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Less than two years after pulling down the pay wall, NY Times executive editor Bill Keller has hinted that a consumer-pays model may reappear on the paper’s website, says a report on The Huffington Post. Keller was responding to reader questions in a weekly online Q&A, where he said that “a lively, deadly serious discussion continues with The Times about ways to get consumers to pay for what we make.” (The Times currently charges for access to crossword puzzles online and a few other features.)
Models under consideration include a full-access subscription fee, micro-payments on a page-click basis and, as The Times does with Amazon.com’s Kindle, selling content for distribution on reading devices. Other publishers continue to explore the for-fee model, says The Huff Post report: The Christian Science Monitor is developing a for-fee daily electronic newsletter, while U.S. News and World Report is reviving a weekly publication as a digital download for $24.95 a year. News Corp.’s The Wall Street Journal is one of the few that has successfully charged for online subscriptions, but it lags the Times’ Web site in total audience.


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Every new iPhone smartphone released by Apple comes with at least a certain trademark feature, something no other predecessors has. In most occurrences, that particular hardware an even software feature is not yet available on competing manufacturer’s handsets. The new Apple’s top-of-the-line premium flagship iPhone X boasts a couple of such features. While both of those hardware and software features are already available on the market on Android OEMs to some extent.
A new report claims that the South Korean technology giant’s next generation flagship smartphone in the Galaxy S series — the new Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ series — could be the first Android device to mirror the iPhone X’s best and cutting-edge feature.
Apple’s iPhone X, which is scheduled to hit the store in November 3rd, got an all-screen display aesthetic design that’s significantly different from anything else seen on rivals. The other most compelling feature of the flagship is the TrueDepth camera system that enables the 3D facial recognition sensor feature dubbed Face ID. That’s also something dissimilar anything else seen on Android smartphones.
[agg-ad id=”442″ align=”center”][agg-ad id=”438″ align=”left”]It’s obviously not an unusual that the Korean consumer electronics firm is an early adopter in the mobile industry. Samsung’s Galaxy S8 comes with an all-display front panel prior to the eventual announcement of iPhone X. Although the iPhone X nearly entirely covers all the front panel, the Galaxy S8 even has a bigger screen-to-body ratio. The iPhone X has 82.9 percent screen-to-body ratio, while the Galaxy S8 and S8+ have 83.6% and 84%, respectively.
The all-screen iPhone has been in research and development for five years at least according to Apple Chief Design Officer Jony Ive, and Samsung Display is a pivotal business partner of Apple.
It’s indeed very possible that the South Korean company has knowledge for a long period time that an all-screen iPhone was in the timeline for 2017 release, since Samsung Display is the only supplier of the iPhone X’s OLED panels. Why do you think that the Cupertino is afraid that the Korean firm will pirate its foldable and bendable iPhone design?
But that doesn’t mean that the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus series will automatically imitates the iPhone X’s top notch design in February. What the South Korea-based company could do is mimics the actual components and structures of the iPhone X’s notch.
[agg-ad id=”438″ align=”left”]Apple calls the notch a “tiny little space” at the very top of the iPhone X that houses the TrueDepth camera system — infrared camera, 3d dotprojector, front-facing camera, flood illuminator, proximity and ambient light sensors, as well as earpiece speaker. The TrueDepth camera system is basically a miniaturized Microfot’s Kinect that facial maps the user’s face with 30,000 dots and depth-sensing camera, it provides secure logins that cannot be spoofed by a photo or a mask. The front-facing TrueDepth camera also enables the Animoji feature.
According to a rumor mill, the impending Galaxy S9 and S9+ smartphones will be equipped a “3D sensor front camera,” which would essentially be the Samsung’s edition of a TrueDepth camera system.
We still have several months until February or March when the Samsung launch the Galaxy S9 series, so we’ll probably see more about the Korean’s version of 3D facial recognition feature in the succeeding months. But if this report is to be believed, then it will be compelling to know Samsung plans. mass-producing the components in the TrueDepth camera system is one big logjam for iPhone X supplies.

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California-based CV Sciences Inc. (OTCQB: CVSI) has acquired Polish plant-based vegan food company Cultured Foods. CV Sciences said in a statement that the acquisition was structured as an equity purchase, where it will operate Cultured Foods as its wholly owned subsidiary.
CEO Joseph Dowling hinted at the acquisition in the company’s most recent earnings call. He stated that his goal for CV Sciences was to become a global health and wellness company that isn’t limited to CBD products. That includes exploring opportunities with non-CBD nutraceuticals and other plant-based food products.
CV Sciences said that the total consideration for the purchase was up to $535,000, with a cash payment of $175,000 and 7,074,270 shares of CV Sciences’ common stock, having a value of $250,000. In addition, there is a potential payment of up to $110,000 in the form of an earn-out if the business of Cultured Foods meets certain performance thresholds during the first year after the closing.
“Our immediate plan is to leverage our B2B distribution network and bring convenient and sustainable plant-based foods into the U.S. natural product channel while working with Cultured Foods to grow their business in the European market,” Dowling said.
The global vegan food market is experiencing a boom right now, with analysts estimating that it will quintuple by by 2030, Dowling noted.
“In addition, we plan to leverage the Cultured Foods infrastructure to introduce select products from our flagship brand PlusCBD across all of Europe as laws allow, providing for significant expansion and opportunity to grow our company mindshare,” he added.
According to the statement, Cultured Foods produces a variety of curated plant-based products that are sold in 15 different European countries.
The acquisition creates an opportunity for the importation of these specialty foods to the U.S. and establishes a European base of operations for the sale and distribution of CV Sciences’ PlusCBD products, opening doors to numerous new retail and distributor partners.


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Chicago (IL) – Worldwide smartphone sales have reportedly surged as mobile phone shipments marked a notable decline. According to Gartner, global mobile phone sales plummeted 8.6 percent from Q1 2008 to 269.1 million units in Q1 2009. In sharp contrast, smartphone shipments rose 12.7 per cent to surpass 36.4 million units.
Nokia maintained its lead in the mobile phone sector with a respectable 36.2 percent market share. Second place Samsung managed to improve its position with sales of 51.4 million units, while Motorola recaptured fourth place by overtaking Sony Ericsson. LG increased its market share by 1.9 percentage points via sales of 26.5 million units.
Gartner attributed Samsung’s success to “a good product mix” of Omnia, Tocco and Pixon handsets. Similarly, LG’s market share increase was linked to a “very strong portfolio of touchscreen, messaging and imaging devices.” However, Gartner cautioned that LG’s “biggest challenge” was to “become competitive in the smartphone segment.”
Finally, Motorola’s comeback was tempered by Gartner questioning the company’s ability to differentiate its offerings “when so many players in the mobile device market will be delivering Android-based products at the same time.”
Note* This table includes iDEN shipments, but excludes ODM to OEM shipments.
Note: Totals may not add to 100.0 percent due to rounding.
Source: Gartner (May 2009)
Meanwhile, smartphone sales represented 13.5 percent of all mobile device sales in the first quarter of 2009, compared with 11 percent in the first quarter of 2008. According to Gartner, positive performance by Research In Motion (RIM) and Apple demonstrated that services and applications were “instrumental” to smartphones’ success.
“Much of the smartphone growth during the first quarter of 2009 was driven by touchscreen products, both in midtier and high-end devices,” said Roberta Cozza, principal analyst at Gartner. “‘Touch for the sake of touch’ was enough of a driver in the midtier space, but tighter integration with applications and services around music, mobile e-mail, and Internet browsing made the difference at the high end of the market.”
Indeed, Symbian accounted for 49.3 per cent of worldwide smartphone operating systems (OS) market share, while RIM’s smartphone OS market share reached 19.9 per cent. The iPhone OS accounted for just 10.8 per cent of the market, with a significantly improved share which hovered at a mere 5.3 in Q1 2008.
Research In Motion
Note: For HTC, Gartner counts only the company’s own-branded devices including the G1.
Note Totals may not add to 100.0 percent due to rounding.
Source: Gartner (May 2009)
Carolina Milanesi, research director for mobile devices at Gartner, explained that vendors would likely shift their focus to smartphones and improved user interfaces during 2009.
“Device vendors will focus increasingly on smartphones, improved user interfaces and services to differentiate themselves and fuel consumer demand,” noted Milanesi. “We maintain our view that sales to users will decrease by about 4 per cent for 2009 compared with 2008, while sell-in will slow to around a 10 percent decrease.”


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Nike Algeria partners with Plogging Association Algeria to run to protect the environment and the future of sport.
“PLOGGING RUN” an outdoor event organized by the international sports brand Nike and Plogging Association Algeria, on Wednesday, December 8, 2021 at the forest of Bainem- Algiers. An event that brought together more than 35 participants defenders of the environmental cause.
The event started with a Plogging session which consists in practicing a sport activity (jogging/running) and collecting waste at the same time. About 20 bags of waste were collected.
The plogging session was followed by the Plogging Run, a 30mn race organized on the Nike NRC mobile application and animated by the influencer HICHEM SAADIA
The event ended with the rewarding of the three Plogging Run winners who won a pair of Nike running shoes each.
This event is part of the Move To Zero approach through which the Nike brand is committed to promoting sustainable projects and the protection of our environment.
The Nike brand is present in Algeria through its three stores: Nike Store Bab Ezzouar & Nike Store Garden City in Algiers and Nike Store Es Senia in Oran.


