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By James Montgomery, News Editor
Analysts surveyed by WaferNews generally see steadily improving growth for the semiconductor market for the next three years – and more muted cycles than the wild days of the past. Projections for chip sales in 2006 cluster in the mid single digits, although the optimists see as much as 17%-20% growth, thanks to a healthy world economy and plenty of hot consumer products.
“If we see continued caution, then 2006 will be OK,” said Richard Gordon, managing VP for Gartner Dataquest’s semiconductor research group, who projects about 7% growth in semiconductor sales in 2006, roughly the same pace as 2005. With fairly modest demand projections, “any early move to bring new capacity on line could cause market weakness,” Gordon warned. On the flip side, “if demand is stronger than forecast, then 2006 could be quite a good year.” Gartner Dataquest shares the prize for the most accurate 2005 forecast with VLSI Research, each coming within 1%-2% of what looks to be the actual growth rate for last year.
In-Stat principal analyst Jim McGregor also projects ~7% growth in 2006. Aside from general concerns about the costs of energy, housing, and raw materials, he sees heavy pricing pressure in 2006 offsetting a ~15% increase in unit volumes, with more 300mm/90nm-65nm capacity coming online.
Others are more bullish about the market. Jim Feldhan, president of Semico Research Corp., paints a rosier picture of 17.5% growth in 2006, noting that the semiconductor industry hasn’t maintained consecutive years of mild single-digit growth since 1991-1992, and that many factors significant then (economic recession, inventory problems, lack of solid growth drivers) are not a concern today.
Inventories are low after what seems to have been a good holiday selling season (at least for electronics), and will have to be replenished in early 2006, pointed out VLSI Research president Risto Puhakka. Chipmakers are profitable by and large, he added, and there are “really good demand drivers in flash, and even the workhorse microprocessors are doing quite well.”
Feldhan and Bill McClean, president of IC Insights, questioned how forecasters could possibly be bearish, with expectations of ~3.5% growth in worldwide GDP, continued high factory capacity utilization, low chip inventories, and growing markets. Both analysts expect to see a repeat of 2005: slight growth in 1Q, followed by a flat 2Q, and activity picking up in the second half of the year. Chipmakers are still holding capital investments to around 19%-20% of sales, even with utilization rates climbing to around 90% during a year with ~7% chip sales growth, noted McClean, who then asked, “What are you going to be at when things really pick up?”
Future Horizons chip analyst Malcolm Penn admits he’s once again “out on a limb,” expecting roughly 20% growth next year. “I think you’ll see some slowing in the first half of 2006 — but not that much — and the second half will be extremely strong, if capex stays strong the way it is,” he predicted. The traditional post-holiday slowness won’t materialize, he said, thanks to pent-up demand for the Xbox 360 game console, continued consumer demand for digital gadgets, and the ramp-up to Sony’s new PlayStation set to hit shelves in early 2Q06. The emergence of global markets further mutes the post-holiday ebb, added Semico’s Feldhan — the Chinese new year, for instance, means a rollover of demand into the first part of the year, consuming more inventory and as a result, improving visibility.
Most analysts see growth returning to double-digits in 2007, although Gartner Dataquest’s Gordon warns that a downturn in both DRAM and NAND flash could dampen semiconductor sales that year. Tightening supplies and then investment in additional manufacturing capacity will lead to the peak of the next upcycle in 2008, with growth seen by most to be in the low teens, followed by the next downcycle in 2009, with estimates ranging from -4% to +8% year-on-year growth. Semico’s Feldhan noted that the stronger-than expected semiconductor sales in 2005 — up nearly 9% in 3Q — could pull that downturn forward into the latter half of 2008.
While everyone agrees the industry won’t likely whipsaw into extreme peaks or troughs again any time soon, not everyone thinks this is because the industry has learned to manage its growth. VLSI’s forecast through 2010 holds within a steady range of ~4%-9%, Puhakka explained, because with maturing markets the only major growth driver is world GDP — and with this slower growth, “the classic cyclical model is most likely not going to work as we have historically known.”
On the other hand, IC Insights’ McClean agrees that the cycles are moderating, but he still sees big 23% growth again in 2008. “People get so conservative, nobody can imagine another good year,” McClean said. “There are still some 20% growth years out there.” Still, even 23% growth would be the lowest peak for any cycle to date.
In fact, chipmakers may prefer cyclical peaks and valleys to a steady but slow growth. “I saw some of the saddest faces I’ve ever seen” after the 6%-10% growth in 1989-1992, McClean recalled. “That’s four years of decent growth in other industries, but this one was crying ‘Uncle.'” — J.M., WaferNews


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By Alvin Tran
Potatoes, it turns out, are political.
At least in the cutthroat world of food and nutrition where, increasingly, what we eat is a highly partisan, hotly debated and frustratingly gridlocked battle pitting health policy types against one another.
Here's where the potatoes come in:
On one side of the battle, you’ll find politicians, farmers and advocates lobbying for potatoes to become a part of the federal Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, saying they are cheap and potentially nutritious. On the other, you’ll find researchers, including many doctors from the Institute of Medicine, steering patients away from potatoes and saying that Americans are currently consuming too much of the starchy vegetable.
As a doctoral student in nutrition, I often find myself caught in the crossfire of such food battles, whether they're over the health benefits of dark chocolate, red wine, coffee or my current fixation: potatoes. All too often, friends, family members and even strangers on the bus beg for a little simplicity: they just want to know if certain foods are "good" or "bad."
Unfortunately, things are rarely so simple and, like many foods that have become mired in controversy, nuances around the relative benefits or ills of potatoes have been obscured in the rhetoric.
For starters, potatoes contain a large amount of carbohydrates and they have a high glycemic load – meaning they are quickly digested. Foods that have high glycemic loads generally cause blood sugar and insulin levels to rapidly spike and may cause a person to feel hungry again shortly after eating a meal.
According to The Nutrition Source, a publication of the Harvard School of Public Health that acts as a source of research-based nutrition information, previous research studies have linked diets high in potatoes and other rapidly digested carbs to chronic health outcomes, including diabetes and heart disease.
The findings from a new study, published in early September, suggested that a low-carb diet, compared to one that is low-fat, may be more effective for weight loss and in reducing the risk of heart-related health problems.
Nutrition researchers, however, have raised concerns over the study’s findings. For example, in a recent opinion piece in The New York Times, David L. Katz, a nutritionist and the founding director of the Yale University Prevention Research Center, is quoted saying that diets focused on eliminating solely one item, such as carbs, aren’t always good and can actually be harmful: "Our fixation on a particular nutrient at a time has been backfiring for decades...”
So, that leaves us all with an important question: can potatoes actually be incorporated into a healthy meal?
Joan Salge Blake, a clinical associate professor at Boston University and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, says yes.
“It’s what you do with the spud. The spud itself – the way nature made it – is quite nutritious,” Blake explained. She adds that Americans need to do a better job in preparing the potato without having to deep fry them or eat them as chips. “They are a very inexpensive way to get good nutrients in our diet,” she said.
Vitamin C and potassium are two examples of nutrients found in potatoes, but are also found in many other food sources, including broccoli.
Over at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, Alice H. Lichtenstein, a senior scientist for the school’s Nutrition Research Center on Aging, advises Americans to focus on two things when it comes to eating potatoes: their form and frequency.
If a person is going to have a moderately sized baked potato once a week, Lichtenstein doesn’t see a problem, as long as they aren’t adding sour cream and butter. If the same person is eating French fries or potato chips everyday as a snack – this probably isn’t such a good idea as these two forms of potatoes are generally high in sodium and calories, Lichtenstein added.
And, if you’re wondering if you can replace white potatoes with sweet potatoes, you may want to go easy on the portions. According to the Nutrition Source, while sweet potatoes are packed with more vitamin A and fiber, they have a similar glycemic load to white potatoes.
Lichtenstein adds, however, that sweet and white potatoes are completely different foods and shouldn’t be compared to another. She says that due to their taste and color, sweet potatoes can be more appealing to children than white potatoes.
But unlike white potatoes, sweet potatoes and orange yams are included as part of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children program, also called WIC.
So, what’s the deal with potatoes being excluded from the WIC program?
In short: The decision was a result of a 2005 Institute of Medicine study that aimed to improve the quality of the diet of WIC participants. The committee members who evaluated the WIC food packages at the time chose to exclude white potatoes, stating Americans did not need encouragement to consume the maximum recommendation of one serving of potatoes a day.
NPR’s The Salt blog explains:
“Back in 2007, the USDA ruled that women and children enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, known as WIC, couldn't buy potatoes with the program's vouchers. Instead, the nearly 9 million WIC participants, who have to be poor and at risk of under- or malnutrition to enroll in the program, are given a monthly benefit ($10 for women and $6 for children) to buy any fruit or vegetable except white potatoes.
This month, industry groups persuaded some members of the House Appropriations Committee to introduce an amendment to change that — by permitting states the option to include potatoes in their WIC programs. The potato lobby is also hoping to change the final WIC rule on what foods are eligible for the WIC benefit. USDA is taking comments on it until June 29.”
“Whatever nutrients we are getting from potatoes, we’re getting plenty of those,” said Marlene B. Schwartz, PhD, the director for the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University. “The biggest problem is that people simply consume too much potatoes. And they do so by eating a lot of French fries,” Schwartz added, clarifying that her issue isn’t necessarily with the potatoes themselves but the many forms they take in our diet. She particularly calls out French fries.
“Potatoes are a victim of their own success,” Schwartz said, adding that she thinks the potato industry has probably benefited tremendously by having their products processed and sold frozen to restaurants and schools around the country.
Lichtenstein, however, says that it would be difficult to justify the complete elimination of potatoes. “Anytime we vilify one specific food or put undue focus on it, we sort of create a less than optimal food environment,” Lichtenstein said.
“It all goes back to preparation and frequency,” Lichtenstein restated in a phone interview. She adds that it all comes down to energy balance: “You can consume the highest quality diet but if you consume it in excess of energy needs, you’re not going to realize the benefits from it.”
What’s the final verdict when it comes to potatoes?
It's personal: The decision of whether or not we should include a spud on our dinner plates tonight – I believe – is up to us.
Alvin Tran studies nutrition as a doctor of science student at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. He is on Twitter: @alvinhtran.

