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Facebook, the US based tech giant and one of the most valuable companies in the entire world is all rolling out the all new desktop site ‘Facebook.com” to all its users. The new desktop website will get some major changes which will include the dark mode which the company promised will come out soon, last year.
Facebook has been testing the dark mode and in a statement said, “The new Facebook.com is simpler and easier to use, with the features you know and love. We’ll keep improving the experience.”
However, Dark Mode is not the only new feature which is coming to the all new version of Facebook desktop site, let us take a look:
Find Things Faster
Facebook has changed how you look for things, it has become much faster and added a new “streamlined navigation”. Facebook says, “it’s never been easier to find videos, games and Groups, and the home page and page transitions load faster. It’s similar to our mobile experience.”
The name of this features is pretty much self explanatory. This feature introduces an almost black background which is easier on the eyes when the user is in dim ambience. Facebook is providing a toggle switch for users to turn dark mode on and off as per their convenience.
Facebook said, “Enjoy lower brightness, alongside contrast and vibrancy, with dark mode. It minimizes screen glare for use in low light, wherever you are.” In a statement, the tech giant said, “The new immersive layout along with Dark Mode makes viewing videos on Watch a great experience,”.
With this update of the desktop website, Facebook will let the users “easily create Events, Pages, Groups and ads on Facebook.”
In the new website, a user will also get the option to “preview a new Group you’re starting in real time, and see what it looks like on mobile before you create it.”
The new Facebook.com is simpler and easier to use, with the features you know and love. We’ll keep improving the experience — go to the Settings Menu and click Give Feedback to share feedback.
As of now, the Dark Mode is also available on Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, which are already owned by Facebook, talking about Instagram, this platform does not have a Dark Mode of its own, however, it does comply with the Dark Mode features offered on both iOS and Android.
The new Facebook.com was first announced by the company last year during the f8 developer conference.


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Tag Archives: Dane Moller
Nielsen & Moller Auto Glass International (NMAGI) has assembled a new professional team and is re-entering the U.S. market. The company says it’s the right time to fill the void due to the industry-wide issue of supply chain challenges. But … Continue reading

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The Malaysian Timber Council (MTC) introduced a new “3D” slogan for the country’s multibillion-ringgit timber industry, reports the MalayMail.
The three Ds refer to “Desirable, Deserving and Delightful”.
MTC chief executive officer (CEO) Richard Yu said timber and timber products play a vital role in the global circular economy. An improved perspective in the timber industry will ensure its sustainability and robustness.
Innovation coupled with aesthetically pleasing designs, technological advancements and branding are key elements that industry players must embrace.
Yu said that he hoped that with the 3D slogan, new markets, new products, new solution and new innovations will be discovered.
As of May 2019, the country’s total timber exports reached RM9.1 billion with increased exports seen in products such as mouldings, wooden frames and furniture.
Total export for the same corresponding period last year was RM8.9 billion.
WOODEN FURNITURE AMONG TOP CONTRIBUTORS IN THE INDUSTRY
In 2018, furniture contributed about 35 per cent of the total export earnings followed by plywood at 21 per cent.
Currently, Malaysia’s biggest timber export market is Japan, followed by the United States, European countries, India and the Far East countries.
As the total timber export continues to grow, the industry has to grapple with issues like the shrinking talent pool.
MTC according to him, hoped youths have the desire to develop their career in the wood-based industry to prevent job shortage.
LABOUR SHORTAGE A PERENNIAL PROBLEM
“MTC and other related agencies have its marketing arm in promoting better jobs to attract youths to start their career in this industry,” he said.
Echoing Yu’s opinion, the Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC) CEO Yong Teng Koon said the job shortage is a perennial problem facing the industry right now, especially in the forestry sector.
“The shortage is a challenge that will persist unless we go for automation.”
“However, this will take time for the industry to build up the capacity to full automation, yet we are far behind from other countries entering the automation side,” he said.
The industry players should also aggressively move towards producing greater value-added downstream products utilising high-value timbers.


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Australia-Japan Free Trade Agreement on the table in Tokyo
The Prime Minister will touch down in Japan this evening, on the first stop of his week long trade mission to Northern Asia. In Tokyo it is widely expected that Tony Abbott will finalise the details of a landmark Free Trade Agreement between Australia and Japan
ELIZABETH JACKSON: The Prime Minister will touch down in Japan this evening on the first stop of his week-long trade mission to northern Asia.
In Tokyo it is widely expected that Tony Abbott will finalise the details of a landmark free trade agreement between Australia and Japan.
Here's our North Asia correspondent Matthew Carney.
MATTHEW CARNEY: It's been seven years in the making. One of the main obstacles has been Japan's powerful agricultural lobby, but they're now prepared to give. The Japanese have indicated they're willing to slash tariffs on Aussie beef from 38.5 per cent down to 20 per cent.
But it's not enough for Australian beef producers. Andrew Cox, from Meat and Livestock Australia, says they need to shore up their biggest export market.
ANDREW COX: So if we can't find a meaningful figure, then the danger is we won't be able to partner with Japanese industry, the Japanese government, and the Japanese trade to grow beef consumption to where it should be. Beef consumption has fallen more than 20 per cent in the last 13 years.
MATTHEW CARNEY: And Japanese consumers agree.
Shozo Wakabayashi runs the Japanese fast food chain Beef Bowl.
SHOZO WAKABAYASHI: If the price will become competitive, you know, consumers in Japan would buy more Australian beef. Australian beef has a very good reputation in terms of safety, and the taste is also very good.
MATTHEW CARNEY: In return, the Japanese government wants the 5 per cent tariff on its car exports dropped, making the average Japanese car in Australia about $1,000 less.
And that's more possible because the long term impact on car making jobs has receded. Toyota, General Motors, and Ford have announced plans to end car manufacturing in Australia.
Melanie Brock is the chair of the Australian New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Japan.
MELANIE BROCK: The Prime Minister has been quite clear early last week about what he's looking to do, which is to conclude the agreement. So how he uses the car tariff to gain further reduction in the beef tariff for us is a fine thing, but it's a balance of course because it's a negotiation. So it will all come down to last minute, late night discussions I think.
MATTHEW CARNEY: An Australian trade delegation has come ahead of the Prime Minister to crunch the numbers with their Japanese counterparts to conclude a deal before Tony Abbott meets Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe on Monday.
Melanie Brock again:
MELANIE BROCK: If toughens up our industries, it gives them more commercial access, it gives them a greater buy into the Japanese market, which is after all an extremely sophisticated, high quality, diverse market as well.
MATTHEW CARNEY: Japan is Australia's second-biggest trading partner. In total, two-way trade was $70 billion last financial year. It's estimated that a free trade agreement could add another $4 billion a year.
Former Japanese government advisor professor Takatoshi Ito:
TAKATOSHI ITO: Basically it's a win-win situation that Australia can increase exports in those minerals, beef, and education, and Japanese side will win in terms of exporting manufactured goods.
MATTHEW CARNEY: Tony Abbott has declared Japan is Australia's best friend in Asia and the likely finalising of the agreement will further cement the relationship.
If it doesn't go ahead on Monday it's most likely prime minister Shinzo Abe will sign it when he comes to Australia in July.
This is Matthew Carney reporting for Saturday AM in Tokyo.
Author Matthew Carney


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Lubin Ozoux, CEO of tyre manufacturer Sumitomo Rubber South Africa (SRSA), which distributes the Dunlop, Sumitomo and Falken brands, stresses the detrimental impact of this issue on the entire tyre retail value chain, both financially and in terms of reputation.
“Waste tyres present environmental hazards due to their large volume and slow decomposition rate, leading to visual pollution and potential health risks when they accumulate in landfills or are illegally dumped. In South Africa, waste tyres have also been misused during protests and riots,” he said.
“As a tyre manufacturer and member of the South African Tyre Manufacturers Conference (SATMC), we have a responsibility to ensure that the practice of selling unsafe, ill-suited and illicit second-hand tyres to unsuspecting and uninformed customers, is stopped. There needs to be a solid protocol for all tyre dealers to ensure that once second-hand waste tyres are correctly mutilated and have been assigned for waste pick up from their stores, they do not resurface in the market,” he added.
However, concerns persist regarding the lack of a comprehensive Tyre Waste Management Plan in South Africa, with the draft section 29 Integrated Industry Waste Management Plan for Tyres (IndWTMP) still pending finalisation.
Lack of transparency
Shaun Radbone, owner of Dunlop franchise, Orion Auto & Tyre, echoed the need for urgent attention and resolution of waste tyre management issues. “It’s unclear if a plan is in place to address this critical environmental challenge. There is a significant lack of transparency from the relevant authorities on whether these products are being transformed into new products or used as a source of energy,” he commented. This lack of information hampers efforts to establish sustainable waste management practices in the tyre industry.
Radbone said Orion Auto & Tyre’s waste tyres are collected regularly, either weekly or every second week. However, he noted occasional disruptions in collection due to storage facility constraints. He also raised concerns about waste tyre fees, which are typically included in invoiced pricing from suppliers, and called for more transparency regarding the utilisation of these levies.
Drawing from international best practices, Radbone points out the successful use of rubber crumb from scrap tyres as an additive in tar roads in European countries.
He stressed the importance of sharing information about the dangers associated with second-hand tyres. “If it’s a second-hand tyre that someone is looking to purchase, they must ask themselves, why is it second hand? Usually, it’s because the original owner had issues with the tyre, that’s why they changed it.”
Better-informed consumers would result in a decline in the sale of such tyres, ultimately saving lives and improving road safety – a key goal of the Road Safety Partnership South Africa which Sumitomo Rubber SA is a member of.
The unregulated nature of backyard dealers and non-franchised stores also raises concerns about inconsistent industry standards.
Ozoux called upon industry stakeholders, regulatory bodies, and the government to bridge information gaps, enhance regulation, and raise public awareness.
“Recycling and proper disposal methods are crucial to minimise the adverse consequences of waste tyres. Additionally, ensuring that retreaded and part worn tyres meet safety standards is vital for preventing accidents and maintaining roadworthiness,” he said.
The SATMC has been collaborating with the Tyre Importers Association of South Africa (TIASA), the Tyre Equipment Parts Association (TEPA) and the government to ensure that steps are taken to drive improvements and sustainability in both collection and processing of tyre waste. Some pressure has been released by identifying additional municipal landfill sites to serve as temporary storage facilities in Limpopo Province, one in the Lepelle-Nkumpi Municipality and two under Polokwane Municipality. However, a longer-term solution is needed.
According to Regulation 1 of the Waste Tyre Regulations, 2017 (GN 1064 of 29 September 2017), waste tyres encompass various categories, including new, used, retreaded, and unroadworthy tyres unsuitable for retreading, repair, or sale as part worn tyres. Part worn tyres refer to used tyres that can safely return to their original intended use after undergoing retreading, complying with the National Road Traffic Act, 1996 (Act No. 93 of 1996) and its associated regulations.
The post Urgent Need for a Comprehensive Waste Tyre Management Plan to Guide Dealers appeared first on Truck and Freight Information Online.