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Date — 4 November, 2011
With only one day to go before the start of the official race, IWC is pleased to reveal the online race tracker for the Volvo Ocean Race. Follow IWC’s boat, Azzam, helmed by the Abu Dhabi Racing team, as it sails around the world. The race tracker will always have up to date information on boats’ location and ranking in the race, through the next nine months of this gruelling challenge.
Check IWC.com each month as we also bring you live updates from every port.
Georges Kern, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen, and Brand Director Karoline Huber hosted the brand’s first ever Ladies Only Fashion Dinner to celebrate the launch of the Portofino Midsize collection. Read Article
IWC Schaffhausen will be at the heart of the world’s toughest offshore race as Official Timekeeper for the second time, and celebrates the event with a special edition: the Portuguese Yacht Club Chronograph “Ocean Racer”, limited to 1,000 watches. Read Article
To celebrate the launch of their three-year partnership with the BFI (British Film Institute) and BFI London Film Festival in partnership with American Express®, IWC Schaffhausen hosted a star-studded red carpet event in honour of the BFI in London. Read Article
On the opening day of the WATCHES&WONDERS exhibition in Hong Kong, Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen hosted an exclusive gala dinner to mark the launch of the new Portofino Midsize watch collection. Read Article


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Cheddar's joins other Pensacola chains in bi-weekly program to feed the homeless
Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen on North Davis Highway is the newest restaurant chain to try to help scratch out hunger in Pensacola.
The family friendly chain restaurant has partnered with Loaves & Fishes Soup Kitchen to take part in the Harvest program, which a handful of other local brands have contributed to over the years.
Red Lobster, Olive Garden and now Cheddar's donate menu items twice a week to the soup kitchen as part of the Harvest program, and every Monday and Wednesday, Loaves & Fishes feeds the homeless with meals from those restaurants. In a recent press release, Cheddar's said it donates items like hand-crafted dishes such as soups, sauces, casseroles and pastas, as well as vegetables and proteins.
"It's food that they normally wouldn't get, that's delicious," said Carrie Kelly, Loaves & Fishes assistant to the director, about the Harvest program. "Even though they get, say, Olive Garden soup repetitively, week after week, it's so good that they're just happy and love it."
Krispy Kreme is the other Pensacola chain that participates in the program, donating boxes of donuts to the soup kitchen each Friday.
Kelly said meals from Cheddar's, Olive Garden and Red Lobster feed roughly 100 people per day each and every Monday and Wednesday. She added that Olive Garden, Red Lobster and Krispy Kreme have been a staple in the program for as long as she can remember. Cheddar's began participating within the last couple of months.
“Many families aren’t able to dine out because they’re unsure where their next meal may come from," said John Quadrini, managing partner of the Pensacola Cheddar's location. "That’s why we launched our Harvest program earlier this year. Now, we’re proud to donate nutritious food like salmon, chicken, soup and vegetables to (Loaves & Fishes) so we can support our local community in an impactful way.”
Jake Newby can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org or 850-435-8538.


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Entrepreneurs Want to Build Transit Pods to Ease Traffic
A couple of entrepreneurs have a plan that they say can help Austin's traffic problem.
As our partners at the Austin Business Journal first reported, Richard Garriott and Ben Barnes want to adapt a personal rapid transit system to fit downtown Austin's needs.
A spokeswoman for the entrepreneurs says the system would run on tracks over Austin's streets and sidewalks, and cost one-tenth the price of light rail.
Barnes is out of town on business but plans to explain his plan in detail next week.


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This is a taste of things to come
Xiaomi, once one of the biggest brands in China, has not been doing well. They ceded their top spot in their domestic market to rivals Huawei, OPPO and Vivo, who has managed to take top honors in their home country. The company also silently withdrew from the Philippine market last year, after their online-sales only model failed spectacularly.
It seems that Xiaomi now understands the need for a presence in physical stores, and has put up their very first retail store in India, dubbed Mi Home. Inside the store people will finally be able to touch and feel Xiaomi’s products before shelling out money, something that hasn’t been possible in the past in India.
It’s the first such store in the sub continent, and Xiaomi is planning to open 100 stores just like it across the country. The importance of physical stores and marketing cannot be stressed enough – rival OPPO setup shop the same time as Xiaomi back in 2014, but has managed to carve out a name in the Philippines in 3 short years by largely ignoring online sales tactics and strengthening their retail presence.
With Xiaomi now confirmed to re-enter the Philippines, we may see the same strategy in play here. We’re hoping that the prices of the company’s products don’t suffer with the expansion though.


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Cryptocurrencies have been steadily gaining in popularity around the globe. As more and more people begin to understand and trust these currencies, crypto continues to gain steam and to be used in more everyday ways. One way that cryptocurrencies are becoming more mainstream is in the charity sector.
Several well-known charities have begun to accept cryptocurrency as donations, paving the way for more entities to embrace digital currencies. But are cryptocurrency donations just a fad, or will they become the norm?
Let’s look at some of the charities that are beginning to accept cryptocurrency donations and why this form of digital currency could be the next great thing for digital donors.
Major Charities Accepting Cryptocurrency
You may be surprised to see some well-known names among the list of charities accepting cryptocurrency donations.
Save the Children
Medecins Sans Frontieres Australia, or “Doctors Without Borders” accepts eight different types of cryptocurrency, including Bitcoin and Ethereum. MSF points out that donors can maximise the impact of their donation by using cryptocurrencies since they are not subject to the capital gains tax.
Unicef is another charity with offices across the globe. It accepts donations of cryptocurrency in several different countries, including New Zealand and the USA.
These are just a few of the larger charities beginning to accept cryptocurrency donations. As more people start to use digital currencies, you’ll likely see more charities and other organisations accepting crypto donations as confidence in the currency grows.
Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation
The Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation’s annual fundraiser announced that it would accept cryptocurrency to better serve its donors. The 2021 fundraising event even included the auction of an NFT digital artwork donated by digital artist Hipworth.
Benefits of Cryptocurrency Donations
Cryptocurrency donations have several benefits that make them appealing for both donors and the charity accepting the donations. When you see how these benefits align with the beliefs of many charities, offering the ability to donate cryptocurrencies makes a great deal of sense.
Blockchain technology utilises an ‘open ledger’ system that allows everyone to see where the money goes. Although donors can remain anonymous, everyone can see exactly where the cryptocurrency goes right up until it hits its final destination. This transparency means that donors can follow the donation trail right to where the money is finally used, which helps build trust between charities and their donors.
Optimise Tax Efficiency
Donors who utilise cryptocurrencies for donations can circumvent capital gains tax. Donations in cryptocurrency are also tax deductible in the same way that regular donations are.
Increase Awareness of and Use of Cryptocurrencies
Cryptocurrencies are still the new kid on the block when it comes to investments, but that’s changing. By offering the opportunity for individuals and corporations to donate cryptocurrency, charitable organisations can offer donors greater choice in how they are able to make a positive impact.
Cryptocurrency is More Accessible
For anyone who doesn’t have access to a bank account or credit card, making a donation can seem impossible. But if they have access to the internet and a cryptocurrency wallet, they can donate easily.
For charities that focus on ending inequality, cryptocurrencies are a perfect fit. By making it easier for everyone to help out, it becomes easier to help more people.
Cuts Out the Middleman
Often, charities lose money in processing fees from banks when they use their services to process incoming donations. Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum don’t require the use of a bank to process transactions. Blockchain transactions have minimal costs in comparison to bank transactions, and they’re practically instantaneous, too.
Using NFTs to Encourage Donations
There’s been a rise in the use of NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, recently. NFTs are entirely secure, non-transferable digital items that live online in secure Blockchains. These digital ‘tokens’ are one-of-a-kind and perfect for stirring up interest in charities.
One-off pieces of artwork, music, videos, and other exclusive digital content are ideal for auctions that use cryptocurrencies as payment. Whether you believe NFTs are a passing trend or not, some of the most expensive NFTs sold online have raised millions for various charities.
NFTs and anything else that encourage charitable donations using cryptocurrency only strengthens the market and helps normalise blockchain technology in the financial world. Ultimately, the use of cryptocurrencies could help everyone donate more easily, and they can help ensure that you know exactly where your money goes when you give it.
Aus Merchant Helps You Navigate The Future Of Money
Aus Merchant is a digital currency provider for investors, businesses and charities. Our team helps you navigate the often complicated and sometimes confusing landscape of digital currency. Whether you want to buy, sell, trade, hold, earn, spend or receive digital assets, Aus Merchant is here to help you realise your goal.
Aus Merchant is a group of industry professionals and investors looking for a more efficient method of donating, trading and storing digital assets. Bringing the future financial system to a growing network of Australian investors and businesses. Contact us today to realise your future in digital currency.


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With the financial outlook gloomy across Europe, there’s constant chatter about how hard it is not being Silicon Valley. But a growing number of people are challenging entrepreneurs to stop complaining and start building. Can they light a fire under the continent’s startups?
A year into its life, Passion Capital has established itself as one of London’s premier seed investors. Here’s what the trio behind the business have learned since making the change from entrepreneurs into serious investors.


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2014's fast food atrocities
Burger King's black cheeseburger: Made with squid ink and bamboo charcoal, arguably a symbol of meat's destructive effect on the planet. Only available in Japan.
East New York is a long way from Wall Street.
While the Brooklyn neighborhood is a mere nine miles from the gilded skyscrapers of Manhattan’s financial district, its residents live in some of the most dire conditions of any place in America.
Heavily black and Hispanic, the neighborhood has the highest foreclosure rate in the entire city. Fully half of the population of East New York and surrounding neighborhoods receive some form of federal assistance like welfare or Medicaid.
Today, Occupy Wall Street activists are teaming up with existing progressive and community groups to launch Occupy Our Homes – a campaign on the foreclosure crisis – in cities around the country. One action will take place in East New York.
The campaign is expected to feature aggressive tactics such as eviction defenses, takeovers of vacant bank-owned properties, and disruptions at foreclosure auctions. The full story on the organizing of the new campaign is here. The background on current state of the foreclosure crisis is here.
Stay tuned as I tweet live from today’s action …
Justin Elliott is a reporter for ProPublica. You can follow him on Twitter @ElliottJustinMore Justin Elliott.
Domino's Specialty Chicken: It's like regular pizza, except instead of a crust, there's fried chicken. The company's marketing officer calls it "one of the most creative, innovative menu items we have ever had” -- brain power put to good use.
KFC'S ZINGER DOUBLE DOWN KING: A sandwich made by adding a burger patty to the infamous chicken-instead-of-buns creation can only be described using all caps. NO BUN ALL MEAT. Only available in South Korea.
Taco Bell's Waffle Taco: It took two years for Taco Bell to develop this waffle folded in the shape of a taco, the stand-out star of its new breakfast menu.
Krispy Kreme Triple Cheeseburger: Only attendees at the San Diego County Fair were given the opportunity to taste the official version of this donut-hamburger-heart attack combo. The rest of America has reasonable odds of not dropping dead tomorrow.
Taco Bell's Quesarito: A burrito wrapped in a quesadilla inside an enigma. Quarantined to one store in Oklahoma City.