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Malawi tipped on recovery, growth
The Malawi Economic Justice Network (Mejn) has reiterated the need for the country to capitalise on trade partnerships and integration in its quest to become a middle-income economy by 2030.
The call comes ahead of the Conference for Least Developed Countries to be hosted by Qatar from March 5, when Malawi will participate.
Mejn Executive Director Bertha Lipipa Phiri said in an interview on Friday that having been impacted by Covid pandemic, the Russo-Ukrainian War and climate change lately, more is needed on the recovery path.
“Malawi continues to export few or raw commodities. That way, our economy cannot grow.
“We need to put in place trade infrastructures by ensuring that we boost business activities and utilise secondary small and medium enterprises that are informal, and organise them to maximise on the revenue to feed into the economy to add value to Malawi’s GDP,” Phiri said.
She said at the forthcoming conference, Malawi needs to harmonise the negotiations with other countries in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to best integrate with the Sadc region so that the trade and economy is well coordinated for better results.
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Trade Mayeso Msokera said Malawi is committed to the cause of regional integration and that is why the government ratified regional trade agreements such as African Continental Free Trade Area AfCFTA and Sadc.
“At the LDC5 conference, Malawi intends to establish and strengthen partnerships with her trading partners in order to improve esports of made in Malawi products.
“More importantly, Malawi will work towards securing support towards national and regional programmes with other LDCs that can be implemented to build their capacities and develop their export competitiveness within the flexible conditions,” Msokera said.
The Permanent Representative of the Republic of Malawi to the United Nations Agnes Mary Chimbiri-Molande said the conference is an essential platform for Malawi to popularise itself among peer countries.
The category of least developed countries was officially established in 1971 by the UN General Assembly with a view to attracting special international support for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged members of the UN family.
Malawi is the chair country for the LDCs and President Lazarus Chakwera is expected to attend the conference.—Mana


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McCafe, the in-house coffee service of fast-food chain McDonald's, announced a plan on Monday to invest 2.5 billion yuan ($152.1 million) over the next three years to accelerate expansion in the Chinese mainland market by adding new shops, boosting deliveries and diversifying snack offerings.
The global catering brand is expected to have more than 4,000 McCafes across the country by 2023, offering high-quality freshly ground coffee at affordable prices, said the company. Starting on Nov 18, McCafe will be giving out 10 million cups of free latte in 17 urban markets.
Phyllis Cheung, CEO of McDonald's China, said China's coffee market is growing with speed.
Cheung added that consumers have evolved from buying coffee for social occasions to drinking coffee as a regular habit.
She said the new investment is expected to be used for new outlets, equipment upgrades and personnel training. "Our goal is clear: where there is a McDonald's, there is a McCafe."
The food service chain sold 90 million cups of freshly brewed coffee last year in China, laying a solid foundation for the expansion of McCafes, Cheung added.
This year, McCafe, as a sub-brand, will be present in almost all McDonald's restaurants in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong province's Guangzhou and Shenzhen.
By the end of 2020, there will be nearly 1,500 McCafes and over 6,000 McCafe baristas across China.
In 2021, McCafe will expand to nearly all McDonald's restaurants in seven other cities including Nanjing, Jiangsu province, and Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.
McCafe will support online and offline ordering on its omnichannel order and delivery platforms.
At McCafes, a brand-new recipe for coffee made solely from arabica green coffee beans meticulously sourced by McDonald's from Brazil, Columbia, Ethiopia and Rwanda will be served.
McDonald's kitchens' ability to offer fresh and hot snacks is considered a major strength in competing with other on-premises coffee houses, as about half of consumers prefer to match coffee with suitable snacks, said the CEO.
The coffee service has introduced four brand-new snack series including croissants and Danish rolls.
McCafe China will adopt new global packaging featuring the "Little Yellow Cup" logo. The new logo is modern and eye-catching and conforms to fast-paced urban life in attracting younger consumers, she added.
China is McDonald's second largest market in the world, the largest franchised market outside the United States and the world's fastest growing market for the restaurant chain. Since 2017, with the support of the CITIC-Carlyle consortium, McDonald's quickly expanded its business on the Chinese mainland and in Hong Kong.
By October 2020, there were more than 3,600 McDonald's restaurants across China, covering multiple business platforms nationwide including McDonald's restaurants, McDelivery, McCafe, Dessert Kiosk and drive-thru venues.
The expansion of McCafe sites is expected to boost McDonald's stores through boosting traffic volume and attracting new customers, said Regina Hui, general manager of McCafe China.
According to Mintel's research on coffee chain consumption, the on-premises coffee market value in China reached 42.6 billion yuan in 2019 and has an estimated annual average growth rate of 15.6 percent from 2020 to 2024.
Jason Yu, general manager of Kantar Worldpanel China, said there is great potential for the on-premises coffee sector to grow and customers are becoming more differentiated.
"McCafe's updates-based on existing store networks and supply chains-are able to offer consumers better quality coffee and snacks to compete head-to-head with digitally powered coffee chains and convenience store coffee," Yu said.
McCafe has introduced monthly "buy 4, get 1 free" coffee cards and other discount activities on its digital platform, thanks to McDonald's robust global sourcing and supply chain capabilities.


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This is the web version of Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter on the top tech news. To get it delivered daily to your in-box, sign up here.
I wanted to ask Noam Bardin, CEO of Google-owned traffic map app Waze, one thing when we met for lunch Thursday at a 1-star Chinese restaurant in San Francisco: To what extent does Google Maps traffic data benefit from Waze users and vice versa?
Not at all, says Bardin.
The reason is a bit technical but also explains why Google would own two apps to do pretty much the same thing. Waze is crowdsourced and moderated by its volunteer users. It began its life as an independent app and still behaves that way. Google Maps takes data from users of the Google-created Android mobile operating system and is professionally managed by Google. “That’s why we don’t commingle data with Google,” says Bardin. “We have to comply with app store rules. They have to comply with OS rules.”
With 130 million active monthly users globally, Waze is a big business built on hyper-local ads. Think gas stations, banks, and restaurants. Google doesn’t disclose revenues for Waze, which has 545 people, mostly in New York and Israel, where the company was founded. But Bardin says Waze is big. “If we were a private company, we’d be going public,” he says.
Waze’s latest jam is carpooling. It matches neighbors and co-workers who primarily commute from suburbs to cities. And it has structured the nascent business in a way that drivers can charge riders the IRS-allowed 58 cents per mile and only collect money twice a day, meaning they don’t record an accounting gain. Waze itself doesn’t take a commission for the rides, though Bardin doesn’t rule it out in the future.
I’m a Google Maps guy because I don’t like the noise of Waze, precisely the “gamification” aspects its users love. But both are magical free services that make people of a certain not-so-advanced age sound really old when they tell their children about once having used paper maps.
On Twitter: @adamlashinsky
This edition of Data Sheet was curated by Aaron Pressman.
Unplugged. Make that one less company chasing the electric car dream. High-tech vacuum maker Dyson said Thursday it's abandoning its effort to make a vehicle. "We simply can no longer see a way to make it commercially viable," founder James Dyson told his staff.
Twofer. There's a changing of the guard at European software giant SAP. After nine plus years, CEO Bill McDermott is resigning and will be replaced by Jennifer Morgan and Christian Klein as co-CEOs, the company said on Friday. Both are long-time execs at SAP.
If all you have is a hammer. A top federal regulator offered his opinion on Thursday that digital currency Ether should be treated as a commodity, not as a security. Of course, that regulator, Heath Tarbert, heads the Commodities Futures Trading Commission, not the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Avoidance is the best policy. Third quarter PC shipments jumped 5%, the biggest gain since 2012, market research firm Canalys said. But the 71 million machine quarter may have been an anomaly, as companies rushed to move product before getting slapped with tariffs in the U.S.-China trade war.
Undo. The Chinese drone race that the Drone Racing League is broadcasting on Oct. 16, mentioned in my essay yesterday, will have Chinese pilots, but it took place in Ohio, not in China.
FOR YOUR WEEKEND READING PLEASURE
A few longer reads that I came across this week that may be appealing for your weekend reading pleasure:
Is Amazon Unstoppable? (The New Yorker)
Politicians want to rein in the retail giant. But Jeff Bezos, the master of cutthroat capitalism, is ready to fight back.
A Day in the Life of Architect David Rockwell (Wall Street Journal)
From designing Nobu Downtown to creating Broadway sets, the architect’s wide-ranging practice involves seeking out each project’s narrative thread.
The Billion-Dollar High-Speed Internet Scam (Bloomberg Businessweek)
Elizabeth Pierce impressed investors with hefty contracts for fiber—until they learned she was the only one who’d signed them.
Margaret Atwood: ‘I’m simply the messenger’ (Financial Times)
The Canadian novelist on being a ‘bad’ feminist, the trouble with memoirs—and how it feels to see your dystopia come true.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Essential, the gadget maker founded by Android creator Andy Rubin, leaked pictures of an upcoming new phone this week that looks almost bizarrely thin and long. The building hype has also marked the reemergence of Rubin after a year of silence in the wake of a New York Times story accusing him of sexual misconduct while at Google. Wired's Lauren Goode examines the question of whether the product can be separated from the man, or, more generally, whether tech devices can be seen apart from the reputations of the companies that make them.
Now, it’s nearly impossible to disassociate Amazon’s Ring DIY camera kit from its role as a police surveillance tool. It’s difficult to disentangle Amazon’s consumer bonanza days, like Prime Day, from stories about the stress being put on the company’s logistics workers—not to mention the global environment. Facebook now makes a home video portal with cool AR features, but its reception in your home probably depends on how your roommates or family members feel about Facebook’s privacy policies, its role in politics, its position as a veritable vacuum for your personal data. Apple often boasts about its polished and impeccable industrial design, but it has accomplished this by making it nearly impossible for consumers to repair their own products or, God forbid, try to leave its ecosystem.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Pinterest Says It’s Using A.I. to Dramatically Reduce the Amount of Self-Harm Posts Users Are Seeing By Lisa Marie Segarra
A.I. Remains a Disruptive Force in Finance—Even for Fintechs By Bernhard Warner
Why WeWork’s Failed IPO Might Not Mean Disaster for SoftBank After All By Erik Sherman
Amazon Says Its Delivery Drones Won’t Crash Into You or Your Clotheslines. Here’s Why By Bernhard Warner
Apple Is Selling Microsoft’s Xbox Wireless Controller. But What About Sony? By Don Reisinger
FORTUNE Analytics: Management Insiders Forecast a 2020 Recession By Lance Lambert
BEFORE YOU GO
While Adam ponders mapping, I have been thinking about the stars this week. I'm on the local school committee in my town and we named a just-opened elementary school after astronaut Sunita Williams (who grew up in our town). Suni, an impressively inspiring and charismatic speaker, is in town this week for the dedication. On Thursday night, she told an audience of our youngest students that she and NASA were planning Mars missions that would be ready for them to take some day. But first, she's heading back to space to test a new Boeing rocket next year. Fly safe, Suni!
This edition of Data Sheet was curated by Aaron Pressman. Find past issues, and sign up for other Fortune newsletters.


