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Core consumer prices were up by a monthly 0.1% in February, after falling 0.1% in January, indicating inflation isn't the near-term threat many fear.
At this point, money still isn't flowing through the economy normally and companies simply don't have pricing power.
Eventually, inflation will pick up as normalizing credit and rising demand force inventory restocking.
Among all the madness that is March, recent economic stats have been anything but. And we're happy to leave the upsets on the court. The Labor Department announced Wednesday the US Consumer Price Index was flat month-over-month in February—the first month CPI didn't rise since March 2009, when consumer prices fell by 0.1%. The CPI's 2.1% rise over the past year was notably down from a 2.6% year-over-year gain in January.
Core consumer prices (absent more volatile energy and food components) were up by a monthly 0.1% in February, after falling 0.1% in January. From February a year ago, core prices were up 1.3%—the smallest increase in 6 years.
So what does all this relative monotony mean, you ask? Simply, inflation isn't the near-term threat many fear. Inflation concerns understandably arose out of the massive monetary stimulus and record low interest rates implemented by the Fed to combat the financial crisis. But with this week's reading confirming inflationary pressures remain at bay, the Fed can rest assured they have flexibility to continue the measured stimulus exit they've favored thus far.
At this point, with credit markets still not back to normal, unemployment elevated, and capacity utilization depressed, money isn't flowing through the economy normally and companies simply don't have pricing power. As the recovery continues, however, credit markets will heal and rising demand will force restocking of lean inventories—and inflation will eventually pick up to more normal levels. The runaway prices many fear are a legitimate concern down the road, but February's CPI data show the Fed and other central banks have sufficient time to implement inflation-fighting measures. Whether they do or not effectively will be important for investors to watch.
On the flip side, Wednesday's low reading even has some reverting to deflation fears (if it's not one thing, it's sure to be another!)—but rising demand tied to an improving economy, coupled with the Fed's tools, will form a powerful force against significantly lower consumer and producer prices.
Investors should focus on the good economic news this week (leading indicators are up, the manufacturing sector continues to grow, and unemployment claims fell) and take comfort benign inflation means one less threat to broader economic recovery. Go ahead, turn the volume back up on another basketball game and indulge in that madness—the economic recovery will continue to march on through it.


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NEW YORK— Digital advertising set records in 2021 according to the new IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report: Full Year 2021, produced by PwC. He revealed that total digital advertising in the US jumped 35% to $189 billion in 2021, the biggest increase since 2006.
The news was even better for digital video advertising, OTT, CTV and streaming companies, with digital video advertising being one of the fastest growing sectors, growing 50.8% in 2021 to reach 39 .5 billion dollars.
“We expected 2021 to be a bumper year for digital advertising growth, but even we were surprised at the degree of acceleration. Not only did all digital channels grow, but some grew by more than 50% year-over-year,” said Libby Morgan, senior vice president, chief strategy officer, IAB. “This year’s increase is 3x that of last year.”
This growth is in line with a recent study by Harvard Business School, commissioned by the IAB, which showed that the internet economy has grown seven times faster than the US economy over the past four years and now accounts for 12% of US GDP.
“What lies beneath these numbers is a very clear narrative. We are seeing the full and complete democratization of access offered by ad-supported digital channels,” said David Cohen, CEO of IAB. “Increased consumer use, coupled with the extraordinary growth of small and medium-sized businesses during the pandemic, has fueled the growth of all digital devices, but especially digital audio and video. We expect this digital migration to drive the continued growth of a healthy and competitive digital marketplace driven by innovation and entrepreneurship.
While the industry continues to face uncertainty surrounding privacy regulations, impairment of cookies and third-party identifiers, measurement challenges and supply chain transparency, the IAB and PwC anticipate a continued growth in digital advertising in 2022, driven by significant innovation in retail media, CTV/OTT, games and digital audio. The continued rise of AR/VR, Metaverse, and Web3 technologies is expected to drive innovation and continue to generate ad revenue in the years to come.
“According to the Census Bureau, 2021 saw the strongest business growth in history with 5.4 million new businesses created,” Cohen said. “These businesses rely on the ad-supported internet to attract new customers and provide products and services to the American public. We believe this small business engine will be a key contributor to fueling the continued growth of the ecosystem of digital media and marketing.
Other highlights of the 2021 results include:
- Digital video continues to be one of the fastest growing channels, up 50.8% over last year, with total revenues of $39.5 billion.
- Digital audio saw the strongest year-over-year growth, up 57.9% to $4.9 billion.
- Social media advertising grew 39.3% to $57.7 billion as consumers continued to engage on Meta, Snapchat, TikTok and Twitter platforms.
- Although research revenues increased significantly (32.8%) in 2021, they did not increase as strongly as in other areas, resulting in a slight decrease in the share of total revenues (reduction of 0.8 percentage points).
“The IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report: Full Year 2021” can be downloaded here.

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June 2, 2017
MIT, Steelcase to 3D Print Custom Designs on Demand
In its quest to create the ultimate customizable furniture, Steelcase teamed up with MIT to develop a new digital fabrication technology.
A 3D printer stands mute in a shadowy hallway at MIT, its two-axis robotic arm hunched over the cramped printing tray like a hollow suit of armor. The machine, which produces small-scale objects out of powder and adhesives, is just over two decades old. But it looks like a fossil from a distant era.
“These printers have always presented the same challenges,” says Skylar Tibbits, codirector of MIT’s Self-Assembly Lab, a happy hybrid of design studio, mad scientist’s research laboratory, and playground housed in the university’s International Design Center. “They can’t make large-scale objects. They are generally slow. And the objects they produce generally deteriorate quickly, either because they’re composed of layers which degrade over time or because they’re made of low-quality materials. For some time, our lab was looking for an opportunity to totally rethink 3D printing.”
That opportunity came last June, when Tibbits received a call from Rob Poel, director of new business innovation at Steelcase. Poel had picked up on market signals that clients had a desire for customized furniture. And he wondered whether 3D printing could be part of a future solution. “More and more, our clients want unique products and environments, things that truly speak to who they are,” says Poel, who knew of Tibbits and his laboratory through several previous collaborations with Steelcase. “The question I posed was whether it might be possible to print a large-scale item like a chair or table in minutes instead of hours. So we reached out to the person who I knew was most fluent in that language.”
The discussion between MIT and Steelcase yielded a process that, in addition to revolutionizing 3D printing, may create new possibilities for manufacturing and commerce. Called rapid liquid printing (RLP), the process uses machines to literally draw objects in 3D space. Driven by a computer, a robotic arm traces liquid forms in a vat filled with a gel suspension; variations in nozzle size, pressure, and the liquid mixture allow changes in size, color, and printing speed. Made of high-quality materials including rubber, foams, and plastic, the traced forms are left in the gel suspension to cure, and then removed. RLP enables the creation of large-scale objects and can also reduce production times from hours to minutes.
This April, with Swiss designer Christophe Guberan, the Self-Assembly Lab and Steelcase presented a video of the new process in an exhibit at the Salone del Mobile. “For the past several years, we’ve seen the same objects produced in the same way presented at Milan,” says Guberan. “I think this process could spur the design field in Europe to embrace more rapid change and try to do things differently.”
Within Steelcase, the RLP project attracted the interest of several groups. Yuka Hiyoshi, a senior designer with Steelcase’s Turnstone brand, used the new process to create tops for Turnstone’s Bassline table—a platform on which customers can set a variety of surfaces. “As soon as I saw it, I was hooked,” says the Japanese-born designer. “The process evoked images of my childhood. As the machine was drawing in space, I saw the same brushstrokes my grandparents used when they practiced calligraphy.”
While RLP has the potential to increase the speed and scale of 3D-printed manufacturing by orders of magnitude, Tibbits believes the most significant breakthrough will be seen in design. “You have a new tool here, 3D calligraphy, that prods you to think differently about the entire design process,” he says. “In the end, because of what this tool enables you to do, you will design a different table or chair or desk.”
If you liked this, you may want to check out “The New Materials Taking Making into the Future.”


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The Very Hungry Caterpillar ate an apple, pears, plums, strawberries and oranges, but never a tomato.
Had it tried, then the unsuspecting insect would have triggered an innate defensive mechanism of the fruit, which would make it taste worse – according to a study.
Researchers, led by a team from Federal University of Pelotas in Brazil, have witnessed and described this clever mechanism for the first time.
They found that a tomato fruit has the inherent ability to sense a nearby insect and produce a cascade of electrical signals.
These warning impulses are sent to the main plant from the fruit and allow other parts of the plant to set up their own defenses.
One of the botanical weapons it has at its disposal is the production of distasteful chemicals, which deliberately make the fruit less pleasant to fend off a hungry animal.
Hydrogen peroxide, the same chemical in bleach and hair dye, is one compound which increased in concentration after the electrical signals were triggered.
Preparing for a caterpillar attack
The finding helps revolutionize how we think of plants and their ability to communicate, the researchers say.
It has long been known that plants make and release chemicals to send messages, but usually it is from the plant to the fruit via the sap, not the other way round.
“Since fruits are part of the plant, made of the same tissues of the leaves and stems, why couldn’t they communicate with the plant, informing it about what they are experiencing, just like regular leaves do?” says Dr Gabriela Niemeyer Reissig, one of the report’s authors.
“What we found is that fruits can share important information such as caterpillar attacks – which is a serious issue for a plant – with the rest of the plant, and that can probably prepare other parts of the plant for the same attack.”
The researchers made the discovery by putting tomato plants in a Faraday cage with electrodes at the ends of each branch. This allowed them to measure the electrical impulses made by various parts of the plant, and where they were sent.
When caterpillars were introduced to the arena, the electrical signals changed drastically and so too did the chemicals produced by the plant.
The researchers now hope to see if other plants and fruits also have this ability.
The findings are published in the journal Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems.