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AT&T is sending text messages to customers telling them that their Wi-Fi Calling feature, first introduced in October 2015, now allows them to make Wi-Fi calls from international locations. The feature was previously limited to the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Starting this afternoon, and following the iOS 9.3 update, AT&T began sending text messages to customers notifying them of the change. When traveling abroad, a call placed to the United States or received from the United States using Wi-Fi calling will incur no long distance charges, a feature that should be highly useful to AT&T customers who are visiting another country and calling home.
If a U.S. number is calling another U.S. number via Wi-Fi Calling, there will be no charge, no matter where the caller is located. If a customer calls an international number from his U.S. AT&T phone, the usual international calling charges will apply.
From AT&T’s Wi-Fi calling website:
Use Wi-Fi Calling to talk and text over an active Wi-Fi connection. Wi-Fi Calling lets you talk and text from indoor locations where it’s hard even for a strong cellular signal to reach. Wi-Fi Calling can be used in the Domestic Coverage Area (U.S., Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands) and from most international countries.
The new international Wi-Fi Calling feature is available on the iPhone 6, 6s, 6 Plus, 6s Plus, and newly introduced iPhone SE, running iOS 9.3.
AT&T has also made changes to their NumberSync feature, which allows an iPad or Mac linked to an iPhone to make or receive calls over an AT&T cellular connection. Previously, the devices had to be connected to Wi-Fi to use this feature. Starting on Tuesday, a cellular iPad or other device using a cellular connection can use it to make NumberSync calls when a connected iPhone is unavailable.


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New survey reveals that B2B organisations are struggling to extend their online footprint abroad
B2B organisations in the UK are struggling to extend their existing online offerings to the rest of the world, despite success selling through existing channels. This is according to newly released research jointly commissioned by Master Data Management company Stibo Systems http://www.stibosystems.co.uk and ecommerce digital agency Salmon http://www.salmon.com
The research findings revealed that 72 per cent of UK B2B organisations sell internationally, but only 40 per cent were doing so online. The same research revealed that 67 per cent of UK B2B organisations already had online offerings, highlighting that, though many businesses have invested in online, they had not yet taken the step of extending it overseas.
The research, commissioned in order to explore the latest trends in ecommerce for business-facing organisations, questioned 100 senior UK decision-makers in manufacturing and wholesale companies about the current stage in their adoption of ecommerce. Part of this research was to find out how ecommerce operations were expanding internationally, and what challenges businesses faced in implementing successful ecommerce strategies. The full report can be downloaded here.
The findings provided an insight into some of the challenges B2B organisations in the UK face when operating internationally. The most significant challenge was the cost of service to trade, which 87 per cent of respondents listed as the problem encountered most often. Trading overseas for any business has significant cost implications ranging from logistics, a concern to 49 per cent of businesses, to lack of market knowledge at 58 per cent.
Yet the development and tailoring of an international ecommerce offering that fits into an existing UK solution can significantly reduce the costs of doing overseas business and serve as a business growth opportunity.
Commenting on the report, Simon Walker, director, ecommerce innovation at Stibo Systems, said “British businesses are innovative and dynamic, as this research shows, and have expanded considerably overseas in recent years. However, this research has highlighted how this expansion is being stifled by the cost of doing business. By channelling the local market and cultural knowledge developed by selling through existing channels into online operations, the cost barriers to international expansion can be significantly reduced. By utilising centralised tools such as Master Data Management as part of a business’s ecommerce infrastructure at home, it can in turn power online offerings abroad, significantly reducing the costs of operating overseas.”
Craig Harper-Ashton, head of multichannel at Salmon, added “Growing ecommerce offerings abroad should be a key consideration for any B2B organisations looking for growth. As this research shows, the main barrier to growth internationally is the cost of doing business, which can be immediately reduced by selling online. Optimising sites for international markets and utilising existing expertise gained in the market, is a simple way for UK businesses to expand their international footprint, driving growth.”
Whitepaper and infographic
Further information on the research can be found in the form of a whitepaper and an infographic here http://bit.ly/15dqgZZ
The survey was conducted by Coleman Parkes Research in February 2013. The sample consisted of 100 senior business decision makers in charge of ecommerce development and delivery for a mix of large manufacturers and wholesalers (1,000+ employees) that either currently have an ecommerce operation or are planning to implement one. All interviewers abided by the MRS code of conduct.
Salmon is a highly innovative eCommerce digital agency whose commitment to on-time, on-budget project delivery is increasingly embraced by the leading names in retail, wholesale and manufacturing. Major brands turn to Salmon for its ability to define, deliver and exploit enterprise level eCommerce, multichannel operations and digital marketing solutions.
Salmon quickly understands the business vision, creates realistic project plans and efficiently delivers solutions to plan; based around a management process that removes risk from successful project roll-outs. Customers include Akzo Nobel, Argos, Audi UK, Halfords, Kiddicare, Morrisons and Selfridges. Salmon is headquartered in Watford, Hertfordshire and has offices in China and Australia. For more details about Salmon visit http://www.salmon.com
About Stibo Systems
Stibo Systems gives data direction by providing organizations with the leading multidomain Master Data Management (MDM) solution, which makes it easier for companies to manage enterprise information on a global scale, improve sales, and quickly adjust to changes in business requirements. The STEP technology is a flexible, best-of-breed MDM solution from Stibo Systems, that provides a single trusted source of information for the entire enterprise. We deliver deep industry-specific solutions and consulting, engineered, and supported to meet the strategic information needs of global customers including: GE, Sears, Siemens, Target and Thule. Stibo Systems is a subsidiary of the privately held Stibo A/S group, originally founded in 1794 with corporate headquarters in Aarhus, Denmark. For more information, please visit http://www.stibosystems.co.uk
+44 (0) 1923 320000 / +44 (0) 7976 732903
Published on: 3:00PM on 23rd July 2013


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Kinetic has secured a prestigious advertising space for organic skincare brand Antipodes at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
The ad is being displayed on one of the main billboards, a spot normally reserved for French fashion elites such as Dior, Guerlain and official sponsor beauty giant L’Oreal.
Antipodes is the first natural or organic brand to secure such a position at the high profile event, according Alexander Barani, managing director of Kinetic. The large LED screen is situated outside the famous Carlton Intercontinental Hotel on the iconic La Croisette, providing high profile exposure for Antipodes in unarguably the most renowned film festival in the world.
“This was a remarkable opportunity for Kinetic that we simply could not turn down,” says Barani. “When Major Events Media approached us I was very excited as the occasion combines two of my biggest passions: Antipodes, a brand I have spearheaded the development of in the UK and Europe, and Cannes Film Festival, which I have been attending for many years.”
This year’s 70th Cannes Film Festival takes place from 17-28 May and the advert will be screened twice per hour for the duration of the festival.


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Florida Tourism Industry Suffered Through 2nd Quarter
Like many other industries, tourism has been hard-hit by the coronavirus.
Florida’s tourism industry suffered a more than 60 percent estimated drop during the second quarter. International travel was down more than 90 percent.
Visitors widely avoided a state that became known around the world as a hotspot for COVID-19. According to numbers posted by Visit Florida, the state’s tourism marketing agency, the outlook remains dim following the nearly 20 million visitor drop from April through June. The agency cites ongoing negative perceptions of Florida’s handling of COVID-19, plus international travel bans, and double-digit unemployment – especially in the hospitality industry. Visit Florida has set aside $13 million to market toward a tourism rebound. The initial emphasis will be to get Floridians to explore other parts of the state and to attract people from nearby states.


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Jay-Z and Empire Investments Inc., a subsidiary of Bacardi, entered into a partnership in 2012, with the parties having 50/50 ownership in D’Ussé cognac. By 2022, D’Ussé had grown to become one of the fastest-selling spirits in history. Jay-Z’s attempt last year to sell a majority of his ownership stake to Bacardi for $1.5 billion was met with a lowball counter-offer, $460 million.
In October 2022 Jay-Z and his team sued Bacardi stating the company was purposefully reducing production and distribution of D’Ussé to manipulate buyout price for Jay-Z’s stake.
In resolving their legal battle, Jay-Z walks away with a large payout, said to be in the billions, while maintaining a “significant ownership stake” in D’Ussé. Bacardi now owns 75% of the cognac.
With Jay-Z’s influence, the D’Ussé brand has seen the fastest growth in the cognac category, experiencing a 30% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in just the last 3 years. In that time, D’Ussé has received a number of awards, beating out more established brands.