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42 View Street Bendigo VIC 3550
For the first time in its 47-year-long history, the Biennale of Sydney (BOS) is offering a selection of artworks featured in its current exhibition, NIRIN, for sale in an online auction.
For a new wave of contemporary artists, art-making can imagine a future free of oppressive structures—and create a language for building a more inclusive world.
Kylie Stillman’s silhouetted carvings of natural forms, such as trees and birds, are built up slowly over days and weeks, hollowed out from stacks of reinforced paper or timber with hand tools, knives and jigsaws.
Piccinini places human and non-human creatures in relationships that are as loving and empathic as they are unnerving.
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Amazon NFL games are just the first steps
Tom Dougherty, CEO – Stealing Share
10 April 2017
There is more to come from Twitter, Google and Facebook
Another sure sign TV isn’t like it once was. Amazon is paying $50 million to air the NFL’s Thursday night package next season. Alongside the games already being broadcast on CBS and the NFL Network. What does the Amazon NFL partnership mean?
That tech companies now have permission to revolutionize television.
“Amazon’s brand is about easy. Facebook is about forming a community. Twitter is about opinion. Google is about access. All of which have permission to air NFL games in today’s climate. The Amazon NFL partnership feels right.”
Twitter, which aired a small NFL package last season, bid for the NFL business. So did Google and Facebook. Those tech companies know they now have brand permission to air live TV and original programming. That wasn’t the case just a few years ago.
Brand permission is a powerful idea. If you have it, then you can expand your business because the preference is about the brand. If you don’t, ventures fall flat because audiences don’t believe it. Kmart didn’t have permission to buy Sears because neither brand meant anything that made sense to audiences. FedEx had permission to buy Kinkos because their brands were both about office duties away from home.
The Amazon NFL deal is just the beginning
In the current TV landscape, the tech companies own permission to enter. We don’t think twice about watching programs through the internet. Amazon’s brand is about easy. Facebook is about forming a community. Twitter is about opinion. Google is about access. All of which have permission to air NFL games in today’s climate. The Amazon NFL partnership feels right.
That wasn’t the case even 10 years ago. Netflix was the only brand to hold that permission, even if it stumbled out of the gate. Once House of Cards aired, the dam broke. Amazon developed Amazon Prime, which gave customers exclusive access to content (and free shipping). We don’t think twice about watching a Sneaky Pete on Amazon.
The TV networks should be worried. Last year’s Twitter NFL package was simply proof of the concept. The Amazon NFL agreement is just the start. The current TV contracts are about to expire. Do you really think the NFL is only looking at the networks? In the age of NFL over-saturation, going digital is smart. Soon, Amazon Prime members will have exclusive live content that includes the NFL or any other sports league.
Who’s to say Google won’t soon air the NBA? Don’t laugh. Just a few years ago, the idea of NFL games airing through Amazon or Twitter were laughable too.
Facial recognition Tom Dougherty, CEO - Stealing Share 23 May 2018 Can facial recognition technology save retail? How far will stores go with facial recognition? Especially in light of a dismal future for brick and mortar stores? Several retailers, including Lowe’s...
Thrive app Tom Dougherty, CEO - Stealing Share 22 May 2018 Thrive makes a difference for phone users Like most of us, I have a love-hate relationship with my cell phone. This is why I know Arianna Huffington is onto something great with the Thrive app. On the one...
Uber brand Tom Dougherty, CEO - Stealing Share 21 May 2018 Repairing the Uber brand falling short Brand repair can be a difficult thing. Although, not that difficult. The Uber brand needs repairing after numerous scandals involving former CEO Travis Kalanick and...


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it is a unique innovation in communication technology.
Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria; New York (PRWEB) August 23, 2006
An American trade delegation will be visiting Nigeria at the end of this month and will be in Nigeria from August 30 to September 7, 2006.
The trade delegation is coming under the aegis of Global Trade and Technology Centre (GTTC), based in New York, United States of America. At the head of the delegation is Myles M. Matthews, the President and Chief Executive Officer of GTTC.
Prominent among the trade delegation to Nigeria are representatives of two companies who have interest in doing business in Nigeria. One of them is http://www.Instantstream.com, Inc., an American company that offers telephone calls, wireless cell video calls and video conferencing over the Internet through e-mail account. This new technology is called Streamphone™ and it was invented by Michael Daly, the CEO and founder the company.
The Global Trade & Technology Centre is a city of New York business trade and educational association that fosters dialogue and action between representatives of business and government globally. GTTC in agreement with the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service (US&FCS) http://www.ita.doc.gov , of the International Trade Administration (ITA), and U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) http://www.commerce.gov, places primary emphases on the promotion of exports of goods and services from the United States, particularly by small- and medium-sized enterprises, and the protection of United States’ business interests abroad. GTTC’s main office is in midtown Manhattan close to the United Nations http://www.un.org.
It is a membership organisation dedicated to enhancing the success of its member companies and individuals competing in the global marketplace. It has a strong presence globally, so that executives can interact regularly with United States and foreign diplomats, with most programs held in conjunction with the United States’ embassy and/or consulate in any country.
Prominent among the trade delegation to Nigeria are representatives of two companies who have interest in doing business in Nigeria. One of them is http://www.Instantstream.com, Inc, an American company that offers telephone calls, wireless cell video calls and video conferencing over the Internet through e-mail account. This new technology is called Streamphone™ and it was invented by Michael Daly, the CEO and founder the company. Instantstream's primary product is Streamphone™ – an interactive Web conferencing, telephone, mobile phone and video surveillance service accessible from any computer, any web browser and any communication device located anywhere in the world. Streamphone™ is accessible on the web by simply registering and setting up a free membership. Go to https://event.instantstream.com/profile.asp?mode=register. Streamphone is a ubiquitous communication technology which is installed on more than 526 million computers, PDA’s and mobile phones, it may be installed and you may not even know you have it yet until you go the Instantstream.com website and setup a free membership. Streamphone™ complements current traditional telephone technologies or it can supplement and enhance older telephone technologies based on the user’s preferences.
The other is the West Central African Development Corporation, WCADC, under the direction of President Miamah Richards. This is a privately owned company established to promote, facilitate and mobilize economic investment, growth and development of key and fledgling industries in West and Central Africa. WCADC strategizes with the private and public sectors in strengthening business and industries to be a driving force behind investment activities that stimulate national and regional creation of jobs, industries and infrastructure for sustainable development, growth and renewal in West and Central African countries.
Other members of the delegation are representatives of companies with diverse interests in shipping, construction, the hospitality industry, beach development and others. They are coming to explore opportunities for partnership with serious-minded local businessmen, companies, governments and other individuals for the development of various business opportunities in Nigeria.
The trade delegation will be coming to the country with the latest sophisticated technology. For example, the http://www.INSTANTSTREAM.com ’s Streamphone™ telephone technology could be useful in several regards, including:
(a) Web Conferencing, Legacy VOIP Solutions, Wireless Video, Telemedicine, Live International Broadcasting, e.t.c:
This is a conferencing service, which provides automated conferencing round the clock (24/7) by eliminating the services of an operator. It enables communication with other people via Video, Audio, PowerPoint Slides, Media Feeds, Chats and White Boarding. The facility is also a non-compromising solution, which reduces operation costs while facilitating high quality in-person communication and enhanced productivity gains. It is a departure from the traditional in-person meetings occasioning loss of man-hours, due to planning and other in and out of office meeting protocols.
Among others, it can be used by hospitals to diagnose and treat patients by hooking up to foreign medical experts who will simultaneously examine and prescribe treatment for patients thus saving them the inconvenience of travelling overseas for treatment.
(b) Interactive Multimedia Local Exchange Carrier (IMLEC) Technology™ (Version 3.0):
This enables clients to present, watch, hear, chat and share information in real time, from anywhere in the world. It uses any PC, MAC, SUN, Linux, Pocket PC, Smart phone or office phone to set up live video calls with 12 or more team members, as well as enable international phone calls to anywhere in the world at a reasonably affordable cost. The e-communicator software used is based on the world famous and most celebrated Macromedia Flash player already installed in more than 526 million home-desktops, corporate computers and cell phone PDA’s around the world. This allows subscribers to conduct consistently professional interactive, web conferences and telephone integrated services. For more detail visit this site for product information at http://www.instantstream.com/news.asp?newsId=113
In essence, it offers facility for international live broadcast to a large audience from your MAC, SUN, Linux, Pocket PC, Smart phone and office phone. It could conveniently broadcast up to 12 live and on-demand, television or content stations to a pocket PC. Also, lectures can be delivered to students on-line from anywhere in the world through the system.
(C) On-line Monitoring, Onshore and Offshore /Border Patrol Surveillance System, including Viewer Statistics Tracking:
One of the unique features of this solution is the ability to integrate solar energy for power generation on the hardware devices. Its coverage spreads through 3,000 miles (4,827 kilometres) in each direction. This software is customised for effective surveillance and monitoring especially by security agencies and the corporate sector, with growing emphasis on high profile, sophisticated security watch.
Oil companies will find this product handy in monitoring incidents of pipeline vandalisation and leakages, as well as, the safety of other infrastructure and installations in remote locations. Similarly, banks, large corporate organisations, government agencies, high networth individuals and those desirous of water-tight security, monitoring, surveillance, safety, and values will find this technology extremely indispensable to their day-to-day activities.
Above all, these range of services are delivered via highly sophisticated International Telecommunication/Multimedia /Electronic devices. Sign-on and subscription talks are currently going on with high networth telecommunication service users, providers and computer manufacturers in parts of Europe, Asia and United States of America.
During this visit, the trade delegation is expected to make presentations and product demonstrations in Lagos and Abuja.
According to Michael Daly, the chief executive officer of Instantstream, the company, in collaboration with GTTC, is embarking on a mission to promote sustainable economic growth in Nigeria, West Africa and the African continent as a whole. He disclosed that the Instantstream technology, is a cut-edge communication technology aimed at reinventing the experience of corporate and consumer communications with convenience. Commenting further on the collaboration, the CEO remarked that this American technology cuts across all existing OSIsoft’s Realtime Performance Management (RtPM) Platforms and bridges proactive companies’ on-line streaming services. In his words: “it is a unique innovation in communication technology.”
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A piece of research from the Association of British Insurers (ABI) really got advisers' backs up this week.
It is not the first study, and will not be the last, to predict what consumers will be prepared to pay for advice post-RDR. The answer is not a lot as half of the 2,500 people surveyed said they would...
Duo start roles on 1 October
Where true value lies
Economy to thrive despite global risks
Behaviours, animals or something else?