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40 Under 40 Class of 2000
Angela Ahrendts, 39
Group President, Liz Claiborne Inc.
Many people claim to love their careers, but Angela Ahrendts has the attendance record to prove it. Over the course of her 20 years in the apparel industry, Ms. Ahrendts—?who has held the post of divisional president at major firms like Donna Karan International and Warnaco Group—?has never taken a single sick day.
And why should she? She's a small-town girl who has made good on her childhood dream of a big-time New York City fashion career. "?I've never considered it work,'' she says. "?It'?s a natural extension of my life.''
The daughter of a former model, Ms. Ahrendts grew up in placid New Palestine, Ind. Her favorite pastimes included shopping and sewing outfits for her four sisters. "?Some people collect stamps; I collect clothes,'' she explains.
From that single-minded obsession grew a talent for merchandising and homing in on trends, which has served her exceedingly well. That knack helped her triple sales at sportswear firm Carmelo Pomodoro in the early Nineties. Last year, it helped her rocket to group president at Liz Claiborne after just 11 months there. "?Angela knows fashion and is very savvy about business, too,'' says apparel analyst Jennifer Black of Black & Co.
Much of Ms. Ahrendts'? success at Liz Claiborne stems from the crucial role she played in two hot acquisitions: jeans brand Lucky and women's label Laundry by Shelli Segal. Now Ms. Ahrendts is turning her eye to revitalizing the Liz brand. "?Donna Karan is known for her urban sensibility, Calvin Klein for minimalism; I'd like Liz to own '?feminine'? and '?pretty,'?'' she says.


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Gates, chairman of Microsoft Corp., sat through a computer demonstration running on Linux--a competitor to Microsoft's Windows--and the Netscape browser, a rival product that all but disappeared because of giveaways of Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser.
Gates attended a technical briefing in Midtown Manhattan, where Microsoft and software rival IBM Corp. touted so-called Web services, software aimed at streamlining Internet transactions.
Gates and IBM executive vice president Steve Mills said their companies' three-year collaboration had developed tools that will let computers conduct secure transactions whether they run Microsoft's Windows platform or others, such as IBM's WebSphere or the open-source Linux system that is given away.
"We're being as inclusive as we can," Gates said of Microsoft's role in the cross-platform project. "This is a fabric for someone to do e-commerce that's independent of the operating systems that are out there."
Mills said the companies had decided to cooperate even though the new standards also benefit rival companies and software.
"Standards are always a give-to-get bargain," he said.
The two executives said they would turn their developments over to Internet standards bodies.
Gates said the Redmond, Wash.-based company's work toward Web services standards would be "royalty-free." That remark led to questions from the audience, which wanted to make sure Gates hadn't misstated the deviation from the company's royalty-based software sales model.
"I can't believe I said that," Gates joked.


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A software update to Tesla Motors (TSLA)’ Model S will include “auto steering,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk said.
“We can basically go between San Francisco and Seattle without the driver doing anything,” Musk said.
With the technology, which should be ready in “about three months,” drivers will not have to control the steering wheel, acceleration or braking when the car is on a highway. The announcement came during a press conference in which Musk detailed a separate update that includes a “range assurance” application and a trip planner.
The software will warn Model S drivers before they drive out of charging range and plan routes with charging stations, making it “basically impossible” to run out of battery before reaching a station.
The Model S will also get automatic emergency braking and side collision warnings with the new update.
Tesla has attempted to alleviate concerns that trips would take cars out of charging range. It is among the challenges the company has faced after posting a quarterly loss last month as it struggled to keep up with its production target.
Musk hinted at the software update in a tweet, saying the company would “end” range anxiety, or concerns about reaching a charging station before battery runs out:


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BT has also used customer-movement data to optimise the shop floor layouts and reduce the wait you can expect at service counters. Elsewhere, retailers can use IoT tags to follow products, rather than customers, on their journey around the shop, while futuristic in-store product comparison interfaces can scan an item and tell customers all about it.
Logistics and asset tracking for warehouses and shipping firms are probably the best-known industrial application of Internet of Things technology. With this kind of data, operations managers can see the exact location and status of anything from packages out for delivery to building site construction materials.
At any given point, BT Group and Openreach have around 50,000 huge cable drums at sites around the UK. Tracking data tells engineers and site managers exactly where each drum is and how much cable is left on it, providing at-a-glance information on the company's stock levels.
Stobart Group uses the same tech to track and deploy Britain's flood response capability in its management of the Environment Agency’s 1,500 stillages – containers used to transport equipment such as barriers and pumps.
Hardy, 4G-connected tracking devices on each container mean that the nearest equipment to any flood emergency can be located and sent out at short order: a potentially life-saving upgrade.
Working in co-operation with Milton Keynes and Manchester, BT is at the forefront of research into connected smart cities.
BT's IoT Strategy Director Guillaume Sampic says that "smart cities are definitely a grand ambition, which we can see happening over a period of years. The reality is that it's going to take some time, because a city is an extremely complex environment with a huge number of assets and many parties involved."
In Milton Keynes, BT has deployed everything from low-power air quality monitors and smart parking sensors to traffic-flow cameras, as well as developing, in co-operation with partners such as the Open University, a data hub that helps to import data from all sorts of different of sources, convert it into a widely compatible form and ensure that access to that information is appropriately restricted or made public. This project directly aids Milton Keynes in anticipating and managing traffic bottlenecks, helping the city in its plan to grow its population 20 per cent by 2025.
From smart cities and in-store digital assistants to utility networks that can speak to the hardware in our homes and smart university campuses, the globally connected future belongs to the Internet of Things.
Prof Paul Coulton of Imagination, Lancaster, who's been looking at the adoption and acceptability of IoT in the home, foresees a future where smart technology is widely integrated into buildings and easily accessible to utility companies. This would allow, for example, "greater flexibility in addressing peak energy demands by controlling devices remotely in exchange for preferential tariffs".
But not everyone's comfortable with data about their homes and activities being recorded and dispatched for crunching. Prof Coulton's research has found that users have "a desire for greater transparency over who has access to the data and why", as well as more control over what kind of data is collected.
Guillaume Sampic says that “as well as ensuring that personal customer information is protected, security has to be baked-in to business IoT at every stage, from development to deployment”.
And the solution has to be upgradable: "hackers constantly change the nature and provenance of their attacks, therefore we have to design products that can be upgraded over the air quickly and smoothly in order to defend against emerging threats".
The future of IoT for business, as envisioned by BT, will stand on a foundation of security, with a broad and open ecosystem for connectivity, and granulated control over user data where the public and the personal intersect.
For more, visit BT.com


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THE WHAT? L’Oréal Group has launched a virtual idol for the Chinese market, according to a report published by TechiAzi. The anime-style character, who has been dubbed Mr Ou, is charged with creating content for the French beauty giant’s social media channels.
THE DETAILS Mr Ou is styled as a 24-year-old, Chinese-French entrepreneur who is passionate about sustainability and works within the beauty industry. He will post about trends, ingredients and eco-initiatives as well as interview KOLs and celebrities. THE WHY? The virtual idol industry in China enjoys an impressive following – some 64 percent of those aged 14 to 24 years in China follow a virtual idol and virtual idol-hosted livestreams are booming. For brands, the price of creating a virtual idol pales in comparison to securing a KOL endorsement, while engagement is broadly similar, making the launch a no-brainer.