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Surveillance video has been released showing a man that broke into a store to steal the company debit card. Police say he later went on a shopping spree, buying food and cigarettes.
Saturday, the suspect broke into a Mesa auto shop by kicking in a door. He then tried to get into the used car dealership next door, but what he failed to notice were the dealership's surveillance cameras.
The suspect, identified as Trevor Bertram, allegedly stole a set of keys and a company debit card out a desk.
Police say he spent about $1,000 on the debit card. A nearby store caught him on video buying cigarettes. He used it at least 8 times.
By Sunday night, Bertram was found hiding in some bushes in a nearby empty lot. A transient, he claimed he was just looking for a blanket to stay warm.


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IRNA – Iran’s Ambassador to Guinea Conakry Hamid-Reza Vahid Kiani announced on Monday that the first cargo of Iranian-made automobiles arrived in Guinea Conakry.
The 28 cars are a part of 20,000 vehicles to be delivered to Guinea Conakry to meet the country’s need for taxis. Iran is also supposed to make an assembly line in Guinea Conakry.
Referrig to the firm’s $10-million worth auto parts export to Guinea Conakry, the automaker export manager Mohsen Javan said SAIPA will export 34,000 vehicles approximately valued $200 million and auto parts worth $20 million in the current Iranian year (starting March 20, 2017).
The factory’s export to Guinea Conakry includes Pride, Tiba, Tiba2, Changan CS35, Brilliance, Ario and also Rich and Nissan pickup trucks.
Javan said the firm is aiming at expanding sales and after sales services network in West African countries to develop new markets in the region.
SAIPA (Société Anonyme Iranienne de Production Automobile) is the second largest automaker in Iran and is currently manufacturing vehicles in Iraq, Syria and Venezuela.


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Amazon's affordable and feature-rich Fire TV Stick 4K has learned a new trick: the little streamer now supports display mirroring through Miracast. An update to Fire OS version 22.214.171.124 includes the new functionality, and it's rolling out now.
Lenovo has taken the opportunity at its Tech World 2015 conference to announce the Lenovo Cast, a new accessory that aims to mirror your Android device's screen to the TV. The device is puck-shaped and connects through a cable to the HDMI port on your television.
Unlike the Chromecast, which uses Google's proprietary casting technology, Lenovo Cast is built on Miracast and DLNA, the standards that are available in most modern Android devices (sometimes under the Miracast option and other times under Wireless Display).
Today Microsoft has announced its Wireless Display Adapter, a Chromecast-sized dongle that plugs into the back of your TV, monitor, or projector and enables you to mirror content from any Miracast-enabled device. It's not the first product of its kind on the market, but Microsoft's offering is a small and sleek option, and it just so happens to be compatible with Android devices.
Seeing what it clearly believes is an untapped market, Netgear announced NeoMediacast, which gives pay TV providers an alternative to the traditional set-top box. This is an Android-powered system in a Chromecast-sized package that simply plugs into the back of your TV via an HDMI port. The idea here is that service providers can offer apps and premium content stores to give their subscribers access to everything they currently get through their cable boxes.
While comparisons to Chromecast are inevitable, it's important to remember that the two products serve entirely different market segments. While Chromecast is tailored toward anyone who has a TV and a mobile device or laptop, NeoMediacast is only being sold to service providers, who will, after customizing it to suit their requirements, sell or lease it to their customers.
Android 4.2 is out now and it brings a bunch of new goodies. Multiple users on a tablet, photospheres, and gesture typing are all pretty neat. What about this Miracast thing, though? If you're part of the majority of Android users out there, you know that it involves screen sharing and something vaguely to do with WiFi. Well, here. Let's clear some of that up for you.
So, Uh... What Is Miracast?
At its most basic level, Miracast is a video streaming specification created by the Wi-Fi Alliance. It allows a user to share whatever is displayed on their device's screen with another compatible product.
Wi-Fi Alliance, the go-to association for certification of wireless LAN technologies, today announced the launch of its Miracast certification program.
For those unaware, Miracast is a new wireless display technology that allows users to "transmit" or stream video or other media content from one device to another quickly, easily, and wirelessly using Wi-Fi Direct. The technology essentially offers a mirrored display experience with low latency and responsiveness that's just what you'd hope for.
A major benefit of Miracast is that it is expected to become a standard used across a wide range of products from an even wider range of manufacturers.
NVIDIA has just announced that the Tegra 3 chip will support the Wi-Fi Alliance's upcoming wireless display technology, called Miracast. Miracast uses Wi-Fi Direct to wirelessly deliver HD content - including movies, images, and games -from mobile devices directly to supported devices, like HDTVs and set-top boxes.
For an example of what will be possible with Miracast, have a look at this:
The Miracast wireless display certification program should launch within the coming months, enabling display manufactures and other vendors to start incorporating the standard into future devices. We've reached out to NVIDIA to get a bit more information on whether or not the standard could be incorporated into Google TV devices and the like via a firmware upgrade, and will update when we hear something back.


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Mahindra, Tata bids at finish line
Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra enter the last lap to acquire legendary British car brands, Jaguar and Land Rover, reports Indulal PM.autos Updated: Dec 05, 2007 23:15 IST
The New Year promises to be exciting for Indian auto majors. Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra have entered the last lap to acquire legendary British car brands, Jaguar and Land Rover. They were due to place their final bids the management of Ford Motor Company late on Wednesday.
The final bids are placed after two rounds of indicative bids and the quoted prices are not subject to further changes. The bidders, which also include US-based private equity firm One Equity Partners, are likely to quote an offer price in the range $1.7-2.2 billion (Rs 6,800 crore to Rs 8,800 crore.) according to investment banking sources.
M&M is expected to place a joint bid with US-based private equity firm Apollo Capital. A Tata Motors spokesperson refused to comment on the issue. M&M also declined to comment.
Ford and its advisors — Goldman Sachs, HSBC and Morgan Stanley — have asked the bidders to place the value-adjusted confirmation bid by Wednesday, according to sources close to the development.
“Ford is expected to consider these bids later next week and the buyer will be announced by the end of this year,” said a source close to the transaction. Earlier this year, Ford put on the block Jaguar and Land Rover brands on account of their falling revenues.
According to analysts, the acquisition will enable Indian players to access superior technology. “The immediate benefit will be access to state-of-the-art technology. Secondly, there can be outsourcing of auto components,” said Chirag Shah of Mumbai-based Emkay Stockbroking.


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Darren Pearson of Diversified Property Group started as a conventional property developer building project homes. He’s become a “stealth player”, integrating products from leading edge innovators to deliver smarter, greener homes in Sydney, Australia.
He credits his mid-course correction primarily to two people:
- A Harvard professor in his global business group
- His small daughter
The Harvard professor challenged him to do more than survive the global financial crisis – she wanted to know what he was doing to make the world a better place.
His daughter was more direct – she stopped speaking to him when she found out his company was knocking down all the trees on their conventional developments.
The persuasion game isn’t about logic…
Recently, a global campaigner for sustainability announced that he was going back to pushing the fear button, not just talking about the very real benefits and advantages of sustainability. ‘
He may be right – that we need the stick as well as the carrot in creating behaviour change. I’m not convinced of the usefulness of unrelieved fear – because it hasn’t achieved a whole lot of engagement in the last 50 years – but I am convinced that influencing is a game of emotional intelligence.
Whichever way we message, it’s worth letting go of the worn out assumption that “business is rational”. To me, we’ll get a lot further when we study smart entrepreneurs and find out their core motivators and underlying values.
Who’s the smartest entrepreneur in your world? Who does that person listen to as being important?
How could you go about influencing them more effectively if you gave up on “logic”? Would you get more mileage out of your sustainability efforts if you focused on what would hook their emotions into the opportunity side of sustainability?


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Snapchat’s Instagram filter is hilarious. The image sharing app took a shot at Instagram by adding a hilarious filter for April Fool’s Day. The filter makes your Snap look like an Instagram post. The caption of the filter reads “my_mom and 2 others” implying that only old people still use Instagram. Facebook recently copied Snapchat’s stories with its Direct feature and it looks like Snapchat has officially responded.
Snapchat Stories are now searchable
|Snapchat Instagram Filter April Fool’s Day|
Here’s additional information about Snapchat’s new search tool:
WWE debuts Snapchat show
What do you think about Snapchat’s Instagram filter? Which social media network do you spend more time on? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.