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Netflix Inc. raised prices for all of its subscription plans, a move that fortifies the streaming-video giant’s aggressive spending on content in the face of stepped-up competition.
Netflix, which last raised its prices in late 2017, will increase the cost of its most popular plan by 18% to $13 a month, from $11. That plan allows users to stream on two screens at the same time. The most basic plan, which allows a single stream, will go up one dollar, or 13%, to $9 a month.
Raising prices will help Netflix swallow higher content costs as the streaming TV wars intensify. An array of companies—from Amazon.com Inc. and Hulu to new entrants like AT&T Inc. and Walt Disney Co.—are seeking to secure the premier movie and TV rights that will attract subscribers. Netflix is already a heavy spender, and those outlays will likely rise further amid the competition.
The company’s shares rose 6.5% to $354.64 on Tuesday. Netflix has increased its revenue at a rapid pace over the past several years, but it hasn’t generated huge profits, and investors have been watching to see if the company would turn up the lever on pricing.
The new rates will go into effect immediately for new customers in the U.S. and be applied to the accounts of existing U.S. customers in the next few months, according to a person familiar with the plans. The increases will also apply to countries in Latin America and the Caribbean where Netflix bills in U.S. currency.
“We change pricing from time to time as we continue investing in great entertainment and improving the overall Netflix experience for the benefit of our members,” a Netflix spokesperson said Tuesday.
The increase in monthly subscriber fees comes as Netflix continues to spend heavily to woo talent to its streaming service. The company already has reached long-term deals costing hundreds of millions of dollars with powerful Hollywood producers such as Shonda Rhimes and Ryan Murphy. Industry analysts expect Netflix this year will spend $12 billion licensing and creating content, more than double what it spent just two years ago.
New streaming competition could drive up costs further. Walt Disney Co. Disney and AT&T’s WarnerMedia are launching their own subscription streaming services to compete with Netflix later this year. Comcast Corp.’s NBCUniversal on Monday disclosed plans to launch an ad-supported streaming service in 2020 that will be free for Comcast pay-TV subscribers and available for a monthly fee to those who have canceled their cable TV packages, known as cord cutters.
All those traditional players are considering ending some content-licensing deals with Netflix, retrieving reruns of popular shows they produce in order to feed their own streaming services. Disney has already indicated that its movies and TV shows in the future will be reserved for its own streaming effort.
Last month, WarnerMedia struck a deal ensuring that its hit show “Friends,” which has been available on Netflix, will be able to move to WarnerMedia’s service when it launches.
That could become a headwind for Netflix, or at least force it to pay more to retain certain shows.
Hulu, the streaming service owned by Disney, Comcast and 21st Century Fox, is also an aggressive bidder for content. It has 25 million subscribers after strong growth last year driven by discounts to entice new subscribers.
So far, Netflix’s strategy of betting big on programming appears to be paying off. Netflix is coming off one of its most successful original-programming efforts with the movie “Bird Box,” which it said had a record-setting first week with 45.3 million of its 137 million accounts watching at least 70% of the movie. Netflix’s popular shows include “Stranger Things” and “The Crown,” and “The Kominsky Method,” starring Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin, recently won a Golden Globe.
Meanwhile, subscriptions have grown at a blistering pace, especially outside the U.S., even though occasionally Netflix misses its own ambitious projections. The company has consistently posted revenue growth of more than 30% and for 2018 is forecasting $16 billion in revenue, up from $8.8 billion in 2016.
Profits have been thinner, largely because of the big content investments. Netflix expects to post net income of about $508 million for 2018.
That has made the stock an expensive one by traditional standards. Netflix’s price-to-earnings ratio is 248.
In October 2017, Netflix raised the price for its standard plan, its most popular offering, by $1 to $11 a month, while its premium plan, which allows four simultaneous streams, went up $2 to $14. With the latest increase, the premium plan costs $16 a month. The standard and premium plans offer high definition; the basic subscription doesn’t.
The higher Netflix prices could have frugal customers rethinking how much they spend on rival services.
To be sure, even with the latest increase, Netflix’s offerings are cheaper than typical cable-TV packages as well as many direct-to-consumer programming services including CBS All Access and HBO Go.
Write to Joe Flint at firstname.lastname@example.org


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Who wants some Wang?
Shadow warrior is a game franchise that has been toiling away in the background for some time now. The original game may be considered one of the Holy Trinity of games made with Ken Silvermans Build engine, it sometimes feels like its up there more by process of elimination more than Actual Merit. The first game is genuinely great, but as opposed to its other contemporaries that are a part of “the trinity”… I mean 3D realms “Duke Nukem 3D” was far more influential and Monolith’s “Blood” is just Straight better. But hey, at least it isn’t “Redneck Rampage”. Or “Techwar”.
Shadow Warrior tells the story of Lo Wang, an assassin working for series villain Orochi Zilla, who ends up in possession of a magical katana after a job goes bad and he is attacked by Demons.
This sort of Background acclaim has moved onto the reception to the recent games brought out by Devolver Digital and Flying Wild Hog Studios. The first game in the reboot launched in 2013, a sort of dead era for retro style FPS, and 2 years after The launch of Duke Nukem Forever had sort of had everyone questioning if these games where ever good to begin with. And then devolver released the second game in 2016 the same year as DOOM… yeah…
In any case, the recent news has been that Fkying Wild Hog Studios have had to push back the games release date. Tio accompany this news, they also released a new trailer to help soften the blow.
It has been stated that Shadow warrior 3 will be closer to the first reboot game, ditching the looter-shooter elements of shadow warrior 2 in favour of a more focused design.
At the current time no concrete date has been confirmed, but an announcement will likely come soon. in the meantime, you can find more at shadowwarrior.com
Sign up for our newsletter from the website.


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Japanese brewing conglomerate Kirin is planning to increase its investment in Bira substantially.
The conversations are at a “final stage” for Kirin to invest a further 70 million USD in the Indian craft brewery, according to Reuters, at a valuation of $450 million.
The investment will reportedly elevate the Japanese firm’s share of ownership in the Indian craft beer maker to 15%.
Asia Brewers Network has reported on Kirin’s earlier investment in Bira in 2021, which provided a much-needed shot in the arm for the Indian craft brewery hit badly by COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions.
The move by Kirin comes as the firm faces structural decline on the homefront with declining alcohol consumption in Japan and more critical immediate challenges in their overseas ventures, notably having to sell been forced to sell down their stake in their joint venture with the Myanmar military after arbitration failed.
Besides India’s booming growth in craft beer, Kirin’s investment logic may be underlined by Bira’s recent positive performance. In Q2 2022, according to internal company documents sighted by Reuters, Bira’s revenue and beer production had superseded pre-COVID levels.
For Bira, the proposed investment will help with domestic brewing & sales expansion – a particular challenge in India with hundreds of millions of drinkers spread across states with varying alcohol production & distribution rules.


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No-Dig Conferences and Exhibitions
No-Dig Live is the UK's only specialised event showcasing equipment and services used for the installation and refurbishment of underground utilities, with minimum disruption to the surface.
Westrade Group has announced that Norman Baker MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport will open No-Dig Live 2010 at Stoneleigh Park, near Coventry on Tuesday 5 October.
The No-Dig Road Show 2009/2010 programme for trenchless technology came to a successful close with the final two events held in Dublin and Belfast.
ASSA ABLOY brands will be showcased at IFSEC 2013. This includes the award-winning Watchlock intelligent padlock from Mul-T-Lock, plus other leading brands such as HID Global, ABLOY, Yale, Traka and effeff.
NEMEX energy Live, part of the Sustainability Live event, is the premier show for innovative energy management, from lighting to building fabrics and software to solar.


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“According to the China Economic News Service, [Apple Inc.] will launch an iPhone SE2 in the first quarter of next year in a bid to offer consumers an affordable smartphone option,” Nicholas Fearn writes for V3.
“Apple unveiled the first generation SE in March 2016 as a way to cater for people who prefer the traditional iPhone form factor,” Fearn writes. “It was also targeted at people who want a smaller handset.”
“The report didn’t go into much detail about the SE2, and it’s certainly not a new rumour,” Fearn writes. “The SE is likely to be launched around next Easter”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: As we wrote last week, we imagine the iPhone SE would offer Apple’s A10 Fusion chip, rather than the A11 Bionic, and keep the Home button with Touch ID while potentially providing camera improvements (although the SE’s cameras are already very good). We might also see capacity bumps up from the current 32GB and 128GB choices.
We wonder if Apple would go so far as to redesign the case to follow more in the vein of the iPhone 6/7/8 look?
Apple said to release low cost iPhone SE 2 in first half of 2018 – November 22, 2017


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By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Angela Rivers‘s dad started West Seattle Coins on the southeast corner of California and Oregon in 1979. Her mom had a hair salon in the back. She and her brothers “grew up in there,” she recalls.
But suddenly, it’s the end of the line for the West Seattle Junction shop (which changed its name to Bellevue Rare Coins for unified branding with the company’s four other shops outside the city, but remains under the same family’s ownership).
You’ll recall the West Seattle shop closed after a robbery last month, and announced it would stay closed while remodeling and improving security. That was the plan until the landlord, the Senior Center of West Seattle, informed Bellevue Rare Coins that rather than allow extensive remodeling, they wanted to end the lease – originally running through next year – early, so they could expand Senior Center operations into the corner space. After the Senior Center sent us an announcement of this late Wednesday, we contacted BRC to find out about their plans, and that’s how we ended up speaking with Rivers today.
“It was a shocker. We didn’t see this coming,” she said. “It took us by surprise.” She also described it as a “double whammy” in the wake of the robbery (part of a regional rampage for which suspects are in custody), which in turn happened just three weeks after a glass-smashing attack at the store.
Here’s how the Senior Center explained it in the announcement sent to us:
Bellevue Rare Coins has been a great tenant and member of the Junction business community. We made this decision because Bellevue Rare Coins had recently announced plans to invest in tenant improvements in that space. The Senior Center staff and board are currently in a strategic planning process that include future plans for that space, and it was very likely that we were not going to renew their lease when it expired at the end of 2023.
Our future plans include an entrance on the California Ave. side of the building, which would help our community members find and access our facility. It may also be used in the future as an extension of our current Café, which offers freshly prepared soups, salads, sandwiches, and coffee weekdays to members and non-members of all ages.
Our short-term plan is to make this corner space available as a “pop-up” event and retail space. As we outline our next steps in our strategic plan, we will share our vision and get feedback from the community.
We want to thank Bellevue Rare Coins for their partnership as a longtime tenant.
Rivers says reopening without remodeling wouldn’t have worked because it’s “not a functioning store” given the damage from the robbery as well as the needed security upgrades, which she says they’ve since put in place at their other stores. Those other stores (in Bellevue, Issaquah, Lynnwood, and Tacoma) are all going strong, she says, so they’re “going to make the best of this” and might find another Seattle location, maybe even in West Seattle, someday. Meantime, she wants local customers to know, “We’ve enjoyed every moment of being part of the West Seattle community.”