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Ride The Refinance Wave With Williams Sonoma
Low interest rates are kicking off a refinance wave in the U.S..
As the Fed looks less and less likely to raise rates this year, mortgage rates are dropping. That’s encouraging homeowners to refinance and either pull equity out of their homes or lower their monthly payments.
Take a look at the mortgage activity over the last few months. You can see the refinance wave is driving the highest activity since late 2013!
This trend should be a major plus for retail companies that sell home goods and furnishings. That’s because people often refinance when they’re making improvements to their homes. Lower mortgage payments (or cash pulled from home equity lines) can go a long way toward sprucing up a home.
Refinance Wave Should Boost WSM Profits
I’ve had my eye on Williams Sonoma (WSM) lately. This is one of the companies I expect to benefit from the refinance wave. And its also one of the stocks we’ve used to generate instant income in my Income on Demand trading service.
Williams Sonoma is a specialty retailer that focuses on merchandise for furnishing and accessorizing homes. In other words, it’s the kind of place I try to avoid in the mall. My teenage girls could have a field day picking out new stuff for their rooms. And my wife is a big fan of WSM’s “Pottery Barn” brand.
The company has been steadily increasing its revenue and recently hit a new record of $5.0 billion in annual sales. The refinancing wave should continue to drive sales higher, which in turn should help WSM shares trade higher.
Deep Value Rebound Candidate
If you look at a long-term chart of WSM, you’ll notice that the stock has dropped significantly over the past year.
In August of last year, WSM hit a high of $89.38 per share. But less than six months later, WSM was trading as low as $47.33. That’s a decline of nearly 50%!
Oops! We could not locate your form.
The decline was largely because of investor fear of retail store closings. In particular, Macy’s announced they would be closing stores in several malls across the country. With Macy’s gone, foot traffic was expected to decline, and retailers with stores in those affected malls were expected to be hurt.
Thanks to investor concern, WSM is now trading at a very attractive valuation. You can now pay just 15.4 times earnings to buy this stock. Shares haven’t traded this cheaply since 2012!
But although shares are cheap, the future looks bright for WSM.
Not only is the company benefiting from the refinance wave, WSM is also dodging the department store problem.
Williams Sonoma has been working hard to build its internet sales. By having a strong online presence, WSM doesn’t need an anchor store like Macy’s to provide foot traffic for its locations. Today, WSM generates almost half of its revenue online, and its e-commerce platform is growing at a 27% annual rate.
Shares of WSM have been moving higher in the past two weeks. A strong stock market along with favorable housing and mortgage statistics seem to be giving investors more confidence.
Buy WSM Today, And Lock In Your 2.7% Yield
Besides the deep value and home furnishing trend, another reason to like WSM is for the dividend. The company currently pays a 37-cent quarterly dividend, which nets out to a 2.7% dividend yield.
That’s an attractive amount of income, especially considering the potential for WSM to trade higher this year.
As the company continues to grow sales, and move more of its revenue toward its online platform, I expect to see profits improve. That should give investors confidence and help send the stock higher. Perhaps we’ll even see WSM trading back close to $89 within the next 12 months!


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China’s growth has been predicated on being the world's go-to assembly line. But a combination of higher labor costs, automation, the trade war forcing a redrawing of global supply chains and China's own interest in moving far up the value chain has made blue-collar manufacturing a thing of the past for the world’s No. 2 economy.
Ask a portfolio manager what they like about China and it will be consumers, tech and big banks. The last two are too expensive. The one thing missing is the thing that’s made China China: its ability to manufacture widgets. Manufacturing and industrial firms are the least interesting Chinese asset to hold these days.
“It’s mostly within manufacturing and industrials where we are seeing the most weakness in China,” says Asha Mehta, a fund manager with Acadian Asset Management, a $95 billion asset manager based in Boston.
Chinese manufacturing faces headwinds going into the second half off the year. The Producer Price Index is declining, meaning makers of Made in China widgets are losing their pricing power. This weakness will cause inventory liquidation as companies look to offload stuff they’re having a hard time selling due to the trade war, which has induced an unsustainable countercyclical inventory build in China, says Bo Zhuang, the chief China economist for investment research firm TS Lombard.
The trade war has had a mixed impact on China’s inventory, but its effect will turn decisively negative in the coming months, Zhuang thinks.
“Export tariffs caused manufacturers to draw down stockpiles,” Zhuang says. “Given our negative outlook on industrial prices, the unsustainability of a prolonged build-up in inventories and the undiminished threat of future tariffs, we expect inventory liquidation over the second half will weigh on industrial activities.”
China’s stock market has had a number of headwinds blowing against her all year long. Despite that, both the MSCI China has CSI-300 A-shares Index have the MSCI Emerging Markets beat year-to-date.
China investors have weathered the bad headlines at every turn.
The trade war is now on pause in terms of tariff escalation, and some in the market believe Trump won’t raise tariffs all the rest of China’s imports this year unless he is confident the Fed will cut rates in an “insurance policy.”
Next year tariff hikes are basically off the table in the market’s view, out of fear of Trump ticking off voters in Republican districts during the 2020 campaign season.
Uncertainty over China’s growth trajectory for the rest of Trump’s term is problematic for a number of countries that circle China’s orbit. It is also a problem for countries like Chile and Brazil that are more dependent on China for commodities exports.
Industrial commodities account for approximately 21% of China's total inventory—things like Chilean copper and Brazilian iron ore, for instance.
The Chinese tend to become buyers of those things when the price point for commodity prices are cheap at a time when growth outlooks look promising and lending conditions are easy. China’s central bank is not being aggressive enough in rate cuts to prompt companies to carry the cost of declining inventory value by accruing debt.
Also worth noting, commodity prices do not look promising in this strong dollar environment, so companies are less apt to take out loans to buy raw materials in hopes they can sell them at a higher price later on.
For Lombard’s China team, PPI is seen dropping 0.5% in the second half. An uptick in infrastructure stimulus from Beijing is positive for industrial production, but this will be offset by weak property and manufacturing investment plans. As PPI turns negative and demand remains tepid, producers will draw down inventory, and that means China’s manufacturing output will slow.
Then there is the supply chain risk posed by the trade war.
Some of their American clients are sourcing elsewhere or buying less after stockpiling ahead of the big tariff push last September. China cannot find new customers fast enough.
Others are in the process of relocating throughout Asia. As a result, stockpiles at Chinese manufacturers will remain high and dampen corporate profits.
Tech companies are in no better shape, which will force valuations for China’s red hot tech stocks lower than where they are now.
“Globally, the countercyclical inventory build-up helped put a floor under electronic component prices,” says Zhuang. He thinks slower China inventory growth will lower semiconductor and related component prices.
Beyond technology, the trade war’s impact on inventory has been negative. Initially, stockpiles of export-orientated products rose as external demand fell. As the trade dispute dragged on, producers began to liquidate inventory rather than restock, Zhuang wrote in a note to clients this week.
China has always been known as the global hoarder. Now prices of those goods sitting in warehouses have dropped considerably as the supply chain gets remapped. And for some Chinese manufacturers, they might not find a seller for those goods anytime soon.


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European HRC prices soften during the week ended on April 8th and HRC prices in China continued the downward trend on April 11th. Do you have further purchasing plans for further upcoming weeks? Take a look at our updated news on weekly steel prices to have a precise decision on your business plan!
HRC prices in China continued the downward trend on April 11th, with the future price for flat products falling to a three-week low amid expectations of an increase in supply after the lockdown is lifted in the country’s steelmaking hub. The price index for domestic HRC in Shanghai was RMB 5,100/t ($800/t), down by $12.5/t.
2 big major Japanese blast furnace steel mills and the related company announced the price increases as below.
- The 1st Steel Mill Plant announced price increase from MAY contract for all of the tubing products, such as YEN 30,000/MT (US$240/MT) for seamless galvanized pipe, YEN 10,000/MT (US$ 80/M) for other tubing products.
- The 2nd one announced up YEN 20,000/MT (US$160/MT) for HRC, CRC, and others from MAY delivery.
- The company related to another Blast Furnace announced YEN 20,000/MT (US$ 160/MT) for steel plates from JUNE shipment.
European HRC prices soften during the week ended on April 8th, amid limited trading activity, cheaper imported material, and unclear sentiment on consumption. Similarly, the price of hollow steel sections in Europe has decreased over the past week from the all-time highs established two weeks ago with a new influx of imports. The price index for medium steel sections was was €1,700/t ($1,861/t) domestic delivered in Northern Europe, down by €30/t on week.
HRC prices in the US remained above $1,480 per short ton ($1,628/MT) FOB mills in the second week of April, with steady demand for spot material and restricted supply supporting the high price. Domestic steel hollow sections price in the US is also unchanged for one week with the price standing at $2,240 per short ton ($2,464/MT) for ASTM A500 Grade B, FOB mills.
The flat steel prices in the domestic market of Brazil soared during the first week of April with producers trying to apply increases of around 20% due to high costs and an uptrend in global steel prices. Domestic prices for steel rebar in Brazil also increased for April orders, following a global uptrend and reflecting demand recovery in the country.
The imported HRC market in Vietnam has turned slow due to buyers being keen to buy domestic HRC. Buyers are now looking forward to the price announcement by Formosa and Hoa Phat for June delivery in the upcoming days. The price for the HRC offered by Japanese mills has been hovering around $980/t CFR Vietnam for the past couple of weeks, while HRC from the Chinese mills have largely remained in the range of $925-940/t CFR levels for May delivery.
In other words, the steel market is likely to become tight temporarily and prices will rise in the future.
Please contact us with the following form or directly to our sales staff regarding the purchase method, delivery date/quote, etc. so we can support to secure the necessary steel purchases that are already visible while the stock is relatively in stock, not a little early.
- Steel Market Move
- HRC prices


