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The Student Industrial Society team taking part in the game sponsored by National Westminster Bank sought to deal with a lack of production capacity caused by price cutting by putting the machine shop on three two shifts.
This dealt with only part of the problem, since the assembly area was still short staffed and the company had burdened itself with higher costs as a result of paying overtime.
The team also increased its marketing effort overseas, which again undermined profit margins. The result was a significant trading loss, a weaker balance sheet and a drop in the share price - and all of this at a time when the tax burden from a successful earlier part of the year became due and pundits were predicting a collapse in world trade.
The other team under the spotlight - from United Distillers - decided to go in the opposite direction and live with the production shortage by pushing up export prices. The result was a drop in demand but a rise in margins and near profitability. By combining this with a drive to cut raw-material stocks, it was able to strengthen the balance sheet, make only a small loss and see the share price rise nearly 20 points.
Consequently, it is in touch with the leaders, with a share price after the first quarter of Ecu 1.41. Ahead of it are Oki on Ecu 1.43, BPP Courses on Ecu 1.49, Boots Pharmaceuticals on Ecu 1.46 and Lucas Aftermarket Operations on Ecu 1.50.
All 30 teams, including two from NatWest, are trying to run a medium-sized manufacturing company selling to the European Union and the United States. In trying to forecast likely sales and make the best of financial, human and plant resources, they are pitting themselves against a computer and each other. The simulation, designed by Edit 515 which organises the competition, takes in all of these functions, plus marketing.
Six winners of the semi-final go through to a national final to be held in London next month; the winners of that receive pounds 10,000 and the chance to represent Britain in a European final in Lisbon in January.Reuse content


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On October 23, 2010, the justalilhype! Crew visited Headquarter to celebrate the launch of BLACK Comme des Garçons at the store. Currently, Headquarter Vancouver is the only retail boutique in Canada to carry this series of Comme des Garçons. After this release, Headquarter will be permanently carrying the label’s full product line. The event was hosted by WXY, a collective of Japanese street culture enthusiasts. Ambience and techno music was chosen to match the theme of the party. It was good to catch up with the Comme des Garçons fans of Vancouver and we are looking forward to seeing more special releases from Headquarter Vancouver.
For the video and more pictures, hit the jump.

domain: news


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The open-system vaping system manufacturer Vaporesso announced that it has been registered as an authorized e-cigarette brand by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The move makes the subsidiary of Smoore International, the world’s largest vaping manufacturer, the first open-system vaping device brand to obtain the ability to market and sell its e-cigarettes in the UAE.
“We are thrilled by the MoIAT’s decision to grant our flagship products the marketing and sales authorization, this has boosted our confidence in obtaining the approval for other seven premium products, including Luxe X and GEN PT SERIES, that are in the process of application,” said a spokeperson for Vaporesso’s Middle East team.
The UAE has enforced laws that aim to regulate all nicotine-containing components used in e-cigarettes, refill packages, e-liquids, and tobacco products sold in the country.
The regulations demand that the manufacturers and companies of vaping devices must meet Emirates Authority for Standardization & Metrology (ESMA) standards, which set out strict quality and safety requirements for e-cigarettes and related products, before placing them on the market.
“The initial approval by the MoIAT, which allows the company to establish legal sales channels, both online and offline, for Vaporesso’s Xros Nano, Xros Mini, Xros 2, and ZERO S across the UAE, is the testimony to the company’s commitment to offering market-leading vaping products with unmatched quality and functionality, allowing the global vapers to enjoy the fun and flavors unique in Vaporesso’s products,” a press release states. “The market authorization also marks a significant step forward in its effort to further expand its presence in the Middle East.”


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Kemiex operates an electronic trade and information platform and network and its clients include professional bulk buyers, traders and producers of feed/food additives and active ingredients.
“As the industry consolidates further, DSM successfully executed its M&A playbook with the acquisition of Biomin and Romer Labs from Austria-based Erber Group.
“It is a perfect business and culture fit, and strategically adds to previous transactions that aim at securing technology, raw material supply, as well as distribution and advisory capabilities,” commented Schmidinger
Meanwhile, German chemicals giant, BASF, is facing some challenges with Vitamin A and AD3, noted the Kemiex lead.
“Clients reported that some deliveries from long-term contracts were impacted by production issues that are unlikely to be resolved before year-end. The news led to some spot buying at elevated levels. However, irrational price spikes did not materialize because some of the issues were known for months,” Schmidinger told FeedNavigator.
In general market developments, he noted companies have closed most of their supply contracts for the second half of 2020, some even into early 2021. “Few supply imbalances or late arrivals have been reported to us.”
European amino acids have been trading mostly flat, while prices of methionine and tryptophan of Chinese origin have begun to decline, added the Kemiex representative.
China is expected to issue a statement on the methionine anti-dumping probe soon, while European importers are following European Commission authorizations on lysine closely as import restrictions enter into force, he added.
“In terms of the vitamin sector, we continue to see strong vitamin C and vitamin E prices, while some products like B1, D3, biotin and calcium pantothenate recede from previous highs,” continued Schmidinger.
Partially, movements are driven by lower volumes ahead of summer and maintenance season and might change soon again, he explained.
Demand post COVID-19
“The supply side remains robust in the main - feed additives are not impacted by lockdowns in India or the air cargo frenzy that has been seen for pharmaceuticals.
“However, all market participants are closely following the recovery path of global economies and consumer demand post-COVID, with foodservice sectors impacted by lockdowns and spill-over effects observed around animal protein and feed production.”
In terms of feed demand, he noted how FEFAC recently announced its forecast that EU compound feed production will likely decrease -3 to -6% in 2020, and that the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported US meatpacking facilities are again operational, with 98% of US beef facilities, 95% of US pork facilities and 98% of US poultry facilities operating at capacity.
“Reports of second waves of COVID-19 and ASF infections in several countries are being followed closely but have not led to panic buying or selling for the moment,” said Schmidinger.


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World's Largest Uncut Diamond Fails to Sell at Sotheby's Auction
After much admiration and anticipation, the world’s largest uncut diamond failed to sell at a public auction Wednesday night. The 1,109 carat white diamond did not meet the minimum reserve price, which was not specified by Sotheby’s auction house in London. The rough stone was expected to fetch at
World's Largest Uncut Diamond Up for Auction in London
The world’s largest uncut diamond will go under the hammer today at Sotheby’s auction house in London, where it’s expected to fetch at least $70 million. The 1,109-carat white diamond was unearthed in November by the Lucara Diamond Corp. in their Karowe mine in north-central Botswana . It’s the
World's Largest Uncut Diamond up for Auction in London
The colossal gem, "Lesedi la Rona," is expected to fetch at least $70 million.
Steph Curry game-used mouthguard up for auction
Fans will soon have a chance to buy a type of Steph Curry memorabilia that's never been on the market before: a game-used mouthguard. SCP Auctions, which is based in California , said it obtained the mouthguard from a fan who picked it up off the floor near the Golden State Warriors bench after a
16 Must-Read Books for Summer 2016
If you're looking for the perfect book to take with you on vacation this summer, look no further. We've rounded up the hottest books for summer, from the Charles Manson -inspired novel "The Girls" to the ultimate summer beach reads and page-turners from bestselling authors Terry McMillan, Emily
What Final Wave of Major Primary States Means for Trump, Clinton and Sanders
ABC's Amna Nawaz, Matt Dowd, Shushannah Walshe and FiveThirtyEight's Walt Hickey on what comes next in this presidential race.
Emancipation Proclamation, 13th Amendment Sell for Millions at Auction
Copies of both the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment sold for a total of more than $4 million by auction house Sotheby's on Wednesday.
Copies of Emancipation Proclamation, 13th Amendment Signed by Lincoln Sell for Millions
Some of the most historical and consequential anti-slavery documents in U.S. history -- signed by President Abraham Lincoln -- fetched millions at auction. Copies of both the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment sold for a total of more than $4 million by auction house Sotheby's on
Kesha Will Perform at the Billboard Music Awards
Dr. Luke's label, Kemosabe Records, has approved Kesha's appearance at the 2016 Billboard Music Award, after initially suspending it due to the litigation between the singer and the producer.


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● New York Times, 2023-3-16:
● New York Times, 2022-6-28: Taiwanese Fried Chicken Meets the Moment / As crispy chicken soars in popularity, Taiwanese American chefs are reimagining the street-food classic. nytimes.com/2022/06/28/dining/Taiwanese-fried-chicken.html ● New York Times, 2022-1-19: Many of Taiwan's residents are now proud of their island's culinary offerings, whether it is the classic beef noodle soup — a mix of mainland influences unique to Taiwan — or bubble milk tea, a modern invention. nytimes.com/2022/01/19/world/asia/taiwan-china-identity.html ● BBC, 2022-3-30: Today, stinky tofu ( that's reminiscent of sour milk and rotting garbage) is still primarily a street food throughout Taiwan, where it’s as synonymous with the country’s outdoor night markets as beef noodle soup. Shenkeng Old Street is an entire boulevard dedicated to the dish, Dai's House of Stinky Tofu is Since 1989 ● Taipei Times, 2022-9-10: classic Taiwanese street food — oyster omelet, guabao (pork belly buns), beef noodles, xiansuji (Taiwanese-style crispy fried chicken), stinky tofu and pot stickers. taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2022/09/10/2003785064 ● Taiwan News, 2022-3-23: Pizza Hut unleashed the "Cilantro Century Egg Pig’s Blood Cake Pizza" (香菜皮蛋豬血糕比薩), which was well-received by some Taiwanese but met with disgust by many foreign readers. ● In Michelin 2021, Taipei's food was ranked behind Japan's Tokyo, Hong Kong, Kyoto, Osaka, Singapore, Seoul Korea, Shanghai
Times, 2021-8-14: In Taiwan,
big data turns pig’s blood and century eggs into hot pizza toppings
/ In 2019, Domino’s Pizza created the boba — a
pizza served with sweet tapioca pearls as an homage to the popular bubble milk
tea. ... ramen and spicy hot pot pizza. It even made a pizza topped with
durian — a thorny fruit ... The latest invention — featuring a street delicacy
made of sticky rice and pig’s blood, and preserved eggs. “Every now and
then, Taiwanese will go crazy over a new popular, well-talked about food” .
“Taste does not seem to be their top priority.”
Bloomberg, 2021-4-16: Total arrivals last year crashed 88%...
life isn’t quite normal. For example, at the Ningxia Night
Market in Taipei, masks and plastic screens are among the
precautions used to prevent the virus from spreading.
With a lack of foreign tourists, Shilin’s market has been
shifting its focus to the 100,000-plus students who study nearby.
Apple Daily, 2021-3-12:
market "miserable street scene" , more bosses than customers,
“expensive”, "smoke smells", "too homogeneous & unattractive",
"delivery platforms are emerging", "no foreign tourists"... most
ever stores closed
in recent 30 yrs
Apple Daily editorial, 1-5-2021: chaos !
Taiwanese people lost confidence in gov. pork control strategy.
famous shop "Formosa Chang"
was questioned too. AP 11-23-2020:
business may not be ethical ...
mix the U.S. pork ( Ractopamine
pork banned by 150+ countries
) with Taiwan pork
Yahoo News, 12-16-2020:
culture was officially approved
(Dec.16, 2020) to be inscribed
into UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity. But
Taiwan's night market hawker culture was not selected ●
Times 7-15-2020, till now the govt. only work on night market's toilet room, the rest is
far behind the standard int'l metro's needs...
mayor Ko: Our night markets and markets are too dirty !
The best-known expert in toxic study, professor Yen:
the times of dining out to protect your
|jump to: ● night markets ● Chinese restaurants ● int'l restaurants ● buffet ● Fast foods & burgers|
cheap foods, cheap environment