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A referral program has recently been launched by Web Host Virtual Internet, on Tuesday, providing an incentive to associates referring Virtual Internet to their customers.
SoftLayer Technologies, a web hosting company, made a statement on Wednesday claiming to be the first company to offer Intel Xeon E 7-4800 servers. Just a week earlier the company had introduced its referral partner program. The program offers a … Continue reading


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THE Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) is keen on organizing an outbound trade missions next year, cementing Cebu’s stance that’s “open for business” amid the pandemic and uncertainties in the global market.
“We don’t have a schedule yet but we are hoping to organize more outbound trade missions next year,” said CCCI president Charles Kenneth Co, during the chamber’s yearend press conference Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022.
CCCI for this year went to Tokyo, Japan for the Philippine Creative Entertainment Trade and Investment Mission led by the Department of Trade and Industry Export Marketing Bureau and Philippine Trade and Investment Center-Tokyo Office.
Twenty-three delegates from Cebu joined the Content Tokyo 2022 Expo on June 29 to July 1, 2022.
Moreover, 16 in-bound meetings with dignitaries from various embassies such as Bangladesh, Canada, Denmark, European Union, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Nigeria, Singapore and Sweden paid courtesy visits to CCCI to establish linkages.
On Nov. 16, two business-to-business networking meetings occurred.
One was with the Israeli business delegation comprising seven companies in the water sector followed by the India Business delegation comprising of 22 companies across several sectors in agriculture, frozen meat, pet food, pharmaceutical, medical instruments, automotive parts, clothing and textile and tiles and ceramics sector.
The first was led by the Foreign Trade Administration at the Ministry of Economy and Industry and the Israel Consulate office in Cebu while the latter was led by the Embassy of India and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce (Phil) Inc. (FICCI).
These B2B meetings were participated by 144 representatives of 82 CCCI member companies.
Co said these inbound missions allowed them to link the member-companies to foreign business owners who are looking for new markets to expand their business.
CCCI also met with four newly appointed ambassadors—Ambassador Grace Cruz-Fabella for the Argentine Republic; Ambassador Pedro Ramirez Laylo Jr. for the State of Israel; Ambassador Medardo Antonio Gonzales Macaraig for the Republic of Singapore; and Ambassador Alfonso Ferdinand Agbayani Ver for the United Arab Emirates—to build connections and explore business opportunities to these countries.
“We don’t have much market information of other potential countries. There are like 80 countries all over the world and we are just probably exporting to 10. There are other countries that we haven’t tapped yet,” said Co, adding that the talk with the new envoys would allow them to find out what opportunities await Cebuanos in the regions they represent.
“We are asking the guidance of our envoys to help us exploit the opportunities out there especially since there are countries not in our radar,” Co said during the Economic Diplomacy Townhall Meeting in Cebu on Tuesday, Dec. 6.
Co said Cebu’s advantage is in the creative and design industries and that the province is exploring its niche in this industry.
Likewise, CCCI is also seeking the envoys’ guidance in trade facilitation for business owners to be familiar with the trade regulations overseas.
INBOUND TRADE MISSION. Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) president Charles Kenneth Co speaks before the participants of the Israel - Cebu Water Tech Forum on Nov. 16, 2022 at Seda Central Bloc Cebu. The forum, attended by 60 participants, was organized by the CCCI together with the State of Israel, through the Ministry of Economy and Industry-Foreign Trade Administration. / CCCI
December 09, 2022
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Fair / Windy
Eligible Prime members will earn 5 percent cash back on their Whole Foods purchases when they use the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa card.
FireEye, a cybersecurity research firm, says a group dubbed "Reaper" has expanded its cyber espionage efforts to Japan, Vietnam and the Middle East.
The hyperloop would connect the cities of Pune and Mumbai in just 25 minutes. It currently takes more than three hours to make the trip.
SpaceX plans to launch two satellites equipped with internet technology to test the company's internet-in-space project.
Duce Johnson receives McDonald's Student Athlete of the Week honor
St. Ignatius junior Connnor McGowan received the McDonald's Student Athlete of the Week honor.
Cuyahoga Falls sophomore, Kaylie Ward, receives McDonald's Student Athlete of the Week honor.


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Bekum America at a glance
Bekum America Corp. is based in Williamston, though the corporate headquarters are in Germany.The Williamston location, which opened in 1979, manufactures blow-molding machinery, which create plastic containers for a variety of items and companies. About 100 employees work at Bekum, with about 25 percent of the workforce Bekum veterans of 20 years or more.
WILLIAMSTON: Empty containers that typically hold laundry detergent, juice and toiletry items crowd a display case just around the corner from the front door of Bekum America Corp.
Bekum produces the plastic molding machinery that makes those containers a business that over the past 33 years has expanded from a very simple, very basic product line offering very common machines (to) 13 different machine lines producing the largest machines of their type in the Bekum organization worldwide, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Steven London said.
Bekum America, whose parent company, Bekum Maschinenfabriken GmbH, is headquartered in Germany, has also delved into the automotive market and now is becoming more involved in the pharmaceutical industry, Vice President-Treasurer Owen Johnston said.
Bekum America, with about 100 workers, also has added a little holiday fun to its lineup. Its machines have made orange, hollow plastic Halloween pumpkins in what London said was a move that allowed a company to keep its business in the U.S.
“Theres been growth into an area that was traditionally off-shored and that was the manufacturing of Halloween pumpkins,” he said.
The Virginia-based company, which London said he could not name due to a non-disclosure agreement, should begin rolling out millions of the plastic pumpkins created by Bekum-made machines by Halloween next year, London said.
But he said most of Bekums customers are looking for a bit more complex machinery.
Bekums own international endeavors about 20 percent of its business involves companies outside the U.S. earned it the International Trade Award from the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce. Bekum was one of five companies and other organizations honored last week for their community contributions as part of the chambers seventh annual Celebration of Regional Growth.
The company also is putting the finishing touches on a $1 million infrastructure upgrade, which includes new roofing, an updated chilling system, improvements to the buildings air supply, fresh paint and more. London said he is also looking to hire an additional four technical employees, especially those with a plastics background.
Bekum officials would not release sales figures.
Other honorees were: Capital Wire & Steel Inc., the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, the Lansing Board of Water & Light and Netvantage Marketing.
“The Celebration of Regional Growth was formed really to recognize and celebrate investments that organizations have been making in the Lansing region, said Ross Woodstock, spokesman for the Lansing Chamber. (Bekum is) being recognized in part because they were the first ones to take advantage of this state program where companies can get grant money to expand in international markets.”
The State Trade Export Promotion program, which gave the company two grants this year, has helped Bekum officials make in-roads to Ghana and India.
Bekum is exploring whether India has a market for extrusion blow molding machinery and company leaders are
talking to a manufacturer in Ghana who could use Bekum machines for motor oil production, London said.
It will take time to develop relationships and set up the markets and see where the opportunities are, he said.
Most of Bekums international business is with Canada, Mexico, South America and the Caribbean, but the companys internal focus is all about Williamston and the Lansing region.
Of the companys 100 or so employees, about 25 percent have been with the company for more than 20 years, and there are still a few workers that have been with Bekum since its start in 1979.
The business also offers an apprenticeship program thats allowed it to “grow our own employees,” Johnston said.
High school juniors and seniors can take part in the program where they also attend Lansing Community College and maintain a B average. Students work a total of 8,000 hours over the four-year program. Five students currently are in the program and 14 have graduated since the programs start, of which 11 are still employees.
“It really allows us to develop young men and woman with skilled trades that we dont find on the outside, and
also turn them into machine operators that are even harder to find,” London said.