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Food Shed wants to become local foods hub in North Kitsap
October 3, 2012 @ 12:51pm | Rodika Tollefson
Leslee Pate is a third-generation farmer who has been farming in North Kitsap for about 10 years. With a background in natural foods wholesale and retail as well as marketing, Pate said saw a disconnect between local producers and consumers. What started as an idea of a co-op to help bridge the gap grew into The Food Shed, a nascent Kingston business that combines farming, producing foods and connecting people with those foods, both through retail sales and café-type lunches or dinners, as well as education.
Pate, one of three owners, said the vision has been evolving — and still is — as the partners take small steps to implement their plans. They started out by baking pastries and selling them at the farmers market and through CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) shares.
The baked goods include locally sourced ingredients as well as unique flavor combinations.
“The response was overwhelming. People wanted everything we had,” said Pam Buitenveld, another owner who also owns Maggie’s Farm nearby.
Earlier this year, they took a plunge into leasing the property that was formerly home to Kingston Farm. The move gave them a home base as well as the ability for one more step, the beginnings of their hope to become a community hub. The former farmhouse was remodeled to include a small commercial kitchen, a room that can host small events, and a few other public spaces. Once the kitchen was certified this summer, Friday Café was launched — a lunchtime cafe with a few menu options, along with pastries and other goodies. The weekly event has been building a steady following.
Another regular offering is “farm to fork” dinners, hosted both at The Food Shed and at private homes, for small groups. The dinners utilize foods from the farm as well as other local producers. They’re partnering up with local wineries for wine pairings and with other food providers.
“We’ve roped in other businesses,” said Pate, who co-founded the Poulsbo Farmers Market. “It’s about inclusivity, not just all us.”
The long-term vision includes being an educational hub for slow-food, farming and producing classes. Already, classes are being offered to the community at the Shed, including hands-on live-animal processing.
“We’re still in the development stages and trying to diversify how we make our money. It’s not just about pastries,” Pate said.
The business is at the end of its first year in what Pate and Buitenveld see as a 36-month evolution process. There’s still much to be done, and one immediate goal is to get a five-year lease for the farm; their hope is to eventually purchase the five-acre setting. Part of the property is already being used to raise animals — including pigs, goats and chickens — and the plan is to farm some of the land for indigenous crops and other produce. If they secure the lease or option to buy, they plan to remodel the barn, which is being vacated by a feed store, into an events space.
Other goals include opening a year-round farm stand where other producers can sell products as well, and adding a bar with a beer tap in the main building. The idea of a B&B was considered but that space will likely be used for an intern instead.
The kitchen is available for rent to other producers, as is the rest of the space for small events, even though The Food Shed’s purpose is not to be an events venue.
“A lot of this is in development while we’re building our plan and our value proposition. We like to think of ourselves as incubators,” Pate said.
One new business has already grown out of the incubation side. Ilgvar “Iggy” Daga, who became a silent partner recently, has been using the remodeled root cellar on the property to ferment vegetables and fruits. Daga is waiting to get labels finalized for his Iggy’s Foods products and then plans to sell them to the public. He’s also the soup master for the Friday Café.
“I believe in the vision of The Food Shed as a future model for a community and a sustainable economy,” he said. “It’s bringing the future into the present. People love the community feel and I think it’s an expression of the yearning people have for this level of community.”
While sharing their long-term vision for creating a new community model, the business partners have attracted both attention and support from other groups. They’re hoping to work with the Bainbridge Graduate Institute to create an educational component, and have been asked by various groups for partnerships.
One of the decisions they’re considering is to turn their general partnership structure into a social purpose corporation (SPC). It’s a new model established by the state Legislature during the last session. The SPC model allows companies to pursue a social mission while maximizing shareholder value, and requires the establishing of a general public benefit whose purpose is to have a societal impact. Several other states have adopted this model in addition to Washington.
“We hope to be one of the first in the state to do that,” Pate said, adding that the main advantage for them of an SPC over a nonprofit, which they have also considered, is the control over the business model while they’re still in the early stages.
After the Kingston farmers market season ends, The Food Shed will move to the Poulsbo farmers market as well as be open for its café for another day or two on the weekends. With the kitchen flow and other things under control, they’ll be ready to move on to some of the bigger projects as long as they secure the lease.
They said The Food Shed location was opened a bit early in the process to get a little income flowing because the business is being bootstrapped while they’re paying expenses like rent. But even as fast as they’ve been moving, supporters are encouraging them to go even faster.
“What we’re proposing is getting a lot of attention and the momentum is moving quickly and pushing us faster than we can develop some things,” Buitenveld said.
Still, their goal is to keep a steady pace so they don’t grow too fast.
“A lot of people are looking at our business model and are curious about what we’re doing,” Pate said. “We’ve been growing sustainably and incrementally… We love seeing the community trying to push us further faster than we can go.”
New restaurants in area
Several new restaurants have opened on the Kitsap Peninsula in the past year. Here are some that opened recently in each part of the region:
Bainbridge: Restaurant Marche
The brainchild of renowned local chef Greg Atkinson, the restaurant has garnered quite a bit of media attention on the Seattle side since opening in spring. According to its website, the menu is focused on “Cuisine du Marché, a style of cooking that relies on fresh, local ingredients from the market to inform the daily menu.” The Pacific Northwest–style bistro is located next to the farmers market.
Poulsbo: 305 Diner
Located across form Poulsbo Inn, the diner is open for breakfast and lunch. Owner Steve Koen is a recent transplant to the area from Salt Lake City, attracted to Poulsbo when he saw the possibility of opening a restaurant. Koen has been in the industry for 35 years. The menu is general fare such as pancakes, omelets and burgers.
Bremerton: El Balcon
Previously a small food stand in downtown Bremerton, El Balcon now has its own space on Pacific Avenue. In addition to the old menu, new items have been added. The cuisine is Mexican and Salvadoran, paying tribute to the roots of its owners, respectively, Ofelia and Mario Amaya. Mario said the cozy location allows him to stay open later and the timing was good when the spot opened for rent.
Port Orchard: Doc’s Bistro
Located inside the Harrison Medical Center building, the bistro just opened in September and is owned by Carl and Mescha Manietta. In addition to espresso, gourmet chai and milkshakes, the menu includes breakfast and lunch from fresh ingredients. Lunch boxes, catering, limited delivery and other services are also offered. The couple have owned and operated Double Shot Docs inside The Doctors Clinic Salmon Medical Building since 2007.
Gig Harbor: Blue Agave Café
The Mexican grill and tequila bar is located in Uptown Gig Harbor. The menu includes build-your-own burritos along with various Mexican dishes. The bar is cordoned off so the restaurant is family-friendly.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR


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New research from the UK’s leading insurance premium finance company, Premium Credit, shows SMEs are continuing to suffer as late payments of invoices become a bigger issue.
Up to 28% of firms questioned say late payment problems have worsened in the past year with 7% saying the problem has become much worse. Just 3% say the issue has eased and 50% said there had been no change.
That is higher than when Premium Credit’s Insurance Index, which monitors insurance buying and how it is financed, reported on the issue last year. Research then found 24% of SME owners and managers said payment delays had worsened in the previous 12 months with 5% saying they had become much worse.
Problems securing credit are adding to their worries. Around one in six (17%) say they have struggled to access credit since the cost of living crisis hit which compares to 13% who reported problems in last year’s Insurance Index.
Research shows SMEs are also grappling with worries about how to fund rising wage and salary demands. Around 27% of firms questioned said wage inflation will be an issue in the year ahead while one in twelve (8%) have told staff they cannot afford to raise wages. Around one in three (34%) say they have already boosted wages and salaries.
Rising energy bills are adding to the pressure – around one in seven (14%) of SMEs questioned plan to cut running costs including wages in the year ahead so they can afford energy bills while 7% say they will cut staff. Firms are however most likely to raise prices for customers with 23% planning to do so.
Owen Thomas, Chief Sales Officer at Premium Credit, said: “Late payment of invoices is a growing issue for SMEs and our research shows the problem is becoming bigger with a major impact on cashflow and business operations.”
“Premium finance is a very cost-effective way for businesses to buy insurance, and better manage their finances and cashflow by spreading payments. Our research shows more than half of SMEs use some form of credit to ensure they can still afford business-critical insurance.”
Premium finance companies like Premium Credit provide businesses and consumers with the ability to use a loan to pay for their insurance in monthly instalments. By managing insurance payments in this way, businesses and consumers can spread the cost of their insurance, rather than pay their premiums in one lump sum.


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Town officials in St. Albans have passed an interim zoning bylaw that puts a cap of 50,000-square feet on new retail construction. An interim bylaw is good for two years and can only be extended for one additional year.
The measure allows existing retail businesses that are already larger than 50,000-square feet to expand an additional 50 percent, or 25,000-square feet, whichever is less.
St. Albans is following the lead of Bennington, which voted earlier this year to cap the size of future retail businesses. An existing bylaw would exempt Wal-Mart’s application for an approximately 150,000-square-foot store.