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The new update is not focused on pornography but rather on underage content. Apple would like to ensure that a photo or video does not slip through the cracks because it contains nude images. Furthermore, the feature will enable the Cupertino-based company to restrict and monitor these photos while they are stored on Apple devices.
In other words, with this update, you can now block NSFW content in your phone’s camera roll. There is no need for you to worry about your kids seeing anything inappropriate on their phones anymore because iOS 15.2 will monitor your device for any nude photos and videos within its camera roll.
The new feature is being advertised as an anti-child pornography feature. Currently, the update is only available for users in the United States but Apple plans to release it worldwide. It is not as if you can protect yourself from the feature because anyone who has your phone could look at it.
It is recommended that you check your phone’s camera roll every once in a while to ensure that there is no illegal content stored on it. If there are, then you should delete them straight away so that they do not get through Apple’s new filter. The new filter is based on deep learning and machine learning mechanisms so it works very quickly. In addition, it does not slow down your device and can also determine the difference between NSFW and SFW content.
The news of iOS 15.2’s anti-child pornography feature has been greeted by many Apple users with joy because they believe that this could be the beginning of a safer internet for the younger generation. There are those who think that Apple should not focus on just protecting children from inappropriate content but rather, should shield everyone from harmful content online.
For now, we will have to wait for iOS 15.2 to be released worldwide before we can see how this update will protect our children from unnecessary material.


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News Corp is a network of leading companies in the worlds of diversified media, news, education, and information services.
Get all the latest news and updates about the social networking platform
Moment ‘guns aimed at genitalia’ Facebook group user shoots himself in testicles
'Gun-toting' neighbor 'paced nearby after killing 5-year-old Cannon Hinnant'
Instagram caught secretly storing your DELETED photos and messages
Facebook 'illegally harvests facial recognition scans of Instagram users'
Facebook bans Dutch character 'Black Pete' in row over 'blackface' Christmas helper
Man shot while filming gunman storm basketball court with 'AR-15'
BLM activist defends Chicago looting as ‘REPARATIONS’ & says stores have insurance
Woman creates stunning coffee table from pallet wood & people want one
Teen creates stylish decking for mum as old one was falling apart
You can now turn your dog into an adorable Disney character with Snapchat filter
Mum shows off impressive B&M haul with men’s PJs and baby socks down to 10p
Thrifty woman transforms 'bland' bathroom for £100 using stick-on tiles
Cleaning fan shares Flash mop hack for avoiding expensive solution refills
Mum desperate for crushed velvet sofa transformed hers with bargain eBay fabric
Woman shares ingenious way she gets the last bit of foundation from bottle
Facebook BANS accounts from troll farm posing as African-American Trump backers


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Retail stores in Edmonton and Calgary are preparing to receive cannabis edibles products on Monday, one month after some other provinces. Products like gummies, chocolate and mints were legalized in October but Health Canada must conduct a 60-day review before… Glenora Cannabis Cannabis store Menu | Leafly Explore the Glenora Cannabis menu on Leafly. Find out what cannabis and CBD products are available, read reviews, and find just what you’re looking for. Pot class in session at Alberta cannabis growing facility – An Alberta cannabis producer has opened its growing facility to students for a three-day pot production class. Citing the cannabis industry’s struggle to keep supply up with demand, Freedom Cannabis Inc. partnered with Edmonton’s NorQuest College to offer the practical component to the school’s Cannabis Trimming and Production course this year. EDMONTON EXPO CENTRE - Cannabis & Hemp Expo EDMONTON EXPO CENTRE. With the advancement of legalization, the Cannabis Expo is an important step in showing the world the professionalism and maturity of the expanding industry. Join industry leaders from across Canada in an interactive forum educating on the latest technology, research and benefits of cannabis.
2 days ago Aurora Cannabis Inc., headquartered in Edmonton, announced Thursday that CEO Terry Booth has stepped down and 500 workers across the
Some Edmonton liquor and cannabis stores open on Christmas Day Probably things will change because cannabis is an ever changing industry. This year they say ‘Yes’, maybe next year, ‘No’,” he said. “So for this year we will be open. Next year we’ll see how it goes.” Of the more than a dozen liquor and cannabis franchises in Edmonton contacted by CBC, only a handful said they would be open. Cannabichromene (CBC) in Medical Marijuana Studies Evidence has suggested that it may play a role in the anti-inflammatory and anti-viral effects of cannabis, and may contribute to the overall analgesic effects of medical cannabis. A study done in March 2010 showed that CBC along with cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) have antidepressant effects. Another study showed that CBC What Is CBC and What Are the Benefits of This Cannabinoid? | Learn more about cannabichromine, or CBC, a cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant that's showing promise in the lab for a myriad of conditions.
Pot class in session at Alberta cannabis growing facility –
24 Jul 2019 (CBC). An Edmonton-based cannabis retailer is planning to significantly accelerate its growth and expansion after entering into a deal with one “It is still more difficult to study cannabis than it is to study heroin" Confirmed measles case prompts AHS alert of potential exposure in St. Albert, Edmonton Raw, dried hemp buds with high levels of CBD look like regular weed, smell like hemp can produce high levels of CBD and other cannabinoids like CBG and CBC. warning for products containing synthetic cannabinoids sold in Edmonton. 23 Jun 2016 Pot profits predicted to soar with legalization on the horizon, so here's what a facility made to capitalize To read more: www.cbc.ca/1.3648210 19 Jan 2020 Some of Canada's biggest cannabis producers are facing proposed joins Trudeau on African search for UN Security Council votes – CBC.ca. VaporDNA serves the vaping community with varieties of top-quality Ecigs, Vape Juice, vape MODS, portable devices, and accessories at an affordable price.
Cannabis stores near me in Edmonton, Alberta - Leafly
CBC (Cannabichromene): All You Need to Know in One Guide CBC achieves this by interfering with the processes that tend to degrade these receptors. CBC enhances the receptor activity of cannabinoids that occur naturally in cannabis, thereby indirectly activating the body’s cannabinoid receptors. Cannabis Businesses :: City of Edmonton Please refer to the "After Your Development Permit is Issued" section of the "Opening a Cannabis Retail Store" webpage for more details. You can find information about approved cannabis retail locations, potential areas for cannabis retail, and buffers from sensitive uses by visiting maps.edmonton.ca and selecting "Cannabis Locations".


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Several other research firms have also issued reports on INCH. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of Inchcape in a research report on Tuesday, April 30th. They set a “buy” rating and a GBX 845 ($11.04) price target on the stock. Berenberg Bank reiterated a “hold” rating and set a GBX 600 ($7.84) price target on shares of Inchcape in a research report on Monday, March 4th. Finally, Numis Securities upgraded shares of Inchcape to an “add” rating and reduced their price target for the stock from GBX 750 ($9.80) to GBX 660 ($8.62) in a research report on Thursday, May 16th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Inchcape presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of GBX 763.50 ($9.98).
LON INCH opened at GBX 577.50 ($7.55) on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 158.95. The company has a market cap of $2.39 billion and a P/E ratio of 50.22. Inchcape has a 1 year low of GBX 482.20 ($6.30) and a 1 year high of GBX 826 ($10.79).
Inchcape plc operates as an automotive distributor and retailer in the premium and luxury automotive sectors. The company sells and retails new and used cars of various brands. It also provides after sales servicing and parts; and vehicle finance and insurance products and services. The company operates in Asia, Australasia, the United Kingdom, Europe, Africa, South America, and Russia.
See Also: What is the Fibonacci sequence?
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Wisconsin’s business owners are optimistic about the year ahead, according to a study released today by BMO Harris Bank.
Of those surveyed, 85 percent expect their businesses to remain steady or grow in 2014. But on the U.S. economy, business owners were less optimistic: 68 percent it will improve or stay flat in the coming year.
“The great news is that business owners have confidence in the prospects of their own individual businesses,” said Jeff Ticknor, managing director and head, Commercial Banking, Wisconsin. “However, while there’s been progress to date, there’s still some caution when it comes to the prospects for the overall U.S. economy.”
And 75 percent expect Wisconsin’s economy will hold steady or grow in 2014. About 40 percent expect it to remain flat, while 35 percent predict improvement.
When asked about the largest advantage of doing business in Wisconsin, the top five answers were: talent pool/skilled workers/work ethic, good government/governor/politicians, lower taxes, good business climate/environment and locally-owned businesses.
“We have many solid companies in Wisconsin that have weathered the economic downturn well,” Ticknor said. “Many are in better shape than they were five years ago, with stronger balance sheets and more efficient operations.”