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Agriculture makes much more money for Russia than arms exports – Putin
The recent boost in Russian agriculture has made food sales abroad much more profitable for the country than exports of military weapons, according to President Vladimir Putin.
“Today, agriculture exports exceed arms sales by more than a third. $28.8 billion from agricultural sector, $15.6 billion from the defense industry," Putin told farmers in Krasnodar on Monday.
He said that Russian exports of agricultural products and foodstuffs had grown 16-fold since 2000. In 2016, Russia became the world leader in wheat exports. Since the early 2000s, the country’s share of the world wheat market has quadrupled, from four to 16 percent.
Russia will soon sell more produce abroad than the country imports, according to the president.
"I am confident that Russia will become one of the leaders of the global agri-industrial market in the next few years. I told the Federal Assembly that in four years we plan to supply more food to the world markets than we import. That is, Russia will become a net exporter of food,” said Putin.
To achieve this goal, Russia plans to develop infrastructure, broaden the railway network, increase the capacity of seaports, elevators, and storage terminals, he added.
The president said that Russia should be aiming at exports of environmentally friendly and quality products. GMO has been banned in Russia since 2016. Putin previously said he wants to make Russia the world’s largest seller of GMO-free food.
For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business section


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Blackstone spends €240 million to enter Polish logistics market
February 13, 2013
Blackstone Group, press release
LogiCor, The Blackstone Group'snewly created logistics platform, has made its first foray into Poland with the acquisition of two portfolios totaling 4.3 square feet for
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SRGT’s BlenderConnect for Travel Aids in Destination Disaster Recovery
Engagement software assists in recovery efforts.
SRG Technology (SRGT) and partner NorthStar Consulting announced that their engagement software, BlenderConnect™ for Travel, can be utilized as part of a disaster recovery system. Especially poignant in light of recent natural disasters, the cloud-based system’s engagement and communications features create a bridge between destinations and visitors and the status of a destination and its recovery process. Also serving as an integral part of ensuring the proper collection of Immigration information, even if computer systems are off-line.
The core capabilities of BlenderConnect engage visitors and consumers by personalizing information they receive based on their interests. These features eliminate users being bombarded with information that is of no value to them, which becomes even more important when a natural disaster occurs. Not only can BlenderConnect be used to give targeted information to travelers about their vacation plans, but it can be used as a public information system to disseminate crucial, and often lifesaving, emergency information.
“The recent series of devastating hurricanes made us recognize the significant added benefit and value of BlenderConnect in a disaster situation,” said Mike Stone, SRGT’s VP of Strategic Partnerships and New Markets. “BlenderConnect can proactively manage and deliver disaster relief, recovery and rebuilding communications to customers and the broader marketplace in direct response to their interests and information requests.”
BlenderConnect gives current and future travelers and the broader consumer marketplace information on the status of the destination’s transportation, hotels, marinas, moorings, restaurants, and other businesses and services. It also gives the destination and its businesses a way to engage directly with travelers and other important audiences. They can communicate real-time information as to what’s open, what’s closed, and notifications as destination businesses and services recover and reopen.
“Additionally, since BlenderConnect is cloud-based it can be operated anywhere and can deliver information to consumers on any and all of their devices – computer, cell phone, tablet or other devices,” added Kedrick Malone, President of NorthStar Consulting. “The system also works offline, so if Internet systems have been damaged or are yet to be reinstated, critical information is still available to travelers. This is of crucial importance in regards to immigration information, which can be collected continuously and then uploaded to Government systems when they are back up and running.


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Dealers in second-hand clothes (mitumba) in Kenya want the government to introduce sorting centres, saying such facilities would allow the country to export clothing to high-demand markets in the US and Europe..
‘‘Sorting facilities will help realise Kenya’s goal of becoming among the leading high-value, high-wage, and high-skill economies in Africa,” said Teresia Wairimu, the chair of the Mitumba Association of Kenya, adding that, “Sorting facilities should be established in free zones, given the advantages this confers in allowing goods to enter the zone without tariffs being imposed.”
The association, a lobby for the sector, has been fighting to prove the economic importance and relevance of the trade. Kenya and other EAC member countries have been planning for a reduction in reliance on second-hand clothes by advancing policies to ban the trade, pushing for the revival of the cotton growing industry, and getting local fabric manufacturers to increase local apparel production and sale.
But for now, the trade is thriving, with only Rwanda having taken concrete steps towards its eventual ban.
At a media conference in Nairobi on April 24, the association said sorting centres will cut costs incurred along the supply chain.
Commercial sorting centres, where second-hand clothes are graded, are all located outside the continent, with the main hubs in South Asia, Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands and Hungary. This is despite Africa having one of the largest used clothing markets in the world.
According to the report Global Production Networks of the Second-Hand Clothing Industry, four out of every five people on the continent wear second-hand clothes.
At the sorting centres, garments are compressed into bales of 50 kilogrammes and exported. Unsorted second-hand clothes are compressed into bales of 500kg to 1000kg, which limits exports.
“The better graded used clothing is exported to central American countries and the lower graded clothing is shipped to Africa and Asia,” said Ms Wairimu.
“If all second-hand clothes were sorted here rather than abroad, Kenya would gain up to 14,000 additional jobs,” she added.
However, Johnson Weru, Principal Secretary in Kenya’s Ministry of Industry, Trade and Enterprise Development, said, “One of the things we have been doing is to give special preference to government procurement for our local textile industry. We are keen on promoting our local textile industry.”
The Mitumba Association said their efforts are meant to complement what the government is doing.
“There is too much misunderstanding and misinformation regarding the role of the second-hand clothing sector, following successive attempts to shut down the industry altogether in certain countries,” said Ms Wairimu.


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Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ ship Black Watch will enter dry-dock in early December 2009 for an extensive programme of refurbishment. The work, to be carried out at the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Hamburg, is scheduled to start on December 2 as Black Watch returns from a Canary Islands cruise. She will resume service on December 14, with a five day European Christmas Markets mini cruise, departing from Southampton.
After launching Victoria Jenna last month, its largest vessel to date, Victoria Cruises announced plans to renovate Victoria Anna and Victoria Katarina to include the same ‘Executive Suite Decks’ offered on Victoria Jenna.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises gave more details about the comprehensive refurbishment planned for Seven Seas Navigator at Lloyd Werft prior to the ship’s New Year’s Caribbean voyage on Dec. 28. The enhancements complete a fleetwide rejuvenation directed by Yran & Storbraaten.
Princess Cruises said the enthusiastic reception for its recent online drydock journals for Golden Princess and Dawn Princess has prompted another installment, for Sea Princess’ current drydock. Visitors to www.princess.com can follow along through Sept. 25 as the ship receives new interior furnishings and finishes, fresh hull paint and exterior refurbishment, plus the addition of an adults-only Sanctuary.
Premicon, owner of 20,606gt Astor, built in 1987, is to give the ship an extensive makeover including the addition of new suites and balconies, refurbishment of passenger cabins and creation of a single sitting dining arrangement that is planned to be undertaken at Lloyd Werft shipyard in Bremerhaven.
An official blog was launched today for consumers and the trade to watch the multimillion-dollar makeover of Ocean Village Two at the Sembawang Shipyard in Singapore and follow her repositioning voyage to join the fleet of P&O Cruises Australia as Pacific Jewel.


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Two items of interest will be on the agenda at a Dec. 3 meeting of the New Hanover County (N.C.) Planning Board: a request to expand an existing RV park on River Road, and a proposed rezoning of land near the Cape Fear River that will allow a development project to expand its footprint, according to Port City Daily.
A constant presence in the county development scene recently, Cindee Wolf will pitch the RV park expansion to the planning board on Thursday. In recent months, she represented a lawn care franchise, outdoor furniture store and numerous other projects that have sought the favor of local governing boards. On at least one occasion, she prompted a glowing review from county manager Chris Coudriet, who lauded her in an email for promoting healthy development.
Wolf, according to developer Dave Spetrino, “understands what motivates staff, as well as the elected officials.”
“I’ve watched her move mountains,” he noted in a text message.
The owner of the Snow’s Cut RV Park, CWEST, LLC, maintains an existing campground of 3.6 acres, approved in 2018. Wolf and the property owner are requesting authorization to use an additional 4.2-acre parcel, directly to the west of the campground, for 28 new camper sites.
The property on River Road has two points of access, and the applicant’s permit request involves the addition of a third — which would require an additional driveway permit from the N.C. Department of Transportation.
The permit application package notes that land to the north of the subject site has historically been used as a campground and RV park since the 1960s; further, RV parks are not mentioned in the county’s 2016 Comprehensive Land Use Plan.


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In Tamil Nadu’s Krishnagiri district on around 500 acres, Ola Electric Mobility Pvt Ltd is all ready to build what it calls a ‘Future Factory’. Once ready it will hold the ability to produce 10 million e-scooters annually, making it the largest two-wheeler maker globally.
The Bengaluru-headquartered firm has plans to start production in the first phase, by early June. The first phase is estimated to produce 2 million units, which will be retailed in India and exported.
In 2017, Ola Electric was backed by SoftBank unicorn. The project will seek an investment of ₹2400 crore. This news comes at a time when Elon Musk-led Tesla Inc. is set to make its India entry and the government is trying to boost the manufacturing of EVs, batteries and other components.
CEO Bhavish Aggarwal during an hour-long presentation at Ola’s Krishnagiri site said, “Most companies buildings EVs in India are not at scale. We believe we are building products which consumers will aspire for and will be built on principles of sustainability, automation and efficiency. The concept is of a mega factory which will be the world’s largest two-wheeler factory, not just in electric,”
The integrated manufacturing plant is said to have over 10 assembly lines, with 3000 robots and around 10,000 workers. While the company is building a charging network, this two-wheeler will have 2 banana-shaped batteries. Initially, they will be importing lithium-ion battery cells for the battery packs. However, they’ve been actively exploring setting up a cell manufacturing unit with a technology partner.