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Essar Ports Limited is planning to build a Rs 10,000 crore greenfield commercial port in Gujarat’s Dwarka.
According to Rajiv Agarwal, CEO and managing director of Essar Ports Ltd, with the company’s modernisation project at its Vishakhapatnam port likely to be completed by September, they expect 50 per cent growth in cargo from the port.
Rajiv told Business Standard that the company has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) which administers and regulates the 41 state-owned non-major ports of Gujarat during the Vibrant Gujarat Summit in January this year.
“We have signed an MoU during the Vibrant Summit in this regard. Work on a detailed project report (DPR) is on. We are now working on approvals for the project, which might take some time,” he said.
Image Credit : livemint.com


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The manufacturer also caught members of the automotive press flat-footed on at least one one of two vehicle unveilings. The RS7 Sportback will give Audi a foothold in the cohort of ultra-exclusive hatchback sedans masquerading as coupes, while the SQ5 will bring the momentum of Audi’s “S” performance line to its sport-utility vehicles.
“Momentum is the only way to describe Audi in 2012,” said Audi of America chief Scott Keogh, who added he was optimistic “that Audi momentum will continue into 2013”. Keogh recently replaced Johan de Nysschen, who left the company to shake up nomenclature at Infiniti.
The statistics on the RS7 flirt with Mercedes AMG levels of cartoonishness. With a twin-turbo, 4-litre V8 engine that sends 560 horsepower to all four wheels through an 8-speed automatic transmission, the RS7 will rocket to 60mph in under 4 seconds and reach a top speed of 190mph, Audi claimed. The RS formula elevates Audi’s “S” line to a suitably higher level to cater to a clientele that expects maximum performance with no sacrifice in luxury.
And in what might be a sign of a recovering economy – or at least a strengthening global oligarchy – the RS7 has head-to-head competition for wallet-depleting prowess. The recently introduced BMW M6 Gran Coupe, Mercedes CLS63 and Porsche Panamera Turbo S are all members of an elite corps of sport sedans that offer at least 550 horsepower. Audi was mum regarding pricing, but its competition run at least six-figure tabs.
Upstaged by the RS7 was the SQ5, a quicker, sportier version of Audi’s small sport-utility vehicle. The “S” designation is synonymous with Audi’s sporting models, and makes its first sport-utility appearance on the Q5, which has been on sale for nearly three years.
The big news for the SQ5 is under the hood, where the upgraded 3-litre, supercharged V6 found in the S4 sedan and S5 coupe routes 354 horsepower and 346 pound-feet of torque through an 8-speed automatic transmission. The engine sits atop the Q5’s standard engine choices: a 2-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder unit and a less powerful 3-liter V6. At the 2012 Paris motor show, Audi showed off an SQ5 TDI destined for much of the rest of the world, whose torque figure of 479 pound-feet drew gasps of envy from the US automotive press. For now, it seems, that powertrain will not reach North America.
The transformation to SQ5 continues with the addition of Audi’s selectable drive system, which allows drivers to tune steering and suspension profiles to their individual liking. Cosmetically, the SQ5 will be distinguished from the Q5 by upgrades inside and out. A grey grille and model-specific badging keep styling updates in line with the rest of Audi’s “S” range.
While there was no word on an expected US launch for the RS7, the gasoline-powered SQ5 is slated to hit US dealerships late this year, and will also reach as many as 13 other markets.
These updates come on the heels of the marque’s significant presence at the Consumer Electronics Show last week in Las Vegas, where Audi demonstrated a self-driving car, which was able to navigate through traffic jams and parking structures, as well as steer and brake without any human input.
In light of Audi’s autonomous-driving efforts, and with such blatant drivers’ cars in attendance, chief executive Keogh’s late comments on Monday could perhaps be read ironically: “Our commitment will inspire true driving fans to seek out Audi.”


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STOMP it anytime, anywhere.
Download the new STOMP app today.
Oct 4, 2017
When ride-hailing service Uber started imposing a penalty fee today on customers showing up late, it probably thought there would be no violent objection since its rival Grab has already introduced wait-time charges.
Instead, the policy has been criticised by many Uber users.
Its introduction of the 20 cent-per-minute surcharge has stirred a hornet's nest as users on its Facebook page responded with howls of disapproval after it posted the news late last night.
Passengers might end up paying even more as the late penalties are subject to the standard Uber service fee as well as to surge pricing - Uber's method for raising rates when there is a high demand for rides in an area.
The charges, which are imposed after the driver has waited for three minutes, only apply to rides on Uber's uberX, XL, Exec and ExecLarge services. The uberPOOL, uberCARSEAT and uberASSIST services are not charging the fee yet.
Explaining the rationale for its move, Uber said it had to act on tardy customers and compensate drivers for wasting time waiting after receiving feedback from frustrated drivers.
Now, drivers can have the option to cancel the trip after waiting for five minutes and receive the cancellation fee.
Turning the tables on Uber, its customers lambasted the move as being unfair as they have had experienced many incidents of drivers arriving late, therefore dissatisfied customers have to be compensated too.
Said Nigel Alexander Ang: "Such a dumb fee to be charging...Do you guys consider what if the driver was late? Do consumers get extra discounts? What if driver no show and cancels the ride? Do consumers get the next ride free? Why not impose a penalty on both sides or something rather than solely penalising riders?"
Agreeing, E.C. Kui To wrote: "To be fair, passengers should get compensation for their time lost too. Your estimated arrival time is mostly inaccurate. Sometimes your drivers are blur like sotong, bring you tour around Singapore. Sometimes your navigation system is wrong. Sometimes your UberPool (driver) goes really far out of the way to pick up other passengers (so) the entire journey is much longer than taking MRT/bus.
"Please (sic) consider a credit for our time lost too. Thankfully you are not the monopoly - we still have Grab and taxi."
Regina Ng, who complained about riders always having to wait for Uber drivers longer than the estimated time, appealed to Uber to rethink its late-charge policy since it's getting so much flak.
Pointing to the trail of angry comments left on Uber Facebook page, Darren Ang said: "Simple. Grab doesn't have this nonsense."
Grab's rates are lower - it imposes a $3 fee for every five-minute block only after a driver has waited for five minutes.
The unhappy netizens also seemed unconvinced by Uber's response to two of them when it gave a standard robotic answer: "To ensure that riders are not unfairly charged when the drivers are not at the pickup location, we have set the timer to begin only when the driver is at or very close to the pickup location. If the driver is not at or very close to the pickup location, you will not be charged for the wait time."
The views of AsiaOne readers were divided as seen in their comments on our Facebook page.
Rodney Chia is appalled by the amount of self entitlement that people are demanding these days. Even if something is free, "they'd still complain about something".
Hitting out at people who make the drivers wait, Facebook user 'Perceived Tobe' felt it would be more productive for the driver to fetch someone else who's punctual and in need of transport urgently.
Uber driver Lee Ko-Chun isn't afraid of some customers defecting to Grab as the Uber customer base is already "too large".
He said: "Many of my (sic) customers never got issues, love Uber, they (are) never late. So they never (have) to worry (about) paying for waiting time."
Damien Lim said Uber critics just need to learn to be socially responsible as "the act of charging late fee is more of a deterrent" to make people (sic) do the right thing like not smoking in banned places or littering.
He asked: "What is so hard?"
Uber supporter Jason Tan felt those against the penalty were just just whipping up a storm in a teacup.
"After 5 minutes, the driver will normally cancel and collect the pick-up fee. Hence, the only window to charge is between 3 and 5 minutes of waiting time, i.e. 2 minutes of waiting time charge - 40 cents at non surge rate," he said after doing the math.
Whether it's the driver or customer who's at fault, spats between them have continued to surface on social media, sparking debate on customer service as well as passenger behaviour.
Earlier this year, a Uber driver was caught in a video telling the customer to get out of his car after an argument over her being late for 10 minutes.


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The managing director of the Australian arm of music streaming giant Spotify has hit back at claims that streaming services have done nothing to alleviate piracy among internet users, and warned Apple it faces a fight to knock it off its perch in streaming.
He said evidence from the music industry had shown piracy levels remained as high when cheap, industry approved options become available.
Ms Vale said Spotify is working on a project to demonstrate its impact on piracy during its two years in n Australia, but said anecdotal evidence was contrary to Mr Harris’s claims.
She said the emergence of streaming services, and particularly Spotify’s ad-supported free option, was bringing lost money back into the local and global music industry.
“We do believe that access, availability and price does contribute and is the answer and we have proven this in other markets across Europe and particularly in Sweden where we have seen a 30 per cent reduction in piracy since we launched about six years ago.
“If you look at the main audience that is on Spotify, a lot of them are former pirates. There are teenagers who have potentially never paid for their music before, and probably never will.
“If we can get them on to a service that is free but legal, and they are contributing through our advertising on that free tier, then it is giving money back into the industry that they are just never going to get before."
Ms Vale said, across the world the average conversion rate from free listeners to paid subscribers was 25 per cent, but Australia sat above that at 31 per cent.
Spotify has 40 million users across 56 global markets, with 10 million paid subscribers.
It has been seen by many as a saving grace for an industry battling revenue loss to piracy, but has also been criticised for leaving artists with surprisingly little pay for the number of streams of their songs.
The company put out an explanation for its payment policy last year, which it said showed that the more people who sign up for Spotify, the better paid artists will be.
British group Coldplay scored the fastest-selling album of the year in the UK earlier this month, by signing an exclusive digital deal with Apple’s iTunes, meaning its album cannot be streamed on Spotify for the moment.
The move is being seen as particularly worrying for Spotify in an increasingly competitive market, with Apple rumoured to be planning a music streaming service after buying rival streaming company Beats Music.
Nielsen figures showed Spotify was dominant in Australia with 71 per cent of the market, and was confident it could take on any challenge from Apple, Ms Vale said.
“Apple’s move hasn’t been confirmed yet and is just speculation, but we would say that the more competition that is out there, the healthier it is for the industry."
“I like to think we would be able to keep our lead, we have come a long way since our inception and have had many changes on the platform . . . I think that at the moment we have such a dominant position that we would be hard to catch."
The Australian Financial Review


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‘Beyond CBD’: Emerald Health Bioceuticals’ CEO Regarding The Company’s Endocannabinoid Wellness Items Line
Emerald Bioscience Inc EMBI 1.6%, an ongoing business that is the main Emerald Wellness Sciences portfolio, has a lot more than doubled in value considering that the start of the 12 months. Interested in mastering more info on Emerald Health’s profile of organizations, Benzinga chatted with Jade Beutler, CEO of Emerald Health Bioceuticals.
An Entourage Effect
Emerald Health Bioceuticals is really business targeting phytocannabinoid technology. It claims become supplying the world’s first cannabis- and hemp-free endocannabinoid help supplements.
The company’s “Beyond CBD” line is designed to provide an extensive and yet condition-specific approach to endocannabinoid wellness with no stigma, Drug or legality evaluating issues connected with hemp and cannabis.
Turn into a cannabis insider with data brought to your inbox daily from brand brand brand New Frontier Data
“Until recently it had been believed that only hemp and cannabis could activatethe endocannabinoid system, a biological system in the torso accountable for keeping homeostasis in just about every mobile, tissue and organ,” Beutler told Benzinga in a contact.
“However, experts can see other flowers containing phytocannabinoids with similar power to help this system that is critical in the same way effortlessly, or even more therefore.”
Driven because of the basic indisputable fact that CBD and cannabis are just the end associated with the iceberg, the Emerald wellness Bioceuticals Scientific Advisory Board said this has were able to identify six effective phytocannabinoids that are cannabis-free performing a meta-analysis of 4,000 plants.
The PhytoCann Complex — a science-backed, doctor-formulated mixture of natural herbs and botanicals including echinacea, peony, magnolia, clove oil, Szechuan and ginger — may be the foundation behind every one of Emerald’s supplements.