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Virgin Media has posted its Q4 revenues, showing above expected total revenue of £1.08 billion.
The cable provider's operating cash flow, its main profit measure, increased from £292 million in Q4 2005 to £313 million for the same period in 2006.
Total revenue in Q4 increased to £1.08 billion, up slightly from £1.02 billion in the previous quarter and up from £916 million in 2005.
The cable group did lose a net 37,000 customers in the final three months of last year, though this was in line with the previous quarter. Its telephony service lost 64,300 customers, but the broadband service added 78,100 new customers and there were 38,500 customer additions to TV.
Churn, or the percentage of customers who left the service, reduced to 1.7%, down from 1.8% in the previous quarter, with disconnections down to 250,500.
The company's 'ARPU', the average amount of revenue per customer, was £42.82, up 34p from the previous quarter. Virgin Media said it has focused on acquiring new bundled customers in addition to cross-selling to its existing customer base and selected price rises.
Continuing losses in the final quarter of the year were £88.1 million, up by £31.9 million from the corresponding period in 2005, though the company said this was because of the costs associated with the merger between NTL and Telewest and the acquisition of Virgin Mobile, the two deals that led to the creation of Virgin Media.
Chief executive Steve Burch said: "Our first set of figures under our new name show continued improvement. The performance of the underlying business is on track and provides a strong foundation for the rebranding to Virgin Media. Consumer reaction to the rebrand has been very encouraging."
In the content division, revenues were £116.7 million in Q4, comprising £34.7 million from Virgin Media Television, formerly Flextech, and £82.0 million from Sit-up.
Carriage negotiations for basic Sky channels on the Virgin Media platform come to an end tonight.


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Honda sales are up and the company says it expects to become a net exporter of vehicles from the U.S. by late next year. In other words, Honda could soon send abroad more cars made in America than it ships in.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the economy added 195,000 jobs last month, edging out analyst expectations. The unemployment rate remained at 7.6 percent, the same as the previous month. Hiring in the retail and tourism sectors was up, while health care employment lagged and the government shed jobs.
From the mall in Washington for fireworks to the Grand Canyon in Arizona, visitors have flooded national parks this week. Despite federal budget cuts from sequestration, the National Park Service says attendance is up in 2013. But that doesn’t mean the cuts are going unnoticed.
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
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Married with one daughter and two sons
Interests: Beer breweries
In a beer market dominated by multinational brewers, Oleksandr Slobodyan has held his own.
Running Ukraine’s first privatized company and last independent, mass production brewery in Obolon, Slobodyan has long led Ukraine’s beer market, only relinquishing first place in 2009 to Sun InBev Ukraine with still a strong 32 percent showing in output share.
Being by far Ukraine’s largest exporter of beer – 80 percent of all beer exported from Ukraine – Obolon brewery has suffered in its most lucrative export market of Russia, as excise taxes there have increased almost three times.
Now it could suffer further as the new tax bill foresees a 25 percent export tax hike on beer.
The nation’s brewer said that the government’s hopes of boosting its revenues with a hike on the tax on beer would merely hit the profits of brewers, which in turn would reduce corporate tax receipts.
Still, the brewery in 2009 opened malting plants in two oblasts and launched three new beer sorts under the Zibert trademark in Fastiv, Kyiv Oblast whose facilities underwent large-scale remodeling, and received advanced boilers and bottling lines.
A member of parliament with the Our Ukraine – People’s Self-Defense faction, Slobodyan is bent on regaining the number one position on the beer market.
The Kyiv Post is disabling its online comment section due to an increase in trolls, violent comments and other personal attacks. Other news organizations worldwide have taken similar steps for the same reasons. The Kyiv Post regrets having to take this action. The newspaper believes in a robust public debate, but the discussion must be constructive and intelligent. For the time being, the Kyiv Post will allow comments on its moderated Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/kyivpost/.
The newspaper will consider hosting online comments again when circumstances allow.
Thank you from the Kyiv Post.
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February 16, 2017
For the first time, Amazon is revealing earnings from its Prime membership program as well as other subscription services, in a 77-page document. Up until now, the company has been tight-lipped on such numbers, leaving investors to wonder how these important services are faring. The last time Amazon revealed numbers, in April 2015, it detailed the profitability of its Amazon Web Services, resulting in analysts and investors bumping the company’s value upwards. Since then, shares in Amazon have more than doubled.
Bloomberg notes that the analogy between Amazon Web Services and the Prime membership “isn’t exactly apples-to-apples.” When it disclosed numbers for AWS, the most revealing news was not revenue, but “rather, it was the scale of operating profit delivered by the cloud-computing business that blew investors away.”
What that means is that AWS reaps “about 20 to 25 cents of each dollar of revenue into operating profit, including the cost of stock compensation,” which led investors to believe that Amazon had a very profitable future.
With this week’s revelation, Amazon reports revenues of $6.4 billion from Amazon Prime and subscription services including e-books and videos. With the assumption that 90 percent of that sum comes from Prime, Morgan Stanley extrapolates that there are “about 65 million paying Prime members.” The good news is that Amazon Prime still grows more than 40 percent annually since its launch a dozen years ago. Analysts believe “Prime subscribers buy twice as much on Amazon as people who aren’t part of the shopping club.”
But Amazon’s disclosure still doesn’t reveal how profitable Prime is, and thus it “won’t immediately change perceptions of Amazon as a company with uncertain profit potential.” Still, Bloomberg notes, the numbers “make it easier to imagine Amazon’s membership fees curing one of the company’s biggest headaches: its growing tab for packing and shipping its merchandise.”
In principle, the greater the number of Prime members, the more efficient its shipping network becomes, “because it’s able to deliver more items to more people on the same shipping routes using the same trucks (or drones?) it was using at lower volumes.” Although subscription numbers haven’t “canceled out shipping costs yet,” the disclosure of Prime revenue points to a way Amazon might achieve that in the future.


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During the second annual ME University in Atlanta, reinvention strategist and BlackEnterprise.com contributor Marshawn Evans engaged and motivated the crowd of small business owners gathered for the two-day event. Participants received expert advice on positioning, sales psychology, and social media strategies from industry thought leaders. The “ultimate business and branding boot campâ€ concluded with its signature Elevator Pitch Competition. As a promotional partner, black enterprise awarded one lucky be Facebook fan, Ricardo Ware, with a scholarship to attend the stimulating event. To find out more, visit www.meuniversitylive.com.
Network for Teaching EntrEpreneurship (NFTE)
This fall in New York City, Hayley Hoverter of Los Angeles was named Best Young Entrepreneur at the 2011 NFTE National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge, a partner of Black Enterprise. Hoverter won the $10,000 grand prize from MasterCard and $5,000 from the Coleman Entrepreneurial Scholarship Program for presenting her business, Sweet (dis)SOLVE. With prestigious judges such as Daymond John, founder and CEO of FUBU; Tina Wells, founder and CEO of Buzz Marketing Group; and BE’s own Alfred Edmond Jr. and Elayne Fluker, these young entrepreneurs proved to be in good hands.


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AMD is reportedly gearing up to launch its next-generation Ryzen Threadripper 5000 CPUs in August.
AMD's Zen 3 architecture can already be found in desktop PCs, laptops and servers, but it has yet to make its way to the high-end desktop (HEDT) market. That looks set to change in a few month’s time, as new rumors suggest AMD’s Zen 3-based Threadripper 5000 CPUs will debut in August.
Leaker KittyYYuko, who has a known track record when it comes to AMD leaks, has said on Twitter: “In August AMD will release a new generation ThreadRipper processor”.
- AMD vs Intel - who makes the best processors?
- These are the best PCs
- We pick the best mobile workstations
This is the first rumored launch date we’ve heard for Threadripper 5000. However, with AMD yet to confirm any official launch plans for its next-gen HEDT processors, this leak should be taken with a pinch of salt.
Still, adding weight to the rumor, HWInfo recently received an update which said that the software will now be able to detect next-generation AMD Threadripper, which suggests that an official launch is likely to happen sooner rather than later.
AMD’s Ryzen Threadripper 5000 series, codenamed “Chagall”, is expected to retain the 64-core, 128-thread design as AMD's current Zen 2-based Threadripper 3000 lineup - although early rumors suggested the CPUs could return to the same 16-core design as the first generation.
The CPUs are also expected to offer a major IPC uplift thanks to the Zen 3 architecture, alongside higher clock speeds and improved efficiency.
AMD Threadripper 5000 processors will also be compatible with existing TRX40 motherboards, according to speculation, with rumors suggesting that the CPUs will be the last for the SP3 socket before AMD moves to its new platform offering DDR5 and PCIe 5.0 support.
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Carly Page is a Freelance journalist, copywriter and editor specialising in Consumer/B2B technology. She has written for a range of titles including Computer Shopper, Expert Reviews, IT Pro, the Metro, PC Pro, TechRadar and Tes.


