justice (DoJ) has slid a disturbing footnote in its court filing against Apple that could be interpreted as a threat to seize the iOS source code unless Apple complies with a court order in the FBI case.
The DoJ is demanding that Apple create a special version of iOS with removed security features that would permit the FBI to run brute-force passcode attempts on the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone 5c.
Meanwhile, President Barack Obama has made public where he stands on the Apple vs. FBI case, which has quickly become a heated national debate.
Apple's fight against the United States government and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) over circumventing encryption and creating a backdoor into the iPhone has received a comedic treatment in a segment on the Last Week Tonight show by comedian Jon Oliver.
In a mock Apple ad, Oliver rehashes controversial quotes from government officials, as well as Donald Trump’s iPhone boycott idea and District Attorney Daniel Conley’s Kennedy quote of sending a man to the moon.


text:
Technology conglomerate Google has chosen 24 start-ups from developing markets around the world, including Nigeria, out of thousands of applications to participate in a two-week boot camp to take their business to the global stage.
In its fifth year, Google Launchpad Accelerator is taking place in San Francisco this week. It focuses on start-ups that already have a product, with a good market fit, and are ready to scale.
During the intensive two weeks at Google’s offices, start-ups are exposed to expert professionals and mentors in the technology and business space, as well as take part in workshops on machine learning and artificial intelligence.
The programme is tailored to each start-up specifically. When they are accepted into the initiative, their problems are assessed and they are paired with the mentor who has the best skill set to help them when they get to San Francisco.
After the boot camp, the start-ups will take part remotely in a six-month mentorship programme.
This year, there are three start-ups from Africa: Aerobotics from SA, as well as Helium Health and OneFi from Nigeria.
Cape Town-based Aerobotics helps farmers optimise their yields and reduce costs through its aerial data analytics platform, which combines on-the-ground and satellite data with footage from drones.
Helium Health provides smart, rugged, all-in-one electronic medical records for Africa, and OneFi has created Paylater, an online provider of digital financial services for the underbanked in West Africa.
There are two companies with $1 billion evaluations taking part in the accelerator. Roy Glasberg, global lead for Google Developers Launchpad, says this is the first time any accelerator in the world has taken on such large start-ups.
Both ‘unicorns’ are based in Brazil. Nubank is a financial technology company offering a fully digital and branchless experience, and Viva Real is an online real estate marketplace that connects buyers, sellers and renters with properties in Brazil. There is one other Brazilian start-up, Loggi, which creates new-wave logistics.
Other participating South American start-ups include Etermax, a creator of social gaming apps, and Restorando, a dining-out marketplace, from Argentina. There is also Clip, a service that allows users to accept payments with any credit or debit card, at anytime and anywhere, and Kubo.financiero, a P2P lending platform, from Mexico.
Central and Eastern Europe start-ups taking part are Synetiq from Hungary, Szopi from Poland, and App in the Air and Voximplant from Russia.
Synetiq uses machine learning and biometric emotional insights to help brands and media producers create high-performing video adverts. Szopi offers a same-day delivery platform for groceries and pharmaceuticals. App in the Air is a personal travel assistant for flight tracking and exploring airports, and Voximplant offers a versatile cloud communications platform.
India has one of the largest contingents, with four start-ups: BabyChakra, m.Paani, NIRAMAI and SocialCops.
BabyChakra is an app that helps Indian parents from pregnancy to parenting. m.Paani provides businesses with real-time consumer insights. NIRAMAI has developed a breast cancer screening solution that detects cancer at an early stage. SocialCops empowers organisations to make better decisions through data.
Jumia Partners Reckitt Benkiser, Nokia, Others to Enable Consumers Access Quality Products
Jumia has launched a Brand Festival campaign in partnership with top global brands such as Reckitt Benkiser, Unilever, Nokia, Intel, HP, Nexus, Hisense, Sharp, Samsung, Binatone, XIAOMI, ABSOLUT, Dettol, and Logitech.
The campaign which is scheduled to run from September 21st to 27th, will provide consumers access to top quality products directly from the manufacturers, eliminating all third parties, thereby reducing the cost of the products, which will enable consumers to save money.
Jumia Nigeria CEO, Massimiliano Spalazzi, said: “The aim of the campaign is to enable our consumers to save more money while getting the best quality products directly from the brand manufacturers. Consumers today are more conscious of the quality of the product they buy on Jumia, and at the same time want to save money while shopping.
In the wake of COVID-19, we have continued to strive to operate so that consumers can continue to stay at home, use e-commerce to shop, and stay safe in this trying time. We are proud to partner with Unilever, Nokia and other top brands as part of our commitment to provide customers easy access to quality products directly from the manufacturers at best prices.