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You will have noticed in the news this week that Greenpeace is giving a fair rev up to Sealord NZ about how they catch their tuna. The same tuna you and I purchase in cans at the supermarket. It is certainly an interesting battle to watch…
From Karli Thomas, Greenpeace NZ:
It’s working!! There’s some good news about our campaign to get New Zealand’s five main brands of canned tuna to start sourcing truly sustainable tuna. And with one click of your mouse you can help us get more.
We’ve been asking canned tuna brands to stop selling tuna that has been caught using purse seine nets with fish aggregation devices (FADs). FADs are like marine death traps. Used to lure tuna they also attract other marine species which are then scooped up in huge nets. This results in the death of sharks, turtles, juvenile tuna and other marine life – up to 10 times more than other more sustainable methods.
Over the last month more than 5400 concerned consumers have sent a ‘change your tuna’ message to New Zealand’s main brands of canned tuna.
As a result, Foodstuffs, the owner of the Pam’s brand, has announced it will introduce sustainably caught pole and line tuna to its canned range by the end of the year. Foodstuffs also says it is “actively investigating alternative options” to FAD-caught tuna.
There’s still some way to go but that’s encouraging news.
However, Sealord, New Zealand’s largest canned tuna brand, is taking the opposite approach. Sealord is responding that while it promotes sustainability there is “no simple answer” to the bycatch problem.
Well, there is. Stop sourcing FAD-caught tuna. That’s the simple step that Sealord, and the other brands, would take if they were serious about tuna sustainability.
We’re going back to Sealord to tell the company we know it can take this step – it’s just a matter of making the decision.
We’ll let you know how that goes, what we’ll be doing next and how you can help.
We also want John West, Greenseas and the own label brands of Progressive Enterprises (Home Brand, Select and Signature Range) to start sourcing truly sustainably tuna. With one click of your mouse you can send them all an email urging them to change their tuna now.
And Karli added these comments today:
We’ve just launched a new phase in our campaign to save Pacific tuna stocks. Recently we’ve been urging New Zealand’s main brands of canned tuna to help put an end to indiscriminate and wasteful fishing in the Pacific and support sustainable fisheries.
Thanks to all of you who have got involved by sending messages to those companies.
Now we’re focusing our attention on just one of those brands.Sealord is New Zealand’s largest brand of canned tuna and should be the market leader when it comes to sustainability – but it’s not. Sealord gets its tuna from companies using one of the worst catching methods that kills endangered sharks, turtles, juvenile tuna and other ocean life.
Today we’re launching a publicity campaign in downtown Auckland highlighting that Sealord doesn’t care how its tuna is caught. We’ve also released a video that exposes Sealord’s shameful practices – it’s the perfect length for a TV advert. View it here and pass it on so it goes viral.
Last week Sealord announced it was updating its branding. Sealord needs to change more than just its logo. Tell Sealord to change its tuna and move to more sustainable fishing methods.
Sealord promote themselves as ‘the seafood experts’. But, there’s nothing smart about catching everything then throwing back what you don’t want – known as bycatch – often when it’s dead or dying. That’s exploitation, not expertise.
Our message to Sealord is ‘change your tuna’. Sealord must stop sourcing tuna caught using purse seine nets combined with fish aggregation devices (FADs). Without this commitment Sealord is not serious about sustainability.
FADs are like marine death traps as they attract all sorts of ocean life, not just tuna, increasing the bycatch of purse seine fisheries up to 10 times more than other more sustainable methods.
One of the other main brands, Pams, is taking steps to change its tuna. Sealord, and the others, must do the same – not just hide behind a new logo.


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Tag Archives: Ezio
Thu, Dec 08, 2011 | 17:52 GMT
In the latest video for Soul Calibur V, director Daishi Odashima demonstrates the Critical Edge system in the game, using Patroklos. It’s in Japanese, but you get the idea easy enough. It’s posted below courtesy of Andriasang. Also, check out Kotaku’s look at Assassin’s Creed hero Ezio in the game. It demonstrates his various moves and weapons. Game’s out on PS3 and 360 early next year.
Tue, Nov 29, 2011 | 07:30 GMT
Assassin’s Creed Revelations is to lend one of its costume designs to Final Fantasy XIII-2, Square said this morning.
Sat, Sep 24, 2011 | 21:58 BST
Mon, May 09, 2011 | 10:44 BST
Time waits for no man – not even Ezio Auditore. Assassin’s Creed: Revelations is the third game where you’ll be able to play the Italian assassin, and he’s looking a little worse for wear.
Mon, Oct 18, 2010 | 20:11 BST
Your single-player nemesis, that is. While Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood’s multiplayer mode has taken a lot of attention of late – the MP beta commenced last month – it seems Ubisoft is now ready to start trickling out campaign plot details.
Wed, May 12, 2010 | 00:52 BST
Ubisoft has sent over some details surrounding Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood.
Tue, Feb 09, 2010 | 18:35 GMT
Ubisoft has said that assassination multiplayer will be included in the new Assassin’s Creed game.
Fri, Jan 15, 2010 | 11:04 GMT
Sun, Nov 15, 2009 | 23:49 GMT
Gameswire has up seven screens of Assassin’s Creed II, showing screens of the sex scene in the game.
No tits and ass, though. No tits and ass…
The game is out for the PS3 and 360 tomorrow in the US, and Friday in the UK. PC version is out in 2010.


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LOS ANGELES — October 18, 2022 — Skechers USA Inc., The Comfort Technology Company™, announced today that it has sued Hermès International and Hermès of Paris for patent infringement of its proprietary MASSAGE FIT® sole technology. The lawsuit was filed today in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan.
In 2022, Hermès introduced two footwear styles, the Éclair and Envol, which incorporate mid-sole and undersole design elements that infringe multiple Skechers patents for its MASSAGE FIT technology that Skechers incorporates into its highly successful SKECHERS GO WALK® series, as well as other product lines.
A Skechers spokesperson stated: “Skechers invests tremendous resources into research and development to introduce fresh, unique and exciting footwear technology to its customers year in and year out. It is disappointing that a company of Hermès’ reputation and standing has chosen to copy and infringe Skechers’ patented designs. While Skechers always prefers to compete in the marketplace rather than the court room, the Company has no choice but to seek legal recourse when competitors blatantly tread on our rights.”
Posted: October 18, 2022
Source: Skechers USA, Inc.


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Continental launch world champion time trial clinchers at Cycle Show
Created On: 28 September 2011
Tony Martin's exceptional winning ride at the UCI World Time
Trial Championships last Thursday has sparked interest around the
cycling world, not just because his dominance, but also because he
rode on clincher tyres.
Challenging the modern tradition that professional testers ride
tubs, Martin rode to a 1:15.83 win over Bradley Wiggins. Now
visitors to the Cycle Show are being invited to see the
revolutionary Continental tyres for themselves, 29 September to 2
October at the NEC.
Martin's World Time Trial winning performance was executed using
clincher tyres, the first time this has happened in the modern
history of the World Championships and this soon-to-be-available
model will be launched in the UK at the Cycle Show.
Martin rode a version of the Grand Prix RS, which was a limited
edition clincher in the German market in 2010. This was also
developed last year with Ironman world record holder Chrissie
Wellington who rode them in competitions all year, proving that
they had not only the speed, but also the reliability to be a world
class competition tyre.
This tyre was recently launched at Eurobike in its official
aftermarket guise, namely 'Grand Prix TT'. It features the latest
and fastest version of the exclusively German made Black Chili
compound and the ultra fine 300tpi nylon casing and Vectran anti
puncture breaker. The tyre will go on general release in the UK in
January 2012, as a limited edition special.
Continental will also be exhibiting a broadened 29" MTB program,
bringing across many of the award winning tyre models from the 26"
range, namely the Mountain King and X-King in German made
ProTection and RS models. These tyres contain all the premium
technologies from the German Korbach factory, which has been
producing bicycle tyres for well over 100 years.
A new cyclocross clincher, CycloX-King makes its debut as a 32mm
mud option, again in the RS (Race Sport) format which features the
revolutionary Black Chili compound, as does the Grand Prix Classic
700x23 race tyre. This uses a tread design pattern and brown
sidewall colour scheme from 1982, but with all the modern
technologies beneath, ideal for the increasingly common retro
A new line of cycle clothing will also be on display, as will a
new tyre merchandise display for trade customers. Visit stand
The ticket hotline number is 0844 8480132 and you can book
online at http://www.cycleshow.co.uk.
Advance tickets bought online or through the ticket hotline are
priced at £12.50* for adults, £10.50 for concessions, £6.50 for
children and entry is free to under 5s. Special offers are
available for advance group bookings. There is a £1 online and
telephone transaction fee.
*£15.50 on the day


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Marfrig Global Foods SA, Brazil's second largest food company after JBS, will become the second largest beef processor in the world – also after JBS – when it buys 51 percent of the shares of National Beef Packing Co. for $969 million.
The transaction, which doubles Marfrig's sales, values National Beef at $2.3 billion, including debt.
Marfrig on April 9 announced the agreement to acquire 48 percent of National Beef from Leucadia National Corp., an investment firm, and 3 percent from other shareholders. After the deal, Leucadia will continue to own 31 percent of National Beef and US Premium Beef, an association of American producers, will hold 15 percent; other shareholders will have the remaining 3 percent.
National Beef, headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., is the fourth largest beef processor in the world, with sales of $7.3 billion. After the purchase, Marfrig will control $13 billion in worldwide beef sales.
"With the transaction, we will have operations in the two largest beef markets in the world," says Martín Secco, CEO of Marfrig. "We will reach extremely sophisticated consumer countries and we can grow while maintaining strict financial discipline."
Meanwhile, Marfrig plans to reduce its debt by selling Keystone Foods, one of the world's biggest food suppliers to fast food and other foodservice outlets.
Tim Klein, National Beef's CEO and president, is expected to remain with the company, along with other key executives.