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Perfect World Entertainment and Cryptic Studios along with CBS Consumer Products, announced the launch and immediate availability of the highly anticipated Star Trek Online.
I'm surprise PWE didn't try to infuse a cash shop into the game like they did for the some of the others.
Star Wars, or Star Trek... Hmm. I know! Star Wars!
N4G is a community of gamers posting and discussing the latest game news. It’s part of NewsBoiler, a network of social news sites covering today’s pop culture.


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There is limited time left to set up the required infrastructure to undertake checks of HGVs bound for the continent in the event of a no-deal Brexit, according to the National Audit Office (NAO). In a report into how government departments have been preparing the border for an exit, the NAO said it was “impossible to know exactly what will happen” should the UK leave the EU without a deal on Hallowe’en. It said the government’s reasonable worst-case planning assumptions […]
Logistics provider P&O Ferrymasters is offering a customs declaration service to customers to facilitate the movement of goods in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
The disused port of Stranraer in Scotland will be used as a lorry park for up to 300 HGVs in order to mitigate the “significant economic shock” brought about by a no-deal Brexit.
UK hauliers and commercial drivers who operate in the EU will need a number of new documents if the UK leaves the EU without a deal.


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Last year mobile browser company Opera launched Opera Max, a data-compressing Android app that let users save money on their mobile data. Now, to drive more usage of the product, Opera is adding another feature to Max: apps you can use for free.
App Pass, as the service is called, is aimed first at users in emerging markets, where smartphone adoption is booming, but the average smartphone user is more sensitive to price, and mobile data still costs more on average than it does in developed markets like the U.S. and Europe, leading to very little actual usage of the smartphones’ “smart” features.
For now, Opera is rolling it out first with Telenor, the Norwegian carrier that operates mobile networks in countries in Asia like Vietnam and Myanmar. Opera says the Telenor will first run a pilot with short-term passes to see how the service is used.
“We’re eager to see how this service is received in our markets. App Pass is designed to give customers easy control over costs related to data usage. The challenge of so-called ‘bill shock’ is high on our agenda, and these kinds of initiatives from Opera play an important part in addressing the issue,” said Rolv-Erik Spilling, Head of Telenor Digital, in a statement.
Over time Opera hopes to get this to other markets, too. “We think that buying mobile data could be easier and more fun in any market regardless of where you are or what operator network you are on,” a spokesperson says.
Initially App Pass will be set up with a selection of apps that users can access without any data charges — that is, without having a data plan, or without cutting into a data plan a user may have. Later on, Opera says it will introduce sponsored App Passes, as well a priced feature, where you can pay a flat fee to access a bundle of apps. As with the bigger Opera Max app, all App Pass app usage passes through the Opera network.
For those who may be wondering, I’ve asked and have confirmed that this is not the same App Pass that Sprint launched last year in the U.S., although they do sound a lot alike.
That product, developed with Canadian company Mobiroo, gives users a 14-day free trial of a selection of apps, and then users pay $4.99 each month as a flat fee for unlimited access to that bundle of apps (not unlike the feature Opera will roll out down the line). For its part, Mobiroo, which works with Softbank and others, also offers its services in Asia, but using a different brand — “All you can app.”
And Sprint and Opera are not the only ones looking at ways of zero-rating data access for apps. Facebook, through Internet.org (which Opera is also involved in), offers free mobile Internet access for selected apps in poorer countries, with the most recent launch being this month in India.
FreedomPop in the U.S. has app plans where apps that are sponsored are free to access, and users can pay low fees for specific a la carte app access, too.
In all, in poorer countries where you have billions of consumers switching to smartphones, now the challenge is to get them to use the devices for more than just simple texts and phone calls. Zero rating app usage is a strategy that continues to grow in popularity as a way to do that.
Opera, of course, is trying to position it as a win-win for carriers, too, who can now run sponsorships for app access. They jury may still be out about whether the revenues a carrier collects on a marketing campaign will ever be as high as the tariffs they might have collected by charging for data access, but in markets where no one is using data, carriers’ hands are somewhat forced.
It also helps Opera grow usage of Opera Max, which to date has had less than 1 million installs. “App Pass builds upon Opera’s achievements with Opera Web Pass and Sponsored Web Pass in making mobile data affordable and easy to use for end users. With App Pass, consumers can enjoy their favorite apps and try out new ones with just two clicks, using the Opera Max client already on their devices,” said Opera CEO Lars Boilesen in a statement.
Updated with further comment from Opera


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To capitalize on the truck craze, Ford showed off the Courier F1 at a media preview of the Detroit Auto Show here, a concept of its subcompact Brazilian-built Courier pickup.
"No one is selling a pickup of this size in the U.S. and perhaps the time is right for this vehicle," said Jac Nasser, Ford president.
The timing is noteworthy as the government prepares to boost fuel-economy standards for trucks, which would force smaller trucks into the lineup to offset the relatively low mileage of the big ones and still meet those standards.
"The Courier looks good and would be another example of an affordable truck for the youth market," Nasser said.
Offered with a 1.3- or 1.4-liter engine, the Courier F1 can get nearly 40 miles per gallon with a bed to hold an off-road bike or surfboard.
But, Ross Roberts, general manager of Ford Division, said not to get your hopes up that Courier will be produced as it now sits.
"Courier is more of a conceptual idea to test reaction to a small, four-wheel-drive pickup more than it is a test of reaction to this particular truck," Roberts said.
"We're trying to see how small you can go in building a truck that people would want," Roberts said of the truck that will be on display at the Chicago Auto Show Saturday through Feb. 15 in McCormick Place South to further measure consumer reaction.
Sports trucks: Dodge brings out a high-performance compact Dakota R/T pickup this spring featuring a special handling and performance suspension as well as a 5.9-liter, 250-h.p. Magnum V-8 teamed with 4-speed automatic. The R/T will offer 17-inch radial tires and come only in 4x2 version.
The R/T has front and rear stabilizer bars to control handling with a beefier rear bar to minimize body roll in turns when cornering. It also comes with a limited slip differential for improved traction and quicker starts. Base price: $19,850.
In a different vein, Dodge also has come up with Big Red, a design concept of the big Ram in keeping with the impression when the truck first came out that it looks a lot like a Freightliner in miniature.
Big Red is powered by a 5.9-liter, 235-h.p., 24-valve Cummins turbo-diesel engine with electronic fuel injection. The 6-cylinder diesel reaches 460 foot-pounds of torque at only 1,600 r.p.m. Dodge calls it the "ultimate tow vehicle" and has added a fifth-wheel hitch in the bed.
Big Red is based on the Dodge Ram Quad Cab four-door and features an 8-inch longer cabin and a sloping, 18-inch-high roof to give it the appearance of a semitractor. A flush, forward-edge light bar runs the across the top of the windshield. The raised roof allows for a fold-down TV with VCR.
Solara's back for real: The Toyota Solara coupe, shown in concept convertible form at last year's Chicago Auto Show, goes on sale this fall. It is based on the front-wheel-drive Camry platform and will be built at Toyota's recently expanded Cambridge, Ontario, assembly plant. Solara will be offered in two versions, SE with a choice of 4-cylinder or V-6 engines teamed with 5-speed manual or automatic and SLE with V-6 and automatic only.
Miata makeover: The Mazda Miata has undergone its first major redesign before going on sale this spring. Though Miata retains the same basic look as it did in 1989, it now offers a more powerful 1.8-liter, 140-h.p. 4-cylinder engine.
Meanwhile, the Mazda B-Series pickup, which is based on the Ford Ranger and therefore redesigned for '98, will now offer an extended-cab version. And starting in May, the extended-cab will offer four doors as an option. Ranger will offer four-doors on its extended cabs in April.
Toy Beetles scrapped: Let's hope the real car will have better luck. Volkswagen reports that plans to again give away plastic scale models of the Beetle at the Chicago Auto Show have been scrapped because the molding machine that creates the collectible cars broke at the Detroit Auto Show and won't be fixed in time to make the trip to Chicago.
To make up for the lack of the plastic cars, VW will display its 1998 model Beetle that goes on sale in March. However, showgoers will not be given free copies of these collectible cars, which start at $15,200.
Saab by the numbers: Saab showed its new 9-5 and 9-3 models in Detroit before bringing them to Chicago. The 9-5 will replace the 9000 series, the 9-3 the 900 series. Both go on sale in April.
The 9-5 has two engine choices, a 2.3-liter, 170-h.p. 4 and a 3-liter, 200-h.p. V-6. The 9-3 comes only with a 2-liter, 180-h.p. turbocharged 4.
The 9-5 also features the industry's first ventilated front seats as well as the first Active Head Restraint, which limits front-seat occupants' head movements in a rear-end collision. The system has been dubbed the "catcher's mitt."
Also, starting in the fall, all '99 Saabs will offer OnStar, the satellite-based personal security and convenience system developed by its partner, General Motors.
Audi audacious: Audi has developed a concept that combines the comfort and convenience of luxury car with the all-road, all-weather capability of a sport-utility.
The All-Road Quattro, the vehicle features adjustable ground clearance to automatically lower its height at high speeds to improve aerodynamics and road-holding capability.
Gerd Klaus, chairman of Audi of America, called the concept the "next logical step" for Audi in its "unSUV" strategy of offering cars with sport-utility capability.
Targa party: In Detroit, Mitsubishi took the wraps off the SST, a vehicle with styling cues similar to ones considered for the next-generation Eclipse coming out in the 2000 model year, and perhaps some of the design flare for the next 3000GT. The design is highlighted by a series of horizontal grilles upfront and deeply grooved doors along the sides. The SST will be displayed with a removable Targa roof at the Chicago Auto Show.
One to go: Oldsmobile nearly has its revamped product line in place now that the compact Alero is preparing to arrive in showrooms in June or July to replace the Achieva.
Alero will be bigger than Achieva and is built off the same platform as the '99 Pontiac Grand Am, which goes on sale this spring.
There's one model to go to round out what Olds calls its Centennial lineup. That's a replacement for the 88, which will appear in about a year as the Aurora and be offered with a choice of V-6 or V-8 engines. When that new Aurora arrives the current one will be dropped.
Several GM sources said the Olds' game plan also calls for the new midsize Cutlass to disappear, too, once plants are turning out enough midsize Aleros.
But in an interview, GM Chairman Jack Smith said Cutlass is selling so well, that scenario might change. Stay tuned.
Gotta fly: Jaguar became the first automaker to introduce an airplane at an auto show when it used Detroit to unveil the Jaguar Special Edition Beech King Air C90B, with a cream-colored fuselage featuring British racing green stripes, a leaping jaguar on the tail and jaguar faces embossed into the Connolly leather seats. The plane is a joint-venture between Raytheon Aircraft, maker of business aircraft, and Jaguar. Raytheon will make 12 Jaguar edition planes annually with prices starting at $2.6 million. And, oh, yes, it has cupholders.
TLC for TL-X: Acura is giving consumers an early look at the redesign of its TL sedan coming this fall by spotlighting the Acura TL-X concept on the auto-show circuit. The TL, you may recall, replaced the Vigor.
The TL-X sports a "smart adaptive cruise control" that detects obstacles in front of the car and automatically adjusts the car's speed and distance from the obstacle.
The '99 TL will be built at Honda's Marysville, Ohio, plant and sold in the U.S. as well as exported to Japan. Acura is forecasting sales of 40,000 units annually, double that of the current model.
Meanwhile Richard Thomas, executive vice president of Acura, said the automaker will bring out a new or substantially revised model each year for the next five years.
All for one?: Richard Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda, said Isuzu will continue to supply Honda with a version of the Isuzu Rodeo sport-utility, which Honda calls the Passport.
But, sources said, Isuzu won't get a version of the new Accord-based front-wheel-drive mini-van Honda will bring out this fall as a '99 model, which is expected to replace the Odyssey.
Honda now supplies Isuzu with a version of Odyssey, which Isuzu calls Oasis.
And when asked whether Isuzu will have to drop Oasis when and if Odyssey is dropped, Honda would only say, "That's speculative."