Head of Key Accounts and e-Commerce at Reckitt Benckiser Nigeria Ltd, Afam Onwordi, stated that: “We have enjoyed a good and healthy relationship with Jumia in the last couple of years.
“As our fight in RB is making access to the highest quality hygiene, wellness and nourishment a right and NOT a privilege, we would therefore always seize the opportunity of every major event like this (Brand Festival) to reward our consumers with interesting offers and deals across our wide range of products.”
Senior Business Manager at HMD Global, Emmanuel Ossai, said: “For us at HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, we are very excited to be supporting Jumia on this festival for authentic brands in Nigeria.
“We have a commitment to continuously deliver value and believe that this partnership will afford Nigerians more opportunities to enjoy the beauty of quality hardware and the secure Android experience that we offer across our range of Nokia smartphones.
“Interestingly, we have new exciting devices that will be unveiled to our Nigerian customers in the coming weeks and we cannot wait for you to have a feel of hardware magic carefully combined with software excellence. So, keep watching this space.”
TikTok Picks Oracle to Provide ‘Secure’ Cloud Tech
Enterprise software giant Oracle announced that it has been chosen to become TikTok’s “secure” cloud technology provider.
According to Oracle, this technical decision by TikTok was heavily influenced by Zoom’s recent success in moving a large portion of its video-conferencing capacity to the Oracle Public Cloud.
Oracle’s announcement comes after TikTok parent ByteDance last week said it will not be selling the video-sharing app’s US operations to software giant Microsoft.
This after US president Donald Trump signed an executive order on 6 August, blocking all transactions with ByteDance in an effort to address “national emergency” issues.
On 14 August, the US president issued an order that gave ByteDance 90 days to divest the US operations of TikTok.
Since then, US companies such as Microsoft and Oracle have been lining up as potential buyers for the popular short video app.
As the trade war between the US and China rages on, the US government has accelerated its efforts to purge Chinese apps and technology companies that it deems untrustworthy.
Trump and his administration raised national security issues, alleging the Chinese-owned company will share sensitive user data with the Chinese government.
“TikTok picked Oracle’s new Generation 2 Cloud infrastructure because it’s much faster, more reliable, and more secure than the first generation technology currently offered by all the other major cloud providers,” says Oracle chief technology officer Larry Ellison.
“In the 2020 Industry CloudPath survey that IDC recently released where it surveyed 935 infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) customers on their satisfaction with the top IaaS vendors including Oracle, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, IBM and Google Cloud…Oracle IaaS received the highest satisfaction score.”
“As a part of this agreement, TikTok will run on the Oracle Cloud and Oracle will become a minority investor in TikTok Global,” says Oracle CEO Safra Catz.
“Oracle will quickly deploy, rapidly scale and operate TikTok systems in the Oracle Cloud. We are 100% confident in our ability to deliver a highly secure environment to TikTok and ensure data privacy to TikTok’s American users, and users throughout the world.
“This greatly improved security and guaranteed privacy will enable the continued rapid growth of the TikTok user community to benefit all stakeholders.”
Inq. Acquires Vodacom’s Business in Nigeria, Others
inq. Holdings Limited, artificial intelligence service provider, has acquired Vodacom Business Africa’s operations in Nigeria, Zambia and Cote d’Ivoire.
It plans further acquisition in Cameroon subject to regulatory approvals.
Mr. Valentine Chime, managing director, inq. Holdings Limited, said the 100 per cent acquisition of the Vodacom Business Africa’s operations in the three countries was in pursuit of the company’s dream of building pan-African network that will help in creating better future through digital solutions.
Domiciled in Mauritius, inq. Holdings Limited is a subsidiary of Convergence Partners Communications Infrastructure Fund, a fund dedicated solely to communications infrastructure and related services and technologies across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).
Formerly known as Synergy Communications, the latest acquisition has grown inq.’s regional footprint with operations in 12 cities in seven countries across Africa. It has existing operations in Botswana, Malawi and South Africa with an additional investment in Mozambique.
“Under the inq. banner the company will embark on the next phase of building a unified Pan-African cloud and digital service provider, bringing to market a very relevant suite of next generation technology solutions in the fields of Edge AI, SD-WAN/NFV and Cloud,”Chime said.
According to him, with operations in major African cities of Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, Gaborone, Lusaka, Ndola, Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mzuzu, Abidjan and Johannesburg, the inq. team prides itself on global best practice methodologies customised to local customs in each of the 16 cities, covering different sectors including banking, oil and gas, fast moving consumer goods, mining, health, real estate, information technologies, public sector and logistics.