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Malaysian firms with Vietnam factories report damage after anti-China protests
Published on May 16, 2014 12:36 PM
KUALA LUMPUR - At least two Malaysian companies with manufacturing units in Vietnam's Binh Duong province were mistakenly targeted when anti-China protests took a violent turn on Tuesday.
Furniture maker Latitude Tree Holdings said Vietnamese rioters broke into its subsidiary Latitude Tree Vietnam Joint Stock Company (LTV), located at the Song Than II Industrial Park, and went on a looting and vandalising rampage.
"The rioters attempted to burn LTV's factory but the fire was put out by LTV's workers," Latitude Tree said on Wednesday, reported The Star Online.
"Some important data, permits, licenses and documents were destroyed or burnt."
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In the New York Area, Businesses Are Stifled by Cash-Flow Worries
By SARAH BARTLETT
Published: January 10, 1992
Slowly and with little fanfare, many businesses in the New York City area are being strangled by a lack of cash, raising the prospect that still more companies could succumb to bankruptcy before this recession is over.
Although it is common in the business world for people to talk about profits and the infamous "bottom line," it is cash that dictates the fortunes of many small and medium-sized businesses. Ripple Effect
Companies can die for lack of sufficient demand for their services, as many in the New York area have discovered during this lengthy and painful recession. But even those that still have a reasonable amount of business can also expire if their customers do not pay promptly and they get caught in a cash stranglehold from which they cannot escape. That appears to be the more common problem now.
"For many people, there's enough business to sustain the company, but cash flow is so critical that they're having to go in with their personal money or close down," said Peter D. Colahan, vice president of Colahan-Saunders, a mid-sized printing company in Manhattan. This cash squeeze has forced many companies to search for more creative ways to raise cash or stretch out what they have.
In one example, Jansen & Rogan, a Manhattan-based engineering firm, recently put its employees on a four-day week -- even though the firm still has plenty of work coming across the transom. The move saved the firm 20 percent of its salaries.
Over the last 12 months, many companies have not only suffered a sharp decline in the volume of their business, but the customers they still have left are paying their bills at a much slower rate. That means that those on the receiving end of that slowdown have little choice but to turn around and pay their own creditors and suppliers more slowly. And that is causing a cash crunch to ripple its way through the local economy.
"It's a vicious cycle," said Mr. Colahan. "You're paid slower so you pay slower."
Representatives of small-business groups said although they had not specifically surveyed their members on this issue, they believe the problem is a national one. "Somebody gets squeezed and it's typically small businesses because they don't have the clout to respond," said Kenneth Yancey, executive director of the National Business Association, which is based in Dallas.
In normal times, a company could tide matters over by borrowing from a bank. But bank loans are extremely hard to get these days, even for well-heeled companies.
The recent drop in interest rates is likely to make it easier for more companies to qualify for loans. But many businesses that might be eligible do not want to borrow because that would just make them more of a de facto banker to their customers than they already are. Instead of just "lending" money to a late-paying customer, without charging any interest, they would also be paying a financing charge for the privilege.
Joseph Crapanzano, general manager of the Arzee Mid-state Supply Corporation in East Brunswick, N.J., said he has so many customers who are more than 120 days overdue that he occasionally forgets what business he is in. "Sometimes you think you're really not in the siding business any more, you're just a bank for your customers," he said. If You Lag, I Lag
The cash crunch has left few businesses or industries in the region untouched. Choice Courier Systems in Manhattan, for instance, used to expect about 65 to 70 percent of its customers to be current on their bills. Today that figure has dropped to 45 percent. And only 7 percent of its customers used to drag out their payments past 90 days, while those laggards now constitute 10 to 11 percent of the company's accounts.
Mike Beck, Choice's vice president of finance and administration, said that in reaction to this turn of events his company has chosen to lag some of its payments, too. Choice is paying its office supply and printing bills after 60 days, instead of the usual 30 to 45. And it is making its lawyers and accountants wait 60 to 75 days for payment, instead of the 30 to 45 days it used to.
"You have to borrow from Peter to pay Paul," said Mr. Beck. It has not helped, he added, that about a dozen of the company's customers have gone bankrupt, leaving unpaid debts to Choice of $150,000. "We can't afford to take it on the chin," he said. "We don't have deep pockets."
Indeed, business executives said this is one of the most worrisome aspects of the cash crunch. Because it affects those without financial staying power, it tends to hurt small businesses the most, and they have traditionally been one of the most dynamic sectors of the New York economy. From 1982 to 1987, small businesses generated 79 percent of all private sector employment growth in New York City. Savings Are Exhausted
While many small companies had set aside funds for emergency purposes, few expected their cash needs to be so severe for so long. "They can dip into their reserves, but after a year and a half of a depression, those reserves are depleted or just not there any more," said David A. Capodiece, regional coordinator in the Northeast for the National Office Products Association.


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Mother Says 'Spice' Killed Her Son
DENVER (CN) - A Kwik Stop convenience store sold a teenager the synthetic marijuana that killed him, the boy's mother claims in court.
Stephane Colbert says she found her 19-year-old son Nicholas dead in their home in September 2011. Nicholas died from "synthetic cannabinoid toxicity" caused by smoking the drug, which was labeled "Mr. Smiley," according to the complaint in Denver County Court.
Colbert sued Family Market LLC dba Kwik Stop, of Colorado Springs; its employees or agents, Alex S. Lee and Sung Soo Lee; and the unknown manufacturers of the drug, also known as Spice.
Spice has been blamed for numerous deaths and hospitalizations, but is still readily available in gas stations and convenience stores nationwide, Colbert says in the lawsuit.
She says her son bought the drug from the defendants on Sept. 21, 2011, in a bottle labeled "Mr. Smiley," which "did not list the identity of the manufacturers or distributors of the Spice."
The complaint continues: "Spice, also know as 'synthetic marijuana,' is a psychoactive 'designer drug.' Users of Spice and other 'synthetic marijuana' products have reported experiencing physical effects similar to those caused by PCP.
"On September 21, 2011, Nicholas Colbert smoked the Spice sold to him by defendants Kwik Stop, Alex Lee, and Sung Soo Lee through their employees and/or agents.
"At or about 4:40 p.m., Stephane Colbert found Nicholas Colbert dead in their home.
"On September 21, 2011, Nicholas Colbert died as a result of smoking Spice, i.e., his death was caused by synthetic cannabinoid toxicity."
In this month alone, the drug has killed three people and sent 150 others to emergency rooms in Colorado, Colbert says in the complaint.
She claims that 11,000 Americans went to hospitals after smoking synthetic marijuana in 2011.
"The use of synthetic or 'fake marijuana' has reached crisis proportions in the United States," Colbert says in the complaint, which claims that one in nine high schoolers have tried the drug.
The manufacturers know the product is dangerous, and keep their identities secret "to avoid civil and criminal liability," Colbert says. They even label their products as "not meant for human consumption," though they know that's exactly what it's for, Colbert says.
She adds: "The markings on certain containers of Spice and other forms of 'synthetic marijuana' as 'not meant for human consumption' are intended to avoid having the synthetic marijuana products identified as controlled substances or controlled substance analogues and avoid having these products classified as a drug, subjecting them to the Federal Food and Drug Administration's testing ad approval study."
Two chemical compounds used to make the drug have been federally banned, but "clandestine manufacturers and traffickers" make "slightly varied" versions of the chemicals to duck the law, Colbert says.
She claims that smoking Spice can cause memory loss and cancer, as well as death.
"Researchers have found that there is no cure for synthetic cannabinoid intoxication," the complaint states. "The use of synthetic cannabinoids has the potential for multiple long-term effects, including without limitation, immunodulation, memory loss, psychiatric complications, carcinogenicity, and dependence.
"Synthetic marijuana products such as spice have no legitimate medical purpose under federal and Colorado law and have a high potential for abuse."
Colbert seeks punitive damages for violation of the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act, product liability, negligence, misrepresentation, breach of warranty, civil conspiracy and violation of the Colorado Consumer Protection Act.
She is represented by Christopher Jeffress, of Boulder, and by David Woodruff, with Hillyard, Wahlberg, Kudla, Sloane and Woodruff, of Denver.