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NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- CHANGE IN RATINGS Domino's Pizza ( DPZ) was upgraded to buy at TheStreet Ratings. FireEye ( FEYE) was initiated with a buy rating at Nomura. $51 price target. Company can gain share in the security market, Nomura said. FireEye was initiated with a neutral rating at Goldman Sachs. Valuation call, based on a $35 price target, Goldman said. Rocket Fuel ( FUEL) was initiated with a neutral rating at Credit Suisse. $60 price target. Valuation call, as the stock is up a quick 118%, Credit Suisse said.
Read: Tesla Jumps on Upgrade L Brands ( LTD) was initiated with a hold rating at Keybanc. Company has a strong market share but already trades at a reasonable valuation, Keybanc said. Microsoft ( MSFT) was upgraded at Jefferies to buy from hold. Earnings were also increased through 2014 as there is increased optimism on operational capabilities and product line, Jefferies said. $42 price target. ClubCorp Holdings ( MYCC) was initiated with a buy rating at Jefferies. $20 price target. Company generates steady recurring revenue with strong growth potential, Jefferies said. NOV) was initiated with a neutral rating at Robert Baird. $82 price target. Company has choppy sales and earnings prospects, Robert Baird said. Insulet ( PODD) was initiated with a buy rating at Benchmark. $44 price target. Omnipod has seen a strong market response and can continue to drive growth, Benchmark said. Qualcomm ( QCOM) was initiated with a buy rating at Stifel Nicolaus. $80 price target. Company can continue to grow along with the LTE market, Stifel Nicolaus said. Ruby Tuesday ( RT) was downgraded to sell at TheStreet Ratings. Transocean ( RIG) was downgraded at Argus to hold from buy. Lower deep-water demand may cut into earnings growth potential. Teradata ( TDC) was downgraded at Morgan Stanley to equal-weight. Company is seeing slower sales growth, which could cut into the valuation multiple, Morgan Stanley said. TDW) was upgraded at Argus to buy from hold. $69 price target. The offshore drilling market has secular growth potential, and the company has more predictable earnings growth potential than its peers, Argus said.
Tesla ( TSLA) was upgraded at Wedbush to outperform from neutral. $240 price target. Survey results are indicating higher third-generation market potential, Wedbush said. Veco ( VECO) was downgraded at Oppenheimer to perform from outperform. Company still has accounting issues and could be facing a near-term earnings correction, Oppenheimer said. Valero ( VLO) was upgraded at Howard Weill to outperform. $43 price target. Valuation call, as negative investor sentiment has likely peaked, Weill said.


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CAN THO – To boost domestic tourism after the coronavirus pandemic ends, a program to offer promotional tourism products and enhance the quality of services provided in the Mekong Delta will take place from June 1 to December this year, as part of the joint efforts of 13 provinces in the delta.
The program was announced at a conference to discuss major steps to be taken to fuel the recovery of tourism held by the Mekong Delta Tourism Association on May 29 in Can Tho City.
At the event, representatives of travel units in the 13 provinces approved a list of 100 tourism service providers and operators of lodging facilities who have pledged to offer discounts of 5-20% under the program to boost tourism.
Tran Huu Hiep, vice president of the Mekong Delta Tourism Association, said that the program is aimed at attracting local tourists from other localities to visit the delta, eventually paving the way for further measures to be undertaken to restore the international segment.
He noted that the association would continue to encourage more tour operators to join the program and enhance tourism between localities, travel firms and tourism organizations.
It will prioritize cooperation with HCMC and select Can Tho, Kien Giang and Bac Lieu as major areas to execute the program. It will also call on reputed travel businesses to participate.
Nguyen Khanh Tung, director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Can Tho, stated that the Mekong Delta city has worked out a long-term plan to initiate the recovery of tourism in coordination with HCMC.
Tung also suggested organizing various tours—Hanoi-Can Tho-Kien Giang-Phu Quoc, Hanoi-Can Tho-Con Dao and Can Tho-Hau Giang—in cooperation with other localities outside the delta.
The director remarked that a high-speed boat service connecting Can Tho with Con Dao in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province and tour services on the Victoria Mekong yacht between Can Tho and Chau Doc will be launched on July 1, in addition to new travel services set to be rolled out in early May at community tourism and ecotourism sites.
As for travel businesses, Le Dinh Minh Thy, director of Vietravel’s Mekong Delta branch, said her company intends to offer safe tourism activities preferred by visitors such as island and beach tours or tours to the airy countryside in the delta.
Vietravel will also team up with localities to offer interprovincial or tailor-made tours to families and young travelers. The firm will boost tourism by keeping tour prices unchanged and enhancing the quality of services.
According to Dang Minh Viet, head representative of the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines in Can Tho, the carrier resumed services on domestic routes linking Can Tho with Hanoi and Danang from April 17 and offers attractive airfares. It will reopen more domestic routes from June 2 to encourage local tourists to travel.
By Huynh Kim


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Last December, Qualcomm revealed its flagship Snapdragon 865 SoC at the Snapdragon Tech Summit 2019 held in Hawaii, which will power all the premium flagship smartphones getting released this year. The company recently shared an 8K video sample using Snapdragon 865 powered smartphone.
The 8K video sample above is recorded using a prototype 865 smartphone equipped with a Sony IMX586 image sensor in Arizona last November, before the launch. The sceneries covered in the video sample include the Grand Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, and the Petroglyphs near Antelope Canyon.
According to Qualcomm, Smartphones with Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 can capture professional image quality, and will pack exciting new camera features including 8K video capture. 8K video is loaded with 33-megapixels per frame — so it’s big, sharp, and can be shared in its full glory on YouTube.
Qualcomm credits its new Spectra 480 Image Signal Processor (ISP) present in the Snapdragon 865 for making this possible. In case you run out the loop, the Spectra 480 ISP procedures images and videos at a blazingly quick 2 Gigapixels per second. It supports as much as 200MP and makes it possible for numerous functions consisting of unrestricted HD 960fps slo-mo video recording, 8K video recording, 4K HDR, and more.
To know more about the Snapdragon 865 processor, click here.
Smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi is already confirmed to equip the Mi 10 series with SD 865 processor, and the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S20 series may also come with the same processor.


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Prof. Dr. Amnart Theeravanich, President, the Dairy Farming Promotion Organization of Thailand (D.P.O.), revealed that to relieve the oversupply of raw milk and to venture into new market areas, the D.P.O is investing $9 million to increase capacity at its Khon Kaen and Saraburi plants in the northeast of Thailand. In addition, a new factory will be built in Chiang Mai in northern Thailand. When all is completed by 2011, an added 200 tonnes of production per day is expected.
Realizing the 20% increase in the teen consumer market, the company will launch more marketing activities to capture that market. Part of the plan is to launch new products connected to health and beauty trends, such as low-fat and organic dairy products. Arriving soon are rebranding and new package designs in order to freshen and modernize brand image.
Thai Danish Milk export sales remain healthy; especially exports to neighbouring countries such as Laos and Cambodia. (Negotiations with Myanmar are already underway.)
D.P.O. is confident a target revenue of $179 million for 2009 is achievable from $164 million in 2008. The company currently holds a 33% market share in Thailand’s $1 billion dairy market behind Foremost, which holds a 50% market share.