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Last week was filled with exciting developments in the Indian 4-Wheeler market, including new car launches, special editions, and important updates. Let’s take a look at the highlights of the recent car news.
2023 Tata Nexon And Nexon EV Facelift Launched
Tata Motors officially launched the facelifted Nexon and Nexon EV. These models have undergone a major design overhaul and offer additional features. The prices of the new Nexon and Nexon EV can be found on Tata’s official website.
Mercedes-Benz EQE Launched
Mercedes-Benz India unveiled the EQE SUV, the third electric vehicle in their lineup. This sleek model shares design similarities with the existing EQ models. For more information on this new release, visit Mercedes-Benz’s official website.
Limited Edition Of Audi Q8 Launched
Audi introduced a limited edition of its Q8 SUV. While there are cosmetic changes on the exterior, no significant alterations have been made under the hood. To learn more about this special edition, refer to Audi’s official website.
Prices Out For Citroen C3 Aircross SUV
Citroen has announced the prices for the C3 Aircross SUV, their contender in the compact SUV segment. This 3-row SUV shares design cues with the smaller C3 model. To discover more details, including its price, refer to Citroen’s official website.
New Automatic Variant Inbound For Nissan Magnite
Nissan is preparing to launch a new automatic variant for the Magnite SUV. This option offers an affordable alternative to the existing CVT transmission. For more information on this upcoming variant, visit Nissan’s official website.
100 Honda Elevate Delivered In Single Day
Honda celebrated a mega delivery event in Hyderabad, where they handed over 100 Elevate SUVs in a single day. The Elevate is Honda’s latest offering in the compact SUV segment and comes at a competitive price. For further details, refer to Honda’s official website.
Deliveries Begin For Volvo C40 Recharge
Volvo Cars India has commenced deliveries of the C40 Recharge EV, the SUV-coupe version of the XC40 Recharge. The C40 Recharge is packed with safety features and carries a premium price compared to its sibling. To explore the full specifications, visit the official Volvo Cars website.
Mahindra EVs Tested to Their Full Potentials
Mahindra recently shared a teaser on social media, showcasing their highly anticipated electric vehicles being tested on their own track in Chennai. The XUV.e8 is expected to be the first to be launched, with an estimated arrival date in April 2025. For more details, stay tuned to Mahindra’s official website.
Camouflaged Mahindra Thar 5-door Surfaces Again
New spy shots of the upcoming 5-door version of the Mahindra Thar have emerged. Click the link to our story for a sneak peek at the SUV and discover what’s new in these latest spy shots.


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Vision 2020 of Recherche Digital
Aiming to reach to next level
The private sector company Recherche Digital Pvt Ltd has chalked out a Vision 2020 Plan to achieve a sales turnover of Rs 50 crore and a profitability level of Rs 8 crore.
Achieving the Vision 2020 goals required massive investments and the company is envisaging an investment to meet target, Harish K Saini, Chairman and Managing Director said.
The immediate focus is on multiplying reach in various regions of India through Franchise model and join the hands with established players. The company has already initiated steps and working with industry experts for promoting RD Franchises. A total 12 franchise shall be appointed by Dec 2019 with 25 more by next year.
Enhancing UK entity and providing presentation services in MENA region is also underway and should be fully functional by the end of 2019 , he said.
The current client base is growing and crossed the mark of 1000+ with more than 52 industries served so far and counting. Video is gaining popularity, social media started giving preferences to video content and awareness for presentations is all time high thus timing is just right and we are all geared up to achieve vision 2020, Harish K Saini shared further.
Addressing the board, the CMD pointed out vision 2020 has been prepared taking into account the company’s popular service Presentation designing and increase in video consumption as well increase in awareness of using presentations in businesses and with introduction of two more services namely Digitalisation and Automation. There are plans also for providing many parallel services related to video & graphic services which have great potential and less known or less available in the market.
Few CSR activities done with well known publication Times of India and company’s flagship program “Sky is the limit” have already gained popularity among customer base and helping company to form a long term relationship with existing customer base.


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Technology / 02.04.18
|Locomote, the private Australian travel management platform for corporates, is undergoing offshore expansion and could bring on a strategic investor to assist with the strategy, executive chairman Philip Weinman said. The company has received minority stake approaches as recently as last week, he added.
The Melbourne-based company wants to roll out the Locomote platform throughout southeast Asia, with plans to open an office in Hong Kong and Singapore. Southeast Asia has a close proximity to Australia and there is a large client base of multinational corporations to service, he noted. It also plans to open in the UK, US and other emerging markets for corporate travel such as Brazil, he added.
The company is currently being advised by law firm Allen and Overy, but is happy to hear from other firms on its market expansion strategy, Weinman said.
Although Locomote has been self-funded to date and does not require capital, it would be interested in hearing from investors interested in buying a minority stake in the company to fast-track its global expansion by bringing strategic benefits, Weinman said. For instance, credit card companies would give Locomote access to their global customer base, he added. In return, credit card companies would also be able to increase their exposure to a user base that is engaged in expense management, Weinman said. American Express is currently selling Locomote platform. A majority stake sale is not being considered, the chairman added.
Launched nine months ago, Locomote is the platform used by Plan B, another company largely held by Weinman, fellow shareholder Dr Clive Sher and two other shareholders. The aim of Plan B is to become a low-cost alternative to travel agents, as corporate users can rectify about 80% of issues without having to call a travel agent.
All of Locomote’s revenues are fed into Plan B, Weinman said. Plan B, which was established in 2010, recorded FY12 revenues of about AUD 28m.
Locomote shareholders include Weinman, Dr Clive Sher, co-founders Ross Fastuca and David Fastuca , and Dean Weinman. The company has an extensive advisory panel and has had relationships with Deloitte and PwC. It has offices in Sydney and Perth.
by Stephanie Hanna in Sydney


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Most Recent Articles In Fashion Scoops
Latest Fashion Scoops Articles
- Chris Burch Invests in BaubleBar
- Julie Gilhart Hosts Panel on Upgrading the Supply Chain
- Kering Foundation Supports 'Bring Back Our Girls' Campaign
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SNAP TO IT: Nars is giving its followers on Snapchat a preview of its new Guy Bourdin color cosmetics collection, which begins rolling out Oct. 15. On Tuesday at 12:00 p.m. EST, those who follow Narsissist on Snapchat can briefly — for less than 10 seconds — see a few products from the limited-edition line.


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Bogus Windows 10 updates are currently being made use of to distribute the Magniber ransomware in a substantial campaign that started earlier this thirty day period.
Over the previous couple of times, BleepingComputer has gained a surge of requests for aid about a ransomware infection concentrating on end users worldwide.
Although exploring the campaign, we found a topic in our forums where audience report getting to be infected by the Magniber ransomware soon after setting up what is considered to be Windows 10 cumulative or security update.
These updates are dispersed less than a variety of names, with Earn10._Method_Upgrade_Program.msi [VirusTotal] and Stability_Improve_Software_Get10..msi remaining the most popular.
Other downloads faux to be Home windows 10 cumulative updates, using phony understanding base articles, as revealed under.
Program.Update.Acquire10.-KB47287134.msi Technique.Update.Win10.-KB82260712.msi Process.Update.Earn10.-KB18062410.msi Program.Upgrade.Acquire10.-KB66846525.msi
Centered on the submissions to VirusTotal, this marketing campaign appears to have began on April 8th, 2022 and has noticed huge distribution all over the world because then.
While it is really not 100% clear how the faux Windows 10 updates are getting promoted, the downloads are dispersed from fake warez and crack sites.
As soon as installed, the ransomware will delete shadow volume copies and then encrypt documents. When encrypting documents, the ransomware will append a random 8-character extension, these kinds of as .gtearevf, as demonstrated underneath.
The ransomware also makes ransom notes named README.html in each individual folder that consists of guidelines on how to obtain the Magniber Tor payment web-site to shell out a ransom.
The Magniber payment web-site is titled ‘My Decryptor’ and will enable a target to decrypt 1 file for totally free, contact ‘support,’ or identify the ransom total and bitcoin deal with victims really should make a payment.
From payment webpages seen by BleepingComputer, most ransom needs have been around $2,500 or .068 bitcoins.
Magniber is considered secure, meaning that it does not incorporate any weaknesses that can be exploited to recover files for free.
Unfortunately, this marketing campaign mainly targets college students and shoppers somewhat than company victims, producing the ransom demand from customers to be much too high-priced for a lot of victims.


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It didn’t take long for OS X Mountain Lion to hit the top of the Mac App Store’s paid chart following its release yesterday, which means Apple shifted a heck of a lot of copies on day one. In fact, it sold so many copies that traffic from the Cupertino company’s servers was up to six times higher than normal.
Apple’s servers are already busier than most, what with serving more than 46 million App Store downloads every day, plus all the music, movies, books, and more it sells through iTunes. But according to a company called Sandvine, which develops tools to monitor traffic for network carriers, OS X Mountain Lion boosted traffic from Apple’s server by five to six times its normal rate.
Sandvine took the snapshot of iTunes and Mac App Store traffic you see above at 3 p.m. EST on June 25.
According to one of the company’s analysts, it saw a similar spike last year when Apple released OS X Lion through the Mac App Store.
Of course, it wasn’t just Mountain Lion that got us all downloading. Apple also released software updates for a whole host of applications, including iWork on both Mac and iOS, iPhoto, iMovie, Xcode, Podcasts, Safari, iTunes U and more.
Sandvine expects a similar spike at around 7 p.m. EST today, when everyone comes home from work and begins downloading all the updates they didn’t get chance to download yesterday. The company reports that iTunes and Mac App Store traffic always tends to peak around this time.


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Just months after India's Reliance Big Entertainment bought a 50 per cent stake in Codemasters, the Britsoft publisher is already showing signs of rude health.
The company has embarked on a hiring spree across its studios, and in particular sees growth opportunities in the emerging social and browser game markets.
Cue the developer’s new online free-to-play games project – a browser title that uses the lucrative F1 licence. Built at the firm’s Warwickshire base, Codemasters is on a major recruitment drive for the project and more.
Develop spoke to Codemasters Online Gaming producer Jim Brown for more details.


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- Hot newsNAMM
[NAMM] [VIDEO] Yamaha Montage
A demonstration of Yamaha's new flagship synth Montage.
- Hot news
Yamaha is preparing a new synth
Yamaha opened a website on which they are announcing a new hardware synthesizer.
Yamaha Debuts S90XS & S70XS Music Synthesizers
Yamaha introduced two new weighted action music synthesizers, the 88-key S90XS and the 76-key S70XS.
[Musikmesse] Yamaha Motif-Rack XS
Yamaha has announced the new Motif-Rack XS Tone Generator.