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Here's Mitch McConnell's New Hemp Legalization Bill, NoCo Hemp Expo Celebrates a Growing Field
Here's Mitch McConnell's New Hemp Legalization Bill
The most powerful Republican on Capitol Hill just filed a bill to radically change federal laws that currently make cannabis illegal for all purposes. Read more.
NoCo Hemp Expo Celebrates a Growing Field
The NoCo Hemp Expo returned to the Ranch Events Complex in Loveland for the fifth year on April 6 and April 7, 2018, and the event dedicated to all things hemp was bigger and better than ever, with nearly 60 speakers, 150 exhibits and the expo's first-ever farmer symposium. View photos.
Real Cannabis Beer To Push Infusion Trend Sky-High
Craft beer is booming, but that's nothing new. Competition is fierce and many new brewers just can't seem to break into the market. The beer can be great but that no longer seems to be enough. Many craft brewers today religiously follow the German Purity Law of beer-making which allows for the use of only water, barley, hops, and yeast in beer production. As the craft beer industry booms, however, infusing beer with alternative ingredients is becoming more common, as breweries attempt to stand out. One of the most ground-breaking beer infusions was announced recently, helmed by Keith Villa, founder of Blue Moon Brewing. Read more.
Colorado Company’s CBD Blending in at Juice and Smoothie Bars
A dash of bee pollen, a sprinkle of spirulina, a scoop of pea protein and a couple drops of CBD — Cannabidiol-rich hemp extracts are blending in at juice and smoothie bars across the country. Read more.
Marijuana Businesses Experimenting with Blockchain Technology, But Skeptics Persist
A small yet growing number of marijuana businesses are adopting or experimenting with a nascent technology born out of the cryptocurrency phenomenon. Read more.


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Angela Russell recalls the unwelcomed feelings when a phone scammer reached out, claiming she had not paid her APS bill and her air-conditioning would be shut off prior to her afternoon yoga classes.
The criminal was insistent and rude, saying they sent her letters that her business’ power would be shut off if she did not pay at least $1,000 to keep on the electricity. The scam was so elaborate they transferred her a couple of times to “supervisors.”
Ms. Russell panicked.
“It was like the perfect storm,” she said. “I couldn’t get logged into my APS account to double check. My heart was racing. I have classes this afternoon. I can’t have my power shut off.”
Ms. Russell paid her electric bill, but she started second-guessing herself. Fortunately, a red flag went up when they asked for her to immediately pay by purchasing gift cards.
“It wasn’t an exorbitant amount as a business owner, but in the moment, I was freaked out.”
Before agreeing, she ended the call and reached out to her husband who believed it was a scam.
The Peoria resident was fortunate. Others not so much. In 2019, one in 15 consumers were victim to identity theft.
According to Ryan Anderson, communications division chief of Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, the longtime scam continues to convince business owners and consumers to fall prey to fraudulent phone calls from electric companies to the IRS. Consumers lose millions of dollars in gift card scams every year. People can learn more at www.azag.gov/consumer/gift-card-scams.
With tax season upon Arizonans, Mr. Anderson said to beware that government agencies will never ask for payment by gift card.
“The government doesn’t call. No high-pressure sales or threats. Hang up the phone,” he added. “We advise the public you should not give out your Social Security at all.”
The attorney general’s office is committed to educating consumers of the dangers of identity theft from internet scams to more personal calls.
“It’s still a real threat,” Mr. Anderson explained. “Criminals will go to great lengths to accomplish their goals of committing financial fraud.”
He said they will even dumpster dive and reconstruct bills and statements. Tearing statements in half or pieces is not enough for the sophisticated criminal. He reminds business owners to not only shred their personal information, but financial information of customers.
The attorney general’s office destroyed 50,000 pounds of sensitive documents in 2019.
In early December 2020, the office hosted a contactless shred-a-thon event in Scottsdale at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, shredding more than 20,000 pounds of documents, such as old tax returns and bank statements, and collecting prescription drugs for safe disposal.
Even electronic stored customer information has been at risk the past few years associated with security breaches. The criminals often wait a year to begin using consumers’ credit cards.
“We think the reason criminals do that is they want people to let their guard down,” Mr. Anderson said. “This administration has put a strong focus on consumers since 2015. About $150 million given back to AZ consumers’ pockets.”
Mark Field, of Barrett Financial Group, said he once helped a mortgage client who had her purse stolen at a supermarket.
“I was able to obtain the police report and submit it to the credit companies to delete the bad checks from their credit report,” Mr. Field noted. “The client said they had been working on the problem for three years. It was so rewarding to put a stop to the impact of identity theft, and they were able to purchase a property.
Mr. Field also warned to be careful when dealing with online mortgage companies. “Companies like LendingTree and PayMyBills.com are not mortgage companies,” Mr. Field stated in an email. “They are marketing companies and they will sell your personal financial information to any mortgage company willing to pay for it.”
He added it is better to deal with a local company that is licensed and regulated by state regulators.
“Many of these companies use a bait-and-switch tactic to mislead, misinform and confuse mortgage clients,” Mr. Field said.
Those who have experienced identity theft or fraudulent activity should report to the local police department, alert major credit bureaus, banks and credit unions, credit card providers and any business or institution that may be directly affected by the theft.
“It is important that you obtain a police report or a report number. This report will then help you when working with companies to repair any potential damages to your credit,” Mr. Anderson explained.
People can also contact a nationwide credit reporting agency to place a fraud alert on their credit. It is also recommended to alert the Federal Trade Commission and file an Identity Theft Affidavit either online at www.identitytheft.gov or call 1-877-ID-THEFT. In order to do this a police report number is required.
“We’re here to help consumers,” Mr. Anderson added.


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U.S. assembly makes sense for the Chevrolet Spark EV because its lithium-ion battery cells are being supplied by A123 Systems.
John Voelcker - GREENCARREPORTS
- October 25, 2011
Another "US" built EV to enter the fray. Which of the other EVs will be its main competition? --Ed.
Two weeks ago, Chevrolet unveiled its 2013 Spark minicar and confirmed that it would offer a Spark EV all-electric model--a story GreenCarReports broke the night before.
But within a few days, an intriguing question came up: Where does GM plan to build its first new all-electric car since the late lamented EV1?
The sole global assembly plant for gasoline and diesel models of the 2013 Chevrolet Spark is in Changwon, South Korea. But a spokesman for GM Korea told WardsAuto that the company had no prototype Spark EV on site, and that the final assembly site had not been decided.
We think there's a simple answer to the question: GM will import rolling Spark vehicles without powertrains (known as "gliders") from Korea to the U.S., and add battery packs, electric motors, and power electronics at an... [Read More]


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Best Buy Sets Up $2.5M Endowed Scholarship at the University of Minnesota
Best Buy has launched a $2.5 million endowed scholarship at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management to help fund four years of college for up to 10 students a year, starting next fall. It's one of the company's largest gifts in higher education. The scholarship is targeted to students who have gone through one of Best Buy's teen tech center programs. It will also be open to other first-generation students and those from underrepresented communities who have participated in Best Buy's other educational outreach programs. In recent years, Best Buy built after-school teen tech centers around the country, where students from underserved communities can receive training in coding, filmmaking and music production.
Total Retail's Take: Some positive news to end the week. Best Buy is investing in the futures of young students as well as its own business. With the fierce competition to hire tech talent, particularly in the retail industry, Best Buy is setting up a scholarship program that can serve as an incubator for future employees. During their four years of college, scholarship recipients will be set up with Best Buy mentors and offered summer internships at the company's corporate campus. In addition to developing a tech-savvy talent pipeline, Best Buy's scholarship program will help it build good will with consumers, who are increasingly choosing to purchase from retailers and brands that share common values and have a greater purpose than just selling product. Best Buy should be applauded for its efforts here.


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News from around Ontario's craft beer industry
$11.7 M in Support For Food and Beverage Industry
The Federal and Provincial governments recently announced more support for Ontario’s food and beverage processing sector. There are 223 projects receiving $11.7 M in support to help with local businesses expand production, meeting consumer demand and creating good jobs. Find out more here. [2017-01-16]
Choosing a beer list
The beer selection at restaurants is sometimes an afterthought, and a huge missed opportunity for those establishments. Mirella Amato suggests focusing on taste diversity and providing descriptions of the beer. Read more here.
Brick Brewing expanding in Kitchener
Waterloo Region’s Brick Brewing is putting its Formosa Springs Brewery up for sale, and spending $4 million on an expansion, as it continues to consolidate operations in its Kitchener facilities. Read more here.
Muskoka Delivered to Your Door
Muskoka Brewery has released its 2017 Moonlight Kettle Beer Club, which delivers a 6-pack to your door every month. Sounds ideal, especially given the unique lineup (say hello to November’s beer: a Howling Gale Scotch Ale – Scotch Ale with Date Sugar). At $35/month, it’s certainly an investment, but one that’s sure to pay off for folks wanting a taste of limited edition suds. [2016-12-15]
U of G Hops Library
The University of Guelph has began a new project cataloging Canadian hops into a genetic library. By gathering, saving and cloning these all-important beer ingredients, they hope to help brewers access rare hop varieties and reduce their reliance on imported hops. Read more about it here. [2016-12-08]


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Technology exchange traded funds may extend their rally Wednesday after quarterly results from Apple (NasdaqGS: AAPL) that knocked analyst profit and revenue estimates out of the park.
Apple shares shot above $400 in after hours trading Tuesday following the blowout quarterly results. The stock was briefly halted but rose nearly 6% at last check.
The quarterly beat was driven by sales of iPads and iPhones. Apple sold 9.3 million iPads in the quarter and 20.3 million iPhones, which offset weakness in sales of Macs and iPods, according to Jefferies analysts.
The company’s guidance was “even more conservative than it typically is, which we believe is due to the large number of new product launches this fall,” they wrote in a note Tuesday. “We would be buyers as we view the guidance as too conservative and believe the new products will drive the stock higher.”
Reports surfaced Tuesday afternoon right before the earnings report that some members of Apple’s board have discussed CEO succession since Steve Jobs went on medical leave.