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Corium International, Five9 IPOs both fall short of expectations
A pair of Bay Area companies — Corium International and Five9 — fell well short of their expected price ranges when they went public this week.
The low-priced offerings came a week after Aerohive Networks CEO David Flynn warned that the IPO market had become choppy just before his company's shares struggled to hold their initial price of $10 on Friday. The Sunnyvale company's stock closed Thursday at $10.97.
The Corium and Five9 offerings were the first local IPOs of the second quarter, bringing the total so far in 2014 to 11. When the first quarter ended on Monday all of the other newly public companies from the region were trading above their IPO prices.
IPO research firm Renaissance International reported this week that there were more U.S. IPOs than in any first quarter since 2000 as 64 companies raised $10.6 billion. That is double the number from last year's first quarter.
Drug delivery patch developer Corium sold its initial shares at $8, below its target range of between $10 and $12. Its stock then finished flat at $8 in its Nasdaq debut on Thursday.
The Menlo Park company led by CEO Peter Staple nonetheless raised $52 million after it increased the number of shares it sold to 6.5 million from the orginal 5.5 million it had planned.
Corium's revenue rose from $35.7 million in 2012 to $37.7 million in 2013. During that time its net loss more than doubled from $5.4 million to $13.9 million.
Contact center software provider Five9 sold its shares Thursday at $7 each in a $70 million IPO. The San Ramon company led by CEO Mike Burkland had been expected to sell its initial shares at between $9 and $11.
Cromwell Schubarth is the Senior Technology Reporter at the Silicon Valley Business Journal.
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SURVEY: £500m windfall from extra bank holiday
By Rob Freeman | 26th May 2020
An extra bank holiday in October could be worth £500million to the UK economy as it recovers from the coronavirus pandemic, according to one leading economist.
Tourist agency VisitBritain has proposed the additional holiday to help the tourism industry recoup some of the £37billion in lost income during the crisis.
The Government is believed to be considering the proposal, probably during the scheduled half term holiday.
And Douglas McWilliams, deputy chairman of the Centre for Economics and Business Research, has predicted the £500million lift - despite the organisation's 2012 estimation that an average bank holiday cost the UK £2.3billion.
He said: "This year it would be quite likely that the boosts to spending from an extra bank holiday after a period of enforced abstinence might well be double the usual boost, adding up to as much as £440million.
"There could well be a further stimulus from tourism boosting the UK economy by an additional £50million."
The CEBR has lowered its estimation of the cost of days off in recent years with fewer factories shut for the day and Mr McWilliams went as far as suggesting a four-day working week.
He said: "If one additional day off is a good thing, what about making it permanent and moving to a four-day week as is being suggested for New Zealand?
"Our assessment is cautiously positive, though making it work would require decisions to constrain public spending and to ensure business costs did not rise."Create your own user feedback survey
British workers have an average of 28 paid days off per year, a figure which ranges from 30-40 days across the EU.
The extra bank holiday in October was made by VisitBritain's acting chief executive Patricia Yates to MPs last week.
She told the Commons digital, culture, media and sport committee: "Because the industry has lost the benefit of the two May bank holidays, I think that's an idea that is being considered, to have an October bank holiday around half term.
"What we are going to need to do is generate people not just in July and August."
The British Beer & Pub Association says remaining closed over the bank holiday weekend - which coincided with the FA Cup final will have costs its members 10 million pint sales.
Chief executive Emma McClarkin said: "This bank holiday would usually bring a much-needed boost to our sector.
"With such good weather, Brits would normally flock to their local pub beer garden to make the most of the sunshine.
"We welcome the idea of an additional bank holiday in October and support and government help to boost the speed of recovery of pubs and breweries."
Copyright 2020 Moose Partnership Ltd. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any content is strictly forbidden without prior permission.


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PCs are in a difficult place right now. On one hand, they are being segregated in a wide range of form factors, and on the other, their revenue, as well as sales, have been drastically declining as advanced components continue to elongate their lives. The situation is even more befouled for Microsoft who is struggling to widespread Windows 10. The new MacBook Pro’s poor reception has certainly helped, however, it’s still utterly impossible to lure in loyal Mac users. Therefore, there’s not a whole lot of room for PC makers currently to work with.
Furthermore, tablets and Chromebooks have gotten substantially better over the last year, and customers have actually begun to consider them while looking for their next computer. These underestimated categories of computing devices have been aggressively snatching Windows’ share under Microsoft’s nose. Everything put together, it’s not difficult to understand why PC sales have been plummeting for five straight years.
So, is there any way for Microsoft to come out of this deadlock?
Actually, yes. For Microsoft and Windows computers in general, targeting the high-end price category isn’t viable mainly due to the scarcity of share it accounts for and Apple’s sturdy hold onto it. On the contrary, the entry-level segment, which is gradually being subjugated by Google’s Chrome OS, is the only option for Microsoft to extend its reach. Moreover, cheap Windows laptops are still terrible (except for a few), and this is Microsoft’s only chance to recede slightly and focus on it. Chromebooks and tablets (primarily the iPad Pro) as primary workstations are a niche mainly because the majority of consumers don’t prefer such a limited environment to work in. If Microsoft manages to devise an operating system which can swiftly function on low-end hardware, their sales, in my opinion, will be back on track in a couple of quarters.
And that’s exactly what Microsoft is trying to achieve right now. For starters, the company recently showcased its plans for the “Cellular PCs” which will allow them to run the complete desktop Windows 10 on mobile processors. This will fundamentally remould what users think of Windows and of course, it will also bring significantly cheaper computers. Obviously, this won’t happen until a few years and that’s where Microsoft’s Windows 10 Cloud OS will enter which at the time of writing this article, hasn’t been announced but a slew of rumors have sort of confirmed its existence.
Enters Microsoft’s Ultimate Take on Chrome OS – Windows 10 Cloud
Windows 10 Cloud will be Microsoft’s most crucial attempt at attaining the market they haven’t paid attention to in the recent times. If the current leaks are to be believed, the Redmond giant is working on a simplified version of its Windows OS that will run Microsoft’s Universal apps from the Windows Store and will be oriented around its cloud services. This will definitely give rise to a whole new breed of low-cost computers, something which Google has been leading with through Chromebooks. Moreover, Microsoft will possibly return to the educational sector, another area where Chrome OS have been largely popular especially in the US. This will not only improve Windows’ declining sales but also, push Microsoft’s dream for a Billion users further into reality.
Also Read: How Microsoft is Trying to Shape the Future of Personal Computing
Microsoft is surely not falling back as the numbers suggest. Their continuous efforts to accentuate Windows’ capabilities and lift it from the slump period, certainly seem promising at this stage. We’ll need to wait for at least April to know for sure what Microsoft is really planning here. Will it be a reckless ambush on the entire share Chrome OS, tablets cover or something that will reinvigorate the entire PC market?


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AB Mauri has signed an exclusive agreement to distribute BARLEYmax – which provides twice the dietary fibre than conventional cereal varieties like barley, wheat and oats – to help consumers in Great Britain and Ireland overcome the detrimental ‘fibre...
Japanese conglomerate Teijin Limited has forged a partnership with Spanish distributor Emilio Peña SA (EPSA) to sell the highly nutritious BARLEYmax, which punches in with 15x more dietary fibre than rolled barley.
Australia’s national science agency CSIRO and vegetable producer Fresh Select have jointly established a new food manufacturing company, Nutri V who will upcycle surplus vegetables into powders and snacks.
Australian grain specialist firm The Healthy Grain has grand plans to develop a novel source of naturally gluten-free barley for food and beverage firms seeking a healthier, less-allergenic alternative ingredient.
The Food Ingredient business of Japanese conglomerate Teijin Group has introduced BARLEYmax onto the European market to enable producers capitalise on the growing demand for gut health, as well as overall health & wellbeing.


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With rising investor interest in foreign assets, leading brokerage Geojit Financial Services on Thursday launched a global investment platform to help its customers invest in American and other global assets through a single account from anywhere in the world.
Accordingly, Kochi-based Geojit has partnered with New York-based global wealth management services platform Stockal to develop an AI-powered global investment platform that will help domestic investors diversify their portfolio by investing in global equities, the brokerage said in a statement.
Quoting market data, Geojit said that since the beginning of 2020, thousands of domestic retail investors have invested over Rs 350 crore in overseas markets.
Stockdeal founder and Chief Executive Sitashwa Srivastava said his platform on an average executes nearly $2 million in transactions every day from India.
Till date, Indian investors have invested Rs 1,200 crore into equity-index ETFs, large-cap technology stocks such as Apple, Amazon, Google, Netflix, Facebook and Microsoft, Tesla, commodity ETFs like gold, silver and oil and treasury ETFs, through the Stockdeal platform, Srivastava said.
Geojit expects the platform to benefit its over 1 million customers as well as other retail investors, high-networth investors, ex-NRIs and expat IT professionals who want to invest in global assets.
The brokerage said that to begin with, it will offer access to US stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETF) and other American asset classes.
In the second phase, it will add other key global markets such as Britain, Japan, Hong Kong, Germany and Singapore.
Geojit offers one of the lowest price offerings for trading with no minimum amount balance and low commissions as well as BPS-based pricing for high AUM wealth investors and traders.
So, buying or selling shares of popular US stocks like Google, Apple, Amazon and Netflix will be more convenient on its global investment platform, it said.
Currently, Geojit offers services in over 4,000 stocks and ETFs.
In addition, it also offers its clients facilities like digital on-boarding with e-KYC, proprietary tools and algorithms, which process 8.5 million data points to help investors make informed decisions, among others.
The company has also tied up with three domestic banks to facilitate online fund remittance through liberalised remittance scheme to help investors.
Geojit Executive Director Satish Menon said that currently, investors are showing strong intent to spread risk and expand equity investment horizon across geographies.
There has been a substantial increase in demand from HNWIs, retail investors and those who track global equities for investing in global equities."Our global investment platform will help them explore investment opportunities in well-regulated markets and build risk-adjusted global investment portfolio. With us, investing in global market becomes as effortless as investing locally,” Menon said.