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By Vusala Abbasova
Tajikistan, as one of the main transport corridors in the region, has transported over 58 million tons of cargo over the first nine month of the current year, representing a 2.8 percent increase compared to the same period of the last year according to Review.uz website.
The country connects with neighboring countries in the four directions: railroads, highways, tunnels and bridges, however, the cargo transportation via roads is the most prevailing.
The country transported over 53.6 million tons of cargo by road, which equivalents to 92.4 percent of all transported cargo.
Over 4.4 million tons of cargo was transported via railroad, which is 9 less percent less than January-September 2014.
Summarizing the results, as many as 98.9 percent of general cargo was transported via land, increasing by 3.9 percent compared to January-September 2014.
The development of transport sector supports domestic and foreign trade, which stands as one of the main tasks in enhancing economic relations, entrepreneurship and international transit.
Tajikistan is a member of TRACECA program along with Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Moldova, Romania, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Iran.
The TRACECA Strategic document signed in Tajikistan has paved the way for the creation of the Nijniy Pyandj logistics center. With the area of 4 hectares, Nijniy Pyandj includes the creation of a modern logistic terminal, which will initially serve only road freight traffic, but will expand to serve multi-modal transport (road and railway), as well as a number of other functions, such as transshipment, storage and handling of goods, oriented at general container goods.
The logistic centre will become the gates for international export, import and transit container traffic and ensure the storage and handling of consumer goods meant for the population of Khatlon oblast.
Tajikistan is also active in the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program, which aims to develop seamless connectivity in the region.
Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz


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|By Marketwired .||
|June 25, 2014 03:29 PM EDT||
PHOENIX, AZ -- (Marketwired) -- 06/25/14 -- NuTech Concepts LLC, an innovation and disruption hub for consumer products, announced today it has launched American Stogeys, a smoke-free, vapor-free and first-of-its-kind alternative for satisfying the urge to smoke Stogeys. American Stogeys is a new category of alternative smoking tools for legal-aged smokers, allowing unlimited access and freedom to enjoy a Stogey any time, anywhere. American Stogeys will be launching the product by giving away up to 1 million free Stogeys for consumer trials. The company solicits that this giveaway in essence, could jumpstart clearing the air from secondhand smoke.
Classified as a non-nicotine product, American Stogeys consist of all natural ingredients, essential oils, vitamins and extracts. All ingredients in American Stogeys are considered Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS,) by the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In tests conducted by NuTech among Stogy smokers, more than 70 percent of participants said American Stogeys either temporarily or completely satisfied their craving for nicotine and they would use them as a cigarette or cigar substitute in situations where they could not smoke.
"As a smokeless, non tobacco alternative, American Stogeys will enable smokers in the U.S., and eventually on a global scale, to once again satisfy their urge to smoke a stogey in places like airplanes, restaurants, hotels and office buildings where they have previously been prohibited because of local restrictions," said Gary Kabot, CEO of NuTech Concepts. "American Stogeys removes inhibitions and restores liberty to Stogey users every time, every place and everywhere."
One American Stogey is the equivalent cost of 20 cigarettes and is more economical than cigarettes and e-cigs. American Stogeys are available for advance purchase at http://www.americanstogeys.com and will soon be available in vape shops and other retailers across the country.
About NuTech Concepts
NuTech Concepts is a privately held company that invests in products that are harmoniously linked to living life to the fullest. With an emphasis on innovation, NuTech was established on the belief that consumer products for enjoyment and satisfaction can be experienced in healthy and environmentally beneficial ways without diminishing the experience, product or service. NuTech Concepts backs their conviction by focusing on science, innovation, product development and perpetual improvement. Responsibility to self, each other and our environment requires brands, products and companies to be inexorably woven into this fabric.
Contact Gary Kabot by telephone at 704-248-0014 or via email at [email protected] for additional information.
SYS-CON Events announced today that SoftLayer, an IBM Company, has been named “Gold Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 18th Cloud Expo, which will take place on June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York, New York. SoftLayer, an IBM Company, provides cloud infrastructure as a service from a growing number of data centers and network points of presence around the world. SoftLayer’s customers range from Web startups to global enterprises.
Mar. 27, 2017 02:45 PM EDT Reads: 1,928
Some people worry that OpenStack is more flash then substance; however, for many customers this could not be farther from the truth. No other technology equalizes the playing field between vendors while giving your internal teams better access than ever to infrastructure when they need it. In his session at 20th Cloud Expo, Chris Brown, a Solutions Marketing Manager at Nutanix, will talk through some real-world OpenStack deployments and look into the ways this can benefit customers of all sizes....
Mar. 27, 2017 02:30 PM EDT Reads: 4,281
Deep learning has been very successful in social sciences and specially areas where there is a lot of data. Trading is another field that can be viewed as social science with a lot of data. With the advent of Deep Learning and Big Data technologies for efficient computation, we are finally able to use the same methods in investment management as we would in face recognition or in making chat-bots. In his session at 20th Cloud Expo, Gaurav Chakravorty, co-founder and Head of Strategy Development ...
Mar. 27, 2017 02:30 PM EDT Reads: 3,653
SYS-CON Events announced today that Linux Academy, the foremost online Linux and cloud training platform and community, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Linux Academy was founded on the belief that providing high-quality, in-depth training should be available at an affordable price. Industry leaders in quality training, provided services, and student certification passes, its goal is to c...
Mar. 27, 2017 02:30 PM EDT Reads: 3,996
SYS-CON Events announced today that CA Technologies has been named “Platinum Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY, and the 21st International Cloud Expo®, which will take place October 31-November 2, 2017, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. CA Technologies helps customers succeed in a future where every business – from apparel to energy – is being rewritten by software. From ...
Mar. 27, 2017 02:00 PM EDT Reads: 2,015
Interoute has announced the integration of its Global Cloud Infrastructure platform with Rancher Labs’ container management platform, Rancher. This approach enables enterprises to accelerate their digital transformation and infrastructure investments. Matthew Finnie, Interoute CTO commented “Enterprises developing and building apps in the cloud and those on a path to Digital Transformation need Digital ICT Infrastructure that allows them to build, test and deploy faster than ever before. The int...
Mar. 27, 2017 01:30 PM EDT Reads: 1,180
In his session at @ThingsExpo, Eric Lachapelle, CEO of the Professional Evaluation and Certification Board (PECB), will provide an overview of various initiatives to certifiy the security of connected devices and future trends in ensuring public trust of IoT. Eric Lachapelle is the Chief Executive Officer of the Professional Evaluation and Certification Board (PECB), an international certification body. His role is to help companies and individuals to achieve professional, accredited and worldw...
Mar. 27, 2017 01:15 PM EDT Reads: 714
What if you could build a web application that could support true web-scale traffic without having to ever provision or manage a single server? Sounds magical, and it is! In his session at 20th Cloud Expo, Chris Munns, Senior Developer Advocate for Serverless Applications at Amazon Web Services, will show how to build a serverless website that scales automatically using services like AWS Lambda, Amazon API Gateway, and Amazon S3. We will review several frameworks that can help you build serverle...
Mar. 27, 2017 01:00 PM EDT Reads: 2,055
SYS-CON Events announced today that Loom Systems will exhibit at SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Founded in 2015, Loom Systems delivers an advanced AI solution to predict and prevent problems in the digital business. Loom stands alone in the industry as an AI analysis platform requiring no prior math knowledge from operators, leveraging the existing staff to succeed in the digital era. With offices in S...
Mar. 27, 2017 01:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,441
SYS-CON Events announced today that Interoute, owner-operator of one of Europe's largest networks and a global cloud services platform, has been named “Bronze Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 20th Cloud Expo, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017 at the Javits Center in New York, New York. Interoute is the owner-operator of one of Europe's largest networks and a global cloud services platform which encompasses 12 data centers, 14 virtual data centers and 31 colocation centers, with connections to 195 add...
Mar. 27, 2017 12:45 PM EDT Reads: 1,345
The Software Defined Data Center (SDDC), which enables organizations to seamlessly run in a hybrid cloud model (public + private cloud), is here to stay. IDC estimates that the software-defined networking market will be valued at $3.7 billion by 2016. Security is a key component and benefit of the SDDC, and offers an opportunity to build security 'from the ground up' and weave it into the environment from day one. In his session at 16th Cloud Expo, Reuven Harrison, CTO and Co-Founder of Tufin, ...
Mar. 27, 2017 11:30 AM EDT Reads: 6,724
SYS-CON Events announced today that T-Mobile will exhibit at SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. As America's Un-carrier, T-Mobile US, Inc., is redefining the way consumers and businesses buy wireless services through leading product and service innovation. The Company's advanced nationwide 4G LTE network delivers outstanding wireless experiences to 67.4 million customers who are unwilling to compromise on ...
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SYS-CON Events announced today that HTBase will exhibit at SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. HTBase (Gartner 2016 Cool Vendor) delivers a Composable IT infrastructure solution architected for agility and increased efficiency. It turns compute, storage, and fabric into fluid pools of resources that are easily composed and re-composed to meet each application’s needs. With HTBase, companies can quickly prov...
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SYS-CON Events announced today that Infranics will exhibit at SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Since 2000, Infranics has developed SysMaster Suite, which is required for the stable and efficient management of ICT infrastructure. The ICT management solution developed and provided by Infranics continues to add intelligence to the ICT infrastructure through the IMC (Infra Management Cycle) based on mathemat...
Mar. 27, 2017 10:30 AM EDT Reads: 3,131
SYS-CON Events announced today that Cloudistics, an on-premises cloud computing company, has been named “Bronze Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Cloudistics delivers a complete public cloud experience with composable on-premises infrastructures to medium and large enterprises. Its software-defined technology natively converges network, storage, compute, virtualization, and management into a ...
Mar. 27, 2017 09:30 AM EDT Reads: 2,105