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Revenue at fast fashion giant Inditex jumped 11.5% for the six months to 31 July to €11.7bn (£10.3bn) compared with 2016, following growth across all markets and all brands.
Like-for-like sales were up 6% year on year, while net profit was up 9% to €1.4bn (£1.2bn).
The group continued to invest in areas related to the company’s growth strategy during the period, opening, refurbishing and renovating stores as well as upgrading and modernising its facilities and logistics platforms. Capital expenditure for the full year is estimated at €1.5bn (£1.3bn).
The retail group opened new stores in 35 markets during the six months, taking its total to 7,405.
In June, work began on the construction of a new logistics centre in A Laracha (Galicia, Spain), and in September construction started on the logistics hub planned for Lelystad (Netherlands), which will support the existing central logistics platforms in Spain.
During the half Inditex introduced an automatic click and collect point into the Zara store in Marineda in A Coruña in Spain. Shoppers can use a QR code or pin number to collect orders placed online. A robot behind the mailbox platform moves through an 8 metre shaft to deliver up to 700 packages simultaneously.
In current trading, in-store and online sales increased by 12% in constant-currency terms between 1 August and 17 September.
Zara will launch online in India for the first time on 4 October.
Chairman and CEO Pablo Isla said the “strength and sustainability of the business’s integrated offline-online store model, continues to deliver growth, while creating value for society and the environment in which it operates, including job creation across its markets.”


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Pizza innovator Pieology has announced the appointment of Bijan Sami as the company’s new Chief Operations and Information Officer.
Transforming Cocktails Relationship With Brunch
MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes Opens in Winter Park by Foodservice Industry Veteran Who Opened the Company’s Largest Location Just Last Year
Orlando resident Tareq Qarman brings MOOYAH to Winter Park on June 9, 2021; Booming "better burger" brand has capacity to…
America's largest premium QSR Italian chain sees May sales up 18% and traffic over 14% month-to-date and two-year sales comparisons…
Black Bear Diner Names Chad Corrigan as Vice President of Franchise Sales and Development – Focuses on 2-Pronged Development Approach, Franchise and Corporate
New Vice President of Franchise Sales & Development Chad Corrigan brings successful record of development leadership to the family-focused diner
Award-winning pizza brand to give away Free Pizza for a Year and host official ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 14
New franchise sub-brand to launch beginning June 14
Popular gourmet burger joint opens its doors June 7 and hosts ceremonial burger cutting June 8
16 Handles, New York City's beloved soft serve brand, has announced a collaboration with Oatly, the world's favorite oatmilk company.
The new hot dog is available online, and will be available in participating restaurants starting this week
Hog Heaven Breakfast Burrito and Chicken Caesar Salad Return To Menu at All Farmer Boys Restaurants for a Limited Time
The franchise was launched in 2019 and now tallies 2 total franchise units.
Leading Family-Friendly Pizza Chain Continues Expansion Throughout San Diego County
Wagyu Blue Cheese-Stuffed Olives, Deviled Eggs, Southern Shrimp Cocktail and more now available at acclaimed restaurant and brewery
BBL Holdings, LLC will grow the "better chicken" concept in Texas with the opening of its 5th location in Waco.
St. Louis-area franchisee RSolution, LLC will open its sixth Slim Chickens location as part of a 30 unit deal across…
All-American Jacksonville staple continues to expand in North Florida


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IBM announced the availability of "stream computing" software that enables massive amounts of data to be analyzed in real time, delivering fast insights. The new software is called IBM System S, and is available as a part of the InfoSphere product line.
IBM also says it is making System S trial code available at no cost to help clients better understand the software's capabilities. This trial code includes developer tools, adapters and software to test applications.
System S is built for what IBM calls "perpetual analytics"-utilizing a new streaming architecture and breakthrough mathematical algorithms, to create a forward-looking analysis of data from any source-narrowing down precisely what people are looking for and continuously refining the answer as additional data is made available.
For example, System S can analyze hundreds or thousands of simultaneous data streams-stock prices, retail sales, weather reports, etc.-and deliver nearly instantaneous analysis to business leaders who need to make split-second decisions. The software can help all organizations that need to react to changing conditions in real time, such as government and law enforcement agencies, financial institutions, retailers, transportation companies, healthcare organizations, and more.
"System S software is another example of IBM helping clients through our long-term investments in business analytics and advanced mathematics," says Dr. John Kelly, IBM senior vice president and director of IBM Research. "The ability to manage and analyze incoming data in real time, and use it to make smarter decisions, can help businesses and other enterprises differentiate themselves."
IBM also announced the opening of the IBM European Stream Computing Center, headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, which will serve as a hub of research, customer support and advanced testing for what is expected to be a growing base of European clients who wish to apply stream computing to their most challenging business problems.
For more information about System S software, go here.


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Uber on Thursday launched a new safety feature, especially for the benefit of women commuters travelling alone. It has replaced its in-app SOS button (introduced in February) with an all new Help function
A few weeks after introducing its disguised phone numbers technology, taxi-haling app Uber has upgraded the Help function for all riders.
Sony is cutting the price of its PlayStation 4 videogame console to around $350 to boost sales ahead of the year-end holiday season.
Sony Entertainment Television’s 'Reporters' will pull its curtain down on 19 October. The show wrapped up its shoot on 6th October.
We take a look at the 8 new features of Microsoft Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL...
"We will continue with the business as long as we are on track with the scenario of breaking even next year onwards," Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai said.
Jazzy B’s much-awaited track ‘Most wanted’ is here and it is totally worth the wait.
It may not have the traction of Google's primary email client just yet, but it's still getting new features on a regular basis-including the ability to snooze specific emails until a delivery or event date mentioned in the body of the message.
Sony said the move is part of the company's push to give autonomy to its business units to accelerate decision-making and make them more accountable for their profitability.
Sony Corp said it will split off its semiconductors operations in a bid to bolster growth in devices such as image sensors, which have helped lead a turnaround at the Japanese electronics maker.


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Stuttgart/Geneva, Feb 20, 2020 -
The 90th Motor Show in Geneva brings several new products: the revised E-Class, three AMG world premieres, new models from the family of compact hybrids, and the Marco Polo with Mercedes-Benz Advanced Control (MBAC). The VISION AVTR concept vehicle will also be on show in Europe for the first time on the eve of the event.
Mannheim / Ulm, Feb 20, 2020 -
25 years ago, on February 23, 1995, the two European bus brands Mercedes-Benz and Setra created a strategic alliance. It marked the beginning of the successful bus business of Daimler Buses.
Stuttgart, Feb 19, 2020 -
The fuel consumption of the Actros has been steadily reduced over the past decades. In typical long-distance transport operations, for example, savings of up to 15 percent have been achieved between 2011 and the introduction of the new Actros from 2019.
Affalterbach, Feb 19, 2020 -
An elegant and electrified coupé with superb agility and driving dynamics, a high-traction all-wheel drive vehicle offering exceptional everyday comfort: the new Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 (S) 4MATIC+ Coupé combines numerous vehicle personalities in one model.


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But the message must contain a specific series of Arabic characters, so you're likely to receive it only as a prank. And there are ways to resolve the problem.
Smartphones and cars can focus on what each one does best with the arrival of this new dashboard connection technology.
The next time your mind wanders, you might be able to regain your focus if you turn your gaze on a specific type of image, says research out of the University of Melbourne.
This neat trick turns just about any straight cable into a clutter-reducing coiled one.
Due out this year for Android and iOS, the voice assistant will bring some competition to Apple's Siri and the Google Now app.
Microsoft has released a new app for Android devices that will let you turn any video into a smooth hyperlapse.
CNET's Dan Graziano tested the step and distance accuracy of the Apple Watch. See how it stacks up against the competition.


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German carmaker Mercedes-Benz and Swedish steelmaker SSAB have announced a partnership aimed at bringing fossil-free steel into vehicle production as soon as possible.
The first prototype parts for body shells will reportedly be revealed as early as next year, while production of fossil-free steel on a commercial scale is planned for 2026.
SSAB is planning to use the HYBRIT system to replace coking coal, which is commonly needed for iron-ore-based steelmaking, with electricity and hydrogen. HYBRIT is a green steel venture, founded in 2016 and operated by SSAB, Swedish state-owned utility Vattenfall, and Swedish miner LKAB.
“We are extremely happy to welcome Mercedes-Benz as a partner for fossil-free steel products. Together, we are building an entirely fossil-free value chain all the way to the end customer,” said Martin Lindqvist, president and CEO of SSAB, which cooperated with Volvo Cars on a similar project in June.
“We are proud to reduce global carbon dioxide emissions in collaboration with our new partner,” Lindqvist added.
Mercedes-Benz expects its new passenger car fleet to become carbon dioxide neutral along the entire value chain by 2039.
For more stories on economy & finance visit RT’s business section