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It’s been 2½ weeks since the Longmont City Council voted unanimously to shut down two out of four Main Street lanes, starting July 6. City officials hoped to allow businesses to have extra space to provide more room for customers, due to state public health orders limiting retail and restaurant capacity to 50%.
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As the list of of Colorado counties and cities that are banning recreational marijuana sales continues to grow, another small town will also go without legal weed, but not because of a lack of interest; rather due to a lack of staples.
KRDO first reported about local marijuana advocate Tim Klob's petition where he helped gather nearly 600 signatures to put a measure on the November ballot to allow recreational marijuana sales and industrial hemp grows in the southeastern Colorado town of La Junta.
“I see this as a game changer for our economy," Klob said to KRDO. "There’s no other industry knocking on our door right now."
Unfortunately for Klob and for the citizens supporting the measure, the petition effort failed because Klob inadvertently violated Colorado law when he didn't staple each petition volunteer's affidavit with the signatures they collected when he turned the documents in to the La Junta city clerk's office. Though all necessary materials were included in the documents, the lack of staples voided the petition through a technicality.
Klob and La Junta are now back to square one.
This week, Grand Junction became the latest major Colorado city to ban retail sales of recreational marijuana by its city council members, even though several citizens requested that the issue be put to a public vote.
Colorado Springs, the state's second largest city, voted to ban recreational pot shops last July and became the largest community in the state to opt-out of the state's new marijuana laws.
In the state's capital city of Denver, which opted in on retail sales of marijuana, a two-year moratorium on new pot business licenses was recommended by the City Council.
The United States government took a historic step back from its long-running drug war last week, when Attorney General Eric Holder informed the governors of Washington and Colorado that the Department of Justice would allow the states to create a regime that would regulate and implement the ballot initiatives that legalized the use of marijuana for adults.
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper signed several historic measures to implement marijuana legalization in the state, establishing Colorado as the world's first legal, regulated and taxed marijuana market for adults back in May.
Colorado voters passed Amendment 64 last November making the limited sale, possession and growing of marijuana for recreational purposes legal for adults 21 and over. A64 states that adults can possess up to an ounce of pot, can grow as many as six marijuana plants at home (with only three flowering at any given time), but that home-grown marijuana can only be for personal use and cannot be sold, however, adults can gift one another up to an ounce of pot.
A64 allows adults to possess up to an ounce of marijuana for recreational use even in those cities or counties that have banned retail sales.
Colorado's 271 municipalities and 64 counties must decide by Oct. 1 as to whether they will allow for legal recreational marijuana sales.
Recreational pot sales in Colorado cities that opt-in can begin on Jan. 1, 2014.


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- Asia and the U.S. are outpacing Europe in the battery industry
- The European Commission has put in place a strategy to narrow the gap
- Businesses, however, remain reluctant because of costs and other uncertainties
- Allowing China to dominate the European market will have severe geopolitical consequences
Europe was slow to discover how geopolitically disruptive the revolution in battery technology could become. Now, however, the European Union has identified batteries as the “heart of the ongoing industrial revolution,” playing a strategic role in the world’s transition to clean mobility and energy systems. Still, the European auto industry has been reluctant to get behind calls to create an “Airbus for batteries,” largely due to uncertainties surrounding the future of lithium-ion batteries, costs for manufacturing batteries in Europe and the possibility for overcapacity in the industry by as early as 2021. Holding back, however, could give China tremendous geopolitical influence.


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Happy Tuesday! We’ve got your weekly digest of our top ten tech moments, so let’s get into it!
Instagram Stories Are Introduced
There’s something about a short lived memory that is apparently appealing to avid social media users. Snapchat’s main premise is that whatever you post gets deleted in 24 hours – well now Instagram has done primarily the same exact thing. Instagram stories appear right on top of your Instagram feed that allows you to post videos or photos with text, that are automatically deleted after their 24 hour life span.
Delta Airlines Outage
Flying is hard enough as is, and when the airline you rely on suddenly cancels hundreds of flights around the world; it’s more than a little disappointing. This occurred due to a system wide outage at Delta’s Atlanta operation center on Monday, August 8th 2016, but flights were delayed and cancelled up until Wednesday, August 10th, 2016. Compensation has been given to any customers affected by the outage.
Lyft Lets You Make Multiple Stops in One Trip
Lyft and Uber are in a constant battle for rental car dominance, but this week Lyft came out on top. Lyft introduced an extra feature to their app, where passengers can request multiple stops on their Lyft ride. They are the first within their competitors to introduce a concept like this.
Chat It Up with President Obama via Facebook Messenger Bot
Ever wanted to message Barack Obama and casually ask him how his day is going? Well now you can! Sort of. This is a part of Facebook’s new chat option to message a business the same way you message any of your close friends. The White House put their own spin on this, and President Obama actually reads ten messages from chats every night.
CVS Pharmacy Introduces CVS Pay – A Loyalty Program and Mobile Payment App All in One
CVS Pay, CVS Pharmacy’s new idea to make checkout as easy and quick as possible, is launching on Thursday, August 11th. This solution will let you pay for items and pick up prescriptions all while earning points – all through one barcode. This will make shopping at CVS easier, as well as storing consumer information.
Robot Helps Take Olympics Underwater Photos
Have you ever wondered: how the hell do the Olympics have such beautiful underwater photos of their athletes? Well, in the 2016 Olympics in Rio, photographers are getting some help from a robot. Underwater robotic cameras have taken away the pressure of taking that perfect shot. Before the robots, photographers would have to take a guess of when the swimmer would be in the frame. Now, with the robotic cameras, they can zoom in and out, tilt, spin, and take a lot more photos.
Waze Will Help You Avoid Traffic Around Big Events
Ever been in your car, stuck in traffic when you suddenly remember that a huge festival is in town? This happens more often than one would think. Waze is starting to figure out a solution. Waze is a traffic-mapping app that directs you from one destination to another while trying to avoid traffic. Now they’ve launched an extension that helps drivers avoid jams due to any sort of event in a neighborhood. They’re teaming up with hosts of big events to keep you from excessive delays.
T-Mobile’s Unlimited Pokemon Go Data: Cool or Cruel?
On July 19th, 2016, T-Mobile gave its users the opportunity to receive unlimited Pokemon Go data for a year through its T-Mobile Tuesdays app. While most T-Mobile users were thrilled at this deal and instantly jumped on the bandwagon, T-Mobile is now getting a lot of criticism for their offer. Apparently this violates the principle of net neutrality. Making Pokemon Go data free eliminates competition and hurts small businesses that will use up the data you paid for.
New Emojis To Be Added with Apple’s iOS 10 Update
Apple’s new update is said to feature more than 100 new diverse emojis. Among them, Apple has replaced the gun emoji with a water pistol. Some of these continue to try and include better representation for people worldwide as well as gender, sexuality, and others.
Samsung Releases The Gear 360 in the US on August 19th
Samsung’s first 360-degree camera is hitting stores on August 19th in the United States. This camera uses 195-degree lenses to shoot photos and videos through overlapping images. It’s directly compatible with recent Samsung phones including the Galaxy S7 or the S7 Edge. This device makes it easy to shoot great quality 360 content at a price of $349.
That’s it for this week! Check in every Friday for our latest updates in tech!


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Ways to bring higher-order automating intelligence to the production line
Factories are increasingly deploying artificial intelligence and analytics, with manufacturing companies turning to digital automation to create cheaper and faster production processes.
Many of these companies are just starting to find ways to deploy these new technologies. A recent article in Enterprise IoT Insights, described how “factories are bustling with innovation experiments, as industrialist are availed of ever-more sophisticated digital trends.”
In the article, “AI—On the line,” I offered some insights and KPMG viewpoints into efforts to bring higher-order automating intelligence to the production line. Some companies have already made strides in the digital transformation of their factories. But many elements around these processes still have to evolve before manufacturing can reap the full benefits of AI and analytics.
Here are some of the main points I made in the article.
AI can be applied from one end of the production line to the other. But where it can really make a difference—and be far more effective than humans—is in the detection of product defects. This is especially the case when it comes to tiny assemblies, such as microscopic integrated-circuit designs. AI can be used for live defect detection right in the production line, potentially replacing hundreds or even thousands of people doing quality-assurance inspections at the end of the run.
AI can also play a key role in increasing production efficiencies throughout the supply chain, so manufacturers can create a balance between forecasting production in advance to minimizing expenditure and inventory, while at the same time making sure they can fulfill customers’ orders.
Creating new assembly processes is another aspect of manufacturing that can benefit from AI. By using AI to envision entire production lines in a virtual environment, manufacturers can test literally thousands of scenarios to come up an optimal design.
Despite these benefits to manufacturers, the use of AI still needs some refinements in several key areas.
One such area is decision-making. To be fully effective, AI needs a variety of data to make decisions. In some factories, a vast amount of data can be extracted from the production floor, as a result of sensors installed on manufacturing machines. However, data capture still needs to evolve significantly to be effective. At this point, data from factory machinery can be rough or broken or in a form that can’t be used because it lacks context. Also, sensors in the same locations at the same factory under the same conditions often produce different data. That disparity makes extracting any meaning from the data a challenge, at best, and at worst, impossible.
Another area is the use of the Internet of Things in the digital transformation of factories. These transformations will require all parties to collaborate to reinvent the production process. All aspects of the manufacturing line need to be connected to be able to make effective business decisions. The capabilities to bring about such wide-ranging transformation aren’t available in a pre-packaged “off-the shelf” solution. This is less a consequence of the immaturity of the market and more a function of each company having their own multiplicity of industrial processes that will make digital systems integration and digital solution design new every time.
To learn more about how AI is changing factory manufacturing, you can read the entire Enterprise IoT Insights article here.