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Apart from activists, and slacktivists, Change.Org also counts brands among its petitioners
Former adman, Torrence Boone joined Google eight years ago. Currently VP – global agency sales and brand services, he chats with Brand Equity on why the agency business has nothing to fear from the tech behemoth
How TTK Prestige, India’s biggest pressure cooker brand, transformed into country’s largest home appliance maker
Brand Equity finds out what’s so unique about the social media strategy of NASA, the world’s largest space agency
The list represents the top ads on YouTube in India that resonated most with audiences and recognises the brands that performed best
FMCG is powered by a growing population coming online, increased video consumption, the growth of the vernacular internet and the rising popularity of online advocates and influencers
Magicbricks turns to song in an attempt to subvert category cliché
Can the online beauty marketplace startup change the game for the beauty industry?
Jonathan Mildenhall, CMO of Airbnb on moving from budget to premium, and millennial to baby boomer
The intention of the brand, reckon marketing experts, looks serious, and Bollywood seems to be the best bet to capture a big slice of the online travel market
Two new advertising TGs have emerged with the advent of GST - the CAs and the SMEs. How are Fintech brands trying to get their attention?
After years in the wilderness, Nokia is back with a bang. What will it take to recapture the glory days?
In conversation with Nokia's global CMO
Twitter Advertiser Index dated 29th March
Some changing trends in the Indian travelling scenario
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Announced way back in 2018, Dying Light 2 caught the attention of the masses with its promising debut, but things haven’t panned out in the best way possible, with multiple delays, reports of a troubled development cycle, and more issues on top of all that. Earlier this year, developer Techland provided a brief yet vague update for the game, in which they mentioned a 2021 launch window for the title, and with an announcement of some sort primed for later today, it seems the game’s release date has been leaked.
As spotted by Wccftech, ads for the game have going up on several websites all over the internet, including Twitch, and these ads claim that Dying Light 2 is indeed going to launch in 2021. Right at the tail end, apparently, with the ads mentioning a December 7 launch date.
Dying Light 2 will be launching for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC. While Techland are promising a properly optimized experience on last-gen consoles, several graphical enhancements for the Xbox Series X/S and PS5 are also confirmed.


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Germany was late to join the wireless LAN (WLAN) development movement, but is expected to become Europe's largest market for wireless Internet services. T-Online is gunning to be one of the major players.
T-Mobile offers a WLAN service at the Münster-Osnabrück airport and several Ramada hotels, using expertise acquired in the US.
The wireless company operates an extensive network of more than 1,800 hotspots, many of them in Starbucks coffee shops, scattered across the country.
Last month T-Mobile signed a deal to supply hotspot coverage to the country's three largest airlines, AMR's American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Air Lines, beginning next year.
The T-Mobile commercial service launch in Germany comes a week after Vodafone announced plans to install WLAN hotspots in 55 Lufthansa airport lounges in the country and abroad. The hotspot service will be integrated into Lufthansa's on-flight Internet offering, to be launched on the Frankfurt-Washington route on 15 January.
Vodafone aimed to provide seamless WLAN service to Lufthansa travellers when they are waiting for their flights and when they are on board.
T-Mobile said its WLAN service will cost €7.95 (£5.06) for one hour, €15.95 (£10.17) for three hours and €24.95 (£15.91) for 24 hours.


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Amazon’s decision to purchase high-end US grocer Whole Foods, with its 460-plus locations nationwide, brings with it seemingly unlimited possibilities for online/offline synchronicity. But how do US consumers – the people who will ultimately determine the deal’s success – feel about the new alliance?
A just-released GfK study shows that 38% of current Whole Foods shoppers, and 31% of Amazon shoppers, feel positive about the acquisition. Those who already shop at both Amazon and Whole Foods are the most upbeat of all, with 43% declaring themselves optimistic about the deal. These levels are much higher than the figure (23%) for overall US shoppers.
Across the categories, positive feelings outweigh negative by roughly 3 to 1 among current shoppers at one or both retailers; and in the general shopper population, upbeat beats downbeat by more than 2 to 1.
Table 1. Reactions to Amazon acquisition of Whole Foods
shop at both
GfK found that 3 in 4 Whole Foods shoppers have made at least one Amazon purchase in the past month – significantly higher than the average (50%) among non-Whole Foods shoppers. The study also revealed a higher incidence of Amazon Prime membership among Whole Foods shoppers than among US consumers as a whole (50% versus 37%).
Expanding online, offline reach
Only a small proportion (23%) of those who feel optimistic about the acquisition are currently shopping at Whole Foods – and only 9% of the total US population is engaged in grocery eCommerce activity. This suggests a huge opportunity for the combined companies to grow both Whole Foods’ market share and the e-grocery business in general.
Among those who are positive about the alliance, hopes for convenience and technological innovation are high. Four in ten (42%) would like to see free grocery delivery for Amazon Prime members. One-third (34%) are hoping that Amazon will bring technologies in-store that make shopping easier; and one-quarter (25%) now feel reassured that they will be able to get high-quality fresh foods online.
The value of trust
“Even at this early stage, we see a great deal of optimism around Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods,” said Wendy Wallner, EVP of GfK’s Retail industry practice in North America. “Those who already shop with one or both companies see a variety of opportunities for amped-up convenience and selection. The partnership makes sense to them; they want to buy Whole Foods’ products online, and they trust the quality – typically the biggest barrier with purchasing fresh groceries online.
“In addition, among shoppers generally, the potential for taking e-grocery to a level only dreamed of seems within reach. With Whole Foods’ strengths in both fresh and prepared foods, Amazon now has the ability to offer meal and grocery delivery — suddenly competing with companies like Blue Apron and covering all aspects of food e-commerce.”
The GfK study shows that half (49%) of Whole Foods shoppers hope that the new alliance will lead to lower grocery prices. The same percentage also want to see their local Whole Foods outlet remain open – in fact, they hope that Amazon will open more outlets; and 44% do not want to see current store employees laid off. They want to see local businesses thrive and hope that sales associate morale will not suffer.
“To fulfill the promise of this alliance,” Wallner continued, “the two retailers need to pay close attention to their customers’ hopes and concerns, and avoid missteps that could deflate the high expectations of these early days. In particular, Amazon needs to recognize that Whole Foods shoppers are much different from mainstream shoppers, and that it needs to rise to this occasion by maintaining the grocery chain’s brand values and high quality standards.”
The GfK study was conducted among 1,000 US adults (ages 18 and above) on GfK’s KnowledgePanel®, the largest probability-based online panel that is representative of the adult US population. Responses were collected from June 23 to 26, 2017.
GfK is the trusted source of relevant market and consumer information that enables its clients to make smarter decisions. More than 13,000 market research experts combine their passion with GfK’s long-standing data science experience. This allows GfK to deliver vital global insights matched with local market intelligence from more than 100 countries. By using innovative technologies and data sciences, GfK turns big data into smart data, enabling its clients to improve their competitive edge and enrich consumers’ experiences and choices.


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When it comes to display production, Taiwan and Korea have long been the leaders, with a particular expertise in flat-panel displays and LCDs. Recently, though, Chinese display producers seem to be poised to narrow the competitive gap.
In the last few weeks, some headlines coming out of Asia point to China's increased focus on display development and production investments.
Last week, for instance, there was news that coatings and specialty products maker PPG Industries has ramped up fiberglass manufacturing in China. The Shanghai-based company announced that PFG Fiber Glass (Kunshan) Co., Ltd.– its joint venture in Kunshan, China, with Nan Ya Plastics Corp. — started a fourth furnace. With 38,000 metric tons of annual capacity, the additional furnace will serve the expanding Asian electronics industries. C.F. Lee, general manager of PFG Fiber Glass (Kunshan) Co., Ltd., said:
The printed circuit board industry continues to grow in Asia. Nan Ya built a vertically integrated production campus in Kunshan that included resin, copper foil, glass fabrics, copper-clad laminates and printed circuit boards. With this expansion, we will continue to support the demands of our business at this location as well as the larger electronics industry.
Ramp-ups like this have caused some increased worry among the Taiwanese. The Taipei Times paper reported last week:
The rise of China's LCD panel makers is posing a growing threat to Taiwanese panel suppliers and may narrow the once wide gap between the two nations' display industries as local firms struggle to upgrade their technologies to safeguard their technological lead.
And, there are ongoing concerns about unfair competitive practices and intellectual property leaks as Chinese rivals rapidly close the gap and present a growing threat to longtime display producers. Citing again the Taipei Times, Taiwanese electronics giant AU Optronics Corp. recently filed a lawsuit against two former executives who were previously in charge of developing advanced technologies. AUO alleges that they leaked company secrets to their current Chinese employer, China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co. (CSOT), “the second-biggest LCD panel maker in China and the only Chinese firm operating an advanced 8.5-generation factory like its bigger Taiwanese rivals,” the paper said.
Taiwan Today paper reported that CSOT's 8.5-generation panel plant will be capable of producing 24 million 32-inch television panels annually, and that the company is also expected to invest in an experimental production line, which will attempt to make next-generation active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) products.
For the Taiwanese, the stakes are pretty high, moneywise at least, if production demand shifts to China. Taiwan's flat panel display production was $12.5 billion in the third quarter, a 12.5 percent increase from the previous quarter, according to Digitimes, citing reports from Industrial Economics & Knowledge Center (IEK). IEK estimates that FPD production value will grow sequentially by 7.1 percent in the fourth quarter.
If nothing else, China's growing position in the display space will force competitors to stay on their toes. We'll see how they fight back.