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The Nokia 6216 Classic was to be the Finnish phone giant’s first SWP handset and was expected in late 2009 but was subsequently cancelled. Like bigfoot, we’ve never seen one but have heard from many people who have.
- Facebook approaches banks for Messenger bot banking
- Google releases Android 9 Pie with added NFC, secure element, TEE and biometric security
- Microsoft rolls out support for Masterpass payments
- Fossil launches Gen 4 smartwatches with Google Pay support
- Apple Pay Cash gets top rating for P2P payments privacy and security


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Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is all set to make its Wall Street debut with great fanfare today, as the carmaker shifts it centre of gravity away from Italy, after a decade of canny dealmaking and tough restructuring by CEO Sergio Marchionne, Reuters reported.
The world's seventh-largest auto group is seeking a US listing as it looks to help establish itself as a leading global player through access to the world's biggest equity market and the cheaper, more reliable source of funding it ultimately offers.
Marchionne however, had picked a difficult moment to woo US investors, with the US auto industry nearing its peak, the EU market making a difficult recovery from years of decline, and as weakness persisted in Latin America.
His business credentials would however, would not be questioned by many. The closing bell would be rung by Marchionne and FCA chairman John Elkann at the New York Stock Exchange today to mark the milestone for the 62-year-old chief executive who had revived one of Italy's top companies and also helped to rescue Chrysler from bankruptcy.
Half of the company's car volumes were in the US and he wanted it to be a US-listed company, Marchionne had said, after deliberately choosing to list on the day that celebrated the arrival of Christopher Columbus in America.
Meanwhile, Fiat Chrysler's debut on the New York Stock Exchange would give more US investors the chance to tap into the growing global market for cars and trucks, while also taking a chance on a debt-burdened automaker, Bloomberg reported.
The shares would move to the NYSE today from the Milan stock exchange and trade under the FCAU ticker after closing on 10 October at the equivalent of $8.76 a share. The new Fiat Chrysler, with ambitions to up vehicles sales by almost 60 per cent, would be legally registered in the Netherlands with headquarters in London.
The combination of Auburn Hills, Michigan-based Chrysler Group LLC with Turin, Italy-based Fiat SpA (F) formed the seventh-largest global automaker. It lacked a large presence in China and according to commentators; its debt load could hamper growth by limiting further merger options. The company however ranked No 4 in the lucrative US market, where it had increased sales for 4 1/2 years.
The company offered exotic sports cars by Ferrari and Maserati, efficient Fiats, and comfortable minivans and also had Ram pickups and the iconic Jeep sport-utility vehicle brand to line up against US rivals General Motors Co (GM) and Ford Motor Co.
''As a car company, as a global producer of vehicles, I think we're fully equivalent to the other Detroit two,'' chief executive officer Sergio Marchionne told reporters 10 October in metro Detroit. ''And the objective in coming to New York as a stock listing is really to get us evaluated and benchmarked against them.''


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Paula Deen fans take note — the domestic goddess with an EQAL-run umbrella site wants to give you a taste of the limelight. Partnering with co-sponsor Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Deen’s site is running an online audition in search of on-camera cooks with recipes involving the product-placed creamy spread, asking women to submit recipe videos.
16 finalists — four from each category of recipe: appetizer, side dish, entree or dessert — will be selected to compete in a live cookoff in Savannah, Geo., with the final four winners receiving $25,000 each, as well as a chance to host their own weekly online cooking show. That’s a total of $100,000 in prize money, which is not bad for an online video contest.
Targeting a video contest to an audience that one might not necessarily assume is skilled when it comes to making video could be a misstep, but the Paula Deen site has assembled some helpful videos offering advice on everything from editing to plating food to getting your hair did. Not to mention the fact that Paula and EQAL’s Greg Goodfried teamed up for this video explaining the contest.
This is just one of the branded projects EQAL has taken on since redirecting its focus away from scripted programming less than a year ago: from helping to create a transmedia serial killer narrative to giving Top Chef contestants a space of their own. Exactly how profitable has EQAL’s move away from scripted content to helping brands excel online been?
Via email, Goodfried says that working with Deen, as well as helping to create Alicia Silverstone’s community The Kind Life, has been “fantastic.” “Traffic on sites are increasing month over month and both properties are profitable financially for us,” he said. “The partners are thrilled with our ability to help them build their brand and power their community online.”
Related GigaOm Pro Content (subscription required): Fact or Fiction: Where Is Branded Online Video Going?


text: When we got wind that Compassion Brands was launching a new apparel line called Generation Kind, with messages to help the fight against bullying, we couldn’t wait to get on board. Rockin’ tee’s that shout “Don’t Be A Bully” and “Strong is the New Pretty” are just a few ways this progressive company is helping girls take a stand against their own “Regina George” (more about that later). In today’s social media world where fashion can do the talking for you, this new line of cutie tees not only get the message across loud and clear, but also comes with a friendship bracelet and unique tag that includes a teen hotline number for anyone seeking help or advice against bullying. Seriously…we are amazed!The Generation Kind collection is now available at exclusive retailer Target, online and in stores, for Juniors and Juniors Plus. The Girls line will be available soon. T-shirt prices range from $12.99-$16.99. It’s also the first fashion company to launch retail collections that stand up to bullying. The brand incorporates details of its partnering teen crisis center on all product and packaging, offering kids help in real time as they shop.


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Yami, an on-line retail outlet that sells Asian snacks, splendor items and house items, took the wraps off a $50 million Sequence B funding round on Wednesday.
Two undertaking companies co-led the spherical: Menlo Park’s Altos Ventures and New York’s Balsam Bay Partners. GGV Money, also primarily based in Menlo Park, and JPMorgan chipped in as perfectly.
The Brea, Calif.-based mostly market carries well-known Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Southeast Asian brands—from Japanese snack-maker Glico (well known for its Pocky treats) to Dr. Jart+, a South Korean skincare enterprise.
With the new income, Yami plans to extend its inventory, increase delivery periods through a new East Coastline warehouse and beef up its supply chain technological know-how.
A 5-calendar year remain as an global university student in Kansas, “in the middle of nowhere,” impressed founder and CEO Alex Zhou to start Yami in 2013. “I pretty much experienced to drive in excess of two hours to uncover Chinese chili sauce or immediate noodles,” Zhou informed dot.LA, contacting his stint in Kansas a “blessing in disguise” that drove him to relocate to Los Angeles to commence the organization.
“At minimum it can benefit consumers like me—who are living in the United States, originally from Asia—looking for the items they are utilized to when they were being in their mother nation,” Zhou extra.
Some 2 million shoppers afterwards, Yami claims it now carries far more than 260,000 inventory-holding units (SKUs) from in excess of 4,000 models. In addition to its residence foundation in Southern California, it operates a 2nd headquarters in Xi’an, China.
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What is Intel RealSense in Yuneec Drones?
With drone sales showing 170% year-to-year increase, it is apparent that the market for consumer and professional drones continue to grow at an astounding rate. This has resulted in very tight competition between the various drone manufacturers. So far, the advantage has belonged to whoever can come up with better and more innovative technology. Drones are getting smaller and faster while being able to fly for longer and having better quality cameras.
One area in which drone manufacturers have fiercely competed in is in obstacle avoidance technology. Yuneec has been one of the top contenders in the race to create safer and more autonomous drones. This is in huge part due to its partnership with Intel, equipping Yuneec drones with Intel’s top-of-the-line RealSense Technology. What exactly is RealSense and what can it do?
What is Intel RealSense?
Intel RealSense is an array of depth and tracking technologies designed to give machines depth perception capabilities, allowing them to “see” objects in their environment and react appropriately. First launched in 2015, Intel RealSense technology has quickly expanded to a product line consisting of standalone vision processors that use a combination of infrared sensors, RGB sensors, and depth and tracking modules.
Intel RealSense has been integrated into many technology market products that stand to benefit from its computer vision capabilities. These include smart home systems, VR systems, various robots, and autonomous drones.
Which drones have Intel RealSense?
At CES 2015, one of the first drones equipped with Intel RealSense Technology was announced: the Yuneec Typhoon H. This six-rotor drone is equipped with a 4K camera mounted on a stabilizing gimbal that can rotate a full 360 degrees. The front-facing RealSense camera is responsible for tracking the position of the drone relative to the other objects in its immediate environment.
However, the actual release of the Typhoon H revealed the base model did not come with the Intel RealSense obstacle avoidance technology. Instead, it was an optional upgrade. Although disappointing, this move was made to keep the price of the Typhoon H down.
After a few years, Yuneec rectified this minor disappointment when it released the Typhoon H Plus. By default, this drone came equipped with Intel RealSense. The Typhoon H Plus ushered in a new era of professional camera drones for Yuneec. With the aid of Intel RealSense, the Typhoon H Plus can capture unique drone footage at a level of ease and confidence that cannot be achieved by manual control of even the best drone pilot.
What can Intel RealSense do?
The Yuneec Typhoon H drones are equipped with Intel RealSense R200 camera with an Intel Atom-powered module. Its most important capabilities include:
Intel RealSense uses a combination of visual tracking and GPS technologies to allow the Typhoon H Plus to follow a target even when it becomes obscured. This is a particularly useful feature, especially if the drone is tracking a target in a particularly obstacle-dense area, such as a forest.
This feature was demonstrated during CES 2016. In a session held by Intel, with cooperation from Yuneec and Ascending Technologies, a drone was made to chase its own pilot inside a closed octagonal arena. The pilot was unable to shake off the drone despite moving at high speeds and changing direction numerous times. The demonstrations also showed how the Typhoon H Plus can still avoid collisions even while it continues to track a subject.
2. 3D Awareness
The Intel RealSense technology uses a combination of data collected from its camera and its sonar sensors to create a 3D model of its environment. This means that the drone continuously scans its surroundings, updating the 3D model as it goes. By using sonar technology in tandem with its camera, the drone can detect even very small and barely visible objects. The use of sonar also means that the drone can detect obstacles even in darkness.
3. Obstacle avoidance
A thorough knowledge of its surroundings allows the Typhoon H Plus to make intelligent decisions on which route to make. This kicks in when the drone is in Follow Me mode and has to negotiate several obstacles to track its subject. With the aid of Intel RealSense, the drone can decide on which route is the safest, fastest, or shortest.
By continuously scanning its surroundings, the Typhoon H Plus is always aware of all obstacles. This is very useful in Follow Me or Orbit modes, when the pilot yields control of the drone and allows it to fly autonomously.
4. Spatial memory
In addition to being able to create a 3D model of its environment, Intel RealSense is also capable of remembering these 3D models. Thus, when the drone finds itself in the same location, it pulls up a model which had been previously generated. This means that obstacle avoidance is no longer reactive. With Intel RealSense, the drone can remember the obstacles it has avoided in the past and steer clear of them during the return trip.
Despite the impressive capabilities of the Intel RealSense technology equipped into the Typhoon H Plus, the R200 camera is only a single entry in a whole spectrum of RealSense products. One of the most recent releases under the RealSense product line is the T265 tracking camera, which comes with an inertial measurement unit (IMU) module and an upgraded 3D mapping algorithm, called Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM).
The new SLAM algorithm uses a combination of cameras and IMUs to navigate using data on the features and obstacles in its immediate environment. The integration of an IMU module means that Intel RealSense has the potential of interfacing with gimbal technology to deliver better image stabilization.
The T265 also features the upgraded Intel Movidius Myriad 2 Visual Processing Unit which offers low latency and very efficient power consumption. Best of all, all these features are housed inside an incredibly compact design that weighs only 55 grams.
Even the more basic models of RealSense cameras are impressive, as exhibited by the D435i depth camera. This is more comparable to the R200 camera that comes with the Typhoon H Plus, although this model comes with IMU technology for enhanced tracking and improved environmental awareness.
Right now, there are currently no plans to integrate more recently developed RealSense technology with any commercial drone product. Still, it is very unlikely that Yuneec is not hard at work in developing a drone with improved environmental awareness provided by the very best technology that Intel RealSense has to offer. With RealSense tracking cameras getting smaller, lighter, and gaining additional capabilities, the future of the partnership between Yuneec and Intel is looking very bright.
Right now, Intel RealSense is leading the race for the best obstacle avoidance technology for drones. By combining visual and sonar sensors supported by a top-of-the-line visual processing sensor, drones equipped with Intel RealSense have an unequaled level of environmental awareness and intelligent routing. This technology has made the Yuneec Typhoon H Plus bar none on of the best prosumer drones out in the market today.
The Typhoon H Plus was released several years ago, and Intel RealSense technology has grown by leaps and bounds since then. It is probably only a matter of time before Yuneec announces their brand-new drone that comes with the latest tracking camera that Intel RealSense has to offer. These are very exciting times, and we look forward to the next innovation that will come out of this race to develop the very best obstacle avoidance technology.