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Robi launches “Parbe Tumio”—celebrating resilience of the people of Bangladesh
Robi Axiata Limited has launched an exciting new campaign titled "Parbe Tumio"- celebrating the incredible resilience of the people of Bangladesh. The campaign is centred around the idea of overcoming obstacles and moving forward—a concept that not only resonates with today's generation but with the entire nation.
Robi is proud to be the digital partner that helps people move forward on their journey. The leading digital services provider continues to maintain leadership in 4G market with 55.4% of the total subscribers being 4G users. This is the highest proportion of 4G users among all the operators in the industry. With the completion of a recent network enhancement project, Robi has also ensured 98.5% population coverage of its 4G network with a total of 16,073 4G sites countrywide. These initiatives have already significantly improved 4.5G internet experience by almost doubling data speed especially for 4G smartphone users.
Our customers from across the country have achieved remarkable milestones in life with the power of Robi 4.5G Supernet. From setting up successful F-commerce businesses and startups, to learning new skills and even earning through freelancing, there are quite a few success stories nationwide that have been facilitated by the superior internet experience of Robi 4.5G.
With this new brand philosophy, Robi is launching a TV commercial starring Safa Kabir as the lead protagonist. This is accompanied by nationwide branding as well as other promotional activities on all online and offline touchpoints, all of which are centred around this inspirational vision.
Commenting on the initiative, Robi's Chief Commercial Officer, Shihab Ahmed said, "Robi has not only strengthened its countrywide 4.5G footprint and internet experience but also launched diverse range of digital services to facilitate the journeys of people towards success. This insight inspired us to introduce Robi's latest campaign, 'Parbe Tumio'."
Robi's Chief Executive Officer, Rajeev Sethi said, "With this campaign, we intend to reiterate the indomitable spirit of the people of this country to move forward against all odds. Ensuring 98.5% 4G population coverage, we are ready and eager to company you in your life's journey towards success."
Robi Axiata Limited ("Robi") is a public limited company, where Asian telecom giant, Axiata Group Berhad, based in Malaysia, holds the majority shareholding (61.82%). Aside from the public shareholders (10%), the global telecom giant, Bharti Airtel, headquartered in New Delhi, India, holds 28.18% of shares in the company. Robi is the second largest mobile network operator in Bangladesh creating new digital experiences for the people of the country. Through sustained investment Robi has created a robust telecom infrastructure to deliver innovation to all corners of the country. In addition to delivering its innovative digital products and services, the country-wide telecom infrastructure serves as the key enabler for the growing digital eco-system of the country. Be it urban or rural, people find their way to Digital Bangladesh through Robi.


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Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo Will Reportedly Be PS5 and PC Exclusive for a Year
In a new video from PlayStation, Bethesda's Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo will both be PlayStation 5 exclusive for at least a year.
With the PlayStation 5 finally out, there are plenty of next-gen games to look forward to in the next year or so. Among the games releasing in 2021 are Bethesda’s Ghostwire: Tokyo and Deathloop. In a new video highlighting upcoming PS5 games, it was confirmed that both Bethesda games will be PC and PS5 console exclusive for at least a year.
Towards the bottom of the screen when footage appears for both games, there are disclaimers saying they won’t be able to appear on other consoles till at least 12 months after launch. The message at the bottom of the screen also points out the games will be available on PC as well. In addition to these games, the video also shows off footage for Square-Enix’s Project Athia which will apparently be a PS5 console exclusive for two years.
Deathloop, the latest game from Arkane Lyon, was first announced during Bethesda’s E3 2019 press conference. The game follows two assassins as they’re stuck in a time loop on Blackreef Island. In order to break the time loop, it’s up to you to assassinate eight main targets. It was supposed to be a PS5 launch window game but Bethesda delayed it to May 2021.
Like Deathloop, Tango Gameworks’ Ghostwire: Tokyo was announced during Bethesda’s E3 2019 conference. The game is set in a version of Tokyo where most of the population has vanished due to supernatural beings. In September 2019, creative director Ikumi Nakamura announced she had left the studio for unknown reasons. Even without Nakamura’s direction, the game was shown off back in June alongside a new gameplay trailer.
Deathloop launches on the PlayStation 5 and PC on May 21, 2021. Currently, there’s no release date set for Ghostwire: Tokyo but it’ll release on PS5 and PC sometime next year. Stay tuned to DualShockers for more news on those games and so many more.


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Decrypt’s Art, Fashion, and Entertainment Hub.
On social media, false claims can spread like wildfire—even well after the source media has been deleted.
Roblox has denied that it will support XRP payments, despite claims that spread widely on Tuesday, telling Decrypt that any suggestion that gamers could buy Robux to pay for in-game items with Ripple’s XRP token is “inaccurate.”
The rumors began swirling late Monday when payments processor BitPay tweeted that users could begin using Ripple’s XRP token for Xsolla payments in supported games—and tagged the free-to-play games Roblox and Smite.
“Xsolla now accepts XRP with BitPay as a payment method for their games such as Smite and Roblox,” BitPay wrote in a now-deleted post. “You can use your favorite cryptocurrency to buy, play, and enjoy gaming like never before,” the post claimed.
When asked why the tweet was deleted, BitPay CMO Bill Zielke told Decrypt via email: “There was an error in the tweet. We will have more tweets about merchants accepting crypto in the near future. Stay tuned.”
Despite the post’s removal, however, rumors quickly spread, with the news being misinterpreted as Roblox “integrating” XRP into its payment offerings. One tweet from prominent crypto investor Scott Melker, with about 270,000 views at time of writing, creates a false link between Roblox and the cryptocurrency, and further claims that the “news” suggests a better “legal climate” for the token.
But such claims are unverified and lack a valid source. Roblox told Decrypt via email that such claims—including the idea that Roblox is “teaming up” with BitPay to bring XRP to gamers—are simply false.
“The info isn’t accurate,” a Roblox representative told Decrypt.
“Unfortunately, we’ve seen quite a few articles on this and the info is inaccurate,” another Roblox spokesperson told Decrypt, adding that while Xsolla is indeed one of Roblox’s payment providers, Roblox does not enable cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or XRP as a payment method. The rep further noted that BitPay's tweet had been removed due to the incorrect information.
A quick test of the purchase process for Robux in-game currency via Roblox’s website shows the only U.S. payment options are as follows: credit card, debit card, gift card, PayPal, Venmo, Klarna, CVS Pharmacy payments, or a Paysafecard (a type of prepaid cash card).
Reached for comment, a representative for Xsolla told Decrypt via email: “We offer payment options for developers to use across their platforms. BitPay is just one of those.”
Xsolla also stated that it had nothing to do with the now-deleted BitPay post. According to Xsolla’s website, the tech firm provided a gift card solution for Roblox in 2020 and is listed as a payment provider on Roblox’s website for credit card charges. Xsolla also provides payment solutions for numerous other gaming companies like Valve, Twitch, Epic Games, and Krafton, to name a few.
Edited by Andrew Hayward


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Lahore (web Desk): The Punjab Food Authority has informed the Supreme Court that samples of 30 dairy and 313 drinking water companies had been collected and sent to its laboratory for analysis.
A two member bench of the apex court heard a petition against sale of substandard milk and drinking water.
PFA Director General Noorul Amin Mengal informed the court that strict action would be taken if samples of any company were declared substandard. He also filed a report showing action against milk products of poor quality.
The report stated that Dalda Dairies was sealed for manufacturing substandard liquid whitener (Cup Shup), Al-Fajar Dairy & Foods Ltd was also sealed while Acha Dairies was fined for not meeting the criteria required under the Punjab Pure Food Rules 2011.
The report revealed the PFA had canceled licence of Al-Fazal Foods for repeated violations of the rules and standards for running a food business. It further said the milk production of Doce Foods was stopped and it was also served with notice to remove shortcomings. A fine of Rs 500,000 was imposed on the company.
The report disclosed that Gourmet Foods had improved its shortcomings regarding microbiological issues in fresh milk. However, the bench, being unimpressed by the report, directed the PFA DG to submit a comprehensive report on the matter.
A report of the PCSIR, previously filed with the court, stated that except Haleeb Milk, all samples taken from UHT (ultra-high-temperature) standardised milk manufacturers were found fit for human consumption. While the report on pasteurised milk said all samples, except Prema milk, were found to be unfit for human consumption.


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Sony Interactive Entertainment officially announces the impending release of two different bundle options for its virtual reality headset, PlayStation VR.
According to recently calculated market research, ever since the release of its PlayStation VR headset, Sony Interactive Entertainment has been controlling the market share of the medium, which has allowed the company to dominate its competition in both the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. With this being the case, Sony seems intent to continue its strong lead ahead of the other players in virtual reality by announcing its intentions to release two new PlayStation VR bundles.
As originally reported by GameSpot, Sony officially made the announcement today that it’s going to bring back the PlayStation VR “Launch Bundle” that was available for pre-order prior to the headset’s release date in October. For those unaware, this bundle in particular will contain the PS VR headset itself, as well as a PlayStation camera, two PlayStation Move controllers, the collection of games known as PlayStation VR Worlds, and finally, a virtual reality demo disc. The only essential item missing is the PS4 console, so interested parties who already have the system should know that the bundle is set to arrive in stores next week for $500.
In addition to the PlayStation VR bundle with Worlds, Sony has also revealed plans to offer a package focused around the on-rails shooter spinoff for Until Dawn, Until Dawn: Rush of Blood. This specific bundle will contain all of the same items found in the bundle with PlayStation VR Worlds, except for Rush of Blood being switched out in place of Worlds. According to Sony, it is going to be available at GameStop and EB Games “later this month” for $500 as well.
Although neither of the titles to be included in these two PlayStation VR bundles are generally considered to be among the best VR games of 2016, they still ought to offer a solid experience for those looking to dip their toes into Sony’s take on the virtual reality experience. After all, the bundles are intended to be primers for what the hardware can offer initially, as Sony is surely hoping for fans to couple their purchase of the packages with another game like Batman: Arkham VR or Resident Evil 7.
About a month ago, Sony’s Chief Executive Officer Kazuo Hirai applauded the PlayStation VR on its “great start,” and he called the momentum of the PlayStation 4’s sales since its release “very strong.” As of now, the company has revealed more than 50 million PS4 units have been moved so far, with projections to hit 60 million in 2017. Bearing all of this in mind, it’s safe to say that Sony is hoping the imminent availability of the two aforementioned PlayStation VR bundles will goose PS4 sales to help hit its target projections.
PlayStation VR is available now.