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Brands may think they’ve got it made when they’ve enticed a customer to download and install their mobile app. After all, they’ve gotten a coveted spot on that ever-present mobile device. But there’s so much more opportunity when it comes to nurturing customer loyalty. That’s the conclusion of a panel of mobile experts who spoke […]
A recent report from social@Ogilvy warns of a world with no organic reach for any brand pages where all brands have to pay to play. Dubbed “Facebook Zero: Considering Life After the Demise of Organic Reach” the study paints a grim picture for the free marketing that brands can harness on Facebook. While the statement […]
Instagram had tip-toed into advertising, debuting ads in users’ streams just last November. Today, it’s reportedly moving into the big leagues with a new advertising deal inked with the agency holding giant Omnicom. Ad Age reports the deal is worth up to $100 million. The deal opens up ads to the brands working with agencies […]
Back in beginning of the 20th century, the automobile was an item of luxury — it took a long time to build (with workers “crafting” each one), cost well beyond the means of most consumers and was complex to drive. As most people know today, Henry Ford changed all that with the Model T and […]
Pop quiz: what famous celebrity do you associate with JELL-O pudding? I’m guessing you had no problems coming up with Bill Cosby, which isn’t surprising given the fact that his spokesperson relationship with JELL-O lasted nearly thirty years. For those of us of a certain age — *ahem* – Cosby’s homey kid-friendly delivery will forever […]
As “power” marketers, our work can look more like scientific experiments than creative campaigns. More and more, power marketers make decisions with data. The collection and interpretation of this data requires a new set of skills. Nonetheless, the goal remains the same for our online initiatives. We want to get a reaction from our visitors. We […]
Some of you may remember James Carville’s famous slogan, “It’s the economy, stupid,” coined during Bill Clinton’s successful 1992 Presidential campaign. The purpose of the slogan was to remind campaign workers to focus on the economy, given the fact that the country had slid into recession during then-President George Bush’s time in office. Meant to […]
In my current role leading the sales organization at Simpli.fi, I have the pleasure of interacting with all levels of media buyers representing local and national brands, advertising agencies, trading desks, publishers, ad networks and resellers. Predictably, the contacts making media-buying decisions within these companies span a broad range of age and experience levels. While […]
Unless you’ve been hiding under the digital equivalent of a rock, or perhaps living in China, it’s almost certain that you’ve heard by now about Facebook buying mobile messaging app WhatsApp for $19 billion. There has been a huge amount of discussion and speculation about why Facebook spent more than it cost to put men […]
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Synopsis After crisscrossing Europe last month meeting lawmakers and national leaders to discuss the prospects and threats of AI, Sam Altman has travelled to Israel, Jordan, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, India and South Korea – all this week. ETtech Open AI Chief Executive Sam Altman is set to meet with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and about 100 local startups on Friday, as the country seeks to encourage domestic competitiveness in artificial intelligence. After crisscrossing Europe last month meeting lawmakers and national leaders to discuss the prospects and threats of AI, Altman has travelled to Israel, Jordan, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, India and South Korea – all this week.
South Korea is one of few countries that has developed its own foundation models for artificial intelligence in a field dominated by the United States and China, thanks to local tech firms such as Naver , Kakao, and LG. The firms are seeking ways to tap niche or specialised markets that have not yet been addressed by big tech in U. S.
or China. Naver said it has been keen to develop localised AI applications for countries with political sensitivities in the Middle East as well as for non-English speaking countries, such as Spain and Mexico, the Financial Times reported in May, citing a Naver executive. The rapid development and popularity of generative AI since Microsoft Corp-backed OpenAI launched ChatGPT last year is spurring lawmakers globally to formulate laws to address safety concerns linked to the technology.
Discover the stories of your interest Blockchain 5 Stories Cyber-safety 7 Stories Fintech 9 Stories E-comm 9 Stories ML 8 Stories Edtech 6 Stories The European Union is moving ahead with its draft AI Act, which is expected to become law later this year, while the United States is leaning toward adapting existing laws for AI rather than creating whole new legislation. South Korea has new AI regulation awaiting full parliament approval, which is seen as less restrictive than the EU’s version. In February, a parliament committee passed an AI law draft that guarantees freedom to release AI products and services, and will only restrict them if regulators deem any product to be harming the lives, safety, and rights of people.
South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT announced in April plans focused on fostering local AI development, such as measures to provide datasets for training hyperscale AI, while continuing discussions in AI ethics and regulations. Don’t miss out on ET Prime stories! Get your daily dose of business updates on WhatsApp. click here! Friday, 09 Jun, 2023 Experience Your Economic Times Newspaper, The Digital Way! Read Complete Print Edition » Front Page Pure Politics Economy Companies & Economy More Reserve Bank Holds Rates for Second Time in a Row The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Thursday kept interest rates unchanged for the second straight monetary review meeting amid abating price pressures, and painted a favourable picture on medium-term economic growth that is likely to be the best among the major world economies.
About 24 Global Brands Likely to Set Up Shop in India This Year About two dozen international brands are expected to enter India with their stores this year, the most in a decade, encouraged by a post-Covid consumption surge, property consultants said. Read More News on south korea naver ministry of science ict european union altman Stay on top of technology and startup news that matters. Subscribe to our daily newsletter for the latest and must-read tech news, delivered straight to your inbox.
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more less ETPrime stories of the day E-commerce Inside Amazon’s new seller strategy: A shadow fight with Meesho and boosting ‘new Cloudtails’ 9 mins read Strategy JSW Energy was quietly going green. Now, it has one first-mover advantage its rivals may have missed 7 mins read Digital economy Rario vs. Striker: Cricketers, NFTs, and the case for personality and publicity rights 5 mins read Subscribe to ETPrime.


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Stephens Investment Management Group is in the news due to its recent acquisition Kornit Digital Ltd. The company increased its holdings by over 10% in the fourth quarter. This brought its total shares up to more than 1 million. This $24.3 million acquisition occurred at a time when the economy was in turmoil and the COVID-19 pandemic was raging.
Kornit Digital, an industrial products company, is dedicated to revolutionizing the textile printing sector. Users can print high-quality images onto fabric at a very low cost with its products. It takes just minutes. This technology is not only beneficial for textile companies, but also small business owners looking for affordable ways to increase their brand awareness.
Intriguingly, the company’s value has been increasing since December 2020 despite a dip in Q4 earning which raised alarm bells among some stakeholders. Kornit Digital shares currently trade at $17.65 which makes it a attractive investment for long-term hedge funds and investors like Stephens IM Group.
Apart from KRNT’s technological innovations, it has shown a strong commitment to sustainability efforts, as the textile industry continues to grapple with environmental issues caused by hazardous chemicals used in fabric production.
In conclusion, Stephens Investment Management Group’s recent investment in Kornit Digital underscores their optimistic view of this hi-tech and environmentally friendly products firm as a suitable long-term growth stock candidate. While it is difficult to predict how KRNT will fare in current market conditions, one can’t deny that this Israeli-based digital textile printing innovator may offer more positive surprises. Keep watching!
Investor Confidence in Kornit Digital Ltd Despite the COVID-19 Setbacks
Kornit Digital Ltd., a leader in industrial and commercial printing solutions for the garment, apparel and textile industries, is proud to be called Kornit Digital Ltd. The company offers solutions for accessories, curtains and couches, sofas, paradigm shirt (sportwear), beachwear, textiles, polyester, and other products. The company’s revenue has been affected in the past few months due to a drop in demand from its key markets amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite the setback, Kornit Digital continues to attract significant interest from institutional investors. Many hedge funds have made changes in their KRNT positions. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC bought a new stake of Kornit Digital for $235k during Q3 2022. Moody National Bank Trust Division also increased its KRNT holdings by 56.5% during Q3 2022, purchasing additional 11,100 shares.
BNP Paribas Arbitrage SA witnessed a 4.219.4% increase in Kornit Digital shares held during Q2 2022. The shares are now valued at $1.05m. This is due to the acquisition of 32,616 additional shares in quarter one, which indicates hedging bets.
Several market analysts have weighed-in on KRNT stocks from major brokerages such as Citigroup and Barclays who revised their price objectives reducing them from $42 to $30 respectively while Needham & Company LLC gave a rating of ‘buy’ but reduced their price target from $40 to $35.
Despite resurgent challenges facing many businesses today due to COVID-19 impacts on industries like retail stores where KRNT’s products are sold; Kornit digital remains focused on working through these difficulties to emerge stronger post-pandemic with innovative product designs that will provide long-term profitability.
As a conclusion, although Kornit Digital Ltd’s financial performance is under severe pressure from COVID-19 uncertainty, and the resulting market behavior, KRNT has clear investor confidence. It has innovative product designs to attract customers and is ready to weather the storm in its sector.


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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – While it has lost the help of its national counterpart, Destination BC is still going to spend money to try to lure American visitors here.
The Canadian Tourism Commission made the decision a few years ago to put more focus and dollars into countries like China and Brazil.
Fewer US tourists have been coming to Canada in the last three years but Steven Pearce with Tourism Vancouver says it is still BC’s single most important international market.
“Twenty per cent of our hotel rooms are filled by Americans with domestic being about 50 per cent and the balance is all from other international markets.”
He says each province is now focusing on separate marketing to the US, getting their own brands out there instead of Canada as a whole. He adds, it’s important to collaborate as much as possible though.


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American Airlines employees have filed a class action complaint against the carrier and the company that makes their new uniforms, alleging chemicals in the synthetic fabric have sickened thousands of workers.
Six women filed the complaint Aug. 24 in Chicago against American, as well as Twin Hill Acquisition Company, of Texas, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Men’s Wearhouse. Named plaintiffs in the action include flight attendants Lisa Joy, Kathy Runkle, Veronica Vera and Sandra Stuart, pilot Julie Kresko and former flight attendant Deanna Jones. The plaintiffs say more than 5,000 workers “have experienced a cascade of health problems” since American rolled out the new gray uniforms in September 2016, “including, but not limited to, skin rashes, ear and throat irritation, headaches, fatigue, vertigo, the triggering of various auto-immune conditions and adverse effects on endocrine as well as liver functions.”
Jones said American fired her after she took too many sick days following the uniform switch — the company’s first such change in 30 years. The women say even employees who have not yet had a reaction to the new uniforms is endangered because repeated exposure produces increasingly stronger reactions over time, noting: “This is true even if the exposures are short term and at very low concentrations of the chemicals and combinations of these chemicals that are in the Twin Hill uniforms.”
The plaintiffs also maintain the uniforms are dangerous to children female employees might bear if they have worn the uniforms while pregnant. They say some women have lost their hair and also “there have been reports of effects on menstruation including irregular timing, heavier menstruation, and women past menopause who have stopped menstruating commencing to menstruate again.”
Each named plaintiff asserted an individual claim for personal injury damages, while they collectively seek an injunction barring the company from distributing the uniforms, recalling already issued items, cleaning airplanes and other affected workplaces and a medical monitoring fund for diagnosing future symptoms or injuries.
According to the complaint, Twin Hill’s uniforms were tested on pilots two years before being rolled out to the entire workforce. As a result, “many pilots reported adverse physical reactions including rashes, flu-like symptoms, headaches, vomiting and respiratory problems” such that the Allied Pilots Association asked American not use the uniforms, a request the complaint alleges was ignored. They say adverse reactions to the uniforms “were swift and continuous” days and weeks after the rollout.
The plaintiffs further allege a similar incident when Twin Hill sold uniforms to Alaska Airlines in 2011 affecting a third of that carrier’s flight attendants, with some lingering even though Alaska Airlines switched to a new provider in 2014. They say the companies can’t identify any other reason for the outbreak of health issues and noted American let employees revert to blue uniforms within two months and on June 21, 2017, announced it would end its deal with Twin Hill in 2020, “cutting the contract short by seven years.”
The complaint lists the known chemicals in the synthetic uniforms, indicating many are known to affect auto-immune systems and trigger allergies, but said individual chemicals are only one component, as combinations can lead to unintended reactions, and there might yet be undetected substances.
The class would include any of the tens of thousands of people who worked for American and were exposed to a Twin Hill uniform since Sept. 1, 2016. The complaint includes counts of battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress against both defendants and strict liability and negligence against Twin Hill. In addition to class certification, the women seek a jury trial.
Representing the plaintiffs are lawyers from Siprut PC, of Chicago.