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The company that runs Heathrow expects adjusted EBITDA to grow by 8% to £1.485 million next year over current forecasts.
The figure is projected to be up on the £1.372 million due to be made this year.
In an investor report published this morning, Heathrow said aeronautical income is forecast to increase 10% driven by tariff increases, revenue recovery and increased passenger traffic.
Heathrow’s retail income is expected to grow 1.5% in 2014 with net retail income per passenger increasing 0.4%. Growth is expected to be driven by duty and tax-free and airside specialist shops.
Operating costs in 2014 (excluding depreciation and exceptional items) are forecast to increase 7.6% to £1.181 million.
Forecast cost savings are more than offset in 2014 by increased costs in rent and rates, maintenance, utilities and general expenses incurred principally in preparing for and commencing operations at the new Terminal 2, the report said.
Heathrow expects to spend approximately £740 million in 2014 on its capital programme.
“Spend is expected to be over £600 million lower than in 2013, given the current peak of spend related to Terminal 2 and the move to a lower capital investment phase through the next regulatory period,” it added.
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Autogem is celebrating a second successive National Tyre Distributors Association award triumph, after winning the Aftermarket Equipment Supplier of the Year category for another year.
We are thrilled to make it a double NTDA success, having won the same honour in 2021, almost 12 months to the day.
We made giant strides in the aftermarket over the past 12 months, with a number of new products and campaigns being unveiled to our customers including our inaugural TPMS Expert, which was designed to raise standards in Tyre Pressure Monitoring System interaction, while celebrating excellence when it comes to system diagnosis.
Stefan Hay, NTDA Chief Executive said: “The judges determined that the Autogem entry was, once again, outstanding and clearly demonstrated that the company is no longer just a supplier to its customers, but a true business partner, providing additional support and many services that are tangible and of true benefit. I would like to add my congratulations to the Autogem team on this very well deserved consecutive win!”
Our comprehensive training programme, round-the-clock customer support and portfolio of new products were also brought to life through the award submission, which underlined Managing Director Prashant Chopra’s point that we never stand still and are constantly innovating.
He said: “To win the accolade in 2021 was a huge moment for us all, so to retain our crown is something we’re even prouder about. Last year, we made a commitment to keep evolving to meet our customers’ needs and we feel we have done that, with more scope for growth in the future.
“We want to be seen as a good, fair company to do business with that has a highly motivated, experienced and friendly team who value customer respect and loyalty far more than high margin and shareholder return. It is highly rewarding to know that this message resonated with judges and the award acknowledgement is testament to a great deal of hard work.
“The saying that ‘the whole is greater than the sum of its parts’ has never been more relevant to our business, and while the team on the front-line get a lot of the plaudits – and rightly so – they’re only as good as the support behind them.
“This NTDA award is for every member of the team, who continue to go the extra mile for the cause. Without them, this wouldn’t have been possible.”


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Sony Ericsson has just announced that it has joined Google-led Open Handset Alliance. No dates for the first devices were given, but we are sooo looking forward to the CES and Mobile World Congress when hopefully we’ll see first Sony Ericsson Android handsets being unveiled.
Here’s what Sony Ericsson’s CVP and head of Creation and Development, Rikko Sakaguchi, said: “Sony Ericsson is excited to announce its membership of the Open Handset Alliance and confirm its intention to develop a handset based on the Android platform. We believe Sony Ericsson can bring a wealth of experience in making consumer focused multimedia handsets with new user experience to the Alliance drawing on the successes of the Walkman and Cyber-shot sub-brands. Sony Ericsson is a strong supporter of open operating systems and we believe the Open Handset Alliance offers an exciting opportunity for a new and unique user experience only Sony Ericsson can deliver.”
The official release also stats that the Open Handset Alliance membership will complement the Swedish-Japanese handset maker’s existing Open OS strategy which is based on the Symbian and Windows Mobile platforms. Meaning, they’ll keep pushing multiple platforms, at least for the time being.


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Howard Schultz is stepping down as Starbucks’ executive chairman and member of the Board of Directors and will be honored with the title of chairman emeritus effective June 26, 2018, the company announced Monday.
During his four decades as ceo and chairman, Schultz grew Starbucks from 11 stores to more than 28,000 stores in 77 countries, company staff said. Also noted was his work for including comprehensive healthcare, stock ownership and free college tuition, even for those working part-time.
"I set out to build a company that my father, a blue-collar worker and World War II veteran, never had a chance to work for," Schultz wrote in a Monday letter to past and present Starbucks partners. "Together we've done that, and so much more, by balancing profitability and social conscience, compassion and rigor, and love and responsibility."
More news from KIRO 7
In 1982, Schultz and his wife, Sheri, moved to Seattle from New York to assume the role of Starbucks director of operations and marketing.
Under Schultz’s leadership, Starbucks also was named one of the World's Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute for the 12th consecutive year and was ranked as one of 2018's Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company.
On April 3, 2017, Schultz transitioned from CEO to executive chairman, and Kevin Johnson became CEO.
Schultz owned the Seattle SuperSonics before selling the team in 2006 to Clay Bennett, who moved the team to Oklahoma City. Schultz filed a lawsuit in April 2008 to try and rescind the sale, but dropped the lawsuit four months later.
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Technology in 2020 is trending to make transformational changes in the way it impacts our lives. From consumer products such as the flexible OLED TV, which can be rolled up and put away, to the deployment of 5G and Starlink broadband internet technology, and the return to space, 2020 marks the beginning of the decade that promises to be both complex and excit
When we think of these startling advances in technology, trucking companies and trucks do not come to mind. For most people, trucking means large vehicles carrying freight, consumer products, industrial materials for manufacturing, and, in our case, aggregates for the construction industry.
The reality is that in the last few years, trucking companies have integrated new products such as Forward-Looking Cameras, Collision Mitigation Technology, and Trailer Tracking Technology, a GPS based system with a trailer-tracking device that provides data that can be fed into any fleet management system, but these applications were introduced a few years ago.
Most experts believe that 2020 is the year that electric trucks go on sale, and we will see how that goes; On the other hand, the autonomous truck technology has proven to be a tougher nut to crack as there are still too many unanswered questions and safety concerns.
At Eagle Carrier, we are using state-of-the-art Mack Trucks equipped with GPS tracking, Demolition Bodies, Asphalt Shoots, Tarps, and Swing Gates. Additionally, we are already testing the first phase of a new digital solution that will provide our Truck Control Center with the real-time data to optimize loads, fleet management and route optimization, which can help our fleet save in fuel cost and improve customer service. Three additional phases are scheduled for development later this year, including Order Management, Accounting integration, and a Mobile App that will eliminate the archaic paper-based ticket system used by most companies in our industry.
Our investment in the development of digital solutions is a crucial element of our 2020 growth strategy, and it demonstrates our commitment to building efficiency in our processes, improving performance, lowering operating costs, and allowing us to deploy more significant resources for growth-related operations.


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Act 221 credits help Navatek design small, high-speed boats
- Prabha Natarajan
- Pacific Business News
Navatek Ltd., a local ship designer and builder, has invested $5 million in expanding its research and business as a result of the state's Act 221 tax credits.
Over the past couple of years, the $21 million Honolulu-based company has focused on refitting a small sports boat as a security vessel that can be used to patrol coastal waters.
Navatek, which specializes in building high-tech prototypes of ocean vessels for the U.S. Office of Naval Research, is close to building two prototypes of the security boat for the Navy.
The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks resulted in a growing demand for small boats -- 51 feet and under in length -- that would allow the various agencies of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to patrol coastal waters and protect U.S. harbors. The U.S. Coast Guard and border patrols monitor every incoming vessel, boarding many of them on their way to a harbor to check passenger and cargo manifests.
Ship builders say the purchases of small vessels, previously marketed to recreational users, by federal agencies in the past few years have been the highest ever. No industry data is available.
Seeking to capitalize on the trend, Navatek found that by securing for itself the qualified high-tech business designation it could attract investments eligible for Act 221 tax credits.
"We could spend only so much of our own funds on R&D, but with additional investments that are now available through Act 221 we can increase our internal R&D budget," said Steven Loui, president of Navatek Ltd.
Instead of starting from scratch, Navatek, armed with cash, looked at various opportunities and decided to partner with I.C.E. Marine, a British company that was building civilian sports boats.
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