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Major global brands are unintentionally contributing to the expansion of Unreliable Artificial Intelligence-Generated News websites (UAINs) by directing programmatic advertising funds to them, according to an analysis by NewsGuard.
Programmatic advertising is an automated process that places ads on websites without regard to their content, leading to ads from major brands being displayed on UAIN sites. These sites generate large volumes of articles daily, enabling them to attract a high number of programmatic ads.
NewsGuard defines UAINs as websites that operate with minimal human oversight and primarily publish articles created by bots. It recently increased the number of sites on its UAIN site tracker from 49 to 217, indicating the rapid proliferation of such sites.
In May and June 2023, NewsGuard identified 393 programmatic ads from 141 major brands on 55 UAINs. Most of these ads were served by Google Ads. The brands likely had no knowledge of their ads appearing on these sites due to the opaque nature of programmatic advertising.
These unreliable AI-driven websites included brands from various sectors, such as banks, financial firms, luxury department stores, sports apparel, appliance manufacturers, consumer technology companies, global e-commerce companies, broadband providers, streaming services, a digital platform, and a supermarket chain.
Many of the UAINs were found to use AI tools to rewrite articles from mainstream news outlets without providing credit, while some were identified as promoting unproven and potentially harmful natural health remedies.
Google, despite its policy against ‘’spammy automatically-generated content,’’ was found to be the primary platform serving ads on the UAINs. NewsGuard found more than 90% of the ads identified on UAINs were served by Google Ads.
NewsGuard only began tracking UAINs in May of this year and can usually only identify these automated news sites when they publish recognisable error messages created by AI models. This means that the actual number of sites using AI to mindlessly plagiarise work from other platforms to generate traffic is much larger.
Indeed, a future web filled with re-purposed junk continues to be a significant concern about the deployment of new AI language models. In a web dominated by Google’s search engine and advertising services, clicks and traffic have been the primary way for businesses and individuals online to get noticed and get paid. Entire search-engine-optimisation industries have grown around the need to develop an online presence that gets onto the first page of Google.
With the ever-decreasing cost of AI-generated text, there is a serious financial incentive for anyone able to push out automated content that gets even a small amount of clicks. Major publications like Gizmodo and CNET have also begun publishing articles written wholly by AI.
All of this begins to conjure up a vision of an internet filled with algorithmic babble, the same story rewritten a hundred ways with nothing new to say. While some version of this future seems unavoidable, it is also unsustainable. Current AI methods are great at collecting, synthesising, and rewriting content but are not meant to generate novel information.
Automated content farms need real people to see things happening in the world and write stories for their AI to plagiarise. As an abundance of AI plagiarism pushes publications to put their content behind a paywall, automated content seems likely to become a snake eating its own tail.
James Browning is a freelance tech writer and local music journalist.


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On July 8, 2019, the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (“ICO”) announced that it intends to fine British Airways (“BA”), which is owned by International Consolidated Airlines Group, S.A., £183,390,000 (approximately $230,000,000) for violating the EU General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”). This is the first fine to be announced publicly by the ICO under the GDPR and hints at the tough stance it is likely to take with regard to future breaches.
The data breach, which is believed to have commenced in June 2018, occurred when traffic to BA’s website was diverted to a fraudulent site. As a result, personal data such as payment card, travel booking, names, addresses and log-in details was harvested. The breach was notified by BA to the ICO on September 6, 2018, but the full extent of the incident was not understood at that time. It later became clear that approximately 500,000 customers were affected.
In its statement today, the ICO blamed the incident on poor security measures taken to protect customers’ data. The proposed fine represents 1.5% of BA’s 2017 worldwide revenue, but could have been higher as the ICO has the power under the GDPR to levy a fine of up to 4% of worldwide revenue.
In imposing a fine, the ICO takes into account steps that a company has taken to mitigate the impact of a breach and to address any underlying issues. In this instance, the proposed fine is significant regardless of the ICO’s acknowledgement that BA had made improvements to its security arrangements and cooperated with the ICO’s investigation into the incident.
The ICO has investigated the incident as BA’s lead supervisory authority under the GPDR’s “one stop shop” system. Data protection authorities in other EU Member States with residents who have been affected by the incident will have an opportunity to comment on the ICO’s findings before a final decision is made.
Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham commented: “[W]hen you are entrusted with personal data you must look after it. Those that don’t will face scrutiny from my office to check they have taken appropriate steps to protect fundamental privacy rights.”
BA apologized to its customers but added that it was “surprised and disappointed” at the finding. BA is expected to appeal the fine, but has already suffered a drop in its share price as a result of the ICO’s announcement.
Update: The ICO issued a reduced fine of £20,000,000 on October 16, 2020, following representations from BA.


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Celgard files patent suit against Sumitomo
Celgard has filed a federal patent-infringement case against Sumitomo Chemical Co. The suit accuses the Japanese company of selling pirated lithium-battery parts to customers such as Panasonic Corp.
It asks the court to force Sumitomo to stop making and selling the parts; pay unspecified damages that would amount to “no less than a reasonable royalty fee” on the parts it already manufactured, and pay triple punitive damages.
Celgard is a subsidiary of Charlotte-based Polypore International. The subsidiary has large production plants in Charlotte and Concord with 600 employees.
Celgard makes separators for lithium-ion batteries that are used in electric vehicles and consumer devices such as computers, cell phones and tablets. Sumitomo is one of the world’s largest chemical companies and is a competitor in the separator business.
Celgard says in September it told Sumitomo that it was making and selling separators that infringe on a patent Celgard holds. It cites as an example separators that Sumitomo sells to Panasonic to out in its NCR18650 batteries that power Pansonic’s Toughbook laptop computers. Celgard alleges Sumitomo makes a “substantial profit” from the sale of the improperly manufactured separators. “Celgard has been and continues to be damaged by Sumitomo Chemical’s infringement,” the suit says.
Celgard filed the case Friday in the U.S. District Court in Charlotte.
John Downey covers the energy industry and public companies for the Charlotte Business Journal.
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CNN reports that “Toyota has agreed to pay more than $32 million in penalties after two federal investigations that faulted the Japanese automaker for its handling of recent auto recalls.” This announcement came from the U.S. Transportation Department this past Monday.
According to CNN, the Transportation Department announced these fines “are the steepest allowed by law.” The news source explains the two fines add up to $32.4 million, with one at $16.375 million and the other totaling $16.05 million.
The CNN story explains these fines “come amid on ongoing investigation that Toyota did not comply with federal requirements when it came to reporting safety defects to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.” According to CNN, these most recent penalties come in addition to a $16.375 million fine Toyota paid in April “for failing to notify the safety officials within five days of learning of the ‘sticky pedal’ effect, which caused some of its cars to accelerate with no way to slow down.”
CNN reports that both the Transportation Department and Toyota said they were pleased with these recent legal settlements. According to the news source, “Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood applauded the settlement, saying he expects ‘Toyota to work cooperatively in the future to ensure consumers’ safety.’”
In a statement released by Toyota’s chief quality officer for North America, Steve St. Angelo, CNN reports the company said it was “‘pleased to have resolved these legacy issues.’” St. Angelo went on to explain that “‘These agreements are an opportunity to turn the page to an even more constructive relationship with (federal safety authorities) and focus even more on listening to our customers and meeting their high expectations for safe and reliable vehicles,’” CNN reports.
However, CNN reports this latest announcement is just one “in a string of recent setbacks for Toyota.” Most recently, this November “Toyota announced a ‘limited service campaign’ to fix cooling pumps on 378,000 Toyota Prius hybrid cars in North America,” while a California federal judge “tentatively ruled that dozens of Toyota vehicle owners who filed a class-action lawsuit against the automaker over alleged mechanical defects can proceed with their case,” CNN explains.
According to CNN, the class-action suit is “the first major U.S. civil action against Toyota since the automaker recalled millions of vehicles stemming from ‘sudden unexpected acceleration’ and brake defects.”
If you or a loved one owns one of the affected Toyota models and have experienced problems with sudden unintended acceleration or stuck accelerators, contact Newsome Law Firm and fill out a case evaluation form today. Our team of attorneys has experience specific to complications associated with automobile recalls. Not only can they give you the legal guidance you need, they can help you get the compensation you deserve.
CNN Wire Staff. (December 21, 2010) “Toyota to pay U.S. $32.4 million over recalls.” Retrieved on December 22, 2010 from CNN.


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Company will initially concentrate on HSS twist drills.
TDC Cutting Tools Inc., one of the fastest growing cutting tool manufacturing companies in the world, and one of the world’s market leaders for high speed steel cutting tools has recently established a subsidiary in South Africa that is headed up by David Risk.
“With significant TDC manufacturing and sales volumes on every continent apart from Africa, a decision was taken to open a TDC subsidiary in South Africa. Its objective is to supply the African market with the Cleveland range of industrial cutting tool products, initially concentrating on the range of high speed steel twist drills that the company manufactures,” said Risk, who has extensive experience in marketing these products to the engineering fraternity, both locally and internationally.
“A stock hub has been established in Johannesburg, and TDC Cutting Tools South Africa (Pty) Ltd will import and distribute TDC’s industrial brand of cutting tools to the metal working industry locally. Products that will be available include HSS straight shank drills and HSS MTS drills, with other cutting tool product groups to be phased in.”
TDC is a global cutting tool organisation, established in 1995 by owner Jeff Chee, which today employs over 4 000 staff worldwide, spanning North and South America, Canada, Mexico, Europe and the Far East. The company is a manufacturer and exporter of fully ground straight/taper shank drills, hot roll forged drills and milled taper shank drills.
“TDC enjoys a 20% share of the global HSS cutting tool market – every one in five industrial grade HSS drills sold worldwide is manufactured in TDC’s cutting tool factories,” says Risk.
TDC is headquartered in Dalian, China, where in 2012 it built a state-of-the-art 250 000m² industrial park employing over 2 000 skilled cutting tool specialists. On this site, TDC’s numerous specialised cutting tool factories produce world class HSS and carbide drills, taps, end mills, saws of various types, steel coil and bar, coating plant, machine tools used in the manufacture of cutting tools, mining teeth and buttons, and grinding wheels, amongst other products.
TDC Solid carbide drilling and cutting tools are manufactured to the highest spec
“Part of the success of TDC has also been its focus on the successive acquisition of well-known international cutting tool manufacturing companies and brands such as Werko in Germany, Manigley in Switzerland and Greenfield Industries in North America. Through these successful acquisitions, TDC today owns 14 internationally recognised brands, including Cleveland, Chicago Latrobe, Vermont Tap & Die, Bassett, Cle-Line, Putnam Tools, H&G, Geometric, Vers-O-Tool, Acme-Fette, Werko, Manigley and Greenfield Industries,” said Charlie Lougasy, who is President and CEO of TDC Cutting Tools Inc. and is very well known in South Africa.
Every year, TDC achieves a production volume of 300 million pieces of cutting tools and 10 million metres of various bi-metal saws.
“One of the recent achievements of TDC has been the development of a carbide insert division, and the company has now started to manufacture carbide inserts that will shortly be released to the market.”
“Through this expansion, TDC has positioned itself for strong future growth in its overseas markets.”
For further details contact TDC Cutting Tools South Africa on TEL: 033 342 1160 or 010 492 3737, or David Risk on 060 741 4957 or visit www.tdc-tools.co.za