“Covid-19 has accelerated digital transformation, and inq. is perfectly positioned to deliver intelligent connectivity through seamless delivery of cloud and digital services and technologies to our clients. We are about simpler, seamless solutions,” Chime said.
NCC Arrests Man for Hacking into DSTV System
CBN Disburses N3.5tr COVID-19 Intervention Cash
Yobe Gov Approves Employment of Staff @ State Owned Broadcasting Stations
Labour Plans Protest over Increase in Fuel Price, Electricity Tariff Hike Monday
Nigerian Students Qualify for Huawei Global ICT Competition
New Regulatory Agency Coming for Nigeria Postal Sector
Pantami Excited as ICT’s Contribution to Nigeria’s GDP Increases to 17.83%
Chinese Phones with Built-in Malware Sold in Africa
MTN, Unacast Partner to Mitigate Spread of COVID-19 through Turbine Location Processing Engine
9PSB gets Approval from CBN with *990# to Commence Operations in Nigeria
- Telecom2 days ago
Huawei’s Investment in Nigeria Reaches $76m
- E-Financial2 days ago
CBN Investigates 55 Companies over Forex Infractions
- Broadcasting2 days ago
OurTv Secures LaLiga Broadcasting Rights for Nigeria
- Broadcasting2 days ago
Extreme E Partners StarTimes to Broadcast Series across Africa
- E-Business2 days ago
Mega Deals as Konga Freedom Sales Goes Live Today
- Broadcasting2 days ago
NCC, AVCNU Set Agenda for Model IP Policy for Nigerian Universities
- E-Business2 days ago
ICANN Launches Pandemic Internet Access Reimbursement Program Pilot
- Telecom2 days ago
NAVSA: NITDA Changes Existing Reality in Agricultural Sector


text:
After putting her job on hold, fashion designer Hannah Merrie returns to her sewing machine to provide hope to the many brave NHS workers putting their lives on the line daily.
Staff from Poole hospital have returned home after a successful teaching visit to Uganda as part of the Poole Africa Link
A new eco-awareness campaign based in Southbourne is helping local people in the area to think more about ways of combatting plastic waste.
Arts University Bournemouth hosted an event to promote environmentally-friendly actions during Go Green Week
I'm finding out about a friendlier approach to demonstrations
A new concept and dining experience is due to open its doors next month


text:
General Motors will make a series of changes to its vehicle warranty and maintenance programs after they failed to generate more interest among car buyers.
GM said in a statement that its customers indicated those perks "don’t rank high as a reason to purchase a vehicle among buyers of non-luxury brands."
Beginning with 2016 models, new Chevrolet and GMC vehicles will have warranties of five years or 60,000 miles, down from the current five-year or 100,000-mile cap. The threshold for free maintenance visits will also drop from four within the first two years of ownership down to two.
Buick will maintain its current six-year or 70,000-mile warranty but will also reduce free maintenance visits from four to two. GM altered Buick's 100,000-mile warranty in 2013.
GM adopted its current warranty program eight years ago as part of an effort to highlight its confidence in its new vehicles, but research showed other factors–most notably technology–play a larger role in consumers' car buying choices.
GM said the savings from the altered warranty program would go toward its OnStar program, 4G LTE wireless service and other advanced technologies.
The change would also bring those GM models in line with warranties from rival carmakers.
Ford, Honda and Toyota each offer five-year or 60,000-mile warranties, while Fiat Chrysler vehicles have a four-year or 50,000-mile warranty.


text:
Technology is marching at a breakneck speed and organizations are relying on innovation to keep pace with the changing ecosystem. The big four technologies that are driving business innovation — social, mobile, big data analytics and cloud, referred to as “third platform” technologies by IDC and as the acronym SMAC by others — are changing enterprise IT and the way businesses and customers communicate with each other, requiring businesses to evolve their strategies in order to thrive.
And CIOs play an important partnering role when it comes to innovation, said Fred Magee, adjunct research advisor at IDC.
In an IDC study titled Creating Innovation Strategies — Learning to Think beyond Enterprise Boundaries, Magee details a framework to help IT leaders who are using IDC’s Leading in 3D approach in creating multi-tiered innovation strategies within an organization.
Magee sees the L3D model – designed to help IT leaders create an IT strategy that aids their organization’s digital transformation — as the implementation end of innovation.
“The point of creating an innovation strategies framework is to create a context within which business leaders and CIOs can understand how the world is changing digitally and where they need to make investments and change their business models, IT infrastructure and their processes to adapt to that changing world, from large transcendent changes to small incremental ones,” Magee said.