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Some hints dropped by the PUBG Mobile popular players on the game return date in India. The players shared some information regarding this through their twitter accounts.
Also Read : PUBG Mobile all redeem codes released in 2020.
From the ban of most popular battle royale game – PUBG Mobile, the players are eagerly waiting for the return. On September, the Indian government imposed ban on these most popular games in second phase including 117 other Chinese apps.
With this decision the PUBG players get shocked. But, after that the PUBG Corporation cut ties with Tencent company and searched for the Indian partner for providing publishing rights in India. This gave some hope to the players on the PUBG unban in India.
From the few weeks, there has been a lot of talk around the PUBG Mobile. A few days back, it was confirmed by the PUBG pro players a major announcement regarding the PUBG Mobile India will be come on this Diwali.
Now, the players doing some tweets in twitter that creates the announcement will be come shortly.
PUBG pros drop hints of the PUBG Mobile return by tomorrow
Here are the some tweets by the players that directly or indirectly hint about the game’s return.
Few More Hours Lessggoo— iMazik (@iMazikYT) November 12, 2020
Everyone is asking me about the date s of pubg unban, because of some rules and regulations I don’t have right to disclose that as of now but Clutchgod is here neyooo coming tomorrow and Jonathan will be here day afterBAKI TUM SAMAJDAR HO 😜— Abhijeet Andhare (@TSMentGHATAK) November 11, 2020
Haan bhai,,, kya haaal hain..? Taiyaar ho yaa nahi 🔥 🔫 💣— Dynamo Gaming (@Aadii_Sawant) November 12, 2020
Excitement starts in 1 day and 10 hours!Guess it, Retweet it! 😁😉😄😎— Maxtern (@RealMaxtern) November 12, 2020
Looking for PubgM’s Comeback is like😂 pic.twitter.com/rU81LF1lcB— Vivek Aabhas (@tsmentclutchgod) November 11, 2020
PUBG Mobile is back.....Bhul mat jana mjhe !!— Rishab Karanwal (@rakazonegaming) November 12, 2020
Something’s cooking!Live Stream begins from Tomorrow Full TapaTap.Are u guys Excited?— Jonathan Amaral (@tsm_entjonathan) November 12, 2020
Bss kuch ghante hi toh hain 🤓— ocean (@lameboredghini) November 12, 2020
All these tweets raised some more hope on the players about a big announcement will come shortly about PUBG Mobile return in India.


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MCTC Holdings (OTC: MCTC), a cannabinoid and hemp extract science forward company developing infusion and delivery technologies, today announced a revolutionary new class of hemp extract infusion technologies designed to make hemp infusions simple for both small and large beverage manufacturers. According to the update, the company’s EZ Hemp Infusions product line is based on patented and patent pending 100% water-soluble technology enabling ultra-low doses to hemp extracts and cannabinoids to be utilized. “The days of beverage manufacturers struggling with high dose hemp extracts and cannabinoids infusion technologies are over,” MCTC Holdings CEO Arman Tabatabaei said in the news release. “Manufacturers do not need to add dozens of milligrams of cannabinoids to beverage and struggle with all of the chemicals that are required to stabilize the infusions. With EZ Hemp Infusions, manufacturers can now simply add our 100% water-soluble products to beverages while still being able to print a clean label that contains no chemicals, surfactants or emulsifiers.”
To view the full press release, visit http://nnw.fm/fl0cJ
About MCTC Holdings, Inc.
MCTC Holdings, Inc. (d/b/a: Cannabis Global) is a Delaware registered, fully reporting and audited publicly-traded company. With the hemp and cannabis industries moving very quickly and with a growing number of market entrants, MCTC plans to concentrate its efforts on the middle portions of the hemp and cannabis value chain. The company plans to actively pursue R&D programs and productization for exotic cannabinoid isolation, bioenhancement of cannabinoids and polymeric solid nanoparticles and nanofibers for addition into consumer products and for dermal application. The company was reorganized during June of 2019 and announced its intent to enter the fast-growing cannabis sector and its intent to change its corporate identity to Cannabis Global, Inc. The company is headed and managed by a group of highly experienced cannabis industry pioneers and entrepreneurs. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.CannabisGlobalinc.com.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to MCTC are available in the company’s newsroom at http://nnw.fm/MCTC
NetworkNewsWire (NNW) is an information service that provides (1) access to our news aggregation and syndication servers, (2) NetworkNewsBreaks that summarize corporate news and information, (3) enhanced press release services, (4) social media distribution and optimization services, and (5) a full array of corporate communication solutions. As a multifaceted financial news and content distribution company with an extensive team of contributing journalists and writers, NNW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that desire to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public. NNW has an ever-growing distribution network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets across the country. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, NNW brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. NNW is where news, content and information converge.
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Princess Cruises has announced a significant shift in its pricing strategy, ending discounts for last-minute cruise bookings and emphasizing that early birds will secure the best deals. This marks a substantial departure from traditional industry practices, and Princess Cruises is determined to reward travelers who plan well in advance.
Terry Thorton, Chief Commercial Officer at Princess, described it as a “dramatic shift in its pricing strategy.” He highlighted, “A Princess cruise vacation is the best value in travel, but with continuing increases in consumer demand, our new pricing approach will always reward guests who lock in their Princess vacations well in advance. Gone are the days of last-minute deep discounts close to departure dates. The best time to secure a spot on a 2024 or 2025 Princess cruise is right now.”
To solidify its commitment to this innovative pricing model, Princess Cruises has introduced a best-price guarantee, pledging to match any lower price found for the same cruise and stateroom category.
This strategy shift has garnered support from travel advisors in the industry. Kelly Becker, a travel advisor at OceanAndRiversailings.com, believes this change is long overdue. She emphasized, “Cruisers who booked in advance were already paying more than those who could wait until the last minute. This change will level the playing field and ensure fair pricing for all.”


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Users of Tableau’s cloud software for business analytics can now choose whether to store their data in North America or Europe thanks to a new data center the company has opened in Ireland.
Announced Tuesday, the new facility is Tableau’s first data center in the European Union and is now available to both new and existing users of Tableau Online. Customers that already use the service will be given the option of migrating their data to the Dublin-based site, Tableau said.
The new data center is ISO27001 certified and backed by a disaster-recovery facility in Munich, Germany.
Roughly half of the 3,000 or so customers using Tableau Online are located outside the U.S., Tableau said. The company claims to have more than 35,000 customers in 150 countries.
“With the opening of our European data center, we are responding to a desire from customers to choose where they host their data,” said James Eiloart, vice president of Tableau’s European operations.
The death of the Safe Harbor agreement in October created a sudden and pressing need for local European storage, and cloud-services providers have been racing ever since to set up their own EU storage options.
Dropbox, for instance, announced in December its plans to set up EU infrastructure this year. Amazon, Microsoft and NetSuite have taken similar steps.