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Kindness alert as Doraemon exhibit lands in Singapore
SINGAPORE – Kawaii sweetness has arrived. For the first time outside of Japan, Doraemon-inspired artwork by top Japanese artists, original designs of the robot cat, and even themed sweets will be available at the Doraemon Singapore 2022 Expo.
Hosted by the National Museum of Singapore (NMS), the exhibition was first shown in Japan in 2002 and then revived in 2017. He has since visited nine cities in Japan, receiving some 600,000 visitors.
Fans will want to see early iterations of Doraemon and the cast of characters from the first manga series. Doraemon has been translated into 17 languages and appears in 20 countries and regions across platforms including comics, TV, and movies.
Very popular in Japan, the Doraemon phenomenon is also felt in the art world, influencing renowned artists such as Takashi Murakami and Yoshitomo Nara.
The two artists will be featured in the exhibition along with 26 other Japanese artists and artist groups, as well as two Singaporean artists – Leslie Kee and Jahan Loh. Singaporeans have been specially tasked with creating original works of art.
Speaking to the Straits Times via Zoom, Murakami says, “Everyone in Japan knows Doraemon. He is on television almost every day. It’s like breathing air.
On the impact the character has had on his artistic practice, the artist states, “Like the air, I can’t tell you how Doraemon influenced me. Air is air – (Doraemon) is like breathing.
There’s a serious side to all this kawaii cuteness.
Explaining the popularity of Doraemon, manga, and anime in Japan, Murakami says it started nearly 80 years ago after World War II. “We had to find entertainment with a very small budget. Manga culture is very cheap. I think that was the post-war reality. It was part of the mindset of the Japanese people,” he adds.
The exhibition, which spans over 1,300 m² of gallery floor space, is copyrighted by Fujiko-Pro and presented by multi-brand retailer Leyouki, with support from NMS.
In 2020, NMS had presented a Doraemon showcase called Doraemon’s Time-Traveling Adventures in Singapore. Although there were Doraemon figurines, this earlier showcase did not feature any artwork.
Interestingly, Ms. Chung May Khuen, Director of the NMS, reveals that 30% of visitors who attended had never been to the NMS before. “Following the success of this showcase, many of our visitors shared that they were interested in learning more about this iconic character,” she says.


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Today, we're thrilled to announce our first dedicated US$250 million healthcare and lifesciences fund for India.
This new fund is amongst the largest for the sector in India, reinforcing our commitment to the country by bringing the total amount managed by Eight Roads in India to US$1.6 billion.
The US$250 million fund continues to build on our global focus on healthcare and technology.Our earlier India funds included a significant healthcare remit, making our first healthcare investment in 2011. With a portfolio of 25 companies spanning the entire healthcare and lifesciences value chain and amongst the broadest in the country, the decision to establish a specialized fund reflects the size and expansion of the market opportunity in India. The new fund will continue to focus on early to growth stage investments in lifesciences, healthcare services, consumer health and digital health. With this new fund, the team will make minority investments in a further 15 to 20 ambitious companies looking at both smaller investments as well as investments up to $40 million.
Daniel Auerbach, Senior Managing Partner and Head of Global Ventures at Eight Roads Ventures said: “Eight Roads has backed innovative businesses in India since 2007. The launch of this healthcare fund reflects our confidence in the evolution of the India market and our commitment to help ambitious founders scale. The Eight Roads network constitutes one of the largest venture platforms in the world, which now manages over $8 billion of capital across China, India, Japan, Europe and the US. This ecosystem lends us capacity and scale, setting up powerful efficiencies, deep domain expertise, and the ability to trace trends and understanding across geographies.”
Our close to 15 member healthcare-focussed investment team in India spans a broad range of academic and professional expertise, domain knowledge, geographical experiences, and an entrepreneurial spirit focused on helping Indian founders succeed.
Dr. Prem Pavoor, Senior Partner, Head of India & Healthcare Investments at Eight Roads Ventures commenting on the new healthcare fund for India: “Today is our day one, as we deepen our commitment to the healthcare sector in India. We have had the privilege of partnering with some of the best healthcare entrepreneurs in the country to build category defining businesses. Our aspiration is to continue backing such bold founders as India leapfrogs many other markets in delivering high-quality healthcare infrastructure, products and services. We are grateful to our founders, partners and the Fidelity ecosystem, for providing long-term and patient growth capital for our companies.”
Our healthcare portfolio in India includes category leaders such as Laurus Labs (among the world’s largest manufacturers of antiretroviral active ingredients), API Holdings - the parent company of PharmEasy (India’s largest e-pharmacy platform), Cipla Health (one of very few pure-play consumer health companies), Caplin Steriles (leading manufacturer of injectable drugs for the regulated markets), Ashish Life Science (with India’s first EU-GMP approved animal pharmaceuticals facility), Immuneel Therapeutics (India’s first cellular immunotherapy company), Plasmagen Biosciences (a top 3 provider of blood plasma products), CareStack (leading provider of practice management software for US dental clinics) and Toothsi (the market leader in clear dental aligners).
Since launching our India franchise in 2007, we have backed over 60 companies across our two main sectors of focus – healthcare and technology. Beyond healthcare, we have backed over 30 technology scale-ups in India, making 21 investments (including new and follow-on) in 2021 and will continue to partner with ambitious entrepreneurs across its focus areas of enterprise SaaS, consumer and fintech.


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Sephora Canada is back with the 5th iteration of its Lunar New Year campaign and this year, the campaign features Asian-Canadian collaborators, Brigitte Truong and Angel Zheng. Both influencers are honoured to have a platform to be able to represent the East-Asian community during such a memorable time. 2021 is the year of the Ox which symbolizes hard work, positivity, and honesty. Canada is known for its large East-Asian community and it’s so cool to see our own local talent being celebrated. This meaningful campaign means that more light can be shed on what this traditional holiday is all about. Sephora Canada also has multiple Lunar New Year-inspired products available to shop online and in-stores that are open across the country. You can find limited-edition Lunar New Year-inspired products from brands like Dyson, Charlotte Tilbury, and Laneige can be found amongst the many items.
“Lunar New Year is a key celebration for many of our clients and we are thrilled to evolve and grow this year’s campaign as part of our ongoing commitment to authentic representation of Canadian diversity,” says Deborah Neff, SEPHORA Canada’s Senior Vice President of Marketing in a release. “We hope this campaign inspires our clients to share their Lunar New Year traditions as they celebrate in Canada.”
Canadian influencer, Brigitte Truong is based here in Toronto and is proud to call herself a “first-generation Canadian” who is forever grateful for her upbringing and cultural tradition. She appears in the campaign with her beautiful mother, Michelle which emphasizes the importance of celebrating family ties during the Lunar New Year, while also highlighting the beauty of East-Asian women at every age.
Truong shares, “Growing up a first-generation Canadian, my parents ensured that cultural traditions were carried through as often as possible, especially on Lunar New Year. As I get older, I appreciate my roots and traditions even more, and to have them acknowledged as part of SEPHORA Canada’s Lunar New Year Campaign with my mom by my side, is an opportunity I never thought possible. I can’t begin to express how honoured and excited I am to have the images of mom and I all glammed up in SEPHORA Canada’s stores across the country, and to represent where we come from. I hope this campaign inspires those who celebrate to be just as proud of who they are.”
Angel Zheng is a Vancouver based influencer who says that “seeing iconic companies like SEPHORA Canada represent our culture so beautifully each year motivates me to tie in more of my traditions and beliefs into my content.” According to Fashion Magazine, cosmetic shopping is not a cultural method of celebration but to Zheng, it’s always been a tradition for her and her mom. They would go on to hunt for red coloured beauty products at Sephora and other makeup carriers. Her passion for her culture and love for cosmetics has made her contribution to this Sephora campaign all the more special.


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Amazon has previously attempted to improve the Echo’s sound with tweaks and offered a standalone subwoofer.
A key members of Apple’s industrial design team to leave the company in recent months, has joined Bumblebee Spaces.
Ive was the mastermind behind the designs of the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, and iPod.
The company will use Quanta Computer Inc. to make the $6,000 desktop computer and is ramping up production near Shanghai.
Ive is responsible for the look of the company’s most iconic products.
The company initiated a plan to replace Intel chips in its Mac computers from 2020.
This is the first time Apple has specifically mentioned the iPhone on a list of products that would be impacted by tariffs.
However, this battery recall marks the second significant issue with Apple laptops this year.
The co-branded partnership integrates the card digitally with the iPhone and gives users higher cash back on Apple purchases.
Deal will bring more engineers with experience in autonomous vehicle technology to the iPhone maker.
‘Tax’ on developers stays high amid lack of app store rivals.
The Apple WWDC Antitrust Scorecard
While the conference isn’t the most-watched Apple event of the year, it is crucial to the company’s success.
The App Store will be usable from the Watch itself, a change from needing to download apps to the device via a connected iPhone.
The company previewed the new Mac Pro at its annual developer conference on Monday.
Apple Announces New ‘Sign in With Apple’ Privacy Feature
In Apple’s future, the iPhone is no longer the central cog for other products and services.
Poaching has led to litigation in at least one instance—Twentieth Century Fox sued Netflix for poaching in 2016.
The former head of App Store reviews discusses why apps get rejected, competition between Apple and developers.
Apple Rolls Out New iPod Touch, Keeping It Alive in IPhone Era
WWDC Preview: A Conversation With Apple’s Former App Approval Chief