IDC makes clear that innovation is not a one-size-fits-all process. The innovation strategies framework is designed to help organizations realize the kinds of innovation they need in relation to their business strategy, he said. The framework has three tiers of innovation: Disruptive, adaptive and incremental.
“If you think of disruptive innovation as driving innovation toward the market, adaptive is recognizing that the market is changing already … and incremental is driving innovation one step at a time,” he added.
The three tiers of innovation may seem separate, but they are not, he said. Even organizations that are disruptive by design will operationalize their disruptions sometime, he added.
CIOs can connect the dots between organizational priorities and technological possibilities.
“[The] CIO is really going to be more of an innovation partner and is going to be in a position to identify the best means for using digital technologies to support the digital transformation of the business that the executive, marketing and sales leadership and perhaps the board have identified as being critical to the business’ future,” Magee said.
To identify the right types of innovation, it is important to recognize external drivers like customers and market changes and identify the company’s leadership style — visionary or cautious — and whether it is willing to launch a significant innovation, he said. Determining a company’s business goals — whether it is trying to achieve competitive supremacy or competitive equality — comes next, followed by the execution phase, he added.
“When you start to define the ideas that actually make sense to your business, then you say, ‘OK, this is a manageable, moderate amount of innovation that might be possible to do on a continuous basis because we understand the investment profile for this kind of investment and now we have to execute it.’ That’s where L3D comes into play,” Magee said.
L3D is a process for turning ideas into deliverables, Magee said. It is about first identifying what needs to happen, then taking it through a process of innovation, integration and incorporation, he added.
The innovation strategies framework has four stages: analysis, ideation, L3D delivery and evaluation.
“Using this innovation strategies framework, hopefully you will have engaged your stakeholders, business leadership, in a process of identifying the right places to innovate and also a process for making a business case for it,” Magee said.


text:
Budweiser’s Super Bowl ads this year may be devoid of adorable puppies — executives said this year they wanted to go for “powerful” rather than cute and cuddly — but there are plenty of animals to go around.
A commercial for Honda features a pack of singing sheep, while one for Hyundai has two talking bears. Stampeding “wiener” dogs show up in an ad for Heinz. And although there is no Budweiser puppy, the famous Clydesdales still make an appearance.
Then there is that nightmarish puppymonkeybaby from Mountain Dew. But perhaps it’s best not to think about that one.


text:
XBIZ | Porn News | Adult Video News
Paola Rey to Guest Star on RudeTV Tonight
Aug 29, 2008 2:00 PM PDTBrazilian performer Paola Rey appears on tonight's episode of "Smell My Finger" on RudeTV.
Angel's 'Rock & Roll in My Butthole' Releases This Week
Aug 29, 2008 8:00 AM PDTThe new DVD is the fourth title Vouyer Media has shipped as part of its exclusive distribution deal with BurningAngel.com.
Designer Mofo Joins Courtney Cummz, Deena Daniels on 'Night Calls'
Aug 29, 2008 7:00 AM PDTApparel designer Mofo will appear alongside performers Courtney Cummz and Deena Daniels on Playboy Radio's "Night Calls" program on Sept. 2 at 5 p.m. PST.
Pure Play Media's Monthly Special Comes to a Close
Aug 29, 2008 6:00 AM PDTPure Play Media's first direct-to-retail (D2R) studio of the month special is coming to a close.
StorErotica Attracts Diverse Exhibitors, Attendees
Aug 28, 2008 5:00 PM PDTAdult retailers, buyers, distributors and manufacturers all had their hands full at the second annual StorErotica convention, which wrapped yesterday at the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino.
Quebec Sexy Films to Release 'QuebecErotica'
Aug 28, 2008 4:00 PM PDTQuebec Sexy Films is back with its latest release, "QuebecErotica."
Erika Icon Named Director of Marketing, PR for DVSX
Aug 28, 2008 3:00 PM PDTAdult studio DVSX has announced Erika Icon as its new director of marketing and publicity.
James Bartholet Hosts Sexopolis Labor Day Weekend Party
Aug 28, 2008 2:00 PM PDTJames Bartholet will co-host a Labor Day weekend party on Friday at the Music Box Theater alongside Courtney and Matthew of Sexopolis.
Digital Playground Releases 'Jack's Teen Playground 5' on Blu-ray
Aug 28, 2008 1:00 PM PDTDigital Playground released "Jack's Teen America 5," directed by Robby D, on Blu-ray today.
TLAVideo Starts Independent Filmmaker Program
Aug 28, 2008 11:30 AM PDT“All of [T. Joe] Murray’s films are independently distributed. Now that TLA offers them, our customers have the most varied selection possible,” explains Managing Editor Scott Cranin, who spearheaded the program.