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Spanish monetary regulator Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores, or CNMV, announced new laws for crypto-asset investments promoting. In line with the brand new round that may take impact on February 17, 2022, crypto adverts have to be “clear, balanced and truthful” whereas additionally offering adequate info on the dangers concerned when investing in crypto.
The brand new guidelines additionally require advertisers focusing on 100,000 folks or extra to tell the regulator 10 days upfront. After the preliminary report, the remaining advert actions can be supervised by the CNMV, however is not going to require superior reporting.
The CNMV additionally made it clear that influencers are lined by the brand new promoting laws. The principles apply to crypto service suppliers operating adverts on their very own or by way of third-party advert suppliers like crypto influencers.
Apart from these guidelines, the CNMV additionally requires crypto adverts to incorporate a snippet informing the viewers that crypto investments should not regulated and a warning that the total quantity invested could also be misplaced. Lastly, the adverts should additionally current hyperlinks to extra info.
Whereas the regulator is focusing on commercials, the issuance of belongings and different crypto-related companies should not lined by the brand new guidelines.
The UK’s Promoting Requirements Authority, or ASA, can be cracking down on crypto adverts. Final yr, the advertising regulator took down ads made by crypto corporations Coinbase, Kraken, eToro and others for advert violations. Extra not too long ago, ASA banned two mobile app ads by Crypto.com.
In the meantime, the Financial Authority of Singapore issued crypto ad restrictions as properly. The rules prohibit digital fee token, or DPT, suppliers from promoting their merchandise in public areas corresponding to public transportation public web sites, social media, broadcast and print media. Nevertheless, DPT suppliers can nonetheless promote their services and products on their native web sites and cellular purposes.


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German automaker Volkswagen has launched Move app in Kigali, beating Uber, Taxify and Little Cab to Rwanda’s budding ride-sharing market.
Uber, which was to launch in Rwanda in 2018 was denied a license for failing to meet demands, according to authorities. Estonian-based Taxify and Kenya’s Little have also expressed interest in Rwanda.
The ride-hailing industry in East African’s tiniest nation is still young and small compared to its counterparts like Uganda and Kenya. Some of the companies operating in Rwanda include Yego Moto, AfriTaxi, and SafeMotos.
Now, with Move by Volkswagen, Kigali dwellers are going to enjoy a new wave of ride-sharing whereby they can book chauffeur-driven cars (Move Ride) or order for a car and ride themselves (Move Share).
Move app was developed by Awesomity Lab, a startup founded by Rwandan citizens.
Move by Volkswagen app can be accessed by both Android and iOS users.
The German automobile manufacturer, which launched in Rwanda in June 2018 and is making an investment of $20m in the first phase of its operation, sees ride-sharing as one of the ways through which it can recoup its investment instead of just assembling and selling cars.
The car-sharing app has already recorded so far has 12000 downloads and 10000 complete rides.
“To date, we have more than 12 500 registered users with over 9 800 rides requested since our pilot launch in October 2018. Since December 2018, Move Ride has averaged 120 rides per day,” said Michaella Rugwizangoga, CEO of Volkswagen Mobility Solutions Rwanda, according to Taarifa, a local news publisher.
“Our Move Ride service will be available 24/7 and will complement existing modes of transport in Kigali. It will help to improve road safety whilst giving our customers a personalized service offered by our App. We want our customers to enjoy a service that allows them to move at their own beat.”
Volkswagen cars in Rwanda
According to The New Times, Volkswagen will have assembled a total of 90 cars by end of March to meet demand on the local market.
The company has so far assembled 55 vehicles and has another 35 set to be complete in the course of the month, The New Times reports.
The firm has a target to produce about 1000 cars annually for its operations in the mobility solution as well as sales.
The vehicles that Rwandans will be able to book through Move by Volkswagen the classy new Polo, the sleek Passat, and the spacious Teramont.
The Terramont retails at $48,156 while Volkswagen Amarok (the pick-up truck) goes for $44,559.
VW Polo model, the most affordable of the locally-assembled option costs $23,881all taxes included. Volkswagen Passat retails at $37,674 while Tiguan, which is a sports utility vehicle, is sold at $37,719, according to The New Times.


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SEATTLE — Jeff Bezos committed his company to cut all its net greenhouse-gas emissions by 2040 — a goal that would appear to put Amazon in the vanguard of corporations reducing carbon pollution ahead of the schedule scientists say is necessary to stave off the worst impacts of global climate change.
The company also announced it was ordering 100,000 electric-delivery vehicles, calling it the largest such order of its kind, and establishing a $100 million fund for reforestation projects in an effort to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The reductions described by Bezos will be an enormous challenge for a company whose main businesses are energy intensive — Amazon has fleets of trucks and jets, as well as a global network of data centers — and steadily growing. Amazon said its 2018 greenhouse gas emissions totaled 44.4 million metric tons in 2018, the first time it has disclosed its carbon footprint.
Bezos outlined what amounts to a wholesale repowering of the company’s infrastructure, some of which Amazon has already done: Amazon Web Services reached 50 percent renewable energy in 2018, for example.
At a news conference in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, Bezos unveiled “The Climate Pledge,” asking others to join in the effort to transition away from fossil fuels and their associated emissions a decade ahead of the 2050 target scientists say is necessary to preserve a better-than-even chance of holding global average temperature increases to well below 2 degrees Celsius as called for in the 2015 Paris Agreement. The effort is in conjunction with Global Optimism, led by former United Nations climate chief Christiana Figueres.
Amazon expects to power all of its operations with renewable energy by 2030 — setting a timeline for pledges it had made two years ago.
The long-awaited disclosure of Amazon’s sustainability targets comes ahead of a Global Climate Strike on Friday, which , and an urgent United Nations climate summit beginning Monday.
Amazon said it is ordering the 100,000 electric delivery vehicles from Rivian, based in Plymouth, Mich., to be manufactured at a plant in Normal, Ill. Amazon earlier this year invested $440 million in the company — which also received a $500 million investment from Ford in April — and says those funds will be used to accelerate production, with the first vans expected to begin deliveries to Amazon customers in 2021 and the entire 100,000-vehicle fleet deployed by 2030.
The company will attempt to reach 80 percent renewable energy by 2024, and 100 percent by 2040.
Throughout Amazon’s announcement is the term “net zero carbon” — indeed, that is its headline goal. That means the company still expects to emit greenhouse gasses from its operations, but will offset those emissions with projects elsewhere that displace other emissions or remove carbon from the atmosphere. Amazon committed to spend $100 million on restoration and protection of forests, wetlands and peatlands globally with The Nature Conservancy, headed by former Interior Secretary (and former head of Seattle-based co-op REI) Sally Jewell.
So far, however, emissions offsets programs — sometimes called carbon credits — have had a checkered record and present a host of complex questions about how they are measured and maintained in the long term, as an investigation by Pro Publica into carbon credits in the Amazon revealed earlier this year.
Bezos, the world’s wealthiest person, in 2017 posted a video of himself smashing a bottle of champagne atop a wind turbine in Texas, christening a new renewable energy project in a widely viewed public relations stunt. In May, in his capacity as head of Kent-based rocket company Blue Origin, Bezos described a vision for commercial space development in which industry goes into orbit and “ Earth is zoned residential.” Later that month, employees dressed in white shirts at the company’s shareholder meeting in Seattle asked Bezos directly to address the company’s plans to confront climate change. “It’s hard to find an issue that’s more important,” he replied.
But the online retailing and cloud computing giant he founded 25 years ago was late among its corporate peers to disclose its carbon footprint – as nearly 7,000 other corporations worldwide had by the end of last year – or to set time-bound, science-based emission reduction targets.
Criticism, including from a vocal group of employees planning to rally at the Spheres beneath Bezos office at Amazon’s Seattle headquarters and at other company locations as part of the Global Climate Strike on Friday, intensified this year as the climate crisis has become more evident, with strengthening hurricanes and wildfires, including in the Amazon rainforest — cut through by the river from which Bezos took the name for his company.
It’s still unclear how much Amazon will account for emissions from the hundreds of thousands of suppliers who connect with consumers over its marketplace. The company’s emissions disclosure accounts for shipping, electricity use, travel, packaging, Amazon-branded products and customer trips to its own physical stores.
The Climate Pledge is a clear invitation to other companies to follow suit, but it remains to be seen whether Amazon will put climate-related requirements on third-party sellers, many of which are based in China.
Employees have called for Amazon to use its political influence to drive policy changes that would accelerate an economy-wide transition away from fossil fuels.
They’ve also called for the company to cut ties with some of the world’s largest polluters. Amazon, for example, still courts business with fossil fuels companies, devising and marketing special capabilities for oil and gas exploration from its AWS business.
And there are broader questions about whether the kind of instant-gratification consumerism Amazon has nearly perfected can continue in a way that’s compatible with the pace of emissions reductions scientists say are necessary to preserve a livable climate.