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Binary Fountain, the leading online reputation and customer experience management platform for enterprises, healthcare organizations and small and medium-sized businesses, today released the findings of its “2020 Healthcare Consumer Insight & Digital Engagement Survey.”
Now in its fourth consecutive year, Binary Fountain’s annual survey aims to understand how patients search, evaluate and share their experiences with healthcare providers and brands. It analyzes consumer preferences for finding doctors, booking appointments, sharing experiences online, and communicating with healthcare organizations. The survey also includes key insights across four years of data and breaks down current consumer trends by demographic, including age and gender.
The 2020 survey results show that patients increasingly rely on online ratings and review sites to make informed healthcare decisions, and that local listing information is becoming key to the digital patient experience.
According to this year’s survey results:
- 41% of patients use ratings and review sites to find a doctor – more than twice as much as in 2017. The average consumer reads nine reviews before choosing a doctor.
- 53% of consumers use hospital/clinic websites to look for physicians. Google is the most-used third-party directory for finding doctors (34%), followed by Healthgrades (24%). More than 20% of consumers are now using voice search to search for care.
- Google and Facebook remain the most popular platforms for sharing healthcare experiences, but healthcare review and rating sites like WebMD and CareDash have gained popularity with a 78% increase and 2,150% increase respectively since 2018.
More than half of consumers say they primarily book appointments over the phone. But the share of consumers using third-party sites to book appointments has increased 69% since 2017.
The survey also asked consumers about how they evaluate, review and rate the care they receive. For the fourth consecutive year, the top three factors that matter most to patients when rating or evaluating a provider were “friendly and caring attitude,” “thoroughness of the examination,” and “ability to answer questions.”
“The evidence grows clearer every year. Reviews, listings, and online reputation are key drivers in a data-driven, consumer-centric healthcare industry,” said Aaron Clifford, senior vice president of marketing at Binary Fountain. “Patients have – by necessity in 2020 – become vigilant in using ratings and reviews to research their healthcare providers and facilities. We need to engage patients throughout the digital customer experience, giving them the right information at the right time, to earn their trust and their business.”
For more findings from the 2020 “Healthcare Consumer Insight & Digital Engagement” survey:
Sponsored by Binary Fountain, the “Healthcare Consumer Insight & Digital Engagement” survey was conducted by OnePoll, a marketing research company specializing in online quantitative research and polling, between Sept. 16-17, 2020. Feedback was obtained from more than 1,000 U.S. adults who have visited a doctor in the last year.
About Binary Fountain
Binary Fountain provides the leading customer experience and online reputation management platform for enterprises, healthcare organizations and small and medium-sized businesses. Anchored in its Natural Language Processing (NLP) technology, the cloud-based platform mines customer and employee feedback from surveys, online ratings and review sites, social media and other data sources to equip organizations with actionable insights needed to improve brand loyalty, increase engagement, attract new customers and drive sustainable bottom-line results. On a mission to help companies grow their business and create better customer experiences, Binary Fountain serves various industries including healthcare, hospitality, retail, automotive and financial services. For more information, visit http://www.binaryfountain.com.


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Mattel Inc., after reporting a loss in the first quarter, said today that it would dismiss more than 3,000 employees, or about 10 percent of its work force.
The company, which has struggled with reduced sales and high costs, also said that it would start an Internet business and might sell a stake in it to the public through a stock offering later this year.
The steps are the latest in an effort by Jill E. Barad, Mattel's chief executive, to right the company, the world's largest toy maker, after several quarters of disappointing earnings. Last month she reorganized management, and the company's chief operating officer departed.
Mattel, which has about 29,000 employees, said the work force reductions would begin next week and would also involve closing some factories and other offices. It would not provide further information.
Mattel, known for its Barbie dolls and Hot Wheels cars, reported a loss of $17.9 million, or 7 cents a share, for the first quarter in contrast to a net profit of $12.7 million, or 4 cents a share, a year earlier. Revenue fell 2 percent, to $692.1 million from $705.2 million, as sales of its Tickle Me Elmo doll nearly evaporated.Continue reading the main story
In contrast to Mattel's loss, its rival Hasbro Inc. reported a 77 percent gain in net income and a 38 percent rise in revenue. Hasbro has a stable of hot toys like Furby, Pokemon and Teletubbies.
''Hasbro had a no-holds-barred great first quarter,'' said John G. Taylor, an analyst at the Arcadia Investment Corporation in Portland, Ore. ''Their products have a lot more heat on them right now.'' Hasbro's stock closed up $1.875 at $32, a new 52-week high.
But despite Mattel's less-stellar numbers, analysts on a conference call congratulated Ms. Barad for a strong quarter, and the company's stock gained even more -- $2.3125 to close at $28.25.
This is partly because after several quarters of earnings that were worse than expected, the results this time were actually a tad better than analysts had anticipated. The stock rise also reflects a view that the worst is behind Mattel and a frenzy by investors of the type that these days accompanies any public offering of an Internet-related stock.
Ms. Barad, who has been under pressure from investors to improve results, said the company was rebounding after problems that included a cutback in ordering by Toys ''R'' Us, the largest toy retailer. Shipments of Barbie, the flagship product, were up 3 percent worldwide and 11 percent in the United States in the quarter. ''The core brands are holding up very very well,'' she said in the conference call.
Asked in an interview if Mattel was out of the woods, she replied: ''I think Mattel was never essentially in the woods. I think the industry was changing and we weren't changing fast enough to be in front of it.''
But some analysts remained skeptical, saying that some of the sales comparisons with last year meant little because of weak sales at that time. And Barbie sales at retail were actually down in the quarter.
''You couldn't say there's any proof there that they're out of the woods,'' said Sean P. McGowan, an analyst with Gerard Klauer Mattison & Company. Jill S. Krutick, who follows Mattel for Salomon Smith Barney, agreed, saying, ''I think it's still a work in progress.''
The company, which is based in El Segundo, Calif., will take a pretax charge against earnings of $300 million to $350 million in the second quarter to cover both the restructuring and costs related to its acquisition of the Learning Company, an educational software maker, which is expected to close in May.
The restructuring will lead to savings of $50 million this year and $400 million over the following three years, the company said. Mattel stuck with its previous target of earning $1.50 a share this year.
Though Mattel has dabbled with electronic commerce, it now intends to offer many of its products electronically, along with such entertainment as on-line Hot Wheels racing and Barbie animation.
The company expects sales through Mattel.com to reach $60 million this year with profit margins far higher than for sales through traditional retailers. But these retailers, who are worried about being bypassed, will share in some of the benefits from the on-line sales, Ms. Barad said, declining to elaborate.
Hasbro, the No. 2 toy maker, reported net earnings of $13.8 million, or 7 cents a diluted share, up from $7.8 million, or 4 cents. Revenue reached $668.4 million, less than $24 million behind Mattel. A big reason for the increase was Hasbro's acquisition last year of Tiger Electronics, maker of the talking Furby creature. Hasbro could do even better in coming quarters because it has the license to make toys connected with ''The Phantom Menace,'' the new Star Wars movie, which opens next month. Mattel will counter with products for ''Toy Story 2,'' ''Tarzan'' and a new Sesame Street movie.Continue reading the main story


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Automotive Week 2023
Automotive Week marks its return in 2023 at the Automotive Campus in Helmond, the Netherlands. From 16 to 19 of April, the event will provide a unique opportunity to get in contact with future talent, start-ups and scale-ups as well as leading companies in the automotive and mobility industry.
Innovative technologies and the right skills become much more important in European developments to make the world of mobility smart, safe and sustainable. Thus, Automotive Week 2023 will be back to bring together relevant stakeholders in the automotive and mobility industry, such as future talent, start-ups and scale-ups, and Automotive Week 2023 will be back to bring together relevant stakeholders in the automotive and mobility industry, such as future talent, start-ups and scale-ups as well as leading companies in the sector.
Across four days, tailored topics will be discussed to provide a full picture of the automotive industry's current status, ensuring all stakeholders' needs are being addressed in detail. The days are currently divided according to the following:
- 16 April: Talent Fair – a true experience for students and young professionals to meet the Automotive Industry.
- 17 April: High-Level Day – for policymakers, managers in the automotive and mobility sector and visitors from all over Europe to experience the newest developments and demos in the mobility sector.
- 18 April: Mobility in the Digital Society – theme day for professionals, and technological experts in the field.
- 19 April: Mobility in a Zero Emission Future – theme day for professionals, technological experts in the field
Interested in joining? Do not miss your chance to get an early-bird ticket featuring a 50% discount here! Early-bird rates are available until 15 January.
Becoming a sponsor
Becoming a sponsor is the perfect way to show your company to European members of industries, public governments, students and young professionals. With four different sponsorship packages, partners will be able to receive attractive advantages such as free tickets to visit the congress, participate in the Talent Fair, and the possibility to show a demo.
For more information about the sponsorship packages, click here.
Call for demos: apply now!
The Automotive Week 2023 is perfect for showing your innovative product or service. An international audience of companies and professionals will have the chance to experience and learn from ground-breaking and exciting innovations of current and future mobility possibilities. The focus is on near-to-market solutions for safe, smart & sustainable solutions. Do you have an innovation that fits these? Then sign up now before January 15th, 2023 and show your demo!
For more information, click here.
Click here to find out all about the event and get the latest updates.


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DALLAS — The president and chief executive of Kentucky Fried Chicken Japan purchased the trademark white suit worn by company founder “Colonel” Harland Sanders at auction Saturday for $21,510 — then promptly tried it on.
Masao “Charlie” Watanabe grinned while putting on the suit jacket and black string tie at the Heritage Auctions event, standing beneath a photograph of Sanders. He had already planned to attend a company marketing meeting in Dallas, but arrived early after he found out about the auction, he said.
Watanabe was one of hundreds of in-person, telephone and online bidders vying for various items, including a gun belt owned by legendary outlaw Jesse James and leg irons that restrained abolitionist John Brown.
Watanabe also bought a mini-collection of Sanders’ memorabilia — including his 1973 Kentucky driver’s license — for $1,912.
Sanders is a popular figure in Japan, and most KFC restaurants there have statues of him in front, Watanabe said. He plans to display the suit at a restaurant in Tokyo.
“Every child in Japan knows Colonel Sanders’ face and his uniform,” Watanabe told The Associated Press through a translator.
Sanders was named a “Kentucky colonel” by the state’s governor in 1935, five years after he began cooking meals for travelers who stopped at his gas station, according to his biography on the KFC website.
Earlier Saturday, the leg irons used on Brown after his failed 1859 raid on a federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry, W. Va., sold for $13,145. The winning bidder declined to be identified.
Many scholars believe Brown and his raid hastened the start of the Civil War as he tried to end slavery. The Connecticut native and some followers seized the arsenal, hoping to provide 100,000 weapons to slaves who never joined them. Brown later was hanged for treason, murder and inciting a rebellion.
James’ gun belt, one of two that he owned at the time of his death, sold for $16,730. The buyer was not immediately known.