WEB / TECH NEWS
Visa Cracks Down on ‘Shell’ Billing Firms
There was a time not so long ago when website operators created billing companies in favorable jurisdictions, whose sole purpose was to bill customers for services provided by the operator and remit the...
Randazza: Trump Victory, Big Prop 60 Win
On Tuesday afternoon, I boarded a transatlantic flight. Given all of the negativity in the 2016 presidential race, I was delighted that I would be absent for the results. I found both Donald Trump and...


text:
Igor Krezic from Moth Ford trucks and Elon Musk’s Tesla could not just sit on his hands waiting for the electric carmaker to release its Cybertruck, expected in late 2021. Instead he came up with his own version of the futuristic vehicle.star, a fan of bo
As Reuters reported, it took him and his colleagues at Stark Solutions company eight months to disassemble an old Ford Raptor F-150 and then transform it into petrol-powered vehicle that resembles a Cybertruck.
Stark Solutions manager Mario Coric told Reuters that the first drive through Mostar drew a lot of attention.
“Everybody was watching and half of them thought we made a tank, because people don’t know what the Cybertruck is. One girl even stopped and asked if this is the place where they are producing Tesla Cybertruck,” said Coric.


text:
January 9, 2018
Middleburg Humane thrift store moves to Marshall
Manager Nancy Hanscom and four other volunteers run the Middleburg Humane Foundation Resale Boutique that moved to Marshall and opened Jan. 5.
The shop occupies about 900 square feet at 8351 W. Main St.
“They have good donations and not the crowds you have in D.C.,” Jeanette Broz says of the shop.
Middleburg Humane Foundation Resale Boutique
Started in 1997 in Middleburg; moved to Marshall last week.
• New address:
8351 W. Main St., Marshall.
• New space:
About 900 square feet.
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
• Website: Click here
A popular shop that offers bargains on upscale home décor, china and clothes has moved to Marshall.
The Middleburg Humane Foundation Thrift Store opened Friday on West Main Street last week.
Run by five volunteers, the shop started in 1997 to raise funds for the Middleburg Humane Foundation, a nonprofit organization in Marshall that rescues, cares and finds homes for a variety of abused animals.
The shop has produced as much as $90,000 a year to support the foundation’s work.
“Everything we sell is donated to us and the money all goes to Middleburg Humane Foundation,” said board member and shop Manager Nancy Hanscom.
“We needed more room,” Ms. Hanscom added. “We had a very small space in Middleburg” — about 400 square feet.
With about 900 square feet, the shop also has a new name, the Middleburg Humane Foundation Resale Boutique. The foundation rents from Tom McMillen and his wife Judith Niemyer, who bought and renovated the building several years ago.
The shop accepts donations of clean, gently worn men’s and women’s clothing and accessories, paintings, home décor, kitchen items, books, CDs, DVDs, vintage items, saddles and riding clothes.
With the expanded space, the store also will sell furniture.
New or used items have price tags that range from 50 cents to occasionally $1,000.
Ms. Hanscom said she has seen an outpouring of support from the community, with people visiting the shop before it officially opened.
Sue and John Farris from Gainesville stopped by the new Marshall location Friday.
Patrons of the thrift store for about 10 years, Mr. and Mrs. Farris approve of the move.
“It’s such a nice drive down here. This town is getting a good reputation with restaurants,” Mrs. Farris said.
“He likes the records and music,” she said. “You never know what you’ll find.”
Mother and daughter Jeanette and Julianna Broz from Georgetown have visited the shop for about five years.
“We try to find day outings, and we love it out here,” Ms. Broz said. “I love thrift stores set up to benefit animals and humans.
“They have good donations and not the crowds you have in D.C.,” she said. “I love the horse stuff.”
The shop needs volunteers to help sort donated items.
The new location also proved convenient to the foundation’s new shelter site on the west end of Marshall.
Foundation leaders this fall hope to open their new, 10,000-square-foot shelter under construction on the former Cunningham Farm.
Please, be polite. Avoid name-calling and profanity.
For credibility, sign your real name; stand behind your comments. Readers will give less credence to anonymous posts.
Enter your email address above to begin receiving
news updates from FauquierNow.com via email.
Friday, August 23
Tow truck drivers in county, farm tour participants, Lecker Ford’s run in Marshall and school employee turnover
Thursday, August 22
Marshall operation among first here to grow recently-legalized crop with broad commercial potential
More Fauquier news
Thursday, August 22
Weekend options include Sizzlin’ Summer Charity Auction, three-day eventing at Great Meadow and Explorer Outpost at park