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Shotguns and subclasses are being targeted in the next Destiny update.
Overwatch's Capture the Flag mode will not disappear when the Year of the Rooster event comes to an end.
For a limited time, new purchases of Battlefield 1's Premium Pass will include a free upgrade to the Deluxe Edition of the game.
Ubisoft has shared the official patch notes for Rainbow Six Siege's Operation Velvet Shell update.
Ubisoft has offered an extended look at Rainbow Six Siege's two new operators and Coastline map.
The Overwatch team are not happy about the use of mouse and keyboard on console, according to Blizzard's Jeff Kaplan.
Ever wondered what Tracer's pulse pistols from Overwatch would look like in real life?


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Gartner, a market research firm, has forecasted that Android will grab nearly 50% of smartphone market. Google’s Android Base phones have reportedly increased the market share of the smartphones in 2011. Samsung and HTC have clocked higher sales with Android platform that improved their compatibility and dominate the smartphone market.
According to Gartner, there were over 296 million smartphones shipped last year out of which Android secured a 22.7% share. The smartphone shipments worldwide is expected to reach 468 million units, which will help Android to grab 38.5% market share by the end of the year, followed by Apple’s iOS at 19.4%, and Symbian at 19.2% . In 2012, more than 630 million smartphones will be shipped and Android will secure 49.2% share of the market, displacing iOS, with 18.9% share. BlackBerry OS will own 12.6% share of the smartphone market, nabbing the third place. Pushing the forecast further to 2015, a whopping 1.1 billion smartphones will be shipped out of which Android will snare 48.8% market share followed by Microsoft’s Windows Phone with 19.5% and iOS at 17.2%.
Gartner expects that Android will cut the prices of smartphones considerably that by 2015, 67% of all open OS devices will have an average selling price of $300 or below
Gartner also predicted that Android’s tablet is projected to grab 38.6% of the market by 2015 with a projected 113.5 million units sold.
By the increased use of social networks and emailing, the capabilities of smartphones are convincing more and more consumers to switch from a simple mobile phone to a more sophisticated device.In the end of 2010, 23% of mobile consumers have a smartphone, up from just 16% of 2009 !.
The fiercest competitors of smart phones are Apple, with its iconic iPhone, and Google, with its fast-growing Android operating system.
Both Android and iPhone users are urban biased.
Android users show a 54/46 gender split compared to iPhone’s 55/45.
Android users tend to be slightly younger than iPhone users. ie, 55% of Android users are under the age of 34 ,while just 47% of iPhone users fall within the same demographic. As is usually the case, age is also a prime determinant of income and education, with Android users slightly less wealthy and less educated.
80% of iPhone users want their next device to run iPhone OS while 70% of Android users want another Android device. But for other major smartphone players: only 47% of Blackberry users want another Blackberry while only 34% of Windows Mobile users want another Windows Mobile device.
Among Android and iPhone users who would like to switch operating systems, the rate at which Android users would like to try iPhone is twice as high as that of iPhone users who would try Android.
usage profiles for Android and iPhone are more like each other compare to rest of the smartphone market. Generally, iPhone customers are more likely to have downloaded a game or played online, but Android users appear to be using their phones for a wide range of activities as well. Android users were more likely to engage in file-transfer activities like downloading ringtones, pictures, wallpaper and uploads.
Canadian e-reading service provider, Kobo, may find success riding on the back of the BlackBerry PlayBook and other tablet computers even as it continues to expand its own line up of e-readers. It will come preloaded on the BlackBerry PlayBook, and enter into the growing tablet computer market. It will also be pre-installed on Samsung’s new tablet, the Galaxy Tab.
With powerful processors and better connectivity, the next mobile phone wars won’t be fought just on the phone brands but also the operating systems — read Apple’s iOS vs Android vs Symbian vs Bada OS vs Blackberry OS vs Windows Mobile — that they run on and the applications (apps) that are available.


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Truckies and businesses will be able to get Aussie produce from gate to plate more efficiently thanks to the launch of the new National Location Registry.
This new digital tool provides a one-stop shop of pick-up and delivery location information to support truckies to get goods to businesses and consumers. This includes operating hours, weight and height restrictions for vehicles, entry points, driver amenities and safety requirements for each site.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Barnaby Joyce said the National Location Registry will make it easier and quicker for freight operators to pick-up and deliver goods and take some of the stress out of their day-to-day work.
“Every Australian, everywhere, every day relies on freight. The National Location Registry will benefit us all by backing a more efficient supply chain for our businesses and truckies,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.
“This will make life easier for the more than 50,000 small businesses involved in Australia’s road freight sector. These businesses can now encourage location owners to list their pick-up spots and other important information on this one Registry, saving time and effort.”
For more information visit the Ministers for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development website.


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Following its acquisition of the Mandarin Oriental San Francisco Hotel, which has been renamed the Loews Regency San Francisco, Loews Hotels & Resorts has created a new luxury hotel brand, it announced last week: Loews Regency.
Currently consisting of the Loews Regency San Francisco and the existing Loews Regency New York, the new Loews Regency brand will feature three distinct offerings:
• Location: Loews Regency hotels will be "situated in the most sought after locations within a destination," according to Loews.
• Service: Loews Regency hotels will offer "approachable luxury with a personalized style that is warm and engaging," Loews said.
• Energy: Loews Regency hotels will feature "vibrant lobby bars and lounges, as well as a culture that exudes sophisticated, modern, and comfortable touch points," Loews reported.
Additionally, each hotel will have its own Power Breakfast, named for the famed business breakfasts first established in Manhattan at the Loews Regency New York.
"The Loews Regency San Francisco coupled with the iconic Loews Regency New York allows us to develop a new brand that really concentrates on customers looking for an intimate luxury experience," Loews Hotels & Resorts Chairman Jonathan Tisch said in a statement.
Loews now operates three distinct brands: Loews Hotels & Resorts in the upper-upscale category; Loews Regency in the luxury category; and The OE collection, launched earlier this year as a management-based platform to support existing or newly built independent hotels.
For a recap of recent top stories, check out MeetingNews Minute:


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The age distribution of e-commerce users and short video users in China is quite similar. Users age 25 to 35 take the largest share. Such similarity makes it possible for short video marketing to promote e-commerce sales. Short video users have something in common: young, pursuit high-quality lifestyle, want to play and look pretty, love […]
Tmall News, Trends & Insights
For 12 weeks ending May 18, 2018, consumer spending on FMCG in China grow by 10.0% compared to the same period last year. Hypermarkets, supermarkets, and convenience stores are showing strong signs of recovery. Consumer spending grew by 10% YoY.
During “618”, offline traffic increased by 30% over the week prior, with online orders also jumping by 20%. Another partner retailer, Beijing’s Easyhome, a seller of furniture and home remodeling supplies, topped 100 million yuan (US$15.7 million) in sales by 1 pm on the first day of “618”, while Alibaba’s Fresh Hema saw sales increase […]
Within the online retail B2C market, maternal and child sector saw a high growth of 54.3% in GMV to 63.48 billion yuan in Q1 2018.
The GMV of China’s online retail B2C market totaled 952.85 billion yuan (US$148.18 billion) in Q1 2018, up by 32.2% from Q1 2017. In Q1 2018, Tmall GMV up by 41.2% over Q1 2017, taking the largest market share of 59.6% in China’s retail e-commerce sales. JD.com was next with a share of 25.3% and GMV […]
Alibaba’s full-year revenue grew 58% in fiscal 2018 (April 2017 to March 2018), core commerce revenue grew 60%, with profit growth of over 40% and annual free cash flow of US$15.8 billion. Looking ahead to fiscal 2019, Alibaba expect overall revenue growth above 60%.
Influenced by the “double 12” shopping festival, the rankings of best-selling brands have changed greatly in December. In women’s clothing category, Taobao brands RUMERE, MG Xiaoxiang, and DAXI RETRO STYLING have broken into the ranking of top 10. In women’s shoes category, OCANDY, a web celebrity brand, has moved into the top 10. In men’s […]
Chinese New Year is the most important festival in China. Shopping is an integral part of Chinese people’s celebration, and naturally, e-retailers were engaged in fierce battles to compete for attention, and hence preferences, of consumers in the days leading up to Chinese New Year (February 15 in 2018). JD.com (partly owned by Tencent) and […]
China online retail market totaled 1,974.59 billion yuan (US$311.69 billion) with an increase of 41% YoY in Q4 2017 according to data from Analysis. China’s B2C online retail market reached 1,189.35 billion yuan (US$187.74 billion) with an increase of 43.2%.
Spending on fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) in China grows by 4.3% from a year ago, which is 0.7 percentage point higher than that in 2016 and the fastest in three years.
Alibaba reported total revenues of RMB83,028 million (US$12,761 million), an increase of 56% year-over-year in Q4 2017.
China’s e-commerce market is already the world’s largest, and its growth, while slower than in years past, is still more rapid than that of any other large economy in the world. The following is an overview of several e-commerce sectors in Q3 2017. SME-oriented B2B Platforms B2B platforms serving small-to-medium enterprises saw slower revenue growth […]


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SAP is planning to spend up to US$500 million in Africa from now through 2020 in hopes of dramatically growing its business on the continent, particularly in countries outside of South Africa, where it already has a strong base.
To help organizations get a better handle on the R statistical programming language, which is enjoying a surge in use as a big-data analysis tool, Revolution Analytics has introduced a new support package.
The operator of an independent website aimed at helping users of J.D. Edwards enterprise resource planning software has shut it down after Oracle alleged the site infringed on its copyrights.
SAP is hoping that a new massive online open course will help plant seeds of interest in its HANA in-memory database platform and also lead business end users to understand it better.
Plenty of people have engineering degrees but not many have one specific to data centers. A university in Dallas is offering what it says will be a first-of-its-kind graduate degree in data center engineering.
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